#heres some content for you aesthetic nerds

[inbarfink]

I still can't understand why GolBetty turned the Lich into Tetris block. Like, she has an immortal powerful being who has no purpose and who asks her to give him that purpose. Why not order him to guard Simon for the rest of Simon's life?

GolBetty could fix his meat suit so that the Lich would not frighten the inhabitants of OOO with his appearance, and everyone would be happy. Simon has a bodyguard to ensure his safety (Happiness for Betty), the Lich has a goal (Happiness for the Lich)

I... okay, I am just going to make a List of all the reasons for why 'Making the Lich into Simon's Bodyguard' is a Bad Plan.

First and foremost, can she order the Lich? As GOLBetty, she cannot actually speak. The only way she could communicate with Simon is through cryptic actions and a video game and a Weird Memory Brain Visit Thing. And it worked, but you have to consider how much of it worked because Simon is, despite all of his flaws, an intelligent and considerate person making an honest attempt to understand what Betty is telling him and is also the person Betty herself understands more than anyone else. Trying to communicate 'hey, your role in life is to protect this man' to a murderous nuclear skeleton you've never spoken to before and only really understands death and destruction might be a Complicated Matter. Especially as the consequences for the Lich misinterpreting GOLBetty's actions could be quite dire. Because, again, for years before the Lich only understood death and destruction.

Second of all... I think you're making quite a big assumption here, thinking she can she repair the suit. GOLB is a being of pure chaos and entropy, most of their powers are based around mutating and twisting and corrupting the things around them (sometimes turning them into Tetris blocks, sometimes into monsters). Could she restore something into a previous pristine state? Not that would be a good idea either, because the Lich's Meat Suit is Billy's body. So if Billy starts running around Ooo again like 10 years after he died, people might start asking questions. A better idea would be to make a new Meat Suit, which... again, considering GOLB's powerset and aesthetic would still look pretty Freaky probably. But considering Ooo is... Ooo, he could at least pass as an Unrelated Weird Spooky Monster Man. But still, like, there's still always the risk someone might recognize his voice or his powerset and realize this guy is Bad News.

And the thing is... yes, the Lich is Bad News! Sure, at that point he was utterly depressed and sure his original 'purpose' was meaningless and desperate for GOLB to give him a new goal for existence but, like... he is also an immensely powerful being that most Heroes in Ooo still struggle to defeat and before his Existential Crisis clearly took a lot of pleasure in the idea of destruction. Like, there was a reason why he decided to interpret GOLB's chaos and entropy as Omnicide. That part wasn't just following GOLB's orders, that what at least partly about the Lich's own desires at the time. So sure, maybe if his God told him 'yeah, sure your new job is to take care of this boring ol' nerd' - maybe the the Lich would be satisfied with this idea for a while. But... what happens past that initial contentment? What if the Lich doesn't find babysitting a 50 year old academic with clinical depression a 'satisfying purpose' either? What if being returned to an Ooo abundant with life and creation starts firing up his urge for destruction all over again? What if he does some soul-searching and realizes he can find a purpose himself outside of the shitty boring task GOLB has inexplicably given him, and that goal might not include annihilating all life in the universe, but is still pretty Evil on it's own? Letting any incarnation of the Lich run free and unharmed and close to Simon would be a huge risk that could backfire at any moment if his faith and fervor for GOLB falters even slightly. Quite honestly, I can't see Betty take that risk.

Also, like, Simon doesn't really need a bodyguard?? I mean, he did for this Adventure maybe - but this is clearly, like, Not a Regular Occurrence for Simon. In his Actual Everyday Life right now, he is generally perfectly safe, living a peaceful-if-wacky-life like any other Oooian civilian. Even when he goes on that ill-fated adventure with Finn that traumatized the shit out of him, he was terrified, but he was hardly ever in real danger with Finn around. The Multiverse Adventure was only as dangerous for him as it was because it was a rare time where most of Ooo's greatest current heroes are not easily available to help him on speed-dial (and they're a lot less likely to suddenly commit omnicide because they overcame their own depression!). The Lich wouldn't even be hypothetically useful on this Adventure. The Scarab was hard even for GOLBetty herself to defeat, and the Lich probably wouldn't get teleported with Simon to Prismo's Time Room. Most of the problems Simon actually faces in his present-day life would only be exacerbated by the presence of a bodyguard of any kind, and especially a bodyguard who is also the Lich. Like, he already experiences a serious lack of privacy from his current Living Museum Exhibition Job - does he need a Spooky Scary Skeleton who follows him around and overzealously watches his every move? And Simon already feels kinda isolated from the people around him - and making and keeping friends would only be more difficult with a creepy vaguely-homicidal dude following you around to 'protect' you. Especially if Simon can't explain to others where he came from, and especially if he needs to hide the fact this is an incarnation of the Lich (and especially from Finn, basically the Lich's arch-enemy at this point and also Simon's dear friend). And... like, Simon needs to find a way to rediscover his old adventurous spirit in his own terms and in a way that makes him feel safe, and that wouldn't be easy when the one thing keeping the Goddam Lich in check is the honest believe that 'keeping Simon Petrikov safe' is like his divinely ordained goal.

And this kinda follows from my previous point, but it was so important I felt that it deserves to be it's own bullet point. What Simon needs more than anything is to move on from Betty. And Betty knows it, that was the whole point of... basically the whole Simon half of the finale. And moving on from Betty is already hard for Simon with all the love he still feels for her and all that she has done for him - and it's only going to be even harder if she gives him his own Apocalypse Skeleton Bodyguard to follow him around for the rest of his life. What she wants for him now is not just to be 'safe', but to be happy - and getting a Bodyguard Lich will not make Simon happy!

And finally, like, moving on for a second to the Lich's perspective. Even if we do assume that the Lich can find happiness and satisfaction in following Simon Petrikov around. Simon's not getting any younger. It's a huge part of the conflict of 'Fionna and Cake' that he is a mortal man - so what happens to the Lich when he croaks? Yet another total crisis of purpose? Another spiral of depression? And again, I do want to emphasize that the Lich is still an incredibly powerful creature capable of extreme sadism and cruelty and we really can't predict how that crisis of faith will manifest itself. A lot of people worry about what will happen to their loved ones when they're gone, but Simon Petrikov doesn't need to lay awake at night thinking about his Skeleton Buddy going Literally Nuclear as a result of his death and putting all of his other friends in mortal danger.

That's just what I can think of for now, just off the top of my head. Quite honestly, there's probably even more reasons why it would be a very very very bad idea to let the Evil Death Skeleton hang out with Simon Petrikov in one of the biggest civilian population centers in Ooo.

#adventure time #atimers #fionna and cake #fionna & cake #at #at fionna and cake #fac #f&c #adventure time fionna and cake #adventure time simon #fionna and cake simon #fionna and cake series #fionna and cake show #simon petrikov #simon adventure time #lich #the lich #betty grof #betty adventure time #adventure time betty #at simon #at betty #jerry fionna and cake #fionna and cake jerry #golb #golbetty #betty golb #adventure time golb #petrigrof

[moonchild-in-blue]

Sleep Token X D&D

An expansion of this post because je suis trés unhinged and I miss playing DnD. I'm not including homebrew content for simplicity sake, guiding myself through this website. Feel free to add or change as you will. I'll leave some links for each class specs in case you wanna read more, or aren't super familiar with it.

At first it would make sense for all of them to be different types of Warlocks or Sorcerers, with Sleep as their common patron. BUT I think that would be an easy cop-out, and I want to make things interesting. This is just my headcanon so yeah, don't mean, don't be weird. Let me know how you'd do it!!

(and if there are any DnD players who happen to come across this post and want to take inspiration on it, you're more than welcome to do so!)

Let's get to it, nerds 🎲2️⃣0️⃣

[cut because this is LONG]

Vessel

Race: Tiefling. A lot of room for inventiveness here, and you can change his appearance as you'd prefer. Maybe that's why he's always cloaked and masked. Maybe he gets even more disfigured every time he connects with Sleep. Class/Sub-Class: Warlock, The Great Old One (mysterious entity whose nature is utterly foreign to the fabric of reality). Obviously Sleep would be his patron. I like to think Vessel had an encounter with Sleep whilst not knowing who or what They were, and eventually became their servant. For the pacts, I had thought of Pact of the Tome, where the Book of Shadows would be his lyrics, but Pact of the Talisman is also great, because of the mask. @a-s-levynn had suggested The Fathomless for his sub-class, which is also AMAZING, especially if you want to lean into the whole tentacle/water horror aesthetic. Alternatively, Sorcerer, Divine Soul is an EXCELENT class for Vessel (actually, now that I'm editing this, I kinda prefer this one lmao). Read this and tell me this isn't exactly what Vessel is: Sometimes the spark of magic that fuels a sorcerer comes from a divine source that glimmers within the soul. Having such a blessed soul is a sign that your innate magic might come from a distant but powerful familial connection to a divine being. Perhaps your ancestor was an angel, transformed into a mortal and sent to fight in a god’s name. Or your birth might align with an ancient prophecy, marking you as a servant of the gods or a chosen vessel of divine magic. Yeah.

ii

Race: Lightfoot Halfling (yes I'm making him a hobbit, what about it?) Fire Genasi is also very apt. Class/Sub-Class: Druid, Circle of Wildfire (these druids bond with a primal spirit that harbors both destructive and creative power, allowing the druids to create controlled flames that burn away one thing but give life to another). This primal spirit, of course, would be Sleep. They are a bit of a mysterious entity. ii was the hardest to come up with. I knew I wanted him to be somehow connected to the land/elements, because I think that would be the best translation for his rhythmic prowess (drums wouldn't make much sense as a Bard). And that photo of him with the painted red fingertips reminds me of fire, so it seemed like a perfect fit. Some other alternatives: Druid, Circle of Dreams or Monk, Way of the Four Elements (monk would be SO good because of his silence, like LoZ Link, and the ability to harness his energy).

iii

Race: Obviously a Dark Elf. Obsidian-black polished skin, pale blond hair, pale blue eyes, slim figure. Need I say more? Earth Genasi could also be a good option, due to his golden vein-like paint. Class/Sub-Class: Ranger, Fey Wanderer (a ranger who represents both the mortal and the fey realms. As you wander the multiverse, your joyful laughter brightens the hearts of the downtrodden, and your martial prowess strikes terror in your foes, for great is the mirth of the fey and dreadful is their fury.) I quite like this because the options of how you acquire the magic are endless, and can be traced to Sleep or even Vessel (maybe he granted them?). iii is our favourite chaotic boy, but he can be so intimidating at times, this one plays off his duality quite well. Plus you get Otherworldly Glamour similar to iv which makes sense. A cool alternative could be Sorcerer, Wild Magic, as it has a similar base to Vessel and it draws magic out of chaos.

iv

Race: I thought about making him a Genasi or Half-Elf, but honestly I love him as a Human. I just love the idea that this human is sooo charming and talented, that even all these supernatural creatures can't help but be enthralled by him. Changeling or even Eladrin could also work. Class/Sub-Class: Bard, College of Glamour (these bards are so eloquent that a speech or song that one of them performs can cause captors to release the bard unharmed and can lull a furious dragon into complacency). I like that iv appears to be super low-key, but is actually insanely seductive (I see you mask pulling) and talented. So out of all of them, he was my obvious choice for a bard.

The Vesselettes

I think they could either be sort of like a greek chorus or muses but for Sleep, that appeared at key moments to help the party, or actual campaign members. Race: Aetherborn Class/Sub-Class: Clerics, Twilight Domain (The twilit transition from light into darkness often brings calm and even joy, as the day's labors end and the hours of rest begin. The darkness can also bring terrors, but the gods of twilight guard against the horrors of the night). It would be awesome to have them as healers and protectors of the party, who serve Sleep directly (if Sleep is evil, they could also be secret spies? To make sure the party does as Sleep intents). Or maybe they are protecting the party from Sleep (they can never sever their connection to them, but they will do everything they can to make sure the vessels won't go too far).

I'm not sure how they would all get together, but my [abridged] story would place them all as servants of this magical deity, called Sleep. Vessel was the first to encounter Them and lives as an actual, living vessel for them. They believe that Sleep, albeit mysterious, is a benevolent creature, who was wrongfully cast away from Their plane/stripped of their powers or divinity.

As the one closest to Sleep, Vessel can sense that something isn't quite right, but he's already so entangled and manipulated by them, that he doesn't even care.

So they fight all these people and creatures, believing they're doing something Good, but then it turns out that Sleep was evil all along? The people they have conquered and killed were actually good, trying to stop them from giving this awful, terrible being their power.

Sleep basically uses them to defeat their enemies and get back to whatever place or power they no longer have access to. Maybe the vessels turn their back on them? Maybe Vessel doesn't want to and they fight with each other? Or maybe they just keep serving Sleep?

Or, you know, Sleep could also be an actual helpful deity, and they are genuinely doing good by fighting in Their name. But maybe in the end Vessel can't let go of Them and drama ensues and everybody cries.

I don't know, this is just an idea. I spent WAY too much time researching for this, but it was fuuun. I love talking DnD.

#I know this is long but i promise it's nice! #don't let my hours go to waste hahaha (cries) #no but seriously #do let me know what you think or if you have any other ideas of how this could go down! #sleep token #sleep token x dnd #dnd #darya is unhinged #sleep token lore

[antisociallilbrat]

Losers Hc's

I have so many personal Loser Hc's that just live in my head and I just want to share them. I wanna put them somewhere so I'm putting them here. Some hints of Poly Losers

Ben

He has a peanut allergy, idk why, it's the vibes

Until he met Bev his wardrobe consisted of nerdy t-shirts with awful puns. You know what I'm talking about.

