#someone explain why this is a logical thing is this game!!!!!!!

[drchucktingle]

my masks

hey there buckaroos. due to all of the attention the TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION situation has gotten i am going to take a minute to talk about my personal way as an autistic buckaroo. im going to tell you about my masks.

im doing this for a few reasons, some are good FUN reasons full of love and some are not so great. 

lets start with the GOOD STUFF. first of all, i am talking about this because speaking on my way can help other buckaroo feel more comfortable speaking on there own way, ESPECIALLY if they are good at ‘passing’ for neurotypical like chuck is. 

unfortunately the NOT SO GREAT reasons im talking about all this dang stuff are two fold. reason one: i have been put into a position of having to explain and justify my needs and boundaries by the TXLA. this is not something that i WANT to be taking up all of my time, but when large organizations do not make space for those who they have pledged to support, it puts us smaller buckaroos into position where were have to defend our existence. it is not plesent but it is necessary.

the second NOT SO GREAT reason is that ‘passing’ bisexual and autistic people like myself are ALWAYS just seconds from being gatekept from folks both outside and inside these communities. there will probably be a day on chucks deathbed where i take off my mask and say hello to this timeline (mostly so you can all see how handsome i am under here but I DIGRESS). i KNOW with absolute certainty (the same way other bi and autistic buckaroos are probably nodding along right now) that when that day comes i will STILL be accused of ‘not being real’ and ‘faking’ because i ‘dont look autistic’ and i have a beautiful ladybuck partner in sweet barbara.

ALL THAT IS TO SAY, i am taking a moment today to talk FOR THE RECORD about my neurodigence and my particular needs. hopefully i will not have to keep diving this deep every time an organization takes a discrimantory action against me, but i will also say this: at least it is a good fight on an important battlefield

anyway buds, here is the story of my way on the spectrum

when i was a young buckaroo i knew that my thought process was different. i could socialize easily, which is unique in contrast to many autistic buds (it is a spectrum after all), but my social ease was for an interesting reason. I ALWAYS KNEW WHAT OTHERS WERE ABOUT TO SAY. it was like a strange ‘human game’ where someone would say one thing and i would think ‘well you actually mean something else’ in a sort of logical way (this is why i later related to DATA from star trek so dang much). at first i remember thinking ‘well i am just NOT going to play along with this human game’. i quickly learned neurotypical buckaroos do not like this, that there is a BOB AND WEAVE to social interactions that must be learned. 

later i realized ‘actually if i WANT to make friends and prove love is real then i can do this like an expert because i can SEE the game where most cant’. this got chuck many buds and took me on many adventures. please understand, i am not saying these connections are not important to me, they are just different. they are full of love, but i express this in my own unique way.

HOWEVER, while growing up i felt disconnected from this timeline in other ways, like an alien or a reverse twin trotting along in a world that is not quite my own. i did not feel emotions the same way my buds did. they would get upset over the ‘human game’ interactions and i would not be moved at all, HOWEVER i could see the way sunlight hit a window and start crying my dang eyes out over the beauty. so my emotion was still there and VERY STRONG, i just felt it in more existential ways (like hearing the call of the lonesome train). these days that feeling has progressed to where i am pretty much in a constant blissed out state of cosmic emotional connection (make of that last sentence what you will, but it is the truth). when i make existential posts online i am not just FIRING OFF SOME CONTENT, i really mean every word. this is really my trot.

anyway as a young buckaroo these feelings made me worry sometimes. i thought about various mental health dianosises and marked the parts and pieces that matched with myself. am i this? am i that? sometimes, instead of just being’ different’ i worried i might actually be ‘wrong’. 

when i saw david byrne on letterman in my younger days i immediately recognized something connected to myself. i thought ‘wow this is the mystery being solved before my very eyes.’ i could hear it in the music of talking heads too. i started doing research and realized that i might be on autism spectrum, something that was later confirmed by a therapist (back then the diagnosis was called asperger's). it was a glorious and fulfilling moment. i was SO EXCITED TO BE AUTISTIC LIKE MY HERO. i felt very cool because of it, and i still feel very cool because of it.

one of the big reasons i talk so much about being autistic these days is because i want to make sure OTHER buckaroos can have that same moment that i did. they can see chuck and think ‘wow i really like this autistic artist, maybe being autistic is cool’

so what does an average day WITHOUT wearing the pink bag look like for me?

my thought process is exactly like ROSE from CAMP DAMASCUS, which is part of why i wrote the book. we have the same stim (complex order of finger taps), we prepare for social interactions the same way, we analyze things in the same logical trot that neurotypical people might think feels ‘detached’ but for me feels natural (certain reviews of camp damascus are very funny to me in this way. you can tell when a reader is just very confused by existing in an autistic brain for 250 pages.)

from the outside you would not be able to tell that i am on the spectrum. in fact you would probably find me very socially adept. 

the problem is, all of that masking can take its toll. i spent years trotting in and out the emergency room, talking to confused doctors who could not figure out the chronic phantom tension and pain that radiated through my body. i eventually accepted the fact that i would either live a life constantly on heavy painkillers or just stop living altogether.

eventually, however, i started noticing a correlation between the way that i felt, and the space that i allowed for chuck and the pink mask. i was exercising that tension, allowing my mental mask of neurotypical existence to take a rest. i started practicing physical therapy and this time THE RESULTS STUCK because i was approaching from two sides, MIND AND BODY. after a while, i got my pain down to about 5 percent of what it once was. i still have flare ups in times of stress, but the healing has been very real and life changing.

lets get VERY specific now. if i attended the TXLA confrence without a mask and gave my talk i can tell you this: i would do a dang good job. i can work the heck out of a crowd and (not to reveal too much about my secret way) I HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO DO THIS ON OCCASION VERY WELL. however, going home from this event i would very likely be in pain. i would likely need to do physical therapy. i would likely need to stim for a while. i would NOT be emotionally fullfilled in the same way. in other words, without my pink mask i can charm the heck out of buckaroos, but THE SPACE OF CHUCK TINGLE IS NOT THE SPACE FOR THAT. the pink bag is a place for me to not have to put up with that tension. it is a place for me to unmask mentally by masking physically.

this pink bag space SAVED MY LIFE and i am not going to risk blurring these lines. if and when that ever happens it will be MY decision, not someone elses. that is my boundary. the part of me that neurotypically masks could handle a library conference in a purely technical sense, but the part of me that chuck represents absolutely cannot and should not be asked to do that without the pink bag. unfortunately, the complexity of this point makes it even MORE difficult for me to think about and takes up even more of my time, because it forces me to START QUESTIONING MYSELF and my own needs. to be honest, that is the most insidious part of other people questioning your identify and refusing to accept your accommodation needs without ‘proof’.

the thing is, while all of this discussion of disability and accessibility is important, i have a much larger point to make by writing these words.

a conference should not uninvite someone with an unusual physical presentation or a strange way of speaking REGARDLESS of it being classified as a disability. it does not matter WHY i look the way that i look and wear what i wear. i should not have to spend all day writing this post instead of writing my next book, just because my sensibilities are unique and my presentation is unusual. 

fortunately the solution is very simple: let other people be themselves. its not hurting you to simply accept and nod at the buckaroos you think look strange. let us exist

#actually autistic #chuck tingle #tingleverse #buckaroo lifestyle

[adhbabey]

Let's talk about some lesser known symptoms of autism! Maybe this will help some of you get a broader perspective on what this can be like. There is a whole grab bag of symptoms of autism, but here are some ones you may not know that you have.

Focus on truth

What does this mean? Well glad you asked. This is the focus on facts and logic rather than anything else. People have shown this as autistic people may refusing to lie because it goes against what they find as true. But that's not always the case.

Have you ever used logic to try and figure out your emotions?

Are you someone who doesn't understand why others may speculate when the current knowledge is right there? (such as subtext versus canon knowledge or theoretical arguments)

Do you find it frustrating when others avoid their problems as a way to avoid figuring out negative things? (such as avoiding conflict in a friend group)

Is it easy for you to talk about your strengths and flaws? Do you know your likes, dislikes and limits pretty well?

High context communication

This is preference on details and the full context of any situation. Often going into great detail and backstory to anything.

Do you feel as though you need to overexplain to give the person everything they need to know?

Have you ever apologized to someone by explaining the deep and meaningful reasons of why you did it, before you said you were sorry? And maybe even felt upset or confused why they reacted badly?

Have you ever felt stressed out because you wanted to give others full detail but they either interrupted you or cut you off?

Are you stressed out by people who tell you what to do and not why they want you to do it?

Are you ever told that you talk back a lot?

Do you prefer recipes versus verbal/vague instructions? (All the things that you need such as ingredients, measurements, prep time, etc.)

Do you really like watching deep dives and knowing about the whole history of something you're even vaguely interested in?

Identity diffusion

This is not everyone's experience, and it is common in a variety of other disorders such as DID and BPD. However, it is when you do not know who you are in regards to others. This is also known as identity disturbance.

Have you ever felt like an outsider without knowing why?

Are you deeply interested on what other people think of you? Especially if it's all the time?

Do you really like taking personality tests and quizzes? Are you interested in horoscopes?

Do you feel like you don't fit in any one specific group? Either being a loner, or hopping in between many different groups?

Do you ever feel weirder than the "weird kids" group? Do you not really get along or feel like you belong with them?

Do you have low self esteem when it comes to comparing yourself to your friends? Do you feel like they're better or more capable than you?

Do you feel drastically unimportant and not as interesting or cool as everyone else?

Have you ever related to narratives surrounding a character that is the last of their kind?

Do you feel like your identity is a vast and gaping void, that even if you learn a little bit, that you'll never know everything?

Internalized repetition

This is one of those traits that not every autistic person experiences, but that some might. You could say that for all autistic traits, but hey, good to know regardless. Because of internalized repetition, you may not do many external stims, besides vocal.

Do you listen to a song over and over again? Perhaps having a playlist on repeat?

When stressed out, do you type the same word or phrase over and over again?

Do you like looking at the same things, such as the same color or the same artist's works?

Do you really like certain patterns, crystals or aesthetics?

Do you enjoy games with recognizable fighting patterns? (Such as character rotation, boss battle rotation, etc.)

Struggling to connect to others *

This is something that's been characterized by struggling to connect to others through their emotions, but the opposite is actually true for many autistic people. *I will be talking about those who struggle to connect to others who are emotionally distant or unavailable. Being emotionally distant or not showing emotions externally is a trait that many autistic people share, but for those without alexithymia, they may struggle to understand why anyone wouldn't like to talk about their emotions. I don't know the specific symptom term for this, so please bare with me. If anyone would like to inform me about what this is called, please tell me.

Do you struggle to talk with dry texters, or tend to over-examine people's tone through text?

Do you have anxious attachment?

Do you feel disconnected with many other autistic people and struggle to make friends or talk to them?

Do you feel embarrassment or shame with being emotionally sensitive?

Have you fallen down the rabbit hole of things like starseeds, star children or empaths?

Do you want to talk about serious emotions a lot, even when its not appropriate?

Do you trauma dump or wish people would become more emotionally intimate with you? Do you enjoy it when people share their deep traumas with you, even if it's triggering?

Are you constantly reassurance seeking?

There is plenty more symptoms out there, and these are just a few that stood out to me, because I think I may be autistic. I've always related somewhat, but never connected the dots. But there are reasons for that, such as identity diffusion and thinking I'm different from everyone else no matter what. I struggled because I didn't seem to have a lot of the outward and visible symptoms that were often talked about. I thought every autistic person had alexithymia, when that's just not true. My best friend, who has similar symptoms to me, along with another close friend of mine, have a similar presentation of autism. And it's taken quite a bit for me to accept or process. I feel like I'm faking my experiences just because I've self diagnosed before. And I'm angry that ADHD isn't given enough significance.

But I think I might be autistic, and this article that I based this post off of, confirmed it. So here's my post informing and coming out on that. You can be autistic and highly masking without actually knowing what's going on is masking. You can be autistic and have a spectrum of verbality, you can be autistic and struggle to connect to anyone who isn't immediately emotionally intimate with you. You can be autistic and not relate at all to other autistic people.

You're not alone.

#babey posts #actually autistic #audhd #autism #autism spectrum disorder #i know its a spectrum disorder but bro it doesn't feel like it #its broader than you might realize #you can be autistic and struggle to accept it #this has been the most frustrating and painful realization #i just. i feel a lot of negative feelings at myself about this #but i want to curate a place for people to exist without judgement #and before the anti self dx ppl come in here. this has never been the blog for you. #if youre like this. you belong here. #and if you just understand this. you also belong here. #you're not alone

[lunarw0rks]

‘things that make their heart flutter’ with ghost please? thank you so much bb 🩵

☾𓂃❛🍰❜┊ 'things that make his heart flutter' // ghost hcs

ask box ♡ masterlist ༘⋆♡⸝⸝💌⊹。°˖➴ ask game

♡ unspoken conversations are what he does best — especially on bad days. someone who doesn't need words to understand why he is the way he is. no need to explain himself, no pressure to break his boundaries, nor the urge to become something he's not.

♡ the little things; bringing him a cup of tea, gushing about your favorites movies, memories, interests, etc., mundane tasks that others find boring (bickering about the grocery list, re-organizing the cabinets, making the bed together)

♡ his need to be needed. never once would he admit it out loud, but simon yearns to be depended on. he would play up being irritated or inconvenienced, but behind your back, he feels like he's found his sense of belonging. you, asking for his input with a crossword puzzle, or needing his help finding your keys, to have him hold the other end of a blanket so you can fold it evenly.

sure, he would huff, grumble, and have an unflinching glare into your soul. but inside; he's tussling with the flutter he's experiencing. he's conditioned himself into not showing vulnerability. but to feel it so strongly? there's no fighting that.

♡ sincerity; actions are his bond, his form of trust. words, second and less common, but no less trustworthy. simon took ages to let you in — if he were to let you down now, there's no point in love, that's his logic. and if that special person has a warmness to them; the better. your kind personality contrasts his moody one, and keeps him in check? earns a silent swoon from him.

#mw2 #call of duty #task force 141 #simon riley #ghost mw2 #task force 141 x reader #simon riley x reader #mw2 fanfic #simon riley fluff #ghost mw2 x reader #ghost x y/n #ghost x you #simon ghost riley #simon riley headcanons #141 headcanons #141 task force #tf 141 #cod x y/n #cod x you #cod x reader

[thranduel]

i need people to actually stop and think logically when it comes to fictional characters. more specifically, when it comes to astarion.

it’s frustrating when people only talk about him in a sexual way and reduce him to “the hot sexy flirty vampire” or “the bear guy” (he was used as an EXAMPLE in a livestream, it’s not even canon in his lore) and view him as someone who “loves flirting and sleeping with people” when he does NOT. he canonically has sexual trauma, was forced to use his body to seduce people, got punished whenever he didn’t listen and is STILL suffering from ptsd after years of abuse and torture (already kinda spoke about this here).

it’s also frustrating when people hate on him and reduce him to “horrible evil heartless cruel annoying bastard” and act like you’re a shitty person if you like his character and must automatically agree with everything he’s done when you absolutely don’t?? he’s a FICTIONAL CHARACTER IN A FANTASY GAME, you can enjoy the complexity of his character and appreciate his character development while also acknowledging his flaws and not approve of every single thing he has ever done.

but before i continue, everyone should watch this scene. many people haven’t seen it because you have to pick very specific dialogue choices when astarion’s siblings approach you at camp. it’s brutal and heartbreaking but this is where he talks about what cazador did to him when he punished him for not listening to his orders. and yes, it’s bad. like really bad. this is just the first part, but the rest of it is more intense and it’s in the video:

“once - in the first decade of my slavery - i found a darling boy who i couldn’t bare to bring back to him. so i ran, instead of hurting that sweet man. after cazador caught me, the bastard sealed me, starving, inside a dusty tomb, all on my own, for an entire year”.

i wish people could actually just try to understand him and his backstory before reducing him to something he’s not. he’s not this one-dimensional “chaotic evil villain”. he’s not this “flirty sexy vampire red flag bad boy” he is SO much more than that. he is so complex and well-written and it’s so weird how people ignore it.

instead of constantly focusing on how he acts at the beginning of the game and saying “astarion is so mean and cruel what a horrible guy who doesn’t care about anyone but himself”, why can’t we talk about how he was forced into doing so many horrible things that he never wanted to do and how his master punished him every time he didn’t follow orders to the point where it utterly broke and destroyed him? he lost his freedom and bodily autonomy. he was forced to sleep with people and then lure them to tragic fates. imagine how sick, disgusted, guilty and horrible he felt all at once. it made him numb, empty, angry and scared even when he was far away from cazador, because that type of pain and trauma never leaves you. he was surrounded by cruelty for so many years that he responded with cruelty in many situations. he hated when people tried to be the hero or make false promises to save someone because no one ever saved him. no one even tried. he had no one and nothing. he was used to constant disappointment and loneliness. he was treated like an object rather than a person. of course he’s going to be bitter because of that. how can you seriously expect someone who only knew a world of cruelty to see sunshine and rainbows and be the sweetest person you’ve ever met? he’s upset, he’s angry, he’s hurt, he’s bitter. does that make every action of his okay? is it an excuse? absolutely not. and no one said that it is. his own life was being destroyed and he also destroyed others at the same time. it’s horrible. but everything cazador did to him explains why he became like that.

but the moment you actually start to treat him like a person, you can immediately see things start to change. that is literally the only thing he ever wanted. that’s why the scene you get after the drow interaction at moonrise is one of my absolute favourites. i know there’s a different version of that scene (if you don’t talk to the drow) where he instead admits he had a plan to seduce you but then fell for you, but the reason i prefer the drow one is because it feels really meaningful and important for his character in regards to consent and treating him like a person. like it’s just such an important conversation to have with him. obviously the other version is still really sweet when you think about the romantic aspect of your relationship and it’s nice to hear that he’s fallen in love and tells you that you deserve something real, because he’s never had those sort of feelings for anyone. it’s really beautiful. but i love how the drow version of the scene could actually work for both platonic and romantic relationships with him if that makes sense? it’s important to him because you made the decision to actually treat him like a person, defend him and allow him to make his OWN decisions (something he never had with cazador). he appreciated it so much that he decided to come up to you in the middle of the night and thank you, and then he felt comfortable enough to be vulnerable and open up to you.

at the start of act 3, you already start to see how much he’s changed. if you give an orphan child some food, he approves. when you first met him, he wouldn’t have. he probably would’ve felt bitter; angry to see someone stop for someone else when no one ever did for him. but because you showed him basic respect and kindness, he started to realise that there is good in this world and people do care. it’s not just evil and coldness and cruelty. he only believed there was because of how long he suffered with cazador. there is literally a scene where he tells you that no one has ever cared about him or been kind to him and that no one else has a heart like you. he starts to find safety and comfort in you. this is why it’s so beautiful to see how much he grows and changes and it also shows that he genuinely loves and cares for you too because he’s trying. he’s really trying. you are able to convince him that he can be better than cazador and he believes you after everything you’ve done to help him. it’s going to take a very long time for him to heal after everything he’s suffered, but the fact he has already started to try and be a better person is such a massive thing. obviously it doesn’t erase what he’s done in the past and it doesn’t automatically “fix” him, but the fact that he’s trying and he wants to be better tells you more than enough about him. i am so proud of his character development and growth and i really hope people start to understand him and appreciate him more.

#astarion #baldur’s gate 3 #bg3 #meta #character analysis #i am once again going to cry #sorry some of this is a little repetitive because i’ve spoken about it before but i just can’t stress it enough #the amount of people that don’t even bother trying to understand him is aggrevating #not everyone has to like him but don’t make stupid comments when you don’t even put the effort in to get to know his character and backstory #bg3 spoilers #my posts

[shiny-jr]

why are you in my apartment? (II)

Warning: Yandere. Gender-neutral reader.

Characters: Jamil Viper, Kalim Al-Asim, Epel Felmier, Rook Hunt, Vil Schoenheit, Ortho Shroud, Idia Shroud, Silver, Sebek Zigvolt, Lilia Vanrouge, Malleus Draconia.

Summary: Everything was supposed to be better when you got your own apartment to call home. So when you got home one day, why was was there some weird guys in your home?

Note: I know I tend to leave the relationships up to interpretation and not divulge into it too much, but know that Ortho’s part is NOT romantic. His part is purely platonic, more like he’s seeking another sibling relationship/dynamic. Whenever I wrote for Ortho, it will always be platonic, it will NEVER be romantic. [ Added ] FINALLY. It’s finished. I feel like it’s way longer than the first part despite there being the same amount of characters and trying to keep the content amount the same. On google docs it says it’s about thirty-four pages. Please, I really hope you guys like this one because I worked hard on it and it took a while. Plus I kept getting stuck on parts. 

Previous: why are you in my apartment? (I)

You worked and saved to be able to live in a spacious apartment in the downtown area. The buildings had decent security, the apartment itself was in a low-crime area, and there were a bunch of stores nearby for the basic necessities, not to mention you worked from home half the time and the other time work was just a few blocks away. Everything was perfect...! Until it wasn’t. Your seemingly perfect life was thrown completely off balance when you returned home and found your door unlocked.

Like any reasonable person, you were worried. Were you just forgetful this morning or had someone broken in...? Not wanting to call authorities right away and make a fool of yourself if you had forgotten to lock your door today, you carefully proceeded inside, with your phone gripped in hand and your makeshift key weapon in the other hand. Steadily you crept inside, looking left and right, your heart rate accelerating as you noticed a few things out of place. A remote controller not on the coffee table, a blanket you forgot to fold now folded neatly-- Just then, you heard voices and footsteps, and when the strangers entered your line of vision, you screamed as they jumped in surprise and exclaimed,

“W-Wait!”

SCARABIA

Incense...? Why did your apartment smell like lit incense and expensive perfume? You didn’t leave any incense and you didn’t have whatever type of perfume made the place smell nice–– The room was cleaned. On the living room table was a golden tray filled with neatly packaged and wrapped snacks and even a small box of golden accessories. It almost looked like a greeting gift someone left... If someone really left this, that would explain the whining and scolding coming from further inside. When you heard the voices and footsteps grow louder, a white-haired young man wearing lots of accessories appeared from the kitchen.

Coming face to face with a stranger in your own home was certainly a shock.

It was more of the negative kind of shock when you saw this white-haired stranger smile brightly and their eyes widen as they ran towards you with their arms wide open as he exclaimed with such pure excitement, “Ah–– It’s you! You’re finally here!! I’m so excited to meet you! I’ve wanted to see you forever––”

Of course, any logical person would not be as happy at this guy was. Stepping back, you held up the sharp end of your keys and reached back for the door––

Thunk!

A hand firmly kept the door shut, and before you could even think of swinging or screaming, there was another firm but gentle hand on your arm to prevent you from using those keys to slash at anyone. This second man must’ve appeared when you were distracted.

He had long dark hair and wore a hoodie. Whoever he was, he seemed to sense you distress, because he sent his companion a look. “Wait–– sorry about him scaring you. Can you lower those keys, please? I’ll explain everything.”

One game. You downloaded one game, Twisted Wonderland, on a whim, and now this duo of students claimed to be from the Scarabia dorm from that very mobile game. It was incredibly difficult to believe, almost impossible, if it weren’t for their striking resemblance to the characters and the magic they were able to conjure with their pen. What was more of a shock? They claimed to know you as the player. Of course before they knew nothing of your looks or true personality, but now here you were in your divine grace, the real deal right before them! You can be sure that they will take advantage of your kindness as you allowed them to stay until they could find a way to return home. But really, why want to go back when you were here? 

Oh, but you want to know how it’s like living with the Scarabia gang, hm?

Jamil Viper 

If he can handle not just the dorm but also duties at home including his normal responsibilities with Kalim, he can take care of you and your apartment. 

What’s he usually doing in the apartment? Well, to be fair, he is the one mainly keeping the place together. But when he isn’t busy, he’s taken a great interest in the dances and locations of this new world. Really he seems to enjoy learning about this world firsthand by exploring. 

It’s not rare for him to join you. In fact, you welcome it. Jamil is great company, and he’s always there to save you and Kalim from your own mistakes. Anywhere you go, Jamil is there to accompany you to help, he insists, but it might just be because he actually enjoys your company more than he’d like to admit. 

Funnily enough, he’s been offered various jobs by restaurants but refuses them all. Apparently they had a taste of his cooking and now want him to be a cook for their business. Although it is kind of funny to see Jamil repeatedly turn them down but accept their free dishes only for him to give them to you and Kalim. When asked why he won’t accept one job, he says it’s because he’s already busy enough as it is. But Kalim guesses its that Jamil doesn’t want to give up any free time he could spend with you. 

That’s right, Jamil does so much. He can do practically everything from cooking, to cleaning, the laundry, the dishes, buying groceries–– but there’s one thing he can’t do. Whatever you do, do not ask him to get rid of a bug. He’s probably more scared of it than you are. A bug got into the kitchen once and a mess was made by him trying to get away from it. Then all hell broke loose when the insect started flying. 

Oh, but don’t believe he’s all “good guy” playing the role of househusband. Huh, that’s so weird... the apartment owner just informed you that your rent was lowering. Just yesterday when you went shopping with Jamil, the store clerk gave you a huge discount. And last week, that annoying boss of yours suddenly gave you a promotion. But they all had this empty look in their eyes and spoke in monotoned voices... When you confronted Jamil about this, he calmly claimed to know nothing about those instances. 

Of course he missed you, but he isn’t as openly desperate as others may be. Did he miss you, you ask? He’ll smile and reply cooly maybe. Yeah, he totally missed you. Why do you think the house is spotless now? He was trying to take his mind off you through chores again. 

Yes, your vessel, Yuu, was a pawn he could use in the beginning. Well, he was right about one thing, about you being a diamond in the rough. There was really no one else like you in Twisted Wonderland. 

Seeing you before him, the true you, was nothing less than a shock. You, who’s vessel he used and tormented and eventually came to treasure, were here. For now matter how much his heart was picking up speed and now many thoughts raced through his head, he had to keep calm for you. 

When he heard rapid footsteps and Kalim’s eager exclamation, he warned himself to prepare for what lay ahead. Ignoring the calm feeling this strange space brought him, he immediately appeared in the scene of the commotion. Deep down, he held hope, he had a feeling, an idea of where he may be. All his worries seemingly vanished when you came into his line of vision, and he relaxed. It was you... and you weren’t a threat. A tiny bit anxious, really excited, even confused, there was so much going on but he forced himself to remain level-headed and he quickly approached you and held you back from attacking. It was you, really you, so real he could touch you! Hold on–– he had to keep calm and hold up appearances. This way he could be a trustworthy figure in your eyes. 

“Did you need something? You know I’m at your service... Hm? You want me to take a break? There’s no need. Besides, I’m used to doing this much, but I appreciate the sentiment. Now then, I couldn’t help but overhear you complain about a rude neighbor to Kalim. I can divine a solution to this... thorny problem if you just tell me their name.”

Kalim Al-Asim 

Woah, what a small place you got! Is this really comfortable? Even his room back home was bigger than the whole apartment! Don’t worry, he’ll make this place fun and comfy! 

What’s he up to at the apartment? Well, besides sticking to you 90% of the time, he’ll do anything you ask or copy you. Cleaning? He’ll help! Watching TV? Ohh, can he sit next to you? Going out for the day? Cool! He’ll get Jamil and all three of you can go out together! 

