#<- all of these sources count as timeloops. to me.

[ghostsvignettes]

sending you to the timeloop

NOT AGAIN

[aita-blorbos]

AITA for providing my employees with work?

So I (???NB, I stopped counting after a few centuries lol) am the head of a regulatory organization in charge of maintaining the balance of time. I am high up enough that nobody in the organization has ever actually interacted with me, so this doubles as a great cover for my... let's call it my 'side hobby' of toying around with timelines. I know, this kind of runs counterintuitive to the organization's mission statement, but hear me out.

The problem is, all of the 'time criminals' my organization has managed to lock away so far are pathetically weak! It is like a fully trained police force only ever catching pickpocketers! They hardly could even manage ripping reality open! That is- when they catch time criminals at all. Sometimes there is the odd cleanup operation when a source of natural magic gets super out of wack, but generally the magic in our world is stable enough that this rarely happens.

This is where I come in. I play around with timelines, I create a paradox and a timeloop here and there, and then they get to swoop in and fix it! I will admit, this is more of an afterthought for me, but by cleaning up after me, I provide them with work and a sense of 'purpose' so they continue to receive funding and a source of income. Our organization simply would not have enough work otherwise without what I do!

This system has been working great so far, with my employees none the wiser that the head of their organization has been the one providing most of the work they have to clean up. However, one of my subordinates (20sF, I need to double check) recently had a confrontation with me where she found out about this, and she got really mad for some reason? AITA?

EDIT: Important context- this subordinate is the past version of me. I do not see what her problem is, honestly - being me, she should at least understand my viewpoint somewhat!

[marismeatcabinet]

Message from the mod, hello <3

I want to use Mari's blog more but I think I want to, at times, use it like an old character askblog— art responses and all :^)

I would also love to think of a story or so to span over this blog's lifespan, little arcs and such to better explore and display the kind of person Mari is.

But, see, the tricky thing about that is that because of the nature of his source material, his life is less-so a series of events and stories tied together linearly (unless you count Stanley's story,) but, rather, everything happens seemingly at once, yet also not, and most things have already happened more than once, too. Timeloops and such, y'know?

However, on top of that, we've also got paraverse/AU interactions to worry about, too! Many of which some of the core themes of Mari's stories are either absent from, or inverted, and so Mari, being in different environments, tends to think and behave differently from AU to AU.

I LOVE doing these interactions, don't get me wrong, but they all get a little muddled in my head. And, as it currently stands, there IS no one set version of Mari for paraverse; rather it's split up into a bunch of different groups and AUs for each setting or character group/pairing— I prefer to work on smaller scales like this, especially as her behaviour changes greatly depending on who she's around.

Now, this blog was literally never intended to be a part of Mari's canon— just a little bit of fun to pass the time, and get to explore her character better. Although, as it stands, I currently have no idea what version of Mari this even is, exactly, nor which it's really derivative of. It's a weird amalgamation, bastardisation, of various different AUs, and that confused me at times. 'How am I meant to characterise him, here? Would he respond more like his canon counterpart here, or an AU?'

So many questions!

Oh, well, I'll figure it out eventually! :^)

In the meantime, I'd love it if more asks could be sent! I'll make an update post when/if I finally choose a set direction to take this blog ^__^

[liveorganism]

very small time loop fic rec list (if you can even call 3 fics a list)/ "man i do enjoy this trope when done well" proof i mentioned to @annieofhearts (i did right? or maybe i meant to? see this is what happens when you dont get enough sleep) but is also out there for anyone who enjoys a good time loop

if you knew the end, where would you begin? by pistachio_cat

from: avatar the last airbender (yes i read this during that time everyone was rewatching the series)

i dunno man. don't fully remember this just that it hit in the way something does at 2am. toxic yuri. technically reincarnation is tagged but it is literally a time loop she lives the same thing over and over and over again and its all vaguely insane but i remember it being good! azula there are many things wrong with you but i still love ya

The Definition of Love and Hate (complete but orphaned)

from: stranger things (again let me be clear i do not endorse the actions of the cast/producers i read this like a year ago)

this is a gem! again idk if this counts as time loop but its really fucky with time in a way i appreciate so i will include it! this was truly made for the nancy wheeler defenders out there and its painful at times (most of the time) but its well done as 100k of character study through weird time mechanics. big thumbs up

freeze, crash, burn, bury, linger by zoeyclark

from: yellowjackets

oddly relatable because apart from the obvious character and plot influenced bits it all very much feels like something someone would do if stuck in a timeloop; particularly at the start of the 7th chapter (BUT MAYBE THATS JUST ME). a really nice exploration of many things character wise and thematically and some great imagery as well (snow... thats all i have to say)

and thats about it! special mention to the time loop weed and couch shenanigans one (iykyk) i didn't include since these are all more focused on the time loop as a plot point. if you can't tell i very much value time loops as character studies; the trope kind of forces that because they are the only ones aware of circumstances typically. when done well, i also find these tend to lend themselves to nice prose. all of these sort of work even if you have no idea the plot of their source material (or you could dm me for a summary). idk man i love time loops, would read more but here is what i got, so have a great day n all that!

