#I've been trying to keep my childish side with me for years

[chickpea0]

vvvvent post

[mvrkieboo]

Old Bloodhounds

P32 | i am now a proud uchinaga 🫶🏻

You're sat beside the window, observing what was happening on the outside of the café (a girl walking her dog, a guy waiting to cross the road, a guy sitting on the bus stop bench) as you waited for the others to arrive. To your surprise, Aeri came in just right after you. You waved at her, pointing at the spot next to you. She lit up almost instantly, practically jogged to take the seat next to you.

She gave you a side hug, tucking her own head under your chin, making you giggle.

"I'm so glad you're opening up to us now, but if you feel like changing your mind, we won't put it against you." She said, placing a hand on your shoulder blade.

You let out a small smile.

"If I change my mind, I'll be losing Yangyang." You spoke quietly, and saw how her smile completely turned upside down.

"Yangyang's being unreasonable, Y/N. Seriously. Why would he put your friendship on the line like that? It's very—"

"Childish? Immature? Selfish? Self-centered? Trust me, I've said it all to him but it didn't get past his thick ass skull." Xiaojun's voice intercepted Aeri's, and both of you looked up to see both him and Yangyang were here now.

Yangyang didn't even bother to send him a dirty look and quickly took the seat across yours, with Xiaojun now designated to sit across Aeri. The waitress, finally seeing your table was now at 4 people, decided to come over with the menus to take your orders.

When the waitress left, you placed your arms on the table.

"Yangs."

"Y/N."

"Do you have anything to say to me? You know, just to get things out of the way first?" You smiled lopsidedly, not in that bad of a mood because you got to spend some time with Mark and Yuno yesterday, alongside Geonwoo and Woojin.

You had a blast introducing them to each other, mainly because Mark and Yuno's assumption of your neighbours being your sugar daddies nearly brought you to tears while Geonwoo and Woojin looked very apprehensive. They were basically your foster parents at one point in your life, when they had to fund your senior year in highschool. Like the cram school fees, bringing you along for a late back-to-school shopping, and Geonwoo's mom housing you before you got into college.

Sugar daddies? That's insulting.

And coincidentally, the sugar daddy misconception began with the very man before you—Liu Yangyang.

"I don't know—do you have anything to say to me first?"

Stubborn, capricious, prideful Yangyang.

With a very hard jab on the ribs, via Xiaojun's very sharp elbows, his composure slipped away with a pathetic yelp. Xiaojun put his face near Yangyang's, a pointer finger stabbing into Yangyang's shoulder while Xiaojun spoke through gritted teeth.

"You do have something to say, dipshit, and you're saying it first."

Yangyang continued groaning for a few seconds more before straightening his back.

"Alright, I'm sorry!—and this apology isn't forced, I swear. Berating you in the groupchat while you were handling the witch hunt was a dick move, and for this time I'll try to understand you if you decide to back out of this. After narrowly escaping being stabbed by Xiaojun last night, I finally understood that whatever it is you're trying to keep to yourself, it's obviously something very personal to you—but it's just...I just got really frustrated with the situation you were going through on your behalf and got insecure, so I lashed out on you." Yangyang rambled, but it wasn't fast paced and frenzied, it was slow and thought through, even though he didn't give you the chance to interrupt him.

You took hold of Yangyang's hand on the table.

"Yangyang, I'm sorry too, for making you feel insecure. I do consider you my close friend—sometimes I consider you a very annoying twin brother figure even. The things I've kept to myself aren't because I don't trust you, but it's something I haven't been able to move on yet. At least, not completely. I'm glad Xiaojun managed to beat you into understanding that."

Yangyang huffed out a scoff, "Oh, please. Xiaojun got to beat me yesterday because I didn't fight back. Otherwise—"

"Otherwise I could still beat your ass, motherfucker. Shut the fuck up." Xiaojun intercepted, and it had all four of you bursting out into laughter because of how much of a hardass he embodied for that line.

When all of you calmed down, you squeezed Yangyang's hand, pulling his attention.

"Okay, now that's out of the way, I guess I have to start explaining what exactly happened to me all those years ago."

"Y/N, if you're not ready—" Aeri placed her hand on your side, looking a little conflicted. She was glad that you were letting them in but also worried that you might've felt forced to do this.

"No, I'm ready. I am now."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"I'm sorry, if you felt like you were forced to share this. The fact that you haven't finished processing this trauma yet..." Yangyang spoke in a serious manner, looking ashamed with himself.

"It's okay, Yangyang. Honestly, I had to stop acting like it never happened every time I'm with you guys. Especially now that Yuno and Mark are back into my life. I was going to have to fully acknowledge it at one point." You shook your head at Yangyang's nth apology for today, flashing him a smile that was not at all forced.

You looked outside the window for a moment, not noticing the guy you saw sitting on the bus stop bench from earlier was still there, sitting there still.

"It's not okay. I accused the guys who practically adopted you when you had nobody else to be your sugar daddies. God, if they knew I was the one who started this sugar daddy bullshit, they'd hate me...I don't wanna make a bad impression on them..." He groaned, and Xiaojun and Aeri also looked ashamed, because they had fed into that bullshit alongside him.

You laughed at their faces, bewildered with Yangyang's words.

"A bad impression? Yangyang, you're not meeting my parents or something. Besides, they already know about you guys, I talk about you often when I'm with them."

"I am practically about to meet your parents. These dudes took you in, helped put you back on your feet, and are still watching over you even when you're all grown now. I can imagine shitting my pants if they're ever right in front of me right now." Yangyang groaned again, rubbing his hands on his face just imagining how muscular these dudes could be as former MMA athletes.

"They'd like all of you in an instant, guys. Don't worry too much." You cooed before consuming the last bite of your pasta.

prev | masterlist | next

A/N : have fun with this fluff y'all! it's not gonna last long! cus im getting bored of y/n being so at ease and happy and safe. need this bitch to suffer.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

• taglist • [CLOSED]

@spiderm444rk @morkiee @xiuriii @solvrse @neozon3nha @herebyaccident0 @injunnie-lemon @mystverse @dearmonamour @v-6893 @sehunniepot @bee-the-loser @nessaassen02 @luluvhs @sunghoonsgfreal @docilismo @neocrashed @soobinbunnie5 @cigarettesafterjae @dudekiss3r @kittydollzz @urlocalbeaner5 @polarisjisung @conwunder @wonupuppy @jae-n0 @413ktz @kimsaerom @meowtella @aerivrs @swanyvess @morkleesgirl @sthwaaberry @nominzn @grassbutneo @spicyryujin @koizekomi @sunflowerhae @markeroolee

[my-my-my]

👉🏻👈🏻

Can I get something for Shinji or Sosuke from before TBTP arc?

With a lieutenant reader (from another squad)

Tagging @imaginingbleach since this was your request! I'm glad you asked this because I've had an idea tinkering in my head about a Aizen/Reader/Shinji concept!

TW: alcohol, oral, this gets NSFW near the end but isn't really smutty.

You let a sigh of relief as the warm, soothing water of the hot springs washed over your exhausted body. It was that time of the year where your squad and another would be temporarily relieved of duties, to “boost morale.” To you, this was a long-winded way of saying “mandatory vacation.” Unfortunately, only two squads at a time would get this vacation, and Head Captain Yamamoto would decide where these squads would go. To no one’s surprise, he selected an onsen retreat, and your squad along with Squad 5, would be on vacation.

Your mind drifted further and further away as you relaxed in the hot spring. You decided to take a later dip compared to the rest of your seated members who went in earlier. You could hear them faintly playing games a few rooms away, but for now, you were enjoying the silence.

You jolted up as you heard a loud voice, “Oi, Sosuke – don’t be fuckin’ weird and wear your glasses in the hot spring.”

Oh it’s Captain Hirako and Lieutenant Aizen you relaxed again, hoping the rest of their conversation wouldn’t be as loud. You wanted to enjoy the silence for a bit longer.

“I don’t know why you would think that, Captain. It’d be hard to see with them on.” Lieutenant Aizen said in a monotone voice.

“You’re pretty fuckin’ weird Sosuke. Don’t know what you’re thinkin’ in that head of yours.” Captain Hirako said in a pointed tone. Ugh you thought to yourself, can they not fight tonight? You had heard rumours that sometimes Captain Hirako and Lieutenant Aizen butted heads, but if this was it…

It was so childish?!

“You’re one to tal-“

But before their fight could drag on, you peered over the divider and shushed them. “Please keep your voices down! It’s already late.”

Captain Hirako grumbled an apology, but this was the first time your saw Lieutenant Aizen without his glasses. He gave you a pointed glare. You were taken aback by how sharp his eyes were. “Our apologies, Lieutenant. Enjoy the rest of your evening.” Lieutenant Aizen said, with a soft tone even though his voice did not match the intense glare he gave you.

You slid back down to your spot in the spring and leaned back, closing your eyes to enjoy the warmth again… until you heard grumbling and harsh whispers on the other side of the divider.

It was already so late, what could they be fighting about at this hour?

“Is there a problem?” You asked through the divider.

“Don’t worry about it, Lieutenant.” Captain Hirako said in a dismissive tone, glaring at Lieutenant Aizen.

“Well you two have been grumbling about something since you came in, so is there a problem?” You asked, not wanting to hear any more of their inane bickering.

“It doesn’t concern you, Lieutenant.” Aizen said in a sharp tone.

“It does concern me if I have to hear about it when I’m trying to enjoy my vacation!” You harshly whispered, not wanting to draw attention from your respective squads.

Lieutenant Aizen sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, and you thought you heard Captain Hirako mumble out, “this is your fuckin’ fault, Sosuke.”

Aizen sighed, keeping his eyes closed, “If you must know, my captain seems keen on blowing our squad’s vacation budget on a ridiculous karaoke device.”

Aside from the gentle waves of the hot springs, there was silence between the three of you.

“…Are you serious?” You asked. This was one of the most ridiculous things you’ve heard.

“Sosuke, you just don’t get it! A night of relaxing, sipping nice sake, everyone on their merry way, why not sing our hearts out?” Captain Hirako explained, as if he was trying to sway your opinion.

“That does sound nice Captain, but I don’t understand why you’re insistent on the device that is out of our budget.” Aizen said, in a matter-of-fact tone.

Still behind the divider, you sighed, “do either of you like to sing to begin with?”

At the same time, both of them said “no.”

You let a loud, exasperated sigh, “then why are you two bothering yourselves with this!?”

“Lieutenant Aizen over here says I can’t sing for shit.” Captain Hirako said, glaring at Lieutenant Aizen.

