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@archivednerdfics
My AO3:
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
LEV-CALDER’S 2K CELEBRATION
STRANGER THINGS 3.06 // 4.07 requested by anonymous
the way these scenes are DIRECT parallels to each other i swear to fucking christ
guys, what if will’s already BEEN vecna’d
the nightmares…
the visions…
it all seems awfully familiar, doesn’t it?
My AO3:
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Just posted a new stranger things fic and working on more!
"Always Here"
Requested- kind of, it was inspired by a prompt someone sent!
Word Count - 1,447
Summery: Takes place a couple weeks before the start of S4. Max hasn't been doing well for a while, the party has noticed, but during a particularly rough day, Dustin calls in reinforcements. Cue Steve being the best big brother and helping his found family little sister.
------------
Max had been pulling away from the group for a while. It started with Lucas and breaking up with him, but she was becoming more and more reclusive, only really talking to Dustin and only when he came to her. He usually would check up on her between classes or at lunch if he wasn't busy with Hellfire club, and today was no different.
He wandered the cafeteria for a minute until he spotted the redhead sitting alone with her head down on the table, headphones covering her ears. It wasn't weird for her to be trying to block out the world like this, but it was weird for her to not jolt up when he touched her shoulder to ask what the hell he wanted– a near daily occurrence.
"...Max?"
No response. Shit. He pulled her headphones down so she could hear him and tried again, "Max?" She still didn't answer until he yelled, "MAX!"
Then she turned to look up at him, holding her head in her hand, "Jesus, what the hell Dustin?"
"Shit, are you okay? You don't look so good."
It was true, she looked exhausted, miserable, and pale as hell. Even for her.
"I'm fine, I just have a headache. What do you want?"
"...You look really bad. I'm gonna call Steve."
"Don't call Steve." She said it firmly, almost anxiously. She'd been pulling away from him, too. Just as much as she was with the rest of the party.
"I'm calling Steve," Dustin said again, just as firmly, walking away before she could try and stop him again.
"Family Video, how can I help you?" Robin's voice answered the phone.
"Hey, Robin, it's Dustin. Is Steve there?"
She sighed and pulled the phone away from her ear, "Dingus your kid wants you, are you here?"
Steve came over from where he was setting up a display, rolling his eyes as he took the phone, "Henderson?"
"Steve! Hey, you need to come pick up Max."
"What? Why?"
"I think she's sick or something, she looks worse than usual."
"Shit. Okay, I'll be there in ten. Can you get her to the front of the school and wait with her till I'm there?"
"Yeah, okay. Thanks, Steve."
"No problem," Steve said as he hung up and explained to Robin what was going on, "Max is sick or something, I gotta go get her. I'm the closest thing to a responsible adult she's got."
"You? That's… concerning."
He rolled his eyes, "Thanks. You gonna be good here?"
"Yeah, it's a Wednesday. Go take care of your children."
"They're not my–"
"Yeah, they are. They're like your little ducklings."
"Shut up."
"Isn't your kid sick, dingus?"
"Right. I'll call you later."
"Okay, now GO."
"I'm going, I'm going!" He said, holding his hands up in surrender as he made his way to the exit and his car.
It had taken some convincing to get Max to come and wait for Steve, but Dustin managed it. It was a true testament to how bad she was feeling that she barely put up a fight.
Steve pulled up and saw the two sitting on the curb waiting, unlocking the doors so Max could get in the front seat. He gave Dustin a wave as he headed back into the building before focusing his attention on Max, "Hey. How you holding up?"
"Well you're picking me up at one on a Wednesday so. Not great."
"Good point. You sick? Should we stop and get some medicine?"
"No, I'm not sick. Just… tired. And my head hurts."
"You sure? Let me see," he said, leaning over a bit and pressing a hand to her forehead. She wasn't warm, no fever, but that didn't make Steve feel much more confident. Whatever was wrong with Max was worse than the flu. This wasn't just gonna be fixed with some nyquil and ginger ale.
"Like I said. I'm not sick. Can we go now?"
"You want me to take you to your place, then?"
She hesitated and shook her head, "Can I… stay at your house?"
"Yeah, of course. God knows there's too many empty rooms in that place anyway. All of you shitheads could probably have your own room."
"...Thanks, Steve," Max said softly, putting her headphones on.
Steve nodded and drove back to his house, empty as ever with his parents out of town as usual, and led Max inside. She immediately dropped her bag at the door and went over to the couch, curling up in a corner, closing her eyes as she listened to her music.
Steve sighed and gave her a bit of space before going over and sitting next to her, tapping her shoulder. She jumped a but and pulled her headphones down and looked at him, "...Yeah?"
"Sorry, were you asleep?"
"Kinda. Not really. …I don't know. Sleep is… hard right now."
"...What's been waking you up? Demodogs? Mindflayer?"
"...Just… Everything. …And Billy."
"...Oh."
"...Yeah. I just keep… seeing it. No matter what I do or how I try to sleep, and my mom is usually passed out, so it's not like I can ask her for help or anything."
Steve sighed sadly and wrapped a brotherly arm around her shoulders, "So then next time why don't you call me? I can come get you. Stay with you. Whatever."
"Cause it's always the middle of the night, I can't just ask you to come over cause I had a nightmare."
