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#we’re getting trippy

h-worksrambles · 4 months

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Sonic X Shadow Generations fascinates me. Because it feels like something I shouldn’t be excited for. And yet I absolutely am.

Don’t get me wrong. I love Sonic Generations. It’s my third favourite game in the series and my favourite 3D Sonic game (with Sonic Adventure 2 in a close second). I’m very happy to see it getting a re release to expose it to new audiences, and playing it in 4K60fps on my PS5 is a very enticing. Likewise, I really like Shadow as a character and I’m excited to play as him again.

And yet, his new bonus campaign promises to basically be a bunch of nostalgic pandering for Shadow the Hedgehog, a game which I consider to be, simply put, crap. It was boring, dull, colourless and embarrassing trend chasing. And pretty much everything I hated about it is on display in this trailer.

We’ve got gritty, grey cityscapes, we’ve got the rather blah alien villain, Black Doom returning, we’ve got the looming return of the series’…bafflingly executed lore. In a word, Shadow was a pretty much everything I didn’t want Sonic to be shoved into a blender. I’ve given my thoughts on revisiting past excesses and failures for the sake of nostalgia. I wrote a whole thing about Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and my fears that it would go overboard pandering to the 2000s spin offs (which I dislike a for lot of the same reasons as a lot of Sonic stuff from the mid 2000s). A faux attempt at maturity that sacrifices Sonic’s camp and colour, and lacks the writing competency to make its tone shift work is pretty much my worst case scenario for the series. And now we’re invoking that for nostalgia? Again, I should hate this.

So if I dislike Shadow the Hedgehog so much. If it really is so emblematic of Sonic’s worst excesses that I want it to leave behind in the 2000s…then why am I so damn hyped for this? Why am I not feeling the same dread as whenever VII Remake implicitly threatens to bring back Genesis?

I think it’s because of the specific relationship Sonic has had with its past for the last decade. So much of the stuff from that time period is material that Sega has seemed actively scared to touch again. Sometimes with good reason. But I think that’s why some material from that time has gained such a strong nostalgic cult following, and why they’re held up as such bastions of missed potential. There’s never been anything quite like Shadow or 06 since they came out with how safe Sega has subsequently played things. And in many respects, that’s a good thing. But I can see how it build a sense of mystique around them. It was kind of sad to see 2010s Sonic so…scared of itself. Terrified to invoke its own history but not really committed to a new direction either. And this is pretty much the exact opposite of that hesitancy.

Basically, the reason I react to seeing Westopolis or Black Doom with ‘holy shit let’s go!!!’ rather than ‘why, god, why?’ is because I genuinely never thought I would see them again after this long. It’s just exciting to see Sonic Team throw caution to the wind and embrace all the parts of their franchise. Even the parts I personally dislike. Plus, Sonic Generations is kind of the perfect game in which to reimagine that stuff and make it..actually good this time. This was the game that made Crisis City of all things into a banger level. The game that took Silver, one of the most notorious boss fights in the series, and gave him a kickass encounter.

If they can fix that, they can do anything.

Plus, the fact that the trailers already show all these trippy stage effects and anime af boss fights and set pieces tells me we’re not just gonna be running through the same drab washed out burning cities that made Shadow 2005 so boring. Again, there’s evidently an effort being made to rehabilitate and reimagine this stuff, not just repeat all the same mistakes. And that’s exciting.

So yeah, Sonic X Shadow Generations has somehow managed to get me genuinely excited for all the parts of the series I typically balk at. And that’s pretty impressive.

That said, if I see Mephiles again, I’m leaving.

#my unhinged ramblings about a cool remaster #sonic x shadow generations #sonic generations #shadow the hedgehog #sonic the hedgehog #basically a ramble about my love hate relationship with 2000s sonic

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talisman975 · 2 months

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Credit to @trippy-maskow

🎶You see tonight, it could go either way

Hearts balanced on a razor blade

We are designed to love and break and to rinse and repeat it all again🎶

Credit to @joe-myosotis

🎶I get stuck when the world's too loud

And things don’t look up when you’re going down

I know your arms are reaching out from somewhere beyond the clouds🎶

Credit to @nova-streyart

🎶You make me feel like my troubled heart is a million miles away

You make me feel like I’m drunk on stars and we’re dancing out in the space

Celestial! Celestial!🎶

Credit to @goop-juice

🎶I see the light shining through the rain, a thousand colors in a brighter shade

Needed to rise from the lowest place

There’s silver lining that surrounds the grey🎶

Credit to @the-cosmos-withinus

🎶When I get lost, will you come back around?

Things don’t look up when you’re going down

I know your arms, they are reaching out from somewhere beyond the clouds🎶

Credit to @xxlemon-chanxx

🎶You make me feel like my troubled heart is a million miles away

You make me feel like I’m drunk on stars and we’re dancing out in the space

Celestial! Celestial! Celestial!🎶

Credit to @slightly-gay-pogohammer and @enchantedchocolatebars

🎶We were made to be nothing more than this

Finding magic in all the smallest things

The way we notice, that’s what really matters

Let’s make tonight go on and on and on🎶

Credit to @welcome-home-official

🎶(You make me feel!) We were made to be nothing more than this

Finding magic in all the smallest things

(You make me feel!) The way we notice, that’s what really matters

Let’s make tonight go on and on and on🎶

Credit to @beeb-o

🎶You make me feel like my troubled heart is a million miles away

You make me feel like I’m drunk on stars and we’re dancing out in the space

Celestial! Celestial! Celestial!🎶

Credit to @anona1-mous

🎶We were made to be nothing more than this

Finding magic in all the smallest things

The way we notice, that’s what really matters

Let’s make tonight go on and on and on🎶

🎶CELESTIAL!🎶

Note: I would like to thank this Belos tribute post to everyone credited who brought to life these incredible art of Philip at his most human, and I would like to thank everyone who showed their support for this amazing event!

This BelosFansTakeover may be done, but feel free to keep the tag alive as long as you wish!

Belos may be dead in canon, but as long as his fans keep around, think of him in our spirits and love and our work, he stays alive to us.

So share Philip’s determination! No matter how many times antis want to stomp on us or push us around, Belos and his fans shall stay alive no matter what!

#belosfanstakeover #my post #toh #emperor belos #philip wittebane #toh belos #toh philip #toh emperor belos #toh phillip wittebane #Spotify

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stylinsoncity · 4 months

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posting this long snippet from the time travel fic i've been writing.. might not make any sense out of context but oh well. i think i'll also post a penn park snippet too. just to confirm for you all that i'm alive and writing lol

“This isn’t Back to the Future, Lou. Everything that’s meant to happen has already happened. Nothing you say can really change that. But it’s bad form and technically violates witch law for us to, like…tell you next week’s winning lottery numbers or something.”

“But it’s not against the rules to bring me here?”

“No,” Harry says. “It’s not like you’ll be going out or interacting with anyone else. You’ll be staying with us.”

“Who’s us?”

Harry peeks at him. He hesitates for a while. “Um. Me…and my husband.”

Louis angles his body to face him. “Husband?”

Harry throws another skittish glance his way.

“So you’re actually…?” Louis wipes his sweaty palms on his jeans. “When did you decide for sure you were…?”

“Gay?” Harry supplies. “Maybe it was when you kissed me.”

“You kissed me.”

“You kissed me back,” Harry says. “Enthusiastically.”

“Whatever. Is that genuinely when you knew? You started snogging boys exclusively from then on?”

“Well, I was snogging a girl just now before we left, as you saw. And a boy,” Harry says. “But yeah, I guess…not long after that party, I decided to stick to blokes. Or just…one, really.”

Louis nearly misses that last bit. “What?”

Harry turns the radio up. “That’s enough questions for now. And we’re almost home.”

Louis goes on staring at him for a bit longer, wondering if he’s understood correctly. Did Harry meet his husband at that party? Was it someone he met the following week? Was Louis that stupid to step aside and let whoever it was take his place? Apparently so.

The mood grows tenser from then on, mostly due to Louis’ adamant silence and sour mood, neither of which he can justify. Did he expect Harry to never marry? Did he expect Harry to marry him?

Louis snorts aloud and sees Harry sneak a look at him. He sinks further into his seat, arms crossed over his chest, and stares through the windscreen for the rest of the ride.

Within the next few minutes, the car slows and turns at the corner of a downward sloping drive. At the end of the drive, as Harry approaches, a garage door rises. Louis didn’t see Harry press any buttons but perhaps it’s automatic.

Then Louis sees him. Or himself. Or his older self. At first he doesn’t believe his eyes. He’s still expecting something dimension-shattering to occur when he’s face to face with a future version of himself. He expects to implode or for Future Louis to fade out of existence. None of that happens, but there’s no denying that the man standing at the door connecting the garage to the house is Louis, eleven years older.

“Trippy, isn’t it?” Harry says, as he cuts the engine. “Ready to meet your future?”

And well, Louis won’t say it aloud because he’d just sound like a dickhead, but his future is quite fit, so the answer is yes. He’s got an actual beard, as opposed to Louis’ vague facial hair. He seems more built and broad around his shoulders and torso. It’s hard to be sure when he’s backlit by the light flowing from the interior of Harry’s home, but even his hair seems shinier and softer. He’s wearing a dark grey knit jumper with the sleeves pushed to his elbows and Louis catches sight of several more tattoos, although he doesn’t get a good look at them before the Older Louis pulls his sleeves down.

Harry pushes his door open, so Louis does the same. And finally meets eyes with himself, unobstructed by the windscreen.

“Forgot how small I was,” Older Louis says and nothing more.

Louis wasn’t expecting to be best mates with his older self or anything, but perhaps they won’t be friends at all. “You’re not exactly Dwayne Johnson, mate.”

Harry snorts, pushing the car door closed. “Don’t start,” he says to Older Louis. He noticeably pats his stomach as he eases past him into the house. It registers as familiar or even flirty to Louis, which is odd but reassuring. At least in the future, in spite of Harry’s husband, they manage to retain their closeness. Harry’s husband must not love that, but clearly Older Louis can’t be arsed.

Louis hears a chorus of barks from further inside and moves more quickly and curiously, eager to see every aspect of Harry’s adult life.

“Shoes off,” Older Louis says to younger Louis at the door. He tacks on a smile. “If you’d be so polite.”

Louis narrows his eyes at him as he shoves his shoes off.

“Come on,” Older Louis says. “I’ll be your tour guide.”

“You don’t even live here,” Louis says.

Older Louis looks at him. “Right,” he says. “Harry just lets me kip here every night ‘cause I don’t have a home of my own.”

“Seriously?”

“The future is tough, mate,” Older Louis says gravely. But just as he turns away, there’s a nearly imperceptible wiggle of his lips that suggests he’d like to laugh.

Louis decides his older self is not to be taken seriously. He’ll get his facts from Harry. Speaking of whom, they find him when they enter the kitchen as he steps inside from the back garden.

“What happened to your dogs?” Louis asks.

“I let them out. Jasper is a senior and when he gets really excited, he wets himself,” Harry says. “And he’ll get really excited seeing two of you.”

“I gave him his meds,” Older Louis says. “Should be fine in a bit.”

“Thanks, babe,” Harry says. His gaze flickers suddenly to younger Louis like he forgot he was there. He clears his throat. “Um, do you want a beer? Or tea? Water?”

“Whatever you’re having,” Louis says.

“Do you like wine?” Harry asks. “I can’t remember if we drank wine at your age.”

“Never too early to start,” Older Louis says. “He’ll like the Malbec.”

“Malbec, it is,” Harry says and goes into a walk-in pantry where he ostensibly keeps the wine. Meanwhile, Older Louis gets three glasses from a cupboard above the sink. He’s really a bit too familiar with Harry’s home. Maybe he is here all the time. Maybe he really doesn’t have a home of his own. Compounded with his imminent death tomorrow, the future doesn’t seem all that bright for Louis. No matter how hot he is.

But his friendship with Harry is a lot to be grateful for. Louis watches Harry and his older self speaking quietly to each other as Harry fills each of the three glasses. He watches Harry laugh at whatever Older Louis says and slap his hand playfully against his chest.

Louis wonders again about Harry’s husband. He wants to ask where he is and when he gets home, but he also never wants him to come home. So long as he’s away, Louis can keep tricking himself into believing he doesn’t exist.

But then he spies the wedding ring on Harry’s finger as Harry hands him a glass of wine and he can’t stop himself from blurting, “Where is he?”

Harry’s brows crease. “Who?”

“Your husband,” Louis says, pointedly.

“Oh.” Harry chews his top lip for a moment. “Why don’t we get comfortable first? Come on.”

Then he takes Louis’ free hand and pulls him off towards the sunken living area. It hasn’t slipped his notice how posh the entire home is. The kitchen was a massive gleaming wonder of marble and bronze. There were five cars in the drive and the first room Louis passed upon entering the home was a gym. He didn’t get a good look at the exterior under the cover of night, but what he could see revealed an expansive upper floor and several outdoor decks.

The living area features two parallel velvet couches, a marble coffee table, and a large flat screen tv mounted above a two-way fireplace. Louis can’t quite tell what’s on the other side of the fireplace but it seems like a formal dining room.

“Your house is fucking amazing,” Louis says, plopping down in a plush leather armchair.

“Thanks,” Harry says, smiling. He sits on the couch across from Louis. “It’s the kind of house you grow into. That’s why we bought it.”

Louis nearly asks if that means Harry has kids, but he has a big greedy gulp of wine instead. He shrivels at the taste initially, finding it bitter and sharp. But then he has another sip and it’s not so much that he likes it, but that he finds it distracting.

Older Louis enters the room much to Louis’ disappointment and takes up the seat right beside Harry.

“I can still get you a beer,” Harry says randomly. “If you don’t like the wine.”

“No,” Louis says. “It’s fine.”

“If there’s anything else you need, just let me know,” Harry says. “I want you to be comfortable.”

“I’m comfortable enough, Haz,” says Louis. “It’s just nice to see where you live in the future, and how well you’ve done for yourself. You deserve all this. The husband, too.”

Older Louis exhales a laugh. “Should I get a box of tissues?”

“Shut up,” Harry says.

“Tell him to shut up,” Older Louis says. “This is embarrassing.”

“If you’re so embarrassed, just leave,” Louis says. “I don’t even get why you’re still here.”

Older Louis groans suddenly and loudly, pressing his fingertips into his eyelids. “There’s no way you’re this daft. No fucking way.”

“Louis,” Harry says. “Please.”

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thebigpalooka · 1 year

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Genuinely can’t remember if I’ve posted about this in the past but here is my Mario vs Sonic movie hot take which nobody asked for: I hope the Mario movie is real good and that everyone loves and enjoys it, but I wouldn’t trade the weird live action hybrid Sonic movie timeline we’re in for something more similar under any circumstances. I GET why people wanted and still want that. The Sonic movies are frankly a little inexplicable, but really kinda special, and no matter how fun Mario is, it won’t be surprising. And if that’s what we HAD gotten, it really wouldn’t be the kind of Sonic Cinematic Universe we are have now - it’d just be, the Sonic Cartoon Movie. Probably a one-off vague tie-in with the next game and done.

So I’m glad, that’s all.

We already got our trippy live-action Mario anyway LOOOOL.

#sonic the hedgehog #sonic movie #mario movie #super mario brothers

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katyawriteswhump · 3 months

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the power of love, part 12 (steddie, steve whump, stobin fic)

Alternate ending S4: Steve has a habit of surviving near death experiences then getting sick for no reason. And Eddie and those fatal bat bites? After an impossible feat of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation from Steve, he’s mysteriously fixed. So, Eddie’s back to being banished, this time with Steve and Robin in tow. Eddie’s healing, but Steve isn’t… and life gets even more confusing, when Eddie develops feelings for Steve, which aren’t entirely unrequited.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 13

(also on AO3 here and as part of my steve whump fic series)

Eddie POV

To Eddie, there’s something way too police-like about the way Hopper escorts Steve to the Humvee. He even raises a hand to check Steve doesn’t knock his head, while climbing in the rear seat. Eleven gets in the far side of Steve, and Robin piles in on the near side.

Robin shoots Eddie such a mean look and slams the armoured door. Left standing in the mud, Eddie gets it—subtle as a monster punch in his gut. Stay away from Steve.

“Let’s move.” Hopper motions urgently, and Eddie trudges over and gets in.

“You sure you want me riding shotgun? What with me being… Oh, I dunno, verified spawn of Satan?”

Hopper drops his voice to a barely audible rumble: “Whatever game you two were playing last night, I don’t wanna know.” He doesn’t sound chummy. Not actively hostile either. “I promised your uncle I’d look out for you, if I could.”

Eddie inhales sharply: “You’ve seen him? He’s okay?”

“He salvaged your six-string after the quake. He wanted me to tell you.”

Eddie snorted; cannot deny it’d played on his mind. God, Wayne knows him too damn well.

Hopper fiddles with the switches on the spartan dashboard. “Not gonna say he’s okay, because nobody in Hawkins is. Our best hope is that the military pull out when they can’t find Eleven. We still have allies, acquaintances of Owens, though their numbers are thinning fast.”

“That who we’re running to?”

Hopper has some kind of plan, which he explains as he grinds into gear. They’re heading for a remote road, where these remaining ‘allies’ have arranged further transport. “Luckily,” says Hopper, “you guys were pretty much on route.”

