#I love tiny red headed Scott

[malarkgirlypop]

Found pics of tiny Scott grimes

Swag boy alert!!

[salemoleander]

Headed back to her base after the session ended, lack of speed weighing down every step, she really shouldn’t have stopped to chat with Joel. He asks about Gem, because of course he does, and she grits her teeth and charitably changes the subject.

He asks again.

Stupidly- because he’s her friend, because he was a Mounder, because she'd love for someone to not learn the hard way- she tries to explain.

“You can’t trust her, Joel. I know you won’t listen, because I’m evil and cursed and everything everyone says and she’s your family-” She spits family like a piece of flint. “-but I’d rather be outcast and know where I stand than pair up with someone like Gem.”

“You’ve got your group, haven’t you? I don’t see why you’re so angry at her for still not trusting you, it’s not like you’re alone. Scott and everyone have welcomed you back with open arms!”

Pearl snorts. “Yeah, to be the family pet. ‘Everyone come look at our bright red monster! Don’t get too close, she bites!’”

“Well, you did immediately start to change your skin to Scarlet Pearl,” Joel points out, dismissive. “Bit weird to do, if you didn’t want everyone to think you’re dangerous.”

“If they’re going to treat me like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, I’d rather just be a wolf. At least then people know I have teeth.” She grins, canines jagged against her bottom lip.

He grimaces, and makes a shooing motion in her direction. “Okay, freaky wolf lady, time to get off my lawn. Go annoy someone else.”

She’s always impressed by how well Joel manages to project disinterest, when there’s a conversation he doesn’t want to be in. Pearl tilts her head, fixing him with a flat, yellow-eyed stare. “How’s the pretending to be family thing going, Joel? Still as much fun as you were hoping for?”

“We’re not pretending, and it’s going great,” he says, stone-faced, eyes trained on the horizon to the right of her shoulder. “Gem’s the best team- the best family I could ask for.”

“Liar, liar, pants on fire,” Pearl drawls. “I bet it feels nice right now! You’ve both got sooooo many lives- she isn’t even afraid of you, yet. No paranoia, not like crazy Pearlie and her team.”

Joel flinches - just a tiny bit, she’d never notice if she wasn’t so close to red- and then scoffs. “Well you’ve got one thing right, you are crazy.”

“I might be!” She agrees brightly. “But not about this. Gem’s too new to know how to see past the fear. She doesn’t know where you started, what you used to be.”

“What do you blumming mean, what I used to be?” He looks off-kilter, and Pearl lets that question hang for a moment as the possibilities spin around them: A king? A god? Her friend?

“She doesn’t know you were a wolf, Joel.” Pearl says in a hushed tone, gentle and honest. “Are a wolf, really, can’t change your spots! And when you start dying, when you get hungry, when she sees herself reflected in red eyes, Gem will treat you just like she treats me.”

“What the hell are you talking about, Pearl.” His voice is rough. “I’m not some lone wolf, I have friends now! I was with Grian and Jim, and- last season, even, we were in a group!”

“Some of us- a lot of us!- don’t care about wolves anymore. Especially wolves like you, pretending to be dogs, all loyal and helpful. But Gem is new, and at some point the threat is going to dawn on her.” She offers, voice smooth as glass, “If you’re lucky, maybe she’ll let you die like a dog for her, instead of putting you down herself.”

“You don’t- Get out of our base.” Joel’s knuckles are blanched, hands clenched into fists at his sides. He’s angry - good. Maybe he’ll remember this, when Gem sends him on a suicide mission or cuts him down for the win.

Maybe he’ll learn, faster than she did, there’s no use pretending to be a dog.

[pandapetals]

Christmas Sweater

You convince Logan to wear a christmas sweater.

professor logan howlett x professor fem!reader - married couple, cute, fluff, banter, no y/n used, no reader description, your an english professor, logan is a history professor, christmas party, holiday vibes

read on ao3 or find more parts for the series: here

divider credit: @saradika

“Please, Logan? Pretty please?” You held out the oversized Christmas sweater, grinning as you watched his face contort into a scowl the moment he laid eyes on it. It was red and green with a ridiculous snowman knitted across the front, complete with a fluffy scarf and a lopsided top hat. It was festive, cheesy, and perfect for the holiday party.

Logan crossed his arms, his stance unyielding. "Not a chance, sweetheart," he grumbled. "I’m not wearin’ that thing."

“Oh, come on!" you said, rolling your eyes as you pushed the sweater toward him. "Everyone’s wearing one. Jean’s got a reindeer sweater with bells, and I swear I saw Scott in one with candy canes."

Logan raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Summers can wear all the candy canes he wants. I don’t need some fuzzy snowman to feel ‘festive.’"

You let out a sigh, putting on your best pout. "Logan, for the past four Christmases, I’ve let it slide. You’ve skulked around in your boring black t-shirt, looking like you’d rather be elsewhere. But just this once… for me?" You softened your tone, tilting your head and batting your eyelashes. "Please?"

He gave you a long, suffering look, but you caught the faintest twitch at the corner of his mouth. After a heavy silence, he let out a dramatic sigh. "Fine," he muttered, snatching the sweater from your hands. "But if anyone makes a single comment, I'm takin’ it off. Got it?"

"Got it," you replied, beaming as he reluctantly pulled the sweater over his head. You had to bite back a laugh as it slid down over his broad shoulders, the fabric clinging to his frame and yet somehow looking cozy and inviting.

He grumbled under his breath as he adjusted the sleeves, but there was a hint of a smirk he desperately tried to hide. "This thing’s ridiculous," he muttered, tugging at the snowman’s scarf, which was made of actual fuzzy yarn that dangled a little too realistically.

You stepped back, giving him an appreciative once-over with a grin. "I dunno… I think you look adorable. Plus we match.” 

"Adorable," he repeated flatly, narrowing his eyes at you. "Careful, sweetheart. You’re pushin’ it."

The two of you joined the rest of the team downstairs, where the holiday party was in full swing. Logan tried to stay in the background, but it wasn’t long before Rogue spotted him and let out a delighted laugh. "Logan! Look at you!" she teased, clapping her hands together. "Never thought I’d see the day you’d wear somethin’ so… cheerful."

Logan grumbled, crossing his arms in an attempt to hide the snowman on his chest. "Don’t start, kid," he muttered, though you could see the faint blush creeping up his neck.

Scott walked by, barely holding back a grin. "Nice sweater, Logan. Didn’t know you had it in you."

Logan’s response was a low growl, but there was that hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth again. He shot you a look as if to say, I told you this would happen.

You just shrugged innocently, giving him a wink. "Told you everyone would love it."

Despite his protests, Logan seemed to settle into the cozy warmth of the sweater as the night went on. You caught him tugging it down a few times, mumbling about the sleeves being too long, but eventually, he seemed to forget about it, even getting a little more relaxed with each passing hour.

At one point, you snuck over to the snack table and grabbed your phone, positioning yourself just right. He was standing by the fireplace, scowling at his hot cocoa as if it had personally offended him, but he looked… comfortable. The firelight danced off the cozy red and green knit, and his expression was somewhere between annoyed and content, a tiny smile ghosting over his lips.

You snapped a picture, grinning to yourself. Logan caught you mid-snap, raising an eyebrow. "Did you just take a picture of me in this ridiculous thing?"

You hid your phone behind your back, laughing. "Maybe."

He rolled his eyes, stepping closer, his hands resting on his hips. "You’re lucky I’m wearin’ this for you," he muttered, his voice gruff but warm.

You bit back a smile, tilting your head as you looked up at him. "You know, you don’t have to keep it on. I’m just saying… if it’s really that uncomfortable—"

"Don’t push it," Logan cut in, his voice gruff but softer than usual. His gaze lingered on yours, a flicker of warmth breaking through his usual stoic expression. After a beat, he mumbled, almost as if he didn’t want you to hear, "It’s actually… not bad. Warm, even."

Your grin widened, and before he could protest, you leaned up and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. "See? I knew you’d secretly like it. Admit it—deep down, you’re a fan of holiday cheer."

Logan rolled his eyes, but a faint smirk betrayed him. There was a glimmer of amusement in his gaze that hadn’t been there at the start of the evening, and you could feel his stance relax just a little as if he’d finally surrendered to the holiday spirit.

"You’re just a big softie in disguise," you teased, patting his chest where the snowman’s fuzzy scarf dangled slightly off-kilter. The absurdity of it made you giggle, and Logan couldn’t help but shake his head, his gruff exterior melting as he looked down at you.

"Yeah, well, don’t go makin’ a habit of it," he muttered, though there was a faint blush creeping up his neck. "And don’t get any ideas about sharin’ that picture, either. If anyone asks, I’ll deny it’s me."

You laughed, pulling out your phone to give the picture another glance—a candid shot of Logan looking surprisingly cozy by the fireplace, the oversized sweater almost swallowing his broad frame, a reluctant smile tugging at his lips. It was like capturing a rare sighting of some mythical creature: Logan, the Wolverine, caught in a moment of holiday cheer.

"Don’t worry," you whispered, slipping your phone back into your pocket. "This one’s just for me. My little secret."

Logan let out a small huff, a resigned sort of acceptance settling in his expression as he wrapped an arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer. "Good."

You nestled against him, savoring the warmth of his sweater and the steady rise and fall of his breathing. The two of you stood there, wrapped in each other and surrounded by the soft glow of holiday lights, the rest of the room fading away.

"Thanks for humoring me," you murmured, pressing your head against his shoulder. "You didn’t have to, you know."

Logan’s hand rested gently on your arm, his thumb tracing small circles as he looked down at you, a faint smile softening his rough features. "Yeah, well… I guess you’re worth a little humiliation," he muttered, the teasing edge in his voice belying the warmth in his gaze. "Just don’t expect me to go wearin’ reindeer antlers next year."

You chuckled, leaning up to kiss him softly, savoring the rare moment of tenderness between you. "Noted," you whispered. "But you're wearing another sweater next year."

Logan groaned as the corners of his mouth twitched up into a smile. "You’re lucky I love you," he mumbled, tightening his arm around you as he looked around the room. "Guess this holiday stuff ain’t so bad when you’re here."

[wileys-russo]

you NEED to write something about one of these

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/24371723/arsenal-england-leah-williamson-alex-scott-red-carpet/amp/

+ the gucci exhibition outfit

we are getting fed🧎🏼‍♀️

heels II l.williamson

"how's your thesis going then pretty girl?" arms wrapped around you as leah rested her chin atop your head, gently massaging your shoulders as you welcomed the girls slender fingers attacking the knots in your muscles which had been cramped over your laptop all day.