[unauthorizedmagicians]

Season 1 Episode 2 - The Source of Magic

finally picking this back up

love a memory flashing

i've always wondered why the beast wanted to freeze everything but their eyes. like was he specifically trying to get them to look at what was happening???

also the "how did it know your name" is so creepy i love it

julia wicker princess of one-liners, margo, of course, being queen of them

marina in her gaslighting era

i love the title card so much. i've spent genuinely way too much time just looking at all of the grafitti

the guy with the bright ass silver shirt lmfaooooo

how tf did they create a whole ass portal to fillory and IT NEVER GOT BROUGHT UP AGAIN???

penny protecting kady from the very beginning<3333

also what spell was alice casting

mother has arrived!

i kind of love that they changed that the physical kids cottage to be like the place to be not like an elite cliquey bullshit whatever

quentin consistently in his emo boy era. hair in front of his face and everything. long hair quentin is superior tho

"magic comes from pain" first mention<3

mother is mothering (margo is being a manipulative cunt /affectionate part 13842)

julia loves to hate men and shes so real for that

normalize expositing where these people learned all these languages

the writers giving every character an actual backstory instead of just a personality for q to project onto<3

do phones and computers not work on campus like wtf. ik margo said

idk if any of yall have watched dimension 20's misfits and magic but penny has a common fucking sense die like throwing a chair at the mirror. icon shit

the beast finding penny from like a YOUNG age. but also there's that whole thing with his mom so like maybe he knew idk

GOD DAMN THAT SHIRT LOOKS SO GOOD ON KADY. and the hairrrrrrr. fuck me

MARINA WHEN SHE LIES

this show is so visually beautiful and i forget it every once in a while but then something like gorgeous smacks me in the face

"bc i know things" me when kady, me when, i-

penny's little kiss to quentin after reaching out to hold kady's hand. penny adiyodi

the specialist

u dont see color and then go back to black and white and also this whole thing being a metaphor for mental health and all that shit

the local brain wipe guy is dead lmfaooooooooo

cross cutting between q thinking hes losing magic and julia finding it again for the first time so real

somehow q knows exactly how to do battle magic after seeing it exactly once while in active combat

alliteration queen julia

pete and marina iconique underrated duo "hey, don't be mad" "don't be mad"

screaming "hold still please"

"real magicians protect themselves" u piece of shit /affectionate

i have such a complicated relationship to marina asa character like i know shes supposed to be an antagonist but i love her too much to not like her. the only saving grace for her antagonism is i love kady too much to actually fully endorce marina

everyone in this show loves to lie to q

dont overthinking it as if the whole thing isn't some complicated ass timeloop motherfucker

debating getting a hedge witch ttto or a time key tattoo

the soundtrack<3

q and his greasy ass hair

can always count on margo and eliot to cheer him up

[sociallyawkwardseal]

h. help.

[silver-wield]

I’m sorry what?? “CA are the main couple because in all FF couples one of them dies” ? Aside from your post which clearly explain how they are very wrong, I can’t think but of myself when I first got to ffvii and how I believed CA also was the main couple,because everywhere I googled, and wherever there is EN explanation of the lore it was always CA, it took me finding your blog, having everything questioned, going for JP res to know everything I thought was a lie. Please go for JP res ppl!

From this ask

The so called info you found belongs to queen dumdum, who has spent a good decade or more infecting as many sources as she can with misinformation, lies and busted af headcanon with zero justification besides her say so. They recently attacked TV tropes with their bs, so nothing is safe from them.

And guess what? All that bs is from someone who never even played a single entry in final fantasy 7 or even watched any playthroughs besides a few cut scenes or gifs. I doubt she's even seen all of Advent Children.

She played kingdom hearts though which totally counts lmfao.

Bonus: Queen dumdum claimed Cloud and Aerith were childhood friends in kh, but it literally says in the kh2 walk through page for Cloud and Tifa (who are together on that page, while Aerith is several pages back with Cid, Yuffie and Squall) that they're childhood friends. And she says shit like this while also claiming being childhood friends is meaningless and that Cloud and Tifa aren't even childhood friends anyway.

Do we see how the crazy happens? Yeah...

My recommendation is don't believe anything from strayarrows, astoryofalove or cloudxaerith since they're all the same person who makes busted takes like:

Cloud tells Aerith to keep her distance cause he “can’t control his sexual urges around her”

Cloud agrees with Hojo’s plan of forced impregnation because he doesn’t deny he’s a soldier.

Cloud confessed love to Aerith during “his” resolution.

Cloud had a “discrete arousal” and an “orgasam” at seeing Aerith in her red dress.

Cloud and Aerith are already dating because the composer of midnight rendezvous said the soundtrack reminds him of Christmas and has a romantic atmosphere.

Zack would “give Aerith to Cloud”.

Corneo put the coliseum matches on just so the crowd could see Cloud and Aerith together.

Cloud dances for Aerith.

Aerith will ride the Hardy Davidson with Cloud (this one has a diagram with it)

The blue alien on the wall market vending machine foreshadows Aerith having a baby with Cloud.

Aerith knows the future because it’s a timeloop and that’s why she’ll live this time to be with Cloud.

Aerith will ride the HW and Cloud will confess his love under it (yeah, they legit stole the HW scene cause they do that shit all the time.)

Okay? This is the person behind so much bad info. Just play the game, watch the film, read the books. Even without using a translation app to read any of the ultimania you can still tell just from the pictures that Cloud and Tifa are a couple. And for the ones that are translated into English, it's a sledgehammer of obvious to the face that Cloud and Tifa are a couple.

My rule is for everything you read from a "trust me", go find a legit untainted source from a book. That's why I provide the JP and English if I'm showing pages. And if I happen to run out of space for both I usually just post the JP, but if even that's not enough I'll happily provide any sources I've cited cause canon is canon and always comes with concrete references.

[trainer-stealthclaw]

Never-Ending

Summary: A new timeloop draws near, and Shintaro wonders what he will do when the next fated day arrives. (Originally posted on FF.Net in 2017) Genre: Fantasy Word Count: 1905 A/N: Note that this was originally written before the manga finale, thus the Snake of Retaining Eyes’s true identity had not been revealed yet. However, given that it’s from Shintaro’s POV, and with the unforthcoming nature of Snake!Ayano, it can still be read as a counterpart to a recent fanfic of mine, Drowning Through Time, which can be read here or here.  TW: Suicide mention, guns

Read on FF.Net

Shintaro opened his eyes, and found himself staring into nothing.

He was surrounded by darkness, an overpowering haze of shadows clouding his eyes. Uneasiness stirred within his stomach, making him feel nauseous. Where was this place?

He squinted into the gloom, trying to ignore the strange sounds clicking and whirring all around. He knew the sound fairly well, having once taken apart a clock as a kid in a fit of boredom. However, it was more than that. Somehow, that sound - it was vaguely familiar, just at the edges of his consciousness. The grinding metal gears in bronze, silver and gold. A familiar clang of bells. The faintest feeling of a memory.

