#I fully mean as a human. everyone is human in this au trust

[vampirehizzies]

klayley hunger games au is going crazy again, klaus and hayley would have a fwb thing as teenagers while klaus is in career training, neither of them will admit it but they're friends and really fond of each other beyond what they can provide for each other as fuck buddies. and hayley's eyes are glued to the screen in his games hoping he is the one to win even as he goes ballistic murder on the other tributes. she's also like extremely anxious in the final show of klaus's games which is the epic fight with a wolf mutt that makes him panem/district Two's most famous victor and earns him the nickname "the hybrid" because the capitol girlies are like "he's half human half wolf."

[enigmatist17]

Continuation/just ideas I have of the Mecha Pilot Jazz Au by @keferon

First part can be found here :)

A03 version -> https://archiveofourown.org/works/60978709

---

No one is really sure what to think when Jazz finally returns to the general populace, the crowded common room he steps into with Prowl at his side going silent at the mech's arrival.

No, not a mech, a frame piloted by an organic Wheeljack swore to the Pit and back was smaller than most of their servos.

"Soooo, what's up?" Jazz leaned against the closest table as Prowl got himself some energon, no longer keeping up the pretense he needed such liquid.

"That's what you have to say?" Starscream gawked from his seat, the seeker looking like he wanted to start dissecting Jazz's mecha as much as pry the pilot out. "Are all organics from your planet this...this flippant?"

"Not really?" Jazz shrugged, glad no one could see the grin on his face when Prowl rejoined him, placing himself between Jazz and everyone else in the room with a minute flick of his doorwings. "Hell, you sound like one of my commanders, he'd be having a fit right about now."

"Rightfully so, I should say." Mirage commented from behind Jazz, the pilot grinning to himself when he turned, only to see what was supposedly a blank wall. "Then again, you seem to be the type of bo - organic to cause mayhem on the regular."

"Human." Jazz could hear more than a few processors whir at the strange term, and after a moment, grabs a seat at the table next to him. "Organic sounds weird to me, so you can call me human or just my name, I'm not picky."

"Human...weird." Jazz isn't sure who spoke as his visor offlined, ensuring his mecha was supported before fully breaking the connection. The entire room went silent when Jazz's chassis made a soft click before opening, noises of alarm escaping vocalizers as they expected to see a spark, wondering what in Primus' name the org - human was thinking when something moved. What should have been a spark chamber was something else entirely, the central interior some sort of piloting seat that housed the human they'd all come to trust and fight alongside, who waved as he undid a harness. Prowl was the only thing stopping the Cybertronians around Jazz from moving any closer, his doorwings up in a sharp V when he carefully placed one of his servos just below Jazz, Mirage shimmering into view on the other side of Jazz's mecha when the human hopped onto the limb.

"Hey, fellas." Prowl kept his hold on Jazz as he stepped back from the temporarily deactivated suit, setting him on the table's surface as carefully as possible. "Aw, thanks Prowler!"

"You look strange for an organic." Thundercracker tilted his helm slightly, wanting a closer look but not stupid enough to test how close he could actually get.

"I guess?" Jazz reached up to unlatch his helmet, biting back a laugh when there were a few surprised vents at the reveal of his hair. "Back home, I'd say I'm about the best we humans can look."

"With an ego to match." Mirage cycled his optics with a smirk, eyeing his friend curiously while keeping himself between any bot stupid enough to try and sneak up on Prowl's blindside. "Your frame suits you."

"And don't I know it." Jazz winked, setting his helmet on the table by his feet. "Man, you guys are just...so much bigger in person. I mean I know you are, it's just weird ta see it with my own eyes, er optics."

"Trust me, it's weird for us too." Sideswipe commented from his spot among the crowd, amused more than anything when the inevitable questions started pouring in. To his credit, Jazz tries to answer some of them, but he steps back when Prowl draws himself to his full height and silences almost everyone when he crosses his arms, smiling to himself when the bot speaks.

"If you have any further questions, you can ask them another time, most of you are late for your assigned duty shifts, Jazz included."

"Ya wound me Prowler!" The human let out a whine at the supposed betrayal, but the grin never left his face as he turned to his mecha. "I guess I could get movin', don't want to keep Brawn too late."

"Indeed." Prowl offered his servo once more, aware of the many prying optics watching as Jazz hopped onto his palm, slipping his strange helm covering back on as he was safely delivered back to his larger frame. They watched Jazz buckle himself back into the harness within the spa - piloting chamber, the chassis closing up when something connected with the back of his helm covering, the visor on the frame they were all accustomed to lighting up with a slight hum.

"Fun time's over." Jazz waved his servo, everyone murmuring to each other while they slowly dispersed. "Man that was fun."

"You find most activities fun, dangerous or otherwise." Prowl shook his helm in exasperation as Jazz laughed, the human leaning over to gently bonk his helm against Prowl's.

"I'll see you later, gorgeous." With that Jazz sweeps out of the room, Prowl watching him go with a look that made Mirage do a double take.

"You definitely chose someone...interesting." The saboteur chuckled, saving the image of a soft smile on Prowl's face for some future use.

"So I have..."

---

Jazz had wondered what Prowl's face felt like from the moment the met, in awe at how the metal creased and smoothed out much like his own skin did. Would it be cold and stiff, or warm and pliable? Ah the thought plagued him from time to time, becoming worse when he fell for said mech.

So, when he comes across Prowl asleep (no recharge) at his desk, a data pad clutched in his clawed hands, Jazz grins. Locking the door to Prowl's office, more for the tactician's peace of mind than his own, Jazz quietly grabs the only other chair in the room and sets it down on the other side of Prowl's desk, resting one arm on top of the table. Prowl is still asleep when Jazz powers down the link with his mecha, shivering at the sensation of becoming so small before slowly unbuckling himself, setting his helmet aside before starting the (admittedly) long journey across the room. Thankfully his magnetic lock boots made his journey down the arm of his faithful mecha relatively safe, staring up at his boyfriend (boybot? Ugh no, no way in hell) with an amused smile.

"Always gonna be the smallest huh?"

Now, here comes the hard part, one that could end up getting him flung across the room or smashed into paste if he triggered the wrong response from his sleeping partner. Okay, deep breath, and with a quick crossing of his fingers, Jazz activated the magnetics in his gloves before placing them on Prowl's arm as a test run. One doorwing twitched at the initial contact, but Prowl remained still, and with a deep breath Jazz started climbing, climbing up his mech's arm nice and slow. It was a little tricky when he reached Prowl's shoulder, but with a little awkward shuffling and a twist of his upper body, Jazz was within reach of his partner's face.

Now here comes the Hard Part Two: Electric Boogaloo.

It took a few tries to unwrap the base of his glove with his teeth, heart racing when he was only attached to Prowl via his shoes and magnetized knee pads in order to free his hand, but soon he was ready to do the biggest thing he's wanted to since he first laid eyes on Prowl. His hand is shaking slightly, but that doesn't matter when it makes contact with Prowl's cheek, brain short circuiting at how...soft and warm the metal was to his touch. While it didn't exactly move with his touch, Jazz could feel the nanites that were on the outer surface of every Cybertronian react, twitching when he felt a buzzing under his finger tips. He becomes used to the buzz as he takes his time mapping out the dips and curves of Prowl's face, missing the cycling of optics before a loud chirp breaks the silence, Jazz yelping as he jerked back in surprise far enough to detach from Prowl's shoulder. He doesn't fall very far when he lands on a hand (servo dude) with a grunt, Prowl looking worried as Jazz propped himself up on one arm.

"Are you alright?"

"Yep! Next time I need ta clip a harness on you or somethin', don't want to fall again." Jazz waved with his uncovered hand, sitting cross-legged on Prowl's palm. "Saw you asleep, an' I couldn't resist."

"Resist what?" A quick look at his chronometer showed he'd not been asleep too long, optics flickering down to his partner when he felt something strange touch one of his digits.

"This might sound kinda weird, but I've wanted ta touch your face since we met." Jazz had uncovered his second hand and was touching the closest digit, a look he couldn't classify crossing Jazz's face when he gave it a squeeze. "Weird, these are warm, but not as warm as your face."

"Did you enjoy your...examination?" Something fluttered in his spark at the smile Jazz gave him, and once again gave thanks to Primus that he'd been given a chance.

"Mhm! I'd love to again some time, see those pretty lil' optics of yours." Jazz winked, watching doorwings give a full on flutter. "Glad we both agree."

"You shall be the end of me, Jazz." Embarrassment colors Prowl's words as he sits back in his chair, watching Jazz lay back on his palm, hands underneath his head as he sighs happily.

"Your hand is pretty comfy...not a sentence I ever expected to say to my boyfriend, but it is what it is."

"I suppose you shall have to make yourself comfortable then, I still have some reports to finish." Prowl clicked, grabbing the pad he'd been reading before he fell asleep.

"Gives me an excuse to nap then." Jazz moved to remove the outer layer that supported his pedes, his processor supplying the word shoe as Jazz resumed his position with a yawn. "Have fun Prowler."

"Have a pleasant recharge, Jazz."

Jazz doesn't need to know he had already completed his work before his "nap", merely settling in for a novel he'd wanted to get through as his partner slept in his grasp.

[kiame-sama]

Humans Are Extinct (Yandere!TWST x Fem!Reader) Monster AU pt 14

(For those that don't know, this ^ is Papa Hades. For the sake of the story, Papa Hades is platonic and not romantic. If y'all really want to hear about a romance with Papa Hades, it's gonna have to be a non-canon spin off ask about it.)