"it’s getting there." you sighed, eyes closing as your head slumped back a little in relief. "do you have time to help me with my makeup please?" the blonde asked hopefully, kissing your cheeky sweetly as you nodded.

"of course baby. now?" you offered looking up at her with a smile. "yes please, thank you." she mumbled against your lips as she kissed you, stealing the breath from your lungs before pulling away and offering her hand.

helping you up you followed her to the bathroom where she'd already laid everything out. "i tried to make it easier." leah gestured as you smiled, pecking her lips and gesturing for her to sit on the edge of the bath.

"what are you wearing?" you asked curiously, her hands resting on your hips as you stood between her legs, starting to do her base. "you'll see later. but its black!" she smiled, eyes closed as you frowned but hummed, knowing the woman was far too stubborn to give in if you'd bothered to try and get it out of her.

"i got cleared to wear heels again today." leah grinned once you'd finished her base, tapping her shoulders as you rifled through your makeup trying to work out what you wanted to do for her eyes.

"every little change is one step closer to being back on the pitch. i am so proud of you lee." you smiled, your eyes shone with pride as you rewarded her with a kiss, your girlfriend mumbling how grateful she was for your support.

"so you said black. what do you want for your eyes then babe? are you taking a statement bag or a clutch or anything?" you asked, hands on hips as you surveyed her. "mm something light? you know what i like." the blonde shrugged and you nodded, grabbing what you wanted as she closed her eyes again.

"all done." you stole a kiss once you'd finished as her blue eyes fluttered open. "you look gorgeous. i'll leave you to get ready, did you want anything to eat before you go? or leave you something leftover for later?" you questioned as the older girl stood.

"you look gorgeous. but no that's alright love, they'll feed me there and i'm not sure when i'll be home." she smiled apologetically as you nodded in understanding, not the biggest lover of social events you never minded a night in on your own, understanding from the get go that they were a key part of leahs job.

your relationship with the english captain wasn't a secret but it was private, and so you accompanied her to the occasional event at her request but mostly you were happy to support her from afar, comforted in knowing that it was your bed she always returned to afterwards anyway.

it was around an hour later when leah emerged again, smiling in amusement watching your body sway to and fro to the music gently floating around the kitchen as you cooked. your back facing her you hadn't noticed her presence yet.

"mmm dinner and a show? i'm almost tempted not to leave." leah joked, eyes fixated on your behind in a pair of very short shorts, her hoodie adoring your top half as you jumped, caught off guard at her voice as you spun around clutching your chest in surprise.

but nothing compared to the surprise felt as you took your girlfriend in, fixated on what she was wearing, or more specifically what she wasn't wearing.

"jesus fucking christ leah." you breathed out quietly, jaw hanging slack as the defender smirked, your reaction all she'd been hoping for and more. "do we like?" she cocked an eyebrow toward you as you nodded wordlessly.

the tiny black skirt had a small arch up the side, showing off her incredibly tanned thigh, the short length only highlighting the blondes gorgeously long legs.

her top, if you could even call it that, resembled more that of a bikini as it clung to her chest, barely covering her breasts.

her toned abs were out on full display which practically left you drooling, your head a fuzzy mess as you'd become accustomed to her leaning more into her masculinity when dressing.

but tonight gone were the tailored suits, dress shoes, button ups and jorts. she was a picture of feminine ethereal radiance and your entire body was screaming for her. a million and one thoughts raced through your mind as leah slowly advanced toward you, heels clicking against the hardwood floor.

"you look so very cute when you're flustered baby." she purred, hands flat against the counter, arms either side of you trapping you between her scantily clad body and the counter.

her lips ghosted yours teasingly, warm breath fanning your face. you almost moaned as you craned your neck up to kiss her and she pulled her head back with an infuriatingly sexy smirk.

normally a good head taller than you on an average day, in her heels leah towered over you, her hand grabbing your chin as her thumb stroked your jaw, her rings cold against your skin.

"be a good girl and wait up for me baby, i'll see you when i get home." she whispered, leaning in as if to kiss you, lips instead pressing to your forehead fondly.

"are you seriously going to call me a good girl dressed like that and leave without even giving me a proper kiss?" you managed out in disbelief, slumping against the counter as she backed off.

"mm, have a nice night darling." she blew you a kiss and just like that her heels clacked away and you heard the front door close before you could even breathe, feet rooted firmly to the floor.

some days you were convinced she would be the death of you.

[ellielatinagf]

Ellie Williams in Covid head cannons

Sooooo this is just a small idea I had because I’ve never seen anyone else do this soooooooo. Our poor girly in yet another epidemic. Love you all!

Warnings: a tiny bit nsfw content, cursing, for the girls only pleaseee, lmk if there’s anything else

Was absolutely thrilled when everyone was advised to stay inside because she’s such an antisocial loser untilllllll she saw how everyone was rapidly spreading the disease. She’s low key a germaphobe.

Totally had a YouTube channel which consisted of her recording herself doing nothing but laying on the couch with you watching tv. Her only subscribers were Jesse, Joel, and Dina and some rando from Tennessee.

She found a new obsession every week and now the garage is filled with boxes of old paintings, crochet chickens, and diy art stuff.

Had ranked every Ramen noodle flavor from best to worst

Absolutely freaked OUT when you got Covid from your job and she ended up sleeping over at Joel’s. She actually refused to come back untill you showed her how you deep cleaned the whole house.

Ellie on FaceTime

Ellie: wait babe lemme see right there on the dresser

You: Ellie I literally wiped it down twice

Ellie: well I didn’t see it

Tried to make cookies one time and thought they were perfect and crispy around the edges. They really tasted like chips and she got mad when you laughed and claimed you never take her seriously.

Okay I’m sorry but she was a horny monster like cmon she was in the house all day with you like how can she not.

Had an obsession with the Big Bang theory and made you watch it with her and explained all the science stuff which she knew for the most part. On the ones she didn’t know she’d yap about it till you looked it up and she’d gaslight you into thinking she was right.

You: “Umm babe google says……”

Ellie: “that’s literally what I was saying”

She was at Joel’s house one time helping him make more guitars. She accidentally cut herself and when you demanded she go to the hospital which she was terrified of because of all the Covid patients getting her sick she went like this

“Hold on babe i watched greys anatomy”

Fell victim to the meme pages all in her camera roll that were like this

Hated zoom meetings but she’d be the type to hold her phone on the screen and watch those Roblox Tik toks.

I know i already said she was a fortnite god but that girl watched every single fortnite concert at the time and made sure you were right there with her and she made sure to clip the whole thing even though when watching the clip back her and Jesse were yelling their asses off. She loved season three of fortnite.

Ellie: “ HURRY UP BABE TRAVIS SCOTT IS GONNA PREFORM OH MY GOD JESSE WHERE ARE YOU!!!”

Ellie hated when people overstocked at the grocery store meanwhile she did the exact same thing because she was paranoid and it came in hand since you guys wouldn’t need to go grocery shopping for at least a week and a half

Ellie also discovered games with an emotional storyline like Detroit becomes human, red dead redemption, resident evil, ect. And had a phase where she’d be all poetic and shit thinking she was Shakespeare, she got tired of talking like she was from the 1800s.

Ellie: “my love, your eyes, they remind me of a thousand sunsets…”

You: “did you take out the trash?”

She had all her favorite YouTubers and would watch them on the tv and she’d make you play among us with her because that was “the game of century” as she proclaimed.

She actually had a small mini breakdown because our poor girl found out Joel had Covid and remember that in the news it said older people were more at risk. The poor girl though Joel was gonna die and you laid in bed with Ellie who was sniffling and crying in your shirt while you rubbed her back. Those always calm her down. Then when Joel was better again she made you pinky promise not to tell anyone anything. But she did end up calling Joel more frequently.

You guys actually had spent a lot of time together and most couples who spent so much time together broke up and got bored and such and such but you two actually enjoyed you time together. You and Ellie would would go to an open park where no one was around and watch the sunset and talk about what your plans were after everything was back to normal. Ellie asked if you two could get a puppy and who can ever say no to those eyes and freckles cheeks?

Another thing you guys liked to do was spent all day in bed and cuddling. Now a lot of people will assume Ellie would be the big spoon and that can be true sometimes but the girl is a hugeeeeeee softie. She loved being the little spoon because she felt safe by feeling your soft breath ok her back or shoulder. And she’s hold a dinosaur plushie. Like always.

She cried when she watched videos of family’s finally being able to reunite or grandparents watching their families through a class. Who didn’t cry?

She loved playing just dance with you and she’d purposely pick a song where you both had to dance together because she never has the balls to ask you to dance to with her.

She had a little camcorder where she recorded almost everything in your lives at that point. You brushing your teeth, both of you eating cereal, having tickle fights, ect. What Ellie doesn’t know is that now you sometimes go to the camcorder and watch the old videos and she’d a tear here and there because you loved the memories.

Some how she was actually a beast at the toilet paper kick up challenge and got a good 14 kick ups.

You cannot tell me she didn’t buy those apple juices that actually founded like apples when you bit into them.

I lowkey just had an idea of what Ellie would be like at this time sooooo lmk what other hcs you guys might want! Also be sure to let me know if you’d like to be in the Taglists! Don’t forget to talk about Palestine guys! Free Palestine 🇵🇸 🇵🇸🇵🇸

Taglists: @vqxen @bready101 @lilylynne11 @Lively-blues @Yurixxiii @vampyangel @gato-chino @a-little-bit-of-everybody @abbysbraids

[sludgewolf]

I saw that you were searching for Hazard asks so I thought I’d pitch in! 😁😊 (I luv that Scottish big boi)

How about some headcanons or a scenario about Hazard with a shy, petite (5'0-5'2) s/o who blushes easily?? (subtle touches, getting picked up/manhandled, quick kisses, etc.)

