#I have a habit of drawing him as a cat

[jotakak-addict]

Figured I'd post this here too.

[crabsnpersimmons]

CRAB IS YOUR MOON OKAY WITH HUGS?

PLEASE THIS GUYS NEED SOME AFFECTION

LET ME JUST-

GHHHHHH-/pos

[puppyeared]

i like him

[spotaus]

Hi guys, this is usually what a doodle page ends up looking like <3 (oh, and @ancha-aus thought you might like this! Not writing but certainly fuel to my fire lol-)

This one is New Age filled!!! (Close-ups abd Lore beneath the cut!)

1) Night and Cross!

Night is actually very clingy once he's a teen. He doesn't usually realize it, but around the castle he'll snake to be closer to his Knights so long as there's no one he needs to keep his composure infront of is nearby. Cross is the one who's not used to physical touch (when it's not Ink ofc) so Night in his personal bubble makes his heart melt but also scares tf out of him <3

2) Error and Night's Meeting!

Error was carrying his whole life on his back and trying not to get arrested for unintentional property damage at this point, so when he saw the chance to get back at his brother and prove he was strong enough? Yeah, he got that on chance instantly. And was VERY smug when Nightmare chose him. (Also, Error is wearing gloves, so less Haphephobia)

3) Dream and Blue designs!

I think these are good tentative designs! Dream probably has a more regal fit, but he likes to play up that rugged exile look- He's inspired by Archers, while Blue takes on that classic Knightly-vibe. Their equipment is mostly stolen from Night's troops or brought with them from Blue's home kingdom.

Also, Dream is approx Killer's height at this point, shorter than Cross and *much* shorter than Apple!Nightmare. (Hc that Skeletons tend to be tinier in stature thanks to weird monster beauty standards. Horror and Geno's fam are outliers.)

4) Horror and Dust designs!

Horror is naturally a very *large* monster. He's very malnourished when Nightmare meets him, but by the time he's a Knight Nightmare has made sure that's no longer the case. He actually loves comfy, simple clothes, but to play up the whole 'strong mysterious' bit he wears a more barbaric Knight's garb. He doesn't mind acting scary, it's more fun that way :]. Dust is very very small, and envies horror sometimes for his size, but his tiny stature let's him control his body and move a lot quicker. He's very much based on a rogue, and usually covers the lower part of his face w/ a black cloth, and the upper part w/ his hood or mask. Dust only removes both to bathe, eat, or relax in a safe location. (Ignore that I can't draw the stupid gaster blaster lmao-)

These last two were space-fillers, but Cross and his Borzoi (Windmill, otherwise known as Milly (Killer named her-)) and really bad first wips of Ccino! I think Ccino was a chubby, happy toddler, but lost a lot of 'weight' (bone mass? Magic?) due to stress and pressure and bad eating habits. So it isn't until a while after the Coronation that he starts to relax abd feel safe enough to eat normal meals (Nightmare used to guilt him into eating snacks together, but as his boss (and younger brother) he can encourage it more often). By the time Killer shows he's still not quite healthy, but he's better. As more weight is lifted off his shoulders, the better he is. (That 'beauty' most people saw was a more stereotypical slimness, but Killer never stopped seeing Ccino as beautiful-) I think he never looked traditionally underweight, so no one noticed, and it was only much later that Night processed it. (And maybe it's why Dream hardly recognized him later on-)

[grimtaleslb]

IM LOSING MY MIND ITS TO LATE AT NIGHT TFOR THIS

[jotaroslooseeyebrowhair]

He has an insanely large cat tower in the batcave, your honor

More shifter au ft. Tim shenanigans, cat jokes, and baby Jason

[death---dealer]

Bitter Sweet. ( Five x Reader Oneshot. )

i have no explanation other than my babies are still alive and that season 4 never happened SEASON 4 NEVER HAPPENED---- Give me snarky, asshole, pragmatic five back before i die. Reblogs/likes/comments all appreciated, thank u.

Title: Bitter Sweet. Fandom: The Umbrella Academy. Pairing: Heavily Implied ! Five x Reader. Rating: T. ( Language, lol. ) Words: 1.2K+ Summary: ( Taking place in an AU after season 4, let me live in my fantasy that's what fanfics are FOR ). You knew how specific Five was about his coffee. You knew he would speak his mind regarding and it was too much fun to let go of.

════ ════ ════ ════ ════ ════ ════ ════ ════ ════ 

Four cubes. 

No, no… Five felt his mouth part in astonishment, crystal clear green eyes peering in languid judgment as your plucked another sugar cube from a pristine porcelain bowl and plopped it right into the white coffee cup that was placed in front of you. It sploshed happily, absorbing the coffee and sweetening the deal for you to enjoy, but that was never the point in the grand scheme. You were ardently aware of how irritating it was, one cube after another. The quantity itself was deliberate and you knew… How you were able to feel his stare hell-bending holes into your face. He was unable to see the liquid despite trying with a narrow gaze but he was willing to bargain much of what he owned that it was pale in color, not even teetering towards tan but more towards plain white.

 A grimace was noticed by Klaus who bargained a chuckle as he looked towards you, seated beside him with raised eyebrows of acute amusement, “You’re desecrating whatever coffee you had, I think Five is going to lunge across the table and take you by the neck---” “Five can shove it.” The innocence that rode against your face was evident as the Hargreeves man  across from you scoffed under his breath at the juxtaposed expression coupled with the aggressive nature of your words. “It’s my cup, not his. We can’t all drink it b---”

“Black like my soul, right?” Five rolled his eyes, shoulders drawing themselves in some minor defense and you were able to see the tightness of which he held himself from the tailored nature of his suit. Five was lanky and skinny, but that didn't seek to say that he was without defined muscles against his sweeping collarbones and it was evident in certain motions that left you reeling back from the hardened words that he responded with.

“Get some original insults, (Name). You’re becoming way too predictable. Boring even---” His voice was incredulous, sticking towards monotonous but still held irate interest in speaking to you, only detectable around the edges and it sang against your ears. 

Flirtatious only to you, aggressive and leaned with hatred to others. A game of cat and mouse, though at times, you were unsure of which one you were playing. “I was going to say bitter just like your personality, but you know me. Predictable.” Klaus held a defensive hand up, grasping at his own cup and pretending he was beckoned elsewhere to avoid the confrontation that was inevitable coming in the way that Five cleared his throat, a hand raising and tightening the bundle of fabric where his tie rested against his throat. 

He straightened it, you noticed with acute mirth, but there was no need to. It was already perfectly placed, part of the morning ritual you imagined he held close to his chest after spending so long cultivating it. Five was… A creature of habit, to many extents. Needless to say, it was one of those simple actions that you enjoyed seeing none-the-less, fingers twitching in a finite need to deshevel the pin-black tie to further push the boundary of where you and Five so often tightroped. No solace was given to either party as his knuckles rubbed against the underside of his sharpened jaw. There was hostility tangling in with notes of attractive coyness as he snapped at you, “You’re a goddamn monster, you know that? Fuck---” “I’m not the one getting angry over how someone else makes their coffee.” You bit back without reserve and another sickly smile placed towards the brunette as you finally picked up your spoon and allowed it to sink into the cup. It scraped -- Horrid, Five felt a shiver run down his spine at the vibrations he could feel against the oak table from your simple movement. Like nails against a chalkboard. 

“Can you even call that coffee?” Five spliced and looked down at his own mug, half-emptied and his saliva still coating and drying where he had last taken a drink against the curve. “Did ya even put any in there? Any beans? Any espresso?” “There’s some in here.” There was a justification with a faux pout which Five remarked as being feverishly unfair. You were good at playing expressions, he was good at playing words. “I think….” You mused and lifted your cup up to your mouth and kissed the rim. Five swallowed hard, his Adam’s Apple bobbing which was feasted upon by your eyes before you took a long sip. Control rested in your hands as you refused to let him look away from you. 

Five sneered, your eyes taking in the delectations of seeing his sharpened canines. “You’re going to lose all your teeth from all the shit you put in that. Creamer and then what? Five sugar cubes? Are you a horse? Want me to feed you them straight from my hand?” There was a rustling sound as Five leaned inwards, his suit jacket pulling up with the motion that was placed as he so graciously plucked a sugar cube from the bowl that had been nearly emptied by you and offered it in the palm of his hand. “C’mon, take it. Be a good little horse.” “”Ha-ha,” You laughed sarcastically, smacking his gesture away which sent the cube flying off to be cleaned up later. “I’ll bite your fingers clean off.” “Not if you don’t have any fucking teeth! I kind of hope you do lose them. Hell, take me to the dentist when you get them pulled, I’ll bring them home and make a necklace for you.”

“You DIY things, Five?” There was another laugh from you as you took a sip of your drink, “Never pegged you to be that crafty.” There was emphasis on the word ‘pegged’, Five catching hold of the implication which garnered you that shit-eating grin that was more than infamous at this point. “Just this once.” He smirked, giving you a dimpled smile of feigned innocence to rival the one you splayed for him earlier. Sitting up in his seat, it scooted against the floor below with a loud bellow and you watched with bated astonishment as he leaned against the table to bring his upper half closer to you. Face only inches apart now, you refused to relent eye contact with him and tried to desperately shove down the connotation that you were able to clearly smell the after-shave that he favored. Pinely in scent, you wanted to grasp at his chin and feel the stubble against your fingers but that wasn’t the point here. The point was to be the cat while Five was forced to be the mouse.

“Just for you, a nice necklace and some earrings. Bracelet, maybe? A matching set. You'd look like such a doll."

“I’ll wear the set to your funeral. Clutch them instead of my pearls as I sob, telling everyone what a wonderful ray of sunshine you were to be around before you so tragically died.”

“Is that a date?” 

Five huffed at you as you stood from your seat, his gawk watching the movement with hostility as you craned your body towards him and grasped the base of his tie. Enlightened with curiosity, the disgusting smile of attraction rose along his cheeks, quickly torn to shreds as you pulled the tie downwards, the knot coming undone without reserve. 

“With you six feet under? You bet your damn ass it is.”