Warnings; Shinigami ancestor has entered the arena, yandere, multiple yanderes, platonic yanderes, romantic yanderes, varying degrees of yandere levels, monster men, various monsters mentioned, TWST AU, mention of injury, mention of blood, Rook is obsessed with the human's feet, sparing use of French, feisty reader, Shinigami, Crow, Hellcat, Vampire Bat, Dragon, Cervitaur, Drider, Harpy, Selkie, Gnoll

~~~~~~~~

"Hello, Little One."

Standing before you was a very tired and almost sad looking man. Despite how softly he spoke, his voice was a deep baritone that almost shook the walls around you. He reminded you a lot of Idia and Ortho, meaning this was likely the one they had all been taking about, Hades.

The Shinigami was taller than Idia and had to look down at you in order to fully take your appearance in. Streaking down his pale and almost gray cheeks seemed to be what looked like shining blue tears that stained the soft skin a dark color, yet sparkled like the night sky. His flaming blue hair was short compared to Idia and seemed more the length of Ortho's hair. Wrapped around his shoulders and body was a black mourning shawl that seemed to have light trapped within the fabric itself.

He was handsome.

"Um... Hi?"

He examined you, kneeling down in front of you to get a better look at you. His golden eyes held a kind of spark in them that spoke to his interest in you and you wondered just what that interest was. Crowley said he was kind to Humans and loved them, but did that mean he loved Humans as pets or as equals? Could any of these men say they saw Humans as equals when they were clearly much stronger and more adapted to survival in this world?

"I am Hades Shroud, the ancestor of the two you know as Idia and Ortho. It is a pleasure to meet you, Little One. Many an age has passed since I have last held conversation with a Human. Would you do me the honor of telling me your name?"

"It's (Y/n) (L/n)... Are you going to take me away from here?"

"I would rather not, but it doesn't seem particularly safe for you here either. It would be safer for you to live somewhere more secure."

You frowned at this, feeling your nails bite into the couch beneath you as you felt more than a little unnerved by the large man. Crowley said Hades took away the last Human that lived in Night Raven, but you didn't want to go anywhere especially if there was a chance you might be able to go back to your true home. There was also the fear that he wouldn't let Grim come with if he did wind up taking you away.

"I'll fight you to stay here."

"... What?"

"This is my home now. I don't care how dangerous it is, I want to stay here. I would rather go to my original home, but that doesn't seem to be an option for me right now. I don't want to go anywhere with anyone I don't know, and I really don't know you. Grim is here. Tsuno, Silver, Sebek, and Lilia are here. Rook is here. Divus and Trein are here. Ace and Deuce are here. Even Headmage Crowley. Everyone I know- and can trust- in this world lives right here, not wherever it is you want to take me. I'll fight you if you try to take me from here. It won't be a long or glorious fight, but a fight it will be."

Hades seemed almost taken off guard by your declaration before a soft noise escaped him, much like a soft chuckle before it evolved into a full laugh. The sound was unusual as if he had not laughed in a very long time and had almost forgotten how. Everyone seemed surprised by his mirth, none moreso than Idia and Ortho as they looked absolutely floored, but clearly the confusion of the others did not bother the old Shinigami.

"Stop laughing at me!"

"I'm not laughing at you, Little One. I'm laughing because only a handful of those I have interacted with in the past thousand years have deigned to try and pick a fight with me, let alone a verbal joust. Most scrape and bow- even my own descendants- but not you, clearly. I won't take you from here, if that is what you truly wish, but goodness knows I have no interest in fighting you. Something tells me you would win that battle."

He smiled gently at you and you almost relaxed in response. Grim frowned from where he was laying in your arms, not really trusting anyone who you didn't trust. As the cat-beast looked up at you, you pet his forehead to soothe him and he began to purr gently. The movement of your hand drew the Shinigami's attention to the blue eyed beast that watched him warily.

"Is this the young forest beast you have adopted? Crowley tells me you found him in the woods when you first fell into our world. I expected a weasel by his description, not a young Hellcat. I would never expect to see one of those outside of Tartarus."

"Wait," Idia interrupted, "did you say a Hellcat? Like a genuine 'out of the flames, a Shinigami's best friend' Hellcat?"

"So it seems. Hellcats aren't native to the land of the living like this. No wonder his wings are so torn up, most forest beasts would easily slaughter a kit like this."

Grim perked up almost instantly at the Shinigami's words, his little wings spread out wide in surprise. He stood up from your arms, his tail waving excitedly and eyes shining with emotion.

"Wait... You know what I am? Where- where I'm from?"

"Yes. You're a Hellcat kit, probably only a decade old judging from your lack of horns, hardly even old enough to be away from your mother. It is unusual for any creature native to Tartarus- even Shinigami- to be beyond the realm of the dead, especially when I myself did not let them through, but the fact that you're alone tells me quite a bit."

"A Hellcat..?"

You pet Grim's forehead, smiling at the now confirmed to be kitten. It was easy to tell he was young but you were glad to now know how young and maybe even get confirmation about what he was. He seemed excited to finally have answers for what may have caused him to be left in the forest however long ago.

"May I?"

Hades asked, holding his hands out to Grim who looked first to you for approval. You hesitated for just a moment, pulling him close before you nodded. Feeling conflicted, you lifted the kitten into the large hands of the Shinigami who smiled gently at him. He quickly looked over the many scars of the soft creature and at the ruined wings with a slight grimace. A certain softness had taken over his expression before he hummed out his assessment.

"Poor little kit. He's even younger than I thought. Truly, he shouldn't be away from his mother at this age. Hellcat kits often stay within their mother's territory well into their adult years, but this one isn't even near the age to leave his mother's protection. He will get much bigger than this when he enters his juvenile days."

"You do realize you're not allowed to take him either, right? Grim is my boy and I am not giving him up."

"I know. I have been told he is your companion and friend, a chosen child you've taken on. I won't be taking him either. It is unusual his mother is nowhere to be found, as they are fiercely protective of their young, but there's no need to remove him from the mother he has. We can talk later about what could be done to try and repair his wings."

You held your arms open and Grim happily jumped back into them, affectionately bumping his forehead into yours with a loud purr. It was great news to find out that Grim could possibly get his wings back. The topic of his wings have been a sensitive spot for the little Hellcat ever since you met him.

Idia's words rang in your ears as you remembered what he had called the old Shinigami. Despite your willingness to fight him for your right to choose your fate, he had been polite and kind to you. It sounded like he was only interested in what you wanted, which was a breath of fresh air compared to a lot of the beast men you'd met so far. Why not show a bit of trust?

"That is amazing news! Did you hear that, Grim? Papa Hades said It might be possible to fix your wings!"

The world turned near silent for the Shinigami as two familiar words he had not heard for centuries from a Human voice rang in his ears. A certain warmth filled the ancient being's chest and more tears fell anew down the streaked and stained skin. How long he had wished to hear those words again from a Human, and now he finally got them once more.

"Now then, Little One, young Idia has informed me of the attempt made on you by a representative and his reasoning for why he believes it happened. Let us discuss this matter as it directly concerns your wellbeing."

You didn't seem to notice the profound impact of your words as you cuddled your Hellcat, but Idia and Ortho did. All of the monster men standing around you saw the gentlest smile and warmest look on the Shinigami's face as even his hair seemed to breathe a new life in how brightly it burned. The impact of just a few words was clear as it deeply soothed the ragged pain in the Shinigami's heart.

Thousands of faces looking up at him adoringly as they chirped out their greetings. A thousand faces that returned screaming. For just a moment, the old Shinigami could forget the wailing souls that came to him and simply remembered the joy they once held for the ancient death God.

"Right, those scrubs won't realize how rekt they are now that Papa Hades is zeroed in on them. Oh, right, (Y/n), I also have your new collars primed and ready for you and Grim... I only have the condition that I want to hold Grim to put on his collar."

Idia held out his hands expectantly with a wide grin and Grim sighed, his ears laying somewhat flat as if annoyed but he didn't argue against the suggestion. His response told you Idia likely held onto him when he was showing the Hellcat the new additions to your dorm. Not thinking, you stood up with your weight on your leg and let out a hiss of pain, feeling the stitches strain and the wound start to weep.

The sudden sound of your pain unsettled the men around you as Malleus and Lilia both rushed to your side. Lilia made you sit again and picked up Grim, handing the Hellcat to Idia. Grim didn't complain and instead looked worried as Malleus' hand began to glow with green magic. As his hand drew close, the pain numbed back down to a dull throb.

"There. You know better than to be standing on that injury, child of man."

Malleus gently scolded you as you sighed, looking away from the chastising Dragon to glare at nothing in particular. He was right, but that didn't mean you weren't annoyed by his nannying. Still, Malleus was the main contributor to your comfort as it was his magic that soothed your pain.

"I know. I just forgot in all this excitement."

"Well, I shall remain right here to ensure you do not forget again. Now what is this I hear about a representative?"

~•§•~

You sat in the Pomefiore ballroom with three of the many monster men buzzing around you. Divus was helping Vil sew in the hemming on your new top, the tall stool you were perched on helping the two meticulously work around you. Rook lay at your feet, having been measuring your ankles, leg length, and feet for what seemed like just a bit too long. After your rather quick introduction with the ancient Shinigami, you received a text on your phone requesting you come to Pomefiore for the 'design team'- as they have named themselves- to properly fit your new outfits.

Despite your desire to stay and talk more with the elder Shinigami, Crowley insisted you go with Grim and Silver to Pomefiore. Malleus wanted to come along as well, but decided to forego in favor of learning more about Idia's findings on the poachers. Instead, Ortho came with the three of you so that at least one of your official guards for the week was with you and could relay updates back to the group in Ramshackle.

A slow and almost appraising stroke up your leg had you frowning and looking down to the Drider at your feet. Rook has long since put down his tape measure and now just held your leg, his leather gloved hands cupping the heel of your foot and his other hand was somewhat stroking the arch. His eyes seemed darker than usual as if his pupils were slightly too big for his iris to contain them.

"Désolé, mon chérie. Your paws are so unusual they've somewhat captivated me."

"Rook," your voice almost startled the Drider whose fair cheeks blushed a fierce red at being caught, "are you still measuring for the socks and shoes, or were you doing something else?"

"Feet, Rook. Those are called feet. Paws are more like that of a cat or a dog. Do other species not have feet like mine?"

"Non, not even shadow folk or Genies have these feet. Most of Twisted Wonderland's species have paws, talons, hooves, or even flippers. Shadow folk and Genies are somewhat similar in shape, but even they have pads on their paws. These," he gestured to your foot, which was still resting in his hand, "are wholly unique. They would take an equally unique design to properly warm and protect them. Simply being thorough in my inspection."

"Right, so thorough you are petting them?"

"W-well," he looked much more flustered than you expected at your accusation, "I just wanted to know if your feet responded the same way talons would or if they were like the paws of driders."

"By... caressing them?"

It was then Vil interrupted, sparing the Drider your questions and taking your attention away from his boon companion.

"There. The hemming is finished. Sit up straight for me so I can make sure it's even. After that, we can move on to the next one."

You did as the Harpy asked, turning back to Rook whose legs had started moving. At first you thought he was just shuffling his spider legs back and forth, but you realized he was actually actively weaving what looked like a sock around your foot. The spindly spider limbs moved quickly, seeming to knit around your foot and up your leg.

"Wait, you can knit with your silk?"

"Oui. The clothing you wear now was all made from my silk. Drider silk is commonly used for clothing, as the silk strands are durable and don't often form holes. We had to craft these ensembles for you from scratch, most tailors make clothing better suited for the likes of Vil and I- with extra room for limbs and varying morphs. Due to your Human figure, it is better to make our own designs for you."

You hummed in response to his words, feeling a slight magic tingle cover your skin as your top changed from the fitted one to a new design that had yet to be fitted. It seemed Vil was content with the hem on the top prior and now moved on to another. Rook worked quickly as you found one sock already done, the Drider moving on to your other leg and being much more gentle to not move it too much as it was your injured leg.

"Careful, Pup, if you break her stitches I will not hesitate to give you detention."

"You wound me, Roi du Selkie! I take great pride in how gentle I can be, I would never harm her."

"Yes, well, take care to remember that before you drool over my pup's flippers again."

You almost laughed at how swiftly Vil and Divus scolded the handsome Drider for his clear interest in your feet. It was interesting to know that Human feet were unusual in Twisted Wonderland and you vaguely wondered if seeing your feet awoke something in Rook. Regardless, you allowed the three men to continue their endeavors.

"So... Let's say for arguments sake I wanted to take pictures of myself and post them, would that be a bad thing?"

"Don't be silly," Vil scolded, putting pins very carefully into your sleeve to hold the shape, "we would have even more poachers seeking your head."

"But if Cater already blew the whistle, how much worse would it be to post pictures myself? Everyone already knows I'm here."

"It-"

Vil cut himself off, pausing with several pins sticking out of his mouth as he considered your words. It was true, Cater already decided to post pictures of you and news outlets ran with that image. Activists have already posted that image anywhere they can as to why you should be taken away from Night Raven College because of how unsettled you seemed in the impromptu picture. You had a point.

"Something to think about, I guess."

You went back to focusing on Rook who was almost done with the long socks. Despite how you thought the webbing would be sticky or even stiff, the fabric behaved and sat like cotton yet looked and felt like silk. Part of you was thoroughly surprised to realize this fact as you examined the socks on your legs and the intricate designs on them. How the Drider managed to make them on your legs, you'll never know.

"I'll bring it up to Crowley later, after the representatives have left."

Divus spoke gently, giving you a reassuring smile that you returned. The Selkie man was kind to you and had been the one to patch up both of your major injuries. Clearly, if anyone could be trusted among the staff with your wellbeing, it was Divus.

"Now, we need to work on your pants, skirts, and dresses. I'm going to permit you to stand up so long as you hold onto Rook and keep weight off of that leg."

Rook stood from where he had been resting on the carpet at your feet, holding out both hands to you patiently. The darkness of his eyes only seemed more intense as you took his outstretched hands, leaning on him and letting him help you into a standing position. The Drider moved his hands under your elbows allowing you to lean into his hold and put more weight on him than your leg.