Like we just established, Kalim will follow you anywhere! Doesn’t matter if it’s just stepping out to the vending machine or going several blocks away, he’ll gladly keep you company. Plus, here in your world, he’s not known as the heir of a fabulously wealthy merchant family, meaning no one’s trying to harm him and Jamil has more free time too! 

While he may not be the best at chores like Jamil, he does really try his best...! Well, he has his other uses. He’s not just the heir to the Asim family name for any old reason. Believe it or not, Kalim is surprisingly good with money. That means he pays the bills, for gifts, for supplies, etc. And not even out of your pocket! He had on so much gold when he got here, he happily sold a piece or two to pay you back for your hospitality and now you don’t have to pay a thing for months! How much was that stuff he sold even worth...? Wait a moment, when did you get these expensive portraits on the wall and these brand clothes? 

You know how I said he’s beside you almost 24/7? Yeah, when you’re not working from home, those are the worst days for him. Jamil has to always keep an eye on him because if not, Kalim will march over to your office for a “surprise visit!” But when you get home after your shift, you’ll be greeted by the warmest smile from him as he practically jumps on you for a hug. 

Local “good boy,” too. The neighbors adore him because he’s just so sweet and kind. Even the kids seem to love playing with him, so he’ll be on the playground with them as you and Jamil sit on the benches. It’s because of Kalim that you met nearly every person living in the apartment complex, and somehow you got their favor because of the sunshine guy that’s your roommate. Also he’s the “bug handler,” meaning he cheerfully picks up any bugs that snuck in and bids them goodbye at the window or door. 

Kalim misses you way too much when you’re not home. It’s why Jamil is in charge of holding the phone, because if it were up to Kalim, he’d have you on call nearly your entire shift. But just know that even though he doesn’t like you having to go to work, he knows it’s important and he’s really proud you’re working so hard! 

Are you kidding? Your vessel, Yuu, is one of his best friends! He’s taken good care of them! Have you noticed? He loves your vessel, but he loves you way more! 

All logic went out the window as soon as he saw you. Immediately he became overwhelmed by emotion, he felt so much joy and utter excitement come bursting forth! All he could do was express his pure delight! 

Truthfully, Kalim hadn’t expected to see you! He was oblivious to where he was, unsure what would happen. But when he saw you–– all uncertainty and confusion disappeared. Immediately he threw his arms open wide as a large beaming smile broke onto his face, his eyes were practically glimmering with such excitement as he eagerly exclaimed any words that came to mind. It was you, it was you, it was you! He was just so so happy, happy didn’t even being to describe it. Words couldn’t explain the pure amount of glee he was feeling, it was practically oozing out of him in waves as his heart beat rapidly. His heart beat just for you, beating against his ribcage as if it wanted to reach you too, just like how he wished to embrace you! 

“You’re home!!! Ahah, I missed you so much!! How was work? Are you tired? Are you hungry? You must be hungry! Let’s eat now! I helped Jamil make dinner today, and your favorite tea! Hold on, I got your coat and bag! Jamil, they’re home!! Tell us everything! I’m so happy you’re back, I could just kiss you!”

As a whole...

Scarabia always makes sure to spoil you rotten, and they’re only two people so it’s not overwhelming. On one hand, you have one more level-headed roommate who would do anything in the world for you, one the other hand you have an easily excitable roommate who will give you anything in the world! Expect gifts and feasts galore from them, even welcome home parties after a simple day at work. The day could be calm and peaceful or it can be fun and activity-filled, just tell them what you want. Whatever you want, whatever you may need, they’ll happily give it to you. For your hospitality they’ll pay you back tenfold with material items, their time, and their affection. You trust them, don’t you?

POMEFIORE 

Perfume...? Why did your entire apartment smell of expensive perfume and scented candles? Was that the smell of lavender and apples...? You didn’t even own any candles scented like that. All your coats were hung neatly, the shoes you left by the door were organized, it looked like someone had just cleaned your apartment. On the living room table was a basket of shiny red apples, as if someone left it behind for you. All of this would explain the talk coming from another room. There were light footsteps, you couldn’t tell if they were getting closer or walking somewhere else, until a figure appeared from the hallway–– A short and pretty young man with lavender hair and big blue eyes stopped in his tracks. 

Upon seeing each other, you both froze seemingly in shock. You were horrified that some stranger got in your home, he seemed thunderstruck for some other reason you didn’t know. 

Shaking off the shock, the young man lifted his hand towards you, his blue eyes wide with disbelief as he muttered, “It... I... You... Hah–– They weren’t kiddin’... You’re actually real? This isn’t some cruel little dream or curse? You––”

Leaning back to avoid his touch, you held up the sharp end of your keys as you eyed him warily, “B-Back off pretty boy, I’m armed...! I–– Oof...!”

That... That wasn’t the door behind you. Your wrist wielding the keys was gripped firmly but gently, and you shrieked in fright when you looked up to see a blonde man behind you. When did he get there...?!

His green eyes peered down at you but his smile on his expression broke into surprise at your reaction as he used his other hand to make a shushing motion. “Shhh, shush, dear one, there’s no need to fear! Please wait, calm yourself. Forgive us for the intrusion!... Ahhh, it’s truly an immense honor, it’s a blessing from the heavens above, to be in your presence! Forgive me...! I’ve wanted to observe your grace ever since the moment I began to worship you...!” 

Worship? Wait... was this guy tearing up? “Are you... crying?”

“None of this will do! The whole wardrobe will need to be replaced, furniture will need to be bought, and groceries will be purchased for the refrigerator and pantry. How could anyone live like this? They deserve better! Especially for––” Another tall beautiful blonde man in heels came from the hallway, but his rambling stopped and his amethyst eyes widened once they landed on you, his breath hitching. “...You...” He appeared at a loss for words and he slowly stepped closer, afraid of scaring you off. Carefully his touch grazed over your cheek, apprehensive, as if the slightest contact would shatter you and you’d be gone. Snapping out of his self-induced trance, he retracted his hand quickly and added, “I apologize sincerely, my dear, you must be terribly confused. Please, allow me to explain.” 

One game. You downloaded one game, Twisted Wonderland, on a whim, and now this trio of students claimed to be from the Pomefiore dorm from that very mobile game. It was incredibly difficult to believe, almost impossible, if it weren’t for their striking resemblance to the characters and the magic they were able to conjure with their pen. What was more of a shock? They claimed to know you as the player. Of course before they knew nothing of your looks or true personality, but now here you were in your divine grace, the real deal right before them! You can be sure that they will take advantage of your kindness as you allowed them to stay until they could find a way to return home. But really, why want to go back when you were here?

Oh, but you want to know how it’s like living with the Pomefiore gang, hm?

Epel Felmier 

Just to even be allowed to stay with you has made him incredibly happy, so he’ll do everything in his power to help out! You can rely on him! 

What’s he up to in the apartment? Actually, he’s usually out. After completing chores, he’ll go out. He doesn’t like staying cooped up inside all the time, so it’s normal to find him trying to work out in the nearby park or with the garden he made on the roof of the apartment complex. Also, he’s interested by this world’s sports, especially American football. Look at all those strong guys playing a tough sport!! 

Epel is a bit of the jealous type, so he greatly treasures any time alone you spend with him and he tries to keep it to just you and him. His favorite activities with you are working on his garden, making goods from the products he grew by hand and proudly presented to you, and taking you when Vil and Rook are distracted to ride around town on this motorcycle! Yeah, don’t ask him where he got a whole motorcycle from.

He knows he doesn’t have much to offer to pay you back, so he does what he can. Making deliveries on his motorcycle, selling his garden’s products, maybe even winning bets by secretly racing, plus he begrudgingly joins in on Rook and Vil’s... work, whenever he can get paid from it or when Vil pressures him to do it. But, at the end of his day, all his handwork’s earnings go to you. Just take it, he’s not going to let you refuse! 

Really, he just wants to appear responsible and reliable in your eyes, that’s why he willingly does a lot of chores too. No task is too big or too small! Leave him a grocery list and he’s off to go buy and carry everything back himself! You mentioned how you wanted to clean the rooms, so he took it upon himself to deep clean the apartment! What else do you want him to do? 

Don’t let his adorable looks fool you. He’s a bit protective of you. Well, the other two are as well, but Epel is more openly hostile about it. He knows when to keep up appearances though. If he can guilt trip harassers or creeps with his looks alone so they stop bothering you, great. However, if that doesn’t do the trick, well... Let’s just say that he nearly caused a scene by sucker-punching a rando who cat-called you on the streets once. You two managed to get away but Epel was absolutely fuming. He wasn’t scolded by you or Vil because he defended you, but he was still mad he couldn’t “give ‘em hell.” 

Oh, he misses you fairly often. Like mentioned before, he gets jealous. Don’t your coworkers realize how lucky they are, getting to work with you all day? You’ll hear him mumble complaints like that often, but he won’t say anything out loud unless you prompt him to do so. Ease him into a good mood again by simply holding his hand, he enjoys holding onto you like this whenever you let him.

Do you know how annoying it was to be your vessel, Yuu’s, friend after you already befriended members from four other dorms? It was so frustrating trying to keep your attention when they’re all vying for it! 

Of course the first thing he felt about seeing the true you was pure disbelief. This couldn’t be real, could it...? Was this some sorta dream? If it was, he never wanted to wake up again. If this was a dream where he could stay with you, he’d be content with staying in an eternal slumber. 

When he walked out of the hallway and saw you standing there, he was starstruck. Pinch him, because this dream was too good to be true! Immediately once he came within a few feet of you, he felt that heavenly grace only the player wielded, he knew it was truly you. It wasn’t the puppet you played with and controlled back in his world. You were so... so... amazing? No, that wasn’t it, words couldn’t even describe it. You looked normal, your home was normal, you seemed average at best, but at the same time.... you were wow. It’s as if your entire being had him spellbound. At first, for a brief moment, he felt stiff before getting worked up, eager but anxious at the same time. When he tried to open his mouth and speak, he could only fumble over his words. C’mon, just talk, damn it! If this was a dream, he never wanted it to end. 

“Hey! Over here! Heh, surprised to see me? I got out when Vil was busy on the phone. I figured that maybe you’d be tired after workin’ all day so what better then to drive you home on my motorcycle? Hop on. What do you say we make some detours and stops along the way? We can stop at some scenic spots if you want?” 

Rook Hunt 

Ah, what a lovely nest you have! So this was your temple, the very grounds where you lived. As your loyal follower, he will care and defend this sacred place. 

What’s he up to at the apartment? Well... it’s hard to tell sometimes. Although he is extremely fascinated with your world, he wishes to learn and “see all the beauty in the world that is home to the divine player,” whatever that means. Exploring and being generally curious seems to be a big hobby of his. 

The guy is a real enigma. Wherever you are, Rook is sure to follow and even when you don’t see him, most of the time you get the feeling you’re being watched... He offers his assistance at every turn, he accompanies you everywhere and anywhere. Sometimes it’s a little creepy how he’s always there, but his smile is nothing but kind and his words of praise are loving. Not to mention he’s a very good listener, he’ll listen to any rant or simple chat, as he admires you with a lovestruck smile. 

From what you’ve gathered, Rook is from a fairly wealthy family. So immediately he offers his assistance. How does he do it? Where does he even get the money from? How? It literally makes no sense, it’s a real mystery. For all you know, he could’ve sold some priceless antique or something he had on him, which seemed extremely unlikely but how else did he get that kind of money? When you ask about it, he merely smiles at you and places the money for rent and bills in your palm as he assures you to not worry a single hair on your pretty head. He’s fairly affectionate too, embraces are welcome and if you’ll allow it, he enjoys giving you forehead kisses as well.

Rook also does his fair share of chores, but his main responsibility he’s placed upon himself appears to be your security. Your safety and comfort are of the utmost importance! He, like the rest of the trio, is protective of you, but he isn’t as hostile about it as Epel may be. Usually a warning and his presence with a mere ominous smile is enough to ward off any unwanted guests. 

Speaking of unwanted guests, not only is he your personal security but he also manages to find the time to be the apartment security. No one is going in or out of the apartment complex without him knowing, he even keeps watch of the outside apartment grounds. Ever since Rook arrived, there’s been a lot less break-ins and reported stealing. However, you have caught him cleaning his arrows way more recently, that leave the cleaning cloth a little red... Yeah, you know that he knows that you’ve noticed, but you’re too nervous to ask about it. 

Yes, he missed you dearly! It’s not very common because he’s always lingering whether you know it or not, but he clearly expresses joy whenever he can see you again. If you ask, he’ll deliver heartfelt words as he describes the pain of being apart from you for even a second! 

Ah, sweet precious Yuu, your treasured vessel. Believe him when he says that ever since he first laid his sights on your vessel, he sensed you, and was captivated by your presence flowing through Yuu! 

Oh, to meet the true you, was nothing short of a miracle! A miracle he may be undeserving of, but was something he desired deep in his heart. There was so much he wished to know, so much he wanted to say, so much he wanted to do–– all for you! 

His sharp hearing picked up on the sound of the front door with unfamiliar footsteps quickly. Immediately his heart rate began to pick up speed as if he were feeling the adrenaline of a hunt, but now he felt as vulnerable as the quarry, not the hunter. It was this feeling, your grace, that made him feel so... exposed. As if laying all his secrets bare. When he saw you–– he could easily sneak up on you seeing as you were distracted with his underclassman. When you accidentally bumped against him and he had to hold your wrist, he felt such a feeling of euphoria course through his nervous system. He couldn’t help but smile–– until you screamed. Swiftly he attempted to calm you, he couldn’t bear to be the source of your distress! It’s true, he shed tears because he was just so happy to meet you...! All he wanted to do was bring you joy and worship you. 

“You summoned me, mon dieu? Say the word, and I shall make your wish a reality... Heh, but of course I heard you! This loyal huntsman is forever at your beck and call! I implore you to tell me what you desire so that I may carry out your every command!–– Hm? You merely called upon me to see if I were present...? I see! Then if I may, may I be so bold as to offer you my company?” 

Vil Schoenheit 

Dearest, there’s no more need for fretting. He, Vil, the fairest one of all, will now handle everything from here on out. So just accept his affections and offer to help. 

What could he possibly be up to? Lots of things actually. He spends time both inside and outside. Of course he’s no pig, he does his own share or chores and helps keep the apartment clean, but he also spends a lot of time out. 

Watching movies, going out for lunch or dinner, simply taking a walk, or even going on a shopping trip. These are all things Vil enjoys to do with you and the others. You choose the movie; you buy whatever you wish to eat (he’s keeping an eye on your diet); and whatever outfits you choose to buy he’ll pay for, and more! 

Wait a moment, how the hell does he have over millions of followers on Instagram already? It’s only been a week! What–– what does he mean he’s inviting you to come along to a photoshoot and audition for a huge movie role he has? Yeah, somehow Vil becomes popular almost instantly, maybe it’s because of his looks? He’s practically doing everything he used to do in his world, now here. Movies, modeling, advertisements, he’s got it. What’s more? He’s getting paid handsomely to do it all, and where does most of that money go? To you of course! 

With the money he earns, he uses it to spoil you like crazy. Since Rook and Epel already covered the rent and bills, he pays for the luxuries. Luxury furniture; brand clothes; expensive jewelry; is that a painted portrait of you with Vil, Rook, and Epel, hanging on the wall inside a golden frame...? Your whole apartment is getting refurbished. He’d love to rent you an entire condo but if you insist, then he has no choice but to stay here in this one with you. 

Because of his elevating status, not only can you live in luxury but you also get to rub elbows with celebrities. However, that and when his fans target you, tend to be when his protectiveness shine through. It’s why he has Rook always watching you. Vil will constantly keep an arm around your waist when encountering fans or stars. Oh, and he isn’t afraid of snapping back venomously. You witnessed how on one occasion, his new manager subtly insulted you and in response, Vil both insulted him and fired him on the spot. From what you’ve heard, that guy has had miserable luck in the industry ever since then. “Any slight against you, is a slight against me,” Vil claims. 

Of course he misses you! If he wasn’t so busy while you were at work and he were left alone with his thoughts, he may have not been able to handle it. He has suggested you quit your job and allow him to take care of you, or if you wanted to work so badly you could just work with him somehow. It was a nice suggestion but you had to politely turn him down. It’s fairly common for him to kiss your cheek when he gets to see you after a long day, which leaves a lipstick stain on your skin.

To be frank, he did not care much, if at all, for your vessel, Yuu, at least in the beginning. However, that changed as time passed and he grew close to Yuu then learned the truth. Eventually he deemed himself responsible for helping your vessel and maintaining their health. 

To see you stand there before him in all your perfect glory... it left him stunned, you literally took his breath away. Here you were, your true self, your perfect self, before his very own eyes. All his work and effort into perfecting himself, caring for your vessel, and improving his underclassmen in Pomefiore into their best selves–– everything he did was for you. 

Now he understood how his fans felt when they were so starstruck that they couldn’t breath, couldn’t move, couldn’t even speak until their mind registered what was happening. When he ended up here and realized where he was, he got straight to work which meant feverishly cleaning and making immediate plans to improve your living environment. However when he saw you and realized it was truly you, his legs started moving on their own, drawn to your presence. Everything he was focusing on before seemingly vanished, as all he could think about now was you. When his fingers grazed over your flesh, he shivered, relieved that you weren’t cold and artificial like your vessel–– you were warm, and you were real. He was in such a state of bliss because you were here–– until he realized how confused you must be. Scolding himself, he prioritized your perfect self above all, so he would first calm you before proceeding to care for you and love you. 

“I had the manager set a seat for you right beside the director and the snack bar is stocked with your favorites. All I ask is you don’t indulge too much in the snacks, I scheduled a dinner for us to meet Rook and Epel after I film this scene... What’s the matter? Don’t you want to watch me work?... What? One of the cast members degraded you?... Alas for her. Who dare insult you? Reveal her name!” 

As a whole...

Pomefiore is another dorm that spoils you, proven by your new life of luxury with the company of these three who lovingly adore you and are fiercely protective of you. You have a pretty lavender-haired sometimes brash roommate who’s sweet to you, an eccentric blonde hunter who’s obsessed with you, and a beautiful blonde model who adores you wholly and wants to care for you for eternity. What more could anyone ask for? The trio is one of the more affectionate and direct with their feelings, so there won’t be a moment when you will feel unloved. Whether that’s a good or bad thing with them... who knows? You’ll continue to let them pay you back for your hospitality by caring for you, won’t you? 

IGNIHYDE 

Fire…? Oh god, you didn’t leave the stove on, did you? Or was someone here messing with the microwave or oven? There might even be a fire starting in another apartment in this complex! In your rush to see where the source of the smell was coming on, you failed to notice the new tablet and remotes sprawled out over the living room table. Someone had been here and left these devices. Hurriedly you rushed inside the kitchen, but there was no sign of anything having been left on. Checking the apartment group chat that gave notices and news for the complex, there was no news of a fire and the smoke detector hadn’t turned on. Wait… there were noises coming from a room connected to the hallway and that seemed to be where the smell came from too. Just as you were about to exit the kitchen, someone entered the same space. It was… the figure of a young robot boy with a mop of flaming blue hair…? 

“Aha! My scanner was correct! I did detect a familiar life force entering the complex grounds! I’m so happy to see you! Ah, wait––”

He stopped once you backed away, you eyed him warily as you held up the sharp end of your keys to warn him. Although you weren’t sure how much damage the keys would do against his metal body if it came down to having to defend yourself. Plus, you’re sure his blue fair hair, however that worked, would burn badly. Before you could ask or demand anything, he continued just as cheerfully, 

“Your heart rate is accelerating at a concerning rate, and so is your breathing pattern–– These are clear signs of fear. Don’t worry! Ah, this is so exciting! I thought I’d never see you like this!” Like a child who just can’t sit still, he practically danced, floating around you, seemingly not caring for the keys in your hand and he didn’t appear to be a threat. Instead he took your hand in his metallic palm, tugging you along towards your room as he insisted, “Come on, you have to see him! Let’s surprise him!”

See who? Surprise who? Your unspoken questions were answered when you were pushed into your home-office where you stored files and your laptop from when you were working at the apartment. There, you could smell the source of the fire, a long messy mane of blue fire that acted as lengthy locks of hair. 

Right now he had yet to notice you. He was far too invested in what appeared to be… building? There were parts and tools all around him as it appeared he had connected your laptop to various PCs and monitors. “What a cheap set-up they had… How can anyone do anything on one monitor? Tsk. This should make it more efficient. Their wi-fi speed is trash, so I gotta fix that too. Hah… Ortho, did you find whatever made that noise––? Uh…” As soon as his eyes landed on you, he froze like a deer in the headlights. His glowing yellow-eyes were wide as he gaped, dropping the piece for the computers in his hands. There was Ortho with the brightest eyes, radiating pure joy, and right next to him was… was… “Y-You–– T-This isn’t what it looks like…!” 

One game. You downloaded one game, Twisted Wonderland, on a whim, and now this duo of students claimed to be from the Ignihyde dorm from that very mobile game. It was incredibly difficult to believe, almost impossible, if it weren’t for their striking resemblance to the characters and the magic they were able to conjure with their pen. What was more of a shock? They claimed to know you as the player. Of course before they knew nothing of your looks or true personality, but now here you were in your divine grace, the real deal right before them! You can be sure that they will take advantage of your kindness as you allowed them to stay until they could find a way to return home. But really, why want to go back when you were here? 

Oh, but you want to know how it’s like living with the Ignihyde gang, hm? 

Ortho Shroud 

Do not worry! He already helps care for his big brother, he can care for you too! He’ll take good care of your home! 

What’s he usually doing at the apartment? Actually, he’s the one that goes out more often, besides helping keep the place together. In this new world, he finds everything interesting. Please teach him about your world, he wants to know as much as he can! 

Whenever you go out, Ortho is always the one to join you (he goes unnoticed thanks to the custom-made upgrade and hat his brother made him). When you go out for groceries. According to his scanners, these are the ripest and juiciest of fruits! When you go out for clothes. Here is a hologram and program he and his brother created to let you see how outfits would look on you without trying them on! When you want something specific. He’s searched the stock of every store within a 25 mile radius for the item you were looking for, and he’s located five stores with the item! Shall he call and have them reserve it as he leads the way for you? 

He’s a very kind and optimistic kid, so he’s won over a lot of the neighbors, meaning he gets a lot of little gifts he likes to give you. The elderly folks say he’s just the cutest kid, the adults think he’s such a well-behaved boy, and the other children seem to think he’s cool. If only they knew how down right mischievous, almost to a concerning level, he could be. He’s going to vacuum the apartment–– with a wind power blaster on max! Haha, just kidding~! If he did that then he might destroy this whole floor of the apartment complex! 

Although he is very responsible. Keeping the apartment clean, vacuuming, doing the laundry, washing the dishes, dusting, organizing everything, handling any mail whether it be digital or written, he even orders takeout and it’s actually good healthy food (half of the time)! He does it all despite you telling him he doesn’t have to, but he wants to! He would do a lot of this stuff for his older brother, so it’s no hassle. Although he would be really happy if you played games with him after! 

The only time he isn’t doing something for you or his brother, is when there’s a forecast of heavy storms with lightning. There was a huge crack of thunder followed by his scream down the hall. He’s deathly afraid of the thunder, hiding himself away in your room if you’re away. However, if you’re there, he’s clinging to you like a lifeline and won’t let go until the storm has passed. You and Idia are the only ones he feels safe with during a storm, so comfort him. 

Yeah, uh, Ortho isn’t entirely innocent though, he can actually be rather destructive. It’s rare, but he too has his moments. Take for example, when you were scared of the huge spider that ended up in the closet. No, wait, Ortho, don’t use that giant blaster––! Or how when your landlord mentioned he was raising the cost of rent and you complained, he later came back to retract that statement all while nervously avoiding innocent little Ortho. Ortho also acts as security, he has motion sensors that detect movement all around the complex grounds. It’s so effective that he was able to confront a would-be thief by the park and stop them from doing anything bad! Hooray! Wait a moment, you wonder… What happened to that pretty tree in the park? Why is there only a burnt stump left…? 

Yes, he missed you so much! Everyday while you work, you’re getting texts and the occasional call from Ortho. Please don’t be mad, he just really misses you! When your shift is done, he’s always there waiting at the lobby, swinging his little feet as he sits and waits. He visibly brightens up when he sees you, eagerly running over to hold your hand and take you home so his brother can see you too! 

In the beginning, he just wanted a friendship with you (through your vessel), him, and of course his brother. He just wanted to be your friend, be in your company, just like how everyone else smiled with you and spent time with you. Can’t he be your friend too…? 

He detected your presence far before you detected him. So when his suspicions were confirmed, he was over the moon! It was you, his friend! This was his dream come true: the real and authentic you, him, and his brother, all together in one place and living together like a big happy family! Just like in his favorite movies! 

As soon as he detected your presence, he had to wait and contain his excitement. He wanted this to be a surprise! When Idia asked him to go check the source of the commotion, he nyoomed right over to where he detected your presence on his scanners. He was so so happy to see you–– he didn’t care about the keys you were holding and he was certain his own flames were increasing. Oh, if he had a heart, he was sure its heart rate would surpass yours! It wasn’t that Ortho was oblivious, it’s just that he was so overjoyed that he didn’t mind your initial fear. You’d get over it quickly, he knows it. How could you continue to see him as a threat? You’ll recognize him soon, just as he recognizes you, then you’ll be happy too! Afterall, didn’t humans say joy was supposed to be infectious? 

“Happiness gauge has reached 100%... Yay, you’re here! Hi! How are you feeling right now? How was work today? Do you want me to place a take-out order or place a reservation at your favorite restaurant? I’m sure if you ask my brother to join us out to eat, then he’ll say yes! Hm?... How’d I know what time you got off of work? Hehe, I know your whole schedule for your convenience!” 

Idia Shroud

Ah, this was so nerve-wracking being away from his own room. Well… it’s not that bad since you’re here. Just leave him in your home where he can be comfortable.

What’s he doing at the apartment? You’re not completely sure but he does stay inside practically all the time. He’s almost always on some type of device, and will not-so-subtly try to linger around you if you let him. 

It’s rare to see Idia go out, especially by himself. However, if you ask him and you seem very eager to go out… well, he’ll impulsively say yes but he’s anxious the entire time. He’ll wear caps to hide his flaming hair and jackets or coats to cover himself. If you take him to someplace like an arcade or merch shop, he’s lightening up and actually enjoying the trip outside. 

Your work from home office? Yeah, that’s basically his office now too. Don’t worry, he’s set up a partition of shelves filled with a mix of your office supplies and the merchandise he buys. His side is all dark and lit by the screen light from devices, the room filled with scattered comics, video game cases, and appliances used by Ortho. Apparently he codes things, programs stuff, creates and sells, because every week there’s a transaction notification from your bank account. It’s Idia wiring you more than enough money for rent and bills. 

It’s fairly normal to see Idia shuffling around the apartment, sometimes forgoing the comfort of his bed or office to be in the same room as you. He doesn’t do much of chores–– he is a bit messy but at least he keeps it to his area. If you ask him to clean though, he’ll tidy up. But… don’t ask him to cook. He can’t manage that. If you do ask him, you’re getting served those really expensive fancy instant ramen. It’s the thought that counts…? 

You’ve never actually seen Idia get angry. But you have heard a loud and audibly frustrated Hah? from his room/office once when you texted him about some negative experiences. According to Ortho, Idia has turned red at times after hearing about your negative experiences. And he means literally, like his calm blue hair had flared into an angry red. Whoever caused those negative experiences whether it be harassment, bullying, or anything else, you won’t be hearing from them ever again. 

