#Imaginary Friends AU

[taijuslegalwife]

Restart ⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

chapter two.

imaginary friend!Baji x child! Reader (PLATONIC!!)

warnings: female reader, usage of female pronouns, dramatics at the end/ plot twist??, fluff, rushed again lol, toddler reader

(y/n) = your name

“You can touch my hair but don’t mess it up!” The tall pale teen grumbled as (y/n) playfully reached up, staring into his eyes every once in a while to check if he was mad or not. She stretched her small chubby hands on Baji’s scalp messing around with his dark glistening hair. Distracted by how soft Baji’s hair was, the little girl allowed Baji a minute to contemplate on what had occured just a few moments ago. The little girl was terrified of Baji! She was trembling just from the thought of his existence, convinced he was a ‘scary ghost’ . He was so lost in thought he failed to notice himself slipping away from reality and into his own thoughts. Just a few moments ago the small child playing calmly with his hair wanted to do nothing with the boy! But with just a simple offer and relaxed stance; she was completely won over.

Baji relaxed a bit as he recalled how easily he had composed her as she previously thought he was a ‘scary’ ghost that was going to haunt her. First the girl cried; then he kneeled down, sitting criss-cross allowing her easier access to him while offering to let her play with his hair. “How about this..you can play with my hair or whatever. I’ll stay calm and let you, then you’ll know I’m a nice ghost, right?” Baji had offered originally, thinking the girl would refuse but instead she immediately warmed up while awkwardly approaching him. He brought his big strong hands over to gently pick her up and bring her towards him with a quiet sigh escaping his lips. 

────── · · ୨୧ · · ──────

A large tug on his long black locks brought his attention back to reality as he whipped his head around to stare silently at the girl. “Don’t tug!” He gruffed out while giving (y/n) a slight glare. He earned a small ‘sorry’ from her before he turned his head back around, still slightly sour at being brought out of his thoughts so quickly. Baji grew even more curious once he stopped feeling her small hands exploring his head and instead felt them wrap around his head and neck with a vicious grip; followed by the added weight of the girl on top of his shoulders which put the boy off balance at first but he quickly composed himself to not look ‘weak’ to her. 

“Why are you on my shoulders? Hop off.” Baji plainly stated while giving the girl a rather dead stare. “No! Mr.Squiggles needs to learn to not scare me again!” (Y/n) cutely huffed out, tightening her grip on his hair and face while securing her ‘seat’ on top of Baji’s large shoulders. (Y/n) had asked something else of him which had caught the teen quite off guard, “You’re my new pillow.” His eyes squinted a bit before fully taking in what the girl had said, before Baji had known it a small smile made its way on his face. “Oh really? Well my head isn’t exactly comfy. Why don’t you hop off my shoulders and into my lap?” He had offered to try and lure the girl off of his sore shoulders and onto his pain-free lap. She lit up at the offer, almost immediately hopping off the boy and crawling into his lap with delight. 

The little toddler fell asleep very quickly once she had settled herself onto Baji’s comforting lap. While she napped he absentmindedly started stroking her hair softly while she snored quietly snuggled into his large lap. Baji had lost track of how much time must have passed by since she fell asleep due to his rushing mind numbing the outside world but the sound of the girl's supposed mother walking around the house definitely grabbed his attention. His heart immediately started racing attempting to quickly think of a plan to hide on the spot, he hurriedly glanced around the room until he had spotted a table he could prop up to create a hiding spot.

He gently pushed the girl off of his lap and stood up with incredible speed while stepping over to the mini play-table, grabbing it by the frames, and flipping it onto one side to create an obvious but easy hiding space. He had just narrowly avoided the girl's mother coming up the stairs to check on her sweet girl in her playroom upstairs as he ducked behind the created blind spot. He carefully peaked out to check when the mother would leave but instead saw her sitting down on her knees next to her sleeping toddler, brushing her soft fingers over her child’s face before glancing over at the weirdly positioned table.

Baji knew she would see him as he ducked his head quickly back behind the table as he heard her steps nearing him and his little hiding spot. Baji began quickly mentally preparing himself to possibly receive a beat-down by the girl's mother in fear or the girl's mother rushing him out of the house with the police on stand-by. He clenched his fists before looking up hopelessly only to see the mother grab the very table he was hiding behind and repositioning the table back to its original position without even acknowledging his existence. 