Thanks for the pitch, this was way too cute to write for that big softie! ;-; Also sry Scotts, I may've butchered your language. English isn't my first language and Hazard is my only reference for scottish slang, any feedback is more than welcome

Disclaimer: do not copy, repost, take or feed to AI or NFTs anything I post

Masterlist

Ye Daft Wee Bastard - Hazard x Shy!Reader

You're just about the cutest person Haz has ever laid eyes upon, you're so tiny and shy compared to him, Findlay can't help but want to protect this little blushing fairy that came into his life

He def has a field day with you, teasing you relentlessly just to see you blush bright red and try to hide away on his side

constantly jokes that he'll implant a tracker in you so you won't get lost among the dust bunnies

loves dropping his jacket over your shoulders to see you disappear in it, he says he'll be taking you to his next mission in his pocket

thankfully he doesn't take it too far to the point it makes you actually uncomfortable, his bands did raise him right after all

Haz is head over heels for you and doesn't ever bother hiding it, will do anything you ask of him in a heartbeat

well, anything but to stop annoying you, that's his god given right as your partner

besides that he has the patience of a saint when it comes to you, knowing you're shy it took so long of you both dancing around each other before finally coming clean with each other

even if it has been clear since forever, he wanted to wait till you were comfortable with finally outright admitting it all

The main thing he can think during missions is if you're safe, it doesn't matter what's the goal, he has to be by your side the whole time to make sure you're safe

straight up jumping in the line of fire for you kind of overprotective, completely forgetting the crystal walls he can now create

So, so many nicknames like Fun Size, Sugar Plum Fairy, Cherry, Wee Yin, Numpty and

Due to you being, well, you Findley suffers badly from cuteness aggression, needing to softly bite your cheeks and tiny fingers before covering your face with kisses as he hold you close to show you how much he truly loves you

will sometimes point off to somewhere to your side so when you look he'll kiss your cheek, to then laugh at how hard it made you blush

Takes you on rooftop hopping dates, where he'll hoist you up on his shoulder and jump from building to building while badly singing "A whole new world" for you as you laugh

You're hanging together in a concert of one of your favorite bands he surprised you with tickets it doesn't take long in the night for crowd starts to get a bit too rowdy, Haz in fear of you getting hurt uses his body to shield you from the others as you manage to pull him off to a quieter area " Ye oke lass? Was afraid aff ye gettin wallap in there " he breathes a sigh of relief as he checks up with you you can only nod 'yes' before realizing you still have his hand in yours, as if feeling your sudden alarm over it Hazard tries to retreat his hand gathering all your courage you pull it back, laying your hand flat against his massive one your cheeks burn as you meet his questioning gaze "your hands are so warm ..." you gulp, interlocking your fingers together "I- uh I'd like for us to stay like this" now it was his turn to blush cherry red, he turns away from you trying to hide it as a smile creeps on his face " Aye, ah would like that tae" he breathy laughs meeting your eyes again " Ye Daft Wee Bastard"

If you liked this pls reblog and comment so I know to write more like it reblogs >>> likes

[christinesficrecs]

Happy Saturday! Enjoy these brilliant fics. 🩷

I don’t know why, but I guess it has something to do with you by LunaCanisLupus_22 | 17.8K

“You smell like me,” the guy says, scowling as he crowds in and Stiles staggers back between the coats and finally hits the wall. “Why do you smell like me?”

He barely lets out a garbled sound as the blood rushes to his cheeks. “No reason,” Stiles yelps, struggling to get his footing and grasping at a whirlwind of puffy fur.

His Only Defense by LunaCanisLupus_22 | 78.7K

Stiles had just accidentally challenged an alpha.

Oh God, and Scott had just stood by and let him do it. He was the worst best friend ever. Stiles was going to kill him. Except, oh right, the alpha was going to kill him first. Like beyond dead, ripped into tiny little pieces dead. So far dead that his dad would not be able to identify him, dead.

Laying Groundwork by  LunaCanisLupus_22 | 10.9K

The one where Scott and Stiles go clubbing and there’s this broody Bouncer out to get Stiles-

Or get into his pants. Thank God it’s the latter.

Give you that thing you can’t even imagine by  LunaCanisLupus_22 | 10.9K

The one where mateless Derek thinks no omega can affect him like they do other alphas and he’s about to find out he’s very, very wrong.

Shot Through The Heart by  LunaCanisLupus_22 | 64.8K

The one when Stiles and Derek work for rival assassin companies and are sent to kill each other. It definitely doesn’t go as planned.

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“I will marry you,” he declares. “But should any more harm come to my father or my people, I will raze the earth itself until I feel the lifeblood drain from your corpse and paint my skin with it.”

It is not an idle warning, but from the princeling it has none of the desired effect. Derek feels no fear, but in this instance at least diplomacy triumphed over the spilling of more blood. It is all the same to him anyway. But Regent Peter was most insistent they avoid a drawn-out, gruelling war.

“Then we have reached an accord.”

Oh baby give me one more chance (to show you that I love you) by LunaCanisLupus_22 | 54.7K

“You like Derek,” he says slowly. “Derek Hale.”

His father grimaces at the accusation there. “Look, Stiles it’s complicated-“

“So when I was married to him,” he continues, voice rising. “He wasn’t good enough. He was taking advantage of me. ‘He’ll never be able to love you like you want, Stiles’. That’s what you said-“

Or the Sweet Home Alabama AU that nobody asked for.

I'm at one, and I've been quiet for too long by LunaCanisLupus_22 | 11.4K

“All in favour of Derek not dating for a full year so he can get his shit together and stop romancing people who want to kill us?”

Everyone raises their hands. Every single pack member.

Or the one where the pack insists Derek can't date anybody for a year but he ends up finding romance much closer to home anyway.

I know that you love me, even when I lose my head by LunaCanisLupus_22 | 135.5K

“We’re not mates, Cora,” he insists. “I mean look at him-“

“Ouch,” the kid says, no longer pushing that shit eating grin.

“He’s- he’s,” Derek tries, at a loss of how to explain why this can’t be possible. Why it shouldn’t be possible.

When sparks fly by LunaCanisLupus_22 | 87.5K | Abandoned

“Derek,” Stiles thunders. “Were you ever going to tell me your house is trying to hook us up?”

Derek’s head snaps up, eyes wide and scenting the evident crackle of magic in the air.

I'll wrap up my bones, And leave them by LunaCanisLupus_22 | 65.1K

The sign on the cage actually reads Beware: The Beast! in that crappy horror movie red paint that trickles down the paper in a failed attempt to appear like dripping blood.

And it would seem stupid if not for the living supernatural creature currently trapped behind its bars. Little hard to dismiss the big, hulking werewolf as a poorly constructed horror movie prop.

Oh how the mighty have fallen. Dude, cannot catch a break.

How long have I been on the hunt for you? by LunaCanisLupus_22 | 20.3K

“Well I guess accidental kidnapping is not so bad then,” Scott decided brightly after the others had finished describing their ordeals. “All’s well that ends well, right?”

“HAHA,” Stiles practically shouted, loud and unsettling enough that everyone turned to look at him. “I mean, yep. For. Sure.”

[thetomorrowshow]

The love crystal.

It wasn’t meant to make Ren fall in love with him. It was only ever meant to be a—a promise, sure, a commitment, so that Ren would know that he could trust him over anyone else. So that he would know that Martyn—

He doesn’t end up giving it to him.

Martyn dies thinking of Ren (he died with Ren’s name on his lips, once, long ago—) as the End crystal lights up pink in his eyes.

~

my piece for @treebarkzine! go check it out and support all the wonderful artists and writers that I had the privilege to work with :) the full fic is under the cut!

~

Scar turns Red not long after Martyn places his order, so he assumes it’s all gone to naught and he won’t be getting what he wants out of this.

But Scar holds true to his word, and it’s delivered to him later that week.

The love crystal.

He’d ordered it on a whim—not that he wanted to make someone fall in love with him, not really. It was just—well, if it happened to come up, then he could—and if that person happened to be Ren, then—

It wasn’t meant to make Ren fall in love with him. It was only ever meant to be a—a promise, sure, a commitment, so that Ren would know that he could trust him over anyone else. So that he would know that Martyn—

He doesn’t end up giving it to him. He really does want to, but every time he finds himself alone with Ren his palms get all sweaty and his heart starts hammering a little too quickly and he decides that he’ll wait until the moment is right.

But it comes down to the final four of them, and the moment isn’t right.

Martyn dies thinking of Ren (he died with Ren’s name on his lips, once, long ago—) as the End crystal lights up pink in his eyes.

—

“What’s that?”

Martyn looks up, his skin buzzing uncomfortably at the presence of his soulmate. Cleo stands there, tapping their foot.

She looks . . . good, he supposes. Healthy. She and Scott have taken up residence on one side of the ravine, and the other side had already been claimed by Timmy and Tango, so Martyn had built his bleeding heart midair, as close to Cleo as he dared.

“Nothing much,” Martyn says, returning to his delicate work. Cleo huffs, plops down next to him.

He’s out on the trail that leads to Impulse and Bdubs, but he’d stopped about midway down, wanting to take care of this before night fell. 

“How’d you get a pink crystal? Scar selling them again?”

That’s what’s between his fingers, after all.

It wasn’t supposed to come with him. The things that come with you between worlds are always integral to who you are—Grian’s sweater, Bdubs’s clock, Ren’s sunglasses. Nothing should have come with him that doesn’t usually, and Martyn’s well accustomed to his normal spawn.

The first time he’d stuck his hands in his pockets since being here, his fingers had brushed against something smooth.

Great. Somehow, the love crystal came with him. At first, it had filled him with breathtaking hope—because maybe, if it came with him, maybe he and Ren—

But—

Ren and BigB.

Martyn and. . . .

“Nah. It came with me,” he admits, and Cleo makes a surprised noise.

“Came with you? One of Scar’s pieces of glass? What is it?”

Martyn doesn’t answer at first. Both because it’s totally embarrassing to admit that it’s a love crystal that had never worked out, and because he’s just about carved the tiny hole through it that makes this such a careful operation and he needs to focus so that he doesn’t accidentally shatter the stupid thing.

“Er, loyalty crystal,” he eventually says, tongue between his teeth. The needle held between sweaty fingers breaks through to the other side of the crystal, and he lets out a breath that’s been building up in his chest.

Cleo actually throws her head back and laughs. “Loyalty crystal?” they disparage. “No way.”

The lie had slipped out almost without him noticing it, so he shrugs. Better than the truth. “I’m loyal!” he protests.

“Yeah. Right.”

He points the needle at her accusingly. “You’re the one who chose Scott while I was out trying to find my soulmate. I tried to make amends—it’s not my fault that we’re both terrible people.”

Cleo doesn’t argue with that, doesn’t bring up everything that was his fault.

He isn’t loyal, not at all, but they accept his word at face value and drop the subject.

When he attacks Scott, right at the end, she doesn’t look at him. She looks at the crystal strung round his neck, and her face twists in anger.

—

“Loyalty crystal,” Martyn says casually, when Scott frowns at it in confusion.

He usually keeps the thing under his shirt, ashamed that it’s somehow still coming with him, but he’d been knocked into the water by a pufferfish on his way over the bridge to talk to Scott and he hadn’t fancied standing here dripping all over the place, so he’d stripped off his shirt to wring it out.

He’s here to beg his way into an alliance with Scott, and he isn’t opposed to doing everything he can to show how valuable of a partner he’d be. C’mon, who wouldn’t want to team up with the guy so loyal that he has a permanent part of his identity proclaiming it?