“We can’t stay away long,” says Eleven. “I have to go back. I can beat One, with help from friends, and…”

Eddie peeps over his shoulder, sees her staring hopefully at Steve. Who is staring glassily ahead.

“Steve?” prompts Robin. “Anything you feel like sharing.”

“Will you gimme a break? Look, I got an idea about what’s behind all this. I don’t know how much sense it’s gonna make, so…”

Nothing could’ve prepared Eddie for what Steve discloses next. “I know how nuts this must sound,” Steve says. Eddie, like the others, is temporarily stunned speechless. “That I should be… That I should’ve drowned in that lake, when I was a kid.”

“The only thing nuts,” says Robin, who’s literally cuddling him from the side, “is that you didn’t tell us this sooner.”

Steve squirms. “Honestly? It only came together in my head in the past day or so. It was like a really annoying jigsaw puzzle, and jigsaws are basically my least favorite thing ever.”

“We need to figure this out,” says Hopper. “There was no gate open to the Upside Down in 1978. Doesn’t mean Steve’s powers, if that’s what you got, aren’t linked to the Upside Down, or the experiments at Hawkins Lab. If they are, doesn’t mean they’re all bad news. Look at El.”

“I guess.” The Humvee rocks and rolls over a particularly cavernous pothole, and Steve flinches hard. “In my dreams and shit, I see this trippy… I don’t know how to describe them. They’re like a ghost or something; also, not quite a ghost. Whatever, I got this hunch they’re behind it.”

“Could be some kind of water spirit,” says Robin. “Or even a goddess. Oooh, so the Romans worshipped this water goddess, Minerva, and the ancient Celts had Sulis—"

“Be serious,” says Steve.

“I am serious. In Native American religions, water can represent a link between life and death. I wish I knew more.”

“Not sure I wanna know any of this.” Steve peeps down at El, who’s not quit staring at him. “If this is your crazy-pants frenemy after all, now would be a really good time to tell me.”

She shakes her head. “No. If I sense anything, it’s good… soft… like Mama should’ve been.”

“Oh,” says Steve. “Can you, like, see them too?”

“No.”

“Son-of-a-bitch!” bellows Hopper. The Humvee’s wheels churn uselessly in the sludgy ground. “Everyone out, apart from you.” He points at Steve. “You okay to take the wheel?”

Steve revs for about ten seconds. Eleven uses her powers to unstick the armoured vehicle, and nobody needs to shove. Trouble is, they get stuck again about ten minutes later. And again, five minutes after that. Soon after they next get going, there’s a loud metallic clunk. The Humvee chokes, splutters, and dies completely.

They all tumble out yet again, apart from Steve, who stays put, and nobody argues. Hopper props up the hood. “Munson, you any good with cars?”

“Uh, hello?” says Robin. “My moms jumpstarts her Chevette every single day.”

That distracts Steve’s guard-dog. Eddie suffers a moment of agonising indecision then pops his head in the rear seat.

“How you doing?” Eddie knows it’s a stupid question.

Steve shoots him a withering look, fluffs his messy hair. Eddie slides in beside then totally freezes up. He feels horrible about Steve’s arm in the sling, and as for the rest of it…

HE DIED! On the other hand, I died too.

Yeah, how exactly does Eddie Munson fit into this beyond-freaky legend? He hardly gives a shit— he’s not the one seeing ‘ghosts’ and, worse, starting to resemble a ghost.

“Eddie,” whispers Steve. “I might need to get away.”

“Get away?” mouths Eddie. “What do you mean? From Hopper?”

Steve’s silence is answer enough.

“Granted, the dude’s packing heat,” says Eddie. And driving a freakin’ tank. "He’s not holding you hostage.”

“I know that. God, I’m so confused.” Steve’s stopped being grouchy or fighty. Which is pretty un-Steve, and scary in itself. He curls a hand over his eyes. “I feel like I’m being… I dunno, pulled in the wrong direction.”

A power chord of fear twangs across Eddie’s every fibre. “You want us to go back to Hawkins?”

“Us?” Steve emerges from behind his fingers. “No. Hop’s right. You’d be arrested and I’d be… Ugh, I’m so goddamn sick of this. I want this all to be over, so we can… you know, fool around together.”

He reaches out, hooks a strand of Eddie’s now-totally-mad hair behind his ear, and sorta smiles. For a single damn fine moment, that smile sparks in his eyes; Eddie loses himself there, and their world is perfect.

Then Steve’s fingers drift away. Eddie wants to catch them, kiss them, promise he’ll do anything Steve needs. He’ll take down the whole damn US army, slay Vecna in a blaze of glory, even if he dies AGAIN trying, and yet…

… Holy shit, he’s terrified of Steve! Scared that, if he touches him, he’s gonna crumble into dust, or…

“Earth to Eddie?” Steve waves in front of Eddie’s nose. “Have I added invisibility to my list of useless powers?”

“No. It’s just… I want this over too, so we can do, uh, yeeeaah, stuff.” Wow. Call yourself a lyricist, Munson? He’s rescued by a roar from the Hummer’s engine. That sleepwalker’s glaze returns to Steve’s eyes, and it feels way too much like another door swinging closed in Eddie’s face.

Although the dinged motor is fixed, the mud continues to be literally a pain in the butt. Nobody enjoys the bruisingly rough ride on the rock-hard, upholstery-free seats.

“At this rate, we’re gonna have to ditch this piece of garbage and walk,” says Hopper.

“Jesus Christ, just ditch me already,” mutters Steve, who’s turned a disturbing shade of gray-green. Hopper doesn’t argue, which makes Eddie think he isn’t taking all that Steve says seriously. Which makes Eddie feel kinda sick, too.

What should they do? He wishes he could talk to Steve alone again, this time be less of a tongue-tied dipshit. That said, how can Steve go back to Hawkins? Right now, he can’t hardly walk.

They’re halfway across a patch of open land when they get stuck yet again. Eleven’s nearly as washed out as Steve, her nose bleeding. Hopper suggests they get the Humvee moving the traditional way.

“Shame about all that rain,” says Robin, as she, Hopper and Eddie pile out to push.

“Is that a dig?” snaps Steve, from the driver’s seat.

“Wasn’t supposed to be. Sorry. Sorry.”

They’ve barely put their backs into it, when Hopper squints into the air and curses louder than ever. A distant juddering noise reaches Eddie’s hearing.

“Oh my God,” cries Robin. “Is that—”

“Sikorsky search-and-rescue Hawks,” shouts Hopper. Yup, Eddie counts a battle-wave of ten or more. “Into the trees. Go, go, go!”

“What about our tank?” Eddie jumps on instinct to help Steve, who’s clambering out, seeming kinda dazed. Robin blocks Eddie’s path. It’s all a moot point, because Hopper’s already got to Steve.

“If they see it,” says Hopper, hustling Steve ahead of him, “chances are they’ll take a potshot.”

“I can crash them,” gasps Eleven. “Done it before.”

“Not a great idea, kiddo,” says Hopper. “They’ll know for sure it’s us, and throw everything they got into this part of the country. We’ll never make our meet.”

Eddie is scratched from head to foot by outdoor crap, before Hopper says, wheezing hard, “This’ll do.” They all get down in a bunker-like dip. Steve kneels beside Eddie, Hopper behind them. Robin shuffles around to crouch beside Steve.

“Do you hear that?” murmurs Steve to Eddie.

“Uh, yeah,” replies Eddie. “Evil empire TIE fighters, straight outta the Death Star.”

“Not them. A river or something. Loud. Like a waterfall.”

“Could be a giant bear taking a slash?” says Eddie, because life is currently so unfunny, he really might as well. And no, he can’t hear any water. Only the crescendoing approach of that airborne death squad.

“Bears have gotten so far down my ‘worry about’ list,” says Robin, “that that’s scary itself.” She picks a cobweb out of Steve’s hair. Steve, meanwhile, closes his eyes. He starts to tremble. “Uh, Steve,” says Robin, “what are you—”

“What d’you think I’m doing?” Bitchy Steve has returned, which Eddie chooses to find reassuring. “They’ll see the Hummer for sure. If I can actually do what you say I did—”

“It makes you sick,” hisses Eddie.

Robin bristles. “Since when did you care?”

“Will you both zip it?” says Steve.

Robin rubs his back. Eddie considers squeezing his knee, then decides against it. Hopper stops scrutinising the skies, brow furrowing: “What’s he doing?”

“Nothing!” Robin’s overwrought smile is stupidly guilty.

“Stevie?” prompts Eddie. “Is there anything we—”

“No, no. I remember this insane crackling. If I can get that going… Gnnng!”

“Anger helps,” whispers Eleven, from the far side of Robin. “What makes you angry?”

“A ton of shit! I can’t… Jesus, it feels like my head’s gonna explode.”

There’s a blinding flash, and a deafening thunderclap. Steve crumples forward, and Hopper grabs him by the scruff of his sweater before he hits the dirt. Eddie shrinks back, his own heart beating like it’s gonna bust outta his chest.

Steve’s now basically hyperventilating. “Ssssh, you did great.” Hopper gently braces an arm around him. “You gotta calm down. Breathe slower, nice and steady, huh?”

Eddie glances up at a bank of wispy grey clouds that hadn’t been there before. A few tense moments pass, the air palpably crackling with an electric tension. Then the noise from the choppers begins to fade.

“They’re turning around,” says Hopper. “Hawks can’t fly with lightning around.”

Robin’s shoulders sink with a relief Eddie shares. Steve, however, groans miserably. Hopper is still keeping Steve upright and asks, “You gonna puke?”

Steve scrunches his face and nods.

“Stop goggling and get lost,” says Hopper to the others. Nobody disobeys. They’ve not gone a dozen yards, before Robin trips and falls on her face. As Eddie stoops to help her, she springs back up without aid. Far more shockingly, she throws her arms around Eddie’s neck:

“Oh my God, oh my God, I know the powers are awesome but he’s sick and I’m so scared he’s dying. What do we do? How can we help him? WHAT DO WE DO?”

All Eddie can do is press his cheek to her hair, and answer with an honesty that jack-knifes through his guts. “I don’t know, Robin. I haven’t a goddamn clue.”

Part 13

...

PS--In case anybody's worried... while there is plenty of trauma ahead, I only do happy endings ;)

tags: @estrellami-1 @kal-ology @finntheehumaneater (thank you, thank you, thank you!) If anybody else would like to be tagged on this fic or any of my writing, please let me know :) Reblogs, comments and likes also very much appreciated :) Thank you for reading so far :)

(also part of my steve whump fic series on AO3)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 13

#steddie #steve harrington #steddie fic #steve x eddie #steve harrington whump #steddie fanfic #stranger things fanfic #steve harrington x eddie munson #eddie munson #stobin friendship #platonic stobin #stobin fic #stobin

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esp3onsol · 5 months

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How I think the Blueberry E4 sound as an American

Just a little disclaimer before I begin, I am in no way, shape, or form an expert on sociolinguistics. This is just a fun little thing that I wanted to do, and you're welcome to have your own opinions on the matter! In fact, I encourage y’all to share your headcanons/knowledge too! I'm a history major, so I like to study people and learn about different people's opinions on subjects!

Ok, now that's out of the way, let's get into it now!

All of the BB4 are from Unova, so they are going to all have some variation of an American accent. Unova is supposed to represent the US but focuses mostly on the boroughs (neighborhoods) of New York City and some parts of Northern New Jersey that border the city. I did some research on Bulbapedia and found the real-life locations of the BB4's hometowns.

Before I actually really get in, I could honestly be so wrong, and they could just have a "general American accent". Pokemon, especially Pokemon Masters are kinda weird with accents. Like Galarian characters having a general American accent in the anime, and Viola being the only Kalosian to have an accent in Masters. But oh well, enough of my rambling lol.

I'm going in their official rank order for this!

Crispin:

Crispin is from Virbank City, which is Jersey City irl, and is the second largest city in New Jersey, falling behind Newark. This is a little trippy to me because the name is so similar to Burbank which is a city in Los Angeles County, California. But it's honestly much funnier that he's a Jersey boy, especially since he likes to cook; I just can't help but think about those Italian-Americans who get angry if you don't pronounce Mozzarella as "Muzzarell." Like watch out we've got Buddy Valastro from Cake Boss over here lmaooo. The video below is a pretty good example of what I imagine Crispin to sound like! Crispin = nicest guy in Jersey. Fuhgeddaboudit 🤌🏻

youtube

Amarys:

Amarys is from Castelia City, which is Lower Manhattan, also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York City irl. Basically, think of Wall Street and Battery Park. Now, with Amarys, she speaks very formally, so I'd imagine that she'd still have a Manhattan accent, just very watered down and omitting any slang. Most Americans talk extremely fast, so we tend to find ways to shorten our sentences with things like "y’all" instead of "you all," "talkin'" instead of "talking," "'cause" instead of "because," etc. You won't find Amarys speaking like that, she likes to speak in complete sentences. I couldn’t find any specific examples, so just imagine this video with a watered down New York accent.

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Lacey:

Now this is where it gets a little tricky. So Lacey is from Nimbasa City, which is Midtown Manhattan irl. Think of Broadway, Rockefeller Center, and Grand Central Terminal (Battle Subway). But also, her dad, Clay, is the gym leader of Driftveil City, which is Union City, New Jersey irl, and has a very heavy Southern (Texan, I'd assume?) accent. So with Lacey, she probably has an accent that mixes all of these elements. Like Amarys, she speaks pretty formally, but not to Amarys’ level. I noticed that she tends to slip some Southern sayings, like “I’m plum tuckered out” in her dialogue. This mix happens a lot more than you may think! For example, I like to think I have a general accent, but I live in the US South, so I have a slight twang in certain words, such as y'all, and specific slang from the state I’m from. In addition, one of my parents is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the other is from New York City, New York (not being specific bc don't wanna dox myself lol), so I tend to dip into those accents and slang, especially around family. I can honestly see that being the same situation for Lacey. This is another one where I couldn’t find an example I really liked, so we’re just going to have to use our imaginations again! I’d imagine she’d have a mixture of New York, Texas, and one of the people with a generic accent, like the lady from Delaware. She’d mostly likely switch between these accents based on words, situations and who she’s talking to.

youtube

Drayton:

Drayton is from Opelucid City, which is Harlem and Washington Heights, neighborhoods in Upper Manhattan irl. Think of the Harlem Renaissance or the musical ‘In the Heights’. It's honestly so funny to imagine Drayton talking in an extremely thick accent lol. He definitely says things like schmear, pie (instead of pizza), Bodega, yerrrr/yurrr, and Manhatty.I honestly couldn’t find any really specific videos on people from Upper Manhattan, so I’m sorry this is a really generic video. Obviously he sounds somewhat like the man from New York.

youtube

Thanks for listening to my dumb spiel, this has been a great way to procrastinate my Uni work! I look forward to see what y’all think!

#pokémon #pokémon scarlet and violet #pokémon indigo disk #trainer crispin #elite four crispin #crispin pokemon #trainer amarys #amarys pokemon #elite four amarys #elite four lacey #lacey pokemon #trainer lacey #trainer drayton #drayton pokemon #elite four drayton

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evans-heaven · 2 years

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SpaghettiOs ; Eddie Munson

Another Eddie fic because what’s stopping me? This would’ve been up last night but tumblr decided to crash and I lost the entire post 🙃 so, was up until 2AM re-typing it, but if I’m being honest, I like this version better. Hope y’all enjoy 💕

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader (no use of Y/N but teeny tiny hint at size difference)

Warnings: Ridiculously melodramatic content, talk of food, swearing, angst but then fluff (like its gross), opinions about marriage that are not my own, brief description of Chrissy’s death scene, implied smut at the end.

WC: 2.7k

Your boyfriend was antsy, and you couldn’t blame him.

It was really just one thing after another for him during the past couple of days. First, he helplessly watched the queen of Hawkins High die a very macabre and unexplainable death in the middle of his trailer, when he just wanted to make a sale. Then, he fled from said trailer and ended up at the drug dealer Reefer Rick’s boathouse, in fear of what just happened.

Then, for the sour cherry on top of the already shit pie, he found out the authorities were trying to pin this on him. The crime (if a girl having her bones snapped and eyeballs yanked into her skull by some unseen entity could even be called that) took place in the home of the ‘freak’, that was all they’d need to have suspicions.

Not just that, but they were looking for you as well. They probably thought it made sense, you and Eddie were attached at the hip, the ‘anti-it’ couple of the school/town. The police had their suspicions that you knew something about Chrissy’s death-or worse, even played a part in it.

And just like that, hiding out in Rick’s boathouse became all the more justified.

You didn’t even want to get into Dustin, Robin, Steve and Max giving you the knowledge that Hawkins had been home to, apparently, many supernatural events, and they’d been at the center of them. What happened to Chrissy was just another one of those events. Trippy as it was, the group seemed like they were being 100% candid and knew what they were talking about. The people of Hawkins had really begun to feel like their town was cursed, and, truthfully, you had been nursing an unsettled feeling in your stomach for the past couple of years, because you knew something in this town had started to become off.

Maybe the devil had come to America. But it wasn’t D&D, and it sure as hell wasn’t your boyfriend.