Baji stared at the mother in disbelief before standing up and bravely standing right in front of the mothers path, only for the woman to just walk through him? The teen froze as he stood in utter disbelief. She didn’t even react? Or look at him? How on earth did she even walk through him? He stood silently as he racked his brain for possibilities of how this occurred before the simple but genius thought occurred to him, he was an imaginary friend of (y/n)’s.

masterlist

Sorry this is a long one lol! Also lmk if u wanna be in the taglist!

REQUESTS FOR ONE-SHOTS/ HEAD-CANNONS ARE OPEN!!

╰┈➤ taglist: @fullmoonblood6 @petuniasmd @tr-mha-fan @dolledupformanjiro

[beeshoesometimesdraws]

“They look so angry…why does everyone always look at you that way?”

. . .

.

.

.

[skyedancer2006]

HI WE MENTIONED IT A FEW DAYS AGO BUT ITS TIME FOR THE ACTUAL INTRO POST

INTRODUCING THE IMAGINARY FRIENDS AU :3

When Kieran was young (like around 5/6) he met Pecharunt when they followed him home from Peachy’s. The two became fast friends and are very close. Everyone else thinks Pecharunt is just a plushie/imaginary friend of Kieran’s though, since they’re scared to open their shell around other people. Still working on the actual story but that’s the basic concept!

Extra fun facts!

- Pecha’s shell is fuzzy like an actual peach, and is sorta squishy yet still protective; makes it easier for them to pass as a plushie! And makes them very nice for Kieran to hug haha

- Kieran carries them around almost everywhere; he has a backpack just to put them in. As he gets older and people teasing him about not growing out of his “imaginary friend” gets worse, he starts keeping them in the bag more and more instead of carrying them.

- Kieran still idolizes Ogerpon, to Pecha’s slight discomfort. They let Kieran do his thing though; it’s not like he’s ever gonna actually meet her, right?

- Since Pecha is around Kieran as he grows up and learns basic stuff, they grow to regret everything that happened with Ogerpon

Everything’s still a WIP in the more concrete stuff but yee! Actually wholesome AU from me for once!

[stars-of-kyber]

You Used To Live in My Head (Now I Carry You In My Heart) - Chapter 13

The Spring Holiday begins and all the Royal family prepares to gather in Windsor for the extended weekend, along with their guests. It promises to be an eventful few days, for sure.

Hello, bee lovers!

Welcome to our T🐝F. So very sorry for the delay, both I and @harnitbeehad a very long day yesterday and neither of us had the time to post the chapter. We're here with our T🐝F!

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all your comments and reblogs, it means the world to us! Thanks for everyone who was kind about my shit day last week as well!

I hope you all enjoy the mess!

And for our little weekly edit surprise, let's see our bees bee hiving and beeing (🐝🐝🐝🐝) silly to each other as usual, shall we?

[hi-imlilac]

imaginary friends asylum/institution oc

Appearances: her actual skin colour + what she'd look like in the game

Meet joy, a girl who tries living up to her name by bringing whatever joy she can to the world. She's not had the best life, having started from ever since she lived with her aunt after her parents died. Plus the fact she was looked down upon for having an imaginary friend even at 14 years old.

Her imaginary friend is Sunny, who's just as bright as joy. She loves the idea that positivity is key to survival in a place like this. That, and also some resilience and obedience. Sunny can glow in dark places, if she truly wishes to. This glow us unseen by those without imaginary friends of course. (she took the wolf appearance because Joy really loves wolves and that's just how her mind works)

[guesst]

what if i just make fanart of my own fic

[anteonnix]

Stepping away the three wander together in a small group.

Remus: What now?

Janus: Not quite sure. We need a more solid solution than my conjured fakes.

Virgil: .....come

-Swoop-

Janus: There's a lot to discuss.

SPEAKING ABOUT THINGS TO DISCUSSSS

Remember your daily clicks vvv

[ittybittyfanblog]

reblogging this old thing while you guys wait for pt 10 of error 404, in case you're interested! 🙏🏼 it's an "imaginary friend AU"—and yes, i am aware of the recurring theme in the stories i write.

I Exist to Nobody (but you.) – Part 1

Summary: You meet your soulmate on a serendipitous afternoon in your grandparents' backyard.

And on all levels except physical, Xavier is a normal boy.

