#might upload this to ao3
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@hpsaffics feb 10 - voyeurism/exhibitionism - 3.2k words (apologies hjfkjds) - NSFW
for ino @veryinnovative <3
There’s a sigh from behind Dorcas and then a body draping over her back where she’s in the pleasantly hot and salty smelling water all the way down to her shoulders.
A smile tugs at her lips and she reaches behind through the water for the backs of Pandora’s knees as the other tangles her arms above Dorcas’ chest.
Another heavy sigh, put upon and bordering on melodramatic—god, she really is so cute. Dorcas is gonna have to put her in timeout. Or maybe herself, for everyone’s collective safety.
She keeps wading them through the water, following Regulus’ black head of curls, and then it’s a noise, a chilly nose nuzzling at the crook of Dorcas’ neck from behind and she can’t help but snicker, “Something wrong, mon cheri?”
Pandora sighs, like she’s faced with a pile of her least favourite work instead of the relaxing thermal bath they’re currently in.
“C’mon, sweets,” Dorcas gently scratches her short nails against Pandora’s bare knee, “Talk to me.”
Pandora mumbles something unintelligible into the hinge of her jaw and Dorcas dips lower into the water to mask the shiver that goes through her whole body.
“Couldn’t quite hear you there.”
Pandora harrumphs, legs tightening in the old around Dorcas’ hips. “Just– dunno,” she deflates slightly, cheek smushed against Dorcas’ shoulder, “Can’t seem to get out of my mood.”
Dorcas hums knowingly, drawing soothing circles on top of her thighs where she’s still holding onto her. Pandora and Evan had been arguing the whole car ride, she told Dorcas she’d slept awfully and when she dropped an open tupperware of fruit as they were packing Pandora nearly started crying.
“Here,” Dorcas says, turning in the loose embrace and tugging the other girl around to her front, “C’mere, babe.”
Further up front it seems Barty has found a seating ledge under the water which he’s currently taking up as much space on as physically possible while Evan tugs Regulus closer, hooking a chin around his shoulder and watching Barty’s shenanigans with a smirk and glare respectively.
Once Pandora is settled in front of her, legs hooked around her hips and an adorably pitiful pout on her face, Dorcas can’t help but coo at her a little. Wide honey eyes, flecks of gold and her bleached curls sopping wet at the ends where they’re already dunked in the water. The sweetest rosy lips, the small, dark mole under the right corner of her mouth. Dorcas lifts a hand to hold her still by the chin and places a soft kiss on the tip of her nose.
Pandora’s eyelids flutter a bit, the crease between her eyebrows mellowing and Drocas grins, feeling warmer from the inside out, which shouldn’t be quite possible given the bath temperature but never underestimate the charm of a Rosier, she guesses.
The Rosiers got that distinct air around them, too, that no matter the size of your balls makes you start to squirm after only so many minutes of them simply staring at you. Mustering, eyeing, scrutinising, assessing and Dorcas tries to ignore it now on Pandora as she manoeuvres them to one of the underwater pressure nozzles built on the side of the pool wall.
“How’s that feel?” Dorcas mumbles as she positions them in line of the nozzle, directed at Pandora’s back.
Her mouth falls open a little and then her eyes roll back with a groan, legs tightening around Dorcas once more and she has to swallow. Their breasts bump and there’s glitter on the white triangles covering Pandora’s but Dorcas can still see her pert nipples whenever they come up above the surface. Honestly, it’s highly distracting.
“This is better than sex,” Pandora announces, eyes closed in bliss right in front of Dorcas’ face.
A tug in Dorcas’ gut but her mouth tips into a grin, “Then you probably haven’t had any good sex lately.”
“You know I haven’t,” she whines, leaning back and it does something to Dorkas again. Yep, timeout should definitely be something to seriously be considered as of now.
Pandora tips her head back down and fixes Dorcas with a considering glance, lips contorted like it happens when she’s thinking.
Uh oh.
“Cass,” and it’s unbearably sweet.
“Yeah?”
Pandora’s expression mellows and slips so fast into an amused grin Dorcas feels like experiencing whiplash. Her whole face lights up, pink colour returning to her tan skin and teeth shown in a brilliant smile, a gap between the two front incisors. And then she’s leaning in, giggling and whispering like she’s telling a secret, “The nozzle is blasting away my panties.”
Dorcas blinks and then her hands quickly abandon where she was kneading the muscle of Pandora’s thighs to scramble for the fabric of her swimming underwear. It is indeed all the way down at the crease of her thighs and Dorcas quickly tangles her fingers in to yank it back up as she side-steps the nozzle.
Pandora is laughing like it’s the most amusing thing in the world and Dorcas slips her tongue into the side of one cheek, glaring at her friend as she shakes in Dorcas’ hold.
They stay like this for a few moments, everything around them blurring to an unimportant background muffle as Pandora giggles sweetly into Dorcas’ neck and Dorcas tries not to bite into the elegant rounding of her shoulder or the jut of her collarbones. She’s wearing a small golden chain with a star pendant and a little purple amethyst. Dorcas’ birthstone.
Once she’s calmed down, Pandora pulls back but not far, grinning a little lopsided as she looks at Dorcas.
Dorcas wants to kiss her.
A bleached eyebrow raises pointedly, a predator playing, “You can take your hands off my ass now if you want.”
As if on reflex, Dorcas’ fingers tighten and she barely represses a noise when she, indeed, feels the meat of Pandora’s ass in them. Her heart skips a beat in her chest and then picks back up a little too strongly, “What if I don’t want to?”
Pandora hums, catching her bottom lip between her teeth, “Then don’t.”
Dorcas nods, lips tugging into a smirk and she leans in to place a kiss against Pandora’s cheek, to murmur in her ear, “Feel any better now?”
Pandora nods, her curls tickling Dorcas’ nose. “Still tense though.” Fingers slipping up between the roots of her braids.
“Think I can help with that?”
Another nod, a hum that’s more of a little moan and Dorcas tugs Pandora forward against her, delighting in the gasp she elicits.
Her mouth pulls into a grin, “Legs down, sweets.”
Pandora makes a noise in protest but she lets herself be handled when it’s clear Dorcas is pulling her over one of her thighs in the water.
She throws a look over the back of her shoulder to confirm that the others are still mostly outside of ear shot and otherwise occupied.
When she turns back Pandora is gazing up at her through her lashes with a slack mouth and Dorcas makes a noise in appreciation before she grabs her by the hips and starts a slow rhythm against her bare thigh.
It takes a moment to figure it out, what with the water slowing their movements but Dorcas knows it works when Pandora makes a little noise that sounds equally surprised as it does needy. One of her hands comes down to clutch at her waist, fingers slipping under the belly beads Dorcas is perpetually wearing and Dorcas can’t help but tug a little rougher on the next shift of hips.
“Kiss me?” Pandora whimpers, their noses only a hair width apart but Dorcas tips her head to the side and out of reach.
“We’re gonna get found out, love,” and Pandora’s eyebrows furrow again, a small, pathetic noise slipping out of her. “I know, baby, I know.” Dorcas coos, agitated, and throws another look over her shoulder.
It’s still relatively empty, the boys busy with themselves and only another middle-aged woman farther back.
Well, fuck public decency. Dorcas turns and immediately captures Pandora in a kiss, a wet slide of lips that has Pandora’s hips stuttering and a whimpering like she’s getting it so good. Dorcas’ blood is thrumming with it.
It’s not like they haven’t done this before. Fumbling, inexperienced hands and shy giggles in Dorcas’ dorm once they’d both figured out they were onto women but it’s different now that they’re older. Adult, more sure of themselves, have dated and loved and tried themselves with others.
Still, it’s like driving by your childhood home, that’s not your house anymore but the tree still stands in the same place in the backyard and you still know which room exactly used to be yours. Where the kitchen is, where you used to eat your meals and where you piled on the couch for your parents to take a photo with an old digital camera of you and your friends all dressed up on your birthday.
Dorcas sucks the plush meat of Pandora’s lower lip between her lips, palm digging in right above her tailbone and a heel hooks around her ankle as Pandora shudders through her arousal, fingers clenching on Dorcas’ hip.
The fabric of her panties keeps dragging against Drocas’ skin and it’s dizzying, her hands moving on their own as they go to grab at Pandora’s ass again.
She slumps forward, forehead against her collarbones and moaning when Dorcas pushes her down more vigorously.
“Shh,” Dorcas makes, grinning and fucking high off bringing her best girl friend off, “Gotta stay quiet for me, angel.”
Another pitiful noise and Dorcas angles her face up again to steal another kiss, licking into Pandora’s mouth when it pliantly parts for her.
“Cass,” an audible swallow, “Cassy.”
Dorcas sucks in a breath when Pandora starts palming at the swell of her breast, “Hm?”
“’s not enough,” her shoulders draw up helplessly as she grinds down deliriously. “Need mgh—”
“More?” and Pandora nods her head furiously, kissing at Dorcas’ neck, hot and open mouthed. “Want my fingers, bébé?”
“Ah– oui. Please, please.”
Dorcas detaches her gently, hands cupping her cheeks for another slow kiss before she turns Pandora in her arms and leans her against the edge of the pool.
“Keep breathing for me, love.”
Pandora tzks, throws an eye roll over her shoulder as she wiggles her hips underwater, “I know how to breathe.”
Dorcas’ grin stretches so wide her cheeks stain from it, “Try telling me again once I have you on the edge of your orgasm, yeah?”
Pandora’s mouth drops open, slightly affronted, but then closes it quickly as he lets out a whine through clenched teeth when Dorcas slides her panties to the side without preamble.
It’s easy enough to slip the tip of her finger through where Pandora is slick, satiny heat, heaven on earth and they let out a mutual, soft groan when she sheathes it in all the way to the last knuckle. Twisting, turning and then pumping in and out at a pace that makes Pandora’s grip turn white knuckled.
“More,” she gasps after a few moments, toes curling into Dorcas’ calf.
Dorcas hums, places a sweet kiss on the jut of her shoulder blade, “Where are your manners, Dora? Patience is a virtue.”
“Cassy,” the tone of her voice like sharp claws swiping out for Dorcas’ aorta. A frustrated whine, “Need you.”
Dorcas’ grin widens and she lets her teeth graze against her neck, watching her shiver, “Ask nicely?”
A noise that says fuck you, then relenting, “Please.”
“‘Please’ what?”
Her head sinks between her drawn shoulders, the straps of her white bikini top stretched taut, “Please, give me another finger, putain.”
“See?” Dorcas teases, prodding at her wet entrance with the tip of her ring finger, “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
Pandora moans into the crook of her own arm, “Remind me why we’re doing this again?”
“Mm, because you were basically begging for me to fuck you?”
“Cass.”
“Because you were in a foul mood and I’m such a good friend I’ll go to any lengths to make you feel better—even though you’re being a difficult little brat,” Dorcas snakes her second hand under the garment, circling Pandora’s clit, immediately making her stutter on her inhale.
Pandora grits her teeth, throwing a glare over her shoulder that’s ruined by her swollen mouth and the blush tinting her cheeks, “Since when have you become someone to put people in their place during sex.”
Dorcas grins and leans in, letting their lips brush, “Since you’ve become more confident and quick to open your smart mouth and talk back.”
The helpless moan tumbling out of Pandora gets swallowed by Dorcas’ hungry mouth. Their teeth click with the angle, lips catching on each other and once Dorcas properly rubs over that small bundle of nerves Pandora starts erratically jerking her hips, fucking herself back on Dorcas’ fingers but also grinding into the stimulation.
There’s a loud bark of laughter from behind and Dorcas’ head spins around to watch Barty try and entangle himself with Evan. Regulus is half in their menacing clutches as well, looking entirely unamused but Dorcas knows it’s a harmless farce from the lack of crease between his brows.
They make eye contact for a second and then Regulus’ head snaps back around to her again, mouth falling open a bit and Dorcas’ ministrations falter for a second.
Pandora makes a displeased noise and Dorcas would literally rather drown herself right now than stop so she places a placating kiss to the side of Pandora’s neck before she turns again, giving Regulus a pleading look.
Regulus cocks his head a little, eyes narrowing in a way that say Really? and maybe if Dorcas wasn’t two fingers deep in their girl friend’s delightfully slick pussy she’d stick out her tongue at him. Like this, she simply matches him, daring him to say anything that would steer attention towards and interrupt them.
And because Regulus is a good friend, he turns with an eye roll and makes an effort to sidle up closer to Barty and Evan to keep their attention focused away from what ungodly things the latter’s twin sister is subjected to at the other end of the pool.
“Fuck,” Pandora mutters, throwing her head back against Dorcas’ shoulder, back arched beautifully, hiccuping a breath when Dorcas rolls her clit between thumb and index.
Dorcas’ sucks on the soft skin of Pandora’s neck in response, “How’s your breathing, doll?”
“Fuck you,” she gasps out and Dorcas chuckles against the hot skin, “Don’t fucking stop.”
Dorcas grunts, wrist aching but she wouldn’t dream it, “Promise, sweets. Just be as pretty and good for me as you always are.”
Pandora moans, high pitched, “Good for you?”
“So good,” Dorcas groans, the pulse between her own legs throbbing, “Love having you with me all the time. Smartest girl, prettiest thing to look at.”
Pandora nods—so good for her—and then presses out a strangled, “Love you.”
Dorcas nods, too, braids slipping over her shoulder. “I know,” because she does know. They all love each other unconditionally, irrevocably, unquestionably and they all know it.
The sweetest guttural noise evades Pandora, a distinct edge to the sound that makes Dorcas’ hair stand on end, vibrating with how bad she wants her. “Gonna cum for me, sweets?”
“Yeah,” Pandora whimpers, breath coming in short little bursts, working up to her orgasm as Dorcas keeps the stimulation up, mouthing at the tendons of her neck besides the stupid white bikini halter string.
Her noises increase in pitch, body tensing between Dorcas’ arms and cunt tightening around her fingers and because when Dorcas wants something she goes all in she presses her mouth up against the shell of Pandora’s ear, “Just for me, huh? All for me, sweets, c’mon. Be good and cum for me.”
“Cass,” Pandora chides, moans, and then she’s falling apart. Trembling and shaking, panting and whimpering as she convulses around Dorcas’ fingers in lapping waves of blinding hot pleasure.
Dorcas tips her head forward and watches greedily as Pandora’s lips drop open in a silent cry, brows furrowed, the water lapping between her cleavage and looking like a god damn piece of art. She slows her fingers, keeps the two inside unmoving, pressed deep inside and strokes against her clit gentler as Pandora comes crashing back down gradually.
She slumps back against Dorcas with an exhausted moan, voice raspy and panting shallowly. Slowly coming to again, eyelids fluttering and blowing out an errant curl that’s fallen into her face.
It makes Dorcas’ lips slip into a satisfied grin and she presses a lingering kiss against the other’s flushed cheek, trailing a flutter of closed lips down her jaw and neck as she carefully removes her fingers and slides the swimwear panties back into place.
Pandora makes a little mournful noise but she tips her head to the side in welcome, sighing sweetly when Dorcas’ arms come together in front of her stomach.
The second Dorcas detaches her lips Pandora turns in the embrace and slinks her own palms up Dorcas’ stomach and around, fingers tracing the knobs of spine as she eagerly chases Drocas’ mouth for more.
They stay like this for a few moments, a couple minutes maybe, where they just let their bodies do what they do best—be close with each other and do what feels good. It feels familiar and a little oddly so, like they’re practised in it, almost, like it’s something they do on a daily. But Dorcas basks in it, in the way Pandora’s tongue nudging against hers with the perfect amount of pressure just feels right.
When they draw back Pandora looks less flushed but her cheeks are rosy all the same and her mouth ridiculously swollen, looking downright edible where she licks at the little spit Dorcas left there, whiskey eyes drunk but not hazy and fond where they look right back at her.
“So?” Dorcas asks, stealing another kiss.
Pandora rolls her eyes with a grin, “‘So’ what?”
“Nozzle or sex?” Dorcas smiles toothily.
Pandora’s face slips into a put upon frown, “Now don’t let this get to your head.”
“Oh,” Dorcas makes, waving a hand, “That’s already too late, I’m afraid to say, mon cheri.”
“Incorrigible.”
Dorcas hums, smiling against Pandora’s lips when she tips her chin back up for another kiss.