[heartfullofleeches]

Yan arena beasts/fighters + handler reader. Reader is an average human working at a zoo/shelters abducted and thrown into a life of caring for a galactic tyrant's playthings due to their experience with animals. Not an idea choice for the job, but with everyone who's had the job before being maimed, killed, or worse they were running out of options. Reader does the best with what they're given. They find solitude with the other captives to an extent and some of the more feral creatures remind them of stray cats and dogs they knew back home. They treat those who allow as those same poor creatures out of habit and to cope with their new life. Others are so aggressive they have to be blindfold and sedated to even get close. Reader still tries to comfort them despite the many scratches and bites they receive

A little mix up happens where a warrior meant to fight the big bad of the area had already been slain by the beast. With no alternative, reader gets sent out instead as sacrifice to appease the blood hungry masses. They cower in the corner as the beast's mask is removed, praying their battered body at least gets shipped home so they have a proper burial and their family has some clue to what happened to them. They cast their small dagger away still unable to defend themselves against what they only see as a frightened animal protecting its own skin. The beast lifts them off the ground like a ragdoll holding them high for the crowd to see as its fangs draw from its scarred lips - breaking the band around its wrist that would seal reader's victory.

The beast ties the rope around reader's neck as the announcer declares them victor by default. The crowd boos, but as the beast snaps the neck of one of the guards and throws the limb body into the arena their demands are met. Reader quakes from the sheer disbelief of the whole ordeal, and still being trapped in the beast's arms as it coos. It takes over a dozen guards to get them to separate the two. They try again with another beast reader has care for and the same thing happens. Watching the live footage closely it's clear to experts the skilled fighters allow themselves to get injured to be coddled and tended to by reader. When rations are given they try to feed reader a share of their meals. The number of casualties skyrocket when reader's taken away or new caretakers are introduced. The beasts demand their head pats and ear scratches for their winnings and they want it from one source alone.

-

The emperor is quite amused by this revelation. It perfectly masks his paranoia in the case of his pets rising against him for whatever reason and choosing the earthling as their new overlord which few have spoken of in whispers. He's torn between killing them to null his fears and befriending them to puppeteer his pets craftfully from the shadows. He decides on the latter since getting rid of them would only anger his pets. That and it would be so easy to trick the human with his charms. Few can resist the words and body of a king, after all.

"Y/n, darling, it's so good to see you! So glad you could make it. How have things been, hm?"

"I'd like to go home, please."

"Hahaha! Oh, you're so cute with your little jokes! You may enjoy your meal in due time, but I have a favor to ask of you from a friend to a king. In the case of I don't know - my pets slaughtering my entire legion and storming my castle walls to behead me and crown you ruler - would you pretty please ask them to - not do that?"

"That....sounds like it would be out of my hands."

"Right. Changing subject, you are aware I have been topless this whole conversation and my bed is right behind me. Why haven't you attempted to have your way with me by now? Not saying you could - but you can always try."

The emperor upgrades their room to one right next to his, but they hardly sleep there favoring their time caring for the others and because they'd rather stay there than see him in a state of undress on their mattress. The emperor mimics the cooing that gets wounded beasts extra smothering from their handler, but reader mostly ignores him. He grows jealous seeing them fast asleep in a cell kept warm by the body heat of the battle scarred creatures around them. He's been scarred by attempted assassinations in the past - why doesn't he get cuddles too? Combats this jealously by making a royal decree that reader has to sit with him during every battle and on his lap if they wish to stay out of his sight afterwards. Requests for reader's fredom and hand in marriage and when a champion is chosen are banned almost immediately.

[frost-queen]

Good luck, babe (Fem!Reader x Eloise Bridgerton)

For @chxrrybomb22, Forever tag:@missmelodramatic, @merlin-dahlia, @alex--awesome--22 , @elllie-does-the-posts, @floatlosers   , @merlieve   , @queen-of-books  , @glimmering-darling-dolly   ,@denkisclown  , @wildieflower   ,@meyocoko    , @justanothercoco, @subjecta13-thefangirl  , @m-rae23 , @harleyquinnswifeyfrfr , @swampthing07   , @melsunshine   @panhoeofmanyfandoms  , @venomsvl , @the-uncoordinated-house-cat ,@rosecentury ,@imagines-by-her ,@evilcr0ne , @vviolynn , @niktwazny303   ,@avada-kedavra-bitch-187 , @markive-m

Summary: Forbidden love story based on the song Good luck, babe by Chappell Roan.

“Where are you going?” – Colin asked his sister, seeing Eloise pull her higher up. – “To see my friend.” – she replied with a witty glance. – “It is calling hour, dear sister.” – Colin reminded her. – “Yes and I can guarantee you no man shall call upon me today.” – Eloise answered grabbing for her reticule that laid on the sofa. – “Eloise.” – Violet spoke putting her cup of tea down.

It made her groan softly with a roll of her eyes. – “You know it is true mama.” – she said to make it clear no one would call upon her today. – “You may never know.” – Violet let out in persuasion of her daughter to stay. – “Then tell him I shall be available tomorrow.” – Eloise stated with a most entertaining curtsy.

It made Hyacinth snort loud. Even Francesca giggled quietly, moving her hand in front of her mouth. – “Eloise!” – Violet got up, having set her tea aside. Eloise left the drawing room. Violet stared speechless at her son, hoping he could make sense of this. Colin simply tried to supress a smile. – “It is true mama.” – Hyacinth spoke slapping Gregory’s hand as he reached for the last chocolate biscuit. – “No man has ever called upon Eloise.” – Hyacinth finished grabbing the biscuit. Gregory stuck his tongue out to her. Violet rubbed her forehead thoughtfully, keeping one hand on her stomach. 

“Very well.” – she spoke defeated, turning to dear Francesca. Francesca gave her a soft smile back. The door opened as one of the staff entered. – “A caller for miss Bridgerton.” – he said with a bow. Violet stroke her skirt out of habit. Gesturing to the man to let him enter afterwards. A dashing gentleman entered calling for Miss Francesca Bridgerton.

Violet turned her attention to Francesca. Eloise’s carriage was riding towards an estate a few blocks away. Once the carriage turned into a street, she recognized it. Having seen it multiple times from the outside, but never been inside. The carriage came to a stop. Eloise sticking her head out of the little window.

The orange roses were in bloom. The footman let Eloise out. Adjusting the shawl over he arms, she prepared herself to go in. The doorman opened as Eloise announced herself. She followed the doorman inside. Eloise waited a bit outside of the drawing room till she was announced. – “A caller for miss Y/n Y/l/n.” – he spoke with a bow.

Your parents shared a glorious gleam as it made you smile unsettling. Eloise entered with the grandest smile. – “Eloise!” – you called out surprised. – “Y/n.” – she replied with a curtsy. Your mother stepped forwards, blocking you a bit from Eloise. – “It is calling hours Miss Bridgerton.” – she made clear with a forced smile.

“Yes, and I would like to call upon Y/n.” – Eloise responded, having no trouble going against your mother. – “It will be quick.” – you reassured her. Your mother flashed her fan open, waving herself some cool. Eloise gestured for you to lead the way as you tried to supress your smile. Taking Eloise by the elbow, you led her out of the drawing room. – “You are terrifying Eloise!” – you shout-whispered to her in disbelieve that she was here. – “What can I say, I missed you.” – Eloise responded with a bit of flair. It made you laugh, drawing her more away from where your parents were waiting.

“Are you staying long?” – you asked her. – “No.” – she replied lowly. – “I wouldn’t wish to keep your admirers away from you.” – she continued giving you a little nudge. – “What admirers.” – you teased bursting out in laughter. – “Oh come on Y/n, you are beautiful. What man doesn’t feel compelled by you.” – Eloise spoke touching your forearm. You briefly glanced down at her touch, before flashing your gaze up to her eyes. – “What man indeed…” – your voice softened to almost a whisper.

Eloise gaze was caught in yours. Staring at each other in a moment of silence. Your parents interrupting, made you take a step back from her. – “I believe it is time for you to head home Miss Bridgerton. So we could receive more callers.” – your father announced. Eloise formed a smile, you knew was politely forced. – “Of course.” – Eloise replied with a curtsy. Your body moved instinctively a bit forwards when Eloise turned around to leave. You withheld yourself, keeping your head low. Your parents called you back in the drawing room, where you sat back down. Waiting for calling hours to be over.

You found yourself at the next gathering. A display of theatrics from the queen. You stood amongst the crowd, watching the two dancers dance so graceful and intimate. The music made you dream away of dancing on your own. Imagining yourself with eyes closed, moving as sensual as the woman. Then a set of hands gliding down your body. Soft hands that sparked each fibre in your body where they touched. Woman’s hands as you wanted to hear them whisper your name in your ear.

Blinking surprised, you were aware of your daydreaming and hoped you hadn’t looked foolishly amongst the crowd. The dance came to a stop as you clapped along with the others. Embarrassed you quickly moved to sit down as others of the ton moved to the middle of the room to dance or interact in a conversation. You sat alone, staring a bit lost in front of you. Expression a bit saddened. – “There you are!” – a voice came through as it made you blink yourself away. – “I have been looking everywhere for you.” – Eloise said happily coming to sit with you. Instantly you felt your heart leap with joy, smiling upon her.

“Are you not mingling amongst the others to find a match.” – Eloise teased making you puff at her. – “Dear Eloise, you know I have my heart set out to be a spinster.” – you told her as Eloise laughed loud. You turned a bit more to her. – “We could be spinsters together. Live somewhere off together and have no man dictate out lives for us.” – you proposed as Eloise kept laughing. – “I am being serious Eloise.” – you laughed out, letting your body bump against her. – “Don’t tell me you seek out a husband?” – you asked upholding a smile.

“God’s no.” – Eloise called out, making you sigh relieved. – “Then what is stopping us?” – you asked placing your hands on hers that laid on her lap. – “True as spinsters we will be treated poorly by the ton, but eventually they wouldn’t care anymore. We’d be free to do whatever we like. Just you and me in an estate, living our best lives.” – you proposed with much sincerity. – “How is it that you have such courage to be different?” – Eloise asked looking up at you. You gave her hand a soft squeeze. – “You give me courage.” – you told her with a smile on your lips. Your eyes drifting briefly down to her lips. – “Please think about it.”

With those final words, you got up, leaving Eloise’s side. Eloise stared, lost in her own thoughts. You walked behind the crowd, keeping close to the walls. Finding a place where you could settle. Forgotten in the back as you watched the others. It didn’t take Eloise long to join your side again. She kept quiet, simply standing by your side. You were watching some dancers, seeing her brother Anthony amongst them with Kate. He snuck in a kiss as it made you touch your lips. Inhaling a bit, you turned more to Eloise.