“Well, you can’t sir. I’ve heard what you’ve called singing, and I don’t want to subject our squad to that.” Liueteant Aizen said, trying to end the conversation.

You quickly wrapped a towel around yourself as soon as you heard rustling and realized Captain Hirako left the springs. You saw him peer over the divider, trying see if you were still there.

“Lieutenant, why don’t you humour us and be the judge of it.” Captain Hirako asked, grinning at you.

You heard more rustling and noticed Lieutenant Aizen’s silhouette through the divider.

You didn’t really have any other plans for the evening, so why not humour the Troublesome Duo?

“Sure.”

Captain Hirako secured a private room for the three of you, as you poured him a chilled bottle of sake as a gift for his hospitality. Lieutenant Aizen went to procure the infamous karaoke device from the onsen hosts.

You never really spoke to Captain Hirako much, he always seemed a bit busy trying to defend himself from Lieutenant Hiyori Sarugaki’s pranks. From what you knew from other squad members, he was relatively approachable, but most members preferred reaching out to Lieutenant Aizen first.

Lieutenant Aizen hadn’t arrived at the room yet, and you felt the awkward silence grow between you and Captain Hirako. “Are you enjoying your vacation, Captain?” You asked, trying to make small talk.

Captain Hirako propped his face in his hand as he stared out the window, boredom glazing his face. “It’s alright. Head Captain Yamamoto doesn’t like to think outside the box that much though.”

You laughed, “I agree. It would be nice for a different kind of vacation. Is it wrong of me to assume, that Lieutenant Aizen and you agree on that matter?”

Captain Hirako gave you a small smile, “yeah, somethin’ like that.”

“I don’t mean to pry, so please excuse my rudeness, but do you two always argue like that?” You internally winced at the question, wondering if you were drinking too much sake too quickly.

Captain Hirako remained unphased, “we have some good days, and some bad days. Tonight, believe it or not, was a good day.”

You couldn’t stop yourself from grimacing, “you call this good?”

Captain Hirako shrugged, and sipped his sake, watching the night sky through the window.

You heard gentle taps on the sliding door frame, as Lieutenant Aizen entered. You never noticed how big he was. His presence was largely felt in the room.

“I negotiated for one hour of singing, Captain.” Lieutenant Aizen explained, as he began to set up the karaoke device. “If you,” he said, pointing towards you, “don’t like his singing. Then I’m not getting him this device for our squad dinner tomorrow.”

He is taking this a bit too seriously. You thought, taking a large gulp of sake. Once the device was ready, Captain Hirako stood in front of you two, tapping the device to find a song to his liking.

Lieutenant Aizen tapped your shoulder, gesturing to the sake bottled. Although moments ago you told yourself to stop drinking for the night, now you wanted to have fun and enjoy your vacation. The sake was incredibly smooth too. You brought your cup towards him and noticed how slender and long Lieutenant Aizen’s fingers were.

He really is handsome… but too serious. You thought to yourself, your cheeks warming to the thought of him.

But before your mind could wander, Captain Hirako began his song. You were expecting something outrageous but… it wasn’t bad?

Maybe not the best singer, but he could keep a decent tune.

“I like this song, Captain Hirako.” You smiled at him, bringing your cup towards him as a cheer. “I think your squad will like this too.”

Captain Hirako kept singing, some songs were better than others, which you and Lieutenant Aizen pointed out. The hour was nearing its end, and you realized how close you were to Liuetenant Aizen, as you leaned into his arm.

Surprisingly, he didn’t pull away from you, if anything, brought you closer to him.

You couldn’t help but smile when you realized how close you were to him, so many people would kill to be where I am right now.

You weren’t sure if it was the sake (you had stopped drinking after Captain Hirako’s third song), or the moonlight filling the room, but even Captain Hirako looked a bit different. You noticed how luxurious his hair looked, and the toned body under his yukata.

But something else also dawned on you, “you two haven’t fought during this whole hour.” You said, amazed at the two of them.

Captain Hirako smirked, “well will ya look at that? Maybe you’re our lucky charm. What do you think, Sosuke?”

You let out a gasp as Lieutenant Aizen brought you into his lap, your back towards him. “She certainly knows how to keep you from making rash decisions, Captain.” To which Captain Hirako laughed.

“Have you two… done this before?” You asked, sensing an air of familiarity, as you felt Lieutenant Aizen’s hands roam your body. He gently turned your head and gave you gentle kiss on your lips, startling you. Gentle kisses became more intense until you pulled away from him, with both of your faces slightly flushed.

“Eh…” Captain Hirako said, kneeling down in front of you. Guiding your face towards him. “Sometimes. Only when we’re in a ‘good’ mood. Although I’m the better companion” Captain Hirako chuckled, running his thumb over your kiss swollen lips.

“That’s not what Lady Sayuri said last time.” Lieutenant Aizen murmured, as he began to untie your yukata. You could feel Lieutenant Aizen’s erection growing.

Captain Hirako brought his face close to yours, nipping at your ear. Lieutenant Aizen’s light touches roamed your body, grazing your breasts over so slightly. A soft moan escaped your lips as he began to pinch your nipples. You felt Lieutenant Aizen’s breath against your other ear, “maybe you can judge which one of us you prefer”.

You nodded your head, watching in a trance as Captain Hirako peeled your yukata and undergarments off your body.

You couldn’t help but smile watching Captain Hirako lower himself on to you. You watched him with half lidded eyes as you felt his tongue give a swift lick to your sensitive clit.

 This vacation was sure to be the best one yet.

FIN

Thanks for reading! Hope this is what you had in mind!

[libraryofgage]

PJO Steddie Four

One | Two | Three

I am once again posting hfjkds

Anyway! Here's the next PJO AU! We get to see some interactions between Steve and some goddesses, some more hints at El's parent, and some Steddie at the end

Stick around to the very end for a meme!

As always, if you see any typos, no you didn't ;)

----

Five Weeks Before Meeting Eddie

Steve and the kids are spread out across a department store in Pennsylvania when he, Lucas, and Erica run into the most aesthetically pleasing woman any of them have ever seen. Her face is almost otherworldly, and Steve can't find any blemishes or imperfections in her dark skin. Her hair is a perfect afro, bouncy and decorated with little heart-shaped clips made of real gemstones, the kind of style Erica keeps trying for but always falls short of. She's wearing a short dress; it's orange, flows nicely around her knees, and is paired with white wedges.

The sight of her strikes all of them a little dumb, too distracted by appreciating her beauty to wonder why she seemed to show up out of nowhere. To their credit, Erica and Steve manage to avert their gazes when the woman's eyes glance over them. Lucas, however, continues to stare, his head tilted and his brows furrowed in thought before he lights up with recognition.

"Mom!" he exclaims, dropping the windbreaker in his hands. He smiles brightly as he rushes over, stopping just short of running into the woman. "What are you doing here?"

The woman, who Steve now realizes is Aphrodite, smiles at Lucas with a genuine warmth that relaxes him a little. "Hello, dear," she says, her voice clear and soothing as she cups Lucas's cheek and tilts his head up. "You're looking lively."

"I've been having a lot of fun," he tells her. Lucas then looks over his shoulder and waves Erica and Steve over. "This is Steve. He's been protecting us."

Erica rushes over ahead of Steve, not bothering to hold herself back from hugging Aphrodite's waist like Lucas. She buries her face in her mother's dress as the hug is returned. "I haven't seen you in years," Aphrodite says, pulling back enough to crouch in front of Erica and study her. "You've been growing so well."

"Do you like my hair?" Erica asks, showing a rare childish side as she gestures to her afro-puffs. "Steve helped!"

And this seems to be Steve's cue to introduce himself. When Aphrodite looks up and stands, he smiles politely and nods to her. "Hi, nice to meet you," he says, wondering if he's being too informal. The other goddesses he's met didn't seem to mind, though, and Aphrodite's smile reassures him.

"And you as well, Steve. Thank you for looking after my children all this time," she says, placing one hand on Erica's head and the other on Lucas's shoulder. "I've heard about you from the other goddesses and just had to see what the fuss was about."

"There's a fuss?" Steve asks. He's not sure it's such a good thing for the gods on Olympus to be talking about him. "All good, I hope."

"Good enough," Aphrodite says, her smile dimming slightly as she takes a deep breath. She looks down at Erica and Lucas. "Why don't you two go find something nice? It'll be a gift from me."

Lucas doesn't immediately understand what she means, but Erica does. She nods once and grabs Lucas's hand. "C'mon, I wanna look at the video games," she says, dragging him along.

Once they're out of earshot, Aphrodite looks at Steve. Her smile has become polite. "I truly am grateful that you've been taking care of them," she says, and Steve starts to get a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, "but I must ask that you take them back to their father."

"What? Why?" Steve asks, frowning slightly.

Aphrodite sighs and crosses her arms loosely. "Several reasons, really," she says. "You attract monsters, Steve. I mean, you are his child. Lucas and Erica were safe at home, surrounded by human children and their human father. Not to mention, your...sister."

Steve tenses, his nerves on edge with just one word. "What about my sister?" he asks, narrowing his eyes slightly. There isn't much he can do against a goddess, but he isn't scared to fight one for any of the kids, especially his sister.

"Well, I'm sure she's a very nice girl," Aphrodite starts, her voice soft and placating, but it doesn't change the anger her words incite. "But that doesn't change the danger my children are in because of her."

Knowing where this was going does nothing to quell the anger that simmers in Steve at her words. "My sister is not a danger to anybody," he says. Then he considers the words and adds, "Well, she's only a danger to the people who threaten her and her loved ones, which includes your children."

Aphrodite sighs once more, her bottom lip jutting out just slightly in what Steve knows should be a sympathetic pout, but it just comes across as patronizing. "She cannot control her powers. One slip-up, and my children ar--"

"She doesn't slip up," Steve says, interrupting Aphrodite, "El, of all people, is the most aware of herself." He takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself when he feels the anger crackling under his skin. Too much more and the sky will start to cloud over with thunder and lightning. "I get your concerns, but El isn't a danger."

He looks up at Aphrodite in time to see her frown, and even that expression is beautiful on her. "It doesn't matter how self-aware she is. Slipping is inevitable, and she will face my wrath if my children are hurt. That is a promise, Steve."

If Steve has learned anything from reading myths, it's that he shouldn't anger the gods, and he especially shouldn't anger the goddesses. But now El has been threatened. His sister, one of his kids, has been threatened. So, you know, he can probably be forgiven for what he says next.