Secretly loves Twilight (him and Richie watch it together)

His favorite drink is lemonade, iykyk

Keeps fish! Like really big aquarium set ups and he actually designs some of the decor. Can't keep any aquarium plants alive tho

Mike

loves the smell of cashmere and just collects candles in general

I've mentioned picnics with him before (the ones he takes with Bev and Eddie) but he also likes to make little finger sandwiches and wears fancy sun hats on said picnics

hates the taste of olives, my man is anti olives

bringing this up again, but he had a stuff tigger as a kid and when he's an adult he keeps it in a shadow box

also he's a bit of a technophobe, he had a flip phone until the Losers literally made him upgrade, it was difficult for group texts

Eddie

red shorts this, red shorts that, consider him wearing overalls! He has a whole collection for every kind of weather and they're adorble

not much of a gamer but went through a really intense minecraft stage, the other losers refused to play with him

he loves traveling. Sonia never allowed him to go anywhere so as an adult he goes everywhere. Constantly taking trips and planning the next place to explore. Also he tries to travel with the Losers if they're going somewhere for work. Richie to L.A., Bill to London, Bev to Italy for fashion shows

secret huge ya novels nerd (don't tell Bill)

he's really into fancy coffee. Has an espresso machine in the kitchen and tries to make little designs in the foam and is constantly watching aesthetic coffee videos

Richie

pretends to like horror movies but is actually baby, he covers his eyes the whole time

He owned a ferret, his name was Todd. Eddie and Stan pretended to hate it but the creature grew on them

allergic to cats, cue the ferret, his skin will break out in hives if he's near one, but he doesn't care. He will pet that cat and the others Losers have to stop him

LOVES Futurama, he has a tattoo of Bender on his ass

Actually enjoys doing yard work. His mind is constantly going but when he's doing yard work, running the weed wacker or the lawn mowers, he can't hear himself think. Or if he's raking leaves or cutting bushes, his mind is too zeroed in on his task. It's strangely therapeutic for him

Bill

constantly has ink on his hands, from drawing or his typewriter, it's always there

had adult braces, IK I've said this before but I'm very passionate about 20 year old something Bill with a full set of braces. Yes I had adult braces too, why do you ask?

Sticks his tongue out when he's really focused on something and gets a wrinkle between his brows

he is dumbest smart person you will ever meet. He is an idiot. Everyone thinks he's supposed to be smart bc he's a best selling author but no, this man will try to pry something open with a knife with his face too close to said knife. He has no self preservation instincts, it's only bc of the Losers he's made it this far

has a weird obsession with Cherry Coke

Bev

again, i've said this before, but Bev always wanted a pet and she can't give the emotional care a cat, dog, rat, ect needs so she keeps reptiles. They're really cool and besides their basic care, they don't need anything else from Bev, they're perfectly content to be watched by her on the other side of the tank

speaking of that, her favorite reptile are geckos and she's actually based a couple her designs on their patterns

went through a phase where all she did was play the Sims. She was obsessed. The losers would go to bed while she was playing and wake up and she was still playing it. Yes this overlapped with Eddie's minecraft phase.

believes in Bigfoot. Like for real.

complete roller coaster fanatic, loves going to amusement parks to ride the most extreme roller coasters

Stan

has a deep passion for the Law & Order shows, they're his guilty pleasures

had a mental breakdown in his twenties and dyed his hair blue. The others losers where surprised and yes Stan regretted it. It was Impossible to get out and he basically just had to grow it out

believe it or not he is a horrible driver. He insists he's a great driver but the other losers refuse to ride with him. He doesn't get it. It's not like he's hit multiple curbs and gets massive road rage

he is constantly cold, over half the sweaters in the house belong to him and he's always under the blanket when watching tv. His cuddles are rare but during winter with no hesitation he will snuggle up under the human space heaters (Richie, Ben, and Mike)

he gardens! Has a rose garden out front with a bird bath and feeder. hates dirt though so when he's out there he has gloves and a little garden apron on

I have more too

#I JUST HAD TO PUT THEM SOMEWHERE #they're things that live in my head about the Losers #it 2017 #it 2019 #bill denbrough #stanley uris #richie tozier #beverly marsh #mike hanlon #ben hanscom #eddie kaspbrack #poly losers club #poly losers headcanons #polylosers

[pavo-ocxllus]

𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐨, 𝐢𝐟 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥?

𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡… what sports would the haikyuu!! boys do besides volleyball? 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠… all the haikyuu!! boys (at least the ones who are relevant enough to be on these hcs lol) 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠… literally no volleyball 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬… none…? i guess lack of x reader content here since that's what i normally do idk 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐜𝐮𝐭… i sacrifice aesthetics in order for tumblr not to crash on me every time i type a single character. also i rant too much abt sports since i'm a nerd.

𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝.

↳ HINATA (def a sprinter), inuoka, koganegawa (hurdler??), HOSHIUMI, suga (gives me 800m vibes for some reason), komi, tendou, LEV (did the 3200m aka 2 mile run for some reason... rlly bad mistake), TERUSHIMA (gets dusted by everybody else), tanaka, KYOTANI (hurdles?), kawanishi, kawatabi

𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝.

↳ komori (idk he just gives me pole vault vibes lol), TANAKA (def in shotput idc what anyone says), NOYA (probs high jump), BOKUTO, HOSHIUMI, aran, konoha, washio, lev, YAMAMOTO, NUMAI, kyotani

𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥.

↳ KUROO (have you seen him??), aran, omimi, daisho, FUTAKUCHI, suna (??), kageyama (tho i don't think he'd actually enjoy it HAHA), matsun, washio, tendou, lev, hyakuzawa, GAO (if he didn't it would be a waste of 80 inches), terushima, kenma (wii e-sports) tsukishima (also probs wouldn’t enjoy it either lol), yamaguchi, kuguri (??), KINDAICHI, kunimi, asahi, KAWANISHI, hiroo (looks like tatsuya from knb tbh)

𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥.

↳ IWAIZUMI (i mean those arms-), osamu (literally only bc of his onigiri miya hat), moniwa, komori, BOKUTO, suga, akaashi, kinoshita (i actually hc he played baseball in middle school), akagi (gives me pitcher vibes), matsun, terushima, kenma (wii e-sports), YAMAMOTO, yamaguchi (for some reason), kunimi, watari

𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥.

↳ ATSUMU (literally your standard jock), osamu, iwaizumi, KAMASAKI, daichi, bokuto, tanaka, AONE (made for the sport), washio, nishinoya, YAMAMOTO, NUMAI, sasaya, moniwa (peer pressure), reon, semi, kita-ish, asahi (also peer pressure, except no one rlly did anything tbh)

𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐞.

↳ kuroo (idk he just seems like the type for some reason-), sakusa, ATSUMU, kamasaki, bokuto (has no clue about the rules whatsoever), ennoshita, USHIJIMA, kita, kai, tsukki, sasaya, onaga

𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐬.

↳ SUGA (weirdly competitive and intense), AKAASHI, sakusa, kinoshita, ennoshita, narita, ushijima, OIKAWA, kageyama, makki, kai, YAKU (also weirdly aggressive), lev (actually, fully sucks at it), goshiki, kenma (wii e-sports + maybe table) tsukki, YAMAGUCHI, sarukui, SHIBAYAMA

𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝/𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐨.

↳ KAGEYAMA (totally not because of free!!), sasaya, narita, kuroo (oozes out water polo vibes for some reason), AKAASHI, SAKUSA, goshiki, atsumu, osamu, FUTAKUCHI, TSUKKI, kunimi, kindaichi, sakunami, SEMI-ish, hirugami, kita, OIKAWA, sarukui, onaga, daisho, shirabu, shibayama

𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐫/𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥

↳ DAICHI (probs played soccer since he was like five), suga, iwaizumi, atsumu, osamu, HINATA, NUMAI, watari (it’s his hair), reon, hirugami, oikawa, onaga, NAKASHIMA, teshiro, riseki, hayato, shibayama, yahaba, IKEJIRI

𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐲 (𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐜𝐞.)

↳ ATSUMU, OSAMU (probably always tries to hit each other with the stick, or worse, the hockey puck), iwaizumi, sasaya, terushima, bokuto, onagawa, AONE, asahi (intimidated by the puck) fukunaga,

𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 <𝟑

#𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞.! #𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐤𝐲𝐮𝐮!! 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞.! #i missed out a lot of sports but i don't wanna here it from y'all #haikyuu #haikyuu!! #hq!! #kuroo x reader #kageyama x reader #hinata x reader #shoyo hinata x reader #bokuto x reader #atsumu x reader #osamu x reader #haikyuu x reader #tsukishima x reader #iwaizumi x reader #oikawa x reader #haikyuu!! headcanons #kenma x reader #suna x reader

[mercurial-mouse]

hey hi hello! 🤗

𓍊𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓍊𓋼𓍊𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

⚖ lvl 25

⚝ east coast, usa

⚘ bi/pan

🇮🇪/🇵🇷/🇮🇹

⌕ ravenclaw

⋆ chaotic neutral

𖹭 somewhere between intp + infp mbti

♎️ ☼| ♓️ ☾ | ♊️ ↑

𓆈

⭐️ mental health matters ⭐️

🌦 adhd/bpd + ptsd/bipolar II/socially maladjusted 🌦

✨️ psa: don't bother speaking about being pro mental health unless you're pro mental health for e v e r y o n e ✨️

🤍 stigmas/generalizations/stereotypes etc. have no place here 🤍

☾𖤓☽︎

🌌 some more random stuff abt me! 🌌

nerd/gamer | writer/artist | book dragon | horror whore | crybaby | architecture/interior design enthusiast | pot princess | tattoo freak | animal lover | music addict | plushie collector | astrology aficionado | 4th gen psychic | nature dweller/part time pixie

✿𐀔✿

🍭 NSFT side blog @mouse-says (tw) 🍭

✿𐀔✿

this page is 18+, though as a personal preference, I will probably not respond/interact w you much if you're under 21! so age in bios kiddos; no minors/empty blogs/hateful/shitty humans bc gross 🥱 will block on sight!

otherwise, please enjoy my brain while it vomits a bunch of random shit that makes it feel Something 🫶🏻

♛᯽♛

🫧 my tags! 🫧

#mouse says - random thoughts/personals

#mouse traps - pics of me

#gold! - posts that make me giggle

#serotonin - uplifting content! (mostly animals tbh)

#m.h.m + #bpd tingz + #neurodivergencies - mental health stuffs

#architecture + #interiors - in case aesthetics do it for you like me c:

#nature - the world is lovely to look at sometimes!

#art + #pin ups - multi medium art

#fandoms - books/movies/shows/games that I love ♡

#💕🍃💕 - weed 🤷🏻‍♀️

#witchy mouse - pagan isms/astrology/etc.

#mouse's music - lyrics, recs, etc.

#me #pinned post #mouse traps #mouse says #gold! #art #pin ups #architecture #interiors #nature #fandoms #m.h.m #serotonin #bpd tingz #neurodivergencies #mouse's music #😻 #witchy mouse #💕🍃💕

[richmond-rex]

Hi! I was wondering if you could explain the issue with Alison Weir. I’ve only found condemnation about her on Tumblr (a few on Reddit). Is she regarded as a decent historian? I just don’t understand why she’s so lauded and popular if she’s so bad.. and do you have any authors to recommend? Have a great day!

Hello! Others and I have raised issues with Alison Weir's approach here and here (these are mostly focused on Elizabeth of York because that's who I research/read about but Weir has been weird about many other historical women). Her popularity is not a mystery to me because her simplified history takes and simplistic writing is just what's necessary for an extremely prolific book production that keeps her constantly relevant and in vogue — she's always releasing some new book, even if said new book is just a recycled piece of writing she released years ago. Add to her intense productivity a good marketing team that knows how to make her books aesthetically pleasing and that's a winning formula for popularity — many people buy books by appearance alone without any prior knowledge about the book's subject or the author, so that's an advantage Weir certainly has.

She's also popular because she doesn't only publish nonfiction but she dabs on fiction writing too, which gives her double the exposure in history nerd circles. Her novels are incredibly uncreative and dull in my opinion — I have come to regard her fiction as spineless writing because she wants to conform to every conflicting source without actually committing to any single version of a historical figure (which ultimately harms the internal coherence of her characters). When she's not making her character a walking contradiction, she's playing 'safe' and going with the popular narrative of a figure without actually presenting reasons for that. I think her novels are popular because 1. people are always craving content about Tudor/WotR historical figures no matter the quality; 2. her writing is so simple readers without any prior historical knowledge can easily follow the story she's telling — that's good for sales (it allows for a bigger reading base), though I personally find it in bad taste. History is always so much more complicated and interesting and so full of fascinating details!

I've posted a review of a short story here and a review of the first part of her Elizabeth of York novel here. I haven't reviewed more of that book because I found that novel so incredibly boring and again, spineless, I couldn't bring myself to finish part two. Maybe I'll finish part two but it's difficult for me to see myself finishing the entire novel, to be honest.

As to what authors I recommend, it depends on the subject. If you want to learn more about Elizabeth of York I have recced a few books/articles here.

#ask #anon #this blog is anti-alison weir #<- the traditional tag for my rants hehe

[jimmy-johns-was-taken]

Can I get headcanons or a oneshot for lost silver idc what you do honestly he's just my fav and I'm desperate for more lost silver content 🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️losing my marbles rn

LOST SILVER SUPREMACY !!!

