#SECOND TIMELINE: moth work

[coffeeandcalligraphy]

I don’t think y’all understand how clearly I have a potential novel mapped out in my head based off things I’ve already written like. It’s the overarching plot of lost gods (depressed guy forms a relationship with an older artist after two failed relationships) meets the dying love story of moth work (two guys are doomed for a lifetime of each other) simultaneously threaded with a dreamlike whirlwind romance (body back & changing states) ultimately leading us to a narrator who feels more like an art exhibit than a man

[yeetus-feetus]

In another universe far far away:

the sound of a door slamming open loudly echoes through the messy apartment. A loud mothed idiot drags a begrudging and tired older man behind him and through the entrance, towards a new beginning.

"Hello Spidey~ Babycakes! I'm home from war~" the idiot calls out to his roommate-

And they were roommates!

the hairy peanut eyes the idiot with a slight look of confusion, his cute frown lines deepening; his mouth opens to say something but there's a faint crash from the other end of the apartment as a handsome young man flings himself from one the rooms, wearing nothing but generic flannel pajama pants.

"WADE! where the hell have you been!?" handsome shouts, a variety of emotion showing through his tone. mostly anger and relief.

"ah ah ah, your line is 'Hello sailor!' like those silly video skits on the clock app that I can't legally name", the idiot corrects. unfortunately resulting in a fist to the gut.

"you son of a bitch! I thought you ran away again and left me behind!" yeah definitely mostly anger.

handsome goes to throw a second punch but Wade catches it before it lands. "Calm down now sweetums, daddy was out saving the world. More specifically, this timeline- newsflash babyboy, I'm Marvel Jesus now".

"Does anything you say ever make any sense!?" handsome growls, going in for a right hook with his free hand, but Marvel H. Christ catches that one too.

handsome looks up at Wade as tears form in his eyes, his bottom lip quivers and he breaks into a quiet sob as he buries his face in Wade's chest. Wade lets Peter's hands go so they can wrap around him instead. "i thought you left me", is mumbled against tear-soaked red leather-

red leather yellow leather red leather yellow leather, try saying that 3x fast

"ahem", the tired honey badger coughs loudly, "am I... interrupting something? I can leave-"

"Not a chance Peanut! I'm not letting you get away that easily~" the idiot lets go of his peter and spins around to face the older man, "now let's get you two introduced! Wolvie, this is Spidey-"

Wade turns to face the still teary-eyed younger man. "And Peter, this is... this is Logan. he's going to be staying with us for the foreseeable future."

Peter looks between Logan and Wade; silence falls over the room- which is ridiculously unbelievable considering Deadpool is one of the people in it.

"Uhm, y'know... if that's alright with you, Petey-pie", the idiot corrects.

"Wade is that THE fucking Wolverine!? What the fuck!?" Peter finally asks in complete and utter disbelief. "isn't he dead? died saving some girl none of us have heard of since? like dead-dead, not coming back kind of dead!?"

"Okay honeybunch, calm your nickers and get your tits out of a twist, I'll explain everything over tea after a nice hot shower, how's that sound?" the idiot explains in a calm voice, hands up in a placating manner. "Now, anyone care to join me?"

Peter huffs and crosses his arms at the same time Logan snickers and rolls his eyes, catching each other's attention once more. "how 'bout I do the talking and you get your loud as mouth in that fucking shower", Peanut suggests.

"That works", Peter says shortly. Both men look towards Wade, who's shoulders slump as he sighs deeply.

"Suit yourselves ladies, but you're really missing oouutt~". the only thing he gets in response are two tired glares. Oh boy, what has he signed himself up for?

"Alright, I'm going I'm going!" Wade puts his arms up in surrender as he backs up towards the bathroom. These two are no fun.

Peter turns to Logan then. "So, how do you prefer your tea?" he asks, heading for the kitchen.

"I prefer whiskey."

-To Be Continued-

[ohraicodoll]

Honey

Joel Miller x f!Reader The Last of Us 3.2k Words/ 3rd POV Feral Reader Masterlist Summary: The first time there was an excuse, the second time was just about release. (If you’ve read the other stories, this would take place after Monsters/Teeth in the timeline. Have a little smut fic to make up for all the angst I’ve been writing.)

Warning: Explicit sexual content (18+ Minors DNI) “ With just a little taste of wasting time Looking for honey But she stings like she means it She's mean and she's mine “ It’d been a hard day.

