howlingmod

[howlingmod]

omg that medkit oneshot.. cooked, 5 star meal, i ate it UP it was so good DAMN

youre so talented genuinely 🙏🙏🙏 i love the way you wrote him... so silly

giggling ..... tysm i love love love winter and medkits ok i guess. he is very silly to me, grown ass man with undiagnosed autism i just know it . he has to practice smiling sometimes otherwise any photo with him he looks Horrific.

i always enjoy pairing him with someone who's more forthcoming with their emotions, i think its a fun way to lead him into being more affectionate himself. also i really like someoene being a consistent presence in his life that he can actually look to positively (aka not subspace), i feel like it opens up a lot more of his personality and identity in a realistic way. he is going to get attached whether he likes it or not. he experiences one human emotion and starts sobbing and gritting his teeth really hard its kind of embarrassing

[howlingmod]

helloooo!! may i request some fluffy medkit x reader

summary - medkit x reader, medkit has a very merry christmas

misc - giggles and kicks my legs. can you tell i started this one million billion years ago. open-ended but just know you're kissing sloppy style in my heart

He still has the first gift you gave him. It's up on one of the shelves in the barren apartment he lives in whenever he isn't phighting or at the church. It sits at the corners of his equally impersonal room at the perfect angle for him to catch glances at when he lays down and again when he wakes up.

It wasn't the most personal thing ever- that is, it wasn't the most special thing ever in of itself. Rather, it was the meaning that gave it so much weight.

You had worked at the same facility of Blackrock as him not so long ago, a different departent sure, but the same building. He hadn't interacted with you much, maybe seen you in the break room a few times and had a couple of short conversations, but he didn't exactly know you beyond an observational standpoint.

For a while, he'd thought you were new. You had a life to you that he didn't see in many other people, the kind that got cast to the side when deadlines were tight and demands were high. He'd figured you just didn't know how grueling the work would be, but, sure enough, you kept it up throughout every passing year.

You weren't anything special, you weren't some renowned genius or up-and-coming inventor, but you felt like a person. Within the grey walls of the facility, it was easy to forget everyone else went home and had their own hobbies and lives outside of work. When you only see people pulling out their hair and grumbling over paperwork, you start to assume that's all there is to them.

So then, when Medkit would see the little quirks in your behavior, it felt different- fuller, in a way.

You'd tied bells to the door of your office so you'd know when people walked in instead of being too zoned in on your work to notice the door opening. You used vividly-colored pens from home rather than the standard supplied ones and your handwriting hadn't taken on the usual scribble most professionals had. Then every year for the holidays, you'd bring something for as many people as you could.

Sometimes it was food and othertimes it was something that made you think of the reciever. Either way, it was a sweet gesture, even if he'd initially thought of it as you prying to get in people's good graces. It was a little odd, you had no obligation and rarely did people return the favor by the time next year rolled around, but it was just something you did.

That year, you'd decided to get him something. He'd been working late the night you gave it to him, a little before you went home. He'd been so lost in his work he'd barely noticed you come in, which he'd blame for the way he was a little too dumbfounded once you handed him your gift.

The gift itself hadn't been anything extraordinarily pricey either, nothing with no deep, cutting meaning specific to him. It was just something from you to him. It was a glossy ball-point pen with a marbled, teal print on its casing like a countertop and vivid green ink. That was it. There was no added flare, no particularly special use, it was just another pen.

At first, that's all it really was, a plain but nevertheless thoughtful gift from you to him. It took him a day or two to even use it, setting it aside the moment he'd thanked you and you'd strolled out the door. The interaction was over as soon as it'd started and, subsequently, pushed back off to the side so he could return to his work.

Then, the next day he'd seen it sitting beside all the company-standard black pens and it caught his attention. There wasn't anything different, but he found himself gravitating towards it today, found it in his hands being turned over and inspected once more. Part of him suggested he was doing this because he didn't want to risk a prank ruining his uniform, no matter how little he suspected it from you. If that'd been your intention, you would've stood there smiling at him like you always do until he used it and then laughed at the messy results it made out of him, but you didn't. You'd instead just smiled at him, turned on your heel, and left.

He spent hours using it that day. Then those hours turned to days, then those days to weeks. It just wrote better, is all, nothing else. Ignore the way he was particularly bitter when it started to run dry, how he'd stretched it as far as it could before finally calling it dead. It was just because it felt wrong to switch colors in the middle of a paper. That's why he found himself taking apart another pen to replace the ink in your gift, it was the grip. The grip was different, felt smoother in his hands. Nothing more to it.

...

He felt like a child, sitting there with his face in his hands and a disassembled, perfectly usable pen sitting in front of him next to the one you'd given him, set aside like a prized possession. There was no reason for him to value this one pen so much. It was pointless, a meaningless thing for him to fixate on.

Yet, he would set it back beside the others with all the same care he had the nights previous, fixing it to be front-and-center. He'd give it a glance over his shoulder when he'd turned to leave and then watch it disappear as the door shut for the evening.

He still barely talked to you but your presence took up more of his focus than he ever thought it could. You'd moved from an odd figure of interest to a pointed presence in his life, no matter how much the thought churned his stomach. His eyes would turn up if he heard you in the halls and he'd attempt a smile that only flicked the corners of his mouth when you waved to him. For whatever stupid, insignificant reason, you'd weaseled your way into his head and curled around his mind as a constantly returning thought, orbiting around his consciousness.

At some point people noticed his jumpiness, no matter how much he wanted them not to. Noticed his attention whenever someone else walked into the break room, noticed his pointed disappointment whenever he identified them as someone other than you. While they couldn't put together who it was he was looking for (luckily for him, you seemed to frequent the break room at a different time, paradoxically unluckily for him), they could still pick up on him clearly waiting for something.

"You alright?"

The question made his face burn more than anything, made embarrassment crawl up his spine and around his throat.

"I'm fine."

His answer had been quick, just as quickly he'd walked out of room to get back to work. Clearly, he couldn't afford to not occupy his mind with something other than that, as you'd find a way to draw out something intimately humiliating from him even in your absence.

The years tumbled forth slowly after that. He'd planned to get you something in the next year, something equally as nothing so he could play it off as nothing to read into (unless of course you did, in which case he would be happy you did because, as much as he didn't like to recognize it, it was something) but couldn't.

He made sure to save your pen. He kept it tucked in pockets close to his heart and clamped in tight fists. It would make a constant appearance in the intimate, closed spaces of his temporary homes. It would sit and stare back at him in the recesses of the spare comfort he had just as the memory of you would. It (you) tucked itself (yourself) into his life permanently, lodging itself (yourself) in folds and winds he couldn't bear to remove it (you) from.

He wondered about you frequently, wondered what you were doing and if anyone had gotten you anything that year. He wondered if you still had those bells up or if you were still smiling. He wondered what you felt when you heard. He wondered what your eyes looked like. He wondered about you so much he saw you in crowds of people several times over. He wondered about you so much he saw familiar horns and smiles in passing. He wondered about you so much he saw-

nothing, evidently. He had to shake his head of his thoughts, clearing his vision so he could assess the damage. It hadn't been clear enough, he'd had to crouch down and reach for the various little shapes on the ground first. He had to open his mouth and ask something stupid as opposed to all the other things he'd wanted to start with.

"Are you alright?"

His eyes finally peeled off the ground, dignity returning to him and reminding him he still had to show some remorse, even if he was shaken from his daydream. He wasn't sure how he'd pictured them, but he'd never really expected to be met with an answer, either. Your eyes hadn't changed much at all, still holding that same glimmer of life, outlined by the various happenings of your life since then.

"I'm ok," you started, pausing once you'd met his gaze. Clearly, you hadn't expected him to be the way he was either (or, more realistically, you just hadn't expected to see him at all), as you went wide-eyed and blank for a breath.

"Are you?" The corners of your mouth turned up a bit then, familiar and warm. He felt his own twitch, stutter and finally stick upwards.

"I'm fine."

[howlingmod]

Are u Sigma from Ohio with 100000000000000000000 arua

yah

[howlingmod]

Waving hello hello!!! New silly guy here,, just wanted you to know that I lovveeeee your writings/drabbles!! They're so silly aaa!! /pos (i've re-read them too many times now,, /embarrassed) Also absolutely ADORE how you really show off their personalities,, gotta say of all the things i've read the way you do it is THE BEST!! (also apologies for my very very bad grammar/vocabulary,, i am,, utterly terrible with words,,) all the love silly!! - silly anon (not sure if you take them/HAVE a silly anon,, if not i'll go by like hunnie or smth hjhahje /pos)

blowing a kiss ..... thank you very much i really really enjoy writing even if i am a little Inconsistent . i think character writing is really fun and i've always wanted 2 focus on making characters feel accurate and interesting in my writing so i'm glad to hear it's working !

