#I'll keep us friendly but not so cozy

[gatsby-holmes]

Huh

[ozzgin]

Yandere! Yakuza x Reader (II)

Reader is cozying up to her unusual home, and her new friend decides to surprise her with a romantic gift. Or at least what he considers to be romantic: a small reminder that no one else can mess with her. Continuation to the yakuza landlord idea!

Content: female reader, obsessive behavior, mentions of stalking, violence, death, mild gore

[Part 1] | [Part 3] | [Yakuza Masterlist]

You search for your keys and open the postal box, retrieving a thick envelope. You've been living at the new apartment for several weeks now and truth be told, you could get used to this lifestyle. Your commute to work is much shorter, the path is never devoid of people, and there are multiple bakeries on the way back with some of the best pastries you've tasted in your life.

You turn around and look for Daitou, somewhat distracted and dreamy. It really feels like a Hallmark movie. A peaceful, idyllic life. Ah, there he is! The scarred man is standing guard before one of the stores. The curtains have been pulled, blocking any glimpse of the inside. You walk towards him with a certain joyful bounce in your step. As you approach him, you can hear muffled screams coming from the building. He notices you and flashes you a smile. 

"Don't come too close, I hear the owner's been avoiding his loan payment and getting all friendly with the neighboring Family. We're questioning him in the back."

"Don't you usually do the interrogations?" 

"Only if we don't need them afterwards. I'm not too good at keeping them alive, ya know?" He scratches the back of his head and laughs awkwardly. "Do you need anything?"

You open your mouth to speak, but it's a little difficult to formulate a full sentence with the interrupted moans and cries occasionally making their way out. The door is ajar and you avoid glancing in its direction, fixating on the man before you. 

"I...uh... just wanted to know if this letter is intended for me or the landlord. It looks like an official document."

You show Daitou the envelope and just as he is about to grab it, he notices the blood stains seeped into his glove. He quickly removes it, wipes his hand on his shirt, and nonchalantly plucks the paper from your fingers.

"That's for Boss. I'll pass it on, so don't worry."

You nod and bow slightly before hurrying back home. Well, doesn't make it less of a movie, you suppose. Just more of a thriller. Or something like that. You drop your bag, slip off your shoes and throw yourself onto the futon with a loud thud. The warmth of the sheets envelops you and the wails of the shop owner become but a distant dream. 

Without the worry of stalkers, or finding a roof above your head, you can finally rest. 

Tonight is rather dark, with the moon shrouded in heavy clouds. Daitou yawns silently as he observes the masked man testing out passcodes for the entrance. Every now and then he lets out a whispered curse, crossing out another number combination on his little crumpled note. It doesn't take a genius to figure out this is the famed stalker you'd complained about earlier. No one else currently lives in the building. 

Eventually, the keypad lights up and the door unlocks. The mysterious man lifts a fist victoriously and reaches for the handle. 

"Oop! Not so fast!" Daitou drops his heavy, sinewy arm over the man's shoulders, pulling him in a friendly embrace. Like two old pals meeting at an intersection. "Let's take a walk together, what do you say? (Y/N) sleeps until noon on weekends, no need to hurry."

With a grunt, the stalker tries to shove himself out of the tightening hold, but the yakuza doesn't budge. He towers over his new friend with an unfaltering, unbothered grin. 

"Now listen, I don't blame you one bit, ya know? I ain't blind, at least not in this eye", he continues as he points to the real counterpart of his glass prosthetic, "so I'm damn well aware of a pretty girl when I see one. And (Y/N)? That's some good taste alright." 

He gives the man an affectionate pat over the chest, pulling him away from the building into one of the side streets. 

"If you want, we can have a drink before the deed, I know a good place five minutes from here. We can share some stories of our favorite girl, eh?" Daitou looks at his watch, feigning mild concern. "But I'm afraid you're not leaving this neighborhood either way. In one piece, that is." 

His arm goes limp and the masked man is released from the iron hold, tripping over from the sudden lack of support. He crawls against a wall and fumbles for something, swiftly pulling out what seems to be a pocket knife. His breathing is erratic and he points the tip of the blade towards the yakuza, now with his features darkened by a frown. He sounds like an entirely different person and the instant switch to a ragged voice startles the stranger.

"See, the trouble is, I promised miss (Y/N) I wouldn't allow a fucking dog like you to be in her presence ever again. Sadly for you, I'm a man of my word." Despite the threatening tone, his posture is relaxed and he stands before the stalker with his hands bare. 

"If I were you, I'd use that little butter knife on my own throat. I don't go easy on horny cockroaches. Especially the ones that mess with my woman." His final words spill out in a bitter growl. 

A small animal in the trashing jaws of a predator. Blood splatters and pools in the asphalt cracks and drained hands claw at the walls, hoping for an escape. As despair sinks in, the alleyway becomes quiet again, save for the merry whistle of the remaining party. Daitou carefully ties the trash bags with the focus of a child wanting to impress the parents with a chore well done. Halfway through he stops and gasps, surprised.

"Oh man, did I really just say 'my woman'? How embarrassing." He blushes and shyly pushes the wrapped slabs away. "I haven't even asked her out yet, ya know? Better not rat me out, Mr. Stalker." He snickers at his monologue and continues the cleanup. 

"Can you really not refrain yourself from smoking in here?" You try to fan away the puff of smoke, scowling at the young blonde man sitting across the table. 

"Why do you even care so much?" Kazuya groans and stuffs the remains of the cigarette in the ashtray.

"I don't want my carrot cake tasting like tobacco. You're lucky the old man is afraid of you, otherwise you would've gotten your ass banned a long time ago."

"You know, I've been thinking about it lately - haven't you gotten quite the attitude? You have a big mouth for someone surrounded by dangerous gangsters. I could blow your brains out right now." 

He lowers himself in his seat and briefly lifts his shirt, flashing a carelessly tucked in gun. He stares at you for a few seconds, as if expecting a reaction, then lets out a chuckle upon seeing your indifferent expression. 

"Shameless. You could at least try to pretend you don't know I have a soft spot for you."

"Just a wild guess, but your Boss probably wouldn't appreciate you shooting civilians in the middle of a café. That's all." You respond with a shrug. 

Your banter is interrupted by Daitou's heavy footsteps nearing in your direction. Kazuya waves, signaling your location, and kicks a chair out, inviting his friend to join. 

"Where the hell were you last night? I thought you'd come with us for drinks after that long ass questioning."

"Sorry, I had to take care of something." Daitou returns an apologetic smile and tilts his head to gaze at you. "Which reminds me, I brought you this."

Your eyes widen in surprise and a faint red tints your cheeks. Was there some special occasion you didn't know about? He places a small box in your hands and leans back in his chair with a cheerful smirk on his face. Kazuya watches the interaction, equally curious as you. 

You open the mysterious gift, giddy with anticipation. The nauseating smell abruptly invades your nostrils and you can feel the contents of your stomach bubble up and pile at the back of your throat. You gag involuntarily and slap your hands over your mouth, as the box tumbles down. A single severed human finger and some teeth glistening with moisture roll out. 

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

Kazuya jumps from his seat, toppling over the table in the process, and lunges at Daitou's throat. The latter can only stare in shock, baffled at a reaction he didn't foresee. There's genuine confusion shaping his features.

"But-...I thought..."

"What the hell did you think, that you'd show up with fucking human remains over some tea and cake?! Jesus, Daitou, she ain't our Lieutenant!"

"But I did- I did tell (Y/N) I'd..." he tries to find you with a pleading, worried look. 

Once the risk of vomiting on the floor has diminished, you shove yourself between the men and gently try to remove Kazuya's arm, still clawed around the other man's throat.

"Let him go, Kazuya. He didn't mean to scare me." You glance at Daitou reassuringly. "Does that mean the stalker guy is now a solved matter?"

The yakuza nods energetically, his eyes now sparkling with pride. He knew you'd understand. Once the tension is lifted, you quickly sweep the gory tokens back into their box and explain the situation to Kazuya. He collapses back in his seat with a frustrated sigh, facepalming himself. 

"I'm so sorry, (Y/N), I should've told you he's being serious when he says shit like this." He glares at his friend. "She didn't actually expect you to go ahead and do it, dumbass. Couldn't you just mention it or something? 'Hey, I took care of that pervert following you around'! You think she would've demanded proof?"

Daitou is nervously fidgeting with his glass eye, as if searching for the proper words.

"But you always say women will like you more if you surprise them with gifts." He concludes with a pout.

There's a prolonged moment of silence and you burst our laughing, as the blonde simultaneously lets out an exasperated whine. You cannot get over the bizarre sight in front of you: someone as massive and imposing as Daitou, cornered like a punished school boy. 

"See, this is what I've been telling Boss. You're a lost cause." Kazuya rests his elbows on his knees, closing the distance between him and Daitou and continuing with a lecturing tone. "If you got a crush on someone, you bring them flowers or something! What are you, a crackhead? Do I have to teach you basic manners?"

"More importantly, uh...what should I do with these? I guess jewelry made of teeth is a thing, but the finger? Won't it go bad?" you cautiously dangle the package next to your ears, listening to the rustle of its contents. 

Kazuya rips the box from you.

"I'm starting to suspect you don't have all the tiles on your roof either. I'll get rid of it, so you better pretend nothing ever happened. Are we clear?"

Both you and Daitou nod obediently.

On your way back, the man can't help the excitement building up in his chest. You liked his gift, didn't you? He hasn't done anything wrong. Does that make it official, then? As he ponders the implications, he peeks at your small frame, barely managing to keep up with him. Would it be alright if he reached for your hand? Is he supposed to ask first? All these steps confuse him to no end.

Nonetheless, he couldn't be more thankful for you. 

[harunayuuka2060]

Ace: Hey, where's MC? Are they not with you, Grim?

Grim: They're going to be late.

Grim: They're busy taking care of the newcomers.

Ace: Yikes.

Deuce: I'm surprised the headmage allowed them to stay in Ramshackle dorm.

Epel: Crowley is a Yes-man whenever money is involved.

Ace: Lol. Anyway, shouldn't we send them a message to hurry up?

Deuce: Yeah. I'll do it-

MC: *enters the room with a multi-seat stroller*

The six baby dragons: *all behaving in their respective seats*

Ace, Deuce, Epel, and Grim: ...

Ace: Bruh-

The baby dragon: *looking at his siblings*

His siblings: Krrr!

The baby dragon: KRRR! *bares his teeth*

MC: ...

His siblings: *give him goofy expressions in return*

MC: ...

The baby dragon: Krrr!

MC: *chuckles*

MC: *fell asleep in a sitting position*

The baby dragon: *uses his head so they can lean on*

The others: *keeping them warm and cozy*

Jamil, Kalim, and Azul: ...

Kalim: Is it just me or the little ones are purring?

The six baby dragons: *are indeed purring*

Azul: Fascinating. So these dragons exhibit characteristics reminiscent of cats.

The baby dragon: Krrr...

Jamil: Azul, you're being noisy.

Azul: Huh?

Kalim: Aww~ You don't want us to wake your Mama?

The baby dragon: ...

The baby dragon: Krr.

Jamil: You're still not friendly, huh?

[shitsndgiggs]

HELLLOOO KAYAA

I loved the Jobe fic, I'll probably request something with him later on, but now, I have a request with Arda similar to that fic

Arda and the reader have been friends for long and the team knows who the reader is. But Arda and reader are secretly dating. One day, the team finds them fallen asleep on the couch, cuddled closely.