“Well, well, well,” Barty’s voice comes leering from right behind Dorcas and she sighs. Every era of peace must come to an end, she supposes. “What do we have over here, huh? The two beauties all entangled in each other?”
Regulus is hanging off of his back and watching with a self-satisfied expression, like Dorcas owes him now that he successfully distracted his fucking boyfriends for a continues five minutes so she could take care of Pandora in her time of need.
“Keep your tongue out of my sister’s mouth where I can see it, hm, Meadows?” Evan drawls, sidling up next to Barty.
Dorcas looks back over in time to see Pandora scrunching her nose at Evan childishly and then immediately licking a flat stripe up the side of Dorcas’ face.
A muscle in Evan’s jaw ticks and then Pandora’s fingers are digging into the hinge of Dorcas’, making her open her mouth and shamelessly licking inside, making a whole show of doing exactly what her brother asked her not to do.
God, Dorcas is gonna put a fucking ring on her.
#yeah this turned into a whole fucking oneshot#pandorcas#pandora rosier x dorcas meadows#dorcas meadows#pandora rosier#pandora lovegood#slytherin skittles#rosestarkiller if you squint#rosier twins#theyre all dancing tango with the line between platonic and romantic#might upload this to ao3#pandora lovegood x dorcas meadows#ino tag#lune’s tiny fic#lune writes#hpsafficsfeb24#hp femslash#femslash february#femslash feb 2024
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...okay, so I suppose Christmas in 1995 was on a Monday and if the winter break is generally two weeks long and starts on the weekend before Christmas, then maybe the first Occlumency lesson (on a Monday evening) was on the 8th of January and Severus Snape was not yet 36 years old, but, ah, time is wobbly etc.
Has Severus taken the role of "Godmother" faster than Harry has managed to adapt to Sirius' revelation/declaration? Maybe, yes, probably. Does Voldy demand student drama and gossip from Severus? Yes.
Part Two
#Severus Snape#Harry Potter#Severitus adjacent#self-indulgent AU#bisexual harry potter#Is the text legible? For some reason the image looks blurry... I'll upload a larger version on Ao3 later#my art#...Ginny might have some opinions about the suggestion of being attracted to books...
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TwoBruce No Cape AU
The one where Bruce Wayne has never known Harvey Dent all his life and there's no Batman in Gotham.
A/N: so so SO ever since Two-Face discovered that Bruce is Batman in Detective Comics, ngl my brain has been on TwoBruce overdrive mode. I also have this fic WIP from ages ago where 2F tried to woo beloved billionaire Bruce Wayne without realizing that he's Batman and Harvey is just "uhh bro... you know what? nvm". So I thought what the heck lets just combine it with my other twobruce brainrots.
This au was supposed to be very self-indulgently nsfw thing--an elaboration of this art--but it has spiraled into a hugeass verse of its own since then so...
#harvey dent#bruce wayne#bruharvey#twobats#twobruce#wppyart#twobruce no cape au#might actually upload this on ao3 when I wake up#coz it's easier to read it in chronological order in the future#pls pray for my commitment lmfaoooo
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saw this post about how eddie had a rough childhood and might have trouble accepting love and a relationship. i was also thinking about a past relationship i was in and how much you can break your own heart wanting and pining over things that someone else could never give, so here have some angst.
Part Two | Part Three | read it on ao3
Part One:
Steve is a hopeless romantic, he knows this- has always known this. That's why he serial dates women, hoping to find someone that lights that fire within him, makes him feel whole and wanted and alive.
Maybe he's going out with the wrong girls. Maybe he's not asking the right questions. He never really figures out why it doesn't work out with any of them.
Something about Eddie Munson- yes, Eddie Munson- pulls Steve in. He feels like an enigma, like he knows everything about him and nothing at the same time. Wants to know everything about him, wants to spend every minute he can with him. Eddie is witty, he's funny, he's passionate. He's touchy and clingy in the best way, satiating some touch-starved craving that Steve didn't even realize he had until Eddie became a fixture in his friend group and life.
He gets that tight chest, butterfly, kind of anxious feeling around Eddie and now Steve knows, knows with every fiber of his being that he wants Eddie to be his boyfriend. He doesn't want to use the old Harrington charm, he just wants Eddie to want him as himself.
Steve starts first by being doting. It's Eddie’s birthday and they're all hanging out at Steve's place to celebrate. He sits Eddie down in the most comfortable chair in the living room with everyone, doesn't even let him get up, bring him beer and food and cake and his presents. He wants to show Eddie that he loves him and wants to take care of him. He continues it over the next few weeks, buying Eddie's favorite candy to sneak into the theater, bringing by his gas station order before hanging out or when he knows he'll run into him.
As time passes, Steve feels sick with how much he wants Eddie. He thinks about Eddie cuddling him in his bed, holding his hand, putting his arm around his waist- just being with him and loving him with all his heart. He wants Eddie to love like him back so much it makes his stomach hurt. So when he finally gets the courage to ask Eddie out, and Eddie rejects him. Saying something about how Steve and him wouldn't work out, and that Eddie isn't into dating. Steve's stomach falls straight through the ground as he tries to recover from the devastation.
#original post i linked was eddie and reader but i'm applying it to steddie#might edit and expand on this to upload onto ao3#dixon.fic#steddie#eddie munson#steve harrington#stranger things#steddie angst#st4#steddie drabble#steddie ficlet
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When Annabeth becomes pregnant at twenty-three, everyone is excited. Percy, most of all. They get married in a small shotgun ceremony inside the safe haven of New Rome, mortal and godly parents in attendance, friends shedding tears of joy.
She gives birth a month early to a screaming, underweight bundle of joy. Everyone adores their son. He has fuzzy hints of black hair and wide curious gray eyes. He doesn't cry much after his birth, is abnormally quiet, observing everyone who holds him like he sees something more beneath the surface.
His quiet demeanour reminds Hazel a lot of Nico. When she mentions this in passing, Annabeth laughs quietly and squeezes baby Oliver's chubby fist. "He does, doesn't he?"
Her words sound unbelievably fond. The tone doesn't shock Hazel - she knows that the three of them have gotten close recently - but it seems... odd. Misplaced in its meaning.
She finishes off her final protective ward on Oliver's crib. "Has he met him yet?"
Annabeth hums. "He was here this morning."
She doesn't say anything more, and before Hazel can ask, she effortlessly glides the conversation to Hazel's training as a witch. Hazel takes the hint and lets the conversation change without any complaint.
-
Grover counts himself lucky in many regards. He's got a wonderful wife. He's Lord of the Wild. He hasn't been eaten alive by any monsters yet. All but one of the kids he's brought to camp are living successful happy lives.
And he knows the truth about Oliver.
They never talk about it - the circumstances that brought him into the world. It was just a few hints here and there in conversation, before he cuts the cord and just asks.
"Nico is Oliver's biological father, isn't he?".
Percy doesn’t even hesitate. "Yeah."
Grover watches from the kitchen, Percy at his side, as Nico emerges from what everyone thinks is the guest room, but Grover is confident is actually Nico's room. Oliver sits on his hip. The one year old is bundled up from head to toe. Nico himself has a matching beanie - bright blue with a warped crochet design of a yellow fish. He waves Oliver's little hand their way before disappearing into the shadows.
The two of them come back a couple hours later with In-and-Out takeout bags. Oliver is chewing on a lone french fry. He falls into Percy's arms with ease. Nico smiles kindly at Grover and comes to sit at Percy's side on the couch. Their thighs press together.
Grover doesn't ask about it.
They're happy. He can tell just by looking at them. Whatever thing is happening between the three of them, they're okay.
That's all that matters.
-
Piper loves Annabeth, she does. But she also believes in integrity. Oliver is three years old and the shadows tremble when he's annoyed. The air goes cold and frigid when he's upset. He doesn't talk very loud, but he's perceptive.
It's one hour into Piper's babysitting time when Oliver tells her that her grandfather says hello and she pieces it together. Oliver doesn't understand what he's done, the secret he's just revealed. She asks him to get her grandfather to tell him a story, just like he used to tell her. Oliver reaches out with one hand, and Piper's world turns upside down.
Annabeth and Percy come home two hours later, laughing and carrying a goodie bag from the restaurant. Grandpa Tom left half an hour ago, right when Oliver murmured a sleepy, "I'm tired", and let go of his hand. Piper doesn't know if he's still around, watching her. But it's the idea that he is, that keeps her brave.
When Percy disappears down the hall to check in on his sleeping son, Piper corners Annabeth in the kitchen.
"Are you cheating on Percy?" she whispers.
Annabeth blinks at her, startled. "What?"
"Are you cheating on Percy?" Piper whispers again, trying not to hide the urgency in her voice.
Annabeth is cool as she puts the leftovers in the fridge. "Why do you think I'm cheating on Percy?"
The question is easily answered, yes or no, and Annabeth's side-stepping is obvious and painful to Piper's heart. She changes gears. "Is Nico Oliver's dad?"
Annabeth pauses. It feels like hours. Then she closes the fridge door and crosses her arms over her chest. "People can have more than one dad, Piper."
Piper scowls and gets in close. "Does Percy know?"
Warm hands plant on both her shoulders. "He knows," Annabeth says, her voice soft. "And I'm not cheating on him."
Piper can't tell if Annabeth is lying. She wants to say more, ask more, but Percy's footsteps are loudly closing in. She takes a few steps back just as Percy rounds into the kitchen and slips an arm over Annabeth's shoulders. The image is sickly sweet. The two of them gaze happily at each other. They're so painfully in love.
Piper's stomach clenches.
The three of them stay up an extra hour. Percy is oblivious to the tension ruminating off of Piper. Annabeth seems fine though. It only stresses her out more. When she finally turns in, she doesn't know how to feel. She pauses just inside the guest room, the door pinched open. She can hear the two of them talking quietly in the hall. Oliver's bedroom door squeaks open.
Another voice, one Piper hasn't heard in a couple months, teases Percy from nearby. Percy protests his protective habits. Piper peeks through the gap. Nico is leaning against the wall. He's smiling widely in Annabeth's direction. Percy is oblivious, sneaking into Oliver's room. Annabeth takes Nico's hand. He pulls her close.
Piper relaxes for a minute. Maybe she doesn't have to say anything, maybe Percy will catch them before they can drift apart.
Or maybe he'll walk out of Oliver's room, shove Annabeth away and dive into Nico's mouth greedy, like he's starved for breath and Nico's mouth is oxygen. Maybe he'll tangle his hands into Nico's hair and push him into the wall with a low growl.
They don't separate, not really. Instead Percy drags Nico towards his - their - bedroom, Annabeth laughing as she follows.
The door clicks shut behind them. Piper takes a step back before pulling her own door closed. In the morning, Nico is gone and Percy is making pancakes. When Oliver asks for pomegranate juice, Piper passes it to him from the fridge and says nothing.
-
Leo doesn't know where this new baby came from. Annabeth wasn't pregnant the last time he saw her, but there's definitely a newborn asleep in the corner of their combined workshop. Annabeth doesn't even let him ask about the kid, just throws revised plans for their latest project in his direction before answering her screaming phone.
Oliver is there next to the baby, rocking her back and forth in her carrier. A picture book sits on his knee. He blinks up at Leo as he approaches. Leo likes Oliver. He's quiet and isn't afraid to use a hammer. The baby girl has small curls of black hair. She is bundled up in a fish-printed blanket.
"Who's this, big man?" Leo asks, squatting down to get a closer look.
The four year old stares at him. Then, "Ariel. She's my sister." He pauses, before adding, "She's really loud."
"When did your mom get a baby?"
Oliver stares some more before answering. "My uncle made her yesterday."
Leo doesn't know what to say to that.
-
Oliver and Ariel are joined a year later by a third and final child. While Ariel's origins are still speculated by anyone not in the know, it's clear from Annabeth's round belly where Eve was going to emerge from. She has thin wispy hair so blonde it blends into her skin. Her bright sea green eyes mimic her father's.
But Nico is her favourite. By now everyone knows not to bat an eye when instead of "Daddy" or "Mommy", her first word is "Papa". She reaches for him more than anyone else. As soon as she is old enough to crawl, her favourite place to wiggle towards is his lap.
Frank watches as she tries to pull herself to a stand. He runs a hand over the head of a nearby cat. It purrs loudly. Nearby Nico's hands are outstretched, ready to catch her if she falls.
Like Grover, he cuts the cord fast. "Is she yours too?"
Nico doesn't falter. "No."
Eve doesn't make it to a stand, but gets close enough before she falls face first into Nico's arms. He bundles her up to his chest and she squeals, reaching out with one hand to tug at his necklace.
He doesn't wear the camp beads anymore. Instead, it's a silver band looped through a golden chain. The band has three different jewels studded into it - a diamond, an aquamarine gem, and an onyx. What each jewel represents isn't a question. The fact that Percy and Annabeth wear the same silver band just above their wedding rings isn't much of a question either.
Frank takes Eve when offered and holds her close. Her green eyes look exactly like her father's, look exactly like her sister's. Her blonde hair is soft against each stroke of his fingers.
Nico comes back with drinks. Frank doesn't go for them when offered, content with where he is. Nico puts his can next to his foot, before lowering himself back to the ground. Frank watches him for a moment.
Then, "I thought you were gay."
Nico shrugs as he pops the top to his soda. "Annabeth's pretty," is all he says after a slow sip and Frank snorts.
He hands Eve back when Nico reaches for her. "Is that why Oliver was first?"
Nico's grin is wicked sharp, but happy in all its angles. "No," he says. "That's because I'm pretty."
-
Jason watches as Ariel and Eve team up to drown their older brother in the lake. In retaliation, he summons skeletons that ignore Ariel but grab at Eve. She screams, loud and unholy, as she’s tossed through the air and lands with a gigantic splash. Oliver pulls himself out of the water, shaking wet black hair out of his face. Ariel bats her eyes at him as he approaches, unafraid even as he picks her up and tosses her into the lake himself.
The two girls laugh as they surface, before swimming speedy laps around each other. With a short scowl, Oliver settles on the towel next to Jason. He does not enjoy swimming. Jason remembers the first summer after his birth.
They had tucked his feet into the water to splash and he’d screamed bloody murder. People joked about how Percy’s ocean powers clearly hadn’t made themselves known yet. But now it was pretty well known that Oliver didn’t have any ocean powers.
It had been pretty funny when Ariel came around. She took to the water like a fish and Oliver had panicked himself into a stressed out ball around the edges of the lake before he accidentally summoned a dozen ghosts to wrestle her from Percy’s arms and bring her back to the safety of dry land.
Percy hadn’t been allowed to hold Ariel for the rest of the day after that. If he tried, shadows would whip at him with Oliver’s frustration. He stayed tucked around his little sister while she cooed at the ghosts still protectively hovering nearby.
After that, everyone had pieced together what they had already started guessing at, if not outright knew.
The three of them never said how, or why, or even when, it had all come together for them, but they seemed happy nonetheless. And Jason was good with that. Nico deserved to be happy in whatever shape or form that came in. He didn't bat an eye whenever Nico kissed Annabeth's cheek before leaving with Jason. He didn't question it whenever the two of them came back and Percy clung onto him like needy barnacle.
Nico would flush a soft pink, and his smile was gentle, almost hidden sometimes. But he was happy, genuinely happy.
And that made Jason warm to see.
He pulls out the book Oliver had packed for their day out. Oliver puts on his glasses, thin round frames just like Uncle Jason’s, rolls over onto his stomach, and begins reading. In the lake, the girls are still splashing one another. A couple times they glance over at Oliver, like they’re thinking about pulling him into their game. But they know better than to bother their brother when he’s reading.
Oliver hums curiously and kicks his legs. Jason glances at him. “Good book?”
“Yes,” Oliver says.
He still speaks quietly and slow, each word a deliberate thought. It makes him the worst person to argue with. Ariel and Eve get loud and passionate - Ariel like Annabeth, cutting sharp like a knife, each spit of her words an uncontrolled punch; Eve like Percy, thunderous and vibrant, fast and off the cuff.
Watching the three of them fight a genuine fight is a masterclass in terror. The last time it’d happened - Eve blowing out Ariel’s candles on her sixth birthday and Ariel throwing a tantrum that exploded cake all over Oliver’s face - Jason had thought the whole city was going to be destroyed with every scream and thrown punch.