[howlingmod]

Something angst with Subspace x reader plz??

ok so this might be mid . scratches my neck im trying

summary - subspace x reader angst, no happy ending

misc - warnings for unrequited love, implied death, gore, and generally just. not good things. reader has amnesia and is described as having severe physical trauma

-you couldn't recall the exact details of what had gone wrong. you couldn't remember the exact details of much, to be entirely honest. much of what you knew now was just what other people had told you about, which, in of itself, wasn't much. most often you were left to piece things together through news paper clippings and bits and pieces of conversation.

-you had been a scientist for blackrock not too long ago, and a prolific one at that. you were one of the leading researchers in their nuclear department before abruptly falling off the face of the earth. an attendant had told you it was because of 'an incident you had,' which landed you here in your blank-walled room, with no real hope of returning to your former station due to your current mental state.

-you were stable enough health wise, more fragile than they'd like to see but you could still perform basic tasks and recall standard information before you overworked yourself. it wasn't a terrible spot to be in by any means, you didn't have too much to worry about but it still didn't feel like a real life.

-you were cared for and had some materials to busy yourself with, receiving enough attention in the form of biweekly check-ups, typically in the form of questionnaires revolving around your memories and abilities. you didn't have many visitors, though. you had a few nurses you could remember the faces of, but no family members, the only exception was another researcher, subspace t. mine.

-apparently, he was also an important scientist. he'd told you as much after a month or so of visiting, once the shock of you not recognizing his name had worn off. it came off as egotistical to you- sure, he was a big deal, but you had other things to worry about. one random guy escaping your knowledge isn't the end of the world. you'd let that bitterness slip in a little mutter under your breath, one that he'd seemed to hear. you'd expected him to shoot up, play up his image and demand your respect, but he didn't. he'd just stared at you a little more hurt than you were expecting, like he couldn't believe you didn't know him as a person and not just a figure.

-you figured out at some point that you two did know each other, but you didn't know how close you were. he talked about who you were before 'your incident,' but never let on anything about your relationship. you figured you must just be acquaintances, as any time he began to talk about the two of you together he'd trail off and stop talking. there must not be much to say. there must not be much he wants to tell you.

-while he usually just came in to talk, he'd prod at you every now and then, grab at your face and arms and turn them this way and that to examine you. on one specific occasion he'd gone to examine your horn. you'd seen it in the mirror plenty of times but you tried not to look at it too much, it made you feel a little sick. as opposed to the smooth surface he and the attendants had, yours was rough, the inner bone exposed and cauterized tissue spilling out. there were holes in the surface, ranging from small dots to divots large enough you could (but wouldn't dare to) stick your finger through. it was the topic of many examinations, being the biggest indicator of your fragility.

-his claws on the surface didn't hurt, you could feel his hands shake with how careful he was being. he didn't seem to be looking for anything in particular, just analyzing, logging the damage done. he didn't speak at all, just frowned and held his breath. at some point or another the touch began to burn and you'd just pulled your head away, slipping out of his hand quickly enough you'd briefly wondered if you'd scratched him in the process, as he'd just as quickly yanked his own away, staring at you like you'd burned him (or like he'd snapped it off). he never spoke about any of the deformities that littered your body, the welts and scar tissue and gashes seemed too painful for him to do more than stare at.

-he'd brought you a replica of your gear once, not nearly as powerful, according to him, but a replica nevertheless. you'd held it a few times, even carried it around your room while you were alone, but it never resonated. it felt natural in your hands but the power never sunk deeper than a layer under your skin, out of sync with your heart. he never asked where it went or why you didn't keep it around you. the first time he'd noticed (rather quickly, you thought) he'd been quieter than normal, just sitting in silence across from you and staring at the space between the two of you.

-he'd continue to visit you, progressively switching from memories of you to the mundanity of his day. he couldnt brag to you the way he did others. it felt wrong. he may have been rotting but you were an entirely different case. he still had the luxury of his identity where you'd been stripped of everything and dumped into a cell equally deprived of character. nothing was coming back. your horn was slowly rotting and chipping right out of you. there was only so much delaying that could be done.

-what do you do when the person you love is destroyed and the person replacing them will be destroyed all the same?

-with every passing month he would keep looking you over and talking about something meaningless to grasp at time and with every passing month you would grow wearier and wearier, slowly but surely.

-he'd broken once, held tight to you and hid his face over your shoulder, whispered about a life you couldn't call yours and a love you didn't have a part in and you'd stayed motionless there, hands limp. you couldn't return the affections, they were meant for someone else before you.

[howlingmod]

I love your writing so much please don't get flushed down into the skibidi sigma toilet

no its ok they keep me in a big tupperware that wont happen i think

[howlingmod]

under the mistletoe

summary - every phighter (seperately) x reader, as it sounds

misc - HAPPY HOLIDAYS ..... smiles

sword

"What?"

-doesn't plan it ; i don't think he knows it's a thing. no reasoning i just don't think he would be aware. he's not totally in the dark about all the little romanticisms of the holidays but this one's a little lost on hi.

-he doesn't really get it is all ......... it's cute sure, but he kisses you all the time, what's so special about this?

-he'll still get a little shy though, he's kissing you! in front of people! and you're fine with that! what! he's confident enough in your relationship, but he's still a little awestruck everytime you guys do something so intimate in public

-he likes knowing you're fine with people knowing you're together about as much as he likes to show you how much he loves you.

skate

"C'mon baby! It's the rules!"

-doesn't actively try to set it up too much. he's moreso just nudging you in the right riection every now and then and staring at it for most of the night. it's very obvious to everyone else.

-he just thinks its a staple! the mistletoe kiss is right up there with the new years kiss, it's one of the most romantic gestures out there (in his book)!

-honestly very sweet about it, will probably put his arms around our waist or grab and hold your hands to pull you closer.

-also he just likes showing you off and this is the easiest way of doing that other than all the verbal bragging he's doing that night. whoops.

katana

"..."

-not going to set it up or care much. it's a cute tradition, but nothing super important to him. plus, it's really gonna depend on your surroundings. if you're around other people, he'll keep it in mind for when you're alone (consider it a delayed one). if it's just you two, then he's a lot more likely to oblige.

-it's really up to you. if you seem nervous or uninterested, he's not going to push it at all. he'd much rather go at your pace and make sure you're ready and comfortable than pry for a silly tradition.

-he's a very sentimental kisser, so expect to be there for a few seconds. he likes taking his time so he can put as much of his heart into it as he can.

-while the tradition itself isn't anything to him, the gesture is very important to him. he's got some pretty gnarly scars, so knowing you're still willing to do something so intimate when you can see and feel them makes him happier than he knows how to say.

banhammer

"Funny seeing you here!"

-doesn't plan it really. he thinks about it, he thinks it'd be cute, but he doesn't really push you over there. he might whine about it a little afterwards if he doesn't end up doing it (it's so tropey, he has to man), but that's about it

-he takes it a liiitle seriously. he's all for traditions like this man you don't get it, he just thinks they've got such a charm to them. they're so simple and yet have so much payoff ...

-he's dropping a shitty one-liner sorry. he thinks its fun to flirt with you like you two aren't dating. he's gotta prove to you he's a good boyfriend, alright?

-sweet kisser though. if you're especially shorter thn him, he might lift you up into his arms a bit to make it easier on the both of you. if not, you're still getting pulled right up to him. it's cold outtt .... ::]

-

rocket

"Well, you know what they say!"

-nudges you in the right direction. he wants at least one, it's a classic! he's pretty similar to skate in this regard.

-it's a big show of affection in his eyes just because it encompasses so many feelings for him- he gets to show you off, he gets to kiss you, AND he gets to do something stupidly cheesy, what more could he want?

-he's a little messy with it- more so because he's excited. he ends up going in a little too fast and maybe bumping eachother if you're not careful.

-he'll have an arm around your waist for the rest of the night. he's pretty proud of himself.

slingshot

"What? Oh- OH!"

-doesn't plan it at all. in all honesty, it probably happens at the cafe rather than a party. it just got thrown in with all the other holiday decorations, so he hung it up without really thinking about it.