The vehicle they’d manage to steal from the survivalist’s cabin didn’t last long. For all that group had worked and prepared their fortress, they hadn’t kept up with the maintenance on the car and it had crapped out after a couple of days, even driving slowly. They were back to walking, the dream of quickly getting to Wyoming vanishing. They’d hit a town that had seemed mostly empty, but there’d been a pocket of infected that had swarmed. It was pure luck that there had been no Clickers, only Runners, but it’d been a close call. Now they were holed up on the second floor of a shop, Joel having barricaded the stairs leading up to it and securing the whole floor while she helped set up for the night. They were exhausted and Ellie was a little extra quiet, rubbing her eyes and using some of the water they managed to get out of the pipes into a bucket to scrub out the blood off her jacket. She was still covered in it too, feeling it stick and crust to her neck and cheek, her hands. Joel sat down and they all ate out of cold cans in silence, only the clink of their spoons breaking the gloom. “Those runners…they were newer infected, weren’t they?” Ellie said gloomily. She sighed and Joel chewed slowly, looking up at the teen from beneath a furrowed brow, “They were most likely a group passing through. Got bit and all of them turned. The newer ones tend to be the fastest.” Ellie hummed thoughtfully and shrugged, “Maybe that means there’s not many infected left here if they were the only ones to come out? That mean we’re safe up here?” “Or they’re trapped inside the buildings,” she responded, not wanting to kill her hope but also being realistic, “But we’ll hear if anyone comes in and the barricade should delay them. We’re safe enough.” The young girl nodded and sighed, finishing her food and setting the can aside, “Okay…I’m gonna go to bed. I’m tired.” She sent her a soft “goodnight” and finished her food quietly, the light of the lantern between them all that was lighting the room. She was still wired from the fight, sleep not finding her any time soon. Without saying a word to her companion, she stood and went over to the bucket and picked it up before walking a little bit away to one of the mirrors the store had hanging on the far wall. Clothing racks and shelves were toppled everywhere, moth eaten rags hanging from them and trash littering the ground. She pulled over a cement block nearby and sat on it near the mirror, grabbing a rag off the rack and dipping it into the water. It wasn’t safe to drink but they could at least use it to clean up. The mirror was stained and dirty, foggy from years of neglect and exposure to whatever was in the air. She couldn’t see her reflection fully but could see enough to try and clean the crusted blood off her skin. It came off in flakes from her hands, blood and dirt leading way to clean skin. Boots walked towards her and she paused, looking up as Joel joined her along the shadowed wall, face always that tilted down frown and furrowed brow. He chewed on the inside of his cheek and looked at the water and rag before grabbing another cement block and scooting it in front of her, “Here. You can’t see shit in that thing, I’ll do it.” They hadn’t spoken about that night in the cabin. That night when he’d came and joined her on the floor, has slipped his fingers into her to help her relax and then fucked her into the ground. They’d woken up and went on like it never happened and hadn’t changed a thing. But something was different. They both felt it and didn’t want to acknowledge it. She knew he’d keep bugging her until she gave in so she handed him the rag with a roll of her eyes, turning to face him, their knees pressed together. He took it and dipped it into the water then his calloused fingers held her chin, holding it in place as he passed the rag over her cheek. They didn’t speak, didn’t even make eye contact, but there was a tension suddenly there the moment his skin touched hers. He was being gentle and it unnerved her because Joel was never gentle. Especially not with her. They were at each other’s throats constantly, Ellie being their only glue together. “You shouldn’t have used your knife on those,” he grunted and the sound wrapped around her in the darkness, “Too easy to get bit. If you had ran I coulda shot them.” “Bullets are a bit valuable nowadays, Tex, and I had it handled,” she bit out as he turned her face the other way to get the blood under her ear, “Using the knife conserves bullets.” “It’s not gonna conserve anything if I have to put one in your head because you got infected,” Joel hissed and his fingers pressed a little harder into her skin to emphasize the point. The pressure on her skin sent tiny sparks through her and her heart beat a little faster, his touch and smell all around her not helping at all. “Well if that happens you can say I told you so,” she rolled eyes and tried to not to focus on the slow drag of the cloth as it moved down her neck. Abruptly, he jerked her forward and her hands had to brace on his thighs to keep from toppling onto him. His fingers dug into her chin hard enough she wondered if it would bruise later on, his eyes dark and searing into her even covered by shadows. “Or you can fucking be careful and listen to me,” he growled, breath coasting along her face from his proximity. “Yes, sir,” she answered sarcastically, nose wrinkling with a raised lip. Something shifted in those dark irises and she caught the flicker of his eyes as they dipped to her lips, “Give me attitude and I’ll have you saying that while you fucking beg me.” Her skin was suddenly on fire, tightening at his words, aware of the muscle of his thighs underneath her hands. She felt hot and swallowed, aware he could feel the action with his hand still on her chin, “Sorry to break it to ya, but I’m not begging you for shit.” But then his mouth was smashing into hers, teeth cutting into her lip, and the hand with the rag curling around her neck. She could feel the cool water drip down her skin and run along her chest, the feeling icy against her heated skin. Kissing Joel was like drowning and she let herself, pressing back hard against his mouth and pushing her tongue between his lips, drinking in his groan as she did so. His hand briefly left her skin to ease himself off the cement block and onto the ground before he dragged her down into his lap, knees braced on either side of his thighs. She could feel him beneath her, already hard and pressing against her, the knowledge shooting straight to her core. She sucked on his lower lip, biting and sucking and letting him explore her mouth, his beard rough against her skin. The hand on her chin went to her waist and dug into the fabric of her shirt, pressing her harder against him and his hips rocked a bit, grinding his hard member into her through their jeans. She moaned softly, not wanting to attract the attention of the sleeping teen yards away. The rag in his other hand slid along her neck and he broke away to latch onto the newly cleaned skin there, biting into the spot just under her ear. She bit her tongue to keep her sounds at bay and dove her hand into his hair, gripping the salt and pepper curls tightly in her fist. The day had left her running on adrenaline, raw and vibrating, and she knew exactly what this was. A release. A way for them to get their energy out after fighting for their lives. There were worse ways to handle it. For all that Joel drove her crazy, losing herself in him had its appeal like now when she could touch and caress every part of him that had managed to snag her attention. She ran her hand over the tense muscles of his neck as he continued to press open mouth kisses along her own, biting and licking and sucking his way along the path the rag had cleaned the blood away. Her hand moved to the hard muscles of his biceps, the patch of hair at the opening of his shirt, the rough skin of his stomach after she untucked his shirt. He was untouchable in the day, out there on the road, but she’d take this moment and use it to explore what she could while she had the chance. She ached, need pulsing as he sucked on a particularly sensitive spot at the base of her neck, and ground down into him. He hissed and broke away, resting his forehead against her shoulder, “Fuck. You’re fucking impatient, darlin.” “I’m not impatient,” she rocked against him again and could feel him move to meet the motion, “I’m showing you what needs attention, Miller.” He dropped the rag and grabbed the back of her neck, raising his face to meet hers, their noses touching, “Joel. When I fuck you, you say my name. Not Miller, not Tex. Joel.” She skimmed her lips along his and grinned mockingly, canines showing, “Yes, sir.” He growled and pressed his lips back against hers bruisingly, the kiss a messy clash of teeth and tongue as if they were trying to fight against one another. His hand on her hip moved to the front of her jeans and began to unbutton them, hands jerky and rushed, practically ripping them open and shoving his hand inside. Joel swallowed her moan when his fingers found her mound, sliding through her lips and feeling the slickness there already. He rubbed back and forth and let her rock against his hand, talking against her mouth, “This where you’re needing attention?” “It ain’t obvious?” she huffed and shuddered as his thumb found her clit, pressing hard against it and making her jerk. Slowly he pushed two fingers into her, using her wet arousal to stretch her and slide in and out. His mouth moved back to her neck, listening as her breath left her in raspy moans almost silent around him. He started so slow, letting her get used to him, and then started pumping faster and harder. The friction of jeans, his rough hand, and his own jerky motions of his hips felt delicious and she clawed at his shoulder to brace herself, the other still tangled in his hair. “God, you’re so fucking wet,” he growled against her neck, scraping his beard across her sensitive skin. She could feel the beginning of her orgasm growing, the coil in her tightening and threatening to snap at any moment. His fingers were so thick inside of, filling her up, as his thumb kept circling and pressing down on her clit. And she was almost embarrassingly wet, knowing it was soaking through her jeans and covering his hand. Then, abruptly, he stopped and she gripped his hair and tugged his head painfully back as he removed his hand, “Miller-” “What’d I say ‘bout my name?” he snarled at her, the sound going straight to her throbbing center, “You beggin’ already?” Her tongue was pressed to the top of her teeth, eyebrow raised, as she shook her head in defiance. Instead she ground against him and the hard, straining member beneath his jeans. He was clenching his teeth, eyes fluttering shut briefly at the motion, the muscle in his jaw twitching as he fought hard to restrain himself. But she didn’t want him restrained and she certainly wasn’t going to beg. One of them was going to give in and it wasn’t going to be her. Joel Miller, for all his cleverness and practically, was not a patient man. The hand that had been inside her came up and stroked her chin, then her mouth, rubbing along her bottom lip as he watched. She continued to rock against him and scraped her nails against his scalp, then she teasingly touched her tongue to the thumb along her lip. Joel’s eyes flashed to hers and stayed there, burning in the darkness of the room, as she licked his thumb and let it slide into her mouth, sucking on it. She could taste her own arousal on his finger, the salt and slight grime still there. It was all Joel, perfect and rough and bitter. Her lips wrapped around the digit, pulling it into her hot wet mouth, her tongue licking him clean. His breath was coming out in heavy rapid pants, his other hand digging onto her thigh and sliding to her clothed ass, clenching it. Not once did she break eye contact. Even as her teeth scraped against his skin and her hand went to his belt buckle, she stayed watching him and seeing the fire light up in his dark irises. Then finally he snapped, the first to break. Before she could blink, he had pulled his thumb from her mouth and was lifting her up to her feet to rip her jeans down her legs. He did it swiftly, not caring if the tugging hurt or if he was jostling her around. He got them off her legs while she smirked and as she stood in front of him, he grabbed her thigh and yanked her forward, his mouth finding her cunt while one of his own hands moved to unbuckle his belt and jeans. She had to bite down on her lip to keep from making a sound, eyes flickering to where Ellie was still fast asleep, and sank her hand back into his hair to press his face against her. His tongue lapped at her desperately, beard rubbing against her sensitive skin, lips wrapping and sucking on her clit. It was exquisite, her legs shaking as he managed to coax her pleasure back to life. It was sloppy and rough and fast, her brain struggling to catch up to the lightning flaring up inside of her. His tongue dipped into her and she rocked against his face, desperate to find release. He hummed against her soaking warmth and then sucked hard on her clit, her orgasm hitting her so hard she had to brace herself on his shoulders to keep standing. It was fireworks, a lighting storm, everything hitting her at once as she came hard on his tongue. Joel gently coaxed her back into sitting on his lap, his jeans pulled down and his erection out and heavy against his thigh. She was still trying to catch her breath, hands resting on his naked thighs and head resting on his shoulder. His hand combed through her hair and tugged, using it to straighten back up and look at him, “Uh uh, darlin, I’m not done with you yet.” He kissed her roughly, her own taste all over his tongue and coating her mouth, while he pumped himself a few times. She groaned into his mouth, breathy little pants leaving her, then he was lifting her up to position her over his throbbing cock. She was still so sensitive and as she sank down onto him she squeezed her eyes tightly, biting down on her lips and pressing her forehead to his. Her being on top gave them a new angle that hit differently than last time, letting him fill her completely and hitting every spot that had sparks singing inside her skin. Fuck, he felt good and she had to fight so hard to keep from moaning out loud, could feel it in her throat wanting release. “That’s it,” he hummed to her, voice catching with his own moan, “Fuck, darlin’. I could come right now from being inside you.” Secretly, she was pleased to hear the praise and not be the only one affected. Sex had been good last time, but there’d been a tentative dance to it. Breaching the gap and testing the waters to see if they were on the same page. Now they both knew there was an attraction there and even if they hadn’t spoken about it, hadn’t said exactly what it was or if it had been a one time thing, there wasn’t a hesitation to jump that gap again. She started to move, lifting herself up and down, feeling him slide against the walls inside of her. Those sparks had started up again, building tight in her lower stomach and growing with each move. He began meeting her pace, thrusting up into her while leaning forward and placing hot kisses along her throat. His teeth found her collar bone, the small tattooed stars, and he nipped at them while his hands gripped her waist. He helped her bob up and down on him, starting slow and letting her get used to him. But she didn’t want it to be slow, didn’t want his gentleness. Bending down to his good ear, she breathily moaned and let his name slip out of her, “Joel.” And then the pace turned frantic and hard, his arms banding around her body and him thrusting his hips up into her wildly. His cock hit deep and the feeling bordered on pain, but it only intensified everything. She was soaking his lap in her arousal and his fingers were bruising her waist. It was overwhelming in its intensity, her already sensitive clit rubbing against the base of his erection, and she was climbing higher and higher. She wanted to drown in the feeling, lose herself in him and forget the world around them. Forget she was still covered in blood, forget her name, forget everything but this feeling of overwhelming pleasure. Then she was coming, whispering his name over and over again, him thrusting through her orgasm. She felt the moment he followed her, warmth filling her up completely as his release came inside of her and his movements became wild and slow. He held her tightly on his lap and her arms were around his shoulders, forehead resting against the side of his head. The silence began to seep back, awareness outside of their panting breaths, and the heat died down. She tried not to notice how he pressed one final, soft kiss to her collar bone before straightening up, his eyes meeting hers. “I didn’t beg,” she whispered, voice husky and raw from holding in her sounds. Joel huffed out a chuckle, eyes flickering to her lips then moving away, “Don’t sound so cocky, there’s still next time.” Next time. The words rolled around in her mouth and she tried not to feel pleased that there would in fact be a next time. Because it was something, some form of endearment towards her, outside of the constant bickering and getting after her. She smirked, “We’ll see, Joel.” _______________________ Tag List: @alouise20 @faceache111

[jalapainio]

As I've been reading Comics, I've slowly been assembling a Batman readthrough Timeline, which encompasses the full scale of Batman. So far, I have only gathered the first ten years. I put the canonized Comics in Trade Paperbacks, as they sometimes throw in an extra issue or two of another comic run and it is easier for me to keep track of them that way.

Here it is! The ultimate Batman Timeline (years 1-10)

Batman Year 1: 21 year old Bruce (first of many soft head cannons) becomes Batman. Many early villains of Batman pop up, including Joker, Catwoman, Mad Hatter, Riddler, and Calendar Man. Canonized Comics include Batman: Year One, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and Batman: Zero Year.

Batman Year 2: This year is dedicated entirely to the Long Halloween, which also introduced Poison Ivy, Solomon Grundy, and most famously, Two-Face. Canonized Comics include Batman: The Long Halloween.

Batman Year 3: Much like Year 2, Year 3 is dedicated to its sequel, Dark Victory. In it, a new serial killer known as the Hangman has started killing cops in Gotham. This year sees the end of the classic Mafia in Gotham, and ten year old Dick Grayson being taken in by Bruce Wayne. While he does put on the Robin colors and even goes out with Batman, he is not Robin just yet. Canonized Comics include Batman: Dark Victory.