It had taken nearly half an hour to separate them. Oliver remained furious, refusing to cry even as Jason helped him wash the cake out of his hair, and stubbornly avoiding everyone for the rest of the day. Eve, like her mother, refused to admit she was wrong, steadfast in her determination not to apologize (although she caved fast when Nico came back with Ariel). Ariel got over it fast, she always did, which Jason found hilarious considering how emotional each of her fathers’ were. But her eyes remained red rimmed and she would tear up each time she caught sight of her siblings’ bruises.
She hit the hardest. Always did.
But when they fought together? In defense of one another? Amazing to see. It reminded Jason of the wolves, of the Cohort - working in tandem with one another, flying seamlessly off one another. A well oiled machine, each cog fitting together like the pieces of a puzzle. Oliver was the leader, in charge of each attack, Eve assisting in his command, and Ariel the powerhouse ready to take aim.
It’s clear where they picked it from.
-
The kids are half-asleep in a pile on the floor as Nico crawls across the couch cushions and into Annabeth’s lap. He dangles mistletoe above her head. She laughs and rises up for a kiss. In the chair nearby, Percy watches with half a grin across his face.
“That’s gross,” Eve mutters tiredly.
“Go back to sleep,” Nico calls back before kissing Annabeth again.
Ariel makes a gagging noise. Oliver swats at her before he slips out of their pile to rise slow to his feet. His glasses are lopsided on his face, but he doesn’t fix them. Instead he leans down to pull both girls to their feet. Eve yawns as she ducks her face into his shoulder. He slides one arm across each of their shoulders before tucking them in close and dragging them off to bed.
Percy pushes off the chair and flops against Nico’s back. Annabeth groans under the added weight.
“Seaweed Brain,” she grumbles. “Get your fat ass off my boyfriend.”
“Fat?” Percy huffs. He leans in harder. Nico laughs while Annabeth groans louder. “Woman, I am toned.”
“You have a dad bod,” Nico says. He tilts his head back and Percy accepts a kiss.
“You’re just jealous because you can’t put any weight on your bones.”
Nico rolls his eyes. Percy squeezes his hips and pulls away. Annabeth breathes easy, and then easier when Nico pulls himself from her lap. Percy turns off the TV as Annabeth rises groggily to her feet. Nico tucks her under his arm, and the two waddle off to bed.
Percy crawls in soon after.
In the morning, Eve will ask for pancakes, which Percy will make while she helps. Ariel will braid Nico’s hair in the bathroom and he will braid hers. Oliver will argue with Annabeth about the philosophy of Plato.
In the evening, the kids will ask the question that no one else has ever been brave enough to ask. And without falter, their parents will answer.
It was never a secret to begin with.
#percicobeth#percy jackson#nico di angelo#annabeth chase#percico#percabeth#uhhhhhh do annabeth and nico even have a ship name#nicobeth#idk#i'm trying#this took three hours and i skipped dinner so PLZ enjoy it#my fanfic#my writing#pjo fanfic#happy talks pjo#might upload to ao3 sometime later idk
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now on ao3
One day, in mid August of ‘85, Dustin shows up at Steve’s front door, completely unannounced. It’s the middle of the night and Steve has half the mind to reprimand Dustin about curfew and biking alone in the dark. But when his vision finally focuses on Dustin’s expression, Steve sees panic in his eyes; fear. At first, his heart plummets and he thinks not again, not so soon. But then Dustin says-
“I killed that guy. Didn’t I?”
And every other thought in Steve’s mind crumbles like ash.
“The Russian,” Dustin clarifies in Steve’s silence. “The doctor.”
Steve remembers.
Bald, round glasses.
Stale coffee breath.
Pliers pulling his nail.
He can’t speak, throat closing up.
Dustin keeps talking, rambling like Robin does when she’s panicked. “They used those cattle prods to stun demogorgons, Steve. Do you have any idea how many volts that thing held? He- He fell, like-”
“Dustin,” Steve says - rasps it out because his throat is dry but he needs to stop Dustin’s spiral.
Rendered silent, Dustin looks up at Steve with wide, glistening eyes. He’s expecting an answer, but Steve doesn’t have one. He can’t think beyond the sight of Dustin standing before him in a matching pajama set and untied shoes, like he didn’t have the time or mind to fasten them up because he was in too much of a rush to come here. To seek out Steve, in the middle of the night. Steve, who should be able to help because that’s his job; he’s the protector, the older brother Dustin can come to for comfort.
Except that Steve was woken with a start just five minutes ago when Dustin started pounding on his front door and he thought it was the Russians coming back for him, his mind still half lost to the nightmare he was having; all blood and bone saws and Robin’s screams. Part of him is itching to call her, like maybe she somehow died back there and Steve has been imagining her this whole time and he just needs to hear her mom answer the phone and say, ‘Yeah, she’s right here, honey’.
But he remembers Dustin charging in, remembers watching him strike the doctor right in the chest and how he fell to the ground, limp, and didn’t get back up. Knows that everyone is safe, no matter what his brain tries to tell him. Robin and Erica are sleeping in their beds, and Dustin is standing on his front door step, bike discarded on the ground next to the Bimmer.
Steve takes a deep breath and says, “Get in here.”
He ushers Dustin in with a hand on the back of his neck, locking the door behind them, and heads to the living room. Dustin just keeps looking at him, like Steve has all the answers. Like Steve can make it all better. Can say the voltage wouldn’t have killed him, as if the possibility that he’s still out there wouldn’t send himself into a panic attack.
“Steve,” Dustin says, and it sounds like a plea; the way his voice lisps, wet and small.
He’s only thirteen.
“I killed a person,” Dustin says.
And Steve gets it, sort of. It doesn’t matter that the person Dustin killed was evil and cruel, just like it didn’t matter that Billy Hargrove was about to kill Lucas when Steve stepped in between them. He still didn’t want to hurt someone. Each punch felt like too much, like if he punched any harder, he’d do some serious damage. And Billy would have deserved it - as horrible as it feels to think that after his sacrifice - but Steve didn’t want to be the one to do it. That’s not who he is. He’s a protector, not a fighter. Not a killer. That breaks something in a person, as is made clear by the crack in Dustin’s voice. It took something from him. The little bit of innocence Dustin had left.
“Yeah,” Steve says, quiet and almost apologetic. “You did.”
Dustin’s face falls, as if he really did want Steve to say otherwise. But avoiding the truth won’t help anything.
“But- But you saved me, okay?” he says, like he’s asking if that truth is enough.
Dustin’s eyes flash with something Steve can’t identify.
“Me and Robin,” Steve continues. “You saved us. If you hadn’t done what you did- What you had to do…”
His nightmares have answered that hypothetical too well.
He shakes it off, puts his hand on Dustin’s shoulder instead.
“You saved us. You did good, Dustin. Okay? That’s what’s important here.”
Dustin's face crumples and before Steve can blink, he’s got an armful of the kid. He’s still bruised, ribs only just recovering from the break, and it hurts. But he wraps Dustin up in his arms and lets him cry into his shoulder, wetting the thin fabric through.
"Hey, it's okay," Steve soothes, voice low. "You're okay. I've got you, buddy."
He’s not coddling him or trying to get him to stop crying- he just talks so Dustin knows he’s there. Tells him how grateful he is for Dustin taking care of him and Robin when they were messed up, for being so brave when he busted into that room. He talks until Dustin is quiet against him, left with his arms wrapped around Steve’s waist and his face pressed into Steve’s shoulder. He doesn’t move for a while, but Steve doesn’t mind - just rubs his back and rests his cheek against his curls.
“Your mom know you’re here?” he asks softly.
Dustin shakes his head.
“You wanna stay here tonight?”
Dustin nods.
Steve checks his watch over Dustin’s shoulder. It’s almost midnight. He sighs.
“Remind me to send her flowers or something as an apology for waking her up right now,” Steve says, light-hearted, trying to make Dustin laugh.
But Dustin just sniffles, guilty. “Sorry.”
“Hey, no. It’s fine. Take your shoes off and head on upstairs, yeah? I’ll call your mom and tell her you’re with me.”
Dustin pulls back, wipes his wet nose with his sleeve and Steve tries not to cringe.
“Thanks, Steve.”
It’s not entirely selfless, calling Dustin’s mom. If he calls Mrs Henderson, he can call Robin right after without Dustin knowing. He has a feeling she’ll be awake at this time too anyway. He thinks he might call the Sinclairs as well, wants to make sure Erica is okay.
And as long as Dustin stays the night, Steve knows that at least he’s safe, spread out right beside him, taking up the whole bed. Can make sure Dustin sleeps through the night, can be there if he has a nightmare that his mom wouldn’t be able to calm him down from.
Steve ruffles Dustin’s hair, smiling at how he pushes into it like a cat. “It’s no problem.”
#luxeberriesfics#stranger things#steve harrington#dustin henderson#henderfam#was having thoughts last night about dustin suddenly realising he killed that guy#like maybe he was aware of it but it never really hit him that he took a alife#i dont think i explore that very well tbf like i could go much deeper into it#but really i just wanted steve and dustin comforting each other#so#i think of this one as a companion piece to my stobin ficlet#i might upload them on ao3 and make it a little series#might do one with erica too at some point
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BLOOD||HUNGER
[PREV PART] [AO3]
I was like, 'damn, it's been a while since I updated this fic...' [it's been 6 days, but it's a while for me] so I started writing yesterday.
Woke up today and went 'damn this is trash lmao'. Rewrote everything. Much happier with this chapter, I've been waiting to write the final scene for the entire fic >:)
This chapter is called "Accursed Among Weapons". Hope you like it!
Page 23 of the “Blooede Starvatfōre-dēde”, parable 10:
May I know your face, the Blind Man asks,
The Beast regards eyes unseeing, I thought you blind,
Indeed they are, though my hands have yet to fail,
The Beast nears, eyes shine beguiled,
Hands pass over mounds and hills, shell damaged,
Yet the man determines, you are no Beast,
Your hands find mine fitting, your nose twisted like mine,
Your eyes close, when brushed upon like mine,
The Beast retreats, hands leave paths,
Then perhaps, O fallen knight,
You are like me,
Perhaps, you too are a beast.
The communicator knew.
(You’ve always been a disappointment, son. Just like your mother-)
The Hunter must know as well.
(You need anything, you let me know, Simon. We don’t go through things alone. We are a team-)
(Don’t you want it to stop, Riley? You can end this. Just break. Let go-)
And…
(Ah wanted to be like him, back then-)
Now…
(now Ah want to be better)
Johnny knows.
He can see it in the tense line of his spine, in the way he stepped back from the gleeful man. As if the distance will make his words ring any less true.
The communicator’s face contorts, smile stretching and stretching, and suddenly he’s not the Hunter’s soldier anymore. He’s his father, cruel and heartless, he’s Roba, sickeningly sweet as he rips away at flesh methodically.
He’s Simon, rotting in a grave, maggots and dirt burrowing into his eyes, teeth exposed by decaying cheeks. A permanent grin.
The knife slides down his sleeve faster than Ghost can think, the beating of his heart silencing all other sounds. He doesn’t shake as he draws his arm back, and throws. The blade whistles through the air, a shrill cry, and a thunk as it lands in the communicator’s eye.
Simon’s vile smile lasts for a moment longer, before the dead man slumps and the vision fades.
Yet it’s not over, the memories keep flooding Ghost’s mind, an incessant swarm muddling his senses. He can’t kill him, the dead man in his mind, the corpse he dragged out of the grave.
Soap turns around, slowly, eyes dragging from Ghost’s still raised hand to his mask.
He’s only snapped out of thoughts when Johnny’s voice mutters, “what… the fuck… did you do?”
Ghost looks at the Sergeant, frozen in shock. He looks at the corpse he created, and he realizes.
He just killed the communicator. The Hunter’s right hand.
His way to revenge.
Soap stomps to him, pulling Ghost up by his tacvest only to slam him to the wall, “WHAT THE FUCK DID YE JUST DO?!”
“I didn’t- He wasn’t-” Ghost fumbles through the words, mind still reeling.
Soap winds his fist back to hit him, a snarl hidden under the black face mask, right as the door to the room is slammed open. Everyone halts for a charged moment.
The soldier snaps out first, shouting and raising his rifle to shoot. Soap is faster, though, and he takes Ghost’s pistol out of his holster, and takes the hostile down with a perfect headshot. It wasn’t fast enough. Every other soldier is alerted now.
Soap takes the soldier’s rifle and throws it at Ghost’s direction, taking his from the table. He glances at him, and Ghost’s heart shrivels at the pure hatred in his eyes.
(All you know to do is hurt, Simon. You should’ve stayed dead)
“Ah’m not done with ye, jus’ so ye know. Get up.”
Ghost uses the wall to lift himself on shaky legs, “Soap-”
The Sergeant leaves the room, not sparing another second to talk. It leaves a bitter weight sinking in his guts.
(How much more can he hurt Johnny?)
Ghost takes the rifle, inhaling deeply. He fucked Soap over enough as it is, he can’t leave him to fight alone. He leaves the room, and the slumped corpse, behind.
Outside, Soap is taking cover behind a stack of crates, bullets splintering the wooden boxes. A group of soldiers is trying to push up the staircase, currently stuck due to Soap’s bullets. It won’t stay like that long, the cover quickly becoming ineffective and the sheer amount of hostiles overwhelming.
He sidled by Soap, “you got any more gas bottles?”
“If I had any, I would’ve thrown them already, ye feckin’ overgrown bastard.”
A bullet hits the wall right next to Soap’s head, far too close for comfort, and the Sergeant leans out to shoot back. Ghost pulls him back to cover, ignoring his answering curses, “let me go, Ghost!”
(He can’t watch Johnny die today)
“You’re going to get yourself killed.” He grunts, challenging Soap with a glare. The Sergeant clenches his jaw, “ye got a better idea?!”
His gaze drifts to the labels on the boxes behind them. Soap follows it, and Ghost can tell something on the manifest catches his attention, “think you can craft another trap for ‘em?”
Ghost watches Soap’s bright blue eyes skim through the items listed, a small grin growing on his face.
(He wishes he could keep it there)
“Aye…” Soap pulls out a knife, cutting the tape off one of the smaller boxes, and taking off his backpack. Ghost shoots a few soldiers that dared to come closer, paying half attention to the Sergeant’s work. The box was apparently full of batteries.
Soap is silent as he works, unlike the other times…
(Simon hates it)
“What’s the batteries for?” he chances a question.
Soap’s grin widens, “not just any kind, lithium batteries. Nastiest fire starter a ten-year-old has access to in a typical kitchen. Ye stab it just a wee bit, it ignites beautifully. I swear mah pa was about teh kill me when I-” he cuts himself off, seemingly remembering who he’s talking to, smile dropping. “Just need something to ignite this.” he points to a bottle he grabbed from his pack, and when Ghost takes a closer look between fights he finds it’s… Bourbon.
“You like Kentucky, Johnny?”
The Sergeant scoffs, “the only thing this shite is good fer is molotovs. Ye couldn’t pay me to drink it.”
Ghost empties his clip on a particularly brave soldier. He searches for a new one before realizing he ran out. Soap wordlessly throws him a new one.
“What would be your drink of choice then, Sergeant?”
Soap portions the Bourbon among a few empty beer bottles, “don’t see why ye should fuckin’ care.” he grunts harshly.
Right. Conversation over.
When he finishes his little “gift”, Soap shoves a bottle towards Ghost, explaining, “I punctured the coating, so any small disturbance should light that lithium right up. The alcohol is jus’ gonna make it a little more…fun.”
“Copy.” Ghost’s fingers tingle when they brush Soap’s as he passes him a bottle. The battery inside is clanking dangerously.
(If only he didn’t always wear gloves…)
Soap doesn’t waste any time, and without coordinating with Ghost, throws his bottle to the middle of the hostile group. Ghost waits for a few seconds of nothing before asking, “how long does it take to work, Sergeant?”
Turning to look at him, Ghost sees the gears turning in Johnny’s head, eyes wide before he frowns. The Sergeant grabs the now empty bottle of Bourbon and mutters to himself. Whatever he found made him furious, and he threw the bottle to the side, “it was fuckin’ bottle proof!”
“What’s that got to do with-” “means there’s not enough alcohol in that garbage to fucking ignite!” Soap cuts him off, lifting his gun to shoot down some drenched, but clearly not-on-fire, soldiers, “I can’t read this goddamn language, how should Ah know that shite is only 40%!”.
