#All maze cubes

[tiercel]

Me everytime i play minecraft: Damn im really deep in this cave. Dont feel like finding my way out i can just log back in whenever

Me logging back in 7 months later stuck really deep in a cave with no idea where i am: What the fuck. This fucking sucks

[prokopetz]

Your long and arduous journey has led you to this, the final confrontation. You thought you knew what to expect, but just as you struck the final blow, your ultimate foe's eyes gleamed with unnatural light as they proclaimed…

THIS ISN'T EVEN MY FINAL FORM

A game for 4–6 players

Introduction

This Isn't Even My Final Form is a GMless tactical minigame for 4–6 players. You'll take on the roles of a party of heroic adventurers nearing the end of a world-spanning quest to defeat a great evil, the Final Boss. Unfortunately for them, each time they think they've won, the Final Boss assumes a new, even more horrifying form, and the struggle begins anew. Is there any end to this conflict? There's only one way to find out!

What You'll Need

This Isn't Even My Final Form requires a dozen six-sided dice, as well as a way of keeping track of a few important numbers – a shared text document or some scrap paper will suffice.

Update 2023-10-30: Print-and-play card decks are available here:

http://penguinking.com/this-isnt-even-my-final-form/

Character Creation

Choose two of the following actions to be your Party Member's Class Actions: Strike, Heal, Buff, Debuff. If you'd rather determine this randomly, roll on the following table.

1. Strike, Heal 2. Strike, Buff 3. Strike, Debuff 4. Heal, Buff 5. Heal, Debuff 6. Buff, Debuff

Give your Party Member's Class a name which suits your Class Actions. Also give your Party Member a name; it is traditional but not obligatory for your Party Member's name to have exactly five letters.

Playing the Game

Play is divided into a series of Phases. During each Phase, one player takes on the role of the Final Boss. That player's Party Member does not participate in this Phase; they're trapped, lost, incapacitated, or otherwise separated from the party or unable to act for the duration of the Phase. All other players take on the roles of their Party Members.

The Final Boss player's first order of business is to describe what the current Phase looks like. The Final Boss player can roll 1–3 times on the following table (re-rolling duplicates) to decide on a theme, or use it as inspiration for their own theme. To use this table, roll a six-sided die twice, treating the first roll as the "tens" place and the second roll as the "ones" place, yielding a number in the range from 11 to 66.

11. Beasts 12. Bells 13. Blood 14. Bones 15. Chains 16. Chaos 21. Cubes 22. Eyes 23. Fire 24. Flowers 25. Food 26. Games 31. Gears 32. Glass 33. Gold 34. Hands 35. Holes 36. Ice 41. Iron 42. Light 43. Mazes 44. Meat 45. Mirrors 46. Music 51. Orbs 52. Order 53. Plague 54. Shadow 55. Slime 56. Space 61. Spikes 62. Teeth 63. Time 64. Trees 65. Weapons 66. Wings

Once the Phase has been defined, set the party's Momentum to zero. Momentum is a value which will increase or decrease over the course of the Phase; it has a minimum value of zero, and no particular upper limit.

Play proceeds in a series of rounds, as follows.

The Final Boss Attacks

The Final Boss always goes first in each round. Roll one die:

1–3: The Final Boss chooses one of the following actions. 4–5: The Final Boss chooses two of the following actions. You may not target the same Party Member twice; however, you may use the same action on two different Party Members if you wish. 6: The Final Boss does nothing this round. On its turn next round, it does not roll and instead uses its Ultimate Attack.

Wound: Inflict the Critical Condition on a single Party Member. If the chosen Party Member already has the Critical Condition, it's replaced with the Down Condition and the party loses one Momentum.

Imprecate: Inflict the Cursed Condition on a single Party Member.

Envenom: Inflict the Poisoned Condition on a single Party Member.

Bewilder: Inflict the Confused Condition on a single Party Member.

Counter: If you're targeted by the Strike or Debuff actions this round, after resolving that action, perform the Wound action on the Party Member who targeted you. You may counter any number of actions in this way.

Dispel: Remove the Buffed and Protected Conditions from any number of Party Members.

Enrage: The Final Boss rolls two dice and takes the better result on its next action. The party may cancel this benefit with a successful Debuff action; doing so removes the extra die instead of forcing the Final Boss to roll twice and take the lower result.

Ultimate Attack: This action can only be chosen by rolling a 6 during the previous round. When the Final Boss uses this action, choose Cursed, Poisoned, or Confused: you may perform the Wound action AND inflict the chosen Condition upon any number of Party Members, in that order. (i.e., Wound each targeted Party Member, THEN Curse/Confuse/Poison any who remain standing.)

The Final Boss player describes the outcome of the chosen action(s) in as much or as little detail as they like; control then passes to the other players.

The Party Acts

After the Final Boss has attacked, each Party Member who doesn't have the Down condition chooses one of the following actions, in any order the players wish. After choosing any action other than Defend, the player rolls their dice pool, which is a handful of six-sided dice constructed as follows:

Start with a number of dice equal to the party's current Momentum (initially zero, though it will grow over the course of the Phase)

Add one die if you're performing one of your Party Member's Class Actions

Add one die if your Party Member currently has the Buffed Condition

Add one die if your Party Member currently has the Critical Condition

Roll all of the dice together, and find the highest result. Ties for the highest result have no special significance; for example, if you rolled four dice and got 1, 3, 5 and 5, your result is 5. If you'd ever end up with zero or fewer dice for any reason – either because your dice pool was empty to begin with, or because some effect obliged you to discard every die you rolled – you receive an automatic result of 1.

If an action requires you to target a specific Party Member or make other choices, you can wait and see the result of your roll before making those decisions.

Strike: You attack the Final Boss. Roll your dice pool:

1–3: Nothing happens – either the attack misses, or the Final Boss turns out to be immune to whatever you just did. 4–5: The attack strikes true. The party gains one Momentum. 6: Critical hit! The party gains two Momentum.

Special: If you roll triples or better (i.e., at least three of the same number) on a Strike action, the Final Boss' current Phase is defeated, and you move on to the next Phase. It doesn't matter what number comes up triples.

Heal: You attempt to restore the party's strength. Roll your dice pool:

1–3: You may remove the Critical Condition from a single Party Member. If no Party Member has the Critical Condition, nothing happens. 4–5: You may remove the Critical Condition from any number of party members OR you may remove the Down Condition from a single Party Member. 6: You may remove the Critical and Down Conditions from any number of party members.

Buff: You attempt to bolster a party member. Roll your dice pool:

1–3: You may grant the Buffed Condition to a single Party Member OR remove a Condition of your choice other than Critical or Down from a single Party Member. 4–5: You may grant the Buffed Condition to a single Party Member AND remove a Condition of your choice other than Critical or Down from that Party Member, if they have one. 6: You may grant the Buffed Condition OR remove a Condition of your choice other than Critical or Down to any number of Party Members. You may choose a different option for each targeted Party Member.

Debuff: You attempt to weaken the Final Boss. Roll your dice pool:

1-3: Nothing happens – it turns out the Final Boss was immune to that effect. 4–5: The Final Boss rolls two dice and takes the lower result on its next action. 6: The Final Boss rolls two dice and takes the lower result on its next action AND the party gains one Momentum.

Defend: You may grant the Protected condition to a Party Member of your choice. Do not roll.

Based on the outcome of your roll (if applicable), describe the outcome of your action in as much or as little detail as you wish.

Once each Party Member has acted, return to "The Final Boss Attacks" to begin the next round.

Ending the Phase

As noted above, rolling triples or better on a Strike action results in the immediate defeat of the current Phase. Alternatively, if all Party Members simultaneously have the Down Condition, the Final Boss player's Party Member suddenly breaks free or arrives on the scene and rescues everyone in a stunning deus ex machina; this also ends the Phase, but does not count as defeating it.

In either case, reset the party's momentum to zero, remove all Conditions, and move on to the next Phase. The role of the Final Boss passes to a different player, with preference given to those who haven't yet had a chance to be the Final Boss; the previous Final Boss player resumes playing their Party Member.

Continue until the party has defeated a number of Phases at least equal to the number of players, or until mutual agreement has been reached that all this has gone on quite long enough.

Conditions

Some actions can impose Conditions upon the individual Party Members. Conditions can be positive or negative, and last until specific conditions for their removal are met.

Buffed: Your strength has been boosted. When rolling your dice pool, you roll one extra die.

Confused: You've lost your wits. When the party acts, your action is determined by rolling a d6 – 1: Strike; 2: Heal; 3: Buff; 4: Debuff; 5: Defend; 6: do nothing this round AND remove this Condition. This Condition is also removed if you gain the Critical Condition while under its effects. You may choose targets normally if the rolled action requires them. Confused Party Members always act before their un-Confused peers; if there are multiple Confused Party Members, the Final Boss decides the order in which they act.

Critical: You are badly wounded. Desperation lends strength, and so this Condition adds one extra die to your dice pools; however, if you suffer the Critical Condition a second time, it becomes the Down Condition instead.

Cursed: You've been afflicted with misfortune. Discard your highest result after rolling your dice pool, but before applying your chosen action's effects. If there's a tie for the highest result, discard all of them; for example, if you roll four dice while Cursed and get 1, 3, 5 and 5, your result is 3. If the Condition causes you to discard your only set of triples of better on a Strike action, the Phase does not end.

Down: You are incapacitated by injury or foul enchantment. When the party acts, you may not choose an action; your action remains lost even if this Condition is removed before the end of the round. When you gain this Condition, remove all other Conditions, and the party loses one Momentum. (This is not in addition to the Momentum loss noted by effects which inflict this Condition – those are just reminders.) You may not gain other Conditions while this one persists.

Poisoned: You're afflicted by a poison, plague, or death-curse. If you have the Poisoned Condition after resolving your action for the round, you gain the Critical Condition. If you already have the Critical Condition, you instead gain the Down Condition, and the party loses one Momentum.

Protected: The next time you would gain any Condition other than Buffed, remove this Condition instead. You also remove this Condition if you take any action other than Defend on your turn.

[xxsugarbonesxx]

Librarian Miguel x Flower Shop Owner

tags: tooth rotting amounts of fluff and some suggestive bits. No one is spider man in this AU, mainly just character set up stuff :3 and no gender is specified for reader any1 can read it

hopefully this will be me getting back into writing since i took a break from it lol (this was done in 30-40 minutes at 2am so sorry if it isnt too high quality) ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

In the little rural town of Nueva, there was a library, it was owned and operated by the single hottest man in town, and probably the whole state, Miguel O’Hara. 

Miguel O’Hara was a simple man really, he ironed his clothes, did sudoku on the train and ate a bagel with light cream cheese, an assortment of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries every morning every day for breakfast. 