-if it happens during the workday, he's a little iffy on it, he'd like to mantain as much professionalism as he can ... buuut he might still give you a little peck before rushing off to work on the orders. if you're alone, then he's more than happy to linger a little longer.

-the type to hold the side of your face or your shoulder while kissing. he likes the stability of it and just thinks it's cute ...

scythe

"Well well- lookey here."

-she planned this. she's the reason the mistletoe is there. this was not fate this was a grand plot and you don't even know the start of it.

-oh come on- of course scythe of all people would be all over this! it's an easy way to show off your relationship (she's possessive, sue her) and to get a free kiss. there's no way she's gonna pass up an opportunity like this.

-she makes a big show of it, sorry. she loves to get under your skin and fluster you, so she's gonna spend her time getting closer and teasing you about you looking a little embarassed.

-the kiss itself is surprisingly chaste and sweet, she likes showing you off but she's got class, alright?

shuriken

"Well, I'm waaaiting ..."

-plans it. he spends a good part of the night herding you over there at least once but most likely twice. sue him for wanting to kiss his partner...

-he's not super used to the tradition, so it's still got that allure of something new to him. he's got a hyped up view of it, so he's pretty excited and it shows in how he's grinning like an idiot the moment he gets the chance.

-this isn't to say its gonna wear off to him though- it'll get normalized, sure, but he still looks forward to it every time. it's romantic! it's cute! let him live!

-annoyingly sneaky about it too- please don't act too surprised, you're only going to feed his ego

hyperlaser

"Negative."

-it's a hard no in public. no explanation needed he's not doing it. If you really wanna you can kiss his helmet, and honestly ......... he would think it's cute. it's a stupid tradition but you pull it off.

-if you do, he'll return the favor later (once you have less eyes on you) by leaning his head against yours. it's not a huge deal but it's a little way of him sort-of doing it back .. in spirit at least.

-in private ... ehhhh. he's still iffy on it. if you ask really nicely he might lift his helmet up just enough, but that's about it. it's just not super comfortable for him.

-not a pda guy but he'll hold your hand and keep you at his side. it's nothing special toan on looker but to him it's a show of love and care- if he didn't love you, he wouldn't bother holding you so close to him. he values his space and privacy, so know that him including you in it is a way of him showing your importance to him.

-

medkit

"Really?"

-doesn't plan it ; he thinks its silly. around people, it's gonna be a no, he's not super into PDA. if it's just the two of you ... you could convince him.

-he still thinks it's stupid, but he's willing to do stupid things if it means you're happy. a very chaste kisser but that doesn't take any of the sentiment out of it, he really does mean every little gesture of affection.

-he's going to hold your hand most likely, it's a little comfort to him- he's prone to squeezing your hand in a nonverbal 'i love you.'

-he'll be thinking about it everytime he sees mistletoe again for the next few days. it's driving him a little crazy he's coming home and staring at your lips a little bit while you guys tell eachother about your day. expect a few more kisses than normal

boombox

"(You wanna?)"

-the truest of neutrals. he thinks it's cute and he doesn't mind pda, but it's not something he sees as super important. he's very confident in your relationship and he's pretty affectionate already, so it's your call really

-it'll probably be just a quick peck, but that's only because he's probably kissed you a few times already and has haf an arm around you the whole night anyway

-really, it's just not necessary. you're already pissing everyone off with how sweet the two of you are you don't need the extra gesture.

subspace

"Ugh- Don't be ridiculous!"

-he's only going to realize if someone else walks him through it. he's not super familiar with all the traditions that go with the season, so a lot of them come off as pretty strange to him.

-if it's around other people, it's not happening, sorry. at most, he'll take you kissing the mask, but even then he might grumble a bit (he likes showing off, being vulnerable and recieving affection is a little different). nothing personal, he's just not taking it off around others.

-if it's just you two though ... then he can be swayed. he'll still think it's stupid and you're being strange but he signed up for that. he'll do it if only to see what all the fuss is about.

-'that's it?' and then he's doing it again the next time you ask. he is not immune.

vine staff

"Oh! Well, only if you'd like to..."

-she will not notice unless someone points it out to her. she's spent a lot of holiday seasons with shuriken and slingshot, so she just forgot this was apart of the holiday honestly. she's a lot more accustomed to the chaos than the sweeter little things (help her).

-while everyone would ask first, she's the most 'whatever' about it. It's a cute thing, don't get her wrong! she just doesn't feel the need to perform, for lack of a better term. she loves you and knows you love her, she doesn't really feel the need to show that off too much.

-if it was a smaller gathering, she'd be a little more into it, but if it's a bigger party she's happy to just talk to you about anything and everything under the mistletoe instead.

-very short and chaste but sweet all the same. she might grab and hold onto one of your hands, she usually won't let go afterwords either. smile

coil

"Aww- Did you plan this?"

-he doesn't set it up at first. the first time, he kinda forgot it was a thing- he's been busy! but once he realizes he's got a free 'kiss s/o' AND 'show s/o off' card, it's over. he's so smooth with it it's annoying. whether he meets you there so you have to stop below it or he casually leads you over while you're both talking, it might as well say gullible on the ceiling.

-like skate, he likes pulling you real close. he's a fan of physical affection, so you bet he's taking the chance to throw his arms around you. even afterwards, he'll keep an arm slung around you.

-he can't go to big parties, so he's usually just around skates gang, but he'll still take the opportunity to brag. he knows you're a catch, he knows you're sweet on him, how could he not be a little smug?

-if you pull a fast one on him and pull HIM under the mistletoe though, you can bet he's impressed. he'll be teasing you about it for a bit, but only because he thinks it's adorable.

[howlingmod]

under the mistletoe

summary - every phighter (seperately) x reader, as it sounds

misc - HAPPY HOLIDAYS ..... smiles

sword

"What?"

-doesn't plan it ; i don't think he knows it's a thing. no reasoning i just don't think he would be aware. he's not totally in the dark about all the little romanticisms of the holidays but this one's a little lost on hi.

-he doesn't really get it is all ......... it's cute sure, but he kisses you all the time, what's so special about this?

-he'll still get a little shy though, he's kissing you! in front of people! and you're fine with that! what! he's confident enough in your relationship, but he's still a little awestruck everytime you guys do something so intimate in public

-he likes knowing you're fine with people knowing you're together about as much as he likes to show you how much he loves you.

skate

"C'mon baby! It's the rules!"

-doesn't actively try to set it up too much. he's moreso just nudging you in the right riection every now and then and staring at it for most of the night. it's very obvious to everyone else.

-he just thinks its a staple! the mistletoe kiss is right up there with the new years kiss, it's one of the most romantic gestures out there (in his book)!

-honestly very sweet about it, will probably put his arms around our waist or grab and hold your hands to pull you closer.

-also he just likes showing you off and this is the easiest way of doing that other than all the verbal bragging he's doing that night. whoops.

katana

"..."

-not going to set it up or care much. it's a cute tradition, but nothing super important to him. plus, it's really gonna depend on your surroundings. if you're around other people, he'll keep it in mind for when you're alone (consider it a delayed one). if it's just you two, then he's a lot more likely to oblige.

-it's really up to you. if you seem nervous or uninterested, he's not going to push it at all. he'd much rather go at your pace and make sure you're ready and comfortable than pry for a silly tradition.

-he's a very sentimental kisser, so expect to be there for a few seconds. he likes taking his time so he can put as much of his heart into it as he can.

-while the tradition itself isn't anything to him, the gesture is very important to him. he's got some pretty gnarly scars, so knowing you're still willing to do something so intimate when you can see and feel them makes him happier than he knows how to say.

banhammer

"Funny seeing you here!"

-doesn't plan it really. he thinks about it, he thinks it'd be cute, but he doesn't really push you over there. he might whine about it a little afterwards if he doesn't end up doing it (it's so tropey, he has to man), but that's about it

-he takes it a liiitle seriously. he's all for traditions like this man you don't get it, he just thinks they've got such a charm to them. they're so simple and yet have so much payoff ...

-he's dropping a shitty one-liner sorry. he thinks its fun to flirt with you like you two aren't dating. he's gotta prove to you he's a good boyfriend, alright?

-sweet kisser though. if you're especially shorter thn him, he might lift you up into his arms a bit to make it easier on the both of you. if not, you're still getting pulled right up to him. it's cold outtt .... ::]

-

rocket

"Well, you know what they say!"

-nudges you in the right direction. he wants at least one, it's a classic! he's pretty similar to skate in this regard.

-it's a big show of affection in his eyes just because it encompasses so many feelings for him- he gets to show you off, he gets to kiss you, AND he gets to do something stupidly cheesy, what more could he want?