Thank you very much! I hope you'll feel better soon <3

CAUGHT - ARDA GÜLER

Your relationship with Arda gets revealed in a unusual way

Arda Güler x fem! reader

︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿

The day had been long, filled with training sessions, meetings, and endless drills. I had come to see Arda at the training facility like I always did, slipping in between practices to catch up or just hang out.

The team had gotten used to seeing me around; they all thought we were just close friends.

Little did they know that behind all the friendly smiles and casual conversations, there was something more—a secret that Arda and I had managed to keep under wraps for months.

Today, however, had been exhausting for both of us. Arda had looked drained, his usual spark a little dimmer after a tough match the day before.

I could tell he needed some downtime, a chance to recharge, and I had been feeling the same way.

So, after everyone had finished up, we snuck away to the lounge area—a small, cozy room with a big, comfortable couch that had become our secret spot.

We’d just planned to rest for a bit, maybe watch some TV or talk quietly until he felt more like himself.

But it wasn’t long before the soft hum of the TV, the warmth of his body next to mine, and the weight of exhaustion pulled me into a deep, peaceful sleep.

I didn’t realize just how tired I was until my eyes began to droop, and I felt Arda’s arm wrap around me, pulling me close against his chest.

I woke slowly to the sound of hushed voices and soft chuckles. Blinking my eyes open, I realized I was still on the couch, my head resting on Arda’s shoulder.

His arm was draped protectively over me, his face relaxed and peaceful in his sleep. I felt my heart flutter at the sight of him, so calm and serene.

But then I heard it again—the whispering. I turned my head slightly and noticed that we weren’t alone anymore.

The entire team was there, gathered around the couch, their phones out, taking pictures and laughing softly. Panic surged through me as I realized what this looked like—what they were seeing.

“Guys, shhh… they’re gonna wake up!” I heard one of them whisper, stifling a laugh.

“Too late,” another replied with a grin, nodding in my direction. “She’s already awake.”

Arda stirred beside me, blinking his eyes open as he came to. It took him a second to realize what was happening, but when he did, his eyes widened, and his arm tightened around me instinctively.

“What…?” He muttered sleepily, still half-asleep, but then he saw the team standing there, and his face turned from confusion to realization in an instant. “Oh… crap.”

I couldn’t help the giggle that escaped me at his reaction, even though I was feeling just as caught off guard.

The team’s expressions ranged from amused to downright gleeful, clearly enjoying the spectacle of their two teammates being discovered in such a compromising position.

“Uh, hey guys…” I said awkwardly, trying to untangle myself from Arda, but he held me tighter, almost as if he didn’t care that we’d been caught.

“Oh, don’t mind us,” teased Viní, holding up his phone with a grin. “Just getting some evidence for the group chat.”

Eduardo chimed in, “You two look so cozy! Who knew you were this close, huh?”

Arda sighed, rubbing a hand over his face, but I could see the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Alright, alright, you’ve had your fun,” he said, his voice still a little rough with sleep. “How about you all give us a little space?”

But the teasing didn’t stop. “So, how long has this been going on?” asked Aurélien, waggling his eyebrows. “And how come none of us knew?”

I glanced at Arda, wondering how he’d handle this. He glanced back at me, and I could see the hint of amusement in his eyes despite the situation. “A few months,” he finally admitted with a shrug. “We didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.”

The room erupted in playful jeers and cheers. “A few months?! And you didn’t tell us?

Come on, man, we could’ve thrown you a party or something!” Jude joked.

Arda chuckled, still keeping me close. “Yeah, well, we wanted to keep it to ourselves for a while. Didn’t think we’d get busted like this.”

I blushed, hiding my face against his shoulder for a moment before looking up at the team. “Can you guys just… delete those pictures, please?” I asked, trying to sound stern but unable to keep the smile off my face.

There were a few grumbles and reluctant nods, but eventually, they all started putting their phones away, the teasing still going on but now a bit more good-natured.

One of the senior players, Luka, grinned at us. “Hey, don’t worry, your secret’s safe with us,” he said, winking. “But you owe us a story or two.”

Arda laughed, finally sitting up fully and helping me to do the same. “Deal,” he said, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze.

As the team slowly started to disperse, still chuckling and shaking their heads, I turned to Arda, unable to keep the grin off my face. “Well… I guess the secret’s out.”

He smiled back at me, his expression warm and tender. “Yeah,” he said, leaning in to kiss my forehead softly. “But you know what? I’m kind of okay with that.”

I nodded, feeling a wave of relief and happiness wash over me. “Me too,” I whispered, leaning into him, feeling his arms wrap around me once more.

[brittscafe]

I don't know if you did this but, can i request "one bed trope" with Grimmjow? i love that man so bad, i need my daily dose of him 💀

Ugh, of course! <3

You wish you weren't stuck in this situation with Grimmjow, but the events leading you here were unfortunate to say the least.

You walk behind Grimmjow in the world of the living when suddenly the thunder booms loudly. You flinch from the sudden loudness and lift up your head, gazing up into the dark sky.

The clouds seem to scatter around, gathering around and taking over the sky.

"Damn it," Grimmjow curses underneath his breath as the rain droplets start to pour down from the sky.

"What? It's just a little rain," you suggest, shrugging your shoulders.

Suddenly, the rain starts to break down from the sky. Within seconds Grimmjow and you are soaked, clothes stuck to your wet bodies.

The rain seems to sting Grimmjow's body and he seethes at the feeling of it.

Grimmjow's hand slaps down onto your wrist and he starts to drag you behind him. Although, your feet can't seem to keep up with him and you start to stumble and tumble over.

"Damn girl, come on!" Grimmjow hisses out, glaring back at you over his shoulder. He grits his teeth and clenches his jaw, harshly. Grimmjow may have been glaring at you and looked like he wanted to kill you, but his heart spoke differently.

He saw the way your eyes were filled with fear and even tears. So, he loosens his grip on your wrist and clears his throat.

"I think there's an inn nearby!" you speak up as the wind howls loudly and picks up the speed. Grimmjow and you rush through the woods and burst into an inn.

It's dimly lit, the only light are candles all around the walls. You and Grimmjow pant heavily, water dripping from your clothes and onto the old wooden floor.

The inn is warm and friendly. An older lady sits at a desk, wearing a faint smile and her grey hair pulled back into a slick bun.

"Damn, curse that rain!" Grimmjow curses out, his wet hair sticking to his forehead.

"Grimmjow," you nudge his shoulder and point over to the woman.

"Are you two looking for a room?" the elderly woman speaks up and your eyes light up with interest.

"Um, yes please," you bow your head down.

"Luckily for you, I have one last room available. Here's the key and if you need anything, I'll be down here," she speaks softly with a soothing voice, handing you a golden key.

You take the key from her hand and shoot her a smile.

"Thank you," you whisper out, walking down the dark hallway and Grimmjow follows behind you.

You place the key inside the lock and turn it. The lock clicks open with a quiet sound and you push the door open. Your mouth gapes open and Grimmjow's breath hitches in his throat.

One large bed sits in the middle of the cozy room and you gulp.

"Only one bed? Great," he scoffs out with annoyance, shoving his way past you and into the room. You roll your eyes with annoyance and step inside, closing the door behind you.

You sit underneath the white covers as the shower runs in the background. The shower soon shuts off and your heart lodges in your throat.

The door swings open and Grimmjow walks out, only wearing a pair of sweats. The fresh water makes his abs glisten and his wet hair hangs over his eyes. Your face becomes red hot and your stomach twists into uneasy knots.

"Grimmjow! You couldn't have put on a shirt?" you scoff out, gazing the other way.

Grimmjow lets out a tiny chuckle and you glance back over at him. Your mouth waters at the sight of him and he bites on his bottom lip.

"Oh, come on. Don't tell you you've never seen a man without his shirt on?" he questions you, a smirk growing along his pale face.

"You should sleep," you suggest, changing the subject and Grimmjow lets out a tiny scoff.

"I'm not human. Therefore, I don't require sleep," Grimmjow retorts harshly and you knit your eyebrows together.

"Grimmjow, there's enough room in this bed for the both of us," you scoff out.

"I don't want to sleep with you," Grimmjow seethes out and you giggle quietly.

"I didn't mean it like that. We can have separate sides of the bed, come on," you pat the empty side of the bed next to you. Grimmjow's expression softens and he lets out a deep breath.

He climbs into the bed beside you and watches outside the window as the rain continues to pour down.

"I hate the rain," Grimmjow sighs out, lowering his head. He's vulnerable for a minute and you can see it.

"Maybe it's because you're half cat," you suggest and Grimmjow shoots you a harsh glare.

"Shut up! I am not," Grimmjow flicks your forehead and you scrunch up your face.

"Yeah, yeah, try to deny it all you want. I'm going to bed," you sigh out, blowing out the candle on your nightstand and snuggle up into the covers.

Grimmjow's left with his jaw dropped open as you quickly fall asleep.

You're in your most vulnerable position right now. Eyes closed, lips slightly parted as soft breaths leave your throat. Grimmjow's eyes rake over your eyelashes, not fluttering at him for once.

A piece of your hair dangles down in front of your face and Grimmjow's breath hitches in his throat as he reaches out. He gently moves the piece of hair out of your face and tucks it behind your ear.

You seem to inch closer and closer to Grimmjow in your sleep. The candlelight on his side of the bed, glows onto your face. Grimmjow's heart rams against his chest, wanting to rip out.

He slowly lifts up his hand and reaches out towards your face. He traces your cheek, the softness of your skin, creating goosebumps along his skin.

Grimmjow's eyes widen and his breath hitches in his throat.

Why? Why does he feel this way about you? It doesn't make any sense to him.

The covers ruffle as you move in your sleep and Grimmjow quickly pulls away from you. Your arms wrap around his waist, pulling him closer to you.

A startled gasp leaves his lips and he gazes down at you, eyes widen and confused. You were so warm against his body, you fit perfectly against him.

You move your thigh over his hips and Grimmjow's heart skips a beat.

You were so vulnerable right now, he could do anything. Grimmjow could kill you if he wanted to, but he doesn't want to. He feels a deep instinct to keep you safe.

Grimmjow slowly wraps his arms around you, your head resting on his chest. His eyes rake over you and your innocent, sleeping face. He leans his head down and places a soft kiss on your forehead.

He rests his head against the pillow and closes his eyes, a warm smile growing on his face.

Grimmjow was so glad that you were asleep...or at least that's what he thought.

[libraryofgage]

Addams Family Steddie Seven

One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | ao3 (this part hasn't been added to ao3, yet, but I'll do it when I get the energy for tags lol)

Anyway, I'm back with another Addams Family for y'all fhdjsk

We now get Steddie children! I added little picrews of them at the very end, too! I just think they're little guys (affectionate) ^_^

Anyway, he's a big boi this time too, so you definitely don't see any typos no matter what you think

Dustin

"It's haunted?!"

Steve grins a little as he lets Dart dash into the house before shutting the door behind them. Dart only pauses by Dustin long enough to get a pat on the head before rushing off to explore. "Yep," Steve says, messing up Dustin's hair and meeting Eddie's gaze as a door bangs in the distance.

"Are you sure that's safe? What if it goes, like, full poltergeist on us?" Dustin asks, looking up at them suspiciously.

"I wish he'd go full poltergeist. I couldn't summon one for the life of me," Eddie says, sighing and shaking his head. "There's nothing like blood dripping down the walls to make a place feel like home."