That morning, you found he had broken into Rick’s home, unspotted, hopefully. This area was pretty secluded, but still, you didn’t want to take any chances. The house was by a huge lake where anyone could’ve looked across.

You snuck in yourself, and were greeted with the sound of drawers opening and closing, utensils crashing against each other, and cupboards creaking. You entered the kitchen to find Eddie searching through the pantries.

“Hey, babe,” you greeted, gaining his attention. He jumped just a little before he turned around and saw it was you. He smiled, though you could tell it was strained.

“Hey,” he greeted.

“What are you doing?” you asked.

“We’re out of food, so I came to see if ‘Ol Ricky has anything of sustenance,” he sighed, looking around the dormant kitchen. His normally bright and doe-y eyes were now tired and frantic. He was right though, the initial food supply the gang brought you at first was completely devoured by the two of you. Well, mostly Eddie. Stress eating was a hell of a thing, he’d said to you.

“Okay,” you nodded. “Hope no one saw you come in here,”

“Doubt it,” he said dismissively. He opened another cupboard and came across a can of SpaghettiOs. He took it out and inspected it briefly, before breathing out “Yep, you’ll do,”

“You sure that’s not expired?” you wondered, jutting your chin towards the can in his grasp.

“It's not like we have much of a choice right now, sweetheart,” he said, and there was a noticeable bite in his voice. He began searching the drawer again, most likely looking for a can opener.

Your eyebrows twitched up a bit. Eddie had never used that tone with you, but you realized that, given the circumstances, you understood. The police were on the hunt for him. He was a wanted man, hiding out in the home of a jailed man. Canned foods that may or may not have gone bad wasn’t something you could afford to worry about, right now. It's not like he could run to the store on his own.

You took a step towards him. “Hey, Ed, I’m sorry-”

“It's okay,” he replied shortly.

You watched him as he found the opener. He placed the can down and was about to open it, when you saw him pause. He audibly inhaled and exhaled a few times, stiff shoulders rising and falling, trying to calm himself down.

But if he managed to, it didn’t last long. It was like he was a ticking bomb, with 10 seconds left on the countdown from when you entered the kitchen.

It was then you were startled by the tool harshly dropping against the counter. Eddie hunched over, and gripped the edge of the counter so tight his knuckles began to go white, peeking out under his chunky rings.

“Ed,” you breathed, and came up behind him to grasp his biceps in your small hands to get his attention.

“God, I just-” he began, and you cut him off.

“Ed, shhh, it’s okay,” you said, pressing your cheek to his shoulder.

“Its fucking ridiculous, is what it is,” he hissed, but remained in your grip. “Just because a person has an interest that doesn’t align with the majority, just because they play a fucking fantasy game that everyone suddenly decided to have an issue with. Just because a person looks…different, it means we’re….I’m….capable of something so…,” he trailed off, not even finding the words to describe it. He just sighed. You listened to him vent, knowing he needed it. When Eddie felt something, he felt it hard. He needed the time to get his thoughts out.

“We got lucky with Dustin and the others, they’ve seen shit like this before. They know what this really is. Can’t say the same for those glorified security guards. Or the rest of the town,” he groaned. “Its like Robin said, once my name goes public, everyone’s gonna be gunning for me,” he shook his head, his voice becoming weaker as he said, “And now you’re dragged into this mess too,”

“Hey,” you said sternly, and used all your strength to peel him from the counter to turn him around. You reached up and held his face in your hands, feeling his stubble scratch at them lightly. “I’d be here with you even if Hawkins PD wasn’t looking for me,” you assured him, voice leaving no room for protest. “I’d never, ever let you go through something like this alone, Ed,” you promised, brushing your thumbs against the bags under his eyes.

He just looked at you with no words, lips trembling a little. You did nothing but let him be, wrapping your arms around his shoulders, feeling him nuzzle his head into your neck.

You placed a few kisses on his shoulder, hoping to soothe him. You wanted to say more, wanted to assure him, but of what? The reality of the matter was, Hawkins was paranoid and was looking for someone to blame for Chrissy’s demise. Obviously someone, or something, was responsible, and they seemed to have their minds made up on the culprit. You couldn’t predict the future, as much as you wanted to be right about things being okay.

“I’m sorry for snapping,” he said into your neck.

“It's alright,” you assured him, you had long forgotten about it.

After holding onto him for a few minutes, you heard his stomach begin to grumble a bit, and you were beginning to feel a little hungry yourself. “Ed,” you mumbled, and he straightened up, looking down at you. You brought a hand up to brush some hair from his face, placing a kiss on his cheek. “Why don’t you go relax for a bit, I’ll make the SpaghettiOs for us,” you suggested, lightly scratching his scalp.

“Yeah,” he mumbled, nodding. “Sounds good,” he brought his hands to your cheeks for a moment, simply looking at you with an expression you couldn’t read. He pulled away and said “I’m gonna try to get a hold of Dustin, see if he can get us some more food,” he released you and walked off, but not before looking at you over his shoulder. “Food that isn’t a day away from expiring,” he smirked.

You giggled and shook your head, there was your sarcastic boy.

You heard him speaking into the walkie talkie, calling out to Dustin and referring to himself as “Eddie the Banished”. His voice faded as he got further from the kitchen.

You got the can opened, and lit a pot on the stove. You poured the contents into it and began to stir it up with a wooden spoon you had found. It looked appetizing enough, and as the smell began to enter the air, you realized it wasn’t too bad.

You enjoyed cooking, so this brought you at least a little bit of ease even if you were just stirring a pot. Having grown up with a mother who worked late nights and sometimes wouldn’t come home until the early hours of the morning, you learned to hold your own in the kitchen, eventually becoming quite comfortable in it. Now, at 18, your paycheck from your job at Kinney Shoes was able to get you ingredients for simple dishes, that you either made at home or in Eddie’s trailer. He loved being your taste-tester, and you knew for a fact that he had no proper meal plans if you didn’t show up.

You heard him take a seat at the small table that was just off the kitchen, the chair scraping on the ground. “Wheeler picked up, then promptly hung up on me,” he reported, “So this will have to hold us over til…,” he trailed off and shook his head.

“ ‘til Boccob knows when,” you said nonchalantly, bringing the spoon up to taste the sauce from the SpaghettiOs.

Eddie’s gasp made your head snap towards him. He stood up, jaw hanging. “Do my ears deceive me?” he asked in that deep, theatrical voice, the same one he used to read that bullshit Newsweek article. He swiftly came up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist in a snug hold. Amidst your confusion, his action made you giggle and almost drop the spoon. “Did my girl just make an accurate D&D reference?” he asked in disbelief, and you angled your body a bit to face him.

“I mean, it's not like I never paid attention during the many D&D games I’ve sat in on,” you said, smiling, and relishing in the affection he was giving you,. You and Eddie had been going strong for a little over a year now, and in that time, you had attended quite a few Hellfire Club meetings. It shouldn’t have been too much of a shock that you had some basic knowledge of the characters-or, more specifically, Boccob, the God of Forecasting. Although, you were happy you had unintentionally given him an instant mood boost.

“True,” he admitted. He nuzzled his face into your cheek, placing featherlight kisses there. “Nice one, baby,” he whispered, and you were thankful he held your body up, because you were sure your legs would give out from underneath you. That deep voice of his coming out in a whisper was damn near sinful.

“Thanks,” you said proudly, placing a quick kiss on his lips and pulling away before it could deepen, causing him to pout a little. It was hilarious whenever he did that, seeing your rather intimidating looking boyfriend, with his tattoos and black jeans and unruly hair, sticking out his lower lip like a little boy. You snickered at him and wriggled out of his grasp to turn the stove off, the meal all heated up. Deciding not to dirty more dishes than necessary, you just grabbed another spoon from the drawer. “Okay, soup’s on,” you said.

Eddie rushed ahead of you when you began to make your way to the table and pulled the other chair out for you. You gave him a small smile of gratitude and you both sat down and dug into your processed meal. It was decent enough, and Eddie seemed like he was satisfied. You occasionally gave him a few bites from your spoon, just to make him smile-for some reason he loved when you fed him.

After a while of comfortable silence, he spoke up through a mouthful. “You know, I love doing this with you,”

You quirked a brow. “Eating canned food while hiding from the police?” you snarked.

“No,” he said, failing miserably at keeping a straight face, you just knew he wanted to smile, because you knew he loved your sass. “I meant, eating with you after you cook for us,” he clarified.

You couldn’t stop the flustered feeling that grew at his words. “Ohh,” you mused, and held up another spoonful for him, and he took it. “I love it too baby,” you said sincerely, smiling softly.

“Seriously, though,” he said after swallowing. “I love it so much I’m willing to throw my very strong opinion that the marriage industry is a scam-powered by social conformity and money hungry businesses-clean out the fucking window if it means I get moments like this,” he gestured to your little set up, the two of you and your pot of SpaghettiOs, “For the rest of my life,”

It was your jaw’s turn to drop. “Do my ears deceive me?” you asked, imitating his words and tone from earlier. “Did my guy just say he’d…conform for me?” you asked, placing a hand on your chest with a purely exaggerated look of shock on your face.

“Hey, fuck it, call me a conformist,” he said, shrugging lightly and lounging back in his seat. Then, he gazed upon you with a look so full of love and sincerity. “But only for you,” he finished, eyes not wavering for a minute, and you knew he wasn’t bullshitting you.

You and Eddie had never spoken about marriage. You were in High School, for fuck’s sake. And, both of you weren’t exactly big fans of the concept. You just heard Eddie reiterate his own beliefs, and as for you, after watching your parents’ marriage crumble right before your eyes as a little kid, you’d grown up with the opinion that the entire thing was bullshit.

But still, sometimes, you saw the little things Eddie did, and the endearing feeling in your heart would grow, and you would think, “I wanna see that for the rest of my life”. It was the way he would fold his lips in when he focused on something. The little dance he would do when he was excited or fired up. The blush he’d get on his cheeks that he would never admit to when he saw you in the hallway at school. Then there were the bigger things, namely how passionate he would get about the stuff he felt strongly about. It made you think about how badly you wanted to hear this drama king’s speeches about any and everything, again, for the rest of your life. And just wake up next to him, for the rest of your life. It would be quite a while before you were ready for that, but you knew who you wanted it with.

Holy shit, you were so far gone for this long haired bastard.

Wordlessly, you dropped your spoon and climbed into his lap, draping one arm around his neck and placing a delicate palm on his cheek, feeling that stubble again. His large hands gripped your waist as he looked up at you expectantly. You pressed your lips to his without any hesitation. His grip on your waist tightened, if possible, as the kiss deepened, your mouths moving against one another passionately. You poured every emotion you felt into it-love, longing, anxiousness. Even frustration, because this moment should have been happening over some beef stroganoff in your kitchen or in his trailer, not over SpaghettiOs in the halfway dining room of some incarcerated drug dealer. You wished Hawkins PD could see this Eddie, the soft Eddie no one else knew, and realize he would never commit such a gruesome and humanly impossible act.

You broke the kiss, your forehead finding purchase against his as you both panted heavily. You placed your other hand on his cheek, savoring his breath against your lips. It was then you felt it-that growing, tingling heat between your legs

You had been too worried before to even think about sex. But after that moment you shared and that kiss, your heart filled with longing for him, and the distraction laying with him would bring, for the two of you.

And, it was like Eddie read your mind, as he hoisted you up into his arms and carried you over to the couch, ready to satisfy your unspoken needs.

Maybe there would be chaos when he was eventually found. Maybe you wouldn’t be able to prove his innocence. But at that moment, feeling him against you blocked those thoughts from your mind-and you allowed it.

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

The ending feels rushed but I’ve never been good with them anyway😅 hope y’all liked this one, it was a labor of love. I’m gonna go take a nap now 😴

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson x you #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fic #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson angst #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson one shot #eddie munson writing

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kadextra · 6 months

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I couldn’t watch the q!Bad lore stream live today and don’t feel like putting a bunch of vodblogs in the main tag, so I’m gonna try something new and put it all in one massive post

so if you missed seeing me on the dash and wanna read about me maybe losing my mind (depending on what happens as I watch) here ya go :D

WAIT WHAT??? Q!BAD IN LIMBO DEATH LIMINAL SPACE AGAIN AT THE START OF STREAM?????

MY GUY THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH YOU‼️‼️‼️

oh there’s a second him that’s so trippy. he doesn’t recognize himself again, they’re walking together.

THIS IS SO COOL OH MY GOD?!?!?!? now they are digging in the sand??

ah so the corpse of… also himself is still at the deserted village, but its decomposed into a skeleton now. interesting DONT DRINK THE POISONED WATER NOT AGAIN ok good phew. good confirmation this is not a loop, there is new stuff happening that didn’t last time

dude this is so awesome he is cooking so hard. I’m gonna rewatch this whole part again later, I really love surreal stuff like this

nevermind it might actually be a loop? we went back right to where we were at the start. why does he keep sitting outside of the temple, and doesn’t go inside?

TOP FUNNEL 🕺🕺🕺

and we’re back. he can’t remember how to use the warp stone again :( the memory book is not in his hotbar uh oh.

Hi Ben o/

he doesn’t know the eggxhibition… you built this man, I’m gonna cry. NOOO HE DOESNT KNOW BOBBY IS DEAD AGAINNNNN

POMME. “MY DAUGHTER” WAAAAAHHH

“too early to put this up” <- referring to the día de los muertos decor. dude what time and day are you in

he found the egg hospital!!! oh no now he’s looking around erratically. I think he’s panicking :(((( and once again picked some flowers to self-soothe :((( god the flowers are so special to him, they seem to be like his main grounding thing. q!forever doesn’t even know the impact he made

he’s home!!!

dark matter by the vulture lab door uh? a knight armor guy sweeping??? is that a ghost??? what just happened?

oh god the vulture lab

IT WAS A GHOST THE ARMOR IS THERE AND THE BROOM IS IN THE CHEST. possessed armor that’s fun! :D

DAPPERRRRRRRRRR DAPPER MY BABY IS AWAKE AND ALIVE

dapper looks so horrible omg also her name is lowercased?

vacation. sure

“I didn’t get to keep it (the eye guy) as a pet.” yeah that’s definitely dapper.

also he doesn’t want to wear armor like the new eggs that’s weird

T E A. and q!bad’s memory is still fudged.

dapper your dad is very sick….

he remembers its been 2 months dapper has been gone! :0 DAPPER WAS NOT IN PURGATORY THE WHOLE TIME??? JUST A FEW DAYS???? EXPLAIN WHY NOW

q!bad keeps forgetting what they’re doing, and then goes off and does something else….. I don’t know if dapper fully realizes what’s going on, maybe she’s just too tired themselves to pay close attention to her dad?

“Since when did we have a farm?” Buddy.

PHILZA IS SOOOOO HAPPY TO SEE DAPPER LETS GOOO

“we hid him (dapper) underground, we weren’t sure if the island was safe” We? you and…? cucurucho?

DAPPER GOT YEETED INTO THE BOAT AHAHAHA

oh they really did get launched by the nuke and hit the boat I knew it. also I see you…. zooming into the back wound when phil said “you made it in one piece”

PRIVILEGED LOBSTER IS BACK REJOICE

chayanne was who led the eggs to leave? huh. chayanne you’ve got some explaining to do

not them talking about the eye guy’s snatched waist 💀💀💀💀 tbh they did slay

philza wants to beat up the eye guy and elquackity I support him so much

dapper hitting his dad off the top of the wall we’re so back!!!

ETOILES SEEING DAPPER and then fell off the wall LMAOOO

q!bad forgot that he forgot his memory

(I am so engrossed in the conversations I am forgetting to write things here lol)

“can we teach etoiles to cope” (with losing to the code) then they make him break a sign with 1s and 0s on it and he logs LMAO

q!bad just mentally zoned out and stared once again at flowers….. oh. the coughing :(

pomme was the leader when the eggs went surviving in the wilderness :3 that’s my girl!!!!!!

everyone just bouncing on the trampoline and chit-chatting is so sweet, I missed this <3

dapper is so based all the time

roier seeing dapper again awwwww

ough I really really missed dapper’s out of pocket jokes :(((

“I’ll get cleaned up for tomorrow, I’m sure it’ll turn out fine!” *hits F5* “I need pomme and the rest of the eggs to wake up, and I’ll probably feel right as rain…” haha stop it q!bad I don’t like this!!!!! 😃

he just said he didnt know a church was built here. now they’re at the graveyard talking about how he saw the dead eggs at día de los muertos </3 sobs sobs

Q!MAX T-T I miss you king o7

“learning how to raise the dead might come in handy” “we will worry about that later” ??? Please Stop That!

CODEBREAKERS JUMPSCARE

“I kinda won in this whole situation!” (the eggs being back) Sure bud. You aren’t dying or anything. You definitely have not entered limbo twice.

DAPPER PUTTING FLOWERS BY EACH EGG IN THE HOSPITAL. THE CROWN BY CHAYANNE GAHHHH AUGHHH GGUGHHG 💥💥💥

honey for smelly richas :3

q!bad saying dapper will like bagi and that she’s a really good friend, and will be his aunt. cries and punches a hole into the wall

More Coughing 👁️ dapper please help your father he needs serious medical attention.