“Do you ever wonder what a kiss feels like?” – you asked her. – “Not really.” – Eloise answered with a shrug of her shoulder. – “Oh…” – you replied, turning away from her. Eloise picked up on it, quirking her eyebrow up. – “I assume it is nothing special.” – she said rhetorical. – “How about we test it out?” -  you suggested. – “Really?” – Eloise said surprised. You smiled teasingly, taking her by the hand.

“Frightened Eloise?” – you called out as you pulled her away. Darting around the room to a more secluded area. You pulled Eloise with you into an empty room. You let go of her hand, moving to the curtains. Pulling it back, then move closer to the glass. – “Want to keep it hidden?” – you teased moving the curtain before you.

Eloise laughed loud, approaching you. You kept moving the curtain back and forth, revealing yourself now and then to her with each another teasing expression. Eloise smiling radiating at you. She gasped loud when you took a hold of her wrist and pull her with you behind the curtains. Eloise had her brows furrowed till her expression softened upon you.

You shuffled closer to her, pushing the tips of your shoes against hers. – “It’s just us.” – you whispered to her. Eloise stared at your eyes. A pounding in her heart she was half familiar with. The way she was staring at you, made you bashful. Eloise’s gaze lowered to your lips. Before she fully knew it, she had moved her hand around your lower back, pressing her lips against yours.

The feeling was glorifying as Eloise’s lips kissed yours with more dominance. Demanding more of your kiss than she ever imagined. Your heart felt like exploding with fireworks. Your hands found a way to her, cupping her cheeks to kiss her more delicately. Her eagerness made you nearly fall back, tripping over the hem of your dress.

The sudden shift in balance broke the kiss off. Out of breath, you stared at each other. – “I never wanted a man. I just want you Eloise.” – you told her with a smile. – “I…” – Eloise responded not sure what to answer after that. Your eyes widened when Eloise grabbed you once more, going to steal another kiss from you. Her lips slowly retracted from yours, wanting to feel them for as long as possible.

“I…” – she smiled having to need no words. You smiled back at her, giving her hands a soft squeeze. Eloise let go of your hands, moving towards the door. By the door, she looked over her shoulder, furrowing her brows with softness. She ran back up to you, giving you one last desiring kiss before heading back out to face the ton.

Once Eloise had left, you twirled out of excitement. Eloise seemed to want to dive into this adventure with you. Have a life as spinsters where you could life in peace remotely away from the ton and just love each other. You left to return to the main room. Catching glances with Eloise from across the room.

It had been a few days almost to a week now since you saw Eloise. The next ball but three days away. At the promenade, you were enjoying some fresh air. Smiling at those who passed you from the other direction. The world couldn’t be better as you knew Eloise would be waiting for you. Share a life together and call her yours. You couldn’t stop yourself from smiling by even thinking about it. Looking back up, your gaze caught Eloise. Freezing as she did the same.

Eyes widening at each other. Your gaze immediately gliding to the side to see Eloise with a man. – “Eloise.” – you called out in shock. Eloise smiled embarrassed, turning towards the man. – “Phillip can you give us a moment.” – she asked. Phillip bowed, walking further up to give Eloise and you some privacy. – “Eloise?” – you said confused as to why she was with a man.

“Y/n…” – Eloise spoke nervously. – “What is the meaning of this? Why are you promenading with a man?” – you accused her, utterly shocked as you thought she would keep to your arrangement. – “Y/n…” – Eloise spoke keeping her voice low. She reached her hand out to you, touching your hand.

“Are you calling it off? Why are you calling it off?” – you asked desperate, having a sense she was forcing herself to marry a man just to be accepted by society. – “You don’t understand Y/n!” – Eloise shouted pulling her hand back. It made you scoff shocked. – “Oh but I do. You don’t want to call it love. You want to stop the feeling, but for the world you could never!” – you told her. Supressing her feelings would not do her any good. – “Y/n please.” – Eloise begged reaching for you again. You moved your hand back so she couldn’t take it. – “Have it your way Eloise.” – you told her. Eloise blinked saddened.

You came a bit closer again to tell her the hard truth. – “When you wake up next to him in the middle of the night. With your head in your hands, you’re nothing more than his wife.” – you made clear. Eloise swallowed nervously at the harsh truth. – “And when you think about me, all of those years ago. You’re standing face to face with ‘I told you so’!” – you called out furiously.

Eloise stumbled a bit back, breathlessly at the shocking truth. You turned on your heel, walking off. – “Y/n! wait!” – Eloise called out coming after you. Coming to a firm stop, you spun around. – “I told you so!” – you warned her. Eloise’s shoulders slouched, defeated at her own doing. Phillip came at her side, touching her elbow as Eloise moved her elbow away. Not wanting his touch. The world slowly spinning around her, dizzily at the fool she has been, by not calling it love.

-----------------------------------------

Read more of my fics on my Masterlists!  

[lis-likes-fics]

The Sound of His Voice

Pairings: Spencer Reid x agent!Reader Word Count: 3k words Warnings: Descriptions of crime scenes/vague gore, mentions of death and murder, standard Criminal Minds stuff, fluff otherwise... A/N: I started watching CM a while ago and now I can't stop so enjoy this. There will be more, I dunno when. (Should I be working on my months-in-progress-wips? Yes, I absolutely should. Am I? Mostly. I'm trying my best)

Morgan rubs his temple, digging his fingers into the side of his forehead as he shakes his head. Tapping his pen on the desk, he tosses down his file. “But here's what I don't get,” he says, drawing the attention of the rest of the team. “If the unsub thinks of his victims as prey, even going as far as to torture the victim, why go through all the trouble of tucking them into bed?”

Hotch looks back at the picture in his own hands, where he had been analyzing the scene for the hundredth time in search of something he missed the first hundred. He shrugs, “Tucking them in can usually indicate signs of remorse.”

JJ motions to the pictures. “Yeah, but look at this guy. Does this look remorseful to you?”

You lift a shoulder, leaning back in your seat and crossing your arms. “Could be a second unsub.”

You are a relatively new addition to the team. It was your fifth case with them, but they already treated you like part of the team, like family. It was easy to sink into the ebb and flow of everything, especially when they trust your skills and instincts and let you know when you're doing something wrong so you know not to do it again.

But this case was difficult. Your unsub had a strange profile: an organized, white male, with surgical experience and the MO reminiscent of a cat. He kills men and women alike, and the only connection between his victims have been their smaller statures.

The age range itself was too wide, though there was a slight reoccurrence of ages between 25 and 35. But it was still too wide, either way, not enough to work with.

He ties up and tortures them before finally ending their lives with strangulation. He uses his bare hands to get the job done, which makes him a sexual sadist. As if that wasn't enough, he carves out the victim’s heart after death and takes it as a trophy.

He shows plenty of psychopathic characteristics, but he also fits the profile of a sociopath, so it's hard to make anything stick. His MO suggests a lack of empathy and guilt, but the bed-tucking… You always lose him with the bed-tucking…

Morgan shakes his head a little, humming. “But we already ruled out multiple unsubs,” he says. You nod gently. “Besides, if this guy is mimicking the hunting habits of a cat, he would hunt alone, wouldn't he?”

Reid’s head perks up. He points a pen in Morgan's direction as he shakes his head. “Actually, no.” He licks his lips, and he's grabbed your attention like a siren to a sailor. “It's a very common misconception that cats are loners, but it's untrue. Cats prefer the companionship of others just as much as a human being would.”

You lean toward him a bit across the table, watching him as he speaks, his hands moving to illustrate his words as he does. “People often think, because of their aloof nature, that they like to be left alone or actually despise the presence of other people, including their owners or other cats—which is why people believe them to be low maintenance creatures. But they are just as social as, say, a dog. Actually, it's interesting, big cats like lions, or sometimes even cheetahs, hunt in packs to take down larger prey. Domestic cats–”

“Reid,” Morgan interrupts, making a cutting motion with his hand to his neck.

Your eyes turn back to Spencer, who seems to retreat in on himself a bit as he gives an apologetic smile and a small nod. “Sorry,” he says, pulling his lips in a wide smile.

You set a hand on the table, shaking your head. “No, keep going. That was interesting.”

Spencer looks at you with these eyes that seem to shine. Your heart feels fonder, warmer, at the sight of him.

“We really don't have time to go through all of this,” Hotch says, his tone final.

“I mean,” you continue. Since joining the team, you've grown a certain affinity toward Spencer and his genius mind. Every time he's gone on his tangents, you've become enchanted by the words coming out of his mouth like he's put some sort of spell over you. You lift a shoulder, gesturing toward him. “If this guy is basing his MO off the hunting patterns of cats, we should…know everything we need to know about them, right?”

Hotch looks at you, his face hard and unreadable. You're unsure if he's considering your proposal or just trying to intimidate you. But then he sighs, his crossed arms loosening a little as he turns to Spencer.

“Reid?”

Spencer looks between you and Hotch, relenting hesitantly as he starts off slow. “Well…I was going to say domestic cats are solitary hunters but sociable creatures.” He picks up his normal speed once more, “They can be very affectionate, especially toward their owners and other cats within their households. They're also one of the only types of cats who play with their prey before killing them, which could be a reason this unsub tortures his victims so extensively in his murders.”

“Wait…” Prentiss says, catching all of your attentions. “You said ‘affectionate toward their owners’.”

“Yeah,” Spencer nods.

She waves her hands gently, “How do cats show affection for their owners?”

Spencer shrugs, “Um, bunting, purring, some scratch, sometimes they leave offerings, like dead rodents, around the house–”

“Right there!” Prentiss exclaims. “They leave offerings.”

You sit up, “The hearts.”

Hotch’s dark brows furrow. “You're saying this unsub is taking the hearts as an offering to someone else?”

Spencer thinks over that, nodding. “It's possible.”

JJ sighs. “But that still doesn't explain why we wouldn't have identified a second unsub earlier.”

Spencer holds out a hand, pointing with his pen. “Actually, it could. You see, cats also have the tendency to mimic the people they hold affection for. We might not have noticed a second MO because the submissive unsub may be mimicking the dominant one.”