"Okay, this?" Dustin says, gesturing to Eddie with raised eyebrows as he looks at Steve. "This is not making me feel better about the ghost."

Steve snorts and shakes his head, removing his hand from Dustin's hair. "Don't listen to Eddie. Blood is too hard to get off the walls and would mess up the paint. Anyway, Casper lives in the tower, and he likes D&D, so you can include him in sessions and stuff."

Dustin's face does this weird twisting thing as he tries to process the fact a ghost lives in their house and that it likes D&D enough for that to be a significant feature of its personality. He looks up at Steve, squinting slightly. "Like the friendly ghost?" he asks.

"He thinks it's ironic," Steve and Eddie say, perfectly in sync, and Dustin's disgusted expression nearly makes Steve dissolve into laughter.

"You're disgusting," Dustin tells them, rolling his eyes as he picks up one of his suitcases. "Just show me to my room before you start making out."

Steve snorts and leads Dustin upstairs, pointing out the living room, kitchen, D&D room, and guest rooms along the way. He has to grab Dustin's arm to keep him from veering straight into the D&D room, shooting him a look as they head up the stairs. "You can check it out later," he promises.

"I'll give you the grand tour," Eddie says, trailing behind them with a box of Dustin's computer stuff in his arms. "But first, check out the room. Stevie's been dying to know what it looks like."

"I haven't been dying," Steve says, looking over his shoulder to wink at Eddie as he continues, "You'd know when I'm dying, babe."

"C'mon!" Dustin shouts, ducking away from Steve and running up the last few steps. "Stop making everything a weird flirting thing."

"We're in love, Dustin," Eddie tells him, coming to a stop at the top of the stairs next to Steve. "It's only gonna get worse from here."

"I'm moving out. Don't even bother putting the stuff in my room. I'll go live with Mike, instead."

"At least see the room before you do," Steve says, gesturing to the door with Dustin's name on it.

Dustin rolls his eyes and marches over to the door. He throws it open, clearly expecting to see nothing of interest, only to freeze in the doorway, his eyes widening. "Woah," he whispers.

"I knew he'd love it," Eddie says, pulling Steve over so he can see the room is well.

It's at least twice the size of Dustin's old room. There's a loft bed with a desk and lamp under it against the wall to the right of the door. The opposite wall is covered in tools and random parts and wires, all placed carefully on hooks or shelves with a large table underneath. A pair of safety goggles is hung on a nail right above the table, with a little sign next to them that reads in all caps "WEAR THESE!"

Steve almost makes out with Eddie in the doorway of the room for that alone.

The wall with the window has been turned into a cozy area with bookshelves and posters of fantasy maps and cryptid anatomy. A telescope is set up next to the window, which has a clear view of the sky. In fact, it's one of the only windows that isn't blocked by trees from the cemetery. Two oversized chairs are set into a semicircle with beanbags, creating plenty of space for Dustin's friends to come sit and hang out.

"So, you like it?" Eddie asks, setting the computer box on the desk under the bed.

Dustin nods as he drops his bag, rushing over to the work table so he can inspect the tools hanging over it. "This is fucking awesome! Everything I need to make a lich animatronic is here!" he shouts, his excitement so great that he completely misses the equally excited flicker of the lights in the room.

"Language," Steve scolds, more on reflex than anything else.

"Yeah, yeah," Dustin says, waving his hand dismissively as he reaches out and pulls one of the wire bundles down from the wall. "I take back everything I said, by the way, be as gross as you want. I don't even care anymore."

Before Steve can tease Dustin, he's grabbed around the waist by Eddie. "With pleasure," Eddie purrs, dipping Steve and kissing him breathless just inside Dustin's room.

Steve can't help laughing into the kiss, inadvertently letting Eddie's tongue slip past his lips. And then he doesn't really care about laughing, too consumed by Eddie and his hands and his tongue and his teeth and Eddie.

He does, however, start laughing so hard that Eddie almost drops him when Dustin turns around and screeches like a banshee.

Belladonna

Eddie brings their first child home on a wonderfully dreadful day. The sky is unleashing a torrential downpour on the world, lightning cracks and thunder rolls through the clouds, and wind howls across the street. Perfect weather for a Saturday, really.

Steve was ready to spend the first half of the day in the kitchen, trying out recipes Wayne and Grandmama had given him while Dustin sat at the island to finish his homework. In the second half of the day, he'd sit at the piano outside his and Eddie's room and play while Dustin watched TV or worked on the lich animatronic in his room or fine-tuned a new character in the D&D room.

Eddie would be gone for most of the day, trying his level best to get struck by lightning. He's yet to succeed, but that just means Steve gets to cheer him up when he gets home. And the new song he's working on will do just that, especially when he tells Eddie it's composed from the lyrics Eddie wrote in that journal he gave Steve before they started dating.

Yeah, that will definitely cheer Eddie up, and Steve should probably tell Dustin to just order Chinese for dinner because he doubts they'll be leaving the bedroom after that.

The thought makes Steve grin as he pulls out an apple and nightshade pie from the oven, the cloying scent spreading through the room and making Dustin crinkle his nose. He hasn't quite worked up to nightshade, but he's almost there.

"I finished," Dustin says, pushing his homework away and dropping his pencil.

Steve sets the pie on a cooling rack and shuts off the oven. "And that was all your homework?" he asks, dropping his oven mitts and moving to Dustin's side of the island. He leans over Dustin's shoulder, pulling the homework back and skimming over the answers.

It's a sheet of chemical equations, and Steve very quickly realizes he's got no clue what he's looking at. He frowns slightly and hums. "How confident are you?" he asks.

Dustin chooses one of the equations and starts explaining his balancing process. He gets about halfway through before Steve puts a hand over his mouth to stop him. "Okay, okay, I get it. You're gonna make my brain hurt," he says, grimacing when Dustin licks his palm. He pulls his hand away, dragging it on Dustin's shirt to clean it.

"Can I go now?" Dustin asks, looking up at Steve.

Steve sighs and ruffles his hair. "Run along. I think Casper is in the D&D room," he says, his guess confirmed by the slam of a door down the hall. With a grin, Dustin slides out of the chair, shoves the homework into his backpack, and runs out of the kitchen.

Now that he's alone, Steve takes a deep breath and starts cleaning the kitchen. He rinses used mixing bowls and utensils before placing them in the dishwasher, unplugs the mixer, and wipes the counters clean of flour and sugar and nightshade extract.

He's just finished cutting the pie when lightning strikes a tree outside the kitchen window, thunder rolls loudly over the house, the lights surge and flicker, and the front door swings open to slam against the wall with a vigor only Eddie could produce. Steve blinks and looks out the window once more, confirming that it is, in fact, still raining, and leaves the knife in the pie to welcome Eddie.

If he's come home this early, he must have finally been struck by lightning, which means there's something to celebrate.

Steve grins excitedly and heads to the front door only to stop short when he enters the hallway. Eddie is soaked to the bone, which is expected, sporting a huge grin that reveals too-sharp canines with the ends of his hair burnt like he'd (finally) been struck by lightning. He looks like a drenched rat, and in his arms is an equally drenched child that he carefully sets on her feet.

She looks no more than ten and sticks close to Eddie, staring at Steve with silver-grey eyes. Her skin and hair are the same deep black as the calla lilies on the porch, and the hair she's pulled up into two puffs on either side of her head has a similar reddish tinge along the edges. Splashed across the bridge of her nose, cheeks, and forehead are freckles lighter than the girl's skin, standing out because of it.

Eddie smiles excitedly at Steve, practically vibrating where he stands but not moving since the girl is gripping the edge of his shirt. "Stevie! Sweetheart! I'm home!" he says, his gaze flicking between Steve and the girl and unabashedly begging Steve to ask about her.

Steve can't help chuckling. "Welcome home," he says, walking closer and grabbing the towel he'd placed on the coat rack after Eddie left that morning. He crouches in front of the girl and smiles warmly. "Hi, what's your name?" he asks.

She fidgets for a moment, glancing up at Eddie long enough to see his relaxed shoulders and infatuated smile before looking at Steve again and smiling at him. Her right canine is sharper than her left, and Steve feels his heart melt at that sight. "I don't know," she says, shrugging as she steps forward. "I don't like my name much, but I haven't thought of a new one, yet."

"I see," Steve says, unfolding the towel and wrapping it around her shoulders. "Well, my name is Steve, and you've already met Eddie here. Did you lose your parents?" he asks.

It's not that he doesn't know why Eddie brought a child home. Steve has made no secret of his desire for children, after all. He just has to make sure Eddie acquired the child...well, legality doesn't really matter, but he can't have stolen the child from people who truly care for her.

The girl rubs her cheek against the towel, looking delighted by something so soft, and says, "Oh, I haven't lost them. I know exactly where they are." Her grin widens a bit, and she points down at the floor. "I put them there myself."

Steve raises an eyebrow at her, getting a slightly amused smile. "Did you? How come?"

She sighs, shaking her head as though it's a shame. "They were meanies. I wanted new parents."

"And you met Eddie."

She nods, looking excited as she glances back at Eddie. "He had a big pole to catch the lightning!"

Eddie crouches next to her now, his eyes bright and eager as he says, "It was amazing, Stevie! The moment she walked up to me, I was finally struck!"

The girl nods in agreement, and Steve looks between the two of them as he considers. Her parents are gone (by her own hands, apparently, and Steve feels oddly proud already), and she got Eddie struck by lightning. "Do you have any other family?" he finally asks.

When the girl shakes her head, a few drops of water flying off the ends of her hair, Steve can't help grinning. Something settles in his chest, warm and happy, and Steve nods once. "There's a lawyer in the family," he says to Eddie, meeting his gaze.

"They're perfectly corrupt, too," Eddie agrees.

Steve nods and looks at the girl again. He scoops her up, standing straight and grinning when she squeals with delight. "Welcome home," he tells her, already figuring out the best way to introduce her to Dustin.

----

Exactly two weeks after Steve and Eddie gain a daughter and ask a favor from the Addams lawyer, she chooses her name.

It happens in the kitchen. She's sitting next to Dustin, both of them watching Steve and Eddie make pancakes for breakfast. Eddie is getting the pan ready while Steve is making two batters. One has chocolate chips and will be cooked the first. The other will have chocolate chips and nightshade berries fresh from Flora and Fauna's secret garden at their psychiatric hospital.

"What are those?" their daughter asks, pointing at the jar of nightshade berries.

Steve picks up the jar and shakes one out, placing it in her palm for closer inspection. "They're called nightshade. They're deadly," he says, smiling as he shakes the rest into a black mixing bowl.

"Do they taste good?" she asks.

"I wouldn't try it," Dustin says, leaning closer despite his wary look. "Unless you're like Eddie and Steve, I guess."

"Am I?" she asks.

"Well, you did just fine with the cyanide," Steve reasons, considering the berries for a moment. Finally, he nods once and gestures to the berry in her palm. "You can try it."

She lights up and pops the berry into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. After a few seconds, she swallows. "They're good," she decides, nodding once and looking unaffected by the berry.

Steve decides to give her a few minutes still, just to be sure.

"You know," Eddie says, looking over his shoulder and taking the finished chocolate chip batter from Steve, "they come from a plant with purple flowers."

"Oh!" Dustin says, sitting up straight, "We learned about them in class. They're called Atropa belladonna, or belladonna for short. They're native to, like, Asia and Europe."