"Yeah you can. I don't know if you've noticed but I don't actually have a lot else to do than keep you shitheads safe and take Robin to school."
"...Okay. …Thanks."
"No problem. …You know, you can stay here pretty much whenever you want, too."
"Except when you have a girl over, right?" Max said with a little teasing smirk.
"Hey, you guys always come first. You can always call me, Max. Doesn't matter who I'm with. I'll come get you."
"...Really?"
"Yeah. I thought you'd know that by now."
"I do, I guess… it's just still kinda weird. Having somebody to call when I'm in trouble, I mean."
"Yeah. I get that. I didn't have a lot of people before either. So I guess I'll just keep annoying you about it till you see I'm not going anywhere." He gave her a small smile and her arm a little nudge.
She returned the smile and leaned into his side, resting her head on his shoulder, "...Can I stay here tonight? I just… think I'll feel better with you and the bat around. At least tonight."
"Hey, I told you. Any time. And I meant it. You want to sleep out here or in a room?"
"...Here. I like sleeping with the TV on, it kinda helps drown out that shit sometimes."
"Yeah," he said, "I do that too sometimes. Okay, I'll get you set up out here, then. Figure out what you want for dinner, too, we can order whatever." He was already getting up to find pillows and bedding for her, and she gave him a small smile.
"...Why do you care so much?" It wasn't sarcastic, or mean, it was a genuine question. Like she didn't fully understand Steve even after two years.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you, like, actually care. About me, about the others. Why?"
"...Do I need a reason…?"
"I mean, people usually have one. People usually only care for a reason."
"Well, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and now I don't know what to do without you shitheads."
"So you just… care?"
"Is that so hard to believe?"
"I guess I'm just not used to people who don't have to care… caring."
He sighed and went back over to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I get it. Before I dated Nance I wasn't used to it, either. And sometimes it still feels weird, even with Robin."
"I thought I was getting used to it. With you and El and… Lucas. But then… I don't know, it changed… I changed."
"Just cause El moved and you and Lucas broke up doesn't mean anybody stopped caring, Max. And even if they did, which they didn't, I'm still here. I'm still your friend, and I'm not going anywhere. I promise."
"...Okay."
"Okay?" He asked. Gently but firmly, reinforcing that he was always there to protect her and the rest of the kids.
She nodded and leaned into his side, letting her eyes close as she relaxed, feeling safe with the boy she'd come to think of as a brother. She would sleep better here, she thought, with someone she trusted protecting her.
SPOILERS FOR S4 EPISODES 4 AND 5
Requested: Yes - @goingdelux18 (I know I said it would take a couple days but I got inspired and now we're here lol)
Word Count: 1,184
Summery: The night after Max escapes Vecna, she opens up to Steve, telling him the things she's been scared to tell anyone. If she can trust anyone, it's her big brother. And he is more than happy to be that brother for her. She's a pretty cool little sister to have.
~~~~~~
Max was curled up in one corner of the couch in Mike's basement, surrounded by Lucas, Dustin, Robin, Nancy, and Steve who was currently the only other person awake, watching over her. …Steve did that a lot. Watched over her.
He was sitting on the floor in front of the couch, flipping through a dungeons and dragons book that had been laying around the basement. It couldn't hurt to get at least a little bit of an idea of what these kids were always talking about.
After a while of sitting in silence, listening to Kate Bush until her tape ended and she had to rewind it, she lowered her headphones and tapped Steve's shoulder. He turned and looked up at her, giving her a smile, "Hey. You holding up okay?"
"Well… I haven't seen him so… yeah, I guess okay enough."
He nods and glances at the empty spot on the couch next to her, "...You okay if I sit?"
"Yeah, sure." She tried not to show how relieved she was to have him sitting next to her. Protecting her. Being the real bother she wanted and needed.
He put the book down and sat next to her, pulling her to his side, starting a little awkwardly, "...You know, you can talk to me. If you want. You don't have to but I'm not gonna judge you. For anything."
"...I-I know… But you're always so worried and I didn't wanna make you worry more."
"Hey, I was born full of anxiety. I'm gonna be worried whether you tell me stuff or not."
She laughed a little, leaning into his side, "...You didn't read the letter, did you…?"
"No. And I knew I wasn't going to have to because I'm not letting anything happen to you. Any of you."
"You can't know that."
"Yeah, actually, I can. I'll do whatever I have to, to protect you shitheads. And that means you're gonna be fine."
"...Just… hold onto it, just in case, okay?"
"I'll keep it. But I'm never going to have to open it. And you've gotta believe that, too, Max."
She nodded and was quiet for a while before she swallowed hard, tears in her eyes as she buried her face in Steve's shoulder. "...Vecna… said something."
"Yeah?"
"...That… a part of me was… is… relieved that Billy died."
"Well, yeah, of course you are."
She sat up to look at him, surprise in her teary eyes.
"Hey, I told you I'm not gonna judge," he said with a small smile, "And… listen, he wasn't good to you. You deserved better, Max. And that doesn't mean you can't be sad about it, because somewhere in there you did care about him a little. But it's okay that you're glad you don't have to deal with all of that anymore. It's normal to be relieved when you're not being hurt."
"...How do you know exactly what I'm feeling?"