"Don't worry, Mademoiselle Trickster, I've got you."

~•§•~

You sat back in Ramshackle next to Idia, a controller in hand as you finally had the chance to play the promised videogames. It was later in the day now and you were finally allowed to leave Pomefiore after what felt like countless new outfits and fittings. When you returned to the building you hadn't been expecting Hades to assure you he could handle cooking, wanting you to just play games with Idia and Ortho. Lilia even joined in a few rounds despite how odd it felt to see the older Bat Fae absolutely dominate the game.

After a while, you started to forget the worries of the recent events and just focus on what was in front of you. A game that you could play and take your mind off of things. The room seemed to change to the general atmosphere as a kind of magenta light seemed to accent the regular lights. You were tempted to look around for the source when a familiar and almost stressed cackle split through the air.

"Ruggie! Shit, he doesn't know about-!"

A harsh yelping sound made you quickly stand and rush into the kitchen, the pain in your leg be damned as concern filled your mind. Even as Lilia attempted to stop you, you ignored the Bat Fae and hurried to where the yelping originated. What if Hades responded to Ruggie's usual food seeking behavior the way that Lilia did that first morning? You absolutely did not want anything happening to the Gnoll and knew you would feel responsible if he got injured somehow.

"Don't hurt him-!"

You started, almost sliding around the corner where you saw the elder Shinigami was regarding the yelping and flailing Hyena silently. Ruggie had fallen back and was scrambling back on the tiles until he was up against one of the lower cabinets, still yelping like he had been burned. Once he caught sight of you he scrambled over and behind you, another stressed and panicked cackle escaping his muzzle.

"(Y/n)! I thought you were cooking and boy, let me tell you, I was not expecting one of the freaking Seven to be here!"

"Are you okay, Ruggie?"

"No! I had the fright of a lifetime just now."

"But are you hurt?"

"The only thing I've wounded is my pride."

You breathed out a sigh of relief as the Gnoll confirmed he was alright, but as your heart rate fell back into normal range your leg resented your panicked actions. A faint red began to bleed through the wrap around your leg and the clothes you had over it. Judging from the almost tight strain of your skin and the sharp pain from your sprint, you likely pulled a stitch.

"Hey, you aren't bleeding... Are you? Because it smells like you're bleeding."

"... I am."

"Don't tell me you messed up your leg coming to check on me!"

"... I did."

"Leona's gonna be so mad at me for that. Why'd you go and do something like that anyway?"

"Because you were yelping like you were being killed!"

Ruggie seemed embarrassed now as he realized he had been making an awful lot of noise given not an awful lot happened to him to warrant the noise. Still, it was nice to know you cared so much about him.

"A friend of yours, Little One?"

"Yeah. Sorry, Papa Hades, I thought that- well, it doesn't matter now. Ruggie is a usual face here. He always shows up when I'm cooking and I've been feeding him since. Shoot, you're probably starving, aren't you Ruggie? I've been out of Ramshackle and in the infirmary, so you probably haven't eaten in a few days."

Ruggie whined, as if trying to make himself seem truly pathetic and pitiful. He even went as far as to sigh dramatically and rest a hand on his sunken stomach.

"I mean, I've eaten the dandelion and tree-bark diet a lot before, but it certainly isn't those nice meals you make."

"... Papa Hades, could you..?"

The elder Shinigami nodded, already seeming to know what you were going to ask of him and added what seemed to be an extra helping to what he was making. He had been told of the Gnoll by Crowley long before this meeting and he was interested to see you behave so protective of the Hyena man. Gnolls were known for their hunger of Human flesh before the extinction, so seeing a Gnoll not pounce even with the smell of blood in the air was impressive. He certainly didn't expect the Gnoll to scream the way he had- especially since the Shinigami didn't do anything other than look at him- but it was understandable the Gnoll would be surprised.

It wasn't everyday someone with the reputation and history of a literal God was standing making dinner.

"So... Papa Hades, huh?"

"So, Leona, huh?"

"... Point made."

"Hey, Ruggie... Could you... Bring me back to the lounge area? I have to go be scolded by Malleus, and Lilia, and everyone else for ripping a stitch."

"I guess I can, seeing as you ran to help me and feed me most days."

The Gnoll was quick to pick you up, almost awkwardly cradling you in his humanoid arms as he padded back to where an annoyed Malleus was waiting. Hades watched the two of you go, smiling ever so slightly to himself as he returned to his task. You already exceeded his expectations and proved that others cared quite deeply about you. Maybe he was wrong to assume Night Raven College was unsafe. Certainly not as secure as it could be, but given enough time and a helping hand, maybe you could be truly happy and safe here.

Really, that was all he could honestly ask.

[casually-eat-my-soul]

So like mafia/King/wolf king/warlord Derek idea?? Maybe A/B/O au

After Derek becomes heir to the empire (mafia or otherwise) is told by his council over and over again that he must marry and have an heir. He doesn’t trust his council much less the women they bring before him to marry. He would simply prefer to kill them all but unfortunately that would be directly traced to him.

So he abides by their demands and looks for a consort. So he throws a party, the most lavish party. The night is long and dreadfully boring. Derek thinks that at the worst he may ask Braeden to marry him. They are a little to hot headed and never seem to agree on a subject but at least the sex will be good. He spends most of the night trying not to dance with women who smell far to desperate.

He is ducking behind a column to hide from Jennifer when he hears the most clever and spiteful voice tell off one of his council members. He follows the voice to a vision of nymph dressing down his least favourite council member (maybe Deaton??) . Derek is absolutely taken a back by how the siren uses his words to get his way. Dereks preferred method is violence, and he tells this to the boy as he walks over — “it seems that my council member has overstepped, I usually find violence is my preferred way of dealing with such slights. Would you like he to rip his heart out for you?” — Derek kisses his hand and he basically declares to everyone listen he wishes to preform a courting action.

To Derek’s delight, the god in human form blushes. He thanks Derek for the offer but says he dealt with it his way. — “it is quite the generous offer Alpha, but I must decline as I have found words may be just as effective a weapon I promise you.” — Derek, desperate to not let him slip away asked him for a dance. He hesitantly agrees, but after the one dance they do not stop until the end of the night. 

The council member that had tried to hurt Derek’s future consort was found dead the next morning, of poison. It’s in the moment Derek declares that he will marry the boy from the night before. (Delusional Derek who is fully convinced they are to be married, and is just a tiny bit obsessed)

So he sets out to win his heart, cue shenanigans from him and the entire hale pack. Especially after finding out that Derek’s consorts father is a lawful man. A lawful man who would rather see his son with Parrish or Daehler rather than Derek. But stiles however refuses any means of courting expect for Derek’s. Because he knows the wolf is the only one for him. (If you like this idea please check out @hedwig221b Torn apart and set Anew)

Stiles didn’t care, Derek understood him in most ways that other didn’t. When his father would tell him that Derek was dangerous stiles wanted to shout back that so was he. His father ignored the worst parts of stiles, Scott didn’t even sees them but Derek understood. He didn’t just see stiles as a helpless omega. Derek is super fucking prideful about this and every time he sees Parrish or Daehler he just smirks at them.

Derek throws another party, this one to publicly state his intention to marry stiles. His council members kick up a big fuss about it until Derek reminds them that they are the ones who wanted Derek to have a consort. He abided by the rules. They claimed Derek couldn’t mate a beta but Derek ignored him. (Stiles doesn’t advertise the fact that he’s an omega)

Derek buys stiles a dress and jewels to wear.

Stiles only dances with Derek that night, anytime someone else asks him he refuses. (Parrish). During one of their dances when the music is fast paced and stiles heart is beating out of his chest, stiles spark comes into play and creates ribbons of energy that dance alongside them. So it looks like they are dancing in fire. (This is what kickstarted this idea)

So they marry and stiles helps Derek secure his claim.

Derek over hears his council talking bad about his husband so he kills them and then fucks his stiles pregnant to prove them wrong.

He also drags Daehler before his beloved omega for overstepping, and this time when Derek offers to rip out his heart for stiles, he agrees.

[waokevale]

The Overlapped AU [Aka Superhumans disguisted as Dinner Theater workers]

The Owners

The Managers (Engineer & the HR person)

The Waiters

The Security

The Performers (Wes is mostly on cleaning duty though)

The Kitchen staff (the others are usually tasked to help, though very few are actually trusted at all times to be there)

The Bartender and the Host

The Dishwashers

The Clerk & The Supplier

So this AU came to me upon a dream, and I just had to make it real...

The synopsis below:

The event of April 17th 1906 does happen, however instead of Charlie and Maxwell being kidnapped into the Constant, the Constant overlaps with the real world and spreads itself onto Earth.

Charlie and Maxwell in the process become corrupted and have to hide away temporarily. Both of them soon began to hear strange voices, source of which neither is quite sure, telling them, compelling them to hide the corruption's effect from the publicity, for the time being.

They come to a mutual realization they have to fix this mess somehow and hunt down any and all corrupted by the tome, by any means necessary.

(Maxwell still has codex umbra, but it is sealed shut for the time being until he's sure it won't spread more if Their influence. )

But the corruption didn't just appear out of nowhere, it's been leaking way long before Maxwell found the Codex, if to a less prominent extent.

Thus, in few years passing, they form a Dinner Theater, a rather inconspicuous establishment from the first glance. Very quickly they began "hiring" employees, which in reality means tracking down and blackmailing those who have been corrupted but not fully lost themselves to its effects, in order to hunt those who had.

Winona was against the idea at first, as she found out. But seeing the effects of corruption first hand, she quickly had a change of heart and integrated herself into Charlie's new environment.

Eventually they gathered a rather generous amount of people. Once a person's proven to be trustworthy to a point, they're give higher positions in the company.

However those who aren't, are likely to be shunned or "fired" which...you could probably guess what that means.

Many of these people gradually come to terms with the reality of their situation and accept their newfound purpose, being thankful that at least they still have a roof over their head and a warm meal, instead of being viewed as monsters or outcasts to the greater society.

(Wilson though, can't quite accept this notion. He keeps claiming that "this is just a big misunderstanding, I'm just a normal guy!" Yet the truth could be far from it.)

When Maxwell and Charlie hear of the danger looming, they immediately inform their "staff" of the matter. Those who are more experienced in combat come along to face whatever opponent may cross them, while those who aren't, stay behind, to be an additional aid or a medic in case the battle gets too intense.

Whenever any suspicion arises in the town about the shady business going on in that particular building, the two owners alongside their employees practically gaslight anyone and everyone into believing they're but the most regular entertainment center.

The characters who have either willingly or unwillingly lost their humanity, mostly in the physical sense, are given special devices constructed of Thulecite and bits of nightmare fuel (made by Winona, Wicker and the main two), which effectively hide away their true identity, or surpress the effects of their ailment.

There's also a few other people important to this story, especially the One, which even Charlie and Maxwell refer to as "The Boss", though what many most recent hires don't know, is that there's someone who's in a position much higher than the owners themselves, controlling their every move.

Correlating to that, another person, or rather, a set of people per se, working for a much different cause. Though most of them are "people" in only a visual sense of the word.

And while, there might be someone inside the well-known around town diner, who just might be more than what appears on the surface, literally and metaphorically this time.

__________

If you're interested to learn more about this AU, do let me know. If you have any questions, I'm happy to hear and answer them!

[gamerwoo]

[Tales from the Pack] Jeonghan: Sold (Part One)

Characters: Jeonghan x female reader (this part has no mention of reader tho hehe sorry!!)

Genre/warnings: werewolf au, fantasy, angst, loooots of mentions of the black market/human trafficking, people in cages, just a lot of bad things happening here lmao

Word count: 1,555

Summary: If Jooyeon and Baekhyun never went snooping around the black market, they would’ve never discovered the human trafficking ring and wanted to help. They would’ve never discovered you inside one of the many cages full of people, and Jeonghan would’ve never went against the alphas and demanded they help. But for you, Jeonghan would do anything, even if it means bringing back trouble from a past he never knew about.

a/n: everyone thought i gave up on tftp BUT I DIDN'T i just haven't gotten a chance to really sit down and work on anything BUT FINALLY HERE IT IS!!!! updates will be slow btw please be patient with me <3

Next | Sold Masterlist

Wonwoo told her no. Hell, even Danbi told her no. But what were they supposed to do when Baekhyun scoffed and said, “It’s fine, I’ll go with her. Let’s go, kid.”

So now they were awkwardly standing toward the edge of the market, acting like they were perusing the stands but they were actually keeping an eye out to see if Baekhyun and Jooyeon would return. It wasn’t that they didn’t trust Baekhyun to keep the younger girl safe, but it was that anything could happen to them where they’d gone. The black market was a lawless land.

“What’s that over there?” Jooyeon had pointed out as they group got closer toward the secluded area of the market that nobody really went toward.

There was a slight disconnect between the market the pack typically browsed in, and the illegal and shady one. If one wasn’t paying attention, they might wander straight into the black market – which had already happened before and was why Jooyeon became so curious in the first place – but it was clear that a lot of people didn’t go over toward the black market, and a lot of things were being kept hidden for a reason.

Such as the large tent made out of tarps that was put up toward the back corner, and it had caught Jooyeon’s eye since it was something different.

“I don’t know, but there’s a lot of sound coming from inside,” Baekhyun mumbled as he tried to focus in on the tarps.

And now they were off investigating while Wonwoo and his sister worried sick over them. Wonwoo was doing his best to try and stay focused on their sounds, but it was difficult with them so far away and a lot going on between them. There were too many people and things that were starting to drown them out.

The Jeon siblings thought it was a nice coincidence that they had run into Baekhyun at the market. He said he was just wandering around, trying to find something to do to pass the time because he was bored out of his mind. But they should’ve considered that the older wolf and the young thief would’ve been a match made in Hell. Then again, neither sibling thought Jooyeon would want to suddenly go investigate the black market of all things.

Wonwoo spotted them first, and his head fully whipping around to watch them was what caught Danbi’s attention. The pair were hurrying back toward them, Jooyeon in front even though Baekhyun was definitely faster, but he seemed to be gently pushing her to go faster. The looks on their faces said it all: they saw something they shouldn’t have.

That, or, Danbi and Wonwoo also needed to run.