"What class did you learn that in?" Steve asks, mixing chocolate chips into the batter alongside the nightshade in the second bowl.

"English. We read some story where a wife poisoned her husband using belladonna. Max said it was very girlboss of her," Dustin explains.

"So, it's a flower and a poison?" Steve and Eddie's daughter asks, studying the jar for a moment before grinning. "I like it!"

"Yeah?" Eddie asks, flipping a cooked pancake onto a large plate before pouring more batter into the pan. "Maybe we should get you a cutting."

She shakes her head. "I like the name," she explains.

Steve and Eddie both pause, sharing a look before turning their gazes to her with serious expressions. "Would you like your name to be Belladonna?" Steve asks.

After a few seconds of serious consideration, she nods once. "Yeah, I like it."

Eddie abandons the stove, dropping the spatula in favor of sliding around the island and lifting Belladonna from her chair. "It's perfect!" he tells her, hugging her close and spinning her in a circle. "Our little poison flower!"

Belladonna squeals in surprise, latching onto Eddie's neck as Steve flips the pancakes so they don't burn. "You know we gotta enroll her in school now, right?" he asks, looking over his shoulder just in time to see Eddie throw Belladonna in the air.

"Aww, man, she's too young to get her spirit crushed," Dustin says, leaning forward to watch as Steve slides a few more pancakes onto the plate.

"There's nothing wrong with a good spirit-crushing," Steve says, glancing up when the lights flicker and a cabinet door slams. "See, Casper agrees with me."

"They can't crush my spirit if I crush theirs first," Belladonna says, scrambling her way to sitting on Eddie's shoulders. She drapes herself over Eddie's head, arms hanging in front of his face, and brightly adds, "And by crush, I mean kill."

Eddie grins and grabs her hands, moving them so he can see Steve. "Our daughter is perfect," he tells him.

"She's just like y'all," Dustin says.

"Isn't it great?" Steve and Eddie ask, meeting each other's gaze and laughing when Dustin just rolls his eyes and mutters about them getting grosser by the day.

El

El stays with them on the weekends. She spends all of Saturday playing with Dustin and Belladonna, switching between the two as she pleases until they've all somehow congregated in the living room to watch true crime videos and judge the criminals. On Sunday, she helps Steve in the kitchen as he preps lunches and dinners for the week and then tends to the plants outside. Eddie sometimes joins them in the kitchen, but he usually ends up doing laundry most of the day.

On this particular weekend, Wayne drops El off with several suitcases next to her on the porch. Steve stares at them for a moment before looking up at Wayne. "Did something happen?" he asks.

"Well, I'm leaving on a world trip," Wayne says, placing a hand on El's shoulder as he continues, "and El would rather stay here than tag along."

"It is the middle of the school year," Steve points out, glancing down when Belladonna pokes her head out the door.

She sees El and lights up. "Oh, perfect! I've got a brand new guillotine from Cousin Wednesday. You got one, too, right? Let's race them!" she says, pushing onto the porch and grabbing El's hand.

El nods and looks up at Wayne. "I will be inside. Please help Steve bring my bags in," she says before grabbing one of her bags (presumably the one with the guillotine in it) and letting Belladonna drag her into the house.

Steve can't help smiling as they pass him, reaching out to ruffle each girl's hair. When they've gone inside, he looks at Wayne. "Where are you planning to go?" he asks.

"I'm gonna start domestic with Area 51," Wayne says, looking excited just to talk about it, "Then I'm gonna hit those Parisian catacombs, make my way to a haunted forest in China, and then circle back to spend a few weeks in the Bermuda Triangle."

"You'd better not pull a Fester on us," Steve jokes.

Wayne sighs, shaking his head regretfully. "Nobody could pull a Fester except him. How do you follow that up? I mean, the grief he put his brother through, it's impressive all right," he says.

Knowing the full story of Fester's disappearance and homecoming, Steve can't argue with Wayne. "Well, maybe you'll get lucky enough to be abducted," he says.

"One can only hope," Wayne says, returning Steve's grin. "Seriously, though, you don't mind watching El, do you? I'm sure Cousin Itt wouldn't mind if it's too much trouble."

Steve waves away his worries. "She's Eddie's sister, which makes her my sister, and she's friends with Belladonna and Dustin. Of course, she's welcome here. In fact, you're welcome, too, when you get back," Steve tells him.

Wayne laughs, pulling Steve into a spine-crushing hug. "I just might take you up on that," he says, patting Steve's back before pulling away. "Now, let's get El's stuff to her room."

----

El already has a designated guest room, and she helps Steve unpack her things in it. Her clothes are already in the closet and dresser, her books and knick-knacks are on the bookshelf, and she's currently setting out her skeleton collection on the windowsill while Steve hangs up her photos of cobwebs.

"Can I invite friends over?" El suddenly asks, looking at Steve as he carefully hammers a nail into the wall.

Steve blinks and looks over his shoulder. She's finished placing her collection and is now sitting on the bed, feet idly swinging over the edge. "Yeah, just try to let me or Eddie know when you do," he says, flashing her a reassuring smile before focusing back on the nail.

As though he's been summoned, Eddie bursts into the room and zeroes in on El. "It's about time!" he says, throwing himself onto the bed next to El. His weight makes her bounce, and she falls over Eddie's stomach, blinking a few times.

"You know," Steve says, putting down the hammer to hang the photo on the nail, "you could've invited her to stay here at any point."

"Yeah, but where's the fun in that?" Eddie asks.

"Why was waiting more fun?" El asks him, pushing on his stomach to sit up again.

Eddie grins at her. "Cuz I made a bet with Dustin about how long it'd take, and I won," he explains.

Steve pauses and raises an eyebrow at him. "What did you bet?"

It must be something good because Eddie doesn't shy away from Steve's gaze. Instead, he lights up and jumps off the bed. "Well, Dust-Bunny lost, so he's agreed to babysit Belladonna next Friday," he says, wrapping his arms around Steve's waist and spinning them to the center of the room. "So, we can go out."

"Like, a date night?" Steve asks, a smile tugging on his lips.

"Whatever you wanna do," Eddie promises, pulling Steve into a dance to music only he can hear. Steve is only a little jealous of Eddie's auditory hallucinations.

"I can also watch Belladonna with Dustin," El offers, watching them from the bed. She has a tiny smile, looking completely relaxed and at home watching Eddie and Steve flirt. "If she dies, it will be in an entertaining way."

Steve snorts, pulling away from Eddie and dropping onto the bed next to El. Eddie follows, crouching in front of them and grinning up at her. "You don't need to babysit, too," Steve tells her, ruffling her hair. "But we'd appreciate it if you make sure Belladonna actually goes to bed on time."

El nods once. "I can knock her out if she stays up too long," she says.

"We have sedatives for that, so no blunt objects required," Eddie says, "They're in the kitchen."

"Can I have a bottle for my room?" El asks.

Steve and Eddie share a look, and Eddie shrugs. "Sure, I'll make some just for you," Steve promises. When El smiles a little wider at him, he pulls her into a hug. "Remember, this is your home now, too. So, just do whatever makes you comfortable."

"Oh," El says, leaning into Steve as she nods, "I'll start putting down traps, then."

Steve makes a mental note to warn Dustin later to watch out for those traps.

Romero

Three months after Belladonna twirls into the house and sets root and two months after El has laid down her final trap, Steve starts rearranging one of the guest rooms. He's not sure why, of course, but he's filled with a sudden and inescapable need for it to be different.

Steve changes the sheets on the guest bed, replacing them with a new, forest green set. He gets a dresser for the room and asks El to carve insects along the sides. The desk stays, but he moves it to sit under the window and replaces the curtains so they're lighter and more easily swayed by the breeze. He gets a bookcase and fills it with odds and ends: a jar of marbles, a comb with a mother-of-pearl handle, a shrunken head Belladonna found on the ground one day, and a collection of buttons, to name a few.

Finally, Steve covers the room in plants, dragging in planters and pots and even a fish tank for an aquatic plant set-up. While he never had a green thumb before, taking care of Nix and spending several hours on the phone with Morticia has given him the skills to make sure the plants thrive. He grows flowers and succulents and wall-crawlers and everything in between.

When he's done, two weeks have passed, and Steve inexplicably feels like the room is just about perfect.

It's just missing an occupant.

----

Someone grabs the back of Steve's shirt, tugging on it until Steve groans and rolls over. He stops once he's facing the edge of the bed, blinking tiredly against the odd glow coming from the kid standing there.

It's the middle of the night, and Steve had been halfway through a dream in which Dart and Nix were waltzing in the backyard, so he can definitely be forgiven for not questioning the child's existence. He just questions what brought the child to their room.

"Wha'z wrong?" he asks, the words slurred together and practically incomprehensible.

Thankfully, the child seems perfectly fluent in half-awake linguistics. "Bad dream," he says, voice soft like the breeze but all-encompassing like the rustle of leaves.

Steve hums softly and reaches out. He picks up the boy, vaguely noting that he can't weigh more than a five year old. The child says nothing as Steve cradles him to his chest and rolls back over.

"Sleep h're," Steve mumbles, placing the boy down between him and Eddie. He keeps his right arm under the boy's head, letting his bicep act as a pillow. And Eddie, somehow, seems to sense a child in the bed in his sleep. He shifts closer, draping his arm over the kid's stomach and then grabbing the edge of Steve's shirt tightly.

The boy settles in, grabbing Steve's other arm to hold like a teddy bear. "Good night," he says, the words barely more than a whisper.

Steve smiles and kisses the boy's temple, murmuring a good night in return before falling right back to sleep.

When Steve wakes up in the morning, his arm is still acting as a teddy bear. He tries to pull away, intending to go to the bathroom, but the grip tightens. Steve is about to tell Eddie he'll be back in a minute but pauses when he looks down.

Green eyes meet his, staring calmly. They belong to a little boy, no more than five, with skin so pale it almost has a green tinge and hair so red Steve is surprised the pillow isn't on fire. The boy is pinned under Eddie's arm, looking perfectly content to stay there.

"Uh, good morning," Steve says, his voice rough from sleep.

Before the boy can respond, Eddie hums softly, a smile tugging at his lips. "Good morning, sweetheart," he says.

Steve can't help a soft laugh. "I wasn't talking to you, babe," he says.

Eddie opens his eyes at that, zeroing in on Steve first like always before seeing the boy in their bed. "Oh," he says, holding the kid's gaze for a few seconds, "Good morning."

The boy nods to Eddie and sits up, finally letting go of Steve's hand only to hold his arms out. Steve doesn't really think; he just scoops the boy up, cradling him close.

Apparently comfortable, the boy finally says, "Good morning. My name is Romero."

And Steve suddenly knows who he redecorated the guest room for.

----

Belladonna and El don't blink twice at seeing Romero sitting at the kitchen island, a small cup of milk in front of him, when they come down for breakfast. Dustin, however, stops in the doorway and gestures at him while asking, "When the fuck did we get another one?!"

"Okay, first of all, language," Steve says, turning around and aiming a spatula threateningly at Dustin. "Second of all, this is Romero. Now, come sit down."

"Do neither of you find this weird?" Dustin asks, looking at Belladonna and El as he slides into his usual seat at the island. Eddie places a cup of orange juice in front of him, pushing down the bill of the cap he insists on wearing inside before moving on to get drinks for El and Belladonna.