The group seemed to recognize their panic, as they start pushing forward with rising aggression. Ghost looks around, trying to find a way out, any way out-
(If it comes down to one or the other, he rather Johnny got out)
Ghost hauls a dead soldier up, springing ahead and using the corpse as a shield. “What the fuck- Ghost!” Soap shouts behind him. He ignores it.
(Not like he’ll mourn, should Simon die)
He reaches the first step, and shoves the corpse down the stairs, knocking several soldiers off their feet in a domino effect, swiftly taking them out. He glances down, finding more soldiers rushing up, as well as a few attempting to shoot from the ground.
Ghost snarls, feeling the blood rush in his ears, brandishing bullets like fangs and blades as claws.
He runs forward. When his mags ran out, he used his knives.
And when the knives were buried far too deep to pull back out, he used his hands.
Ghost is a weapon, to be picked up and discarded as needed.
And he is needed - to get Johnny out alive.
Red encircles his vision. The world reduces to the fight, to the crunch of bone under his palms, and the slick of blood beneath his boot. Ghost was born of hate and violence, yet it was always in the hands of someone else.
Always on a leash. Always controlled by foreign hands.
No more. He decides what to ravage, he decides who to tear apart.
(Simon has been buried for long enough)
Pain bursts through Ghost, the source undetermined. Could it be the poison, eating its way to his heart? Perhaps it was a frightful soldier, fruitlessly trying to survive the unsurvivable?
Or was it something deep inside him, a little boy crying while his father swings once more, no one to hear his pleas?
(Was it Simon, tearfully begging?)
(What could he be begging for?)
(What could Simon want…?)
The red fades, his surroundings returning into focus. The makeshift base is unnervingly quiet.
Ghost’s legs shake, a warning the poison is about to wreck through his system soon. Soap runs up to him, his blue eyes wide.
(Are you afraid, Johnny?)
(Please don’t be)
“Yer… what the fuck is wrong with ye?!” he asks, not with as much hate as pure surprise.
Ghost winces as his muscles start to lock up. He spots their truck, relatively undamaged in the scuffle, and starts towards him. Johnny sputters behind him, quickly shaking from his stupor to take the driver’s sit.
They sit in silence for a moment, Soap openly staring at his bloody form.
“Drive.” Ghost orders, voice softer than he intended.
Johnny follows with no complaint. Simon lets his head lean on the window, and prepares for the poison to take its course with him.
He wonders whether it’s lethal. If eventually, it will stop his cold, dead heart. He could’ve asked the communicator…
(Yet another thing Simon has fucked over)
“Why did ye kill him?” Johnny asks for the hundredth time.
Ghost answers with silence. What could he say? That he has lost his mind?
(Answering would only reveal the once dead man)
It’s starting to get on Soap’s nerves, he can tell. By the whitening knuckles, by the speeding tapping of a foot.
“Ye don’t get to sit and ignore me now, ye bawbag…”
He knows. He doesn’t deserve to sit here at all.
(No better than the Hunter, no better than Roba)
(No better than his father)
Simon was destined to be violent. A weapon, sharpened by his father. Just like his father before him. A bloodline of monsters.
He thought, if he could give away his leash, if he could get someone else to wield him-
(Ghost may be a weapon)
(Simon likes to pretend he’s the same)
Soap growls in frustration. The truck speeds up for a moment, likely an attempt from Johnny to calm down. Ghost curiously watches the emotions contort his features, glad that Soap chose to take off the mask once he started driving.
(He looks so… alive)
The Sergeant notices him from the corner of his eyes, and sharply turns his head to stare at him.
What do you see, Ghost wants to ask.
(The hero that was?)
(Or the monster that is?)
Whatever answer Johnny finds makes him wrench the breaks, the vehicle creaking loudly. Soap forcibly opens the door, slamming it shut so hard the whole truck shakes. Not a moment later, he opens the door to Ghost’s side, snarling, “out.”
He obeys.
(He’d give Johnny his leash, if he only wanted)
Ghost’s legs still shake when he walks out, but he holds himself up. Johnny is seething in front of him. He pushes at Ghost’s shoulders, “fuckin’ talk to me! Or punch me, or do something!”
Ghost just tilts his head. If the Sergeant is looking for a place to let frustrations out, so be it.
(Metal must be hit thousands of times to be made into a weapon. Simon is well acquainted with the process)
“Are ye just gonna stand there?! Say something!”
Ghost hums, “do whatever you’d like, Johnny. It doesn’t matter anymore.”
Soap falters, “wha-”
“I killed him. No matter what any of us do, we won’t be able to kill the Hunter. We lost.”
He watches the anger rise within Soap, “shut up!”
(Fury looks good on him, Simon muses. Even if it is directed at him)
“Do you want to fight me, Johnny?”
The Sergeant snarls, “shut up!”
“Hit me.”
“Why do ye want-?!”
“Just do it.” Ghost takes a shaky step towards him, “punch me, kick me. Let it out. It’s my fault after all.”
“Stop-!”
“It’s my fault this city went to hell. My fault all these civilians are dead.” he stands almost chest to chest with Johnny, “it’s all my fault.”
“JUST SHUT UP!” Soap shoves him, and Ghost’s legs finally give out. He crushes to the ground with a huff. Soap is on him in seconds, taking hold of his clothes and shaking him, “WHAT DO YE WANT FROM ME?!”
It strikes Ghost, that they have not lost. There is still one way, for one of them to win.
(It should scare Simon, but he lost the fear of death a long time ago. Forgot it behind, somewhere in a shallow grave, the innate dread of the reaper)
He should be angry, that once again he’s giving away control over his fate. But for Johnny, a man that despite being betrayed over and over, that still found enough mercy not to desert him. To the man that felt the need to save others, even if it goes against all reason.
To the true hero in this city’s unfortunate tale, to a kind heart and kinder eyes?
Simon is willing to give everything.
Ghost slides a knife out, flipping it and offering the hilt to Soap. The Sergeant hesitates for a moment, eyes flickering between the weapon and his.
“You want to stop this, Johnny?” Ghost thrusts the knife into his hands, “Tell the Hunter I’m dead. That’s all they wanted, right?”
Johnny’s movements are unsure, his breath coming out in puffs.
Sitting above him, the setting sun painting his features in gold, a radiant helo peaking through his hair…
(He looks beautiful)
“All you need to do is kill me, Soap.” Ghost guides Johnny’s armed hand to his throat, lifting the dark fabric of his mask to reveal scarred skin.
“I- I don’t-” Johnny almost whispers, and Ghost wishes he could take away all doubts in his mind. Wishes he could show Johnny what he really is.
(You’re not looking at a person, love)
(I’m just a weapon)
“Kill me.” he repeats, the feeling of the cool blade soothing, for once in his life. Simon looks over Johnny one last time, swallowing all the words he yearns to speak.
(All the regrets he can’t even whisper)
Simon smiles, something small and private, when he watches Johnny raise his arm slowly, aiming to strike him down. It will be a quick death.
(Far more than he truly deserves)
And he closes his eyes, finding himself content. That for once, he chose right. He may die, but Johnny will get out of here, a hero. The man that saved an entire city. The man that took down half an army.
The man that killed the Ghost.
The knife swings down.
(Simon prays for a last time)
(That this apology was enough)
#call of duty modern warfare 2#cod mw2#cod ghost#cod soap#john soap mactavish#simon ghost riley#BLOOD||HUNGER#ghostsoap#soapghost#ghoap#call of duty fic#call of duty fanfic#call of duty modern warfare#cod fic#cod fanfic#Ive been waiting to write this scene for the entire fic yall dont even know how excited i am :D#also i cant make them normal im sorry#also also the ao3 upload might take a little longer but it will be today
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The tale of the mysterious Tungsten Cube
Kita's parents once promised to buy Kita a gift if he aced a chemistry exam. But they couldn't find any gift chemistry-related, so they bought him a tungsten cube. Kita saw it as a pet, and named it - you guessed it - Tungsten Cube.
The third years in Inarizaki's volleyball team knew of it and had seen it when Kita brought it to school. The second and first years, sadly, could not see it, so any knowledge about Kita-san's first pet was told through Akagi Michinari. He may or may not have included some minor untruths about the pet, like Kita's pet is a live animal. Atsumu thought Kita must have a really cool/cute bird he baby-talks to, and Suna thought he could catch Kita doing it with the pet. No one really knew what the pet was - they had figured Akagi was fibbing them by now, and none of the other third years told them anything.
Until Kita moved house to attend university at the end of the year, and had to pass possession of the cube to someone else. Everyone in the gym thought one of the third years are going to inherit it, but Kita-san said it was a secret.
But no one inherits it. Even on the last day of school, no one is known to receive the mysterious pet.
Until the afternoon.
The second-years hatched a plan to follow Kita-san after school, since he did not walk the usual route home. In fact, it directed to the back of the school where Atsumu and Osamu used to play football with the neighbor kids when they were young.
Kita-san revealed the pet, and there it was.
The Tungsten Cube.
Atsumu was so disappointed it was not a live bird, or a cat, or even a lizard. Suna was too - turns out Kita is still the old, formal Kita. The third years followed behind, laughing at their kouhai's dejected faces.
But no third-year received the cube either.
The person who hereby inherited the Tungsten Cube,
was Akaashi Keiji.
Kita has a wide connections with people he meets at the nationals. Akaashi was visiting his distant relative, so he could meet up with Kita and discuss the adoption of the cube on the way. Akaashi seemed to be interested in the cube - so far, the cube only requires proper cleaning and oiling to ensure no rust. And it's the heaviest element too - an interesting choice of a pet.
Akaashi: Why didn't you give it to Kuroo-san? I'm sure he wants it more.
Kita: He already has a Tungsten Cube. He is interested in acquiring a sample of radium, but it's too dangerous to get his hands on.
Akaashi was surprised to find the team hidden behind a nearby bush. Kita full well expected it. The group, from the 1st to 3rd years, are surprised and poignant their captain was leaving them so soon, along with all their senpais, so they had one last hug, even after graduation ceremony has ended and the so-called "last-hugs" were given.
One last official hug, because sometimes, you need the memories.
#haikyuu!!#haikyuu headcanons#suna rintarou#miya osamu#miya atsumu#inarizaki#inarizaki second years#inarizaki third years#kita shinsuke#akagi michinari#akaashi keiji#kuroo testuro#fanfiction#maybe#mini fanfic#oneshot#I might upload this on ao3
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Half bird Jean character design sheet wip for a silly little project I'm doing 😋
#artistic nudity#genshin impact#jean gunnhildr#my art#artists on tumblr#digital art#genshin fanart#gi#wip#wont be spoiling too much about what this is for but I'll post the fic when i start uploading it to my ao3#she's based off of the golden eagle (which is also Germany's national bird) 😍#i started this on a cruise and have spent over 24 hours on it. slaying#MIGHT be my peak#eating her up shes so pretty#too bad I'll be giving her irreversible trauma#whump jeanlisa is so real to me just you wait#theyre married btw. but lisa thought she was dead for like 5 years so#yeah#back to wasting away in the shrimp posture for 8 hours straight#ALSO I DONT WANNA HEAR ANYONE SAYING HOW SHE LOOKS LIKE ELSA I WAS WATCHING MOANA WHILE DOING THR LINEART AND I DONT FEEL LIKE FIXING IT#disney curse is real guys dont watch their movies while drawing
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Made some more 'Vivia holding a card that says something' images, this time for fic comments
original post that has a blank version of this in the reblogs
#made these for myself but thought that other ppl might want to use these too#also i think you need to ve able to link an image to put it in a comment on ao3 so I needed to upload these somewhere anyway#rain code#raincode#mdarc#vivia twilight
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so i currently have 1.3k of a 5+1 securitywaiter fic and ness is like,, barely being introduced lmao but should i make it chaptered or upload it as a one-shot?
#im very indecisive#and i also need the validation of people enjoying my writing#also its all outlined but i just keep accidentally writing more than i intended to#so if i wait to upload it as a one shot it might be a while#i think also using criticism as i upload will make other chapters better#idk we'll see#securitywaiter#dreamtheory#mike schmidt#ness fnaf#ness the waiter#mike x ness#fnaf#fnaf movie#kitty tries to write; keyword tries#fanfic#ao3#kitty.twt
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@liauditore Liau I blame you for this my hand slipped and I lost consciousness and when I woke up I have these hamfisted words to bludgeon you with (ilu and your galaxyduo brain)
"Go on get you all out of here!" Pearl exclaimed, politely but insistently shoving people towards the exit. With a lot of mumbling and bumbling, and plenty of stumbling, Mumbo, Bdubs and Pearl managed to usher out the entire mess of people who have gathered for a sleepover at Pearl's. There was to be no sleeping over, since the day had consumed all of them with the sillies and Pearl had a task to complete tomorrow. So much to unpack from the day's activities; she felt completely drained but her heart was full… of something.
The distant slam of Bdubs' awkward trapdoors seemed to provoke a soft bork from Mailbox, interrupting Pearl's relaxing chore of tidying up after the visitors. She had to give him his nightly cuddles, stuffing him full of nonsensical coos and affection to last the lonely night on watch outside.
But it seems someone else was giving Mailbox a fair bit of attention already.
"Hi Scott, still here?"
Scott did not look up from his giving of scritches to Mailbox, who was quite content to sit at attention, looking curiously at this last overstaying visitor.
“I like your new home” he said at last.
Pearl turned around, taking in her measly mound. It was a very well shaped, perfectly-spherical-thank-you-very-much, mound of dirt. Half sunk into the ground with a cherry door. Mumbo seems really proud of her for it.
It wasn't much of a house at all really, by Pearl's critical builder eye. Not safe, whispered the ghost of a girl who built a tower in the sky.
And yet in this mound, in this home dug from the ground, Pearl's ears still rang with the echos of laughter, her eyes had run rivers of mirth, and her heart was full of something.
"It's al'right, I'm working on it" The lilt of her voice seemed to catch, in a throat once hoarse from unuse.
"Lookin' forward to what you'd build here Pearl, I'm sure it'll be something."
"Quite something indeed."
The silence seemed to stretch, like the gulf between the moon and stars, where the void sparkled with an infinite something.
And then, with a quirk of her lips and a tilt of her head, Pearl said "Go on home Scott its getting dark and late", indicating the silhoulette of the cherry canopy in the distance where Gem and the Scotts have made their base; the cherry wood staircases and the homey cottages drenched in the light of the moon's face.
Scott brightened as the tension snapped, straightened and with a laugh off he set,
"It’ll be alright, the moon is full tonight."
#might upload to ao3#kinda scared cos definitely not beta read#nor well formatted#its just a drabble really#and maybe some of the language is a little too purple flowery?#BUT LIAU HAS SEIZED ME WITH INSANITY#AND I MUST RETALIATE#woe be galaxyduo be upon you#pearlescentmoon#scott smajor#galaxyduo
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hey i was thinking about uploading a bunch of my snippets to ao3 for storage/ease of access since tumblr sucks. figured i'd ask yall your preferences before i spam the shit out of you
#im leaning towards all the same + every few days#id put f fc seperately regardless i think. not sure thats ready for ao3 yet#point blank#but yk the rest of it#obv downside to all one fic means it would be relatively untagged#but i dont tag my stuff in a very detailed manner anyway#idk! if u have more in depth thoughts for some reason feel free to comment#ive never had to navigate bringing over a bunch of 500-1500 word drabbles before#i might also separate out my more crackish little drabbles too. though tbh there may not be enough to bother. idk need to review#all of them will have few to no changes#just a quick beta for misspellings#my thought with the upload every few days is yeah it increases the spam (unfortunate) but it does feel a bit fun... nice little treat#both for myself and yall lmao
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Swap Across the CrystalVerse Chapter 22: Many Roads Diverge
Read Swapboys | Crystal’s AUs| Many Roads Diverge
Read SITCV | SATCV Masterpost | AO3 Link
Bro falls in the same way he's fallen before. But somehow, it feels... rougher than it did before. Like he's crashing through thin tree branches while flying through a forest. Eventually, he lands. This is the living room of a house. A big, open-space living room, decorated with dark colors and wooden highlights, with a sofa and a couple chairs and a big flatscreen TV. A grand front entrance sits on one wall, with front windows. To the left of this are archways leading into a kitchen and dining room. To the right is a wall full of windows. Outside the windows is a dark landscape... a forest. Across from the front entrance is the wall with the TV. Also on this wall is a staircase leading upwards, as well as two closed doors.