-he's a little messy with it- more so because he's excited. he ends up going in a little too fast and maybe bumping eachother if you're not careful.

-he'll have an arm around your waist for the rest of the night. he's pretty proud of himself.

slingshot

"What? Oh- OH!"

-doesn't plan it at all. in all honesty, it probably happens at the cafe rather than a party. it just got thrown in with all the other holiday decorations, so he hung it up without really thinking about it.

-if it happens during the workday, he's a little iffy on it, he'd like to mantain as much professionalism as he can ... buuut he might still give you a little peck before rushing off to work on the orders. if you're alone, then he's more than happy to linger a little longer.

-the type to hold the side of your face or your shoulder while kissing. he likes the stability of it and just thinks it's cute ...

scythe

"Well well- lookey here."

-she planned this. she's the reason the mistletoe is there. this was not fate this was a grand plot and you don't even know the start of it.

-oh come on- of course scythe of all people would be all over this! it's an easy way to show off your relationship (she's possessive, sue her) and to get a free kiss. there's no way she's gonna pass up an opportunity like this.

-she makes a big show of it, sorry. she loves to get under your skin and fluster you, so she's gonna spend her time getting closer and teasing you about you looking a little embarassed.

-the kiss itself is surprisingly chaste and sweet, she likes showing you off but she's got class, alright?

shuriken

"Well, I'm waaaiting ..."

-plans it. he spends a good part of the night herding you over there at least once but most likely twice. sue him for wanting to kiss his partner...

-he's not super used to the tradition, so it's still got that allure of something new to him. he's got a hyped up view of it, so he's pretty excited and it shows in how he's grinning like an idiot the moment he gets the chance.

-this isn't to say its gonna wear off to him though- it'll get normalized, sure, but he still looks forward to it every time. it's romantic! it's cute! let him live!

-annoyingly sneaky about it too- please don't act too surprised, you're only going to feed his ego

hyperlaser

"Negative."

-it's a hard no in public. no explanation needed he's not doing it. If you really wanna you can kiss his helmet, and honestly ......... he would think it's cute. it's a stupid tradition but you pull it off.

-if you do, he'll return the favor later (once you have less eyes on you) by leaning his head against yours. it's not a huge deal but it's a little way of him sort-of doing it back .. in spirit at least.

-in private ... ehhhh. he's still iffy on it. if you ask really nicely he might lift his helmet up just enough, but that's about it. it's just not super comfortable for him.

-not a pda guy but he'll hold your hand and keep you at his side. it's nothing special toan on looker but to him it's a show of love and care- if he didn't love you, he wouldn't bother holding you so close to him. he values his space and privacy, so know that him including you in it is a way of him showing your importance to him.

-

medkit

"Really?"

-doesn't plan it ; he thinks its silly. around people, it's gonna be a no, he's not super into PDA. if it's just the two of you ... you could convince him.

-he still thinks it's stupid, but he's willing to do stupid things if it means you're happy. a very chaste kisser but that doesn't take any of the sentiment out of it, he really does mean every little gesture of affection.

-he's going to hold your hand most likely, it's a little comfort to him- he's prone to squeezing your hand in a nonverbal 'i love you.'

-he'll be thinking about it everytime he sees mistletoe again for the next few days. it's driving him a little crazy he's coming home and staring at your lips a little bit while you guys tell eachother about your day. expect a few more kisses than normal

boombox

"(You wanna?)"

-the truest of neutrals. he thinks it's cute and he doesn't mind pda, but it's not something he sees as super important. he's very confident in your relationship and he's pretty affectionate already, so it's your call really

-it'll probably be just a quick peck, but that's only because he's probably kissed you a few times already and has haf an arm around you the whole night anyway

-really, it's just not necessary. you're already pissing everyone off with how sweet the two of you are you don't need the extra gesture.

subspace

"Ugh- Don't be ridiculous!"

-he's only going to realize if someone else walks him through it. he's not super familiar with all the traditions that go with the season, so a lot of them come off as pretty strange to him.

-if it's around other people, it's not happening, sorry. at most, he'll take you kissing the mask, but even then he might grumble a bit (he likes showing off, being vulnerable and recieving affection is a little different). nothing personal, he's just not taking it off around others.

-if it's just you two though ... then he can be swayed. he'll still think it's stupid and you're being strange but he signed up for that. he'll do it if only to see what all the fuss is about.

-'that's it?' and then he's doing it again the next time you ask. he is not immune.

vine staff

"Oh! Well, only if you'd like to..."

-she will not notice unless someone points it out to her. she's spent a lot of holiday seasons with shuriken and slingshot, so she just forgot this was apart of the holiday honestly. she's a lot more accustomed to the chaos than the sweeter little things (help her).

-while everyone would ask first, she's the most 'whatever' about it. It's a cute thing, don't get her wrong! she just doesn't feel the need to perform, for lack of a better term. she loves you and knows you love her, she doesn't really feel the need to show that off too much.

-if it was a smaller gathering, she'd be a little more into it, but if it's a bigger party she's happy to just talk to you about anything and everything under the mistletoe instead.

-very short and chaste but sweet all the same. she might grab and hold onto one of your hands, she usually won't let go afterwords either. smile

coil

"Aww- Did you plan this?"

-he doesn't set it up at first. the first time, he kinda forgot it was a thing- he's been busy! but once he realizes he's got a free 'kiss s/o' AND 'show s/o off' card, it's over. he's so smooth with it it's annoying. whether he meets you there so you have to stop below it or he casually leads you over while you're both talking, it might as well say gullible on the ceiling.

-like skate, he likes pulling you real close. he's a fan of physical affection, so you bet he's taking the chance to throw his arms around you. even afterwards, he'll keep an arm slung around you.

-he can't go to big parties, so he's usually just around skates gang, but he'll still take the opportunity to brag. he knows you're a catch, he knows you're sweet on him, how could he not be a little smug?

-if you pull a fast one on him and pull HIM under the mistletoe though, you can bet he's impressed. he'll be teasing you about it for a bit, but only because he thinks it's adorable.

[howlingmod]

Hello mod, may I request something cutesy for Skateboard x reader?

summary - skateboard x reader, reader is from blackrock and is described as being a little bit messed up from it (not detailed)

misc - hi i seen this request and got so excited i love skateboard ... 1million tripmine attack go

-Skateboard hadn't really been looking to make any new friends when he'd stumbled onto you. It'd been late at night and he was dead tired, having spent the entire day in the blistering heat of day. He was really just looking to go home when he'd seen you.

-It wasn't uncommon to see people lost in Playground, especially people from other regions. It was less common to see someone frantically pacing back and forth with a stuffed full suitcase and what was very obviously a Blackrock-style uniform talking about getting hunted for sport.

-Initially, the uniform had put him on edge. He phights Subspace and Hyperlaser all the time and he's seen plenty of people from there pass through Playground, and it wasn't often they had good intentions. There was something different about you, though, your panic didn't seem manufactured to draw someone in, it felt unnervingly genuine. Blackrock isn't exactly known for letting its residents easily slip out whenever they want. if you really were some kind of runaway, you definitely had reason to be freaking out.

-Against his better judgement, he approached you.

"Hey man, are you ok?" Skate asked cautiously, taking a few steps closer to you. He kept his distance, he wasn't sure what kind of gear you might have and he wasn't looking to phight right now. Your head had whipped towards him the moment he'd stepped into the alley, wide eyes darting over his figure. He certainly didn't look like the type to be affiliated with the faction. Besides, to be entirely honest, an alley was a pretty terrible place to hide. For any Blackrock authority with an itchy trigger finger (most of them, you noted bitterly), it was the perfect place to solve a runaway. "Hello...?" You blinked, remembering he'd asked a question. "O-Oh, um... Yeah I'm- I'm fine," you stammered, hastily smoothing yourself out and ripping your eyes away. Any attempt at looking casual was soaked in anxiety. "Right, Right," he didn't believe you at all, "You mind telling me what's up then?" You kicked at the ground a few times, scuffing up already worn workboots out in an attempt to shake your nerves. You couldn't meet his eyes for more than a glance. "I'd rather not." Skate paused for a few moments. Maybe it's exhaustion talking, but you really didn't seem like much of a threat. If you were trying to bait him into getting close, it seemed counterintuitive to be acting so guarded. This didn't feel like an elaborate scheme, it just felt like a genuine moment of crisis. Before he could say anything, you spoke up again. "Listen I just- Do you need something? I really don't know why you're talking to me." You were struggling to keep your voice firm, but you couldn't afford to let your voice wobble over the edge and into tears. "Hey, just calm down. I wanna help you, ok?" This could have been a stupid move, but he took another few steps closer, one arm holding his board and the other raised in a show of pacifism, "I'm sorry if I was freakin' you out with all the questions. Do you have anywhere to go?" You bit the inside of your cheek, mentally debating if you really wanted to put this onto a stranger. On one hand, it was just humiliating for you. On the other, it was a risk, he might be playing nice now but he could sell you out in a heartbeat. "No." "Alright, well how about you come with me?" He was quick to clarify when you glanced at him, "You can stay with me until you find a place! Or, I could try and find some hotel nearby, I guess ..." He trailed off, talking more to himself than you. Part of you was screaming to run the other way, as far as you knew this guy had you totally figured out and was ready to use the situation to get whatever it was he wanted. He could blackmail you, rat you out, ruin every chance you have at a new life. You can't just pick up and keep running if he tries anything, this guy was clearly from here, far more familiar with the bustling city than you were. Despite all this- "Please."