"Nope! I've got a brother now," Belladonna says, grinning as she leans closer to Romero and pokes his cheek.

"You already had a brother," Dustin mutters before taking a sip of his juice.

Belladonna still hears him, so she turns to Dustin. "Yeah, but you're, like, an older brother," she says. "I go to you when I need to bury someone or rig something to blow up. Now, there's someone who can come to me for that stuff."

Dustin blinks, considering for a moment before relaxing. "Well, I guess that's true. Oh, and that music box you asked me to...fix is done," he tells her.

"Thanks, Dustin!" she says, settling in her seat again as Steve slides a plate of eggs in front of her.

"I put ghost pepper on it like you asked," Steve tells her, kissing the top of her head before putting another plate in front of Dustin. "And yours already has ketchup."

He goes back to the stove and finds a cup of coffee waiting for him. "Thanks," he says, pulling Eddie into a quick kiss before pulling away.

Eddie hums and playfully nudges Steve away from the stove. "I can make the oatmeal," he says, gesturing for Steve to go sit at the island, too. "Go bond with the kids."

Steve rolls his eyes but doesn't argue. He just takes his seat next to Romero and idly fixes a few fly-away hairs sticking up. "Romero, this is Belladonna, Dustin, and El," he says, pointing to each kid as he introduces them. "Belladonna is our daughter, Dustin is my brother, and El is Eddie's sister."

After a few seconds, Romero looks up at Steve. "Must I call them aunt and uncle?" he asks.

"Nope, you can call them whatever you like," Eddie says, grinning over his shoulder at Romero. "I suggest Dust-Bunny for Dustin."

"Can we please let that nickname go?" Dustin asks.

"No," El says, watching as Eddie pours oats into a pot of warmed milk. "It's amusing."

Dustin groans and shoves a forkful of eggs into his mouth.

"Hey," Belladonna says her eggs, poking Romero's cheek again, "How come your skin is green?"

"To blend in," Romero says, inspecting his now empty cup with a slight frown. He doesn't ask for more, though.

"Blend in with what?"

"The forest."

Belladonna hums, nodding once like that answers every question and doesn't inspire more, and focuses on eating her eggs.

"You know, we'll have to enroll Romero in school, too," Steve suddenly says, taking a sip of his coffee.

Eddie hums in agreement, pouring oatmeal into bowls before placing them in front of El, Steve, and Romero. "Good point. How old are you, Romero?"

"How old do I look?" he asks, picking up a blue plastic spoon and using it to stir around the oatmeal curiously.

"Around five," El tells him, pouring pitch-black syrup into her oatmeal before passing it to Eddie.

Romero nods. "I'm five."

Steve hums, meeting Eddie's gaze. His husband doesn't seem to have any ideas, either, so Steve tucks this moment away for later, after the older kids have gone to school. For now, though, he pours some honey into Romero's oatmeal and encourages him to give it a try. When Romero's eyes widen slightly at the taste, Steve grins and feels something warm settle in his chest.

Robin

Two weeks into summer, Robin appears on the front porch of the house with her dorm room in bags around her and an impatient expression. Steve has a similar expression when he opens the door. "What took you so long?!" he asks, yanking Robin into a tight hug that she quickly returns.

"C'mon, dingus, you know I had to finish school," she says, digging her fingers into Steve's side and grinning when he jerks away. "Now, show me to my room. I know you've set one aside for me."

Steve rolls his eyes, but he doesn't correct her. He has set a room aside. It's on the first floor. He'd dubbed it Robin's room when he finally spent more than two seconds studying the space and realized it had a perfect view of the house where the married couple likes to argue on the front lawn. They'll offer Robin hours of entertainment.

"Help me carry your stuff," he says, picking up several bags.

As he's shouldering two of them, Belladonna rushes onto the porch and crashes into Robin's legs, grinning up at her. "Robin! What took you so long?" she asks.

"Geez, she really is your kid," Robin says, grinning at Steve before crouching. "As I told Steve, I had to actually finish school."

"I know. I wanted to go set it on fire, but Dad wouldn't let me and Romero said it would draw too much attention."

"Well, set it on fire next time. If anyone dies, they have to give everyone an A."

"That's not true," Steve says, shooting Robin a look before gesturing Belladonna closer. "Here, can you help us carry stuff inside?"

"Okay! I'll take...this!" Belladonna grabs what looks like the heaviest bag on the porch, straining as she drags it inside.

Steve watches her and shakes his head. He looks at Robin and gestures to the final bags on the porch. "You gonna get those?" he asks.

"I can't believe you're making me carry things, Steven," Robin says, huffing as she picks them up. "Me, a guest in your home, having to carry her own things inside."

"One, not my name. Two, you're not a guest, Robin. You're family. And family carries their shit."

Robin rolls her eyes, unable to help a grin as she uses her foot to hold the door open for Steve. She slides into the house behind him, nearly tripping over Dart but managing to step over him at the last minute. "Once again, your name is whatever's comedically appropriate, dingus," she says, sticking her tongue out as they catch up to Belladonna dragging her bag down the hall. "And aww, you called me family."

Steve pauses and looks at Robin, a serious expression on his face. "Of course, you're family, Robin. You're more family than my parents. Living in a house with you was literally my birthday wish when I was 13," he tells her.

"Ooh, kinda embarrassing to admit that," Robin says condescendingly, her face scrunched into a sympathetic smile. It only lasts for a few seconds before she drops it into something more genuine and bumps her hip against Steve's. "But you're my family too, and I'm glad we get to be together now."

"Is this Robin?"

Steve blinks and looks over his shoulder to find Romero standing just behind them. He's gotten used to his son just appearing whenever and wherever he likes. "Yep. Romero, this is Robin. Robin, this is Romero, my son," Steve says, unable to contain a grin.

"Ohhh, this is the famous Romero," Robin says, spinning on her heel and crouching in front of him. They study each other for a few seconds. "Favorite color?"

"Gold. Like honey."

"Favorite food?"

"Dino nuggets."

"Right on. Favorite movie?"

"Friday the 13th."

"Favorite weapon?"

"Crossbow."

Robin nods once and looks up at Steve. "He sure fits right in," she says.

"He's got a way with the electric chair in Belladonna's room," Steve says, a happy pride filling his words.

"I'm sure he does," Robin says, nodding along like she hasn't heard Steve say this before during one of their phone calls. She flashes a grin at Romero, messes up his hair, and then stands. "Okay, show me my room already, dingus."

Steve snorts and nods, leading Robin the rest of the way to her room. "We're planning a big dinner to welcome you," he says, looking over his shoulder at her, "Everyone is gonna be there. Except Casper. He's on vacation."

"Ghosts take vacations?"

"Well, you can't expect him to work 24/7, right?"

Robin considers for a moment before nodding, figuring it would be an unreasonable expectation to have.

----

"The blood doesn't even look real," Robin complains, throwing popcorn at the TV from where she's sprawled on the armchair. He head is resting on one arm while her legs are thrown over the other, a bowl of popcorn and a soda balancing precariously on her stomach.

"It's the first movie," Steve tells her, shifting to lean more comfortably on Eddie's shoulder, "Give them a break." Romero is in his lap, sleeping with his head cushioned on Steve's chest. He'd nodded off a few minutes into the movie, and Steve had started idly running his fingers through Romero's hair.

"But she's right," Belladonna says, pouting as she tilts her head back to look up at her parents. "It's too dark to be real."

"They wouldn't really let the actors bleed," Dustin explains, looking up from his little animatronic long enough to meet Belladonna's gaze, "It's not, like, ethical. And the actors could sue them."

"They have never bled to death before," El decides, frowning from her spot on the floor. Her head is propped on Dart's side, and she's idly playing with a spider she'd found in her room. "They don't look nearly happy enough."

Steve feels Eddie laugh before he hears him, his shoulders and stomach shaking. "It's not even a clever death," he points out, feeding a few pieces of popcorn to Steve, "I wouldn't look happy, either."

"See, when I made these kinda comments at college, everyone looks at me weird," Robin says, nearly spilling her soda over herself and the chair as she wiggles to get comfortable. "Thank fuck I'm around normal people now."

"You think this is normal?" Dustin asks her.

"Yeah."

Dustin blinks and then points at El and Dart. "That's literally a freak of nature," he says, his tone still affectionate despite the words.

"Thank you for the compliment," El says, tilting her head to look at him.

Before Dustin can say he was talking about Dart, Belladonna turns around and pouts at him. The scene on the TV starts flashing, backlighting her in red and white and black. "How come you haven't called me a freak of nature?" she asks.

"It's okay, sweetie," Eddie says, reaching out to pat her head. "You'll always be our little poison flower."

"Besides, being a freak of nature is about your vibes, not your looks," Steve adds, flashing her an encouraging smile.

Belladonna considers this for a moment before nodding and turning back to the movie to watch the character's arm get completely torn off. "The arterial spray isn't accurate," she complains.

"You're all so weird," Dustin mumbles, not bothering to hold back the endeared smile tugging at his lips.

Steve's own smile widens as he reaches for Eddie's free hand and brings it to his lips, playfully biting his palm. "Isn't it great?" he whispers, meeting Eddie's eyes. He gets a semi-feral grin in response, one that shows off sharp canines, and Steve decides they'll simply have to break the bed again tonight.

Tag List!

(Tumblr has a limit, so I couldn't get everyone who's requested a tag, but I did try to get as many as I could)

@estrellami-1, @justforthedead89, @starman-jpg, @abstractnaturaldisaster, @sugartin, @ashwagandalf, @xjessicafaithx, @somegirlsomewhere, @imjust-that-shy, @blaqcats-fics, @littlebluejane, @xoxoladyclara, @halfadoginatank

@pjoneedstherapy, @nocturnalgayboi, @swimmingbirdrunningrock, @justforthedead89, @gothwifehotchner, @elizbaehth, @angels-dressed-in-blood, @imfinereallyy, @oile-loves-sharks, @carlprocastinator1000, @stxrcrossed186, @spider-boygirl, @epiclazershark, @7shrewsinatrenchcoat

@perfectlymellowthing, @just-a-tiny-void, @nburkhardt, @nailbatandfreak, @sunfloweringstories, @vampireinthesun, @novelnovella, @bookworm0690, @bestwifehaver, @goosesister, @phantomcat94, @martinskis-lydias, @ghostofyourvampiregf, @lifeisnotsobadonceyoustopcaring

@nerdsconquerall, @dontslayfay, @potato-of-the-lord, @suikatto, @deliriousmom, @code-switcher, @lizard-dyk3, @anonymousbandgirl

Belladonna! (POV: you are Steddie and your daughter is very proudly showing off her new fang)

And Romero! (POV: you have insulted his little bow tie and he is now contemplating ways to get revenge)

[factual-fantasy]

23 asks! Thank you!! :}} 🎀

what

Originally I added the bandages to mirror my real hands being covered in Band-Aids when I made my sona. :0 (It was due to cat scratches and dry skin don't worry-)

Now they represent my "artist hands".... and my still really dry skin XDD

Oh yeah absolutely. His crab arm is so heavy that if he falls into the water he'll sink 😬 he cant move it fast enough to help him swim to the surface.. good thing Blue Beauty is always nearby! <XD

It also takes a lot of energy to move and he deals with sore back/shoulder muscles a lot. The way the crab arm formed, its like all the muscles in his back are used to lift and operate it. When he walks around he kind'a uses it as a crutch or a third leg. His legs each take a step and then his crab arm lifts forward and clunks on the ground.