“Or learning from him,” Morgan says.

“Learning?” Hotch asks.

Morgan glances around, “Well, if we're sticking so close to this cat thing, older cats often nurture the young and teach them to hunt.” He shrugs, “We could be looking at…brothers? Older and younger?”

“Or lovers,” JJ suggests. She points to a picture, the image of a chest carefully carved open to reveal a missing heart. “If the hearts are offerings, it could be a Valentine.”

“And the bed-tucking?” you ask.

Hotch picks up the picture of one of the victims, “safely” and securely tucked into bed…put to sleep. “Well, if the hearts are offerings for a lover, this unsub is sentimental. He could feel some type of sympathy or guilt for the victim and want to ‘put them to sleep’ after the torture.” He studies the image, a flash of unease behind his eyes that you know all too well. He sets it down.

“Okay, so how do we find them?” Prentiss asks, clicking her pen before setting it down to begin a definitive course of action.

Spencer points to yet another picture. “Look at these injuries. These incisions are surgical,” he clarifies. “So the dominant is a doctor or a—a veterinarian, which can be implied through his intimate knowledge of cats’ behaviors.”

“And the submissive might work under him as a nurse or an assistant,” you continue, adding on to his clever insight. He glances over at you, smiling almost giddily at your understanding.

Hotch turns to Morgan. “Do you think that's enough to work with?”

Morgan thinks for a moment, his shrug melding into a nod as he turns back to Hotch. “To fit in with the rest of the profile,” he hums, “I'd say so.”

“Okay.” Hotch nods firmly. “We'll present the profile ASAP. Morgan, get Garcia to search for any vets in the area with any records of assault charges.” He says this all while taking long strides toward the door, his red tie bouncing slightly with his movements.

Prentiss follows him with her gaze as he exits. “You think the unsub is aggressive?”

He turns briefly. “Look at the bruising on the neck. The torture alone is an indicator of anger and frustration, but the way the victim was strangled suggests force. Much more than necessary just to crush a windpipe. He's an organized killer with a lot of rage. If he moves more along the lines of a sociopath, our best guess is he's had some kind of trouble with the law at some point in his life,” he concludes. Glancing aside, he speaks again, a little more firmly. “Morgan.”

“On it,” he says, his phone already ready to contact Garcia on speed dial.

“And Reid,” Hotch says, focusing his hard stare on the younger agent.

He stiffens, straightening his back and awaiting his response. “Yes?”

There's a pause as Hotch examines him silently. With a single nod, he says, “Good work.”

He glances at you. A nod.

You nod back.

Hotch leaves in a hurry, and your gaze immediately and instinctively flicks to Spencer. He smiles at you, turning away as though he was shyly hiding that same smile.

~

There were two unsubs: a surgical veterinarian and his nurse. You caught them just in time, just as that knife was gleaming in the golden light of the lamps swinging above the three bodies down in the basement of the submissive unsub’s house.

And now you soared 40,000 feet above the ground with another killer put away for good.

Everyone's in their own spirit, placing you across the aisle from JJ and Spencer in their own booths, a crochet set in your lap as you continue one of your projects. Emily's eyes linger on JJ, watching the crease of her brow as she studies case files.

“What are you thinking about?” she asks, setting her book to the side to shift her attention. Derek darts his eyes up from his own book, lifting his brow as he does it.

JJ looks up, breathing in and lifting her shoulder in a half shrug. “I don't know about you,” she says, “but I know that if I got an actual human heart on Valentine's Day, me and my alleged partner would have some serious issues.”

Snorts and chuckles lift from multiple places among the seats, heads shaking and attentions shifting back to their own activities.

But as soon as you hear the first lilt of Spencer's voice, like clockwork, you're a fish on a hook.

“Actually,” he begins, “if we were set back thousands of years, that would not be a very unusual occurrence.” He licks his lips quickly, “You see, Valentine's Day’s origins actually go back to a festival called Lupercal, or Lupercalia. The festival was in itself a very violent and sexually charged affair that lasted roughly three days—from the 13th to the 15th—set in Rome. Its traditions were carried out in two separate locations, firstly–”

“Alright,” JJ rises to her feet, her eyes wide in annoyance as she closes her case file in a large announcement to Spencer. “I'm getting coffee. Do you want anything?”

Spencer purses his lips, that same wide, apologetic grin covering his face as he leans back in his seat and shakes his head. “Uh, no. All good here.”

She nods, turning to walk away, “Great.”

You watch JJ leave, your eyes fall back upon Spencer, who's pulling his book back into his palms to turn his focus back on the pages. His eyes flit over the words at lightning speed, absorbing the information and moving to the next.

Taking your crochet set in your hands, you stand and plop down in JJ’s old spot. Spencer's eyes darts up to you, glancing between you and his book as you set your stuff down and readjust your yarn.

Beginning again, you nod toward him. “You were saying?”

Spencer, his eyes wide and confused and his lips parted in wonder and his cheeks a little pink, stares at you. After remembering he had to respond, he sputters in an attempt to.

“Uh, it's-it's really not that…interesting,” he mumbles, trailing off at the end as he sets his book down, his fingertips pressing against the edge of the desk between the both of you.

“Well,” you look up at him, setting your elbow on the table and tucking your first underneath your chin, “I was very interested.”

His Adam's apple bobs when he swallows. His lips form the word before it comes out of his mouth. “You were?”

You nod, “Mhm.”

Looking at him for a moment—just looking at him for a moment—you take in the pretty sight of his bewildered expression, fascination and confusion and excitement crossing his face in a flurry of emotion.

You move your elbow from the table and pick up your hook, nodding toward him before training your eyes on your work again as you await his words. “Firstly?” you prompt.

Scrambling to organize his thoughts, Spencer nods. As the words form in his brain, he smiles as he thrusts himself into another rant, speaking a little softer so as not to aggravate the rest of the team.

“Well, firstly, the uh— The-the first location was in a cave called Lupercus—named after the Roman fertility god that the celebration was dedicated to—and the second is a public meeting place called the Comitium.”

You tilt your head toward him, smiling a little. “Like the word ‘committee’.”

“Exactly like the word ‘committee’,” he beams.

Your attention, as hard as you tried to split it, becomes entirely caught up in Spencer as you forget about your project and focus your gaze entirely on him. You set your arms on the table separating you and watch as he speaks, your smile definitely too love-sick to be a hint anymore. He seems to lean in closer.

“So how did Lupercalia become Valentine's Day?” you wonder aloud.

“Well,” he starts, prompting a larger grin from you, “in the late 5th century A.D., Pope Gelasius I eliminated it and declared February 14th a day to celebrate the martyrdom of Saint Valentine instead—although it's highly unlikely he intended the day to commemorate love and passion as it is celebrated now. In fact, some modern biblical scholars warn Christians not to celebrate Valentine's Day at all, due to its Pagan roots and rituals.”

You hum, your eyes taking glances at the stretch of his skin over his fingers and the way they move when he speaks.

“Do you celebrate Valentine's Day?” you ask gently, speaking slowly.

His hands fall back down to his lap, and he shakes his head as he straightens his posture a bit. “Well…I don't usually have anyone to celebrate it with, so… No, not really.”

Feeling the shyness slipping into your veins, you set your hands on the table and let your fingers slowly inch toward him, staring at them inside of his eyes. You don't want to see the rejection if it lives there, in his eyes.

You speak slowly, emphasizing every syllable. “Would you like to have someone to celebrate it with?”

He swallows thickly, letting one hand lift onto the table, still close to him but building up courage to maybe meet you in the middle. “Like…” he clears his throat quietly. “Like you?”

You offer a right smile, finally flicking your eyes up to meet his and feeling giddy at the light blush on his cheeks, the nervous wideness of his gaze. “I promise no actual hearts.”

You watch him, and again…his eyes, his Adam's apple, his cheeks, his lips. “Uh…yeah,” he stutters. “Yeah, sure. I'll be your…your Valentine.”

You smile, a wide smile that splits your face in two. Spencer's own grin follows suit. Looking past you, he catches the eyes of Derek, who smirks and offers a cheesy thumbs up, proud of him for securing you as he did.

His gaze falls back to you when you begin to speak, your voice just as song-ish to him as his is to you. You're both equally as infatuated as the other. “You know,” you trail off slowly, “supposedly, Saint Valentine might be so commonly associated with our day of love because there are rumors that he used to perform secret weddings against the wishes of the authorities in the third century.”

He nods slowly, his brows furrowed slightly. “Yes, that's right…” Licking his bottom lip, he speaks again. “You already knew all that stuff about Lupercalia, didn't you?”

You smile, your face squished a bit as you raise your hands and close your thumb and forefinger close together. “Maybe a little,” you whisper. But then you shrug and just keep looking at him. “But I like listening to you talk.”

Spencer suddenly doesn't think you're real, but he isn't about to question it if you aren't. There's someone who enjoys his tangents. He isn't going to jeopardize that.

“Oh,” is all he says.

With your crocheting long forgotten, you lean forward on the table and give him every ounce of attention in your mind. With a fond smile on your lips and a twinkle in your eye, you rest your chin on your folded hands. “You should tell me about…” you pause, thinking, before you smile curls even more, “bees.”

His brows lift as he nods. “Okay, well,” he starts, “did you know the first civilization to practice widespread, organized beekeeping was the Ancient Egyptians, who began beekeeping around 2,500 BCE?”

Your brows lift in fascination. You shake your head, “No, I didn't.”

His smile grows. “Well…”

For the remainder of the flight, Spencer talks and talks and talks, his voice quiet and meant solely for you as he talks about whatever you want: bees and wine and marbles and Halloween. He keeps smiling at you, as you keep smiling at him. Somewhere along the way, he officially asks you on a date, and you both get off the jet together to get a cup of coffee.

You love the way he talks.

Criminal Minds taglist: ... Tag yourself here...

[beemochi-art]

First off, I love your art! But is it okay if I ask for some more Bumblebee content? Please?

🥺👉👈🙏✨✨

(Dumps a bunch of art on your lap.)

You arrive just in time. Cause Bee got a slight redesign and a final design of him without his battle mask. Along with some characteristics of his.

His mask has two modes, the normal one that just covered the bottom of his face, his battle mask covers his whole face.