Batman Year 4: This year gives the main focus towards training Dick. We can also assume that the Justice League, or at least a version of it, has been formed during this year. In addition, Killer Croc is introduced. Canonized Comics include N/A (seriously, I need something here. Anyone rec a solo Batman story that might fit in here?)

Batman Year 5: While most of the year is like the one above, a calm year for Batman, at the end of year, 12 year old Dick wears the Robin suit for the technically second time. He is the one who makes his suit, angry at Bruce for forcing him through constant training as a stall to prevent Dick from going out. Canonized Comics include Robin and Batman.

Batman Year 6: Dick goes through his next big villain during the spring of this year, facing off against Two-Face. After a brief moment when he is fired as Robin, he returns to the Cape, this time with a new perspective on his role. Canonized Comics include Robin Year One.

Batman Year 7: Dick, while working with Batman, notices Bruce's strange behavior. Collaborating with his other teen heroes he met in Year 5, he figures out that the entire Justice League is acting weird! Together, the five (Robin, Speedy, Kid Flash, Aqualad, and Wondergirl) team up and work together to take down the Justice League! They called themselves the Teen Titans. Canonized Comics include Teen Titans: Year One

Batman Year 8: Barbara Gordon, 17 years old and an accelerated graduate of College (she has to be not on a normal track, or else her entire relationship with Dick would just be so weird) puts on a bat themed costume to spite her father, and ends up going against Killer Moth. Batgirl, as she's newly christrained, is supported by Robin (but not Batman) to become a superhero. Firefly takes up the costume with Killer Moth, and Batgirl takes them down. Canonized Comics include Batgirl: Year One

Batman Year 9: Batman and Superman work together to defeat the Devil Nazha, which ends up with Dick being stuck in time. Bruce rescues him, and the rest of World's Finest goes on. Canonized Comics include Batman/Superman World's Finest: Devil Nazha, Batman/Superman World's Finest: Strange Visitor, and Batman/Superman World's Finest: Elementary.

Batman Year 10: 17 year old Dick and the rest of the Teen Titans fight off a rabid cult of fans! Canonized Comics include World's Finest Teen Titans.

[mousetoe-wc]

The Medics of the Clans

I’m planning a rewrite of warrior cats so I’m messing around with how they work, nothing too out there but I like what I got going on.

Ok so somethings I’ve changed is the hole thing of you are an apprentice until your mentor dies, that’s silly and I’ll get to that in a minute.

The second thing I changed is the name, medicine cat as it’s an appropriation of North American indigenous cultures.

A lot of people have changed the name to Healer but personally I don’t like it, nothing against I just don’t care for it. So I’ve changed it to Medic because so much of warrior cats is fighting and battles, it makes sense to me it wound keep with that theme.

Different titles

I’ve gone and made little “titles” for different types of medics. These are the most common titles.

First is Medic Apprentice could also be known as the Medic’s apprentice or Medic in training, it’s exactly what it sounds like, a cat that is learning how to be a Medic.

The Second Medic is a fully trained medic who, most of the time is the youngest fully trained medic, it’s custom for there to be at least two Medics in the clan, the second is to listen and help the head medic

The Head Medic is the one who is in charge of the medicine den and everything that is going on, in and around it. The Head Medic takes on the role when the previous Head Medic retires or dies.

Senior Medic the oldest, most senior medic in the clan. Is normally retired but not always.

A chart of Leafpool’s history as a Medic, going from bottom to top, just to give you an idea of how this kinda works.

A Disgraced medic is a cat that broken the code severely and has been stripped of the medic title (even when that code is severely unfair).

Field Medic are warriors that have basic training in medicine and healing, they are normally sent on battle patrols or patrols that have the possibility to turn violent.

Hollyleaf and Brightheart are examples of Field Medics!

Also important to remember that Senior medic does not always mean their the head medic!

Example of this is while Goosefeather was the senior medic of Thunderclan, he was retired and Featherwhisker was the Head Medic who was in full control of the Thunderclan medic den.

History of Medics

Ok this is very much a work in progress/ has ver little done and I’ll definitely be revisiting this later with a more in detail post, BUT, until then this is what I got so far-

I dont like a lot of stuff in moth flight’s vision, so much of it dose not make sense like, why would you split up your young kids when you didn’t have to? Why did any of the other medicine cats agree to such a dumb rule proposed by a very young, new to this job cat?? Wtf is going on here??

I really like the direction bonefall’s going with their rewrite of moth flight, it makes sooo much more sense to have the kits be older and have training in medicine and that’s why they were split up. I still don’t know how I’m going to tackle moth flight’s vision tho, but moth flight will definitely have a lot of Importance in the clan’s history.

Such as below! After a cat finishes their Medic training they receive a Luna moth wing.

I will be doing a post on Starclan so hopefully she’ll show up there.

The Medic role will be invented in dotc.

The no mate no children role may not be invented until later in the timeline?? Maybe??

At the end of oots/avos the clans are going to get a bit of a soft reboot and the no mate no children rule is going to fuck off, much to the dismay of a handful cats who think the code is a vital part of clan life

Which brings us to the broken code where shit is hitting the fan but that’s for another post

Like I said it’s really a work in progress but I’ll put a link down here when I post more stuff about it!

[vulturereyy]

Gimme a Lurien song

I’m starving, Darling Let me put my lips to something Let me wrap my teeth around the world Start carving, Darling I want to smell the dinner cooking I want to feel the edges start to burn Honey, I Want to race you to the table If you hesitate The getting is gone I won’t lie If there’s something to be gained There’s money to be made Whatever's still to come

I know Hozier is so typical but genuinely i think this song (along with @asp1diske-art amazing art, PLEASE go check their stuff out if you want god-tier lurien and monomon interactions) is kind of what planted the nugget in my head of Lurien and PK having a... tumultuous working relationship, to say the least. This song came out right around the time I was getting into HK fandom, and I didn't hear it as soon as it came out, but when it did-- it struck a chord with me. I think it's also part of the reason I made Lurien a carnivorous bug; I remember I was originally very enthralled by the butterfly or moth Lurien headcanons, but something about the embroiled irony and anger and the political implications of this song stuck with me. Both irl and also in my headcanons. I still very often think about making the animatic in my head about Lurien taunting the Pale King to this song about the vessel/dreamer plan and his sheer dissatisfaction with it, but we all know how that ends. RIP to this ten of swords tarot wip I never finished but still really like; the original file name was 'Eatyouryoung'. (This was pre-divine/feral anger era lurien in my creation timeline, so he looks a bit more downtrod here, but don't worry i made him more fucked up since)

i will sneak in a second one as well for Lurimol..

How ever fast I dance to make the sun shine I will never fall down No matter what it takes, I'll try to save the ghost lights How ever hard I pray to remake you mine I will never feel down No matter what it takes, I'll try to save the ghost lights

[cheerycherrycandy-resurrected]

Ghoulette Appreciation Week 8

Week 8: Coffee Shop AU & Sickfic

I've been excited for this one! Back to the Midwest Emo Ghouls AU, because they just won't stay outta my head for long!

When Mist doesn't show up to Aurora's coffee shop, she gets worried. Or, Mist and Aurora are hopelessly crushing on each other, but neither seems to realize their feeling are mutual.

Rating: G Content: Fluff, secret crushes, Rory taking care of Mist when she has a cold. Words: 2651

It would be remiss of me to write a Midwest Emo Ghouls Coffee shop AU and not mention @midnight-moth's ficlet (which I think technically they said is only adjacent to this AU? but I wrote this before double checking, oopsie!) with coffee-shop!Aurora and record-store!Mist, the og fic that had me sold on Mistrora! (go read it!)

As with anything I've written for this AU, all credit goes to @herbal-quintessence and friends for its creation, I've picked and chosen my favorite hcs for the ghouls when there are multiple, and for any other inconsistencies with the original creators's hcs and timeline let's just say I'm operating on a different branch at an indeterminant point in time, haha..!

Read below, or on AO3!

The screech of the coffee machine snapped Aurora out of her daydream. She shook her head slightly to dislodge her leftover thoughts, still drifting around about her favourite customer. Aurora kept expecting Mist to walk in the door any second, and she didn’t dare try to meet her eyes while simultaneously imagining herself staring into them under greatly different circumstances.

The door to the shop remained closed however; no tinkling of the bell to herald Mist’s arrival to the coffee shop, and the subsequent arrival of a swarm of butterflies into Aurora’s stomach. For the umpteenth time that day, Aurora squinted out the window to the record store opposite. The lights were still off, the sign still reading closed. Where was she?

Aurora had worked in the coffee shop for several years now. She had applied when she first moved to town as a broke student struggling to pay rent, and had loved every second of it. The coffee shop, it turned out, was the beating heart of this rural town: a social hub for almost all the denizens both ghoul and human. She had taken great delight in getting to know her new community and neighbours, and beginning to recognize people outside of the coffee-scented air of the café.

From her connections at the shop, Aurora had learned about the existence of the dark church, and in particular its close community of ghouls. She had found many of her new friends here, and even her new home. Aurora had got talking with two lunchtime regulars she recognized from the church: one the owner of the hardware store down the street, the other his husband joining him in town for lunch. She had quickly learned that they farmed the fields east of town, and when Aurora had mentioned in passing that she was looking for a place to stay over the summer semester break to keep working, they had offered their spare room. They were looking for a lodger, anyway.

Another regular was Zephyr: church organist, GP surgery receptionist, and one of the first people Aurora connected with in town. They always came in during the afternoon slump, and happily tried the newest and strangest flavours of tea the shop had ordered. Aurora would scribble notes on their thorough yet honest reviews, before they left with an extra-large, extra-strong black coffee for Omega, the surgery’s GP.