"Well, my dad's not dead, but sometimes I wish he was. But I also love him sometimes. I don't want to, I don't know why I do, but I do. I get sad when he and my mom are gone all the time sometimes, but I'm also so fucking relieved he's not there. I think it'd be the same if he died."
"...I knew you got it. I always could tell that you got it. Is that why you're so nice to me?"
"I'd still be nice to you if my dad wasn't a piece of shit, Max. …But I guess it helps me understand some of what you deal with. More than the others can."
She nodded a little, snuggling into his side again as he held her protectively. Like a big brother should. "...Sorry."
"Don't be. If it means I can help you more, then I'm glad I dealt with it."
"Really?"
"Yeah. And someday I promise, you're gonna be glad too, because you'll be able to help somebody else through it. It's hard to not become like them when they beat you down so much, and a little help makes a difference. I'm always here to help you, okay?"
Max nodded and Steve could feel a little wet spot forming on the shoulder of his shirt. Which only made him hold her closer.
They sat like that for a while before Steve softly spoke up again, "...Hey Max… what was in the letter?"
"...Stuff I thought you should know."
"...Can I know it now?"
"...Just… stuff about… how you're the brother I needed. And wanted. And I'm really glad you help us and take care of us. …And how if you died first I was gonna take the bat."
"Oh shit, does this mean I have to write up a will and put that the bat goes to you?"
"Shut up, you're not allowed to die."
He laughed slightly, "Neither are you."
"Deal."
"...You know you're all like my siblings, right? And you and Dustin especially. I never had siblings growing up. I'm glad I do now."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"...Thanks, Steve."
"Nothing to thank me for. I just saw a bunch of shitheads who needed help and picked up a bat."
She laughed a little, "I'm glad."
"Me too."
They were quiet for a while again, just feeling the comfort provided by each other, before Max spoke up again. "...I keep thinking… maybe if I saved him… we could've been like… actual brother and sister. Like us. Not… hating each other. Maybe he would've started being nice to me… Is that crazy?"
"No. It's not crazy. And I can't tell you what would've happened if he hadn't died, but I can tell you, it wasn't your fault. That thing was going for him… it was gonna get him, Max. If you'd gotten in the way, it would've gotten you, too."
"...I know. And… honestly? He probably wouldn't have changed. He didn't change when I threatened him with the bat, so I don't know why that would've made him change. …I just… can't help it. Yknow?"
"Yeah. I know. And whatever you're feeling, it's okay. It's okay if one minute you miss him and the next you're happy he's gone. You're okay, Max. It's all okay."
"...I'm not going crazy?"
"Not even close. Even if it feels like that sometimes. You're not. I promise. And we're all here for you, everybody here is a lifeline for you. Okay? Us and Kate Bush."
She smiled slightly and nodded, "Okay."
"Now how about we listen to that song, huh? It sounds pretty cool, and it literally saved your life, so…"
Max nodded and turned her Walkman up as loud as it would go before playing the song, while Steve rested his head against hers, both to hear the song better and to comfort her.
Between the music and using him as a pillow, Max did eventually fall asleep on his shoulder for a while. Glad that she had a big brother who did really care for her, and wanted to protect her. Despite everything… she felt lucky to have that. To have this whole little family.
SPOILERS FOR S4 EP7!
Requested: No
Word count: Somewhere around 1,523
Summery: Steve needs a little caretaking back in Hawkins after being half eaten by demobats. Robin is on top of it, Nancy does her best to help, the kids scold Steve for getting hurt once again while saving the world.
-------
He was cold, with just his pants and the denim vest Eddie had given him for any sort warmth. He was bleeding from the… bat things? - he really didn't know what the hell those things were - and on top of everything he was still soaking from the lake. In short, Steve was not doing well. Robin knew, and had been doing her best to help, Nancy too.
…God. It felt nice to have Nancy care about him like this. Amidst the pain and the cold, there was Nancy again. He thought maybe that made all of this worth it. Aside from saving the kids, of course. He'd do anything for those little shitheads.
They were in Nance's house now, and he stayed downstairs when he heard Dustin's voice from the other side. He tried everything, calling out to him, trying to make sounds; nothing. He was yelling nearly non-stop now, trying to get Dustin to hear him and he just couldn't. He was thankful when the others joined him again, starting to feel faint like he might pass out. He did lose a lot of blood after all. He kept his composure, though, keeping himself from fainting while the others figured out how to communicate with Dustin and the rest of the kids. And then even on the bike ride to the trailer park.
His composure faltered a little when his breath caught in his throat and he started coughing. But he just passed it off as getting one of those whispy things stuck in his throat and they seemed to buy it. Probably because it was partly true. But he was also out of breath far easier than he should be.
It didn't matter, soon they'd all be back in their own world again where it was warm, and dry. Then he could worry about how shitty he felt.
The plan seemed to be working, Robin and Eddie both got through just fine, Dustin had come through for the group as usual. …And then he couldn't wake Nancy up. Her eyes rolled back into her head, looking just like Max had when they almost lost her. Fuck. He was just getting her back, he couldn't lose her. Especially not like this.
"Nance! Nancy!" He shouted, shaking her shoulders in a desperate attempt to wake her up. Only music worked, though, as far as they knew. And they only had Max's tape, which only had her favorite song. He didn't know if it had to be favorite song or just music, but how it'd gone with Max it seemed important that it was the victim's favorite song.