Bumblebee loves humans!! Some how he connected within them better. Bee often visits his human friends. He’s like a stray cat honestly, he pops in then pops out. He’s a pretty loving guy but can be stand off ish towards new people (he’s just shy probably.)

Bumblebee’s lil finals will lay down as cover the black stripes when he’s being nice or is submissive. Usually they stand up, all the way up means he’s aware. His little things will often betray how he’s really feeling. Same goes for his optics.

Bumblebee has to closely manage the other Autobots and showed them how things worked. Optimus is eager to learn the rules, the rest of the bots, not so much. Traffic laws? Bleh! Who needs them! He became used to running cons off earth so being around other bots was definitely something he had to get used to. Optimus may be the boss but everyone knows earth is Bumblebee’s domain, he’s the one who came up with the rule that no one is to harm humans. Bee isn’t afraid to challenge his superiors. He has a habit of getting in the middle of fights to try and break them up. Because of this he has a certain level of respect from his fellow autobots.

Though sometimes bumblebee had difficulty adjusting to being around the other bots he connected most to Elita. She was the last to show up to earth. Her place among the others is a little ambiguous. She does get treated different, the most glaring was Optimus blaitent and seemingly out of character mistreatment and aggressive towards her. This was not something bumblebee would allow to happen. The first time Op pulled that in front of him, Bee got in his face. Bumblebee can tell she’s got a lot on her mind and that her heart is somewhere else. Sometimes the stress does get to her, Bee is always there to be a friend she can count on.

WHELP!! Here is all the bumblebee content I have! For Now. Feel free to ask more about him. I finally have a version of him I like to draw lol.

[mondaymelon]

hi :)) can i make a request about zhongli who has a s/o who is very self conscious and has low self esteem?? like they’re just constantly hating on themselves and have nothing good to say about themselves making poor zhongli worried :((

₊˚ෆ 𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐃… | zhongli, xiao, childe x gn!reader

[ "archons forbid you in having these thoughts once more. love, you are perfect, and please don't let anyone sway that." ]

— "archons, why did i just do that? ...fuck, i'm such an idiot..."

ZHONGLI interrupted the occasional stroke of his ink-stained brush upon silk canvas, his gilded eyes glancing up and searching your face until they met yours.

"Love, why are you..." His voice trailed off as his gaze filled with warm concern, his expression softening as his brows furrowed, as if he couldn't even begin to fathom why'd you think such a thing. He set down the brush in its hold, before moving to stand. You were sat on the couch across from his desk, where you could remain in his line of sight as he did his duties, and now you were curled up on its cushions, looking at him with the corners of your mouth slightly drawn down into a pout.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He sat down next to you, unsure of how close he should get, and so hovered an arm's length away from your form. You quietly shook your head in a frustrated manner, and he made a short hum of acknowledgement. "Love, come here. Let's take a break together, you and me, alright?"

When he had received your approval, he gently held you in his arms, stroking a gloved hand in your hair soothingly. He was warm, his tall figure engulfing you, and you melted at his touch. "...Zhongli, why do you love someone like me?"

You felt his fingers' delicate touch abruptly still to a halt at your words. Silence encompassed the room, and Zhongli shifted in his seat, drawing closer and finally moving his hand to your face, grabbing at your chin and tilting it upwards so you had no choice but to stare into his glittering eyes. The traces of a smile lingered on his lips. "It'd be impossible not to."

How come your vision had grown so cloudy? "I'm bad. At everything. I can't do anything right."

"Just who told you that? Love, your character is beautiful. You're diligent, hard-working, talented, with a golden heart... it makes me wonder how I even was able to join hands with you in the first place." His corners of his mouth were truly curved upwards now, and he met your gaze with a close eyed smile, his dark-lashed lids fluttering. "Archons forbid... please don't tell that to yourself again, alright?"

Hot tears begun to spill from your eyes at his words. No, that couldn't be true. How... how come it was possible for someone like to trust you to this extent?

Ah, I know why. The thought came to you as he kissed the tears from your sorrow-laden lashes. "I love you."

His cheeks warmed just the slightest, his gaze of melted gold soft as a smile graced his lips once more.

"Yes, I love you too." ₊˚ෆ

— "agh, messed up again... archons, how come i can't do anything right??"

XIAO's head snapped up as soon as the words were uttered into the midnight air, immediately emerging from the shadows by your side as you stared over the edge of Wangshu Inn's balcony, tightly gripping the wooden railings.

"What... What did you just say?" You flinched at his sudden presence, something you had still yet to grow accustomed to. The adeptus had a habit of listening in on your rambles with yourself, and appeared whenever he deemed fit. However, your words now seemed to have angered him, as eyes were narrowed in displeasure, his cat-like diamond pupils forming mere slits.

"Is there... something wrong?" You tilted your head in confusion, watching a flit of emotions cross Xiao's face in a mere split-second.

"Yes. Three steps away." His voice made it clear that it was no mere request. Complying to his order, you duly backtracked the said amount, empty hands raised in front of you as a sign of surrender. "Don't get too close to the railing. It's dangerous."

You almost laughed. "Ah, but won't you save me if I happen to fall?"

"That's granted." Xiao scoffed, nodding a little too quickly after your question, but caught himself. It seemed that he had, in fact, learned a thing or two about mortal speech from you. "No, don't change the topic now. What you said earlier... do you really believe that?"

"...Well, it's true, isn't it?" You faced the scenery in front of you, the blue, slightly cloud dusted skies, the grooves of the land and the jagged mountains poking up out of harsh stone... it was an easier sight than looking into the adeptus' eyes at the moment. His eyes were acute, perceptive, honed sharply after years of service. Oh, that was the truth, wasn't it? You were afraid that he'd see too much in your gaze, and that he'd know how much of a pathetic failure you were, with nothing but mistake after mistake following your every movement-

"Hey." There was a light touch on your wrist - Xiao's gloved fingers, wrapping around it gently. "Just what are you thinking about? You look... upset, and I don't like it." There it was. His clear eyes, staring into yours with concern. "You... You said you couldn't do anything right, but that's not true at all, love."

Love.

Xiao had never been one to display much affection, yet he had readily agreed to use such a name for his one and only. His voice was quiet, gentle, nothing like how you had first imagined it in the days after the two of you's first encounter.

"Thank you, Xiao." You finally turned to him, face breaking into a smile, and you saw his tense figure visibly relax at your contentment.

"...What for?"

"For being here. Everything." In the dim moonlight, you just might've glimpsed the whisper of a smile on the adeptus' lips, a secret one, a small one, just for you.

"There's no need to thank me. It was the least I could do." ₊˚ෆ

— "seriously?? this is the eighth damn... i knew i it, i'm absolute shit at everything i do... "

CHILDE's eyes widened as he spun to look at you, his mouth forming a round 'o' as he spotted the countless ink splatters on the paper, on your table, on your fingers, staining your clothes - everything.

...And upon seeing the chaos, clutched his sides and burst into several bouts of laughter that stretched on for minutes. When he was done with his ridicule, he placed his hands on his hips dramatically, a playful smile still decorating his joyful expression. "Aha- Love, just what...?" His voice trailed off, surely there was no need to finish his sentence? There could only be one possible thing he was referring to, and it was the absolute mess you had created, and a mess that you now sat in the center of, blinking awkwardly with a wobbly half-smile on your lips.

"Uhm... I tried to... Ugh, nevermind..." You crumpled up the canvas sheet filled with incoherent scribbles and threw it into some archon-forsaken corner, where you prayed it would never cross your line of sight again. Under your breath, you mumbled out several curse words, a frown tugging at the corners of your mouth. "Shit, this is why no one should place any faith in me, good for nothing..."

The smile on his face dropped. Curse him, and his stupidly acute hearing. Instantly, he was a mere two inches away from you, deep ocean eyes boring into yours in an almost uncanny manner. "...Hey, just now, care to repeat that?"

"...Good for nothing...?" You flinched, unsure of where the sudden wave of bloodlust that was currently flooding your senses had come from - until you glanced up at Childe, who stood over you, his eyes closed in a happy smile but the expression on his face anything but happy.

"Who told you that?" His voice was venomous, it felt like you were being poisoned just listening to it. A dark shadow cast over his eyes, as if this were some dramatic soap opera.

"Did someone have to?" You sighed, waving your hand in the air in a dismissive way. "It's true, though. I seriously can't get anything right, and I haven't even gotten started on what I don't like about myself-"

"Stop." Childe held a finger over your mouth, pressing it to your lips and effectively bringing your words to a halt. "Stop, stop stop, it's all wrong, love!" He looked like a kicked puppy, his eyes downcast and a pout on his lips, and you could practically imagine the ginger folded ears and tail that might've been. "Seriously, how do you even think up of these kinds of things?? They're not true at all!"

Why was he so adamant on this? "But... it is?"

"That's it." Childe waltzed over to where you sat on the ground, before grabbing you from the middle and hoisting you over his shoulder, giving a little huff when you wriggled to try and break free from his grasp. "We're going on a one-week vacation. To Mondstadt. Inazuma. Sumeru. Fontaine. Shneznaya, for all I care. Just not here."

"Do... Do I have a say in this?" You frowned slightly from your position, you arms dangling over your head as you fought your hardest not to laugh.

"No."

"What's even wrong with here, why..."

"Shush. Let me take care of you, won't you?" ₊˚ෆ

(a/n) apapapappow second request done!! im not doing all that bad hehehe... wish me luck on my ap class midterm!! i should be studying rn but uhm uhm yes genshin men are first priority >>>

-> teehee what if yall left a message on my christmas tree 😶😶😶

໒꒱ || ᴛᴀɢʟɪꜱᴛ (open! send an ask or a comment ♡) : @manager-of-the-pudding-bank, @iamdedinside, @ilyuu, @achlysis, @swivy123, @scara-is-my-wife

[thegnomelord]

for some comfort for hound:

with makarov he would shower in record time under cold water, harshly scrubbing away blood when makarov wanted him clean.

not long after being rescued price notices this, how quickly you wash yourself and, if you let him, when he touches your skin it’s cold to the touch afterwards. so price decides to spoil you like a pampered poodle and not like the fighting dog you are were.

he either draws you a bath or joins you in the shower, making sure the water is warm as price washes you, lathering your body with frothy soap, gently wiping away grime on your body and tracing all your new scars even lighter. eventually he rinses you off and massages shampoo into your hair, fingers scratching across your scalp and your guard begins to drop, body relaxing slightly and when you get out you even let price dry you off. you crawl into bed and price’s heart feels like breaking when he tucks you into his side and you hold onto him like he’ll disappear through your fingers, but he doesn’t plan on going anywhere

HFIEUDHFBKSUDEJ y'all are just putting more and more worms into me brain with these ideas! God I am so stealing this idea, just Hound getting to feel some comfort for once.