It was through Zephyr that Aurora had learned of their lodger Mist, who had recently opened a record store directly opposite the coffee shop. Mist was cool. Seriously, effortlessly, cool. Throughout the weeks that she had started coming to the coffee shop at Zephyr’s suggestion, her visits had become longer more regular. At one point, after Aurora brought over her third drink of the morning, her curiosity had got the better of her, and she had asked Mist if she actually sold any records, seeing as she spent more time in the café than her own shop.

It turned out that Mist had not only been an art student at Aurora’s college several years previously, but had also taken several courses in online business and marketing. She made most of her sales from her website, explaining how her shop kept running with seemingly few customers. Aurora thought she was amazing: smart, arty, stylish, cool... She felt like a schoolgirl with a crush on the homecoming queen. Mountain and Swiss thought this was adorable and frequently teased her about it, reminiscing on their own tentative courtship many years previously.

Mist had started bringing her laptop to the café, sitting by the window to keep half an eye on her own shopfront for customers while being plied with coffees and “free” cakes. She had quickly realized that no café had that good of a loyalty scheme, and that Aurora was instead buying them with her tip money. Secretly, she had started keeping track of what Aurora was spending on her, the notes tucked into the tip jar at the end of each day always covering the pastries, and then some.

As the frequency of Mist’s visits increased, Aurora had become deeply attuned to her presence. Mist was a welcome sight in her window armchair, a source of charming smiles and words which made her heart flutter. And so, on this day in the middle of a cold February week, Aurora had felt Mist’s absence before she consciously noticed it. All day, she had been distracted; one eye on the door or the conspicuously dark record store opposite.

She was so distracted, in fact, that Zephyr had cottoned onto it immediately when they entered for their afternoon break. They caught her eyes flickering to the empty shopfront opposite three separate times while ordering.

“Missing Mist today?” Zephyr asked kindly. Aurora blushed deeply; was it that obvious? “She’s at home sick today, she’s feeling pretty under the weather.”

Aurora’s concern must have shown on her face, and she started pressing herbal teas and cake upon Zephyr to bring to her.

“You could bring them yourself, if you want?” Zephyr smiled warmly: young love was such a precious thing. “She’s not contagious, Omega took a look at her this morning. She just needs some rest and TLC.”

Aurora nodded earnestly, not trying to hide how keen she was.

“You could meet us at the surgery after you close here? I can give you a lift once the Omega sees his last patient.”

“Thank you Zeph, that would be lovey. I’ll meet you there–”

Aurora’s eyes instinctively flickered to the door again as the bell chimed the arrival of a customer. She waved Zephyr and their good-natured smile goodbye, heading back behind the counter.

Before Aurora cashed out and locked up, she also gathered a selection of coffee beans and teas to bring for Omega and Zephyr. She closed the door the minute the clock hit six pm, and resisted the urge to run down the road to the Doctor’s surgery. They were a ten minute walk away at best, and Omega’s last appointment was at quarter-to-seven.

She decided to make a quick detour past the small grocery store. Tea and pastries were fine, but nothing beats the winter lurgy like hot soup. And crackers. Oh, and maybe chocolate, Aurora thought, throwing everything she could think of into her basket. At least with Mist living with a doctor, she would be well taken care of with painkillers and cold medication.

Her bag weighing heavily on her shoulder, she greeted Zephyr as she got to the surgery, perching on a chair in the waiting room while Omega finished seeing his last patient. Her feet swing nervously beneath her.

Aurora sat in the leather backseat of the silver saloon car, as Omega drove back to their house in the suburbs. As they pulled off the road, she saw Mist’s familiar ice-blue bicycle leaned against the side wall of the garage.

“Let me know when you want to go home, I can drive you back.” Zephyr offered, before directing Aurora to Mist’s room at the top of the stairs. She knocked shyly, it was too late to be scared of overstepping now.

“C’m’ in!” a croaky voice called from inside. Aurora gently opened the door, smiling cautiously at Mist and offering a small wave.

“Rory?” Mist’s eyes were rimmed with red, matching the colour of her nose, but they seemed to light up as the smaller ghoulette hovered in the doorway. “What’re you doing here?”

“Oh you poor thing!” Aurora cooed, dodging the question of why Mist’s casual workplace acquaintance was suddenly knocking on her bedroom door. Mist really did look terrible; her face was tired and haggard and her skin even paler than usual. “Can I come in?”

“’F course.” Mist sniffed, hauling herself upright in bed.

“I’ve brought you cake, and tea, and you’re not going to sneak money into my tip jar for once,” Aurora chattered nervously. “Can I run you a bath? Or fluff your pillows? Are you hungry, I brought soup?”

Mist smiled weakly at Aurora’s enthusiasm, a little overwhelmed at the small ghoulette’s whirlwind of fervent hospitality.

“A bath would be nice, this cold’s making me feel disgusting. So would some soup, I haven’t eaten since yesterday night…”

“A bath is is then!” chirped Aurora, “And I’ve got tomato, chicken noodle, or vegetable broth?”

“Tomato, please.” Mist rubbed at her red-raw nose with a tissue. “Zeph could do all this y’know? Or Meg. Did Zephy drag you here?” Conniving scoundrel, Mist thought to herself, anything to win that silly bet with Omega.

“I wanted to.” Aurora shrugged, trying to conceal just how eager she’d been to visit, “Zephyr just drove me.”

Mist struggled to pull herself more upright and swing her feet out of bed, and Aurora made a move to assist her. As she did so, she looked down at the armful of goodies she was still clutching, before whirling around to find somewhere to put them. Mist’s room wasn’t at all how Aurora had imagined: every available surface seemed to be covered in clutter and trinkets, the opposite of the cool, minimalist personality she exuded. The walls were plastered with artwork, lending everything a warm and cosy feeling. Aurora eventually made space on the desk, moving a few mugs – some with pencils in, some with leftover tea – and stacking the assortment of sketchbooks into a rough pile.

While Mist sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for the dizziness in her head to abate, Aurora headed into the en-suite and turned on the taps to warm up and begin to fill the bath. She looked around at the bottles on the windowsill, and poured in some blue bubble bath alongside the stream from the taps. Ocean Breeze, whatever that was meant to smell like.

“Thanks, ‘Ror,” rasped Mist, as she leaned against the doorframe, clean pyjamas in hand, “I can take it from here, unless you want to stay?” The exaggerated wink as she spoke told Aurora that she was only joking, and that despite Aurora secretly longing for more, this was just Mist’s normal flirtatious banter. At least she was feeling well enough for her usual wit to come through.

Aurora closed the door behind her as she left, and hovered in the bedroom until the taps turned off and the splashing sounds of Mist getting into the bathtub safely and without falling had quietened down. She grabbed some of her care package from the stash on the desk and headed back downstairs to make some tea and heat the soup.

Entering the kitchen, she found Zephyr at the table with a mug of the tea she gave them, grinning like a Cheshire cat. Omega paused where he was slicing vegetables and directed her to the kettle and microwave, grabbing a bowl and mug for her too. Aurora hovered awkwardly as she waited for the various liquids to heat, aware of Zephyr’s eyes burning a hole in her back the whole time. Out of the corner of her eye, she even thought she saw them making a gesture at Omega, like rubbing cash between their fingers and thumb. She put the bowl of soup and mug of tea onto a small tray Omega also presented, adding a few napkins and a spoon, before escaping back upstairs.

Balancing the tray in one hand, she knocked on the bedroom door again, entering when she got no response. The gentle sloshing sounds of water told her that Mist was still enjoying her soak, so she set the tray down on the desk and took a seat.

“I’m back!” she gently called at the bathroom door, “Let me know if you need anything else!” Mist hummed in acknowledgement.

Aurora took a look around the room while she waited, admiring the mishmash of colours and styles. Each item so clearly told a story, she wished she could ask about every single one. A small photo on the bookshelf made her smile: a younger Mist, probably round Aurora’s current age, was dressed in dungarees and pulling an uncharacteristically silly face at the camera from her seat atop a hay bale. A handsome dark-haired ghoul she recognised as the previous youth pastor Ifrit leaned against it, while Mountain and Swiss stood to one side, arms loosely around each other’s waists. Aurora couldn’t help the pang of jealousy she felt looking at the picture. Even though she knew they had only ever been friends, she was reminded that Mist had lived a life before she moved here, that there was no way she would ever fall for her young barista with a silly crush.

Abruptly, Aurora stood up and walked to the bed to straighten the duvet and fluff the pillows, perhaps with a little more force than was necessary. As she was tucking the foot of the blankets back in, Mist finally emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of fresh, ocean-scented steam. She looked to have more colour in her cheeks already, the worst of the pallid complexion she had worn before now gone.

“Feel better for that?” asked Aurora, smoothing the duvet with a final flourish, and moving out of Mist’s way.

“Much, thanks Rory,” Mist climbed back into bed, sighing as she sat up against Aurora’s carefully arranged stack of pillows. Once she was settled, Aurora brought over the tray, moving the mug to her bedside table so it didn’t spill. She tried not to stare too intently as Mist ate, smothering the protective fire that burned in her belly at seeing her devour the soup.

Instead, Aurora distracted herself by chattering at Mist about the daily gossip from the street. How Mrs Bloom from the flower shop had come in half an hour earlier than usual, coinciding with Mr Phipps from the jewellery boutique, and did this mean the elderly shopkeepers were finally getting together or not? And the teenager with the purple hair had been back to remove her Missing flyer from the noticeboard, as her pet cat had just been hiding in her neighbour’s garden shed the whole time, much to everyone’s relief.

As Aurora nattered away, she took Mist’s tray back to the desk once when she finished the soup and moved onto the tea, before lying back down under the covers. Aurora continued quietly recounting the day’s events until Mist’s breathing gradually slowed and evened out. Asleep. Aurora silently returned the empty mug to the tray, before grabbing a pencil and a scrap of paper to leave Mist a note in case she woke up wondering where her visitor had gone. She debated for a few seconds, before finally scribbling her mobile number on the bottom of the paper. Given how much time they spent together during the day, it was strange they hadn’t exchanged them yet, right?