“We need to get to Junmyeon,” Baekhyun said hurriedly before the pair were even close enough for Danbi to hear them.

But Wonwoo heard and his eyebrows furrowed, “Why, what’s wrong? What happened?”

“I’ll explain later,” the older man gestured with his head for the siblings to follow before he started in the direction of his home. “Let’s go.”

But Jooyeon didn’t catch the conversation and told Danbi and Wonwoo with wide eyes, “There’s people in cages in there. A lot of them.”

“Are they alive?” Wonwoo questioned.

“Yeah,” Baekhyun’s short laugh was dry and void of any humor, “and that’s kinda scaring me more than if they were dead.”

-

A knock at the door. Seungcheol was already dreading it because it was a knock. It wasn’t just somebody coming right in like Jooyeon and the Jeon siblings would if it was them coming home from the market. A knock meant a stranger or it meant the trio got themselves into trouble.

He recognized Junmyeon’s scent, and he probably would’ve sensed his arrival had he not been helping calm Jiwoo down after a meltdown over her toy wooden train getting stuck underneath the couch. He also sensed Jooyeon, and he could sense the siblings as well.

He let out a deep sigh as he swung open the door.

Before Junmyeon could even say anything, the younger alpha’s golden eyes landed on his mate, “What did you do?”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Junmyeon chuckled, “Baekhyun did it, too.”

“We didn’t do anything,” Danbi assured him before breezing by him and into the house with her brother following, slightly bowing his head toward his alpha as he went.

“Can we come in?” Junmyeon asked, Dae by his side with you and Baekhyun standing there looking like children in trouble. “This news might be…a lot.”

Seungcheol stood to the side and gestured for the quad to enter, shooting his mate a scolding look as she followed Junmyeon and Daisy into the house. 

“I didn’t even get in trouble!” she huffed. “Why are you mad at me?”

“You were escorted home by Junmyeon. That’s reason enough. That means something happened.”

“Something did happen, yes,” Junmyeon confirmed as they went to sit in the living room.

Of course, hearing the commotion, the rest of the pack began to gather.

“Thankfully, they weren’t spotted or followed,” he continued. 

“The fact that he said that means you did something you weren’t supposed to,” Seungcheol pointed out to his mate.

As Junmyeon took a seat on one of the couches, he let out a sigh. Dae sat down beside him, silently waving to some of the wolves and mates as they entered, still smiling despite what Baekhyun had told their pack when they arrived at his house.

“Jooyeon and Baekhyun may have discovered a human trafficking ring,” Junmyeon stated bluntly.

Everyone was shocked hearing that. It was the last thing they expected to hear, actually. Some let out soft gasps and others began murmuring, wondering what kind of trafficking and how they could’ve found it.

Seungcheol’s eyes widened, threatening to bulge out of his head. Then his widened eyes went to Jooyeon.

“What were you thinking?!” he exclaimed. “How many times have I had to explicitly tell you not to go anywhere near the black market?! Why the hell would you go against me?! Shin Jooyeon, you could’ve been caught and thrown into it!”

Baekhyun held up a hand to get Seungcheol to stop yelling, “To be fair, I wasn’t the best influence. She wanted to go and I said I’d go with her.”

“And what, I’m supposed to tell Baekhyun no?” Wonwoo asked.

“How did you discover this…trafficking ring?” Jihoon wondered.

“I noticed this big tent made out of tarps that wasn’t there before. I got curious,” she shrugged. “So we snuck over and there was a little tear in one of them and Baekhyun peeked through and saw all these people in cages.”

“There was maybe…about six people to a cage? Their clothes looked dirty and they all looked like hell,” Baekhyun elaborated. “I think they’re just barely being kept alive. And they all have collars on.”

“As sad as that is,” Minghao began, “...why did you come here to tell us about it?”

Jeonghan nodded with a shrug, “Respectfully, if it doesn’t have to do with us, we’d rather stay away from trouble. We’ve been in enough of it.”

“Well, that’s kind of exactly why,” Junmyeon chuckled. “I wanted to see if your pack would be willing to help them escape, or if we decide the situation should be left alone. I’d hate to let a bunch of innocent people go through that, but I also don’t know if I’m willing to risk my pack’s lives for something that doesn’t really involve us. Getting caught in the Capitol is even more dangerous than getting caught in any old town.”

“Especially in the black market,” Jihoon added.

“But…” Kyung paused like she knew she would get backlash for what she was about to say, “can we live with ourselves knowing there’s a human trafficking ring going on and we did nothing to stop it?”

“No offense, but didn’t a ton of your old pack die from trying to help people?” Soonyoung asked a little too bluntly, but it was apparent he wasn’t purposefully trying to sound snappy.

Kyung looked at him, “Remind me who helped your pack at your old house and even died for one of your brothers?”

Soonyoung’s cheeks dusted pink as he realized how rude he sounded and he mumbled a, “Right, sorry…”

“Okay, Kyung has a point,” Seungcheol admitted. “Honestly…I’d feel really shitty if we didn’t try to help.”

“I get that, but is it even worth the risk?” Jihoon asked.

“Maybe we go scope it out,” Hansol suggested with a shrug. “See how difficult it would be to execute a giant prison breakout. If it’s too dangerous, we can sleep better at night knowing we wouldn’t have been able to handle it.”

Seungcheol looked to the other three alphas. They all looked between each other and shrugged before looking to Junmyeon for his take.

“Sounds alright to me,” he decided. “When should we go?”

“Probably as soon as possible,” Jihoon guessed. “Who knows how long they’ll be kept there, right? They might be getting sold one at a time or maybe somebody already bought them all and they’re there for safe keeping until they can get picked up.”

“So, tonight?” Soonyoung asked.

Seungcheol looked back at Junmyeon, “Tonight?”

“Tonight works,” he nodded. “We’ll meet you there at midnight.”

»»————-　　————-««

Tag list (italics are unable to tag): @choiminjae0325 @dumbasslonelybisexual @yoonbabe-d @exuwu @lets-get-1t @vintageot5 @sehunnies-hunnie96 @childfmoonn @ash-is-psychotic @haoareyou @wobwobkpop @dirinast @joshwoah @wreckedbytae @salty-for-suga @xu-miseo @uglyratlmao @onewoowonderboy @xxbluestrifexx @artistic-rendition @mrsfandomz @psshwa @peachy-hoon @chaseyui @haven-cove @belledamsceno @saxtaee @k-pop-ology @uglychildd @eclvpe @killcomet @coupsiekkuma @sunlightwoo @jelly-fishy-babie @valtxy @birthday-prinxess @sooooofrench @seungsanhun @svtbubs @ada-lucia @queenofhimbos @soonwoosz @babyminghao @hao-are-xu @onefinecarat @patat-boi @shawkneecaps @dinosvvrs @apple-m @cheolliehugs @jisungsdreamy @imtaehyungry @superheros-and-others @semicolorn @gyaaah @whimsicalwoodlands @aunty-tiger-potato @sbnchaos @seventeensdaesang @sleeplessdailyhours @junuoyi @yiyi4657 @randombandit77 @restless-nights-thoughts @allpiecesofmybrokenheart @charlieshelves @allie-mcginn [if you’d like to be added to the tag list, please fill out this form!!!]

[bluheaven-adw]

Thank you tumblr for absolutely destroying image quality. Freaking wtf?

Some more Dark Excalibur AU

The Knighting of Steve Palchuk

We all agree that Steve needed a better arc than what RotT gave him. He deserved a chance to be a hero, a path that he started in Wizards before it fizzled out into being the comedic relief. Wizards set everyone up as the better generational mirrors to Camelot. Jim to Arthur, Claire to Morgana, Douxie to Merlin, Toby probably to Galahad, and Steve very obviously to Lancelot. I've said at the start that no one comes out of this AU unscathed, so while Steve gets the heroic redemption, it comes at a cost, one that pulls on that parallel.

RotT in the Dk-E still happens, I'm not letting everyone get their happily ever after at the end of Wizards. But I'll be damned if I end it with Toby and so many others dead, and Jim pushed into a timeline reset. You can thank Steve for that. It's because of Steve that Toby lives. Steve goes with Toby in the Taco truck, and it is Steve that yanks Toby out of the way of the collapsing debris. But Steve becomes pinned himself, resulting in the loss of his arm. An act of selflessness and bravery, valor and sacrifice, that earns him the title of First Knight of the Roundtable of New Camelot. An equal advisor, responsible for not only the protection of Camelot, and those Jim has claimed as his (which is everyone, human, troll, changeling, down to the last gnome), but also finding and training new knights, those who value all life and are willing to fight to protect it, and want to see the worlds of man and magic together in harmony instead of hate and fear.

And so we come to the Knighting of Steve Palchuk. This isn't just pomp and meaningless ceremony, this has true weight and meaning to both Jim and Steve. Jim pulls on Excalibur's magic, his voice resonating with ethereal power, creating a bond of trust and loyalty that goes both ways, only formed if given willingly. Knight to his King, King to Knight, both to the protection of all worlds and their peoples. Jim's eyes light up in tandem with the blade as the power of Excalibur and Nimue courses through him, flames licking along the blade's edge and into Steve. Steve's armor reflecting this bond as the magic burns through him.

And like Lancelot, Steve will get a fully functional prosthetic arm. There will be hardship, adapting to this new reality. But Steve has become a hero. A man of courage... far from his highscool self. A survivor, who will fight with everything he has.

Rise now, Sir Steve, First Knight of the Roundtable and New Camelot.

Closeups below

Notes: some of the descriptive wording around the ceremony itself came from a discussion about Jim using Excalibur for the knighting, and are used with permission of Sakon76, who is a much better writer than I.

Expect more if Steve's story at a later time.

[brucewaynehater101]

I had a rather angst idea for a Good Dad Bruce au. One where he actually loves his kids and Jason never died (they still took Tim in because they found him taking pictures of them on patrol) and everyone is a lot healthier. The family spends time together and while they do squabble, like all families, they don't fight like they do in canon.

Then one day, they get an alert that the cave has been broken into and when they rush to check it out, they find.... Tim? Which shouldn't be possible as Tim is following behind Bruce and was literally at breakfast with everyone else. The new Tim's head snaps up when they enter and he just sighs, "Damn it, I was hoping to avoid you guys. Well, Multiversal Code Lima Omega Sigma Tango. Is that still the code here?" Which is the Bat code for "someone fucked up and sent me through a multiverse portal and now I gotta get home". Before anyone can fully comprehend what's going on with New Tim, he turns back to the Batcomputer, where he's currently pulling up information on Zatanna and Constantine.

Bruce walks over to the computer, worried about this version of his son being lost so far from home and says, "well help you get home. Do you know what world you're from?" And Tim simply raises an eyebrow and says, "oh. Is this one of *those* dimensions? How annoying. You can help by getting me some coffee, keeping Bat Brat and Hood away from me, and I'll be out of your hair soon enough. I won't even be here long enough to make your paranoia to bad if things go right."

All that is. Rather concerning. Especially because none if them have Hood in their names. Of course these Healthy Bats insist on helping New Tim out for as much as he will let them. It can be noted that he only accepts food from Alfred, Steph, and Cass and only drink from them and Dick. Anything Jason, Bruce, or Damian tries to give him is completely ignored, Tim acting like it isn't even there. He also is isn't refusing to interact with Damian and Jason but unlike the others, he won't say anything to them until they say something first.

Eventually Damian snaps and says, "Drake, why are you ignoring myself and Jason?!" Tim simply slowly places the tablet he was typing on down and turns to Damian and Jason who are a little pissed and also worried about Tim and why he's acting the way he is. After a deep breath, Tim says, "simply by observing I can tell that our families are extremely different. For example, both of you get along very well with your Tim. It is not so on my world. I will not go into details for all of our sakes, but both of you have made *multiple* attempts on my life. I don't blame either of you and things have been almost peaceful recently. I don't blame either of them, it's simply instinct for them. But that doesn't erase the fact that someone with each of your faces has nearly killed me at least 5 times *each*. I understand that it wasn't you two who did it, but I would still rather not become complacent around any version of either of you to avoid becoming complacent around them. So just. Stay away from me." Tim then turns back to what he was doing and resumes research on how to get back to his own world.

Jason is shocked and horrified that any version of himself would make any attempt on Tim's life, let alone almost half a dozen! He snarls, "what do you mean it's *instinct* for them? What, is only one person allowed to be in the family at a time or some bullshit?!"

Tim and Jason go back and forth a few times with Tim refusing to explain fully, simply calling it Instincts and everyone calling bullshit on that until Tim snaps, scales spreading across his hands and face as his pupils become slits and a hood flares out of his neck that was previously hidden. In a blink, Tim has become some kind of human animal hybrid as he hisses, "because I'm a Viper, Jason is a Hawk, and Damian is a Mongoose!! They naturally hunt my kind, I don't blame them for not trusting me or attacking me if I don't warn them that I'm there! I don't blame either of them for trying to kill me on sight the first two times each of them met because I'm a Cobra!" Once Tim settles down he pinches the bridge of his nose and deshifts back to fully human as he grumbles, "I apologize. I shouldn't have snapped like that just. Just leave it."

Jason and Damian attacking him on instinct is all a lie. They just don't want to accept Tim into the family and this is an easy way to excuse any murder attempts. If Bruce or Dick catches them, they just lie through their teeth that Thr Pit makes it harder to control the more instinct driven side of them, or its lingering effects from whatever Rouge they got Poisoned by last, or Tim was shifted and didn't warn them when he walked up. Sure it's fine for everyone else in the family, hell in 99% of the world its considered perfectly OK to be shifted at all times, or at least it is for animal hybrids like mice and birds and dogs, but not as much for Spiders, Snakes, and Pathners.

As for what the rest of Snake Tim's family is, Bruce is some kind of Fancy Dog (as was his mother) and when he's Batman he fluffy up and puts temporary dye in his fur to look like a Rottweiler or Doberman, Dick is a Swan who used basically spray on hair dye that Bruce made special for his feathers so people thought he was a Robin Shifter, Jason is a Hawk who's wings got the same treatment, Tim is a King Cobra like his mom but when on patrol he keeps the hood hidden and chews black gum so the inside of his mouth looks black like a Mamba's, and Damian is a Mongoose like Ras and Talia but the public thinks he's a ferret. Steph is either a Possum or a Raccoon and makes jokes about having switched animals with Tim as birth. Cass is a black panther who loves the groom her family.

Shifter AU!!!!!!

I was not expecting that, so I was pleasantly surprised ^^

Snake comparisons for Tim are underutilized and beloved. I'd be down to see way more of them. As for this AU, I'm curious about what seems to be Shifter-ism (not sure if there's a better word for that), their instincts, and how often Jason and Damian get away with attacking Tim. Are they at least doing better now? It seems that Tim is weary of them, that they attacked him even with full control of their actions, but that he doesn't blame them.

Also, is one of Tim's instincts to take naps in sunny spots? Is he slower when he's cold?

For the cover-up that Tim did, it was brilliant. He crafted a perfectly logical reason for why they would attack him (especially for Bats who are presumably unfamiliar with shifter instincts and thus unable to call him out).

[seedsofagony]

Haganezuka Hotaru A–Z (KnY)

Series: Kimetsu no Yaiba

Characters: Haganezuka Hotaru

Word Count: 1,821

Summary: How does Haganezuka Flirt? What's he like on the Phone? SFW answers from A to Z for @selfloving-shipper's Self Shipping Alphabet: fluff, occasionally suggestive, x reader, modern au, spoiler free

Notes: Forever and unapologetically imagining secondary and tertiary characters ♥ I tried to keep this as gender neutral as possible because everyone should be able to enjoy our hot-headed, not-so-little firefly.

Image Credit: Wtrsnvc