Bro shakily gets to his feet and looks around in panic. He doesn't care- this isn't a normal jump. He needs to find Alt and Jackie-!
"Alt!! Jackie?!" He yells out in panic, trying to see if there's any hints of them. He looks around the living room a bit before shaking his head and trying to find a way outside.
The front door is locked, but it unlocks from the inside with the turn of the deadbolt. He unlocks the door, and-- He unlocks the door and-- He unlocks the door and-- Okay, that doesn't make sense. He's definitely unlocked the door, but it still feels locked.
Footsteps suddenly rush down the staircase behind him.
"I'm gonna break it down with my fucking fists then!" a voice shouts, and suddenly a man in a red hoodie appears running down the stairs and bolting to the nearest closed door, not even glancing at Bro.
"Jackie you fucking idiot!" Another man runs down the staircase, with neat brown hair and glasses. "Do you even know how to break a door dow--" Unlike the last guy, he sees Bro, and he stops short.
"Yeah, he does!" Two more people come running down the stairs, a man with a mustache wearing a white button-up shirt, and a man wearing an elaborate mostly-black outfit with lots of lace and belts. "He's talked about it before--" The goth one is saying, when he also sees Bro and stops short.
The man with the mustache stares at Bro, eyes wide. You're not supposed to be here, he says in sign language.
"Chase?" asks the one with glasses. "No... wait, no."
"Fucking intruder!" The goth one points.
"Huh?!" The man in the red hoodie turns around. "Wait, holy shit, what?!"
Bro jumps as the red hoodie man runs down the stairs. Then, he meets the goth and man with the glasses's gaze with wide panicked eyes. As the goth one yells he holds up his hands, "W-Wait please I can explain! I... I am Chase but not your Chase! I'm.. I'm from another universe...!"
The four of them all stare at him. Then the one in the hoodie shakes his head. "This isn't the fucking time!" he shouts, shoving his shoulder into the closed doorway.
"Jackie!" The glasses one shouts. "You're going to hurt yourself!"
"Chase might get hurt, Schneep!" Jackie retorts. "If we can't find something to break the door, down, I'm gonna fucking do it myself!"
"Uh--I really think we should deal with the crazy guy claiming to be Chase?" the goth one says, giving Chase a nervous look. "Maybe--maybe he's the guy Chase saw earlier?"
Jackie runs into the door again, causing it to shudder in its frame.
Bro jumps and then furrows his brow in determination and tries to see if he can help Jackie. "I don't have time to dwell on this either! I need to find my brother and my Jackie!"
“Your Jackie?” The goth one repeats. “And your brother? Not a very good imitation of Chase if you have a brother.”
"I'm not trying to be a good impression!" Bro shouts back.
“Marvin, please, this isn’t the time,” Jackie says. He looks back at Bro, stepping aside and allowing him access to the door.
The door easily crumples under Bro’s super strength—though it feels unusually sturdy. Like there’s metal inside the wood.
“Whoa!” Marvin jumps. “How fucking strong are you?!”
Didn’t the door open the other way? the man with the mustache wonders.
As the door breaks he rolls out his shoulder and massages it some, pulling at his recent stab wound. He winces then looks down at the door. "T-That thing was stupidly tough- why do you guys have metal in your door??"
“Th-this isn’t our door!” Schneep protests. “Th-this cabin belongs to a friend of ours. Though—the question still stands. Why is there metal in the basement door?”
Bro stares at the basement and then curses, "This wasn't to outside?! Damnit-!"
Jackie runs through the doorway, staring down the twelve steps to the basement. “Chase?! Chase?! W-we’re coming to get you!”
“This isn’t the time to wonder about metal doors or which way it opens—though JJ is right, that was weird,” Marvin says. “We have to get Chase! Let’s go!”
Bro’s about ready to run towards the front door again but... he hesitates. Something was clearly wrong here- something that happened to another him. He glances at the front door and then takes a deep shuddering breath and whips around to the others, "...what's happening? What happened to Chase? M...Maybe I can help-"
The friends all glance at each other uneasily. Then, JJ raises his hands. We're not fully sure.
"H-he said that he saw someone outside the cabin," Jackie says slowly. "But, uh, that's impossible, we're more than an hour away from anything. We thought he was messing with us... but then he started acting weird... he tried to strangle Marvin, then started freaking out and saying he didn't know what was happening, then he started laughing and ran downstairs..."
Marvin rubs his neck. "Fucking weird."
"Wh-whatever it is, h-he might hurt himself," Schneep says. "We cannot let that happen."
Bro knits his eyebrows together, "...sounds like he could be possessed by something-" He glances at the stairs and then sighs, "Which... I dunno how much help I can be with that but... I've dealt with this before... but god- Alt would be so much better suited here.."
Marvin blinks, leaning forwards a little. "Possession? You mean--like there's a spirit in him?"
"This is not the time for jokes!" Schneep snaps. "Chase could be having a serious breakdown!"
"I-I'm not joking!" Bro yells after Schneep.
"Whatever!" Jackie runs down the steps.
Well, guess we're following him! JJ comments, then runs after him.
When the others start to run Bro has a mental battle with himself. He knows he needs to find Alt and Jackie but!! He's a hero! He can't just leave someone in trouble like this!! Finally he growls to himself and then rushes down the stairs after them.
The stairs end at a hallway lined with doors, two on the left, three on the right. The hallway ends in a big room without any doors.
Jackie is currently staring into the first door on the right. "He's not in here," he reports. "Check the other doors."
Marvin reaches for the first door on the left. "Huh. Locked."
"Chase?" Schneep calls. "Chase?!" No answer.
This is... bizarre. But not much worse than any other universe so far... Bro steps forward and goes to check the first door on the right.
Inside is a room that's almost empty, save for some cardboard boxes and a fuse box on the wall. There's an intercom speaker in one of the corners near the ceiling.
Schneep is trying the second door on the left. It's also locked. JJ skips the middle door on the right and heads for the last one. But that's also locked.
"Chase?!" Jackie calls. "Where are you?! We're worried!" He tries the middle door on the right. Also locked.
"Is this the only one open...?" Bro mumbles to himself and walks into the room. He tries to look around and then calls out, "Umm- Chase? You in here?"
Nothing.
Bro walks back out and frowns in confusion. This is... mega creepy. His instincts are going crazy.
"What the fuck?" Marvin whispers.
"H-he has to be in that big room at the end, then," Jackie says, pointing.
"Chase?!" Schneep calls, rushing down the hallway. Marvin and JJ follow him, and then Jackie-- And as soon as all of them are past the middle door, it opens too quietly for them to hear... but not too quietly for Bro.
Bro catches the sound of the middle door opening and whips back around.
Out walks a man with messy hair tucked beneath a snapback cap. The sleeves of his shirt are rolled up... and in one hand, he clutches a handgun. His eyes land on Bro, looking glazed and cloudy--and he raises the gun and fires.
Bro quickly shouts out, "WATCH OUT!" And ducks before going to try to grab the man- who has to be Chase- by the arm holding the gun and pinning him to the wall. "The fuck are you doing?!"
Chase slams up against the wall, hitting his head, but he shows no reaction. He stares at Bro with that same glazed look.
Jackie's head whips around at the sound of Bro's shout and gunshot. "What the hell?!" he shouts, and rushes over.
JJ, Schneep, and Marvin follow shortly after.
"A gun?!" Schneep gasps. "Where did you get that, Chase?!"
Chase mumbles something. The words run together, hard to make out. Something about... a game? Is he calling for someone?
Bro recognizes that glazed look in his eyes. "...h-he's either being possessed or influenced by something!" Bro tries to get the gun away from his grip.
Chase's fingers twitch weakly, trying to hold onto the weapon, but Bro easily slides it out of his hand.
"Th-this isn't the time for fucking jokes!" Schneep stammers. "Possession?! Wh-what the--"
That feels... right, JJ says slowly. What do we do, then?
"Scuse me." Jackie steps up next to Bro and shakes Chase's shoulders. "Chase? B-bro? Can you hear me?!"
Chase doesn't respond. He's still muttering something. "'m try'n', I c'n.. can' do it... g've it back..."
"Sorry Bro- I don't think its a good idea for you to have this." Bro says as he tucks the gun into his back pocket. He then leans down to get in his field of vision and waves his hand. "I think you should like... have some reaction to this though- the fact that we have the same face, maybe?"
Chase's eyes seem to land on Bro's face for the first time. He blinks slowly. "...huh?" The lights in the basement hallway flicker. Chase shudders as well. "...you're not supposed to be here..."
Jackie blinks. "The fuck? Chase?! What does that mean?!"
No use. Chase has gone back to his blank staring.
"Was he making fun of my accent?" Marvin mutters.
"Surely not," Schneep says.
"Why'd he sound Irish, then? He's American."
Bro stands up straighter as the lights flicker and then narrows his eyes at the ominous warning. " ... yup- definitely something inside him that's not supposed to be. Goddd- I need Alt... he's good with this magic bullshit." He rubs his head like he has a headache.
"There is no magic bullshit!" Schneep protests, his voice cracking a bit.
"Schneep, please," Marvin says. "Can't you open up your mind a little? Like--what the fuck is happening?!"
"Not magic! Do not let your witchcraft blind you to the more reasonable explanations!"
Jackie shakes Chase some more. "Chase! Please! Please!" His voice breaks with desperation.
"...J-Jackie?" Chase whispers. "Why're... you... here... Where's... Sam..." Then he slumps again. His hand raises up absentmindedly, grabbing onto Bro. It's unclear what he's trying to do, but it's probably supposed to be threatening.
Bro blinks in surprise but then grabs Chase's hand and squeezes it. "Hey, dude. I know you don't know me but... if you're like any other Chase I've met... you're stronger than you know. You can break out of this... please- your friends are worried," He tries to whispers encouragingly.
Chase's eyes focus on Bro's hand holding his. Then they drift to Bro's face. Marvin, Schneep, and JJ crowd around Bro, their worried expressions fully in view.
Then, suddenly, something snaps, and Chase gasps. "Wh-what just--what just--Sam?" He looks around. "W-wait, now why would--" And back at Bro. His eyes widen, freaked out. "Who the fuck are you?! What's happening?!"
Chase, JJ signs. Are you okay?
"I--I don't--" Chase shakes his head, more confused than anything.
Bro tries to hold onto Chase and raises his hand, trying to shush hum and calm him down. "H-Hey bro! Deep breaths its okay... you just went through something really freaky- and uh... I'm hard to explain but I'mmmm you? From another universe?" He grins nervously.
"Wh-what the hell?" Chase shakes his head more--and then stops, as his eyes land on something behind all the people around him. He gasps. "N-no! L-leave me alone!"
The others all spin around. "Th-there's nothing there, Chase, d-don't worry," Jackie says.
Bro looks back too and furrows his eyebrows. He then looks back at Chase with worry. "Are you seeing someone, Chase?"
Chase looks at him nervously, then nods. "Th-there's a man. W-wearing black. He's--shut up!" he shouts at that same spot. Then his eyes widen and he tries backing up into the wall. "No! N-no!"
"Maybe--maybe that's the spirit?" Marvin guesses. "There has to be a way to exorcise them!. I-it's going to be okay, Chase."
Do you think those books in the other room might help? JJ asks.
Marvin nods. "Th-they did look like spellbooks... but why would Jack have spellbooks?"
"Who cares! Go look!" Jackie shouts.
Marvin nods. "JJ, come with me! Chase, stay here. I-it'll be fine, I promise!" He and JJ run down the hallway.
Bro looks between Chase and the others as they run down the hallway and looks a bit panicked. "u-uh...! It's okay dude... i-it's gonna be okay!" He fumbles for his phone to see if it has any power left- or the ability to call Alt. ...it's weird... all the usual guys were here... shouldn't the others have shown up here too?
The phone still has power, and he's getting pretty good reception. But as he checks that, something happens. A small slit of blackness opens up on the opposite wall of the hallway. A breeze starts pulling at Bro's clothes.
"...what the fuck is that?" Schneep mutters, staring at it.
Bro’s eyes widen as he feels the breeze and he cries out in panic. “W-What?! Already??”
"A-already?" Chase stammers. "Wh-what do you mean? You see that too? It--" His eyes roll back a little. "It better just take you. I've worked too hard for this."
"Chase... what are you talking about?" Jackie whispers.
Bro looks even more panicked but looks at Chase with dread. “Y-You’re still…!”
Chase smiles a smile that is not his, and lunges for Jackie all of a sudden.
Bro shouts out as Chase lunges for Jackie and gets in between pushing Chase back and putting his arm out to protect Jackie. “I don’t care how hard you’ve worked for this, fucking demon! As long as I’m here you ain’t touching them!”
Chase--or the thing inside him--laughs. "I don't need them specifically," he says. And suddenly there's a knife in his hand. He lunges forward again--
"No!" Schneep's hand shoots out and grabs Chase's arm as he swings the knife.
"Holy shit!" Marvin gasps as he runs down the hallway towards them. Behind him, JJ follows, holding an old book.
The rift gets wider, the breeze pulling at Bro a bit stronger.
Bro jolts back and pushes Jackie behind him more. Bro’s eyes glow slightly as he growls at the thing inside Chase. “You don’t want to fight me, dude. Back down.”
He nervously glances at the rift getting wider- what is he supposed to do about that?! There’s a crazy thing trying to kill these guys!!
Chase's eyes widen slightly, and he laughs. "Alright, fine. Kill this one. I can find another." He tries to punch Schneep with the other hand but Jackie grabs it.
"Since when are you so strong?!" Jackie gasps.
"Guys, there's something in here that might help!" Marvin says, pointing at the book JJ's holding. JJ passes it to him. "I-I just have to read it out loud."
Chase's eyes widen. "What is that?" hisses the thing. "Where did you get that?!" He lunges again, managing to break free of Schneep's grip, but Jackie pulls him back.
"Stranger Chase, help!" Jackie gasps.
The lights flicker. Even in the moment of pitch black, the rift is darker.
Bro is caught between two worries- the rift’s pull ever present. But… he can’t ignore a cry for help!
Bro grits his teeth to determination and tries to pin Chase up against the wall.”Start reading then!” He shouts at Marvin.
Chase shrieks an unnatural shriek and struggles against Bro. The hallway lights go out, so JJ pulls out his phone and shines the flashlight on the pages as Marvin reads something in Irish.
Chase tries to stab Bro but Jackie grabs his arm and pries the knife free.
Soon, Chase's struggles become less like actual fighting against Bro and more random spasms, the creature reacting to the incantation.
“I-I think it’s working!” Bro whispers excitedly, loosening up his grip a bit.
Abruptly, everything stops and Chase goes limp. The lights turn back on again--just in time to show the black smoke pouring out of Chase's mouth. Smoke that forms a rough humanoid figure, with green glowing eyes that glare at Bro with malice.
Bro backs up as he stares at the smoke with wide eyes. “H-Holy fucking shit..!” He breathes.
The figure reaches for him... and then dissipates. Chase slumps forward, and Jackie quickly grabs him. "Hey. Hey! Ch-Chase, are you okay?!" he asks.
Chase groans. "Oww..."
Bro takes a second to breathe and then goes to check Chase over, “Are you hurt?”
"Everything hurts," he groans. "Muscles... all over."
"M-maybe you were holding him too tight?" Schneep suggests.
“O-Oh sorry I… I didn’t know-“ Bro says guiltily.
JJ sighs. I'm just glad you're okay, Chase.
"It does feel... lighter, somehow," Chase says.
The rift widens. Its pull is almost irresistible for Bro--though, once again, the people from this world seem less affected.
Bro yelps as he feels the pull of the rift even more. He nervously glances at it as he digs his heels in. He then tries to smile at the others. “I.. I’m glad I could help- I hope that thing will leave you all alone now!”
"Y-yeah." Jackie nods slowly. "Um... thanks."
"I am not sure what happened here," Henrik mutters.
"I think it's gone, though," Marvin says.
"Thanks," Chase breathes.
JJ looks him straight in the eye. Good luck.
And then the pull becomes too much.
Bro tries to smile at them all before he’s pulled into the rift.