Even if it doesn’t seem like he does much, he does a lot. Creating personal service and wifi so you don’t have to pay companies, upgrading all your devices, connecting appliances to your phone like the lights and locks of the apartment and such. He wants to spend time with you, but he’s far too nervous to ask you… Which is why Ortho is always bringing you together. Sometimes if Idia has enough courage, he’ll call you instead of text you or purposefully leave something in your space so you can go to him later. He’ll help you out though. He’ll slow down or shut down the computers of your co-workers so it looks like you’re doing more work and you get a promotion. H-Huh…? N… No… He didn’t hack into your laptop’s camera or the surveillance tapes from your workplace just to watch you… 

Yeah, he missed you, but why would someone as great as you miss someone as miserable as himself…? Why do you think he’s always watching you through screens when you’re not around? If you mention missing you to him, he suddenly looks very nervous. Great, he’s been found out. Now you must think he’s some creep… as if his constant texts throughout the day don’t give away the fact that he longs for your company whether it be with your actual presence or conversation online. 

Ah, right, your vessel… Honestly, he didn’t like Yuu at all at first, but that changed later. They weren’t… that bad. Your vessel was really something special, in some ways it bested his own work on Ortho. Your vessel could be warm or cold, it had a heartbeat, it functioned like a normal human. Perhaps that growing fascination with your vessel was what drew him closer. 

When his gaze landed in you, the flames of his hair grew in heat and size, simmering dangerously high as he attempted to keep his cool–– but he couldn’t! You were staring, probably judging, forming negative thoughts already. Any step closer and his hair might flare up, hot enough to activate the sprinkler systems of the apartment. 

When Idia connected the dots, realizing where he was, he very nearly went into shock. How was this possible? Why was this happening to him and Ortho? No, wait, it’s not like he was upset. This was like a one in trillionth chance. Something lucky finally happened to him! But at the same time, he was freaking out badly. Breaking into a cold sweat, feeling his nerves spike 100%, he felt sick but at the same time he was so eager he could scream! The two things preventing him from breaking down under the weight of all these emotions, was his little brother and seeing the state of this place. What’s with these simple appliances? No offense but your wifi sucks. Oh god, what kind of PC was this? How do you even play any games on something this simple? This was real beginner tutorial level stuff. Seriously? Don’t you have anything better? Which is how he became so engrossed in improving everything he could get his hands on. He was so focused on improving your things that he didn’t even notice you were here, and so when he did finally notice you, he was right back at square one with the flood of emotions rolling back in. 

“Someone will get hurt? Nahhhh. I mean, you know, it could happen. The probability is there. Stuff happens, that’s life, isn’t it? N-No, that doesn’t mean I’ll do anything to them… Anyway! You don’t owe anything to those normies. Seriously, why do you even care about your coworkers? It’d be so much better if you just always worked from home. They just try to boss you around, unlike me and Ortho. Tsk. They’re so annoying. Especially with how that one loser told you to get him a coffee. Huh? H-How do I know that…? Um….” 

As a whole... 

Ignihyde is probably the most vigilant of all the dorms. They’re always watching, even when you think they aren’t. You’re kept under 24/7 surveillance, but it’s not like you know that. Plus, it’s for your safety! Don’t you know how many creeps are out there? It’s okay though. You have a young and powerful robot boy who looks up at you with nothing but respect and admiration, and an intelligent introverted shut-in who’s obsessed with you but sometimes far too nervous to approach you himself. Not just anyone could get close to this brother duo. You’ll have a lot of fun with them and they’ll be sure to keep you entertained. They consider you family at this point, you know? You’ve offered them your hospitality and company, surely you think of them as family too, don’t you? 

DIASOMNIA 

Flowers…? The fragrant smell of nature permeated through your apartment. Quickly you found the source of the aroma, which came from some flowers in a vase in the living room. Flowers which you never collected or were gifted. It was a bouquet of mismatched plants, made of some poppies with missing petals, crumpled daisies, red roses so dark in shade they were almost black, and strangely enough there were even thorns in the bunch. Everything was neater than when you left it. No dust, no stray blankets, everything was orderly. The distant sound of chatter filled your ears, coming from somewhere within the kitchen. And with that– Oh god, what was that stench? Was something from the kitchen burning? Were the people here trying to burn down your apartment with the stove?

“I will be the one responsible to check! If I cannot even do something as simple as ensure the safety of the player’s abode, then I have no right to even serve them! For––” The man stopped, halting his marching as he exited the kitchen and came face-to-face with you.

You froze in fear, warily eyeing the tall with light-green hair slicked back. Not only were you frightened of this man who was obviously much stronger than you judging by his build, but this guy had also been talking to someone. There were bound to be others. As his yellow-green eyes widened and his mouth opened, you were struggling to swiftly take out something that may help you. In one hand you held your phone, in the other your keys. Just as you decide whether to call someone for help or try to defend yourself with the sharp end of your keys, the man does the unthinkable––

He starts bawling. This grown man who looked so intimidating and stronger than you, just started sobbing for no apparent reason! Too stunned by what was occurring, you failed to act as he got up close immediately. Yet he didn’t touch you, but he peered down at you as he furiously wiped away the tears in his eyes. “Wait!!! Please… Please, forgive me!! N–Not only have we barged in on your sacred dwelling unannounced, but I–– I must’ve alarmed you!! It’s merely–– I’m honored beyond belief to finally be in the presence of your true self!! How could I be so lucky? What good deed did I do to deserve this opportunity?!”

What? It was safe to say that you no longer felt threatened. Just… bewildered, and definitely still uneasy.

“Sebek, why are you–– Oh…” Right then, another figure emerged from the kitchen. A calm sleepy looking man with silver hair ambled into the room, but his eyes widened upon landing on you. Slowly he approached, gaze fixated on you, as if in a trance. Yet… he wasn’t very threatening. He had this peaceful air around him. You were still hesitant, but you had your phone and keys at your disposal. Upon getting closer, he lowered his head as if bowing while he spoke, “I apologize for the fright he must’ve given you. Father said this was the moment we had all been waiting for but I didn’t believe he meant… this.” His tone was monotoned, but he smiled, his expression showing his happiness but his voice didn’t match. “I’m so surprised… but so happy too. Ah, Father must be waiting to see you then…!”

With little to no room for arguments, the two men flanked your sides, and hurriedly escorted you to the kitchen. The closer you got, the heavier the smell became. Oh god, it was so bad–– Inside you saw a mess near the oven. There were bowls, cups, spoons, flour, and a tall leaning to the side abomination that could’ve only been a cake only discernible by the recipe page beside it. There was… no one here? Wait… Looking up, you were surprised to see a short guy dangling from the ceiling like a bat–– how was he even doing that?

When your gaze landed on him, he gave a grin, revealing tiny fangs. He lowered himself a bit so dangled upside down in front of you, his black hair with magenta highlights shifting with his movement, his large deep red eyes peering down at you. Judging by the oven mitts on his hands, he was likely the culprit for the mess and the cake as well as the smell of smoke most likely from the oven. But he didn’t seem to care too much for that right now, instead he was focused intensely on you. “There you are! You finally came! I was wondering when you were going to return. I’m sure these two youngins gave you an enthusiastic welcome! As you can see I’ve baked you a cake as a welcome gift from myself. Don’t worry too much about the mess, I’ll clean that up and you can try my cooking! Ah, don’t be so scared~” He floated down from the ceiling until he was standing upright in front of you. The short man was odd, there was something off about him, but he merely patted your head as the over mitt floated off his hand. “Surely you must recognize us by now. So, you know that there’s one more person waiting for you, don’t you?”

That was how you found yourself trapped in a room with one of them. The three you met were so excited to meet you, but they were just as eager for you to see the final fourth one of them. You found him wandering your study, admiring the objects and furniture but not touching, as if he were appreciating the priceless displays in a museum. That is until you, the most precious treasure of all, appeared in his vision. You get it now, you understood why people were nervous around him. He just had this air of elegance and superiority. The tall and extremely intimidating man with the black hair looked down at you with his green eyes, at first surprised before he smiled such a soft smile that quickly became a more menacing looking one. Although he may have just been excited and he might have not meant it to look menacing. Then, he spoke, “It feels like I’ve waited an eternity for this moment with you… I’m uncertain if it was by one of my attempts, mere chance, or by what I hope was your longing to see me as well, that called me forth and brought me and my companions to your world. I’ve dreamt of this moment countless times, ever since you first graced me with your presence through your vessel in my world. Although, I realize I am undeserving, that there’s the possibility I may have arrived here by mistake, but I am determined to make the most out of it. So, please grant my wish, I wish to stay beside you for an eternity. If you accept me, I’ll be forever grateful and remain loyal until the very end of time.”

One game. You downloaded one game, Twisted Wonderland, on a whim, and now this group of students claimed to be from the Diasomnia dorm from that very mobile game. It was incredibly difficult to believe, almost impossible, if it weren’t for their striking resemblance to the characters and the magic they were able to conjure with their pen. What was more of a shock? They claimed to know you as the player. Of course before they knew nothing of your looks or true personality, but now here you were in your divine grace, the real deal right before them! You can be sure that they will take advantage of your kindness as you allowed them to stay until they could find a way to return home. But really, why want to go back when you were here? 

Oh, but you want to know how it’s like living with the Diasomnia gang, hm? 

Sebek Zigvolt 

Worry not, he will serve you just as he serves the young master! He, Sebek, will wholeheartedly dedicate himself not only to being of assistance to you but also to defending your abode!! 

What is he doing at the apartment? Serving you, of course! In everything he does, he does for you. Cleaning, cooking, shopping. You actually have to command him to do something for himself, or else he’d be taking care of you non-stop. 

Sebek is one of the clingiest members by far. You going out shopping? Say no more, he’ll carry all the bags! You want to take a stroll? He shall accompany you and hold your umbrella to protect you from that wretched sun! The sidewalk is too crowded? Everyone move aside, make room!! It’s terribly embarrassing sometimes, so you have to remind him to try and not attract unnecessary attention. If you ask him why not do something he enjoys for once, he immediately responds with “But… I enjoy serving you…!” 

Yes, Sebek enthusiastically does many of the chores and he takes care of the cooking with Silver. Don’t underestimate his dedication to fulfilling your every command. He’s loud so if you ask him to be quiet for a moment, he'll stay absolutely silent until you give him permission to speak again. If you mention having issues with someone at work, he’s marching straight over and only you can stop him before he gives that poor person a multiple hour long lecture mixed with scoldings and praises of you. Say you’re hungry, and he’s immediately in the kitchen starting to cook a whole buffet. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do for you, you know. 

Speaking of food, like mentioned previously, Silver and Sebek handle the food meaning they make your lunch. If it weren’t for Silver placing some restrictions, Sebek would be giving you enough food for everyone on the floor you work on. Still, he makes sure you have more than enough. He’s packed a healthy appetizer and a good main dish paired with a side dish! Oh, and here’s a portable mug with freshly brewed tea! 

He says goodbye at the door when you’re leaving for work but it’s a long goodbye because he’s following you through the halls, down the stairs, all the way towards the street. No, no, he cannot follow you this time. Annnnd he’s still following. You implemented a rule for all four of them, they are not allowed to enter your workplace when you’re busy. Before the rule was implemented, Sebek tried barging in more than once. After the rule, he tried to get a job as a security guard for the building. Thankfully, he was rejected because he just wanted to guard one floor which was the one you worked on. He takes matters concerning your security seriously, you must text him at least once every thirty minutes so he knows you okay! At the very least, you haven’t seen him hurt anyone just to keep you safe. And you’re sure he hasn’t harmed anyone… right? 

If it’s not obvious by now, Sebek probably has the hardest time when you leave. You haven’t seen it, but since the large portrait he’s commissioned to have placed in his room is not complete yet (he also asked for one of Malleus), he keeps a locket with your picture around his neck. Every once in a while when you aren’t around, others will catch him gazing fondly at your image. The second your shift is done, he’s somehow already in the elevator waiting for you. If the others manage to convince him to wait at home, you arrive to see him standing rigidly at the front door like a soldier waiting to be given commands. He has the brightest smile as he greets you loudly and enthusiastically. Give him a head pat for his good work. 

Ah, yes, your vessel Yuu. He’s proud to report that he served your vessel as well!! Although every time he recalls how he used to view your vessel as a mere human of no significance, he scorns himself. If only he wasn’t so blind, if only he realized your importance earlier he could’ve spent much more time in your graceful presence!! That’s the only regret he has concerning your vessel. 

Oh, the pure joy he felt upon seeing you––! The overwhelming feeling of your grace washing over his entire being filled him with such bliss! Why, he was simply so thrilled, so shocked but delighted that he was moved to tears!!  

When Lilia requested that he guard the front door, he immediately did so. How astute of sir Lilia, he was right, the door had to be guarded in the case that someone arrived! Sebek volunteered to do the job, wishing to take the task instead of Silver. That way he would be the first to see who came through the door! What he didn’t expect was for the player he practically worshipped to be there! Why, it sent him into such a shock, making his jaw drop! That’s when he burst into tears, awestruck by your presence that overwhelmed him!! All his time that he devoted to training in combat, learning from various classes, teaching himself useful skills, it was not just for the young master Malleus but also for you––! You were the only other person he could hold in such high regard!! 

“My liege!!! I welcome you home!! I apologize for not being present today to escort you home! I envy my companions who were able to bask in your wonderful presence while escorting you here safely…! Tsk–– However! I’ve spent my time wisely. I’ve cleaned the entire apartment while everyone was absent! Additionally, I’ve prepared everything necessary for dinner! Thank you for working hard today once again!! I sincerely hope that my measly efforts are able to lift some responsibility off your shoulders!!” 

Silver 

Ah, so this is your home… It’s very nice. He will do his best to protect it. Please, rest assured, he will defend you and your home until his last breath. 

What’s he usually doing? Well, when not volunteering to do chores, he’s sleeping. Silver being classic Silver. He tries really hard to stay awake but your home is just… so comforting. And your presence is so relaxing, how can he not just… be lulled into a… deep sleep…

Silver is probably the best person to have with you. He’s calm and manages to charm everyone without even trying, not to mention he’s the only human in the group. He’s grateful whenever you allow him to go with you. It gives him an opportunity to learn more about you, your homeland, and the humans around. Like the rest of the group, he sometimes has difficulty understanding human customs despite being human. Forgive him, he was raised by fae. Please, teach him? 

Believe it or not, it’s Silver who’s the most beloved by the neighbors. They’re all crazy over him, especially the women. The old ladies love to pinch his cheeks because he’s such a gentleman, the mothers wish their sons were like him, the younger women all try to flirt with him all the time, even the children adore him because he’s just like the prince in their fairytale books! Whenever they give him gifts, which is often, Silver doesn’t mind sharing with you. In fact, he actually prefers it if you had the gift. 

Ah, the animals. Silver really is like a magical prince. For some reason, animals just flock to him. On more than one occasion, you’ve caught them helping Silver with chores. Birds moving wet clothes to dry on the balcony, squirrels helping him sweep up dust, etc. How does he do it? You have no idea. While you were at work once, a pair of pigeons delivered you a bouquet of flowers with a note simply reading: To my beloved. From, Silver. Knowing Silver, it probably wasn’t even his intention to be romantic. He probably just saw some pretty flowers he wanted to give you. 

Yes, he’s very chill and it’s difficult to tell how he feels by his expression. In fact, you’ve only seen him get angry once. It was at a cafe, seated at a small table as you awaited your orders to collect the food and meet the others elsewhere so you could have a picnic. You had placed your purse on the back of your seat as Silver sat nearby, dozing off a bit. You weren’t paying attention as you waited for your order number to be called, when a stranger strolled by and reached for your unattended bag–– Never before had you seen Silver snap fully awake so quickly before. Nor had you ever seen his face contort into anger as he gripped the would-be-thief’s wrist before he could even touch your belongings. The situation ended peacefully from what you remembered. But when you weren’t listening, Silver made sure to inform his Father and Master Malleus, which led the two to properly punish the thief without you knowing. 

Yes, he did quite miss you… but he doesn’t want to bother you when he knows you are busy. He’ll only act clingy if you allow it and if you spare time for him. To him, it doesn’t matter what you’re doing. You could be looking at another person, but as long as he’s in your presence, then he’s content. Although… he wouldn’t deny any attention you do decide to give him. 

Yes, he knew your vessel Yuu. Just as he was training to be a knight worthy to serve and protect Master Malleus, he would also do the same for your vessel. In his eyes, you were like the royalty a knight should devote themselves to. 

Of course seeing the true you for the first time would put a smile on his face. Do you realize how difficult it is to actually get Silver to visibly smile? If this was merely a fantasy formed by his desires in his dreams, he never wanted to wake up again. 

When the sound of Sebek’s loud sobs reached his ears and when Lilia gave an amused glance at him, Silver took both of these as a sign to investigate. He and Sebek had no idea where they were or what was going on, but Lilia and Malleus seemed content, even absolutely delighted to be here. Wherever here was. If they were so happy to be here, then perhaps he shouldn’t be so worried. Then he saw you in front of his crying companion, and it all made sense. They had sensed your presence and knew you would be here. Right then, it felt like he was having an otherworldly experience, just by seeing you. It felt like this couldn’t be real, like this was far too good to be true–– yet here you were. His legs moving on his own, immediately drawn closer until he found himself bowing and smiling up at you. 

“Thank you for allowing me to escort you to work today. I’m very happy right now… Hm? I don’t look happy? But I’m smiling? Oh… am I not smiling? Apologies. Please know that being beside you with the privilege of being your protector is everything I’ve dreamed of. If I were to get injured or worse by defending you, I would not mind. I would risk every part of my being just to see you safe and smiling… Ah–– that’s both sappy and concerning you say? But I’m only speaking how I feel…” 

Lilia Vanrouge 

Oh, don’t fret, little one! Lilia is here now. Not only will he keep all these young ones in line, but he’ll be sure to care for you and love you. 

What’s he up to around the apartment? Honestly, you’re not sure. You rarely see him cleaning, but somehow he keeps the apartment spotless. When up to his own devices, he seems greatly intrigued just by the things of his world so he usually explores and shows you his finds or new knowledge. He mentioned something like the unknown making him feel young again. 

It’s like having a dad all over again, but a very fun laid back kind of dad. This includes lovingly teasing you for almost everything, embarrassing you by pridefully showing you off whenever the opportunity presents itself, and the talks that include wisdom from a very ancient fae. You’re still stuck with his horrible cooking though. 

Lilia probably fits in the most, which is strange considering he’s a fae with a vast past. People don’t seem to look twice at his ears because they assume it’s a prop or they’re hidden by his hair. Not to mention the highlights in his hair combined with his attitude and how he takes a liking to grunge/punk clothes. If you’d pass him on the street you’d have no idea he was from a magic world. Additionally, he seems to get along with most people. It’s very weird to see this short guy wearing edgy fashion and somehow relating to the elderly war veterans in the apartment complex. Although you don’t mind, since he has their favor and they give him extra supplies for the apartment. 

He makes sure you’re loved. Cheek kisses, head pats, checking in on you after a long day, willing to do whatever it takes to cheer you up. He’s easily the most openly affectionate out of the group. If you’re tired, he’ll hum or sing you a lullaby if you ask. He can be surprisingly gentle and soft. Once after a full day out with all of them, you promptly passed out upon returning home as your head lay in his lap and he gazed down at you with nothing but eyes filled with adoration. Malleus was nearby, his fingers weaving through your hair as he felt content at seeing you so peaceful. Meanwhile the bickering between Silver and Sebek had stopped, both had fallen asleep on the other couches too. It was a picturesque scene. 

Lilia prefers that you don’t see a certain side of him, however, he won’t scramble to hide it. If you find out then you find out, but you’ll still have him. Lilia can be rather… cruel. That’s probably something to be expected of a fae who’s seen war and experienced so much. Any threat to you is quickly snuffed out. He’ll give a firm talk to co-workers who treat you badly, he’ll hunt down creeps who tried to take pictures of you or touch you in public, and if someone ever dared try to mortally wound you? May whatever higher being there may be have mercy on their soul once Lilia gets his hands on them. 

Oh, Lilia missed you deeply. In fact, it’s fairly common for him to try to guilt-trip you into working from home today just so he can be with you. Sometimes it’s hard to say no to his cute face and crocodile tears… When you do go and return, you immediately are greeted by a warm hug as he asks to hear about your day. 

Ah, your cute little vessel Yuu. Yes, he knew them well. Ever since day one, you had intrigued him greatly. In his several millennia long lifetime, he had never once met someone like you. You were truly one of a kind, and he wanted to know you better. 

As soon as he appeared, he realized almost immediately that he was in a place dear to you. Although it was faint, he could feel your presence, meaning you had been here. Well, what an unexpected turn of events! This was not how he expected his day to go! In the meantime, he’d prepare something sweet to welcome you with. Let’s see here, what ingredients were in the kitchen… 

Of course he knew it was you at the door! It was why he sent Sebek first then Silver, wanting the two to see you first before he could later keep all your attention and coo over you. Ah, he was patient as it came with age, but he hadn’t felt this impatient in a long time. He put a lot of effort into this… cake, for you! He truly hoped you liked it. Now to surprise you! And it certainly was a surprise to see him floating from the ceiling, and he relished in your reaction, and your presence–– oh, your sweet grace! He can’t ever remember a time where he felt this happy to see someone before. He just can’t wait to take you under his wing, fret over you, and just spoil you silly! 

“Good morning, my little bat! Breakfast is almost–– hm?... You’re already about to leave for work? My, my, is it really that late in the morning already? How time flies. Are you not working from home today? Oh… but I planned to spend time with you during your break. I even saved so you can spend at any cafe we pass by… Of course, it’s fine, I know you’re busy and you work hard. But everytime you go, I get so lonely I can c-cry… Oh? Last minute change of plans? I see! Heheh, I’ll be sure to spoil you with whatever you want on your break then!” 

Malleus Draconia 

So this building is your residence?–– No? Only these few rooms and the rest belong to others? Ah… but you deserve much more. Shall he, Malleus, ward off the rest of the humans and demolish this complex to have a castle built in its place? No? As you wish, he’ll leave you to reside in this apartment since you find it satisfactory. 

What could he possibly be doing in your apartment? A majority of the time, you have no idea. He’s just following you endlessly so long as you allow him to. You never really see him do chores, perhaps because his retainers do it for him or he does it when you aren’t looking. Really anything you want to do, he’ll gladly join you. Although you’re not certain what he does when he’s not with you… 

As mentioned before, he’ll always try to follow you simply because he does not want to be apart from you. At first it was a little unnerving but you quickly got used to it. He’s able to go out with little to no trouble, since most people think his horns and ears are some strange prop, plus you made him and the others promise to not use magic in public. One good thing about his presence is he always scares off unwanted company. Even if people don’t know who he is, he’s intimidating enough with the way he carries himself. 

Malleus believes you deserve the world and more. So he covers all costs. Will this pile of gold from his treasury do? What is he thinking? You deserve much more than this puny sum! No, you insist, that’s more than enough. As to how he even got his treasures here, you have no clue. All he asks in return is for your company. He truly does care for you possibly more than anyone, so he’ll gladly give more gold just to spoil you. If you bring him with you to shop or any simple outing or invite him somewhere, he’s over the moon with joy. 

Although it’s hard to believe it since he acts so refined and elegant. You think he’s an enigmatic being, maybe a little peculiar, and he always keeps his cool but in actuality… he’s weak for you. Even if he seems calm, any moment with you sends his heart fluttering. Every glance, every smile, every touch, every word, every gesture, it fills him with so much unbelievable ecstasy that makes his heart beat wildly. Who would have thought that such a peaceful simple domestic life would satisfy a prince like him? 

Everything you say, everything you do, even what you think matters. He teased you and such, but never to the point of upsetting you, just because he cannot resist seeing your range of emotions and reactions. One day when he nearly exposed magic to a passerby when attempting to impress you with his skills, leading to you becoming worried and upset, he was absolutely devastated. Malleus believed you were cross with him, how could he do such a foolish thing and anger you? Next thing you know, there was suddenly a nasty storm with powerful lightning and thunder despite the sunny weather five minutes ago, unconsciously formed by his immediate regret and immense guilt. Yet as soon as you spoke to him as he apologized profusely and you explained you weren’t angry at him, the storm quickly cleared upon comforting him. Needless to say, he was not about to make the same mistake twice. 

You seem to have no worries recently. Of course he and Lilia handle each little matter stressing you. If you stop, you might actually notice the way your rude boss shivers upon seeing the fae waiting to escort you home from work. If you turned around to see Malleus, you might’ve seen the way he glared down at the shop owner that scammed you as said owner nervously gave you much more than you paid for. Oh, you’re scared of going out at night because of creeps? Fear not, for he will be beside you the entire time. Besides, he and Lilia already weeded out all… potential threats in the area. You will be safe as long as he is around. 

You know, he’s actually much worse than Sebek when it comes to clinginess. You just never notice Malleus. If you think you’re alone… you’re not. If you feel like you’re being watched when you leave all four of them at home… you’re being watched. The fae prince never truly leaves you alone. He tells himself it’s to keep you safe and content always, but it’s partly for himself too. He’d feel far too lonely if he actually left you for over five minutes. Maybe his lingering presence, even when you don’t know it, explains some little things. The coffee you left cold at your desk is pleasantly warm when you come back, when you turn around the mess of papers is suddenly an organized stack, that coworker you had a fight with suddenly went home sick and didn’t return for nearly a week and when they did return they seemed… scared. 

Malleus likes to believe he knows your vessel, Yuu, better than anyone else. Afterall, he met you early on, he even accidentally helped you. He knew you were a strange one in the beginning, but he had no idea how special you were until later on. 

Like Lilia, he was quick to realize where he was. At first, he was shocked, in pure disbelief. This must be some kind of miracle or a cruel joke––! Lilia was quick to keep Sebek and Silver busy, while he was left to his own devices. So, he explored, but never daring to touch anything, as if even the trashcan in the corner were sacred since it belonged to you. 

Of course he felt your nearing presence. It felt like time was longer than ever now, like every second was an hour. When he heard Sebek sobbing followed by Silver’s voice, he felt his heartbeat quicken. It was happening. You were almost here. Soon, you would come to see him. When he heard the distant voice of Lilia in the kitchen, he felt nervous for the first time in a long while. The moment was coming when he would see you finally, but the moment didn’t seem to come fast enough. Part of him was worried you would fear him. After all, this was technically like a first meeting, so if that were the case–– he’d simply do everything in his power so you warm up to him. You meant far too much to him, he would not allow you to leave him alone even if you tried. He wanted this, you, or something with you, far too much, more than anything he’s ever desired before. Then he heard the door–– it was happening! His gaze landed over to you, immediately transfixed on you. This was it. He was finally meeting the person he adored and coveted, the very one he sought out. 

“You’re relieved to see me after a long day? Hm, as am I to see you… Why am I smiling so ominously, you ask? Heh. Well, because I’ve reunited with you, and because I was thinking of the others who were not blessed and have not seen you. Diasomnia was fortunate enough not only to bask in your presence but to live beside you. I merely find it amusing to remember the countless times others within the college had not invited me to see your plaything Yuu, and yet here I am in the company of the true you. I wonder if they realize, if they know, or even see me here alongside you now. It’s a shame I cannot see them writhing as they wallow in their own sorrows and regret.” 

As a whole... 