His head felt heavy. He grasped it in his hands, his black hair falling into his eyes. That sound! Make it stop!

The bells were no longer in his memory. They surrounded him. They reverberated through his head. The sound bashed through his skull.

Bang! Clang! Bang! Clang! Ding! Dong!

Each clash of metal drilled into his head and into his mind.

Thoughts, images, phrases, people, laughter, tears, memories. It poured into him until he could take it no more, and as it kept coursing through his mind, he remembered. These weren’t new memories. These were old ones, very, very old. They were his memories, no doubt about that, but they weren’t from this time. They were from another time, and the time before that, and even beyond that.

They were memories of previous timeloops that he had experienced. Him and his friends – the Mekakushi Dan, a strange group they were, but by God, they were there for him and his sister when no one else was – had been repeating the entirety of their lives over and over without realising what was happening, and every single time, it had ended in their deaths on a specific day, August 15th. No, death was the wrong word. In every loop, they were murdered.

Memories rushed to the surface and he covered his mouth, the overwhelming urge to vomit overtaking him.

— 

The murderer who wore the face of his friend, a maniacal grin stretched on his lips, pointed at the white-haired girl, Mary, who slumped on the ground behind Shintaro.

The bodies of their friends lay around them, limp and lifeless. Dark red stained the concrete.

He sneered. “How magnificent! Even now, Queen, your ego permits you to selfishly cower behind your “knight” during this “grand finale”. Now,” he extended his hand out towards her, “If you want your little friends to be saved, then use your monstrous power!”

Shintaro glanced behind at his friend. Tears leaked from her wide eyes and dripped down her cheeks, which glistened with the beginnings of scales growing on her skin. Her pupils began to turn red.

“S-Stop…” she croaked hoarsely, “I don’t…I don’t want my friends to die!”

Her flowing hair flared up and broke out into spikes, almost wing-like against her form.

Shintaro didn’t fully understand what was going on, but he felt a rush of terrible foreboding. “Mary, stop!” he shouted.

For a moment, she hesitated.

That moment was where it ended.

“My, my, I can’t have you doing.” The murderer pointed his pistol right at Shintaro’s chest and pulled the trigger.

Intense pain filled him, and then, he knew no more.

—

Timeloops. Constant, circling, weaving strands of time that looped together like knotted threads, repeating events and changing experiences. His memories went so far back that he could barely comprehend it. How long – just how long, had he and everyone else been stuck like this, trapped in an infinite loop? How long had Mary been turning back time to save them?

How many times have they died?

He felt weak at the thought. He tried to take a step forward, but stumbled forward into the darkness. He expected the cold feeling of the gears spinning beneath his feet, but it never came. A pair of pale hands caught him and gently steadied him upright.

“So, you remember everything.” The other person’s voice was high and clear. It was a voice that he would’ve known anywhere.

Shintaro looked up, only to find himself staring into the scarlet eyes of a girl in his old school’s female student uniform. Her brown hair fluttered in the cold air, and she smiled.

Ayano, he found himself thinking instinctively. Her smile was as pretty as ever. His old classmate, his friend, the girl that he had… He reached out reflexively to touch the side of her face, only to freeze and recoil.

Because Ayano was dead.

She had died two years ago, but he remembered it like it was yesterday. Sitting in the dull classroom, like any other day, only to see people carrying white flowers to her desk. He remembered the evening news, which had officially announced that she had committed suicide. He remembered that it was his fault (if only he had noticed her pain).

His mouth was dry. He struggled to get the words out. “You’re not Ayano.”

The girl, if it was possible, smiled even wider, and stepped back, enough for him to get a clearer view of her. “Clever as ever, Shintaro.” She inclined her head, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “How could you tell?”

He scowled at her, pushing his hands into his pockets. “Ayano’s dead.”

“So are you,” she pointed out. Her mouth twitched like she was amused, but her eyes glittered in a way that made him wary. “You’ll have to try harder than that, you know.”

“You’re also not wearing her red scarf. She never went anywhere without the damn thing.” It should have been his first warning sign, really. Then again, he had to admit with a sigh, it showed just how desperate he was. He missed her badly.

The girl in front of him seemed callous to his troubles. She gave a light giggle, in the voice that made his heart ache. “Then, do you know who I am?”

Of course he knew her. He stared at her, and his new – no, terribly old – memories flashed in his head. He knew her, much better than even he would have thought. After all, she was the source of his powers, the reason why he was able to remember everything he’s ever seen.

“You’re…the power that Mary gave me many timeloops ago,” he said slowly. “The Snake of Retaining Eyes.”

As if his words were a spell, the girl form changed shape, morphing into a long black silhouette that curled around him. Its presence was unreal, almost like smoke. Its bright eyes peered at him unblinkingly.

It flicked its tongue. “That’s right,” its voice – still much like Ayano’s – echoed in his head. “It’s been too long since we talked like this. Though it’s unfortunate that it is in these circumstances.” It regarded him seriously. “It’s a pity that your ability was only triggered after the fact. As of right now, the Snake of Clearing Eyes has succeeded in its plan, and the Queen, your friend Mary, is about to reset time once more.”

“The Snake of Clearing Eyes,” Shintaro murmured. “That’s the being who killed me.” He touched his chest, near the area where the bullet had pierced his skin.

“Yes,” the Snake of Retaining Eyes replied softly. “And when you’re reborn, you won’t immediately remember the previous loops again. You’ll have to find a way to trigger your ability, before it’s too late.”

“And if I don’t?” His mouth went dry.

“Then everyone dies.” It said simply, “And the loop continues on. The Queen may reset time, but she never remembers it. There is nobody who can change the future.”

It knelt its head down to his eye-level, and stared at him. Its eyes were deep red, like a burning fire that threatened to turn everything in its path to ashes. “Nobody, that is, except you. It has to be you, Shintaro. You can choose whatever path you wish.”