-It was a pretty long adjustment period. Skate was a little too casual and open for your paranoid mind to comprehend and you were a little too guarded and mysterious for Skate to trust you fully. You were so unfamiliar with Playground's culture, the lively and crowded atmosphere was a stark contrast to the utilitarian lifestyle you were accustomed to. There was little you could do other than try and bully forward.

-It was the little things that made Skate warm up to you. You always insisted it was out of politeness whenever he'd confront you about how nice the place looked or how there was leftovers for him when he got home. You would get wrapped up in something and you would start talking to yourself, walking through all the different steps and alternatives in a long ramble under your breath. Despite the exterior you were putting up, there was clearly some life to you yet.

-Sometimes he would tease you about it, but he was surprisingly strategic. He'd annoy you just enough to get you to glare at him and then back off for a while, returning the favor by bringing home snacks and takeout for the two of you in an effort to draw out more of that humanity. Besides, you could really use the food. The day he noticed most everything you made for yourself was just whatever used the least amount of resources was the same day he shoved most of his portion over to you without a word.

-Neither of you really noticed how you opened up to one another. Slowly you two stopped sitting on opposite sides of the room until you spent nights laying on one another watching bad tv. Admittedly, he might've gotten the first hint at his crush for you the first time you fell asleep on him. Sure, it was just plain cute, but it meant something more knowing it was you, the same person who used to run off to go eat by yourself every night and stuck to the corners of a room.

-He noticed your quirks become more apparent, little references and phrases he'd never heard before suddenly littered your every word. You spoke more openly, though you still had a tendency of not talking unless he said something that absolutely called for it. He didn't mind, he was usually the more chatty one in his friendships anyway. He just liked getting an excuse to tell you about all the phights he's been in and all the (more lighthearted) things his gang was up to. At some points, the lines between fabrication and reality in his stories blurred for whatever reason. He didn't mind that either, so long as you were laughing or drawn in by what he was saying.

-You weren't into the idea of phighting yourself, it was just a little too much for you. Besides, even the idea of seeing Hyperlaser or Subspace again on the battlefield of all places made your stomach churn. Instead, he'd just gotten you into play wrestling with him. You were stronger than he'd been expecting, though he probably should've known you would be considering your background. He didn't have to take it easy on you, only really holding back for the sake of not breaking anything.

-It was cliche, but there was some time where you'd won and managed to shove him down and keep him there and all the admiration he' been building up for you overflowed and left him looking up at you with some dumb grin. You were smiling back, something you'd only recently really started doing again. He liked to think it was because you were comfortable here with him, you would agree.

"Hi." "Hey." He laughed again, a nervous habit you often poked fun at, "You're really pretty, you know that?" You'd burnt up at that, laughing a little yourself as you stared down at him, "Where's this coming from?" "I dunno, just been thinking it." "You're weird." "Do you like me weird?" You snorted, halfheartedly swatting him one more time before pushing yourself back up. "Of course." "That's good, I like you weird too," the moment he'd finished his sentence, you were already pouncing on him again.

[howlingmod]

hello hello! I've never requested stuff before so i hope I'm doing this right lol, I'm wondering if i can request something tender and fluffy for follower sword x reader?

i just wanna hold that man in my arms bro, and your writing is just so peak

summary - follower sword x reader hcs. ur both phighters, uninetionally a little aut4aut coded woops

misc - thank you so much ! im glad you enjoy my writing .. smiles .. apologies if this is a little lackluster or inaccurate, this beast is weird. also yay first request !

-To say dating Sword can be a little unconventional is an understatement. More than once have people shot you a look once you told them who your partner is. Regardless, you wouldn't have it any other way and neither would Sword.

-Usually, people are confused as to how you guys got together in the first place. He's not exactly a social butterfly and he definitely comes off as threatening to most people, but there's no dramatic story to be found here, unfortunately. You just met him during a phight like most other people.

The match had been close, both teams were neck and neck for the point by now. It was a mad dash to get on the point or die trying, leaving more than a few people to try and make a run for it before falling to the other team the moment they were within a few feet. Every route lead to the same choking point, funneling everybody into a sea of flying bullets and swinging blades. Eventually, you noticed the crowd begin to thin as several people traded or finally picked someone on the other side off. If there was ever an opening, this was it. Stealing away from the corner you'd hidden in, you ran for the point, just barely dodging stray attacks before your feet touched the objective. The timer resumed in your teams favor, much to the other teams frantic irritation. A few of your teammates had bullied onto the objective just after you, helping fend off the incoming vigor of the enemy team in a last bid for the win, but it still wasn't enough. One got picked off, then another, and then another after that, then it was just you again. They'd gotten picks of their own and one had traded, but it still left you outnumbered. Given the exhaustion curling up your spine to lay heavy in your head and the dread of an inevitable loss hanging off your hands, you weren't winning this. Someone on the other team pushed towards you. You were slow on the uptake, pulling your gear just a few seconds too late through the fog of weariness. Practically in slow motion, you watched them reel back to swing, made to block it yourself, and a pale blade stick itself in the ground just between you two. With hands already raised, quickly identifing the blade's source, you instead made to cover your eyes before the flashing light could blind you. Where the once constant growl of battle had become ringing in your ears, there was silence. Peeking out behind your arms, there was nobody. It wouldn't last long, you knew that, but you finally felt as though you had a moment to breathe. Just a few seconds left. You could make out careful footsteps behind you, leaving you to whip your head around to the source. Instead of Shuriken or Scythe popping out to break the peace, you saw Sword. You hadn't seen too much of him that match, seemingly being focused on different areas (bitterly, you thought of asking him why he hadn't been helping you with the objective, but a better part of you decided against it.), but you were thanking the Heights he was on your team now. "Thanks for the help, you're a life saver," You hummed, smiling at him. He didn't return the gesture, hell, you aren't even sure he looked at you, given the lack of pupils. Faintly, you picked up some little grunt he made, a show of acknowledgement. That was enough for you. You turned back forwards, vaguely noting how he stopped next to you. Maybe he was tired too? You're sure he was focusing on trying to beat the other team into the ground for the match, so you wouldn't be surprised. The timer reached its peak, signalling your team's win. Neither of you made a sound, even as you picked up on your other teammates celebrating off in the distance. The air stayed peaceful, weight lifting off of you as you stood side-by-side. Nothing more needed to be said.

-Afterwards, you did your best to return the favor, though he rarely needed it. You would provide support in the ways you could, pointing a healer in his direction when he was in rough shape and picking off extra opponents if he was outnumbered. Where you'd expected to just help him out once or twice and consider the IOU paid off, he would return the aid right back. Without thinking about it, you two started to hover around eachother.

-He wasn't sure why he did it, just that, at some point, he began to think of you more than he needed to. It was good to know where your teammates were and what their status was, but he certainly didn't need to be worrying this much over an individual. Nevertheless, he would still check in on you, sending long glances your direction whenever you were nearby as a quick assesment of your condition.

-Even before matches you two would find eachother, sitting quietly as you two prepared for the upcoming phight. Sometimes, you would ramble to him as he listened wordlessly, only humming every now and then to let you know he was still paying attention (a habit he'd picked when his silence had lead you to trail off in the past).

-The first time you'd ever mentioned hanging out with him outside of a phight, he'd declined, if only out of unfamiliarity. He wasn't used to getting such direct, personal invites to be apart of other people's lives like that. It stuck in his head for a few days, the question of why you'd thought to pick him speficially rattling around in the back of his head.