"If you touch El or any of the other kids, I swear to the gods, I will make your fit over the golden apple look like a tadpole's temper tantrum," he says, his voice low as he glares at Aphrodite.

He watches as her shoulders rise, leaning back slightly, and her expression morphs into something mixed between angry and dumbfounded. "Did you just threaten me?" she asks.

Steve sees the question for what it is: a chance to take back his words and pretend they never happened. All things considered, it's generous and unexpected from a goddess. Steve doesn't actually care, though. "Yeah, I did. Those kids are under my care, even if they are little shits most of the time. I've fought for them and almost died for them multiple times. Anything that wants to hurt one of them has to go through me, whether that's monsters or gods. So, don't threaten them, because I'd hate to fight you in front of Lucas or Erica."

In the silence that follows, bland pop music plays over the department store's speakers, reminding Steve of where they are. He really just threatened Aphrodite in the middle of Macy's. Well, at least this will be a fun story to tell later.

"Well," Aphrodite finally says, sniffing once and looking down at Steve, "your arrogance is familiar." She lets that dig about Steve's godly parent rest between them for a few seconds. "Fine. I hope neither of us will ever have to act on our threats."

"Yeah. Me, too," Steve says, that anger starting to calm to a subtle buzz.

Aphrodite nods once. "The others were right about you. You are entertaining, and I can...respect your protectiveness regarding the children. I don't like you, though."

"I'll be honest, the feeling is mutual right now."

Their gazes hold for a few more seconds before Aphrodite nods once more in acknowledgment. Steve's anger fully settles then, disappearing until the next time his emotions start to stir. "I'm going to accompany Lucas and Erica for a while and get them some new clothes. I'll send them to you when we're done," she says, turning on her heel and walking in the direction that Erica pulled Lucas before Steve can respond.

He watches her leave, a frown tugging at his lips before he sighs. That meeting didn't go great, but it definitely could have been worse. Steve turns and goes to find El, needing to reassure himself that she's safe before he can completely relax.

----

Eddie gets to see Steve's favor with the goddesses in action on the second day of driving. The kids are starting to argue more than talk, and Eddie will admit that he needs to stretch his legs, so Steve agrees that it's time to stop and find a hotel.

"Can we get one with a pool?" Max asks, having to shout from the back row of seats to make sure Steve hears her.

Steve glances at her in the rearview mirror before sighing. "Yeah, I guess we can try," he says, quickly returning his gaze to the road before clearing his throat. The kids all quiet down, and the van is silent for the first time in hours. "Uh, Hestia, if you've got the time, I'd appreciate some guidance to a place we can stay for the night. The kids would like one with a pool, but just a place where we can sleep safely would be great."

Eddie has heard plenty of demigods pray before, but he thinks this is the most casually genuine one he's ever heard. When they drive past a few exit signs without any change, Eddie starts to suggest Steve try again with a more, well, reverential tone. But then the van's blinker suddenly switches on, and the kids cheer. Steve snorts at their reaction as he follows the blinker's direction and takes the next exit ramp off the highway.

"What the fuck," Eddie mutters, staring as the blinker continues to signal the turns Steve should take until they're pulling into a hotel parking lot.

The sign in front of the building announces it as "Hearth and Home" in cursive letters. The hotel itself is four stories tall and looks like a giant cottage. A few cars are in the parking lot, and Eddie can somehow tell this place is some kind of passion project for someone who doesn't have to worry about money.

After Steve pulls into a spot outside the hotel and shuts the car off, he turns in his seat and looks at the kids. "What are the rules?" he asks, his tone firm and leaving no room for jokes.

"Don't talk to strangers," El says.

"Don't talk at all while you're checking us in and out," Will adds.

"Stick together and stay in sight," Lucas says.

"Cough twice if we sense a monster nearby," Erica says.

"No fighting," Max says, already starting to shift closer to the doors.

"And if anyone asks," Dustin starts.

"We're traveling to meet family one state over," Mike finishes.

Steve nods once and opens his door. That seems to be the signal the kids were waiting for because they immediately scramble out of their seats. Eddie hops out and walks over to Steve, watching the kids climb out as he asks, "What's up with the rules?"

"Well, I'm a young guy traveling with seven kids. Most hotels are hesitant to give me rooms, and they'll straight up lie about being full if the kids are rowdy. We also need a system in place if one of them realizes a monster is around. And saying we're meeting family tells people that we're expected to appear somewhere by a certain time, which deters anybody from trying to, you know, kidnap one of the kids," Steve explains, glancing at Eddie as he shrugs.

Eddie has to stop himself from asking what led to Steve making some of these rules. Instead, he bites his tongue and follows the group inside, sticking to Steve's side as he walks up to the front desk and the kids huddle within sight a few feet away.

"Hi, do you have any vacancies for the night?" Steve asks, flashing a charming smile at the older woman working the desk.

She looks at Steve, then Eddie, and then the kids behind them. "How many rooms would you need?" she asks.

"If you happen to have any connected rooms, we'll take them. But if not, just two is fine."

The woman nods and checks her computer, hesitating for a few seconds before saying, "We don't have any connected rooms, but one of our Executive Suites is open. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a large lounge area. It's made for large groups, so two of the bedrooms have bunkbeds in them. The price, however...."

Steve smiles at her reassuringly and pulls out his wallet. He plucks a black card from one of the pockets and presents it. "Don't worry about the cost," he says, "We'll take it."

At the sight of the sleek credit card, the woman lights up and smiles brightly at Steve. Eddie finds himself thinking that money really does talk. "Of course, sir," the woman says, a suddenly respectful tone coloring her words as she takes the card. "Could I see an ID as well, please?"

As Steve pulls out his license, he looks at Eddie and asks, "Could you take the kids to get the bags from the car? I should have the key cards by the time you get back." He places his license on the desk and hands his keys to Eddie.

Eddie finds himself nodding before he can really think about it, but how can he say no to Steve's brown eyes and the tiny dimples that appear when he smiles? So, he takes the keys and starts herding kids outside.

----

As it turns out, the hotel does, in fact, have a pool, and Steve can't help his grin when the kids cheer after they get to their rooms and he tells them. What follows is a flurry of kids changing into bathing suits, Steve lending Eddie a pair of swim trunks, and making sure everyone has towels and plenty of sunscreen slathered all over them.

The pool is surprisingly large, and there's plenty of space for the kids to swim around and expend some energy. Steve drops into one of the pool chairs and closes his eyes, the plastic warm on his back without burning his skin. He hears another chair get dragged closer before someone sits on it. When Steve opens an eye to look over, Eddie has settled next to him, watching the kids with a slight frown.

Steve follows his gaze, but he doesn't see anything out of the ordinary. The only thing that might catch someone's attention is El wearing her beanie in the pool, but even that could be explained as her forgetting to take it off.

"They don't have any scars," Eddie says after a moment.

Steve blinks and pushes himself up some, sitting straighter in the chair and looking at Eddie. His hair is pulled back into a messy bun, a few pieces escaping to frame his face. He's not obviously muscular like Steve, and he doesn't have an 8-pack, but Steve can still see the subtle muscles in his arms and legs. And the scars. Steve can see plenty of scars littered across Eddie's chest and stomach, his arms, and one particularly nasty one just above his knee.

In that way, Steve supposes, they are similar. "I wouldn't let them get hurt," Steve says quietly, shrugging when Eddie looks at him. He scoots forward some so Eddie can get a better look at his own scars. Despite the warm weather, he still can't help goosebumps traveling up his arms as Eddie stares at him.

"What's that one from?" Eddie asks, gesturing to a large slash that reaches from Steve's shoulder to his elbow.

Steve glances down and hums softly. "Stymphalian bird feather. They're made of steel. It attacked us after we picked up Mike and Dustin. Thankfully, there was only one bird, and I managed to dodge most of the time, but I got this one when I closed in to kill it," he explains.

Eddie stares at the scar, and Steve wonders what he's imagining. Does he want to know how vicious the fight must have been? It was one of Steve's messier fights. He didn't have any training, and he barely had experience. Really, Steve had nothing but his instincts and a desperation to keep the kids safe. "What about those?" Eddie asks, pulling Steve from his thoughts as he leans closer to point at what's clearly a bite mark on Steve's right side.

"The lion head of a Chimera," Steve says, glancing at Eddie before pointing at a scar wrapping around his throat. He shifts until he's sitting on the edge of his chair and tilts his head to give Eddie a better view. "The snake tail was choking me at the same time. I had to use lightning on that one since it had me trapped. We ran into it almost two months ago."

Eddie scoots to the edge of his chair, and their knees are almost close enough to touch. Something starts to buzz under Steve's skin. It's not anger. He knows what that feels like. It's something else this time, something that sizzles and lingers and tries to push against his skin to break free. Steve tries not to think about it.

"And this one?" Eddie asks, pointing to a scar that's splashed across Steve's left knee like a starburst.

"That one," Steve says, getting a grin despite himself, "happened because Dustin tried to help me fight a minotaur. He made this mini-bomb without me knowing and threw it into the fight. I managed to tuck and roll, but the explosion still brushed against me. This scar is from it, too." He turns his right leg out so Eddie can see a similar scar on the inside of his calf.

Steve looks up in time to see Eddie swallow, his throat rolling, and that electric feeling gets stronger. It centers on Steve's knees, the spot where they're closest to touching. But it travels like those toys with magnetic sand when Eddie leans closer and points to the scar in the middle of his chest. It grows the longer Eddie's hand hovers there, and Steve glances down just to make sure there aren't actually sparks buzzing across his skin.

"This one?" Eddie whispers, holding Steve's gaze.

Mouth suddenly dry, Steve clears his throat. "My first fight. The, uh, snake thing that took Will," he says. "Some of the scars on my back and stomach are from that one, too."

Eddie nods, and Steve can't place his expression for a few seconds. When he finally does, he realizes it's something like adoration. He's seen it before from all the kids at some point, usually after he's fought a monster to keep them safe. But Eddie is different. Eddie's adoration is just the surface emotion. Under it, Steve can glimpse something even more intense. He almost wants to drown in whatever it is, let it surround him until he can figure out how to describe it.

"You really are metal, Stevie," Eddie says, his voice soft as he smiles at Steve.

Steve has already acknowledged that Eddie is his type, and he definitely isn't imagining the tension between them right now. Without thinking, he leans forward, a similarly soft grin tugging at his lips. But whatever he wanted to say is literally shocked out of him.

The moment he's close enough for Eddie's hand to actually touch Steve's chest, that fizzing energy bursts through. It's not strong by any means, but it's demanding attention as it zaps across Steve's chest and Eddie's fingertip. Steve jerks back, rubbing at his chest and taking a deep breath to control the crackling over his ribs.