He took his coffee dark with the littlest splash of cream and one sugar cube. Two sugar cubes would be just reckless. Coffee could be substituted with Camellia flower tea when he was out of coffee, peppermint for when he had a migraine.

All the women in town would sing his praises to another. Little was known about him besides that after the death of his daughter he moved to Nueva and opened his library. In front of his library was a small community garden and a bench dedicated to his dear daughter by the double doors. 

No one brought it up, no one asked, and he liked it that way. He liked the simplicity of Nueva. The air was cleaner, the people there warmer and the ringing in his ears seemingly disappeared when he moved there. 

He liked to keep his library neat and tidy, he had plenty of rules set in place to follow…children's books in the front and adult books in the back. The spicer content was shelved by the cook books so no kids found them. You are to only use the various lamps in the library, never the big light. It totally ruined the cozy atmosphere he had set up. 

Jazz, Frank Sinatra, and Selena Quintanilla was the only music allowed to be played, he didn’t like any other types of music. Coffee was free as long as you returned your mug to the table his coffee maker was on once you were done. No talking louder than a whisper, and only pet the library cat if you had all your shots. That was mostly a joke, but Miguel didn’t want people who weren’t up to date on their immunizations touching his cat.

It was almost closing time, and there were only a few people left. The familiar cast of characters Miguel had come to know now wandering the maze of shelves. Ben Riley was using one of the community monitors. Sending emails back and forth to his girlfriend in Canada. Only god knew if she was real or not.

When Miguel asked why Ben just bought his own laptop or computer to converse with his girlfriend, Ben explained he didn’t want to go through the trouble of setting up a laptop when he could just walk to the library to use one for free.

Miguel couldn’t help but hold back the fattest eye roll known to man when he heard that.

Peter Parker was looking for cookbooks for the dinner he was gonna make to win his ex wife back. Stressing over the perfect dish to make as young Mayday Parker debated whether she wanted to check out GoodNight Moon or Skippyjon Jones for her bedtime story tonight.

Then there was Pavitr Prabhakar and Gayatri Singh. Debatably his most adorable regulars. Miguel would watch the two teenagers stumble through their awkward study dates, he couldn't help but feel the littlest bit proud of Pav when he finally worked up the courage and kissed her. 

But his favorite, hands down, was you. You owned the little flower shop across the street from his library next to the bakery. On the opening, you had brought him a bunch of sunflowers tied with a pearl white ribbon as a gift. He didn't have the heart to tell her that he was actually allergic to sunflowers and graciously took the generous gift with a stuffy nose and kind smile.

You would come waltzing in, batting your eyelashes like you were auditioning for a mascara commercial. At first he had no interest in romance, but you were just so…kind, caring, loving, compassionate. You were so slow and soft spoken, giving him the space he needed while he grieved and was there afterwards to hug him and dry his tears. 

At the beginning, you’d only stop by and help him in the library or check out a novel or two, but as you became a frequent visitor, you stopped coming just to help him…and started coming just to see him.

He remembered how one day, you had arrived at the library as usual. A perplexed look on your darling face with your hands behind your back. You had spent all of the night before carefully crafting a special bouquet of lilies and tulips. Making sure there wasn't anything in it he was allergic to.

After dancing around the subject, you had slowly confessed her feelings to him. 

The next hour was spent in the back room of the library. Feverishly groping another and kissing frantically, your glasses kept sliding against each other’s as you both ran to rip each other's clothes off another's bodies.

Miguel was still that simple man he was all those years ago when he moved to the sleepy town of Nueva. The idea of building a real relationship with someone scared him from how many times he'd been hurt in the past and the fresh wounds from the death of his child.

But now he has you. He has someone to come home to besides the empty walls of his little cottage home. He has a significant other to fill that void and to lift him up, someone to be his lock screen picture.

Someone to tell all the things he’s learned from the regulars at the library. He told you about Ben getting catfished, Peter winning MJ over with homemade ratatouille and a promise, about Pav and Gayatri’s kiss while the both of you snuggled up on the couch over a bottle of strawberry wine.

You'd both started the relationship a little rocky, not knowing whether this was right with the things Miguel was working through then. But it soon proved to be the best decision either of you could have made. 

He had your wedding picture next to Gabriela's school picture day portrait on his desk. 

His favorite parts of his day were when you’d walk from your shop to the library on your lunch break to eat together, and in the evenings when he'd read the book you were currently reading out loud to you, before going to sleep together. 

He was still that simple man, but now he’d share his bagels with you. He’d offer to iron your clothes for you, and even when you didn’t understand, he showed you how to play sudoku on the long train rides. Even though you were just nodding along to hear him talk about something he enjoyed.

[svmjaeyvn]

love maze, s.jy.

chapter nine pairing: jake x afab!reader word count: tbd (series)

masterlist

genre: college!au, mutual friends, fake dating, smut.

synopsis: an unfortunate encounter, drunken mistakes, and a sort of (definitely) stalker leads jake sim ‘dating’ his best friend’s childhood crush.

or, your life gets intertwined with a rich boy’s in attempt to not get sued by his crazy personal fangirl and like with all good cliches, sex overcomplicates things.

contents: smut, sort of strangers to fuck buddies to lovers pipeline, childhood best friend!jay, mentions of best friend! yunjin, curly haired & mixed reader, uni!au, rich nepo baby!jake, enha frat boys, lots of kissing, fake dating turning into fwb real quick, totally way too into it for it to be fake early on, big booty reader that’s jake’s obsessed with, partying and alcohol use, slight violence, he fell first and harder trope, stem bf & writer gf, (kinda overly) possessive jake, some angst to spice things up, daddy issues, hyper independent reader who struggles with her feelings, fluff and happy ending!!

a/n: hello~ i’ve never been a tumblr girly but i have went through my w*ttpad era back in 2018 so bare with me y’all. this will be a series but not that long (i hope) so pls look forward to it. warning tags will be placed before each “chapter” to specify what to expect. pls pls reblog and interact, i’d love to have feedback and see what your thoughts are. okay! yay, for now enjoy and thank you sm :D

MDNI, 18+

tap below to continue

CHAPTER NINE: JEALOUSY

previous masterlist next

word count: 4.1k

warnings: minjun is being a stalker, that’s sort of it??

a/n: IM SORRY IVE BEEN GONE FOR SO LONG. i’m working + doing an internship at the same time so im exhausted everyday since being an adult SUCKS so i’ve neglected writing (though i have a new idea for a smau lol) and this not that great but i wanted to provide something for you guys </3 jake is down horrendous and not even hiding it now it’s crazy

"PLEASE STOP STARING," Ni-ki whined, throwing an ice cube in Jake's direction who was perched at the counter with a giddy smile. You were on the other side of the store, in the midst of barring out drinks before turning to help your coworker with a unsatisfied customer.

It was different to see you in your element, of course to you it being a mere barista job but Jake couldn't deny how much a leadership position suited you. You were good at quite literally everything, barely paying him mind when he waltzed in 20 minutes ago due to the afternoon rush but seeming calm and collected as you handled the line of drinks that seemed never ending. You looked as pretty as ever in his eyes, your haired pulled up by the clip in your hair and bare skin that seemed to be glowing.

You were called in last minute by a fellow shift as they weren't able to come in due to an emergency. Knowing Ms. Cho would've been the one to cover, something you couldn't bare to make her do as she was meant to take the week off due to spraining her wrist, and not wanting to leave Ni-ki hanging you canceled on the previous study-date you had scheduled with Jake much to his disappointment.

Lo and behold though, said boy decided that he had all the time in the world to wait for you. After you called him on your break, excited that a coworker would be coming in to do the closing tasks, telling him you'd be off at 6:30 instead of 10, Jake stopped by an hour before your shift would end deeming that allowing him to treat you to dinner would make up for the raincheck.

"Bro honestly, I know she's your girlfriend but can't you go sit down at least," Ni-ki's voice breaks his thoughts once more. Jake merely rolled his eyes, waving off the boy who looked exasperated by his presence.

"Yah, whatever. You're just bitter 'cause you’re bitchless," Jake began to tease, watching as the younger boy rolled his eyes and discretely flipped him off without the other customers taking note.

There was a familiar jingle from the door, Ni-ki's eyes looking past him to greet whoever walked in but his face turned into one of visible disgust. Immediately making his way in your direction without a word, Jake curiously turned around with his brows frowned to see what caused such a reaction.

A small scoff left Jake's lips, watching Minjun b-line to where you were behind the bar with Ni-ki glued to your side and staring him down like a guard dog. A small smirk picks at his lips, Jake waiting patiently, watching from afar to see what he planned on saying as you'd be able to handle it yourself.

"___," Minjun spoke, attempting to gain your attention but you merely lifted your gaze for a second as you focused on the drinks you had sequenced. "Can we talk?"

"I'm busy," You said dryly, sending him a pointed look as you were on shift quite literally in the middle of working. "If you need something you can ask my other staff to help you,"

"Are you seriously going to ignore me?"

"Are you seriously showing up to my job when I told you to leave me alone?" You shot back, brow raising in disbelief. "It's harassment, do you want me to call the cops?"

Minjun bit his lip, seemingly collecting his thoughts to carefully piece what he intended to say next. "You're ignoring my texts, how else am I supposed to talk to you?"

"I blocked you," You answer with a small shrug. "I don't want to talk to you. We have no reason to either way, it was your idea to move on with our lives in the first place so I don't see what you need from me now,"

"It was a mistake," Minjun attempts but a loud scoff comes from your end at his words. Feeling yourself grow more and more annoyed, you take a second to collect your thoughts, having to silently remind yourself that there were a handful of other customers that you still needed to be portrayed to in a professional light.

Your eyes flickered to the left, feeling the familiar gaze boring into your side. You met Jake's look, his brows slightly pinched as he held an unreadable expression glancing over Minjun. His arms were crossed against his chest, leaned against the front counter while his head tilted in the smallest of ways meeting your eyes. Silently indicating whether of not you wanted him to intervene, you shook your head, turning over to Ni-ki who was still on gaurd just a step behind you.

"Can you take over for me?" You ask the younger boy, his eyes softening as he glanced down to you with a small nod. Telling Sooyun the same, you leave the two on the floor to handle the customer flow and walk away from Minjun without a word. He attempted to follow along the counter that kept you separated, only to stop short noting how you met Jake at the break that separated the workers and customer side.

"You okay?" Jake asks softly, his hand finding its place in your own as he traced his thumb over your palm in attempt to offer some ease to your mind.

"I don't know why he keeps trying," You mumble out, swallowing the lump in your throat while Jake pursed his lips. You had to admit, no matter how unaffected you attempted to seem, having Minjun back and weaseling his way into your life was slowly opening up old wounds that never fully healed. It felt exhausting seeing his face, much less feeling trapped in your own workplace since that seemed to be his resort to finding you no matter how many hints you've given to leave you be.

