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we're back baby

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Cannot explain what sparked this

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also off-topic but the way that leo's team (in my version) doubles as his harem is so funny

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Rereading some old stuff to make sure everything else I wrote in the new chapter is correct, and super random but the fact that with the first Sebastian hallucination Chase immediately wanted Adam and with the second he immediately wanted Bree

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lil update on my cat: she is finally, painstakingly recovered :)

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lmao i forgot i had chase use kaz as a blowtorch and that's one of my favorite writing decisions i've ever made

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shes mostly ok, getting better at least. A picture for shits and gigs because I love her more than life itself

i only just got settled moving-wise but my cat is suddenly freakishly ill. concerningly so. so it's goig to be more time before i can post the thing

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i only just got settled moving-wise but my cat is suddenly freakishly ill. concerningly so. so it's goig to be more time before i can post the thing

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EFCU day 1 - prompt: alternate universe (Squid Game)

So I don't have time to write out/sketch anything since I'm still moving, but have my brain worm: squid game au (tw for deaths/suicide)

Votes are only counted for actual characters, but there's the usual 456 here.

Now, ABC are siblings who knew each other, sent to the games by Donald for an unknown reason (espionage). Highly skilled, no one knows why, but also no one messes with them (particularly Adam because he's terrifying lol). Adam pulls an Ali in red light, green light, saving Leo (who doesn't know them) despite Bree and especially Chase's protests for interfering with the mission.

Childhood friends Kaz and Oliver see each other in the games, freak out ofc, and Oliver has to explain that his mom's business went under, and he's trying to win the money for her. Kaz is on the streets, having run away at 16, which was the last time they saw each other. They stick together even though they're slightly strained from Kaz essentially abandoning Oliver.

First Votes:

O: Adam, Bree, Chase, Skylar, Kaz, Tecton, Megahertz, Solar Flare, Perry, Marcus

X: Leo, Oliver, Horace, Alan, Gamma Girl, Snowstorm, Blue Tornado

Skylar was also alone, orphaned by war. She comes to the games, and in the pentathlon she somehow winds up whisked into a team with Kaz, Oliver, Alan, and Horace. She's very much like 120 despite being a lone wolf, so she leads them through. Horace takes on the role of the grandma (lol) taking care of the others in a parental way. He and Alan unfortunately follow the storyline of the grandma and her son

ABC, reluctantly on mostly Chase's part, accept Leo and keep going. Marcus joins their team on the pentathlon, before going back to the sidelines

Second Votes are the same

During the dorm fight, ABC protect Leo (though people don't really challenge them after seeing them in the games), and Skylar does her best to protect her group. Eventually, the mm trio gets separated from Horace and Alan, and they cross paths with ABC, accidentally starting a fight. Skylar and Adam start wrestling, and in the universe with no powers, he's significantly physically stronger. When Kaz tries to help her, he gets attacked by Bree while Chase goes to Adam to ensure he wins. Leo and Oliver are trying to get them to stop, because there's no reason to fight each other. Marcus comes from the sidelines to help, but before he does, Tecton and Megahertz, found by Horace and reluctantly helping him, intervene in the fight, knocking ABC away. Before there's any retaliation, the lights come on. Perry had the most kills, one of the few aggressors actively seeking a fight.

Votes after this round:

O: Bree, Chase, Skylar, Kaz, Tecton, Megahertz, Perry, Marcus

X: Adam (which angers his siblings, but Leo begged him to help end the games), Leo, Oliver, Horace, Alan, Solar Flare, Gamma Girl, Snowstorm, Blue Tornado

Mingle comes, and everyone survives until the last count: 2. Without saying anything, Bree and Adam immediately take Chase and Leo, respectively, to a room. Kaz and Oliver pair off from their group. Alan gets lost in the chaos, which, despite Horace's panic, Skylar pulls him with her. GG and SF make it to a room. Marcus grabs Perry. Tecton and Megahertz make it to a room. Snowstorm and Blue Tornado are separated. They find each other, but run out of time. Adam and Leo make it to a door. Alan is curled in the corner of the room, terrified. There's a pause before Adam shoves Leo into the room, unwilling to force Alan out. The door locks. Leo tries desperately to reopen it and save Adam. Adam tells him everything will be okay before running into the middle of the platform. He has no idea where his siblings are, but can tell they made it in safely, which gives him peace. He calls out their names, tells them he loves them, before a guard comes up behind him. Bree sinks against the wall, putting her head in her hands, while Chase screams for Adam, watching through the small window as the gun is raised.