Idk where this would be in the timeline, maybe after Hound has gotten away from Makarov for good or at some point during rehab where he's getting better but before Makarov comes to take his dog back

CW: NSFW nonsexual nudity, fluff, me rambling a bit, very rough

With Makarov it was always a question how he wanted you. Sometimes he wanted you to take him as you were, blood drying and cracking along your skin, your clothes uncomfortably sticking to your body from how drenched they are in crimson. Other times he wouldn't let a single drop of it touch him, and you'd be allowed to wash yourself for as long as it took him to fully disrobe, leading to you developing the habit of scrubbing your skin raw under cold water to save time.

You've grown used to it, it's one of the few constants in your life. You bite back a scathing word when Price touches your cold skin, seemingly not pleased with how cold your skin is. "Come here son." His voice is soft, calloused hand even softer as it wraps loosely around your wrist, tugging you along to the bathroom.

You know you have to resist, your should resist— your muscles tense beneath your skin, heart beating loud and fast against your ribs, the violence in your skull starting to gnaw on your brain — but something stops you, wraps around your mind like a heavy blanket and you don't notice how you let him disrobe you, watching him dumbly as he fills the tub with soapy water.

Your shoulders hunch as you sit in the tub. The warm water makes your skin prickle with disgust. Your eyes close when his hands rub gentle circles into your back, lightning rushing down your spine when the sponge makes contact with your skin. But you force yourself to weather this, to endure; god, when was the last time you felt warm water on you?

"What's on your mind lad?" Price's voice rumbles in your ears like the purr of some large cat. "You're pouting."

You grit your teeth, unable to look at him so you watch the soap bubbles in the water pop. "I am not pouting." You growl, your lip twitching to bare your teeth, but a few more swipes of the sponge along your spine makes your lips fall in a frown.

"sure you're not." Price chuckles, meticulous as he gently scrubs across your skin, careful not to aggravate the healing wounds. The tension in your shoulders slowly melts away like the first thaw of spring, small shivers racking down your spine. You don't understand why, but every gentle swipe of the sponge makes the collar sitting snuggly around your throat more and more constructive.

No- it's wrong, you're a bad dog for feelingg this way, you can't feel this way, you're not allowed to-

A low and pitiful sound escapes your throat, and just as quickly your attention is grabbed by gentle hands rubbing soap into your hair. "It's alright son." Price's nails scratch your scalp, evenly coating every strand with soap. "I got you." Your hair's been growing out from the cropped hairstyle Makarov likes on you, it makes you cringe. (Cropped like a working dog's ears get cropped or something idk)

You don't notice when you start to lean into his hands, the soothing scratch of his nails and the gentle hold of his palm cradling the back of your skull lulling you into a state of calm. Your eyes close as he pours water down your hair, careful not to get any soap into your eyes.

"Come on, stand up for me, that's a good boy." He praises as you rise, rivulets of water running down your skin. His gentle hands guide you to bend down so he can reach your head, drying your hair and then the rest of you. Something like acid burns in your muscles, your body screaming at you for letting Price touch you when you belong to Makarov. But your ears feel like they're stuffed full of cotton, the warmth of the water lingering in your brain you don't think when he gives you fresh clothes, just mindlessly putting them on and letting him move you where he wants.

A stagnant breath escapes you when you lay down in the bed, the covers and pillow too soft for a thing like you. Your bones feel like jello, you can't even raise your head as you feel Price settle next to you. You don't know what makes you do it, but you reach out with hesitant hands to wrap around his waist, hesitation making you stall as you expect a punishment for overstepping. But when none comes you shuffle closer and curl around him, burying your head into his side. His scent curls in your nose, softer and muskier than the cologne Makarov uses.

Price watches you as you drift off to sleep with your hands around him like he's a giant teddy bear for you. His eyes keep returning to the collar wrapped around your neck, his fingers ghosting around the buckle on your nape as he runs his hand up and down your back. Dark anger curls in his heart at the sight of it, his blood boils to see you like this. He wants you to be the man he knew, the happy, confident Sargent. And sometimes he can still see bits of the old you peek beneath the cover of anger and violence.

But then one little thing will have you careening back into the dog Makarov turned you into.

God. Price feels useless.

[ciel-yuu]

"Can I draw on you?"

Scenery: You have a habit of drawing doodles on your notes or sometimes your hands when you get bored. One day while you're sitting next to him, you get bored and after turning both of your arms into paintings full of random doodles, you start to turn your attention to his arms. And so after a while of staring you decide to ask him. "Can I draw on you?"

Pairing: The Demon Brothers x gn!reader. Warning: None

==

Lucifer

You and Lucifer are sitting in his office while Lucifer continues to work through the mountain of paper works and you sit next to him to keep him company. He rolled up his sleeves after a while to make it easier to work.

"Hmm? Why?"

Stop working and look at you, who is sitting next to him in the armchair he moved.

He has noticed that you often draw on notes and hands for a while so he is not surprised.

You hold out your hands and he sees that there are already quite a few drawings on them. He was about to refuse but you looked at him expectantly so he couldn't help but agree with a sigh. (simps)

He gives you his non-dominant hand and tells you to remember not to use an indelible pen and not to draw too much and then get back to work.

He swears he's not happy to hear your giggles when he agrees.

Will keep your work intact all day without anyone seeing it (He's covered from head to toe anyway) and look at it when he's tired in private.

Take a picture of your work on his hand before taking a shower and save it in a secret file in his phone.

Don't mind letting you do it again if you ask as long as you don't do it in public.

Mammon

You're sitting next to him during a tutoring session before an upcoming test. He begged you to help him because Lucifer said he would cut his card in half if Mammon failed the test this time.

"What? Draw on me? Don't ya have anything else to do?"

Grumbling but still holding out his hand for you to draw, he's bored anyway and your drawings are cute too so...

Tells you that you should be lucky that the Great Mammon lets you draw on his hand and brag to his brothers all day that you chose him to do it.

Keep your work intact all day, intentionally rolling up his sleeves so he can show it off to everyone. Will attack anyone who makes it blurry or damaged.

Also take a picture of the work and set it as his lock screen.

Allows you to freely draw on him wherever you like.

Will sulking if you draw on someone else, you should only draw on your first man, human!

Leviathan

You're sitting next to him while he finishes a new game he just bought on a console.

"Huh? Yeah, just do it."

He doesn't pay much attention because he is focused on playing the game and completely unaware that you are drawing all kinds of small drawings on his arm.

When he finished playing and noticed his hands were full of drawings he almost screamed thinking he was hit by some curse while playing the game until he saw you holding a pen and giggling next to him.

Realizing that the drawings you draw are full of anime characters he likes and even from the TSL book he immediately goes into fan mode and praises you for them all day.

Take a picture and post it on his fan account to show everyone how talented his Henry is.

Will let you draw on him whenever you want and will ask you to draw the character he likes if you are going to draw on him.

Sometimes he even asks you to decorate his things with your doodles of his favorite character with markers because he loves your drawings.

Satan

You and Satan are reading a book in a cat cafe, and while you've finished reading the book of your choice, he's still engrossed in the book.

"Draw on me? Okay, feel free to do it, I don't mind."

He nodded and held out one hand to you, the other holding the book in his hand. He's seen you draw a few times while tutoring you, so he doesn't find it strange, and besides, he can't refuse you.

After a while he finished reading and you finished your wonderful work on Satan's arm. A garden of cats covered the arm of The Avatar of Wrath.

The cuteness of the cats on his arms and your proud face make him flash an amused grin while complimenting you on your doodles on his hands.

Show it off to Lucifer that you drew it for him.

Have you draw over his bookmarks in a similar style and it becomes his favorite one to use.

Don't mind you drawing on him and letting you do it whenever you want.

Asmodeus

You and Asmo are in his room while he is preparing new designs for his upcoming show. You are invited by him to be a consultant.

"Hmm? Okay but you should use this." Go to the dressing table and take out the pens used in makeup. "I don't mind you drawing on me but I don't want my skin damaged either so you should use these, and the rest you can do whatever you want, hon!"

He winks at you lovingly and then goes back to reviewing his designs while holding out a hand so you can do as you please.

Will compliment your doodles with delight, and then an inspiration hits his mind, he can use these in his designs!

Kiss you as a thank you for the great drawing and for giving him a great inspiration. Take a picture and post it on his Devigram to brag to everyone in Hell about it.

He will want to decorate his nails in this style and will do it for you too, so you two can be match.

Don't mind letting you draw on him as long as you don't use markers or other pens that make it stick to your skin for a long time. (He treasures his skin very much.)

Beelzebub

You and Beel are currently sitting in the common room while Beel enjoys a mountain of burgers he happily won while you work on some classwork.

"You want to draw on me? I don't mind but why?"

Holds one hand out to you while the other is still holding a hamburger and looks at you innocently. Nod when he hears you say you're bored and want to draw somewhere.

Don't understand but don't mind as long as it doesn't affect his eating.

Compliment you sweetly after eating and always try to keep it from fading because it's your drawing. He finds it so cute especially your food doodles.

Sometimes you write on the side of the doodles victory wishes to him every time he goes to the game and he considers it his lucky charm.

Always happy to agree when you want to draw on him and often feel sad when the drawings fade after he practice. (pls hug him to make this teddy bear feel better <3)

Belphego

You're sitting in your room doing your homework while he sleeps on your lap like a lazy cat. He was the one who said he wanted to help you and now he's treating you like a pillow.

"Huh? Yeah whatever."

Still drowsy so he doesn't notice what you say, feels a little tickle on his arm but doesn't do anything to retract it, just continues to sleep.

Waking up to find his hands covered in stars and clouds drawing makes him laugh and tease you that about likes to do childish things.

You pout and tell him to let you erase them, but he pulls his hand back protectively saying it's on him, then he is the only one has the right to delete them.