"You want me to call the guys and we can jump him out back?" Jake offers, the teasing in his voice caused you to laugh though the glint in his eyes made it hard for you to tell if he was entirely joking. "I could take him on my own but I'm sure Jay wants a few hits at him anyway,"

"So does Ni-ki," You snicker, glancing over to the boy who had his eyes trained on Minjun with a menacing glare. "I don't have the money to bail all seven of you out though so let's not do that,"

A cocky smile fell upon Jake's lips knowing well enough his next words would cause you to grimace. "It's okay baby, I'm rich remember?"

You roll your eyes but couldn't refrain from the small laugh that fell from your lips. "You're annoying," You huff, though the giggle that filtered through your words had Jake smiling from ear to ear. Leaning closer, he's quick to place a kiss to your lips, your eyes widening as you pulled away with a tsk. "I'm on the clock, stop making me look like a bad worker,"

"No one's looking," Jake reassures, not even sparing a glance around the room but he's sure of himself. His hands fell to your hips, pulling you in closer and technically he was right, the large pastry case and stack of boxes that you had yet to be able to put away had blocked a significant amount of view of where you two stood, someone would have had to come around the corner to see you two if they really wanted to.

A clear of someone's throat caused the two of you to pull away from the giddy bubble you were in. Your annoyance flooded back in a second while Jake lazily looked over his shoulder, his eyes lighting up taking note of Minjun who stood with a dark expression.

"What's up man?" Jake smiled, turning as he said so but still keeping one arm draped around your waist though you shifted slightly in your spot. His grip tightened feeling how you attempted to move, squeezing your hip as a silent way to tell you to stay in place at his side. "You need something?"

"Can you give us a minute?" Minjun's words were short and clipped, the visible annoyance dripping from his persona.

"Don't think so," He hummed with the click of his tongue. "M'names Jake," Holding out his hand with a cheeky smile, Jake waited for Minjun to introduce himself. You had to refrain from the laugh that wanted to spill from your lips, the obviously annoying but polite tactic one you wouldn't have guessed he'd play but it seemed to work better than being possessive or immediately hostile.

"Minjun," Was all he replied with, not bothering to complete the handshake Jake intended. Turning his gaze to you, he near pleaded in a softer tone. "Can we just talk?"

Jake let out a loud sigh, dropping his hand with the shake of his head. "You know, man, I wouldn't have held nothing against you but you're really making my girl uncomfortable," His previous bubbly expression was gone, now replaced with a bored one that shamelessly glanced over Minjun. "You know me personally, I don't go for girls I broke up with, especially after she told me to leave her alone and she has a new man. That's just me though,"

"No offense man, but I know you two just got together. Your new relationship doesn't compare to us," Minjun shrugs while you let out a laugh of disbelief. You and Jake were more comfortable together, by miles, in a short amount of time even if your relationship was based on a facade. After the first two months with Minjun, it felt as though you were walking on eggshells everyday to keep him around, a feeling you remember all too well and ridicule yourself for staying in for so long.

"I mean, you're the ex for a reason right? Our relationship s’not supposed to be like yours," Jake shrugs, a humorless laugh left his lips.

"You guys don't even make sense together!" Minjun was now speaking to you, gesturing between you both with an exasperated expression. "His life is completely different from yours and you know it, why waste time now when it won't even work out,"

You frowned yours brows, not knowing how much he had looked into Jake but either way, being so ambient on your differences seemed to rub you the wrong way. What exactly was he entailing? The fact that Jake was a party guy or he was rich? You grew up attached to the hip with Jay, sure you weren't directly apart of that life but you did know how to act with a cocktail dress and dinning etiquette when you needed to. You truly lacked nothing if the relationship was real and so far, Jake didn't either.

"It's cute to know you've been thinking about me," Before you were able to voice your thoughts, Jake beat you to it. His tone was teasing, though there was a slight edge to it indicating that the cat and mouse play going back and forth was something he began to grow tired of. His had squeezed your hip, somehow subconsciously knowing that your agitation grew as well, it a silent reminder that he was there for you.

Minjun scoffed, seemingly ready to retort but Jake shook his head. "You know, I don't really like being a dick and all," He starts, a small huff of air leaving his lips as if it pained him to continue. Jake's eyes flickered to you, he winked before the bored look was sent back toward Minjun. "But I do take advantage of the benefits that come from my family. Let's just make it easier on all of us since getting the lawyers involved is always so messy, yeah?"

Your eyes widened slightly, certainly not having any thought of any legal precedent but the threat should've been more than enough to get his point across. You felt a shiver run up your spine, thinking back to weeks ago when you got yourself into the situation you were now. She totally would've sued me.

There was a clear of the throat that broke the tension between you three. Ni-ki making his presence known as he sends Minjun a rather large, but most obviously fake, smile.

"I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave since I've had a few customer complaints from the situation that's occurring," He says in his peppy customer service voice, the faux sympathy in his tone adding salt to the wound. Looking around, you take note of the lie considering the lobby had cleared out significantly and not a single person in sight was paying any mind to what was occurring in the corner but you were certainly thankful for the deescalation.

Minjun doesn't say a word. His eyes lock with yours, the silent communication causing you to feel uneasy. For a split second, you almost felt bad for him seeing the look of pleading sincerity, for a second he seemed like the boy you once knew and you couldn't deny the slight tug in your heart that longed for the past. But as Jakes’ hand made its presences know on your back, you shook out of the temporary daze, you subtly moved behind him, using Jake as a shield of sorts and looking away.

You weren't naive enough to fall for that. And your thoughts proved right as Minjun's expression changed in an instant, the look of anger and annoyance familiar but he merely turned and made his way out of the shop without hesitation.

The bitter feeling caused your stomach to turn, picking at the skin of your fingers as you pulled out your phone to check the time.

"You okay noona?" Ni-ki carefully asked, His brows were pinched, a slight frown at his lips taking note of your visibly discomfort.

You nod, placing a smile on your features but it didn't quite reach your eyes. You looked behind him, seeing Sooyun working by herself. "I'm alright, I need to finish my pull before Hejin comes in so support where you can for now," You delegate, already heading toward the back room while footsteps followed soon after.

Jake sighed watching you walk away. He didn't know the full story, certainly didn't want to know the details of how in love you were, but he did know that Minjun was important enough to still bother you after some time apart. A small part of him was selfish, never wanting you to think of anyone like that but him, even though your relationship wasn't even real in the first place, but he knew that was his own jealousy.

The larger part of him felt upset for you though, the crestfallen expression you held more than enough for him to want to hold you and wash all your worries away. In a perfect world, Jake would make sure you'd never feel sad again. He vows to never be the one responsible for your tears, and if he were he'd kick himself and beg for the room in your heart to forgive him.

You stopped by the back freezer, facing the stainless steel doors and you could see Jake's reflection behind you. "I'm alright," You repeat, not having the confidence to turn around knowing your eyes were glossing over and the lump in your throat grew.

Jake hummed, watching you from afar. He watched as you began to count the frozen pastries, having to go over twice losing your train of thought and seemingly looking around aimlessly. You let out a sigh, leaning your head against the frozen rack as you shut your eyes, the cold air that wrapped around your body caused goosebumps to form along your arms, though it did well in stopping the tears that were built up to the brim.

"You know, you're technically not supposed to be back here," You mumble, a hint of amusement in your words though you were rather dejected.

Jake chuckled, shaking his head while you couldn't see it. The two of you stood in silence, not knowing what to say that would make it better. Heavy footsteps sounded as someone entered the back of the house, you peaking from behind the freezer door while Jake straightened up.

Hejin pointed a finger at you as she pulled her apron over her head. Your brows frowned, clicking on the tablet that was stuck to the door to see it only be 5:50. Her keys jangled in her pocket, the lollipop in her mouth muffling her words. "Go home,"

"What?" You let out a small laugh, amused by the loud groan she let out upon her apron getting stuck while pulling it down. "It's not 6:30,"

"I'm here now so go," Hejin huffs, pulling at her ponytail as she nods towards Jake, a silent acknowledgment to his presence but not bothering to ask why he was beside you. "I saw creeps-a-lot in the parking lot. The kid and Sooyun were blowing up my phone to get me here so I chased him away. Go home and relax, I'll make a incident report to let everyone and Mama Cho know to not talk about you and refuse him service from now on,"

Your lips pull into a frown, the tears once again welding up in your eyes. You covered your face out of embarrassment, Hejin clicking her tongue as she waved you off.

"Ay, don't cry," She tuts. "He's not worth it, new boyfriend hug her!" Hejin directs, gesturing between you and Jake causing you to let out a laugh. Jake tilted his head, his arms open as you reluctantly stepped into his embrace. You refused to look at him directly, hiding behind your hands though you could see the fondness in his expression as he stared down at you. "Good, now get out of here. Pretty girls should never cry over ugly men,"

With that, Hejin was out onto the floor. You stifled your laughter, heart pulling at the thought of your work family. She, in particular, was known to be rough around the edges, not one to show praise or direct affection but small acts like these were truly the most meaningful. You made a mental note to treat them in the future, thankful for the saving grace.

Jake pulled away from the hug slight, a small smile perking at his lips as he tilted his head. He gently pulled away your hands from your face, wiping away the few stray tears with the same fond look.

"You know, I don't know how to feel about you crying over another man," He teased causing you to roll your eyes. "Guess I have a lot of work to do to make you forgive him,"

"Forgive?" You echo, raising a brow not following his words.

Jake nods. "You know, for being an idiot but at least it allowed for me and you which is like, a million times better," He says in the most obvious voice causing you to snicker. "Forgive but not forget, or whatever it is that people say,"

"Have you been looking at pinterest quotes?" You laugh while Jake begins to nod wholeheartedly.

"You put me on, it's honestly so chill scrolling. I have like, five different boards I've made so far,"

"Rookie numbers," You tease causing him to mock offense.

"They all have certain aesthetics and are listed in order," He offers causing you to hum.

You nod in approval. "Better,"

Noting that your mood had seem to raise, Jake leans in, placing a small peck to the tip of your nose causing you to let out a small squeal. Your face scrunches up, pulling away from him while he lets out a laugh.

"C'mon, you owe me your time and I think I have the perfect idea to get your pretty little mind off everything,"

"YOU’RE JOKING?"

"What?"

You sent Jake a pointed look, smiling down at the excited animal that jumped into your arms, licking the skin of your cheek while your heart nearly bursted at the sight of her tail wagging so happily. "We've been faking it for over a month and you decided to just tell me you had a dog?"

"Her name's Layla," He laughs, crouching down to the level which you were sat on the floor. As soon as you walked into the door of the unfamiliar apartment, you were greeted by soft paws jumping at your leg along with excited barks for attention. "This is my brother's place, she's a family dog but he has her most of the time since my parents are always out of town. He's on a trip with his friends so he asked me to watch her for the week," Jake cooed as he pet Laylas fur, eyes full of affection and love as she leaned into his touch.