"tap tap.. CLUNK. tap tap.. CLUNK."

Despite all this though, Louis still really likes his new arm and isn't bothered much by all the hardships it brings :)

@neo-metalscottic

Thank you so much!!! :DD I'm hoping I get over this soon 🥺

As for Grim's eyes, I mention that coloring mistake in the tags of this post. It was simply a matter of me misremembering what Gengar looks like :// But I'm thinking I'll keep his white eyes anyways. He looks a lot more friendly that way :}}

THEY HAVE SPARKS?? THEY'RE INDIVIDUALS?? I thought they were just mindless clones! Man.. That makes things in the show even darker-- <XDD

And ohhh, yeah I can see it. I wonder why they decided to add him of all characters? He does have cool shades tho XDD

@holly-opal

Yeah, that's the idea. <:/ I have yet to plan out how she died tho-

@glitchhayden418

There she is!! :DD She looks great!! :}}

And thank you, I'm hoping I get well soon too 🙂💔

She never has to stop! I've decided that my characters can eat as much as they want, whenever they want, however they want, and suffer absolutely no consequences what so ever.

Cici just seems to be taking advantage of this ability more than the others <XDD

@artblock200322022

:DD Thank you!! I'm so glad you like my interpretation of the Octonauts! :}}

@possibly-astraeus

Oof. Always disappointing to hear people finding me through stolen artwork..

But yeah, you're at the source now! :} Just remember, if you find my artwork anywhere else other than here? Its stolen ://

@shallow-isles

I simply misremembered what Gengar looks like and colored his eyes wrong :/// (I talk about it in the tags of this post) But I think I'll keep them white. He just looks so friendly and soft with white eyes.. 🥺

As for Sylveon, I like to think that tying his ribbons around others like that is his way of giving them a hug :}} Since Grim is so r o u n d, there's not many places the ribbons can comfortably tie and not be in Grim's way. His ears are the perfect spot! :}

@tallchest13-blog

THANK YOU! :D WOULD YOU BE UPSET IF I GAVE THIS TEA TO CICI THO? SHE REALLY WANTS TO TRY IT :((

@aishutoon

Ohh! They look so round and cozy!! :333

@yourstrulylightstar283 (Referencing this post)

Thank you! :}}}

@circadiananomaly (24k post in question)

Thank you! I'm hoping this is all over soon as well. :'(((

@candyglumboy

Like, my Pokémon Violet team? :0 There will not be any new members no.. you can only have 6 Pokémon in your party at a time!

...Then again there's Patty.. the Hoppip that Anastasia replaced.. I miss her.. 🥺💔💔💔

I hope I feel good too.. 😔😔😔

@graminos

:DD Thank you! I'm glad you like them!! :}}}}

(Post in question)

Me reading this ask ksjnakjn 🥺🥺💞💞💞 that was all basically on point!! :DDD

@youlikwjazz004

I'm afraid I have absolutely no idea how to explain that :'(( 💔💔

The very best I can explain my art process is; "I just.. draw it. And if it doesn't feel right, I just draw it differently until it does feel right." Its all down to muscle memory and drawing what "feels" right. I don't think I'm able to explain that-- 😭😭😭 I'm very sorry! <:'(((

@askladyinwhiteandfam

Woah! What a critter! :00 ✨✨It looks great! :DD

@square-the-cyan-idiot542

WAAAHGG THANK YIU!!!- Oh crap you ok tho--

@littlelightfish (Post in question)

:DD Thank you! I'm so glad you like him!! :}}}

@beryl-shade

He'd be amazed! :00

[doveheartsanctuary]

Welcome, My Dovelings! 🌺

Hello there! I'm so glad you've found your way to my little corner of the internet. You can call me Mama Dove, and I go by she/her. As a young adult passionate about self-shipping, I'm here to create a safe and nurturing space for anyone who needs a listening ear or a friendly heart.

This blog is all about connection and support. Whether you want to share your self-shipping experiences, vent about your feelings, or simply talk and gush about your beloved or what's on your mind, l'm here for you! While I'm not a professional therapist, I genuinely want to listen and help in any way I can. I know what it feels like to be alone in this community, which is why I created this space-to ensure no one feels unheard or isolated.

I want to emphasize that this space is about kindness and respect for all perspectives. We may not all share the same views, but my nest is open to everyone seeking comfort and connection.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. Let's spread our wings together and create a community filled with love and understanding. I can't wait to hear from you!

Mama Dove's Rules for My Dovelings 🌺

Alright, my dear Dovelings, let's talk about some simple rules to keep our nest warm and cozy!

Be Kind: Treat each other with kindness. Remember, we're here to support one another! Be Respectful: Everyone's journey is unique, and we all deserve respect. No Hate on doubles: My dear non sharers, refrain from any negativity towards those who do share. No Hate on Non-Sharing either: And my dear doubles, please extend the same kindness towards non-sharers. Use of F/O Names: To keep our space safe and free of hurt feelings, I kindly ask that you don't use your F/O names in discussions, especially if they overlap with others. This way, everyone can feel comfortable sharing their experiences.

Oh, and yes, my Dovelings, I have a F/O who loves me dearly, my Noble One, I'll refer to him by this nickname to keep things cozy and personal 🌸

A Note to My Dovelings 💌

I'm here to listen to your vents and thoughts! I won't just post your messages with tags; I'll respond personally because your feelings matter! Feel free to use any emojis you like when you come back! I want you to express yourself however you feel comfortable 🌸

That's all, my sweet Dovelings! Let's make this a loving and supportive community where we can all feel at home. Thank you for being part of our nest!

[sugarpsalms]

Ahh, here we are! After much revision (to the point where the only thing that's remained are the graphics [and character icons that @pumpkinspicelatte-art allowed me to use]), I've finally settled on the cast and main story branches this extremely self-indulgent One Piece modern AU.

For personal reference (and for anyone interested) I'll be making the occasional handy info post. Coming up next will be backstories for various cast members, but for now, let's stick with the basics and kick this off with a general run down + main cast corral. Join me below the cut for a silly goofy time!

A beloved nightlife spot in Miami, FL, Golden Hand is packed from open to close. Featuring a sprawling bar, a cozy patio, and three main rooms filled with arcade games, it has something for you, whatever your mood! Come early and you can grab a booth or patio corner; if you like to mingle, the barflies and game floor crawlers are friendly; or, if you’re wanting something a little more thrilling: tell the Bar Manager you came to let off steam. He’ll know exactly what you mean. If that’s what you want, be sure to bring plenty of cash. Once you’re escorted to Golden Hand’s back rooms, you’re going to need it. The drinks are pricier, the smoke is tempting, and—is that a pinball pit? That guy walking around, is he taking bets? Are we gambling? Hey! Stop with all the questions. What are you, a cop?

Crocodile

Owner and founder of Golden Hand, Crocodile is the toast of Miami. Though he’s had several successful ventures, the barcade is by far his most popular. It attracts both locals and tourists and is the pride of the local game design community. Every indie creator from the keys to the panhandle dreams of having Croc scoop their project up! While he’s a busy man, he can be spotted in Golden Hand most nights. Come early enough and you’ll see him chatting at the bar with its manager. After dark though, the only place you’ll find him is the back. If you want to chat, you'll have to drop serious cash.

Mihawk

Bar manager, custom cocktail crafter, and—when necessary—drunk asshole ejector, Mihawk’s is a face everyone knows. Croc may own the place, but Mihawk keeps it running, handling everything from daily operation to public relations. Though his gloomy attitude makes him seem unapproachable at first, regulars and staff alike adore him. Once you sniff his sense of humor out, turns out he’s more witty than scary. Want to charm him? Show interest in his herb garden and never leave with your tab open.

Buggy

Originally a regular, Buggy was ‘offered’ the position of Floor Walker after security footage turned up evidence of him installing card skimmers onto high-traffic games. When confronted, he was given a choice between paying the house a lump percent of his earnings or working off the debt. Chronically broke, Buggy chose the latter. He now spends most nights of the week collecting empty drink glasses and exchanging cash for game tokens. Was this how he pictured ushering in his 40s? No, but he's making the best of it, and as soon as he clears his debt, he's out!

Golden Hand’s various office staff, bartenders, and security

Alvida, Cabaji, Daz, Perona, Galdino, Mohji

Doflamingo

Crocodile’s first and most pesky business partner, Doflamingo is the reason your cup is always full. He’s the owner of several vineyards, distilleries, and micro breweries, and the sole provider of alcohol—among other things—to Golden Hand. Along with his family, he spends every summer in Florida catching up with his old flame, reviewing their contract, and setting up the next year’s shipment plan; as well as making boat trips along the Gulf Coast and straightening out supply lines for… well, back room patrons, you had to know all that smoke came from somewhere.

Rosinante

An ex-marine and Doflamingo’s live-in little brother, Rosi is mostly uninterested in the family business. He has trouble saying no, however, so in exchange for pocket money, he lets his brother keep him on as a kind of secretary. Day-to-day, Rosi fields phone calls, arranges meetings, manages travel plans, and otherwise keeps his brother on track. This last task is critical, as anyone who’s worked with Doflamingo will tell you. No one’s sure how Rosi motivates him, and Rosi isn’t telling.

Law

Former ward of the Donquixotes, Law is enrolled in medical school. Prior to that, he interned with the business. While his job description was vague, he could always be spotted with Doflamingo on his 'boating trips’. Scuttlebutt is, he was a runner, and not the track & field kind. Though no longer an employee, he’s still close with the family. He lives in their house, Doflamingo pays his tuition, and he tags along on their yearly Florida trips—where he still, occasionally, goes boating with Doflamingo as a favor.

Patrons come and go at Golden Hand with the season. Some can be seen every night for weeks, or every weekend for three months; some venture in for special occasions or to impress their out-of-town friends only; and some seem like they've been at the barcade all their life.

Golden Hand appreciates any and all business, of course, but its regulars hold a special place in the staff's heart. There's something nice about knowing what faces to expect... even if some of those faces tend to cause a ruckus.

Shanks

A well-known barfly, Shanks spends 4-5 nights a week in Golden Hand. He comes in early and orders cheap drinks for all of his friends. Despite flirting with both the bar manager and floor walker, he usually goes home alone... and never a minute before closing. He's a very predictable (and unlucky in love) kind of man. He's chatty, an excellent tipper, and surprisingly good at air hockey, making him popular with other other regulars as well as the staff. A few nights a month, he can be spotted in the back rooms smoking with Crocodile. No one knows what they talk about, but these meetings always precede Shanks going out of town.

Smoker

A local cop whose beat includes the streets around Golden Hand, Smoker swings by two or three times a week. Coming off a shift, he'll order a drink to have out on the patio with his partner, Tashigi, before heading to his home outside the city. While he's heard rumors of the barcade's illicit dealings, Smoker isn't in a rush to look into it. It's a popular place, and Croc is friendly with Smoker's chief as well as the DA. Too much trouble, in Smoker's opinion. He's just here to drink.

The Strawhats

A delightfully rambunctious friend group who share a few apartments in Little Havana, the Strawhats can be found in Golden Hand every weekend. The trawl the game floor from open to close, mostly playing with each other, though they've been known to break off in pairs and challenge other couples. When not pestering Buggy for tokens or cozying up to barflies for free drinks, the Strawhats can be found in the back. Their pinball skills are the stuff of local legend, making them the favorites to bet on any evening they happen to be spotted down in the pit.