They stared at each other. The cold icy grip of fear grabbed a hold of him. He had never been a fighter, not in his entire life, and never even in any of the timeloops that now lived in his memories. The thought of what was coming ahead scared him to death.

You know, Shintaro? They say that red is the colour of heroes.

He touched the fabric of his red jacket.

It suits you!

Ayano’s words from long ago echoed in his head. No Ayano, he told her silently, Even now, I’m not a hero. But…

The faces of all his friends came to mind.

They were loud and obnoxious kids. All they did was pull him into nonsensical “missions” like dragging him out to go to the amusement park, when he was perfectly satisfied to just hide in his room and mess around on the internet. They were a pain in the ass, and that was on a good day.

But it was because of them that he was even able to go out at all, instead of holing up in his house. As ridiculous as their gang seemed, they were the reason he could start to look forward to his every day.

A new image came to mind, the image of them smiling and laughing, in spite of the hard times they had all been through.

His Snake urgently hissed and flicked its tongue once again. “Time is running out. A new timeloop approaches. Now that you remember the secrets of this never-ending tragedy, what will you do?”

He clenched his fists. He wasn’t a “hero”, but there was only one thing he could really do. Only one way that this “story” could end.

Shintaro looked his Snake in the eye. “I was given this power for a reason. This time, that Clearing Eyes bastard will be the one to pay. I’ll make sure that this never-ending summer finishes for good.”

The bells around them began to ring once more. Everything began to fade to white, but even in the blinding light, although it was a ridiculous notion, he could’ve sworn that he saw his Snake smile.

“So this is your answer. Your memories may be lost, and this time may be lost, but don’t lose sight of those feelings when you make your new start. Go forth, and don’t turn away your eyes. Face forward, even in the unrelenting summer heat.” And with that, everything was gone.

— 

Shintaro woke up with a groan. The alarm clock beeped annoyingly. He fumbled around for the button to turn it off. His eyes took in the date on the digital time.

August 15th.

He didn’t know why, but something about the day filled him with familiar dread.

[actualbird]

AGES AGO somebody sent me an ask about a star trek au and i cant find it anymore but i did try to outline a fic but i dont rlly have the time or motivation to make a full fic so heres what i did put down anyway

a bmc star trek au in bullet points

WELCOME TO THE U.S.S. ENTERPRISE. let’s meet the crew!! captain chloe valentine. brash, bold, and hard headed with a heart of gold. got through the academy in three years and totally cheated on the kobayashi maru because she is better than no-win scenarios. her first officer, navigator, and longtime crush since the academy days (but you heard NOTHING, CAPICHE?) is brooke lohst, making sure they go through the stars in the right ways. 

we’ve got dreamy academy prodigy jake dillinger who served on another ship since he was seventeen, jesus, now on the enterprise as a skilled helmsman and the ship’s local heartthrob. count chief security officer rich goranski—somebody who swears he can take down four klingons with nothing but a tricorder and a piece of string—along with all the swooners. 

chief communications officer and xenolinguistic specialist jenna rolan can mediate diplomatic ties in ten languages but she can also start a barfight in over twenty. theres chief medical officer christine canigula who also happens to be one of the most odd (half) vulcans ever but people the crew never minds. not when christine is always the one saving their skin and stabbing them all with hyposprays.

then theres jeremy and michael. jeremy and michael who have been friends since childhood and always looked to the night sky. the both of them have always wanted to be out there, but jeremy always doubted. his dreams were too big for just the earth, but he never thought he’d be good enough to go up into space. 

(jeremy and michael who, at twelve, promise on a shooting star that theyll both at least try, and that theyll try together.)

(racking up the necessary grades and high performance for the academy is hell and their high school years are tense because of it, but they get accepted, and by that point, neither of them ever want to stop. it’s hard work and sleepless nights and days where they stumble back to their shared dorm room high and cursing space and space things before mumbling back and forth about how they want to be out there so badly. somewhere along the way, jeremy wonders when exactly looking at michael felt like looking at the stars. when exactly it started feeling like fear and desire and love all at the same time.)

(michael wonders back to the shooting star and wonders if looking at jeremy will ever feel like anything other than hope. than maybe. than what if. than i wish) 

michael ends up chief engineering officer and jeremy is chief science officer. theyre both incredibly good at their jobs and theyre both utter fucking dweebs. most of the crew is, really.

and then theyre all off on a three year exploration mission. three years among the stars.

//STAR TREK OPENING THEME PLAYS

most of the exciting drama happens off-ship which makes michael a little grumbly because he stays on ship 90% of the time that’s his job. and he loves his job. he loves the enterprise so much. many ensigns have seen michael talking to the engines in a soft, cooing voice while stroking the metal. michael knows the ship and the ship knows michael (and all of his mushy thoughts because “god, i’m really that person now, that person who monologs about being in love with his best friend to a hunk of MACHINERY…..sorry babe, i didnt mean that. i love you.”)

(jeremy has heard michael call the enterprise so many things. babe. baby. darling. love. the light of my life. jeremy never thought he could be jealous of a SHIP but here he fucking is.)

as CSO, jeremy goes with the ground crew a lot. jeremy loves his job so much. so many new planets and plants and things to study and understand. he usually has his comms on to talk to michael while on planet just to gush about everything. “the main source of liquid here is green, michael. then at night it turns red. what the hell!!!”

the planet in question with the weird liquid is a one on the outskirts of near empty space, a planet the federation has been trying to recruit for a while. strange planet. two moons. plants that glow electric blue sometimes. home to a generally advanced and eerily perfect and in sync civilization. jeremy suspects theyre telepaths (they act like theyre all connected), but none of the other telepaths in the crew can read them. it’s very odd

somewhere back on the enterprise, michael gets a sinking feeling in his gut

turns out the planet is alive and is controlling all lifeforms through a hivemind activated by ingesting a certain pill-like fruit along with the green water. ground crew gets their brains taken over and the usually on ship crew (michael, christine, brooke, jake) have to go down and save their friends. hell yea

aside from that odd movie-like barely main plot, imagine the shenanigans more on the series flavor!! getting stuck in part of the universe that traps them in a timeloop. weird virus that makes jake start fencing through the halls shirtless. brooke accidentally getting engaged to alien royalty while chloe resists the split second urge to shoot her phaser. christine not letting any red shirts die on her watch at all but wondering just why theyre so susceptible to injury. ykno, the usual.