Word Count: 4.2k

Tags: fem!reader x xavier, you x xavier (no use of Y/N), imaginary friend AU, imaginaryfriend!xavier, childhood friends (to lovers, but not in this chapter!), themes of codependency?, lil sprinkle of family issues lol, growing up, time skips as a plot device, again– pretty self-indulgent 

A/N: I understand that AUs aren’t everyone’s cup of tea and that’s okay! Xavier’s always been a comfort character to me and I wanted to write something different for him, which led to this baby <3 

(art + banners are made by urs truly x)

Part I

You stand a little over three feet, and your hair is in braids. 

You’re wearing your Sunday special; a pretty purple dress with a frilly skirt and your favorite pair of stripe-print leggings. Your sparkly jelly ballerinas have been long since discarded somewhere in the grass as you run barefoot in your grandparents’ backyard. 

You’re playing hopscotch by yourself, with the family Shiba for company. The sky is starting to turn into a pretty orange hue and you hear your mom calling from inside the house when you see something white move from the corner of your eye. 

With all the curiosity befitting a four-year-old, your tiny feet carry you in the direction where you saw it; near the mossy undergrowth, beneath the canopy shade of the old Kousa dogwood tree that stood for more than four generations behind the residential building you’d spent some days hiding in when you didn’t want to go back inside for dinner. 

It’s as safe a spot to you as it is familiar, so it takes you by surprise when you find something unexpected; in the form of a small, pale boy with hair the color of rain clouds in the summer, sitting with his legs up to his chin, looking like one of those little elves in your fairytale books. 

A pair of blue eyes meet yours, alight in childlike wonder.

_____

Xavier doesn’t know how he came to be; just that he’s now present in this plane of existence, in the phantom body of a four-year-old boy, in a place he knows human beings call a back-yard. 

He knows this—just as he knows things on an objective level; like what a house is, what the creature covered in fur is called (a small wolf), or what a human girl looks like. 

What he doesn’t understand is the knee-jerk reaction to hide when his sudden appearance catches your attention, which brings him to his current attempt at concealing himself amidst a thicket; beneath the tree with star-like blooms. 

He doesn’t account for the beating of his heart when your searching gaze lands on him, nor the unfamiliar excitement of being seen feels like. 

“Hi!” You finally exclaim after a few seconds of consideration, squatting down in front of him. Xavier notices that you’re missing a front tooth when you give him a big smile. He also notices how his heartbeat quickens at the sight. “Are you an elf?!” 

“No,” he responds quietly. “I’m human. I think.” 

His voice sounds odd to his ears. 

“Oh,” you say with an undercurrent of disappointment. “Well, that’s okay! I’m human too!”

You say it with such enthusiasm that Xavier’s lips pull up in a hesitant smile.

Bouncing back up to your feet, you pat away the nonexistent dirt from your dress and extend a hand towards him. “D’you wanna play with me? Oh, oh—we can play hide-and-seek! You seek, I hide!” 

You're off to run somewhere before he could answer. He doesn't know what hide-and-seek entails, nor what it means to be amongst the living.

He doesn’t know that many things, but he thinks he’d like to know more about you.  

___

You head inside the house after your mom calls you for a fourth time, her voice straining in (rising) agitation. Towing behind you is your new (best!) friend, who you decide is joining you for dinner.

 

“This is Xavier!” You point at the boy sitting on the chair you dragged near yours, eyes wide as he takes in the spread on the table in front of him. “I saw him outside and we played hide-and-seek!”

  

Your mom exchanges a look with your grandmother. She glances at the chair beside you, then at you. 

She sees your wide grin. Resigned, she sighs and smiles indulgently. 

“Hello, Xavier.” 

The boy perks up at that. She could also–?

…No. 

It’s not obvious at first glance. But when he studies the expression of the woman who shares the same nose and chin as his new friend, he notices that her eyes look past him. Not at him. 

Xavier falters upon realizing the… facade. He is aware that his form isn’t as corporeal compared to yours. His skin has a certain translucent quality to it, more obvious under the stark, fluorescent lighting. The manner in which he moves isn’t unlike the minute particles floating in the air; more buoyant, less solid. Less tangible. Less aliv–

You squeal in excitement, and he’s distracted. He watches as you turn in your seat to face him– to look straight into his eyes and tell him—

“I’m your bestest friend now, okay?” 