Tried to cover some general and romantic. I just went with some headcanons, but I think a one shot would be fun to write later 🤭

Lost Silver Headcanons

Ok so I’ve also looked at Silver and thought “damn he really doesn’t have a thought in his head”

Which he doesn’t! Guy just is here and we love him dearly for it

You would think He has to endure lots of jokes about the no arms and legs thing, right?

BUT HEAR ME OUT

So you know the ghastly/haunter purple color?? He can “spawn” limbs that look like it!

So like his hands look likes haunters hands! (Ig he can have normal legs)

And similar to BEN, he normally goes with the videogame get up (so the male character from Pokémon Silver)

Speaking of BEN, and other creeps in general

Silver doesn’t talk to them much, opting for hanging out in his game

He gets along with the gaming pastas better than the others

But he doesn’t hate anyone

Personality wise?

Pretty quite, but is able to hold a convo and will talk to you if you talk to him

Likes Pokémon and sharks and Dinos

Very very invested in whatever he’s interested in

Total fucking NERD

If you have something you like, he’d listen to you go on and on for hours

If you treat him like shit, except to be treated back like shit but worse

This guy sticks up for himself, don’t try nothing

But treat him kindly? You guys would be all cool

As a romantic partner?

Hopelessly in love aesthetic

Super cheesy and gets your flowers and chocolates and all that

Late night dates dancing in the rain

Painting those ceramic mugs? Yeah

He’s hopeless, but he tries his damn best

Your happiness is like his number 1 priority so he’ll do what he can

But remember he’s like, a murder

So ya know, kinda messed up a little

I still love him tho

Truly just a guy

Trying to make it in a big world

#creepypasta #creepypasta headcanon #lost silver #lost silver headcanon #lost silver x reader #creepypasta x reader #fuck man #sorry this is so bad #ticci toby #ben drowned #eyeless jack #jane the killer #jeff the killer #nina the killer

[lighthouseas]

willelmikes->lighthouseas

hey guys! i guess you could call this a rebranding of my old blog. i had a sideblog that i used, which will stay up, but i thought it would be easier to move stuff over here and start anew. feel free to unfollow if you were only looking for st content, no hard feelings :)

some cool stuff abt me:

》 my name is bee or whatever ungodly nicknames you people can come up with, my pronouns are she/they and i sure do exist

》 i am obsessed w/ gothic sea aesthetics and sirens and mermaids and all of that fun stuff. PLEASE interact if you also enjoy these things + if you recognize my pfp hehe

》 i am also a history nerd. i'm not, like, a history major or anything bc i'm still in high school but i love learning abt history. fellow history nerds feel free to interact

》 expect a RANGE of things on here. i write original stories and i might pick up fanfiction again sometime soon, we will see. apart from that, i also like pokemon, tawog, 911, nhie, cartoon saloon, stranger things, etc etc.

》 i love cats pls send cat pics in my inbox. or just come in my inbox to say hi

》 also if i forget to reply to stuff whether it be asks dms mentions etc etc it is never anything personal ever. i promise i just probably didn't have the energy to reply and then forgot <333

byf: i have anxiety and possible ocd. guilt trippy posts and death threats (even if not directed at me) can really, really, REALLY set me off. if you reblog or post things that are guilt tripping or sending death threats to people, there is a high chance that i will just unfollow you. i don't want any of that in my space.

#hiii this is me <3 starting anew #added a byf because of how many mental breakdowns i have had from being on here. woop dee doo #in serious cases i will block people but most of the time im just gonna unfollow so that stuff is off my dash #bee.txt

[scribe-of-stories]

Author Ask Tag

Once more I get to talk about my work due to fellow Scribe @covenscribe (Scribe unity). Read their post here. I'll be answering these questions focusing on my WIP Fleshtown.

what is the main Lesson of your story? And why did you choose it?

Fleshtown has several: cities can turn into abusive hellscape where an individual human doesn't matter, just their flesh and the work one can squeeze out of it. Those that sit at the top of societies like this are parasites (very literally in this story). Kindness is a powerful thing against those affected by it, but eventually violence becomes the only song society can hear.

What did you use as inspiration for your worldbuilding?

General lexical inspirations that affect nearly everything I write in it are: KSBD, SCP, Worm/Otherverse, and inescapably Homestuck.

Though for Fleshtown itself I think I was exposed to a game called Fear and Hunger (very heavy content warning) and the aesthetic of it stuck with me for a while. Then eventually a thought spawned in my head “I haven't written a romance story yet. I should try that in the flesh walls of this awful city I've imagined”.

What is your MC trying to achieve, and what are you, the writer, trying to achieve with them? Do you want to inspire others, teach forgiveness, help readers grow as a person?

Poet arrived at The City on accident and is really just trying to get out. Virus/Prince is trying to get back to the Court of Parasites so to behead the stagnant king. I, meanwhile, am trying to get them to realize that they don't have a home to go to if they did escape; and the eternal torment of this city can only be stopped by those living in it.

As for a lesson taught: violence is the only tool we have to fight tyranny, but by that very same tool we forge the shackles of the next generation uhhh? Healing a community is a worthy and fulfilling thing? idk Fleshtown has a lot of scattered ideas right now.

How many chapters is your story going to have?

Don't know, hopefully more than 1 and less then 100 but we'll see. It's planned to be a Novella right now, but its rough draft isn't done.

Is it fanfiction or original content? Where do you plan to post it?

Original content, and not sure. I imagine I'll post a non-insignificant amount of it on Tumblr/send it to whatever mutual wants to read it. Maybe classicaly publish it, maybe do web serial stuff with it. Really I haven't had any major thoughts/decisions about that nor intend to till it's more finished.

When and why did you start writing?

Way back in intermediate/middle school me and my friends were nerds playing games like runescape. One of my friend made the mistake of showing me the RS roleplaying forum. From there I went on to roleplay from site to site for a while. I only started “writing” in a conventional sense recently. As for why? Because it's fun and I find fullfillment in it.

Do you have any words of engagement for fellow writers of writeblr? What other writers of tumblr do you follow?

Hey! You, yes you. Write whatever you want. Forget that things like rules exist, forget that stories need a flow or need to follow some set chart. Make something without the limits of what is conventionally “good”.

Have to shout out the first Writeblrs that I really interacted with on here @sunset-a-story and @vicstmichael, who's attention and encouragement kept me working on this platform. Also to @squarebracket-trick @iced-ginger-tea for sending me so many asks over the last while. Y'alls small acts really do mean something to me, and always make my days better.

As for tags: Whoever is reading this. Open tag, you're all getting hit with the talking stick.

#writeblr #lexical earth #writers on tumblr #tag game #Fleshtown #Really I don't know if anyone but Sunset knows that the title of the WIP is litteral #Brick walls with layers of muscle and viscera between #A living underbelly of a sewer reprocessing dead and broken things #The city is alive in a very literal sense #and it used to be humans

[vethsoddities]

Veth’s Steph and Pete Headcanons

CW:This Follows The canon of NPMD the best I can so mention of funeral’s and death and the like so be warned if I forget any warns tell me and I’ll add them

and if I spelt or got any lore wrong lmk nicely thank you

Master List

A/n: I’m totally “normal” about these two I wrote these at 1 - 2 am and b4 that I tagged all of these at 1am hope these makes since I’m on new meds and they made me kinda tried and my eyes hurt so bad anyhow my requests are open check my master list it’s pinned on my profile anyway enjoy these headcanons I’m also going through and editing all this at 2:58 am so technically I’ve been working on this from 1 am to 2 am to 3 am I hope you like this

Stephanie Lauter and Peter Spankoffski headcanons

After all that happened in NPMD ie Steph losing her dad and Pete losing Richie and Ruth and Steph having to shoot him and Max stopping the bullet and doing the whole “I’m the only one who can kill you nerdy prudes” and Grace taking one for the the team by giving up what she cherished most 

Pete and Steph didn’t want to be far from each other and ending up holding each other for a while so that led to them having sleepovers at the others home Steph hated being all alone in that big house so she was glad to have Pete being there with her.

They both try to comfort the other when they start to breakdown after all that has happened Steph seems like the type who doesn’t know how to comfort someone same with Pete but they both try and they love the other for that

Steph and Pete didn’t label their relationship right away because they weren’t sure what would happen after all that went down but they knew for a fact they loved the other after a LONG and I mean a Long time of denying the fact they were in love each other like they canonically had a song about it too but after a bit calls each other their partner or girlfriend/ boyfriend thing

These two in my mind both have They in their pronouns and or possibly t4t because they aren’t totally straight in my mind Pete to me seems unlabeled but Steph is either Pansexual or Bisexual and could be gender-fluid and or She/they but either Gender fluid or Demi girl she has She/They pronouns

Pete without a doubt is trans FTM and uses He/Him and possibly on occasion uses They and or them and I could possibly see him as Asexual but I’m not for sure on that one just yet

Pete definitely drives home the fact that Steph is smart and that he’s proud of her and whatever else Solomon told her is bull shit and he loves her no matter what and that he will be their for her no matter what

Steph does the same type of thing for Pete that he is in fact cool to her and not a loser and comforts him fully and says that he’s a handsome always especially when gender dysphoria kicks his ass and will be their for him through it all

This could be me projecting but these two would probably give a little smooch on the other’s forearm and tell the other they love them

I feel like Steph would do Pete’s hair into different hairstyles, Steph definitely teases him lovingly about the bow ties still

Steph at some point mentioned thinking about doing a wolf cut or short hair and Pete supported her no matter what Steph did the same with his hair if he wanted to cut it or let it grow more either way she could still run her hands through his hair

And as Steph does in canon affectionately calls Pete a Nerd and him possibility calling her Mean Girl or probably something else it’s 3:11 am rn and I’m proof reading this when I could be sleeping to creativity is low lmfao

Homecoming was fun for both of them and as it should be I think they have photos of it both digital and Polaroid and for the Polaroids, they have the pictures hanging up on an aesthetic string and clips thing

Content warring here’s the mention of Funerals and death(ig I don’t think I say it at all but still be aware)

Now when it came to the funeral’s of Richie,Ruth it was a ruff time for both of them and seeing as they all were friends it was one of the Moments Steph comforts Pete even if it wasn’t something she was good at still

and after words they visit Ruth and Richie’s graves and leaves flowers and possibly Anime themed stuff for Richies grave and no matter what both Ruth and Richie gets flowers on their respective graves 

When Solomon’s funeral came around I think Stephanie kinda shut down having to be around her fathers colleagues friends and connecting and was going into auto pilot going through the motions of everything that she knew how to act as to make sure Solomon’s image looked good

Pete was their with her and after a while pulled her away from the people so he could make sure she was okay as she could be for what was happening and she just broke down and they decided to leave after funeral things happened

I feel like after wards of both funerals just like after NPMD but before homecoming’s they just held each other to comfort one another and saying sweet things to each other because they love each other

#nerdy prudes must die #npmd #nerdy prudes spoilers #npmd spoilers #steph lauter #stephanie lauter #pete spankoffski #peter spankoffski #hatchetfield #hatchetverse #fanfic #dyslexic writer #vethsoddities #veth’s rambling #i am cringe but i am free #And I love them so much I’m totally “normal” about them #Also sorry if this doesn’t make since and sucks I’m tired as I said new meds and it’s 3:18 am help

[g1ngerbeer]

percy is a stupid ridiculous nerd who thinks he's SOoO cool but in reality he runs around and gets his hand stuck in his own inventions and nearly gets blown up by running through fire with gunpowder in his pockets and has a pompous-ass name with 14 fucking syllables. i love him sm.

finished season 2 btw. it was fabulous how all the other characters got their issues delved into but also funny how its reading very much "here's a trauma episode for keyleth and here's an episode for the twins and here's an episode for grog and here's one for percy- actually wait you're really fucked up you need an entire season"

do you know what cr youtube episodes correspond with the show plot? I know that the first several aren't show related bc dnd copyright, but is there a confirmed period for s1/2?

~ percy anon

(thanks for letting me chat w/ u)

percival fredrickwhatever the fuck de rolo iii is so funny. hes my favorite pathetic little loserguy. now that he is (kind of) free from the tragic backstory demons he gets to be goofier :] builds an actual mousetrap out of forks and then sets it off on his own hand ... gives his ridiculous fancy coat to the girl he likes then tries to pretend hes not freezing his ass off ... he does NOT act like a guy with 16 wis. loser. and yeah honestly with the amount of gunpowder he has on him at all times im surprised he hasnt exploded yet. what a freak. what an absolute loser. nerd. i love how they do let him be cool with his tragic backstory and really good aesthetic and swagful competence at violence and murder. and yet he is still silly. and dumb <3 my little guy. bully him more its what taliesin would want

his name is a running joke in the campaign btw he'll introduce himself with all 17 syllables of it and at least two other people will immediately follow it up with "you can call him percy"

also WOW you got through this show fast. congratulations! and welcome to the eternal waiting-on-s3 trenches </3

actually episodes 1-2 of tlovm are a very loose adaptation of some of the pre-stream content (since they didn't start streaming until several years into the actual campaign)! they've got a summary video for all of the pre-stream stuff called the story of vox machina which has some really pretty illustrations. there's also "vox machina: origins" which is an ongoing series of comics adapting pre-stream vox machina. the briarwoods arc (tlovm season 1) corresponds to campaign episodes 24-36. they get the invitation to the feast with the briarwoods at the end of 23 though and it's all set up in 14 iirc. i'm not entirely sure of tlovm season 2 content since i actually only just started on campaign chroma conclave, but according to the wiki that whole arc would be episodes 39-83. although tlovm definitely hasn't gotten to campaign episode 69. so i think they're only halfway through that. the children yearn for season 3

(and yeah ofc np!!! its very nice to have somebody to yell about percy with sldkgjsljglsk)

#tlovm s1 is like lets fight percys tragic backstory. oh fuck. percys tragic backstory has hands #ask #percy anon #the cr wiki is quite detailed and well maintained btw id highly recommend using it as a resource. bless this fandom #its also got quotations at the end of each episode page so thats a useful highlight reel for when u dont want to sit thorugh all 3 hours #campaign is cool and fun. ive been playing it in the bg while i draw tho so unfortunately i dont catch everything #long post #i love rambling. heart emoji

[spooky-babes]

For the Ler questions:

19. 37. 45.