She propped the note up on the bedside table and, in a moment of impulsivity, kissed two of her fingers before pressing them into the pillow, feeling Mist’s cool breath curl around them. Aurora shook her head, and grabbed the empty tray to leave before she made any more reckless confessions.

Zephyr drove her home in a comfortable, yet knowing, silence. Aurora felt slightly like she was the punchline to some joke she wasn’t aware of, but tried to think nothing of it. Surely spending your evening taking care of your favourite regular customer who might also be your friend but also might not be wasn’t that weird?

Aurora thanked Zephyr for the lift, choosing to slink off to her room as Swiss immediately invited them inside with promises of a fresh jar of honey from his bees. As she settled down for bed herself, mind still racing over the events of the day, her phone buzzed. Aurora felt her heart skip a beat as she read the message: Hi, it’s Mist. Thanks again for coming today, I’ll have to repay the favour sometime. xx

[aidanchaser]

WIP Tag/Reblog Game

Thank you @rosie-b for the tag! I love hearing about your works~

List the titles your top five priorities for WIP updates (link your fics for new readers!)

An upcoming scene, event, or detail in each fic that you're looking forward to writing

Bonus: make a poll for your followers to vote on which top 5 WIP they are most excited to see an update on!

Then tag 10 writer friends!

WIP TITLES

(I picked the 5 that I have open currently - there are so many more than 5 rattling around at all times, and i try not to start publishing any that aren't already outlined beginning to end)

Boulangerella - a fairy tale/cinderella story full of love square shenanigans, blood sacrifices, and scheming villains

Butterfly Effect - Adrien as Hawkmoth/Shadowmoth AU; Marinette and Chloe hold the ladybug and cat miraculous - songfic with butterfly effect by FJØRA

Expectations - Kwami Swap AU where Adrien is Mister Bug from the beginning; he's dealing with the anxiety of his role (and the knowledge that he handed his earrings over to hawk moth in another timeline and has no idea why)

After the War (place holder title) - a 1920s post-WWI AU, where Marinette runs her parents' bakery by day and a club by night; the club is a cover to take down war-profiteer Gabriel Agreste through vigilante action; Adrien has just returned to Paris from his time abroad in London, and Marinette has to wrestle with her childhood crush on him and her now grown-up hatred for his family

Time Lady of Creation (place holder title) - A Time Lord AU - I will say little else about it because it's still in the outline stages with only a few scraps of scenes drafted

UPCOMING SECTIONS

The next chapter is full of A LOT of confrontations and hard conversations - Marinette & Luka (the original conversation has been written but it needs to be redrafted to a new context); Felix and Lila (again, a lot of their stuff is written but needs to be redrafted); and Marinette & Chat Noir (not drafted yet - fragments abound in notes but need to be tied together)

Adrien has to figure out how to get his hands on the Cat and Ladybug Miraculouses so that he can save Marinette from a terrible fate

Marinette needs to help Adrien face Miracle Queen - I'm excited about the Cat/Dragon and Bug/Snake renditions of their powers for this AU, but this fic just kept getting comments that were like "it's not even that different from canon" and so I no longer care too much about this fic - I'm just irritated because I wrote the ending already and i LOVE the ending but I can't post the ending without writing the middle

The next scene I need to write is a confrontation between Ladybug and Adrien Agreste, where he doesn't realize how much she hates him and she has no idea how much he's madly in love with her

Right now it's mostly an outline, so I need to write the beginning, where Ladybug saves Adrien from a wax museum come to life then asks him to run away with her through time and space!

So - which WIP are you most excited to see update?

I know I'm supposed to tag 10 but I know about half of the writers I am mutuals with have already been tagged, so if I accidentally tag you a second time, I apologize! @astargatelover (if you have 5 wips?), @asukiess (if you haven't been tagged yet), @kay-elle-cee, @uncertainwallflower, @ninadove (I would love to hear about your projects and get to know you more) [I'm so sorry i fully reblogged and commented your own WIP list and did not even process the connection - absolutely embarrassing], @chaos-has-theories, @sunshinemarauder, @wield-the-mighty-pen, @miabrown007 (I don't think you've been tagged yet??? unclear), and last but certainly not least @dammithawke (bc i haven't heard about your role reversal au in a while and would love to hear about it again)

[skellagirl]

Fanwork creators self rec! When you get this, reply with your five favorite fics/art/podfics/etc. that you've made, then pass on to others. Let’s spread the self-love 🌼(No pressure if you don't want to though!)Hope you have a good day! ✨

oh, I DO love talking about myself, though this is gonna be kinda weird bc I haven't made a lot of art that I actually like lately lol, and I'm not committed enough to go back super far in my timeline

in no particular order:

1) The extremely self-indulgent Jack/Maddie/Vlad comic I did last year, which was my second most popular post. I had sooo much fun doing it and made myself laugh a lot, idk, it was just such a joy to make and I'm glad other people like it too (I've LOVED reading through the tags on it)

this is my favorite 'panel', I think lol

2) The big memey sketchdump from last year that was my FIRST most popular post lol, OF WHICH this is my favorite doodle.

3) This one I haven't actually posted anywhere yet bc it's still VERY early and I'm not sure I'll ever finish, but I've been fucking around with making a comic out of one of my favorite Stardew oneshots, Practical Demonstration (which is VERY ummm......... citrusy, as one might have said in 2006) and I've actually been kinda sorta enjoying that, despite Art Block From Hell and the fact that I'm Not Good at backgrounds lol

4) idk, I've had a lot of fun doing all my Potion Permit shit! The fandom is small but very funny and friendly, and idk it's just been another thing that's been fun to indulge in while Art Block From Hell continues

5) and speaking of Potion Permit, I've been writing a chemist/matheo enemies-to-lovers longfic called flew like a moth to you (sunlight) that is SO self-indulgent, but I've actually really been liking how it's turning out! It's kinda silly to say, maybe? but I've been proud of my writing with this fic. I think I have an Okay ability to string words into nice-ish-sounding sentences 🥴👌

and since I posted pics for my art, here's one of my favorite bits of the fic's first chapter (also the 'summary' lol)

"Forty years. Raised in the thick of six generations’ worth of collective knowledge, lived tradition, so intimately familiar with medicine and healing that it’s like an additional sense, something woven into the very fibers of him, his entire life’s work -- all of it cast aside in favor of an upstart, fresh-faced chemist whose sole legacy of any significance to Moonbury is one of reckless endangerment and massive ecological collapse. He stares at Myer’s hands, clasped around his wife’s, his child’s. Doesn’t understand what sort of desperation would drive a man to this. Feels a sick twist in his gut at the inconceivability of ever doing the same."

OKAY THAT'S ALL, THANK YOU!!!!

I don't really send these to anyone but like. do it if you want? toot your own horn!!! or spread it to others ig, that works too 👍

[y-junghyeok]

Synopsis: Megumi never thought he'd run into you again under this circumstance.

Timeline: First year. Maybe a bit after the Goodwill event.

Characters: Fushiguro Megumi.

Relationship: Friends from middle school. Huge pining vibe from Megumi.

Megumi denies he was able to comprehend romantic attraction back in his middle school days. He would do it to his grave if necessary to avoid the mockery from Itadori and Kugisaki. Yet, even in his fervent defence of his reputation, he knows there are witnesses to say otherwise.

It'd take very little for his image to fall apart the moment someone who knew him from back then spoke up.

Thankfully, most of them no longer live close to him to remind him of those halcyon days, but if he said that all of that is behind him, then that'd be a lie.

Not when you're this close, only a few districts away. If he wanted to meet you, then only one call would be needed to make that happen.

It would be smarter for him to steer clear of you. A civilian has no business getting tangled up in a sorcerer's business. Secrecy notwithstanding, it would be dangerous and unwise. The best decision for him to make would be to keep you at arm's length and pray that his feeling for you would fade.

He spent months to convince his mind to believe that, for all of it to crumble the moment he sets his eyes on you again. That warmth in his chest surges when he sees you, but there is something else with it. Something familiar.

Fear.

Your name is almost a prayer on his lips when he calls out to you. Dressed in your summer uniform, you look different from when he saw you last. More confident, more mature. Yet, there is that self-same brightness about you that always draws him in like a moth to a flame.

Now that he thinks about it, you'd fit perfectly in the hustle and bustle lifestyle of Tokyo. The image of a city girl is a perfect match for you while he cannot say that he blends into the metropolis the same way you did. But that'd make him right at home in front of this abandoned building, where spirits dwell.

And you, you stick out like a sore thumb, but he cannot tear his eyes away.

When you look back at him, your shock is changed into a smile he has grown too fond of. "Megumi! Why didn't you tell me you were a sorcerer?" Then, with a pause, you add, laughing. "Wait, that sounds silly, you didn't know I'm a—"

"—window." He finishes the sentence for you, the news ails his throat with a nauseating sickness. "How long have you been one? I didn't know..."

Caught in confusion, he frowns. This is not how he should approach you about this. Megumi clears his throat. When he speaks again, it's slow and deliberate. "Let's talk about this later, you mentioned seeing multiple cursed spirits in this area?"

It takes you a second to switch back into your professional mode, but it scares him the same that a second is all that you need. He listens attentively to you when you describe the situation and finds it unnerving how practised you sound.

His eyes follow your instructions while you point out the various areas where the cursed energy concentrates. You mention being careful in keeping your distance, but the amount of information you've accumulated makes him think otherwise.

He can surmise that you've been a window for a while, at least before both of you moved to Tokyo only a few months ago. The thought doesn't sit with him. He has known you for years and he only knows about this now. However, there are cursed spirits to exorcise and he knows better than to get distracted while working.

"All right," he cracks his neck, "I'm going in, you should stay away."

