"I just hear things..." - said the darling psychic

Winters always started out the same in Hawkins. Everyone still had some of their fall decorations out, like cornucopias, silly turkeys or pumpkins, just as a bit of snow fell down, making light blankes over every surface. Already, people were outside shoveling the snow off of Main Street where April had been walking with her headphones covering her ears and her Walkman strapped to the waistline of her jeans as music rung in her head. A wonderful distraction from the thoughts of people passing by.

April always heard people complain about the cold, even when claiming they loved winter. How people dreaded the seasons changing, finding it depressing. She herself embraced the change in the season, finding joy from her surroundings. Until her tape skipped.

"No..." April started to fiddle around with her cassette player. She opened it up and when her tape popped up, ribbons were spilling out, "Oh, come on! This is the best one too..." She took out the tape, flipping it around to see the band's name on it with a devilish pentagram next to it.

His original copy was well listened to, but unfortunately, it got destroyed when he let a fellow seller borrow it. He should've known better, but was just too excited to talk jams with someone else that would listen. When Spunk gave it back to him in pieces, he at least had the balls to give him money for a replacement.

All of those were lovely conversation starters. Instead, the words that popped out of April's mouth were, "Go Tigers," while pointing at the album. She had a moment where she internally screamed at herself for saying that. She sounded like a cheerleader at the prep rallies. Something April definitely was not, despite her attempts to be back when she thought she could fit in and be 'normal'.

April snapped out of being inside her head for a moment to then clear her throat to say, "That's a good album..." her hands were holding the Motley Crüe cassette a little tight as a small smile pulled up on her lips.

⊹ ̊. 📷｡ᵎᵎ Lana Condor (1997)

LOVE. ON. OCs.

Do you know what an OC is? It’s not “just a little guy.” It’s not “a side muse.” It’s not “extra content.”

An OC is someone’s grief, someone’s joy, someone’s survival instinct wrapped in lore and trauma and a stupidly specific scar they can explain in detail if you let them. People didn’t just make these characters. They bled into them. They stayed up until 3am rewriting the same backstory because it didn’t hurt correctly yet. They built entire family trees no one will ever see. They crafted personalities that hold years of healing, rage, softness, and “what if I had been allowed to exist like this?”

OCs are heartwork. OCs are identity. OCs are “I didn’t see myself anywhere, so I built someone who could survive for me.”

So when you:

Send an ask

Reblog a headcanon

Comment on a starter

Engage instead of scrolling past

You are not doing a small thing. You are telling someone: “I see what you made. I see you.”

And listen. Not every OC is flashy. Not every OC is loud. Some of them are quiet, wounded, gentle, angry, strange, half-feral, barely holding together — and they deserve space too. If you love roleplay, if you love writing, if you love storytelling at all: OCs are the backbone of this community.

So this is your reminder, your gentle threat, your affectionate garbage-can-rattling dad moment:

Send the ask.

Leave the comment.

Boost the OC.

Gas up your mutuals.

Because someone out there made a character that kept them alive. And the least we can do is show up for them.

send one in for a Halloween starter! 

“ What are you going to be for Halloween? “ 

“ Suggesting going into a graveyard in the middle of the night is exactly how countless horror movies start. “

“ I am not going to remake no ‘children of the corn’ shit with you. Go into that corn maze on your own. “

“ Look at how big that pumpkin is! “ 

“ Lets go on a hay ride! “ 

“ Do we really have to dress up in matching outfits? “ 

“ Yes we have to dress up in matching outfits! “ 

“ Dunking for apples is a basic part of the Halloween party experience. You gotta do it. “ 

“ Run like Jason is chasing you!!! “ 

“ What do you mean I’m too old for trick - or - treating? “ 

“ Stop eating all the candy! “ 

“ Don’t go to that house, they give out raisins. “ 

“ Who gives out dental floss on Halloween? “ 

“ I’m freezing my balls off out here! “ 

“ I don’t know why they think this particular job needs to have a sexy version ... “ 

“ Damn I make this costume look good! “ 

“ ... That’s some pretty realistic makeup ... are you sure you’re not hurt? “ 

“ Let’s stay in and watch scary movies instead “ 

“ I remember the haunted house being a lot more scary than this. “ 

“ I don’t really like scary things ... can we just do the fun cute things for Halloween instead? “ 

“ Oh god there’s another clown... “ 

“ We should go trick - or - treating in Colorado ... I bet they hand out weed! “ 

“ Put that Ouija Board down right now or so help me! “ 

“ Trying to talk to spirits is about the last thing on my list of fun things to do tonight. “

“ If you wake up haunted its not my fault. “ 

“ That’s not funny! You scared me half to death! “