Diasomnia adores you wholly, in their eyes you can do no wrong. They both revere you and adore you. For you, they’ll do anything, they’ve told you as much. If you asked, they’d even tear this world apart and mold it into how you see fit. You assure them that you never want that, that the most you usually want is help with chores and stuff. Still, they do carry out your commands, even if it’s not anything major. You have a dedicated green-haired half-fae eager to please you in any way, a sleepy young man that keeps the calm and peace, an ancient fae who dotes over you, and a fae prince willing to bring this society to its knees should you ask. With these four, they’re practically like family at this point. An overpowered, obsessed, and overprotective family… They treasure you very much, I hope you realize that. You’ve offered them your hospitality and company, surely you won’t think of ever getting rid of them, right?

#yandere #kalim al asim #jamil viper #epel felmier #rook hunt #vil schoenheit #idia shroud #ortho shroud #sebek zigvolt #twst silver #lilia vanrouge #malleus draconia #yandere twst #twst #yandere twisted wonderland #yandere kalim al asim #yandere jamil viper #yandere epel felmier #yandere rook hunt #yandere vil schoenheit #yandere ortho shroud #yandere idia shroud #yandere sebek zigvolt #yandere silver #yandere lilia vanrouge #yandere malleus draconia #yandere twisted wonderland x reader #twisted wonderland #why are you in my apartment

[fineghkst]

Cards

summary: azriel shows you exactly what you will miss if you break up with him.

warnings: minors don’t interact (only 18+); smut; break up sex; oral receiving; shadow play

english if not my first language so let me know if you find any mistakes

It has been hours since you decided to break up with Azriel. When you finally said the words to the spymaster and he looked at you with an indescribable expression.

Things between you weren't going so well lately. He was absent, always busy with the missions Rhysand sent him. Azriel suddenly didn’t have more time for you. He wasn’t there at your birthday, wasn’t with you when you finally beat Cassian at during a competition of a card game you were addicted to and, of course, he forgot about your anniversary.

You tried to understand that he was working too much, tried to talk to Azriel and solve everything, but it wasn’t enough. Even if you didn’t want to let him go, you couldn’t date someone who practically wasn’t a part of your life anymore.

So you ended it and felt your heart explode in a million pieces while you stared at his expression turn into something desperate. He’s eyes becoming more tired than you thought it was possible, like his pain were leaking from them.

Countless thoughts crossed your mind before finally talking to him. What would be his reaction? How would you act around each other after the break up? Would he fight for you?

None of them came close to guessing this would happen.

After the discussion you started, with him questioning what he could possibly do to change your mind, he found himself defeated. You had made your decision.

Of course, the attraction you felt for Azriel always seemed to overcome barriers of logic. At some point a thought passed through your mind that maybe you could be mates, but the bond never snapped.

To be honest, if someone asked how Azriel ended between your legs, you wouldn’t know how to explain.

Even with a concrete decision made, of course Azriel would play dirty, showing exactly what you’d miss if you weren’t together.

— Are you enjoying this, love? — Azriel said, finally stopping his tongue from moving on your core. He had his arms around your legs, holding you open for him — I hope you are, because this is the last time you will ever feel me.

A senseless moan left your mouth, disapproving that he stopped to eat your pussy and was talking such things.

Azriel laughed, leaving a small hickey on your tights.

— Hm… since you made your mind and there’s nothing to convince you to come back to me, I bet you thought about this part, right? Never touching me again…

His shadows started to surround your skin, lightly stroking your legs like a ghost touch.

— Never feeling my shadows playing with you… — You whimpered with the thought. No one would ever know how to touch you like he does. — What’s wrong, love? Didn’t you prepare yourself for that?

Azriel moved away from your legs and the shadows grabbed them, replacing Azriel’s hands. He stared at you with something… primal in his eyes. His huge wings half opened and his defined muscles showing. Cauldron, Azriel was so beautiful that you felt like your brain was severely damaged to even think about breaking up with him.

— If you don’t want me anymore, why you’re so wet? Why did you agree so fast to have a last fuck with me? — The spymaster said, still staring you while his shadows begun to stimulate your clit. You could see the possessiveness in his look.

— Azriel… please — A moan escaped your mouth.

— Please what, love?

— Just… just fuck me.

— Why should I do that? — He chuckled.

— I need you, Az. Please. I don’t want to leave you.

— So you’re changing your mind this quick? But you looked so committed to your decision earlier… that’s a shame.

His shadows accelerated the movements, taking you to heaven and back. You were so close to having an orgasm that it was impossible to form a congruent thought.

— S-stop punishing me. — You whined

— Again, I don’t see any reason to — Azriel had a smirk on his face. He was playing with you until you become completely desperate for him, with your brain almost completely empty and the only thing left was his name.

Azriel was succeeding in his goal and he knew it.

— Unless you give me one good reason, love — The smirk turned into a grin. Azriel keep observing his shadows stimulating you, which were moving faster now — Because, honestly, you don’t deserve to have me inside you.

You tried to reply, but it was too much. His shadows were taking you beyond your limits, slithering against your clit. Only incoherent moans left your mouth. It didn’t take long for finally reaching an orgasm.

Azriel never had let you cum with his shadows, he always stopped them and ended the job himself. However, today, the spymaster were playing all his cards, showing exactly how much pleasure he could give you.

Even if Azriel still wearing his pants, you could see the huge painful bonner he had. But he kept his distance, watching you squirm with his fierce eyes. Anyone could say how much he was craving for you, how he wanted to fuck you senseless.

— So… do you have a good argument for me, love?

— I-I…

— I’m listening.

— I just want to feel like you truly desire me, Az — You confessed, trying to normalize your breathing. The shadows loosen the grip around your thighs.

Azriel stared at you, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

— What to you mean, love? You really think I don’t want you?

— You barely have time for me, for us. I understand you’re working a lot since the end of the war with Hybern, but I need you to see me, Az. — You pulled the sheets, covering your body.

— I’m sorry, love. — He said, finally breaking the distance between you two and supporting his arms between your body, firming his hands on the sheets. Azriel’s face was so close from yours, allowing you to feel his breath against it — I didn’t realize I was making you feel like this. But I need to be clear: I will always want you and see you. I desire, crave for you so hard that sometimes I can swear I’m going insane. Let me prove it that I’m mean it, princess.

Giving him a small hesitant nod, feeling your insecurities dissipate slowly, Azriel kissed you deeply as his hands took the sheets away from your body, letting you complete exposed to him. His hard cock was pressing against your bare pussy, making you grind. It was impossible not to moan considering how sensitive you were after the orgasm.

— No, princess. Don’t be greedy. — Azriel said, moving away to finally unbutton his pants.

His hard cock jumped out and he didn’t think twice before claiming your mouth again, feeling you whimpering against his tongue while his fingers touched your nipples. With the other hand, Azriel held his cock and pushed inside you.

— Fuck, you always take me so well, princess. — He groaned, increasing his pace — You have no idea how much I missed to feel you around my cock.

He put his shadows back in action, making them play with your nipples. Azriel pinned your wrists beyond your head with one hand, while the other got down to your clit.

— Az — You moaned loud.

— You love when my shadows tease you like that, don’t you? — Your walls started to clutch around his cock. Azriel growled, thrusting deeply — Maybe I let they play with you more from now.

You squirmed with the idea of feeling them guiding you through pleasure.

— Remember, love. I’m the only one who can make you feel like this. — He whispered, approaching his mouth to your ear — And you’re only mine.

Azriel kept moving inside you until you finally felt a wave of pleasure dominate your body. The spymaster didn’t take long to cum inside you, filling your inside.

He stood in and looked to your eyes, both of you breathless.

— I love you. And I’m truly sorry I made you doubt about my feelings — Azriel said, stroking your hair gently as his shadows retreated, caressing your skin before disappearing. The spymaster moved away, giving a small kiss at your forehead.

— I love you too, Az. — You said — I’m sorry I broke up with you. And just to make clear, I don’t want to.

— I deserved it and I’m relieved to know you changed your mind. — Azriel got up and disappeared through the door for a few minutes, coming back with a towel to clean you up. — I won’t let work getting between us anymore, I’m talking to Rhysand tomorrow. He must find a way to solve everything without me.

Azriel lifted the sheets, covering both of you and pushed you to his chest, stroking your hair until you fell asleep.

#acotar x reader #azriel x reader #azriel x you #acotar smut #azriel smut #azriel drabble #bat boys x reader #bat boys smut

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for wanting a material thing rather than an experience for my college graduation gift, and being upset I still don't have it?

I skimmed through some other AITA posts to prepare me to write this one properly, and saw someone use the term "validation bait." I bring that up because I fear this post may read like that once all is said and done, but I genuinely am worried my perspective might be skewed. I encourage you to enter "Reddit Mode" if you decide to reply after your judgement with additional context and feel the need to be blunt.

Background context: I have an older sibling who graduated before me during the beginning of COVID. While his gift was delayed as a result, we as a family (three children one father) ended up going to Disney World, NASA, and Universal Orlando in 2021 to celebrate his accomplishment. It was a great trip, aside from the horrific humidity and the hurricane that just barely missed us. Later on, I asked my sibling if that was what he actually wanted to do, and he said our father proposed some ideas because he didn't really have any and Florida sounded like a good idea to him. My asking this will make sense later, but putting it here seems the most logical.

Additionally, it may be important to know that my father goes on a lot of trips. At least, more than anyone I've personally known. I'm not gonna try to calculate the exact number, but I will say in the span of less than a year (after the family Florida trip), he went to both Canada and Mexico for a week each, on top of additional excursions to Florida and Vegas-- almost all also including bringing his girlfriend. At the same time, he claimed assistance with college tuition was out of his budget, started having me pay rent on a part time job, and told my younger sibling fixing the AC in their car would cost too much as well. Even I know something doesn't add up here, but maybe I'm taking it too personally. End background context.

Fast forward to spring of 2023, and it's my turn to graduate college. Here's the thing: my brother was asked at least a year in advance to his graduation what he would like to do. I wasn't asked; I had to bring it up myself, and I waited until my graduation was only two months out. It was also over a phone call, because my father was out of town for at least the fifth time that year already. I dropped the hint that, for my graduation present, I would really like to get a nice gaming desktop. My father's response was, "... We'll see." Later on, he elaborated through text stating, "I took everybody to florida because i think graduations should be more about memories than what material thing you can get out of your dad."

Here's the thing: it's no secret to my dad that I'm a gamer, and I like video games. Additionally, it's no secret that a gaming desktop is something I have wanted for a decade. Even since middle school I've talked about gaming desktops and how much I wanted one. Even so, I happily played games like Saints Row III on a laptop that chugged along at 12 frames per second and took every crash in stride. I also thought that this kind of gift would be a relief to my dad, as my thought process was it would be far less expensive than taking an entire family somewhere out of the state for a week. Not only that, but there wasn't really anywhere I wanted to go. I don't have the desire to travel like he does; I don't mind taking my time off at home or locally, and relaxing with the things I have rather than spending a ton on a fancy dinner or hotel or concert.

So, naturally, I was confused, dismayed, and heartbroken. While I started crafting a text response explaining why a gaming desktop would not just be for personal use, but would also be advantageous for my career (my degree was in animation and I learned surface level coding for making video games), I also wondered why it was wrong for me to want a "material thing" even if it wasn't something necessarily "useful." Because while, yes, a gaming desktop would have the power I needed for more intensive animation projects, that wasn't really why I wanted one. But I figured explaining as such would help convince my dad why it was a good idea.

My dad ended up calling me before I could finish crafting my text, so I did my best to explain my standpoint, as well as pointing out how the specs for a gaming desktop are pretty much parallel with the specs for a desktop for things like 3D rendering and animation. He stood his ground on "making memories" as well, and also hinted that I was acting entitled for asking about my graduation present. I think I pointed out to him how he asked my older brother far in advance what he wanted for his graduation, but those details of the conversation are a little faded with time. I did end up sending my text after that phone call anyway, as I felt it better explained what I was thinking and feeling than I could say in verbal conversation (I've always gotten a little flustered talking to my dad about things I want that he doesn't approve of).

Fortunately, after reading my text, my father seemed to come around, and invited me to put together a list of parts for my computer, since I wanted to build it. I got really excited and got the help of my computer-savvy friend to put together something I thought was reasonable-- it had a really good graphics card and processor, and I made compromises on some of the other parts to lower the cost. I haven't looked at the list in a while, but the total cost-- tower, two mid-range monitors, basic keyboard and mouse-- was something like 2.5k approaching 3k. Mid range (at least, it is these days) I think, but it would be enough for the things I wanted to do.

I put the list together, and emailed it to my dad. The assumption I had, was he would purchase the parts, and then we would build it together (or I would build it alone). However, later on I went to ask him if he had gotten my email, and while he said yes, he also said, "I'm not paying for the whole thing. I can't afford it, and it's not fair to spend more on you as an individual than what I spent on your brother as an individual for the Florida trip."

I find the latter point somewhat fair considering I'm the only person who benefits from this gift, but the first point, given the background context on my father's habits, I'm not sure how much I believe. But arguing with him would have been pointless. I definitely would have liked to have had that information beforehand, but it ultimately didn't change much.

This is getting long, so I'll try to summarize the rest. This was just the first instance of my father changing the goal posts for my graduation gift. First, he tried to convince me that getting a prebuilt tower would be just as good. I did the research, and a tower with the graphics card I wanted would have cost as much as building my own tower and buying a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and still not have been as good in other specs anyways. Then, he tried to tell me he was only going to give me $1000 towards the computer. I pointed out paying for my older sibling for the Florida trip would have cost at least $1500-- if I hadn't done the research, I wouldn't have known any better and just blindly agreed. Then, two days after my graduation, he stated that he wasn't going to give me the money for the computer until I had secured a full time job.

At that point, I just gave up, and agreed.

Fast forward to now. I'm still working the part time job, I barely make enough to put a couple dollars into savings, no one is hiring me full time, and my dad hinted that, instead of doing presents for Christmas this year, we all agree to go on vacation somewhere. Not only that, but his family in Canada just told him they're going to Mexico in November. Not only is my dad implying we should go too and I should pay a portion of my own way, I have a further feeling he may say that this will be our Christmas as well. I still don't have the computer, even though my dad has noticed how much I'm struggling.

If I had the computer, I wouldn't have minded the vacation-- but I feel like my wants and feelings have been completely pushed aside in favor of what my dad thinks is good and/or right, and the wind has been taken out of my sails regarding my graduation entirely. On the other hand, maybe he's right that I focus too much on a material thing and should redirect my attention to an experience and go somewhere to relax/get away from daily life.

Am I a materialistic asshole?

What are these acronyms?

#aita #am i the asshole

[aroaceking01]

Truly heartbreaking to see so many young fans - majority of them being girls - not sending support to Caiti, Shelby, Andi and to everyone else coming forward with their stories. You should always support the victims, even if the abuser is someone you like/stan a lot.

Your favorite uwu white boy streamer could literally have done this to you.

YOU DONT KNOW THESE MEN! The one you see on camera is only a persona, THATS IT. They are grown ass adults, they should know better. Why are you playing a drinking game with someone you assumed was 21? You should check that shit. It LITERALLY takes two seconds to check that info. You said that one of her friends had a 21+ bracelets and assumed she was 21 too. Im fucking sorry but that’s dumbass logic , you are a literal 27 years old man friend with a 24 yo and a 23 yo. Ur own group of friends has a 3-4 years age gap difference. Just bc one of Caiti’s friend is 21 that doesn’t mean anything. And even if Caiti was actually 21 when it happened, the behaviour was still creepy asf. Why are u cuddling and putting ur hand under her shirt to this girl you just met?

For people sending shit to Caiti bc she didn’t say anything at the moment, while she already explained her point of view a bit on Twitter - even if she shouldn’t have to- I want to add to that a bit. We heard thousands of stories where women said no to men and they still physically abused them. Put yourself in her shoes for a goddamn second, she’s 18 and drunk in a room with two grown ass men that she doesn’t know well, she only know their online persona. She doesn’t know how they’ll react if she says no.

It might be a stretched idea for some of y’all, but I’m basing this on women experience with those types of situations. In a lot of cases, when you say no, worse things can happen. More violence can happen.

Im sending support and love to all the victims and wish them to heal well. You are all strong coming out with your stories against those men with gigantic fandoms.

P.s : before anyone tells me that I also don’t know these women streamers, I prefer defending and supporting a « potential » victim than a potential abuser, but that might just be me.

#georgenotfound #dreamwastaken #sapnap #punz #caitibugzz #fuck dteam #support shelby #support the victims #support caiti

[emblemxeno]

For as good-natured and open-minded as Alear is, effectively he's still extremely young and easily swayed.

While sweet to his friends, he's not at all merciful to enemies, such as outright saying he's going to kill Nelucce for what he's done to Alfred and Celine's family and home. Similarly, he lacks nuance/perspective on Veyle's situation later, thinking that such a blatant switch in personality was just her being a master manipulator this whole time, and lets his anger take control of what he says to her. A classic, good use of dramatic irony.

He doesn't run from things cuz Lumera told him that a Divine Dragon shouldn't run from anything, but Alear took that to an extreme by walking into danger even when advised against it by someone who absolutely knew better-Marth. It's precisely why Lucina and Lyn later have to explain the difference between running away from everything that scares you, and making a retreat when things don't look good. Courage is knowing the risks and recognizing your fear, but rising up to the challenge when it's still possible to win; folly and stubbornness is ignoring the risks as a whole due to getting a swollen head about your own abilities.

Specifically, what's great about this to me, is that Alear is still a work in progress in the story proper. He's compassionate to not want others to experience the pain he has, but not enough to fully grasp the kinds of things people would do because they, their country, or their families were hurt (Zephia, Hortensia, Hyacinth, etc.). He has much general wisdom and good day-to-day advice, but is still susceptible to being full of himself (Chapters 10 and 11). Even after getting a hold of himself when he lost the first six Emblems, he's still not mature enough to see Veyle as anything other than a selfish, monstrous murderer.

When learning he's a Fell Dragon, he sinks into despair, feeling as if he's been deceiving everyone this whole time, even though that perspective logically doesn't make sense. But it doesn't have to! Alear is convinced that Fell Dragons = Bad News, and that it doesn't matter what kind of person he actually is, his heritage is enough for derision.

That's why it matters so much that his friends immediately reassure him of the opposite! Dude, you just spent the entire game learning and growing with us, helping people from royal to citizen, using your power to protect others. You've proven your own version of Divinity, not just because of your hair color, but because of your unending goodness. You're a good dragon!

Alear doesn't have to be all powerful, he just has to be himself; encouraging, calming, inspiring, leader-like. He just has to connect himself to others so they can overcome challenges together. It's also why his interactions with Veyle (and Mauvier as well tbh) are incredibly well done, since now that Alear's been through the process of healing and accepting who he is versus who he can be, he can do the same for his precious sister.

What a lovely character Alear is.

#fire emblem #fire emblem engage #alear fire emblem

[pedgito]

𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐦𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 ⛧ 𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞!𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

summary: summer of 96’, fresh off the anniversary of the tragedy that took place on year ago—you and your friend are ready to enjoy your last few days of freedom and fun, but someone has other plans in mind and everyone is fair game.

cw: 18+ (minors dni), obviously a dark fic (pls read with caution), gore, major/minor character death, mentions of blood/stabbing, background stancy, robin being heartbroken but woke as always, established friendship between reader and eddie, smoking (weed), oral (f receiving), unprotected sex (with some bordering coercive themes, reader is aware and in full control of her choices), knife play, mention of creepy staff member preying on young girls, slight cliffhanger (if you squint), this is exactly what you expect it to be and i’m probably missing some tags, so just lmk.

word count: 15k

Dread filled the summer of 95’, fresh off the killings of some of Hawkins' beloved students; it was a tragedy that affected the entire town, everyone mourning together in unity. The killings should’ve ended there, but that was just the beginning. 

The masked assailant plunged the knife into the chest of his eleventh victim, sweet Tammy Thompson who pleaded for her life—she screamed, fought until the very last second, but she wasn’t a match for the brute strength and force of the person who caught her, adding a sharp twist of the knife as blooded pooled from her mouth, the light leaving her eyes. It was supposed to be a fun trip; everyone’s last hoorah before they parted ways after graduation, instead, it turned into a bloodbath. The killer was never caught, all that was left behind; a mask, stark white and horrifying as its mouth stretched on for miles—it was engraved in everyone’s mind, until it wasn’t. Just a faded distant memory of summer that ended badly.

Enter summer of 96’, a fresh faced group of seniors on the precipice of one of the most monumental trips in their lives to date—it was senior tradition, everyone disconnected for a weekend and lived in the moment, even despite the dark cloud that still lingered over.

“I don’t understand why Principal Higgins needs to go,” Eddie says amongst the large group of seniors, voicing everyone’s thoughts, never scared to be the one to point out the blatantly obvious, “doesn’t that defeat the point of having fun?”

“Mr. Munson,” Higgins' voice boomed from the front of the room, “do I need to remind you how lucky you are to even be allowed on this trip with your grades and attendance record?” 

Eddie slumped back in his seat slightly, earning a few laughs from the basketball team huddled in the corner of the room, namely Jason Carver, resident Hawkins High asshole. And yes, the trip was planned and chauffeured by the school—it was more affordable that way and it was meant to make people feel safer, though it sucked the fun out the entire thing. 

“No alcohol, no sex, and I don’t want to catch any of you young men spying on any of these ladies—“ Higgins explained, the other two designated teachers to be joining nodded beside him, mimicking his weak attempt at scolding, “but that goes both ways. If I catch any of you up to no good, I’m sending you home immediately.”

Steve raised his hand impatiently, a small acknowledgment from Higgins was sent his way, “Are we allowed to drive ourselves? Or do we have to ride on the bus?”

“Everyone’s required to be on the bus, we need to make sure everyone is accounted for.” Well, it seemed logical enough and you couldn’t really argue against it. 

Principal Higgins passed out a stack of papers, a long list of necessary supplies to bring along—bug spray, sanitary items, blankets and pillow, nothing out of the ordinary—you’re hyper focused on the page in front of you, unaware of Eddie’s insistent poking at your ribs until he’s plucking the paper from in front of you.

“Eddie,” You say with annoyance, “give it back.”

He smiles wide, still dangling the paper a few feet out of reach, “Whaddya say, sweetheart—should I sneak in the—,” Eddie makes a quick motion to his mouth, lighting up a fake joint, “—or are you on your good girl behavior this weekend?”

You flip him off, forcefully snatching the paper from his tight grip. Still, you weren’t going to pass up that opportunity. “Stop calling me that—,” You insist, lower your voice to a level only he could hear, “—but yeah, you should.”

Eddie chuckles at that, kicking his feet up on the empty chair beside him, ringed fingers drumming against the table. “Higgins is such a creep,” Eddie points out, aiming his voice toward the small group of people at your table—you, Steve, Nancy, Robin, and a few other seniors you didn’t know too well, they didn’t really pay much mind anyways, “like he isn’t going to be staring at all the girls in their swimsuits the entire time.”

“Like that time he got caught staring up Chrissy Cunnigham’s skirt when she was at the top of the pyramid.” Steve pointed out with a boisterous laugh, earning a soft nudge of warning from Nancy.

“Cut it out.” She warns, “She didn’t deserve that.”

“I don’t even know why we’re going back,” Robin points out, “people died.”

She was still partially traumatized after Tammy—unrequited love and all, she knew it would never be reciprocated but her death still affected Robin more than she cared to admit.

“They caught the guy, though.” Steve pointed out, “Don’t you remember?”

“You really think a poor, homeless man was capable of all that?” Nancy challenged, staring Steve down with a scrutinizing gaze. Eddie snickered from his seat—neither of you wanted to be on the receiving end of that.

“Anyone’s capable of anything with the right motive.” Steve shrugs.

“Stop trying to sound all philosophical and sign the fuckin’ clipboard, Harrington.” Eddie interrupts, scribbling down his name—and your own, before tossing it to his friend. 

It was already filled with about fifty names; not everyone had been interested in the trip and some didn’t even entertain the idea to begin with, but Eddie was a master manipulator and great at convincing people—take you and Robin for example, who had been so on the fence about going that it took every ounce of begging from Eddie to get you both to agrees—on his knees, hands clasped tightly together, praying and pleading for you both you.

“Don’t subject me to third wheeling Nancy and Steve,” Eddie had begged, “I will literally never forgive you guys.”

It didn’t take much convincing after that, plus Eddie had barely managed to make it on the list for the trip and the last thing you wanted to do was let him have a horrible senior trip, not when he’s done just about everything to help you manage through this year—friendship and all, outside of your core group of friends, he was the closest to you. 

It wasn’t like you spent every waking moment together, but it was just about. He’s never made you feel uncomfortable or unwanted, always just the right amount gentlemanliness mixed with his own dumb charm, it was addicting. He always knew just the right things to say, when to make you laugh, and how to soothe you when you were upset—he’d never made it clear if he ever wanted anything more with you and that was fine, but you couldn’t help letting it break your heart just a little. Eddie was the perfect type of guy.

“So—graduation is tomorrow, we leave that next day—Friday, bright and early,” Higgins' voice cut through the chatter, “Eight in the morning, on time—right, Edward?”

“Eight in the morning—got it.” Eddie replied with a low amount of snark, glancing over at your smiling face, struggling to hide the small crinkle of your eyes as you tried not to laugh. “What a dick.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t bring a swimsuit to swim,” You say jokingly, knowing how creepy everyone thought principal Higgins was, Eddie stared at you with a puzzled expression, eyebrows drawn together, “what—I just wouldn’t swim at all, it’s not a big deal.”

“You’re swimming, sweetheart.” Eddie says decisively, “I’ll look out for you, don’t worry.”

And if there was anything to put your mind at ease, it was Eddie.

Eddie answers the door to his trailer with a loud groan and a curse, already pissed at you for waking him up so early. Wayne is trailing up the stairs behind you, having barely gotten off of his night shift, coffee and empty lunchbox in hand.

“Open the damn door for the lady,” Wayne complains, motioning toward the handle, “—do you have your shit ready?”

“Yes—god, yes,” Eddie complains, swinging the door open and rubbing his tired eyes, “the sun isn’t even out and you two are already bitching at me this morning.” Eddie stumbles off, still muttering to himself.

“Keep an eye out for him,” Wayne says to you quietly, following in behind you as you step through the threshold, “I know it’s like babysitting with him sometimes.”

You nod obediently, offering a warm smile. 

“Trust me—I’m well aware. He’ll be okay with me.”

“You two are still talking shit about me?” 

Eddie walks out of the hallway leading to his bedroom, backpack slung over his shoulders, large duffel clutched in his hands. You would’ve thought he was going on a week-long retreat—but it was Eddie, he was probably planning to sneak his entire bedroom into the cabin for the weekend. 

“Yep.” You answer simply, lifting yourself up on the counter as you waited, allowing Eddie to say a quick goodbye to his uncle. 

“Where the hell are your bags?” Eddie asks, taking a full body glance at you. You wore a simple pair of cotton shorts and a dated band shirt that once belonged to Eddie—before you stole it, but not a bag in sight.

“Out by your van,” You motion with your thumb in the direction of his vehicle, parked out front, “—are you ready to go?”

“Let’s get this show on the road.” Eddie says with a rambunctious enthusiasm that could only be contained within him, all of his early grogginess suddenly disappearing before your eyes. 