Eddie is frozen, staring at his still outstretched hand in shock. His eyes are wide, and Steve grimaces, wanting to take his hand and check for burns but scared of shocking Eddie more.

"Sorry," he mutters, looking away and coincidentally meeting El's gaze. She's sitting on the steps leading into the pool, legs pulled up to her chest with an amused smile on her face. When she realizes that Steve is slightly panicked, though, she blinks and tilts her head. Steve subtly shrugs one shoulder, and, thankfully, she gets the message.

"Steve!" she calls, waving her hand as though she doesn't already have his attention.

It's the save Steve is desperate for, and he practically jumps up from his chair. "I'm gonna go see what El needs," he says, glancing at Eddie only to find he's already looking up at Steve.

"Oh, yeah, sure," Eddie mumbles. Steve waits until Eddie nods to speed-walk (it's still a pool, after all, and he won't set a bad example by running) over to El, urging his heart and the crackling beneath his skin to calm down.

----

Tag List!

@mugloversonly, @mentallyundone, @hairdryerducks-blog, @carriethesaint, @lunabyrd, @weekend-dreamer7, @farfaras, @littlelady03, @my-tears-are-becoming-a-sea20, @mogami13, @a-little-unsteddie, @itsall-taken, @queenie-ofthe-void, @tinyplanet95, @littlebluejane, @hangoversandhandgrenades, @rabbitwhoeatsstars, @bisexualdisastersworld, @steddieinthesun,

@paintgonewrong, @sadcanadianwinter, @deehellcat, @blanketlicker, @angrydonutdestiny, @booksareportal, @fallingchemicaldiscos, @am-i-obssed-probably, @anne-bennett-cosplayer

@estrellami-1, @fandomcartographer, @steddie-as-they-go, @cris-wants-a-word, @potato-of-the-lord, @plasticcrotches, @enigmahaze

For those who stuck around, a meme:

[stuckyrogersbarnes]

'Oh, you are in trouble, y/n stark' (Loki smut)

Fem!reader

"Bye, Dad! love you!" you say to your dad, Tony as he leaves for yet another mission with his crew. You were 18 years old and lived with your dad and the crew. He only had one rule: that as long as you were living in the same house as him, no boys could stay over or even come over for that matter. I mean, he had informed you of this rule when you were 12 years old when you had developed your first crush on this guy called Jake in the 7th grade. You guys hadn't really talked about it much ever since then, but it was established that that rule was still in place.

"Hey, he's gone," you say to the person on the other side of the phone. "Finally, I've been waiting for this for too long my love. I'm coming up" He cuts the phone and soon, you hear your window opening. As soon as you see him in that green suit of his you run towards him and jump into his arms. You passionately connect your soft lips to his luscious pink lips and grip his hair as if you were about to fall from a 20-foot building, but Loki didn't mind...He loved every second of it. He groans into your mouth as he drops your feet to the floor. You grind on his torso as he says, "No hello, how are you? Just straight to the point, y/n stark?" You moan as you continue to kiss him, giving him his answer. He smiles at how childish and cute you are. "oh, you're in trouble, y/n Stark." he says while kissing your neck deeply. You moan. 

You and Loki had been together since 1 month after your 18th. How you met was a story for a whole other time. But you hadn't seen each other in like 2 weeks which was a lot for 2 people in a relationship. especially with those of a high sex drive like you and Loki. 

"Mmm...why can't people commit crimes more often? it would make life so much easier. I mean, your father would never be home." Loki says as he throws you on the bed. "I agree," you say. Loki climbs on top of you and you both try to catch your breath as your lips connect again. You moan into the kiss. Your hand travels down to his leather pants which are getting tighter by the second. You move your hand in an up and down motion and he chuckles in your mouth. He removes your white t-shirt and moans at the sight of your breasts and hard nipples. He puts his mouth to one of them and starts sucking. You moan as you put your hands in his trousers and start stroking his veiny, gigantic cock. He gets up and slips off his trousers along with his shirt, while you simultaneously taking off your pants. He climbs back on the bed and kisses your stomach all the way to your wet vagina and licks your slit. He slowly sticks his tongue in your wet hole. Your eyes roll back and you moan at the incredible sensation. He thrusts in and out with his tongue right until you're about to orgasm. But then, he stops. "you thought I was going to let you off that easy huh?" he smiles.

He lifts you and puts you on the bar counter in your room. You open up your legs as he enters you slowly. He grunts as he starts to thrust. You can hear the slaps of your skin banging together. He grabs your face and kisses you roughly. "Mmm, I missed this so muchhhh" you moan. "me too, darling." He lifts you again and puts you on the ground, you bend over and he groans and smirks at the sight. He slides into your tight, wet pussy. His big cock pulsates at the sensation of you almost reaching your orgasm. Your knees begin to shake. He picks you up and throws you on your bed, and enters you again. He starts thrusting even deeper now, hitting your G-spot every. single. time. Your eyes roll to the back of your head as you begin to see stars. You could feel his warm pre-cum spilling in your pussy. He moans and keeps moving in your tight walls. Your entire body begins to tremble. "d-daddy?" you say. "yes, my love?" he says. "i-i think I need to pee." you had never felt this sensation before but it was the intense need to pee (in a good way). "no, baby you just need to cum." he starts pounding you deeper, your words begin to slur. you close your eyes tightly. As soon as he pulls out, you bite your lips and squirt, all over his beautiful, defined abs. He begins to rub your clitoris and you begin to shake again, he rubs it harder. You cry out loud. He grabs his dick at the sight of you squirting again. He begins to stroke his dick slowly. He enters you again, and your sensitive hole begins to pulsate at the sensation. You both moan in sync. He pounds you, harder than ever before and just keeps going until he releases his warm cum inside you and pulls out, as you squirt all over him. "oof, you are one hell of a drug y/n."

[romanoffs-widow]

Sorry for everything

Sum: Nat takes out her anger on you after a stressful couple of weeks.

Warnings ⚠️ : Shouting, arguing, and split up?

A/N: Thank you very much to @bobisek96 for requesting this fic, I hope it's okay 😭 and tysm to everyone for all the love on my (not actually first) first fic! I appreciate you all sm ❤️

(I promise there is eventual fluff 😅)

Happy reading! 😊

NATASHA POV:

Everyone thinks being an Avenger is so easy. All you gotta do is a couple of fights and interviews, and that's it, right? Wrong. These last couple of weeks have had me exhausted and honestly drained.

Steve and Tony keep arguing about useless crap, Lena accidentally stained the couch with red wine and didn't even tell me, so I sat in it and stained my favourite sweatpants and I've had to do 6 different interviews because Tony had a cold and couldn't do them, and on top of all that, Morgan has clung to me like a magnet since her dad has been sick. I love kids, and I really do, but not when I'm exhausted and keep having nightmares, leaving me sleepless almost every other night.

"Hey Natty," she says with that smile I love so much. I don't know what it is, but even y/n/n can't cheer me up today. Too tired to respond, I just give her a nod. Hopefully, she can see I don't want to talk right now.

I went to change into comfier clothes. I feel a pair of hands wrap around my waist. I shrug her off, getting annoyed. "Are you okay, baby?" I roll my eyes as I put my top over my head. "I'm fine." Maybe now she'll get it? "You know if you don't want to talk to me, just say." She says it with a tone that tips me ove rather edge.

"You know what? Maybe I don't want to talk to you. Maybe all I want to do is lay down in our bed and try my very best to relax! I have had such a hard couple weeks, and all you do is bug me because you're a pathetic childish wench that wants my attention all the time! If you knew what I go through every single day as an Avenger, maybe you'd at least try to understand how hard my job is! So please just shut your whiny mouth up and get out. I don't want to see your face EVER AGAIN!"

Y/N POV:

My vision is beyond blurry as I feel the endless stream of tears rolling down my cheeks. My hands are shaking, and anxiety is sitting heavy on top of my chest. "Alright. O-okay." I get up, and without saying anymore, I grab my backpack and start shoving a bunch of clothing into it. I go into the bathroom and grab my toothbrush, as well as the other necessities that belonged to me.

With my bag and arms full with items, I give the redhead one last look. Her face is still red from all the shouting she did as she stared at the floor, in the same spot she'd been in for a couple of minutes. I give her a small nod, sniffling as I close the door. I am fully aware the whole compound heard all of that, and honestly, they should. I don't deserve to be treated like that.

I'm going to miss this place. The past 9 years of my life have been spent living here, getting to know all of the amazing people within. I had so many memories here, one of the first being when Morgan was born. She had a head full of hair and a smile that looked just like her fathers'.

As I walked out of the tower, I went to the first person I could think of. Wanda Maximoff, my best friend of 5 years. She does live in the compound, but she also owns an apartment on the other side of the city for emergencies. She gave me a spare key when she got it. Thankfully, I'd never used it before, so I'd never seen the interior of the four walls.

Memories, good and bad swirls around in my head, as I twist the bronze key into the lock. It took me an hour to get here, with the bus and all. I get settled in, as I know I'll be staying here for a while. I started getting myself a snack when I heard the door swing open. I look at it to see the red magic I'd come to know very well.

"Y/n/n honey? Are you in here?" As soon as I hear her voice, I run over to her, the flow of tears starting up again. "Oh my god, are you okay? She didn't hurt you, did she?" I shake my head, unable to speak. "Oh, my poor baby. I'm so sorry I didn't find you sooner. Everyone is out looking for you. I'd better call Pietro and tell him to tell everyone you're safe."

I just hug her tighter. "E-e-even...?" She looks at me with guilt in her eyes. "We all heard what she said to you, and F.R.I.D.A.Y said that you'd left, so we all went looking for you. None of us have heard from her since." By now, I've soaked her hoodie with my never-ending tears.

"Shhhh, it's okay, you're okay." Wanda whispers as she rubs my back to calm me down.

1 MONTH LATER...

I hear a knock at the door. Wanda only left, and she had her own key, so it definitely wasn't her, and i haven't ordered any packages. Deciding i dont care, I go to open it. I see nothing but a white teddy bear holding an envelope sitting on the welcome mat. There is no sign of anyone being here, as the halls are silent. I pick up the toy and bring it inside, closing the door. I go and put it on the counter, taking the red letter from its paws. It had my first initial on the front.

Our place, 2 pm?

- N xx

I roll my eyes. Even if I was very upset with her, she always knew how to make me smile. I check the clock, seeing it's already 1pm, so I decide to start getting ready.