He stopped yelling as he realized something and looked up at the others back in their world, "Henderson, you're not allowed to say shit about what I'm gonna do."
"...What are you gonna do?"
"She needs music, right? Her favorite song?"
"Yeah."
"And we only have Max's song?"
"...Yeah." The younger boy was starting to sound more worried now. What if they couldn't save Nance?
"Okay," Steve said, "So don't say shit about this." He looked back to Nancy and gently hugged her close to him as he began to sing quietly.
"Is he-?" Max said softly in confusion.
"Better than a Muppet at least," Robin said, trying to calm her own anxiety with the joke even though Steve was the only one who would understand that and he was a little preoccupied. She had to admit, though, he actually wasn't too bad a singer. And he knew Nancy's favorite song. She definitely wasn't off with her hypothesis of him still being in love with Nancy.
It seemed to work. Or… maybe Vecna had just let her go. It didn't matter right now, she was here. Steve breathed out in relief, "Jesus, Nance."
"I saw him."
"Yeah, we know. Let's just get you outta here, huh?"
"No I mean, I… saw him. Steve, I know who he is."
"Okay, great, let's get out of here and then we can figure it out." He'd already started to help her up the rope, and let out another sigh of relief when he saw her flop onto the mattress.
He followed after her when she was out of the way and just sort of laid there for a minute on the mattress when he landed. "Shit…"
Nancy helped him up, "Are you okay?"
"Not me I'm worried about. It had you, Nance."
"I'm fine. …You helped pull me back."
"Your taste in music hasn't changed since sophomore year," he said with a little smirk.
She smiled in spite of herself, "Shut up."
"No, I'm glad. I was worried it wasn't gonna work." He hesitated and then pulled her into a tight hug that lasted a while.
Nancy frowned after hugging him back for some time, "...Why are you so hot?"
"Woah, hey, buy me dinner first."
She pulled away to look at him, her frown deepening as she ignored his joke, "No, I mean… are you okay?" She didn't wait for the answer, already reaching her hand to his forehead. "Shit… you have a fever."
"Shit!" Robin said, going over now and pulling away Steve's bandages which the kids were just now noticing.
"What the hell is that!?" Max asked in an almost high pitched voice. She wasn't about to lose another brother figure. Especially not Steve who had protected her since she met him.
"There were some bats," Steve told her, "But it's fine, I'm fine."
"You're not fine," Robin said, "It's already infected. If those things don't have rabies they definitely have something."
"BATS!?" Max asked.
"With tentacles," Eddie said.
"That's disgusting," Erica said, making a face.
"Okay, so, hospital, right?" Dustin asked, trying to calm himself, "Nance you take him to the hospital?"
"I can go to the hospital after all this is done. There's no way I'm leaving you shitheads alone with that thing out there."
"And what happens if you pass out while we're fighting him?" Max says, "Are we supposed to use you as a shield?"
"I'm not gonna pass out. And didn't you drive my car last time I was passed out protecting you?"
"Proof that we can handle it. …You're not dying Steve."
"I'm not dying, Max. I'm gonna be fine, okay? We'll worry about me after we make sure that dude can't get you. Or Nance."
"I'll make sure he stays alive," Robin says with a sigh, looking over at Eddie as she finishes taking the makeshift bandage off and forces Steve to sit on the mattress. "Do you have any gauze or just, clean sheets, and rubbing alcohol?"
"Woah, hey, you're not doing surgery on me, Robin."
"I'm not doing surgery, dingus. But I probably could if I had to." She looked back over at Eddie, "Think you got any of that stuff?"
"Y-yeah," he says, already starting to head off to the bathroom, "Just gimme a few."
Robin nodded and turned back to Steve, helping him lay flat on the mattress, Nancy sitting next to him on the floor near the mattress, Max and Dustin sitting near either side of his head, while Lucas and Erica stayed back just a little.
"Hey, man, you're gonna be fine," Dustin said giving him a little smile, which Steve returned, though it looked a little more like a grimace.
"I know. I'm always fine, Henderson. Don't tell me you're giving up on me now."
"Never."
"Plus if you die I'll kill you," Max said with a slight smile that was almost a little teary.
"I second that," Robin said.
"I get it, I'm not allowed to die. You guys know this isn't even the worst thing I've had right? At least it's not a concussion," Steve said.
"No, just your guts getting ripped out," Dustin said.
"They weren't ripped out."
Eddie came back, then, much to Steve's relief that he wouldn't have to keep having this conversation. Of course, now that he didn't have to have this conversation, it meant it was time for Robin to pour alcohol into his gaping wounds and wrap him back up. He really wasn't sure if that was better or worse.
Somehow he managed to keep himself from screaming in pain while Robin worked. He was pretty sure it was purely will power to not scare the kids even more. …It didn't hurt that Nancy was holding his hand, either.
He was left trying to catch his breath after, realizing he'd held his breath for most of it.
"Okay," Robin said, "That should work for now. But when this is done we're taking you to a hospital and making sure you don't have rabies. Got it, dingus?"
He groaned as he sat up, hand holding his side, and nodded, "Yeah, I got it. But Robin, I don't have rabies."
"You don't know until it's too late."
"Real comforting, Robin, thanks."
"I know who Vecna is now," Nancy said, still holding onto Steve's hand, "I think we have a real shot at this now."