BAD FORGOT ABOUT THE GHOSTIES THIS WHOLE TIME. BUT WE ARE FREE ONCE MORE!!

quit saying things are going to be okay I know you are jinxing something and it’s scary. there is a giant hole in your head and your back is turning green.

they’re going to see the prison and courtroom!!

WHAT DID HE JUST SAY

“forever for the crime of looking too handsome I sentence you to 10 years in prison!” UNPROMPTED? I know what you are 🏳️‍🌈‼️

I CANT DO THIS

FINALLY THE BIRTHDAY PARTY CELEBRATION FOR DAPPER. so many nights. so many nights where we’d watch him sit awake, crying at that table. waiting, waiting for something that would never come. but now it’s here. I’m in anguish

“once the eggs wake up we’ll have a big birthday party! a big ol birthday party. yep. a party.” why did you say that with such a weird tone sir?

DAPPER BURYING THEMSELVES WHEN HE FOUND OUT ALL THE MACHINES BROKE KKKKKKK

he reintroduced skeppy to dapper…

he is explaining the great furniture stealing to dapper. who was there when it happened and already knows. “my memory hasn’t been very good lately, I think.” Yeah You Think? I wonder q!bad forgot he’s the one who stole it all?

DAPPER IS BACK TIME

the child is locked outside

PFFT HES CHAINSAWING THE DOOR <3333 AND HAS AN ELEPHANT

yes dapper be salty at your dad for accidentally locking you out

REAL DAPPER TIME!!!!!!!

the sunshine recording omg. he played it for company the entire time they were alone… AAAAAAAAAAAAAUGHH HGHGHGHHGHGHGHGHGHHHGHGHGHGGHHGHFHFHGGFHFGHHHGHHBSBENFMFKS

dapper doesn’t know why q!bad is blue 😀 he doesn’t know…….. haha head in hands

they are going to visit Niki :3

OHHH HER REACTION TO DAPPER <333 she’s such a sweetheart. have I ever said how much I love niki? she was so great in purgatory, and earlier today I got to watch her meet empanada and bond over baking and sweets <3

nice look at the head wound from the inside

q!bad’s been so insistent on dapper going to the eye doctor, I have heard him say this so much over the last several days. even in his memory lapses he remembers it. Why? mr. colorblind YOU need to go to the eye doctor. go hospital.

yeah the alien ships from the map do look like eyes don’t they

based niki her favorite animal is elephants :3 SHUT UP Q!BAD YOU DEMON don’t eat the elephants

the hungriest little guy on the island strikes again

I’m just chilling listening rn, bad dapper and niki are so late night podcast vibes

perry the schnabeltier

TREASURE PLANET >>>>

in the dark of the night is kind of a q!bad song ngl

let’s go a washing machine in dapper’s lab :D oh that was a weird pause in the middle of your sentence bad :D

dapper is running on the ceiling!! they are so talented!

OH MY GOD.

SUNSHINE

bawling my eyes out hold on

the 3 months where q!bad has been so depressed and suffering just went flashing through my mind. every time he had sang the song in a teary broken voice, with nobody across from him listening. in the graveyard as a rainstorm raged above. but now his sunshine is back… hit me like a truck

they are gonna sleep hugging together tonight :’3

“I know it seems I’ve been out of character (since the beginning of the stream) but trust me, I haven’t. I’ve been in character this whole time…”

“Goodbye, see you tomorrow ….I’m sure everything is going to be just fine. :)”

I’m scared

—

well I guess this is the end of my vodblogging lore post!!! I hope it was fun to read jfjdjshdh it was just the thoughts I Would have posted if I was liveblogging. my eyes are still watery :’)

see you all tomorrow for whatever horrors await

#qsmp #vodblogging #qsmp badboyhalo #qsmp dapper

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strawberry-metal · 26 days

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Meow Wolf

So yesterday now only did my boyfriend and I get the eye jewelry, we went to this interactive museum called Meow Wolf! We got the jewelry after our visit so we’re not wearing it here. It was expensive, but we were in there for over two hours, so I’d say we got our money’s worth!

So just a warning, alot of what you’ll see is really colorful and trippy! They’re just photos though. I only took one video because I know tumblr has a limit of one video per post. They upped the photo limit so I wish they would up the vid limit. I also didn’t take more vids because almost three years later, I just can’t get my follower count to go up in instagram so no one would see em lol

Without further ado… Meow Wolf!

Ok so there’s actually a story to the exhibit. A little boy has gone missing and his family can’t find him. You can try to solve the mystery or you can just enjoy the exhibit. We tried to solve it but to be honest, after being in there for so long, we kinda just gave up and just enjoyed the trippy things we encountered. I love the attention to detail they put into the mystery and normally I’d gobble all that up, but there was just too many vids to look at, too many things to read, I didn’t want to hog the lore areas too much, and also we really needed to go home when it was reaching the 2 1/2 hr mark. Plus my feet started killing me, I have a high arch so no shoe provides me any support, so I’m always in pain after walking for two hours.

By the way, don’t crawl through this. It’s REALLY painful on the hands and knees lol

There was also a lil arcade area that provided extra lore. Ok, I’m gonna just stop yapping now and post the rest of the photos!

Hope you guys enjoyed the post! If you’re interested in the story, I’m sure you can find more about it somewhere online! Love you all and take care of yourselves!

*Snap* This is going in my cringe compilation.

#Mun #Meow Wolf #art exhibit #museum #trippy #colorful #Art #photo #video

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invisibleicewands · 3 months

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Michael Sheen is tremendous as NHS founder Aneurin Bevan, even if the play’s fear of bio-drama cliches gets a bit much

The British, in case you hadn’t noticed, tend to get a little sentimental about the NHS.

So it’s understandable that playwright Tim Price and director Rufus Norris are wary of dewy-eyed hagiography when approaching ‘Nye’, a new biographical drama about Aneurin Bevan, the firebrand Labour health minister who founded the service. With the title role played by the great Michael Sheen, there is a danger of going OTT in having the nation’s favourite current Welshman star as the nation’s favourite historical Welshman. And so Norris’s production has a determinedly trippy quality intended to counter the cliches.

Billed as an ‘epic Welsh fantasia’, ‘Nye’ is largely presented as the stream-of-consciousness of an older Bevan, who is a patient in one of his own hospitals. There for an ulcer operation, he drifts in and out of the present and into recollections of his past, unaware he is dying of stomach cancer – something his MP wife Jennie Lee (Sharon Small) has determinedly kept from him.

Crowned by a truly uncanny wig, Sheen is a delight as the fiery but unassuming Bevan. He never at any point changes out of his red striped pyjamas, a pleasingly absurdist touch at the heart of Norris’s stylish production, in which the green hospital ward repeatedly dissolves into the past to the sound of wheezing lungs.

It’s otherworldly in places, especially the scene where Tony Jayawardena’s overbearing Churchill collars Bevan in the Commons and groups of teacup-clutching MPs try to eavesdrop, moving like insectoid predators under Stephen Hoggett and Jess WIlliams’s unsettling choreography.

Really, though, once you get past all the cool stuff, you’re left with a fairly conventional drama, jumbled up. Bevan’s memories of the past come at us in roughly chronological order. There’s a definite artistic licence at work as we see schoolboy Nye - still played by Sheen - overcome a bullying teacher and absorb his local library, hungry to find synonyms for words that trigger his stammer, setting himself on the path to becoming a great orator. But the meat of ‘Nye’ does lie with relatively factual accounts of incidents from Bevan’s life - his scenes in Parliament are particularly riveting, as he is doggedly determined to criticise Churchill’s wartime government, to the chagrin of his boss Clement Atlee (Stephanie Jacob).

I understand the logic in, say, not having Sheen simply parrot Bevan’s big speeches to rabble-rousing effect. But all the hopping around leaves ‘Nye’ somewhat lacking in connective material. It’s never especially clear, for instance, why Bevan is so much more radical and uncompromising than his Labour colleagues. It sometimes feels like we’re seeing his life on shuffle, when a straight playthrough might have said all the same things, but more clearly.

Don’t get me wrong, if it had been a balls-trippingly weird avant-garde odyssey I’d have doubtless been all over it. There’s a big mid-show song and dance number that hints at a much weirder production. Unfortunately, this production never emerges. It feels like ‘Nye’ desperately wants to avoid looking like an Inspirational Drama About The Founder Of Our NHS, but doesn’t have a clear formal plan beyond that.

However, if the whole isn’t quite there, most of the individual scenes are scintillating. And there’s no sense of embarrassment from Sheen, who is magnetic as Bevan - a decent, even slightly bewildered man, who nonetheless feels pathologically drawn to doing the right thing, no matter the odds.

#Michael Sheen #Nye #theatre #National Theatre #NHS #Aneurin Bevan #review

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datclassicrockfan42 · 8 months

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Who are the monkees?

YESSSSSSSSSSSS

DEAR LORD YES

(Sorry I don’t get this question very often)

Anyways, allow me to introduce you to The Monkees

They were a 60s rock band with a TV show(like the Aquabats). Originally created to make money and sell records but after a rebellion from their music producer, they truly(at least in my eyes) became a true band. Unfortunately a lot of factors caused the bands decline in popularity and their dissolvement. They did get back together in the 80’s and 90’s with a little surge in popularity, and thoughout the 2000s and 2010s they continued to tour. Currently the last remaining Monkee(Micky) is doing shows to honor the band these years.(this is definitely a cliff notes version bc(well I kinda lost my Monkee Autism for MCR autism and there’s no way I can fit the entire story into a single post, we can keep talking about this through dm through)

Now for the members. This group consists of four members. Davy, Micky, Peter, and Mike

Here’s a photo

The first member is Davy Jones.(Bottom Right)Short, British, and babyfaced. He’s basically the “Paul McCartney” of the group, the one that all the girls love(at least when the show first aired). In the band lineup, he does vocals, tambourine, and maracas(usually has like fifty maracas) In the show, he’s the group’s hopeless romantic. Always going after a girl and falling in love. However that whole “Davy falls in love and now it’s our problem” is much more of a season one plot line than season two(not to say doesn’t happen there too.)

Next is Micky Dolenz.(Top left). The bands…(for really lack of a better term here) wild card. He’s very energetic and comedic. In the band he’s the drummer but also does vocals most of the time. In the show, he’s wild, chaotic, and the jokester of the group.

Next is Peter Tork( bottom right). Sweet, sensitive Peter. Look at him isn’t he cute? In the band, he’s the bassist, but also plays a multitude of instruments. In the show he was the dummy. The butt of the joke all the time. His shy, awkward(auto fill suggested knees here, and I’m questioning everything), personality and lack of social skills was a constant joke during the series. Actual Peter is pretty intellectual.

Last but certainly not least(especially on this blog) is Mike(top right, in the green wool hat) the second Michael in my life(Mikey was the first). Ah Michael Nesmith. Where to start? Stoic, quiet,aloof, but a total goof sometimes.(starting to sound familiar here)He has what this website calls…autism swag. Usually wearing a little hat(okay now that I type this here I’m starting to realize the similarities between the two Michaels in my life), this Texan is the “serious one.” The dad of group basically. In the band he plays guitar and actually wrote a few songs(oh we’re gonna talk about this). In the show, he was basically the voice of reason. Not really focused on that much,but he had his moments. I should mention that he got rid of the hat around season two, but you can still identify him by his massive sideburns.

Look at these

Look at the size of them

NOW THE SHOW AND MUSIC.

The show: The show aired from 1966-1968 with two seasons. They also had two tv specials and one hella trippy movie. Currently a lot of the episodes have been taken off YT(damn copyright) but we have archive.com and many drive folders containing these episodes. Episode plots can go from “guys Davy’s in love again and now it’s our problem” to “Crap we can’t pay the rent” to “crap we gotta save America from spies”. And season two only gets weirder. Each episode usually contains two “romps” which are basically music videos that showcase songs(like I said made to sell records)

(I do gotta warn you tho. This show was made in the 60s…so some of the content is not actually…politically correct according to today’s standards. So yea just be prepared for that)

Episodes I’d personally recommend for beginners are

Season 1 Ep 8: don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. A simple episode. Displays each of the characters personally traits pretty well. Has good songs.

Season 1 ep 23: Captain Crocodilez a pretty funny episode. Got a lot of that typical Monkee rapid fire random humor(which is kinda Aquabatsish). Some good romps and I find this ep quite enjoyable

Season one ep 12: I’ve got a little song here. This is a Mike focused episode and is a little bit sadder than the majority of eps, but is overall good. It’s got the bands superhero personas, the Monkeemen. Good songs too.

Season two episode 16: fairytale. An iconic episode.(so sometimes the guys would dress up in drag to make their schemes work and there’s lots of that in this episode) it’s a bit more off the walls(which is normal in season two) but still overall a good episode.

Here’s the link for the archive(kinda bad quality but pretty accessible)

Edit: so i checked and something is wrong with the link….so yea

Ummm if yall want I can dm you a link to one of the drives

NOW FOR MUSIC

(Buckle up)

So the group(in the tv show years) released(holy shit) 9 albums.

The Monkees(a classic album of songs from the show) notable tracks include Last train to Clarksville, Saturday’s child, Sweet Young Thing, and Papa Gene’s blues

More of the Monkees(another classic, once again full of songs from the show) notable tracks include Mary,Mary , I’m not your stepping stone, the kind of girl I could love, and(you probably know this one) I’m a believer(yep the song from shrek was a Monkees song)

However, these albums were made with little to no creative control. Opting for studio musicans and writers than the actual guys themselves(who were all pretty good musicans) but after some rebellion, the producer getting fired, and a hole in a hotel wall(before the producer got fired,(guess who did this one lol). The band was able to play their own instruments.

Which brings us to an era which I personally consider the bands finest:

Headquarters: a masterpiece with the group playing almost of all their own instruments. Notable tracks include: Sunny Girlfriend, for Pete’s sake, and Randy Scouse Git

Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones(thats actually all the members zodiac signs, expect Davy’s bc him and Mike are both Capricorns and they actually share a birthday(Dec 30): this is their psychedelic album(hey it’s 1967 everyone’s doing it) Notable tracks here include: Pleasant Valley Sunday, Love is only sleeping, Star Collector and the door into summer.

The Birds, The Bees, and The Monkees: another classic👌. Notable tracks here include: Daydream Believer, Tapioca Tundra, and Dream World.

We then have the HEAD(that trippy movie i was talking about(that’s a little advanced tho, stick to the show for now) soundtrack: notable tracks here include: Porpoise Song, As we go along, circle sky, and daddy’s song.

Now for some mythbustijg bc oh boy

They didn’t play their own instruments: actually a lot of the guys were originally musicians before the show(Mike and Peter were folk singers, and Davy worked in broadway(not an instrument but still cool to know). We kinda already debunked this one though so let’s move on to the next:

They didn’t write their own songs: kinda true. The studio did bring in some studio writers to write songs, but the guys actually wrote some songs themselves(mainly Mike, but the others did too)

Ok well I’ve been typing for quite a while now and my hands tried soo ima leave this here. DM me if you want any more info(I have a master degree in the history of Micheal Nesmith with a minor in the band and show history)

#sorry for the Monkee introduction master post I just got excited #also probably not my best but blame the autism wanting Mikey Way instead of Mike Nesmith #(yea so this is my orginal classic rock/Monkee autism blog #the one you know me for this is my MCR/Mikey Way/Killjoy Ocs/Aquabats autism blog #Monkees introducry master post #the monkees

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popbloganddropit · 20 days

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The Tortured Poets Department - Taylor Swift (Part 1)

I’ll be posting 8 songs at a time to break this lengthy album up a bit.

Initial thoughts: She’s raw and unfiltered in a way she hasn’t been before.

But Daddy I Love Him and Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me are the immediate insane stand outs

The Black Dog? 🤮 CoSoSoM? 🫨 how did it end? Drag meeee for being nosy.

1. Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)- This is a very interesting introductory track/lead single. There’s some blending of (as far as we know) truth and fiction, which i think stays throughout the album. However, there’s not a ton for me lyrically or sonically for me to connect to here. The missing rhyme scheme in the first lines is distracting. I would have liked a little more Post Malone overall and a bit more duetting. I’m sure there’s some symbolism in their voices rarely overlapping in meaningful ways, but the hints of it we get sound good, and I want MORE. 3/5

Best Line: “All my mornings are Mondays stuck in an endless February. I took the miracle move-on drug, the effects were temporary.”

2. The Tortured Poets Department- I like the sound of this, the melodies, most of the cheeky humor (“I think things I never say, like ‘Who uses typewriters anyway?’”), but the Charlie Puth and Golden Retriever lines really ruin it for me. They totally take me out of the vibe and are distractingly out of pocket. 2/5

Best Line: I like the “I’ve seen/read” lines in the pre-chorus, but the unhinged-ness of putting something as raw and exposed as, “But you told Lucy you'd kill yourself if I ever leave. And I had said that to Jack about you, so I felt seen” in a public space really sets the tone of the album.

3. My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys- I love her echo-y, layered vocals. Her cadence sounds like war drums that really fits the toy soldier metaphor. I think some slight production tweaks would have really taken it over the top. The vocals sound so cool, but there’s still room for a little more than a thwacking drum machine and a hint of sparkly synth. 3/5

Best Line: I love “I’m queen of sandcastles he destroys”. Runner up goes to “‘Cause you should’ve seen him when he first ✨saw✨me”.