----------
Jackie's fall is rough. He's not as well traveled through the multiverse as Bro and Alt are, but he knows this isn't normal. When he lands, he lands hard.
Jackie yells out as he falls and groans loudly, holding himself. “Ow ow ow what the fuck?!!”
This is the living room of a house. A big, open-space living room, decorated with dark colors and wooden highlights, with a sofa and a couple chairs and a big flatscreen TV. A grand front entrance--
Someone rushes up to Jackie and tries to punch him in the face.
Jackie yelps and manages to push himself up and back and jumps over some furniture to get away from whoever attacked him. “Um??? Hello??!”
"Whoa whoa whoa hey man!" Another man appears, wrestling his attacker back and giving Jackie time to take them in.
The attacker is a man with a mustache in a bloodstained white shirt, and the one holding him back is a man wearing a snapback cap and a bloodstained gray shirt. "W-we can't just smack him!" the cap man says.
The mustache man continues to struggle, looking at Jackie with glaring anger.
Jackie backs up and puts his hands up with a very confused expression. “…I feel like I missed a couple chapters here uh-what’s happening?! Why are we trying to smack me??”
"Ah, um--S-sorry, Jackie, I know you don't--wait a minute." The man in the cap blinks. "What happened to your face? Why's there shit on it?" He gives Jackie a once-over. "Are you... Jackie? Jackie Mann?"
Of course he is! the man with the mustache signs.
"N-no, wait, he... looks different... a bit."
“Uhhh yes I am- but um- jeez im not used to them having the same last name as me.” Jackie ruffles his hair awkwardly. “I’m Jackie Mann but probably not the one you know? I’m from another universe-“ He then pulls at his face and grumbles, “I need to find a mirror I can’t believe this stuff is still on- imma kill my kids-“
"I-I... um..." The man with the cap blinks. "W-well... I'm... Chase. This is... JJ..."
JJ glares at Jackie.
"I, uh... S-sorry, I'm having difficulty processing this."
JJ flips Jackie off.
“Y-Yeah uh… nice to meet ya-“ Jackie starts then blinks in surprise as JJ flips him off. “Woah uh- okay haven’t seen a jj do that yet I think-“
"Jays!" Chase smacks his hand. "Look--this guy is wearing different clothes than Jackie--Jackie wouldn't even own that shirt, he has enough stupid pan pun shirts as it is! H-he's different! Whatever's going on, he's different! He doesn't kn-know anything!"
JJ glares for a moment more... then slumps in Chase's arms, anger replaced by sadness. Sorry, he signs. I'm not even really mad at the Jackie we know.
Jackie takes the other two in and then it dawns on him that the red on their shirts aren’t some pattern they’re- “wait h-holy shit are you guys bleeding?!”
Chase winces. "N-no... i-it's not our blood, it's... O-our friend was..." Tears well in his eyes. "W-we need to get out of here. We--I-I don't know how you ended up in here, but we need to get out of here."
JJ heads over to the room's front entrance and tries opening the door. It doesn't open. He tries shaking the doorknob, pushing the door at the same time, but it doesn't open. He leans his forehead against the wooden door.
Jackie’s eyes widen, “o…oh…” he breathes, looking freaked out and worried for them. “What.. what ha..happened?”
Chase shakes his head. "I-I don't know. Jackie--our Jackie--said that he saw a ghost, a-and things just... spiraled from there... our two other friends are... gone..." Chase trails off, a haunted look in his eyes.
JJ looks back at Jackieboy. That ghost must have done it. He's using our Jackie.
Jackieboy’s stomach drops. “H-Holy shit I.. I’m so so sorry…” He looks around the cabin and then tries to see if he can get through any of the windows. “L-Let’s try to get you guys out of here then! Have- have you called the police?”
"Tried," Chase says shortly. "But the call wouldn't go through. Not because of lack of reception, it just... wouldn't go through. I got some freaky whispers, and nothing else."
The windows here don't seem to open.
I swear they had locks, JJ says. I swear you could open them.
"We gotta break them, then," Chase says decisively.
And that's when they hear the footsteps.
Jackie stiffens as he hears the footsteps and then looks around for something heavy. “Breaking them it is!” He shouts with a bit of panic.
There's not a lot of loose items around that look heavy enough to break glass but light enough to throw. There are some video game consoles attached to the TV, a lamp on a side table, an old-looking clock on that same table.
Chase picks up the lamp, forgets to unplug it, and trips over the power cord. "AH SHIT--!"
The footsteps are coming from behind a closed door. The doorknob rattles. "...guys?" A voice calls. "G-guys, the--the door is locked."
That voice... it sounds so much like Jackie's own.
Jackieboy swallows shakily as he hears his voice behind the door. He hurries and fumbles to grab the clock and then tried to chuck it at the window.
The clock bounces back with a loud THUD. He must not have used enough force. That must be it, right?
“What the—guys?!” The doorknob rattles some more. “Are you okay?!”
Chase hesitates. “Maybe we should listen to him…”
Are you crazy?! JJ signs violently. After all that?!
“If he killed your friends then we should not listen to him!” Jackie hisses as he picks up the clock to try again- this time harder.
“I mean—there has to be something more going on—” Chase says.
“Dude if a fucker kills your friends don’t trust them!!” Jackieboy says.
CRASH! The clock goes through the window, shattering it.
“Guys?!” The voice behind the door shouts in distress. The handle rattles some more—and suddenly the door opens, and out falls a man in a bloody red hoodie with a very familiar face. He looks at Jackieboy, confused. “What the…” Then he notices Chase staring at him and JJ clearing the more dangerous-looking glass shards from the window frame. “Wait! Guys! Don’t leave without me!” He scrambles to his feet and rushes over.
Jackieboy freezes as he sees the other Jackie and then grabs Chase and pushes him towards the window. “Go!” He then grabs the lamp Chase tried to grab earlier, rips it out to unplug it then points it out towards the other Jackie to keep him back. “N-Not another step closer, bitch!”
The other Jackie skids to a halt. “Wh-who the fuck are you?!” He shouts. “Guys?! Chase, JJ?! Th-that’s not me!”
“W-we know,” Chase stammers. JJ is already climbing through the window.
“Then what the fuck are you doing?! I can’t walk all the way back to the city in the dark!”
“Jackie, I-I’m sorry, but I just don’t think we can trust you,” Chase says, backing up. “Just—just stay here for the night. We’ll be back.”
“I’m not staying here with the ghost that killed Schneep and Marvin!” Jackie shouts, panicking.
JJ, outside, looks back through the window. That wasn’t a ghost, he says.
“What?! G-guys, I—I d-don’t know what’s going on.” Jackie shakes his head, clearly distressed.
Jackieboy slowly lowers the lamp, looking conflicted. “Hey dude I… I’m sorry but… i-I don’t know much about this stuff but… maybe that ghost like.. took you over?” He shakes his head, “Which means you’re dangerous I… I’m sorry-“ he looks back towards Chase and points, “Go! I… I can try to hold him off… I… I think-“
“Took me over…?” Jackie repeats. “But… when would… I mean, maybe that wire… I did wake up somewhere else…”
As Jackie muses, Chase climbs through the window, giving him one last apologetic look before running off.
Jackie makes no move to attack. He looks troubled. “But—that would mean I—I was the one to—” He looks a bit sick. “B-but I’d never! I—Th-they’re my friends—were my friends, I wouldn’t—”
“I’m sorry…” Jackieboy says sincerely, “I know you probably didn’t want to.., I’m so so sorry.”
Jackie finally focuses on Jackieboy again. “Wh-who are you…? How did you get here?” He whispers.
Jackieboy sets down the lamp once he’s sure he’s not in danger. “I’m you from another world- and … I’m not sure? There were these rips and-“
Suddenly, loud sounds come from an archway—it must lead into the kitchen because it sounds like lots of cabinet doors opening and slamming closed. The lights flicker and go out, but the TV turns on, revealing just static as the furniture in the living room starts to grind against the floor and move towards the two Jackies. And right in front of the front door, a small black rip appears out of nowhere.
Jackieboy squeals in fright as all the lights go out and all the furniture starts to move- and noticing the black rip. “Okay now what the fuck is going on?! Ghost if you’re there- q-quit it!”
The static from the TV increases in volume. Jackie covers his ears. And outside, the clock that Jackieboy had thrown through the window suddenly comes flying back, aiming directly for the Jackie from this world.
Jackieboy winces and then sees the clock flying towards Jackie and yells out and grabs the lamp again to knock it back like a baseball pitch. “T-The fuck?!”
Jackie stumbles backwards in shock. He laugh a little. “Th-that was cool, what you just did, but—A-anyway, th-this must be the—”
Jackieboy laughs in that nervous freaked out way, his hands shaking. “T-Thanks I wasn’t even thinking just-“
The lamp’s power cord suddenly writhes, lashing out at both of the Jackies like a whip.
Jackieboy yells out as the power cord writhes and throws the lamp as far as he can away and backs up towards the door. “T-This is too weird for me!! C-Chase?! Alt?! Are you around here?!?” He shouts towards the empty house.
Jackie ducks the power cord. “Who are you talking to?! Chase just left!”
“Not that Chase- my Chase! Bro Fantastic!” Jackieboy yells back.
There’s no answer. But the rift does get a bit bigger, its pull on Jackieboy increasing.
“Fuck it!” Jackie shouts. “E-even if Chase and JJ left, it’s gotta be better outside than in here!” He grabs the window ledge and starts to pull himself out, but the power cord wraps around his ankle and pulls him back. “What the fuck?!”
Jackieboy backs up more- more towards the door than the window before he feels the rift’s pull and he tries to go back towards the window. “What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck? What do I do?!”
“Help!” Jackie kicks at the power cord.
Jackieboy shocks out of his freak out and notices the power cord around his other self. “S-Shit!” He digs around in his pocket and finds Alt’s pocket knife again. He thanks his lucky stars he still has it then rushes towards the power cord and tries to cut through it-
It takes a while, during which the power cord keeps trying to wrap around Jackieboy’s hand. Thank god the cord is unplugged or he would’ve been shocked a million times.
Jackieboy sweats and grits his teeth as he works through the cord.
Eventually, the cord is cut, and Jackie tumbles out the broken window and onto the ground outside. He pops up again, staring at Jackieboy with wide eyes. “H-hey! Get out of there!”
But the pull of the rift has grown inescapable while Jackieboy worked on cutting through the cord.
Once Jackie is free Jackieboy laughs and stumbles to his feet, only to yell out as he’s pulled towards the rift. He looks at his other self with wide eyes and looks scared. “I-I’m sorry!” He yells before the rift sucks him in.
Jackie stares with wide eyes. He tries to reach out, but he’s not fast enough.
The other him is gone.
—————
Magnificent falls through a rough, rippling darkness, until he finally lands somewhere else. This is the living room of a house. A big, open-space living room, decorated with dark colors and wooden highlights, with a sofa and a couple chairs and a big flatscreen TV. A grand front entrance sits on one wall, with front windows. To the left of this are archways leading into a kitchen and dining room. To the right is a wall full of windows. Outside the windows is an evening landscape... a forest.
“What the fuck?!” A man in a red hoodie suddenly jumps to his feet. On the sofa, two other men—one in a cap, one with a mustache—turn around. “Am I crazy, or did that guy just pop out of nowhere?!”
Magnificent groans as he lands on the ground, his vision dizzying and unable to focus. He sees the red hoodie bright in his vision and through his weakened state- he tries to reach out. “J…Jackie…”
“Y-yeah?” Jackie stammers. “Who are you?!”
“Holy shit he’s bleeding!” The man in the cap gasps. “Schneep!”
A man in glasses rushes out of the archway leading to the kitchen. He gasps. “Marvin?! Wait, no, wh-what the hell?!”
He’s not supposed to be here, the man with the mustache says.
“Well he’s bleeding, we gotta do something!” the man in the cap says. “There has to be a first aid kit somewhere in here!”
Magnificent growls a bit at all the noise and the rushing around. He dazedly sees if there’s any magic or power here but… it’s so hard to concentrate. That fucker Anti drained him of almost everything he had. It’s a miracle he’s still alive… but maybe he did that just to torture him.
As the others rush around and wonder about what the hell is going on, Magnificent reaches out, and feels some source of power… below the ground? A basement of some kind? There also seems to be faint energy all over, but it’s hard to reach, and not enough to do much of anything for him anyway.
“Don’t move him,” Schneep is saying. “You shouldn’t move someone who’s been injured this much unless necessary. JJ, if you really want to go check on Marvin, go ahead.”
“No, wait, I’ll go with you, Jays,” Chase says.
“Hey.” Jackie crouches down in front of Magnificent. “Who are you? How’d you get out here?”
Magnificent feels the power beneath him and he feels that deep aching hunger overwhelm him so much it hurts. He doesn’t have a lot magic left- can he even teleport down there? He’s snapped out of his thoughts by Jackie crouching down in front of him. He narrows his eyes and bares his fangs a bit and croaks out, “M-Magnificent… I… don’t know… big hole- a..a rift-“
"...huh?" Jackie blinks, confused. He backs up, wary. "Wh-why do you have fucking fangs?"
“Cuz I like em-“ Mag growls dazedly.
"Don't be judgmental, Jackie," Schneep mutters. "Some people like changing their appearance."
"Schneep, this guy literally popped in here out of nowhere, isn't that weird?"
"Yes... but I am a doctor and this man is hurt, I should not let my opinions get in the way. Hand me the bag."
Jackie still looks unsure, but he passes Schneep a red bad--the group must've found a first aid kit while Mag was spacing out. Schneep opens it up and starts rummaging inside.
"I'll... go get those wet cloths you mentioned earlier," Jackie mutters, going into the kitchen.
Magnificent studies Schneep through his dizzying vision as he feels that pull of power tugging in his gut. Impossible to ignore. But- he also can’t let himself bleed out- which he unfortunately can still do. So he stays still and lets the doctor do what he must.
"What the fuck caused these wounds?" Schneep mutters. "They are so deep but so narrow..."
“Razor sharp playing cards made of metal…” Magnificent grunts.
"What? Were you fighting Gambit from X-Men?" Jackie raises an eyebrow as he returns.
"Jackie, please, I must focus," Schneep says.
Schneep starts to cleans Mag's wounds. They're too narrow to pack, and there's nothing to suture them with in the first aid kit, so Schneep settles for wrapping them very tightly.
"We need to call an ambulance," he says. "Jackie?"
"On it." Jackie reaches into his hoodie pocket and pulls out his phone.
Footsteps approach from the basement staircase. That magical signature is getting closer... and, actually, it feels like there are two. A lighter, smaller current underneath a heavy weight of something dark.
Mag bites back any noise of pain that threatens to come from his lips as Schneep works on him. Then, he feels the signature coming closer and struggles to pull himself up, eagerly looking towards the door.
Chase and JJ come up from the basement. With them is a man wearing a black outfit with lots of lace and belts. His face is very familiar to Magnificent--and vice versa.
"Wh-what the fuck?" Marvin gasps. "That's--that's me?"
"No, he's not you," Chase says. "I mean--the eyes and the scars--"
"Look under that, he fucking looks like me!" Marvin insists.
Magnificent grins, that mad light of his coming back to his eyes. “Of course it’s coming from you…!” He giggles breathlessly. In a last ditch effort he teleports over to Marvin and tries to grab him.
Marvin yelps as Mag suddenly appears in front of him and smacks his hands away with a book he's holding. "What the fuck? What the fuck?!"
"Hey!" Chase lunges for Mag, trying to grab him. "What the hell are you doing?!"
"Did he just--what?!" Schneep gasps.
Magnificent snarls and is more focused on trying to grab Marvin as he dives for him again. “Give me… your magic!” he screeches- but he’s pulled away by Chase and he screams in anger and desperately tries to get out by biting Chase’s arm.
"Magic?!" Chase says, confused.
"Hey!" Jackie lunges across the room and pulls Mag back before he bites Chase. "What the fuck?!"
Witchcraft? JJ signs, glancing back at Marvin.
"I--y-yeah, I assume that's what he means," Marvin stammers. "He just--how did he--" He shakes his head... and Mag feels something shift, the dark power growing a bit stronger over the lighter current. "I don't know what's going on, but he's clearly dangerous. We have to lock him up somewhere!"