"Well, let's get this over with, then," Steve said, giving Nancy a small smile and her hand a small squeeze.
FINALLY BACK BECAUSE STRANGER THINGS IS BACK! REQUESTS ARE OPEN SO STOP BY HERE OR MY MAIN @lizzysong TO REQUEST DRABBLES/FICS OR EVEN JUST TALK ABOUT THE SERIES!!
Never Prouder
Fandom: The Adventure Zone (Balance)
Summery: Angus gets in trouble at school and Taako is actually quite proud of this (and also hates Lucas Miller).
Requested: Yes - @punks-n-rec (I'm so sorry it took me so long to post this!)
Word Count: 1,164
----
"...Mr. Taako?" Angus's small voice came through Taako's stone of far speech.
The elven man was sitting in his office at his school, desk covered in papers -- both for the school and ideas for new dishes and different things for the brand in general. ...It was all a lot of work to keep up with, and he was prone to distraction, which was why he kept everything on the desk at once. Made it easier to concentrate.
"What's up, bubula?" Taako asked, pulling out his stone of farspeech.
"I… need you to come get me." The boy sounded upset and Taako frowned.
"You still at school?"
"Yes, sir. ...Mr. Miller wants to talk to you…"
"What? Why?"
"I'll explain when you get here… it'll be easier."
Taako didn't really like the sound of that, but he figured it would be better to get to Angus quickly and go from there, so he said, "Okay, I'm on my way. Hang tight, I'll be there soon."
"Okay, sir."
The stone frequencies disconnected as Taako stood up, grabbed his cloak, and made his way to Lucas Miller's school.
__
The moment he made it to the school, Taako went straight to Lucas's office, only to find Angus sitting on a bench outside of it.
"Hey, Pumpkin," he said, making a B-line for the boy and sitting next to him, "What the fuck is going on?" He was acting as nonchalant as he could, but there was a tinge of worry in his voice that he couldn't shake, despite his best efforts.
"...Something happened."
"Okay… I'm gonna need some context here, Ango."
"...I was late to a test."
"...And?"
"And they wouldn't let me take it…"
"Because you were late?"
Angus nodded and Taako frowned, "How late?"
"Ten minutes."
"...They wouldn't… let you take a test because you were just ten minutes late…?" Taako asked, his voice that certain kind of even that meant he was angry -- though Angus knew it wasn't with him, and he nodded.
"...Okay," Taako said and stood up. "Okay," he said again and went to the office door and abruptly threw it open, yelling, "Miller!"
Lucas practically jumped out of his skin when the elf bounded in, "T-Taako…! Uh, good, you're here. We… we need to talk."
"Yeah, we fuckin' do!" Taako said, going over to the human's desk where he was sitting and slamming a hand down on it, "You got something against my kid?"
"Of course not," Lucas said, "He's been struggling in class… and then today…"
"And then today you idiots wouldn't let him take a test."
"They were just following the rules, Taako."
"Rules that you make!"
"You don't have a time limit on tests in your school?"
"Not like that! They show up late they just have less time to take it, I don't make them fucking leave!"
"Taako it's not just that," Lucas sighed.
"What else, then?" Taako asked, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes at the human man.
"...Angus… had a little outburst in class…"
"...The point, Miller. Get to the point."
"That… is the point. He yelled at a teacher. And several students."
"Well then they probably deserved it," Taako said.
"I know you don't like me," Lucas said, "But this is serious."
It was at this point that Angus entered the office, going to stand next to his adoptive father, a bit nervously.
"What makes this serious? Did he injure anybody?"
"Well, no… but--"
"Did he start an uncontrollable fire?"
"What? No. Taako--"
"So he just yelled at some people?"
"...I did… yell at a teacher, sir…" Angus said, looking up at Taako anxiously, possibly even ashamed, and then looked to Lucas, "I'm sorry. I'll take my punishment--"
"Nope," Taako said, interrupting the boy. He placed a hand on his shoulder and took a step in front of him, "Stop talking. Let me do one thing right and get behind me. Now here's what's gonna happen," he added to Lucas, in an almost dangerous voice, "You are going to leave my kid alone, you're going to let him make up that test for full credit, and I'm not going to have to come back to this school until he graduates. Are we understood?"
"...I suppose… as long as it doesn't happen again," Lucas said, mostly because he was afraid of Taako.
"Good," Taako said with a short nod before swiftly turning on his heel and leading Angus from the room.
Neither said a word until they were out of the building and making their way down the street, when Taako spoke, "...So how long have you been havin' trouble?"
"...Not long, sir," Angus said, averting his eyes.
"Angus," Taako said, giving the boy a look. The fact that his mentor was using his real name was enough to tell him that he was serious, though. He didn't need to see the look.
"...Since the beginning of the semester…"
"Why didn't you come to me for help? Or Krav, or Lup?"
"...I didn't want to bother any of you. I thought I could handle it. I'm sorry, sir."
"Don't be sorry, I don't care if you yell at people. ...But you usually do care about shit like that, so if you lost it, obviously something's up."
"I just got frustrated," Angus sighed, "I was studying all night, which is why I was late, and I was sure I knew everything for the test and that I was ready, but then they wouldn't let me take it, and…"
"It caught up to you," Taako said, nodding in understanding.
"...Yes… I really am sorry, sir."