Scott raises an eyebrow. “Really? But you and Cleo—”

“Hey, I was always loyal to them,” Martyn says, holding up his hands. “They weren’t always loyal to me. Besides, I’ve been carrying this old thing around since Last Life, so it’s got to mean something.”

He’d spawned with it again, hanging on a piece of fishing wire around his neck, its light weight immediately noticeable. He’d frantically tucked it under his shirt, then glanced around the circle to make sure Ren hadn’t seen it.

But Ren . . . wasn’t there.

That had stopped his heart from beating, had made the crystal’s weight on his chest just that much heavier.

Ren?

If Ren wasn’t even here, then—

Why was the crystal here?

Martyn had assumed that it stuck around because he hadn’t given it to Ren. But then Ren had seemed so happy with BigB—and even once Martyn knew it wasn’t true, Ren said a ton of stuff about needing some time to be lonely and a loser so he’d kind of taken that as a rejection before he’d even tried and he hadn’t offered him the crystal.

But it stayed, even though Ren isn’t here, and now Martyn just has to live with a glaring reminder of his cowardice (and a too-sharp reminder of Ren, Ren who’s missing and so very missed) all game.

“I guess,” Scott says, and Martyn doesn’t quite believe he’s getting away with it until Scott starts talking about possible team names.

That’s his reputation, he supposes. Loyal.

—

“I actually have this pretty thing,” Martyn says, dangling the love crystal between his fingers. “Loyalty crystal. It’s stuck with me since Last Life, you know. Regular old proof that I’m the best person to team with.”

If anyone’s going to see through the lie, it’ll be Timmy.

Timmy, who was there in the Property Police when Martyn tried to abandon him time and time again for something new; Timmy, whom he declared war against and gloated over being dead; Timmy, who he lied to and manipulated to get his life back; Timmy, who he’s turned on again and again and who has watched him betray everyone around him.

Maybe he wants Timmy to argue. Maybe he wants him to realize just how wrong that statement is, force him to give up the truth. It’s become such a weight on him, so long of everyone actually believing his worst lie yet.

But he doesn’t call Martyn out.

Timmy just smiles. “Oh, yeah! Because you’re super loyal. That’s sick, dude.”

Martyn’s brain feels like it short-circuits.

“Just like a dog! This is perfect!” That doesn’t make sense. That doesn’t make sense, not when Mumbo eyes him distrustfully, when Cleo growls at him at every turn, when Scott won’t even look at him.

“Right,” mumbles Martyn, and he and Timmy get to work on their base.

It’s been like that. It’s been like that this whole time—by now, everyone has seen the crystal, has asked about it, and Martyn’s fed them the same lie and they’ve all believed it.

He doesn’t know how much longer he can go on like this. His very chest aches, the crystal seeming so much heavier than it could possibly be.

He isn’t loyal.

Why do they keep believing him?

—

The lake where the Heart Foundation has set up is the coolest place on the server, in terms of temperature. Martyn visits the stony beach with less and less frequency as the days pass, but the first night of the sixth week finds him there, idly tossing stones into the water.

It also finds Tango there, coming up behind him, the beach clacking noisily under his feet.

“How’s the loyalty crystal?” Tango asks, almost knowingly, and Martyn’s knuckles whiten around the stone clutched in his fist.

“Fine,” he says shortly.

“Mhm. You still have it, after last time?”

Martyn doesn’t bother to respond. Tango knows he has it—it’s visibly hanging over his undershirt, his green t-shirt stripped off and left on the grass with his backpack.

“Impulse told me you just murdered Scott, even though you’d been together all game. And Cleo, before that? And come on, dude. I heard all about the Southlands.”

Martyn chucks the stone, harder than intended. It splashes into the water with a loud smacking sound, creating almost a small fountain.

“I’m trying to say—”

“Well, you should stop trying to say it.”

They’re all learning, one by one, how disloyal Martyn is, made worse by how thoroughly they all believed his loyalty schtick.

It isn’t—it isn’t that he wants to betray them, not necessarily. He cares about all of them, but . . . not enough. It’s never enough to keep him, to pin him down, and Jimmy doesn’t deserve how angry he is at himself over this which is why he came down to the lake tonight, determined to not take it out on him, and there wasn’t supposed to be anyone else to interrupt his self-hatred.

“Just . . . just go away.” Martyn bites the inside of his cheek to keep any hint of a yell out of his tone, willing himself to be at least somewhat civil with Tango.

It isn’t Tango’s fault that the next words send him tipping over the edge.

It’s just Tango’s bad luck that he accidentally presses all the wrong buttons in the right order.

Tango huffs out a laugh. “Pushing me away, huh? Just like—”

He probably isn’t going to say Ren’s name, but it’s what Martyn hears, every other name stacked precariously atop it. “I get it, yeah?” Martyn cuts him off, picking up another stone and hurling it, not caring to watch where it lands. “I’m not loyal, I’ve never been loyal—can you believe that so many people have bought that? But this stupid crystal won’t leave—”

“Whoa, man—”

He tears the crystal off his throat, winds back to throw it—

A hand grabs his wrist, holding his arm in place. Martyn strains against Tango for a moment, before letting his arm go limp, the sudden energy draining from his system. It flees faster than he could imagine, leaving him exhausted and feeling oddly like he’s about to cry.

It’s stupid. He’s a grown man.

The crystal clenched in the palm of his hand is cool, smooth, fragile. He could crush it like that, just tighten his grip a little bit and watch it crack, let the pieces dig into his skin.

He doesn’t do it. He just holds it, carefully, like he knows if he drops it that his heart will shatter with it.

“Dude, I was just teasing,” Tango says, loosening his hold. “If it’s carried with you, it means something, right?”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t,” Martyn says, slumping down to sit on the shore, rocks digging into his backside. “It doesn’t mean anything. Not anymore. It’s—it isn’t a loyalty crystal.”

Tango doesn’t ask what it is, even though Martyn’s left him open for it. He doesn’t ask.

He’s been hiding it for so long, he almost wants someone to ask. He wants to share this heart-wrenching secret that he’s carried with him for so many games.

He doesn’t want to be alone anymore.

“It’s not a loyalty crystal,” Martyn says again.

“How do you know?”

Martyn snorts. “Come on, you said it yourself. I haven’t got a shred of loyalty, not for anyone.”

Tango hums. “I think you do.”

“Yeah, sure. I’m sure everyone’s figured that out—the Southlanders, Cleo, Scott—”

“What about Ren?”

Martyn chokes on whatever it was he was about to say. “I—what?”

Tango sits down beside him, shifting on the stones. “The first time, it was Ren through-and-through, right? And didn’t you give him a life in the one after that? And then you and him were always hanging out, even though you weren’t soulmates. Like, you’re totally loyal, dude! But only to one guy.”

Which is—

Which is hitting way too close to the mark for Martyn to be comfortable.

Because it isn’t a loyalty crystal, is it? It isn’t a loyalty crystal.

It’s a love crystal. It’s a love crystal that he bought with the intent to give it to Ren, and apparently his stupid love for the man is just so damn essential to who he is that it stayed with him.

There were so many nights, back in the early days of Renchanting, when Martyn would take off without a word about where he was going, packing up everything he owned in case he didn’t come back.

He always did, even if an entire day passed, even if someone offered him a bed, even if he was getting along with whoever he encountered. He always returned to Ren—and there was something about seeing the man’s eyes light up, pale and blue like the winter sky, just at seeing him.

His heart had come to skip a beat at Ren’s call, and before he knew it, he couldn’t leave his side. He never spoke a word of it to Ren—he didn’t want to make him uncomfortable—but he never left him. Even when they died, they were side-by-side.

Then, after that, when Ren held him and sobbed into his shirt after Martyn rescued him from the fire in his tower. Martyn’s skin had burned at the contact, and he’d trailed his fingers through Ren’s tangled hair and promised not to leave him.

And after that, when he and Ren encountered each other in the forest again and again, Ren’s gaze so bright and hopeful that they might be allies again that Martyn had gone along willingly, his entire soul aching at how close they were without anything tying them together but the pink crystal on the fishing wire under his shirt.

He—

He loves him. He loves Ren, and he has for forever, now.

One might argue that love is something like loyalty, or that loyalty is something like love. Whatever it is, it’s true. At the core of Martyn’s love is loyalty, at the core of his loyalty is love. Burning, aching, love.

He’s never been a loyal person. Not to anyone, ever.

Ren is different.

Martyn looks up after a moment to find Tango looking at him, a bit of a grin playing on his lips. There’s something up with his eyes—they look almost blue in the darkness, in what must be a reflection of the water’s surface or the grey beach or—or something.

“Okay,” Martyn huffs. “I get it. I’m loyal to . . . to Ren.”

“Very loyal, if you’re carrying around that crystal, still.”

“Shut up.”

“You could even say . . . in lo—”

“Shut up.” Martyn buries his head in his hands, runs his fingers through his hair. He hates this. So what, he likes—he’s . . . in love with Ren. So what? “It’s not like I can do anything about it. I never even told him.”

“Oh, he knows,” Tango says cryptically. “I’m sure he knows.”

“Sure.”

Tango doesn’t say anything else, and neither does Martyn, still trying to process the enormous weight on his chest that has suddenly slipped away, leaving him without anything to tether him down. It’s a terrifying feeling, losing the secret that he’s carried for so long.

Terrifying, but . . . not quite so lonely, somehow.

He can’t make himself live with that weight. Not anymore.

He and Tango stay there for another hour, silent in each other’s company, and Martyn holds the crystal and promises himself that if he ever sees Ren again, he’ll tell him.

He’ll tell him everything.

—

Martyn comes to in the next game, still bitter over his loss—he was invisible, Grian shouldn’t have even noticed him—and he sits up slowly, groaning as his joints pop. It’s first instinct to check for the familiar weight around his neck, and he finds it near-instantly, rolls the crystal between his fingers.

Then he looks up.

Across the circle, sitting up and scratching his beard and blinking open his pale, blue eyes—

Martyn’s breath catches in his throat.

His heart skips.

The crystal burns under his touch.

If they live through a thousand more games, there is only one man that Martyn will ever be loyal to, and that man is right there.

Right there.

Their eyes meet.

Ren.