“I’ll watch her for the week,” You smile, gaining her attention once more as you scratched at the spot just behind Laylas’ ears. Her eyes shut as you did so, a small giggle leaving your lips as the dog visibly relaxed to your petting. “I’ll keep her company while you party or whatever you do in that frat house,”

Jake rolled his eyes, his view set on you but you were far too focused on Layla to care. “I haven’t gone to a party in weeks, and if I do you’re with me,” He says pointedly as you merely hum.

“Exactly, you can go do what you want. I’ll stay here with the cutest little puppy I’ve ever seen,” The latter half of your sentence was spoken in a high voice, cooing at Layla who seemed to be happily responsive to it.

Though he liked seeing how well you got along with his childhood pet, Jake tsked. Maybe it was a bad idea bringing you to see her, all of your attention would go to the little border collie instead of him which, admittedly, he couldn’t have.

“What I want,” Jake starts, leaning over to flood your view. “Is for you to not love my dog more than me,” He finished, dangerous close to your lips as you blinked, a small snort leaving your lips.

“Well for one, I barely tolerate you so Layla wins by a long shot,” You tease causing his lips to pout. Lightly pushing Jake away, he ends up sitting directly in front of you, Layla happily pouncing into his lap but still begging for you to provide her with scratches as she rolled over onto her back to expose her stomach. “And two, you can’t be jealous over your own dog. She’s just too cute,”

Jake sighed half heartedly. “You kicking me to the curb now for my dog?”

“Precisely,” You nod, a wide grin playing at your lips that you were unable to resist. It was still between the two of you for a moment, Jake taking the silence to gently place Layla down onto the ground beside you. You rose a brow, noting how he inched closer causing you to move back. “Hey~”

His arms were suddenly thrown around your body, one around your waist while the other was behind your head, blocking the impact of him suddenly tackling you to the hardwood floor. Your laughter filled the air, arms stuck under the weight of his chest and your faces inches apart.

“Too bad, you’re not allowed to get rid of me,” Jake huffs though there was an amused smile playing at his lips. “Say you like me more,”

You gaped in disbelief. “Are you serious?” The response to your question ended up with Jake’s fingers dancing along the skin of your waist, your shirt riding up and him knowing how ticklish you were as you began to squirm beneath him. “H-hey! Okay, s-stop—”

“Say it,” Jake taunts, his laughter mixing with yours.

“O-okay—”

Layla’s loud barks suddenly broke the air before the view of her jumping onto Jake’s head was seen. Your laughs were now from seeing how he yelped at the sudden help you received, rolling off of your body and with Layla still attacking his face with an abundance of kisses, you sat up. Now straddling Jake’s waist, you returned the favor of poking your fingers into his side, moving until you found a spot by his ribs that caused him to squirm around.

“Hey! You can’t team up against me,” Jake called out, unable to move either of you due to the way you sat and how Layla was now perched on his chest to get a better angle of sloppy kisses that he attempted to block. “She’s trying to lick my nose! Baby please—”

“What? I’m giving you attention like you wanted,”

my tags!! @slutforsjy @jaklvbub @whowantshota @addictedtohobi @coolwitu @simjyunnie @kgneptun @graythecoffeebean @143ikeu @zyvlxqht @tesywesy @nxzz-skz @aishisgrey @enczen @vanvity @dreamiestay @caitysdelusions @ikkeumyluv @v3lv3tsin

[kobrafangs]

i've been compiling a bunch of maze runner headcannons over the past few weeks, and i decided to share what i have so far :) fyi most of these are ivytrio centered heheh ^_^ enjoy!!!

- newt would be a big oatmeal fan. he'd have it every day and put cubed fruits and maple syrup in it too. thomas prefers a plain toast with butter and always teases newt for "being an old coot"

- minho is rlly extra and likes to make these fancy pancakes that frypan taught him how to make

- newt would be addicted peach tea. every morning he goes to the convenience store and he buys a bottle before class

- newt loves bracelets and he made a matching pair for him and thomas :] (minho, newt, & thomas also have separate matching bracelets!)

- newt does poetry & art. he carries around a little sketchbook in his satchel where he jots random thoughts and sketches. his muse is thomas <3

- newt likes musicals & claymation/stop motion movies (his fav is dear evan hanson or kubo and the 2 strings) & thomas likes action movies (his favs are starwars or the spiderman movies)

- their fav movie to watch together is fantastic mr fox or coraline

- thomas and minho are both on their school's track team

- thomas downloaded duolingo as a joke but now he feels guilty if he misses even a single day so he has a daily streak of 479

- thomas almost threw up crying watching end game (he forced newt to watch it with him as well)

- thomas prefers calling/face timing over texting and he will do everything in his power to call

- he's also like the least coherent texter of all time He always has like 90 spelling errors in a 4 word text

- newt doesnt like calls but is also the driest texter of all time

- minho sends those corny Good Morning! gifs with a sunset in the background and glitter and flowers on it

- minho studies hard, passes his classes

- newt barely studies, passes his classes (hes just smart)

- thomas doesnt study whatsoever, passes his classes somehow

- minho has legible, normal-but-a-bit-wonky handwriting

- newt has a slanted cursive scrawl

- everything thomas writes is illegible

- minho has the dirtiest mind known to mankind

- when frustrated, minho gets really sassy, thomas gets snappy and fidgety, and newt just goes silent

- minho would go on 5 am runs and post a picture of him on his instagram story all sweaty and smiling and put the dumbest caption of all time on it

- thomas cannot eat unless he puts on a show

- minho scrolls on his phone and texts people while he eats

- newt raw dogs every meal No stimulation whatsoever. pure silence

- thomas is extremely ticklish. like hellishly ticklish. he will literally scream like hes getting stabbed and kick his feet if he gets tickled

- ivy trio stays up until like 3 am playing horror games. thomas is the one who always screams bloody murder at literally any noise, minho keeps yelling at thomas to shut up, and newt is the only one actually playing the game. they also love roblox

- minho and thomas play dress to impress and they get way too invested in it

- newt & sonya braid daisies in each other's hair

- thomas likes having his hair played with

- thomas likes chewing gum, specifically bubble gum because hes actually 8 years old and likes to blow bubbles

- newt looooovessss libraries he'd literally live in one if he could

- minho unironically says "where my hug at" to thomas and newt

- newt is usually the little spoon but he knows thomas likes it too so sometimes he insists on being the big spoon just so thomas is happy

- sun thomas, moon newt, comet minho

- thomas isn't allowed to play fnaf anymore because the last time he did he got jump-scared so hard he threw his phone against the wall so hard it made a hole

- thomas's favourite pony is pinkie pie, newt's is applejack, minho's is rainbow dash

- newt has a fear of heights so thomas and minho always have to beg for him to go to an amusement park with them

- danny gonzalez thomas, drew gooden newt, kurtis conner minho

- minho always quotes random tiktok audios that nobody gets so at one point he just started making up really specific ones that catered to whatever situation they're in and then proceed to gaslight newt and thomas into believing they're real

- dog thomas, cat newt, otter minho

- THOMAS TMNT FAN RAAAHHH

- newtmas' favourite date was an aquarium date. thomas is absolutely captivated by all the fish and newt is so enamoured

- newt would probably like manga (he really enjoyed saiki k, chainsaw man, and sxf)... its his guilty pleasure

- on minho's aforementioned morning runs, he BLASTS pop music thru his headphones. because of this he's literally almost deaf. he always goes "huh" "what?" "say again?" whenever talking to anybody but it especially makes newt so frustrated

- also. minho would love charli xcx SORRY I DONT MAKE THE RULES!!!! he really likes pop music because it gets him pumped up and energized

- when thomas is focused, his speech gets really curt and he kinda shuts the world out because hes so tunnel visioned. as a result people think hes just really rude and a pain to work with

- only newt can work with him effortlessly because they don't need words to communicate. a slight nose scrunch? thomas knows he made a mistake. quirk of the brow? newt nods his head to show his approval. thomas taps his fingers against the table? newt can tell he's frustrated. their relationship can be tacit but understood by one another which is why they work so well with each other

- thomas LOOOOOVES karaoke he literally will not hesitate to belt his heart out

- when thomas blushes, he blushes HARD. he gets really red in the face and gets super embarrassed and newt likes to tease him for it

- when drunk, thomas gets really chatty, newt becomes clingy, and minho turns into a whole nother person he gets SO rowdy and loud and crazy. life of the party kinda guy

and thats all for now hehe !! ^_^ hope these were entertaining enough :p

[earths-roots-grow-up]

[anonymous-ace72]

Some of my favorite ToA quotes

I was a dramatic god.

 I thought my last statement was a great line. I expected gasps, perhaps some organ music in the background. Maybe the lights would go out just before I could say more. Moments later, I would be found dead with a knife in my back. That would be exciting! Wait. I’m mortal. Murder would kill me. Nevermind.

Hidden Oracle, p.201

--

“If you pull out a brochure, I will make you eat it.”

Hidden Oracle, p. 235

--

VERILY, THOU ART DENSER THAN A COMBAT OSTRICH CUBE. 

Dark Prophecy, 125.

--

What was proper? Commodus intended to live forever. He would drive away the darkness with the roar of the crowds and the glitter of spectacle.

But he generated no light. 

Not like the Waystation. Marcus Aurelius would have approved of this place. Emmie and Josephine lived properly with what time they had left, creating light for everyone who came here. No wonder Commodus hated them. No wonder he was so bent on destroying this threat to his power. 

Dark Prophecy, p.370

--

Leave it to McCaffery to be tactless about love to a child of Aphrodite, while simultaneously starting a fire in front of a satyr.

Burning Maze, p.122

--

I remembered how disgusted Poseidon had been, watching Caligula tootle around the Bay of Baiae, though I think Poseidon was just jealous his palace didn’t have rotating statues.

Burning Maze, p.221

--

I had never been a fan of felines. They were self-centered, smug, and thought they ruled the world. In other words… All right, I’ll say it. I didn’t like the competition.

Tyrant’s Tomb, p.76

--

Nothing is quite so disconcerting as having science explained to you by a supernatural creature.

Tyrants Tomb, p.116

--

I could imagine a younger Meg exploring these tunnels, doing cartwheels in the muck, and growing mushrooms in forgotten locations.

Tower of Nero, p.28

--

NERO IS NOT WORTH A FIG, HE SEES NOT MY BRILLIANCE.

Tower of Nero, p.247

[thewatcher727]

Writing Description Notes: Confused

Updated 30th May 2024 More description notes

The sharp intelligence he usually carried was drowned out by the static of confusion.

John cocked his head to the side, confusion written on his face.

John tilted his head in confusion, his eyes trying to discern the almost-too-serious expression on Jane’s face.

Confusion briefly laced John’s features, though it faded as fast as it came.