You say it as a statement; like a promise. And for a second, he feels more present in the world.

So you are. His bestest friend. 

Xavier’s chest feels warm; he likes the sound of that. 

___

“Grandpa, Xavier says your beard looks funny!”

“Huh? Who’zat??” 

_____

You learn the concept of an imaginary friend after introducing Xavier to person number six, who happens to be your preschool teacher. 

You overhear her discussing boring adult stuff with your mom when the latter comes to pick you up after school. You and Xavier are in a corner, playing princess and knight. It’s just the two of you, away from the other kids, since your friends refused to join when you’d asked them if they wanted to play too. 

Or rather— they don’t think it’s fair that you just made someone up to be the knight, and have them play the villains. 

That confused you. You also notice how it made your best friend sad. So in the end, you decided that you don’t need anyone else! Xavier is already the best knight who is now also an evil dragon.

“Honey, don’t you want to play with your other classmates?” Your teacher, Miss Dahlia, asks you as she and your mom amble closer to where you and Xavier are; her tone gentle, yet careful. 

You shake your head, a ‘harrumph!’ leaving your mouth. “They didn’t wanna play villains with us. But ‘sokay, Xavier is an evil knight dragon now.” 

Miss Dahlia smiles the same smile your mother gave you at dinner last night. “Oh, of course, sweetie. But maybe you and… Xavier can find someone else to join you?” 

Your brows furrow, starting to feel irritated about the whole thing. “I told you, they don’t wanna! They said they dun’ wanna have someone made up play the knight!” 

Your mom sighs and the two share a look. 

After a moment of hesitation, your teacher begins to explain how your friends “may not be able to see” Xavier since he’s special and only appears to you. That “It’s good you’re being very independent, sweetie, as long as you don’t let Xavier prevent you from hanging out with your actual friends.”

Because, according to Miss Dahlia, he’s just an imaginary friend. 

You blink, not understanding. Xavier is silent beside you. “Huh?” 

You’re looking at the boy in question, trying to make sense of how the other kids – and apparently, everyone else – can’t see him when he’s sitting right there. You don’t understand, and it’s making you more annoyed. 

So the moment Miss Dahlia finishes talking, you tell her that you’re happy playing with just Xavier, and that you’re gonna continue to play princess and evil knight dragon now, please and thank you. 

___

Back home, you and your imaginary friend lie starfish on the floor of your bedroom. You stay quiet while you count the barely visible water spots on your ceiling, waiting for the other person to speak. 

He doesn’t. 

Feeling fidgety, you break the silence. “They don’t see you.”

“I-I don’t think so.” 

“But I see you.” You stress the word, turning on your left to look at Xavier when you say it. 

“Yes,” He agrees, twisting his head to the right so that he’s facing you too. You try to figure out how he’s feeling about the situation – with all the naivety of a child your age – but his expression doesn’t give much away. 

You’re about to ask him directly when, finally, his lips curve into a small smile. A knot loosens in your chest.

“Don’t worry,” Xavier assures you. “That’s enough for me.” 

_____

You lost another round of hide-and-seek.

“‘S not fair,” you grouse, stomping a foot in frustration. “You always find me so fast!”

“We could always play tag instead,” Xavier offers. 

“As if you don’t win at tag too!” 

_____

It’s another bright, sunny Tuesday and your mom leaves you with her usual instruction to behave well for Mrs Dela Peña, a kind – albeit a little strict – lady in her mid-seventies who lives a block away from your house, and your babysitter since you were in diapers. You’re eight now, and starting to make heads with your multiplication tables, but your mom still thinks you’re a big baby that needs looking after. 

You think you’re old enough to be left alone during your summer break when she has to go to work, but she refuses to leave you by your lonesome no matter how much you insist. 

“I have Xavier with me anyway!” 

Your mom just shakes her head whenever you use that as an argument, not bothering with a response. 

So with the usual pout on your face, you stand at the front door with your arms crossed as you grudgingly bid your mother goodbye. 

“–and don’t forget to eat all your greens later at lunch, okay?” She reminds you one last time before giving you a wet kiss on the forehead. You scrunch your nose as you wipe it off. “Love you, honey. I’ll be home by six.” 

And off she goes. You turn to face Xavier – whose hair is a little longer now, almost past his chin, but with eyes the same shade of marble blue – and complain, “She always treats me like a little kid!” 