"You really don't have to be." He gave the boy a small smile, "I've never been prouder."
"Sir!" The boy looked reprimandingly at Taako, who laughed.
"You don't have to be perfect, Ango. Just do your best, and for Pan's sake, ask me for help when you need it! ...And remember, when in doubt, tell Lucas you're gonna call Killian. She really hates that guy. ...But then, don't we all."
"I don't hate him. I just feel I was treated a bit unfairly…"
"You were, and you should hate him. But you'll learn," Taako said, patting Angus on the back. "...Now. What do you say we go get some ice cream?"
"I don't know… I don't feel like I should be rewarded for how I acted today."
"Well, I do. But if you really insist on punishing yourself, then you can just watch me eat said ice cream." Taako gave the young boy a loving smirk, and Angus smiled back up at him.
"...Thank you, sir."
"You got it. ...Just next time, call me before you yell at people so I can come take pictures."
"Mr. Taako!" Angus said incredulously.
"Let me have this, Agnes," Taako said, and it put Angus at ease to hear him use the incorrect name like that.
"Yes, sir," Ango said with a small, slightly amused smile.
"Good boy." Taako smiled and ruffled the kid's hair.
Always
Fandom: The Adventure Zone (Balance)
Requested: Yes -- Anon
Summery: Taako is starting to realize that he can trust others besides his sister. ...Slowly, and starting with his boyfriend. -- Or Lup tells her brother to suck it up and open up to his boyfriend because that's what boyfriend's are for. ...While simultaneously taking care of him.
Word Count: 3,837
[Apparently this one's too long for Tumblr, so you can read it here on AO3! ]
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
"I'm Sorry" was so good! Made me feel real bad like good angst does. I loved it!
Ahh!! Oh my gosh, thank you so much, I'm so happy you enjoyed it!
I'm Sorry
Fandom: The Adventure Zone - Balance
Requested: No
Word Count: 1,003
Summery: Lucretia has been thinking about Taako's night terrors, and how she might be to blame for them. Or, I've been thinking about my headcanon about this a lot -- that Taako's night terrors come from having his memory altered, but still has some pieces of them in his subconscious. (Sorry, Justin, everything I touch turns to angst, including your goofs).
[Takes place between Rockport and Petals.]
---
"This is my 'sleepy sack'. I get night terrors."
The elven man's words had been haunting her since the night she sent Taako, Magnus and Merle to Rockport.
Lucretia knew Taako well, even if he no longer knew her, and over the century she'd spent with him on the Starblaster, she could remember very few instances where he'd had any sort of nightmare. She knew this because he would confide such things in her. He and Lup used to treat her like their little sister.
She couldn't help but think that what she had done had something to do with his night terrors. She knew what happened in Glamour Springs, and she blamed herself for it. The Taako she'd known for all of those years would never have made a mistake with his magic like that, and she thought that maybe she'd taken more from him than the mission and… Lup. Had she taken some of his knowledge of magic, too? And if so, how much?
Some time after the three Reclaimers returned with the relic from Rockport, Lucretia approached Magnus to ask him about these night terrors of their friend's.
---
"Oh yeah," Magnus said and nodded sympathetically, "Poor guy gets those all the time. Doesn't always wake up, I don't think, but he talks in his sleep a lot."
"...What… what sort of things does he say?" Lucretia asked, hesitantly.
"I don't know." Magnus shrugged a little, "Last night he was talking about finding someone… didn't say a name, just that he needed to find her. He seemed confused, though. He probably doesn't remember any of it when he wakes up, you know, pretty typical nightmare stuff."
"Of course," Lucretia nodded and let Magnus go. What she had wanted to say, however, was 'These are not typical nightmares. He wants his sister. He's looking for Lup.'
She might have erased the memory of Lup, but in his heart, and his subconscious, Taako knew someone was missing. Someone important.
She had the urge to find Taako and give him the second Voidfish inoculation right then and there. To put a stop to the torture he didn't even know he was experiencing. Of course, she couldn't do that. But she could talk to him; and hope that he would open up to her even a fraction of the way he used to.
---
She approached him one day after the boys were done training, and noticed him looking a bit more tired and winded then he usually did after training, not to mention the dark circles under his eyes.
"...Taako, are you well?" She asked immediately, worry for her friend taking over her original plan to do this delicately.
"I'm fine," he said, his tone defensive as he gave her an odd, somewhat annoyed look, "You're not my mom."
"I know I'm not," Lucretia said, hiding her hurt at Taako speaking to her so harshly, "You just look… tired. I only wanted to make sure you were feeling alright."
"I'm fine," he said again, and Lucretia thought he would leave it at that, but then he continued after a moment, "...Just… don't get a lot of sleep."
That was an understatement. Taako never got a lot of sleep, but since he'd arrived at the Bureau of Balance, it had only gotten worse. His dreams were disjointed, confused, not all there. But they were upsetting, even though he wasn't entirely sure why, and sometimes he woke up crying.
There were people in them that he knew he should know, but he could never see their faces, or even hear their voices. He just knew they were important. But every time he woke up, the dreams faded even more. He never remembered what they were about, but he knew he was having them nightly because of the way they always left him feeling.
"...I'm sorry, Taako," Lucretia said, seeming much more sad about this than someone who was just his boss would.