I step into the shop and immediately see Natasha. As I get closer, I can see that she has bags under her eyes, and I see that her knuckles are all red and sore. She's probably been training to get her mind off us. "Hey," She goes to hug me, and I let her. "Hi." She ordered both our favourite drinks.

"How have you been?" I scoff. "What kind of a question is that? My girlfriend of 9 years kicked me out because she was having a rough couple of weeks and hasn't even bothered talking to me for a whole month, and you think I'm okay?" She looks down with guilt filled eyes. "...no. Sorry."

I sip from my cup. "Are you gonna give me some pathetic excuse as for why you made me leave like that, or what?" She nods her head, and takes a Depp breath.

"What I said was really messed up. I shouldn't have called you any of those rude names or said any of that to you. I was having a hard couple of weeks, and I just wanted some quiet. Which I got. But by all means, that's no excuse to take my anger out on you. I don't know if you even want to talk to me anymore after what I did, and I know I don't deserve your forgiveness or anything remotely close but I really am sorry y/n/n. These past 9 years have meant so much to me, and I don't want them to go down the drain because of my stupid actions."

She pauses for a while. Waiting for me to give her some sort of response. "Thank you. I'm sorry for bothering you so much, but it would be very helpful if you communicated how you feel to me, so I know when you need space. I haven't forgiven you. That's going to take a long time, but if you're willing to work on this, so am I. Okay?" She puts her hand on top of mine. "Okay."

6 MONTHS LATER...

Everything had been going actually quite well with y/n, and I. I've been working on my communication, and she's been helping me to recognise when I feel like I need space. She's moved back into the compound, and as of recently, she's started staying in our room again.

"Hey baby." I forgot how much I love her voice. "Hi malysh. Cuddles?" She nods her head and wraps herself around me on the couch. We quickly get sucked into our newfound favourite show, Greys Anatomy. "Meredith really is gorgeous, but not as gorgeous as you!" I say as I give her a kiss on the cheek. "I'm nothing compared to McDreamy." I laugh, knowing she loves Derek too much.

"Sorry...for everything." She turns to look at me with her eyebrows furrowed, abandoning our show. "I know. It's okay." She adjusts herself so she can kiss my lips. "I love you." She snuggled back onto me, sucking back into the show.

[caillousweave]

TF2 BAND AU!!!!

Sorta, the band part is more of an extra side thing, it's more of a modern au but they also happen to be in a band.

Me and my tiktok mutual have been working on this au and I've decided to share some of our ideas for it :D I wanna eventually draw something for this au!!

I'm gonna go by character, though keep in mind we are very biased so some characters have a LOT more then others (still this is gonna be a longg post)

But first some general things: their band is called "Team Fortress 2" bc that's the game no way!! They chose to make it 2 bc they thought it was cooler then just Team Fortress. They all go by their canon names (except Spy and Pyro) but I'm gonna continue to refer to them as their classes, even tho they aren't mercenaries in this au and don't have classes but shh ok

Scout

Plays the guitar (can also play drums but insists on being the lead guitarist)

Barely goes to practice, only started going more because Soldier forced him to (they live together)

Practices for performances the day of/a few minutes before performing (or to try impress someone)

Lives in an apartment

Can read, but it takes him really long and he has to sound out ever word (people think he's leaving them on read when really he's just trying to read their message)

Has a motorcycle

Works as a delivery boy for Heavy's family restaurant (more on that later) except the food always arrives cold bc it takes him so long to read the address

Doesn't question the food that "randomly" appears in his fridge, or the raccoon in his apartment (again more on those 2 later)

Has a collection of weirdly shaped guitars (he brings a different one to every practice/performance and it's chaos bc they all sound different)

Streams games on twitch sometimes

He's still scared of Pyro (still)

His room/apartment is a mess, like dirty clothes on the floor kind of messy

Soldier

Plays the trumpet (and most wind instruments, but in the band he plays trumpet. Does it match the rest of the band? No, but he insists on playing trumpet)

Soldier forces Scout to go to practice, like he will physically pick him up ("WE HAVE PRACTICE MAGGOT AND BY GOD WE ARE GOING TO GET THERE ON TIME. NO ONE WAITS FOR YOU IN WAR AND I CERTAINLY WILL NOT WAIT FOR YOU" - Soldier probably)

Changes jobs a lot not because he gets fired but because he just feels like it

Insists he's homeless but he sleeps at Scout's apartment and basically lives there, just sleeps on the couch though he doesn't have a room (Scout offered his spare room but he declined saying he was homeless and not staying there long. He still hasn't left 2 years later)

Brought a stray raccoon he named Lieutenant Bites to Scout's apartment

(Along with Scout) begged Medic to learn how to care for raccoons for Lieutenant Bites

Thinks the food that appears in Scout's fridge is some spirit bringing food for them (he doesn't care, he still eats it)

Pyro

Plays drums

Unemployed, sometimes helps Engie at his workshop

Wears the same thing they do in game, everyone else has a sorta simplified/weapon-free version of their outfit (or the same, depending on the character) but they wear the same thing as in game, gas mask and all

Lives with Engie, their room is super colorful and childish

Has a big cabinet in their room full of lighters (they collect lighters)

Like to paint/draw on the walls of their room, invite people to draw with them but everyone is too scared to enter their room so the only one who really does it is Engie, who isn't scared of them

No one knows where Pyro came from, they showed up to practice one day and killed it on the drums so everyone just accepted them into the band, and then Pyro followed Engie home and just stayed there

No one knows Pyro's name, but they answer to Pyro so everyone just calls them that

Most of the other members can't understand what they say, Engie can

Goes to Medic anytime their stuffed animals are damaged and begs for them to be healed

Makes friendship bracelets for the band but no one wears them at first (they eventually do, after being threatened by Pyro)

Heavy

Main vocals (has the voice of an angel)

Brought his family to New Mexico (from Russia ofc) and his family opened a sandwich restaurant

Their restaurant also doubles as their house so his room is just above the restaurant, his room is pretty clean

Works at the restaurant

Sasha exists we are currently discussing on whether she will stay the same or become like a trombone

Is also scared of Pyro

Demoman

Plays the keytar (and a bagpipe bc he's Scottish but in the band he plays keytar)

Lives in his mansion, it's fairly clean, but his room is messy

Lives with his mom

Works several jobs

Basically just him in the comics tbh didn't change him much

He has a horse though, sometimes he brings it places instead of his car, no one knew he had a horse till they all went outside and saw a horse in a parking spot

Wears Pyro's bracelet before they threaten everyone

Engineer

Tech support for the band

But has his own solo career making country music

Other then that he owns a workshop and takes commissions making things (engineer is one of the only classes that can actually be translated into an actual job)

Loves his daughter-son-child-thing Pyro (he adopted them despite them being a grown adult)

His home is small but he keeps it (mostly) clean, unlike his workshop, which is a mess

Also wears Pyro's bracelet before they threaten everyone

Spy

Plays piano

No one knows like anything about him, he prefers not to interact with the other members much

Married to Scout's mom

Scout's dad

No one knows his real name (except Scout's mom)

Still has his watch and can go invisible

Every week he does Scout's groceries (while invisible) bc he hates him but he does still care about his son (does it invisible so Scout doesn't know it was him)

Medic

Backstage help/helps setting up

Makes German accordion covers of songs

Always has like 5 doves following him around (Disney Princess fr)

Experiments on roadkill (his house smells awful)

Lives in a small house by himself with all his birds

Has a shed for his birds (mostly for the winter when it's cold, other then that they just roam around his garden freely

Crashes weddings to save doves

As well as being a human doctor he also knows how to care for birds (yes he is a doctor)

Doesn't like big lights so his house is lit with candles and lamps, it's very dark

His neighbors hate him (the cops are constantly being called to his house)

Likes to go to abandoned hospitals and research facilities to steal chemicals and stuff

Learned to sew so he can patch up Pyro's stuffed animals

No one wants to go in his house bc they think it's scary (except Pyro they don't care)

Sniper

Plays bass (also does background vocals)

Lives in his camper van, it's fairly messy

Sells "drugs" (doesn't actually, they're just vitamin gummies he says are drugs)

Scavenges for things (definitely dumpster dives)

Hunts for his food

Whenever he has bad luck with hunting he eats leftovers from a chuck e cheese (stole this from a 4chan thread I saw on tiktok)

And that's all for now, let me know if you have any questions or wanna add anything :33

[iizuumi]

Why do you ship Gen and Reno? Genuine question, I don't mean to sound rude at all. Sorry if it comes off that way.

I recently caught up with the manga (haven't read B-side yet) and there weren't any interactions between them.. is it just that they look cute together?

Thank you if you answer, I love your art- am just wondering 🍪💕

It really did just start off with me thinking they're the most pretty characters so they should kiss LMAO

but since then I have spent a lot of time thinking about them so let me present to you some of my findings on why they would work so well together!!

that i will put under the cut because i'm shy

a lot of this will make me sound like i am this meme but hear me out okay i've thought about this B-Side spoiler for the first one! but i have to mention it bc it's like my favourite part of them and also probably the one that makes most sense lmao skdjfhs It touches on a part of narumi's backstory so skip it if you don't want the spoiler!

shared backstory/ trauma!! I think with both of them knowing what it's like to lose their family and grow up without anyone around who really cared for them they'd be able to understand each other better than anyone else understood them before. I feel like they both possibly never had a place in the world where they really belonged since losing their family (with narumi always being pushed from one person to the next and reno's grandmother seemingly unable to really give him a good home) so in my mind they finally find a place in the world by each other's side because they get each other! They've been through the same shit! They'll finally help each other heal after all these years of not dealing with it!! Also it's really interesting how they have the same/similar pasts but both deal with it so differently. Narumi being all childish because he never got to have a proper childhood and Leno being so mature & caring like he wishes someone cared for him ;;

We know that Narumi is all about strength, all about results so who better to catch his eye than Reno who is getting better and showing results so quickly!! starting at 8% release force and then getting up to 43% with a numbers weapon after not even that much time??? Pls there's no way Narumi doesn't see the potential!! Also just the fact that nobody has ever been able to use 6 before like I'm sure that's already enough to turn everyone's heads but tell me narumi wouldn't be curious about this little prodigy who got their strongest weapon!

I just think squishing humanity's strongest together with the strongest numbers weapon user is a very sexy combination like just the sound of that sounds correct to me yes

They can bring out a side in each other that they otherwise don't get to show much? I feel like Reno is always taking on the responsible adult role lmao he's always worrying about everyone and taking care of things and narumi is such a silly little childish goober if he can't help reno unwind and allow himself to be a bit of a kid again then who can!! Reno is just a little guy, sit him down and make him play video games like everyone else his age!!