A labyrinth of thoughts tangled in his mind, each path leading to a dead end of bewilderment.

Her confusion was a kaleidoscope of mismatched colors, swirling and shifting with each passing moment.

The puzzle pieces of understanding lay scattered before him, but no matter how he tried, they refused to fit together.

His thoughts resembled a tangled ball of yarn, with no clear beginning or end.

Confusion was a thick fog that clouded his senses, leaving him groping blindly for clarity.

It was as if someone had shuffled the cards of his thoughts, leaving him to sort through the jumbled mess.

Her mind felt like a crowded room, with too many voices clamoring for attention, leaving her unable to focus on any one thought.

Like a map with no legend, his thoughts led him in circles, leaving him stranded in a maze of confusion.

Confusion gripped her mind like quicksand, pulling her deeper with each attempt to find solid ground.

It was as if a glitch had occurred in the matrix of his mind, leaving him unable to decipher the scrambled code of his thoughts.

Confusion was a foreign language he couldn't decipher, leaving him stranded in a land of incomprehensible gibberish.

Like a Rubik's cube with no solution, his thoughts remained stubbornly scrambled, defying all attempts at unraveling.

It was as if the wires of his mind had been crossed, sending signals haywire and leaving him lost in a maze of misfiring synapses.

[cupids-chamber]

— “ Tea party for two “  Commissioned by @mewpangxin

Overblot Riddle / Gender Neutral Reader / Suggestive | [ Can be read as yandere / non-yandere ]

The tea cup fell, crashing into the ground, shattering into many specs of glass, scattering all around the ground… And then everything seemingly changed, turned on its heel even, as Riddle's once calm and composed demeanor turned dark, and alongside him— so did his Garden, the surroundings. The queen’s lively lush garden turned dim and cold, as if to match the hurt ego of its queen, its ruler. The bushes, hedges, plants.. all turned gray and black, as if to replicate Riddle's own attire, the garden shifted and distorted, spikes of black shards, similar to his, now shattered teacup, were scattered all over the garden, as the painted roses grew as dark and red as blood. 

An irry unsettling shade of gray seemed to surround the area, and then it hit—it hit everyone, as students of Heartslabyul screamed in panic, trying to escape the premise as fast as humanly possible. Clashes and clings could be heard at the gates, as they struggled to open the metal gates, an intercrete maze forming at its queen's call, and before you—before anyone could move, they were trapped. Trapped in the queen's maze, all… alone.  

The unsettling silence was what surged panic within you, the soft silence, as if everything was normal, as if everything was fine— it felt calm, quiet. There was screaming from all sides of Heartslabyul a few seconds ago, the sounds of clashing and clings from the metal gates as they tried so hard—so ridiculously hard, to open the gates... and now, there was only silence. 

As if on auto pilot, you walked.. carefully, fearing that one simple noise would trigger something that you, truthfully didn't want to deal with; Fixing your disheveled clothes, you walked through the maze, until you reached, what you could only assume was the center. It was all well coordinated, you noticed that things only got brighter.. more.. soothing, lively,... and calm, as you reached the center. As if to ease you in for a big surprise, reeling you into a false sense of comfort. 

You entered the center, with a heavy heart, only to witness Riddle, in all his glory, as he sat there, at the tea table, peacefully drinking his tea... "You've arrived?" His voice seemed sweet, as he opened his eyes, "Settle down now...", he was smiling softly, it would've felt sweet, had you not been trapped within this makeshift maze, that seems to follow its queen's emotions. 

You were conflicted for quite some time, before finally deciding to go through with his words, settling down in the seat across from him, shifting in your seat, slightly uncomfortable about the arrangement— He wasn’t stable, as of right now, anyone could tell.. and you’d much rather not anger him at this moment, not until someone else was in sight, you can’t quite tell what would happen if you were all alone with him. 

Riddle stood up, pouring a cup of tea for you, “Sugar?” he asked. You mindlessly nodded in response, staring at the teacup, as he put two cubes of sugar into it. He didn’t move from his position behind you, “Drink it” he ordered, his tone was demanding; you picked up the tea cup, feeling him stare you down, “Hold it with one hand, the tea cup should be facing the right…” he watched you intently, as you fixed your cup in one hand, you heard him chuckle, “Careful now.. the tea is still hot.” 

You nodded, feeling his warm shaky breath on your neck, “Like this?” you asked him, curiosity laced in your voice. You heard him laugh, “Yes! Exactly like that.. Such a quick learner… now drink it.” he commanded, his voice stern, a tad bit shaky. 

He gazed at you curiously, as you brought the cup up to your lips, carefully sipping the tea, making sure not to make a single noise, “Ah—Such an obedient student.” he let out a playful chuckle, as you felt him lay his head into your neck. His tone lowered, his words coming out, just above a whisper,  “I wonder.. Just how far can I push that obedience of yours..” 

You felt his hands trail, towards the back of your neck, just a bit, then he flicked the area, connecting your neck to its body, before leaving a small kiss on the area, “Tell me… “ 

“...Are you scared?” he laughed, watching you squirm with amusement. “How adorable…” His words were laced with excitement. 

“... That’s not so nice is it?.. “ he asked playfully, placing his hands on your shoulders, putting a hand on your cheek, forcing you to meet his eyes, “..I haven’t hurt you have I?” he asked with a fake pout, words laced with fake concern, “... How cruel..” he stated bluntly, with vivid sarcasm. 

He gave you a small kiss on your lips, “Tell me… how exactly do I scare you?” he stared at you, looking you up and down, with a smirk, “... tell me everything..” ….. “I’m quite the curious individual, my dear rose..”, Riddle let out a laugh, as he watched your face show vivid panic, at his words, the way you struggled to form a coherent answer sent shivers of adrenaline down his spine, what a stupid, yet so, so obedient rose, he’s found in his garden…  He wonders, how long it’ll take for you to answer him, how long will it take for you to break… one of his many rules... 

“That isn’t an answer my rose.. I hope you aren’t finding this funny” he says, with a scoff, holding back a laugh at your pathetic state, the pure raw fear on your face filled him with unadulterated excitement, “.. I hope you could give me a proper answer, soon my rose.. After all, rule breakers shall be dealt with, accordingly..” he smiled, watching the way you panicked.. ‘Oh this will be fun’, his thoughts ran wild..  

He gently squeezed their shoulders, letting out a slight chuckle, “I’m waiting for your answer my dearest..”

© cupids-chamber, do not repost, plagiarize, translate, or adapt my work without prior permission and or confirmation.

[what-the-flux]

At long last, I can post the finished art! I had been sitting on it for some weeks, waiting for the inspiration to hit to write a short piece to accompany it. Definitely recommend full viewing.

oOo ----------------------------------------------------- oOo

Glittering motes of dust hung suspended in waning late afternoon light shining through the skylights. The upper levels of the City-Beneath-The-Cube were lighter and airier than outsiders realized, but the walls, planters and walkways of planed and etched stone that went down many stories made the whole of the place feel like some kind of precision-wrought canyon dotted with workshops, passages and arcades where the locals and laborers bustled.

(continued under the cut)

Lorr still knew this place well, despite the many years separating his former life and younger self from his current one. It hadn’t changed much, the smells and the noise were the same but he noted that there were new, more effective safety railings in the Public Commons and that the local favorite dive, Pi’s had updated their signage (finally).

The bounty hunter rubbed a hand across his face, closing his eyes momentarily as he let his ears take over, picking up all the sounds surrounding him. He would need to move further away from the Commons to better filter the urban background static. Lorr had just sent out his hawk Deputy to scope out the area in case they got lucky and found their mark momentarily out in the open. Both he and Deputy were already familiar with her, so that wouldn’t be difficult. Problem was, it also meant she’d immediately recognize the hawk for who he was and what it meant as well. A part of Lorr secretly hoped she’d get tipped off early.

Why did I agree to this? It wasn’t the money, not this time. Am I trying to make a point? She nearly got us killed and then ran for it. But I know her. Knew her. I can’t just erase all this history just because of one incident, one indiscretion can I? Maybe this is how I have to get through to her.

He sighed inwardly and braced against his spear as he rose from a crouch, the movement preternaturally smooth and deliberate, like a predatory animal. He looked down from his high vantage as he faced the section of the Undercube that was known to the denizens as the Plexus. It was a network of tunnels, access ‘ports, antechambers, quarries and dwellings that confounded natural senses of direction. Less public-facing, much more closed in and easier to hide. Or lose a pursuer.

The slim asura made his way down the ledge he was using to survey, walking along a catwalk only just wide enough to admit a mid-sized labor golem at most. His ears twitched and he sniffed, feeling the minute air currents of a service tunnel cleverly tucked behind a cleft in the worked stone. Still not certain this was were his mark had proceeded but knowing it would get him into the center of the Plexus quicker, he decided to go for it anyway. Forced to stow his spear in such close quarters, he kept a hand on his dagger as he stalked forward into the passage, the inside only dimly lit by a track of dim yellow quartz-lights along the floor.

Infrared imaging on his monocle made it easy for him to get an idea of the topography of the inner workings of the maze of service tunnels he found himself in, but he was careful to not rely on it solely. He stopped every so often, using his eyes and ears but also a generous amount of intuition to pick the correct course. Chambers became somewhat larger and more spacious as he passed golem foundries, making his way steadily downward. He was becoming more aware that he knew where he was going, it was like retracing steps from his childhood back to the colorful yet rundown living warrens and slums that he grew up in.

She wouldn’t go all the way back there, would she? Lorr was starting to think it wasn’t just him that was trying to make some kind of point.

The smells and noise were subtly changing and it wasn’t long before he found himself in the center of the Plexus. Part bazaar, part manufactory, it acted as the working class nerve center and was a riot of activity, industrial clamor and smells.

He was certain of where he was going now. He didn’t know why exactly she came all the way down here where they had all met in the early days before the nonsense with the Whispers and fighting dragons happened, but he was determined to find where this chase ended. He’d get answers, and if it meant having to fail his mission and come back to his current boss empty handed, then so be it.

[xiaq]

Steddie Time Travel Fix-it: Pt. 7

Ao3 Pt. 1 Pt. 2 Pt. 3 Pt. 4 Pt. 5 Pt. 6

Eddie is good at puzzles

Cryptograms, jigsaws, Rubiks cubes, mazes. For all the trouble he has in school, he’s always loved word search and crossword assignments. He finishes first; he saunters up to the teacher’s desk; he slaps it down in the assignment box. He grins as they grade it with grudging respect. The strategy required for D&D was just as appealing, initially, as the escapism.

So. Eddie is good at puzzles.

Until, of course, Steve Harrington appeared in the early-morning hallway of Hawkins high, apparently having turned over an inexplicable and very puzzling new leaf.

Steve Harrington is unsolvable.

And it makes Eddie crazy.