also pining. in SPACE. michael and jeremy making time for each other in spite of their erratic shift times. jeremy walking in on michael monologing to the pipes about somebody he’s so in love with and jeremy walks away with a cold feeling in his gut. michael dragging a sleepless jeremy to his quarters after hours of trying and failing to understand a sample. michael lays jeremy in his bed only for jeremy to gently grab his wrist and say with a voice just on the edge of consciousness “stay? please?” 

michael thinks of shooting stars and blue eyes and settles next to jeremy, willing himself to sleep against the beats of his heart. 

[shima-draws]

I Took the Stars from My Eyes

...and then I made a map And I knew that somehow, I would find my way back...

Thanks to the brilliant @monsterunderthefedora​ for writing a couple of fics for my Timeloop AU, they inspired me to actually contribute more to my own AU lmfao so. Here I am c: (And thanks AGAIN for the awesome fics, bruh!! I really really appreciate and treasure and love them with all my heart so. You could say this is my return gift to you ^^)

Also I’m gonna put this up on Archive and FFNet in a bit, so please keep an eye out for it over there too! (It’ll be under the user Shima2112, just an FYI!)

As usual I’m a little shit who sucks at keeping things short so. You’re welcome, I guess. This is 4k words. Kill me now. Also hey, if you have no idea what the heck is going on in this fic, check out my Timeloop AU tag on this blog! Things will make a little bit more sense. Though I do sum it up pretty well in the fic too, your choice.

And, a brief summary: "Stop, s-stop it, please," Michael begs, crying heavily. "There's no point, Jer—you can't save me! Just leave me here. It's okay." "Shut the fuck up," Jeremy snaps, furious. "Don't ever talk like that. We're going to make it through this. And when we do, I'm going to kiss the hell out of you, Michael Mell." That's what does it. Michael's cheeks immediately flush with a bright pink color, enough to touch the tips of his ears. "Wh-what?" "One, two, three, go!"

This is based off the conversation I had with @monsterunderthefedora​ earlier over IM. I suggested a little something, and now I’ve gone and written about it...from my perspective of things! I hope you guys enjoy! And please don’t hate me for doing this to Michael //throws confetti

Footsteps thud loudly against the floor. Gasps heave out of his throat as he runs, breathless. The only reassuring thought he has is that his best friend is close behind, right at his heels. Having him here is more reassuring than anything.

"How much further?!"

"Down the hall, to the left! It's just outside the corridor!"

Jeremy finally skids around the corner, almost colliding into Chloe's back. Michael manages to stop right next to him, looking visibly shaken, his favorite hoodie drenched in sweat, blood and dirt. Jeremy is sure he looks equally as awful, if not worse. The circles under his eyes are the result of countless time loops before this, loops of running into dead ends, shattering windows and hungry flames devouring them all alive.

He's lost count of how many times he's been here, at Jake's house on the night of Halloween. The party had begun smoothly; it always does, but what soon comes to follow has caused him to relive the night over and over, stuck on repeat.

Most of the time, Rich is the cause of the fire. Sometimes, he isn't. But either way, it's a fated event. Something that always happens, no matter what the circumstance, even if Jeremy tries to prevent it from even starting. By now he's learned to stop wasting time worrying about when the fire is going to start, and more on how to get everyone out safely.

He hasn't succeeded with that. Yet. Hence why he's gone through so many timelines.

He should feel blessed that he's been given a second chance to save his friends from a burning doom—and a third chance, and a fourth, and a fifth, and all the way up until now. But he's sick of this, sick of seeing them die, sick of hearing them cry out for help or sacrifice themselves for somebody else.

He just wants to go home. Maybe curl up in bed with Michael and bury his nose into that faded red hoodie.

He's come to understand, over many time loops and endless conversations with his other half, that he is hopelessly and absolutely in love with Michael Mell. However, in the midst of all of this insanity, he hasn't really been in the mood to confess his feelings. It's always too hectic to say the words, too crazy and chaotic. It's never been a good time.

"What are you standing there for?! We have to keep moving!" He snaps, giving Chloe a shove.

The girl stumbles forward and swears at him. Well, at least that tactic worked. He's not here to babysit these guys; he tried that once already and it didn't end well. Knives got involved. Don't ask him how, he doesn't like remembering.

Suddenly the house lets out a horrible groaning sound, as loud as a freight train. Jeremy's eyes dart around in fear, looking for the source of the noise. What now? He can't remember what happens next, he's gone through this too many times to keep track. Events change in every timeline, leading to an infinite amount of possibilities of the ways the house can kill them.

"Shit!"

The cry comes from Michael, who is staring at the ceiling, mouth taut.

Jeremy doesn't have time to respond as the teen suddenly shoots towards him.

"Jeremy, look out!"

He feels a weight slam into his side, sending him sprawling across the floor. An enormous crash sounds from the ceiling, and he watches in horror as it collapses on top of Michael, showering him in wooden debris and bits of furniture from upstairs.

"Michael! No!" He shrieks, his voice cracking in the middle.

Immediately he's on his feet again, throwing apart pieces of wood and broken glass.

"Oh fuck," Rich breathes from several paces in front of him. The rest of the group turn around and race over to help, digging through the remains of the ceiling.

"Michael!" Jeremy cries out, shaking. "Michael, Michael, answer me! Michael!"

This can't be happening. He doesn't want to start over again. He doesn't want to rewind time and reset it all again!

"Jeremy, over here!"

He kicks up dirt as he goes, scrambling over to Brooke. She has uncovered a portion of the wreckage, revealing a red piece of clothing decorated with dust.