Thanks for the ask! Please, everyone, feel free! We LOVE doing these!

19 - Ideal tickle room

(SpookyDaddy speaking here) Oh goodness, I think my ideal space would be so much fun to build! (Stay tuned for that, because we're working on it already~) but I like the idea of the decor being a collective effort. Probably a lot of art that princess has made, she's an incredibly talented artist. Maybe some movie posters? The kind of carpet that isn't *too* fluffy but still feels confused and nice on bare feet. Cameras strategically placed at corners and important sight lines both for live streams and so we don't miss anything after the fact. 😏

Big queen or king size bed, and a big, sturdy wooden square frame going over it at each side and above. One day we're going to set up those cargo straps that click and tighten when you pull them so princess can be spread eagle but standing.

Other auto includes would be: a gyno chair, my special wooden ankle stocks, a large sturdy table affixed with segufix/medical restraints, a rack to hack up our straitjacket, and a big closet to store and display all our toys and tools 😏

Maybe a black and purple color scheme 🤔

37, which vibe?

Jocks: lers but secret lee's hidden among them 😏

Nerds: very doqn the middle switch, but whatever one their feeling on a given day they feel it 10/10

Loners: definitely lees, their standoffish probably comes from being worried someone might find out what happens if their rive gets poked 😏

Cheerleaders: I'm gonna go with switch again, the sort of person whose a vicious ler but knows if someone had them by the soles of their feet they'd be done for.

Goths: despite the similarity with the bdsm aesthetic being common, I still have to go with lees. I think we all remember the angry goth video tickle abuse made 😈

Band geeks, and drama members; switches. That whole room full of people? I think once someone was outed as ticklisg they'd feel every single eye on them thinking the same thing. Who can say? Maybe whoever got outed as ticklish intended it 😏

Hipsters: switches. I know plenty, and I swear they all are 🤣

Teachers pets: lees all day. I think we all know what they want to do for extra credit, or how they can convince the teacher they deserve a second chance at a test they slept through~

45- clothing removal

Oh. Goodness~ I think @spookyqtie has gotten off easy on this lately. She doesn't really like to wear socks unless it's really cold out (I suspect she also just likes knowing that SpookyDaddy here is always going to notice or look 👀) but this is something I've actually been planning for quite some time, I think she needs to experience the delightful anticipation of slowly, teasingly, evilly removing clothes.

Already all tied up, and feeling the protective cloth just inch off your feet more and more? The cool air, the increasing feelings of vulnerability?? 😏 I'm all about it. Giving I mean. I'm definitely COMPLETELY immune to the effects of this myself, though. *nods*

We're planning a private beach trip in the next 2 weeks or so, and we've already are planning to make a bunch of buried in sand content, it's a favorite of SD's. I'll have to keep this on mind with princesses sandals, won't I? 😈

#sfw tickling community #tickle tickle #tword content #tword community #tickle thoughts #tickle community

[pilferingapples]

Hey Pilf, I know there have been conversations about how the French all collectively went through a Scottish/Celtic phase but do you have any resources to prove that? Or can you at least list some of the people you usually reference when you mention this phase? (for example, there was a French writer who changed their name to a Scottish one for Aesthetic reasons but I can't remember their name and Google is useless for me here)

Sure! The writer you're probably thinking of is Auguste Maquet aka "Augustus MacKeat". He's little-known, but not little-read, being a collaborative partner in a lot of Alex Dumas'* works! If you've read The Count of Monte Cristo or The Three Musketeers, you've read some of his work! Stendahl's de l'Amour, in 1822, praised the Irish for their brave and loving (and, especially , not English ) spirit-- an influential essay on the popular perception at the time! Petrus Borel's novel Madame Putiphar also starts in Ireland, and the heroes are Irish--albeit one of them is the daughter of an English lord (who is, of course, a horrible person--both English AND aristocracyXD)

I know the Revue de Paris published multiple articles about Ireland in particular through the 1830s**, more or less swooning over the tragic heroic spirit of Ireland. The rest...gad, forgive me, this is one of those things where, having been asked for examples, I've gone blank. I know I've seen the Scotland/Ireland refs elsewhere; @sainteverge, @thiswaitingheart, any of my fellow Romanticism Nerds of Tumblr, any other suggestions?

As for Why, there are a lot of factors?

Politically, it was easy for French writers to sympathize with Scotland and Ireland really hating the English; the original French Republic had actually tried to link up with Irish rebels against England (it went Badly). And figures like Daniel O'Connell ("the liberator") were hugely popular.

There was also an idea that French and Irish people were somehow especially related? To quote Louis Blanc (a republican, and so relevant on the political side):

The Irish betray so many qualities similar to those we ourselves possess—for example, the same ardor, the same excitable temperament—that it might be said they belong to the same race. It is, however, a historical fact that the Irish and French come from the same Celtic stock, and such a fact explains those similar trails of character I have remarked. I am an advocate of Irish independence. You can say from me, and I give you full permission to say, L'lrlande doit s’apparteinir. Ireland ought to be self ruled. She has every right to bo so, if the will of the people can be interpreted as in favor of the project. And from what I know, you Irish are not content with English rule in your couutry. You want your native rule; hence by the laws of justice you are entitled to it, and should have it....But my opinion on the affair is this: The greatest hope of Ireland lies in a war between France and England. ...There is a possibility of it; but as regards the probability of it I cannot say. In such a case France and Ireland would unite their forces, and the two people serried together, what power on earth could withstand them?

And in the same article, no less a Romanticist than Victor Hugo says:

...Ireland is near us if we look to the ties of mutual sympathy which have existed between both. Thus it can be seen that in general, though England, as I said, comes between us, she cannot break the moral chain that binds the Irish race and the French together. The case, however, would be still better if Ireland’s geographical position could be changed to this side of England and send England about her business to the other side, just where your country now lies. In that new position Ireland would be not alone morally and sympathetically near us—she would be our next-door neighbor also geographically.... in the last century your Irish brigade fought and bled for us, and we essayed to give you aid to wrest your independence from England. ...the system which is prevalent over in Ireland I understand to be that by which 800 or 900 persons own the entire soil. That system means this there are in Ireland 800 or 900 lords and somewhat over 5,000,000 slaves (esclaves). A miserably small fraction tyrannize— the rest, i.e., the vast majority, are the automatons that move at the beck of the fraction. That land system is, I have no hesitation in affirming, a glaringly unjust and absurd one. It is unjust, inasmuch as it pampers and enriches the minority of a people at the expense of the majority, and is, consequently, an outrage upon justice.

This article is from later than what we're generally talking about, but the attitudes toward Ireland are basically the same: The Irish Hate the English Too! They're Just Like Us!

Back in the land of art, the writing of Sir Walter Scott had a huge effect on French Romanticism, and he's been described as "the man who invented Scotland" (in the way we might joke about Hugo inventing France, that is, someone who helped define the concept , especially to people outside the country) .

There was also a woman called Lady Morgan, an Irish woman, who was consciously building up a very Romantic legend of Ireland in France as early as 1806.

So overall, while Ireland and Scotland may not have been mentioned as much as Poland or Greece in Romantic writing and politics, they were definitely a part of the ongoing political/literary discussion!

Anyway, I hope this admittedly rather sparse answer is of some interest!

*there's a tendency to describe Dumas as "stealing" from other authors he worked with, because he was the one whose name went on the covers, but from what I've read--including correspondence with Maquet!-- these really were collaborations, and not at all an uncommon way to write novels at the time,or plays. But getting into that more would be a whole other essay, let alone a tumblr post ><

**if you've got J Stor access, DO check out French romanticism and the Ireland myth, by R. Bolster, to see some a description of some of these articles! They are really Something XD

#Actual Romantics #French Romantics and: Internationalism #(it's super awkward! but it's happening!) #long post

[stewardofningishzida]

Chapter 10: Into the Abyss

This chapter is a bit intense. It’s our little foray into atmospheric/cosmic horror. So…Lemme put a few disclaimers. Yes, this chapter is also a collaboration. =)

TRIGGER WARNING: Near-death experiences, mentions of death, claustrophobia, scary caving/spelunking, getting lost, mining accidents, minor injuries (cuts and bruises), mentions of old-timey racism (mild, but still present), and darkness.

Disclaimer: DO NOT DO THIS. YOU COULD DIE. EVEN PROFESSIONALS WHO DO THIS FOR A LIVING HAVE DIED DOING THIS. EXPLORING ABANDONED MINES IS DANGEROUS. THERE ARE A TON OF HAZARDS. STAY OUT OF ABANDONED MINES.

Rated: T for language

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*In the morning, we all meet up in my driveway at 8 am, ready for our search.*

Me (running through the checklist):  Okay.  We have everything, right?

Tear: *Frowns down at the gear spread out and neatly organized* I would think so… I still think I could have brought more food though… *Points at the rather bountiful display of lunches*

*Stephen checks through it as well, carefully testing a few things cautiously.*

Trix: I brought some walkie talkies! I had them for camping and thought they could come in handy! I also brought a lawn chair cause, y’know, it might take a while

Me:  Good!  Okay.  Hmm…Not sure if the walkies will work far underground, but we’ll try ‘em.  Oh!  Also, Trix, take this whistle.  It can be heard up to a mile away.  Each of us will have one.  One blast just indicates where you are.  Three short blasts is an SOS signal.  Got it, guys?

*Stephen nods.  I hand out the whistles.*

Tear: Perfect! Now on to the fun part because I left the best for last. *I untie a plastic bag from my backpack and start handing its contents out* I found a pair of wishing wands I got for my sister the last time we went to Disney World, they light up quite well and I got them new batteries. I also have two extra pairs of neon Mickey ears so we can always spot each other in the dark… aaand I knew Stephen was going to make that face, so I got you glowstick necklaces instead although I won’t stop you if you wanna wear the ears. *I slip on my own headband with neon Mickey ears, completing my outfit that includes light-up shoes and a glow-in-the-dark Disney backpack*

*The sorcerer in question raises an eyebrow at her with an odd expression.*

Stephen:  “Wishing wands”?  

Tear: *Pulls out a plastic wand with a big star on its tip* They always sell them right before the fireworks show. Too much? I figured it would be difficult to get lost down there if we were all glowing like jellyfish… *I turn the wand on and it glows bright blue, complete with the magical noise of pixie dust*

Stephen (looking at her funny):  Erm…maybe a bit, but understandable.

Trix: Oh shit I have some glow ears at home, I could match the aesthetic. But great call! We don’t have actual magic so commercialized magic shall be our guide!

Tear: You can have the extra pair of ears if Stephen won’t wear them *Hands them over to Trix*

Stephen (awkwardly):  Okay…

Trix: Sorry, a bit enthusiastic to get answers and a lifelong Disney nerd.

Me:  All right.  Since we have everything and a bit extra, let’s go.  I told Hank we’d meet him at the mountain pass by 10:30 am.

*We all pack the car and get in.  The drive is about 2 hours and the last hour is pretty rough due to the dirt roads.  Stephen does his best, but since now we’re in the middle of nowhere, he asks to get out and uses the Cloak to fly next to the car for the rest of the trip, only getting back in before we can come within sight of Hank.*

*Hank is a hairy, slightly short man with thick-rimmed glasses and a warm grin.  He’s wearing jeans, checkered flannel, a cowboy hat, and steel-toed boots.*

Hank:  Hey!  Glad you made it here okay!  

Me (grinning back):  Thanks for having us, Hank.  Is the caretaker in town?

Hank:  Yeah.  He’s really busy, though.  Working at the new museum he made in the old saloon.  Doing curator stuff at the moment.  So, you guys wanted to see the mine?

Me:  Yeah.  Just a look around for a few hours.  Nothing too major.

Hank:  You all going down?

Me:  Just me, Tear, and Stephen.  Trix is going to help you operate the lift.

Hank:  Nifty.  I’ll show you how it works.  It can be a tempermental beast at the best of times.  I’ll give you a run down while we walk and then show you a few times before we get started.

Trix: Sure! I have to fight some sort of beast today to keep my morale high!

Hank:  That’s the spirit!  

*He walks us into the town while talking to Trix about the mechanisms of the lift.  It’s definitely a generous definition of a “town”.  There are several dusty wooden buildings with tin roofs, quite a few piles of rubble that were once cabins, a burned-out husk of a building, and it’s quiet.  Not to mention a bit of a chill in the air despite the harsh sunlight.  Stephen is subtly scanning the area, trying to detect anything there.  The caretaker notices us and comes out of the saloon to greet us.  He’s a very skinny man with scraggly red hair wearing boots, an open flannel shirt, a dirty t-shirt underneath, and jeans.  He has unnaturally white and large teeth as well as sunken eyes and pronounced cheekbones.  Not only that, but his eyes themselves are incredibly wide-open, giving him a permanently-surprised expression.*

Caretaker (waving):  Hello there!  So, up for a bit of exploration?  You got safety gear and everything?