Eddie makes the rounds for the rest of your friends—first Robin, who looks about as excited as Eddie did when you showed up at his trailer this morning, tossing her bag into the row of seats behind the front two, crawling in to lay her head down against the makeshift pillow. 

“Tell Steve and Nance the seats are occupied.” She mumbled, shifting onto her side, eyes shut. “No love birds allowed up here.”

“Surely they can’t be that lovey dovey this early,” You say out loud, earning a soft rumble of a laugh from Eddie. “What? Am I wrong?”

“I gave him a ride to school for a week—it was the worst week of my life.” Eddie said without explaining, but you caught on quickly, hearing Robin’s mocking impression of Nancy every time Steve went in to kiss her. 

“Steve—Steve, stop it.” Robin squealed tiredly, mimicking Nancy’s soft giggle.

Speaking of the devil, Eddie pulled to a screeching stop in front of Steve’s lavish home, too big for someone who was an only child, a giddy Nancy in tow. 

“Eddie—you really need to change your brakes.” You tell him, the screaming metal slicing together, creating an awful sound. “It’s been that way for weeks.”

“She’s still tickin’.” Eddie joked, patting the dash lovingly, the sound of Nancy and Steve clamoring into the back of the van cutting your conversation short. Eddie turns from the driver's seat, “I hope you two got that shit out of your system before we have to bunk with you both.”

“No promises.” Steve chides back, settling on the floor of the back of Eddie’s van, Nancy settled close by. Robin was already dead to the world, softly snoring away from her seat—if she had the choice to stay home, she easily would have. But, she would feel horrible leaving you behind.

You’re still the last to arrive, albeit on time, but Eddie was really hungry—hence the reason you five showed up with food, piling onto the back of the bus without so much as a word, shoveling your mouths with the food, acting like you hadn’t eaten in days.

Eddie makes a face when he sees Steve reaching for the last bit of food in the bag, like he hadn’t already eaten enough for the both of you, giving a soft shrug and an excusal, “If this is gonna be my last good meal until Monday, I’m taking advantage of it.”

“I don’t think it will be that bad.” Nancy offers, not really believing herself when she says it.

“Well, it’ll definitely be interesting.” You add, shifting into the cramped seat beside Eddie, leaning into his outstretched arm.

“Oh, that’s a guarantee.” Eddie jokes, squeezing you tighter. The bus lurching forward in time with his movement, sending you stumbling further into him.

“Woah—you okay?” He asks timidly, your hand reaching out to stop yourself from slipping out of the seat.

“The faster we get there, the better.”

It’s nearing afternoon when you finally arrive, a long winding road of trees and wildlife, not a person or structure in sight, the place was practically abandoned aside from the giant cabin near the end of town, settled on a large piece of land that houses a lake, two smaller joint cabins, and a few other structures that held supplies for outside, and a tiny outhouse—despite the cabin already having its own bathrooms. 

It seemed perfect—it looked beautiful; lush green foliage and clear water, not a cloud in the sky, aside from the suffocating humidity. But, that came with the hot Indiana summers. You couldn’t imagine the tragedy that took place the year prior, or why they would decide to bring you back to the same spot, but it seemed like a completely different place—untouched, new, like someone had gone out of their way to remove that evil or any reminder of the dread.

You give Eddie a gentle nudge from where he’d fallen asleep on your shoulder, grumbling in disagreement as he lifted his head, eyes riddled with exhaustion.

“How late did you stay up last night?” You asked, the palm of his hand coming up to rub at his eyes. 

“One—maybe two.” Eddie shrugs, “I couldn’t sleep.”

“I’m sorry.” You frown, feeling slightly empathetic,

“Not your fault,” He shrugs, “I had a lot on my mind.”

And you don’t push, because despite how close you are with Eddie, he doesn’t open up as easily as most people—you knew enough about him that it didn’t seem strange, everything that friends would normally know, but he never talked about his past or his parents or how he was raised prior to Wayne. It was all a big mystery. 

When you do finally make it off the bus, it’s met with a sigh of relief and a giant breath of fresh air, despite the sweltering heat—you could live with that, it felt good to be able to stretch your legs again. 

You can sense the slight amount of uneasiness lingering in the air, between the students, between your friends, like you’re waiting for someone to say something or address the elephant in the room. Principal Higgins, of course, speaks first.

“I’ve already got rooms assigned on the chart,” He points at the piece of paper clutched in his hand, “boys on the left, girls on the right—I don’t want to hear a single complaint out of anyone. I went off of everyone’s requests so there shouldn’t be any confusion.”

He takes a pause, too long to remain in a comfortable silence, before he finally speaks again.

“I realize what went down last year—but that’s not why we’re here.” He attempts to assure you all, though it doesn’t really have much effect. “That was all resolved and handled—I can promise you all, it’s going to be fine.”

“Famous last words.” Robin mumbles, arms crossed over her chest as she switches between feet, fidgeting because she can’t stay still—she’d been so confined all day that it was driving her mad.

“I don’t know,” You shrug, “it feels good right now—peaceful, you know?”

Eddie and Steve had gone to fetch the rest of the bags earlier, approaching you near the end of Principal Higgins half hearted speech, you take your bags with a smile and a wink from Eddie, who now, seems entirely too chipper. There was definitely something in the air, less of a weight on everyone's shoulders, whatever impending doom everyone had expected to feel wasn’t there at all, like it never even existed.

“Come on, Robin,” Steve says, “stop worrying.”

“Someone has to.” She defends, feeling defeated over everyone’s lack of concern. “—Whatever, give me my bags.” Steve hands them over without argument, watching as Robin stomped begrudgingly along to the cabin.

“You two should follow her,” Eddie suggests, motioning toward you and Nancy, who seemed just weary as Robin now that you all had officially arrived on the lake, “we’ll meet up in an hour?”

“Yeah,” You agreed, tightening your grip on your bag as you shifted it onto your shoulder, “come on, Nance.”

If there was anyone to cheer Robin up, it would be you—it used to be Steve and you weren’t sure you could ever compare your friendship to that, but he’s been so caught up with Nancy and Eddie lately that Robin almost didn’t feel like a part of the group anymore, and you hated that. So, if it meant abandoning Eddie for a few hours, just to make Robin happy, you’d do it.

The rooms are horribly small, also—three beds to a room, just enough space to fit your bags at the end of your beds, but that was it. There were several lined up on each side of the house, upstairs and down, with two bathrooms at each end—but, things could be worse and at least you weren’t forced into a tent like some of the others originally suggested. A weekend on a lake, sure—camping outdoors for two day? Absolutely not.

“How is everyone not freaked out?” Robin asks, laying stomach down on the rickety bed, feet kicked up behind her, face resting against her arms where they were placed against the comforter.

“I don’t think people care, really.” Nancy tells her, unfolding her clothes neatly onto her bed, double checking her bags to make sure everything was still there, “The killer was caught.”

You couldn’t explain why it felt weird to hear Nancy say it out loud—maybe because you didn’t really believe it yourself, or that it just sounded absurd to say in any scenario, but regardless, you voice your concern.

“Do you really think he was working alone?” You ask, glancing at both of your friends from where you were sitting cross-legged on your bed. “I mean—eleven people, that’s…it’s a lot.”

“Where’s this coming from?” Robin asked curiously, “Don’t try to freak me out anymore than I already am—I’m leaving both of you behind if things start getting weird—I swear.”

“She watches all those weird crime things and reads up about all the crazy serial killers,” Nancy says, adding a small laugh at the end, “if there’s anyone to believe, it’s her.”

“It also just makes the most sense,” You shrug, “—I mean, maybe the person was one of the people that got killed—maybe that guy turned on him, but I don’t think it was him alone, it doesn’t add up.”

Robin seems more intrigued now, pushing herself up to sit on her knees.

“The weird phone calls, messing with their cars, managing to kill them and still hang up some of their bodies like props—I refuse to believe that one homeless man was capable of any of that.”

“We’ll, that’s definitely not comforting to hear.” Robin admits, crossing her arms over her chest tightly, glancing over at Nancy who seemed less than interested in the conversation.

“I don’t think we have anything to worry about,” You attempt to comfort her, “—plus, we’re probably the furthest down on the list of victims if it ends up being someone on this trip—Jason could clearly go down first, everyone hates him.”

“Let’s hope so.” Nancy interjects, interrupted by two solid knocks against the closed door to your room, swinging open before you can even leave the bed.

“Higgins shoved us in with Carver,” Eddie complains, glancing over at Steve sparingly, they were already dressed in their swim shorts—Steve in a muted red reaching halfway down his thighs, Eddie in a pair of plain black ones, reaching just about the knee, both with towels slung over their shoulder, “—I guess no one else wanted to room with him.”

You hummed softly, “Lucky you,” You teased, turning toward the clearly irritated men standing in your doorway, “���swimming already?”

“Yep,” Eddie nods, throwing his towel in your direction, “get changed, ladies—you know much King Steve hates to wait.” Steve scoffs tiredly, earning a deep laugh from his friend, the two of them shoving each other down the hallway as they departed.

You look at Robin, who seems dead set on staying out, “Hey, come on,” You push gently, jumping off your bed to wrap your arms over your friend’s shoulder, the side of her face squished against chest, “swimmings fun, right?”

“If I say yes will you let go?” Robin asks.

“Yes.”

“Then yeah, it sounds fun.”

Most of the afternoon and evening is spent in the lake, on the waterside or laid out on the dock, everyone soaking in as much of the sun and quiet as they can, reveling in the last couple of days of peace before they’re thrusted back into reality—forced off to colleges and filling out job applications.

 By nightfall, after dinner in the cabin, you and Eddie decided to take one last dip into the water, away from the rest of the group. The rest of your friends stayed by the dock, engaging in mindless conversation.

Eddie dunks you under the water immediately, surfacing seconds later to throw water back in his face. “What the hell, Eddie?” You ask, “A warning would be nice?”

“Live a little, sweetheart.” Eddie says endearingly, wiping the hair out of your face that stuck to your cheek, you freeze momentarily, eyes glued to his face, his expression mostly plain. He notices you watching, “Something on my face?”

“No,” You respond softly, “I’m just—are you not thinking about any of the stuff that happened?”

“That was last year—“ Eddie shrugs off, “Why—are you scared?”

It sounds teasingly, almost like he can’t believe someone like you could be so terrified over something that happened a year ago, completely disconnected from you—and the truth was, you weren’t scared.

“No, I’m not,” You tell him sternly, making yourself clear, “But, Robin is worried—I guess I’m feeling her emotions a little.”

“We’ll, she’s your friend,” Eddie points out, “it makes sense, you two are close.”

“She’s your friend, too.” You counter, face drawn up in confusion. It was a weird way to phrase himself.

“Of course,” He confirms without hesitation, “but it’s different for you—like how I probably know things about Steve that he’d be embarrassed to tell you.”

You grimace, nose scrunched up in disgust. “I don’t wanna know.”

“And what makes you think I was gonna tell you?” Eddie teases, crowding you under the water, arms encircling your waist to pull you closer, fingers digging into your side playfully. You squeal, begging him to stop. “I take secrets very seriously.”

“I hope so.” You remark, swatting him playfully when he finally lets you go. 

You take his hand, tugging until he decides to follow, swimming toward the edge of the dock toward your friends, both of you perching on the edge, forearms rested against the soaked wood. 

“What’s going on?” You ask Steve, who’s staring back and forth between a slightly jumpy Nancy and an uncomfortable Robin, clearly having interrupted an uncomfortable conversation.

“Robin was talking about the phone calls,” Nancy explains softly, “and all those weird questions that person was asking—“

“Yeah, but those could have been rumors.” Steve tries to defend, “We don’t really know what happened last year—we’re going off of what a bunch of teenagers told the cops.”

“You know—maybe it was Prinipal Higgins making those calls—that fuckin’ creep,” Eddie remarks jokingly, transitioning into his best impression of the man, “Mmm—What are you wearing?”

Steve joins in with a laugh, “I can see you—can you see me?”

Eddie fakes sneaking up behind you, leaning over your shoulder as he whispers, “What’s your favorite scary movie?”

You elbow him gently, shoving him away playfully. “Cut it out,” You laugh, watching Eddie’s face pull into a large grin as he leans against the dock again, hand resting lightly against your back—Eddie was as touchy as touchy could get, regardless of how close you were, he’d always been that way, “Robin is already freaked out enough.”

Robin, who’s looking more and more uncomfortable by the second, finally speaks up. “I’m going to bed,” She said excusing, “I’ll see you guys later.”

“Robin, wait—“ Steve begs quietly, grasping onto his friend’s wrist.

“I’m fine,” She promises, tugging her wrist back, “I just want to get some sleep.”

Robin departs soon after, leaving the four of you in a comfortable silence, starting out at the front of the cabin, lights flipping on and off momentarily, before a loud clattering from the side of the house grabs the attention of all of you. 

“Woah—hey,” Nancy whispers urgently, “Is that Jason and Chrissy?”

“Innocent Chrissy? There’s no way.” Steve jokes, watching as the two of them wander obviously into the woods, up to no good.

Eddie laughs from your side, taking a careful glance over at Nancy who’s cuddling herself into Steve’s side, he lowers his voice where only you can hear, “Let’s give the other lovebirds some privacy,” He jerks his head at the pair, “before Higgins catches us out here and cuts the fun short.”

“I’m pretty sure he’s passed out in his cabin right now.” You assure him, pointing directly at the cabin to the far right of you, no lights, no legitimate sign of life stirring about—if there was any time to get away with murder or rule breaking, it would be now. 

Eddie pulls you further away, near the edge of the water where he can grab his towel, helping you out and drying himself off before passing you his own towel, helping you wrap it around yourself snugly. “I could’ve brought my own towel down,” You point out, ignoring how his fingers lingered against your arm, “I am capable of doing things for myself.”

“I know,” Eddie smiles slightly, wet hair dripping rivulets of water down his chest, pale skin standing out against his tattoos. You’ve seen them a million times before, it doesn’t bother you, but suddenly you’re resisting the urge to reach out and touch—and that’s more terrifying than anything, “good thing we left when we did—“ Eddie motions behind you discreetly.

Steve and Nancy had already slipped into the water by that point, covered by the other side of the dock—you and Eddie weren’t voyeurs, but it wasn’t hard to make out what was going on from the several feet of distance you had between each other. 

“It’s kinda hot.” Eddie says shamelessly, shrugging at your bewildered expression. “What? Don’t look at me like that.”

“Eddie,” You say in disbelief, his face splitting into a giant grin, “I’m kidding—obviously, but you really shouldn’t act so shy around me. I know all your secrets, remember?”

“Shut up.” You shove him lightly, wrist caught by his hands.

“Even the ones you haven’t told me.” He teases further, twirling you slowly until your back is pressed against his chest, hot skin burning against the exposed part of your back. You can hear the faint mix of moans from where you stood—you weren’t even sure if they knew you both were still nearby, or cared, for that matter.

“You never answered my question earlier.” Eddie points out, eyes dragging up toward him from where he stood behind you. 

“I thought you were just trying to be funny.” 

“Yeah—but I’m still curious.” He admits, “What is your favorite scary movie?”

You smirk knowingly, “Don’t have one,” You tell him honestly, “I prefer the real stuff.”

“Like?”

“Bundy, Dahmer, murderers and serial killers—I like learning about stuff like that, but scary movies; they just aren’t scary.” 

“You’re a little freak,” Eddie responds playfully, words lighthearted, it doesn’t bother you at all, “have you always been that morbid?”

“Yes,” You admit with a soft laugh, “instead of morning cartoons I was watching the news for the latest homicide or police arrest—it freaked my parents out for a while, but I think they realized it was all harmless, eventually. I was a curious kid.”

Eddie makes a small noise of acknowledgment, the lewd noises of your friends overpowering him, your chest tightens, his arms flexing ever so slightly around your waist. You can’t find the courage to speak first, so Eddie does.

“We could join in, if you want.” He mentions nonchalantly, a playful attempt at breaking the tension. “I won’t mind.”

“Of course not, you pervert,” You wiggle away from him playfully, “Just shut up and walk me back to my room.” You tug at his hand, dragging him along with you. Eddie’s hand settles low on your waist, but you can’t be bothered to adjust it, spoiled by how easily he shows his affection toward you. Eddie didn’t need to admit the attraction he felt toward you, it was obvious—and you couldn’t say it was one-sided all the time, you were just as guilty.

“Hey—both of you,” Nancy shouts, startling you awake, “get up.”

You rub at tired eyes, sitting up abruptly in your bed. “What the hell, Nance?” Robin responds with the same enthusiasm. 

“Jason’s hurt, they’re taking him to the hospital.” Nancy said in a hurry, pulling her top on. Robin perks up slightly.

“So, does that mean we’re going home?” Robin asks with a hint of hopefulness.

“I don’t think so,” Nancy answers and Robin sinks slightly, “but they’re making us meet downstairs to talk—so hurry up. Steve and Eddie are already waiting.”

It takes some extra convincing, but the two of you eventually make it downstairs, half dressed and still barely awake. You plop down on the couch between Eddie and Steve, both looking just as groggy and clearly annoyed at being disturbed so early. 

It takes you a moment to recognize her, but you catch Chrissy huddled in the far end of the room around her other cheerleading friends, shaken up and crying—like she’d witnessed something she shouldn’t have.

“Hey, what happened?” You nudge Eddie, catch the faint whiff of his vanilla scented shampoo, the one he stole from your place last month because he constantly badgered you about how good it smelt that you finally caved and let him have it, just to shut him up—“Why aren’t we leaving?”

“Uh—they think a mountain lion attacked Jason last night in the woods,” He explains, “Remember when we saw him and Chrissy sneaking off?”

You nod silently and Eddie continues, “I guess he ended up pissing Chrissy off and she left him out there and—I don’t know, something clearly wanted a taste of him—or it was karma for being an asshole.”

You rolled your eyes lazily—it was a fair opinion, because you couldn’t feel much sympathy either, with how much of prick Jason was all the time, specifically toward Eddie, and you by association, there was no telling what caused Chrissy to flee from him last night, but it must’ve been for good reason.

Principal Higgins blows through the front door of the cabin a second later, his scratchy, annoying voice disturbing the peace, “Alright, I’m sure you all have probably talked amongst yourself—and yes, Jason is in the hospital, but the doctors are pretty sure it was an animal attack. We’re not planning on cutting the weekend short, but we are setting a curfew—everyone needs to be in the cabin by nine, no excuses.” There’s a large collective groan from the entire group. Eddie shakes his head slightly in amusement, rubbing at his head tenderly.

“You okay?” You ask quietly, glancing over at him.

“Headache.” He tells you simply, closing his eyes slowly as he leaned his head back against the couch. You tap your fingers against his knee gently, providing him a sense of comfort as he grabs your hand loosely.

“We’ll keep you updated as we learn more,” Higgins explains, “but seriously—keep your asses out of the woods.”

But you knew, in Eddie’s mind, that was a big flashing red sign that said the exact opposite—besides, where else was he supposed to smoke all of the weed he brought with him?

The uneasiness lingers throughout the entire cabin the rest of the day, but for you, it’s one of the last things on your mind. Eddie and Steve seemed tense with each other—and it dawned on you again, they had been rooming with Jason; it was probably freaking both of them out more than they could care to admit. 

When you knock on their door that afternoon, you catch the end of what you can only assume was a heavy argument, both of them angrily shoving at things on opposite sides of the room, shoving Jason’s belongings away to be brought downstairs. 

“Should I come back later?” You ask awkwardly, peaking through the door, both of them surprisingly startled by your presence.

“We’re fine.” Steve says, tossing the duffel on the floor by your feet. It’s too harsh, too clipped for it to be friendly, he doesn’t want you standing at the door and you can feel it.

Eddie chances a look your way, sending your worry and urges you outside, squeezing himself through the small opening to lead you into the hallway. 

“Some people are trying to start rumors,” Eddie explain in a hushed voice, “they think Steve was part of the reason why Jason ended up getting attacked—it doesn’t make any sense, but you know how Steve is—“

“But, we know that’s not true—he was with us last night.” You add, even though it’s obvious information between you and Eddie.

“People talk, though—I’m sure it’ll blow over.” Eddie attempts to reassure you, but you’re not understanding why he’s saying it to you and not Steve—but again, Steve would rather avoid everyone right now. 

“Looks like that stuff is going to come in handy,” You emphasize, but Eddie already knows you’re referring to his stash on his bag, “if you can manage to find somewhere to smoke it.”

“I was planning on heading out to the woods after dark anyways,” Eddie shrugged, hands shoved into his back pockets as he leaned his shoulder against the wall, “if you’re so curious to join.”

“The woods?” You ask incredulously, “Seriously? After what just happened?”

“I’ll take my chances.” Eddie laughs, “I’ll protect you—don’t worry.”

You hadn’t even said yes, but it was like Eddie knew, you couldn’t resist an opportunity to be around him.

Eddie tips your chin up with his finger, offering you a warm smile.

“Why don’t you work your sweet girl magic and help with all the rumors?” Eddie suggests, nodding to the group of kids downstairs. “You’re better at socializing than me.”

“I’ll try.” You answer lamely, forcing a tight smile.

“Tonight at eleven.” Eddie tells you, “Don’t be late.”

Whatever the rumors really were, they didn’t have much substance behind them—you eventually found out that it was a harmless comment Chrissy made about Steve being jealous of Jason because he took the captain spot from him, thus spurring him into the undying need to hurt Jason—which just wasn’t true, but Chrissy was rightfully upset, still leaving out the details of what happened with her and Jason in the woods. She did apologize, which ended most of the talk about it, but Eddie still planned to drag Steve out for some time to think, digress, and get high out of their minds, which didn’t sound too bad now. 

Which brought you to now, sat on the couch beside Nancy, most of the others already bunked up for the night, allowing you both time to talk, without Robin or Steve or Eddie. 

“Are you not worried about him?” You ask Nancy, who shrugs in response.

“He worries about his image a lot, but he’ll get over it.” She takes a moment to pause, eyebrows drawing together in question. “Are you and Eddie ever going to address what’s going on between you both?”

“There’s nothing going on.” You laugh, but it’s unconvincing to Nancy, who stares on knowingly, lips pursed to keep from smiling. “You don’t always have to label everything.”

She nods quietly, pulled out of thought from the phone ringing down the hall. You both freeze in fear, startled by the sudden noise—Robin pops out of the room from above, “Don’t answer that.”

You shake your head slightly, pushing up from the couch, “Well, it’s either answer it or listen to it ring for the rest of the night.”

Nancy hesitates, hand reaching for yours, “—Maybe you should let it ring,”

“God, you two are way too scared.” You say with a tinge of annoyance, walking the short distance to the phone and pressing it to your ear. 

“Listen, if you start this phone call off with a question, I’m hanging up.”

You’re met with silence, before the line goes dead abruptly.

You smile triumphantly, pressing the phone back to the wall.

“See, it’s not that—“ Another shrill ring interrupts you, sending Robin halfway down the stairs before you can even comprehend, both of them hurrying to your side to listen.

You press the phone to your ear without hesitation, you meet them with silence instead this time. There’s a faint hum on the other line—breathing, maybe? Then a voice.

“Cocky, I like that.” The robotic voice responds, unsettling your nerves slightly. Both Nancy and Robin’s eyes widen in panic, but you’re not entirely convinced this isn’t just another stupid senior prank. “Where are you right now?”

“If you’re calling, I’m sure you know.” You respond snarkily, attempting to silently comfort both of your friends, “Where are you?”

“You don’t get to ask questions.” The voice snaps, but you feel nothing.

“Are you alone?” They ask, voice tipping up slightly on the last word, intrigued by the idea. You lie.

“Yeah.” You say, “Just me, all alone.”

“And you wouldn’t lie to me?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” You tell them with an overly sweet tone, enjoying the low level game they were playing at. 

“Good—because if you were; I’d have to kill you.”

You tense slightly, watching the worried expression of your friends turn to horror. 

“Instead, I’ll just go for one of your classmates—how does that sound?”

“Oh, so you’re working alone?” You question, ignoring the earlier warning.

It’s not received well.

“I told you no fucking questions.” The voice rips through the receiver, “You’re going to regret that.”

The line goes dead again, anxiety settling in your body, your brain trying to think of any way this could be turned into a joke—that no one could really be attempting to kill you and your friends.

“Now can we leave?” Robin pleads, pulling at the phone line to disconnect it. 

“Do you really believe that shit, Robin?” You ask, “Someone is just trying to scare us.”

“Well, I’m fucking terrified.” She admits, interrupted by a nervous Nancy.

“Wait—Steve and Eddie—we have to go get them.” Nancy tells you.

You can tell by the look on their faces that it wasn’t going to be either of them risking their lives, so by default, it ends up being you. 

“Fine, I’ll go fetch your boyfriend.” You give in, shoving past the two of them, but Nancy stops you with her hand around your wrist, “What—“

“Here,” She scrambled toward the kitchen, running back to hand you a measly kitchen knife, a butter knife at best, unlikely to fend off anything bigger than a squirrel, but you take it to soothe her anxiousness, “for protection.”

If anything wanted to attack you outside, you weren’t going to be able to stop it with your hands, let alone some knife, but you went anyway.

Both Eddie and Steve are laughing obnoxiously when you approach them, unbeknownst to your presence, knife still clutched tightly in your hand. The snap of dry branches pulling their attention toward your dark figure as it lurched from the shadows.

“Woah, sweetheart—“ Eddie says with wide eyes, hands held up in defense as he sees you posed, weapon at the ready, “care to explain the murderess look in your eyes?”

“Nancy wants you back at the cabin,” You point to Steve, motioning with the knife in the direction of the house. Steve and Eddie share a look, long and difficult to decipher from an outside perspective, but you ignore it, desperate for Steve to leave, “she’s pretty freaked out—Robin too.”

“Are they okay?” Steve asks, earning an if of surety from you.

“Nance just wants you back, I wouldn’t keep her waiting.”

Eddie gives Steve a knowing look, tapping his arm gently, “Remember—no sex, they’re always the first ones to get slashed.” Steve shakes his head in annoyance before leaping from the table in a hurry, jogging back toward the house without much of a word, knowing that Nancy would have it out for him if he didn’t.

You drop the knife to the ground immediately, Eddie approaching you without hesitation, “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Look, I’m really trying to hold my shit together, right now.” You say slowly, eyes closing to calm your breathing, Eddie’s hands rubbing gently at your shoulders, “But, we just got a call back at the house—and I’m fucking freaking out.”

“Hey, hey—“ Eddie says softly, “everyone knows it’s the anniversary of all the shit that happened last year—someone’s probably trying to scare you, that’s it.”

“That’s what I was trying to tell Nance and Robin,” You explain, “but—you know, what if—“

“Here,” Eddie says, holding up the rolled joint, ultimately ending the conversation and soothing your worries, “light up and forget, alright? She’s all yours.”

“You’re a terrible influence.” You tell him, plucking the joint from his fingers and following him toward the picnic table, climbing until you’re seated on the top, Eddie squeezing onto the bench below you, shifting until he was seated between your outstretched legs. You let him light up the joint before pulling it to your mouth, breathing in until it stung.

“See? All your problems float away, like that.” Eddie jokes, snapping his fingers for show.

You sigh softly, joint held tight between your fingers as you look down at him, “How are you so calm?”

“Well, I’m really high—so that helps,” Eddie laughs slightly, “but the more you think about it, the more it’s going to bother you—I mean, look at Robin.”

“So, I shouldn’t be worried about that call?” You ask, like validation from Eddie would solve all your problems.