He’d written out a list detailing the nuances of the Steve Harrington Puzzle. That was the title on the piece of the paper he’d torn out of his campaign spiral: There was the sudden friendship with Robin Buckley and the additional strange company he’d been keeping with Nancy and Jonathan and Barb. There was quitting the basketball team and absolutely burning bridges to ash with his former friends.

The panic attacks, related to flickering lights and D&D monsters The kids. The walkie-talkie check-ins and mentions of gates.

Chief fucking Hopper’s involvement.

The weird obsession Steve seems to have with Eddie. The flirting.

The baking.

Okay, the baking could be normal, but it’s still potentially out of character enough that Eddie doesn’t scratch it off the list.

Eddie's first hypothesis is drugs, even though that doesn’t explain everything.

As long as he’s not leaving town, there’s only one person Steve could be getting drugs from if he’s not getting them from Eddie. So Eddie walks to the gas station down the road and calls Rick from the pay phone outside.

“Hey. Weird question. Are you selling hard shit to Steve Harrington on the side?”

Rick laughs at him until he hangs up. That’s fair. It was a long shot anyway.

His second hypothesis is…

Well, that’s the problem. He doesn’t have a second hypothesis. Because nothing explains all of the everything going on with Steve and even drugs only explain like…half of it.

Eddie crumples up the paper and tosses it in the trash and the Steve Harrington Puzzle remains unsolved through Saturday night as he loads up his guitar and amp into Gareth’s mom’s car.

One of them really needs to buy a van or a truck or something. Showing up to your metal gig in a minivan is not the cool aesthetic they’re trying to embody.

Eddie has been trying not to have expectations. Just because Steve said, several days before, that he was going to come to their gig didn’t mean he’d actually show up. And unlike Eddie’s embarrassing, seat-saving hope from Friday, his anxious door-watching as they set up and then take the stage at Hideout does not pay off.

Steve doesn’t show.

Maybe he forgot. Maybe he changed his mind or something better came up or maybe he never intended to come at all. 

It doesn’t occur to Eddie that there’s another potential reason until he gets home, hoarse and jumpy with endorphins to find a note from Wayne by the phone. 

Steve called. Said he’d been in an accident and was sorry he couldn’t come. Sounded rough. Left his number for you.

Eddie calls the number, even though it’s late. It rings. And rings. And rings. They have an answering machine, because of course they do, but the woman on the recording sounds like a stuck up bitch and Eddie lingers, just for a moment, trying to think of something to say, before hanging up.

He tries again on Sunday, just past lunch. Still no answer.

By Monday morning he’s vacillating between annoyance and concern which takes a careening turn down the concern offramp when he catches sight of Steve in the hallway. His face is beat to shit and his neck––

His neck looks like someone tried to fucking hang him.

But despite the bruises and the line of stitches at his temple and the general signs of a thorough ass-kicking, Steve is moving through the tide of students around him with the unmistakable swagger of someone who won.

It really does make Eddie want to see the other guy.

Eddie isn’t thinking. Well, he is thinking, he’s thinking what happened and are you ok. He’s not thinking about optics as he pushes his way through the other students in the hallway, grabs Steve’s wrist and drags him into the bathroom. It’s empty, thank god.

“What happened?” Eddie says, tugging down the collar of Steve’s shirt so he can better see the—Jesus, the ligature marks on his throat. “Are you ok?”

Steve’s hands catch around his shoulders, pushing him back with an infuriating little smile that says he’s enjoying Eddie’s reaction. Enjoying Eddie’s concern about him nearly being killed, the sadistic asshole.

“Hey, easy,” Steve says, “I’m fine. Though that does hurt a little so maybe let go of my shirt, yeah?”

“Oh what, you can pull me into bathrooms and feel me up but I’m not allowed to return the favor?” Eddie snarls.

Steve goes delightfully pink. “Okay,” he says. “I’ve apologized for that.”

Eddie lets go.“And you still haven’t explained it.”

“I can’t.”

“And all of this?” Eddie gestures to encompass the entirety of Steve’s stupid, muscular, injured self. He’s wearing the same jeans and boots as he was on Friday, this time paired with a black T-shirt that is likely intentionally a size too small.  “Can you explain this?”

“I––”

“Can’t.” Eddie finishes with him.

At least Steve looks cowed about it.

“Are these the worst of your injuries or are there more under your clothes?” 

Steve opens his mouth and Eddie interrupts before he can say anything. “Don’t lie.”

Steve rolls his eyes. “My back is a little beat up, but it’ll be fine.”

“Let me see.”

“What, do you have a medical degree, now?”

“Let me see.”

“Fine. Fine,” he turns, bracing one hand on the sink and using the other to hike up the back of his shirt. “I forgot how goddamn annoying you are when you’re––”

He cuts himself off, going still. His eyes are wide where they meet Eddie’s in the mirror. “I mean. Sorry. Whatever. Look, I’m fine.”

Eddie looks.

“Oh my god.” He’s touching the mottled bruise down the left side of Steve’s spine before he realizes he’s going to do it and by then it’s too late. He tries to be gentle, at least. “What hit you, a truck?”

“Eddie.”

“Are you pissing blood?”

“Only a little. Honestly, I’ve had worse.”

“That’s not reassuring.”

Eddie drops the shirt and lets Steve turn to face him, but he doesn’t step back. Instead, he leans closer still to inspect the tidy line of stitches hugging Steve’s temple.

“At least everything looks clean,” he murmurs, pushing Steve’s hair out of the way. “Did you go to the hospital for these? Please say you didn’t do them yourself.”

He doesn’t get a chance to answer, though, because Tommy Hagan pushes his way into the bathroom. Where Eddie currently has Steve pressed against the sink, nearly hip to hip, with his hand on Steve’s face.

He’s going to die today.

“Oh, fuck off, Tommy,” Steve says with a degree of annoyance that Eddie finds commendable considering the circumstances.

“What are you––what’s going on?” Tommy says as the door slides shut behind him. “Did Munson do that to you?”

Steve scoffs and Eddie should probably be insulted. Steve slides around him, putting himself just a hair in front of Eddie as he half-turns to face Tommy. One of Steve’s hands is on Eddie’s chest and Eddie isn’t sure how it got there, but it’s steady and firm, like he’s holding Eddie back.

“No,” Steve says. “He’s just a concerned citizen. What do you want?”

“He was touching you,” Tommy says, low and quiet and weirdly hurt. 

“He was,” Steve agrees easily. “But there’s nothing wrong with that. Friends touch each other all time, right? No reason to make it weird.”

The words land like a blow. Eddie watches as Tommy physically recoils from them.

“Steve.” Tommy sounds wounded.

“Tommy,” Steve answers, dispassionate.

Tommy’s eyes move to Eddie. Move to Steve’s hand on Eddie’s chest. He turns abruptly and shoves his way back out of the bathroom with a muttered curse.

Steve watches him go, and then, when he turns to face Eddie again, his mouth twists.

“Shit, I wasn’t thinking. I sort of implicated you, there. I swear he won’t tell anyone, though, even if he does think we’re––whatever. I can,” Steve exhales, shoving a hand through his hair, and then winces, either because of the stitches or his side. “I can tell him you turned me down.”

As if that would happen.

“No,” Eddie says. “It’s fine. I mean, a lot of people already assume that I’m––” he knows he shouldn’t ask but he can’t seem to help it, “––wait, are you?”

“Yeah?” Steve says, like it should be obvious. “I like both. Either. All.”

“Right.” Eddie says. Like his entire worldview hasn’t been shaken to the core. “And you and Hagan—?”

Steve leans back against the sink. “I’m honestly not in the practice of outing people, if I can help it.”

“Hey, I’m not going to tell anyone.”

“Yeah,” Steve says finally. “I know.” He’s got his hands braced on the lip of porcelain on either side of his hips. It makes his biceps look enormous. “We didn’t have a thing,” he murmurs. “Not really. I wanted to, which is embarrassing in retrospect, but––” he laughs and there’s nothing comedic to it. “Some guys are just fine with you giving them handjobs in the dark, but god forbid you ask them to kiss you in the daylight, you know?”

Eddie does know.

“Their loss,” he mutters.

Steve bites his lip. “Hey, so. I’m sorry I missed your show. Can I buy you dinner tonight as an apology?”

Eddie might not recover from the conversational whiplash. “What?”

“I can pick you up at seven?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

“Okay, cool. We should get to class.”

And then he’s gone. 

Eddie has a quiet, 30 second, existential crisis before following him.

***

Steve takes them to the diner again: same booth; same waitress.

She doesn’t try so hard this time to get Steve’s attention, either because she learned from last time or because Steve’s face looks like it’s been put through a meat grinder.

Regardless, they’re mostly left to their own devices and Steve gets him talking about the Lord of the Rings and once again Eddie finds himself flailing his way through a long-winded rant while drinking a chocolate milkshake. Steve watches him fondly.

He keeps forgetting that Steve is a giant, potentially dangerous, puzzle that needs solving in the face of his fond looks. It’s really becoming a problem.

Eddie is trying to find an elegant way of inviting Steve back to his place when Steve’s ever-present overstuffed backpack makes a static noise and then Eddie hears the muffled sound of Chief Hopper’s voice saying: Steve, you there?

Steve is out of the booth, throwing money on the table, in seconds.

Eddie scrambles to follow him.

Steve unzips his bag and pulls out the walkie before he’s even out the door.

“Hop?” he asks into the receiver. He doesn’t hold the door for Eddie which Eddie will be bitchy about later.

Are you still at the diner? Hopper asks. He sounds out of breath. 

“Yeah.”

I’m two minutes away, meet me in the parking lot.

“It’s happening now?”

It’s happening now. Sorry, kid, I know you probably haven’t recovered from Saturday yet but––

“No, it’s fine.”

Two minutes, Hopper repeats. Be discreet.

Steve starts running.

By the time Eddie catches up to Steve at the back of  the parking lot, he’s got the trunk of his car open and he’s pulling basketball uniform shirts out of a giant duffel bag. Previously hidden under the layer of jerseys are—guns. 

Holy shit, that’s a lot of guns.

And grenades? Probably. Eddie has never seen a grenade in real life but he’s reasonably sure those are grenades. 

“What.” Eddie says. 

Steve zips the bag back up, cursing, and reaches for a baseball bat wrapped in a towel. Except when he pulls it out by the handle, the towel falls away and Eddie realizes the top of the bat has been gored through with at least two dozen nails: Spiked and lethal and covered in a red brown patina. 

It could be rust.

Eddie is pretty sure it isn’t rust.

“Steve,” he says.

And Steve meets his eyes with a disturbing degree of calm.

Neither of them has a chance to say anything else, though, because Hopper's truck is careening into the parking lot and literally screeching to a stop a few feet away from them.

Steve tosses his bag of guns and his murder bat into the truck bed with a degree of familiarity that Eddie does not want to think about.