Hank:  We’re all set, Andy.  

Caretaker:  All right.  You be careful…There’s more than just old dynamite down that mine…*The way he said it implies something.  There’s something a bit off about Andy.  He’s getting twitchy.*

Stephen:  What do you mean?

Caretaker (slightly taken aback):  Just…be careful is all.  *He’s evasive, as though he knows something, but doesn’t want to say it out loud.*

Trix:……Well have fun down there guys. I’ll be sitting up here with my baseball bat.

Tear: I’m starting to wish I brought a pair of lightsabers too…

Me:  We’ll do our best to be safe, Trix.  Hank, you good?

Hank:  All good here.

*The caretaker grins widely at us with his huge, white teeth before waving and backing into the saloon, watching us.*

Me:  Erm…Everyone ready?  *I’m nervous, but swallow it down silently to hide it.*

Trix: Good luck!

*Stephen, Tear, and I get onto the lift.  Trix and Hank talk over what to do and then turn it on to lower us down.  The 100 year old, rusty leviathan lurches into life with an unholy, slow grinding of massive gears.  The cables unwind lazily and the lift starts moving with a pained screech.  The surface of the earth rises gradually above our heads as we lower into the inky blackness of the main shaft.  Said platform is just a rickety cage of rust with a wooden plank floor and very primitive brakes on either side of the railing.  The walls of the shaft are mere inches from the edges of the lift.  To make matters worse, the lift occasionally gets stuck on the timbering for a second before suddenly plunging down a foot or so in a split-second freefall.  The circle of light above us gets smaller and smaller.  I’m trying to keep my cool.  Though, I’m holding onto the railing so tightly my knuckles have turned white.  My jaw is clenched.*

Tear: *The descent underground is not as unnerving as the sudden drops from the lift. At the first hint of vertigo, I clench my teeth hard and latch on to Steward’s backpack to help me keep my balance* Ave Maria purisima que estas en el cielo… *I close my eyes and cling on for dear life, letting out little squeaks every time the lift freefalls*

*We eventually reach the bottom of the shaft.  It felt like an eternity.  I take a deep breath to calm myself down and lightly pat Tear’s hand both to soothe her and let her know the descent is over.  Then, I gesture for Stephen and Tear to plug their ears, then use the whistle to indicate to Trix and Hank that we’re okay.  When I hear Trix blow her whistle back, I know that it’s all clear.*

Me:  Okay.  Let’s leave 4 glowsticks here to indicate that this is where the lift is.  Then, we’ll proceed.  If you guys hear echoes, it’s hard rock and safe.  If things sound muffled, it’s soft rock ready to collapse.  Also, if you see any old dynamite, we all have to be quiet and either turn back or go silently around it.  That stuff gets more unstable over time and leaks nitroglycerine.  It’s so sensitive that even a loud noise can set it off.  As for water, if it flows, we’re good.  Still water…don’t disturb it.  There might be poisonous gas.  That’s the safety briefing.  Follow me so I can scout ahead and make sure it’s safe.  All right?

*Stephen nods.*

Tear: Okay, we’ll follow your lead. Are we setting any sort of time limit for how long we’re going to spend down here?

Me:  Hank and Andy set it.  We have 5 hours.  Andy usually spends around 8 to 12 hours down here at a time, but since we’re new here, he didn’t want us stuck for too long.

Stephen:  Are you sure you remember everything?

Me:  Yes.  I double-checked earlier.  *Sets my watch alarm for 2 hours and then 4 hours and 30 minutes so we can be here early just in case.  The first one is a warning for the time limit.  The second one is to get our butts into the main shaft so we can get in the lift.*

Tear: Alright~ *Switches flashlight on* Into the unknown we go.

*I turn on my headlamp and set the 4 glowsticks.  It’s in a small pile on the lift platform so it can be obvious and visible.  Then, I carefully advance into the tunnel ahead.*

Me:  Stay within sight.  Otherwise, at least within earshot so I know you’re both okay.

Stephen:  Understood.

*I look around as we proceed, dropping glowsticks every 100 feet or so, keeping them on the left-hand side to indicate our path downward.  That way, when we need to ascend, they’ll be on the right-hand side to show the correct direction.  There are cracked timbers and rusty pieces of track in various areas.  Also, the occasional old bucket or empty dynamite box.  There’s a slight crunchy noise that differs from the gravelly passage.  I look down and pick up a yellowed old newspaper from 1933.  It’s an article about the dust bowl.  Apparently, someone got bored down here.  There are some black carbide scribbles on the paper, giving a big curly mustache to one of the people in the newspaper photos.  I smirk.*  

Me:  People never really change, do they?  

Tear: *Peers down at the paper* Huh, 1933. You know, that’s the year Hitler reached government. News about his speeches kept popping up in the papers that year. This could have been a nice piece of history if it still had its front page.

Me:  Want to keep it so we can take it up with us?  I figure Andy might want to put it in his new museum project.

Tear: *Shrugs* Sure, if he’s interested in this stuff.

Stephen:  Wait a minute…*He seems to be focusing.*  …I’m still uncertain about this place, but I feel…something.  It’s difficult to pinpoint.  We should keep going.

*I raise an eyebrow curiously.*  

Me:  Okay…Tear, watch out for that puddle.  We don’t know what might be in it.

Tear: I know you mentioned gas before, but I can’t help but think of the Guardian outside the Mines of Moria.

*I curl my lip, morbidly amused.  We go deeper in.  There are several branches coming off of the main shaft.  Some are collapsed.  Then, a sudden chasm emerges from the darkness.  We can’t see the bottom.  I throw a rock and we listen for the impact.  It takes a few seconds to fall all the way and the impact is faint.*  

Me:  Holy crap…Okay.  Let’s check the other areas first and if they’re dead ends, I’ll show you how to rappel, Tear.

Tear: Haha, yeah, well… Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Let’s look around some more.

Me:  All right.  Let’s see.  Want to go right or left?

Tear: Stephen? Got a better grasp on those vibes you mentioned yet?

Stephen:  We’ll attempt to go left.

Me:  Left, it is.  

*We explore the left corridor.  Unfortunately, it’s collapsed.*

Me:  Okay…Let’s see the right side.  

*We turn around and go right.  It leads in a half-circle, attaching back to the main shaft.*

Me:  …Oh.

*I look at them.*

Me:  Sorry…Looks like we’re going down.

Tear: I thought I would be safe from heights if I went underneath the hill instead of on top of it. *I peer down the tunnel, to where the drop is waiting for us a few feet ahead. I can’t even bring my feet to inch closer before I’m already sweating buckets* I’m not particularly strong, and–and what if I slip? I’ll be useless to you with a broken leg…or worse, a broken head! *Whines* Steward…!

Me (doing my best to be calm and reassuring):  I’ll make sure we’re safe.  Don’t worry.  Now, Tear, pay close attention to what I’m about to show you.  This is how to securely place a climbing bolt and tie the correct knots on the line and harness.  

*I show her each step carefully while explaining, making her follow along with me and answering any questions.  I test the rig to make sure it’s secure before putting the harness and helmet on.*  

Me:  Okay.  One last thing…Please, for the love of all that is holy, pick up any loose rope aka slack on the line you see and hold it.  That way, if I slip, I don’t fall or get tangled in it.  My last partner got distracted and forgot.  I was nearly hanged.  We don’t climb together anymore.  So, please…Stay focused.

Stephen:  Wait.  The Cloak can lower us.  However, the belay system is a decent backup.  

*I look relieved.*

Me:  Okay.  Let’s do it, then.

Tear: *Slumps against the tunnel wall in relief with a hand over my heart* Oh, Stephen santísimo, bless your smart, beautiful soul. I’d trust the Cloak over my own hands any day. Are you willing to help us out, Cloak?

*The Cloak comes off of Stephen and onto my shoulders.  It picks me up and carefully lowers me into the chasm.  My headlamp has become little more than a pinprick.  Several seconds later, Stephen and Tear hear me shout up from the darkness.*

Me:  All clear!

*I pat the Cloak gratefully.*  

Me:  Thanks, Levi.  

*The Cloak brushes my cheek gently before leaving my shoulders and picking up Tear.*

Tear: Whoa! Please, please, please no sudden drops. I will scream at you so hard if you do.

*It lowers her down nicely so she won’t get more scared than she already is.*

Me (sincere):  You’re doing great, Tear.  Really.  I’m grateful that you’re down here with me.  You’ve been really brave.  Let’s hope we find something down here soon so we can get back home.

Tear: *I sigh deeply in relief once my feet touch the ground again, promptly illuminating the space with colorful, flickering lights from my light-up sneakers* Of course, Steward. I was not expecting so many deep drops, but they were definitely easier thanks to the Cloak. *I pat one of its golden clasps lovingly in thanks* 

*The Cloak hugs her comfortingly before going up and bringing Stephen down.*

Stephen:  …There’s definitely something here, but I can’t quite discern it yet.  

Me:  I’ll do some scouting.  Stay put, both of you.

Tear: Wasn’t it recommended not to split up?

Me:  I’m staying within earshot, as recommended.  Trying to find a safe way that doesn’t involve more big drops.  I’ll be out and back quickly and safely.  I promise.

*I go into the center tunnel and after a few minutes, return holding another newspaper page.  This one is from 1901.  It has been scribbled on.*

Me:  We’re reaching the older parts of the mine.  So, I think we’re on the right track.  

*Stephen looks at the page.*

Stephen:  “There once was a man from Nantucket—“  Nope.  Not finishing that.

Tear: *Grins impishly* What’s wrong with a man keeping all his cash in a bucket?

Me (smirking):  After all, where else would he chuck it?

*Stephen groans in exasperation.*

Tear: *High fives Steward*

Me:  I’ll check the other tunnels really quickly so we can advance.  

Stephen:  Be careful.  

Me:  I will be.

*The left tunnel is collapsed about 150 feet in.  There’s also old dynamite in there.  I leave silently and quickly.*  

Me:  Stay out of the left.  Trust me.

Tear: *Looks up at Stephen while Steward once again disappears from view* Not picking up anything odd yet?

Stephen:  It’s…fuzzy.  Present, but I can’t get a decent reading on it.

*I check the right tunnel.  There’s a well filled with cold, clear water.  It appears to be flowing.  I remember my thirst and take a sip from my water bottle as I walk back.*  

Me:  Looks like the middle tunnel is the way to go.

*We proceed.  It’s getting more precarious and the workings here do look older.  Stephen almost goes ahead a few times, as though he senses something more.  We find another paper.  This one is from 1878.  It reads, “The work here hasn’t been the same since the collapse that trapped those boys.  It feels colder now and not just from the well.  Different.” *

Me:  That’s…Reassuring.  *I’m being a mixture of sarcastic about the disturbing miner’s journal and relieved that we’re on the right path.*

Tear: I’m more surprised all these papers have survived down here for so long. The note mentions a well, but I don’t think we’ve passed it yet, have we?

Me:  The climate down here is consistent and basically acts like a time capsule.  The well was in the right tunnel back there.  *I point back at the area.*  It’s big and deep.  With how low the ceiling is, we can’t really levitate over it.  So, best not to attempt passing through it.  Plus, it’s freezing in there.  

*We go deeper.  The water from the well has made the passages in this area cold and damp.  As we progress, our breath eventually becomes visible.  With our sweat from earlier, we’re starting to shiver.*

Me:  G-Geez…So much for stable temperatures underground…

Tear: Are they supposed to be stable? I’ve only ever gone down a few buried pyramids, and they are always cool and damp. *I shrug off my glow-in-the-dark backpack and rummage around until I can pull out one of the extra sweaters I brought* Here. I hope you don’t mind the size. I wanted to make sure it would fit either of us in case of emergencies. It’ll help keep you warm.

Me:  N-Normally, y-yes.  Underground c-climates are usually the s-same t-temperature and humidity year-round.  Th-Thanks, Tear.  *I accept the sweater gratefully and put it on, breathing on my hands to warm up.*

*As we continue forward, there’s another exceptionally slippery area right next to a vertical shaft.  We help each other get past it.  On the left is another collapsed tunnel.  This one looks old.  There’s some miner’s graffiti here.  It says “Caution”.  We carry on.  Around 10 minutes later, we come across some very old pages that are almost disintegrating.  They’re written in Chinese and the date is 1873.  Seeing as Stephen is multilingual, we pass the pages to him.  He reads through them.*

Stephen:  “The ore veins here are good, but we are going through candles too quickly.  The darkness swallows them.”  This one is from a few weeks later…”The white men do not work on this level.  It is only Qi-Long, Zhang, me, and 27 others.  Yet, none of us feels alone here.  Li came forth the other day to ask who had called him.  None of us did.  This has continued with many of us.”

*Tear and I jump a little bit when my 2 hour alarm goes off.*

Me:  …If this were any other situation, I would suspect someone playing tricks.  Also, we’re 2 hours in.  We should finish this up soon to head back.

Tear: Hmm, I guess it would be possible if the men were left down here many days without sunlight. I know of a few cases of hallucinations and claustrophobia in the mines and trenches of World War One, and judging by the writing on the note…I don’t think the “white men” cared about these miners enough to offer them breaks.