Usually looks at them before bed and laughs like an idiot because he finds it cute but of course he won't tell you that. (tsundere)

Also brag to his brothers that you draw on him.

You doodle you, Beel and him on his arm once and he took it as his lock screen for a long time.

Every time you draw on him, he usually asks you to draw constellations on it so you usually draw a random constellation from the Human World or Devildom for him.

==

master list | side character ver | thanks for reading ^^!

[dusterbishop]

have you come here to rescue me (all of this can be broken)

summary. || three timelines, you have watched remy lebeau die. you didn't believe you would earn a fourth chance to save him until you find a variant with no memory of his past, lost in a void of existence.

pairing. || gambit x f!reader (past relationship with current enemies-to-lovers)

count. || 2.7k

notes. || posted on ao3 here. warning for character death and violence. thank you for all the kind comments and likes! i'm happy i could share this with such a talented fandom.

part one. || part two.

You and Gambit meet before, eh?

Many times

Mais, pleasure’s mine, chér. Gambit’s never forgotten a beautiful woman

You draw your next card at random, and find yourself flat on your back, the back of your head still slick with the blood that pools beneath you. The hit from behind splintered your skull, but this body merely festers with a fading migraine. It is the closest you could get to avoiding death without skipping from this reality entirely. The pain has to keep you anchored, because you can’t count on Gambit to know what to do to keep you here.

Gambit, for his part, stares down at you. He looks like your Remy, which seems like such a strange thought to have. Of course he looks like Remy LeBeau. That is who he is in every lifetime. And yet it makes perfect sense that you halt upon this revelation for the very same reason.

Every Gambit is Remy LeBeau, and yet this one looks like Remy. He has the same strong jawline, the same furrow of his brow, the same black-rimmed red irises. He towers over you, the line of his shoulders set back and perplexed, at least until he crouches down to be closer to your level. Every movement is fluid, graceful. No sign of pain or hesitation. No snarl of distrust or blank expression of disinterest.

Found ya’, chér.

You would laugh if the back of your skull wasn’t just recently smashed in, new body or not. The daze of death’s lingering touch keeps you still as you stare back up at him. He had promised you would meet again, hadn’t he? In another lifetime, at least, he had. You are not the same body that he had been in love with, and yet some part of you can still smell the smoke in the air and feel the buzzing of kinetic lightning across your skin.

He is not your Remy. Not even if he’s looking at you with that same curious intensity. Gamblers could never refuse the call of the cards, and you have a stacked deck.

“Watch it, Cajun,” you tell him. Your voice is scratchy, grating the back of your throat. That explains the weariness in your joints, then. This version of your body is sick in some way. “I know how to wave a stick.”

A knowing laugh escapes him. “Oui, saw ya’ wit’ it. Don’ threaten Gambit wit’ a good time.”

Right, the flirting. Of all the swamp-dwelling boys you could have ended up entangled with, you just had to choose the one with that damned silver tongue. This version of Gambit is no different than the thousands of others you have witnessed in terms of that, at least. Perhaps thousands was even a conservative estimate. How many times have you crossed lives only to find a stranger wearing the face of the man you love?

God, you’re tired of it all. You don’t think you can handle another Gambit right now.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” you sigh. “I’m not staying long.”

“S’il vous plait, you should.” He’s smiling, but you know that look in his eyes. Your gaze falls to the inner folds of his coat. You can barely make out the stitched lining where he keeps his cards, but you know that its there. He always had a habit of stitching the pockets in the same spot. Your Remy liked to command full control of the kitchen table to spread out his coat and ensure straight stitching. The cats liked it, too. You would come home to find them all clustered at the table, Remy idly scratching Oliver’s chin while he assessed his work, the other two boys stretched out languidly with them.

Gambit notices your attention, and his smile goes flat. “Where’ve you been my life, eh?”

“Could ask you the same thing,” you shoot back. The fatigue starts to settle deep in your bones. Maybe this body wasn’t sick when you borrowed it. Maybe this is just the effects of your time-skipping leeching over to another form. Your body feels like its burning a low-grade fever. “I don’t want to argue with you, Gambit.”

“Argue?” He looks almost offended at the mention of underlying tension. “Mon chér, you wound me. Dis is a civil conversation, non?”

“Don’t you get tired of talking?” You know he doesn’t. The two of you have spent so many hours sparring both in the danger room and verbally. He likes to make you take the backfoot in both fighting rings. At least, Remy did. This Gambit seems… off.

He almost seems familiar.

“Not when I’m talkin’ to you,” his smile edges with that coy charm. “Why don’ you tell Gambit about your travels?”

It feels like dunking your head beneath tumultuous ocean waves. Your gaze jolts to his eyes. His biggest tell had always been the way his pupils expand, consuming the ringed red of his irises. In some light, at some times, it almost looked as if he didn’t have irises at all. Just an all-consuming gaze of ink-black.

He looks that way, now, staring down at you. Black-eyed and smiling like a rogue, his elbows perched idly on the curve of his crouched knees, hands freely dangling between you. Unarmed, almost, if not for the weight of cards pressed against the cuff of his sleeves. That brand of stitching is new. Your Remy would have been absolutely delighted to see that sort of innovation as much as he would have groaned about not doing it himself.

“Ace up your sleeve,” you say instead. Your head is rattling with a desperate panic. How does he know that you can travel?

Gambit flicks his wrist, the air rushes, and a splayed set of cards stare back at you. Four of a kind. A handful of aces, in fact. Your Remy would be in absolute stitches over it.

“Some, oui,” he says. He looks just as pleased with himself. He always did like to be the smooth-talker. The air whirs with quiet trepidation, charging, turning metallic in the back of your mouth. One of his brows raises the same moment you half-raise your arm, reflecting the same suit of cards back to him. His fingers reluctantly slide closed on empty air.

“So do I,” you tell him. You hold steady when he goes to take them back from you and nearly yank your arm out of reach when his fingers close over your wrist instead. He’s wearing his gloves, but even the slight warmth of his skin pressed against yours makes your mouth go cotton-dry.

“Houdini,” he remarks.

“Not quite,” you whisper.

“Non,” he agrees. He studies your hand for a long moment. The cards are his, of course. You had shifted time just enough to reach across it and claim your prize. Nothing more than a parlor trick in the light of what you have done lately. What is a suit of cards in the face of endless, staggering realities? If you don’t like the way a restaurant cooks a dish, you can cross time until you find the same dish cooked to mind-numbing perfection. If you miss the city bus because it showed up three minutes early, you can change lifetimes to delay the driver by five minutes, the extra two minutes only for good measure.

If you lose one Remy LeBeau, why not venture out to find him again?

And again?

And again.

You know the answer, now. Maybe part of you always did, yes, but the answer is staring you in the face. You cannot ignore him any longer. You cannot skip timelines and pretend that there will never be a Remy like yours again. He was yours because he was not perfectly brought up as a child and ended up with some nine-to-five office job and a three-bedroom home with a white picket fence. That Remy does not have an interest in a strange paradox such as yourself. Neither does the Remy LeBeau that ends up being a schoolteacher, or a stay at home dad, or a volunteer at an animal shelter.

Your Remy was imperfect, and that was why he was the only version of himself that you could love.

This version of Remy LeBeau is still holding onto you. His grip is firm, but not bruising. He’s holding you fast to keep you with him, not to hurt you. You’re too tired to attempt to escape. Every muscle in your body feels leaden and overworked. That’s the other answer demanding your attention, but you let the revelation slip from its leash and ignore it.

“I know what you are, chér .” His grip doesn’t change, but there’s a dangerous riptide swelling in his tone. “What you do.”

“Wayfarer,” you say. It feels flimsy to say it like this, laying flat on your back, Gambit poised gracefully beside you. Remy had been rather nonplussed with the title when you first told him about it. Non, mon coeur, you are Wildcard. Not even Gambit knows your next move.  

“You travel, d’accord?” With the hand still holding you fast, he rubs the calloused pad of his thumb against the rapid flutter of your pulse. It’s nearly enough to make you flicker out of time itself, consequences be damned. His next words are a wistful purr. “You can leave.”

You aren’t sure why the surprise that lances through you hurts so much. Of course, he isn’t your Remy. You know this. He may smile and banter and touch you as kindly as Remy does — as he did, past tense, it’s all beyond your grasp now — but that does not make you something for him to cherish.

It does, however, make you something to use.

“I am always here,” you start, settling into this waltz slowly. This was the other part of your existence that used to confuse Remy. Some part of you hardly understood it, either. You don’t know how every part of a jet plane or automobile works either, though, so it doesn’t phase you much anymore. You had tried to explain it with the T.V. analogy, like your other versions were playing on different screens even if you aren’t tuned in, but that only served to confuse him more. He did enjoy your choice of explanation in some way, at least, by fully indulging in references from his favorite T.V. shows. The conversation had derailed into you hitting him with a pillow, and then you had both unraveled into a different sort of banter.

Not that Remy ever let you get the last word, though. Tuning the channel, he had said seriously, as you had writhed beneath his touch in a breathless rush. Smart-mouthed, smooth-talking swamp boy.

“Some part of me stays here. A variant,” you continue. Gambit waits, those slivered-red irises trained intently on your expressions. How strange to have him staring at you with such suspicion. You could never lie well to Remy LeBeau no matter the version you stumbled across. You could hold back, yes, but he would always know anyway. You have learned to stop hiding from him. It is inevitable that you will admit your life to him in some way, either by choice or by necessity.

“I am here,” you say. “Like I’m sitting in a coffee shop in Paris, reading the morning newspaper, playing the crossword. I can see the empty grid in my head. I know the clues.”

There’s a familiar furrow in Gambit’s brow. You’re suddenly glad he’s holding your hand before you end up surrendering to the urge to reach out and smooth it away. Not your Remy. A touch from you is not the sort he hungers for.

“Paris, eh?” He presses his thumb to your pulse. You wonder if he feels the leap in your heart beat at the touch. “Wha’s got you wandering da Void, then?”

“I didn’t choose to be here,” you admit. “I got… reset, I guess. My mind went to the next version of my body available.”

“Reset sounds awfully dire, I t’ink.” He gives you a pointed look. “Wha’s got you?”