[gxlds-doodles]

was thinking abt how much i miss the 2014-2015 era fnaf fandom and it's interpretations of the characters (oh vincent purple guy how i miss you.) so new au alert!! lil chibis of my vincent n phone guy <3 designs are very much inspired by the popular designs for them around that time (originally popularized/created by rebornica i believe - though these are completely separate from their au i am not associated with them in any way shape or form) 🎉✧ SUPER COOL EPIC LORE INFO UNDER THE CUT!!!!!!! ✧🎉

general lore ☆ basically a whole rewrite - not because i have issues with the story (i stopped paying full attention after sister location tbh) just for fun!! again very much based on me missing 2010s fnaf fandom that was PEAK to me ☆ i still tie in some pieces of the lore but for the most part. forget what u know abt fnaf this is a whole rewrite (ex. animatronics are sentient but not possessed by children - not possessed at all in fact!! except for perhaps a few exceptions but i'm working on it) ☆ these two have quite a lot of canon lore tie-ins but beyond these two it's different LOL ☆ set in or around 2014, timeline is a wip vincent dorian (formerly afton) ☆ italian on his dad's side, armenian on his mom's side ☆ william afton's only child, born while freddy's was open but doesn't remember it rlly - his father and henry emily were co-owners/business partners but split ways (aka william got fired bc henry found out what he did. why he didn't bring this to the cops i'm still working out) soon after he was born ☆ raised by william as a single father ☆ was forced to help his father kill since he was like 12 this guy's got TRAUMA. ☆ still deciding on why he's purple (boy why you ourple.) but ik that it's william's fault. idk if i wanna go the walking corpse route like with michael in canon yet ☆ cuts off his dad when he's 18 - moves out on his own, etc. ☆ still kills for reasons i am currently working on however he does NOTTTT kill children ☆ starts working at freddy's at 27 as a way to 'rebel' against his dad, even if he hasn't seen him in yeeears by this point ☆ night guard at first, eventual day shift guard and sometimes a technician when needed ☆ his hair is naturally still black - he dyes it purple bc he thinks it looks cool ☆ his red scrunchie matches the red of phone guy's head <3 scott emily ☆ THE DRAWING IS OF A VERY SPECIFIC POINT IN THE AU I HAVE YET TO FLESH OUT it's not the most reflective of his character overall ☆ puerto rican ☆ henry emily's only child - remembers a tiny bit about william, remembers being scared shitless of him ☆ gets caught in a fire set by william when he's 16. he barely makes it out alive ☆ henry makes him the phone head mask thing. it can *technically* be removed but it never is bc it keeps the scars that never quite fully healed from getting worse ☆ head somehow works like a real phone... don't ask i just thought the idea of him ringing when he feels strong emotions is rlly funny (henry makes sentient animatronics in this au he can do anything. everyone say ty plot device dad!!) ☆ has some sort of contacts made by his dad that allow him to see through the phone ☆ grew up with the restaurant, his dad managed the location he's currently at until passing the business and the manager position onto him when he was 25 and henry was ready to retire ☆ henry told scott the full truth about william shortly before retiring - including that he set the fire that he got caught in. it's made him pretty paranoid that he's coming for him or something's gonna happen to him, even if neither of them have heard from william since then and he's essentially off the grid ☆ always at the restaurant during opening hours but rarely ever seen bc he doesn't want to scare any of the kids with his phone head vincent & scott ☆ yes they're dating. everyone cheer!! early fandom purplephone was my SHITTTT i love them so much ugh they r everything 2 me ☆ ngl they remind me of poolverine (deadpool x wolverine). vincent is deadpool (VERY accurate.) and scott is wolverine (less accurate but their dynamic stands) ☆ scott finds vincent annoying at first but eventually warms up to him and now he loooooves him. he's still annoying but he loooooooooves him ☆ scott doesn't know vince is william's son at first since he changed his surname and looks completely different ☆ they're just rlly cute and deeply in love and got some angsty shit going on later but that'll be a surprise oooo

[weoris]

003 | CONNECTED MELODIES 🪡 HB YOU KILLULU UR SELFLULU WC 296

jungwon always knew you loved songwriting, of course he’d know — you were his senior, long-time crush and sister of his own idol, jungkook of bts. but when everyone is convinced you’re writing love songs about him, how on earth is he going to react?

the boy was just chasing his friend (like normal) and all of a sudden, his shoulder collided harshly with another’s.

he feels a gloss’s wand graze against his own lips and chin as they both fall. his groans as he wipes the sticky product off his jaw and turns his head to see the perpetrator, only to be met with your furrowed eyebrows and annoyed eyes looking at the ground. gasping immediately, he widens his eyes. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t know you were there.”

you glance at him but look back down, trying to pull yourself together as you fix the hair that had caught on your gloss. “It’s fine..” his face turns red from embarrassment, you were probably going to kill him about now.

he extends a hand to help you up and you take it blindly. searching for any wounds or possible bruises, his expression turns worried — but you pout at the fact that your lip gloss was now ruined. the wand basking in the dirt of the floor while the bottle container had a tiny crack on it.

“..here.” jungwon passed you the wand as he pursed his lips and you awkwardly took it. “Thanks..” seeing how dirty the wand had gotten, you groan and curse the company for making the gloss so sticky.

“Sorry.” the words coming out of your mouths at the same time made you chuckle, while his eyes just widened more. awkwardly laughing as well, he held his hands in front of him and froze.

Standing in silence for a while, you purse your lips and breathe out. “Alright, I have to go.. bye.” You give a half-smile and leave immediately, leaving him with his mouth open, trying to say bye as well but his voice betrayed him.

MASTERLIST 🪽 PREVIOUS NEXT CHAPTER

NOTE i think enha has a kissy-wissy agenda

🗯️ TAGLIST ⬭ @trsrina @hyeosi @boyshirt @aki1e @ndrceatm @star4rin @latriii @adajoemaya @astrae4 @stepout-09-15 @rikakhairana-blog @ineedaherosavemeenow @aria-grace-scott @joti17 @lcv3lies @violetinferno @l0veflrws @renchai @saradexe @mijuuv @enhapocketz @kwiwin @bubblytaetae @ahnneyong @dimplewonie @100203s @jiaant11 @doodlelibrary @ashy1um @spilled-coffee-cup @cowsmicwu @yeokii @isoobie @yenqa @teddywonss @ashy1um @neozon3nha @jiawji @oldjws @jiaant11 @star-ism @itsactuallylina @myjaeyunn @haechansbbg

[cicutagreninja]

giggles. thinking about violent deaths in double life and their effect on soulmates.

like. if jimmy was strangled to death by an enderman. what was it like for tango? i would assume, he would feel PANIC. much panic. then he would be caught. you could see an invisible hand crush his windpipe. maybe even feeling phantom wings and the enderman tears jimmy, wings and all apart.

or. when joel and etho turned red with the fishing rod shenanigans. etho was never pulled off the ground, joel hit it first. just imagine joel hitting the ground, bones breaking and blood splattering everywhere. when joel was falling etho was trying to rush over to him, so just imagine joel hitting the ground and then etho. still mid-run, and then as joel dies, maybe etho just. blood sprays from his back as his spine shatters. screams.

or. when bdubs is murdered by ren. impulse is right there, but can’t do anything as the sword is thrust into bdubs. can’t do anything as a perfectly similar wound opens on his stomach. blood. helpless as bdubs hits the ground. tasting blood on his lips. eyes clouded with pain.

maybe. ren and bigb’s final. ren gets a dripstone stalagmite through the head, he’s dead quick. now bigb. he can’t help it, has zero idea what the hell happened, before everything’s gone. deep hole through his skull. red staining the bridge of the box. his secret soulmate feels the consequences.

what if. not a death, but just injury. pearl hugging the cactus in an attempt to torture scott. and it works. tiny scratches and cuts slit across his skin and over his clothes and face. or. in the end. scott, clutching cleo without a will to live. tnt in hand. the fuse creeping down the string. pearl watching in horror. “tilly death do us part.” pearl is in agony, every bone breaking at once. her heart hurts as she watches her unrequited love close his eyes in acceptance.

[tatertato]

life series smp winners playlists part 1

okay so i've been just absolutely brainrotting over this for like weeks now and its time to finally post it!

i've basically just been compiling songs that i think fit each of the life series winners, and they're either songs i've seen work really really well in animatics already or songs that would probably work really well, but are less popular or not associated with this fandom (yet)

i'll be linking+listing them here as well as providing little snippets of explanation for why i think the song fits, but i don't feel like making actual spotify playlists or smth, so if anyone else wants to do that, be my guest.

ofc i still had trouble finding good songs for some of them- if anyone seeing this has a good idea that i missed, lmk and i'll update these posts (no promises tho)

i was originally gonna put all of them into one post, but fortunately i have come to my senses, so this is part 1. here we go!

update:

pt 2 (LL!scott)

pt 3 (DL!pearl)

3rd Life: Grian

Eighth Wonder - Lemon Demon: this song gives major Watcher!Grian vibes imo

Extra clever Earth-bound spirit Ghost in the form Of a mongoose (watcher in the form of a player)

Hello, I'm here I'm living in the wall I know I might be small (common headcanons of short grian, also living surrounded by cactus walls!)

Jim, let me go I watch like Hell (self-explanatory)

2. A Big Day for Grimley - AJJ: this one is because of this animatic, and also the lyrics fit the characters almost too well

I went back to the desert, little Midwest in me And now I am colder than I used to be (it feels like him reflecting on his experiences in 3L)

I came back to the desert, and the desert came into me And now there’s a quietness, and it’s deafening (returned to the desert for the final duel, and now that he's the only one left, the absence of his partner is deafening)

i could go on much longer about this song, but i feel like the animatic sums it up really well so GO WATCH THAT GO GO GO

3. Take Me to War - The Crane Wives: i know that everyone and their mother has done desertduo crane wives, but i've yet to see anyone use this song, which is a shame since its one of my favorites!