Votes after this round:

O: Skylar, Kaz, Tecton, Megahertz, Perry, Marcus

X: Leo, Bree, Chase, Oliver, Horace, Alan, Solar Flare, Gamma Girl

Hide and Seek: Chase and Bree are utterly broken by their brother's death. Leo and Bree are both given runner roles. Chase is given attacker. Leo is nearly certain of where that knife will wind up. Kaz and Oliver get runner along with Horace and Skylar. Alan, Tecton, Megahertz, Perry, and Marcus are given attacker. GG and SF are runners. During the game, Chase eventually finds Leo, blaming him for Adam's death. The only thing that stops Chase from killing him is Bree shielding Leo with her own body, telling him that Adam would've never wanted this and that he'll have to kill them both to get rid of Leo. Chase tightens the grip on the knife, ready for a moment to hurt her as much as it takes to kill Leo. He can't bring himself to hurt her, ultimately, and leaves to kill someone else while Bree and Leo search for the exit together. Marcus and Perry have already passed. Gamma Girl gets in a fight with Tecton and Megahertz, trying to protect Solar Flare, who was already hurt in Mingle. She loses. Megahertz wheels on Solar Flare, but can't do it. He leaves her kneeling over her wife's body, going to find someone else. Kaz and Oliver are running from Chase in the maze, yelling for Skylar. Chase eventually grabs Oliver, raising the knife over his head. Kaz tackles him, wrestling the knife out of his hand. Despite the fact that Oliver was nearly killed, Kaz can't kill Chase. He knows he's only being so violent and angry because of Adam's death. And despite the fight during the midnight brawl, Kaz had actually grown to respect Adam as a person, so he understands the grief. He tells Chase to let him and Oliver go, and Kaz won't kill him right then and there. Chase agrees, going off to find another target. Skylar, Horace, Kaz, and Oliver all meet up, having found the exit. They're missing a triangle key. Leo and Bree find them, and Leo has the key they need. Bree was stabbed in the leg during a fight to kill an attacker. They open the exit, but Bree and Horace are adamant about making sure their family makes it through, too. Chase passes. Megahertz passes. Alan, like 7, couldn't kill anyone. Horace offers himself. Alan can't do it. He tries to kill Skylar, having fostered a quiet jealousy for her and Horace's closeness the whole time. Horace shoves him away. The time runs out. Despite Horace's pleas, Alan is killed.

Horace hangs himself that night.

Kaz, Oliver, and especially Skylar are filled with unimaginable grief the next morning.

O: Tecton, Perry, Marcus, Kaz

X: Leo, Bree, Chase, Oliver, Solar Flare, Megahertz

We can say the majority of unnamed players are dead, too

That leaves about 20 for jump rope. Solar Flare dies due to her injury. Bree tells Chase to take Leo across first, since she knows he won't be able to make it alone. Chase begrudgingly agrees. Oliver turns around after making it, just in time to see Kaz miss a step and plummet. Megahertz, who lunged to save Kaz for a reason he couldn't explain, falls too. Bree, begging Chase to stay on the other side and save himself, dies as well.

Leo, Chase, Skylar, Oliver, Tecton, Perry, and Marcus are the survivors of the game.

They wake up the next morning. Oliver had slit his own throat in the middle of the night, unable to cope with everything he had seen.

Chase is so lethargic by the next game that he can barely move. Skylar, once again alone, tries to hold her head high. Tecton is also grieving Megahertz's loss, regretting all of his votes to continue. Perry and Marcus are primed to continue. Leo, not wanting any part of the game anymore (despite coming here solely to afford medicine for baby Naomi), haltingly joins the rest.