-Eventually, he would be the one to invite you out. It wasn't anything special and, in all honesty, it was probably just to walk around. Nothing all that entertaining, but he didn't care about the activity as much as he did having more time to hear you talk.

-Likewise, the confession (after a long time of him sorting out his feelings, he still didn't totally understand how he felt once you two got together but he knew you were greatly important to him), was pretty mundane. You're probably the one to do it since he's not super familiar with the concept, at least not beyond a surface level understanding of what it looks like for other people. To you two, it's an intimate moment: you trust him enough to open yourself up to rejection and he cares about you enough to make clear he's interested in you as well. To others, it's a very blunt, robotic moment on his part contrasting to your obvious sentiment. Oh well.

-Anyhow, as for how you to interact once you get together, it's more of the same. A lot of the time, you two are just existing with one another. It would come off as uncaring if it weren't for him seeking you out just to be in your company, even if you're not interacting in any way. He just likes having you there, you make him feel whole in a strange way, something about your presence makes him feel like some wrong has been righted.

-He's a little nosy about your hobbies. If you're reading a book he wants you to tell him about it, if you're making something he wants to know how you're doing it, so on, so forth. He doesn't know why, he just likes to know everything he can about you. If we allow the more sentimental wording to fall, you're like a specimen he needs to learn about and put under a microscope, lovingly.

-His love language, other than time, is gifting things to you, actually. Most times it's odd trinkets he comes across that remind him of you, but its the thought that counts. He takes the utmost care for them to not get ruined before he can gift them to you and you can just barely notice him stand a little straighter when you happily take them. If you have a spot for all the things he's given you, he admires it with pride every time, blame it on bird instincts.

-He often just calls you by your name, he just doesn't think any nickname compares to your actual name. That's the title of the person he loves, what else could compare?

-It takes him a while to warm up to physical affection, so give him some time with that. Once he's settled into a relationship with you, he's a lot more open to any touch you give. He most enjoys whenever you lean on him, he enjoys being someone you can count on for support and comfort. On his part, he's a sucker for you holding his face in your hands, something about it just feels so tender. The way your hands cradle his head just feels so soothing.

-The first time he says 'I love you,' is a whisper, but don't let that fool you into thinking their meaning is any smaller. It's a total declaration of his heart to you, how could he not mean it when you're the light of his life?

[howlingmod]

Warm

summary - katana x reader. reader is described to have a broken horn and it's implied to have been some sort of big deal but it's not super detailed

wc - i dunno again. woops

misc - heretic katana ily ... also sorry for any mistakes i love writing tired on a whim. smiles

It was late. The sky had long since turned pitch as the rain continued to pour on and on. Crossroads had fallen quiet for the night, rain driving passerby indoors and locking them inside for the evening. The silence was broken only by the constant pittering of the rain, tapping on the window sill and running down the sides of your apartment building.

Katana couldn't complain. While he stayed at your place rather frequently, he had yet to adjust to the louder bands of night owls that often roamed at this time. It'd keep him up, picking up the faint noise of conversation and movement. It'd keep you up, if only because of his stiffness. The hustle and bustle of the city had long become white noise to you, leaving tonight with a strange absence the rain couldn't fill.

That was probably why the both of you were still awake at this point, even if only partially so. Your body felt heavy, lead weights accumulating in your limbs to keep you firmly planted as you were. You didn't have a huge bed, but you two were still far closer than you needed to be, tangled together and facing one another.

A hand trailed from your arm up to your face, warmth bleeding into your skin before slowly ebbing back out. From there, it travelled further upwards to the base of a horn, left fractured and badly cauterized.

After an injury, horns can eventually grow back, so long as the trauma hasn't completely destroyed the tissue. By all means, you should've been able to grow yours back, but not everything turns out as it should. There had been too much blood loss, too much sensitive tissue and nerve endings left exposed that was sure to get infected in the mess. If your horn was to get infected in such a vulnerable state, you likely wouldn't be here. And so, as opposed to the fine, smooth edges you once had, there was now a mess of shards and sinew firmly covered by synthetic material affixed to the remaining pieces.

Nerve endings had been burned off, but even the faintest touch still resonated deep in the hollows and grooves of your horn. Ordinarily, you would flinch back, grab at your horn until you could numb it again with enough stimulation, but instead you laid still. You couldn't see his and moving, but you could feel him exploring the cracks left over.

You could feel the featherlight touch of a fingertip tracing the spidery splinters in the surface till they faded back into the thick of the material. You could feel it roll back up to the division of synthetic material and your own- if his touch hadn't been careful before, it was near paranoid now, just barely grazing the surface for fear of hurting you. After following the groove all around the reachable exterior, it fell back down to tracing along the length of it, long cracks and imaginary shapes alike.

You could barely make out the glint of light on his eyes and exposed teeth. You could just barely find the roughened skin and dense gums, could just see the edges of where once smooth skin had been ripped open to leave his insides bare. Your hand was too heavy to move, too heavy to even think about moving it, so you settled for tracing along the edges with your eyes.

He didn't like his face, that much had been made clear to you. To him, it was a reminder of awful times, of pain and torture he would never forget, mentally or physically. To you, it was his face. It was all you had ever known him to look like. The only Katana you knew was the scarred one, the one with leathery skin and bad memories. Likewise, he had never seen your original set of horns, perched proudly on the top of your head like a crown, he only knew the asymmetrical ones, one ripped apart while the other stayed as a reminder of what they were supposed to be.

You had been hesitant to ever let him get close to it, turning your head away to hide it whenever he even so much as glanced at it. With time, with bearing his own scars to you, you'd grown more comfortable with it. He still remembers the day you first touched the lip of your shorter horn to one of his, how neither of you had said anything. Neither of you felt the need to, the message had already been given.

"I love you."

Your throat felt dry, had you really said that? You figured you must have, if only beause he had smiled, skin pulling alongside his lips at your words.

"I love you too."

[howlingmod]

also while i am here ... reminder my inbox is open. smile emoji

[howlingmod]

also while i am here ... reminder my inbox is open. smile emoji

[howlingmod]

Warm

summary - katana x reader. reader is described to have a broken horn and it's implied to have been some sort of big deal but it's not super detailed

wc - i dunno again. woops

misc - heretic katana ily ... also sorry for any mistakes i love writing tired on a whim. smiles

It was late. The sky had long since turned pitch as the rain continued to pour on and on. Crossroads had fallen quiet for the night, rain driving passerby indoors and locking them inside for the evening. The silence was broken only by the constant pittering of the rain, tapping on the window sill and running down the sides of your apartment building.

Katana couldn't complain. While he stayed at your place rather frequently, he had yet to adjust to the louder bands of night owls that often roamed at this time. It'd keep him up, picking up the faint noise of conversation and movement. It'd keep you up, if only because of his stiffness. The hustle and bustle of the city had long become white noise to you, leaving tonight with a strange absence the rain couldn't fill.

That was probably why the both of you were still awake at this point, even if only partially so. Your body felt heavy, lead weights accumulating in your limbs to keep you firmly planted as you were. You didn't have a huge bed, but you two were still far closer than you needed to be, tangled together and facing one another.

A hand trailed from your arm up to your face, warmth bleeding into your skin before slowly ebbing back out. From there, it travelled further upwards to the base of a horn, left fractured and badly cauterized.

After an injury, horns can eventually grow back, so long as the trauma hasn't completely destroyed the tissue. By all means, you should've been able to grow yours back, but not everything turns out as it should. There had been too much blood loss, too much sensitive tissue and nerve endings left exposed that was sure to get infected in the mess. If your horn was to get infected in such a vulnerable state, you likely wouldn't be here. And so, as opposed to the fine, smooth edges you once had, there was now a mess of shards and sinew firmly covered by synthetic material affixed to the remaining pieces.

Nerve endings had been burned off, but even the faintest touch still resonated deep in the hollows and grooves of your horn. Ordinarily, you would flinch back, grab at your horn until you could numb it again with enough stimulation, but instead you laid still. You couldn't see his and moving, but you could feel him exploring the cracks left over.

You could feel the featherlight touch of a fingertip tracing the spidery splinters in the surface till they faded back into the thick of the material. You could feel it roll back up to the division of synthetic material and your own- if his touch hadn't been careful before, it was near paranoid now, just barely grazing the surface for fear of hurting you. After following the groove all around the reachable exterior, it fell back down to tracing along the length of it, long cracks and imaginary shapes alike.