You switch back to your previous friendly mode with a bright smile, "Do you want me to set up the curtain?"

He snaps back, pupils blown wide, "You know how to set up a curtain?" Suppressing his temper, Megumi adds. "Never mind, that's not important. You don't have to worry about that, the area is isolated enough but..." He looks back at you with his eyes hopefully dead serious. "...we'll talk about this later."

You nod in confirmation with a smile that makes him think you don't know how harrowing this is for him. He pushes the thought back and squares his shoulder. Better get this over with so he can get to that conversation soon.

Fortunately for Megumi, the work has been an easygoing one. At most, he has to deal with two Grade 2 cursed spirits that haunt the hallways. By the time he returns, you remain by the gate with your phone out, too at ease for somebody standing in the middle of a deserted area.

He feels a headache incoming.

"Let's go."

You chime at his approach. "Megumi! Done already—"

He takes hold of your wrist and pulls you along with him before another word can spill out. All he can think about the moment he steps out of the building has been your involvement with the sorcerer world. He knows it shouldn't bother him this much, but it is.

"Wait."

He stops at your request and makes no resistance when you detach his hand from your wrist. Admittedly, he has been rough with his actions when he should've known better. You would be—

"Okay, let's go."

"Huh."

Megumi looks back at his hand, the one previously holding your arm. All you've done is change their positions, for him to hold your hand instead of otherwise. He turns to walk ahead before his cheeks heat up enough for you to see.

By the time the two of you talk at length again, he's sitting next to you in an ice cream parlour in Shinjuku. Close to your school, you mention that alongside the fact that the place would give the two of you enough space to talk without worries.

"You know how to put up curtains?"

Not knowing where to begin, he decides to bring that up. "I've never heard of a window that can use barrier technique."

You continue to lick on your cone while trying to collect your thoughts. "The manager I often coordinated with taught me how to do it," you explained, "Mishima-san noticed that I can use a bit of cursed energy so he taught that to me."

Megumi groans inwardly. Mishima has been one of the managers he works with, far rarer than Ijichi and Nitta. The man has an easygoing attitude that bothers him at times. Not to mention he often cuts corners if it's more efficient to save people. Megumi cannot understand how a man like him can continue holding his position, but without his shortcuts, he wouldn't have had the chance to meet you in this situation.

He doesn't know if he should thank or curse him. "Of course he did," Megumi mutters before asking cautiously. "You don't have any interest in becoming a sorcerer, right?"

"Oh," you say, "no, it sounds dangerous. I'm fine as is."

Megumi can see the honesty in your smile when you say it. Then, it's his turn to be self-conscious when you turn the attention back to him. "Megumi must be very strong since you decided to become a sorcerer," your eyes gleam with excitement when you look at him, "you cleared out that building with no time at all."

"Have you seen many of them?" Megumi frowns. "Sorcerers, that is."

You tap the side of your cheeks, contemplating, "I don't know... only a few times in passing. Megumi is actually the only one I talked to. I've never met a case where I worked with the sorcerers directly."

Megumi shrugs, "It's uncommon, but I happen to be in the area so Mishima-san sent the information to me directly. Seems like he trusted you enough for coordination. But—" He looks at you in the eyes and hopes that it would be enough for you to understand the severity of this "—if he vetoed the rules again, you have to tell me. Don't get yourself in unnecessary danger."

"Okay," you nod with a smile and that alone reassured him.

But what you say next makes him tense anew. "It's actually a relief to find out you're a Jujutsu sorcerer. You haven't stayed in touch at all since we moved to Tokyo, I thought you were avoiding me."

Megumi glances at you and the sadness in your eyes wrench his heart. It hurts enough that he can't face them, so he opts to stare at his ice cream instead. The cone has gone down halfway through the course of your conversation. He doesn't know what awaits him once he finished it, but he's in no hurry to find out.

"I was." He admits. "Not because I wanted to avoid you but because the life I've chosen is a dangerous one. You don't deserve to get tangled up in it."

You laugh, softly. "I'm grateful for your care, but let me make the decision next time, okay? Besides, the universe has a way of balancing itself out. For us to meet again, I don't want to miss this chance to reconnect."

"Mhm," he hums, not convinced, but he knows the moment he meets your eyes, his resolve would crumble. Finally, he sighs, "I suppose it's better to have you in my sight. Just..."

"I know," you say. "You don't have to worry about me, I'm sturdier than I look."

To demonstrate your point, you flex your arm and show him your "muscle." He makes a sound that he doesn't know if it's a laugh or a sigh. In the end, he doesn't try too hard to think about it. "Fine," he suppresses a smile, "but if you run into troubles..."

You pop your thumb up, your smile is more than enough to reassure him, "I'll let you know first thing."

That weird, yet familiar warmth buzzes in his chest again. He has felt this so many times before, always around you, always when he thinks of you. He has missed it, in these past few months being away from you.

Supposedly, it's not bad of an idea to keep you close again, he'll just have to do everything he can to keep you safe.

[fountainpenguin]

📂

Send “📂“ for a random yet completely useless headcanon I have

Warning for minor body horror (Mentions of players removing skins, which are like onesies in this 'fic universe + injury / dragon bites)

In my Pixels Imperfect universe, frustration that you're still holding onto manifests as a glowing scar. Specifically, a scar all the way down to your soul level, meaning it glows through any new skin you put on. This is called a soul wound.

Martyn's the poster child for soul wounds being visible, since this is his in-universe parallel of IRL Martyn's Eyes and Ears lore.

In this image I drew for Dog's Life Chapter 26, "Ignite," you can see Martyn's cheek and collarbone scars (paralleling 3rd Life and Double Life respectively).

In a lore video, Martyn and his audience agreed that Martyn has his Last Life mark on the back of his right shoulder to represent being backstabbed (iirc), and we know from his Limited Life finale that he was cured of his right hand mark. His Secret Life mark hasn't happened at this point in the timeline, and also I don't think I know where it is.

In Eyes and Ears canon, I believe his scars glow purple to reflect the Watchers. In Pixels Imperfect, they glow white.

Cleo also has a wound, which is a massive dragon bite in her side. My pencil drawings don't make it obvious, but it's why her shirt hooks up like this and/or why she often takes off her shirt- the bite wound chafes sometimes and it just feels better to take it off.

Cleo's wound isn't as exciting as it sounds: They were helping to build New Star Station in its starter base days, but strayed too close to the Slime Dragon's guppies and got bit. They're fine, but lost a chunk of vessel data. You can put your hand in it and there will be resistance, but if you push through it, it's empty.

Their body is kind of like a milk gallon in the sense that it's shaped different than a glass of milk. It still holds everything it needs to (i.e. their vessel holds their soul without leaking), but their soul now follows the shape of the "gallon," which has a gap in it (like a milk gallon does for a handle).

What this also means is that Cleo can pull their shirt down over the wound and the shirt will still respond to their body's shape, because the shirt still registers it as body even though it's white energy.

Scar's chronic glitch works the same way- He can still use his arm, leg, or any other body part that glows blue, but it strains him and causes soreness or pain until the glitch moves to a different part of his body. The limb is there and can function... but it hurts, is weaker than usual, and sometimes it's so hard to get it to function that the limb is effectively non-functional.

Cleo's wound doesn't shift like his glitch, but it's the same principle: it's a phantom zone that her body treats as if it's sort of there, but she's also not going to lie on that side long-term because it would get sore. It's like an open wound, so lying on the dirt risks dirt particles pushing through their wound and ending up inside their body. Most people would prefer that doesn't happen, but Cleo's okay because they're a zombie and have a thing for being buried alive.

BigB also got bitten by a dragon. However, he took damage in a sensitive area that makes it difficult to breathe. This is the reason why he modded from an illusioner into a moth hybrid, which breathes through spiracles down his sides instead of down the throat.

Impulse's scar was a brief point of tension in my one-shot "Like Newlyweds Do," when being soulmates gave Bdubs Impulse's soul wound:

And even in the twilight, with lanterns dim, he can see the little mark he's searching for in the proper place on his husband's arm, too. Bdubs stands before the mirror, craning his neck to see his reflected back. His fingers trace along his skin. Impulse watches from the bed, face half-buried in his folded arms. If his tail were out, it would be ticking back and forth, counting out the seconds before Bdubs asks him why he never fixed that scar behind his right shoulder. "I like it," Bdubs says, prodding the old gash with one finger. It's white, glowing faintly. "I've got a clock from you and you've got this from me." In that moment, Impulse wishes he could kill on green.

Pixels Bdubs is a very interesting character to me. He's loud, proud, and not easily shut down. He also denies his own issues all the time.

During Dog's Life, Bdubs gains a lip scar after he and Impulse have a huge fight about the Day 1 Crew alliance betrayal. Impulse cuts his lip with his sword; it's later revealed that Bdubs is confused as to why this scar is sticking, when he "doesn't think that fight was a big deal."

Here's Chapter 12 Bdubs (no lip scar) + Chapter 30 Bdubs:

It's subtle, but it's there.

Etho's eye scar is part of his skin design- It's not a soul wound. Etho has no backstory for his scar because it's just always been there on the skins he wears. It's blue and doesn't glow (Injuries lead to energy leakage, and the energy is white or blue in this universe depending on depth).

Here's the image that goes with "Canadian Idiot"-

And Joel's mark there was just "recent damage" because this was a Double Life 'fic about Etho's fox instincts and aggro kicking in through the soulbond when Joel takes damage, so Etho was lashing out at Joel and/or himself every time he got hurt.

I can't believe I wrote a huge 'fic centered around Etho repeatedly biting Joel's neck 2 months before we got the "neck kisses" gag. I'm so sorry, Joel... I was just writing about fox aggro and a fox's instinct involving teeth instead of a weapon, I swear... it wasn't supposed to have a double meaning...