“But you are a kid,” he tells you, sounding a little confused by your ire. “And it’s normal for parents to care for their children, no matter how old they are.” 

You grumble, narrowing your eyes at him. “I know, but you’re supposed to be on my side.” 

“I am on your side,” Xavier says, blinking innocently. “I tell you when Mrs Dela Peña isn’t looking so you could hide your broccoli before she sees.” 

He does make for a good lookout. You divert the subject. 

“Okay, whatever. But we’re still on Project: Veggie Throw, right?” You ask him, excitement replacing the crabbiness from a moment ago.

Xavier hums in assent, both him and you sharing the same aversion for all things leafy and (barely) edible, despite the other one’s inability to eat. 

Apparently, just explaining to him the yuckiness of a watercress salad is enough for him to take your side of things. 

Xavier sneaks into the kitchen – quiet as a mouse, as usual – to observe the old woman who’s starting to prepare for lunch. He notes the celery stalks being chopped on a wooden board and makes a sound of disgust.

The little phantom boy waits until the woman finishes the rest of the vegetables to put on a corner before calling out to you:

“The veggies are contained in one spot, agent. Over.” 

Your head pops out to peek from behind the wall that connects to the kitchen. Xavier, who’s now sitting cross-legged on the countertop close to the awning window, waves you towards the sink while Mrs Dela Peña’s busy taking something out of the fridge. 

Trying your best to move swiftly before she could catch you in the act, you zip straight to where the sliced vegetables are, bath towel ready to snatch them away when—

“There’s that ginger cat again from yesterday,” Xavier casually comments, peering through the open blinds. “I think he’s brought a friend this time.”

Like second nature, you respond without thinking, “You mean Mr Snuffles?”

“...”

“...”

“Oh, I didn't see you there, sweetie!” Mrs Dela Peña exclaims, eyes crinkling from the smile that graces her face as she sees your frozen form over by the aromatics. “Would you like to help with the cooking? Oh-ho! Be a dear now and soak those mung beans in water, will you?” 

“... Sorry,” Xavier sheepishly offers, then shrinks down from your betrayed look. 

You end up on stir duty. The large pot filled with beans and green produce seems to bubble ominously as you’re forced to listen to the same story about Mrs Dela Peña’s neighbor for the nth time. 

An apologetic Xavier dutifully recites to you the play-by-play on how Mr Snuffles and his racoon friend are rummaging through the trash bins as penance, and you swear to be more conscious of your audience next time you’re speaking to your invisible friend. 

_____

You’re in fourth grade, and exam week is coming up.

You look at the textbooks that are laid neatly on the living room table, untouched. Then at the TV. Maybe you could sneak in one episode before—

“No screen time before you finish studying, dearie!” An older Mrs Dela Peña calls out from the kitchen, apparently having a sixth sense for children and their sneaky ways. “Your mother wants you to complete the set of exercises she’s left for you there before you watch your an-e-mays.” 

Groaning in response, you let your head fall down onto the table with a thunk. “But it’s booooring!”

Xavier hums sympathetically, patting your head with a spectral hand. “I can read beside you. Do you want me to ask you the questions?” 

“I want to watch Killua beat those guys at dodgeball,” you sulk, voice coming out a little muffled against the oakwood surface. “Not memorize dates from, like, a hundred years ago.” 

“Killua isn’t here to help you with The Revolution, I am.” You’re caught off-guard by the shortness in Xavier’s tone, enough to raise your head to stare at your friend curiously. He keeps his gaze fixed on the questionnaire in front of him. 

Wait. That gives you an idea.

“I think I know how you could help me, Xavi,” You say slowly, excitement creeping in your voice. Why haven’t you thought of this before??

The pouting boy tilts his head in confusion. You start explaining what you have in store for him for the next couple of days, and before you even finish your spiel, the pout is gone and Xavier’s nodding along with your plan, seeming to be fully on board. 

The idea that his… nonphysicality could finally be of use to you has him feeling oddly giddy. You, on the other hand, look identical to a cat that ate the canary as you reach for the remote. 

Seems like you’ll be able to watch your second favorite pale-haired boy after all. 

___

You’ve been asked to stay after class, two days before the end of midterms. 

Your history teacher has been on it with your adviser for a while now, in a heated argument about your test results. Well, yours and another student in your class. 

