#houndisms

her ...? what did will mean? there was no her. ... well, of course, mike couldn't possibly expect will to know that, for his admission had been quite vague. he blinks up to meet the gaze of the other, and there's something so incredibly ... painful in his expression. it wasn't really a look he was used to seeing on the other's face; well, perhaps with the exception of as of late. maybe he was living in a delusion, but he figured the two of them were much happier now. then again, here mike was, going and ruining the mood again, and he can't help but feel that familiar spike of guilt ramming him straight through his middle at his friend's expression. he isn't sure what it is but there was something in his words, something that he had brought up that looked like it had broken something within the other.

his instinct is to focus on will and his needs, but he'd approached this conversation to open up to the other. it's scary, being this vulnerable. but that was the whole point of sitting down with will like this. even if he'd kick himself forever for starting the conversation with vaguely trying to open up about his feelings. a deep sigh is heaved, and dark eyes look across the table at the other as he plays with his fingers. breath is shaky as he speaks, leg jiggling up and down.

❝ ... there's no her, will. ❞ he has to make this right, come clean. ❝ el and i, we ... we don't really have any desire to try and get together. at least not now. ❞ not now that mike had his eyes on someone else.

navigating through hell was still proving to be a challenge, the destruction and disarray hardly helped; as rebuilding would continue, she'd come down to it looking completely different every visit. it would only be natural that she'd get lost for running an errand on behalf of the hotel.

though, her lack of navigation is not what sidetracks her, but the sighting of one rather famous arachnid sinner. one she'd only ever recalled observing up in heaven and on that final showdown, but never seeing him inside the hotel itself thereafter. she was given brief almost vague details of his absence that he'd eventually come back around again someday.

maybe that day could be TODAY !

the young seraphim would squeal excitedly, letting her wings zip her right over to him, hovering high in the air so that they share the same eye level.

don't go to freddy's after it closes.

this was gospel amongst both the children of hawkins elementary and the teens of the adjacent high school. the place was new, popular, high tech for the time. the food was...okay, but not what one came for.

it was the animatronics. while the establishment had been built brand new from the ground up, the animatronics were from a previous location; one that had gone out of business for conflicting reason. still, no one knew how the rumor started. the rumor that if you were to stay inside after the doors were locked, the lights turned out, the games shut down, the animatronics would come to life and eat your face off.

or some variation of that.

that was how one will byers, aka zombie boy, ended up shoved through side window in the janitors closet by boys his senior, laughing like the braindead idiots they were, moments after close. they slammed the window shut behind him, let it lock. one waved. and then they walked away, leaving him to his fate.

and they stirred.

blue eyes flickered in the dark as the leader awoke. gabriel freddy rose stiffly, joints rusted and gears worn from the seemingly endless time of being in the parts and services room.

but there was someone in here. an adult? bad adult? a threat? the yellow rabbit?

whenever will came down with something, mike really couldn't help himself but fuss over his best friend. in some way, shape or form he was always trying to get in to see him or give him something, doing whatever he could to make him feel better. it was probably because he wasn't used to seeing will very sick at all, although he was by his side when he was still recovering from being touched by the mind flayer. perhaps that's where it all started, when will was first taken; mike's desire to want to be by will's side every waking moment of every day. perhaps it was a little unhealthy, but could mike really help himself, after what had happened to his closest friend?

   robin is absentmindedly putting back some returns on the shelves as the voice hits her ears. taking a quick moment to prepare mentally, she brandishes her best customer service smile and turns towards the voice.

   "uh, yeah - " she pauses, gaze locking on the other. robin didn't recognize her at all - and not to say that he knew every face in town but there weren't that many, and this face she is sure she would have remembered. the silence lingers just long enough for it to dawn on robin. she clears her throat, moving a hand up to pinch at her name tag affixed to her uniform. " yes. i'm robin. do you need someone to check you out? uh - check out some movies - " in their flustered attempt to clarify, a hand waves up and hits the shelving unit behind them. the shelves wobble and movies fall to the ground.

ㅤㅤㅤ‎‎   pixelated eye twitches at the sound of Alastor’s voice. with the deer back in town, it feels there are few places he doesn’t either hear him or hear about him. VOX had a hold on the Entertainment District for nearly a decade. now that hold is crumbling with Alastor’s mere presence.

ㅤㅤㅤ‎‎   it was infuriating enough to see him at the Overlord meeting (maybe even more than having to attend in the first place). now he is being approached after the meeting’s dismissal! is nothing sacred to this Overlord?

ㅤㅤㅤ‎‎   spinning on his heel, VOX confronts the other with gritted, scowling teeth. he scoffs at the offer, hand waving dismissively.

   “ tonight? ” billy echoes the other, in utter disbelief of the suggestion. not that it's the first time they have discussed the idea of leaving hawkins. the idea is constantly on his own mind and he knows it's on steve's quite a bit too. but he thought that steve knows the idea is impossible. or at least, billy assumed they were on the same page. for a long moment he stares at steve, waiting for him to smile, laugh, anything to imply that this is a dumb joke. but it never happens.

   “ steve — i appreciate the thought, but we can’t just … i haven't even started my job yet. neither have you. ” and he can't help but to think about max. as much as she pisses him the fuck off, there's a small pang of guilt at the idea of leaving her behind. especially with him. but steve and him both get some money a week, and if steve is wanting to leave tonight he must have some saved up - and so does billy. the more thought he gives it, the more tangible the reality feels.