In a one-shot titled "The Man He Sets His Spawn With," most of the cast stripped off their skins in the server hub's locker room / shower house and had Grian blast them with a power washer to rinse the Secret Life mod off. Bdubs was our POV character and we learned some interesting things:

He pushes forward. Souls blur together, blue and overlapping, and the glowing doesn't help with the identity stuff like at all. He can pick out Tango (facing away from him) by the enormous white gash scarred down his right shoulder. Not pointing fingers, but that one's a Bdubs original. You're welcome for helping you look so cool, you're turning heads. Martyn's got smaller scars - little diamonds - that glow in fragments here and there across his soul. There's an arrow wound in his belly, though that one's hard to see when he's wearing skins… or, y'know. Clothes. Can't take credit for that one, though, because that's all Scar from a particularly brutal perma-death back in 3rd Life that still leaves Martyn jumpy today (so Bdubs has self-observed). And Impulse has an arrow mark just like that behind his shoulder… but then, Impulse has scars and patched-up bits of code everywhere. That's nothing new. What's one more?

- Tango's got a soul wound from Bdubs betraying him in Last Life. He's totally buddy-buddy with Bdubs and they're friends, it's fine, but Tango hasn't quite let it go.

- Martyn has an arrow wound in his belly. This is a nod to Double Life. Shortly before Cleo drowned, taking their yellow life, Martyn saw Scar coming towards him, screamed, and took off as fast as he could, yelling "No, no, no!" and that he's "Not dying to you [Scar] again."

Interestingly enough, the only time Scar ever killed Martyn up to that point was when he perma-killed him in 3rd Life; Martyn's reaction seems to imply Character Martyn has trauma around that.

Bdubs doesn't seem to care that he's responsible for giving several of his friends soul wounds, which makes it funnier that he gets super annoyed in Dog's Life when he gets the lip scar.

Bdubs is the kind of person who'd see the scar and then spin around or walk backwards while slapping at his lip over and over, trying to wipe it off. He refuses to admit he has issues with it.

Bdubs actually has another scar, but it's somewhere on his back (and under his clothes) where he can't easily see it. The Phantom Dragon's whole thing is that she spreads her babies to all the server hubs by dropping them off and leaving, but little Bdubs refused to go, so he just clung to her the whole time until she finally did ditch him in Underdark Crossing, where he met Cleo.

If you ask him about it, he'll spin a story about how it was all his idea to go solo and that's what makes him a good captain. He has huge issues with it, though, because his mom totally dumped him and he's not over it.

Martyn's also a phantom, but he never went through that because he was adopted by hybrids as an egg. Bdubs gets very jealous when his friends talk about having a good relationship with their moms. Secretly, he likes how Etho's mom also picked him up by the scruff and dumped him in New Star. It's something they have in common, though Bdubs will never admit it.

Bdubs probably has a lot of deep-seeded resentment towards Martyn being adopted, because supposedly he's "told Martyn horror stories about the phantom nesting hub" and may or may not have played a role in poisoning Martyn's relationship with the Phantom Dragon.

Also, at the end of Dog's Life Chapter 32 ("Starve"), we learned that SnifferMyFeet has a huge X-shaped scar on his back from each shoulder to hip, crossing both his Grian and Joel halves. Still working through the good ol' body possession trauma.

Tango specializes in aesthetic mods and one of the things he does is help people make their scars more subtle. You can't scrap them forever - you have to let go of your frustration to do that - but you can lower their intensity.

As an allay hybrid / fey, Scott can gather your memories of what happened to cause a soul wound, but you'll never be able to work through the issues, so you'll be left with a scar and won't remember why it's there or how to get rid of it.

Hmm... Who do I know who has a backstory they want to forget and got confused when Scott referenced something from their past that they didn't have an answer for...?

Send “📂“ for a random yet completely useless headcanon I have

[vesearlee]

Cars were all the same to you: classics, imports, you name it, they were all the same, until you were forced to visit your local mechanic after a nightmare of a drive. It was that day that you saw the man that would pique your interest, not only in every single make and model of classic car that had driven on tarmac, but his charming smile; the air of righteous arrogance that flowed from his tattoos, and that damned cheeky glint in his bright eyes.

⠈⠂⠄⠄ 𝑪𝑶𝑳𝑳𝑬𝑪𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵 𝑷𝑨𝑰𝑹𝑰𝑵𝑮 ✯ Mechanic!Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

⠈⠂⠄⠄ 𝑪𝑶𝑳𝑳𝑬𝑪𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵 𝑷𝑳𝑨𝒀𝑳𝑰𝑺𝑻 ✯ 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄

⠈⠂⠄⠄ 𝑨𝑹𝑪𝑯𝑰𝑽𝑬 𝑶𝑭 𝑶𝑼𝑹 𝑶𝑾𝑵 ✯ 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄

𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

— 𝐀 = angst — 𝐖 = whump — 𝐈 = sick fic — 𝐃 = dark — 𝐃² = dead dove — 𝐏 = poly — 𝐊 = kid fic — 𝐅 = fluff — 𝐒 = smut

All entries are in timeline order — this is subject to change as I add any inclusive works for this collection.

✯ 𝐆𝐨 𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐲, 𝐆𝐨 — 𝐅 There had never been a real need for you to visit your local mechanic. Your car was sturdy and stubborn, taking hit, after hit, after hit, and you just rolled with the punches. Until you landed in a tough spot — stuck on the side of the road, conveniently close to Barnes Classics Restoration. 

✯ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝 — 𝐅 Time was irrelevant when it came to Bucky — he was gravity, and you were helplessly pulled to him like a moth to a flame. When it finally came time to collect your car from his garage, you walked away with much more than just your keys.

✯ 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 — 𝐅 Barnes Classics Restoration was a hive of activity — something was always going on within the walls of that garage, and you counted yourself lucky to be amongst it all.

✯ 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 — 𝐅 + 𝐒 Who knew uttering a simple phrase would turn the man that had only ever been gentle and teasing, into a feral beast with only one goal in mind — to ruin you?

✯ 𝐀 𝐌𝐚𝐧 𝐎𝐧 𝐚 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 — 𝐅 Spontaneity was second nature when you were dating Bucky Barnes, the classic and mechanic extraordinaire. But, what he asked for that particular night caught even you by surprise.

✯ 𝐒𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲, 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐒𝐢𝐧 — 𝐅 + 𝐒 Bucky's touch was akin to that of a sniper, methodical, precise, and never missing its target. It left you breathless and sated, with a sweet aftermath lingering in its wake.

✯ 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 — 𝐅 + 𝐒 There was an unspoken habit of yours that you seemed to continuously exploit at Bucky’s expense — at least this time, it ended in something that would have you squeezing your thighs together at the very memory.

✯ 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐊𝐧𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐩 — 𝐅 The day had finally come — for so long you had chomped at the bit for the chance to drive one of Bucky’s prized cars, and here it was, the day of your birthday. And you were going to take it for all that it was worth, regardless of the consequences.

✯ 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰 — 𝐅 + 𝐒 It was your first classic car meet and you were excited for what lay ahead. Meeting others within the scene and maybe the possibility of making friends was your goal, but what awaited you was much, much more intense — for better, or for worse.

✯ 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 — 𝐅 To turn the Grinches into Reindeer, you needed to work hard to win them all over — some were easier than others, but with your own Santa on your side, it made it all the easier.

✯ 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 — 𝐅 + 𝐒 The distractions of festivities irked Bucky like no other, especially when you were standing there as though you weren’t the woman of his dreams, innocently decorating the living room and the Christmas tree within it. 

You weren’t to know just how far he would push and prod, not until it was too late.

✯ 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐢𝐞𝐝 — 𝐒 Surprises were not an unexpected occurrence when you come to think of it, not when you had Bucky Barnes as your boyfriend, though you had to give him credit where credit was due — he was a crafty, cunning man when it counted.

✯ 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐓𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐞 — 𝐅 The call for the cavalry would never go unanswered, but it would be remiss of your boyfriend to not tease you a little first.

✯ 𝐂𝐚𝐫 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 ⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄ By @smutconnoisseur

[sleepy0s]

L Sam

This showed up in my incorrect quotes.

Yhs Sam: Hey, can you do me a favor?

Evo grian: Sorry, I have to go do literally anything other than this.

Yhs Sam: You don’t even have a legitimate reason?

Evo grian: Oh, no, I do.

Yhs Sam: Well, what is it?

Evo grian: You see, I simply don’t give a fuck.

(SO to make this work, ima say YHS Sam was transported to the Evo timeline)

———

You know, when Sam woke up this week he didn’t think he was going to end up in a different server and time. But hey, at least Gree-on and Taurtis are here.

~~

“Why is it like this!?” Sam yelled at the sky, once again. Minecraft Beta sucked. “I’ll just go ask Gree-on for help.” So of he went, searching for Grian.

He found him at spawn, he unfortunately was with two others, a blondie with small canary wings and some funky looking moth girl. Whatever, he’d still ask.

“Hey! Gree-on!” The moth girl immediately brought Grian closer to her, staring daggers at Sam, “Jeez okay..aggressive much.”

Grian sighed, “what do you want?”

“Gree-on can you do me a favor..?” Grian pretended to think about it for a second, whispering to the canary who started laughing. “Sorry, I have to go do literally anything other than this.”

Sam seemed taken aback, “you don’t even have a legitimate excuse?”

“No. No I do.”

Sam crossed his arms, his rabbit ears flopping forwards in annoyance, “Well what is it?”

Grian leaned back into the moth girl, “You see, I simply don’t give a fuck.” The moth girl watched Sam’s face turn into fury and started chuckling.

“Oh you! Gree-on how dare you! You watch. I’ll go find this ‘Evo smp’ Admin.” He put quotation marks around the words Evo Smp and stormed of, leaving the three laughing.

