#🌗in the woods somewhere🪶 au

[honey-minded-hivemind]

I'm gonna say Jean is the one to find them because we haven't had enough Jean and there would be shock on both ends.

Reader is shocked by how much Jean has grown. Jean is shocked by how much they...haven't.

If that was the case, both of them are shaken.

In Reader's eyes, Jean is taller, she's older, she's an adult now. And it hammers in just how different everything is now. That this is real, that they're in the future, and they ended up stuck in a time that isn't their's.

In Jean's eyes, Reader is small. They're young. As young as she last remembers them... And they're still scrawny, scarred, but their hair is a bit fluffier, a little longer, their eyes are wide and cautious, and their hands (their thin, clawed hands) are shaking. And all she can feel is deep removes and care towards this poor teen, who must be so confused...

( @thewickedweiner and @vivid-bun Who do you think the mystery yan was? And @sugar-soda , woo, you're doing great! And to all of you, drink your water!)

[honey-minded-hivemind]

I'd say who ever sat down with Reader at the bar is one of the smaller, less "intimidating" mutants, like Storm or Jean or Kurt if he hides his tail.

Reader not immediately being on the defensive on a complete stranger sitting so close means they aren't physically imposing as a traumatized teen would be suspicious of someone who looks dangerous or could cause trouble.

Hank, Logan, Victor, Adult! Scott (he's gained like 30 pounds in muscle and at least a foot in height), and some others are all big enough that Reader would immediately move once they sit down, if nothing else to avoid a potentially dangerous adult.

But someone smaller may not trigger their danger warning in their head, so that person can sit down long enough to recognize them.

Does that make sense or am I just rambling?

Ah.... Good guess, @sugar-soda! I myself haven't figured out who I want it to be! But you make a good point:

Reader would feel worried by anyone sitting next to them, and would feel more comfortable with someone smaller or a similar height or build to them. If it was Storm or Kurt would make some sense, as Storm can control the weather and Kurt is fluffy, so he has some extra warmth compares to the others.

On the other hand, Reader wouod have grown a bit more accustomed to larger or scarier figures, as they tended to go to bars and had to sometimes talk with someone (for news, the weather, which town is closest, any strange activity...), so they might not immediately show fear if someone larger or more intimidating sat beside them...

Hmmm... Okay. Who would you want it to be, or hope it is? (Doesn't matter who, just whichever yan you wouod want to see, regardless) ( @sugar-soda @thewickedweiner @vivid-bun This question is for y'all! )

[honey-minded-hivemind]

🌓Meet Me In The Woods🪶/🌗In The Woods Somewhere🪶 AU (Dark Claws of the Smilodon AU)...

Reader, after being found by the mystery platonic yan, initially tries to run... only to be caught by the desperate platonic yandere, who is begging to know if it's them, that they're alive, that they're there, right there, not dead-

And poor Creed Reader can't exactly escape at the moment, so they agree to go somewhere with this platonic yandere...

They end up in a Chick-fil-A.

Creed Reader is antsy, nervous, not wanting to be there and wanting to disappear into the snow outside, while the platonic yan is happily sitting across from them, asking if they're hungry, what they remember, if they've been there for awhile-

Suffice to say, Creed Reader is happy when their food is done, as they set into the nuggets and tenders and waffle fries, as this is the first food in week's that isn't some half-starved rabbit or squirrel they hunted, and it's fresh and warm oh so tasty...

(And the platonic yan is watching them, fondly, wondering to themself how they're alive, where they've been, why the appear the same age as when they last saw them, why they're they're hungry, if they were hurt-)

This gets dark... It just takes a little time..

( @vivid-bun @thewickedweiner @sugar-soda What do y'all think? Any ideas who the mystery platonic yan was? Check out the Meet Me In The Woods Post/Snippet for clues, then tell me who you think or hope it is!) (If you want, that is!) (And what do you think happened to Smilodon Reader in the past...? Any guesses?)