4. Down Bad- I love the alien abduction theme and the trippy production to match. The dichotomy of the space-y verses and daily-life drudgery of the chorus works on a metaphoric and Down bad crying at the gym? The self awareness to call it teenage petulance before just saying “fuck it”? People not getting that Miss Swift is sometimes jealous king around and doesn’t take herself seriously 100% off the time will never make sense to me. 4/5

Best Line: “Did you really beam me up, in a cloud of sparkling dust?”

5. So Long, London- once the beat comes in, we’re off to the races and you can’t quite catch your breath through this whole song, especially with the gut-punching lyrics. A beautiful arrangement from Aaron Dessner here that effortlessly carries the weight of anger and heartbreak. 5/5

Best line: “And you say I abandoned the ship, but I was going down with it, my white knuckle dying grip.”

6. But Daddy, I Love Him- I love everything about this song. It sounds like a sunny, summer day. Maybe the narrator is a little delusional, but whomst amongst us hasn’t been? The bridge telling people off a bit is a great moment for her. “I’ll tell you something about my good name, it’s mine alone to disgrace,” feels like something she’s needed to say for a while. 5/5

Best line: there’s a lot of great moments, but, “I’m having his baby. No, I’m not, but you should see your faces” is such a hilarious double-take moment upon first listen that it has to take the crown.

7. Fresh Out the Slammer- I have seen the steaming numbers and y’all are SLEEPING on this track! It’s sad, it’s wistful, it’s a little sexy, it’s everything. I love the rolling cadence of the verses and the slower, haunting choruses. The decelerating outro is perfection. 5/5

Best line: “Now, pretty baby, I'm running back home to you. Fresh out the slammer, I know who my first call will be to”.

8. Florida!!! (Ft. Florence and the Machine) - Florida has committed various atrocities on the people of the United States of America, but this is absolutely not one of them. A song of escapism, ghosts, and a banging drum chorus that earns those three exclamation points. Hurricane Florence is a beautiful addition to the track and it wouldn’t sound out of place on an album of hers either. Every line of this is an earworm that you’ll catch h yourself singing over and over again. Fuck me up, Florida (!!!), indeed. 5/5

Best Line: “Barricaded in the bathroom with a bottle of wine. Well me and my ghosts, we had a hell of a time.”

#pop music #music review #taylor swift #the tortured poets department #ts ttpd #ttpd #ttpd era #taylor swift ttpd

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joe-mazzello-archive · 2 years

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baby we're a dying breed - part one

eddie munson x fem!reader (no y/n)

w/c: 13.6k

warnings: slooooow burn, s4 spoilers, parental death, reader has a phobia of swimming/being in or on water, drugs, alcohol, violence/gore, supernatural elements (it’s stranger things y’all), panic attack symptoms

a/n: hi hello. so this hasn’t left my brain since i watched that dumb finale. we all know eddie’s death was completely avoidable and dumb and blah blah blah sooooo let’s fix that. and help him find love while we’re at it! this fic is basically the plot of s4 with the reader inserted in. reader is the same age as eddie, was in his class the year he was supposed to graduate originally. i tried to keep as many of the events the same, but there are some deviations, especially in part two. i also don’t go into too much detail about the lore/main show plot since y’all have seen the show and know that shit. i’m mostly just adding to it. i also tried to avoid just typing out entire dialogue pieces word for word from the show too because tbh i hate when fix it fics do that.

this was a blast to write and i hope you enjoy. there will be one more part and then i also have some ideas for bonus scenes if folks are interested. also heads up that part two will be 18+.

Your relationship with Hawkins is complicated.

It’s your hometown, the place you were raised. It’s where your old friends are, it’s familiar, and it brings a sense of comfort as the sights pass by your car windows. It’s full of memories, both happy and not so happy. But it’s also dull, pitiful, and fills you with a bit of dread as the realization that you’re spending an entire week here hits you.

Maybe because it’s the first time you’ve been back since your mom died.

You were told it was a fire. A fire in the Starcourt Mall that took the lives of thirty Hawkins residents. It has never made any sense to you. Your mom used to endlessly complain about the “neon eyesore” that was the newly opened shopping center, claiming it was “everything wrong with America.” She shouldn’t have been there. And you’ll never know why she was. Or why anyone else was there. It had been the Fourth of July, after all. All of Hawkins was supposed to be at the fair. It just didn’t add up.

You didn’t come home last summer, electing to stay in the city with your college friends. You’d been in the middle of rolling the third joint of the night when the call came. Sometimes you wonder if things would have been different if you had been there. And even if you couldn’t change the result, if you were there, at least you would have more answers.

Your dad was long gone – had been since you were a baby. It was always just you and your mom. But now it’s just you.

As you pull into the driveway of your childhood home, now officially under your ownership after lots of paperwork, you let out a sigh. Going through your mother’s things isn’t the most exciting spring break you could have, but the job needs to be done. You plan on selling the house eventually, so the sooner you can clear out the junk, the better.

You’ll just need a little something to get you through it. Besides, who said you had to spend the week sober?

–

“So you decided to grace us with your presence?” Carolyn teases as she brings you in for a hug. You let out a chuckle. Despite all of your weird feelings around being home, there isn’t a doubt that you missed your friends. The Hawkins High Marching Band runs deep, and you treasure the relationships you built with your fellow band geeks.

“Yeah, I figured it was time to show my face around these parts again,” you counter with a smirk, releasing your old friend in order to climb into her passenger’s seat. She joins you in the car before putting it in drive and peeling out.

The two of you drive through Hawkins, casually catching up as Carolyn and you head to your meetup. It’s almost trippy, passing your old stomping grounds – everything looks exactly the same, like you never left.

Eventually Carolyn pulls over, parking just off the road, and the two of you begin your trek through the woods to the designated meeting spot. Memories of previous pickups and nights out with your fellow bandies come flooding back, bringing a soft smile to your face. Once the large rock comes into view, you shake your head lovingly – it’s like you’re seventeen all over again.

“So, who are we even meeting?” you ask Carolyn as the two of you settle on the oddly shaped stone, the rough surface oddly comforting beneath your hands. “I heard Reefer Rick is back in jail.”

“Yeah he is,” she confirms, playing with a frayed piece of her jeans. She pauses for a moment before continuing. “And you’re not gonna like the answer to that question.” You narrow your eyes at her as she blatantly avoids your gaze.

“Why?”

“Do my eyes deceive me?”

You know that voice.

“As I live and breathe, is that…Major?”

Eddie Munson.

You shouldn’t be surprised. You’d bought from him a few times back in the day, and he was always close with Rick. But you are not excited to be reunited with the shaggy-haired dealer. He has always annoyed the hell out of you, with his intense energy and his innate ability to simultaneously insult you and flirt with you in the same sentence. He used to drive you nuts when you were in high school. Your mom once told you that boys who picked on you just had a little crush. But you’re pretty sure Eddie picked on you because he found pleasure in your torment.

You turn to find the metalhead casually strolling towards you, a shit-eating grin on his face, swinging a small tin box. He looks about the same as he used to, just a little more stubble. Maybe a new tattoo. Even longer hair. It’s funny - your oldest memory of Eddie is from middle school, playing guitar in the talent show. He hadn’t yet gained the confidence he flaunted in high school. You wonder if people even realize he’s the same kid - he’s come a long way from his gangly frame and buzzcut days.

And of course he still calls you by that dumb nickname. When you got drum major your senior year, Eddie adopted the moniker for you, always mock saluting you like you were a military officer. It earned an eye roll from you every time, and Eddie always beamed, satisfied with your reaction.

“Munson,” you greet, failing to hide your chagrin in your tone. “Graduate yet?” His grin never falters as he stares you down, his big brown eyes almost sparkling with mirth.

“You wound me, Major,” he replies, his hand dramatically landing on his heart. “We haven’t seen each other in years and you’re already ribbing me. And here I thought what we had was special.” He drops the metal box onto the rock with a smirk, and you can’t fight the eyeroll. It seems to be your default response to him.

“Alright you two, let’s play nice,” Carolyn cuts in. “What do you got for us?”

Eddie rubs his hands together before opening his metal box.

“I can dooooo…a half ounce for twenty,” he responds, fiddling with the plastic bag inside the tin before looking back up at you. “Now that’s a good deal, I normally charge thirty. But we all go way back,” he adds with a wink. You roll your eyes for the second time since you arrived.

“I bet you say that to all of your customers,” you counter, fishing a twenty dollar bill out of your wallet. His shit-eating grin returns as he holds the bag out for you.

“Only the pretty ones.” You glare at him, unamused as you reach for the bag. He quickly snatches it out of your reach and you scowl, bored with his antics. He chuckles and hands it back to you, the metal of his rings briefly grazing your palm. You don’t remember him wearing nearly that much jewelry back in high school.

You hand him the bill and he grabs it gleefully.

“Pleasure doing business, ladies,” Eddie announces, shoving the twenty into his back pocket. “Now I’d love to stay and catch up, but I’ve got another client waiting on me and a D&D session to run.”

“You better watch yourself, Munson,” Carolyn interjects, a playfulness in her tone. “I heard that game is the devil’s game. Worshiping Satan and all that.” Eddie grins as he begins to saunter back into the woods.

“Don’t believe everything you hear,” he says, before stopping himself and leaning against a tree. “And Major, if you need another pick-me-up while you’re in town, you know where to find me.” He tucks his bottom lip under his teeth and turns back towards the forest, disappearing into the trees.

You immediately glare at Carolyn, waiting for an explanation.

“Our options for dealers were limited!” she explains. “Everyone’s out of town for break. Besides, he’s not that bad…if you look past his dramatics.” You let out a chuckle, getting to your feet and dropping the bag of weed into your purse.

“If you look past the dramatics, there’s nothing else.”

–

Carolyn ends up inviting you to join some folks for drinks at her place.

You debate turning her down. Part of you is already overwhelmed from the Munson reunion and wants to retreat to your house to get high alone. You would get to avoid the awkward “so what have you been up to?” conversations and just have some peace for the night before starting your week-long project. But Carolyn talks you into it, listing off names of friends you’re actually interested in seeing, and promising a relaxing night.

So that’s how you find yourself sharing a joint with Scott and Dawn on Carolyn’s front porch, her parents off enjoying a Caribbean cruise, leaving the house free for former bandies to take over. You take a long hit, holding it in while you pass the stick to Dawn. You let it out slowly, relishing in the slight burn in your lungs. You try to tune out Scott rambling about his shitty car salesman job and just take in the sounds of the evening. The cool spring breeze is nice on your skin, and your body feels like it’s humming as your high sets in.

“This is good shit,” Dawn says, coughing a little and passing the joint to Scott. “Where’d you get it?”

You let out a snort, annoyed that Munson is suddenly back on your mind. Dawn is right, it is a good strain. You hate that you’re getting such a good high from something you bought from Eddie of all people. That fucker isn’t gonna get any compliments if you have anything to say about it.

“My hook-up at school,” you lie, a satisfied grin on your face. Take that Munson.

“Maybe I need to visit Chicago more often,” Dawn teases. Before you can respond, the screech of rubber on cement rings through the otherwise quiet neighborhood. The three of you turn towards the source of the sound to see a van speeding down the street. It flies by the house, careening down the road, before it’s out of sight as fast as it appeared.

“The fuck was that?” Scott asks, breaking the silence that had fallen over the three of you and handing you what was left of the joint.

“Clearly someone has someplace to be,” Dawn comments, crossing her arms. “I’m getting chilly, I’m heading in.”

Your friend disappears back into the house with Scott on her tail, leaving you alone on the porch. You can’t help but stare off into the night where you last saw the mysterious van. The van looked familiar – you’re pretty sure you have seen it before. But you can’t place where. You chalk it up to your high and decide to let it go. It doesn’t matter anyway.

You take one last hit before dropping the roach into the grass and stubbing it out, opting to join the rest of the group inside.

–

The spare bedroom is your starting place.

You know the most amount of junk will be kept in there, so you decide to get it out of the way first. Your mom hadn’t been a hoarder per se…but you know there’s gonna be a lot of useless documents or old keepsakes shoved into those closets that can be easily thrown away without much thought.

You throw Rumours on your mom’s old record player, light up a bowl, and get to work.

By the time the sun begins to set, you estimate you’re only halfway through the room. You decide to call it for the day, realizing you should probably eat something.

You’re in the middle of scarfing down a tv dinner, when you hear the doorbell. You pause, confused, almost unsure if you really heard the ring. The only people who know you’re in town are the folks you were with yesterday, and you don’t remember inviting anyone over to hangout today. Curious, you get to your feet and head to the door, opening it without even checking through the peephole at who your visitor could be.

It is revealed to be visitors, plural.

Before you stands Robin Buckley, your former marching bandmate, Steve fucking Harrington of all people, and two children you’ve never seen before: a boy with a goofy grin and a girl with strikingly red hair and an intense stare.

You realize you’ve been just looking at them in silence for far too long and shift your stance.

“Um…hi?”

“Hey,” Robin greets with an uncomfortable smile. “Sorry, um…do you mind if we come in?”

Still completely flabbergasted at the collection of people before you, you give an awkward shrug and step to the side while the mismatched group of teens piles into your living room. You shut the door behind them and bring a hand to your forehead as you turn to face your visitors.

“Okay, Buckley,” you begin. “You’re gonna have to walk me through why you’re at my house with Steve Harrington and two random children.”

They all share looks with each other, almost as if they are silently debating who should explain.

“We need your help,” the boy chimes in. “We need to find Eddie Munson.”

You blink several times, unsure if you heard the kid correctly.

You’ve been in Hawkins a little over twenty four hours, yet somehow Eddie Munson has come up not once, not twice, but three times.

“Why?” you ask incredulously, not knowing what else you could possibly say to that.

The group exchanges glances once again. You’re clearly missing something, but they seem almost…afraid to explain.

“Did you…hear about what happened?” Robin questions nervously. You let out an annoyed sigh, wishing these kids would just get to the point.

“You’re gonna have to be more specific than that,” you argue, crossing your arms. Robin looks to Steve, who seems equally annoyed at how long this is taking. He rolls his eyes and sets his hands on his hips.

“They found a body in Eddie’s trailer this morning. A cheerleader. Now Eddie is missing.”

A body?!

Your brain starts firing off thoughts while you process the information. Someone in Hawkins has mysteriously died. Again. And somehow Eddie is involved. Eddie. The same Eddie you were with just yesterday. The same Eddie who spends his free time fantasizing about fighting dragons. He may be a pain in the ass, but never in a million years would you think he would hurt anyone.

You shake your head, trying to form a response.

“There’s no way…Munson could never–”

“We know,” the boy says, interrupting your stammering. “We know he’s innocent. That’s why we have to find him. We think we know what happened.”

You’re still a little lost, trying to piece together everything you’ve been told. You realize you still don’t know what these people are doing in your living room of all places.

“Wait, so what does this have to do with me?” you ask, directing your question mostly at Robin, hoping she has the answer since she’s the only one of the quartet you’ve actually interacted with before.

“I know you used to hang with Eddie back when you were in school,” Robin explains. “A lot of the bandies used to. We heard you were back in town and figured it was worth a shot.”

“Okay, first of all, we did not hang out,” you quickly clarify, crossing your arms defensively. “I used to buy weed from him and then he…wouldn’t know when to leave. Second of all, why are you coming to me instead of Munson’s actual friends?”

“Look we’ve tried everyone we could think of,” the redhead girl suddenly speaks up, an edge to her voice. “No one knows where he is. We’re desperate here. Is there any place you think he would go?”

You let out a frustrated sigh, confused on how you could possibly know where Eddie would be hiding.

And then you remember the van.

The van you saw the night before, zooming down Carolyn’s street like it was being chased by something. You had thought it looked familiar - you now realize it was Eddie’s van.

“Wait, I think I saw him last night,” you reveal, earning the immediate attention of the teens gathered next to your couch. “He was speeding, heading out of town.”

You wrack your brain for where he could be headed. He would look for some place he knew, but some place out of the way. And wherever he was heading would have to be in the direction he was speeding last night.

And that’s when it hits you.

“Reefer Rick,” you announce. “His place is out by Lover’s Lake. Eddie might hide out there.”

“Do you know where it is?” the young boy excitedly asks.

“Yeah, I think,” you reply, but you’re still confused. You need more answers. “But wait, what do you mean by ‘you think you know what happened’?”

The group once again exchanges silent glances.

“Things in Hawkins…” the redhead starts, “...aren’t always what they seem.” Your brow furrows at the ominous nature of her tone.

“What she means is…” Steve cuts in. “Everything that’s gone on the past few years…the disappearances, the mysterious deaths…it’s connected.”

“And we have a lot of…experience with this stuff,” the boy adds.

You let their words sink in for a second. A small part of you always figured something weird was going on in Hawkins. But you really didn’t have any reason to say so. Not until last summer.

So you finally decide to say something.

“Starcourt Mall,” you suddenly spit out, your curiosity piqued. “Do you guys know what really happened?”

You watch their faces with intent as they all slowly nod.

“Was it a fire?”

They all solemnly shake their heads.

And for some reason…you believe them.

You let out a small chuckle, almost relieved that your suspicions were correct. And it’s bizarre how after all of these months, after all of your wondering, the people that seem to have all of the answers are a random selection of teenagers who happen to be standing in your house.