He was always the fix-all; Eddie knew the right things to say, when to say them, to a disturbing degree, almost—but it helped comfort you like nothing else ever could.

“No.” He tells you simply, you believe him.

“And the chance that a mountain lion might come and attack us right now?”

“I’ll fight it off with your butter knife,” Eddie jokes, “problem solved.”

“I’m serious,” You stress, face pleading with him.

“Close your eyes,” Eddie says, your eyes fall shut obediently, “listen—do you hear that?”

There isn’t a sound to be heard, not a gust of wind, a crackle in the deeper part of the woods, only the soft slush of the water as it moved within the lake.

“I don’t hear anything.”

“Exactly—there’s nothing to worry about. It’s just us.”

Eddie’s hand circles the span of your ankle, rubbing soft gentle touches into the skin, your head tipping back as you finish off the joint, passing along what you couldn’t smoke the rest of, Eddie taking it on greedily. Eddie was always very touchy, but it intensified at times like these—and your skin burned, tingled with electricity as your mind wandered, feeling like it was floating away.

“Tell me something you’ve never told anyone.” You ask Eddie, head tilting up to look at him, his eyes spread over the expanse of your thighs, skin exposed from the shorts you wore. “Not even Steve.”

“I’m an open book,” Eddien replies plainly, “you already know everything.”

You scoff, “Lame.” You move further up the table, feeling bold, ass nearing the edge as you fall into Eddie’s lap, his hands latching onto your waist instinctively. It’s the first time you’ve ever seen him look genuinely shocked, mouth hung open slightly as you spoke again, “fine—I’ll go.”

“I know I should feel bad about Jason being hurt, but I don’t.” You shrug and Eddie smirks slightly at that, knowing all too well. “That prick deserves everything that’s coming to him.”

“You’re still upset at him for exposing that picture all around school, aren’t you?” Eddie teases, it wasn’t much of a sore subject anymore—a joke, sometimes, but he never tried bringing it up unless you did first. 

“I was stupid for trusting him.” You admit honestly, through your haze of unfiltered thoughts, “Now the entire class knows what my tits look like.”

Eddie makes a small noise of amusement, “I guess this can count as a secret, seeing as you’re my best friend and Steve would gouge his ears out if I told him this,” You’re apprehensive to hear now, but Eddie continues, “I liked them.”

You shove Eddie with a weak force, “I thought you said you didn’t see it!”

“I lied,” He shrugs calmly, watching your face heat up, “does that make you uncomfortable now?”

You shake your head slightly, the sudden proximity feeling charged, his hands squeezing gently at your hips for a brief moment.

“Don’t move.” Eddie instructs hotly, breath ghosting over your chest as he leans into you, his face barely visible in the darkness, the faint glow of the cabin helping you make out the more basic features of his face. His wide eyes looked full black, you weren’t sure you recognized him, but it still felt like him. “I’m gonna kiss you.”

Your breath catches, hands falling to his knees where they’re spread out beneath you, stabilizing you on his lap as he pulls you closer—he wasn’t asking or hoping, he was taking; and god forbid you deprive yourself of something you wanted just as bad.

He kisses like fire—hot and intense, lips smashing against yours messily, no rhythm or care; just pure need and want. It felt like being swallowed whole, savored. You couldn’t get enough. He grunts, hands digging into the swell of your ass as you pull back, your bottom lip caught between his teeth as he pulls gently, releasing it slowly. 

You sigh, a long exhale, “We should get back to the cabin.” You say with deep regret, but couldn’t stand another moment outside being eaten up by bugs and covered in a sheen of humidity induced sweat.

Eddie makes a noise, neither approval or disagreement, like he’s not totally listening—but then the lights to cabin cut off, followed by a high pitched scream that pulls you both from the moment—you jump off of Eddie’s lap so quickly he falls off the bench, barely catching himself with his hands.

“The hell was that?” You ask in a panic, grabbing desperately for his hands to help him up. 

“Maybe it was a power surge.” Eddie tries to remain levelheaded, but it’s followed by another bloodcurdling scream. “Okay—maybe not—here, go.” He shoved you off toward the direction of the cabin, running back to his supplies sitting on the table, “I’ll catch up with you, I promise.”

“Eddie.” 

“I promise,” He assures you once more, “go.”

The run back to the cabin is short, a concerned Robin meeting you at the front door, looking far more terrified than earlier. 

“The power’s out,” Robin says in a panic, pushing you outside of the doorway, “Steve’s trying to get it back on and Nancy went to wake up Principal Higgins—“

“Robin,” You call out to your rapidly talking friend, pulling at the item coughed in her hand, “what’s with the keys?”

“It’s just—just a precaution,” Robin explains, pointing at the bus parked down the road, “—I told you—things felt weird from the beginning. I wasn’t lying.”

You glance back at the vehicle, an idea springin on you, “Wait, come here,” You grab at Robin’s hand; dragging her along with you until you reach the door of the bus, prying it open, “—better safe than sorry, right? See if it’ll start..”

Robin doesn’t hesitate, squeezing through the small space until she can reach the driver’s seat, shoving the key into the ignition—she turns it once, a hopeful rumble of life from the bus before it cuts short, “More, try turning it faster and holding it.” Robin nods, trying again.

The bus sputters, the entire thing dying out after a few seconds.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Robin exclaims, screaming at the steering wheel.

“Hey—maybe Steve will get the power back on,” You make an attempt at calming her down, “we can plug the phone back in and try to call the police—“

Nancy’s scream rips through the air, her distant running figure hurling toward the bus at a speed that could only be described as panicked, her hands covered in thick, red sludge and face pale with fear. 

“Fuck—Nancy, what happened?” You ask, grabbing her outstretched arms to steady her shaking. 

“Mr—Mr. Clark and—and Mr. Mundy,” Nancy stammers, eyes welling with tears as they glazed over, “I saw them—I saw it—it killed them.”

Robin shoved through the accordion door, “Who?” She presses, keys gripped tightly in her hand, “Who killed them?”

“I don’t—I don’t know.” She shakes her head, “The mask—they had the same mask. It was the same person. It has to be.”

“They arrested him.” You assured her, “It can’t be.”

“Then it’s someone else!” She spits back, broken from her frozen state of fear, pulling her arms back, blood splattering against your face. “I’m covered in—oh my god—where’s Steve?”

“He’s still trying to get the power on,” Robin points out, “what about Eddie?” Their heads immediately turn to you.

“He had to pack up his stuff in the woods—“

Nancy gives you a weird look.

“Weed—Nance, we were smoking.”

“Wait, how close are the woods to those cabins—and the generator?” Robin asks, trying to stay level headed enough to piece things together.

By some horrible, unfortunate coincidence, the cabins are settled just a handful of feet away from where you and Eddie had been only a few minutes ago, not far off from Steve either, which makes the three of you jump into action—until you’re turning the corner of the cabin, meet with the two men you were so frantically looking for.

“Nance—Nancy?” Steve shouts, running toward her in a rush, staring at her blood covered hands in shock, “Are you hurt?”

She shakes her head profusely, “No—no, I’m not.”

“Did you get the power on?” You ask, staring up at Steve from where he was curled around Nancy, hugging her shaking body.

“Someone cut the lines,” He tells you, “Eddie tried helping, but we’re screwed—“

“Wait,” Eddie cuts in, glancing over Nancy’s disheveled figure, “why are you covered in blood?”

“Clarke and Mundy, they’re dead.” You explain for her, knowing that Nancy wouldn’t be able to explain it again, not with the state she was in. “Whatever was here last year, it’s back and it killed them in front of her.”

“So, we’re leaving then.” Eddie says, like it’s the most obvious option. 

“One small problem, dipshit—“ Robin says with an immense amount of snark, “They fucked with the bus, too. We’re stuck here until morning,”

“Someone needs to get Higgins,” Nancy says softly, “If he’s even still alive.”

“And we need to make sure everyone’s awake and knows what’s going on.” You tell the group, pointing at Robin, “Maybe you can find someone who has a phone with them and can call—“

“Didn’t Higgins take everyone’s phones before we left?” Steve asked, something you had completely overlooked. “Can we even trust him?”

“We’re talking about a group of teenagers, Steve.” Robin replies, “Someone is bound to have snuck one in. Don’t worry, I’ll handle it—you should go clean Nancy up.”

“Eddie and I can go look for Principal Higgins.” You offer, grabbing at Eddie’s hand, his own grip giving a squeeze. “We’ll meet back here in an hour, if we’re not back, come looking for us.”

Steve slowly guides Nancy toward the front door, a nervous Robin on their trail. “We will, be safe.” She tells you, receiving a nod from both you and Eddie before they disappear behind the threshold of the door. 

“Still with me?” Eddie asks, a slight hopefulness to his voice. “I can go by myself if you’re too scared.”

“You’re not going by yourself.” You say with finality, “Do you still have your pocket knife on you?” He nods, pulling the tiny switchblade from his front pocket and presenting it to you.

You grab it with ease, pulling the blade out and grasping the handle tightly in your palm. “Look—now I can defend myself.”

“Yeah, from someone with a fear of papercuts.” Eddie jokes, flicking the tiny blade with his fingertips.

“This isn’t suspicious, right?” You ask, shoving open the unlocked door to the empty cabin, not a soul in sight beside you and Eddie, who crowds in behind you, closing the door for safety. “Principal Higgins?!” You call out, mouth immediately clasped over by Eddie’s palm, effectively shushing you.

“What are you doing?” He asks in a hushed voice, “Are you trying to draw the killer here or something?”

“Sorry,” You say impishly, tugging his hand away gently, “—maybe we should take a look around.”

“For safety?” Eddie asks with a small quirk to his eyebrow.

“And curiosity," You tell him honestly, sifting through the dresser drawers haphazardly, shifting and shoving clothes to the side, “it doesn’t hurt to look.”

Eddie shrugs, joining in your search, peeking through the duffel bags placed one the circular table shoved in the corner of the room by the front door, a remedy of normal toiletries and random items that didn’t make much sense to him.

“He could already be back at the cabin,” You suggest, disappointed in your lack of discovery, aside from his terrible choice in clothing, “did you find anything?”

Eddie doesn’t answer you at first, back hunched over as he searches through the bag. You approach him slowly, nudging gently at his waist until he answers you, “Hey, you okay?”

“Well, if he’s not killing people, he’s definitely a grade A creep,” Eddie says into the quiet room, slapping a small stack of Polaroids on the table.

You shifted until you were beside him, alternating through the pictures—various girls in different states of undress, some during the day that were taken from inside his cabin, girls dressed down in the swimsuits, but the more disturbing ones—a few of the cheerleaders, asleep in their bed; meaning he would have had to sneak into the cabin and into the room quietly enough that they wouldn’t be disturbed—but that was already unsettling enough.

“Part of me is relieved that I’m not in here,” You admit selfishly, “is that horrible of me to say?”

Eddie shakes his head, “No—I wouldn’t have let that happen.”

“Oh, really?” You ask, slightly intrigued. “Because you knew that Higgins was up to no good and you were hoping to be my knight in shining armor?” It’s a harmless joke, your hand releasing the Polaroids as they scattered back onto the table. “I don’t need you to save me, Eddie.”

“I’m aware.” Eddie chuckles slightly, turning slightly to face you, sitting against the table, fingers curling around the edge. “I know how well you can handle yourself—you always have.”

You bat your eyes sweetly, “Eddie, are you really trying to put the moves on, right now?”  Eddie shrugs nonchalantly, “Eddie—“

“Is it working?” Eddie asks hopefully, his foot carefully sneaking between your parted ones, nudging at your shoes until you lose balance, forcing you to fall against him.

“Eddie—people are dead,” You point out, “Jason was hurt the other night, Nancy and Robin are back at the cabin freaking out—and someone threatened to kill me over the phone—“

“Yet, there’s no one around,” Eddie points out, “there’s no screaming—look at me,” He taps at your chin with his finger, pushing your face up to meet his, “I mean it—look at me.”

Your eyes pull to his, his wide doe eyes glazed black in this light, penetrating your very essence of being, almost like you couldn’t help but be entranced by the things he was telling you, the way he was looking at you—touching you. 

“I’ve been trying to get you alone,” He admits, sending a chill of excitement down your spine, mixed with a hint of apprehension and arousal, “but you were always busy—“

“But, the other night—with Steve and Nance—“

“Alone,” He insists, “just me, just you.”

“We do that all the time back in Hawkins—what’s the difference?”

Eddie smiles sadly, pushing stray hair from your face, his fingers pressing into the dip at the base of your neck, pulling it taut gently, “Feels like we’re running out of time, right? Feels like I’m gonna lose you.”

“Eddie—I’m not leaving.” You reassure him, “I’ll always be there, whenever you need me.”

“Promise?” Eddie asks softly.

You nod gently, eyes peeking a glance to his soft lips, jutting out slightly from the front on his face, before slowly moving back up his face. Eddie catches it, feeds off of it. 

“Say it.”

“I promise.” You tell him, not a shake or waver in your voice.

You felt shift long after Eddie, he knew it for the moment you stepped inside the cabin—the unwarranted tension, thick and permeating between you both. It was strong now, after earlier in the night, now just a few minutes after midnight—you wanted him to kiss you again—again, and again, until you couldn’t even remember your name. It felt ludicrous and maybe it was the lingering high, despite being freaked out of your mind, you still balanced an unnatural sense of calm. And Eddie seemed unphased, unconcerned—so you followed suit, knowing that as long as you were near him, you’d be fine. Eddie had always protected, that would never change.

You shift between his outstretched legs, tugging idly at the at leather chained bracelet secured around his wrist, letting the hand fall to your thigh, feeling Eddie squeeze until you get message, hiking your leg up and over his own silently, letting him repeat the same process with the other side—and suddenly he’s got your legs secured around his hips, leading you toward the half made bed, neither of you uttering a word until your back hits the mattress.

“Eddie—“ You begin, cut off by his soothing voice.

“Shut your mind off, sweetheart.”

“Didn’t you—you say that the people who have sex always end up getting killed first?” You ask with a slight joking tone, his mouth working underneath your shirt, lips dragging over the soft skin of your stomach, catching on the firm underwire of your bra, his nose nudging the material further and further up your body. 

“What a way to die,” He says with a dramatic sigh of relief, eyes crinkling from the laugh he lets out, your face scrunched up in disbelief,  “—we’ll be okay, trust me.”

“We don’t even have a condom.” Eddie nips at the top of your breast, tongue leading a line of your collarbone until your shirt is shoved under your neck, leaving you no option but to remove it, fabric falling to the floor with little care. 

“Do we need one?” Eddie asks boldly. It wasn’t like you didn’t trust him—Eddie didn’t get much action outside of his hand and it was very apparent, despite his constant refusal to admit it to you—things already felt off, but Eddie is desperate to comfort you, “I can pull out?”

It feels ridiculous in the moment, hearing him say it, but you nod hesitantly, pulling at the edge of his shirt until he understands, material pulling over his wild mess of curls, his hair falling in your face. You laugh softly, shoving it away and guiding Eddie’s mouth to yours, sufficiently silencing him for a moment, aside from the quiet groans of pleasure he let slip against your lips, tongue begging to slip through and into your mouth, wandering hands pulling at your jean shorts until you’re letting him wiggle them down your hips, not once pulling away from his mouth. 

“Wanna taste,” He breathes against you, tongue dipping past your parted lips, triggering a sharp intake of breath, “—all of you.” Your cunt pulses at the thought, the thick fabric of Eddie’s jeans rubbing against your thighs and you grimace, the sensitivity of your skin making it feel uncomfortable. 

“What’s wrong?”

“Your jeans,” You tell him, feeling slightly ridiculous, “take them off.”

“Can you ask nicely?” Eddie teases.

Your face falls, emotionless against his smiling face. “Take them off.”

Eddie smiles even wider, quickly releasing his hold on you to pull at the belt and button of his jeans, shifting his pants down his legs until he can kick them away. You take note of his expression, looking smug from behind the obvious haze of lust.

“Do you like being bossed around?” You laugh softly, feeling you discovered something new, something Eddie had been trying to hide from you.

“By you, maybe,” Eddie shrugs, lifting you with ease until your head hits the pillow, squealing softly as you go, “—assertiveness looks good on you.”

“Almost as good as you look on me,” You say sultrily, pulling Eddie down for a deep-rooted kiss, his hands twisting around your thighs to hike them up again, feet crossed loosely over his back, “—in me, too, if you hurry it up.”

And Eddie was a man of action, so he doesn’t waste anymore time, his hands slipping under your panties in a hurry, yanking them down your legs until he can throw them away in a random corner of the room, his mouth connecting with your center in an instant, the gasp you let out is startling, hand shooting out to prop yourself up, body curling in on itself as Eddie works away, licking a broad stripe up your cunt and back, nosing at your clit with urgency, your other hand fisted tightly in his hair as your hips rocked against his face out of instinct. “Eddie,” You moan out, “—feels so good, more—“ You can’t breathe, overtaking with the stimulation—you fall back in defeat, letting the feeling flood through, his hands gripping at your inner thighs, pulling them wide and tight into his grip, his eyes peeking up from below, daring you to make contact, begging to see just how fucked out you are.

Eddie pulls back for a second, “Look at me,” He demands, his mouth latching back on, tongue flicking gently at your swollen clit, waiting patiently until you can muster the courage, eyes falling open to connect with his, face flushed with pleasure and embarrassment, mouth held open on a gasp that gets caught in your throat, the muscles in his face twitching as he works away at you, hearing the wet squelch of slick that comes from you as he sneaks a hand in too, middle finger pressing into you slowly, “—that’s right, need you to remember who’s making you feel this good.”

“I don’t think I could forget,” You laugh breathlessly, a loud moan ripping from your throat as Eddie curls his finger, pulling back slightly to watch his finger disappear inside of you, he loses his focus, ignoring the soft calls of his name until you finally raise your voice, “—Eddie, come here.”

He lifts up slowly, rising to his knees as you shift forward, your head level with his chest as he looks down at you, hand still covered in your wetness as it flexes, his rings shifting with the movement.

“Open.” He says softly, using his other hand to pull at your bottom lip, parting your mouth until  your tongue peeks out, eyes peering up at him. His hand raises slowly, slipping to the tip of his middle finger over the flat of your tongue, more and more, until the edge of his ring hits your lip, “Suck.”

You weren’t initially turned off by the idea, only slightly hesitant as your lips closed over his finger, sucking gently, the warmth of your mouth and soft press of your tongue constricting around his finger, a slightly pressure as he pressed down testingly, pushing just a bit further until your eyes are watering, nearly gagging. Eddie pulls back carefully, staring down at you with a special kind of adoration; something you couldn’t decipher right now, he smiles softly, forcing you to return the sentiment. 

You’re too impatient now, staring up at him with eager eyes, hands pulling at the band of his underwear, “Do you want me to?” You ask softly, nodding toward the obvious tent in his boxers, his cock straining against the thin material. 

Eddie shakes his head hesitantly, “I’m gonna be honest, sweetheart—if the sight of your mouth around my fingers is enough to kill me, I’m not sure I can handle it around my dick—not right now at least.” You laugh softly at his honesty, letting Eddie push you further and further against the bed, shifting his underwear down in the process, “Plus, I’d really like to be inside of you more.”

“Oh?” You voice lilts, breasts shifting underneath your bra, jumping slightly at Eddie’s movements. It was a small oversight he missed, too eager to please you, but he noticed now, flicking at the small black bow in the middle of your breasts, finger slipping under the stiff centerpiece, shifting your breasts upwards. He doesn’t need to verbalize that he wants it off, you can see the way his face turns, almost demanding, rather than questioning. You smile with amusement, hand slipping behind your back to release the clasp, letting Eddie pull it from your body with ease, your body on full display before him. 

Eddie’s hands caress the lines of your body, up and down, exploring with care, stopping at the curve of your hips, squeezing gently, “Can I be on top?” You ask shyly, your hands falling to his, traveling up the expanse of his arm, squeezing in return.

Eddie nods eagerly, spinning you with a ferocity that has you both laughing, your hands slapping against his chest in a hope to stable yourself, wet core sliding against the line of his cock, his breath coming out in a stutter, even more forceful as you grab his shaft with a gentle grip, settling onto him with ease, the mixed pitch of sighs joining together, whatever line that you two had originally drawn was crossed and long forgotten about.

“Fuck,” Eddie sighs, hands resting up by his head as you shift forward slightly, a slow gentle rock of your hips as you accustomed yourself to him, the stretch of his cock welcoming but intense, you watched as his hands balled into fists, uncurling and curling every few seconds, unsure of what to do with his hands. You lean back, hands placed back on his thighs as you bring your hips down in one sharp movement, spiraling both of you into a mess of loud groans, your head falling back, eyes closed as you focus on the intense feeling of Eddie inside of you.

“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” You say honestly, breath hitched as your thighs tighten, there’s a faint ruffling sound, but you’re too distracted, hips rocking in time with his thrusts, “—can you?”

Eddie chuckles lightly, feeling the cold press of metal against your inner thigh, the deep indent of his rings as he presses harder, until it’s bordering on pain, pulling your attention back to him.

But it isn’t his rings, it’s a knife—not his pocket knife, a large, threatening, very real knife, pressed along the line of your inner thigh, blade poised against the skin. Your first instinct is to jump, push away, but Eddie senses the apprehension immediately, a firm grip on your leg as he pushes the metal further, barely cutting the skin.

“I’ve waited a long time, sweetheart.” He states, still sounding like Eddie, feeling like Eddie, but his face is different—it’s still him, mostly, but there’s a weird pull at his smile, his eyes less wide and innocent, like he’s not really himself, but still vividly aware of what he’s doing. “I don’t think you really know.”

You jerk away, expecting the moment to be broken, but it only seems to spur Eddie on further. You don’t feel scared, or terrified—but startled, yes.

“What the fuck?” You say viciously, gripping the wrist that held the knife. “This isn’t funny, Eddie.”

“Let go,” He says through gritted teeth, yanking harshly at your hand until you release him, he pushes further into the skin, a small trail of blood slipping down your legs. You wince, jolting away from the blade, blood spilling down your thigh onto his, “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Your eyebrows pull together in frustration, “You just cut me.” You say with a harsh tone, causing Eddie to shoot up, pulling the blade from your leg to press against the center of your throat, blunt edge pressed against the skin as the tip barely grazes the line of your neck. You tense, forcing yourself to be still, watching Eddie examine your expression, a faint smirk pulling at his face. 

“But, I didn’t hurt you,” He says softly, free hand moving to caress the side of your face, thumb rubbing the shivering line of your bottom lip, “I didn’t tell you to stop moving, did I?”

It feels ridiculous, trying to move or run away, so you listen, allowing Eddie to lead the movements, his voice coming through a few seconds later, “Unless you’d like to stop,” He offers, “I was enjoying myself—I know you are too. I just wanted to talk, sweetheart.”

You nod slightly, careful of the knife, “Then talk,” You instruct, voice light and airy as Eddie’s hand traveled to your backside, curling around the curve of your ass as you moved, allowing him to chase whatever morbid pleasure he was after, “or go ahead and kill me, if that’s what you’re after.”

“No, no, no,” Eddie coos, leaning in to drag his lips down your chest, catching up the hardened bud of your nipple, cold metal still pressed firmly against your skin, “I couldn’t ever kill you—wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Are you trying to scare me?” You ask softly, voice shaking, “Is it you, Eddie? Please—just be honest with me.”

“Don’t be scared,” He soothes, lips dragging higher, voice muffled against your skin until his lips can latch against your throat, alongside the blade, dragging small, light patterns into your skin. Your breath catches, body fighting between pleasure and fear, still overwhelmed by Eddie and the care and love you held toward him, but terrified out of your mind that this might be your last moment of life, “I can explain, if you’ll listen—but I want you to finish—want you to feel good.”

You feel like you’re losing your mind, like part of you might actually enjoy whatever show Eddie was putting on; fake or not. He pulls the knife away, flipping it in his hand to set it aside, turning his full attention back toward you as his arms tighten around your middle, lifting you with ease as you fall against him, arms sling over his shoulders as he fucks into you, legs spread wide over his thighs. You gasp, pulling tightly at the hair near the nape of his neck, earning a pained grunt in return.

You can see the knife at his back, just barely out of reach, mind working hard to come up with a way to grab it, throw it, get it away—anything, but your eyes curiously travel upwards, catching sight of the horrifically familiar mask from where it had slipped out from under the pillow, having been deeply tucked away and out of sight. You gasp in horror and arousal, Eddie’s rough, calloused hands searching between you both until he finds your clit, rubbing slow, languid circles until you’re nothing but a mess; moaning, begging, forgetting everything but the feeling of him inside you and all over you, sighing out his name as you come, feeling ashamed but overpowered with euphoria—finally achieving something with Eddie that you craved for so long, but conflicted with whatever emotion you were feeling in the moment, you couldn’t pinpoint it.

“Shit—gonna come too,” Eddie warns, the sound of his voice more comforting, more him, “move, sweetheart.”

“No,” You challenge—and maybe you’ll regret it later, but it feels right, it feels like everything you need, “you can—it’s okay.”

Eddie pulls back, looking back at you with a vulnerability you’ve only ever seen once, in a moment of deep connection, his eyes closed, face buried into your chest as he tenses, coming inside you with a rough grip on your thighs, hips working gently through the aftershocks.

And it’s the only opportunity you have in the small window distraction, hand slipping down discreetly to pull at the knife, grabbing a fistful of hair to yank his head back, knife poised at his throat. 

“Now talk,” You demand, pressing the knife in further, “is it Higgins? Or have you been lying to me this whole time?”

“It’s me. It’s me.” He says in desperation, face drawn up in pain as you pull hard, a strangled moan of discomfort slipping from his lips. “I want to explain. I want to talk. Sweetheart—come on.”

You press harder, urging him further. You weren’t handing over that power, even when he subtly shifts to pull out of you, legs still squeezed tightly over his lap, keeping him at bay.

“You don’t know how it feels,” He says quietly, “to kill someone. It’s exhilarating—like a drug, I can’t describe it.”

“Try.”

“I wanted you.” He admits, “I wanted you by my side.”

“What?” 

“Don’t act innocent,” He smiles slightly, “I know you’ve thought about it—what it feels like.”

You pull back slightly, feeling exposed. You weren’t crazy, you didn’t feel crazy, but deep down, part of you believes him. You can’t tell if it’s confused by the love you held for Eddie, or the innate fear of losing your friend, or him having never really been himself at all—maybe it had always been a show.

“I wanted to ask you last year, but we weren’t close enough.” He admits, swallowing noticeably, “You were shy—but I knew. You’re just like me.” He says with a faint laugh, “We’re practically the same person—I know you see that.”

“So that means I’m a fucking murderer?” You ask with a bite, pressing the knife into his skin until it bleeds a tinge of red, Eddie hisses, jerking away with no success. “I’m nothing like you.”

“Not yet,” He says boldly, “everyone is capable deep down—with the right motivation.”

“So, how did you do it?” You ask curiously, tightening your grip on his hair from where he’d slipped loose, Eddie makes a small noise of discomfort, nostrils flaring.

“Last summer?” He asks with a faint smirk on his face, “I ran solo—it wasn’t what I wanted, but it ran smoother than this time.”

“This time?” You ask, trying to pick at what he was hinting around. 

“Think, sweetheart.” He teases, pushing against the blade slightly, “Use that pretty little brain of yours.”