A - Activity what’s something they enjoy doing together?

Haganezuka doesn't really like crowds. He'd much rather spend quiet time alone with you where he can take off his figurative mask. He won't talk much (unless you ask him about work), but he'll enjoy just listening to you chatter away or the moment when your head starts to droop and you lean on him to doze.

B - Bashful what’s something one finds embarrassing about themselves but the other finds adorable?

As the poster boy for the socially inept, Haganezuka is embarrassed by pretty much everything you do—which makes teasing him that much more fun. You'll rib him gently in public and mercilessly at home just to bring out that blush in his cheeks, but there's a limit to how much he'll take before he makes you make good on your word.

C - Calm how do they calm the other down?

The man has no chill, so if you're upset, he's upset. Unfortunately, that also means that you're usually the one doing the calming down—which you do by pushing him into bed, straddling him, then tickling the life out of him.

D - Danger how do they react to finding out the other person is in trouble?

If someone is messing with you—your boss, some rando, doesn't matter—Haganezuka isn't afraid to do anything short of murder, and even that isn't off the table. But if it's something like being stranded with a flat tire, he'll come right away, push up his sleeves, bare those burly arms, and get to work changing it for you.

E - Encourage how do they encourage each other?

Haganezuka believes in you—totally, fully, and without reservation—and he shows it through acts of service. Looming deadline? Your coffee cup will never run dry. Big interview? He scouts the parking situation ahead of time so you don't have to sweat the small stuff. He'll also give you space to focus, but know that he'll be just around the corner, ready to get you whatever you need.

F - Flirt do they flirt? If so how do they flirt?

As someone with almost no game, Haganezuka doesn't really know how to flirt. Playful banter is beyond him, and most of his "sweet nothings" are completely serious and intense. But, sometimes, he'll say something that can be construed as EXXXTREMELY suggestive—it's always completely unwitting and he has no idea why you're looking at him like that.

G - Greetings what was their first meeting like?

The first time you met, he couldn't take his eyes off you—which actually means he was staring at you with intense RBF. He doesn't really remember it that way, though. For him, it was as if nobody else even existed. Sound was muffled, the light was diffuse. It was a canon event.

H - Hungry does one of them cook? What do they do for dinner?

Haganezuka's hyperfixation is just way too strong—when he actually remembers to eat, he's a terrible cook and will just eat whatever's lying around. Actually, it's a little-known fact that the phrase "girl dinner" was invented for him.

I - Imagine what do the imagine their futures together like?

For him, your futures are a collection of everyday moments. The way the sun glints off your hair in the morning. The hustle and bustle as you get ready for the day. The soft brightening of your expression when you see him after work. It's all the little things that add up to make a life.

J - Jealousy do they get jealous easily? What do they do when jealous?

Haganezuka trusts you. He would never doubt you. It's just that he has zero faith in the rest of humanity, and he can't stand when other guys so much as look at you. If the clerk at the checkout is a little too cheerful when he says, "Have a nice day," Haganezuka levels him with a devastating glare and gathers up all your bags with one well-muscled arm just to prove a point: Step off or else.

K - Kissing what is it like kissing them?

Despite having no game, Hagaganezuka is actually a natural when it comes to kissing. He tips your chin, looks into your eyes for a moment, then kisses you fully and deeply. The world seems to stop, and nothing and no one else exists. But if you give him a peck on the cheek? Insta-blush.

L - Love when did they realize they were in love?

They say love at first sight doesn't exist, but it does for Haganezuka. He'd barely even been "in like" before he met you, so when he saw you from across the way, he just knew you were the one.

M - Memories what is one of their favorite memories together?

The day he moved in (because there was no way you were moving into his neglected bachelor pad), you hung a windchime together. He steadied you by the waist as you stood on the ladder. He helped you down, and you slipped your arm around him as you admired your work. The chimes rang together softly, and he felt like he was home.

N - Nickname what are some names they like to call the other?

You're the only person in the world who can call him "Hotaru," but even though you've been together forever, he still stumbles over your first name. The only time it rolls off his tongue is when you're alone together between the sheets.

O - Object what’s something they have that reminds them of the other?

Haganezuka doesn't really like distractions at work, so his desk is pretty spartan. But there is one thing that he always keeps in sight—a fuzzy pompom dango keychain that you gave him when you first got together. It's ridiculous. Each dango has a little smiling face. If anyone asks him about it, he'll tell them, in no uncertain terms, that it's none of their damn business, and when they're gone, he'll bop each dango, one by one, and smile.

P - Phone how often do they talk to each other on the phone or other means of communication?

Haganezuka doesn't really like to talk on the phone, so you won't call him unless it's an emergency. He will text you, though—as long as he isn't working. After a long day, he unlocks his phone to 100 unread messages. He leaves most people on read, but he'll always text you back. It might just be 👍 but you know he cares! He's also the king of autocorrect—ducking Kamado.

Q - Quiver what’s something they do that makes the other flustered?

He hardly knows what to do when you take the lead, whether it's flirting or making love. There's some silly, old-fashioned part of him that thinks, as a man, he should always be the one to initiate. Not that he doesn't enjoy it, though. When his flustered blush fades, it's obvious he enjoys it A LOT.

R - Routine what’s something they do together like clockwork?

You could set your watch to Haganezuka's routine. Every morning, he gets up early, works out, and goes to work. The only thing you can't count on is when he'll be home, but even that's predictable. No matter how late he comes home, though, you always take time to wind down together and talk to each other about your days.

S - Selfies do they like taking pictures together? Do they keep pictures of the other?

Haganezuka really hates having his picture taken and will do anything to avoid it. He also feels awkward taking pictures of you, but he will sometimes snap one when you're not looking. His gallery is mostly selfies you sent to him and 8,000 pictures of his works in progress, plus a ton of totally random screencaps that he will never look at again.

T - Touchy do they like PDA? How do they like to cuddle?

Doing anything more than holding hands in public makes him go beet-red. Even getting to that point was a struggle—you had to graduate from walking next to him to holding the cuff of his sleeve before you could finally entwine your fingers with his. Once you got to that point, though, he wasn't about to let go.

U - Unaccustomed what’s something they had to get used to once they got together?

Haganezuka is an awkward guy and everything about you flusters him—your pretty smile, your hair, that cute outfit you're wearing, the scent of your perfume. You drive him crazy, and he can still hardly believe you're his.

V - Vanished what would they do if the other vanished one day?

If you suddenly vanished, Haganezuka wouldn't know how to go on. He would give up everything to look for you, no matter how long it took. But if HE disappeared… you'd know he just lost track of time and was inadvertently pulling an all-nighter at work.

W - Walk where do they like going together?

There's a nearby park that you love to visit—ambling along the limestone paths, pausing to watch the stream tumble beneath the Japanese-style bridge. But most of all, you love strolling through the tunnel of wisteria trees and stealing a kiss under the curtain of their fragrant purple blossoms.

X - X-ray how do they help the other if they’re sick or tired?

Haganezuka will call off work to take care of you. He'll bring you medicine and a cool drink, and press his forehead to yours to check your fever. Then, he'll look at you, earnest as ever, and tell you he heard—and clearly believes—that if you kiss someone who's sick, you can take their cold away… When he inevitably catches what you have, however, he won't take such good care of himself. He'll wear himself out, refusing to take time off, never taking a break—which means, at some point, he'll collapse and you'll finally be able to return the favor by taking care of him.

Y - Yes who would propose? What would the proposal be like?

You know it would hurt his pride too much if you proposed, but he is definitely taking his time. It's not that he doesn't want to get married. It's just that it's MARRIED. Like, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, and all that. Just the thought of spending the rest of his life with you—it's almost too much to imagine. When he finally does pop the question, it will be with fierce determination and an adorably bright red blush.

Z - Zzz how do they sleep together?

Haganezuka is the big spoon to your little spoon, and he'll stay that way all night, hugging you protectively against his chest. If you try to get up before him (which almost never happens), you'll have a hard time extricating yourself. Every time you loosen his arms just a little, he tightens his grip, pulling you back to bed in his sleep. At least, you're pretty sure he's still asleep…

[dollarstoreartsupplies]

okay so I can't stop thinking about a nerdy prudes star trek au

Pete: Android, Chief of Science

second “son” and creation of infamous non-federation cyberneticist t'noy karaxis (because come on that just sounds like a Star Trek name) 

t’noy’s first creation (ted) was considered unstable/aggressive by the federation standards and was incredibly dangerous, but when they went to handle the situation both ted and t’noy karaxis had ~mysteriously disappeared~

pete doesn’t know where they went either and he’s always very worried about them showing up again (but also, secretly, really wants at least ted to)

pete was never completely finished because of the disappearance, so he’s faulty, prone to power fluctuations (woah,,,, almost like low blood sugar,,, crazy,,,,)

he’s got an emotion chip, but it’s also faulty, in that it spikes hard into overdrive, and he has a hard time controlling it some of the time

If he’s feeling really upset/worried about something important/embarrassed he’s prone to remove it (especially when he’s younger/before he’s got his established friend-group-crew; they really try to stop him from doing that)

VERY IN LOVE WITH STEPH BUT HE DOES NOT REALLY UNDERSTAND IT AND IT’S STRESSING HIM OUT

started just as a normal science officer but like six people died and now he’s got the position– he’s also really stressed out about that precedent

he loves outer space so bad, they regularly have to reign him in on ground missions or during very dangerous space-issues because he’s just so excited about learning cool new space facts

his room is just books and experiments and a huge window so when everyone else goes to sleep he kind of just Stares out at the stars

he has little cyber-glasses that ‘help him analyze things’ but mostly he wears them because he thinks they look cool

not great with people both for android reasons and for ‘spent the vast majority of his early existence entirely alone and isolated, finishing building himself’ reasons 

Steph: Half-betazoid, Security Officer (She’s….. the brawn……. he’s the brains)

okay first things first I know betazoid's irises that are all black but I've always thought it would be cool if it was their whole eye and this is my au, gene roddenberry, so leave me alone

back to actual au: her dad (human) is a high ranking starfleet officer who nepo-babies her through the academy and onto a starship but he’s incredibly open, both vocally and projecting-his-emotions wise, that he’s doing it to get rid of her

her mom (betazoid) died when she was really little and she was raised across multiple starships/bases by her dad, so she’s entirely cut off from that part of her culture

she’s flying completely blind with her emotion/mind reading abilities and from a very young age has learned how to take advantage of it for her own benefit

it’s basically masking times four hundred because she’s navigating all of her relationships and interactions based on the thoughts of those around her/what they’d like or want from her

she’s constantly subjected to the really gross thoughts of her crewmates and it’s GROSS AND BAD and has really heightened her defenses

especially in her academy days (at the behest of her friends) or when she’s feeling threatened she can and will use her mind reading abilities to be really, really mean but,,,, she doesn’t do it much anymore and does feel very bad about it

she really hates pete at first because he’s the first person she’s never been able to read the mind of and she doesn’t know how to navigate it/it’s way, way too vulnerable for her but it actually ends up making them way closer because it’s the first relationship she’s ever had based fully on trust

never actually gave a shit about star fleet or it’s missions before, she was honestly really annoyed by the academy and her dad all but forcing her to take this position, but it’s… sort of growing on her (don’t tell anyone)

Grace: Human, Medical Officer

human and incredibly proud of that

she’s like…. maybe a little prejudiced about it,,, she certainly doesn’t mean to be,,,, but she’s always the one to deliver that classic star trek ‘I thought this race didn’t have BLANK advancement, humans do this better, etc...’ lines that kicks off an episode to tell you about the new alien race of the episode

both her parents worked with star fleet but never actually made it off of earth (because they didn’t want to) so she’s her family’s equivalent of ‘kind of a rebel’ for wanting to be on a starship

she’s just a really high achiever and is treating it sort of like a mission trip to help other planets

(she also just… really wanted to and thinks it’s cool but she thinks that's kind of selfish so she keeps that a secret) 

doesn’t trust pete and is at least somewhat miffed about him not needing help from medical 

met steph in academy and was really, really, really excited when they got assigned on the same ship (steph was NOT)

huge stickler for rules and regulations and it’s either incredibly helpful or causes all their problems there's no in between

morally against the holodeck and no one is necessarily clear on why

because her parents worked for star fleet on earth she still lived with them during academy so being on the ship is her first time ever being apart from them and it’s causing some sort of crisis (though who know which way said crisis is going to hard pivot) (you hope it’s in a gay way but it’s also grace so it could be in a space murder way,.,., only time will tell)

Ruth: Human, Engineer

human and livid about it

desperately wants to be captain one day, and has dreams of being on the bridge, but it became clear very quickly in the academy that she was too anxious to ‘boldly go’ as far as she’d need to to achieve that :(

she’s very good at engineering but she thinks it’s boring, and she thinks just being a human amongst all these cool aliens is lame, and she kind of is under the impression everyone is judging her for it (they’re not)

don’t let this bitch around an visiting vulcans she will ask them about pon farr

she asks steph about “the phase” IMMEDIATELY (context: the phase is where mature betazoids suddenly become horny forever basically) and was like ‘is that going to happen even though ur only half??’ and steph, who had never heard about it, was HORRIFIED

met richie and pete in academy and thought they were so cool she needed them to be her friends or she’d die

they were both very okay with it 

they’re all buddies :)

she helps pete with any repairs when he gets damaged or something happens- she’s the only one he trusts to do anything other than himself 

(... she also wants to test if he’s actually ‘fully functional’... pete’s said no so far though :/)

spends hours on the holodeck

Richie: Andorian, Communications Officer

he’s not much of a fighter, despite being andorian, and initially wanted to go more into the artistic side of his culture but his fascination with other planets/cultures/people as well as the concept of ‘boldly going’ pushed him into joining starfleet

still draws/creates art in his free time tho

managed to be fluent in like forty different alien languages and the universal translator pisses him off in CONCEPT (even though it’s still incredibly helpful that he doesn’t Need it and is part of why he has his job)