Me:  They often were, yeah.  Also, they usually didn’t.  Chinese workers were treated as expendable or second-class at best.  Plus, if these guys were the victims of the collapse…

Stephen:  I suspect we’re getting close.  I can sense it properly now.

Tear: Hmm, well, we’ve hit the two hour mark, so I feel compelled to strongly suggest you two to take a minute to eat something. I have a feeling it might be disrespectful to do it later if we are heading toward a burial site, and it won’t do to have low blood sugar while we investigate. I brought some quick snacks…sandwiches and energy bars and a few fruits for comfort. I can put our trash away, too.

Me:  Oh.  Right…Good point.

Stephen:  Good call.  

*We accept the food gratefully and take a moment to eat. Soon enough, we continue our descent until a fork in the tunnel.  There is another huge drop across from another collapsed tunnel.  This collapse is incomplete, held up partially by some large boulder.  I test it for a moment and then carefully wriggle through to assess the situation.*

Me (faint, small voice from within the area):  Oh crap…

Stephen:  What do you see?

Tear: Need more light in there?

Me:  …Let’s just say that even though I can’t read Chinese, I can tell this isn’t good.  No.  No.  I need out.  

*I say this rapidly, obviously disturbed by whatever I found in the collapsed area.  I scramble back out of the area quickly, looking deeply shaken.  I pass Stephen more pages.*

Stephen (reading them):  These pages are very smudged.  Barely legible in some parts.  It says: “We blasted a new tunnel, but the rock was too soft.  It collapsed.  Li, Huang, and many others were buried.  Qi-Long and I are trapped.  We have air, but little food and water.  It is dark despite the candles.”  *He looks at another page.*  “It is just us.  Yet Qi-Long is gone.  I am alone, yet not.  The shadows will swallow me too.”  

Me (small voice, almost a whisper):  …There were no bones.  No sign of any remains.  Only a few scraps of old denim from miners’ uniforms and some spent carbide, but **something** is in there.  I never believed in this stuff until now.  

*I’m chillingly sincere.  After decades of being guided by scientific principles, it’s clear that my reality has been shattered.*

Tear: *Places a comforting hand on Steward’s shoulder* This collapse happened over 130 years ago. Any remains could have decomposed in that time, but the denim takes much longer. *I sigh sadly and cross my arms as I look up at Stephen.* It’s clear we’ve reached the spot, but I can’t say I feel anything else other than belated grief as an outsider. Can you feel the same thing Steward did?

Me:  No no no…It’s not remains…You don’t understand…I *felt* everything.  I don’t know what it was, but we shouldn’t be here.  *I’m usually very grounded and scientific, but something in there rattled me beyond anything I’ve encountered before.*

*I’m shaking slightly and usually try to be strong, but I accept the comfort without protest for once.  This is unusual for me.  Stephen stares at me for a moment before composing himself.  He suspects something’s up, but he still can’t quite put his finger on it.  So, he looks at the final page, lost in thought for a moment.*

Stephen (avoiding the question for now because he doesn’t have a good answer quite yet):  Here’s the last page…*It is the least legible of all.  As though scribbled by a madman.*  ”We are not alone.  I do not know of other survivors.  The darkness is hungry.  I am hungry.  There is only me.  The air ripples.  They call my name.  Such glorious sights could be mine.  I cannot get out.  So, they shall take me.  I cannot get out.  Have mercy on us all.”

*I feel a shudder snake its way through me.*

Me:  …We need to go.  Leave this area alone.  *My face is filled with genuine fear at this point.*

Tear: *I glance at Steward and frown down at the area where the cave-in happened. I’m still skeptical after I fail to pick up any energies, and discard the final note as the evidence of madness. Still, our original reason to come down here has me once more looking at Stephen to make the choice.*

Stephen:  I understand.  The strongest signal I got is from the drop.  We’ll check it and then leave.  

Me (trying to keep my cool):  Okay.  *I’m subtly getting closer to both of them.  This is unusual.  I typically prefer my personal space.  So, whatever I felt in that collapsed tunnel must have really scared me.*

Tear: I wish I had brought something to leave behind as a show of respect. Maybe we could set up a crowdfunding project to commemorate their lives. Wouldn’t that be nice, Steward? *I offer a small smile, clearly trying to lift the somber mood and calm Steward a bit.*

Me (calming down slightly):  Yeah.  I think that would be a nice idea.

*We head back towards the drop.  Yet now, our lights are getting dim, as though the batteries are dying.  However, they’re all freshly replaced.  I thump my lamp to align the batteries.  It goes out.  I fumble a bit and replace them, using the light from Tear’s Disney gear…Nothing.*

Me (small voice, almost a hoarse whisper):  No…

*Tear’s Disney lights are starting to fade now too.  Even the light-up shoes.  I try my flashlight.  It turns on, but despite the light turning on, we can’t see anything.  Like a surreal yellowish disc that emits nothing.  It suddenly feels stuffy in here.  The light no longer penetrates the darkness. I freeze, the bile rising in my throat.  I take some deep breaths in an attempt to calm myself.*

Tear: *I shake the flashlight in my hand in confusion and look around at the increasing darkness.* Okay…memory check, we didn’t climb down any deeper, did we? *I take a step closer to the others so that we are crowding together and gently stomp down on the heel of my sneakers, confirming they are now useless.*

Me:  …No, we didn’t.  

*The darkness feels almost suffocating.  Like we’re being enveloped in thick cloth.  The echo of our voices is gone.  Muffled.*

Stephen:  It’s here.

Me (trying to stay calm):  Okay…

Tear: Yeah. Sure would be nice to know what “it” is though. *I take deep breaths to keep a clear head and shift my hold on my flashlight to use it as a club instead. With our sight compromised, I strain my ears in hopes of picking up any noise that might approach us.*

*It’s pitch-black, but it seems as though the air itself is “rippling”.  Almost like it was a simple visual hallucination from the sensory deprivation we’re experiencing.  Yet, it feels almost…alive.*

Me (small voice):  You’re both still here, right?

Tear: Haven’t gone anywhere. *I inch even closer, ensuring that all of our backs are pressed together in a triangle for both reassurance and protection from all sides.*

Stephen:  Yes.  I’m scanning this anomaly.

Me (unnerved):  So…Neither of you called me?  

Tear: No, why would I?

Stephen:  No.  Did you hear something?  

Me:  …I-*I pause.* You guys aren’t messing with me?  *I’m really hoping that one of you is just playing a trick.*

*There is a very faint voice, distorted as though stretched out through unimaginable eons.  It sounds vaguely human, but only just.  It sounds as though it’s in distress and in another language.  Yet, we can all understand it.* 

Voice (faint, but echoing through the shafts despite our own voices and sounds being muffled):  …Help me…  *It seems both near and far away at the same time.*  Please…Come find me…

*Chills run down our spines.  There is a visceral feeling.  We know it’s a trap.  That this, whatever it is, wants us to follow.  It’s baiting us.  We’re all stuck in the pitch black within the bowels of the Earth and this thing has been waiting.  We’re being hunted.  There is a deep rumbling somewhere in the distance.  The sound of another collapse far away from us.*

*We hear Stephen moving and faintly see some sparks from him.  However, the light from his current spell seems muted.*

Stephen:  Dyzakk’s Cage!  *He shoots at the rippling, briefly illuminating the shaft.  The darkness recedes, bringing the now-contained rippling air into view.*  This is an interdimensional rift.  I contained it for our safety.  With the effects of this universe on my magic, I cannot determine which universe this opens up to.  However, this is the likely culprit in the demise of the miners who survived the initial collapse.  

*There is a crackling sound.  Stephen looks.*

Stephen:  We need to go.  Now!  *At this point, even **he** looks alarmed.  The spell doesn’t look like it’s going to hold.*

*My headlamp flickers back to life for the time being.  So, we flee.  Unfortunately, as we turn to leave, it seems some glowsticks are missing.  Others appear to have been tossed aside in random directions.  I make a small, strangled noise.  Stephen goes ahead.  He utters a brief incantation, conjuring some will o’ the wisps that fly just ahead of us, guiding our way out. Apparently, exposure to the rift helped Stephen boost his abilities a bit.  We rush forward.  Unfortunately, the slippery patch is ahead and Tear slips, plummeting down the shaft.  I lunge forward, hand outstretched in an attempt to save her.  It’s too late.  The accident happens too quickly for either human to react.  Miraculously, the Cloak flies off of Stephen at an insane speed and stops Tear’s fall, bringing her back up safely.  We’re in shock and watch silently.  The only sound is my rapid pulse as my heart bangs up against my chest.  After a few seconds, Stephen and I snap out of it.*

Stephen (worried):  Tear, are you okay?  Are you hurt anywhere?  *He looks her over with concern, checking on her.*

Tear: I’m okay, I’m okay. *I blink back tears and cling to the Cloak wrapped around my shoulders. I’m white as a sheet and trembling all over, but my mind seems like it is still lagging to catch up. The fall had been so sudden I hadn’t even been able to scream, but I register no injuries other than a smarting bruise on my hip and a scraped elbow from when I first hit the ground.* It was just the fright, really. We gotta keep going. *Feeling the urgency of Stephen’s containment spell, I stumble back to my feet on wobbly legs, mostly with the help of the Cloak.*

*I hug her tightly when we know that she’s okay.*

Me (having one of those massive surges of adrenaline rushes mixed with fear and concern):  Be careful, damnit!  *I’m not actually mad.  Just worried.  Though at this point, I’m shaking quite badly and look like I might vomit from the stress.*

Tear: *I giggle deliriously, too pumped full of fear and adrenaline to even register Steward’s tone.* I’ll keep that in mind.

Stephen (urgent):  We need to get out of here.  Whatever is in that rift, it’s not worth the risk.  Follow the wisps.  Whatever else is down here is tampering with your equipment.  Go!    

*He holds up the rear while his wisps glow ahead of Tear and me.  We quickly but carefully get to the main shaft where the lift is waiting.  We’re roughly an hour early.  I look at Tear and Stephen, confirming that they’re both here and okay.  I’m pale as a ghost.  We’re all wet, muddy, and have many cuts and bruises.*

Me (relieved to be back at the lift):  Ready for me to whistle so we can head up?

Stephen:  Yes.  *He has a stony expression and keeps looking back towards the shaft we came out of, as though expecting something.  We hear some more faint rumbling from deep inside the mine.  The sorcerer is more on-edge than we’ve ever seen him before.*

Tear: *Wheezing* Just blow the damn thing. *I pat at the Cloak still over my shoulders and motion for it to return to Stephen with a tilt of my head, hoping it will help ease some of his tension.*

*I gesture for everyone to cover their ears before I blast my whistle.  We listen for Trix’s whistle before stepping into the lift and being slowly hauled back up.  It feels like an eternity.*

Me (hoarse):  …At least we found something…*Trying to be positive.  Though I know that Tear and I will have nightmares from this ordeal.  I’m still shaking like a leaf and deathly pale while drenched in sweat.*

Tear: *Huffs out an incredulous laugh as I fold over to rest my hands on my shaking knees* Well, the nightmares will go nicely with the ones I have from the time I got lost up on Mount Rainier. Maybe hiking and spelunking are just not meant for me. *I straighten once more and wince over my stiff muscles. I’m still panting and wheezing as I try to regain my breath from our little dash back when I turn to Stephen.* I had never, ever, heard of a dimensional rift opening in our universe though. Were you able to gather anything from the energy source?

Stephen (deadly serious):  This mine is too dangerous.  We won’t come back here.  It was something, but not worth the risk again.  Whatever was in there, it was far bigger than any of us anticipated and it was NOT friendly.  I got a small, short boost of energy from it when I got close, but that was it.  That rift wasn’t from any dimension that I’m familiar with.  Though the entities coming from it were definitely hostile to sentient life.

Trix: Oh god, it was that bad, huh? If we have scary shit in our world with no magic that is terrifying.

*I nod.*

Me (looking sick while coming down from the adrenaline rush):  We barely made it out alive…

*The subsequent ride back is sober and quiet.  I put the radio on so we at least have something to diffuse the tension.  When we get back into town, I give Tear a respectful look.*  

Me (sincere):  Tear, you went above and beyond down there and I hope that we never have to endure an ordeal like that again.  Trix, thank you for coming with us and helping us get in and out safely.  Guys, if you need or want, you can stay with us tonight.

Tear: I would have never forgiven myself if I had let you and Stephen go down there on your own. I’m not sure I was of much help, but no one should go through what we did alone. *I turn to look at my parked car over my shoulder, weighing my options. I find myself dreading the drive back to my place at night and faring on my own once I get there.* If…if I’m not imposing…I think I will take you up on that offer to stay. I don’t think I’ll get much sleep tonight anyway, if at all.

Me:  That’s understandable.  Also, you did plenty with the supplies and doing your best to help me through that passage.  I almost had a serious panic attack down there.

Stephen (serious):  Thank you, all of you, for what you did today.  It may not have gone the way that any of us intended, but I’m grateful that you made the effort to help me.

Tear: *Smiles* We did say we would be here for you no matter what. I just wish we actually had the power to find a way back home for you. Today was…annoyingly fruitless despite all we went through.

Trix: I honestly feel bad that I didn’t come help more but then it would have been four of us in danger.

Stephen:  You did what you needed to do by helping us evacuate.  If you weren’t up there, we may not have made it out.

Trix: *kinda shuffles awkwardly* Always glad to help. Just hearing the noises coming out of there was worrying.