“Okay, here’s what's going to happen,” you announce, crossing your arms. “I will lead you guys to Reefer Rick’s. And on the way, you are going to tell me everything – and I mean everything – you know.”

For the final time, the group all exchange looks, clearly pleased with your statement.

“Deal.”

–

You don’t have any idea how to handle this.

Despite the trip to Rick’s only being about twenty minutes, they manage to tell you everything. How Will Byers suddenly seemed to come back to life. Why crops were randomly rotting two years ago. What really happened at Starcourt Mall on the Fourth of July.

You don’t know exactly what you wanted to hear, but learning your mom’s body had helped form a giant mutant flesh monster, and that it was defeated by a young girl with psionic powers was not what you expected.

At least you have your answers.

The group explains their working theory: that something from this mysterious other realm – the Upside Down, as they referred to it – has something to do with the girl who was found in Eddie’s trailer. And they’re on a mission to defeat whatever it is and clear Eddie’s name.

It’s a lot to take in. You don’t know what you’re more confused by: how all of this has been happening in Hawkins without everyone else knowing or how casual the group seems to be when explaining it.

By the time you all arrive at Rick’s, you’re mentally exhausted.

You trail behind everyone else, still trying to process how much your world has turned upside down – for lack of a better term – in less than an hour. As you follow the teens in front of you, you think about your mom, and how even though you’ve processed your grief, your heart hurts at how she met her end. You then realize that you being in Chicago instead of coming home last summer also likely saved your life. You might have been another victim of the flayer…thing…the kids described.

You’re brought back to reality at the sharp movement of Eddie launching himself from his hiding place and backing Steve against the wall, holding a broken bottle to his throat.

The teens all shout at him, pleading for him to back off. Your eyes fall to Eddie’s face, where you can see the terror and desperation written in his features. He’s scared. Really fucking scared.

You find yourself making your way closer to him, the tension in the room thick as all hell.

“Munson,” you utter, trying to keep your voice calm. You lay a gentle hand on the wrist that holds the bottle to Steve’s throat. The touch seems to break Eddie’s trance, as his eyes find yours. His eyebrows furrow and you can practically hear his brain working through all of his conflicting emotions. His big brown eyes stare deep into your soul, searching for answers you don’t have.

“We’re here to help,” you slowly explain. After a few moments, your words seem to get through to him, as he spares Steve one more glance before nodding and releasing him. You let go as well, and you watch as the tension seems to release from Eddie’s shoulders.

He slumps against the wall before sliding to the floor. You can see he’s visibly shivering, and his grip on the bottle doesn’t loosen. Whatever he witnessed last night, he is truly shaken up. And if it’s anything like the things the others described to you in the car, you don’t blame him.

You watch him closely as Dustin begins to try and coax him into revealing what happened. You’ve never seen him like this and it’s jarring. Gone is his usual snarky, goofy demeanor. You find yourself itching to move closer to him, to do something to comfort him. But you keep your distance, not wanting to spook him any more than he already is.

“You won’t believe me,” he croaks, his voice shaking. He frustratedly wipes at his face.

“Try us,” Max replies.

Eddie sniffles, before his sad eyes find yours. Almost as if he’s checking with you to see if he really should confess to whatever he’s holding on to. You give him a soft smile and a reassuring nod.

He takes a deep breath before he begins his story.

Somehow it’s even more horrifying than the flesh monster story.

You wrap your arms around your middle as Eddie recounts what he saw last night. You feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up as he divulges the details. And as the others reassure him that the group believes him and begins to reveal the existence of the Upside Down, you find yourself staying silent, completely overwhelmed by everything that’s happening.

It isn’t fair. That girl Barb. Your mom and all those other people. Now Chrissy. Innocent people dying at the hands of…mysterious creatures…who are out for blood. For whatever reason, these monsters have chosen Hawkins as their hunting ground, and it’s bullshit.

You don’t even realize how long you were zoned out until the others start moving.

“We’ll be back in the morning,” Dustin announces, and you turn to look at Eddie, who’s still slumped against the wall, looking utterly defeated. It seems almost cruel to leave him here like this.

“I’m gonna stay with Munson.” The words leave your lips before you can stop them. You feel all eyes on you, with Steve giving you the weirdest look of the bunch.

“I don’t – I don’t have the experience with this stuff that you guys have,” you explain, trying to keep your voice from shaking. “I only found out about all of this today. I can’t really…I don’t have anything to offer to help figure this out. So I’ll just stay here. Make sure he doesn’t…fall into the lake or something.”

There’s a moment of silence as the group does that weird telepathic check-in thing they do with each other. At this point, you wouldn’t be surprised if they revealed they all have powers too.

“Okay,” Dustin replies with a shrug. “See you two in the morning.” The group files out and closes the door behind them, leaving you and Eddie alone in the boathouse.

The silence is deafening.

You spin on your heels to face Eddie, and you find him watching you, an unreadable look on his face. You awkwardly saunter over to him, and take a seat on the floor to his left, pulling your knees to your chest. You don’t know what to say to him, or even why you’re sticking around. But you just feel compelled to stay with him.

“Hey,” you finally mutter, the silence becoming unbearable. You meet Eddie’s gaze, and you swear you see the smallest flash of a smile.

“Hey,” he says back, leaning his head against the wall. “So how’d you get wrapped up in this?”

It’s honestly a great question, one you find yourself wondering the answer to.

“I helped them find this place,” you respond. “Although, I’m still not sure how I managed to be the only one so far to figure out you’d be out here.”

Eddie lets out a breath, you think it might be a soft chuckle.

“Yeah, well let’s hope it stays that way for my sake,” he counters, sounding more like himself for the first time since you arrived at the boathouse.

Silence settles between the two of you once again as you play with the hem of your jeans.

“It’s hard to wrap my head around all of this,” Eddie suddenly speaks up. “Do you believe them? Do you believe me?”

You take a bit of comfort in the fact that he’s just as overwhelmed as you are. At least you aren’t alone.

“Yeah, I do,” you confirm, as you finally start to take in your surroundings. Your eyes roam the walls of the boathouse, studying the random assortment of stored items as you continue. “I mean, you’ve only heard the half of it. On the way here they told me everything. And as batshit crazy as it all is…it makes sense. Every weird thing that’s happened in Hawkins the past few years is because of this…other place. All the tragedy and death. It’s insane to think all those stories about monsters are real.” You let out a deep breath you didn’t realize you were holding.

“The mall fire,” Eddie utters after a moment. You nod, understanding his unasked question.

“Your mom.” You turn sharply, your eyes meeting his. “I had heard she was…I’m sorry about your mom.”

You feel your eyes well up, and you will the tears away. No matter how touched you are by his words, you refuse to let yourself cry in front of Eddie Munson.

“Thank you,” you finally say after a few seconds, trying to hide the shakiness in your voice. “I’m sorry about Chrissy.”

He gives you a soft nod, before tipping his head back against the wall once again. The two of you sit in the silence, but this time you don’t feel the awkwardness from before.

After a few minutes, you find your eyes drooping.

“We should probably try to get some sleep,” you suggest, rising to your feet. You stretch out your muscles, realizing you were sitting in that awkward position for longer than you should have.

“Inspired idea, Major,” Eddie says, also finally standing up. He gestures to his hiding spot from before. “You can take the boat, it’s surprisingly comfy in there.”

“No, you take that; I’ll figure something else out–”

“No, it’s fine. Just sleep in the boat–”

“Munson!” you snap, annoyed with how he’s arguing with you. “You being hidden is way more important than me being comfortable. Boat. Tarp. Now.” You angrily point at the boat in question and glare at him.

He cracks the first full smirk you’ve seen all night. The sight is almost comforting – that’s the Eddie that you know – until you remember you’re supposed to be irritated by him.

“Fine,” he concedes, his tone playful. “I almost forgot how bossy you can be, Major.” You roll your eyes and begin to glance around your immediate vicinity to see where you can set up shop for the night. “At least let me…”

You watch as Eddie maneuvers around you and produces several bright orange life vests from behind a crate. He then gently lays them out on the floor beside the suspended boat, creating a makeshift bed from the flotation devices.

“There,” he says, pleased with himself, before shooting you a signature Eddie grin. You sigh, annoyed that you aren’t annoyed at him anymore.

“Thanks,” you concede, moving to settle atop your make-do mattress for the evening. Eddie makes himself comfortable in the boat next to you.

“Night, Major,” Eddie says, still grinning. You shake your head, almost amazed at how quickly Eddie reverted back to his normal self.

“Night, Munson,” you reply, laying back on your lumpy bed. Pleased with your response, his grin brightens before he lays back himself, pulling the tarp over him.

You stare at the ceiling, still trying to wrap your head around the events of the evening. You somehow went from organizing old tax documents to being recruited by teenagers to help an accused murderer evade police after a girl was killed in his trailer by a supernatural monster from another realm. Part of you wants to just go back home, back to the quiet and safe task of cleaning out your house. But for some reason, you just know you need to see this through. Eddie may be…Eddie…but he’s also innocent. You know Hawkins, the second they turn on him, it could be dangerous. And the worst part is, the people of Hawkins don’t have any idea what the real danger is.

The creaks of the boathouse don’t do anything to help calm your nerves. You have no idea how you’re supposed to get any sleep tonight.

And then you hear a soft snore to your right.

You’re suddenly reminded that while the situation is not ideal, you’re not alone. You find Eddie’s snores oddly comforting, bringing a soft smile to your face. You’ll be sure to hold the fact that he snores against him tomorrow.

Eventually, your eyes droop closed once again, and you drift off to sleep.

–

You wake to the sound of a car door slamming. Eddie and you both jolt upright, meeting each others’ eyes before jumping to your feet and heading towards the window.

“Shit, shit, shit,” Eddie mutters under his breath as he peers through the glass, gripping the sharp bottle from before.

“Do you see anyone?” you ask, hoping he can spot the potential threat. The angle you have of the path leading up to the house is completely free from anyone.

“No, but–”

The front door to the boathouse bursts open, causing you and Eddie to practically jump out of your skins, with Eddie’s arm shooting across you in an attempt to block your body with his.

Robin, Steve, Dustin, and Max appear in the doorway, all holding bags. You press a hand to your chest in an attempt to calm your pounding heart.

“Delivery service!” Dustin proudly announces, and you and Eddie exchange an annoyed look.

Eddie and you take turns passing the box of Honey Comb back and forth while the group recounts what little they have figured out. The news that Eddie’s name hasn’t been released publicly is somewhat reassuring, but it’s only a matter of time before folks figure out what happened on their own. Hawkins residents aren’t the brightest folks around – they haven’t caught on to all of the supernatural events happening under their noses – but they aren’t completely stupid.

Before you can ask what the next steps are, the sound of sirens blaring pierces through the boat house.

Your eyes widen in fear as you turn to Eddie.

“Hide!”

He leaps to his feet and practically dives back into the boat, and you adjust the tarp to cover him. Dustin, Robin, and Eddie dart over to the window, and you quickly look around for another exit, trying to game plan how you’re gonna help Eddie escape.

“They’re not coming here,” Dustin announces after a moment, the group backing away from the window as the sound of the sirens begins to fade. “But we should probably go check it out.” The others nod in agreement, as Eddie sits up from his hiding spot.

“You still good here?” Steve asks, clapping a hand on your shoulder. You glance at Eddie, who has another unreadable expression on his face. You give Steve a nod.

“Yeah, I’m staying,” you reply, crossing your arms. It seems pointless to leave Eddie now, especially since the group doesn’t have any leads on how they’re going to defeat this thing – “Vecna” as they called it.

“Here,” Dustin speaks up, handing you a large walkie-talkie. “It’s already set to the right channel. We’ll communicate through these.” You give Dustin a nod, tucking the radio under your arm.

The teens all awkwardly wave goodbye, and disappear through the front door, leaving you and Eddie alone once again.

You wander back over to your pile of life jackets and plop down on top of them. You find yourself even more lost than yesterday. How in the hell are you supposed to kill some monster from another realm? Especially when the people most likely to come up with the answer have nothing so far?

“I just thought of something,” Eddie says, interrupting your thoughts.

“Well, there’s a first time for everything,” you counter, shooting him a satisfied smirk. He beams, clearly unbothered by your insult.

“Something you said last night,” he explains, ignoring your comment. “About keeping me from falling into the lake.” Your brow furrows; you barely even remember making that comment.

“Well to be fair, you’re not the most coordinated guy around, Munson,” you explain, reaching for the box of Honey Comb.

“But if I were to fall into the lake, what would you even be able to do about it? You can’t swim.”

You freeze. How the fuck does he know that? you wonder to yourself.

“What?” is your reply, words escaping you.

“Yeah,” Eddie continues, “unless you grew out of it, I remember you being terrified of the water.”

You’re flabbergasted. You have no clue how Eddie Munson could know such a personal detail that you definitely don’t advertise to people.

“How…?” is all you manage to get out before Eddie speaks up again.

“The first summer after my dad got carted off to prison again, my uncle didn’t know what to do with me,” he explains, a soft smile on his face as he describes the memory. “He would drop me off at the pool during the day so he could get some sleep. I remember you would never get all the way into the water, just sit with your feet in. Every time your mom would try to get you into the pool, you would scream and cry.”

You remember those days well. Your mom could never crack why you were so scared to get into the water. You used to grip the side of the pool, your small fingers digging as far into the concrete as you could. Your mom would practically beg you to join her in the cool water, promising you that nothing would hurt you, but you never budged. Eddie isn’t wrong, most of the time the day would end in a meltdown, followed by an apologetic trip to get ice cream. To this day, you don’t understand where your fear comes from. There’s just something about swimming and being in or on water that terrifies you.

Once again, you find yourself surprised by Eddie Munson. While the memory is somewhat embarrassing, it’s almost touching that he remembers that little nugget about you.

“I can’t believe you remember that,” you finally say, shaking your head. Eddie simply smirks, shrugging his shoulders.

“I mean who could forget? You were a total freak.”

You scoff in mock offense and playfully bat him on the shoulder at his comment, earning what sounds like a giggle from the metalhead next to you. You can’t help but let out a small chuckle yourself. You appreciate him trying to lighten the mood, even if it is at your expense.

Silence settles over the two of you once again, and you can feel Eddie’s stare this time. You turn to find that unreadable look from before. It’s a bit unnerving.

“What?” you ask, hoping he’ll either break the stare or at least speak up.

“What are you doing here?” he responds, almost incredulously. “I mean, you can cut and run…you don’t have to be here.” He pauses for a moment, but continues before you have a chance to answer. “If what Henderson and all of them are saying is true, you could be implicated if you’re seen with me.”

He’s right. There really isn’t a solid reason for staying. You don’t know enough about the Upside Down or Vecna to contribute to clearing Eddie��s name. You don’t have any skills that could help Eddie evade authorities. You honestly might just get in the way.

But something about leaving doesn’t feel right. It didn’t feel right last night and it didn’t feel right when the group left today. Something is pulling you to stay with Eddie. But you don’t know what. And you don’t know how to explain that to him. At least not without sounding nuts.

So you deflect.

“Do you want me to go?”

He eyes you for a moment while he considers your question. His brow furrows briefly and slightly purses his lips. You’re uncomfortable under his stare once again – there’s just something in his eyes that almost scares you. He looks at you with such intensity. You can’t remember anyone looking at you like this before.

And then suddenly the spell is broken – Eddie takes in a breath as he lays back in the boat, crossing his arms behind his head and resting on them.

“Nah, I could use the company,” he replies nonchalantly. “Besides, it’ll be just like old times.”

Still recovering from the slight whiplash of his mood swing, you almost miss the comment.

“Old times?” you repeat, wondering what the hell he could be referring to.

“Yeah,” he confirms, as if it’s obvious. “Remember when we used to hang out? We’d smoke a little…talk about life.”

You throw your head back and let out a full laugh at his skewed recollection of events.

“See, I seem to remember you selling us drugs and then just never leaving – even if we ignored you entirely,” you correct him, your tone teasing. Eddie waves his hand in the air.

“Same difference,” he says. “Though I would kill for something to take the edge off right now. Being a wanted man is fucking stressful.”

You let out a chuckle as you reach for your purse, mentally thanking your past self for throwing your smoking stuff into the bag during your hasty exit. You toss the bag of weed, pack of rolling papers, and lighter onto Eddie’s chest, causing him to suddenly sit up. His eyes light up as he grabs at the collection of items before him.

“Major, I could kiss you,” Eddie announces as he hurriedly pushes the tarp off of the boat, spreading out the items onto the boat's flat surface and beginning the task of rolling a joint. You scoff at his words – as if you’d let him anywhere near your lips.

You and Eddie pretty much spend the rest of the day like that – keeping up a pleasant high by sharing a joint every few hours and just casually chatting. He rants about his band, regaling you with stories about how unlively the Corroded Coffin shows are. You tell him about school in Chicago and how different it is living in a big city compared to a small town like Hawkins. The two of you argue over who would win in a fight: Freddy Krueger or Jason Vorhees. The conversation topics vary wildly, but with nothing but time to kill while you wait for something to happen – whether that’s word from Robin and crew or the police swarming the property – you don’t know how else to keep yourselves entertained. You even take turns tossing pebbles into a can Eddie found, going so far as creating a point system and keeping track of each other’s scores.