he keeps his room freezing and pete’s the only one willing to hang out with him in it because he can’t get cold :) 

he’s mad he has to wear the red uniform because of his job >:( he’s blue why can’t he wear blue >:(

constantly gets in trouble for wearing increasingly non regulation layers over his uniform

single handedly caused the tribble outbreak on their starship

he’s banned from ground duty anytime they’re on a random planet because he gets over excited and keeps almost dying from getting straight up phaser-set-to-stunned (because he’s not only andorian but he’s a particularly fragile andorian like it doesn’t even need to be a phaser pistol just a normal phaser fucks him up)

also spends hours on the holodeck, often with ruth, and they like to drag pete with them even if he doesn’t really get it

[pilot-boi]

i am currently asking about the angel au, pop off my dude

Okay

So when I say it was reader led, I mean I created a world and a plot and changed my whole blog theme for a whole month. People sent in asks, and I would answer them as if I was the characters in the story. Through this, the audience slowly revealed the plot and the world

I posted art of all the major characters, drawn in the style of as if they are being surveilled by the Facility (the research place) in the case of people on the outside, or as case reports in the case of the test subjects

The basic idea was that the Brother gods had angels that would do their bidding on Remnant and be the go between for them and humanity. (The gods were more ambivalent in this version, but it doesn’t really come up) The angels also sort of act like the Greek gods do, occasionally inter mingling with humanity to create semi-deific offspring

When the gods leave Remnant and take magic with them, it sent a ripple across the world forever altering everyone who lives there. EVERYONE was combined at a fundamental level with animals, gaining many of their physical traits and instincts. MANY more traits than Faunus’ one. For example, Ruby is a wolf hybrid and she has the hindquarters, tail, ears, little snoot, and paw pads/claws on her fingers

The angels also left with the gods, but because they weren’t fully immortal they were sort of banished to another realm. A sort of in between dimension where they can observe but not directly interfere. The audience are actually these angels!

The real problem comes from the humans/angel half breeds

Centuries passed and the bloodlines become more and more diluted. Salem, who was a little girl at the time of the cataclysm, is now an old woman. (She’s a snake hybrid so her lifespan was greatly increased. She’s had to watch everyone she loves die)

Over the centuries she was able to accrue a large amount of wealth and influence, so she starts researching the gods. And when that falls apart, she starts researching the angels. Eventually she finds out that their descendants are still around, although it’s been so long that they haven’t had abilities or wings for centuries

She puts in more money, time, and research and eventually figures out how to identify the people with latent angel DNA. And how to bring their traits to the forefront

Ironwood becomes involved at this point, seeing the program as a good way to create soldiers. Salem is just using him, but he doesn’t really care. Their first test subjects are prisoners on death row, people who if they went missing nobody would care. Hundreds of prisoners die in the Facility from failed transformations. Tyrian is the first one to survive, and the process is perfected with Hazel

(By transformation I mean multiple wings, floating rings of eyes, maws of teeth and eyes, that sort of thing. The gods angels were FULL biblically accurate)

But they have their own opinions. They’re adults. They’re incredibly strong and useful, but Salem needs minds she can mold. So she starts “recruiting” children

Cinder, Roman, Neo, Mercury, and Emerald all less than willingly join their ranks. They’re all children when they’re kidnapped, and it’s been at least fifteen years for most of them by the time the plot actually starts

The final recruit is Jaune Arc, Salem’s own grandson. He’s the perfect candidate, her own family, trusting and with latent angel traits to boot. He vanishes from his home, has his memories wiped (the only one to do so since the others don’t have a home to remember) and joins their ranks

The plot begins when one of Ironwood’s other projects, Project Achilles aka star athlete Pyrrha Nikos, makes friends with Raphael.

Salem can’t call him Jaune in case his memories come back, and the scientists only refer to them all by case number. The other angels and other employees (Pyrrha, Pietro, Penny) call him Jaune

Salem doesn’t like that Raphael is getting close to someone else, because that means he might start thinking for himself. So she has Pyrrha killed. This makes Jaune lose it and have his mind wiped AGAIN, this time of all memories of Pyrrha

And this is the final straw for Pietro Polendina. Penny is caught in the crossfire and grievously injured. And when he’s sent to check on Jaune after he’s wiped, he doesn’t remember Pyrrha. So a break out happens, and Jaune Arc Test Subject Extraordinaire arrives on Ezra Ozpin’s porch

That’s where the plot begins at least. I can’t summarize all of it, and there’s a BUNCH of stuff I missed, but that’s the beginning. If you want to read it, you can either go through the faau tag, or go to the AO3 link below

And I’d love to hear your thoughts :]

[lyculuscaelus]

Hold Him

(Inspired by this ask of my moot @jarondont; changed a little something though; an AU partially based on Epic and partially on the Odyssey)

Telemachus was just making sure the ship was fully docked when the sound of breaching came.

Slashes of metal bit through the hull as his comrades cried out in terror—fear seized them all. Telemachus quickly issued the order to take arms, while he himself picked up a spear and a handy shield, fearful uncertainty brewing in his eyes. His young companions did the same—Ctesilaus, Amphidamas, Polyalus…all twenty of his childhood friends. But they did not have the time to put on the armor when the dreadful war-cries burst out, catching all of them off guard.

“Get ready, everyone,” Telemachus warned. “Here they come.”

Twenty well-armed warriors stormed into the hollow ship, charging on board. Javelins flew across the distance, hitting the shields and decks, chewing into bands of their shields with fierce force. Ctesilaus yelled out in pain as a spear found its way to his human heart, spilling out dark blood and agony. Amphidamas blocked a blow in time and returned with a thrust of his spear, ending his opponent’s life in an instant. Telemachus raced to the crowd of fighters, his spear never relented in striking. He managed to take down five warriors before the spear in his palm was knocked off by a heavy blow, while another clash of shields sent him flying to the edge of the deck, dropping his shield in the process. Pain swarmed up in his spine as he landed heavily.

Ouch.

Where was the strength of the son of Odysseus?

It’s just like the last time. Or all the times before that. I never really stand a chance in any fight, and maybe never will.

Telemachus struggled to get up again. Before his blurry vision, warriors continued to falter. People continued to fall.

People that he called friends. People whose survival relied solely on him—

The son of Odysseus, the leader of men.

And he could only watch them fall.

Ctesilaus was lying on deck, his breath already left him; Amphidamas was no longer wielding the spear in his hand, for it had already loosen its strength; Polyalus was still holding on, protecting the injured Anticlus, as those dreadful warriors continued to press on, and press on, and…

And all Telemachus could hear, were the screams of the fallen. The screams of his friends.

They were dying, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

How did I allow this to happen?

“Odysseïdes…”

Eurylaus let out his one last moan and crumbled.

I failed them. I failed them all. In the end, I was too incompetent. They should never have placed their trust in me in the first place.

“They’re too many—”

A slashing sword found Polymedes on the neck as the rest of his body fell to the deck, his sword rolling out from the palm of his motionless right hand, finding its solace.

I am not a good leader. They are dying because of me.

“My prince…”

Telemachus found Theodices holding the right side of his stomach, the chiton was already drenched in red. But it was a smile that came to Theodices’s lips. A smile that was trying to take away the prince’s sorrow. A smile that was blaming him of nothing, yet everything.

In the end, I was too inexperienced, too incapable, too weak.

“Goodbye…it’s an honor to serve you.”

And then Theodices, the last remained, crumbled silently. Behind his fallen body, a group of twelve warriors were standing still. The smirk on their faces was proudly claiming their victory.

It was then did Telemachus recover from shock, realizing his plan to flee—

—And run into a taller figure. His helmet spoke of nothing but malice.

“Where do you think you’re going,” Telemachus heard him saying. But that voice…it can’t be… “Little wolf?”

All of a sudden, Telemachus felt his heart stopped.

So it’s him.

The figure removed his shining helmet, revealing the scarred face of a man Telemachus knew so well. A man Telemachus hated so much.

Antinous.

But does that mean…

Other warriors were doing the same now, he noticed. They were all taking off the helmets to show their faces: Eurymachus, Agrius, Eurynomus, Ormenius…so they have finally come to this. Murder and taking over. Telemachus clenched his fists, feeling so sick.

“What a fine day to take a trip, wouldn’t you agree?” Antinous continued as other suitors behind him were approaching. Telemachus tensed himself. But desperation was growing like a cancer inside. How could I possibly even fight them all…

“You mother must be worried sick.”

“That’s none of your concern,” Telemachus retorted. “Now just leave me alone—”

“Alone? Alone, did you say?” Antinous simply laughed. “But you are alone, little wolf. You are always alone. Nobody will care about you. Not your people, not your friends, not even your family—”

“This isn’t true,” Telemachus shook his head in protest.

“—You really think your mother cares about you?” ignoring Telemachus’s retort, Antinous continued. “What a joke. She must’ve known so well you’re just a failure trying to become your father, and always failing. She must’ve known so well you can never be king.”

Telemachus glared at this man in front of him—that smirk on his face never faded. This isn’t true. Don’t listen to what he says.

But he had to— “And where’s your father when you needed him?”

The world felt like spinning now.

Telemachus hissed, feeling his throat tighten. The sense of suffocation slowly swarmed up as Telemachus gasped heavily, trying to forge a response, trying to find an answer to Antinous’s taunt. But deep down, he already knew. Antinous was speaking the truth.

No one will come and help me now.

His eyes felt like burning.

In the end, it’s just me, myself, and I.

It’s just me against the suitors, against the tides…against everything. Gods, I am so alone.

“So you see? Nobody cares if you’re alive or dead, little wolf,” Antinous sneered, driving Telemachus’s thoughts back to reality. “So when you die, no one will shed a noble tear. Only silence will lament you.”

Maybe it’s time to accept reality now, Telemachus. There is no hope. There never will be.

Antinous was turning around, gesturing the rest of the suitors to move forward. Only one sentence could Telemachus make out—yet one sentence was more than enough—

“Hold him down,” Antinous ordered.

The suitors rushed to the prince, their weapons ablaze. His hands empty, Telemachus didn’t even bother to make any move. He was only watching silently as the suitors came, grasping his arms and shoulders, kicking his knees, forcing him to yield before this towering figure of Antinous right in front. Telemachus didn’t even bother to struggle.

For he had already accepted everything—his failures, his loneliness, his life…his fate. Fate of death. It was neither rage nor sorrow that was gripping him now. For the first time in his life, Telemachus felt relieved.

Relieved of this life he was struggling to suffer.

Just let the end come, swiftly, silently.

Antinous pulled out a dagger from his girdle, playing with it fluently in his palms. “Tell me, little wolf: do you prefer a quick death,” he was flipping the dagger when asking. “Or a fulfilling one?”

“Just…do what you want of me,” Telemachus spit out blankly. “I don’t care now.”

“Very good, then,” an ominous smile slowly crawled to Antinous’s lips. “Then perhaps I can spare you your throat.”

He kept his gaze at the dagger for a while before plunging it into Telemachus’s chest. Dark blood was streaming from his torso, turning the white chiton into a blossoming crimson. Agony enshrouded him as Telemachus cried out weakly, his voice already failing him.

He didn’t hear the sound of an arrow as he crumbled.

He didn’t see how Antinous fell, his hand still holding the shaft that pierced through the chestplate and the flesh inside.

He didn’t notice the arrival of another ship, as torrents of arrows sliced through the air, finding their aim at the suitors’ body, taking them down one by one, until no one was left standing.

Someone had stepped on board, rushing at the faltering Telemachus in haste. Telemachus felt the touch of human warmth holding his body as he struggled to open his eyes, finding the familiar face of a boy he once knew. It belonged to…

“Peisis, you came to me,” Telemachus muttered weakly. “You finally…came to me.”

“Yes…” the young prince of Pylos whispered, tears already forming in his eyes. “But I took too long. It’s my fault—”

“No, Peisis,” Telemachus smiled sadly. “No…don’t blame yourself. I…it…it doesn’t matter now.”

Peisistratus forced a smile, but tears were already dropping from his eyelids. “I’m sorry I can’t get to you in time,” he replied.

“But still…” Telemachus continued. “How…why did you come? I thought…I thought I’d asked you to stay.”

“And stay I did,” Peisistratus answered. “Until a friend came to me, asking me to bring a ship here.”

“Friend?”

“Your friend,” Peisistratus continued softly. “Maybe you know her better as, well, the bright-eyed goddess.”

“Athena?” Telemachus gasped. “But…how?”

“She said she didn’t make it in time either,” Peisistratus replied. “Someone delayed her for a while, and she had only recovered from her wounds just now…”

“Wounds?”

“It’s a long story—at least that’s what she said,” Peisistratus answered quickly.

Telemachus didn’t reply. His breath was already running short. Peisistratus only took up his right hand, and handed him something.

Telemachus opened his palm to find a golden necklace sitting inside. It was a beautiful gift, a chain of gold leaves all carved with the letter Τ—all on the left side of the chain. And then Peisistratus showed him another necklace, with the letter Π carved on every gold leaf on the right side. Telemachus mustered the strength to grin.

“They’re matching ones,” Peisistratus explained. “For our friendship.”

Telemachus nodded satisfyingly. “Thank you, Peisis.”

“And…you must have many things to say to your mother…and father too, I guess,” Peisistratus continued, changing the topic. “Do you want me to…”

“Yes—it’ll be great,” Telemachus coughed. “Just tell my mother, I love her, and, I’m sorry…”

“Wait, sorry?” Peisistratus couldn’t help but ask.

“Yeah…I’m sorry. I failed her, after all…”

“But you didn’t fail anyone,” Peisistratus replied quickly. “You have fought bravely, and no one should take that honor away from you.

“You truly are the son of Odysseus,” Peisistratus gave his shoulder a squeeze. “And I’m honored to have you as my friend, even just for such a short moment in my life. I’m glad to have known you, Telemachus.”

“Thanks…” Telemachus said. His sound was softer than a whisper now. “You too, Peisis…I’m honored, to have, known…

And then Telemachus let another smile play on his face. “Time to meet you, father…”

Peisistratus never forgot that day when Ithaca lost its prince, when he lost his best friend…when a father lost his son, missing the entire life of his son, all in twenty years of wandering.

It was hard to accept, Peisistratus admitted. Not even gods could plan things this cruel, to shatter a reunion with the pain of death. Fates had done this family unfair…

But then, there were times when he would hear whispers of a certain figure that would show up when people were planning or scheming, when they were working with their mind thinking quick. These reports of a certain figure that resembled the prince of Ithaca himself intrigued Peisistratus deeply. Maybe this was why he had never got to see his friend’s body for one last time, when the entire form of Telemachus had suddenly faded in front of his eyes.