Me:  It was starting to try to trigger collapses to box us in.  *Slowing down as the very last of the adrenaline leaves my system.*

*I’m practically dead on my feet.  Driving us back took all of the remaining energy I had left.  Right now, it’s only willpower keeping me from collapsing in the driveway.*

Stephen:  I’ll unload the car.  Go ahead inside.

Tear: I’ll help him and put something together for dinner later tonight.  

Trix: I’ll stay over tonight if you don’t mind. I think it certainly is the type of night to stick together.

Me (yawning):  Okay…Thank you, Trix.  As for dinner, it’s a nice thought, but right now, I’m barely conscious.

Tear: *Halfway in the trunk* I meant for me! I eat when I’m stressed, so I’m emptying your fridge tonight.

Me (slurring):  Okay…Do you guys need help?  *I’m attempting to resist the fatigue because I don’t want to be lazy or selfish.  The fridge joke Tear made didn’t register in my now-zombified brain.* 

Tear: *I flap my hand up and down to wave Steward off* Nah, we got it, don’t worry. I’m sure Stephen can tell me where you keep your condiments.

*I blink slowly.  You can practically see the “System Processing…” prompt going on in my head.*

*I shamble to the front door and unlock it, stumbling inside.  At this point, the adrenaline and shock have fully worn off.  Now, the pain from exertion is hitting me.  My knees feel like they’re filled with splinters and I know there are plenty of scrapes and bruises from bumping into things and crawling through that horrible collapse.  I know I need to go upstairs, but dread the ever-increasing pain shooting through my legs.  So, I stare up at them for a few seconds before gritting my teeth and practically pulling myself up using the banisters.  I head to my bathroom to clean up and get ready for bed.  It’s early, probably around 7, but I don’t care.  After sorting myself out, I limp over to the top of the stairs to check on Stephen, Trix, and Tear.*

Me (slurring):  You guys doing okay down there?

Tear: *After putting away our gear and cooking up some tuna melts in the toaster oven, I raid the linen closet with the Cloak’s help and build myself a nest on the cushy sofa in the living room. I put on episodes of the Looney Tunes cartoons on the TV in a low volume, and proceed to let Bugs Bunny numb my anxiety. My eyes droop sleepily but I stubbornly refuse to fall asleep.* I think we’ve got everything covered. There’s tuna melts being kept warm in the toaster oven in case you get hungry. *I don’t look away from the TV screen as I answer Steward.*

Stephen:  We’re fine.  Get some rest.  

*He’s watching the show with Tear while sitting in the armchair next to the sofa.  Though also deeply thinking about what happened.  So, watching, but not really watching.  More just keeping her company and thinking.  The Cloak is with Tear because Stephen figures she needs it more than he does right now.*

Trix: Yeah! Let us know if you need anything!

Me (mumbling):  Okay.  Thanks…Good night, all of you.  If any of you need anything, just holler or text. 

Stephen:  We’ll be okay.

Tear: *I tilt my head back to finally return Steward’s gaze.* You too. Don’t hesitate to come downstairs or reach out tonight. You sure you don’t wanna throw a sleepover in the living room?

*I look rather terrible even after having cleaned up.  My eyes have shadows around them and my walk has gotten worse.*

Me:  M’kay…It’s tempting, but I don’t really want to do the stairs again.

Tear: That’s fine. I hope you get some rest then. *I’m worried but know better than to coddle. Instead, I get comfy on the sofa with the Cloak again and go back to watching king Bugs bonk a man over the head with his scepter.*

*A few hours later, I acquiesce and stumble downstairs, almost falling.  I catch myself in time and limp over to the living room, deciding to curl up in the remaining armchair without a word.  It’s a rough, but deep sleep.*  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Unbeknownst to any of us, Stephen’s containment spell on the rift issued an echo across the multiverse.  A magical version of a ping.  Somewhere in the multiverse, a Wong notices a faint and familiar magical signature.  Perhaps…?*

***To be continued***

#doctor strange fanfiction #doctor strange meta fic #horror #mine exploration #cosmic horror #eldritch horror #multi author #doctor strange #stephen strange #dr stephen strange #doctor stephen strange

[ashes-writing]

stranger things ● summer of 86 pt 6 ● e. munson

warning

idiots in love + Eddie is endearingly oblivious to you/reader's open flirting where he's concerned, sloooow burn., mentions of divorce/marital troubles (Carol + Tommy), Carol being the same mean girl she was in high school, barb and robin hooked up + made things official and some angst about them having to hide it (cos 80s were not the time to be wlw or mlm, it's sad buuut. I'm writing this accurate to the time period so.. there will be internal fear/angst and anger that they can't just be together openly.), sexual tension, lots of little touches, swearing, a confrontation between reader/carol that kind of ends on a vulnerable!carol note?, post season 4 au with absolutely no sci fi driven plot / previous seasons did not happen here either, fyi. Hawkins is just a normal small midwestern town. OH AND.. Eddie might seem OOC to some, this is merely my take on the character.

<- reader/you are a female. reader/you have female parts. reader/you also have a specific style aesthetic ( ie this or this ) and a defined personality + nicknames and/or petnames. reader/you also happens to be Joyce Byer's oldest child, putting reader/you at 21 which is the same age as Eddie here. So.. this is another self indulgent thing and I am.. not sorry or ashamed. if specific readers aren't your thing, dldr ig?

word count

3034 words exactly. For any missing context part 5 <- is there, click.

summary

“You askin me out on a date, __?”

You realize what you’ve done and you’re panicking a little. Then you shrug. “Maybe I am.” you’re dragging your fingers over the raised edges of his tattoo and he has to bite back a groan. “It’s just the drive in.” you laugh softly. 

“The drive in, huh?”

“Mhm.. there’s a horror movie playing I really wanna see. And my friends are all babies, Eddie. So am I, come t’ think of it.”

“So you want me t’ go.. Protect you, huh?” he’s teasing right back, totally unaware of what his teasing is doing to you, because if he knew how crazy it drove you -or how wet it made you, whenever he teased like this..

taglist + shoutouts

taglist is here. if you're here for steve/gareth + other ST content and you don't want to be tagged in Eddie content, please lmk. If you want to be added to my taglist but the doc is being wonky, also lmk, i will add you.

@allelitesmut omg i love you sm and i can't even begin to express how happy your tags on my content make me when I see them in my notifs, you're amazing, I swear. i'm so glad you like this and you take the time to read.

@eddiemunsonspantschain listen.. hear me out.. when i said i was going to do all the things with this in discord, i meant it. i don't know what i'd do without our talks, you are amazing and you're just so sweet and like.. i love you to pieces.

@tbmunson bestie. babes. babe.. i love you sm. i don't know what I'd do if i hadn't met you / gotten to know you on here. you are my inspiration 5ever and i want to be you when i grow up.

@chaoticcancer

@caravelofthesun

@music4life42

@eddiemuns0nl0ver

@just-a-blue-nerd

@slyisbehindyou

other links

masterlist ● eddie's masterlist ● about+ rules

 " ____ since when do you work for Ms. Albright?" Carol's voice has you looking up from a growing pile of transcripts, depositions and other legal documents. 

You roll your eyes and you start off strong ignoring her but then she does the obnoxious throat clearing bit.  "What do you want, Carol?"

Carol swallows hard. "I have a consult. 3 pm?"

"Shit. She's in court right now. All I can tell you is come back in a few minutes, she should be back then..if court doesn't run over." Carol isn't leaving when you tell her this. Your hand settles on your hip. "You don't have t' wait around, y'know. I'll tell her you checked in."

She's still lingering.

You turn your attention to the documents and files littering your desk. You can feel her staring and it's giving flashbacks to the way she always did this right before she decimated your self esteem back in high school. "Say whatever you're thinking. Just get it out and leave, Carol because I am up to my ears in files and phone calls right now."

"You should really thank me."

You scoff at her audacity. "Now why would I do that, huh? I mean, I'd understand if any of the useless shit you did or said actually.. ya know..inspired me. None of this came from your bullying though."

"Are you really sure about that?" Carol asks and you clutch your sides in laughter. "You really are delusional, huh?"

"It's true. You weren't anything before. People didn't see you. Unless they wanted to hurt you or needed amusement in the form of making you cry."

You laugh.

"I was invisible because I chose to be though? Some of  us don't need constant validation. So whatever point you think your making is.. useless. Kinda like you always were."

"Bitch."

"Aw, thank you, buttercup."

Ms. Albright walks in and she's fuming about the outcome of her case. You clear your throat and nod to Carol and she raises a brow. "Did we have an appointment?"

"Carol, ma'am. I'm your 3 pm."

"Uh huh?"

"My mother, she uh..she made my appointment?"

"Oh! Okay, come right this way, sweetheart!"

You sink down in your desk chair and recline your legs against the edge of the desk. You're tempted to eavesdrop but then again, you just don't care enough about Carol enough to bother, so you get back to organizing files and putting them away. By the time 4 pm rolls around, you've lined up your bosses entire next day and you've made it to m with sorting the files.

Carol wanders out of the woman’s office and it looks as if she’s been crying. And normally, you’d have something snarky to say, but she just looks so hurt that for once, you feel really, really bad for her.

She barely meets your gaze as she walks past your desk, but once she’s at the door to the office, she pauses. “Go ahead and laugh. I know you want to. Everybody else is laughing. Everybody but me.”

She turns to lock eyes with you and you do the same, popping a bubble with your gum. “Why would I laugh? Look, I dunno what led to this, but… Even you deserve to try and find your own happiness. Maybe you should do that, Carol.”

Carol gives you a nod and steps out of the office, letting the door close softly behind her. You stretch and stand, tidying up your desk as you wander into Ms. Albright’s office to give her the list of appointments and consultations you took down from her calls for the rest of the week.

“Another one made the same mistake I did.” the woman says it without any prompting or further context and you shrug. She takes the paper from you and reads over it, smiling at you. “I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow.”

You nod and smile, wandering back out into the front of the office to gather your things. And as you walk past the diner, you spot Carol Perkins sitting inside. Nursing a milkshake, with her toddler sitting in a high chair and her 5 month old asleep in a car seat carrier.

“Those poor kids.” you mutter, shaking your head. Remembering when it was your own mother in Carol’s situation. Wondering what the final straw for Carol was because you know exactly what the final straw for your mother was. And just thinking about it all makes you flinch a little. You make your way down, wandering into the office of the newspaper Nancy works at.

“How was your first day working with Albright?”

“It was.. Interesting. I mean, it’s not exactly what I planned, Nance.. But maybe my plan is changing.”

Nancy smiles brightly at you. “That’s great!”

“Carol came in.”

Nancy gapes. “No way.”

“Mhm.”

“Well, my mom did mention that Tommy’s mother told him they were getting divorced soon. I feel bad for them.”

“I feel bad for their kids.” you say it and sigh, shaking your head. “Anyway, let’s think about literally anything else. Did my lug of a brother tell you anything yet?” you ask, giggling when she shakes her head and gives you a confused look. You shrug. “I may or may not know he’s up to something really, really big.”

“Oh he is, huh?”

“Mhm. But I can’t tell you.”

“Damn it, __.. Why do you always insist on doing this? You’ve done this to Barb and I since we were kids.”

“Because I can. It’s fun, watching the two of you try everything under the sun to get it out of me.”

“C’mon. We need to get a move on. Barb and Robin are headed into town now. And I’m starving.”

“So am I. The takeout I ordered at 9 is wearing off.” you admit, making Nancy gape. “You didn’t take a lunch break?”

“I was in the zone, Nance.”

–

Robin smiles as she feels Barb’s body melt into hers. Barb’s eyes flutter open and she gives Robin a sleepy peck on the freckled bridge of her nose, raising a hand to caress her face. “Last night was..” Barb trails off, she’s searching for the best word to describe what finally happened between the two of them the night before after months of dancing around their feelings. But there’s not a word that even comes close. Robin sighs in content. “Amazing. Mind blowing. Every good thing I’ve ever wanted t’ feel.” she goes quiet, the two a tangle of arms and legs beneath a faded purple sheet as Robin rolls onto her back and pulls Barb so that she’s partially draped on top of her.

But the afterglow is short lived when a car door slams outside, the sound floating in through the crack in Robin’s bedroom window. Barb pries herself apart from Robin to move to the end of the bed and peer out the window. And she’s wide-eyed when she turns back to look at Robin. “It’s your mom!”

“Shit!” Robin can feel her heart speed up and suddenly, she’s wide awake as panic sets in. Barb has slipped out of bed and Robin joins her, the pair gathering flung articles of clothing off of the bed and helping each other get dressed. Unable to keep their hands to themselves, pausing to exchange breathless and needy kisses or rest their forehead against the other one’s forehead. “I hate that we have to hide this.”

“Me too.” Robin breathes out against her lover’s mouth. Barb motions for Robin to turn facing away and she’s just hooking the last clasp in Barb’s bra when they hear Robin’s mother shut the front door to the trailer behind her and call Robin’s name. Barb nods to the open window, heading over to slip out and Robin comes over too, helping  Barb out, Barb lingering in the window to steal another deep kiss and caress Robin’s face. “I’ll go bring the car up and pretend I just got here.”

Robin nods, pouting as Barb pulls away from her and jumps out the window of her bedroom, bolting across the lawn. Robin’s mother is knocking on the door at this point and Robin makes her way over, opening the door.

“Oh good. You’re awake. Didn’t you hear me come in, Robbie? Come help me bring in the groceries.”

Robin smiles, nodding. A pang of guilt at having to lie to her mother again, but for now, it’s what she has to do. She has to come up with a way to spring everything on her mother gently.