"Why?" Taako asked, giving her a confused, possibly suspicious look, "It's not your fault."
Lucretia stared at the elf for a long moment, wanting to say that yes, it was her fault, and to beg him to forgive her for taking so much from him. ...But she held herself together, she couldn't afford not to. "Still. I don't like for any of my people to not be at their best."
"I can do my job fine, doesn't matter if I'm tired," Taako said, crossing his arms, becoming defensive again, "Don't worry about it."
"That's not what I meant," Lucretia said, "I care about you, Taako. I care for everyone here. I don't… I don't want for any of you to be unwell."
"Well… thanks," Taako said, slightly taken aback by the way this woman seemed to truly care, "But I'm fine. You don't gotta worry about ol' Taako."
"...Alright," Lucretia nodded a bit, resisting the urge to sigh. She knew her friend's mannerisms, she knew he wasn't handling this as well as he is would like her to believe, but to press any further would risk making him suspicious.
"...So… uh… We good here?"
"...Oh," the human woman was brought out of her train of thought and nodded a bit, "Yes. Go ahead. I'm sorry for keeping you."
Taako just nodded and walked off, leaving Lucretia to her own devices. She stood there for a few moments longer, watching her friend leave, before taking off in the opposite direction towards her office.
She stood in front of the painting she had made of her team… her friends… her family, during the Beach Cycle and just stared at it for a long time, feeling tears rolling down her cheeks as she did. They all looked so happy, and Lucretia would give anything to get that back, to have her family whole and together again. Happy.
"...I'm so sorry," she whispered, running her fingers gently along the portrait, looking at the faces she knew so we'll, "I promise… I will find a way to make this right."
Some Things Will Never Change
Fandom: The Adventure Zone - Balance
Requested: Yes (Anon)
Word Count: 1,104
[Sorry there's no cover art for this yet, but my artist friend is amazing and said she'd illustrate one when she has time]
Summery: Lup hates when her brother decides what is and isn't worrisome. Or Lup finds Taako sick and is both worried and annoyed that he didn't tell her. (Takes place somewhere in the Stolen Century, about cycle 50 or so, Barry and Lup are officially together at this point).
---
After being together for half a century, with your team being the only true constant in life, you undoubtedly fall into a sort of routine. Things change from cycle to cycle, of course, but there were certain things that had become routine, and a change in those things usually meant something was wrong.
They'd only been on this plane for a couple months, and hadn't yet found the Light of Creation, but their rhythm had been about the same as it usually was when they were all alive.
The twins would usually be up and about first, making breakfast before anyone else was awake as, being Elves they didn't really need sleep (although sometimes Lup would stay in bed with Barry until he woke up).
This was one of the mornings Lup planned on joining her brother in the kitchen before everyone else was awake, but much to her surprise, when she arrived in the kitchen, Taako wasn't there.
She frowned and made her way to his bedroom -- technically both of their bedroom, but Lup usually spent her nights with Barry these days -- and found that he wasn't there, either.
"...Taako?" she called out quietly, looking around the hallway for her twin. No answer. Then she heard the flush of a toilet from the bathroom down the hallway.
"Taako?" She asked again when she reached the bathroom, "Are you in there?" She knocked on the closed door.
There was silence for a moment and then a quiet, somewhat pained sounding, "...Yeah…"
"Can I come in?"
"...I'd rather you didn't."
"...Why? Are you okay?"
"It's not pretty in here, Lup."
"Well, it's incredibly pretty out here, and you're missing it," Lup said with a small, if worried, smile, "...I'm coming in."
Taako let out a little grumble but didn't protest anymore.
He was sitting on the floor in front of the toilet, looking extremely pale, and shaking slightly.
Lup's eyes widened with worry at the sight of him, and she immediately knelt at his side, placing a gentle hand on the back of his neck. "...Why didn't you get me?"
"You were with Barold," he said with a slight shrug.
"He's sleeping. And even if he wasn't, you should've gotten me!"
"Lup, it's not a big deal," Taako sighed, "Just somethin' on this planet doesn't like me so much. I'm fi--" he suddenly pitched forward over the toilet again.
"Oh… okay," Lup said in as comforting a tone as she could manage through her worry. She pulled out the hairband that was holding her own long hair back and pulled her brother's back with it instead. "You're okay," she said gently, "Breathe."
"...Your hair…" Taako managed to get out in protest when his sister pulled his hair back.
"I'm not the one leaned over a toilet," she said, giving him a soft, slightly teasing smile, "My hair 'll be fine down. It looks amazing no matter what I do to it."
They sat quietly together for a few minutes, Lup pulling Taako so that he was half lying on her for support when he was finally done, his head resting on her shoulder, her arm wrapped around him. "...How long?" she asked eventually, concern in her voice.
"Not long before you came in here," he shrugged, "Seriously, I'll be fine."
"You sure?" She pressed, "Because if you were sick before you gotta tell me."
"Lup, you're doing the thing."
"What thing?"
"The overprotective thing."
"Well nobody and nothing is allowed to hurt you on my watch. That includes you. I'll beat you up if you let yourself get hurt."
"...I think that would kinda defeat the purpose," Taako said with a small chuckle followed by a groan of pain as he wrapped his arms around his stomach.
"...Should I get Merle?" Worry was obvious in her voice and expression as she asked the question; it was so rare that either of them ever got sick, Lup wasn't really sure what to do to actually help him.