For rumors had it that the figure was always accompanying the Ithacan king Odysseus—finally returned in the twentieth year, whenever he planned for stealth or plunder. There was no way for Peisistratus to confirm it, of course—until that very day, when he came across his friend once again, in the realm of quick thought; when he spoke with him once again, learning that neither his father nor he would be alone now—for in the domain of thoughts they would forever be together, as decreed by Athena, where they would be exchanging stories, talking of their past, planning for a future that only one would witness, the other behold.

Then Peisistratus knew it all: how Telemachus was brought to the domain of Quick Thought, for he was Athena’s friend; how he in his divine essence still missed his father, and thus became the patron of the mind of resourceful Odysseus. They’re holding fast to each other’s memory now, Peisistratus thought. Maybe it’s for the better. For after all, isn’t to fall, to learn one way?

And what a great way it is to have their reunion, at last.

[waterfire1848]

For the AU-Ask: Azula joins the Gaang-AU :)

Hello, @subterraneanwatcher! Thanks for the ask!

Azula joins the Gaang during BSS when her coup fails (because it always irked me how the Dai Li just went along with Azula) and she needs a way to escape as does the Gaang. Now that the city is controlled by Long Feng, neither the Gaang, Azula's team nor Iroh and Zuko can remain there, so they're all forced to flee on the most awkward bison ride in history.

The second they hand, Azula is ready to murder Aang. Both because she knows she can't return to her father empty handed and also because she's having a mini version of her breakdown (she's never failed before so failing this great on such a large scale is a blow for her). A fight ensues until the two groups finally agree to a truce for the time being while both of them figure out what to do next.

The Gaang still have to head to the Fire Nation because of the invasion and comet which is when Azula gets an idea. She knows Aang has a good heart and, because of that, he'll take pity on a "down on her luck" princess which means he might accept her if she asks to join their group. Then, when the invasion happens, she, Mai and Ty Lee can just betray the Gaang and they're already be back in the palace. It's a perfect plan. The Gaang doesn't trust them one bit but Aang is more inclined to see the good in them so they let them tag alone until they reach Fire Nation borders.

From BSS to the Fire Nation, it's a looooooooong flight, so you know what that means. Bonding moments! Mai and Toph start talking more and more because they realize that they come from pretty similar backgrounds after Toph makes a remark about her mom (still reeling from the whole fake letter and attempted kidnapping thing) and Mai agrees with her. Ty Lee and Aang bond because both of them would be the people who constantly need to move and stretch their legs so they get to talking on their little walks or when they decide to do a little climbing (Ty Lee teaches Aang a couple moves from her time at the circus). And Azula remains with, who she considers, the three most dangerous people here, minus Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Iroh. Of course, sibling stories begin with Azula and Zuko going back and forth between embarrassing childhood stories which is both hilarious for the other three but also makes it clear that these two siblings did once have a good relationship. And, of course, Azula and Katara training together moments.

By the time they reach the Fire Nation's borders, they're not friends but they certainly are closer than they were before. Everyone is ready to go their separate ways until Ty Lee finds a poster during one of her walks that says she, Mai and Azula are all traitors to the Fire Nation and working with the Avatar. Azula, of course, has a mini panic attack but calms herself down by reminding herself of the plan. Her father will surely forgive her when she brings the Avatar, her traitor brother and uncle right to him, right?

(Just some mini headcanons) - The first member of the Gaang Azula fully trusts is Appa. The first human Azula fully trusts is Sokka because they get into such heated debates but he's also oddly the most comforting person to Azula. Recently joined the Gaang!Azula is exactly like her beach self, a bit self conscious and really awkward but trying her best. Azula does not understand the team being so powerful but hardly using their bending, it's just such a big contrast against Azula's reasoning. Katara is the one who teaches Azula how to do her hair (an old Azutara headcanon of mine but I think it works here). Azula still refuses to share her sweets with the Gaang and this had led to more than one argument between her Aang and Momo.

[starlightshadowsworld]

So I might be making another Bsd AU. I made one oneshot and it's spiraled from there soo... Here we are.

Basically Atsushi is fully aware of his ability.

The Orphanage never let him forget exactly what he is. He knows everything Shibusawa did to him, and what he did to him in return. As well as that it wasn't just Shibusawa after his ability.

Not that Atsushi knows exactly why.

When Atsushi left the Orphanage he wasn't kicked out, he ran off during one of his rampages. He has been living on the streets for quite a while at this point.

But he's not exactly sure how long.

Atsushi still meets Dazai at the river. He still ends up as bait but only because Dazai paid him too. But declines to join the Agency and leaves in the confusion.

Atsushi is still a kind and caring person but he's colder, more calculating. Because he wouldn't have survived this long if he wasn't.

He made deals with other kids at the Orphanage, taking their punishments in exchange for food.

The Headmaster, among other things has drilled into Atsushi. That the only one he can trust is himself. And to Atsushi that means himself and the tiger.

The tiger and Atsushi are quite close, given theyre the only one they've got and the only one either trust.

Atsushi doesn't trust anyone else. And believes the Agency only want him for his ability, just like so many others.

They were searching for the tiger, it's the only evidence he needs.

The Agency do try, because they recognise Atsushi's in a lot of danger. Let's just say no one realised the tiger was a teenager and everyone's suddenly very protective over him.

Especially since the Port Mafia are after him, they try and convince Atsushi to join the Agency for his own safety.

Atsushi doesn't trust anyone wants to keep him safe. Because everyone wants the tiger, not Atsushi himself. All Atsushi has ever known is pain and people using him for their own goals.

He doesn't trust the Agency.

And he's especially wary about their abilities, given he's never seen another ability before. Especially Dazai's nullification and weirdly enough also the Presidents ability.

Because it will let him control the tiger, and Atsushi refuses to let anyone control or contain him ever again.

The Agency are determined to look out for him.

They recognise that first they need to earn Atsushi's trust, and show him they see him as human and not a tool.

They've all been lost and just want to help him be safe.

And if Dazai looks at Atsushi and recognises a certain red haired teenager now years older... that's his business.

Does Dazai want to create a new Double Black with Atsushi and Akutugawa? Yes. But he realises it'll only push Atsushi away.

He wants to do right by him, not just because of Odasaku or because he might remind him of the past.

But because he's on the side that saves lives, and all Dazai sees is a kid that desperately wants to live.

So that's what he'll get.

Welcome to, The Wary Weretiger

[trekmupf]

The Court Room Drama AU ⚖️

Pro

Great episode to show important parts of Kirk's character

he really is affected by any death under his command and cares for his people deeply

he's really trying his best with Jamie and stays kind to her throughout

The way Kirk refuses to let the others in the bar be vague about what's going on and wants them to be direct and honest, just like he tends to be (unless it's for a ruse); instead of escalating the situation he leaves

he holds onto his beliefs not only ethically but in himself as well – he knows what he did and sticks to the truth instead of taking an easy way out, even though the situation seems hopeless

The first time we see how decorated Kirk is within Starfleet- really one of the fleets finest. Also the way Cogley frames Kirk's decorations is so well done.

When he takes the stand he is 100% sure of his actions and himself. We know that Kirk admits mistakes when he makes them, and this instance isn't one of them

Shaw in context of being Kirk's ex confirms again that he really likes smart and independent women and respects them, even after a relationship ended

Kirk has good knowledge of engineering as well

Shatner's acting in the episode is really great – he can do these subtle emotions and Kirk's character so well

Also the fact that his crew trusts him, each in their own way, and know that he wouldn't do this. 100% ride or die crew

McCoy making it clear that he stands behind Jim from the first scene with Shaw onwards; Also Bones' southern charm gets me every time

Shaw is a great character: she's much more than just an ex, she has her own believes and goals and is competent at her job; also the tension between her and Kirk rising because of her duty to her position as prosecutor, when their relationship itself as exes is fine

Actually this is how I imagine Kirk being with ex partners, very nice, lovely and amicable.

Cogley is a great character as well: very adhd smart guy vibes, initially strange but when the hearing starts he goes off and is so competent and passionate!

Proper intro of the dress uniforms! (honorary mention of Kirk's slutty wrap top, of course)

Spock and Bones serving during the hearing in said uniforms, absolute kings. Everyone looks so good in this episode.

Even though said before Spock's defence of Kirk deserves it's own point. His argument is so vulcan and suits him so well, and his trust in Kirk as a person doesn't waiver for a second during the entire episode

The same goes for McCoy (also DeForest's voice during the courtroom scene is VERY nice)

Finney is another one of Kirk's nemesis, I mean how many nemesis can one guy have, Kirk is literally the ultimate ex no one gets over (looking at Movie 2)

This episode shows once again that Starfleet isn't as cleancut as it seems and has problems – Stone offering Kirk a way out when fully believing that he made that mistake and killing Finney is questionable at best

Great episode for further world building: we learn more about Starfleet itself (it's actually the first time the name is dropped), we meet other crews, other ships get named and we get some backstory about Kirk

Even though we have multiple sets this was supposed to be a bottle episode and it shows. Set mostly on a starbase (unlike most episodes that are about new planets), the characters are in focus

Great commentary made from a 60s perspective but still relevant today: the “infallible” machine vs the fellable human. We have three people vouching for Kirk's character in court vs one video and one computer log. The people get immediatly questioned whereas the computer is factual until Spock's proves it's wrong. The idea that mashines and computers make less or no mistakes compared to people is still relevant, see the whole debate about self driving cars.

Also Cogley's speech about human rights and machines not having those rights works really well in the context (will get interesting in TNG)

Generally the acting and interaction of all characters really hold the narrative until the twist in the end

Despite the serious subject the interpersonal moments and the way Cogley works provide some tension relief

I just love the way Spock sits in the captains chair here. No notes.

Con

Jamie can be exhausting

Shaw as an ex shouldn't work this case (even though she's shown as 100% professional and capable)

I know why it's done for the narrative but resolving this serious situation with a fistfight is wild

Counter

Kirk shirt rip (I mean this is the rippiest shirt so far)

Technically Evil AI (as the concept of computers gets explored)

Quote

If I let go of a hammer on a planet that has a positive gravity, I need not see it fall to know that it has in fact fallen. - Spock, believing in Kirk

"Mr Spock, you're the most cold-blooded man I've ever known" "Why, thank you, doctor" -Bones & Spock

Moment

Spock's, McCoy's and Kirk's testimonies

Summary

A great character driven episode that focusses on Kirk as both a person and a captain as well as his relationships with the other characters. The interesting question of computers being fallible as well as a personal betrayal while Kirk's future is on the line make for a good and gripping narrative.

Previous Episode - Next Episode - All TOS Reviews

[luminousjellyfishy]

Hey look I'm capable of writing?? Woah???

It's a oneshot, so it's not too much, but I'm still proud that I wrote something.

~

Haunting Lullabies

Characters (all Sanses from UTAU/MV): Nightmare, Killer, Dust, Horror, Cross

Word count: 3609

Trigger warnings: Swearing and harsh teasing (it's pretty much bullying)

Summary: Nightmare tasks the gang with watching a child for a day while he's out, thinking things will go smoothly. To his dismay, they don't.

~

The Bad Sanses were sitting in the living room, Nightmare on his chair, Killer and Dust sharing the larger couch, and Horror and Cross sharing the loveseat. Error had been absent for the majority of the day, either off destroying or hiding away in the Anti-Void. The five present members were each doing their respective hobbies in relative silence, enjoying the calm evening after a long, tiresome day of causing havoc throughout the AUs.

Nightmare took a rather large sip of his coffee, then said abruptly, “I feel that I should let you know ahead of time that Error and I will be gone all day tomorrow, and in our absence the four of you will be looking after a child. I owe a friend of mine a favour and it seems that… babysitting, is the task they’ve chosen.”

This sudden comment drew the attention of everyone in the room, actually resulting in a true, pure silence. Panicked eyelights were darting around the room between one another and Nightmare, desperately hoping that they had misheard.

“What…? Boss, what do you even mean? A kid?” Killer started suddenly, confusion all over his features.

“Please tell me it’s not a human.” Dust added, his eyesockets wider than his usual apathetic appearance allowed.

A small chuckle from Nightmare, “No, he isn’t a human. He’s a skeleton monster like yourselves. However, he is quite fragile, so please do be careful with him. I can imagine that you’re all wondering why I don’t watch him, as I’m the one who owes the favour, and the answer is quite simple: I don’t want to.”

Cross stared agape at the smirk on Nightmare’s face, apparently not understanding how one could just not follow through on a debt just because they “didn’t want to”.

“Is something the matter, you two? You seem awfully quiet and I thought you’d have more to say on the matter.” Nightmare asked Cross and Horror in a low voice, however completely unthreatening.

“Well, I don’t really know much about takin’ care of a kid… the best I got is Aliza.” Horror said slowly, evidently still processing the situation. Cross quickly nodded in agreement, still silent.

“I mean, you’ve had Chara living in your skull for a while now, so you’ve still got a step up above the rest of us. I mean, I guess that I worked with Chara for a while, but they were a maniac, so I don’t think they really count…” Killer said to Cross; however, quickly trailing off in uncertainty.

“I killed my human.” Dust added softly.

“What’s that gotta do with it?” Horror asked, now looking at Dust.

“I don’t wanna accidentally kill the kid we’re supposed to watch.” He answered.

“Trust me, that won’t happen.” Nightmare replied, doing little to alleviate his concerns.

Silence followed briefly before Cross said, “So how old is he? Is there anything specific we should know? Is his magic stable? You said that he’s fragile, so will we need to dedicate certain times to healing? We need so much information to make sure we don’t kill him!”

Nightmare seemed to ponder the questions for a small moment before replying with a smile, “He’s a few months past 6 years old, however he looks, acts, and thinks much older. He doesn’t have much usable magic, so you won’t have to worry about that. While he is fragile, there is nothing you can do to help, so no amount of healing will do anything. Just keep him comfortable and entertained and you’ll all be fine.”

“You really seem like you’re purposefully not telling us shit about him.” Killer commented, shaking his head in disbelief.

“That’s fully intentional, but please, do not worry too much. You’ll be fine. When you all wake tomorrow, I’ll be gone and won’t be back until late at night. He will most likely be here before you wake, so please try not to sleep in too much.” Nightmare replied with a soft smile and laugh at the end.

A pained groan quickly erupted from both Killer and Dust at the knowledge that they won’t be able to sleep in.

Nightmare laughed again, shook his head, and refocused his attention back onto his book.