I've earned myself a reputation That my bark is much worse than my bite But I keep snapping at Goliath's hands With all of my tiny might (technically, he's not red, and also his traps keep failing, so the threats are pretty empty, but that will not stop him from being a menace)

Take me to war Honey, I dare you I'll be the sweetest thing To ever scare you Give me a fight I can't resist Give me something to break with my fists Take me to war Honey, I dare you (same thing as the last one, but i had to put the chorus in this post, it's just too perfect)

So I will leave it where it's standing And instead I will find me a match I'll turn it all to kindling I'll burn it all down to ash (we love a bit of arson in this fandom)

4. Community Gardens - The Scary Jokes: this is watcher!grian again, sorry not sorry- i do have a really vivid image in my head of an animatic for this song tho (the brainrot goes deep, i cannot escape)

Full disclosure, I am a monster A creature of despair, not that that should be a cause for concern (its so watcher coded im gnawing on the walls)

You'll be fine, you honeycomb Who could ever hurt you? Who could be so cold? You'll be fine, oh, honey pie Who could ever hurt you? Who could be so unkind? (ok so remember when i said i had an animatic idea about two sentences ago? ya. so i imagine this part as watcher!grian going through and causing the final deaths of all the winners (except scar we'll get there i promise) for instance, smiting scott at the end of LL, severing pearl's soulmate string in DL, and checking the time left before killing martyn in LimL)

The culmination of man's mistakes came the day The sun ran so hot, it turned the desert to glass (this is the whole "hail mary" thing where they blew up the whole desert and still didn't kill anyone)

If there's something to be learned from all these losers It's that the price that you pay For arrogance and a false sense of immunity Is to face the wrath of a dying star (false sense of immunity is scar's no kill passes, reputation points, etc., which really didn't mean all that much in the end (see: Bdubs))

5. Passerine - The Oh Hellos: aside from the obvious bird symbolism (passerine are songbirds), the overall theme of this song fits the character pretty well! (i think it could also apply to DL jimmy if you squint)

You were the song that I'd always sing You were the light that the fire would bring But I can't shake this feeling that I was only Pushing the spear into your side again (3L typical desert/light/sun/fire imagery, with a bonus helping this time of 3L typical self doubt and/or survivor's guilt! you love to see it)

My palms and fingers still reek of gasoline From throwing fuel to the fire of that Greco-Roman dream Purifying the holy rock to melt the gilded seams It don't bring me relief, no it don't bring me nothing (more arson what can i say- also the hollow existentialism that comes with killing your friends)

When he comes a knocking at my door What am I to do, What am I to do, oh lord (ok i like to imagine this line as grian realizing that scar's SL win means he goes to hang out with the winners now, meaning uhoh reunion time! that's about to be awkward!)

6. Do It All The Time - IDKHBTFM: yeah i know it doesn't seem like it fits at first, but i think parts of it captures the spontaneous silliness of 3L pretty well

No reason why I'm only doing anything I want to do Because I do it all the time We're taking over the world A little victim-less crime (making monopolies (or trying to) really just because)

Now we're so young But we're probably gonna die It's so fun We're so good at selling lies (this one's pretty on the nose, but you get the idea)

and that's all for grian! stay tuned for LL!scott next!

[winters8child]

It´s been a long, long time

This is the chapter before this one, just from Bucky's perspective. Thank you to @scott-loki-barnes for the idea!

Chapter 118

"Are you sure you want me to come over? I mean, it’s a big step," I stammered, pacing around my living room. Her voice over the phone was filled with excitement I hadn’t heard in a long time, and just the sound of it made my heart soar.

“I think it’s time, and it was his idea,” she replied. But before I could fully take it in, her tone softened, almost a whisper. “I told him you and I are friends...just friends.” She went quiet, waiting for my reaction.

I felt my chest tighten, the excitement deflating in an instant. I thought the days of pretending she wasn’t the love of my life were behind us. But meeting her son was a big step, a milestone I knew mattered deeply to her, and I didn’t want to complicate it. So, I took a steadying breath.

“Understood,” I said gently. "Whatever you need. I’m here."

“So, this afternoon? Is that okay for you?” she asked hesitantly, her voice laced with uncertainty as if she expected me to argue.

“Sounds good. I’ll be there,” I replied and ended the call, slipping the phone into my pocket. But even after the conversation was over, I couldn’t stop pacing.

I felt happy for her—elated, even. Meeting her son was something I wanted, something I knew she wanted for me too. But beneath the excitement, there was fear.

Fear of intruding where I didn’t belong. Fear that I had no place in her family, no right to carve out space in a life she’d worked so hard to rebuild. I didn’t want to complicate things for her. I wanted her to live the life she deserved—the life I sometimes worried didn’t have room for someone like me.

I shook my head, trying to clear the spiral of doubt from my thoughts. This was good—this was something positive in our lives. There was no need to expect the worst around every corner anymore. Life was normal now. I repeated that to myself like a mantra, under the hot spray of the shower, as I pulled on my clothes, and even while driving to her house.

The car door shut with a dull thud, the winter air biting at my face and hands as I walked up the steps to her porch. She had decorated the railing with garlands adorned with shiny red bows and baubles, their cheerful gleam catching the pale afternoon light. A massive wreath hung on the door, its lush greenery tied with a ribbon that screamed Christmas. This wasn’t just a house—it was a home.

I drew a deep breath and knocked on the door. The sound echoed in the stillness for a moment before it opened. Her smile greeted me, bright and warm, and it nearly knocked the air out of my lungs. I hadn’t seen her smile like that in so long.

"Come in, come in," she said warmly, ushering me inside and closing the door against the chill. The air hit me immediately—a cozy blend of cookies, the faint smokiness of the fireplace, and a hint of something citrusy, maybe her favorite candles.

Everywhere I looked, the space was alive with Christmas spirit. Decorations in red, green, and gold filled every nook and cranny. Tiny lights twinkled on the garlands draped along the walls, and even the doorknobs had festive ribbons tied to them.

I couldn’t help but notice the little baubles dangling from her ears, adding a playful touch to her glowing appearance. She leaned in to embrace me briefly, just a second, but it was enough to chase the cold from my skin.

"Thank you for coming," she said softly, pulling back as I shrugged off my jacket and hung it on the hook near the door. My eyes drifted toward the living room, where the faint sound of the TV murmured in the background.

There he was, sitting on the couch with his legs tucked under his chin, the glow of the screen illuminating his profile. It hit me like a freight train—the shape of his nose, the set of his chin, the familiar tousle of his hair. Even the way he sat, curled up like that, was uncannily familiar. For a moment, it felt like I’d been thrown back into the '40s, staring at a ghost of Steve.

"He...he looks like him," I stammered, shaking my head as if trying to clear the haze of disbelief. My voice wavered, caught somewhere between awe and grief, as I turned back to her. She was staring too, her eyes fixed on the same face that had stopped me in my tracks.

It must be hard, I thought, seeing Steve in him every day, being reminded he’s not here anymore.

"Want to say hi?" she asked softly, placing her hand on my back. The warmth of her touch sent a flutter through my chest, and I silently cursed myself for how easily she affected me. This wasn’t the time.

"Steven," she called, her voice light and careful, "there’s someone here who’d like to meet you."

He slowly turned, his wide eyes locking onto mine. For a moment, I wondered how much he knew about me—how much she had told him. I stepped forward, extending my hand. "Hey, I’m Bucky," I said.

He stared for a beat before taking my hand, his grip firm and enthusiastic. "James Buchanan Barnes, officer of the 107th Infantry Regiment… also known as the White Wolf," he said, his tone full of excitement that caught me off guard.

I blinked, then let out a surprised laugh. Usually, my reputation got a much different reaction. "Yeah, that’s me," I replied, scratching the back of my head. His enthusiasm was disarming, to say the least.

"Why don’t you two sit down and have a chat, and I’ll go make us some tea?" Lottie suggested with a smile, her tone warm and encouraging.

I panicked for a moment, my thoughts racing. What would I even say? How could I make this kid feel comfortable around me without coming across as some out-of-touch old man? I wanted him to like me, genuinely like me, but the idea of vying for the approval of a child felt surreal. This wasn’t something I’d ever imagined myself doing, and yet, here I was—sitting across from Steve’s son, trying not to screw it up.

I felt his eyes on me, and the intensity of his gaze made me uneasy. I couldn’t decipher the meaning behind the look he was giving me—curiosity, suspicion, or something else entirely.

"Uh… do we have any leftover cinnamon rolls?" he asked, his voice sheepish and hesitant. "I’m kinda hungry… but if not, that’s okay..." He sounded almost ashamed for asking, and it tugged at something deep in me.

"I’ll warm some up for all of us," Lottie replied with a glowing smile, her tone reassuring. She gave him a quick nod before disappearing into the kitchen, leaving us alone.

As I glanced around the room, trying to focus on the decorations or the faint crackling of the fireplace, I leaned back into the couch and drummed my fingers on my knees. Steven’s gaze lingered on me, unwavering and sharp.

I felt like a museum exhibit, one of those dusty relics bored children were dragged to see on a school trip. The kind they stared at briefly before moving on, unimpressed.

Steven’s question caught me off guard, his voice so soft it was almost lost under the crackle of the fire. "What was he like… my dad… when he was a kid?"

I smiled as memories flooded back, warm and bittersweet. I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “This might sound cheesy, but he was a hero long before he became Captain America,” I said, my gaze shifting to the flames dancing in the fireplace. “That’s why they picked him. He was… a good man. Always looking out for others, even when he didn’t have much himself.”

I glanced back at Steven, whose expression was unreadable, his fingers picking at the hem of his oversized sweater.

I leaned back a little, a grin spreading across my face as I remembered some of the old stories. "He was this small guy and still couldn’t help himself. This one time, he got beat up in an alley just for telling a guy at the cinema to shut up," I said my voice light with affection. "Or this one time, when two sleazy bastards wouldn’t stop hitting on your mom…"

I paused when I caught a glimpse of Steven’s wide-eyed expression, and then I realized what I had just said. Bastard. I quickly raised my fingers to my lips, feeling embarrassed. "I never said bastards… I’m sorry, I don’t know how to talk to kids… though the commandos sometimes felt like a bunch of kids…"

Steven chuckled, and I felt a surge of pride. At least I had managed to make him laugh.

Steven’s eyes widened further as he leaned in, clearly intrigued. “What were they like?”

I smiled, the memories flooding back. "They were like family. A crazy family... the best families are, I guess," I said softly, my gaze drifting. "I really miss them sometimes. It's hard to grasp that it’s been so long now."

He tilted his head, his curiosity not letting up. "Who was your favorite?"

I chuckled at the question, caught off guard. "Huh, I never really thought about that..." I paused, trying to picture all the old faces. "Although I have to say, Falsworth was always a little too nice to your mom. So, he was probably my least favorite, I guess," I added with a laugh, shaking my head at the memory.

That's when she returned with a full tray of delicious-smelling cinnamon rolls and steaming mugs of tea. Steven’s hand shot out immediately, but he hesitated, looking between us before pulling it back again.

“Go on, they’re for you,” she encouraged him with a soft smile.

He didn’t need any more prompting. His hand darted back to the tray, and he bit into one with a grin, savoring the warm sweetness. I couldn't help but notice how much he seemed to enjoy it.

But as I looked over at her, watching him with a quiet intensity, my heart tightened. There was a look on her face that I hadn't seen before—a mixture of pride and a deep, lingering pain.

I wanted to reach out, to stroke her hand and tell her that it was okay, but I held back. I didn't want to push her into talking about something she wasn’t ready for or make her feel like she needed to explain. I could see it in her eyes—there was still so much grief there, even amidst the quiet joy of watching Steven slowly settle in.