[honey-minded-hivemind]

Any guesses as to who this mysterious figure is who ran into Reader? And how do y'all think Reader either died or disappeared in the past? How do you think they ended up in the future? @thewickedweiner @sugar-soda @vivid-bun @danni1323

🌓Meet Me In The Woods🪶 Post/Opening:

(Warning: Platonic yandere themes, mentioned neglect and abuse, something bad happened to Reader that led to themending up in the future, and some creepiness/discomfort... You have been warned...)

• Was it always this cold?

• The chill seeps into your bones, kisses your cheeks, sinks behind your eyes and into your brain. The sky is gray, clouds covering it in a thick blanket of wooly silver. There is snow drifting down softly, dusting the area in a light powder, smelling of frost and rain. Yet you don't understand it. Why... why are you here? Weren't you somewhere else?

• Hauling yourself up, you take to dusting off the ice and pine needles stuck to your clothes, shivering at the feeling of air on your wet skin. Last you checked, you hadn't been in the snow... right? You can feel the dead leaves and pine needles underfoot, hear the crackle of ice breaking, see the dark trees surrounding you, smell the scent of fresh dew and rotting litter and sweet pine sap. Where exactly are you?

• With little thought besides finding shelter, you stumble through the woods, looking for any signs of civilization or shelter. You just don't get it. What was going on? This wasn't making sense... You hum a little, your teeth clicking together sharply, and hone in on the scent of smoke and gasoline. Huh... That's good. You come across a road, wet and black and slippery, and on the other side, a bar of some kind... Well. Looks like it's your lucky day.

• It doesn't take long to hurry across, careful not to fall or faceplant into the freezing dirt and mud, but you're able to drag yourself to the door, creeping in. A groan escapes you at the feeling of warm air coating your chilled body, and shuffle l inside to sit on a barstool. The smell of alcohol amd sweat and grease is strong, gross, but you ignore it as best you can, trying to listen to the tv that crackles with news and voices.

• "- and in other related news, the president has spoken of plans to celebrate the anniversary of the Great Act, with some saying the mutant peacekeepers will be there. So far, no terrorists have tried to attack as preparations are made to celebrate the peace between humans and mutants, and the New Year will soon be around the corner. Back to you-"

• ... What?... You stare at the screen, confused. You're not sure what the h*ll the news anchor just said, but it can't be what you heard. Last you checked, humans and mutants did not coexist peacefully. And what was a Great Act? You hummed softly to yourself, eyes squinting. You heard the rustle of papers, and turn to see someone flipping through a newspaper, a cup of coffee next to them. But when you saw the date, you startled.

• No. No no no. No. It can't be.

• But nothing magically disappeared and you didn't wake up. Whatever was going on... it seemed you were ahead a few years in the future... You tap the counter underneath your hands, claws clicking lightly against the surface. You... you don't know what to do... You feel a sense of unease, and notice that there are people now watching you, a few looking shocked while others look confused.

• You decide to leave then, quick to slip into the darker shadows and hurry out the door. You're going to need to be careful...

• You find yourself drifting from place to place. After being able to find a hooded coat and some gloves, you take to wandering, always on the move, never staying too long in one place. You aren't sure what all has happened while you've been gone, but you aren't eager to rush back to Bayville or go seek the others out. Look... You didn't want to stir something up, or get in trouble for something, or be yelled at. H*ll, you're not even sure where they are! But... you want to enjoy yourself, just a little. This isn't peace, and it isn't happiness, but it's the closest you've been to it in a d*mn long time. So for now, you just want to savor the quiet of being alone.

• You're in a small bar again, somewhere in the middle of cold, wintery nowhere, sipping lightly at a soda as you warm up. The weather is getting harsher, the roads are gaining ice, the snow is falling more each week... Winter is in full sway, and you have to stop every few days in a little diner or bar or shop to warm up, get something to drink, take a rest, and then it's back to the road and the snow and the silence. You're not eager to talk with anyone. There have been a few who have asked what a kid is doing on their own, but a simple lie or omitted truth keeps them from suspecting anything. You've met a few nicer folk, ones who only see a stranger to talk to or someone to ask for the weather or time, but you don't go deeper than that. There's no point. Maybe everyone is caught up in peace or acting decent, but... You've lived through the hate. You saw it firsthand in both humans amd mutants. Just because someone shares a kind word or a bit of change doesn't mean they won't turn on you the first chance they get. It's the nature of living. It's what everyone's shown you.