You’re surprised. For the first time ever, you’re actually enjoying spending time with Eddie Munson. While the circumstances are very strange, you almost don’t mind. You hate to admit it, but the guy is somewhat funny and almost…charming…in a uniquely Eddie way. Even back in high school, you never understood why people were so afraid of him – you've always known that he’s just an awkward goofball – just with interests that are a little extreme for a small town in Indiana.

He seems to enjoy your company as well, laughing at your attempts at jokes and listening to your stories. You occasionally shoot him some playful insults, trying to give him a taste of his own medicine, but he appears to take delight in your razzing, earning you a genuine smile with every jab. And you soon find yourself going out of your way to earn that reaction as much as you can.

If senior year you could see you now, she’d be shellshocked.

The sun eventually sets, and with no word from the other teens, you attempt to get some sleep once again. Eddie throws himself onto your pile of life jackets, refusing to move.

“Guess you’re gonna have to take the boat,” he claims, as if his hands are tied. You roll your eyes, before throwing the tarp at him and begrudgingly climbing into the boat and making yourself comfortable.

Your mind immediately begins to wander, the reality of the situation suddenly hitting you full force once again. All you want is for everyone to be safe. Your friends, the band of teens leading the charge, Eddie…you just want everyone to be okay. And you have no idea how you can make that happen.

You realize a tense silence has settled over the boathouse. You know Eddie's still awake, you can by the lack of snoring. Something pushes you to speak up, so you do.

“Hey,” you start, hoping you were right about him still being awake.

“Yeah?”

You pause for a moment, feeling awkward.

“We’re gonna figure this out,” you declare. You don’t know if you even believe your own words. But something about saying it out loud makes it seem like it can happen. “I promise.”

Eddie doesn’t answer right away. In fact he takes so long to reply that you almost sit up to check to see if he did fall asleep.

“Yeah,” he says, his voice shaky. “I hope so.”

Your heart pangs, the fear in his voice evident. You wish there’s something more you can do.

So you try your best to get comfortable in your makeshift bed, and for the second night in a row, you drift to sleep to the creaks and scrapes of the boathouse.

–

Luckily, you’re not rudely awoken by a potential threat on your second morning. Your eyes flutter open and you’re appreciative of the fact that any imminent danger was nice enough to be quiet this time.

You slowly sit up, stretching out your muscles and cracking your stiff joints. A gentle snore sounds next to you, and you immediately grin at the fact that Eddie is still asleep. You realize you forgot to tease him about his snoring yesterday, but you’ll be sure to mention it to him today.

Your eyes wander to his sleeping form. His mussed curls are haphazardly strewn about and the tarp is carelessly tossed across his torso. He looks so peaceful that it’s almost bizarre – you’re so used to his wild high-energy antics that it’s weird to see him so…quiet.

You’re so lost in your thoughts that you miss that at some point Eddie stopped snoring.

“Watching me sleep?” he suddenly says before his eyes pop open and that signature Eddie smirk appears. You feel the heat in your ears, embarrassed at being caught. “Didn’t take you for such a creeper, Major.”

You roll your eyes and attempt to deflect the situation.

“You snore,” is all you can manage as a retort, staring down at your lap to avoid his pleased expression. When he doesn’t say anything after a few moments, you look back at him to find him sporting a huge grin, clearly unbothered once again by your comment. His smile gets you to break, and you let out an embarrassed chuckle at the ridiculousness of the situation.

“Shut up,” you say, knowing full well he didn’t say anything more. It earns a chuckle from Eddie, who decides to stand, taking his turn to stretch. You can’t help but notice the small patch of pale skin that’s exposed below the hem of his dirtied white shirt while he stretches his arms above his head.

“So since we’ve pretty much killed the wonderful spread that Henderson and crew brought us yesterday, and since there’s no sign of them this morning, what do you say to popping up to Rick’s house to see what food we can scrounge up?” Eddie inquires, running a hand through his hair to get some stray strands out of his face.

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

You do feel a little bit bad rifling through Rick’s kitchen, but since you can’t get a hold of anyone, it’s your best option.

The fridge is pretty much empty other than a bottle of mustard and a take-out container that neither of you dare to touch. You split up and start searching cabinets and drawers, hoping to find something edible before the two of you start withering away to nothing.

“I don’t mean to brag,” Eddie suddenly announces, and you turn to find him holding a can. “But I’ve been told I make a mean bowl of Spaghettios.”

You can’t help but let out a chuckle.

“I guess I’ll have the Spaghettios then,” you reply, opting to play along. Eddie, pleased with your response, lights up, tossing the can into the air and catching it.

“One order of Spaghettios, coming right up, ma’am.”

While Eddie heats up your meal, you make an attempt to get a hold of the Vecna-hunting crew.

“Anyone there?” you plead into the radio. “Dustin? Robin? Steve? Anyone?”

The radio crackles for a moment before a voice sounds on the other side.

“Hey, it’s Nancy.” Your eyes immediately meet Eddie’s as you both share a look of relief at the sound of someone answering your call.

“Hey, um, we’re running low on food,” you reveal. “Could we get a delivery sometime soon?”

“Uh yeah, we can do that…just give us some time and we’ll be out there soon.”

“Thanks, Nancy–”

“Ask for a six pack!” Eddie suddenly shouts, and you turn to glare at him.

“I am not asking them to get you beer!” you argue.

“Come on!” Eddie counters. “We’re almost out of bud and I really could use a drink.”

You groan before hitting the button on the radio.

“Eddie is requesting a six pack of beer as well,” you begrudgingly say.

“Hold on, I’m gonna have to call you back–”

“Wait, Nancy? Nancy?” you call out, but no one replies. You let out a sigh – you can only hope that the group will be on their way soon.

“Order up!” Eddie announces, getting your attention. You watch as he awkwardly clears away a bunch of playing cards, empty beer cans, and a bong from the table before placing the pot of canned noodles and two seemingly clean bowls down. You take a seat at the table as Eddie spoons out a helping for each of you.

“Now I’ve spent years trying to get the recipe just right, so please be honest with your feedback,” Eddie teases, handing you a spoon. You giggle at his theatrics.

“I’m sure it’ll be delicious,” you reply, amazed at how he can still keep the mood light, despite the current situation. The thought makes you stop and watch him as he starts to practically inhale his Spaghettios.

He must realize you’re watching him, because he stops to look up at you.

“What?”

“I’m just…I don’t know…surprised,” you explain, struggling to find the words. “Despite…everything…you still manage to crack jokes. It’s just impressive, I guess.”

You see his smile slowly fade and you immediately regret saying anything.

“I’ll be honest with you, Major,” Eddie responds, his hand absentmindedly running through his hair. “I am…barely holding it together.” He gets a far-off look in his eye, and you essentially freeze in your seat, completely speechless at his confession. He stares off for a few moments before his gaze meets yours once again. “But you…being here. It’s really helping. So…thank you…for sticking around.”

You offer a small smile and nod, his words warming your heart. After feeling so helpless, unsure of how you could do anything to fix the situation, hearing that simply staying with him has helped at all is comforting.

“I’d like to think…that if the roles were reversed…you’d do the same for me,” you say, awkwardly mixing your meal with your spoon to give you something to focus on other than Eddie’s deep brown eyes staring at you.

“I don’t know,” he suddenly says after a few moments. “I wouldn’t put it past you to have committed a murder.”

Your jaw drops and your eyes shoot up to glare at him, only to find that knowing smirk is back. You let out a chuckle as you realize he’s teasing you and you shake your head. He giggles himself, pleased with your reaction as always, before his smile fades.

“I’d be there in a heartbeat,” he claims, his tone earnest. His sobering stare makes you uncomfortable again, and you busy yourself with the bowl in front of you, finally taking a bite of your meal.

The two of you eat your Spaghettios in comfortable silence, and you can’t help but repeat his words back in your head.

You being here, it’s really helping.

I’d be there in a heartbeat.

There’s nothing like a life and death situation to bring two people together. You couldn’t have imagined forming such a friendship with Eddie before. But before, you never looked past his “freak” reputation and his hijinks to see what was there. And you have to admit it, what’s there is…a really cool and great person.

At this point you’re not sure what’s more insane: the fact that there’s a demon from another realm attacking people in Hawkins or the fact that you think Eddie Munson is cool.

–

After finishing your meal, which after an entire day of nothing but junk food tasted like the most amazing thing you’ve ever eaten, the two of you make your way back to the boathouse, hoping to be receiving a visit from the Upside Down team soon.

You’re halfway through your fifth game of “pebble basketball” when you hear a car door slam. You both jump to your feet, rushing to the window, expecting to see a familiar group of teens with bags of supplies.

Instead you’re met with the sight of three teenagers in black suits, armed with large objects, exiting their vehicle.

“Shit, shit, shit!” Eddie groans, his body tensing. “It’s the fucking basketball team.”

You both duck below the window, your own panic beginning to set in.

“The blonde one,” he continues. “That’s Chrissy’s boyfriend.”

“Shit,” you repeat back, your mind racing. In all of the hours spent hiding out here, the two of you never came up with an escape plan. “What do we do?”

“I don’t know,” Eddie reveals, his voice strained. “I think we both assumed Henderson and his band of heroes would have come up with a plan by now.”

“I’ll keep watch,” you offer, before handing him the radio. “You try to get a hold of Dustin or Nancy or whoever.” Eddie nods, grabbing the device and moving away from the window.

You watch as the three teens make their way into the main house, clearly looking for a fight. You begin to wrack your brain, trying to come up with anything you can do to either get the boys to leave or to escape yourselves. You can hear Eddie angrily grumbling into the receiver, trying to get someone to respond. You both know that the longer you stay in the boathouse, the more likely you’ll be caught.

You don’t know if you can convince the guys to leave Eddie alone. You doubt explaining that Chrissy was actually killed by a monster from another dimension will go over well. You don’t know these kids well enough to be able to reason with them. And there is no universe where you and Eddie can take on all three of them. Your only option is to escape.

But how? And where can you even go?

“Fuck!” Eddie shouts, breaking you out of your thoughts. “No one is answering.” He plants his hands on his hips, and you can practically hear the gears churning in his head. His eyes widen and shoot up to meet yours. “I have an idea, grab your stuff.”

You don’t hesitate, instantly reaching for your bag and throwing everything you’d pulled out back inside. You turn and stand, waiting for more instructions, before realizing Eddie is untying the boat.

“Help me get this in the water,” he instructs. You freeze in place as you realize what his plan is.

Panic immediately sets in. You can’t. You just can’t. Eddie is just going to have to leave you behind. There is no way you’re getting in that boat with him and going out onto the lake.

You can stay behind, distract the guys to give Eddie more time to escape. You don’t like the idea of separating, but you find it much more appealing than getting into that fucking boat.

Eddie finally realizes you haven’t moved from your spot and looks up, clocking the panic that must be plastered all over your face.

“Oh shit, right,” he says, quickly assessing and understanding the situation. “Okay, um…”

You watch him with big eyes as he moves over to you. He hesitates for a moment before placing his hands on your upper arms.

“Sweetheart, I’m gonna need you to trust me on this one,” he pleads with you, his voice tight. “Those guys are going to kill me if we don’t get on this boat right now. I promise you, you won’t need to get in the water at all. And I will be there the whole time. Just please, please, get in the boat.”

Your heart is pounding, your hands are sweaty, and you can feel your breathing getting shaky.

And then he says your name.

Not “Major,” but your first name. You can’t remember the last time he called you by your actual name. It sounds almost foreign coming from his lips.

“Please.”

Part of you wants to fight, explain to him your plan to stay behind to help him get away. But the way he’s looking at you is so intense, that you can’t help but listen to him.

You do trust him.

You slowly nod, and Eddie lets out a breath in obvious relief at your answer.

“Okay,” he says before letting you go to finish preparing your escape vessel. You grab the radio, stuffing it into your bag. You hear a soft splash, and turn to see Eddie climbing into the boat. He holds a hand out for you. You tentatively take it, his rings against your skin feeling oddly comforting. You gently take your first step, trying to ignore the shakiness of the boat under your foot. “Easy. That’s it.” You take the next step, gripping Eddie’s hand like a vice, and he slowly helps you sit on the metal bench.

“Okay, you’re okay,” he says, his own voice shaky from the tension. He then turns to grab the oar, but your hand refuses to let go of his.

“Sweetheart, I’m gonna need both hands to row,” he pleads with you as he takes his own seat. You stare at him, eyes wide, silently begging him not to let go. You’re afraid of what will happen if he does.

“Shit, okay,” he says, glancing around for a solution. “Let’s do this, just grab on to me.” He grabs your other hand and moves both to rest on either side of his waist. He gently lets your hands go and you grip his sides. “Okay, here we go.”

As he begins to paddle out of the boathouse, you focus on your breathing and the solid feeling of Eddie’s body under your fingertips. You keep reminding yourself: he’s here, he won’t let anything happen to you. You try to tune out the sloshing of the water, and instead focus on the small grunts that escape Eddie’s lips as he rows. You center your stare on his back, eyes tracing the Dio graphic on his vest.

Just when your panic begins to somewhat subside, you hear a voice.

“Hey freak! Where do you think you’re going?”

“Goddamn it,” Eddie groans. You turn to look behind you, and you see two of the guys from before stripping on the shore, preparing to swim after you.

“Munson,” you finally squeak out, your voice tiny. Eddie starts to paddle faster.

“I know, sweetheart,” he replies, his desperation evident. You find yourself looking back to the shore just in time to see the two guys diving into the water. You grip Eddie even tighter, nails digging into the denim of his vest. You’re trying to keep it together, but you have no idea what the guys are capable of, and the two of you are way too far from a shoreline for your liking.

Eddie paddles and paddles, but the guys get closer and closer. Suddenly the blonde one calls your name.

“We’re gonna get you away from that freak, don’t worry!” Your brow furrows. They must think Eddie is holding you against your will.

“Fuck off!” you attempt to shout back, but your voice barely escapes you. You immediately realize the blonde is no longer focused on you. His friend suddenly stops swimming and begins to look around.

“Patrick! Come on, we almost have them!” the blonde shouts, but it’s like the boy doesn’t even hear him. “Patrick!”

You then watch as suddenly Patrick is pulled beneath the water. Everything is silent for a moment – even Eddie stops rowing and turns to watch the scene unfold. And then as if he was shot from a cannon, Patrick flies out of the water and then stops several feet above the surface.

You don’t even realize you’re screaming until you feel yourself being yanked backward, Eddie’s arms wrapping around you and pulling you to his chest. You watch in horror as the boy’s limbs begin to crack one by one. Eddie’s hand slides up behind your head and turns you towards him, hiding your face in his neck. You can hear more snapping noises, and you realize you’re crying when the fabric of Eddie’s t-shirt begins to dampen under you. Finally, you hear a large splash.

And then everything is quiet.

Eddie’s arms fall away and you immediately miss the heat. You burrow yourself into his body, gripping his t-shirt and refusing to move. You can feel him start to paddle once again, but you don’t hear anything from the guys who were chasing you. You’re afraid to ask any questions – you simply focus on the sound of Eddie’s quick heartbeat and the rapid rise and fall of his chest beneath your cheek.

You have no idea how long the two of you travel across the water. But after a while the motion of the boat slows down, eventually coming to a stop as you hit land. Eddie’s arm curves around you again before he finally speaks up.

“Come on, sweetheart.”

You peel yourself off of him, eyes immediately catching the wet spot your tears left along the collar of his shirt. His hands find yours as he pulls you to stand before helping you out of the boat and back onto land. The solid ground beneath your feet calms your nerves slightly, but your heart is still pounding in your chest.

You turn back to look at the water, and suddenly the memory of Patrick comes flooding back. The sight of his body floating in the air, the violent snapping of his bones – you don’t think you’ll ever be able to get the sound out of your head.

You spin back to Eddie, your panic returning. His hands are still in yours, and you grip them even tighter. But you quickly realize, he’s doing no better than you. His chest is heaving, and you recognize the same fear in his eyes as when you first discovered him in the boathouse.

“He...he–” you whimper.

“I know–”

“His…his bones–”

“I know, sweetheart–”

“Is that what…?”

“Yeah.”

He immediately understands your unspoken question. What happened to Patrick is what he saw happen to Chrissy.

“What…what do we do?” you desperately ask. Eddie doesn’t respond right away – you guess it’s because he doesn’t have any ideas.

“What we’re going to do first is breathe, okay?” he instructs. “Just in and out, slowly. In…and out.”

You close your eyes and try to breathe with him, timing your inhales and exhales with his. You continue to grip his hands as you take your breaths, in and out, in and out.

After a few minutes, you start to feel like yourself again. Your heart slows to a normal pace and the tension in your shoulders releases. Your grip on Eddie’s hands loosens and you finally open your eyes. You’re met with the sight of Eddie’s big brown eyes staring at you once again.

Eddie’s safe. You’re safe. You made it across the lake. He talked you through it and let you hang onto him the entire time. And then even after everything, despite all of his own fear, he helped you calm down.

You launch yourself at him, wrapping your arms around his body in a tight hug. You know he’s not expecting it, because he freezes, stiffening under your embrace. But after a few moments, his arms find their way around you and pull you in tight. You have no idea how long the two of you stay like that, just holding each other close.