As they unload the trunk of Robin’s mom’s car, Barb pulls to a stop behind it in her own car. Robin’s mom glances from the idling car to Robin and she smiles.

Robin is blushing again, it’s something she doesn’t even realize she’s doing. But her mother picks right up on it. She laughs softly. “Look who’s here, Robbie!” she gives a bright grin, waving at the girl currently sitting inside the parked car. Barb kills the engine and gets out just as Robin’s mother takes in a few more bags from the trunk. Robin steps up into her girlfriend -awed by the fact that now, it’s official. Now she can actually call her this, even if for the time being, it’s kept private. Between the two of them.

She gives Barb a little peck on the lips and Barb laughs softly, returning the small peck. She nods to the trunk. “I’ll grab some bags too.”

As Barb grabs bags to help carry them into the trailer, Robin is silently mulling everything over, waiting. She stops Barb on the steps.

“We have to tell someone soon. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to keep this a secret.” and Barb nods, smiling. Stepping up to her girlfriend as she mumbles quietly, “I was thinking the same thing. Keeping you.. Keeping us.. Hidden.. I don’t want to.”

Robin smiles bright, opening the door so that Barb can step into the trailer. As the two of them set the bags that they’d grabbed from the trunk down, her mother speaks up. “Do you have to work today?”

“I need to get going, actually.”

Barb nods. “I can take her, Mrs. Buckley.”

Robin’s mother smiles. “She’s such a sweet girl, Robbie. You two have fun!”

As the two make their way out to  Barb’s parked car, they let out very ragged breaths. “That was.. Close.”

“Not as close as last weekend. I was just about to kiss you and Steve wandered out onto the patio to smoke.” Barb admits, making Robin gape at her in surprise. “You were.. About to kiss me?”

Barb laughs softly. “Why wouldn’t I want to kiss you, huh?”

Robin laughs, shrugs and answers quietly, “I.. I don’t know. I’m still shocked, okay?” Barb nods, smiling as she turns out of the driveway and onto the dirt and gravel road leading into Forest Hills. “Me too.”

“I hate that we have to hide this.”

“So do I. We’re going to tell everyone soon.”

“We are.”

As the car heads into town, Barb’s hand leaves the wheel, settling over the top of Robin’s hand, giving it a soft little squeeze before Robin laces their fingers together and leans towards Barb, leaning her head against Barb’s shoulder.

–

“These heels are killing my feet.” you stop behind the rest of your friends to  take off the heels you’ve been wearing all day and Nancy laughs. “I don’t know why you keep wearing them.”

“Because they make my ass look good?” you laugh as you shrug and look up at her through a curtain of hair. Nancy’s laughing too. “But you’re always complaining about how painful they are.”

“You’ve got me there.” you straighten to full height and start to walk again, the heels tucked beneath your arm. As you make your way past the service station, you happen to see Eddie Munson sitting on a 5 gallon barrel out in the back. He’s smoking, dark brown hair stuck to his face. He’s got his shirt off and a pair of FR overalls with the bib down at his waist and you’re mesmerized.

“__.. You’re staring again.”

“Uh uh.”

“You were.”

“I can’t help it he’s pretty and my eyes enjoy the view.” you give a sheepish shrug and Nancy laughs, shaking her head at you. “Instead of staring, go do something about it.” she gives you a gentle shove towards the opening in the  fence.

“I can’t!”

“You can. You need to because the sexual tension between you is unreal, okay? Look.. I’ve been in the same room as both of you at the same time and I almost choked on the way the air got so thick.”

You laugh, shaking your head. But you’re lingering in the opening of fence. Your eyes roam over him, taking in the side profile. The grease smear on his cheek. The way kissable lips curl around a Marlboro Red as he drags the back of his hand over his sweaty forehead to wipe away the sweat.

“It’s a new world, __. You can totally make the first move.”

“I cannot!” you’re gaping at Nancy when you say it, but then you happen to look back just in time to see Eddie glance up, looking right at you. He grins and stands, wandering over.

You swallow hard as he comes to a stop in front of you because there’s just something about the way he absolutely towers over you that drives you crazy. You step closer before you can stop yourself and Eddie chuckles. “Careful, woman. I’m all sweaty n’ dirty n’ shit right now.” Doe eyes settle on your bare feet. “What the hell are y’ doin, there’s glass and shit out here.”

“These shoes,” you raise the pair of stilettos so he can see them, “Were killing my feet.”

He snickers to himself, shaking his head. He’s trying to stop himself but he just can’t. The urge to be closer to you wins out so he steps even closer. “How’d your first day go?”

“It went.” you laugh. “It was pretty boring. All I did was try to give the woman an actual filing system that was easy to keep up with and answer phones?” you notice that his knuckles are caked in dried blood so you raise his hand, surveying the damage as you hiss and glance up at him. “What the hell did you do?”

He chuckles. “Got th’ station wagon from hell in my garage bay. I might’ve slammed the damn hood on my hand because of course, the hood latch is a piece of garbage too.”

“Eddie, you need to clean this.”

“Woman, it’s fine.”

“Eddie, your hand could rot.” you scold gently. He chuckles, turning away to thump his cigarette into the gravel behind him. Then he turns to face you again. And he’s got this teasing look in his eyes. “Aw..” he mutters, leaning down just a little, “You worried about me, doll?”

You stick out your tongue. “I’m just telling you what could happen if you don’t clean out the wound.”

“You really don’t wanna know what I did last week when th’ box cutter slipped when I was tearin’ down boxes at the record store.” he chuckles. He’s teasing a little. You swallow hard. “I probably don’t. I swear to God if you say you used super glue…”

“Maybe I did.”

“God damn it, Eddie. If you needed actual medical attention.. What is it with men and their stubborn refusal to go to a fucking doctor?” you laugh softly, shaking your head. Eddie laughs too and he shrugs. “And women who insist on wearin’ shoes that hurt their feet. Kinda the same thing, right?”

“Not really?” you raise a brow, laughing again.  Raising a hand to rest against his bare chest before you even realize that you’ve done it. Eddie’s breath hangs and he gulps as he looks down at the way your hand’s settled against his chest tattoos.

He shuffles his feet because currently, all the blood in his body is southbound. Straight to his cock.

And you’re struggling. Trying to think of something to say. When you open your mouth, you’re honestly not expecting what comes out.

“Are you doing anything later?”

Eddie rubs his chin as he stares down at you, trying not to marvel over how your pretty little body would be easily engulfed by his. Or how good that might feel. How it’s something he might be able to let himself get used to.

“You askin me out on a date, __?”

You realize what you’ve done and you’re panicking a little. Then you shrug. “Maybe I am.” you’re dragging your fingers over the raised edges of his tattoo and he has to bite back a groan. “It’s just the drive in.” you laugh softly. 

“The drive in, huh?”

“Mhm.. there’s a horror movie playing I really wanna see. And my friends are all babies, Eddie. So am I, come t’ think of it.”

“So you want me t’ go.. Protect you, huh?” he’s teasing right back, totally unaware of what his teasing is doing to you, because if he knew how crazy it drove you -or how wet it made you, whenever he teased like this.. You barely manage to pull yourself together and when you go to answer him, you accidentally squeak out your answer. He laughs and nods. “9’s okay, right?”

“9 is perfect.”

“Are you opposed to the motorcycle?” he asks.

“Not at all.” you mumble out the answer, managing to step away from him a little as Nancy laughs nearby and speaks up. “I think Barb and Robin are at the  diner waiting.”

You glance at her to nod and turn your attention back to Eddie. “Try not to bust anymore knuckles today, Eddie?”

“I’m not makin any promises, woman.” Eddie responds, stepping up into you. His hand lingers close, grazing against your hip and you feel your breath hang in your throat. “I gotta get going.” you finally manage to say it after about four or five seconds of just staring up at him.

Mesmerized.

#eddie munson #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson fic #eddie munson imagines #eddie the banished #eddie munson x byers!fem reader #eddie munson x fem!reader #eddie munson x yn #<- my writing ● eddie munson #<- warning | swearing + mention of divorce / relationship troubles and a lil Barb/Robin + their struggle ; see other warnings. #<- warning | female reader ( female parts / hair / clothing / personality + nicknames / petnames ) #fandom ( stranger things ) ��� season ( post 4 ; no sci fi au ) ● character ( eddie munson ) #-- just a teeny hint of progress between reader/eddie this time. we love a slow burn maybe? #-- things are gonna heat up i s2g.

[charlidrawz]

Her Tears Were My Light | .:Review:. | Trying Something New!

For a long time now I've been scrambling to find a way to stay active as well as continue posting more frequently online, and I think I've settled on writing reviews, Top Ten+ Lists, and the like!

For those who don't know me, I'm Michael (Mike/Mickey/Mika), also known as "Charli" online! (He/They pronouns)

I am a mega nerd, as well as an artist and gamer who loves to make playlists and bracelets in their spare time, as well as voice over work when able! (Reading, voice acting, singing, etc...)

I might make videos at some point, I'm not sure yet, but I have been working on a script for one at some point!

This is just a quick review I wanted to try my hand at, and I apologize in advance if I'm still fiddlin' around with Tumblr to figure out how it works after all these years, haha;;

Tl;dr: This is my first review (via Tumblr on my "main" account) I'll be posting!

Today I will be reviewing her tears were my light by NomnomNami

her tears were my light by NomnomNami is a visual novel available for purchase on Steam, Google Play, and itch.io.

You can see on the itch.io site that it has a word count of 6k, as well as 3 notable endings.

It's a quick playthrough, as well as a pleasant read, and the endings are rather easy to get.

I, personally, took my time reading and processing the story and artwork, so it took me around 20 min to about half an hour.

I am an achievement hunter on Steam, so I'll mention a couple of noteworthy bits of information for my fellow completion scavengers:

There are achievements, but I believe they're in that inactive state where the game won't show as a "Perfect Game" on your account.

There are options and settings you're able to fiddle around with to speed up the dialogue and skip through it, so that helps for folks who just want that 100%;

though I will say, this was one of those games I actually sat down and enjoyed, so please take your time if you're not in a rush to have the best experience possible!

The writing was stellar with brilliantly designed characters and gorgeous yet simple art, perfectly complimented by Nami's beautiful ost for their story.

I don't want to spoil too much of the actual content in the game itself, but it was wonderful enough that I left a review on Steam, wanted to attempt a more in-depth one here, and found myself unable to resist the urge to create a playlist for it.

I mentioned on Steam as well that I also plan to share this with my fiancé later, and I might draw some fanart for it at some point.

Spoilers Beyond This Border!

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Now that all of that's out of the way, I wanted to actually talk about the characters and some topics in the game themselves!

her tears were my light nearly had me crying; it was a touching and emotional story.

I love Space's design, Nil's writing, and Time's concept especially.

Making use of the save files was rather brilliant in my opinion, which I've rarely seen used, appropriately and well, in games- especially visual novels.

I won't include the Life is Strange franchise; it's not a mere "visual novel", and has a different tone and aesthetic.

If you like time travel and lgbtqia+ friendly stories with deep and excellent writing though, I do highly recommend it.

I actually felt disappointed that it was so short- when usually I'm nearly complaining that the viznovs I play, even the ones I like, cough Danganronpa cough are so long.

There was so much heart and soul put into these characters you only know for such a short period of time that it feels so abrupt having it end so quickly... after having made such a fuss over how long Nil waited for Time.

I can't stress enough, this isn't a complaint about the game- quite the opposite, honestly.

This feels like the perfect transition that could be used to go over a different review for another game by the same creator which I've considered doing, and I wasn't able to leave one for it on Steam because I had borrowed the game via Steam Share with a close friend of mine.

The game was the perfect length, honestly.

I had just enough time to complete it without stressing about finishing it; but it also still had enough content, good and interesting content, to leave at least me with a desire to play it again.

her tears were my light leaves the player with enough of (aforementioned) content to consume that they can create their own ideas and headcanons, aus, fanart, songs, and the like with their own creative minds.

Before I head out, I will say:

I personally prefer the ending where everyone is happy. Ɛ':

Hi, there!

I'm Michaela! Aka Michael, Mickey, Mike, Mika, etc... or Charli, as I go by online!

I'm an artist and gamer who loves cosplaying and voice acting, as well as making playlists, bracelets, and props in my spare time!

Wanna support me and/or see more content from me?

I do commissions, and occasionally requests!

If you have any ideas for a game, movie, show, anime, manga, comic, book, etc, that you want me to check out and review, lemme know in the comments or hmu via dms, Discord (CharliDrawz#9544), or my email ([email protected])!

as for commissions, you can contact me the same way if you're interested in an art piece or hiring an artist to help with a project!

I have a carrd for that (which might need to be updated) with info on what I do and don't do!

I am open to ship/pairing drawings, fanart, backgrounds, etc...

I don't do overly explicit NSFW or gore, nor do I do anything too overly detailed, realistic, or mecha.

I can do cartoony styles, furry/anthropomorphic art, 2d drawings, etc... but I will not draw a character without a reference.

I don't do full complete animations, but I am up for trying short moving avatars for a price.

I also do Spotify, SoundCloud, and YouTube playlists!

(I haven't used SoundCloud in a while, though; I apologize if it's a mess in there.)

These are a lot cheaper, and are easier for me to make!

Prices start from around 50¢ for super short 5-10 song playlists, to $10+ for a full hour/100+ track playlists.

(Whichever is reached first. The price depends on the length and how long it took to make it.)

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