Sky Squid Game:

Tecton is immediately killed by Perry, thrown off of the pillar. She tries to kill again, but is thrown off by Marcus. On the second pillar, despite being completely silent the whole time, Chase rips off the pole and sweeps both Marcus and Skylar off. While glaring at Leo, he gestures for him to make it to the final pillar. After they get there, Leo tries to negotiate. Chase isn't listening, fully blaming him for the deaths of his siblings, demanding to know why they'd give up their lives for someone as unimportant as Leo. Leo, feeling the overwhelming guilt, tries again to reason. This sparks a brutal fight between them (similar to the s1 finale). They don't know that one of their audience members is Chase's father, watching as his perfect soldier beats Leo bloody. He stands beside the richest people in the world, enjoying the entertainment. A piece of cement shatters the glass, revealing the VIPs. Chase instantly stops, staring at one in particular. Even with the golden mask, he knows it's his father. He demands to know if that's the only reason they were sent to the games: a showcase for Donald's ego. If that's all Adam and Bree's lives were worth. At Donald's silence, Chase simply shakes his head, tells him that the show's over, and backs off of the pillar, refusing to let him have the satisfaction and bragging rights.

Leo, half-dead, is the winner.

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I think a favorite dumb hc of my creation is that Bree is painfully mid/bad at all video games EXCEPT for racing ones, where she gets first every time without fail

I'd like to think that the first time Oliver and Kaz offered her a controller to play Mario Kart, Chase just started laughing menacingly at their foolish mistake

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LAB RATS | 03x17 "Brother Battle"

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BRO. so I've said I live in a Midwestern city, this is a common thing on my blog. But what in the hell is this afternoon 😭

Incident 1. Some neckbeard wearing a gulf of America tank top in a Walmart

Incident 2. Some dumbass bitch on her loud ass phone in a maga hat. Same walmart. She tried to walk out in front of me in the aisle. Didn't stop my cart. Because the world doesn't revolve around you, Bethany. In fact sped up a little. Was disappointed that she stopped before getting in front of me

Incident 3. Driving away from said walmart. Peacefully. Car pulls in front of me. Windshield sticker says "just a regular

MOM

trying not to raise liberals" which. The fact that that exists in the stupid live laugh love font is hilarious

Incident 4. Different store. FUCKING BETHANY IS HERE. ON THE PHONE. STILL.

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tw for discussion of non-con ao3 tag (plus more discussion in this post's tags)

guys why the hell is the most recent ef fic one that's seemingly sexualizing sa

someone post something please and thank you

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lil preview of the next chapter

“This is uncanny,” Kaz muttered, sitting on his bed. It really was. Everyone had changed into regular pajamas, ones they’d wear any night. They’d all brushed their teeth. Oliver stuck his retainer into his mouth. Bree had braided Skylar’s hair to protect the curls (a bit clumsier than Chase's, but effective enough). Kaz had treated Chase’s scars, cringing slightly at the fresher spots from April. Now they were scattered around the room, like this was normal. Weird. It hadn’t felt that way since Chase and Bree were abducted.

“Yeah,” Oliver agreed, pulling himself up the ladder. The metal bent slightly in his grip. “Oops.” The bed above Kaz’s head shook from Oliver’s weight settling down. 

“It’s like camp,” Kaz pointed out, slightly smiling at the memories of better times and unbelievably horny fireflies.

“Don’t remind me,” Oliver leaned over the edge to glare at Kaz. Kaz put his hands up.

“Who’s on the first watch?” Bree asked, folding back the corner of the comforter on her and Skylar’s bed. She tossed Chase a stern look, smoothing the yellow patches on her skin with one hand and pulling a hairbrush from her drawer with the other. “Who else?”

“I wasn’t offering,” Chase stuck his tongue out, joining Kaz on the bed. Kaz’s hand soothingly ran over his back instinctively, making him relax automatically. “I’m actually too tired,” he admitted quietly, leaning into Kaz. Kaz softened, rubbing up and down his arm and kissing his temple. He reached into the nightstand, pulling Chase’s patches out to begin attaching them.