• The soft static of a radio playing is almost a lullaby to your ears, the smell of old leather and fresh food a balm to your senses, the heat in the air refreshing for your frost-chilled skin. You wouldn't mind dozing for a bit, to soak in the bit of peace this moment brings... But you're back to watching in a few minutes, tiredly alert. You like to savor each new place, but, well, old habits die hard. You take another drink from your cup, swallowing the fizzling liquid-

• And then you hear a shuffle outside, and someone else wanders in.

• You sigh, a feeling of annoyance settling in when they sit next to you. You don't want to converse with anyone today... But they don't say anything, simply sitting beside you, not sparing you a glance. They're wrapped in their own jacket, and you can't make out much of their features... So you turn back to your drink, listening to the snowstorm outside...

• They hadn't meant to wander into this place.

• It was cold, wet, miserable, each sting of the wind and each bite of the frost reminding them why they hated being out for too long into this weather. Nothing good was out here... But someone had to come out this far, make sure nothing was brewing to cause trouble, no uprisings or riots or some hidden enemy waiting to pounce later on. It was best to be cautious, careful, yadda yadaa yadaa...

• Honestly... this weather only reminds them of someone who's been gone for awhile now. They miss them. It's hard, thinking about them, knowing they won't be waiting for them back with the others, having to go each year without hearing them talk or seeing them... And even now that they've helped make things better, have the peace they and their friends have fought for, are no longer afraid to exist... they just wish that other person was here... But they can't freeze over or wait for the snow to swallow them up. They have family waiting for them back home, and they can't leave them to deal with it all alone. So here they are, wandering into a dimly lit bar, sitting down next to someone small and quiet and hidden in their own coat...

• Huh... They don't show any outward sign of hesitance or curiosity, but they take note of the way the kid next to them has their hands covered, as well as the hood casting part of their face in shadow. Dramatic, or in need of help? They hum, making sure to order their own drink, and close their eyes for a minute. Their senses seem to buzz lightly, and they breath in deep. Huh-

• Wait a minute...

• No... It can't be...

• Their eyes open, shifting over to glance at the kid, who's sipping lightly at their glass, their shoulders hunched. They turn to face them a little, pulling back their own jacket to get a better look at them.

• "Reader...?"

• And the kid freezes, slowly turning to stare up, up, up, until their eyes lock with their's. And then those little eyes, eyes they thought they'd never see again, widen...

[honey-minded-hivemind]

@sugar-soda @weebwholovesuchihasasuke @vivid-bun @thewickedweiner

This was originally for the Meet Me In The Woods AU... should I change it? Or make a new AU? Maybe Dark Claws of the Smilodon AU can be renamed or called 🌗In The Woods Somewhere🪶 AU... Any questions? (Note: Is like the Dark X-Men Evolution AU, but instead features Smilodon Reader...)

What if we do a Dark Claws of the Smilodon/Smilodon AU/Creed Reader AU? Where Creed Reader ends up dying or hurt or committing suicide, leaving the others behind and ending up giving them the push to try and take control, or become more fierce, more dangerous, protecting mutants and setting up the Mansion as a paradise/safe haven, except young mutants can't leave...

Yet, somehow, Creed Reader ends up in the future where this has happened, and is so confused and tired... They remember a few things, but they just feel so... blurred. Tired. Like their mind is still processing what happened, and where they are now, and why the world is suddenly under control of mutants...

So they're off on their own, in the snowy outer cities, trying to piece together what happened to them, what caused them to end up in such an odd future, and why they feel uneasy when people stare a little too long at them...

(They end up wearing a hooded cloak/jacket, trying to hide their face and scars, and sticks to more quiet, isolated areas, so as not to run into trouble or be outed too early, since they have no clue where the X-Men or Brotherhood or teens are, let alone their dad and uncle...)

(Yep... Let's go even darker with them... Any questions?)