“How is that even possible? He’s sitting three rows behind her!” 

“I don’t know how she did it, but they even got the same answer to the third essay down to the last sentence!” 

You and your partner-in-crime share a look of alarm. Uh-oh.

Any attempts at making you fess up led to nowhere. You keep denying all claims of cheating, and your adviser recalls nothing that could warrant suspicion on the day of your World History exam. 

Without enough conclusive evidence of your dishonesty for them to be able to pin the blame on you and call it a day, their resolution to this ‘conundrum’ is to have you take another test in the faculty office tomorrow after school, under the watchful eyes of two (wary) teachers. 

-

-

-

You let Xavier help you one last time—by relaying to you the answers from the paper tucked between two books on your teacher’s desk—before deciding that it’s probably for the best if you refrain from using your invisible friend for anything that could cause you more trouble in the long run; especially on the remaining days left of midterm week. 

Xavier looks deflated, but agrees. (The pout is back, though.) 

_____

“Where’d you get the name Xavier anyway?”

“It came to me in a dream,” he says cryptically. His face betrays nothing, so you can't figure out whether he’s telling the truth or just messing with you. 

“... Right.”

Xavier hides a smile. 

_____

“Hey, what are they talking about?” You ask Xavier from your perch on top of the staircase. You’ve been eavesdropping on the conversation downstairs for a while now, but you could barely make sense of the words being thrown around except for a couple of bad ones. 

Xavier cocks his head to the side, trying to listen in as well, before deciding to just transport himself closer to the source. 

Your dad, a man that you’ve spent considerably less time with compared to your grandfather (or basically everybody else, for that matter), came to visit today for reasons that aren’t really clear to you. But judging from the hushed whispers and periodic bouts of angry shouting down the living room, it isn’t for anything good. 

Your mom frequently uses the term “deadbeat”, and sometimes when she’s really in a mood, “a good-for-nothing waste of a man” when describing your father. You don’t have much of a relationship with him to feel offended on his behalf so you just nod along and agree when your mom goes off in a tirade.

You wonder sometimes, how things would be if you had a dad. A better one, perhaps. The kind of dad that picks you up after school in an SUV, just like how the dads from your class do for their kids. Or someone that’d take longer “shifts” at work to bring home enough to take care of the family, like how your mom does.

You wonder what it would be like to spend the holidays with another parent – the three of you welcoming New Years at home with a bunch of round fruits and maybe some sparklers, instead of having to sleep early at your grandparents’ house. 

Xavier floats back to your side after a few minutes, face set in a frown. “They’re saying something along the lines of moving somewhere nearer the city and finalizing the papers for the divorce. Your father’s talking about remarrying, as well.” 

It’s relayed to you in monotone, like someone reading off a script – or reciting exactly what they’ve heard sans the curse words – that it takes you a moment to process the information. 

After a beat, the only thing that comes out of you is a small, “oh.”

“Are you… okay?” 

It doesn't take much time for you to shake your head, along with the passing pipe dream you’ve entertained, if only for a few short minutes. 

You stand up from your crouched position near the top banister, leaving your little hiding spot to go back to your room. Xavier follows. 

“It’s fine,” you tell him with a shrug. “Do you wanna read Nightwing with me?” 

He agrees, of course. If he curls up closer to you when you stay up later that night to stare quietly at the glowing stars on your bedroom walls, neither of you brings it up in the morning.

_____

You had a fight with your mother earlier today. Xavier’s with you while you sit quietly on the tire swing behind your house. 

“Would you come with me if I go someplace far away from ‘ere?” 

“How far do you want to go?” 

“I dunno,” you shrug half-heartedly. “It’d be cool if we could go live on a planet of our own, don’cha think?” 

“Just the two of us?”

“Yeah. Somewhere I can just…” You struggle to find the words, but you settle on– “Breathe, I guess.” 

A flock of birds fly eastward. Envy colors you green as you think about the fact that they could call any place home without being tied down to a single location. 

“I’d like that,” Xavier smiles. “Maybe we could, one day. Once mankind improves the means for intergalactic travel.” 

“...Whatever you say, Xavi.” 

_____

It's your twelfth birthday.

You’re sitting at the head of the table surrounded by friends and family as they sing you a happy birthday. In front of you is a sunflower yellow buttercream cake with rainbow sprinkles and two lit candles in the shape of a large ONE and TWO. 