For one long, awful moment, you almost tell him the terrible truth. You almost tell him that you went looking for a version of him that was familiar enough to soothe the gaping hole in your heart. That you found a Gambit that was witty and kind despite his shitty upbringing, one that liked to make you laugh and could keep up with the practice drills you still put yourself through. A Gambit that wasn’t afraid that you would one day vanish and be replaced by some version of yourself that he didn’t love.

You want to tell him that you found a Gambit that you had wanted to keep safe, and he was shot in the back trying to do the same for you. You tore yourself apart to take down the men that did it to him. You died with him and you still woke up within one breath and the next. You had to wake up and hear his voice, except this is not the Gambit that died because of you, this version does not know what he holds onto so tightly.

You want to tell him that three other versions of Remy LeBeau died just as terribly, and you just keep spinning the roulette wheel, and you just keep living.

“That version of me died,” you say. “Shot in the stomach.”

He’s looking at you as if he has never seen such a phenomenon. You suppose, technically, he hasn’t. He used to be one of the lucky ones that didn’t know you even existed. There goes that winner’s streak.

“Do’ya have t'die to… reset?”

You think about lying again. God, you wish you could. “Not always.”

He raises a brow at that, but you don’t offer to elaborate. Instead, you let the cards in your hand release from this reality with a soft whir of energy. Your head feels stuffed with cotton, or perhaps rocks. Maybe this is your mind finally burying itself alive in rebellion of your time-skipping antics.

“Tell ya what, chér.” His fingers loosen their grip on your wrist only to tangle with your own, intertwining your hands. Your breath catches. It’s the only split-second warning you have before he hauls you up to your feet, one hand entangled with yours, the other supporting the small of your back to keep you balanced. You have to shut your eyes against the vertigo that thunders in your head.

“Don’t die,” he continues. “Paris ain’t all it’s cracked up to be, hein? No reason to go dere.”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” you grit out. You think you might throw up. Or pass out. Your free hand grips onto the lapel of Gambit’s coat hard enough for your fingers to grow stiff. His hand on your back is a solid, anchoring weight. It supports you more than you would like. Relying on him could be a dangerous game.

Still, your power is a raw, aching nerve burning through your veins. You couldn’t switch without tearing yourself apart, not as exhausted as you are. Considering that this Gambit hasn’t driven a knife into your back, either literal or figurative, it’s easier not to resist when he makes a soft hum and sweeps you into a bridal carry. You keep your eyes closed, and try to ignore the burn at the back of them. A part of you waits for his sound of pain, the impact of bullets thudding into his back. Another part wonders if he will be vaporized from existence by the TVA, just a second before your hands meet.

The third, quieter part of your mind just thinks: Remy.

Gambit, the fourth ace in your suit, doesn’t do any of those things. He adjusts your weight, testing to see if you will squirm out of his grasp, then he begins to walk. He’s strangely quiet. It’s almost a relief in the wake of your draining, familiar conversation. How many times will you have to reintroduce yourself to a Gambit? What could you possibly offer this fate-curious, battle-wary version of the man you love? It’s the sort of question that makes you reconsider your choice to stay.

Stay with a Gambit with ulterior motives, or move on to another life with no guarantee of who will meet you there? Well. When you put it like that, there’s no other option at all.

And, as if he can read your mind, Gambit begins to explain.

[shorlinesorrows]

my jean & neil qpr agenda (part 1?)

after Neil orders the hit and Greyson becomes another Former Raven statistic for the media to go wild with, Jean ends up texting Neil. It's definitely not a thank you, but both of them know it kinda is (prob something like "you're an insufferable disease" lol)

They don't have contact for a while, but one day Neil reaches out by sending Jean the most atrocious multilingual French meme with "Kevin doesn't appreciate me or my humor, this is a hate crime"

It's sporadic from there, and maybe at one point they meet up while Neil and Andrew are on their summer road trip. Neil and Andrew end up in Colorado, and Jeremy, Cat, and Laila practically drag Jean there to see them (he'll deny that he had a good time, but he really did)

Andrew and Jean have a bizarre and interesting dynamic where they don't speak to each other often, but they eventually grow a mutual respect and shoot each other Looks about their "I'm Fine" partners. They don't mind just sitting in the same room and sharing space while they do their separate things.

When Jean and Jeremy start their pottery class, Jean takes to it like a fish to water.

He ends up majoring in Ceramics & Multimedia Art. Something about using his hands to create, rather than destroy.

He makes Neil a little exy racket charm for his keychain.

At one point, Jeremy makes a gc with Jean, Neil, Kevin, and Andrew on impulse. Jean "hates" it but doesn't leave the group chat. Andrew only stays in it because he can mute it, and it's useful for when they plan to meet up sometimes. It also makes Neil happy and it's not something he really minds

Jean also takes LOTS of pictures. With his phone, his friends' phones, a polaroid camera he gets as a gift from Cat, anything he can get his hands on. He hangs them up on his half of the room with Jeremy.

Eventually Jeremy and Jean do get separate rooms. They usually still sleep in the same room, but it's an important milestone for Jean and his recovery. Being able to have his own space, and know he's allowed to control who comes in it.

He decorates that room so much it's chaotic and beautiful and there's probably little pencil doodles on the wall next to his bed from when he can't sleep. He tends to draw daffodils :]

It becomes a bit of a tradition to meet Neil and Andrew every summer.

When they go pro, Jean and Neil end up on teams only a few hours' drive from each other. Neil and Andrew start on the same team, but the whole Minyard-Josten Rivalry is still a Thing because they're always shooting heated Russian at each other while "glaring" and no one else seems to realize it's their equivalent of flirting.

Jean thinks it's hilarious. He harasses Neil about it constantly.

Him and Kevin eventually mend their friendship, and they care about each other a lot.

Neil probably made the three of them matching "I survived Castle Evermore" shirts just to be a menace, and then Jean and Kevin have to make him swear that he'll never wear it in public.

Neil has a habit of just. Showing up at Jean's house and crashing sometimes.

Jeremy at one point jokes that he'll have to fight Neil for Jean's time in the future, but he's not really worried. They're happier when they spend time together. Jeremy and Andrew are chill with it.

When they meet up for the first time after a game between their pro teams, none of their teammates have any clue what's going on. Jean and Neil insult each other ferociously, but also can't seem to resist hip-checks and shoulder bumps and almost affectionate shoves.

Neil constantly sidles up to Jean and pretends like he doesn't know what he's doing. Jean usually responds by absently grabbing his hand so he knows where he is.

They are literally a cat and dog. Neil will deny that he's being caring or affectionate towards Jean all day long while actively attempting to be in Jean's space, and Jean practically perks up when Neil enters a room.

When their teams play against each other, they talk in French sometimes. Their checks are always a bit brutal (they know very well how far the other can be pushed before they break) but they help each other up at the end of quarters.

Jean is constantly antagonizing Neil by smiling and complimenting his striker skills while blocking him, and Neil is constantly taunting him with words that are plenty sharp, but never actually aimed for vital spots

Jean gets a service dog and Jeremy decides to name her Mr. Barkbark Flufferpants, following Andrew & Neil's naming scheme for their cats. They usually just call her "Mr."

When they make Court, the two of them practically live in each other's pockets.

Jeremy and Andrew watch both exasperatedly and amusedly (though Andrew just calls it annoyance when asked) as the two of them dance around their Big Queer Platonic Feelings

When they finally manage to actually communicate about it, it goes something like "Idk what's happening, I'm kinda obsessed with you but it is Not Romantic and I don't know what to do with that." And then "Oh thank hell, me too, I thought I was even weirder than I already am. Wanna go harrass the fbi together?" "No."

They become even more attached at the hip after that, can practically finish each other's sentences. It's like they freaking mind melded tbh.

At first Kevin gets worried that they're slipping into old habits from the Nest, especially Jean, but when he brings it up to Andrew and Jeremy, Andrew just goes "No, they're idiots." and Jeremy nods and says "I think they're in a honeymoon phase. If we see them slipping, we'll pull them out."

Kevin decides to wait and watch, and thankfully their relationship ends up being as healthy as Neil and Jean can be. There might be a little codependence going on, but they have other people and other grounding forces to help intervene if it seems to be unbalancing.

They both put each other on their emergency contacts list.

It's a common sight to find the two of them twisted into impossible positions together just doing their own things, Jean drawing, Neil watching reruns of Exy matches, whatever.

Their dynamic just becomes Jean, who genuinely grows up to be a pretty chill dude, and Neil, who's an absolute gremlin. Except they kinda absorb each other's personalities, so they're both little shits together. They fit.

There is definitely all sorts of weird conversations that they have at 2AM in little sleepovers they do together (sometimes with Kevin, Jeremy, or Andrew) because they never got that as kids.

I bet Neil mercilessly teases Jean for being allosexual, especially when he gets flustered (all in good fun, of course)

Jean just snarks back with a "shut up, I literally saw you look at Andrew like a besotted elderly man with his partner of fifty years like five minutes ago." Neil sticks out his tongue at him.

Jean actually can sometimes read the ways that Neil and Andrew show affection for each other because of how much time he spends around them, which leads to him occasionally getting confused when other people don't automatically Get It

Neil takes a while to warm up to Jeremy because he seems Too Nice, but once he does he helps Jeremy plan to absolutely torment Jean with silly little romantic gestures that make him flush all the way down to his neck

At one point Neil tries to get Jean to explain what it feels like to be sexually attracted to someone without knowing them really closely, and it leads to a really surprisingly deep conversation about attraction before it turns into neil making dick jokes.

Cat and Laila still keep in close contact with Jean, as well as Renee. They make sure to meet up as often as they can. Cat and Jean always go for a bike ride together and they all cook dinner as a group.

They're both cuddle monsters when in the right mood. They also have the convenient ability to fall asleep Anywhere when they feel safe. So finding them curled up together in weird places at home is pretty commonplace.

They're forever partners, not in the way that the world and the Nest tried to make them be, but in a way that they created themselves.

It doesn't have to be romantic to be special, and if anyone ever suggested that they should be in a romantic relationship, they would both look at that person with absolute judgement and disgust. This person interrupted their conversation. They were talking shit about someone. Neil is lounging in Jean's lap. Andrew is saying he hates them both, and Jeremy is cackling at it all while taking a low-res picture for Cat and Laila.

idk i have a Lot of thoughts and could keep going. (i might write a fic if anyone wants to read it, and I'll definitely write little snippets for myself if I get the time. )