Looking at how Reno deals with Kafka's Kaiju transformation shenanigans I believe Reno would be very good at putting up with Narumi's shenanigans as well lmao but also he is such a polite little guy!! I think the combination of Reno being very much polite towards Narumi but also not taking shit from him is just very much amusing to me.

Reno's whole character arc is built around him trying to get stronger and strong enough to stand by Kafka's side but like if he keeps getting stronger and stronger where will he end up?? As the strongest. Which currently is Narumi ofc. So i do like the idea of Reno maybe idolizing Narumi a little bit ,, seeing how strong he is and being like yeah that's where I need to be. and ofc it's all about being strong enough to protect his loved ones but who says narumi can't be included in that by the time he gets there!!

@acystreia told me about this one but apparently electrical currents move a lot better through air than through ice? and isn't Narumi's whole ability with 1 built on him seeing electrical impulses from the brain to tell what someone is going to do next?? And Reno's whole ability with 6 is centered around the ice thing? which means Reno is the worst possible matchup against narumi in a fight???? I think this alone is reason enough for them to make out immediately. I don't actually remember any physics so this might just be me talking out of my ass but if i'm wrong i don't want to know let me live in my delusions i'm happy here

that's all I can think about right now .... I'm sorry for the long post LMAO but i hope you see my vision at least a little bit 🙏 and if not that's okay too c: still thank you for being interested in them!! ♥

[ginhaku125-offical]

Maybe more ideas in next weeks, I'm out of ideas right now... So instead about ideas, can you tell me some facts about Audrey?

Oh GLADLY!

★ They're five years younger than Arven (which means they're 10 in my universe but that can differ in other people's universes. Yes I know they don't look like a ten year old I've gotten that so many times already)

★ They were practically raised by Arven. Since Sada and Turo were busy with work and later moved to Area Zero, Arven had to look after both himself and his little sibling at a young age. Even after Arven enrolled himself in Manzana (I assume Arven enrolled himself into the Academy because the Profs were clearly too busy for that) he continued to live at the lighthouse to look after Audrey until he was confident they'd be fine at the academy.

★ In fact, Audrey has only been enrolled in the academy for about 8 or so months

★ Arven helped Audrey catch their first Pokémon - a Fidough - a couple of years before they were enrolled into Manzana. However, they were given a Quaxly when they joined the academy (based on a headcanon I saw from someone where even if someone has a Pokémon when they enroll into the academy, they're offered a starter and can choose to turn them down, idk where I saw that tho :c)

★ Acts a bit like Arven, just in a more childish way.

★ Very brash, very reckless, usually has no care for others' feelings (or just doesn't really realise when they upset someone), Arven constantly has to apologise for their behaviour

★ They do have a nicer side, they're just not exactly good at showing it

★ Constantly boasts about being the profs' child, they think it makes other students respect them, but it usually makes people avoid them because of how pushy they are about it. They don't really have friends outside of their Pokémon

★ Knows some basic cooking from Arven, but mostly just orders takeout or instant noodles

★ They love steak tho, they just don't know how to cook it

★ Extremely attached to Arven. He's trying to help them get used to not having him around.

★ This leads to Audrey believing the player is "Keeping Arven from them" when they find out the two are looking for Herba Mystica (I don't think they understand the concept of having a friend- 😭)

★ Arven lies to Audrey about Mabosstiff being injured and doesn't tell Audrey the truth about Turo and Sada after The Way Home. He doesn't want to see his sibling upset.

★ Audrey found the pendant around their neck in the Lighthouse lab a little while ago and wears it because "It's pretty freaking cool", has no idea about Terapagos

★ They're still trying to figure out what they want to do when they leave Manzana

Oh, and here's a drawing I did of them a few months ago! Might redraw it actually

[almea]

I finished the 2.5 story and I enjoyed it overall, although it didn’t hit me quite as hard as Penacony did. I think maybe that’s something to be expected with a Trailblaze Continuance vs a Trailblaze Mission. I don’t know, I just cried so hard at the end of Penacony, both 2.2 and 2.3, lmao.

Truly my favourite thing is that they seem to be giving Stelle more voice lines during the story that aren't just internal dialogue. It is my dream for them to continue giving her more and more voices lines so she can really be an actual character.

It was a little surprising for me when I realized how little Stelle did in the story though. I think she just went to investigate Stargazer Navalia with Yanqing and Feixiao, found Moze in Exalting Sanctum with them, and then was fighting the borisin in Aurum Alley with Moze. I did like how she mentioned her not being at the Skysplitter to help fight Hoolay when she’s talking with March at the end. It doesn’t bother me a ton when Stelle doesn’t have a lot to do in a specific story, I love how often they used the perspective swapping in the story so we could see what was going on with everyone, because she’s always around so it doesn’t feel too bad if she’s a little out of focus once in a while, but it kind of sucks for Moze that I don't think he got any really big moments since he has less chances to be relevant. I wish they had made him and Stelle finding a nearly dead Jiaoqiu an actual scene instead of just text so we could get a little more out of Moze, but it is what it is.

Jiaoqiu’s little trick with poisoning Hoolay by poisoning himself being foreshadowed with his comment about the green peppers was pretty cool, but I’m curious about whether it was intentional that it could have also been a little foreshadowed in March’s training event last patch since in his route there was some talk of Lingsha’s blood having special properties because of her having consumed so many medicines over the years. idk it was the first think I thought of when I realized what he did.

I've grown pretty fond of Yanqing over the course of the story. He’s just so earnest and I think his childish, competitive side coming out with Yunli is very cute. And I really love the relationship that has developed between him, March, and Yunli. It’s so sweet that Yanqing and Yunli are both so proud of March and she’s also so fond of her two little masters. I really hope we get to continue seeing more of their interactions in the future.

This does not stop me from being like, stay the fuck away from my pulls. He's already at fucking E4 and I still don't have Gepard.

March, Yanqing, and Yunli fighting a berserk Feixiao was soooo good. I really loved Yunli attempting to just fucking grapple her when she's so much smaller than Feixiao. It really adds to her feral cat energy. It’s very sweet, in a weird way, that Feixiao put her faith in these kids and fully believed they would be able to hold her back and keep her from causing too much destruction while she was rampaging. Especially because we later find out that Fu Xuan left Jing Yuan a prediction that they should trust the younger generation.

I thought it was funny that during the story March was like "If I had known we could use other weapons, I would have brought my bow with me" and then she just fucking summons it in the cutscene when they’re fighting Feixiao. Sometimes I think about the logistics behind the way they summon their weapons in cutscenes and I should probably stop trying to make sense of it because it really does seem to be governed by Rule of Cool. Seeing her preservation ult in a cutscene was so fun though. A while ago I was thinking about how cool it would be if was ever a cutscene where Stelle switches between her paths in the middle of a fight by switching her weapon and March ended up getting to do it before her and it was just as cool as I thought it would be.

I loved March just clinging to Feixiao's leg in the cutscene when she regains control of herself. She's just trying her best to help. And I’m just very proud of the three of them for managing to not get fucking obliterated by a general. It was also very cute seeing them support Feixiao and helping her stand. I don’t know, they’re just all good kids and I love them.

I don’t have a really concrete reason for it, but I just really like Feixiao. It may just be my weakness for hot, strong women, but she’s just so cool. I love how strong her resolve is, strong enough that this is the first time in the story that we’ve seen someone other than Stelle draw an Aeon’s gaze, and that she seems as devoted to Jiaoqiu and Moze as they are to her. She also has SUCH cool cutscenes. The one of her using Yukong’s bow to fire a a giant arrow all the way to Aurum Alley because it would have taken to long to get there to help????? Hello???? Who let her be so cool???

I really am looking forward to seeing more of her in the future and this plotline she has of trying to restore Jiaoqiu’s eyesight. And also seeing the repercussions/benefits of her swallowing the crimson moon.

It’s like a little funny to me that Jiaoqiu is blind now just because it doesn’t matter anymore that his eyes are always closed, he wouldn’t be able to see with them open anyways.

When Lingsha was announced and I saw she was a Vidyadhara, I was like. My opinion on her is 100% going to be based on how she treats Bailu because I love Bailu very dearly and every Vidyadhara that’s introduced is going to be judged by whether or not they’re nice to her. So I'm really happy to see that she appears to be very kind to her and Bailu likes her enough to call her sister.

I think it's so sweet that Dan Heng is always asking for Bailu’s opinion. He’s so protective of the rest of the Astral Express crew and it seems like that protectiveness has extended to Bailu and it makes me so happy every time it comes up. I hope they get more into Bailu being sick of being used as a puppet and wanting to leave soon because I too am sick of the way she's disrespected in universe. Let Dan Heng bring her on the Express with him. I would also accept Lingsha protecting Bailu and helping her have more freedom since she’s the new Cauldron Master. I don’t know how much pull she actually has, but I can dream.

I'm so sad that they sent Fu Xuan away to a different ship for this story arc because I miss her!!! Let me see her!!! I still think she had the coolest intro cutscene in the game and I couldn't not love her after that. And because she's been carrying my ass through everything since she's the only limited sustain I have lmao.

God, I am so excited for Ruan Mei potentially being a menace on the Luofu. Like, girl, what have you been up to? Did you do anything fucked up to Tingyun? Aren’t Himeko and Welt supposed to be delivering fossils to you? Why are you on the Luofu? Oh but maybe they’re the ones who brought her to the Luofu. I need answers!

When Tingyun started talking, I was just like, oh no, this is going to be the end of the story for this patch, isn't it? And then it was!!! And next patch is just Rappa, and from her character intro thing I assume we’re going back to Penacony, so who knows when this Tingyun plotline is going to pick up again.