“Happy birthday to you,”

You watch your friends; girls in school that you grew up with since kindergarten, and some boys that you’ve climbed trees with during lunch breaks. Almost all of them have already gone through one or two phases over the course of years you’ve known them, and some you consider your closer friends are even acting a little distant as of late, already outgrowing old interests that you’d once shared. 

Even the general consensus on shows like Adventure Time and Spongebob has changed drastically ever since they all started watching Disney Channel. Flashy cell phones and handheld consoles are traded in place of old Barbie dolls and LeapFrog books; the latter are now kept hidden inside a dusty box underneath the bed, like forgotten relics of a simpler time.

“Happy birthday to youuu,”

They look different now, too. Some shot up in height, others gained a measly few inches. Some ditched the braids in exchange for a shag cut. The cooler kids even started wearing makeup. 

(You think you’d like to try putting on eyeliner if your mom wasn’t so strict.)

“Happy birthday, dear– ouch!” A yelp. “Jeremy, you dumdum, stop moving the cake too much!” 

Your gaze then shifts to your right, almost instinctively, to a space that all your other guests would find empty.

There, always by your side, your best friend remains the same as ever. Not the same in the sense that he looked the way he did when you first saw him eight years ago in your grandparents’ backyard, no. You’re not blind to the changes he’s gone through, in stages similar to your own. 

He’s grown taller, for one; almost as tall as you are now. The chub in his cheeks lost some of its roundness, and his limbs are lankier. His hair went through phases of being short, long, and the awkward in-between. When you had asked a couple years back how he’s able to change the length of it without going to a salon, he simply said he does it “to match yours when you do.” 

All-in-all, his physical appearance passes as a regular twelve-year-old boy, if not for the slight ‘otherworldly’ aspect one could probably… overlook. So ‘the same’ isn’t really how you’d describe him. 

“–happy biiirthday to youuu!” 

Xavier mouths the song along with the people in your life, his gaze trained on you the entire time. You look into the same galaxy-blue that you’ve associated with home, comfort, and just Xavier in every way—and you understand.

Constant. The word you're looking for is constant. 

You blow out your candles, wishing it could last forever. 

_____

“Don’t you think you’re getting a little too old for an imaginary friend, dear?” 

_____

Xavier finds you up the roof one rainy afternoon. You look like you’ve been crying. 

“What’s wrong?” He asks, a heavy feeling settling in his stomach from the sight of your red-rimmed eyes. He sidles beside you, close enough that his right side almost merges with your left. 

(He’d like to imagine that you could feel him—as a source of warmth, of comfort to you while you shiver from both the cold and the heavy emotions weighing you down. He wishes he could be more than just a presence.)

“M-mom said that,” you sniff, angrily rubbing away the wetness in your eyes with the back of your hand. “–tha’ when I grow older, you won’t show up anymore.

That—that you’d be gone, ‘cos imaginary friends don’t stay with you when you’re all grown up.” Your bottom lip wobbles by the end of your sentence. 

A dark rain cloud looms overhead, signaling the coming of a storm stronger than the current downpour that’s drenching you to the bone. 

“You won’t leave me, would you, Xavi?” You whisper, turning to gaze at your dearest friend with greedy eyes, committing his form to memory, just in case he– “You won’t disappear on me, right?” 

There’s a crackle of energy in the air; a drop in temperature that causes the fine hairs on the back of your neck to stand on end.

“I don’t want you to ever go away.” 

(Neither does he.)

Something builds up inside Xavier. A desire, a need stronger than the limitations of the circumstance he’s dealt with since the beginning of his existence. It’s as vast and tumultuous as the birth of a star, and equally as brilliant. 

(He wants, he needs, he wishes–)

An answer from the high heavens comes in the form of a lightning strike, illuminating the world in a blinding veil of white for less than a second. The resounding “crack!” feels like a blessing. Like an affirmation from the court of gods listening in on the boy’s plea. 

A boon is granted, born from an ambition so great. And for a moment, Xavier burns brighter than any of the billion pinpricks of light in the night sky. 

-

-

-

On a roof, two children sit facing each other under a raging tempest, threads of fate tying them together in an unbreakable bond. 

Snip.

Something falls into place. 

“Never,” he vows. “I’ll always be with you. Forever.” 