Magnificent snarls in feral rage as he’s pulled away more. He looks to Marvin, looking desperate. “I-I just need a taste of your magic- I can give you anything else in return!” He begs.
"What the hell is wrong with this guy?!" Jackie gasps.
Marvin's expression softens slightly. "Wait... hold on, I... I think he's just scared."
Marvin, you can't be taking this seriously, JJ says. He just tried to attack you!
"Maybe we're just misunderstanding this." Marvin steps closer, leaning in close to Magnificent... and his blue eyes darken to black. He whispers in a voice too quiet for the others to hear, "Help me kill these four and I will give you what you need."
Magnificent stills and then grins, wide and manic. He whispers back, “I need only a taste and I can do that with ease…”
Marvin--or... whatever this is--nods slightly. "It's a deal."
A breeze flickers through the room. He leans back, eyes returning to normal. "Yeah, I think this is just a big mistake," Marvin says... casually holding his hand out to Magnificent. "It'll be fine."
Magnificent quickly takes Marvin’s hand and smiles. “Yes. It will be.”
Once they make contact- Mag tries to take as much power as the other will allow.
The magic that flows into him is dark, similar to his own black magic, converting quickly to power he can use and giving him a jolt of energy.
"I don't trust this," Jackie mutters. "Marvin, are you sure?"
"I'm not gonna let go of him," Chase says. "Not until he explains what the hell is going on!"
JJ's eyes narrow as he looks at Marvin and Mag's clasped hands. Then they widen. Chase, Jackie, get away!
Magnificent grins wide, his eyes glowing with power. He teleports out of Chase’s grip then tries to slash his claws across his throat.
Chase screams and stumbles back, bleeding slashes across his neck.
"Chase!" Schneep gasps, rushing over and catching him as he falls. "H-hold on!"
"What the fuck?!" Jackie goes pale. He lunges for Magnificent, pulling back a fist to punch him.
JJ runs around Mag and Marvin to the first aid kit on the floor.
Marvin just... stands there. It could be excused as shock... but Mag knows better.
Magnificent laughs crazily as he sees Chase fall- then his head snaps to the side as Jackie easily punches him in the face. He falls to the ground then snarls, eyes snapping towards Jackie. He grins and wipes at his face before teleporting and trying to tackle Jackie to the ground, hands reaching for his throat.
Jackie jumps backwards, stumbling, barely avoiding Mag's attack. "I knew it! I fucking knew something was wrong with you!" he shouts. He looks around, and grabs a lamp from a table, swinging it for Magnificent. And while he does that, a slight black rip opens up in the middle of the living room.
Marvin looks towards it, confused. "That's... not supposed to be there," he--or the thing inside him--whispers under his breath.
Magnificent yells out as the lamp hits him and he staggers back. He growls darkly and whips out his hand, sending green fire towards Jackie and the floor. He’ll burn down the whole house if he has to!
He stills as he sees the rip open in the middle and he gasps, staggering back. “The rift-!”
Jackie glances towards the rift, momentarily distracted. JJ does as well, but Schneep is too focused on trying to stem Chase's bleeding to do so.
"Wh-what is that?" Jackie stammers.
Whatever it is, it gets slightly bigger, pulling at Magnificent, a breeze tugging on his clothes.
“No! I’m not done yet!” Magnificent snarls at the rift- then dives for the nearest person, aiming to impale Jackie with his claws.
Jackie screams, pushed to the ground and suddenly bleeding from his stomach.
"Jackie!" Schneep shrieks, staring at him in shock.
JJ stands up and rushes over, starting to kick Mag off Jackie.
Magnificent gets kicked off and he growls and tries to grab JJ’s leg and sends fire up his leg.
JJ lets out a hoarse shriek and scrambles backwards, flailing on the ground to put the flames out. The rift is slowly pulling Magnificent across the ground.
"I think your time here is coming to an end," Marvin mutters.
Magnificent cries out and tries to dig his claws into the ground to stop himself. “I thought you wanted my help!” He snarls at Marvin, “so- help me!”
"H-huh?" Schneep looks up. "M... Marvin?"
Marvin looks towards him, eyes turning black again, and grins. "Who?"
Schneep goes pale. Jackie starts to cry out but stops, wincing in pain. JJ tries to get to his feet but collapses from the damage done to his leg.
"I'll try, but I don't think there's much I can do." 'Marvin' walks over to Mag and grabs him by the wrist, pulling... but the rift is stronger.
Magnificent desperately reaches out towards Marvin and as soon as they touch, mag digs his claws in and tries to grab more power, even as the rift pulls him. “Then I’ll have to take what I can get!” He laughs madly.
Marvin's eyes widen--and the black in them flickers as Mag drains dark power from the creature inside him. Marvin lets go in instinctive shock, and Magnificent gets pulled into the rift.
-----------
Alt tumbles through the darkness, landing roughly in another place. This is the living room of a house. A big, open-space living room, decorated with dark colors and wooden highlights, with a sofa and a couple chairs and a big flatscreen TV. A grand front entrance sits on one wall, with front windows. To the left of this are archways leading into a kitchen and dining room. To the right is a wall full of windows. Outside the windows is an evening landscape... a forest. Across from the front entrance is the wall with the TV. Also on this wall is a staircase leading upwards, as well as two closed doors.
Alt oofs quietly as he falls and shakes out his head and then quickly glitches to his feet in panic. “C-Chase?! Jackie??” He calls out, trying to look for any sign of them.
There's no sign of his friends, or even Magnificent.
But then, outside, he hears the rush of running footsteps. Someone pulls open the front door and four people pile in. A man wearing black and a man with a mustache are supporting a man in a blue T-shirt between them, his head lolling. With them is a man in a cap, bleeding from a spot on his shoulder, his hands also covered in blood. They all stop in unison when they see Alt.
"Um--what the fuck?!" the man in the cap gasps. "H-how did he get back here before we did?!"
"N-no, it's a different guy, I think," the man in black says. "Hey! We've called the police! You can't--can't f-fucking do anything!" His anger is thinly hiding his fear.
Alt glitches back in fear as the others burst in. He’s holds up his hands, looking just as scared as they do. “I-Im sorry I.. I don’t know why I’m h-here or how I got here I… I just- I need to-“ oh god he’s having a panic attack.
"Oh, I, um--s-s-sorry?" The man in the cap stammers. "C-calm down. I mean--don't calm down too much, because th-this--"
"Can you come upstairs with us?" the man in black says. "I-it'll be safer up there, I think. JJ, grab the medkit, I got Jackie."
The man with the mustache nods--obviously JJ--and rushes to the living room coffee table, where he gathers up supplies and puts them in a red bag there. He also grabs a red hoodie lying nearby.
"I-it's gonna be okay," the man in the cap says to Alt, giving him a pained smile--pained because he's obviously bleeding. "We called the police. We just have to find somewhere safe. T-take deep breaths, stranger. Wh-what's your name?"
Alt shakily nods to the man in black and then really takes in the fact that they’re injured. “O-Oh shit uh o-okay… I… I’m Alt.” He glances up at the stairs and then starts towards them, “w-what’s happening? You- you guys are h-hurt-“
"N-nice to meet you, Alt," the man in the cap says, trying to sound calm. "I'm Chase, this is Marvin, Jackie, and JJ. W-we're hurt because--"
"Because some crazy guy broke into the cabin and is trying to kill us!" Marvin blurts out.
“W-What?!” Alt breathes in disbelief.
"That's not going to help him!" Chase says, head snapping over to Marvin.
"Well this is an urgent situation!" Marvin snaps back. "W-we have to get upstairs! Jackie needs to lay down!"
Alt then looks around and starts grabbing who he can and making sure they’re all linked up, “l-listen this is probably weird but I have magic! I can get us upstairs somewhere safe if you guys just picture it!”
"Wh-what?" Chase blinks. "O-okay, um--"
Alt then closes his eyes and tries to glitch all of them upstairs.
And then they glitch, appearing in a bedroom with a bed in the middle, decorated much in the style of the living room downstairs but. There's a suitcase at the foot of the bed.
"What?!" Marvin gasps. "This is the room I called!" He looks over at Alt, surprised--and a bit excited. "You really do have magic!"
Alt feels himself sway for a second but he’s able to stay upright and he shakes his head to refocus. He smiles tightly at Marvin and gives a nervous laugh, “y-yeah I’m a magician…”
Put Jackie on the bed, JJ says.
"Y-yeah, of course."
"Put him on his side, that's supposed to be good for this sort of thing," Chase says.
Marvin lays Jackie down on the bed, putting him on his side. Alt can see blood staining the back of his shirt.
JJ puts the red hoodie on the bed next to Jackie, and he reaches out and grabs it. Then JJ sets the medical kit down on the desk in the room and hurries over to close the door.
Alt walks slowly over to Jackie and frowns as he sees the wound. He hovers a hand over it. “I… I might be able to heal him and.. and maybe Chase too-“
"Heal him? With magic?" Marvin's eyes light up. "I mean--"
"A-are you sure?" Chase asks nervously. "I'd be okay with you t-trying on me, but... Jackie's hurt pretty bad."
JJ stares at Alt curiously. I don't think you're supposed to be here... but since you are anyway, I think it'd be very helpful.
"And since Jackie's hurt worse, shouldn't he be healed first?" Marvin argues.
"Y-yeah, but... if something goes wrong..." Chase trails off. "W-well... if you guys want him to try, he can try. But I think we need to unpack the wound first. Don't want him to heal with that in him."
"I can do that," Marvin says, rolling up Jackie's shirt to show the bandages underneath, which he starts undoing.
“Y-Yeah good idea…” Alt looks through his bag and finds his still charged iPad. Hesitates then starts to drain the energy from it to make sure he’s fueled up enough. He has to be careful with healing… if this wound was so bad he could really drain himself too much.
"There's blood getting all over the blankets," Marvin mutters as he undos everything they just did. "Hope Jack doesn't mind."
Chase laughs. "I think Jack would be more concerned that one of his friends died!"
Marvin flinches. "Don't remind me." He looks over at Alt. "Alright. Go ahead and try."
Alt nods and goes over to Jackie’s back and hovers a hand over the wound. He traces a healing rune in the air above the wound and mutters something in Gaelic. His hovering hand glows blue and his eyes glow and he lightly presses the light against Jackie’s back. He presses more magic into it and soon enough- the magic starts to stitch together the ripped muscles and skin- closing up the wound and leaving only a faint scar behind. It’s not perfect- but it looks like how the wound would look after weeks of healing. He steps away and the glowing stops and he leans back, breathing heavily. “T-There…”
Jackie's eyes flutter. "Wh.. wha...?"
"Jackie!" Chase gasps, rushing forward. He starts to hug him but then thinks better of it and stops. "Y-you're okay!"
"I... what... happened?" he mutters.
"You really are magic!" Marvin grins at Alt. "That's so--!"
Alt smiles and laughs a little. “Yup- h-here Chase I think I can-“
Suddenly, JJ makes a shushing noise. His face has gone pale. And in the silence that follows... heavy footsteps can be heard in the hallway, stopping right outside the closed door.
Alt freezes as JJ shushes them and goes still- staring at the door with wide eyes.
The door handle rattles. And when it doesn't turn, something scrapes against the wood... and then SLAMS against it.
JJ jumps. What do we do?! he asks.
Alt hesitates then glitches forward and puts a hand out. He signs to the others, Get behind me or hide! Then he glares at the door, ready to blast whoever bursts through.
The door shakes in its hinges. Marvin, JJ, and Chase all crowd behind Alt.
JJ grabs the medical kit and hurriedly starts wrapping up the wounds on Chase's hands.
SLAMSLAMSLAMSLAMSLAM-- The door bursts open and a man runs in, weilding a knife and wearing a surgical mask. He seems to hesitate for a moment seeing Alt, confused.
Even though he hesitates- Alt doesn't. He immediately shoots out some lightning at him, yelling out, "BACK OFF!"
The bolt hits the man dead in the chest, shooting him back out the open door. He falls to the floor, jittering slightly.
And then Chase gasps. "Wait! SCHNEEP?!"
Marvin pushes past Alt and rushes forward, grabbing the man. He pulls the surgical mask away from his face, revealing his face. "Schneep!" he gasps.
Alt's eyes widen and he lowers his arm, "W-What?! I.. J-Jesus I'm so sorry-!"
Marvin drags Schneep into the room. "Schneep, h-how are you alive?!" he gasps. "We--we saw you--th-there was so much blood--how?!"
Schneep is still shivering slightly. He looks at Alt. "What... did you do...?" he croaks out. "H-he has gone silent..."
"Schneep, a-are you okay?" Chase asks.
JJ kneels next to him, checking him over.
Jackie sits up. "Guys... Schneep... h-he was the one who..." he mumbles, trailing off.
Alt looks at Schneep confused- then back at Jackie, the gears turning in his head. "I... w-what's happening? You guys thought Schneep was dead and then... Jackie- are you saying Schneep attacked you?!"
Jackie nods slowly.
Schneep wouldn't do that! JJ protests. He looks at Schneep. But...
Schneep clutches his head, still shuddering. "Th-there is--s-s-someone--" he gasps out. "I-I cannot--but he is--he is quieter n-now--"
"Is this... more of your brain stuff?" Chase asks gently.
Marvin looks at Alt. "Or is it... maybe something more?"
Alt looks at Schneep and his mannerisms and feels his stomach drops. "I... I think he might be... p-possessed or... or maybe mind controlled?"
"Possessed?" Chase repeats. He frowns. "I-I wouldn't believe you if I didn't just see you heal Jackie like that."
"Y-you have to take this chance," Schneep gasps. "You must--must run, I--b-before he becomes strong again--Downstairs, m-maybe there is something downstairs--"
"In the basement?" Marvin asks.
"I... I can go check for you all-" Alt says, "I'm pretty fast...?"
"I--yeah, sure, I guess?" Chase stammers.
"What about Schneep?" Marvin asks.
"You must run!" Schneep repeats. He gasps and doubles over, trembling. "H-he is awake-ing!"
We'll get out of the room, at least, JJ says.
Chase nods. He grabs Jackie, helping pull him up. "Sorry, Schneep."
"Go!" Schneep shouts.
Alt stiffens and then uses his magic to put a shield around Schneep. "Y-You heard him! run! I'll try to hold him!"
The group nods, and rushes out of the room.
"Basement, basement, basement," Marvin repeats under his breath as they disappear down the hall.
Schneep shudders, pulling at his hair. "I-I do not know who you are, but--but thank you," he whispers.
Alt looks at Schneep sympathetically and kneels down by the shield, "...I'm a friend. My name is Alt and... I.. I know what it's like to go through something like this... you don't have to face it alone, okay?"
Schneep looks up at him and nods. "Alt... th-thank you. Thank you." He looks down again, hugging himself and rocking back and forth. And behind him, a small black rip opens up in the bedroom.
Alt looks at Schneep with worry and shakes it head. "It's no problem... I'm sure we can find a way to fix this, okay?" He flinches as he feels the slight breeze and looks back towards the rip and stumbles back. "W-What??"
Schneep doesn't answer. He continues to shake, his whole body trembling--until he suddenly stops. His head snaps up, a sudden look of anger on his face, and he throws himself at the shield.
Alt yelps and scoots away from the shield to look at schneep with wide eyes, "S-Schneep?!"
"You little bitch!" Schneep shouts--but it's clearly not him. His voice is different; the accent has changed. His fists pound against the shield. "Where did you come from?! You're ruining everything! It's all going to damn hell because of you and this stupid fucking psycho and his terrible fit!"
Alt cringes away from the shouting and then glares at not-Schneep. "Good! I'm glad I'm ruining everything! You shouldn't be possessing Schneep anyways!"
A cruel, dark laugh comes from Schneep's mouth. "I didn't choose him! He was just the first! I bet any of the others would've been a good fit!" He throws Schneep's body at the shield again, bouncing back, then grins at Alt. "Even you would have been good."
The rip in the world behind Schneep grows bigger...and Alt starts to feel its pull.
The shield is starting to crack- and Alt tries to scramble away with wide terrified eyes- then feels the rip pulling him closer. He panics trying to stop the pull with his feet. "N-No! No!"
The thing possessing Schneep bares his teeth at him in a sadistic smile. Then... he notices the way Alt's clothes are moving, and looks confused. He looks behind himself and sees the rift. "What?" he breathes, momentarily distracted by his confusion. Then his head snaps back to Alt, angrily. "What have you done?!"