The sun sank lower, the day slipping away faster than I realized. Time felt different now, almost as if it was speeding up. Steven’s curiosity was endless, and I found myself answering his questions with a sense of relief. Talking about Steve’s childhood, the things we had done together—it almost felt like he was alive again, somehow, in the stories.

I was happy, though. Happy to share these pieces of the past with him, to give him a glimpse of the man who had once been a brother to me. And as much as the grief weighed heavy on us both, I could see something new in her eyes—a hope, maybe, or the flicker of something she had been holding onto for a long time.

I yearned to be a part of this, to carve out a space in their lives, no matter how small. I offered to order pizzas, trying to make the night feel as normal and easy as possible. The thought of going back to my empty apartment felt unbearable. I didn’t want to be alone again, not when there was something good happening here, something I was desperately trying to hold onto.

I wanted Steven to associate tonight with warmth, with laughter, with a sense of belonging. As pathetic as it sounded, I wanted to impress him. I wanted him to feel comfortable with me, to see that I wasn’t just some guy from her past. I wanted him to see that I was here for both of them, that I could be someone he could count on.

I could feel the weight of the moment, how fragile everything was. It wasn’t just about me anymore—it was about them, too. Making this work for her, for him... and for us.

An entire pizza and several sides later, I found myself leaning back on the couch. It was getting late, and it was time to leave. I sat up and mumbled, “I should go now.”

“Oh, okay,” she replied, glancing down at Steven, who was watching us.

“It was great meeting you, Steven,” I said, standing up and patting him on the back. “I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon.” He gave me a simple “Okay” before turning his attention back to the TV.

We walked out into the hallway. I grabbed my jacket and slipped it on, the weight of the evening settling in.

“Thank you, Buck,” she said softly. “This meant a lot to me, spending time together. It almost felt like... a family.”

Her words made my heart skip a beat. Deep down, I was hoping for that very thing—to be part of their family. Hearing her say it gave me a small spark of hope. I closed the gap between us, stroking her arm lightly, hoping it wasn't too forward.

“We are a family,” I said quietly. “If you two ever need anything, don’t hesitate to call.”

“I will,” she replied with a smile. That smile made my chest tighten, and without thinking, I leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. It was brief, but it felt right. When I pulled back, she was still smiling, and I left her house feeling lighter than I had in a long time.

[fandomzwriterk]

Stars in Your Eyes

Pair: Gambit/Remy Lebeau x Fem!Trailblazer!Vidyadhara!Reader

Warnings: canon lore of how “Trailblazer” works + the lore of Vidyadhara’s + canon character death + Semi-Amnesiac!Reader + yes Reader can shift paths and elements + slight Genshin inspiration too + love triangle (?) + Canon episodes of X-Men ‘97 + Rouge and Jean fight over Trailblazer’s life choices

Pt: 1/?

The world started with the creation of the Aeons. Soon came the stars, the void of space, and then the planets. Each one was responsible for a part of the universe, some choosing more peaceful things of life while others fought for control. This is how the paths were made. Once the Aeons had their control over parts of the universe, soon came the elements ranging from fire to quantum.

And from this event brought forth the strongest and wisest of all beings, the Vidyadhara, a species of “humans” that were born through reincarnation, some of the highest gifted with certain abilities. It is here that our story starts.

On Earth…

“I miss the Professor.”

Jubilee looked to her team, everyone downcast and still traumatized by the death of their teacher and friend, Charles Xavier.

“Me too shuga. We all do.”

Rogue smiled at her friend, trying to lighten the mood for everyone’s sake.

“I think it’s time we discuss how our team will work now.”

Scott Summers, the hero called Cyclops, was now in charge of his team. It wasn’t easy now, Charles was his teacher and his leader. How was Scott supposed to lead the team now?

“It’s been a rough couple of days. We all need sleep and rest. We can discuss this in the morning.”

Beast, the best scientist on the team and by far the smartest man here, ushered Logan and Morph to the hall.

“He’s right. We all need rest. Tomorrow we can talk about everything going forward.”

And with that, everyone went their separate ways. Rouge, Gambit, Jubilee, Storm, and Morph went their own ways while Cyclops, Jean, Beast, and Logan went the other way.

“Gambit doesn’t like all this doom and gloom going on here.”

“Me neither but there’s nothing we can do to change that right now.”

“And that my friend, you are right.”

Gambit followed closely behind Rouge and Morph, whose rooms were at the end of the hall.

“Goodnight Morph. Goodnight Remy.” Rogue spoke as she opened the door to her room and closed it behind her

It was quiet as Gambit walked to his a few doors down, opening it and closing it once he realized there was nothing he could do about Charles. Gambit knew him for a long time, being one of the first to start the X-Men with Storm, Logan, Scott, and Jean.

“Just get some sleep Gambit you’ll be fine.”

A quick shower later and Gambit was out and laying on his bed, nothing but some light pants on as he didn’t bother to go under his sheets. He crossed his hands behind his head, looking out into the night sky as the stars began to shine.

Meanwhile…

“This world… where am I?”

The person with a long grey and black jacket on with a buckle and a large strap behind them walked out from behind the cover of the trees and bushes. Their head was covered by a hood, the only thing you could see was their arms and legs, which also wore short black and grey shorts, the shirt underneath was grey as well.

“I… I don’t remember. How’d I get here? The last thing I remember is… waking up, falling from space. The stars…”

They looked up, seeing the bright white lights of the night shining down on the ground, making tiny lights of themselves amongst a sea of many.

“I’m hurt. I have to get help.”

A cut from the shoulder to the side of their body was fresh and red, blooding falling onto the grassy ground as they started to sprint but not too fast to rupture the wound anymore.

“Those lights… is that… safety?”

They slowed down, feeling the warm blood start to turn cold as the night got darker and darker. There was a house far to barely see the lights, but there was safety there waiting.

“I’ve got to-“

They held back a scream as the sound grew a little longer, the skin very fragile and severely cut almost down to the bone. It was hard to walk, trying to keep the blood there while most of it ran past their hand and onto the ground. It was getting worse.

“I have to keep going… I can’t stop. I need…”

It was still a little ways away from them. Their legs shaking and coming to crash onto the ground, one leg down and the other pulling it along as if it was dead. The world was getting blurry, sounds becoming underwater noise as air became hard to breathe in.

“No… I can’t… quit. Gotta find… help.”

There was no chance for survival. The only way to make it through was to set off a signal. Their hand went up as both knees collapsed onto the ground, dirt and blood falling from their body as they looked into the sky, as if waiting for something.

“Lance… forward.”

A large fire cyclone went straight into the air, practically making the night sky look red. It was loud, like thunder echoing in a canyon.

Meanwhile…

Remy was up in a split second after that. Surely he’d just misheard things right?

“What in the name of-“

The fire cyclone caught his eye, watching it swirl and dance in the distance. That was not a good sign.

“Scott!” He yelled as he quickly threw on his coat and pants, running to find someone

“Remy? What’s wrong?” Rouge asked half asleep

“Gambit? What’s going on?”

Scott found Remy in the main living room. Both of them could just barely see the red glow of the fire someone had made.

“Shit come on team!”

Remy was right behind Scott as Logan, Storm, and Jean chased after him.

“Rouge! Jubilee! Stay here with Beast in case someone comes looking for shelter!”

“Come on team!”

So the main fighters of the team, being Scott, Logan, Storm, Jean, Gambit, and Morph. That left Beast, Rogue, Jubilee behind in the mansion.

To be continued…

[justplainwhump]

Bad pets

Follows seamlessly after this piece on Angel and Lourdes, narrowly escaping recapture... or did they, really??

Developed with and written for @wildfaewhump - I do hope Lourdes is captured (pun not intended) well in this, I love them so much.

Content / warnings : BBU, BBU recapture, creepy whumper, whumper pov, referenced noncon (romantic training), referenced facility whump. Just some nasty people enjoying their nasty job.

Piers Scott was the sort of man others easily considered a bully; which was probably confirmed by how little that reputation bothered him. He was tall, broad around the shoulders, and the sort of heavy that came from strength rather than from fat. Piers could throw most other people around with ease. And he liked doing just that.

To his own surprise and utmost delight, he'd found an employer who paid him well to do exactly what he loved, each day, on the clock. This year would mark his fifteenth anniversary as a WRU handler. He'd started in training Guards, done alright, aided by his ability to instill respect in the trainees; but quickly enough it turned out that he was best suited for the less... refined elements of Romantic training. Many of his colleagues excelled at building trainees up to match the high WRU standards and clients' even higher expectations. But to build them up anew, you first needed someone to tear down what was there.

Piers did that.

He worked in prep protocol, assisted with the delivery of effective punishment, fear-related conditioning, and often enough he got called out on the streets for acquisition or reacquisition jobs.

Usually, these were fun.

Today though, just as he was getting acquainted with their latest target, a tiny, sweet, beautifully fearful stray with huge wide eyes and soft brown skin, some blond bitch in a fancy blue coat had shown up and shushed him off, claiming to be their owner.

He didn't believe one word of it. Little Doe-Eyes had been perfectly designed to the taste of someone, and years of experience made him sure that this someone was not her.

"What a bitch," Fin mumbles next to him, as they step to their van, looking past the pet and their alleged owner. "There's something off about both of them, if you ask me."

The couple is kissing now, in the middle of the road, the pet on their tiptoes, the taller woman leaning in.

"I'd pay to watch them fuck," one of the junior handlers mumbles. "They're both hot."

Piers watches the woman, the way her posture shifts, the way she curves her back and tilts her head. The junior is right, he thinks. They are. And it's not a coincidence.

He scoffs. "Because they've both had Romantic training," he mumbles. "The bitch is just a better liar than the little one."

"Fuck, you're right," Fin hisses, hand flicking to the shock baton at his belt, ready to lurch forward. It's too late. A taxi door slams shut behind them, as they speed off.

"She played us."

Piers pulls his phone from his pocket and with few clicks opens a map. "We can play them right back."

There's a blue dot on the map, where the team are standing in front of the coffee bar. And a red one, moving away from them steadily.

Chuckling, Fin shakes his head and pats Piers' shoulder. "Fucking genius. You put a tracker on them?"

"Little one is bound to stray off again sooner rather than later. I'll gladly be waiting there when they do."

"Well then. Let's see where they go. And put their descriptions in the database, see what comes out. I want to know who they are. Who's looking for them."

If someone's looking for them, Piers thinks. He's known Fin for plenty of re-ac jobs. They do bring in the pets with enough bounty on their heads, or those with desperate enough clients. They don't always bring in the others. Their job is to get strays off the streets and that they do. What happens after, well. There's a long established agreement between Fin and Piers not to talk about any of their favourites going missing.