"Michael!" He screams, giving all he has to clear the rest of it away. Christine and Jake lean over to help, tossing broken pieces of houseware over their shoulders.

Finally a face appears amongst the mess, and Jeremy chokes on a gasp.

"M!"

Within moments he's in the taller boy's arms, his head cradled against Jeremy's chest.

"Michael," Jeremy whispers, rubbing dirt off his cheek with a sleeve. Probably not that affective since Jeremy's shirt is also covered in grime.

"...He's not answering," Jenna whimpers, shaking.

"Michael." The brunette tries again, withholding a sob. "Hey, c-come on, you knucklehead. Wake up. We gotta go."

"Jeremy..." Christine reaches out to him, her eyes full of sadness.

"No, no, no," Jeremy slaps her hand away, shaking his head. "He's fine. He's okay. He—he has to be..."

"Come on, you guys." Rich beckons them all away, to give them a little privacy. The others stand up and follow, silent and melancholy.

"Michael," Jeremy cries, shaking his friend. "Michael, Michael, wake up. I need you, M. I need my player one, come on, please..."

He lowers his head until it's resting on Michael's chest, bawling. It can't be over already. Not like this. How many times has it been, now? How many times has he seen Michael die like this?

Suddenly Michael's chest moves, slowly but surely. His breathing makes Jeremy's head go up and down. And then, like a miracle, he releases a quiet cough.

Jeremy shoots up, eyes wide.

"Michael?!"

"Ugh," Michael groans, his voice a low croak.

The brunette releases a yell of joy and tackles his friend, squeezing him tightly. His call alerts the rest of the gang, who come rushing over.

"Ohhh, Michael! Thank god! You scared the absolute shit out of me!"

"S'rry," comes a mumbled response. Jeremy looks up to see the shorter boy shooting him a crooked grin, his eyes-half lidded.

"Never do anything like that ever again, you asshole," he demands, reaching up to pinch Michael's cheeks playfully.

"Yeah, yeah...”

Jeremy sits up and helps Michael do the same, watching warily as he looks around, disoriented. There's something wrong with the way his eyes wander, almost lost, and there is a weird sense of panic emanating from him. But there isn't time to think about that, they have to get moving. So Jeremy hurries on to the more important questions.

"Are you okay? Is anything broken?"

Michael's eyebrows draw together and he slowly starts wiggling parts of his body cautiously. Finally he puffs out a breath, sounding a bit wheezy.

"No, don' think so," he manages to mumble, wincing. "'M definitely bruised though. And I hit my head real hard."

Jeremy frowns and brushes his hand against Michael's temple, making a noise of concern when something sticky and warm coats his fingers.

"You're bleeding," he observes, leaning over to inspect the damage better. It looks like there's a lot of blood, but Michael is awake and coherent, so it can't be that bad, right? He desperately hopes so.

"Jeremy, we gotta go," Brooke pleads, her eyes wide and her hair frazzled as she peers around anxiously.

"Right, okay," he nods, moving to help Michael stand. Rich comes over to assist, and both of them manage to stand the shaky boy up on his feet. The injured teen groans but steadies himself, shaking the dizziness off.

"You okay, M?" Jeremy murmurs, wrapping an arm around his best friend's shoulder for support as the group finally starts to move. Embers lick at their feet as they stumble amongst the debris of the fallen ceiling, looking for the next closest exit.

"Uhh," Michael swallows, his fingers clamping tightly down on Jeremy's shoulder. Terror flashes across his face for a split second and then he's grinning, albeit with a grimace. "Y-yeah. Just hurts a lil'. I'm fine."

Jeremy notices the slur in his words and chews his lip. Clearly he isn't as fine as he says, if the glazed look in his eyes have anything to do with it. But they don't have time to worry about that—they can fret over Michael once they're out. Or, if something happens and Jeremy's forced to reset the timeline again, there's no need to worry at all. He really hopes it doesn't come to that, though, even though that's the most probable outcome, as usual.

"Jeremy!"

Jeremy hurries his pace, Michael barely managing to keep up with him, and pales when he realizes that half of the floor is gone. The others are looking at him worriedly, their bodies slack with exhaustion, their eyes full of despair. They look about ready to give up.

But he isn't going to let that happen. They've come this far, they can make it this time! He's sure of it.

"We'll jump across," he says firmly, determined. "Jake, can you see a solid place to land that won't collapse?"

Jake looks somewhat surprised at being addressed, but he takes a moment to look across the gap and nod.

"Yeah. See that stretch of tile over there? That should be enough to hold us."

"Okay, good," Jeremy releases Michael after making sure he can stand on his own, and then walks to the edge of the chasm in the floor. Below is a sea of swirling flames, a death sentence to anyone who'd fall in. He gulps and starts to hype himself up. If he hesitates, even for a second, it's the end.

"I need one of you to jump over first," he turns to Jake and Rich, and almost laughs at the way they look terrified. If the situation were any different, he probably would laugh.

"Come on," the brunette urges, beckoning them forward. "One of you needs to get over there first to catch the rest of us."

"Why don't you do it?" Rich mumbles weakly.

"Do I look strong enough to catch you?" Jeremy deadpans, holding out his sorry excuse for arms. They look more like pool noodles, if he's being honest.

"Yeah, alright, I'll go," Jake sighs, his shoulders tending up.

Christine almost steps forward to grab his arm, but she holds herself back, waiting.

"C-can you make it?!" Chloe squeaks, chewing on her fingernails as she stands close to Brooke. Jenna is behind her, shockingly silent for once. She looks tired.

Jake shoots her a cocky smile, but it's half-hearted at best. "Course I can. Just watch."

"Be careful," Brooke whispers, trembling.

Jake nods and blows out an exhale. Then, he backs up, crouching low. Jeremy holds his breath.

Jake darts forward and leaps, flying across the gap. For a moment it looks like he's going to fall, but he clears the space easily, landing several feet beyond the edge of the hole. He holds himself still for a couple seconds, and then he straightens out, all of the tension in his muscles dissolving.