"I-I didn't do this!" Alt argues, "S-Some fucker broke our device and i-is making rifts in other universes-!" He tries to dig his nails into the floor to stop the pull. "I-I don't know what's going on..!"
The thing laughs. "Well, looks like you won't be t-trouble for m-me much longer."
Schneep's arms twitch. His expression breaks into wide-eyed fear. "A-A-Alt?"
Footsteps come from down the hallway. "Schneep?!" Jackie's voice shouts. "A-are you still here?!"
Alt looks back at Schneep and then hesitates before he drops the shield. He breathes out, "H-Hey... y-you're gonna be okay, okay? I'm s-sure the others found something to help you and ... t-this can be over soon!"
"O-o-okay," Schneep breathes. "I-I will... h-hold on for them."
Alt smiles and nods, "G-Good..."
"Schneep!" Marvin bursts into the room, holding an old-looking book with a cracked leather cover. On it, Alt can see the faint image of an eye surrounded by Celtic-knot type designs.
"What the fuck?!" Marvin skids to a halt. Chase, JJ, and Jackie appear behind him.
The pull of the rift is almost irresistible.
Alt looks at the others and he looks scared but he tries to smile for them too. "H-Hey you found something huh? G-Good... you all can save Schneep then...!" He clambers to try to resist the pull but he knows he can't fight it for much longer. He looks at the others and swallows shakily. "D-Don't let him feel alone... okay?"
Marvin hesitates, then nods. "O-okay. We won't. Never!" He opens up the book.
"We'll take care of this," Chase says.
JJ looks directly at Alt. Good luck.
And then the pull becomes too much.
Alt smiles and nods to them before the rift pulls him completely through.
#SATCV#SATCV MRD#manyroadsdiverge#jsecyoa#the swaps got trapped inthe CYOA adventure world!!#which is such great timing cuz Cry is doing another tumblr run of the CYOA right now!!#and they might upload all the paths soon on AO3!!#i love love love this story so it was so fun to be apart of it with the boys!#figuring out how each guy would react to the horrors was really fun! :D
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There was only so much Izuku could take before he snapped.
All his life, he had been laughed at and looked down upon for showing emotion. He was a crybaby and a wimp. His mum had always told him that it was okay to let everything out, yet the older Izuku got, the more he began to doubt it; if it was okay, then why was he being punished for it?
Even after he'd entered UA and made friends - good friends - the comments continued. They weren't mean-spirited - instead played off as casual humour - but it was enough that a little piece of Izuku closed up each time. After all, his friends didn't know the impact of their words, and Izuku didn't want to be a buzz kill with the only people to ever give him the time of day. The same could be said when his teachers had brought it up.
And so, by the time they'd all graduated and he'd moved in with Shoto, Izuku had successfully managed to stop the waterworks, suppressed every negative emotion and stopped wearing his heart on his sleeve. He was still the same bubbly, smiley person he'd always tried to be. He just refused to let anyone see beyond that. He was the second coming of the Symbol of Peace, and that was all.
Part of him felt bad for hiding, for brushing off questions he didn't want to answer, especially with Shoto, who had never judged him for his emotional outbursts in the past; one of the two people who had told him that it was okay to cry. He just didn't want to worry him. Izuku had spent enough time worrying the people who care about him, and he refused to let that continue.
Sometimes, however, it was difficult to keep it all bottled up.
Sometimes, Izuku punched a little harder, edged closer to his limits than necessary, didn't tell anyone about the injuries he'd sustained from a fight; and sometimes, it was something trivial, like bursting into tears because he couldn't straighten out his right hand and no one was around to hear him break down.
Izuku liked to think he was subtle - he could regain his composure before anyone noticed - but nobody's perfect.
He didn't hear the door open, nor the quiet, concerned footsteps. It wasn't until he heard a soft knock on the open bedroom door that Izuku stilled, back facing Shoto from where he was sitting cross-legged on their bed. Muttering a curse, he frantically wiped his face and blew his nose as his partner approached.
'Hey.' The mattress dipped behind him when Shoto perched on the side. 'Something happen?'
Izuku shook his head.
Shoto contemplated his next words. 'You're upset though. Do you want to talk about it?'
He squeezed his eyes shut as a few residual tears escaped, and bit his wobbly lip.
'Not really.' His voice cracked slightly. 'I don't... I don't know how.'
'What do you mean?' Shoto was blunt, but the soft tone was evident. 'You don't know how to... talk about it?'
Izuku almost laughed at the irony: the person who often wouldn't shut up in his mumblings couldn't talk about what was bothering him. Meanwhile, his partner, whom most considered taciturn, was often clear in voicing his feelings. It made sense that Shoto didn't understand.
'I don't know how anymore.' He lowered his head and his shoulders hunched in a way that made his back ache. 'I've held back so much that I can't... articulate. I feel weak. I feel like a burden. I feel like... I don't want others to know what's going on inside my head.'
For the longest time, Shoto said nothing. Instead, he shuffled closer, then Izuku felt his partner's forehead rest between his shoulder blades. The contact helped, as did the position; he wasn't being observed.
'I had no idea you were holding back.' He sounded guilty, but before Izuku could assure him, he tentatively asked, 'Why did you start?'
He shrugged, thinking through his words before broadly recounting the gradual process of bottling everything up. It felt almost cathartic to tell someone, but it didn't change his discomfort at the idea of talking about his feelings, themselves.
'I was just in the kitchen, and my hand cramped and it made me think about how fucked up my body is, then it just escalated.'
He didn't want to elaborate further, but when Shoto hummed - making his back vibrate - he figured he didn't need to.
'That makes sense.' Gentle hands rested against his hips, waiting for Izuku's permission before snaking around his waist; his forehead never budged. 'It's a lot to shoulder on your own though. It isn't healthy.' He paused. 'You know you can talk to me, right? I won't judge you.'
'I know.' For some reason, acknowledging that had the tears quickly returning, as a sob built up in his throat. In one last effort, he tried swallowing it down. 'I know. I'm sorry. I just, I can't-'
'Izuku.' Shoto pressed a kiss to his back, grounding despite the thick jumper between them. 'Don't apologise, just let it out. You don't have to talk if you don't want, but it's okay to cry, remember? I'm not going anywhere and I'm not going to look at you any differently. I'm here and It's okay.'
Izuku nodded and took a breath. Maybe it was time to start fighting against the defence mechanism he'd built up, albeit reluctantly; it was a comfort zone, after all. That being said, he had to start somewhere, and while it wasn't perfect, having Shoto's unconditional support made the difference.
Izuku sobbed quietly - nothing like he used to, but no less genuine - and those arms tightened around him in response, a reminder of his previous words.
I'm here and it's okay.
Just this once, Izuku allowed himself to believe that.
#I've been in a MoodTM okay#midoriya izuku#todoroki shoto#tododeku#izushou#todomido#todoizu#hurt/comfort#angst with a happy ending#tw: depression#AgarJelly writes#might upload to ao3 tomorrow we'll see#after fixing the inevitable typos from writing directly on a tumblr post from my phone#long post
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(purify our misfit ways tag | AO3)
It’s so, so strange to realize that this is probably the best summer Robin’s had since she was a kid, and it’s barely July.
Oh sure, there’s plenty she still has to worry about—she’s still dead set on escaping Hawkins’ gravitational pull and becoming someone worth being, someone who has adventures and eats fancy cheese in Paris and maybe maybe even kisses a girl under the stars someday, and that means she has to work her ass off.
If she wants even half a chance at any of that stuff, she’s got to pick up as many shifts as she can and work on her French for at least an hour every day and never ever lose sight of the goal. She can get out of here, and who knows, maybe she can even take Eddie with her. He’s bad at languages but she thinks he’d like Paris anyway, with her around to translate. She thinks it’d be fun, roaming the streets of Europe with someone who makes her laugh like Eddie does: someone she trusts more than she thought she’d ever trust anyone.
So she’s been working hard, definitely, but it wasn’t all that long ago that she’d been thinking of this chapter of her life as just something to get through with gritted teeth and grim determination. Now, she wakes up most days in the early summer sunshine and remembers that she’s scheduled with Steve, and that Eddie’ll swing by in the afternoon when he wakes up if he’s not too busy with his nerd shit, and she feels confusingly genuine happiness percolating through her. It feels like good things can exist in the present, not just the potential future. It feels soap-bubble iridescent and fragile.
A year ago, the thought of toiling in the Hawkins customer service trenches in the company of Steve “the Hair” Harrington and Eddie “the Freak” Munson would’ve sounded like a waking nightmare. Now, just the thought of Steve’s dumb jokes and Eddie’s wild dramatics is enough to tuck a smile into the corners of her mouth as she hurries to get ready, moving just a little faster to get her day started sooner.
Eddie’s managed to get over whatever weird homosexual paroxysm he was having, and acts mostly normal around Steve. Normal for Eddie, that is, which means that on one slow afternoon he sits cross-legged on a table and retells the story of Odysseus with the little red plastic sample spoons, doing progressively squeakier voices for each character; another time, he talks them into what he calls a Scoops Soup Showdown, where he mixes up three spoonfuls of ice cream until they’re basically one undifferentiated liquid and forces Steve and Robin to guess the original flavors.
Steve had been weirdly good at that one, and Robin’s still half-convinced he’d been cheating somehow despite his indignant denials. It had all ended when he’d guessed strawberry-butterscotch-vanilla before she’d even pulled the spoon out of her mouth, and she’d been forced to dip her finger in the gross goop and chase him around the back room, trying to give him a wet willy. Eddie had been cackling so hard he’d slid all the way under the table.
Robin’s not dumb, she knows high school friendships fall apart all the time, but god she hopes she gets to keep this.
That’s another thing: at this point, it’s getting kind of silly to pretend that Steve’s not actually sort of her friend too, bizarre as that would’ve seemed a few months ago. It’s a new and tentative thing, but she is provisionally willing to admit that it is in fact what scientists might classify as friendship, subcategory probational. Even when Eddie’s not around, she usually ends up having a pretty okay time just complaining about the mind-numbing drudgery with Steve.
It helps that Steve seems to have given up on the matchmaking, mostly. He hasn’t mentioned anything about Robin’s boyfriend-attracting qualities in at least a week now, though he still asks stuff about Eddie every so often in a way that makes Robin squint suspiciously.
“I think he might be, y’know, at a loose end,” is all Eddie says when she brings it up. “Harrington needs a hobby more than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s what happens when you eject the Hawkins jock from his natural habitat. He’ll find something new and shiny to distract him soon.”
Eddie’s usually right about this kind of thing, so Robin’s just been waiting it out, fielding all Eddie-related questions with the patience of a saint.
Today, when she rolls into Scoops, she feels about ready for canonization when Steve looks up and says, “Hey, Robin. Is Eddie coming by today?”
“Eddie is mysterious and unknowable,” Robin informs him. “His movements are like the flight of birds, or like the autumn wind through the trees.”
“Jesus christ, why are you guys so weird,” Steve sighs. “Is he gonna be here or not.”
Robin shrugs, pulling on her vest and donning the stupid sailor hat. “He said he’s gonna try to get his band together for a rehearsal or something. He’ll be here if that doesn’t work out.”
“Oh!” Steve points at her. “The, uh. Coffin guys, right? Do they even play in the summer?”
“Not normally, but the drummer guy knows someone who runs a bar in Indy or something like that, so Eddie wants to record a demo and try his luck. He’s been complaining non-stop about it, so maybe if he throws a big enough hissy fit, the boys will give in.”
Robin gets a secret little thrill at how cool and grown-up it sounds to say record a demo, like that’s just something she casually mentions all the time. Eddie is the biggest dork she knows and a total disaster of a human being, but whenever she talks about his life, it somehow ends up sounding amazing. There’s just something about him that’s too big and bright for Hawkins, and she loves how he’s just as hungry as she is to get out and start his life for real. She loves how when she says things like record a demo and bar in Indy, his future sounds close enough to touch, like maybe her own future’s not too far away either.
“Oh, that's kinda cool. What are the band guys like?” Steve asks. He hops up to perch on the counter in a way he definitely shouldn’t be, but it’s not like Robin’s going to rat him out to the Scoops Ahoy overlords.
She shrugs. “Quiet, I guess? Quieter than Eddie, anyway.” To be fair, she hasn’t spent a whole lot of time with them. She’s not a hundred percent sure she even remembers all their names. The impression she’s gotten is that they mostly just let Eddie boss them around because they don’t have anything better to do. They seem like basically okay people, but weirdly boring for being the crowd that Eddie spends the most time with aside from Robin. Even Steve is practically a gibbering eccentric in comparison.
Speaking of which—Steve’s eyes go wide at something behind Robin and he throws his arms in the air. “Henderson!” he yells, sounding happier than Robin’s maybe ever heard him. “He’s back!”
She’s not sure what she’s expecting to see when she turns around, but it’s not a curly-haired moppet grinning toothlessly at Steve and crowing, “I’m back!” She certainly isn’t expecting Steve to hop over the freaking counter and engage in some kind of elaborate handshake ritual complete with sound effects. The handshake goes on for a really, really long time.
It’s kind of hilarious seeing Steve act like a literal child, but that doesn’t mean Robin’s going to let him get away with this shit. Eddie would absolutely flip the fuck out if he were here to witness whatever this is.
“Exactly how many children are you friends with?” she drawls.
Steve just gives the moppet an exasperated look, gesturing to Robin like you see what I have to put up with?
“We’re gonna catch up, Robin. Can you handle the counter for a minute?”
Robin glances around at the total lack of mall denizens craving ice cream first thing in the morning. “I’ll try to survive the overwhelming pressure,” she says. “Don’t get into too much trouble, you wild and crazy kids.”
———
Gareth’s cousin’s roommate in Indianapolis is Eddie’s favorite person in the entire world, and the three numbskulls dithering over having one single solitary extended evening practice so they can actually record something worth hearing…well, they might be his least favorite people in the entire world right now.
“Hey!” he snaps. “Listen up, you goddamn malingering assholes. This, right here, is way more important than whatever you’re rushing home to jerk off to. This is our shot. This is our best chance at actually getting heard by someone who matters, someone who can get our stuff in front of other people.”
He prowls around, making eye contact with each one in turn. “I know you all wanna be rockstars. Well, gentlemen, this is where the rubber meets the road. This is where we get to see if we’re pathetic losers…or if we’ve got it in us to be heavy metal gods.”
Gareth’s the easiest to sway, Eddie can tell at a glance that he’s already hooked, but the other two still look hesitant.
Eddie isn’t completely delusional. Not about how this opportunity’s a long shot at best, and not about how none of the boys want it the way he does. None of them need it like he does. They’re smarter than he is, all of them, and they’re going places. Hell, Jeff’s already starting to look at colleges. His dad wants him to go somewhere in North Carolina, of all the damn states, and…yeah, he’s going places. Music isn’t the the beating heart of his world, the way it is for Eddie.
But there’s a reason they all came to Eddie in the first place: what they need is something to care about and somewhere to belong. If Eddie can just talk them into feeling like a part of this, getting swept up in all the hope and excitement, he just knows they’ll love it. They’ll look back on this as the best summer of their young lives, and he can make it all happen for them, for all of them, if they just fucking practice.
“Okay,” says Jeff. Fucking finally. “Sure. I guess we can stay late for the sake of being, you know…heavy metal gods.”
“That’s all I ask,” says Eddie. As he nods at Gareth to count them in, he sends a silent apology out to Robin and Steve, who must be almost closing up shop by now; they’ll understand that this was a way higher priority than Eddie swinging by to kill some time. It’s not like anything important ever really happens at Scoops Ahoy.
#fic: purify our misfit ways#I am disregarding stuff like the time of day that Dustin shows up bc I have zero dedication to canon#I've been rewatching the relevant bits of S3 and damn some of these storytelling choices do not spark joy#pls also note that both Robin and Eddie are unreliable narrators vis a vis the Corroded Coffin crew albeit to different extents#and that I am having a cool n fun time avoiding picking a name for the third CC minion#(and an unsarcastic cool n fun time writing Eddie's little hissy fit)#okay! this is probably the last snippet of Ch2 so that means EDIT TIME#I might not make a separate post for the AO3 upload so just subscribe on AO3 if you want to know when it finally goes up I guess
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