You could barely make out the glint of light on his eyes and exposed teeth. You could just barely find the roughened skin and dense gums, could just see the edges of where once smooth skin had been ripped open to leave his insides bare. Your hand was too heavy to move, too heavy to even think about moving it, so you settled for tracing along the edges with your eyes.

He didn't like his face, that much had been made clear to you. To him, it was a reminder of awful times, of pain and torture he would never forget, mentally or physically. To you, it was his face. It was all you had ever known him to look like. The only Katana you knew was the scarred one, the one with leathery skin and bad memories. Likewise, he had never seen your original set of horns, perched proudly on the top of your head like a crown, he only knew the asymmetrical ones, one ripped apart while the other stayed as a reminder of what they were supposed to be.

You had been hesitant to ever let him get close to it, turning your head away to hide it whenever he even so much as glanced at it. With time, with bearing his own scars to you, you'd grown more comfortable with it. He still remembers the day you first touched the lip of your shorter horn to one of his, how neither of you had said anything. Neither of you felt the need to, the message had already been given.

"I love you."

Your throat felt dry, had you really said that? You figured you must have, if only beause he had smiled, skin pulling alongside his lips at your words.

"I love you too."

[howlingmod]

wallter and mannequin mark when alloy steel walks in

[howlingmod]

LIQUID SUNSHINE

summary - valk x reader , reader's also an idol .. smiles .. more valk pining than anything sorry

wc - i dunno ...

misc - very based on spltoon i wont even lie you are the ian bgm to his squid sistrs (< incomprehensible)

-Valk liked to keep a good eye on the music scene, seeing what everyone else was doing or if there were any new groups on the rise in crossroads- it's just exciting to him! He likes seeing how people innovate on trends and the styles that different artists bring to the table, and, from a business perspective, it's just good to know how the music scene's doing for flipside's sake ...

-He usually just kept an ear out on social media to see who everyone's talking about, and that's how he learned about you.

-You were a part of a band from one of the other regions, and apparently you guys were pretty popular there! He hadn't heard of you before, but it seems like you were just a well-kept secret, a hidden gem.

-It didn't take long for him to make plans to visit, see just how much of an idol you really were. He just wanted to make sure he got the full perspective, is all! (And, admittedly, he was just a little intrigued by some of the photos he seen ... he has eyes! Get off his case!)

-Needless to say, he was not disappointed. He made sure to visit when your band was supposed to be performing and he was decently surprised by the crowd that had formed. It was a smaller concert than he was used to (it's not easy being known by the grand majority of the inpherno ...), but everyone there seemed totally enthralled and happy to be there. You guys definitely had a big reputation for yourselves here, he was honestly a little sad it'd taken this long for him to find out about you guys ...

-Once the show was over, he made sure to try and talk to you all. He had to be careful about it, keeping his head down and sticking to the edges of the room, but he managed to get close without being recognized. After he quietly thanked the Heights for it being a night show (he wouldn't have been able to see the stage before getting someone shouting his name if it was daytime), he made his way over to you.

-You all seemed to be about even in popularity, none of you seeming particularly shafted or overhyped by your fans, but you'd been the one he heard about the most. (Though, that probably wasn't true. He probably heard about all of you the same amount and just paid the most attention when you were being focused on. Woops.) So, he figured it was only fair he tried talking to you.

The diguise he hastily threw together felt just a little silly now. Sure, it'd worked pretty well so far, but he was really starting to doubt that it would work up close like this. I mean, it's not exactly easy to hide horns like his and his fake voice-persona-mix was really starting to fall apart.

"Where'd you say you're from?" Your voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Crossroads, I just wanted to see one of your guys' shows in person, they seemed pretty fun from everything I saw online," he answered honestly, smiling in a gesture you returned with your own. "Aw! I really hope you liked it then, I hope we were worth the travel..." "Oh, for sure! You guys are super talented! You've got such a unique style, I can definitely see how you pull such a big crowd." Ok, maybe he was laying it on thick, but he was being genuine! He was impressed! Whatever! You laughed at that, shifting in place and glancing off to the side, face feeling warm. "Thank you, I'm just glad people like our work, we put a lot of effort into it." He hummed in response, a mix between acknowledgement and shared opinion. Clearly, even if you two had very different scenes, you were still pretty alike, at least in how you viewed your work. A silence fell after that, just barely ebbing into uncomfortable before he shot up. "Oh, I totally forgot!" He started fumbling for something in his bag before hastily pushing over a vinyl he'd got before heading over here and a market he'd thrown in his bag only a little shamefully, "Would you mind?" You smiled at him, gingerly taking it from his hands, "Not at all, who should I make this out to?" He blanched, biting the inside of his lip hard. He hadn't thought of a name, at all. He stammered, glancing around the room quickly for some answer. Pen was so boring, Poster was obviously a lie, and he's not even entertaining Chair. You snickered, just barely failing to bite it back, "I'll just keep it general." His eyes shot back to you, silently letting out the breath he'd been holding, "Yeah, that works. Thanks." You waved your hand dismissively, "It's nothing, don't sweat it." You handed the vinyl back over to him, meeting his gaze again. There was a glimmer of something he couldn't quite name, perhaps because he was a little distracted by just how pretty you looked in this lighting. Sure, you'd been killer on stage, but it was different seeing you up close like this. Maybe he should've invested in closer seats ... Before he could think to bite his tongue, he was talking again, "You ever think about collabs?"

-He had a different kind of pep in his step when he got back to crossroads. He seemed to be in a constant state of distraction, always thinking about something or other enough to risk walking into walls a few times now. Sometimes he'd say it was music, some bar that he was stuck on. Othertimes, he'd just shake his head and say 'nothing,' before going back to staring off into space. Dom could see right through it, and while he couldn't read his mind, he figured it probably had to do with that person he kept seeing on his phone.

-Valk wasn't sure of where to go from here. He'd seen one of your concerts, he'd talked to you, even figured out you guys were open to working with other artists! Curiosity satiated, right? So then why were you still taking up so much space in his mind, often entirely seperated from your band and music?

-Should he have asked for your number? No, that would've been creepy. He knows more than well how fans can be about that sort of thing. Should he have just told you who he was, then? Ugh, that sounded so full of himself. Flipside might be famous, but that doesn't give him a free friendship card for everyone ever. He was pulling his hair out trying to figure out what he was missing here, what misstep he'd taken, by the time another concert came up.

-This one was different, rather than being a concert he and Dom performed at exclusively, this one had people from all around inpherno perform. It was a big deal, one that he was usually giddy about for weeks before. Seems like he really had been awfully distracted with how it slipped his mind ...

-He didn't have much time to mourn, however, when he noticed your band's name was on the list.

Before the show, there was a red carpet sort of ordeal. Musicians would show up dressed to the nines, flaunting their identity and background through their dresswear for everyone to see. It gave the public some nice photos to look at and some introductions to lesser-known artists with some of the impromptu interviews that cropped up with all the paparazzi. Plus, it now gave Valk an opportunity to talk to you again. It was hard to pull off his usually casual and relaxed demeanor whenever he'd pass photographers by, not wanting to deal with some big ordeal if he looked as nervous as he felt. Maybe you'd already walked? Where would you be then? Heights, what if you'd all pulled out last minute? Maybe you wouldn't even wanna talk to him anyway, did you think he was overhyped? Ugh, that was a whole new thing to worry about. What if he came off as pushy?- Just as he started to spiral, he'd caught a glimpse of familiar horns. Quickly turning to look, he'd seen you standing off in one of the staff-only areas, seemingly fixing up your outfit with all the fluffing and smoothing you were doing. He started over, minding his pace enough to not run over and freak you out. Whatever planned conversation starter he had on his tongue fell flat when you'd looked back at him. Your stage-wear had been perfectly translated to the event, dressed up enough to draw the eye but still retaining your usual sense of style enough to not come off as tryhardy. In shorter terms, you were a showstopper, a heartthrob- if his own heart's aching, fast beat was anything to go off of. "You look nice," he managed lamely. You took the weak compliment in stride, smiling as your hands finally left your top alone, "Thanks! You don't look half bad yourself." He smiled back at you, noticably relaxing, "Are you nervous at all?" "I mean, a little, but I think everyone gets a little bit of stage fright," you hummed, "it's always a little nerve-wracking, you just get better at managing it." "Huh, yeah, I can see that.." "What about you, are you nervous at all?" You shot him a look then, smile just a tinge more wry this time around. He straighted back up, subconsciously shifting in place as he laughed. "Ah, well, a little. It's different performing in front of a more diverse crowd, usually you just have to worry about people who already like your genre, but here you've gotta think about the variety of tastes in the audience," he hummed, steadily growing more comfortable as he talked. He might not be the best at talking to people he wants to impress (when did he start wanting to impress you?), but he considered himself pretty strong in his business sense. The greater mechanisms of being a musician came to him easier than making connections beyong shared interest. You gave a little noise of acknowledgement in response, falling quiet as you thought over his words. He could just barely hear the distant white noise of crowds chattering a room over the buzzing lights in here, fixing his gaze on some scuff on the ground for fear of staring. You suddenly shot up as the silence began to drag on a moment too long, turning your head back to him, "I almost forgot. You asked me about collabs at my concert," you started shuffling around your [ purse / pockets ], "I don't know if you were offering or anything, but if you were ..." you trailed off, holding out a small slip of paper to him. He didn't respond for a few seconds, staring blankly at the paper in surprise. Eventually, he rembered how to move his arms and speak, reaching out to take the slip from you, carefully unfolding it to reveal digits. "You uh... recognized me then, I'm guessing." "You have a pretty memorable face." He sucked in a breath through his teeth, pointedly ignoring the warmth crawling up the back of his neck, "Ah."