[cloud-somersault]

Hey, how are you doing? I hope you’re alright. 💕 I’ve been reading your status updates on Constellations and the Epilogue, and I just wanted to let you know that I think you’re amazing. Your writing is incredible and I love it. Your stories are so well thought out and the characters are ✨on point✨, and the plot is complex and detailed and aaahhh! It has me hooked! 🤩

And I understand how it hurts when you put so much effort and love into a story, only to post it and not see others be anywhere near as excited or invested as you are. I know how discouraging it can be. And it may be a little silly, but I do want to apologize for not commenting lately—life took some difficult turns for me healthwise around the end of last year and I haven’t been able to catch up! I’m still on Chapter 4 of Constellations! 😭 BUT Chapter 5 is open on my phone, and I am READY to read it as soon as I have the time (and mental energy, but that’s a whole ‘nother issue 😩). Don’t worry that your writing isn’t enough, or be discouraged if some readers don’t catch hints while others are figuring it all out seemingly too easily. Everybody reads and comprehends stuff differently, and it’s not a sign that your writing is bad if they don’t catch it! Honestly, I’m pretty bad at catching hints the first time I read a story unless they’re pretty darn obvious. I don’t usually notice subtle hints until the second, or third, or even seventh read-through, haha! (on the bright side, rereading stories and rewatching TV shows is always fun!) 😅

I guess what I really wanted to say is… don’t give up hope. Don’t lose your love and enthusiasm for your works, or feel like they aren’t worth writing because others don’t seem interested in them. At the heart of it all… at the end of the day… write because you love to. Because it makes you happy. And know that it doesn’t have to be “perfect”—the main goal should be that you enjoy it. That’s something I’m trying to teach myself, too. 💕

Thank you for taking the time to write this message and send it. I appreciate you're very kind words 💕I'm doing okay, I just had to take a step back for a bit from socials and stuff. I'm gonna keep that up for a while.

Please don't apologize for not commenting or taking your time reading. Your health always comes first, and I'm sorry if I came off as childish or needy, that wasn't my intention. Two things just happened that set me off and the timing of it was incredibly poor 😓

Please take your time reading; none of it is going anywhere, and don't feel obligated to leave comments either. i'm realizing that, even if chapters are short or long, finding the time to finish things is difficult, and everyone lives different lives. And I'm sorry about all the spoilers on this blog, I'll tag that better from now on.

But I really do think I got confused or disjointed in my perceptions; everyone here knows so much because i've been asked questions and given answers and people have interacted, so people following me here have more context than the average ao3 user. But I've kinda been expecting everyone to be on the same page, which will never be true.

I'm also the same way where it takes me a while to pick up on hints. I actually changed my writing style to prevent this. I got tired of reading books in college where you had to dive into every little thing. the hints and clues weren't obvious to me. I decided then that, when I wrote, I wanted things to be bold, obvious, but beautiful. I didn't want to make readers feel like they're missing something. I wanted them to trust that every answer, every clue would be answered in time. I made that promise to myself a decade ago, and being reminded of how different people interpret things just...made me remember.

I take writing really seriously, probably too seriously, but I've been doing it for so long and I love doing it. I want to be good at it. When it feels like I've gone back on that promise to myself, I get frustrated. I think of ways I could've fixed things. But I also remember that those books and those writing styles just weren't for me. I wasn't the target audience.

Sorry to go off on a tangent, but I wanted to explain why I got upset. I still love Constellations and I'm posting it on ao3 out of convenience, really. It's easier to reference and search there in one "Entire Work" than to have 5 documents open. The fact that others can see and read and have fun is a bonus. But I'm committed to telling this story, and I'm gonna finish with a bang.

Thank you, I won't forget why I'm doing this and that my thoughts/feelings come first! 😤I hope your health concerns are taken care of soon. Take it easy, and thanks again! 💕

[cadwo]

OC posting time but like,

Something about this image had me thinking about my girl Serienna so hard

I've never really gotten into the tragedy of Serienna's character since I mostly focus on her two siblings but like, she really doesn't come out of her story unscathed either.

She gets her best friend(someone she grew up so close with that he feels like a brother despite being her fiance) and her baby sister(who is the major reason that she even started taking her role as the heir to throne of Haven seriously) taken away from her. The same maniac that took those two away from her and tortured them and then now can't seem to tell her where they are is the guy that her father decided to promise her hand in marriage to "for the sake of Haven's future". And because everyone in Haven has always trusted this man's judgement no one can seem to understand Serienna's apprehension to it outside of assuming she's just being unreasonable because of the gap in age. They see her being upset about the arrangement as childish, and they think the imprisonment of her two most precious family members to have been legitimate.

She spends a solid year preparing herself and her closest companions to launch into a war against this sicko new fiance of hers, navigating treacherous grounds dealing with the silent political war before any real fighting can even break out. It's an awful time of meetings arranged in secret and alliances being struck and realizing that she's about to be the catalyst that shakes up everything that Haven has grown into and all of the routines of the lives within it. The cooperation of the sister cities of Haven is secured, but there is always the fear that someone is leaking this information back to her opponent. Her life is paranoia and anger. She clings to her hopes and to her partners and perseveres.

She only gets to see her baby sister again *once* before shit hits the fan for real, and that reunion is strained because the only thing her sister wants to do is prove to her that she can live on her own and doesn't need to be with Serienna anymore. It's heartbreaking for her, seeing that somehow she grew up so fast without her realizing it. Maybe she hadn't done enough to be there for her in their younger years. And now, because her younger sister is determined to live with her newly found family on the ground, Serienna has to accept the fact that she may not get to make up for her absences in her younger years in the future.

After an agonizing uphill climb in which she has to stumble over the loss of her father, she finally pulls it off: she launches into a civil war against the bastard trying to take her nation out from under her and kills him. She wins!! She did the unthinkable and ascended to the throne about 70 years or so ahead of schedule, and all while not even having her best friend beside her that she'd grown up her whole life thinking would rule by her side! By sheer force of will, strength, and bloodshed she won back her future... right?

But even with that vile man gone, and even with her partners there to be damage control, they can't help her restore what she lost along the way. She knows she won't be able to visit her sister all that often given the circumstances of their living arrangements.

And her brother, her best friend, when they finally reunite, he seems to have trouble looking her in the eyes without this... grief. Try as she might to reassure him that she's working on making everything better, that she's eliminated Haven's biggest threat and she's going to do all of the things they talked about doing together to fix up the place and steer it to a better healthier tomorrow... he still won't come back with her. He can barely keep from choking up around her. He won't tell her any of what he went through that could have made him this way either. He's just... suddenly decided that he has no place in Haven anymore. Despite her doing everything she thought she could to help make Haven a safer place for him, he'd rather wander the globe and hunt down monsters for his new employers(who also just so happen to be bigshots in the Underworld? So he'll help them make their world better but not help her with Haven anymore... Even though he'd always promised her he'd serve by her side and that he wanted nothing more than to see Haven become a better place. Now she can't even get him to say he'll step foot there.)

Despite all of her victories and achievements and the power she fought tooth and nail to seize, it can't restore her bonds with her siblings. There is a distance between them all that she can't get a grasp on. And while she's struggling with that emotional fallout internally, she also has to transition into her busy position as ruler.

Even if, once the dust settles and things fall into a more manageable routine for her, the visits to her siblings can become more frequent, there will always always be scars carved into their bonds.

She misses them.

[muhtesemz]

A brief letter to my mother

Good morning, my dearest.

Good morning, my 'noor-e-chashm.'

It has been four months

Since the boy has sailed

On his mythical journey.

Mother: I had always been less emotional, Unlike you, I hardly wept over memories.

Yet, on nights like these,

After long, exhausting days,

I yearn for a lady to oil and comb my hair.

I've traveled a thousand miles,

Flew from one continent to another,

Yet found not those hands,

Gently weaving through my hair,

Whispering comforting words.

I extend my warm regards

To a home that taught love, kindness, and mercy.

To my saintly father,

Convey my heartfelt apologies.

I regret our ideals never converged.

He, ever practical about life,

I, dwelling in vast imaginary realms,

From running horses in the steppe in Mongolia

To learn calligraphy from a Usta in the era of Sultan Fetihi,

I had always been this childish.

He wished the beloveds to stay close.

Here I am, preparing for the farthest corners of the world.

Despite differences, he remains

My definition of an ideal father,

My epitome of selflessness.

I will never be able to be a father like him,

Yet I will try, for somewhere 'aspas'.

I send my love

To the heart's most cherished,

To Uthman,

My greatest confidant,

A stalwart support in my darkest hours.

To Zahra,

My selfless sister,

Upon her, I rely the most,

For everything.

Don't you, too?

To little Aasmeen,

No secret now,

She holds the largest share

Of my boundless love.

I extend my regards

To the home I have always cherished.

For years, I longed to dwell here,

But fate willed it ours

Only after my departure,

What a tragedy!

In this new home,

I have almost all I ever desired.

Here, it rains, and I gaze

Out the wide window of my living room.

Yet, it does not bring the smell of soil,

It does not pull me out of the home.

Here, too, I have a lake.

A lake pristine, tranquil, and serene.

But the boats don't ferry me

To the 'tong' on the other side of the river.

My poet once said,

'Longing has a favorite season: winter.'

And winter here is eternal.

My father gave up what he had,

His dreams, desires, and comfort,

So we could have more.

Now I'm here, a thousand miles away,

With my 'imperfect' linguistic skills,

Weird looks, and cultural disparities,

Missing hundreds of birthdays, anniversaries,

Farewells, and funerals - for what?

Here, we keep sacrificing,

Generation after generation,

Only for someone to squander everything,

Everything in just a few years.

11/30/2023 11:40 pm.

[hummingbird-hunter]

Part 1/3 — The Milk Tooth

They say, that if you put a coin under your pillow as you go to bed, it will be gone in the morning; in its place, you would find a tooth.

I was six when it happened first.

The coin was smooth, tiny, even in my small childhood hands — tenth-a-copper, barely a pocket change, not nearly enough to buy even a loaf of bread. Still, it was the first time I've ever handled money, the closest I've ever looked.

In my six year old mind, I might as well have held a newborn star in my hands.

I hid it; first in my sock, as the day went on — having to stop myself from checking on it too often, lest someone would find out about my little treasure, lest someone would take it away — I couldn't let that happen, not in a million years.

Back home, I hid it from my parents.

Not that they would've noticed it anyways — or, anything, really, save for me coming home without my head, or not coming home at all — yet still my heart beat fast, screaming all evening until the sun had set and it was time to go to sleep.

I put the coin under my pillow then, guarding it — no one would take it without waking me first, I was sure, I was so sure!

My heart all but broke in the morning as the coin was no longer there.

Curiosity took over the grief as I found what has been left in its stead.

A tooth lay stark-white against my orange bedsheet.

It was a milk tooth, an incisor, not unlike the one I had lost not even a week before, an emptiness in its place where a new tooth was yet to grow. Unlike my lost tooth, this one was unbroken, pristine, missing the chip at the side that I've had for as long as I remembered.

I picked it up, gently cupping it in my palms.

This was it.

This was more.

If the coin had been a star, this was a whole galaxy I had held in my hands.