"So he can make me eat whatever plants he's been seducing as a 'cure'? Absolutely not."
Lup couldn't help but laugh a little at that, "Okay, fair enough. What do you need, then?"
"Nothing, I'm good. Just gimme a day and I'll be better."
"...If you're not--"
"You'll beat me up," he said with a smirk, "I get it."
"...Why didn't you get me for help?"
"I told you, you were with your boyfriend. And a puking brother is kinda a mood killer."
"I don't care, I still want you to get me when you need help, stupid!"
"It's not a big deal, Lulu. I'm not dying or anything. If it was serious I would've gotten you."
"You should always get me when something's wrong, whether you think it's a big deal or not! And whether I'm with Barry or not. I don't want to have to go around looking for you just to find your stupid ass passed out or worse. Okay?"
"...Okay," he nodded slightly and smiled, grateful that he could always count on his sister if he needed help, even if she was a little annoying about it -- not that he ever doubted that, he just hated seeing her worried.
"Good," Lup nodded once and let out a little sigh, obviously relieved.
"...Sorry."
"Yeah, well… you're just lucky I was gonna help you make breakfast."
Taako knew that was her way of accepting his apology for scaring her and smiled, leaning into her side a little more heavily, clearly tired.
"...Think you can make it back to bed?" Lup asked when she felt her brother slumping against her.
"...No," he admitted, "I don't think so…"
"...Okay, I'm getting Merle. He probably has something that can help with… all that," she gestured kind of vaguely at Taako.
"Fine. But if he starts talking to plants in front of me, I'm throwing up on him."
"I think that's only fair," Lup laughed a bit and moved to stand up, carefully moving her brother so he was resting against the base of the sink next to the toilet, "I'll be right back. ...Stay alive until then."
"I mean, I'll do my best," Taako said, dramatically lying on the floor and resting his arm over his eyes, and Lup rolled her eyes before leaving to find their resident Cleric, glad that Merle hadn't met with The Hunger yet this cycle.
Things changed from cycle to cycle, but a lot also stayed the same, and one thing both twins were sure that would stay the same even after this mission ended, was that they would always be there for each other.
I’ve Got Your Back
Requested: Yes - @georgiagrl1990 (I’m sorry it took me so long!)
Word Count: 2,046
Summery: Not long after the election, George sends Addy and 10K to help set up a new outpost. Things don’t go exactly as planned, thanks to Addy coming down with the flu, but at least she’s got her brother looking out for her.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Z Nation 30 Day Writing Challenge: Day 1 - Blood - @glitterytenthousand
Word Count: 538
Sorry it’s so short; I’ve had such a busy day, so I didn’t have much time for writing a full one shot, so consider this a Drabble.
(Takes place directly after Zombaby! - Be ready for some Cassandra/10K angst)
___________________________
He was alive. The Cipro was working; and he was alive. ...But he was exhausted. And now that his fever had broken, he was much more aware of the pain he was in.
It was late now, and the group had stopped for the night; Addy and 10K resting in the backseat, still recovering, Doc sitting with them, Murphy, Lucy and Cassandra in the middle seat, and Warren and Vasquez taking the first lookout shift of the night.
Everyone inside the truck was in a sound sleep, except for 10K who couldn’t seem to settle down enough to properly rest, despite the fact that he was exhausted.
His senses were still being assaulted by the bout of anthrax he was recovering from — from the metallic taste of blood that had remained in his mouth even hours after he’d coughed it up, to the pain of the open sores that covered part of his face, to the extreme fatigue that made him feel so heavy he could could hardly move.
He’d been lying still for hours, in and out of sleep, when he felt something cool and damp pressed gently against one of the larger sores on his face, soothing the burning pain from it. He slowly blinked open his eyes, just enough to see who was taking care of him, and to his surprise, he saw Cassandra leaning over him.
She was dabbing at his wounds with a damp cloth, and she was so focused on her task that she didn’t notice he was looking at her. Or she chose not to notice. Either way, she didn’t make eye contact with him until he murmured, “...Cassandra...?”
She didn’t respond, she just looked at him, and he could swear he saw recognition in her eyes; a glimpse of the real Cassandra. She continued to clean the sores on his face, bits of dried blood coming off on the cloth, making wince every time it got stuck to his skin.
“Tommy...” he was sure he heard her whisper comfortingly as he winced, although he was so out of it that it was possible it was a dream. He didn’t care if it was a dream, it just felt good to have Cassandra care about him again.
“...Thank you...” he whispered as he fell asleep, finally calm enough to properly rest.
She looked after him for the rest of the night until Murphy came to and called her back to his side.
When 10K woke up in the morning, the group was on the move again. Cassandra was sitting on the floor of the backseat in front of him, though she was looking away from him.
He watched her in silence for a long while, trying to figure out whether what had happened the previous night was a dream or not.
Eventually she glanced back at him and he could see a glimpse of the true Cassandra as she gave him an almost unnoticeable smile before quickly turning away again and moving up to be near Murphy.
The boy let out a soft, somewhat sad sigh as he watched her leave, wondering if; praying that there would be a way to bring her back, out of Murphy’s control some day.
Chapter 3 Is Up, Z-Whackers!
No Seats & A Knife Ch. III