Recurring background barflies, game floor trawlers, and backroom visitors

Ace, Sabo, Bartolomeo, E. Kid, Killer, Paulie, Icerberg, Rob Lucci

[tortillasconsal]

I made one for Splendorman, so now is Trenderman's turn

The list will be a little bit longer because a lot of my thought process is linked on his lore and more story-oriented headcanons (which I'll be writting in another blog soon) so I have to give lots of context and more glossed over explanations

First things first, I know its says right there that he uses browns and neutral colors, and that is right. I just wanted to make an American Psycho reference bc I'm taking a lot of inspiration from Patrick Bateman for Trender's character.

He wears lots of neutral colors to be as little noticeable as possible since his methods involve him hiding on plain sight. But that also can be a way to cshow his indifference and his ideals and views of fashion (as he is also based on minimalism and is a very close-minded person, believing there's only one way of living: the mainstream).

I kept the brown to be true to the original character and still have him recognized by the community. But also to make him seem harmless since brown is a very cozy color usually used for background characters.

His style also helps with this. I took inspiration from 50s trends since the 50s are known as a very casual and friendly-looking decade despite being extremely conservative and intolerant. Also because they used lots of knitwear which help for the "false sense of security" thing.

Like Splendor, Trenderman has a more brownish and "natural" skin color, only he's more desaturated. This is because he does spends a lot of time within humans and is interested in fashion -a very culturally significant aspect of humanity- and how their society works, but he does not give a shit about them. He uses humans and the things he learns from them for his own gain and other than that he's very anniliated from them, being way more alien than his relatives sometimes.

He does not have tendrils. Personally I could never view him with tendrils or tentacles, so I just didn't give him any, I'll be glossing over this in my future blog about the Faceless' lore, but basically there were complications on his birth (and he tecnically is disabeled now that I think about him). He is also very short for his species for the same reason.

Since he literally comes form a mannequin I want him to have stiff and very artifical mannerisms. He moves like a robot. And I think that can also help with the uncanny feel of his character and how he tries to give his victims a false sense of empathy or relatability but he ultimately fails because he just isn't human.

He is very expressionless by himself already anyway. Even more than Slenderman himself. So, design-wise, his glasses work so people are drawn to his "face" and see where he is facing but also to further understand that there will be little to no reaction since they're pretty much static the whole time in my drawings.

Character-wise, he uses them to further disguise himself and keep that feeling of relatability, he doesn't actually need them or anything.

I think those are all the points I have. I'm really excited to show you guys my lore for Trenderman, like- I see a lot of potential in his concept and I'm having so much fun writting down his personality and views and methods and stuff. He definetly grew on me.

[alanna-artroid]

Jackbox Headcanons!

I felt like sharing some headcanons today. Just a few ideas I have for some of the hosts. I'll label each appropriately.

Master Mentalist:

He's skilled in various forms of magic. Hypnosis is just his favorite/specialty.

Rarely, if ever, raises his voice. He always speaks in a calm tone. Even if he's angry, which is also a rare occurrence, he'll still never raise his voice at someone. If HE'S mad at you, you've REALLY messed up.

Knows hundreds of ways to help people relax/get a good night's sleep. Good teas, soothing music, relaxed muscles, the works. It's easier to hypnotize people when they're relaxed. Helps get them into a trance.

That being said, he's TERRIBLE at going to sleep himself. He has tired eyes for a reason. It's not that he can't go to sleep, he just refuses to sleep at a decent time. The boy will stay up all night if you let him.

He enjoys hypnotizing the other hosts, just to see how they're affected by hypnosis. (With their permission, of course) Some of them are fighters, taking a considerable amount of time. Others soak it up like a sponge, rapidly falling into a trance.

As his (distant) cousin, he knows Schmitty very well. MM has been busy running his show, but they've kept in touch over the years. When Schmitty recommended him to Jackbox, he was on board with the idea.

Speaking of Schmitty, MM ADORES the Quips. They're just too cute! Likewise, the Quips really like him too. (Then again, the Quips like everybody) They really like playing in his magic hat.

He's easily startled by loud noises. It's one of the few times his voice is raised. He'll let out a loud yelp or squeal when he flinches. He no likey.

Jerri Rig

Is very logical in her approach to things. You HAVE to be when dealing with time-travel tech.

Can make all sorts of gadgets and gizmos out of anything. She DID turn a fridge into a time-travel device.

Secretly gets really excited about things. She tries to hide it as if she doesn't care, but you can see it in her smile.

Slightly cybernetic. The big box on her head DOES come off, but she prefers to keep it attached. Patches up a HORRIBLE head injury she suffered a long time ago. Let's just say there's a reason the box only has one eye.

Has a love-hate relationship with Master Mentalist. She often tries to find scientific explanations for his magic and is frustrated when this doesn't work. He finds it amusing. <3

Plays mini golf in her spare time. That's how she got the idea to use LOW scores for Time Jinx.

Acts sassy but actually really cares about people. She knows all the Time Jinx players personally since they're all time travelers.

Likes to listen to music while she works. Usually, remixes and electronic music.

Dictionary Keeper

Half angel, half devil. Mostly takes after her angelic side but can whip out her devilish features if needed.

Lives in a library in the clouds. More specifically, there's an apartment-esque part of the library she lives in. Her area has all the living essentials. A cute kitchen, a cozy bedroom, even the bathroom is pretty.

The ULTIMATE book nerd. She's read SO many books and is always eager to get more for the library.

Super friendly. She'll happily welcome anyone into the library. When she worked on Pack 6, she quickly befriended the other hosts. Even [REDACTED] was no match for her overwhelming sweetness! (They're dating.)

Finds words in the strangest possible places. In her sock drawer, in her hair, on her balcony, anywhere!

She's learning how to play the piano. This is shown in the credits song, which she performs herself.

Uses Dixie as a nickname, as Dictionary Keeper is a bit of a mouthful.

[wyn-n-tonic]

So... I haven't been feeling super great and it could just be because my period is three weeks late and all my hormones are in a pile up causing me to be insane or it could be the 27 years worth of major depressive disorder just chilling in my brain or it could be the EDS and the possible POTS, you know? It could be all of those! It could be none of those! But I will say... I have seen a significant decrease in my stress levels and I would like to talk about the things I'm doing for self care that are keeping me from losing my fucking mind.

Read more because this shit is just me rambling about my favorite self care things. Like I've really finally found a good combo for me and it makes me so happy that it doesn't feel like a chore. It's just nice!!! Also, this is not medical advice, this is just your friendly neighborhood mentally ill girly who deals with chronic illness sharing the things that make me happy.

FIRST OF ALL!!!! WASH YOUR FACE!!!! THEN TAKE YOUR FUCKING MEDS!!!!! I take my meds every single day at 8:10am because it's good to take your meds at the same time every single day *but* I've also discovered that's the best time to take my adderall so that it's really kicking in by 9 after I've done all my emails and things and need to focus on, like, actually doing my job. I've also been taking women's multivitamins and magnesium glycinate supplements. I feel like they've both made me less of a bitch because it's helped with the pain.

I have been eating breakfast! Not just iced coffee and prayers either, I've been eating a real ass breakfast. Everyday I make myself a little breakfast sandwich with an English muffin, egg, sausage and cheese of choice (I like colby jack, do whatever tf you want). This equals out to about 28g of protein and I'm supposed to have at least 30g first thing in the morning so it's pushed to 31g (maybe more) with the oat milk latte I make with my cute little espresso maker and milk frother. I have also limited my caffeine intake to one silly little coffee a day (but I'll have the occasional sips of coke zero when I feel a migraine trying to move in).

I've been working out recently. Even if I don't go to the gym, I try to get up and go for little walks. Which is nice. After I move, I want an under the desk treadmill.

I have a really bad habit of biting/picking my nails, especially when my anxiety is high or I feel the need to fidget but, for about the last few months, whenever I get the urge to bite or pick, I use cuticle oil instead and have been rubbing that into my nails/cuticles and it tastes god awful so of course I do not bite.

After work, I take a shower and I've started using the Saltair body wash in Santal Bloom because it smells very good TO ME. They have a bunch of different scents. But please remember that body wash is only a scent so please wash yourself with actual soap (and use a washcloth too oh my god, why is this a debate??? WASH IS LITERALLY IN THE NAME). Also, wash behind your ears EVERY SINGLE TIME.

ALSO night showers > morning showers. Argue with a wall because why would I want to get in my cozy bed with a body that has been steeped in outside germs all day??? Dirty feet??? ON MY SHEETS?!?! No.

I have *never* liked lotion because it's all too greasy or it smells gross or it's BOTH. I just get the autistic ick. I don't like things that sit ON my skin. But I know I should use it and I know I need to so I keep buying different brands of lotion but then I never finish them because oh my god so so gross and greasy. Anyway, somebody recommended that I try eos brand lotion and I have been using the coconut waters scent and oh my god. I recommend this lotion but use whatever you want and buy whatever scent you want, it's just nice. This lotion pairs very well with the body wash I like and it just makes me feel cozy as I get ready for bed.

Also wash your face again!!!!

(For skincare, I double cleanse with an oil cleanser & then a salicylic acid cleanser in the AM and a hyaluronic acid cleanser in the PM)

And I've been dermaplaning lately. That shit slaps. Why wasn't I doing that before???

And people keep telling me to buy topical magnesium to help with chronic pain but I kept getting links for Amazon and the thing about Amazon is... I don't like to use them if I can help it but I especially do not want to buy, like, make up or food or skincare products or vitamins on there because the amount of unregulated third party sellers freaks me out and I'm not trying to pop a rat poison supplement instead of what i actually ordered. You know? Anyway, my friend told me to get this Being Frenshe soothing stick... besties..... I have been using this shit ALL DAY LONG It's going on my thighs, my neck, my shoulders, my fingers, my knees, my ankles, my shins and it's so good for the chronic pain. And it smells so good and layers very nicely with the lotion and the body wash.

Seriously, my skin is so soft and I haven't really felt the need to pop a pain pill in a bit, my sleep is improved, my ability to calm my heart rate down during the day has improved. Did I mention my skin is soft?

Also, I'm currently losing weight and still healing from my biopsy (yes, I know it's been three months!!!) and I feel like the body wash + lotion combo I'm basically living in daily (sometimes twice a day because the showers are just so relaxing and not a chore to me now) are soooo helpful for my stretchmarks and scars.

Also, I've been turning my computer off an hour before bed to read which has been lovely.

Also, I bought enough lip balm (also eos because it's shea and not beeswax) to keep in different places. So I have a bed lip balm, a desk lip balm and a purse lip balm with one floater just randomly around the house.

And the *ONLY* AI we support in this household is the kind in my fancy little toothbrush that guides me in how best to brush my teeth.

Anyway, I just love being in my bed cozy sleep shirt smelling like coconut and vanilla and watching monster movies while not being in pain and having a resting heart rate that is NOT in the 120s. It's so beautiful. especially because, for the longest time, I couldn't get my resting heart rate below 85 while SLEEPING.

[narsus-travel-logs]

Establishing connection...

Pinging S.A.I.L. ...

Pinging...

Pinging...

Connection Established.

Accessing Personal Network...

ENTRY #2

Well... I'm not dead I guess? No, that's not right. I should be more optimistic.