“What the hell, Steve,” Hopper is saying through the open window, “what part of be discrete did you not––oh.”

Eddie turns and when Hopper’s eyes settle on Eddie’s face, he stops talking.

 “Eddie,” he says.

And that is not a way that Chief Hopper has ever said Eddie’s name before.

“Hop,” Steve says levelly.

“Fuck,” he says, still staring at Eddie like—Eddie doesn’t even know. Like he’s a ghost, maybe.

“Right,” he says. “Munson.” He drags his attention back to Steve. “We need to go. Now. Is he—“

“No.” Steve says. “Absolutely not.”

“Am I what?” Eddie asks.

Steve is shoving something into Eddie’s chest. Eddie’s hand comes up automatically to close around—keys. Steve’s keys. 

“Do you know where my house is?” He asks.

“Yeah? Everyone knows where your house is, dude.”

“Don’t go home. Wayne is working tonight, right?”

“Yeah, but—“

“I need you to trust me. Please. Go to my house and––wait, no. The pool.”

He looks at Hopper.

“Henderson,” Hopper says. “The Henderson’s house. The other kids are already there. No nearby gates.”

“Gates? What the fuck are you two talking about?”

“We don’t have time for this,” Hopper says.

“Where are you going?” Eddie demands. “What is going on?”

“Eddie,” Steve says, urgent and terrible and wild. “Please.”

There’s an undeniable supplication in his tone, in his eyes, that makes Eddie say: “Okay. Alright. Just––tell me what to do.”

Steve pulls out a sharpie and a butterfly knife from his pockets. He pushes the knife into Eddie’s hand that is already holding Steve’s keys. He takes Eddie’s other arm and turns it palm up, uncapping the sharpie with his teeth. He writes hurried instructions across his wrist.

“Ok,” he says. “There. Take my car. Go to Henderson's house. Stay with the kids until I come back, okay?”

“When will you come back?”

“Late. Early. I don’t know. Before school tomorrow.”

“Steve,” Hopper says.

“Just don’t go back to your house, ok? Don’t go anywhere near Forest Hills or Lover’s Lake. We’ll get a message to Wayne too, but. Don’t go back. Go to Henderson's. Wait for me.”

“Steve,” Hopper says.

He squeezes Eddie’s arm. He lets go like it hurts him.

Steve climbs into Hopper's truck and Eddie watches them pull out of the parking lot with a dread he can’t explain sitting like stagnant water in his chest.

Eddie’s pulse is loud in his ears and heavy in his stomach as he considers the black ink on his arm; the knife; the keys. There’s a thunderhead building, eerie and green, eclipsing the sunset in the distance.

He walks to Steve’s car, closes the trunk, and opens the driver’s side door. He sits. He cranks the engine. 

Dio is playing.

He looks at the instructions on his arm, directing him left onto Main Street, and for a minute he considers obeying. He doesn’t. He puts the car in gear and turns right toward Forest Hills. 

He’ll go to Henderson’s. But Steve is acting like the trailer park is going to get bombed in the night and there are things at the house that…there are things he needs. He still half thinks this is all some giant prank, but Steve’s injuries are real and the guns were sure as hell real and Hopper is real.  If something terrible is going to happen tonight, Eddie has to save his guitar, his mom’s records, the t-shirt from the first concert Wayne ever took him to. He’ll need to get Wayne’s favorite mug and the rosary Wayne’s mother left him and their social security cards and other important documents from the drawer in the kitchen. 

It’ll take five minutes. Guitar. Milk crate of records. One bag of assorted shit. And then he’ll go to Henderson’s.

Five minutes.

In and out.

It’ll be fine.

[rachell-redacted]

Rat in a maze

Some days ago I've had an opportunity to climb up a plastic pipe-slide that curved like a true Aperture pneumatic tube. After that I've travelled through a 3D maze made of cubes. Feeling Doug on a spiritual level after all this, I've decided to draw something. Here it is.

[weepinwriter]

“Love letters and marriage proposals may flood my path, but in you, I found the rarest gem amidst a sea of admirers.”

Name : Emir (m.) | Evara(f.)

Age : They're in their early thirties

Height : 5’8

Appearance : E. is a visually stunning person of 5’8”, possessing rich caramel-colored skin, hair as brown as the richest chocolate, and coffee-colored eyes you could simply lose yourself in (as you often do) As a male, E.’s hair is short and spiky, and as a female, E’s hair flows in luscious, full locks to the middle of her back. E’s female form also frequents hot brilliant red lipstick. They are a tasteful dresser, usually frequenting elegant dress clothes (be it dresses as a female or suits as a male) in shades of brown to match their appearance. The slightest bit of gold accents brings everything together into one attractive and irresistible mommy/daddy person. (ahem- all credits for the thirsting shall go to my co-editor @headdaze)

Personality : E. possesses an undeniable charm that captivates those around them, yet they remain a person of few words. Wherever they go, heads turn, drawn to their enigmatic and noble presence. The attention they receive is of little consequence to them, for they care not for the spotlight. Instead, they seamlessly integrate themselves into any setting, molding it to suit their own needs rather than others. Quiet by nature, they prefer to use words sparingly, reserving their speech for matters that ignite their passions. They possess a remarkable ability to switch between personalities, adopting the persona that they desire, skillfully using it to disarm and charm. It is only when their guard is down that they reveal their true self, shedding the masks they wear with calculated precision. In the realm of their ambitions, they are cold and cynical, unafraid to cross lines that others dare not tread, yet prideful enough not to easily bow to anyone. Indifference masks their actions, or so they wish it to be. They frown and sympathize, yet remain resolute in accomplishing their objectives, disregarding personal feelings along the way. Once they set their mind on something, there is no turning back. Determination is one of their most unchangeable traits, driving them forward regardless of the consequences.

Background : The only heir to the economic giant, The Quinn Industries, the Subject is an interesting and enigmatic individual that should be carefully looked into, as HUSH has noted. The Subject has had a relatively mundane childhood, raised to be the perfect heir to the company. They walk in a relatively small albeit powerful circle of elites, yet have shown no interest in intimately interacting with any potential suitors. Does not show any indication of having possible connections with X. Currently the Subject is under strict surveillance for undisclosed reasons.

Likes : manicures, insects, the pleasant smell of rain falling on dry earth (aka petrichor), intellectual debates, cats

Dislikes : liars, being controlled, talkative people, snakes, boiled potatoes, unhygienic people

Pet peeves : sneezing or coughing without covering one's mouth, unnecessary or forced small talk, the sound of nails scratching a blackboard

Trivia :

has a large collection of antique pocket watches and can correctly identify the model and even time period of all

is an expert in solving Rubik's Cubes and can solve one within 6 minutes and 39 seconds, that's their record

they have an extraordinary sense of direction, and can navigate complex mazes and labyrinths without getting lost

[warmerstranger]

COMMON ENEMY OF DECEPTION

。°˖ ʚɞ ꒦꒷⩩ Ft. Edogawa Ranpo & Edgar Allan Poe x gn reader

At this point I'm just promoting the ship www :33

°°``Marked as and not excluding: Yandere (many gaslight 🔥, obsessiveness, manipulative, breach of privacy/confidentiality hints, heavy dependence indications, overprotective, gatekeeping you), kind of angsty having a friends-to-enemies dynamic with Ranpo, messy plotline going on idk anymore my brain just shrunk writing this

°°``Recommended to read for those 16+, please proceed with caution.

↪What starts out as a mere fascination descalates into a mixed up dedication.

❇✧ You're a fun little enigma which is like that of a stimulating Rubik cube. Always determined, Ranpo successfully manages in getting your true best outcome from all the possibilities he could show for you to be amazed at. Sometimes, the fact that he can be stumped figuring you out frustrates him to no end, but he's proud to be the one doing it to you overall! After all, there's no other person more capable and fitting than him to 'solve' all of your worries, problems, or low level predicaments so you should be at ease if you just leave them to the greatest detective ever!

❇✧ Whenever you would feel like you're hitting a dead end in a seemingly neverending maze, he can easily show you the way out of that maze—no, miniature garden! It's only a simple and rewarding trade all in all, you need his point of view towards the solution and Ranpo will receive your praise as the reward (+ your cleared up face out of recognition, breaking to a smile <- he considers it a bonus even though he would expect for that view to keep coming, reserved for his eyes only!).

❇✧ The very few moments though, you wish for a comfort or time in facing a dilemma instead of being shoved a cold revelation like what he usually does. But why, he thought, why wouldn't you just walk the rest of your way out of the maze even with him graciously leading you onward? What's the point of standing around and mulling it over? The answer is already right there, it's obvious and even you could see it. He knows the reason, but he can't really do anything about it if you don't move yourself, can he? He hates being incapable in these kind of situations.

❇✧ You might get some of his snacks instead and something along the lines 'I guess I could do it, just doing something so simple by being here for you if that helps you'. He would pout and everything if he sees your gloom face isn't going away any soon.

❇✧ Your praise and smile are his daily dose of dopamine (healthy ofc, totally not addicted) at this rate and he demands more! He becomes very prying... of your matters which aren't that easy to deal with and even the touchy subjects you wouldn't dare speak out loud, it's as if you're being exposed to the core and then poked at for him to nitpick about certain parts you really have difficulties with.

❇✧ Anytime, any day, his words slowly plague your mind; you should do things this way or you should follow what he say that way you don't regret it, are you sure you should be doing this? He's getting persistently clingy while his minor tantrums increase more often whenever you don't approve his presence, you should've admit you need him any moment now!

❇✧ A bad move on your part, he takes that as a sign it's not enough so you just... avoid him altogether, explaining about his behavior and that you need space from him on text to refrain from losing control over your emotions if you face him. You figure you should do something about this, then you finally go to seek out his rival—no, the closest person he's to and the one you're comfortable with asking for help; Edgar Allan Poe.

❇✧ ...that's what he expected. When Ranpo realized all his efforts would backfire him, he have created a plan with Poe in advance way before you do. He won't let you escape him! Not when he has Poe by his side; his most trusted aid.

❇✧ The moment you take a step back, he instead sees it as a challenge he should take so he will come out victorious; as the one you would admit to be right, backed up by Poe's statement about him. Ranpo won't back down... So you shouldn't go down easily and cower away! Things wouldn't have to be this way if you were just of one agreement with him from the beginning.

❇✧ To Poe, even if through complaints only, Ranpo accidentally makes you out to be more of a formidable foe and villain than you actually are in this case that Poe doesn't hesitate at all lending him a hand. Fueled by jealousy—the moment you step into Poe's room—he welcomes you as his most dangerous rival at the highest priority who needs to be handled in his own hands now that Ranpo leaves the rest of the plan to him.