It’s a seems like a simple process of elimination, but with one of your closest friends posed beneath you, confessing to murdering over a dozen teenagers, it wasn’t that easy. You cross Robin and Nancy off immediately though, knowing they couldn’t be capable—

“I see the gears turning,” Eddie sings, “I’ll give you three guesses.”

“And if I get them wrong?”

“Then you give me my knife back,” Eddie says simply, “and I’ll tell you why you’re wrong.”

“Jason?” It seemed completely out of the ballpark, but it was still a shot. “I’m guessing you’re a man down.”

“Huh, no. He’s lucky to be alive—if it had been me, he wouldn’t have made it out.”

“God—this entire time, Eddie—you were lying to me—“

“Next guess.” He pressed, ignoring you.

Your jaw clenches, shoving the tip of the knife up by his ear, blade scraping against the barely growing scruff, “Fuck, I don’t know—Chrissy?”

“You think I have a fetish for working with people that hate me? Let’s think a little closer to home.” Eddie says with a laugh, the small slip drilling into your mind, causing you to immediately pull back, dropping the knife and shoving yourself off his lap. 

“No,” You say softly, pulling at your clothes, scrambling and slipping to dress yourself to some degree, “no, no, no.”

If it weren’t for Eddie and Steve pushing this trip so hard, you would have never gone, content with staying back in Hawkins and never seeing half of these people again, contained in your small bubble of friends, but it hits you in phases—thinking back on every single interaction you’ve ever had.

Eddie was never overly obsessed with you, but Steve had showed a quickly growing interest, pulling you into the friend group with ease, shoving you into their daily routine and making your transition from mostly sticking to yourself to hanging out almost every day, being thrusted into the unnatural social circle that Steve had created for himself, always finding more comfort in hiding away with Eddie than anything else—it was the main reason you two had grown so close, so fast. 

“Steve—he wouldn’t—” You tell him, shirt clutched to your chest.

Eddie moves slowly, reaching for his discarded underwear and jeans, pulling them on as he spoke, “Steve is—interesting,” Eddie says carefully, mincing his words for Steve’s sake, he buttons his jeans, standing shirtless as he approaches you, “—this is why I wanted you alone. I needed you to hear me out.”

“You’re insane. Both of you.” You say harshly, extending your hands out to push Eddie away, but you don’t put up much of a fight when he shoves past, pulling your face into his hands gently. “Where’s Higgins?” You ask quietly, eyes pulling up to connect with Eddie’s; you couldn’t feel scared, because it still felt like himself, he still looked like himself.

“Tied up, out back, he's out for the night,” Eddie tells you without hesitation, “you see, I have this plan; it’s all going to be on him. Higgins is a creep, anyways—we can turn it around on him, let him take that fall. No one would ever know.”

“So, you didn’t kill him?” You ask.

He shakes his head slowly, “No—the other two, yeah.”

You exhale shakily, “But—why Steve? How?”

“I always wanted it to be you by my side,” He admits, “but Steve found out at the beginning of the school year—picking through my shit like the nosy fucker he is. I don’t think you understand how unhinged he is—“

“And you’re not?” You counter, feeling like it was a weak attempt to justify his actions.

“Sweetheart, what do you think? Do I seem unhinged?” He asks calmly, “Who do you think tried to kill Jason?”

“Not you.”

Eddie nods, “Bingo—Steve couldn’t even get the knife through, started slashing because he panicked—Jason will never know, probably won’t even remember any of it, but Steve was never capable of this shit, not the way he wanted to be.”

“But, why me?” You ask with a gentle frown, tears burning your eyes. “Why don’t you just kill me? That’s what you want, right?”

Eddie shakes his head, further reassuring that you were never who he was after.”Steve planned all of this for you—he wanted to be the one to kill you.”

“What?”

“He got a little obsessed,” Eddie tells you, “kept talking to me about how we should do it, when we should do it—and I couldn't break his poor heart, not at first.”

You feel dirty, disgusting, betrayed, every possible emotion that could be felt in the human body, you’d felt tonight.

“So—if I go back to the house—,” You try to calm your breathing, taking it slow and steady, despite the obvious quiver to your tone, “I’m dead?”

“Not unless you do what I say when the time comes,” Eddie tells you carefully, “You listen to me—everything I say; you’ll be fine.”

“What happens from here?” You ask with apprehension.

“Steve kinda wrecked my plans—I didn’t mean to kill those two in front of Nancy—I never even planned to hurt her, but he’s a terrible partner—god, you would’ve been perfect.” He trails off, your hands snatching his own away from your face.

“Eddie.” You warn, “Get me out of here. Now—or I’m killing you.”

Eddie offers a knowing smirk—he already knew what it would take for his dream to become reality.

“Listen to me carefully,” He begins, pointing to the cabin in the distance, “You’re going to run back there, find Nancy and Robin, let Steve come to you. Do not end up alone with him—I’m serious. Despite how horrible he is at going through with shit, I don’t think he’ll have trouble with you—not with how obsessed he's been about you.”

You nod carefully, trying to grasp how you’ve ended up in such a bizzare turn of events, standing in front of your best friend, a threat; murderous enough to kill people, but not you, for whatever reason. It felt like a horrible fucking nightmare you couldn’t escape. You force your top back on, pulling at the handle until the door creaks open, Eddie grips at your arm before you take a step.

“I’ll be there.” He assures you, eyes lingering on your emotionless face until he decides to let go, the pit in your stomach grows larger, feeling like you were about to be swallowed by whatever long, impending doom had been following you all night.

“Nance?” You scream out at the head of the cabin, a suffering silence overtaking the lake, aside from a faint ruffling inside the house. “Robin?!”

You didn’t hear anyone, not your friends, not anyone else—like they had all fled, which considering the knowledge you had now, was probably for the best, but it still send a deep tinge of worry through your body, wondering if they weren’t all just dead inside—was Steve really capable of that?

You push the door open, the door creaking to a stop in the dead silence. You call out their names again; nothing—but there’s a noise, faint, but close. It sounds like crying, desperate and muffled.

“Hello?” You call out, a small shriek in response, someone desperately trying to get your attention. “Are you hurt?”

Nothing that time, you take it a few feet further, turning the corner to a small library shoved in the corner of the house, two bare feet peeking out from around this bookcase. 

You can feel the regret instantly, your feet taking you past the threshold without thinking, cries now becoming whimpers, clearer than ever.

“I can help you—“ You say softly, stepping back slightly as the person stepped forward, turning the blind corner; they weren’t alone, bound with their hands behind their back, knife shoved forcefully against their throat. It was Chrissy, face covered in tear stained mascara.

The person behind them was silent, covered in black robes, that same mask that Eddie had hidden back in Higgins cabin, not so secret anymore. You hear Eddie’s earlier warning, wondering if this was all an elaborate set up. 

Maybe this was their plan all along, maybe Steve wasn’t as reckless as Eddie thought. The person cocks their head, knowing that if they spoke, it would give them away immediately—lucky for you, that wasn’t a problem.

Chrissy looks mostly unscathed, aside from the noticeable bruise by her eye, probably used to subdue her before binding her hands. “Let her go,” You suggest gently, but firmly, “let her go and you can have me.”

The masked figure shakes their head, refusing to speak.

“Cat got your tongue?” You tease, “You were very talkative on the phone, you know?”

You can see his grip tightening around the blade and Chrissy tenses, eyes squeezing shut in fear. If Eddie’s words were true, Steve would never be capable.

“But, I thought you were going to kill me?” You asked innocently, “Don’t I ask too many questions?”

“Shut up.” He snaps, “Or you can watch me gut her first.”

Chrissy cries out, face turned away as she wiggles away from the knife with no luck.

You hear the approaching footsteps before you see him, Eddie turning the corner with a focused speed, wasting no time in pushing past you, plunging the knife through Chrissy’s chest with ease, not a single twitch of hesitation. Your mouth falls open in shock, feet stumbling back against the wall as you watch on in horror. 

You couldn’t say that you were ever close to Chrissy—you didn’t know her very well and you didn’t know the history between her and Eddie, but didn’t deserve that, it didn’t seem feasible. But, you try to shake the thought from your mind, staring at Eddie—he’s not dressed up, which seemed to throw Steve off track, and he yanks at his mask in frustration.

“What the fuck?” Steve asks loudly, throwing the mask to the ground.

Eddie ignores his frustration, “Nancy, Robin, where are they?”

“They got everyone out of the house, they’re trying to flag down help—or—whatever—why the fuck is she still alive?” Steve glances over at you boldly, your body runs cold.

You didn’t even recognize the person standing in front of you.

“I could ask you the same,” Eddie counters, “but it looks like I took care of that for you, like I have been.”

Your eyes narrow, sensing the growing tension. You take a careful step back, floor creaking underneath your feet, both of their heads shooting in your direction. Steve almost lunges after you, but Eddie has a tight hold on him. Eddie looks at you with intense, pensive eyes, silently begging, 

“Don’t. Move.”  He says, nodding toward the empty chair. “Sit down.”

You move slowly, carefully, following the edge of the room until you can slip into the seat, watching Steve’s intense gaze follow you the entire way. 

“I saved her for you,” Eddie admits; your heart drops, “—there’s no backing out now, Steve. She knows.”

You watch as Eddie adjusts the knife in Steve’s grip, allowing him to get a firm grip, before Eddie’s quietly trailing behind you, hands pressed against the back of the chair, curling over the edge, “She’ll tell Nancy, and Robin—everyone, and we’ll be done.”

“I tried to like you,” Steve says suddenly, his now terrifyingly dark eyes locked on your own, “I really did.”

He steps closer, leaning over the front of your chair, leaving you sandwiched between the both of them, attempting to make yourself feel smaller—and maybe by some miracle, Eddie wasn’t lying; you might not die tonight.

“Now, try not to close your eyes,” Steve tells you, blade pressed carefully over the fabric of your shirt, the sharp prick of the knife seeping through, “it takes the fun out of it.”

Steve’s eyes are locked on yours, you don’t even recognize him, just the shell of a person you thought knew, unaware of the small nudging underneath the chair as Eddie slipped the knife in your hand, poised above you calmly. You grip the knife without hesitation, careful of making any sudden movements. Steve is dragging it out, thinking he has all the time in the world, until he doesn’t—the knife presses in at the same time yours is shoved through his abdomen, Eddie’s hands creeping up around the side of your face, directing your face to the point where the knife met his body, you shoved it deeper, twisting for that extra dose of pain, blood sputtering out of his mouth and into your face. 

He stumbles back, hitting the full bookshelf as the books fall to the floor, his hand grasping weakly at the knife stuck in his abdomen, staring up at Eddie with wide, shocked eyes. 

“Sorry, Harrington.” Eddie apologizes, “It was always her.”

The adrenaline hits you then, pushing away from the chair and stalking toward Steve, grabbing the knife and tanning it from where it was buried deep in his chest, savoring the way he yells out in pain, blood stained teeth gritting against each other as he clenched down. 

“You stupid bitch,” Steve snaps weakly, your eyes narrow, knife pressing against his neck before you can stop yourself, “he’ll kill you—he doesn’t—doesn’t care about you.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” You tell him sadly, gripping his hair to pull at his slumping head, “Eddie’s always been there for me.”

Steve opens his mouth again, but the words never fall, knife slicing the line of neck, rendering him voiceless, motionless, the blood and life draining from his eyes as he slumped down completely. It takes a moment for the emotions to settle, but when they do, you don’t feel the regret that you’re expecting, falling back on your hands as the knife clammers to the floor loudly.

“I just killed him,” You say out loud, not to any particular person or for any reason, needing to say it for it to feel real, “He’s dead.”

“And he was going to kill you,” Eddie reminds you, hands slipping underneath your arms to pull you upright, letting your body lean against him for a moment, “you did everything perfectly.”

“I just killed somebody.” 

“I know.”

You take a small breath, inhaling through your nose, “Why don’t I feel bad?”

“I told you, sweetheart,” Eddie says, peering down to look at you, eyes shifting over to Chrissy and Steve’s lifeless bodies, “you’re like me.”

“It doesn’t feel right.” Your voice steadies, turning your head up to look at him. “I don’t—I’m not—“

“It gets easier,” Eddie says assuringly, “I’ll teach you.”

“What do we do?” You ask in a slight panic, having already fallen deep into Eddie’s hold—you didn’t have to kill Steve, but you did. You could’ve let him kill you, ended all of this—but you consciously decided against it, feeling that immediate surge of power as you inflicted that severe physical pain on him; normal people would feel disgust, regret, but you felt nothing.

Eddie had always been right, he just needed to show you why.

“I’m gonna clean this up,” Eddie tells you, “you’re gonna clean yourself up—and then you’re gonna find Nancy and Robin—I’m going to do everything I told you I would, sweetheart.”

“Be careful, Eddie.” You feel the need to remind him, “I can’t lose you.”

“We’re in this together now, sweetheart.” Eddie says with a strong sense of finality, “You trust me?”

“Always.” You reply without hesitation.

“Promise me.” He demands.

“I promise, Eddie.”

#eddie munson #eddie munson smut #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson x you #ghostface!eddie #my writing #1kfic

[bcacstuff]

Applying logic. How do you explain all this? Sam is single, free and heterosexual. Sam travels to GC with Sarah, staying on Airbnb together alone from Sunday to Thursday. They separate because they have separate jobs. Sam returned from Australia. First visit Hyrox to encourage Sarah and participate. This weekend they both disappeared. They have appeared at the same time. I don't believe in Mull, it seems like P's crazy idea. But Sam and Sarah living so close. They could have spent Saturday together. In Glasgow, in Stirling. Why not? At Sam's house for example. Where they have privacy. Eat, drink, sun, casual sex. I don't believe in a marriage commitment. They like each other, sexual chemistry and that's it. Sam is always busy and so is Sarah. It is a practical and comfortable relationship for both. Sam has to stay in Scotland for months now. Sarah has the characteristics that Sam is looking for. She is young, blonde, athletic, sporty. Busy with a son. This point allows Sam free time for himself as well. Sarah looks a lot like Georgia. Then why not? Why does this seem like a crazy idea to you? Convince me logically. Your blog always makes sense. I don't understand your resistance to such a simple relationship between a man and a woman.

Anon, I'm feeling a bit tired to explain over and over again the logic I use. I did in a few posts already and for what it is worth everything I wrote has been confirmed.

I told already when I posted about the villa in GC how they only share a mutual interest, working out, training for Hyrox. And so it isn't such a surprise he showed up at Hyrox in Glasgow, his home town, where he sucscribed to compete as well, and where many friends of him participated in the race as well, including Sarah.

Saying, he is single, a free heterosexual and staying at the same airbnb is not logic, but is confirmation bias. Just the fact someone is single sharing an airbnb isn't any proof or evidence he's dating or more than friends. It's as much as saying any guy wearing a pink shirt must be homosexual. It's stereotyping, it's implying that a person who is single can not share a hotel room or whatever place to sleep and stay with another person depending on their sexual preferences, without bedding them. I know I did many times, I know a lot have said here they're single and did so. It's not odd, it's just a place to crash and stay while in a place with a mutual interest, in this case working out, training for the Hyrox program. It doesn't mean automatically having casual sex as well. That's just a fable made up by people who are narrow minded. It's not logic.

You saying he has to stay in Scotland for months due to filming OL, well we've seen him many times go off for a week or a few days, even to NYC while filming S7. On top of that, as stated many times and not only by me, he doesn't want them close by. During Covid he had to, but that didn't end so well either.

Sarah looking a lot like Georgia??? Well I guess we have different views on that. And why bring up Georgia? Because he went to see her compete last year in a game in Germany? Well, and that's all there was to it, might as well compare that to watching Sarah at Hyrox.

I'm not here to convince you Anon. You gotta do that yourself. But what you are doing is not applying logic, it's applying confirmation bias. You're in a tunnel vision, put there by a blogger who's only 'proof' is filling voids with rumors. You seeing sexual chemistry is solely a result of that tunnel vision, seeing things that are not really there at all. How can you speak of chemistry when you do not even see one picture or these people together? Now use your logic, and ask yourself how much you search and put explantations on things that only confirms what you want to see. On things you think you see because you're in a tunnel vision. Convince yourself how biased that is, did you even consider other explanations? Did you even try to list some things that makes it less credible? It seems you only list the things that add up to your story. How would you know the characteristics he is looking for? Because he sometimes say some things at a talkshow? Where he says the things he knows what people want to hear? Why do you mention Saturday? Because this certain blogger claims he wasn't online? Well that's not true, he liked a lot and even left comments on posts. Why does this blogger not notice how he was much more off social media while he was in London? Where there was no Sarah!! You could easily see when he went to London, when his sm times shifted and were just very briefly, not a scroll before he went to sleep, hardly any likes! How about that? And that's just a few things this blogger leaves out, as it doesn't fit the narative.

We all could have, and did, already predict how this blogger was going to use every little straw she could come up with to spin her story around Sarah from the moment she learned they stayed in GC at the same airbnb. And let me remind you, it wasn't her who found that out, nor her team. It was because I was far ahead and already following things and worked out the villa, before the other blogger even knew her name. If it wasn't for a tweet on Monday 15 January nobody had known he went to GC at all! The said blogger even had to copy images from my blog as she didn't had any stories of Sarah from before. Also not Sunday but Monday he flew to GC and flew early on Friday to Kitzbuhel, not for work or any job but simply by choice. And from there to Munich which wasn't work either, and on to Oostende, work related for one day and from there to LA. How easy would it have been to catch up in Glasgow in between? And why not???

On top of that, and that's what you can't apply to your logic, I heard and saw a few other things, involving women. Not the women you expect, not the characteristics you listed. I haven't posted about that and I wont elaborate on it as well. But for what it is worth, the things I heard and saw doesn't leave much doubt. If I would do the same as this other blogger, I had a lot more proof and coincidences to show you than in Sarah's case. One of the stories I'm told and saw enough evidence of leaves hardly any room for doubts. But I'm not ready to share these information. As what I was told and shown is in confidence not to be shared, people coming to me as they learned they can trust me, as I don't throw any women under the bus and I'm so glad their names didn't turn up in any of my anon messages or anywhere else. I have my integrity and I'm sure I wouldn't have any triumphant feelings about it if I out these things. On the contrary.

[tealeavesandtrash]

Wolfstar Micro Fic - @wolfstarmicrofic prompt: Amnesia - 750 Words

Remus sits on the sofa, staring at the bookshelf in front of him, wonders how many of those books are his, which ones he’s read or was excited to read. This is his life now. When he isn’t at doctors appointments, he’s staring at photos or objects pondering what history he has attached to them. This is his house, he knows logically it is - he’s in photos on the walls, his name is on the mail - but it feels like he’s living in a stranger's body. There are days he’d rather stay in hospital just to escape the relentless notion that he's an imposter in someone else life.

He can feel Sirius’ eyes on him, watching in anticipation, like any moment things will snap back into place. “Lily found some more photos,” Sirius says, “we could go through them today?” Remus nods, although he doesn’t feel like he has much choice in the matter. “Is she coming round?” “Yeah, but she won’t stay.” He likes Lily. He suspects they used to be very close, but it feels juvenile to ask outright if they’re best friends. Despite that, he slips back into the bedroom shortly after she arrives, feigning tiredness. It’s not a complete lie - he’s tired a lot which is supposedly a good sign that his brain is trying to fix itself. But he’s also tired of all the visitors - friends of theirs trying to help who don’t how to act around him and Remus is constantly running through a mental rolodex trying to find names for faces. 

“The Potters send their love,” Sirius says while laying the photos from Lily across the living room floor. Remus scans them, trying to identify them. It’s one of the memory exercises they keep pushing in therapy that feels more like a child’s game. He picks up a photo of a couple and a baby and Sirius gives him a hopeful smile. Remus doesn’t explain that he picked it because it’s the only picture of a redhead. When he first picked out a photo of his parents Sirius had been so excited, only to be crumble a moment later when Remus explained it was a simple process of elimination - they just shared the most resemblance with him. Remus stopped explaining his logic after that, save people the disappointment. 

Nights are the worst. When he’d first come home, he refused to share a bed so Sirius insisted on taking the guest room. Not that it made a difference to Remus, he feels just as much a guest in the master bedroom as he would the guestroom. Sirius loiters outside his room when they say goodnight, the same way he does every night, like he’s half expecting Remus to invite him in. “Why are you being so patient with me?” Sirius looks at him with soft, sad eyes. “Because you’re my Moony,” he says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. The nickname feels foreign. Sirius says it with such revance but it means nothing to Remus. “I’m not though, I might never be him again.” “You will-” “-You don’t know that,” Remus cuts him off. “People keep saying that, like everything will suddenly fix itself, but you have no idea. No one does.” Sirius swallows, dropping in gaze. Remus might feel bad for snapping if he wasn’t so sick of everyone’s blind optimism. Sirius takes Remus’ hands, gently runs his thumb over his knuckles. “It doesn’t matter,” he says quietly. “You’ll always be my Moony, even if you don’t see it. Even if you never see it.” 

Remus curls up in the middle of an empty bed, a thousand thoughts bouncing around his head as he replays Sirius’ words. He thinks about how alone he is, open and exposed in a room that feels too hollow. He thinks about how his therapist told him to embrace the unknown, push through the fear.

The floor is cold under his bare feet as he pads across the landing and slips into the guest room. The curtains are wide open, illuminating the room with moonlight which he's immensely grateful for. It doesn’t feel as claustrophobic. Sirius has his back to him, chest rising and falling with steady breaths. Remus doesn’t slip under the covers, this alone is a big enough step, but he does lie down next Sirius, close enough that they’re almost touching. Remus takes a deep breath to steady himself, lets himself adjust to the moment. Tentatively, he lets his eyes slip closed.

#idk how i feel about this one like i love the concept?? but idk i got the flow i wanted?? #remus lupin #sirius black #wolfstar #remus x sirius #marauders #complete #oneshot #micro fiction #maddy writes #wolfstar fanfiction #marauders fanfiction #amnesia au #wolfstar microfic

[daffodildelight]

Enemies (Part One) | Shuntarō Chishiya x Reader

Title: Enemies (Part One) 

Pairing: Shuntarō Chishiya x fem!reader

Summary: You and Chishiya always had a rocky ‘friendship’ if you would even call it that. But feels get revealed under intense pressure

Themes/Warnings: fluff, guns, season 2 spoilers

Word count: 2500sh

A/N: So unedited, will deal with it later. First ever fanfic lol so please be nice, made this in under 3 hours.

You and Chishiya always had a rocky relationship, you had arrived at The Beach after him but slowly made your way up the ranks. Becoming semi-close friends with the Hatter can do that for you. Since you were making your way up the ranks you began getting close with all the high-ranking members, you got along with most of them except for Niragi and Chishiya. Niragi because he saw you as a piece of meat and you would do all your power to get away from him and Chishiya because in you’re eyes he sees you as a weak little girl.

But your relationship with Chishiya started to change leading up to the 10 of hearts games. He would start to act nicer towards you, making sure you had arrived from your game unscathed or even trying to make conversation with you. You had to admit, it was kind of nice. But you also found this rather confusing so you went to the one person who you could get answers from Hikari Kuina.

You found Kuina sitting in the main bar at the beach, wearing her signature blue bathing suit while chewing on her dummy cigarette. ‘’Now look what the cat dragged in, how are you doing (Y/N)’’ she looked genuine when she says this but you can see a little glint in her eye. ‘’I know you and Chishiya have gotten closer in the past few months and I was wondering if I could ask a question?’’ You tried to sound as neutral as possible but Kuina could always see right through you. ‘’Let me guess, it has to do with our mutual friend Chishiya?’’ she smirked, always right on target.

‘’Yeah, why has he been checking up on me lately? It’s getting kind of weird because it’s not in his personality. Is he trying to use my connection with Hatter to get something? I mean it’s the only logical reason’’ Kuina laughed at your comment. ‘’Only logical reason! I’ll tell you this right now but you can’t repeat this to anyone, he totally has the hots for you.’’ Now it’s you bursting into laughter. ‘’Very funny Kuina, tell me the real reason why.’’. Kuina looks stunned ‘’You know I would never lie to you (Y/N)’’. Giving up on your line of question you left with a ‘’yeah whatever.’’

A few days passed, and tensions are rising within The Beach, you can feel it. Ever since Aguni has taken over from the sidelines things are going from bad to worse. Chishiya seems more in his head than usual. You were hanging out in the bar when suddenly the P.A. went off. ‘’We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for staying at Seaside Paradise, Tokyo…’’ A man with a calming voice spoke on the P.A. Everyone at the bar looked around confused as were you, then the man continues ‘’As a token of our appreciation, we will now commence a game with all 59 participants in the venue…’’ All the TV’s around the room flash with one image which gains everyone's interest. The 10 of Hearts. The Beach is a venue and it’s a 10 of hearts game? You were not looking forward to this. ‘’All participants must assemble in the lobby immediately. The rules of the game will be explained.’’ There was a feeling in your stomach that this game was gonna cause massive problems. So you and everyone else in the bar migrated into the lobby and grabbed one of the many phones on the table to register for the game.

While waiting for all the players to arrive you make eye contact with Chishiya from across the room, none of you pulls away and it was probably the first time you never felt a dislike towards him, instead it was something much different. My focus was pulled away when someone yells ‘’Momoka!’’ and there she was living lifeless on the floor with her orange and white striped bikini knife stabbed into her heart. Being a part of the games you had seen lots of death but watching it be someone who lives in the house as you and has been helping you since you arrived sets a horrible gut feeling within you. A ding rings from the phone in your hands which now gains your attention. ‘’Game, witch hunt. The murderous witch who killed this girl is hiding amongst you in plain sight. The witch role is not limited to women. To clear the game you must find the witch and burn him or her in the fire of judgement. Time limit: 2 hours.’’ Massive roars were held within the lobby and you knew things were gonna go south within seconds. As you were trying to think of a plan to do anything Chishiya carefully grabs you by the arm and walks you away from the group in the lobby without raising any suspicion. He leads you through multiple corridors and rooms before placing you in a wardrobe. ‘’Things are going to turn into shit (Y/N), stay in here and don’t the door open for anyone except me, I’ll get you when this is finished.’’ Chishiya gets up to close the door before you ask: ‘’Why are you doing this? How do you know I’m not the witch?’’.Chishiya looks at you carefully. ‘’Because I need to know that your gonna be safe, and I know your not the witch because your not the type to kill a person (Y/N).’’ He then leaves through the door and you stay in the closet. After around 10 minutes you believe this to be a good idea because you can lot of screaming and multiple gunshots.

After what seems like an hour and a half sitting in a closet listening to screams Chishiya opens the door and pulls you out of the closet. The hallways were full of smoke and dead bodies on the floor. Chishiya takes you to Kuina and you guys make your way to god knows where. ‘’Will someone please tell me what's happening? Who’s the witch? Where’s Hatter and Aguni? Where are we even going?’’ you groaned loudly while walking barefoot into the city. ‘’Everything will be explained to you soonly (Y/N)’’.

You make your way through some ground tunnels until you reach a room with loads of dead bodies and computer scenes. Then you finally explode. ‘’What the fuck is happening!? Someone explain everything to me now! I'm so confused… where are we? Where’s hatter?” Chishiya sits me down and gives it to me straight, how hatter died a few days ago and thats why aguni took over. How Asahi told everyone she was the dealer of the game, and why Momoka killed herself because she was the witch. It was very hard to listen but Chishiya sits next to me and comforts me the best way he knows how. By stroking my hair, it was really nice minus the horrible things he was telling but all that stopped when we heard footsteps coming towards the computer scenes.  Arisu and Usagi walk through the darkness and Chishiya make us known to them. “So you actually found this place. I expected no less from you. Thanks to you two, I have all the numbered playing cards right here. Thank you.’’ Chishiya looks as smug as ever, you can’t help but feel a little bit more attracted to him.