The first day off-ship wasn't terrible. My warp point was an open plain, with a few trees scattered about. The local wildlife is... mostly friendly. I've gone a decent few kilometers away from my warp point since I landed and i'm yet to find another sapient being or any sign of someone else who might've found this planet. I do have confirmation some semblence of society was here at some point - I've run into abandoned campsites with tents propped up inside old ruined buildings. The buildings seem quite desolate and in a state of major decay. By what is left to decipher of their design I'd say this planet was once a Glitch settlement, but that's up for debate.

Before I left, I debated on bringing a specific tool with me. A Matter Manipulator. The Apes who rescued me entrusted one to me as a parting gift. I am aware Protectorate law states unlawful ownership of a Manipulator or other Protectorate technology is a criminal offense, but I either take this with me or I try to construct schematics on my own raw from S.A.I.L.'s survival essentials database. I am the world's biggest clutz so no way am I putting something together on my own. If the Protectorate somehow finds this - Hi! Please don't arrest me. It was life or death.

Anyway, apart from old campsites and ruins, I haven't found much. I've collected some basic resources and began working on a small shelter to live in planet-side until i collect enough resources to repair the ship. Or at least, attempt to. Thanks to S.A.I.L.'s database, I was able to set up quite a bit of furniture and extra tools for myself. Should I need to, I will be able to forge armaments and protective armor for myself with these. Despite its small size, this home I built is quite cozy... it'll deffinately suffice for the time being. I've also eaten a portion of my rations to keep myself sustained. I'm going to place a marker for the ship near the house so I warp down near it instead of kilometers away and head out tomorrow. I'm looking to either find some kind of plant to harvest for seeds or more resources for the ship. Finding neither would be depressing but it could happen. I'll have to prepare myself for that possibility.

I haven't stopped thinking about those apes. It still haunts me. It'll stay that way for a really long time I reckon. It's something I'll have to get used to.

It's going to get quite lonely on this journey. I'm scared. I hope I can get the ship working soon. Being stranded and alone would suck. It would suck so fucking badly.

I don't want to stay lonely.

[DATA EXPUNGED. REMAINING CONTENT REMOVED BY ADMINISTRATOR.]

[daisyvramien]

DND PEOPLE !!

Hey gang!! I've gone ahead and set up this cozy little Discord server, and it's shaping up to be a real gem! 🎉🌟

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[itzpris15634]

Ok so about this whole doki doki literature club thingy. As I said it's very messy cause like with most of my stuff there are so many alternative versions because I don't know what I want but

The way I see it the boys are in places of the ddlc girls aside from Monika cause well, there's three of them, not four unless we brought someone else in. In short: Russell = Sayori, Sunil = Natsuki, Vinnie = Yuri. Questionable choices right there, I know, but tbh I'm not going with those choices because I tried to give them whichever of those girls fit them most, I mostly went with how they died. As I always say it's called an alternative universe for a reason.

It's not really important but I thought I'd add it here cause why not, cause Vinnie in a literature club? Well, the way I see it maybe Russell started it or joined one (which was started by whomever Monika is) and Sunil kinda followed behind because the club was small and cozy and he too is into certain literature so why not? And Vinnie? He joined just to spend more time with Sunil and Russell, if they're there then he's there too. Maybe even sooner or later he would get into some literautre not to get kicked out xD perhaps just comic books or maybe even manga? You know, like Natsuki read. Or heck, adding to Vinnie Yuri maybe he would get into horror stories? He already likes horror movies right? So it's not that hard to imagine that he could get convinced to read some horror.

Anyway, although I think of it as mostly from the perspective of how the game plays out, I can't think but wonder who mc could be. Cause I just don't know. Whoever mc and Monika would be the important thing here are the deaths which is where their roles really come in.

So Russell is mc's childhood friend who has lately started being a little less like himself - going late and avoiding his responsibilities etc because of his developing in this world depression. So anyway, he like all the boys develops a crush on mc, all the stuff that happened in the game happen, Monika's counterpart convinces him to kill himself and he ends up hung whether mc accepted his confession or not.

Sunil was the most reluctant at first to have mc in the club because he felt good with just 4 of them so at first he appeared rather reluctant and shy which to mc appeared a little rude by accident but then he warmed up to the new member. He also is the one to notice Vinnie's weird obsession with mc (in a sec about him) cause he didn't use to be like that. He too is the one who noticed Monika's (since I don't know who Monika could be I'll just keep saying Monika) very weird behavior and tried to warn mc. Well, he ended up opening up in creepy ways about his problems and then with snapped neck

And then there's Vinnie who was friendly the entire time with mc, but later like Yuri started getting way too friendly and obsessed with mc seemingly out of nowhere and tried to have them all to himself and that also made him rather agressive. There's also this whole obsession with knives and self-harm, the main point is his obsessiveness and of course death by fucking stabbing himself right on mc's eyes and then his body is left to rot for an entire weekend as Monika is messing with everything.

That's the way I see it if the game was with Russell, Sunil, and Vinnie but this can go many ways really. Like for example I also like having Vinnie as Monika cause that's even more obsessive behavior and as you know I like him like that. Or or having Sunil as mc so Vinnie and Russell fall hard for him and yipee messed up boys poly except ot really, but who would be Natuski then? Idk idk. Basically, I want those three to get their personalities manipulated to get obsessed with mc and then die.

yeeeeah

Doki Doki!! 💖💜💚💙

Hmmm alright roles and casting- okay basing the roles on how they died is an interesting choice! I do like it.

I… don’t have much ideas for Monika and the MC either. Should we pick another boy character? Or go with one of the girls? Hmmm I’ll just refer to them as Monika and MC as well for now lol.

Funnily enough, I actually imagine Russell being the one to start the literature club. He just seems like the kind to take the initiative like that. Which would fit him into Monika’s role more, but TBH it also works fine that he just decides to join a club that another student has started previously.

But I like there are ‘signs’ of Russell’s depression and such. Maybe the MC goes thinking “Huh… he was so responsible and organized back then. Is he okay?” But then they simply dismiss it as him changing through the years. They are childhood friends after all, and people usually aren’t the same for all of their life stages. But dear oh dear is MC in for a shock ahahahaha….

Sunil being Natsuki in the sense that he’s hesitant about a new club member sorta makes sense. I imagine he’s doesn’t meet lots of new people all the time, he just hangs with the people he already knows. And the club was indeed small and cozy, kind of just their friend group but with a Club title to it. So he wouldn’t be too sure about this whole new member thing. Then again, it is a club, and people can join clubs anytime they want, so he has to get used to them.

And also the part where he starts noticing Vinnie’s (Yuri’s) obsession for the MC? I can see that. I do imagine him being very observant in general, so it works.

And the Vin, the Vin, the Vin! God, reading this really makes me remember just how fucked up DDLC really is. But I still do love it regardless. Obsessive Vinnie <33 Which actually, again, makes him another suitable candidate for Monika. You’d love to spend eternity with him in the clubroom, huh? No other distractions 😌😌😌

But anyway yeah! I do like your DDLC AU with the bois. They get their personalities manipulated and then die. Lovely! There are lots of ways we could go about with this.

As for my own ideas, I guess I did have thoughts about my own DDLC AU with the girls, this time. And there is 4 of them here to fit the number. I don’t have 100% any ideas for the roles. Except for Zoe being Monika, for the sole reason that I’d want to spend eternity with her <333

Anywayyyy yeah! Thanks for sending this.

[nandysparadox]

Yeah, so what Ao3?!??!! Let me spam the dam button like they deserve!!!

The fanficcccccc she graduated and fuck it was BEAUTIFUL!!! Oh the imagery is still on point , the fairy is so effortlessly eerie, the way their golden hair caged him, that line, gave me shivers.

Crying screaming squeezing them

I love them I love them I love them so much, I hope Remus doesn’t eat Jaq, oh

I want them to do the air dance and Roman showing his trinkets just like at the ball but again under a more truthful light, I want Roman to sit and watch with sparkles in his eyes as Patton can finally tell him the proper stories that go along with each little thing, how his father got it for him, how his mother used to wear them and whenever he gets teary eyes Roman is right there with him to apologize for his own kind and their cruelty for ripping him away from his family, holding him close and crying just as much from pure aching empathy.

I want them to have their little consort wedding with Jaq in the littlest of bow ties, they are the most proper of best mice (instead of a best man) and I want Janus to just appear to give him away and Patton is so glad to see him while Roman is vastly confused (idk maybe they have like backstory, Janus might have a ✨reputation✨) but Patton is just so happy, telling him what happened, that the mean lady is gone and he fell in love and thanking his fairy snake father profusely for all he’s done and Janus shushes him and insists it was his pleasure, and then the wedding happens and it’s perfect and I don’t know maaaaayyyybbbeeee Janus ends up standing next to a particular bird man and they get into friendly talking and eventually a fairy chess match, which they bet little shiny trinkets on

Is Remus the thorn prince to Roman’s rose? I think he should be

I want to see more of him and Virgil as well, what happened with that? Oh I want to see Patton meeting the rest of the family, I want to see Roman finally being allowed into the human world and I want him to be there as Patton hopefully gets to see his father for the first time in so long and I want Roman to meet the same poet he met so so many years ago and I want that poet to write a poem just for him, the rose prince, once he hears the kind fairy found love and I want Roman to read it as he falls asleep and I also want bards across the human countries to sing their tales for years to come-

LET ME SEND MORE KUDOS DAMN IT

❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙

This fic was incredible, I loved every little bit of it, I swear you have so much talent it makes me go feral, my absolute favorite part was when Roman and Patton were in the woods and Patton was showing him what all the human trinkets did, I keep picturing Roman trying to touch the fire because he’s just silly like that <3

Thank you, so much 💚✨

oh my goodness! thank you so, so much for this wonderful ask 🥺🥺 i'm SO happy you enjoyed the ending, and the story overall! your comments and asks brightened up my day. I cannot overstated how grateful I am for that. i'll break this down into points so i can answer everything you said because aaaa ❤️🥺

very glad The Faerie's eerie vibe came across right. despite the … everything about her, and that she's despicable, I must admit I enjoyed writing her a lot. I guess evil can be fun (for me. not poor patton 😭) and I like that line too :)

your honour, I love them!! and I can promise that remus will not be eating jaq under patton's watch 😆 that's his little buddy

also, after moving to the palace patton makes a cozy little home for jaq <3

I promise the sweet moments and the hurt/comfort will be coming in the future!! patton will have a lot of things to grapple with, but roman will be there to support him in his journey of healing

ok i’m stealing the best mice idea that’s genius dgfghdsfgd they deserve a little bow tie 100% and I can say that I have plans in regards to the crowning ceremony! and they do include janus!

and without veering too close to spoilers, you got something right – janus does have a reputation in the palace, though roman is not particularly privy to it

logan and janus playing fairy chess, that’s a wonderful idea :)

I haven’t yet figured out what remus’ title was prior to being crowned – however, his nature connection is summer rain showers! it’s why roman at some point mentions that his hair always looks a little wet. his main title currently is duke of shadows, since his consort is virgil

we will see more of virgil yes!! :D unfortunately he couldn’t appear more in the main story, but we will see more of him. and patton will have a Time meeting all of roman’s siblings 😆 it will take a little bit of time until patton feels comfortable returning to the human world, but when they do I promise roman will have the time of his life lol! and about the other thing, I can say I have Plans

thank YOU so much!! you are too sweet I swear 😭 I’m receiving all the extra kudos in my heart <3 and I love that scene too, roman is silly and they are adorable ^.^