Eventually you make the first move to pull away, wiping at a stray tear that managed to escape. An awkward silence settles over the two of you while you each recover from the long embrace. You decide to speak up first.

“I think we should…um…try to find somewhere to lay low,” you say, voice a little hoarse from your screaming earlier. Eddie nods in agreement.

“Yeah, yeah…let’s do that,” he replies, glancing around at your surroundings. “Okay, I think I know someplace, follow me.”

–

You never used to think the forests around Hawkins were that scary. But after witnessing what you had earlier and with the knowledge that a demon was killing people at random around Hawkins, you find yourself on edge as you wander through the trees. You trail Eddie closely, eyes locked to his back so you don’t lose him in the darkness. You’re almost on autopilot, your legs moving instinctively. You can feel the waves of fatigue coming on, but you’re afraid that if you stop moving for a second, you’ll either get separated from Eddie or collapse from exhaustion. Between the late night hour, the lack of food in your system, the long distance you’ve walked, and the emotional weariness from your panic attack earlier, you’re surprised you’re still functioning.

“It should be right up here,” Eddie calls back to you, and you sigh in relief, wanting nothing more than to just crumple to the ground and fall asleep. The trees break and you find yourself coming to a clearing, with a large boulder towering above you. “Welcome to our home for the time being, Skull Rock.”

Once the words leave his lips, you’re shocked you didn’t recognize it immediately. You used to come out here to play when you were a kid, and you had several smoking sessions out here with friends as a teen.

You plop onto the ground below the large rock, the muscles in your legs practically screaming at you.

“It’s perfect,” you state, sliding yourself to lean your back against the rockface. Eddie drops next to you with a sigh.

“We’ll hang out here for the night, and in the morning we’ll try to get a hold of someone,” Eddie suggests. “And then…I guess we’ll figure something out from there.” You nod in agreement, your eyes already drooping closed.

“Okay,” you mumble, losing the fight against your body’s need for sleep. You don’t know if Eddie says anything else, as sleep overtakes you.

The sudden shake of your body wakes you up.

Your eyes pop open and you realize at some point your head had fallen onto Eddie’s shoulder. You then realize the sudden movement was from Eddie, who’s stirring in his sleep.

You sit up abruptly and you watch as Eddie thrashes, mumbling unintelligible words. A fear takes over you instantly – what if this is the work of Vecna? Are you about to watch Eddie’s body float and snap like a twig above you?

You grab his shoulders, gently shaking him.

“Munson,” you call, your voice low at first. “Hey, wake up.” His body continues to thrash and flail, and you try to hold him still.

“No, not her,” Eddie mumbles. You take the fact that he can speak as a sign that he’s simply having a nightmare, instead of being controlled by an invisible monster.

“Munson!” you shout, shaking him harder. “Wake up!”

His eyes snap open and he gasps for breath, as if he was drowning. He grips your hands where they are planted on his shoulders and he heaves as he comes to.

“You’re okay, it was just a nightmare,” you say, attempting to comfort him. You let him focus on his breathing as you gently caress his shoulders with your thumbs. He nods, and after a few moments you release him.

“Where’s the radio?” he asks after a few seconds. You’re a little stunned by the rapid change in subject, but you grab it from your bag and wordlessly hand it to him.

“Dustin, can you hear me?” he grunts into the receiver. “Wheeler? Someone?” There’s a moment of static, and then a voice comes through.

“Eddie, holy shit, are you guys okay?”

You and Eddie’s eyes meet and share a sigh of relief at the teen’s voice.

“Uh, actually no, we’re not fucking okay,” he replies, a bite to his tone. “Shit’s really bad.”

“Where are you?”

“We’re hiding at Skull Rock. Do you know it?”

“Yeah that’s near…yeah, yeah, we know it. Hold tight, we’re coming!”

Eddie doesn’t respond, he simply rests his forehead on the radio and pinches his eyes closed. You can see his chest rising and falling rapidly – the facade he was able to keep with you yesterday is all but gone, and his panic is front and center.

You reach over and gently take the radio from his hand, placing it back into your bag for now. You then take his hand, almost tenderly, and hold it in yours. You meet his eyes and silently communicate to him what he was able to promise you yesterday. You’re here and you won’t let anything happen to him.

He seems to understand, as he offers a small smile and squeezes your hand in his.

The two of you sit in comfortable silence, the only sounds being the rustle of leaves and the chirping of birds. The feeling of his hand in yours is comforting, and you can only hope he feels the same.

At least twenty minutes goes by before Eddie speaks again.

“I just left her,” he says, his voice tight. “I left her there and I ran.”

You know immediately he’s talking about Chrissy. You can tell that the guilt is eating him alive.

“Munson,” you start. “What else could you have done? We don’t know how to kill this thing. I mean it’s fucking invisible. I know you feel guilty for what happened, but none of it was your fault. And who knows, you might have been his next victim if you hadn’t gotten the fuck out of there.”

He doesn’t respond, staring dejectedly at the ground.

“You’re just a person, Munson,” you continue. “No one is expecting you to be more than that. You’re not some…sorcerer or cleric who can just cast a spell to fix this. It’s okay to do what you need to in order to protect yourself. And if that means running away, then so be it.”

After a few moments of silence, you assume he’s not going to respond and decide to drop the subject. You glance over to find him eyeing you warily.

“How do you know what a cleric is?” he asks guardedly. You bite your lip to stop yourself from smiling. You were hoping that line would get his attention.

“I might have dabbled in some D&D in college,” you reveal with a shrug, playing it off as if it’s no big deal.

He lets go of your hand and you immediately miss the feeling, but he does so in order to move into a squat right in front of you.

“So you’re saying…that you have played D&D…and I’m only finding out right now?” he asks as if you’ve personally slighted him. You chuckle at his dramatics.

“To be fair, I’ve only played like two sessions,” you explain. “Our DM kept canceling.”

He scoffs before standing and kicking at a rock on the ground.

“Sounds like a shitty DM,” he mumbles.

“You’re saying you’re a better DM?”

“Sweetheart, I’m the best DM.”

Your stomach flutters at the nickname, now that you’re in less of a panicked state to appreciate it.

But before you can respond, you hear voices coming through the trees. You and Eddie exchange a look before grabbing your stuff and moving to climb on top of one of the boulders, giving you the high ground.

You quickly recognize the voices of Steve and Dustin arguing. You and Eddie sit on the rock and watch as the pair wander into the clearing, passing you by.

“...You can’t admit you’re wrong, you little butthead.”

“I concur,” Eddie states, announcing your presence to your new visitors. They sharply turn towards you, clearly startled by Eddie. “You, Dustin Henderson, are a total butthead.”

Eddie hops down first, before holding out a hand to help you jump off.

“We thought you guys were goners,” Dustin declares before pulling Eddie in for a hug.

“Yeah, so did we,” Eddie confirms, hugging the teenager back. You’re surprised as Dustin then pulls you in for a hug as well. Robin, Nancy, Max, and another boy then appear through the bushes. Your eyes light up at the sight of grocery bags, and as if on cue, your stomach immediately growls.

The group settles in while you and Eddie practically inhale the snacks they brought. They tell you about Eddie’s name being released to the public and you tell them what you witnessed on the lake. They update you on their findings about Victor Creel and how Vecna has some sort of connection to the Creel house. You all put together that Vecna’s attack on Patrick happened while they were in the Creel attic.

The teens begin to rant about how they wish their friend had their superpowers again when Eddie speaks up.

“What’s going on with Henderson over there? He’s not…cursed…is he?”

You glance over and see Dustin frantically pacing back and forth, mumbling to himself and holding his compass.

“Cursed? Nah,” Steve assures the two of you. “Mental? Definitely.”

“The compass!” Dustin suddenly exclaims, causing everyone’s attention to focus on him. He goes on to explain that his compass isn’t working properly due to some sort of magnetic field. You can barely keep up as the teens all fill in the blanks. You think Dustin is suggesting that you all follow his compass to find a way into the Upside Down, but you’re not sure.

“Wait, we can’t just go for a hike in the woods,” Steve argues. “Eddie’s still a wanted man.”

“What say you, Eddie the Banished?” Dustin asks, and the group turns to Eddie for his response. But Eddie looks to you.

Hiking through the woods doesn’t seem like the best plan, especially now that you know Eddie’s name has been released to the public. You’re also not exactly excited about the concept of walking for hours once again. But you know it has to be Eddie’s call – and you’ll stay with him no matter what he wants to do.

“Whatever you decide, I’m in,” you tell him. He nods before turning to Dustin.

“You’re asking me to follow you into Mordor,” Eddie begins. “Which, honestly, sounds like a terrible plan.” He looks at you once more, and then his eyes scan his surroundings. “But The Shire is burning…so Mordor it is.”

He stands before holding his hand out to you and pulling you to your feet. You clock Steve’s bewildered expression as the group begins to follow Dustin back through the clearing and down the path. You walk alongside Eddie, and for a brief moment, you itch to grab his hand again, your own hand flexing at your side.

“You are such a nerd,” you say to Eddie, voice low so only he can hear you.

“Did you get my reference?” he counters.

“Yeah.”

“Then so are you,” he says, a smug grin on his face. You playfully bump his shoulder with yours in response, and he bumps you right back, leaving you both in giggles as you walk.

You lose track of how long you and the group wander through the woods. The sun eventually begins to set, and you can’t help but feel a little bit of deja vu as the trees pass you by.

Dustin suddenly picks up the pace, power-walking through the trees while Eddie tries to catch up, calling after him.

And then the pair comes to a sudden stop.

You realize you’re back at Lover’s Lake.

You hold back the groan that threatens to escape your lips. You aren’t exactly thrilled to be back at the place where you witnessed a violent death and had a borderline panic attack.

“There’s a gate in Lover’s Lake?” Max asks.

“When the Demogorgon attacked, it always left an opening…”

“And Patrick was killed over the lake,” you finish, finally catching on to what was happening.

“Only one way to test the theory,” Steve says, and you cringe, quickly realizing what he means.

Eddie and you lead the group over to where you left the boat the night before. Steve helps Eddie move it back into the water, and Robin climbs in first. You stand and watch, arms wrapped tight around your middle. Eddie steps off and moves to you, leaning in so the others don’t hear him.

“You don’t have to, okay?” he says, already knowing that you were beginning to panic. “I’ll go out with them, find the gate and come right back.”

You’re conflicted. The idea of going out on the water again definitely freaks you out – but you also don’t like the idea of being separated from Eddie. Something tells you that it’s better to stick with him than to stay behind…and you know there’s no convincing him to stay with you.

“No,” you say, voice shaky. “I’m with you.”

“I appreciate that, Maj, I really do,” Eddie counters. “But I don’t want you working yourself up just because of me.”

“No, no, I’m fine,” you argue. “I’ll be fine. Just…can I…?” you don’t finish the question, almost embarrassed to ask. Instead you show him what you’re asking for by grabbing his hand. He understands immediately, nodding and squeezing your hand in his.

You both step into the boat, and you realize your panic isn’t as strong as the night before. You come to expect the uneasiness of the boat under your feet, and the warmth from Eddie’s hand grounds you.

Steve and Nancy take the last two spots, grabbing the compass from Dustin before Steve pushes off from the shore. You focus on the feeling of Eddie’s hand in yours as the distance between you and the teens left on the bank grows. You realize after a few moments that his thumb is gently caressing the skin of your hand, and you let out a shaky breath you didn’t even notice you were holding.

The five of you are silent as Robin and Steve row the boat farther and farther out to the middle of the lake, Nancy’s eyes glued to the compass.

“Wait, wait, slow down!” Nancy suddenly shouts, and you all turn to see the compass spinning wildly. You look across the lake and see the boathouse – you’re about right where you saw Patrick die.

“Guys, what’s going on?” Dustin’s voice crackles through the walkie in your bag. You pull it out and click the button.

“The compass is going nuts,” you answer, before you notice Steve moving in front of you. You realize he’s taking off his shoes.

“Steve, what are you doing?” Nancy asks, speaking for all of you.

“Someone’s gotta go down there to check this out,” he explains, as he pulls off his socks. “And as the former Hawkins High swim captain, makes sense that it’s me.”

“Knock yourself out, Harrington,” Eddie says, pulling one of the plastic shopping bags from earlier out of his vest pocket. He looks at you for a moment, and you quickly understand that he needs both hands to do whatever he’s planning. You nod, hesitant at first, but let go of his hand, moving to gently grip his vest instead, just to have something to anchor you. You watch as he wraps the flashlight Robin had been using in the bag before tying it and handing it to Steve. Steve ditches his sweatshirt and you almost miss Eddie’s eyeroll next to you.

“Steve, be careful,” Nancy says, and with a nod in response, Steve dives into the water.

Eddie grabs your hand again, and you shoot himl a grateful look. The four of you sit and wait, eyes tracing along the water’s surface for signs of Steve. Nancy’s eyes are locked on her watch, timing his descent.

After a minute, you all begin to get antsy. You can feel your panic start to kick in once more. Flashes of the events of last night pop into your head, and you shake your head to try and get rid of them. Your hand squeezes Eddie’s harder, the anxiety of Steve’s absence beginning to overwhelm you.

Then suddenly Steve splashes to the surface, making all four of you jump.

“I found it,” he says as he swims closer to the boat, grabbing onto the sides.

“You found a gate?” Nancy clarifies.

“Yeah, it’s definitely a smaller, snack-sized gate,” he confirms. “But a gate nonetheless.”

Robin grabs the radio from you.

“Dustin, you were right, we found a gate!”

No one responds.

“Dustin?”

Your eyes find the shoreline where you had last left the teens, and you see several flashlights – too many to just be the kids – shine through the trees. But before you can say anything, Steve is suddenly pulled underwater.

All four of you shout Steve’s name as you helplessly watch him sink beneath the surface. Nancy quickly jumps to her feet, rocking the boat and causing your stomach to clench.

“What are you doing?” Robin practically shouts.

“Just…wait here!” Nancy responds, before diving in after him.

“No, Nancy!”

“Shit, shit, shit!” Eddie curses next to you, his own panic rivaling yours. Your hands start to shake, the fear from last night returning in full force. Your heart is practically slamming out of your rib cage. This can’t be happening, this can’t be happening.

Robin turns to the two of you, an unreadable look on her face, and without a word, she dives in next.

“Robin, no!” you call out. You turn to look at Eddie and you’re met with a sorry look.

“Don’t you fucking dare,” you bark at him, sensing what he’s thinking about doing.

“Listen, I know it’s really fucking stupid –”

“Yes, it is!”

“But –”

“Munson, I swear to god if you leave me in this boat –”

“I’m sorry, I just have to –”

The next few seconds feel like they happen in slow motion. Eddie lets go of your hand, stands, and shoots you one last look of apology before diving into the dark water.

And just like that, you’re alone.

Your eyes find the shoreline once again. The three teens have vanished, and you see more and more flashlights appearing, as well as the faint red and blue lights of a police car.

You have no idea what to do.

So you lay down in the boat, and you wait.

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie x reader #eddie munson fic #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson x you #joemazzmatazz

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azure-daybreak · 10 months

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I feel like the Parappa fandom doesn’t talk about the I Scream album enough cuz like I’m reminded of it ever once in a while and it’s just wild- just look at some of the actual lyrics from some of the songs under the cut:

No Cuttin’ Corners (Remix of Got to Move)

“I stay away from fights/ I'm kind of scared of the dark/ so sometimes I need a night light“

(It’s even funiner when you see this line preformed live by Dred Foxx at this one promotional event and he’s not doing the Parappa voice- and he just sounds so professional and does it with a straight face- like that could NOT be me in that postion, I’d be cracking up on stage lmao) “Who said, that drugs was cool?/ Get away thugs, stop sellin' at my school“

(Parappa is already a trippy franchise while everyone is presumably(?) sober, I wonder how more tripped out you can get that Parappa Town Weed™) “Only things I shoot are hoops in basketball/ I'm asking you all, if we're our future why you wanna shoot us?”

(It honestly feels weird to have the concept of gang and/or school violence be in a song from a frachise about a rapping dog who’s most intense storyline is saving the world’s food from being turned into noodles. (Or I guess Lammy slipping on a banana and going to hell? I guess.))

Why (Remix of Taste of Teriyaki)

This is just Shower Thoughts: The Song, but this line is I wanna talk about-

"And how come people die?/ And where do we go, from the sky?”

(I’m guessing Lammy didn’t tell Parappa what happened on her way to her show. (Or maybe the US version is canon to this.))

The New Plan (Remix of Baby Baby)

“I'm coming through/ representin' Sony PlayStation to the fullest”

(I feel someone at Sony told them they had to say the word PlayStation like at least 10000 on this album cuz they say it like they get 10 bucks per mention and rent was due. It’s not just this song, I just had to point it out somewhere)

“Captain Fussenpepper tried to run up/ try to stop the come up/ from sundown to sun up, yellin'/ tellin' us our band is a nuisance/ so I bit him in the seat of his new pants“

(PARAPPA BIT THIS MAN’S ASS, PASS IT ON)

This is just some of the wild stuff on the album, there’s still alot of crazy stuff on there and I wanna know so bad....

Why?

#Parappa the rapper #um jammer lammy #parappa #I Scream is the most album ever

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