[chipper-smol]

star abducted :3

[minzart]

Going togheter with this

[vigna05]

Some quality family time

I like to immagine them as siblings

.

P.s. I have a little AU regarding Imaginary friend, who I've called Emily (She Is a sweet potato❤️)

.

[skyedancer2006]

HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE

ToxicChaintober Day 20: Loyalty

"... Say, IM. Remember that favor you promised to help out on?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you be willing to follow through on that?"

"Of course! What do you need?"

More rp shenanigans with Dokukieran and @skyedancer2006 's IM!Kieran. Dokukieran has been having vessel problems lately. Good thing Doku has a nice loyal friend in the form of IM!Kieran to help out! That's what friends do, right? :)

[beeshoesometimesdraws]

The Light

This is Bright, the first of the friends within the imaginary friends au and the one that represents Eclipse’s positive emotions (joy, love, happiness, etc.)

Despite them being the first one I have designed, they are not one of the first to appear in the au and when they do it takes a lot longer for Eclipse to accept them compared to the other friends—which believe me it will take awhile for him to accept them in general—, especially since he has not experienced any positivity in his life (both new and old) in awhile if ever and has become so far disconnected from such feelings.

(Bright’s childlike enthusiasm and happy energy also remind him of Lunar, or at least the memories of Lunar that remain after his recreation)

[skyedancer2006]

Imaginary Friends AU Masterpost

All AU Related Posts

First Post/AU Intro

Doodle: Movie Night

Art: Toxicchaintober Day 1 - Peach

Art: Toxicchaintober Day 4 - Festival (Feat. Dokukieran)

Others’ Art

Toxicchaintober Day 16 by @/tealmaskmybeloved!

Toxicchaintober Day 20 by @/tealmaskmybeloved!

About the AU

The Imaginary Friends AU is a relatively simple “what if” scenario: what if Kieran had met Pecharunt when he was much younger, and the two became close friends?

Kieran met Pecharunt when he was around 6 or 7, when the Pokémon followed him home from Peachy’s after Kieran had tried to convince the shop owner and Carmine to let him buy the plush (that was actually a Pokémon).

The two became friends very quickly, however, Pecha was still wary of being too open about its existence, out of fear that Ogerpon would find them and finish the job she started so long ago. So, whenever Kieran tried to introduce Pecha to his family, the Pokémon hid in their shell and pretended to be a plushie once again.

This continues over the years, with the people around Kieran believing that Pecharunt is just an imaginary friend/plushie, and Kieran eventually giving in to the fact that they won’t believe him, and that Pecha is too shy to show themself to anyone else.

It’s a generally lighthearted AU with no real set story; just fun shenanigans with a young Kieran and his peach friend. ^^

Of course there’s a bit of angst; it’s me after all lol! Kieran feels like nobody takes him seriously because of him being a kid; it’s something he’s pretty insecure about.

Extra Info!

Pecharunt’s shell is fuzzy like an actual peach, and somewhat squishy! Hugging them feels like hugging a more firm plushie!

Most of the art and stuff I make for this AU is when Kieran is around 12

There’s an alt version of this AU @/tealmaskmybeloved and I have made that’s a LOT more angsty and involves Dokukieran meeting IM; it’s staying mostly in private RPs and chats though

Gallery

No references yet! Check back later!

[stars-of-kyber]

You Used To Live in My Head (Now I Carry You In My Heart) - Chapter 27

It's T🐝F, ladies, gents and other members of our esteemed Ton.

Sorry for the delay, like has been chaotic, being an adult sucks, family can be tricky and anxiety is a bitch.

I hope you enjoy this week's chapter!

As we always say, we have gone way way way too deep (It's all @ladystanbury's fault, take it up with her) so, for our special treat, our Canva Queen @harnitbee made some family company logos and calling cards for a few members of the next-gen.

Most of the characters are our OCs or HC of characters that exist and Anita is a very dedicated person she came up with the emails and the addresses.

[allyheart707]

Imaginary Friend AU

Next Part

Soooo uh-oh.... may or may not have thought up another AU idea XD

This one is almost certainly not going to have many posts about it (or... maybe it will never be posted about again-) but I thought the idea was cute! So, basically, Leo died in the lab explosion before he was named but his ghost stuck with his brothers, growing up with them. Mikey (being mystically inclined) is the only one to be able to see him.