✏✉ It was needed as a convincing prove for Poe that you're worthy of his help. It was supposed to be like that right before... you are trapped within Poe's book. And out of all people, it's with Ranpo, where almost all (under influence of Poe wanting you to think of them as such) the puzzles are designed in such a special mechanism needing two certain people to be solved at the same time. But, the puzzles put you at a disadvantage more, highlighting Ranpo's ability instead whenever you can't solve them. Your intentions to work together with him in peace and solving some riddles on your own—are outweighed in the end. 'If you want this to be easier for both of us, you should just count on me more!' stated Ranpo.

✏✉ Compared to Ranpo, you know you're not that smart, but you can still stand up by yourself very well even without his help and so, you show it to them. Oh, what a bold and risky action you took, with that being out of their predictions as well... You have Poe enthralled, in awe towards your efforts as if you're under a spotlight—like him—the past him trying hard to win against the same once 'enemy'. With Ranpo getting worried sick of you now and Poe feeling guilty as well, he ends the story on that note before releasing you both out very soon.

✏✉ After Ranpo throws an outburst for your idiotic reckless stunt you pulled and he gets a childish tantrum trying not to mind a particular stupid person whenever he meets you, Poe have since become your wingman for both of your happiness. He's sad seeing the state of relationship you have with his best rival (lie) is turning tense. Poe has been also the mediator from then on who presents Ranpo's good qualities he's proud of. It's as if he's his defender, apologist more than someone who supports both side to make peace rather.

✏✉ Poe would be able to make you feel bad, because maybe you are just being too stubborn surely? Things would go smoothly on your end once you understand Ranpo if you were in his shoes and he would then forgive you. At some other times, Poe is just a walking contradiction, taking your side and discussing about his plans of deduction game to go against Ranpo and with your help, you two might even win past his level of intelligence together.

✏✉ Truthfully, Poe is just playing a devil's advocate card and you might realize it sooner or later since he can't help but rant more than he needed when you push the conversation a right way. You play along with him, admitting you're wrong in some cases related about Ranpo, and even acknowledging Poe's skills because he must be on the same level as him when they managed to get closer than ever~ Poe would be all flustered being treated like that by you.

✏✉ In that moment, Ranpo unexpectedly appears and gets along with you well enough as if nothing ever happens between the two of you, teaming up to tease Poe together. Karl also takes the chance to be his savior by obstructing his own face. All is well that ends well. Not long after, Ranpo admits his fault from before. Your trust in him wouldn't be able to return the way it was, though. Poe is now the one you would confide in, his awkward gestures supported by Karl's help mostly becomes your comfort and they're more heartfelt genuine. In return, Poe would need your feedback and opinions for his stories from time to time.

✏✉ Poe starts glorifying you as his most precious friend, even comes a few lavish gifts he give to you along with a letter he writes for a special occassion. That recent development of you getting closer with him doesn't seem to bother Ranpo much, the detective would simply come and borrow you at appropriate times, sharing stories about his accomplishments of usual and extraordinary cases strewn about in the city or coming to talk in private with Poe or, sometimes have you all hang out together to some place he's interested in.

✏✉ Things seem normal as if you're just spending time together with your close friends(?). Well, besides some claims from Ranpo's co-workers about how he seems to like you very much and he's really insistent of scolding and demeaning anyone who would be having the slightest interest in you. Ranpo is completely honest about it, telling you they're all just creeps or someone you wouldn't want to get involved with. And right he is, when you find out, even if some of them may be your acquintances or friends, Ranpo just knows to get the dirt on expose them and you would thank him for just looking out after you.

✏✉ Although rare, things would escalate further until one of those people is desperate enough to hurt Ranpo with you or Poe having to stop it and that only make his point more clear, sealing the deal. Meanwhile, Poe is absolutely secretive of mentioning about your presence to anyone, surprisingly capable of not letting them know more about you. He would tell the reason is for protecting you since he must have many enemies, or dangerous people meeting him. Before you know it, you're always with the two of them more often. And will always have been.

✏✉ There's a silent agreement going on between them and it would make you feel left out sometimes because it couldn't be easily guessed. Even though you're actually their very solidarity, it's a sign they're doing a good job hiding their intentions you wouldn't guess that they would secure you within their own length of distance only. A triangle fixed towards you; it's two against one. The winner is decided.

[allmyocsarebritish]

This Christmas

Pairing: Xavier X Reader

Warnings (?): Vincent Thorpe is a shit dad

Angst with fluffy ending, Christmas stuck at Nevermore, mistletoe (kinda)

Christmas was never Xavier's favourite time of the year. Ever since he was a child, when Vincent Thorpe spent the whole day entirely absent from his son's life.

Xavier skipped down the staircase, two at a time, frequently tripping and once almost falling entirely. The unfiltered excitement raging through his small body was unbearable. The long corridors of Thorpe manor were a confusing maze of windy turns and deceptive doorways to a young child, yet after living there for all seven years of his life, Xavier had the entire floorplan memorised.

Down the stairs, along the first corridor and through the second doorway on the left.

That's where the living room was.

Practically bouncing into the room, Xavier felt nothing but bitter disappointment as his hopes began to chip away and his wide smile faltered. A small square shoddily enveloped in a mundane, rough, brown covering. Nevertheless, he immediately raced to the singular small gift residing in the leather armchair. The wrapping was careless, with a tear already in the plain brown paper, and sellotape messily plastered across the sides.

But who cares about the wrapping, right? Maybe one of Santa's elves was having an off day. Xavi wasn't bothered, at least they had remembered him this year.

He tore the paper from the present, discarding it on the black leather of the seat. He closed his eyes, enjoying the anticipation and adrenaline that came with Christmas morning. His mind flashed to the letter he had sent to father Christmas, wishing for a new set of crayons, or even better; colouring pencils.

He shook the mysterious cube, thoughts racing, before the curiosity became overpowering. Xavier's eyes flew open, and his excitement quickly morphed into dismay.

In his tiny hands resided a ridiculously broad book detailing types of outcast. Xavier knew his father was waiting for his disappointment of a son's powers to finally emerge, but even Santa saw him as a failure?

Tears welled up in the young outcast's wide eyes, as he solemnly returned up the stairs and to his room. Vincent Thorpe's absence was as though a kilo of salt had been dumped in the raw wound, causing betrayal and grief to override any remaining Christmas spirit.

Sinking to the floor and pulling his knees up to his chin, Xavier flicked on the television, turning to the one show that could grant him even the most pitifully small amount of comfort:

VINCENT THORPE'S CHRISTMAS SPECIAL.

Even 10 years later the harsh sting of abandonment remained. A Christmas spent at Nevermore almost always meant loneliness and pitiful looks, something Xavier could not cope with again, not that he had any choice in the matter. The days in which most other students spent with family at home were filled with aggressive painting and meaningless archery.

Though it wasn't all bad.

Not this year anyway

No, this year was different. This year, Xavier had you.

A small pact to treat Christmas as any other day was inevitable. Neither of you wanted to be within a foot of festive celebration, seeing as spending the season at school wasn't exactly ideal.

Though Xavier spent the past month in a state of apprehension and dread, he had to admit that Christmas Eve was nothing short of perfection. It was no secret that under no circumstance should the two of you be caught in the same dorm room, but Weems made sure to turn a blind eye to a particular pair of abandoned outcasts. This proved to be really helpful, as you weren't at all subtle when clumsily clambering through Xavier's window.

"Shit, sorry." You winced when the struggle had sent his charger tumbling off the windowsill, clattering onto the floor. Xavier merely shook his head, trying and failing to contain a smile.

"It's not okay, y/n." He responded, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

You rolled your eyes, giving him a slight shove, in response to which he faked falling backwards. Naturally, this knocked him off balance causing him to indeed tumble, and leading you both to erupt in fits of giggles.

"You absolute idiot." You just managed to force out, having joined your boyfriend on the floor, resting against the wall. Xavier just snorted, setting you both off once again.

"We're acting like children." He laughed as you both began to calm down.

"Who cares? It's funny."

You leaned closer, and Xavier instinctively draped his arm around your shoulders, pulling you into a comforting embrace. Your own arms cuddled between you, as Xavier pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead.

"You know I love you, right?" You whispered, hardly wanting to shatter the heartwarming moment. "To the moon and back."

"Course I do. I love you too, princess." You buried your face into the crook of his neck in a desperate attempt to hide the faint pink dusting your cheeks at the use of your favourite nickname. Two warm hands cupped the side of your face, gently guiding it mere inches away from Xavier's. He rested his forehead against yours, softly touching his nose to your own.

"Seriously, I don't know what I would do without you."

"Me neither, love. Us against the world."

Those four words held so much meaning to the two of you. After all, how harsh could your lives have really been, if they had merged and brought two broken parts to make a whole?

"I know we aren't doing anything Christmas, but I did kind of bring something." Even in the faint light of Xavier's dorm, your cheeky grin was visible. "Can I show you what it is?"

How was he supposed to say no to that?

A quick nod of his head, and you immediately dove into your pocket, pulling out a cheap, low quality plastic plant. The leaves appeared to be of holly, yet the berries were a patchy white, as though they had been badly painted.

Confusion must have been evident on Xavier's face, because you soon elaborated.

"It's mistletoe." You explained with a deadpan expression, as though it were blatantly obvious.

"No? It's not?"

"Shut up and kiss me, Thorpe."

You held the painted fake holly above the two of you, as Xavier wasted no time in smashing your lips together.

No, this Christmas was nothing short of perfect.

[thelastlaff]

various easter eggs in toontown corporate clash sorted by location:

1. toontown central

- use the speedchat phrase “yeehaw” at the statue

- go to toon hall, click on the banana peel twice

2. barnacle boatyard

- ride the boat around 20 laps

3. ye olde toontowne

- touch the well

4. daffodil gardens

- gather 5 toons around the flower of doom in the middle of the maze

- go to the squirting flower on daisy drive, use the speedchat phrase “lets use squirt!”

5. mezzo melodyland

- jump on a drum 10 times in a row

6. the brrrgh

- touch all 5 ice cubes in the playground

- throw snowballs at steve the snowman and make him grow to his largest possible size

- go to mozzerella styx pizzeria and jump on all the tables without touching the floor (edit: if struggling with this use the shift key :D)

7. acorn acres

- swim downriver to the waterfall

8. drowsy dreamland

- use the speedchat phrase “i’m sleepy” 20 times

- go to talking in your sleep on pajama place, use the speedchat phrase “would you like some help?”

9. activities

- nameplates can be randomly dropped during activities (low chance)

- get 3 chests in treasure dive (trolley game)

10. cog HQs

- cog HQs reward backgrounds at tier 8 cog disguises

- get max fog in a CLO canon round

- plant puzzle (starts in the OCLO lobby, i suggest looking this one up for more info, there is no direct answer sheet so don’t worry about spoilers) edit: heres my map with the plant names labeled and it’s made more up to date :D