I gently brought my hands up to my face, scooping the tooth with my tongue and hiding it in my cheek. I remembered seeing my classmate Annie's pet hamster do it with his food, keeping it safely and away from anyone and anything.

Yes, I would keep it safe like this.

I had spent two days like this, keeping my new treasure in my cheek; sparcely talking, barely eating, only taking it out when alone in my room, only to look at it, only to marvel.

It happened on the third day.

I had snuck some grapes into my room, only a handful, not enough to be noticeable. My parents were home, their footsteps loud against the creaking floorboards, so I didn't dare removing the tooth, didn't risk them coming in and noticing.

I was careful, I was trying to be careful.

I wasn't careful enough.

As I put another grape in my mouth, my teeth closed with a crunch, shards sharp on my molars and against my tongue.

I swallowed on instinct.

There was a moment of bliss, of satisfaction that my childhood brain couldn't quite comprehend, but the one I am intimately familiar with now — the feeling of my little treasure merging with my body, the euphoria of it now being a part of me forever.

In the end, what prevailed was a childish sense of loss.

Just like that, it was gone, no longer in my hands or behind my cheek, no longer a little secret that only I was privy too.

I no longer had the tooth. I no longer had the coin.

I cried for a week straight after that.

[wysteir]

Saw this again recently. Posting thoughts under the cut.

More often than not I feel like there's hardly anything underneath all of this, and I fear the most that as people get to know me they'll see that at the core of it all is my attempts to be a relatively stable human

And nothing more

Not that they'd judge, but that they'll find extended contact boring. Not even unpleasant. Just boring.

Often I find myself worrying about contributing to conversations, especially 1:1 alone with someone, and often I have nothing to say

Sometimes I think I've lost the ability

I wonder if I ever even had it in the first place

I'm better now, a bit. Just a bit. But it always feels so hollow, so desperate. Longing for a certain connection. With the insistence to be picky about what kinds.

I deserve to be among good friends

I deserve to not have to settle for just anyone who will talk to me

I have to believe in that

Most of the work I've done on myself for the past twelve years has been killing demons

Doing what I can to stay afloat. Hoping that it'll be easier in the future, as long as I keep fighting. And that even if it isn't I at least tried my best.

Follow the scripts. Say something funny and hope it sticks. Try to lift people up. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Hopes and dreams that feel more like whims. Am I doing things because they make me happy, or do they just make me feel cool? I try to believe. I try to kill more demons. They keep coming back.

In the desperation to make friends I'd just do what they did, follow where they would go. Absorb media. Generate opinions. Follow the example, example becomes rule. Did I do it because it made me happy, or did I do it because I thought it would make me look cool to others?

Did I believe in anything at all? Not before, no. Too busy. Too many demons. It was difficult enough to try and keep some kind of mask on.

I felt like an NPC. A witness. A few lines and a side quest. Entity you can talk to and hold and its numbers go up. It says it's happy. It says it's sad. The numbers reset sometimes. Would you like to try again? Didn't it believe in something? All of that time put in, did it do any because it made it happy, or did it only do things to try and make friends?

Could it ever be happy?

That poor hollow thing, my long dead prince, may his name rot in peace- what did it have again? Did it have a personality? Surely it had something that resembled such.

What even is a personality?

The things you like, that you hate, that you believe in? Your social chemistry, the way you act, your mannerisms, your habits?

Surely there was something there, but it didn't have the love to see it.

I don't, still. But I have enough to believe in it, even if I can't see it. Even if I can't see the shape of the heart I grew myself in this body, I know it's there. Even if it's not the same as anyone elses, even if it feels underdeveloped, I know it's there.

I hate how underdeveloped it feels, but I know it's there

It's the culmination of my hopes and dreams, the machine that sprang forth from the goddess I envisioned my future self to be, this mockery of a human heart, that is mine and mine alone.

I'm sorry for the moments where I've acted childish. I have excuses and reasons, but I fear they're not enough. It's all things I should have known by now.

But I only know how to fight demons.

And only barely.

I've been trying.

I can only ask that others be patient with me, if they please. Please don't be disappointed, when you bump into me, and I'm so light, and the sound it makes when you tap my exterior is hollow.

There's a kind, if awkward, woman in here, I think. I hope.

I can't see her but I hope you can.

I've worked very hard to make sure she can try to tackle the world around her, even if we're late to the show. Please show her around, she hasn't been around long, she doesn't know a lot of things you might.

She's the me you can kind of see, I'm the me you kind of can't.

Please take care of her. I hope she's not rotten. I hope she's substantial. I hope she's enough. I hope she's not just a ghost to you. I hope she's real. I hope you can see her.

I hope you like seeing her around.

Now if you'll excuse me, there are more demons.

[blackstarchanx3new]

Creations AU, But I obnoxiously over explain it PT 7

Pages 181-210

Some of these pages were lined by my friend AK

@akdrawsandwrites

They've helped me with this AU's art a lot when I got stuck quite a few times. XD

They're playing Minecraft, while Michael goes on an absolute rant about how much he dislikes the other owner's son "Sammy"

Sammy is apparently:

Smug Having relations with William Afton Has friends

All these things piss Michael off for one reason or another.

Presumably to calm the hell down Michael goes to take a bath while Mike hunts for diamonds.

Mike's death glare as Michael rambles as he slays the monsters so they can sleep is so hilarious to me. Just further proof he's good at video games.

Mike ventures out of Michael's room to use the toilet

And we get more context as to why William isn't comfortable around Mike:

Apparently he takes medication for something.

William's just a TAD condescending and rude about it. You know. Because we've seen how this man acts towards his own son lmfao this isn't a surprise he isn't too delicate with someone with mental health struggles. (Even if he kind of tries to be.)

Mike sits down to piss. Lol. Old habits must die hard.

Huh, Michael's got prosthetic robot legs.

Interesting...

Haha he doesn't answer that question.

Aaaaand his arms are robotic too...

HUH.

And I've been goofy about it but his eyes aren't exactly normal either...

And come to think of it...Michael your face is kinda weiiiird looking...

"Kinda scary just how much a man could be a machine"

Michael...

There something you wanna confess too-

LIKE THE FACT YOU'RE A CYBORG-

All of you are screaming at me aren't you? X'D

Oh so much here:

Five years is significant to both of them.

Michael picks up on the fact that it's significant and isn't too nice about that.

Michael's façade of being a bubbly happy guy has broke a few times but this was the most direct time it broke, outright glaring with anger at Mike's lack of response.

Masked with "HAHA Just kidding!~"

He was obviously NOT kidding.

Michael abruptly stops the conversation to go to bed.

Or so it seems as Mike reflects.

Jeremy's brought up again. So we can presume Jeremy disappeared five years ago.

Michael pipes up again to proclaim a few things.

He knows Mike's up to something and isn't hiding that.

Bonnie brought it up so Michael isn't fully in the dark. Also despite acting childish Michael isn't dumb.

I let ya read this segment uncut with my nonsense cause it shows a LOT:

First tho I'm gonna talk about stuff I like art wise:

Michael's design is just nice to my brain. He's just so damn cute in his body language. In terms of symbolism him pushing his hair out of his face could show he's trying to be open with Mike in this moment.

Anyways: Back to stuff.

We keep getting glimpses of SOMETHING going horribly wrong with an animatronic who appears to be in a similar state to Ennard. Only having a mask on an endoskeleton.

This is interspersed through Michael and Mike's conversation of Mike conceding to let Michael help him.

bringing up Bonnie again as a motivator to keep Michael out of this for his own saftey. Mike stays quiet when asked "You're concerned with how Bonnie feels?" Mike's not a "Talk about your feelings" kinda person as we've seen so far. He keeps things in.

Michael mentions a specific incident he THINKS brought Mike here one we haven't seen yet mentioned and I plan to be explored in the comic "Spring Bonnie's friends" because a lot of details in the main AU are expanded upon in smaller side comics: Some kids disappeared and an owner at another Fredbears nearby. And THIS caused Mike to come here to investigate.

As we know, Jeremy disappeared here and Mike's determined to stop it.

The constant cuts and the bloody machinery behind Michael builds up to what has happened If you know FNAF, you know EXACTLY what was behind Michael in that shot hehe.

Michael got a bit of an injury. Ow.

Impaled.

Damn okay call out to Cody I'm sure he'll help.

To be fair Cody's way more likely to hear him than Bonnie in this instance.

This isn't stated in the comic but since regular FNAF fans would know this:

They're in the previously established dangerous "Toy" department.

Bonnie is in a completely different part of the building. But Cody is a creepy stalker who has eyes everywhere in the building:

Cody can see you no matter WHERE you are so it does make more sense to ask him for help.

OH HELLO MR. NO NAME SECURITY GUARD HOW ARE YOU!?

Guess Cody is heading the call after all...In an indirect way...Lazy bear.

Right as the horrible robot catches up to Mike.

That thing is "The mangle"

It's saying it's dialogue from the AR game because I found it insanely fitting for this scene.

It's a busted up robot that wants to be whole and is looking for SOMETHING to do that. Something it ditched Michael for but ran after Mike for.

Mike comes to terms with the hand he's been dealt.

His true goals becoming a lot clearer:

He was looking for a way to die nobody would question while trying to find everyone.

Oh yeah, Michael's alive still.

Nom nom nom nom-

NOT TODAY BITCH. CODY SENT A BOY.

HERE COMES THE BOY

HELLO BOY

WELCOME

HERE COMES THE BOYYYYYYYY-

MR. ROBOT EYEBALLS IS HERE TO SAVE THE DAY! :D

That thing he had is a tazer lmfao.

I'd assume he's an angel too I mean just look at him. ❤️

Oh my god.

He's the might seduce your dad type, owners son himself:

Sammy Fritz Emily

He'd kiss anyone. You. Your dad-

Alright onto the outfit thing I mentioned earlier:

All the owners have black ties and black undershirts while people outside of the two families that own the place have white undershirts or in Jeremy Fitzgerald's case a blue undershirt.

Literally nobody ever noticed that detail so I point it out because CHARACTER DESIGN IS MY PAAAAASIONNNNNN~

Okay enough fucking around one of my absolute favorite characters Sammy Emily is finally fully introduced! :D

Golden Freddy manipulation aside, he came to our boy's aid against a hulking robot that could kill a normal person.

Sammy's a badass.

He seems nice. I mean he charged an animatronic no hesitation to save our boy's ass, so maaaaybe Michael's view on him is misguided and clouded by his daddy issues.

What the heck WERE Mike and Michael doing here exactly?

Mike just reflects on what the fuck just happened.