~~~~

The child had been roaming the halls of the mansion for quite some time now, admittedly getting rather bored. He had pondered causing chaos multiple times since Nightmare left, but has decided against it every time… well. Every time but this one it seems.

He ran to the laundry area, in the hopes to find some buckets. After a short amount of time spent rummaging around, he finally found a few beside a washing machine. A silly, evil giggle erupted before quickly being silenced, even though he was two floors beneath anyone and he knew that no one had woken up yet.

He ran as fast as he could to the bedroom wing on the second floor, holding several buckets. After reaching the wing, he quickly made his way to Error’s room, hoping desperately that there was leftover string or yarn from the many dolls and scarfs that were so often being made. To his excitement, he found a rather large amount of lime green yarn that would work perfectly.

He set to work, filling four buckets with water and attaching fairly intricate pulley systems to each, rigging them all to dump at their perfect moments.

Now to wait…

He sat down quietly against a wall across from the bedroom doors and began to sleep. Or at least what appeared to be sleeping from an outside perspective. He had actually just entered a semi-unconscious daydreaming state that could easily be disrupted.

Time quickly passed with the child sitting on the floor.

Suddenly, a tired groan from one of the rooms awoke the child from his trance. He quickly stood up, waiting for whoever it was to leave their room. Some shuffling could be heard from what the child knew to be Killer’s room and they could barely contain their giggle when they heard him approach the door to come into the hallway.

The doorknob turned and the system was set into motion.

Killer opened the door and walked out, surprised to see the child waiting there, but raised his hand to say hi.

Out of nowhere, a bucket of water dumped onto his head, drenching him completely and resulting in a loud, startled yell of utter confusion.

The child burst into fits of laughter, unable to contain it any longer.

All the sudden commotion woke the other sleeping skeletons and forced them out of their rooms to see what the problem was. As soon as their doors opened and they walked out, buckets dumped cold water onto their heads.

Everyone was completely confused and staring at the child with reactions that varied from amusement to pissed off. The child in question was currently on the floor dying of laughter because apparently he found their suffering and misery to be hilarious.

“Ok… what the fuck? Huh??” Was all that could be said from Killer, still staring at the skeleton child on the floor.

Dust didn’t even bother saying anything about the situation, he just shook his head and turned back into his room to change.

There was a moment of stunned silence before Horror slowly approached the child, asking quietly, “I take it you’re the kid Nightmare wants us to watch?”

The child took a second to calm down, but then looked up at the large skeleton ahead of him and quieted down slightly, however still letting out copious amounts of giggles.

“Yeah, that’s me. My name’s Lullaby. You’re Horror right?” another burst of giggles, “Sorry about the water, I just got super bored because you were all sleeping and I didn’t know what to do.” The child, now Lullaby, answered through more laughter and wide smiles.

Cross looked around the hallway, noticing the very complicated design of the yarn attached to all four of their rooms, then back to Lullaby, very confused as to how a 6 year old managed to accomplish this, and wondering how long they had been here.

“You set all of this up?? How long have you been here?” Cross asked incredulously before Horror could think of a response.

Lullaby smiled innocently before saying, “I’ve been here for about 2 or 3 hours? Setting this up only took about 15 minutes, though.”

“Ok hold up, I need to wrap my head around. You’re telling me, this 6 year old brat that Boss is forcing us to watch set this all up in 15 minutes? I don’t buy it.” Killer said in a dark tone of voice, very tempted to summon some of his knives and get rid of this nuisance.

“Killer, calm down. It’s just water and not that big of a deal.” Horror grumbled in his raspy voice, watching carefully to make sure he didn’t try anything.

Killer just scoffed and turned back into his room, clearly annoyed.

“Don’t worry too much about him, he just gets… grumpy. Especially this early in the morning. Well, it’s early for him anyways.” Cross chimed in. He was still soaked in water, but was very clearly amused.

Dust finally came back out of his room, dressed in clothes perfect for lounging around the house all day. He approached Lullaby and kneeled down so they were on the same level.

“Good job, kid, I’m impressed. Not just anyone can piss off Killer so fast.” He said with a wide smirk on his face and held his hand up for a high five. Lullaby gave him one with a smile stretched wide.

“I know, I know. I should be a professional shit disturber, right?” Lullaby asked, his smile still going strong.

Cross and Horror broke out into small fits of laughter, clearly not having expected that, whereas Dust just raised his ‘eyebrows’ in surprise.

“You totally should, that sounds like a great occupation.” Cross replied, trying to steady himself. 

Horror nodded in agreement, then said, “I say we reward the newfound shit disturber with some nice cream.”

“Can I have some?” Killer called out from his room, still not opening the door.

Dust scoffed, “If you agree to play nice and not kill the kid then maybe we’ll consider giving you some.”

Silence followed for a few long seconds, when finally the door creaked open and out came Killer.

“Fine. I won’t kill him, BUT I will get my revenge.” He said maliciously, eyesockets narrowed at Lullaby.

“Oh noooooo, I’m so scared.” He muttered to himself; however, Killer unfortunately heard.

“I’m trying to be nice, and this is the reaction I get? Nah, I’m going all out. You’re going to regret coming here, kid.”

“We’ll see.”

~~~~

As the day passed by ever so slowly, Killer stayed true to his word. He had his fun torturing Lullaby, by first stealing his nice cream, then scaring him multiple times throughout the day, then taking away anything that he had been enjoying, and many more things that progressively got worse. He would taunt him and insult him, commenting on his broken and damaged bones, calling him names, teleporting him to parts of the mansion furthest away from anyone else, making fun of his purple clothing, and just overall making this day very unpleasant for him. The others tried intervening when they could, but there was only so much that they could do.

At one point, Lullaby seemed to have a mini panic attack that caused Killer to slightly falter, but not stop.

Cross, Dust, and Horror all talked to Killer, trying to get him to stop, but they were all met with a shrug and a comment similar to, “He knew what he was getting into. Besides, it's not even that bad, I’m just teasing him. It’ll help toughen the kid up!”

Eventually, Lullaby started avoiding him, if he saw Killer come near, he’d leave immediately.

Around 8pm, Dust caught Lullaby hiding in a broom closet with his eyes shut tight and muttering something, seemingly talking to someone. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him, making enough noise so his presence was obvious. Lullaby looked up at him, startled as he sat down.

“Are you alright, kid? … No, that’s a stupid question. Killer’s been a complete jerk to you and it’s not fair or right. He’s not used to talking to people outside of our group unless he’s killing ‘em, so he might think that this is ok behaviour. I mean, fuck he’s always doing it to me. Well, not to this extent, but still…” Dust whispered to him, not wanting to draw outside attention. Lullaby’s shoulders sank and he hugged his knees tightly.

“I just thought it would be funny… I figured he of all people would agree. Do you think he hates me…?” He asked reluctantly. Dust’s head snapped towards him, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape.

“No, kid. Not at all. He’s just a massive hypocrite who can dish it out but can’t take it. Stars, it’s nothing against you.” He shook his head and pulled Lullaby closer to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. He felt him tense up at the contact and quickly let go.

Lullaby looked away with a sad expression on his face and nodded, standing up to leave. Dust followed suit, opening the door and walking out.

The two walked the halls towards the kitchen, hoping to meet Horror there, but being intercepted by Killer. Lullaby hid behind Dust, grabbing onto his sweatshirt and careful not to touch his scarf.

“Awww, is the little baby hiding behind Dusty? C’mon kid, I thought you were better than that. Aren’t you the one who said ‘we’ll see’ when I told you that you were gonna regret coming? You think that was a little cocky of you? Maybe you regret your stupid your stupid water prank?” Killer taunted, his voice chock-full of spite.

Dust glared at him, “Seriously? He’s 6, Killer. He dunked you with water, because it’s funny. I thought you of all people could take a joke. You’re way out of line. How the hell do you think Boss is gonna react when he finds out how you’ve been acting? We were charged with watching the kid and making sure that he’s ‘comfortable and entertained’, neither of which you’ve been doin-”

“Aw come on! I’ve totally been entertaining!”

“Leave him alone. If I find out that you’ve continued antagonizing him, there’ll be hell to pay.”

A quick, unreadable look from Killer, and he was gone.

Dust turned to take Lullaby’s hand so they could keep walking, but quickly saw that he was crying. He kneeled down and used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe away the violet tears that looked much more oily than a regular skeleton’s tears would. After wiping them away, they seemed to stain his bones a much darker colour than the tears were. It was almost black and caused Dust to do a double take.

“Kid? Why a-”

“He’s just like them.”

Dust sat in silence, his ‘eyebrows’ scrunched in confusion.

“Whatever, it doesn’t matter. I don’t care. I’m staying.” He muttered to himself, but Dust could tell that he seemed to be telling someone else that he was staying. Someone that wasn’t himself or Dust.

The two of them stood up, and resumed their walk to the kitchen.

They walked in silence, eventually getting back to a sight that they didn’t expect.

Killer was sitting at the dinner table, his head in his arms and Cross beside him with a resigned look on his face.

Dust could feel Lullaby tense up, but neither said anything.

Killer looked up and his teasing stature seemed to crumble.

There was silence for a moment before he began, “Listen, kid. I’m sorry. I’m sure they’ve told you that I ‘struggle with emotions’ or whatever crap excuses they tried to give you to cover up for me. I dish out my pranks and comments to everyone, but I don’t know why I’ve been especially mean- no, cruel. To you. I guess I was taken aback that you got me first, so I tried making up for it like this. So I’m sorry.”

Lullaby said nothing, but Dust felt his grip loosen.

“I get if you don’t wanna talk to me or anything, but I just wanted to tell you that I really am sorry.” Killer muttered resignedly as he got up from the table and began to walk towards the door.

When Killer passed by Lullaby and Dust, Lullaby quickly grabbed onto him, pulling him tightly into a hug.

Killer stared down at him in shock, then slowly hugged him back.

“It was nice to hear you say that, but I can’t make myself believe it.” Lullaby said, dropping his arms and pulling back so tears could be seen to form in his broken eye sockets, “I don’t want to do this anymore. It’s too cruel. You’re great people and it was nice to meet you, but I really wish we could have started off better. Maybe I’ll bring myself to speak to you again later.”

Everyone’s faces shifted from confusion to shock when Lullaby’s body began leaking a dark substance from its crevices and orifices, especially his right eyesocket.

Slowly, Lullaby was completely engulfed in the goo, all of his injuries hidden and the hole where his right eye should have been was covered. Finally, his eyelight changed to a cyan slit and his demeanour changed from being a scared child, to that of a very pissed off King.

Nightmare glared at Killer, his tentacles lashing around violently, displaying his anger.

“You have no idea how much shit you’re in, Killer. It never occurred to you that maybe you should stop when you triggered him into having a panic attack? You never stopped to wonder why he did so? Why he hid?” He hissed, his tentacles sharp and pointed at Killer.

“I didn’t stop to think. I was upset that he got me fir-”

“I heard your whole speech earlier, don’t waste my time by repeating yourself.”

There was silence as Killer looked to his feet.

“Can’t explain yourself? Fine, then don’t. I don’t care to hear it anyways. As for my explanation, Lullaby is the name my past self goes by, as the name ‘Nightmare’ contains far too many negative connotations and memories. He follows me as a ghost that I can see and communicate with. I’ve been watching you all day, and honestly Killer, I’m very disappointed. You practically reenacted the worst years of his life. Of course, your ‘apology’ helps your case; however, I’m still quite upset.” Nightmare scolded, still glaring at Killer.

“He wanted to meet all of you, so we agreed that today would be a good day to do so, as Error would be out and we had no plans. I want to thank the three of you,” he looked to Dust, Horror, and Cross, “for assisting and comforting him. I appreci-”

“I’m so sorry.”

Nightmare looked back to Killer, only to see far less Hate leaking from his eyes, however being replaced by his red tears.

“I didn’t know. I thought that we were just having some fun, but I guess towards the end, I was just being mean on purpose because I wanted to feel powerful. Ha… feel powerful over a fucking 6 year old. Man, I really am the worst…” Killer sobbed, trailing off at the end.

Nightmare’s tentacles calmed and rounded slightly at the tips. He was at a loss for words. It was a very rare occurrence to see Killer cry, but when he did, it was genuine.

Everyone was quiet, broken only by Killer’s weeping.

Nightmare sighed, then pulled Killer towards him with his tentacles, gently embracing him. The other three respectfully kept their distance.

“Lullaby said it’s ok. He doesn’t blame you and you shouldn’t blame yourself. We both knew what he was getting into by taking control; however, I cannot let this go unpunished.” Nightmare murmured, gently rubbing his back with a tentacle. He felt Killer tense up slightly and he could feel his dread radiating. 

“It’s nothing cruel or torturous, I assure you. However, you won’t like it.”

He could feel the others’ apprehension as he continued to console Killer.

“You’ll be taking care of everyone’s chores, you’ll be assisting Horror with dinners, and you’ll be going to bed at 9pm, all for a month from today.” He asserted, instantly feeling his disappointment, but also understanding. Dust cheered when Nightmare said Killer will be doing their chores, Horror groaned when he said that he’ll be helping in the kitchen, and Cross laughed at the fact that he’ll have a bedtime.

Killer pulled away, wiped his face with his sleeve, and nodded.

“You said, Lullaby followed you as a ghost, and that you heard me talking earlier, so does that mean he can hear me now?” Killer asked slowly. To this, Nightmare with a quiet sound of confirmation. “In that case, I’m sorry, kid. I really am.”

Nightmare’s eyelight flickered into Lullaby’s purple one, but he didn’t uncorrupt, instead he said in his lighter voice and with a smile, “It’s ok. I really don’t blame you. Personally, I would have revoked your nice cream privileges, but this will do.”

His eyelight flickered back to cyan and his smile changed to a smirk, “I actually think that’s a great idea. Fuck you, no nice cream for a week.”

Killer fell to his knees dramatically, seemingly mostly back to his old self, and yelled out numerous profanities.

Everyone laughed at the sight, Lullaby included.

~

So, this follows my headcanon that Nightmare is made up of three consciousnesses: the original passive Nightmare (he goes by Lullaby now), the Corruption (literal negativity - goes by C), and Nightmare (he's a combination of the other 2 - primarily has control of their body). Lullaby can take control whenever he wants since he's the original (the other 2 can't take it from him), and C can take from Nightmare, but Nightmare can't take from C. For about 2 centuries after the Apple Incident, C (he went by Nightmare to keep up appearances) had complete control over their body because Lullaby didn't want to interact with reality at all (at this point, he wasn't even following as a ghost, he was just gone). After those ~2 centuries, the combination between them formed and others would notice that Nightmare had significantly calmed down, signifying the formation of the current and most well-known Nightmare.

This is inspired by a YouTube video by AButterfly (www.youtube.com/watch?v=10iGbkHDafA) and I seriously suggest you watch it! Not even just for context, but because it's cool.

Thanks for reading! :D