He turns around and gives the group a large, shaky grin. His face is white as a sheet.

"Made it!" He calls over.

"Okay, who's next?"

Jeremy looks at the rest of the group, and they all avoid his eyes, fear clearly written across their faces. He sighs and rubs his temples. He can understand how frightened they are, but now really isn't the time to be hesitant. They don't exactly have all the time in the world to stand here deciding whether to jump or not. The flames devour the walls around them, threatening to bring the whole house down, and if they don't go now they'll be caught in it. Michael had almost been taken out by the house before.

"Come on, you guys. The hardest part is over. Jake's over there to catch you. Unless you'd rather turn around?" He knows he shouldn't be so harsh, but if this is the only way to snap them to attention he will.

Christine takes a brave step forward but before she can get far Chloe pushes her out of the way, her heels clicking across the floor. She looks absolutely terrified, but she tries to hide it with a fierce expression.

"You'd better catch me, Jake!" She shouts, her hands shaking at her sides.

"I will," Jake says honestly.

Seeing that he's being genuine, Chloe takes a deep breath. Brooke covers her eyes, whispering, "I can't look," and Jenna shifts her feet from side to side, visibly anxious.

Chloe jumps, a frightened scream tearing out of her throat. Jake lunges forward and snatches her out of the air, his arms wrapping firmly around her waist.

They stand there awkwardly for a moment before he sets her down, eyes full of relief. Chloe throws her head up and huffs, announcing, "That was so easy!" But it isn't difficult to see just how scared she was as she distances herself from the hole, not wanting to be near it.

"I'll head over next," Rich says, and Jeremy nods.

The rest of them watch nervously as he makes his leap across the gap, skidding to a stop on the other side. He gives them a thumbs up, mouth stretched wide in a grin.

"Okay, Brooke, your turn," Jeremy coaxes her gently, his eyes flickering to the oncoming wall of fire behind them. "Hurry, now."

Brooke stays in place and shakes her head, tears gathering in her eyes. "I can't. I'm too scared!"

"Hey, hey," Jeremy places a comforting hand on her shoulder, trying to seem reassuring.

"It's gonna be just fine, Brooke. They won't let you fall. They'll catch you."

The blonde sobs and buries her head in her hands, trembling. "B-but what if I do fall? What if—"

"Just don't think about it." He says firmly, cutting her off. "Run and jump. Don't even think about the "what ifs". If you do, you'll just psyche yourself out."

She peers at him through the gaps in her fingers, sniffling.

"Will you help me?"

He nods, his hand sliding down to her back to guide her forward. "Yeah. I'll be right here, okay?"

Brooke rubs her arms and gazes across the pit, managing a nervous smile at Chloe, who waves at her from the other side.

"That's it. You can do it. Alright, on the count of three. One...two...three...jump!"

Brooke springs into the air, soaring across. Her hair whips wildly out behind her. Simultaneously Rich and Jake reach out to catch her. A horrible second passes and Jeremy's stomach clenches, watching as Brooke falls closer to the edge...

The boys both grab an arm and haul her up, and she embraces them both, crying. Jeremy breathes out a sigh of relief. Now there's only four of them left, and time isn't really on their side at the moment. The fire is fast approaching, creeping slowly across the wooden floorboards, mere yards away from Michael's back.

Jenna goes next, and it's so strange not to see her upbeat and hyper as she usually is. Her face is solemn as she locks eyes with the others from far away. She pumps herself up before taking flight, landing safely on the opposite end.

Jeremy turns to Christine, who gives him a silent nod. It seems she has readied herself while the others were traveling over to the other side. She makes it over in one piece as well, almost tripping as she touches down on the floor.

"Okay, Michael," Jeremy hurries over to his friend, who is staring blankly ahead, his vision unfocused.

Jeremy notices this and regards him worriedly. "Michael?"

"Hmm?" Michael tilts his head towards the taller teen, and his eyes seem to look right through him.

"Are you okay? You look really spaced out," Jeremy whispers, even though he knows the others are too far away to hear.

The bespectacled boy nods slowly, biting his lip. "Mm. Yeah. Jus'...still a lil' out of it, I think."

"Shit, how hard did you hit your head?"

And Jeremy reaches over and smooths Michael's bangs back, flaring in alarm when he realizes the other teen is very, very warm.

"Jer," Michael murmurs, searching for his sleeve. Once he finds it he grabs on, fingers clenching. "Jer, I don' feel so good."

For some reason, hearing this makes Jeremy want to cry. "I—I know, M. Just...just a little longer, okay? Once we get out of here we'll get you checked out. As soon as we make it over this hole—"

Michael shakes his head, preventing him from finishing. He has a look of sad acceptance on his face, his hand falling to his side.

"You go on without me, Jer. I don' think 'm gonna make it."

Fear shoots up Jeremy's spine like lightning, and suddenly he can't breathe—and that's not because of the choking smoke in the air. He releases a pathetic whimper and latches on to Michael's arm, tugging him along.

"No, no, don't say that, Michael," he whines, pulling him away from the oncoming fire.

"We—we have to make it out. We're going, we're going together."

Michael halts, gently moving his arm out of the brunette's grip.

"This's it for me," he continues softly, as if he's trying to soothe Jeremy. "You'll havta beat the game without me, J."

"No!" Jeremy shouts, tears already beginning to slide down his cheeks, making tracks through the dirt on his face.

"I'm not leaving without you! I won't do it!"

"Please, just go. There's no time—"

"Shut up! Shut up, shut up, you're coming with me and that's final! Don't you dare—" He heaves out a sob, voice breaking. "D-don't you dare give up, M-Michael. Don't you d-dare leave me again..."

Michael regards him sadly, tears clinging to his own eyelashes.

"Just...just c-come on. Why can't you do it? You can jump, r-right? Or is there something wrong with your legs...?" At this, the boy in the red hoodie glances away, looking pale.

And then it hits him.

"No...no way," he mutters, backing away. He tosses his head from side to side, clenching his teeth.