[howlingmod]

follow-up to Allusive !

summary - hcs + drabble continuation of allusive ... the ooc confession hath arrived. lampert x reader

wc - 1.5k

misc - sort of requested by @ra-bies . technically. (sorry for the @)

-Lampert did not actually tell you that night. Woops. He wanted to, and he really thought he was gonna! He knew if he didn’t just get it off his chest there was a pretty good chance he’d end up never telling you and agonizing over how he could for forever. Even then, though, he couldn’t risk blurting it out wrong and saying something entirely by accident. He would be mortified for life if he said something stupid after such a special moment between the two of you. So instead he just made up a story about something he saw at Rokea earlier that day he thought you’d find funny and then stared off into space for the rest of the night. Needless to say, he had to come up with something better, and soon.

-He’s really not sure of where to start. Sure, he knows the cliche romantic stuff people to do confess their feelings, but all of it feels a little … off. It’s just not something he would do, and he’s sure you would notice if he was doing something so wildly out of character for him, which runs the risk of making you uncomfortable or think he’s not being genuine and that’s the last thing he needs.

-So, he’s gotta figure out something you would understand. He thinks a lot about how you two normally hang out, all the places you tend to drag him whenever you’re off of work and have money to spare and the energy to go out. You’ve taken him to a couple of places near your work, a handful of small stores and a restaurant or two, but that’s just a little too casual, isn’t it? I mean, yeah, he had a lot of fun on those little outings with you, but they’re all right by your job. You see them every day– hell, you probably go visit them pretty often!

-You’ve taken him to a few more ‘special’ places, too. There was some clearing at a nearby park you’d showed him, flopping down on the ground to look up at the stars. There wasn’t anything super unique about the place, but Lampert didn’t really remember it for that anyway. He mostly just remembers talking with you there, how you went on tangent after tangent about customers or random conversations you overheard or something you remembered from when you were younger. He didn’t have too much to add, his day had been pretty normal and his childhood was a lot of just him looking at furniture, but it was nice. He liked hearing you talk, the sound of your voice, how much fun you were having. You’d gone long enough that your voice was still scratchy the next day, much to your chagrin. Despite the sore throat, he was sure you had fun too, since you talked about going back there with him someday soon.

- … But that also felt pretty cliche. I mean, yeah, that was a pretty special experience to him, but a “beautiful, starry clearing” felt just tropey enough to make him cringe. He might as well bring a bouquet of roses and a handwritten letter.

-So, that left him with one other idea: your place. Sure, it seemed pretty lame– It’s your house. You go there every day and spend a whole lot of time there, but it felt like the only place really unique to the two of you. You two have spent plenty of nights watching bad movies on your tv or going on about this and that over drinks. Besides, that’s where he was planning on telling you in the first place, wasn’t it?

-He would’ve considered his place, but he didn’t really wanna risk some random passerby overhearing such a sensitive conversation, especially if you didn’t return his feelings. A fort in the middle of a store only has so much privacy, and he wasn’t sure you’d be a fan of the dark of the store after hours.

-Even with a location figured out now, he was a little apprehensive. He really didn’t wanna risk throwing out your guys’ friendship over unreturned feelings, but he also knew he couldn’t really make them go away and you would start to notice something’s up eventually. You probably wouldn’t cut him off just because you didn’t feel the same, but the fact it was a ‘probably’ and not a ‘definitely’ felt like it may as well have been an outright no.

-Either which way, he had to give it a try. If you didn’t feel the same, that was fine, he’s sure he could still be your friend. Hopefully. If you did feel the same, though, then … yay. He’s not really sure how to put into words how happy he’d be.

-You’d invited him over as per usual and the night had been pretty normal for the most part. You two had dinner and were just sitting around talking, but he’d decided to let you take the lead in conversation tonight, since he had to gather his confidence to say this right.

“… You alright, man? Been pretty quiet,” You hummed, looking over at your friend. He’d been sitting pretty stiffly, now that you looked at him. He was on the other side of the couch, facing forward with his hands folded on his lap and looking right ahead, though his eyes had shifted over to look over at you once you addressed him.

“Huh? Oh, uh … yeah, I’m fine. But uh … could I talk to you about something?” He asked, uncharacteristically anxious. That was enough to make you sit up straighter, already dreading what was to come.

“Oh, yeah. For sure. What do you wanna talk about?” You hoped you sounded normal enough, it was a little hard to get those words out through the worry tightening arond your throat.

He seemed to pick up on it, though, efforts be damned. He’d suddenly turned to you then, fully shifting to face you and waving his hands, “Don’t worry! It’s nothing bad! I probably should’ve worded that a little better, sorry, it’s just sort of … big? Complicated? I dunno.”

You relaxed at that, but still kept an edge of uncertainty, unsure of where this was going. There was a pause for a few moments, each of you waiting for the other to say something more. “Well … you gonna tell me about the big news or what?”

He smiled at that, scoffing a laugh, “Yeah, yeah. Sorry. But … do you remember when I asked you if I could tell you something?” He paused, looking at you. You stared back blankly, lips pulled into a straight line. “That one night? The one where you got those wires for me? I followed it up with some like, dumb story or whatever.”

“Oh! That night! Yeah, I remember, what about it?”

“Well,” Lampert took a breath, looking off into the side and folding his hands together again, “I wasn’t really … honest, about what I wanted to tell you.”

“I didn’t just wanna tell you about some stupid guy at Rokea,” he continued, leaning back against the arm of the couch, pulling his legs up to fully mirror your position, “I was thinking about something else and just kinda panicked once I’d actually said something.”

You blinked at him, and he took another breath, tensing up as he physically braced himself for the point of no return. “So, I was actually kinda thinking about … ugh, how do I say this? Us? Like, ugh, no, that sounds so …” he trailed off, rubbing at his eyes hard, “I don’t know, I just … I felt so safe, y’know? I don’t really like other people touching me, much less sticking their hands in me like that, but I didn’t mind it when it was you.”

“I always kinda felt like that, I guess, but I just never really noticed it until then. And it’s not just that, either. You’ve always been there for me, you’re funny even if you’re being annoying, you always think about me and you’ve done so, so much for me and I just–” he sighed, letting go of held breath, “I really appreciate you, I like having you in my life. You mean a lot to me.”

He risked looking at you then, meeting wide eyes, “You can say no if you want to, of course. I don’t wanna lose you over some stupid confession. But … if you’d want to, I’d like to go out with you.”

You didn’t respond for a few seconds, blinking at him. Okay, clearly you didn’t feel the same. That’s fine, okay, he can deal with that. He should say something, he opens his mouth to speak again.

“Lampert I’ve been dropping hints for like weeks now.”

“Huh?”

“Dude,” you were laughing now, badly biting them back, “Do you think I invite anyone over this much? Why do you think I took you to that one stupid, fancy cafe a while ago?”

“I- Well,” Lampert stammered, struggling to wrap his head around what you were saying, “How was I supposed to know that?! You never said anything!”

You threw your head back, laughing harder now. If he liked you any less, he would be walking away right now. Instead, he was sitting and watching you laugh at him like an idiot. “Man! Whatever, who cares. But yes, I’d like to go out with you too.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. You mean a lot to me too, if that wasn’t obvious.”

…

“But for the record, I knew you were bullshitting that story in the first place.”

“Oh lay off!”