“You might be dying, then,” Bree joked, rolling her eyes. She reached a hand past her neck before pausing, seemingly forgetting that she no longer had enough hair to toss over her shoulder. 

Oliver hoisted himself back up, sitting criss-crossed. He glanced at the pictures Douglas had put on the shelf. Whether he did that before knowing the brand new significance they held now or not was the mystery. He ran the tip of his finger over Horace’s face, sighing.

Kaz patted Chase’s shoulder. “Fair assumption. You know he’s a martyr. It’s his thing.”

“Mm,” Chase responded, turning into Kaz’s neck. Kaz hovered his hand over Chase’s stomach. He wasn’t great at telling temperature differences since getting his powers, especially lately, but it seemed to radiate heat through his thermal Davenport Industries shirt. He reached behind Chase, turning off the lamp, leaving the team in the light coming in from the rest of the RV through its round door.

“I’ll do it.”

Everyone startled. Skylar had been standing in the corner, so silent and unmoving that they forgot she was there. Her eyes were dully glowing, the only way they could pinpoint where she was through the shadows.

“What?” Bree tilted her head.

“I’ll take the watch.”

“No.” The glare Skylar shot Oliver was intense enough to make him jump. 

“Excuse me?”

“No,” he repeated. “You need to rest. The coal is still in your system.”

Skylar balled her fists.

Bree stood up, crossing the room to touch her hand. “He’s right. You need rest.” Skylar’s jaw clenched. “Please.”

There was a three-count.

Skylar softened. “...Fine,” she conceded. 

“I’ll take first watch,” Oliver slid off the bed, hovering to the back of the room. He tapped a few buttons on Chase’s capsule after getting a nod of approval from its owner, causing it to deposit a heavy winter coat. Overkill for a summer night? For anyone else, maybe. He removed his retainer, putting it back into its case for when he traded off the watch.

Kaz grabbed Oliver’s wrist as he passed, pausing him with a meaningful look. “Be safe.”

“Of course,” Oliver lightly tried to tug away. Kaz only released his grip when Chase rubbed his forearm and gently pushed it down.

The door whooshed shut behind him, bathing the room in darkness.

~*~ 

Chase let his head rest against the back of the wall, exhaling slowly through his nose. His body ached in protest, exhaustion clawing at him, but sleep more than likely wouldn’t come easily tonight. Not when the shifters had been so close.

Kaz was the first to move. He stretched his arms above his head, rolling his neck until it cracked. “Alright, bedtime, kiddos,” he announced, rubbing his hands together. “We live to fight another day.”

Bree scoffed. “Sleep in this economy? Also, you’re the youngest one here, for the billionth time.” But despite her sarcasm, she pulled the comforter over herself, patting the bed to tell Skylar to get in.

Chase heard Oliver rustling around up front, likely grabbing the scanner to curl up in the driver’s seat for a few hours. He lay down too, allowing Kaz to climb over him before turning on his side.

~*~

For a while, only the sound of slow breathing and the occasional shift of fabric filled the space. Chase tried to shut his eyes, tried to will his mind into rest, but thoughts kept circling, his muscles still tight with the leftover tension of the night.

Kaz’s voice was low when he finally spoke, making sure he didn’t wake the girls. “You’re still awake.”

Chase didn’t open his eyes. “So are you.”

Kaz hummed in quiet acknowledgment. A moment passed before Chase felt a gentle nudge against his arm. “We’ll make it to Boston,” Kaz murmured. Chase tilted his head toward him, meeting his eyes. “We always do. Plot armor, remember?”

Chase swallowed, nodding just slightly. He wanted to believe that, wanted to let himself sink into rest and the unsure promise of those words.

Eventually, fatigue won out. His body, too drained to keep up the fight, gave in. As sleep crept in, he could still feel the weight of Kaz’s shoulder against his, grounding him. He wormed his hand to find Kaz’s, interlacing their fingers.

Outside, the wind picked up, whistling around the trees that had kept them hidden.

Tomorrow, they would keep moving.

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so while i have the draft half-edited (ish), i'm also taking the rest of this week and the next to finish moving and get settled. still working on it ofc, it just might be maybe another week until it's out

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the chapter's draft is done :)