"No way...no...! No, that can't be—!"

"That's why I can't go," Michael admits, his voice more small and timid than Jeremy has ever heard it before.

The way his eyes look so lost and distant, the way they can't focus on anything, even the way he stumbled through the house, holding onto Jeremy's arm for support.

He's blind.

The impact from the ceiling falling on top of him had taken its toll. Severe head trauma, combined with a limited amount of oxygen—yes, that was enough to rob somebody of their sight and render them helpless. Jeremy had no idea if it was permanent or only temporary, but it was enough. Enough to prevent Michael from escaping. Enough to make Jeremy have to rewind time again...

No. No. I won't. I won't restart, not this time!

"We're going," he says firmly, looping his arm around Michael's. The other boy's face becomes panic-stricken.

"Wh...what are you doing?! Are you insane?!"

"Yes," Jeremy responds without any hesitation. He's been through so many time loops now, he'd honestly be more surprised if he was still sane. "I'm getting you over there even if it means I kill myself in the process."

And it's these words that make Michael start to struggle, batting his free hand against him in an attempt to break free.

"No! Let me go! Jeremy—you'll die!"

"We won't know until we try! And I'd rather die trying than give up and be burned to death." He hisses severely, backing up. They're going to have to make a run for it. Luckily the path ahead of them is clear of any debris, so Michael doesn't have to worry about tripping on something he can't see.

"Stop, s-stop it, please," Michael begs, crying heavily. "There's no point, Jer—you can't save me! Just leave me here. It's okay."

"Shut the fuck up," Jeremy snaps, furious. "Don't ever talk like that. We're going to make it through this. And when we do, I'm going to kiss the hell out of you, Michael Mell."

That's what does it. Michael's cheeks immediately flush with a bright pink color, enough to touch the tips of his ears.

"Wh-what?"

"One, two, three, go!"

With his shout the two of them dash forward, putting all they have into their legs. Michael lets out a terrified wail, and then they're airborne, weightless. Jeremy can feel the intensity of the heat right below him, can feel the flames touching the soles of his sneakers—he can hear Michael yelling from next to him, his arm holding him so tightly that he can feel his bones creaking—he sees the other end of the floor, rapidly approaching, sees Rich and Jake and Jenna as well hold their arms out wide.

He and Michael crash headfirst into the three of them, and it's enough to make them topple over in a heap. Christine, Brooke and Chloe gather around them, shrieking worriedly, and help them to their feet.

"Jesus Christ, Jeremy, that was the craziest shit I've ever seen you do," Jake gasps, standing up with Jenna's assistance.

"Why the hell did you two jump at the same time?!" Chloe exclaims, looking more scared than angry.

But Jeremy pays them no mind. Instead he rolls over and flops on top of Michael, whose sightless gaze is fixed on the ceiling. He seems to be in shock, and a little winded.

"I told you we'd make it," Jeremy murmurs, and then he kisses him fully on the mouth.

Gasps erupt from the other members of the group, and he's almost sure he can hear the sound of a camera shutter going off in the background. He's too far gone to really care, lost in the scent of his favorite person, even though it's masked by smoke and dust and burnt wood.

It takes a moment, but Michael finally responds, groaning happily into Jeremy's mouth. Even though their world as they know it is falling apart at the seams, even though the roof might crash on their heads at any moment—they drown in each other, teeth clacking, tongues tussling. It's messy and it's sweet and in the midst of all this chaos it's the most wonderful thing in existence.

Eventually the boys break away, completely breathless. However they look livelier than they have in a forever, across countless time loops. Jeremy has never felt more alive than he does right now.

They stagger to their feet, dizzy, elated. The remainder of the teens' expressions show something Jeremy hasn't seen in a while: happiness. And hope, too. And maybe a bit of amusement as well.

"That was hot," Brooke comments offhandedly, squealing when Chloe elbows her in the side.

"Well..."

Christine smiles and starts to walk ahead, being careful of the hanging wood up above. The rest of them chuckle and start to follow her, picking their way through the mess.

"Hold my hand," Jeremy whispers, reaching over to interlock his fingers with Michael's. The other boy squeezes his hand, his expression showing nothing but utmost love and trust. Jeremy is his guide now, his escape, his sight, his freedom.

"Don't let go. Stay with me."

They follow the gang further into the smog. Their future is so uncertain. They may not even get to see the light of day. They might have to start all over from the beginning, in a new timeline. And if they do make it out, Michael might stay blind forever. But for now, they hold on to each other, and they will for their hope and their love to carry on into the future—whether it be their own, or them from another time—and take a step forward.

"Always."

Da da daaaaah, and that’s the end!!

I hope you all enjoyed that angsty fluffy sappy mess! It was fun to write~

Also, a couple of things:

*Jake’s house is three stories. I figure he probably has rich parents. Or, ya know, HAD. So in this fic they’re on the ground floor--so it’s possible for the ceiling to cave in and the floor to collapse as well. Just to clear that up if it was confusing!

*I have NO IDEA about blindness and if it can really be caused by a ceiling falling on your head. I’m sure it would hurt though. I did a little research and it is possible to go blind from a severe head injury. Combined with all the smoke Michael had been inhaling, he lost a lot of oxygen, so it’s probably possible an accident like that and the oxygen deprivation could take away his sight, even temporarily. But don’t quote me on that. It’s fiction, I’m allowed to bend the rules a little, right?

*I have a lot more ideas for this AU I might write in the future, who knows. But...if you guys are interested, and if you want to come and talk to me about your own ideas--please do! The possibilities of what could happen in all the different timelines are endless, so come and suggest stuff! I’m totally open to chatting about all the different tragedies these kids could go through--//shot (And hell, I already have such awesome support already, from the person who wrote me short fics about this AU--which are also under my Timeloop AU tag here, so please be sure to read them they’re so awesome!!)

Okey thank you for your time, have a great day, I hope I didn’t completely destroy your hearts and souls with this. IT HAD A HAPPY ENDING. I have a legit excuse hhh