"Dips on little Doe-Eyes," Piers says, catching his boss' gaze.

Fin smirks and nods, before he looks back on the red dot moving on the map. "Deal. Blondie is mine. And you -" he waves a hand at the juniors. "Just lean back and learn."

-

"What do we have?" A day later, Piers is leaning forward in the van, looking over the junior's shoulder on the laptop screen in front of them. They've been letting the junior's take the night shift, keep an eye on the bourgoise brownstone town house the tracker led them to and do their research.

The runaways had been surprisingly careful, letting their cab drive circles, stopping at a busy shopping centre where they presumably changed cars. But they'd been too stupid to notice the tracker Piers had slipped into Doe-Eyes' pocket. Nobody had ever intended to chase them. They just needed to wait.

Right now, the second junior is still staking out the street, while the others are gathered in the van.

"Little one is from Lourdes program," the junior said, pulling up the file. Piers studies their face on the photo. They are delicious. Vulnerable, eager, terrified. He's always been wanting to get his hands on a Lourdes. Seems it is his lucky day after all. "Reported stolen around a year ago. Owner seems to be over them, already ordered replacement number two."

"Lovely," Piers hums. "And the blond one?"

"More secretive. But you've been right, she's a Romantic as well. High security case, custom order, facility 002. Reported on the run since her owner died, but higher-ups weren't interested in making the search public, probably not to draw attention on that pretty face."

Fin has stepped in behind them as well. "Fine with me. Our attention will suffice for both of them." He glances at the house, then back at the screen. "Whose house is this? Doesn't look like a classic pet lib hide out."

"Freckles'." The junior points at the photo of the blond pet. "Made up a fake identity, married the owner, conveniently inherited when he passed just months later. Doe-Eyes moved in after. Nobody else lives there."

"Freckles, huh?" Fin clicks his tongue, reaching out to trace the pet's lips on the screen. "What a naughty, naughty girl. And she's got so much to lose now."

"How do we get in?," Piers asks. "Freckled bitch won't just open the door, and this is the neighbourhood to just pick a lock. Back door could be -"

The side door of the van slides open, and before Piers can even jump up and grab his baton, someone is thrown on the metal floor between them.

Brown skin, barely covered by a strappy black top and a mini skirt. Beautiful black hair. And huge eyes, wide with fear at their sight.

Doe-Eyes. Curling up in respect position even unprompted. "Please," they whimper. "Please, please, please."

Piers sucks in a breath. Fuck. They're even more enticing today than they were yesterday.

"Look what I found." The junior handler jumps in behind the pet, tosses a small black purse to Fin. "Lost little puppy, wandering the street, all alone."

"Well then," Fin laughs, in utmost delight, as he reaches into the purse and pulls out a single key. "Problem solved. I guess we'll walk right in." He kicks the pet in the side, and they wince beautifully, as he flips them over on their back, staring up at the handlers. Fin firmly plants a foot on their chest, as he smiles down on them. "Hello again, Doe-Eyes. Remember us?"

They nod, desperate tears glinting in their lashes. "Yes, Sir. I'm sorry, Sir, I was a bad pet, I was wrong, I should have been good."

"You can still be good." Fin smiles, the fake winning smile every handler learns to master. "Your friend, though. She's a naughty one, isn't she? She's lied to us. Stolen from us. Pretended to be a person."

The pet shivers, and Fin keeps smiling. "You know what happens to bad pets, don't you? What has to happen?"

Doe-Eyes is trembling under Fin's boot, but they nod nonetheless, even manage to call up a shaking, sweet, apologetic smile in return. They're breathtaking. "Yes, Sir," they whisper and cast their eyes down. "Bad pets get punished."

Yeah, Piers thinks, drowning in their sight. Bad pets get punished.

He knows it's going to be glorious.

[chirrups]

I would love to hear the reasoning for picks of dog breeds! As a fellow dog breed nerd I heavily agree with most of them, you did some really good character reads when choosing

i'd love to! but fair warning, it's gonna be a bit... long

Grian - Cairn Terrier (wheaten)

grian HAD to be some kind of dog from the hunting terrier family because they are small, stubborn, and persistent, which are distinctly grian traits in my opinion (also, he couldn't been from toy terrier groups because a tiny but driven working dog seems more his style than purse dog).

to fit my design of grian, the breed had to be short-legged with a longer/wispy coat and come in some sort of cream/wheaten color, which fit in well with the cairn. norwich terrier was also on the table but i like head and proportions of the cairn more.

Scar - Catahoula Leopard Dog (light red leopard)

i'll be so real, scar's breed is 50% a heart pick. scar is my favorite so i very shamelessly gave him the breed of my aunt's dog who is one of the best animals i've ever known. outside of that, catahoulas are kind of a multi-tool hunting dog and have this duality of being very intense on the field then switching to easygoing at home. i like that duality for scar as he's good at playing silly but has sharp moments of competency from time to time.

design-wise, i wanted scar's breed to be brindle, spotted, or some other busy whimsical pattern with short fur. also scar reads medium-large dog as he is on the more affable side and isn't small-dog-fierce like grian or joel are. and catahoulas have lovely leopard patterns with bright eyes and i went, how could i not give scar this one!

Mumbo - Standard Poodle (black & white)

the sky is blue and mumbo gets the poodle. poodles are highly intelligent sporting dogs but are known nowadays for their fanciness and also just terrible proneness to nervousness which are just very mumbo to me.

i needed a large breed of dog that could come in black and white, with some sort of varied fur length on the muzzle for that 'stache. poodles, with their silly haircuts, are the one dog that i think could genuinely rock a mustache mumbo-style

Jimmy - Beagle (lemon & white)

i explained a lot about my choice for jimmy here. but tldr, beagles are plucky, brash, and a bit foolish which are all very jimmy things to be. they are also known for baying which i think is a fun parallel to his entire canary thing going on.

the breed needed to be some form of tawny at a medium size (to pair with scott, tango, and marytn) with a short coat. more importantly the breed in my head had to have floppy ears. idk why call it a gut feeling.

Joel - Jack Russel Terrier (tricolor, broken coat)

i also explained about joel here but he is also deeply hunting terrier coded. joel is stubborn, energetic, and aggressive in way that is three steps north of the average life player so it felt natural to give him the Terror Terrier. he's also both doggedly independent yet attached to his people which is a very jack russel trait.

joel needed to be small, i'm not sorry, but with a more active frame. i also had preference to tricolor as the black-brown-white combo is something i use in my normal joel design too

Scott - Shetland Sheepdog "Sheltie" (blue merle & white)

scott's pick was more heavily reliant on coat color. i needed a long-hair medium sized breed that could come in blue merle or blue and white; which left collies, aussies, and shelties. i ended up going with shelties because of their disposition.

shelties have a tendency to be deeply loyal towards their family and distantly affable to outsiders which scott is. he also has this tendency towards earnest self-sacrifice and giving up when there's no way forward instead of holding on till the bitter end and most shelties i've met tend to give in gracefully rather than hold on to a fight they won't win.

Impulse - American Bulldog (brindle & white)

i wanted impulse to be a physically intimidating yet generally agreeable breed, which hits the mark for mastiff-types. american bulldogs are farm dogs that are both great guardians and very lovable which strikes me as an impulse sort of thing.

i was originally considering english bulldog but i wanted the breed to be firmly in large dog territory. english mastiff was also on the table and honestly either works well for him, but the tiebreaker is that the breed had to be not as tall as skizz’s and the higher white content in american bulldogs worked better design-wise.

Skizz - Bernese Mountain Dog (black, rust, & white)

prefacing this with the fact i probably know the LEAST about skizz, the breed had to be large and friendly while being relatively peppy? i guess that's how i'd say it. bernese mountain dogs kind of hit that mark, they are known for being calm but i've met a few that are on the more energetic side.

design-wise, the dog had to be larger than impulse's american bulldog and cleo's rottie with a luxurious black coat. great dane was in consideration but the face shape and very gentle nature of danes just didn't work for me. that and i wanted skizz to have the awesome fluffy fur as he deserves.

Tango - Podengo (fawn & white, wirehair coat)

tango is the one i'm most on the fence about. in many ways tango and his generally lively sort of attitude gives off terrier vibes but i could not find a breed of terrier that i liked design-wise. most terriers in the medium size range have folded ears and unless i wanted to crop them (which i am personally not a fan of) folded they'd have to stay. plus dipping into terriers, the most common tawny color is wheaten/cream which just would make tango look too alike to grian and martyn.

so i ended up going with podengo, a hound sight/scent mix with high activity and high intelligence to match tango's energy. i've not met a podengo in real life so it's hard to vouch for the breed, but they have a nice fawn and white color which in combo with a wispy wirehair coat kinda looks like flames. other breeds i might later retcon tango into are australian cattle dog, border collie, or a wirehair vizsla

Bdubs - Brussels Griffon (red, rough coat)

i met a griffon the other day and it struck me how bdubs-like the little guy actually was. griffons are spunky, little silly, and have that "gnaw at your ankles" energy that bdubs employs when he wants other to get out of his area.

the choice for griffon also came from their little beards which matched the fluffy/shaggy look i wanted for bdubs. plus the appeal of their red/belge coats is pretty high.

Etho - Keeshound (gray, cream, & black)

so etho needed to be some sort of spitz, as spitz are northern climate specialists and many breeds retain a more independent "wild-like" nature while being playful, intelligent, and affectionate family dogs. etho, the old minecraft player that he is, needed a dog that historically lived impressively but in modern times finds a place being just a silly guy.

it was between samoyed and keeshound because both historically were multi-purpose herding/hunting/hauling dogs that were bred into family pets. keeshound was the obvious winner because i've never seen a more etho-coded coat color.

Cleo - Rottweiler (black & rust, long haired)

for cleo, the breed had to be one with fighting/guarding history but not so intensely territorial to where the dog would be bad with small children. as much as cleo is lauded as a fighter in fandom spaces, she still soft in certain spots and i didn't want to land her with a breed that wouldn't make that exception, so i went with a rottie. rotties are intimidating guard dogs but notably they are amazing with small children and are great at knowing when to defend and when to be gentle.

design-wise her breed just had to be large, have red, and have thick fur. rottweiler, while fitting her great everywhere else, don't typically have that last trait as it's a rare recessive gene that was actively bred out of lines until recently. but i said, i liked rottie too much so i gave her longer fur anyways.

and done! i am currently working on the last set of 6, but i will update the reasoning here when i do just to keep my rambles at least a little contained. i hope any of this makes sense lmao