Conversations were exchanged between the four of them, trying to figure out how each person got to the same place, and what even was this place. You tune yourself out of the conversation and decided to turn and sort out your conflicted feelings. Why did Chishiya save you? You don’t have anything to bring to the table, maybe a few hand-to-hand combat skills but that’s it. Why are you even having feelings for Chishiya? This was starting to get very annoying for you but your train of thought cuts out when all the screens turn on and you see Mira walk into the shot. Everyone exchanged confused glances. She goes on to explain how there are going to be new games and these games will be the ‘face’ card games. But it left all of us wondering, when will we ever get back home?

We all make our way into the centre of Tokyo trying to think about the new information Mira has given us. We look out into the streets of Tokyo and see multiple huge blimps with different kinds of face cards on them. One huge billboard with ‘Next Stage: Start’’ written on it. ‘’None of the games has started yet’’ spoke Arisu standing in the middle of the group looking so tired. ‘’Maybe we still have time’’ Usagi spoke next trying to reassure Arisu. ‘’Or they forgot to push the big red start button’’ Chishiya replied, Arisu and Usagi turned around and gave Chishiya a look, and I couldn’t help but give a chuckle. I noticed Chishiya smirk a little. ‘’They didn’t tell us about the rules for this one.’’ Signs Kuina. Everyone in the group continues to look around confused. Usagi looks like she notices something. ‘’What is it?’’ I ask with Chishiya to my right. ‘’I hear something’’ Usagi replies and looks towards the street. We all turn and watch the street with her. Multiple cars approach us, and I recognise them as Beach people. They all hop out of their cars and Arisu goes to investigate. ‘’What is this? What are you doing here?’’ He asks one of the members. The members of The Beach go on to say ‘’We saw the blimps show up, there are rumours that the next stage is starting’’. Arisu getting a little frustrated says ‘’Right… here's the thing’’ Suddenly the members of The Beach are getting shot down.

‘’A riffle, get moving,’’ Chishiya says in a weirdly calm way when people around him are dying. ‘’That thing is an anti-tank rifle. So I’d forget about hiding behind a car.’’ He tells the group. I decided to take initiative for Chishiya at this moment, I grab his arm and we follow Arisu towards some buildings. Chishiya runs ahead of me and covers me with the rifle. When the group meets behind the building Kuina asks ‘’Does this means the game started?’’ Chishiya quickly replies ‘’I don’t know’’. Kuina continues ‘’Did they give us any rules?’’ We slowly make our way around the building. ‘’Without rules this is just a massacre’’ Shouts Arisu. ‘’That rifle can kill from about a kilometre away,’’ Chishiya tells the group, he goes from covering me to holding my waist if not for the adrenaline I would assume my bodies reacting like this because of him. Different sounds now come from the gun. ‘’And now we’ve got an assault rifle.’’ Chishiya continues. We all huddle as a group and give comments about things we are witnessing and ideas on what could be happening. ‘’Maybe there are different shooters’’ Usagi speaks up, ‘’Other players are grouping up, I didn’t know there were this many players left’’ Kuina adds. ‘’There almost here!’’ Arisu shouts and backs away from the mysterious shooter. ‘’Let's go!’’ Arisu yells while taking the group back into the street. ‘’I don’t think this is a good idea Arisu!’’ I yell in hopes he can hear me but the blast from the rifle is too much. ‘’We need to split up’’ Chishiya yells and grabs me by the hand and pulls me from the group.

Chishiya and I start sprinting down the street, hands holding each other while bodies fall all around us. I trip on a rock and Chishiya is there to scoop me up from the ground and we continue running. Hands still interlocked tugging each other towards different directions. I see Kuina from a distance and drag Chishiya with me to catch up with her. Kuina looked grateful that somebody else was with her and the 3 of us crouched behind a car. Kuina looks down and see’s Chishiya and I’s hands interlocked. She gives me a knowing look and I turn around to focus on more important things like Arisu and Usagi running along the opposite side of the road trying to help somebody. I make eye contact with Arisu: ‘’Are you trying to get killed out there!’’ with that comment the gunman takes fire in our direction. I hide back behind the car. My back is up against Chishiya's torso and I can feel his breath on my neck. Kuina speaks up ‘’Where are they shooting from anyway?’’ we then hear a loud rumbling from above us and see the huge blimp with a kind of spade flag hanging below it. ‘’Huh, he must be the king of spades’’ Chishiya tells us he then turns to me. ‘’Take this it’s a good luck charm’’ He gives me a handmade explosive. ‘’Thank you Chishiya, I don’t know what to say’’ I can’t believe Chishiya would give up an explosive for me. ‘’Just use it if you have to.’’ and he gives me a smile. I turn to look away feeling a bit flustered but then I notice a man dressed in a long dark black cloak. I point towards him and direct Chishiya and Kuina towards what I’m looking at. ‘’That must be the king of spades’’ I whisper lightly. Chishiya whispers back into my ear ‘’I think your right’’ I turn around to say something but got caught looking into his eyes. My concentration on his eyes disappears when Kuina spots Arisu, Usagi and some random dead guy in the car next to us. ‘’Hey! You two okay? You hurt?’’ Kuina pipes up, and Chishiya gives them a wave. Shots continue to fire as we hide behind the car. ‘’We’re pinned down here’’ I say loud enough for us to hear. ‘’If we step out, he’ll get us!’’ Usagi replies. All of us try to figure out a plan to get out of there but nothing seems to be working out and the king of spades is getting closer. My train of thought gets broken when I green car that I’ve noticed from the beach before pulls in front of us honking its horn. ‘’Get in!’’ yells Tatta from the passenger seat. ‘’Tatta!?’’ Arisu and I yell in surprise and relief. ‘’Don’t just stand there!’’ someone yells from the driver's seat. ‘’Ann!’’ Kuina yells. Usagi and Arisu are the first to make their way to the car followed by Kuina, me and Chishiya. Ann opens the passenger seat and Arisu, Usagi and Kuina make it safely. Different story for Chishiya and me. A grenade is thrown towards the car door and Chishiya stops me from walking on it. ‘’That’s bad. Get going!’’ He yells towards Ann.

In a split-second decision, I decided to kick the grenade towards the kings of spades will Chishiya grabs my hand and tugged me the other way. ‘’(Y/N)! Chishiya!’’ I hear Kuina yell from the car. Chishiya pulls me behind a car and uses his body to shield me from the blast. At that moment I’m glad that I was stuck with Chishiya because I know that if I had to pick anyone out of the group to survive with it would be him and unfortunately for us, we won’t be seeing the group in a while.

#alice in borderland #alice in borderland netflix #spoilers #fluff #shuntarō chishiya #shuntarō chishiya x reader #chishiya x reader #chishiya fluff #chishiya smut #chishiya alice in borderland #arisu #arisu alice in borderland #usagi #usagi alice in borderland #kuina x reader #usagi x reader #arisu x reader #ann #ann x reader #tatta #tatta x reader #first time #chishiya shuntarou #chishiya shuntarou fluff #chishiya shuntarou smut #chishiya #shuntarou #chishiya shuntarou x reader

[venbetta]

I'm not sure if anyone's ever thought about this or has made a post about it, but I figured I'd add my own two cents if someone did talk about this.

// Ruin spoilers ahead

mostly about Freddy

So, seeing that headless Freddy has prototype written on the bottom of his foot, it's suggested or even theorized that our Freddy (the one we're with in SB) was a prototype this entire time.

Of course, like many others, I was very skeptical and in denial about the idea because why the hell would that be a thing? How is he a prototype? It wasn't there on his foot in the base game, so why this sudden change?

I kinda hated it, and as a way to cope, I theorized that maybe it wasn't the same Freddy and FazEnt just replaced him with another copy and then abandoned him... don't ask me how that particular Freddy became headless either. Also I was wobbling between the "True Ending" being the Canon one, I was back and forth and just trying to figure out what would've made sense.

My logic for the True Ending being canon was, maybe Freddy and Gregory both got out (alongside Vanessa) with glamdaddy intact, and they're just living life. Meanwhile, Faz Ent just made a new Freddy while fixing the plex but gave up and left everything to rot. Of course I know now that makes no sense or explains why/how the 2nd Freddy lost his head, but it's what I came up with. The PQ Ending is technically canon... so that was a waste of a braincell, hah...

Since fnaf has the tendency to rewrite/add things to the story, I think our Glamrock Freddy being a prototype is something I've accepted. Now, there are a few things I thought of that might add to the idea of him being a prototype (not confirmed but more speculative).

He's a high-tech, sentient AI robot, he can clearly experience human emotion (like the other glamrocks) and has decent mobility. What most likely seperates him from the other glams is the fact that he experiences existentialism. I know we don't see much from the other glams, what they think of their current situation (not even from Roxy in Ruin), they aren't fully aware of what they are or what they're doing (as far as we know). Their programming is focused on being entertainers and birthdays.

I'm not gonna say that the other glams aren't able to express deeper thoughts, but I think this is where I might be stretching this idea just a bit.

If you're going to make AI bots who can adapt and be flexible with their environment, there's gotta be some kind of limit of what they can say/think/do. Freddy is the prime example of not having that limitation since we see/hear him express concern about not being the only Glamrock Freddy that's walking around:

"Have I always been a Freddy? Am I Monty with a different shell? What if I am not the first Glamrock Freddy? ... Do we all feel the same? Am I special? If I am mass-produced, am I still art?" (Endo Warehouse)

This motherfucker literally commits arson:

"You sure collected a lot of toys! Perhaps we can do something to stop whatever is going on here." (Fire escape Ending)

When he goes to the basement and encounters the blob, he goes on this monologue:

"I know what this is. I have been here before. She brought me here. I found myself for the first time when I cleared the path. I did not want to, but I had no choice. Now I have a choice. I have changed. My friends are here. They are so angry, confused. But I can protect you. I am not me." (True Ending)

He ultimately goes against some of his programming to help a child in need-- even lie to a security guard-- which if he were set to do as he's told, he would've sent Gregory straight to Vanessa, even with Gregory adamantly telling him not to.

If he were programmed to be strict and not break any protocols, he'd would've gotten Gregory killed immediately.

I'm saying this because if we're being realistic (realistic in terms of how we usually program robots and things), there are barriers in what a robot/ai can really say/do that doesn't break its programming. If he's a prototype, Freddy wouldn't have those barriers to stop him from saying/doing most of the things he did in SB. I know there's another factor to him behaving kindly to Gregory and that's him being in safe mode, but even still... you would think he would follow the rules and not let Gregory do certain things and perhaps unintentionally get the boy killed.

I'm going back to the existential crisis Freddy has, because for something that's meant to be an animatronic mascot for kids, you wouldn't want him to make the children around him question the meaning of being alive and sentient. There would have to be some sort of guard against having those kind of thoughts and ideas. It makes Freddy more interesting, especially if he could've been easily replaced with a finalized version of him that did what he was suppose to.

Also, I know it's probably more widely accepted that either Vanny or Gregory hacked into Freddy, causing his collapse during the opening. With him being a prototype, maybe his systems couldn't handle that type of an advanced hack, unlike the other glams, making him unable to be properly hacked into in the beginning.

Not only that, there are some issues he has with performing, who knows, maybe he's had collapses before. We don't know.

Him being unable to enter the West Arcade:

"When I step onto the West Arcade dance floor I cannot stop myself! It is a programming bug." (West Arcade)

I'm aware him being in safe mode meant he's disconnected from the main network as well keeps him docile. While the "Afton" fight isn't technically canon, with the other upgrades on Freddy, those parts might have made him more susceptible to the virus attack. There's not much evidence pointing to the other glams not being prototypes but seeing how they each have upgrades while Freddy doesn't, that might hint that the others were mostly finalized, meaning their systems were properly functioning (aside from the virus of course).

Sorry if this was super long, but it's something I thought about and I had to put it in words. Nothing about Glamrock Freddy is normal, like he's not possessed (I use to believe in the glammike theory but I don't anymore eh...), but he's a prototype! He's gonna act all funky because he's not polished yet... and I think that's very interesting and endearing (in an odd way).

#fnaf security breach #glamrock freddy #prototype glamrock freddy #ruin spoilers #text post #fnaf theory #fnaf headcanon(?) #idk its between a theory and a headcanon honestly #take what i say with the smallest pinch of salt. #honestly this feels more headcanony #anyways... worth spending an hour writing this out #lemme know what yall think #i went harder than i did any of my argumentative essays... damn. #late night thoughts teehee

[dollfaceksj]

Can #7 be of Jungkook getting seriously jealous and making oc cry with mean-ish words? Maybe? Please?

i hear u loud and clear 🫡

gonna tag some warnings: y/n is a bit out of line/out of character cause of alcohol consumption & sorry for the angst…. this kinda takes a serious turn unlike the crack-vibes we’ve had so far. + its pretty long. sawry <3333

taste of a poison paradise | jjk (m) #7

masterlist

<- previous ; next ->

sunday evening, ur chillin’ at home, watching how to get away with murder with a bag of chips on your stomach and your legs thrown up on the table

your phone starts ringing and you groan

who the hell is calling u rnnnn

you reach for the remote to pause the show before raising your phone to look at your screen

oh it’s eunbi

…

wait

IT’S EUNBI

you shoot up and chew the remnants of the chips in your mouth quickly, swallowing it down with your can of soda

you pick up the phone and put it to your ear

“hey–”

“i told you not to tell him!”

NO

what

NO NO NO

“what?”

“don’t act stupid! jungkook! you told jungkook!”

fuck fuck fuck

how are you gonna explain that you really didn’t!!

“eunbi i swear i didn’t!”

“then why did he come by to tell me he doesn’t like messing with people that can’t keep it on the down low? you’re the only one i told!!”

just to tell her? does that mean he just went there to break their little fling off and he didn’t fuck her?

but

why…

would he…

hm

“i swear i didn’t tell him. you can ask him yourself!”

“well i can’t anymore, he wasn’t very fucking happy, y/n. now he thinks i’m a dumb bitch that can’t help but run her mouth.”

well

she kinda is?

just calm her down

“you’re getting worked up over someone that has a gaming set up with twin monitors and a chair that lights up.”

she quietly chuckles and then says, “well, he has amazing dick.”

oooof. it worked

you roll your eyes. “you can find so many better, eunbi. don’t let that guy walk all over you like that.”

rich coming from YOU

she sighs quietly. “sorry for yelling like that. i just…”

she suddenly trails off

hm?

“you just?” you encourage her to finish her sentence

“how do you know he has a gaming set up? even i don’t know that.”

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

oh right

yeah

well

you’re fucked actually

now how the FUCK are you gonna explain you’ve been to his apartment after he just broke it off with her

SHE’S GONNA THINK YOU MADE HIM BREAK IT OFF WITH EUNBI FOR YOU

“what?”

wow very smart

“how the fuck do you know that, y/n?”

just calm down

think logically

“eunbi, he’s literally a damn gamer. it was a stereotypical joke but i’m pretty sure he does.”

GOOD SAVE GOOD SAVE

it’s quiet on the other line for a moment

“right, right, sorry. i’m being paranoid.”

“paranoid for what? u’d hate it if i did something with him?”

“well, i wouldn’t like it to be honest but i guess you can do whatever you want. it’d just be a shitty thing to do.”

???

“why, though? like you said he’s fucking everyone and their mother. you weren’t seeing each other romantically and y’all weren’t on platonic terms either. it was just sex.”

the other line is quiet

you conclude, “unless you… unless you’ve caught feelings for him.”

silence

eunbi is dead silent

“really eunbi? a JUNIOR?”

“ughhhh it’s not my fault, okay! he’s just so…” she deeply sighs. “he just knows what to say.”

yeah

yeah you know what she means

“i’m sorry he broke it off like that.”

“it’s okay. maybe it’s better before i actually catch some real feelings.”

you sigh and rub your forehead. “you’re in uni to get your degree, not let guys walk all over you and ESPECIALLY not geeks that are younger than you.”

she softly chuckles, “right. well anyways, i gotta go. i’ll talk to you later.”

“okay…” you quietly sigh as you hang up the phone and slam your phone down onto the couch besides you

for fucks sake

if you didn’t already feel stupid for playing this stupid game with jungkook, you feel guilty now

but why? they weren’t a thing

they weren’t anything

you could’ve very well already been sleeping with jungkook (gross!) when she told you

so does it matter in the end?

it’s just a matter of circumstances

worse than the circumstances you find yourself in right now

clubbing on a friday evening with tae and his mates

wearing the tightest little skirt you own

a long sleeve shirt that plunges almost all the way down to your belly button, cleavage on display

makeup and hair done the way you like it

you look absolutely stunning (u always do bae <3)

tae came to pick you up and now you’re standing in a club, hugging your phone to your chest as you wait by the bar

joon, yoongi, tae and seokjin are present

and yoongi looks mighty mighty MIGHTYYYY good

his long black hair is slicked back and he’s dressed in all black like he walked off the set of a mafia movie

you’ve taken just two shots so far but taehyung hitting The Shoot to a song that it doesn’t fit on whilst recording it for his insta story is enough to turn your babysitter instinct on

but

your phone buzzes

instagram notification

probably taehyung tagging you on his story again for the nth time tonight

you glance at your phone anyways

📸 @.jungkook97 has requested to follow you!

?

??

???

what the fuck

what the literal FUCK?

why is he

WHY IS HE ????

Oh for fucks sake

shit shit

what do you do?

accepting and declining his follow request would both just look like you’re still playing his game

and ur NOT!!!

swear

your thumb hovers over the confirm button

girl just accept his follow request and he’ll see how unbothered you are thru ur story

NO

decline and put him BEHIND you.

nooooo just accept :))

decline.

accept!!

DECLINE

before you can even accept or decline

an arm brushes against your elbow and you snap your head up to look at the person

is it .. who u think it is ..

“you don’t look like you’re enjoying your night,” he says as he nods towards taehyung

oh shit it’s yoongi

his voice is so deep and gravely. goodness gracious.

what perfect timing

you really needed something to take your mind off of all this bs

“i’m babysitting a grown man,” you chuckle, crossing your arms as you lean back against the bar

“he’s not your responsibility so you’re a good friend for that.”

hmmm

what a sweet thing to say :(

“thanks, yoongles.”

he chuckles and shakes his head. “what did i say about calling me yoongles?”

hm hm hm

you quip, “want me to call you something else instead?”

WHERES UR DECORUM???

TWO SHOTS AND UR LOSING UR MIND

he glances at you. “i’d blame the alcohol for your boldness but you had water the other day and you were still on demon time.”

???

you giggle and shake your head. “i’m fine. i’m just having fun, yoonie.”

“don’t call me that either.”

you should really listen to him but why are you such a fucking lightweight MANNNNN

you lean into his face. “you know, you have really pretty lips. like you could be a mouth model.” your eyes are glued to his lips and his eyes are staring down at you as you close your eyes in on his lips

“that so?”

(guys his lips…)

“like they’re so pink and plump. and soft. wow, you could totally be a mouth mod–”

yoongi chuckles and shakes his head before he cuts you off. “just kiss me.”

PAUSE

RECORD SCRATCH

WAITTT

you blink at him a couple times. “my lip combo cost me–”

“38 bucks, i know. you make them look that good and expect not to be kissed?”

DAMN

wow

that was so

smooth wow wait

uhhh

you

you kinda want to

so maybe you should

your eyes ping pong between both his eyes, a slight pinch on your brows. “i mean,” you pause, “it’s just a kiss.”

and before you know it, you’ve gently pressed your lips against his.

wow

his lips are so damn soft

so so soft

you cup his soft cheeks and pull him a but closer, lips messily painting his

but he doesn’t seem to mind when he holds you close by your waist, lips moving against yours in your own rhythm

you part your lips and he takes the opportunity to slide his tongue through, gently licking into your mouth and allowing himself to taste the alcohol on your tongue

you move your hand down to his chest, other arm wrapping around his neck

suddenly a tap on your shoulder makes you jump

fuck fucj

who is that who is that

pls don’t be him

you pull away and glance over your shoulder

to be met with

none other than

oh.

it’s tae

WHEW

why are you still worried he’ll catch you? he doesn’t even go clubbing and he wasn’t here with tae or any of the other guys

he starts tugging on the both of you

“GUYS. dance on the dance floor! not at the bar. y’all look STUPID.” he slurs his words and you realize he thinks y’all are dancing and not … making out

what a dumbass

yoongi glances at you and chuckles, making you reach up and wipe his lips clean of the gloss you just smeared on his lips with your thumbs

you pull him to the dance floor, back turned to him

and so, you lead his hands to your hips as you continue to sway your hips to the song

he grips your hips and presses the side of his face against the side of your head

you close your eyes, allowing yourself to feel the music and the beat pumping through your veins

you needed this

no thoughts right now

you lean your head back against his chest, cranium grazing his collarbones as he continues to respectfully keep his hands on your hips

you dance with him for a few songs, allowing yourself to forget about everything. you’ve been acting a fool lately and yoongi is making you feel okay

you feel okay.

you feel okay.

you feel okay.

that is until yoongi stops moving behind you

just as you turn to look over your shoulder, you see

you see him

him

him

him

Him

HIM

h

i

m

“can i borrow her from you?” is all you hear as you stare at his lips, watching the lip rings move as he talks

what the hell

“sure, man.” yoongi pats jungkook on the shoulder before smiling at you and disappearing in the sea of bodies

no

yoongi, don’t leave

no no no

your heart is beating in your ass.

jungkook closes the distance between you and swiftly turns you around by your waist, holding your back close against his chest

your heart is definitely beating through your back and he can feel it through his chest, you’re sure of it

why the hell is he here?

he never goes clubbing

what is going on????

“no one likes a tryhard, y/n.” he says into your ear as he sways left to right

????

what?

no literally what

“you’re so pretty, so elegant. you could have the world at your feet,” he continues, hands respectfully dropping to your hips as he holds your hips and sways them for you

because

you

are

literally

fucking

frozen

“and yet, you’re seeking attention like you don’t matter.” his words are literally creating a dry lump in your throat

you literally did nothing wrong today

you didn’t do anything to get a reaction out of him

and yet he’s tearing into you???

you don’t deserve it this time

that’s enough

you’ve had enough

you slowly peel his hands off your hips and turn to him, glaring right up at him

he tilts his head to the side as he stares you down

everything happens

at once

you realize what’s going on

when you’re staring at the side of jungkook’s face

his cheek that’s reddening

and a clench in his jaw

right

you just

slapped him

you watch as he slowly nods like he knows he deserved that

he slowly turns his head to look at you and you’re vibrating with rage

“fuck you, jungkook. you absolute fucking asshole.”

you watch him open his mouth to respond but you don’t let him speak

you continue, “the world doesn’t fucking revolve around you but you know why you think it does?” you give him a moment to think about it.

but this time he’s not saying anything. he just stares at you

“because you’re a damn narcissist and you think any and everyone is out to get dicked down by you.” you bring your hand up to wipe your runny nose with the back of your hand

girl … you’re tearing into him

“but you’re just a fucking loser that games all day and gets his dick wet by girls who are also just looking for a release. you’re not anything fucking special, there’s nothing you can offer anyone except for good dick and your math notes.”

you can’t seem to stop though

“yeah, i admit, i sat next to you that day and talked to you like that with questionable intentions but that was because i wanted to see how far you’d be willing to take tae and joon’s ‘warning’, not because i fucking want you cause i don’t. i said it before and i’ll say it again but you gross me the fuck out.”

wrap it up before he cries… or before you cry

his big black eyes are staring straight at you, lips slightly parted and just a look of shock on his face

his cheek is decorated with a red print of your hand

“at the end of the day you are absolutely,” you pause as you narrow your eyes, “nothing but a fuckboy.”

by the clench in his jaw, the pinch in between his brows, the squint in his eyes and the quick scrunch in his nose, you can tell he doesn’t fucking like that

but you clearly don’t give a fuck anymore

he had it coming

tears prick in your eyes but you refuse to let them fall in his presence

what gives him the right to make you feel so small and humiliate you like that?

and with that, you shove your hand against his shoulder and push past him

you stumble all the way to the restrooms and book an uber

you wait for the uber’s arrival in the stalls

and leave without another word to anyone else

jungkook: 2

you: 1

to be continued

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[roadhogsbigbelly]

ok i didn't really want to do this because i deleted the original posts when it had only 70 notes because i was under the assumption noone would see it but t/xttletale ended up reblogging it anyway and now i have people telling me to kill myself in my inbox so i guess i might as well give details

honestly did not know she was trans until people accused me of pedojacking her, for some reason it never registered because i guess i only see her blog when her posts pop up on my feed but you know my bad i guess

2)yes it's true the term "loliporn" never shows up but someone does say "don't say you're pro-kink and nasty gay sex if you're not supportive of ageplay, cnc, or incest shipping" and than she said "yes, and" which like. seems slightly like an endorsement? but i assume that loliporn was just kind of included with the package, because i do have evidence that toonimal would not be against that

3) i never directly called her a pedophile just that it's really fucking bizzare to have that hot take about "wholesome games" when you agreed with a take that said not liking incest porn or ageplay is "anti-kink or whatever

now did initially censor the names in the post because of reasons i'll explain later but i did realize with no context it looks like both posts were from the same person so i did end up mentioning in the tags that there were two different people before later deleting it all together. but i honestly don't feel THAT bad attributing it to her because she did both reblog the post and than also add on to it, which kind of negates the possibility she didn't fully read the post? still i did censor it again for reasons i'll explain later.

4) i kind of went out of my way to not attribute anything to her. when i talked about her weird stardew valley take i still censored them, because after being told to kill myself for having a lukewarm hot take on sex work last year i usually always censor posts when criticizng/making fun of them. i'm honestly surprised she managed to find it because i deleted it when it only had like 60 notes, and the only reason i found out she found it is because one of her followers sent be an ask telling me to kill myself. and out of curiousity i checked her blog.

i deleted this post before i post this just so her follower doesn't get harassed or whatever. but you know. not fun.

and 5) while i insist i didn't directly accuse her of being a pedophile i DID in fact accuse the person she was agreeing with of being a pedohpile. cause they are.

i'm not going to post the entire callout post cause it's honestly really fucking gross but tldr they run a "contact positive paraphilia forum" which is a basicly code for "actually fucking pedophiles" which kind of recontextualizes they entire post right? that's also why i went out of my way to censor txttletale's name and than later specify there were two different people before deleting it. because i assumed she didn't know the person she was agreeing with was an actual pedophile, but accidently agreeing with a pedophile is uh. not good. i think, someone actually informed her that toonimals was a pedophilia and she said this.

now i'm not saying you have to do a background check on every person you reblog from but if that post talks about "how pro-sex freak people need to be more supportive of people who are into incest" than actually yeah you do sort of have an obligation to make sure they aren't an actual fucking pedophile. the entire basis of that post is "people should stop being mean to actual sex freaks" and you not only reblog it but add onto that yeah that's a fucking issue because 99 percent of time the people who make those posts ARE actual fucking pedophiles, so yeah you probably should be a bit wary. because like.

this is my issue, i don't think you're a pedophile because you don't think there's anything wrong with fiction/sex acts that depict immoral things, my issue is that that logic is used and agreed upon by actual pedophiles. pedophiles are agreeing with you! that's not great! there's my issue with your logic!