[that-darn-clown]

hi. had some thoughts about something.

so like. there's a Fazbear Frights story about, well, Fazbear's Fright/Fnaf 3, featuring a character named Hudson.

now...technically speaking, "What We Found" is canon in Blurred Lenses. but not in the way you'd think.

and by that i mean "it's My timeline/characterization of William, so I get to do whatever the fuck i want"

for one thing, Hudson gets...a happier ending here (even if he gets maimed/mauled a little, but y'know. He Doesn't Fucking Die, At Least).

another thing to note: William has an uncanny ability to effectively draw abused and/or neglected children (or those who once Were children) to him like moths to a flame. this will be important, and i'll let you figure out how.

so now...onto a summary of what happens to Hudson.

-----

it's 2008, and Fazbear Entertainment (or, to be more accurate, what's left of them) decides to open a "museum" of sorts to showcase the company's darker history, with a "pizzeria recreation" section made out of old artifacts found at the old locations (with an emphasis placed on NOT TOUCHING ANYTHING) where the security office and certain emergency exits were found. they had...a few different night shifts, unlike the pizzerias themselves (which only had one): the 6-9 PM shift, the 9 PM-12 AM shift, and, of course, the infamous 12-6 AM shift.

enter Hudson, a young man just trying to get a fresh start to life, gets a job as the 9-12 guard. after leaving home (mostly to escape a stepfather that he was honestly starting to worry was going to kill him if he didn't leave soon), he decides to apply for a job at "Fazbear's Frightening Past" as a way to get money for rent.

but...after only a couple of nights working, he gets these mysterious phone calls from a "higher-up" in the company who just calls himself "Will." it's...a comforting presence, especially during the nights where he's alone. even better...the guy seems interested in learning about him, not just spewing random bullshit at him for a few hours.

Hudson finds his paycheck mysteriously raised after mentioning his situation in passing during one of these phone calls, and when questioned, just mentioned that he'd been talking to a "higher-up" and no one seemed to look into it too hard. it's enough for him to pay for essentials and to treat himself a little. well, sure, it's a bit fishy, but hey, never look a gift horse in the mouth, right?

it gets...stranger after FE brings in an old O'Hare animatronic...that they then place in the pizzeria section (Hudson wishes they'd put it literally anywhere else; it gives him the creeps). suddenly, his calls with "Will" get significantly clearer and easier to listen to. the man seems to know what he looks like all of a sudden ("Will" claims that it's because of a picture of Hudson in the company records, and...well, who's Hudson to argue?), among other odd occurrences (electronics flickering, the animatronic Straight Up Moving, which "Will" just tells Hudson not to worry about because "it's harmless," etc.).

then something else happens.

Hudson's practically a wreck on the phone call a few nights later; Lewis, his stepfather, has been showing up at his apartment lately, harassing Hudson and his neighbors, and the poor kid's at his limit.

the next night, he learns of two things: The Animatronic went mysteriously missing during the previous shift before suddenly showing back up at the end (while the night guard before Hudson was blamed, they weren't fired), and seemed to have blood around the paw and claw area that seemed to have been fucking cleaned somehow.

the second? Lewis was in a coma at the hospital. something had attacked him.

there were two reasons Hudson was ruled out as a suspect: for one, he was at another job of his, and his alibi was solid. uh...two?

Lewis had been maimed. no human could've done that to him, or it was incredibly unlikely.

Hudson mentions this on his call with "Will" and notes that the man seems...odd. he seems somewhat disappointed that Lewis survived.

the next night is when ALL hell breaks loose.

while on his phone call with "Will," The Animatronic comes to his office doorway. but that isn't the worrying part.

no, it's that Hudson is starting to hear "Will's" voice coming from it.

at first, he chalks it up to the thing somehow mimicking the man's voice, and that "Will" had only gone silent because he'd heard the voice coming from The Animatronic.

but he starts to realize, with dawning horror, that this is no act of mimicry.

the man he's been talking to this whole time is standing right in front of him, and he doesn't seem as friendly anymore.

Hudson makes a run for it through the halls, trying to make it back to the main part of the building. all while struggling with the fact that the very same man who'd offered Hudson a shoulder to cry on, who he'd poured his soul out to, was now chasing him down to likely kill him. he tries to wrack his brain around why and how this was happening, what he'd done to deserve any of this, before he effectively finds himself being slammed down to the ground, hard.

he doesn't think he's been in so much pain before. he honestly thinks that he's going to die (he wonders, briefly, if this is what Lewis felt).

as he's drifting in and out of consciousness, he eventually awakens to see someone, not a coworker of his, sitting over him, expressing shock that he was even alive, before the person (who introduced himself as "Mike") shushes him, hands him some bandages and a cloth to press against the wounds on his chest to hopefully buy Hudson some time, and tells him to stay still and quiet for the time being; that he and "Sammy" (who Hudson vaguely recognizes as the guard whose shift was after his own) would get him some help in a few hours.

he watches, delirious, as Mike quietly moves and hides in the building, going as far as even trying to lure The Animatronic away from where Hudson was hiding.

he woke up in the hospital, with the doctors and nurses expressing shock that he was alive, and with a check and a note from Mike and Sammy, but mostly Mike ("Sorry my dad's an asshole; take some money, get out of town, and get yourself some therapy. Get better soon, man!").

he didn't need to be told that twice. thank god he had family out of town...

he still doesn't really know what happened there. or how he's even alive.

Ough!!!!!

[jalapainio]

As I've been reading Comics, I've slowly been assembling a Batman readthrough Timeline, which encompasses the full scale of Batman. I made a post before of years 1-10, but now I have years 1-17 (Sorting them based on eras rather than by dates). Each also includes a canonized Trade Paperback list, for anyone who wants to read this timeline!

(Also this is going to be a long one)

Years 1-10

These years will mostly encompas reprints and post-crisis retells of the Golden and Silver Ages.

Batman Year 1: 22 year old Bruce (first of many soft head cannons) becomes Batman. Many early villains of Batman pop up, including Joker, Catwoman, Mad Hatter, Riddler, and Calendar Man. Canonized Comics include Batman: Year One and Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

Batman Year 2: This year is dedicated entirely to the Long Halloween, which also introduced Poison Ivy, Solomon Grundy, and most famously, Two-Face. Canonized Comics include Batman: The Long Halloween.

Batman Year 3: Much like Year 2, Year 3 is dedicated to its sequel, Dark Victory. In it, a new serial killer known as the Hangman has started killing cops in Gotham. This year sees the end of the classic Mafia in Gotham, and ten year old Dick Grayson being taken in by Bruce Wayne. While he does put on the Robin colors and even goes out with Batman, he is not Robin just yet. Canonized Comics include Batman: Dark Victory.

Batman Year 4: This year gives the main focus towards training Dick. We can also assume that the Justice League, or at least a version of it, has been formed during this year. In addition, Killer Croc is introduced. Also, Batman, Superman, and Wonderwoman meet. Canonized Comics include Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman: Trinity

Batman Year 5: The beginning of year five starts with a bang, with Darkside invading earth. The Original Justice League is formed. I used the basis of the New 52 Justice League 1: Origin as a starting point, and until I can find a better comic, that is the ‘origin’ of the Justice League. While most of the year is like the one above, a calm year for Batman, at the end of year, 12 year old Dick wears the Robin suit for the technically second time. He is the one who makes his suit, angry at Bruce for forcing him through constant training as a stall to prevent Dick from going out. Canonized Comics include Justice League 1: Origin and Robin and Batman.

Batman Year 6: Dick goes through his next big villain during the spring of this year, facing off against Two-Face. After a brief moment when he is fired as Robin, he returns to the Cape, this time with a new perspective on his role. Canonized Comics include Robin Year One.

Batman Year 7: Dick, while working with Batman, notices Bruce's strange behavior. Collaborating with his other teen heroes he met in Year 5, he figures out that the entire Justice League is acting weird! Together, the five (Robin, Speedy, Kid Flash, Aqualad, and Wondergirl) team up and work together to take down the Justice League! They called themselves the Teen Titans. Later, Barbara Gordon, 16 years old and an accelerated graduate of College (she has to be not on a normal track, or else her entire relationship with Dick would just be so weird) puts on a bat themed costume to spite her father, and ends up going against Killer Moth. Batgirl, as she's newly christrained, is supported by Robin (but not Batman) to become a superhero. Firefly takes up the costume with Killer Moth, and Batgirl takes them down. Canonized Comics include Teen Titans: Year One and Batgirl: Year One

Batman Year 8: Batman and Superman work together to defeat the Devil Nazha, which ends up with Dick being stuck in time. Bruce rescues him. Also, sometime this year something went down between Dick and Supergirl, but I cannot for the life of me figure it out. Canonized Comics include Batman/Superman World's Finest: Devil Nazha

Batman Year 9: Batman and Superman deal with a new superhero from another dimension and travel around the world to “have their strangest adventures yet.” Idk what that means, but I do know they fit on the Timeline right here. Canonized Comics include, Batman/Superman World's Finest: Strange Visitor and Batman/Superman World's Finest: Elementary.

Batman Year 10: 17 year old Dick and the rest of the Teen Titans fight off a rabid cult of fans! Again, I haven't read it, but I want to. Canonized Comics include World's Finest Teen Titans.

Alright, you still with me? Good. Here is years 11-17. These years mostly encompass the 80s and 90s Batman and the first three robins.

Batman Year 11: The New Teen Titans are formed! While I'm not including the titans book, the New Teen Titans, as it is pre-crisis, many of the events still happen. Mainly, Starfire, Raven, and Cyborg join the team. Canonized Comics include N/A

Batman Year 12: Bruce gets concerned that Dick is spending too much time torn between several different responsibilities, between College, the Teen Titans, and helping Batman as Robin. In a fit of anger, and oh boy how I hate that phrase and how it perfectly describes what happened here, he fires Dick as Robin. Dick goes on to become Nightwing, and 12-Years-Old Jason Todd is taken in as the New Robin. Canonized Comics include Nightwing: Year One

Batman Year 13: Unlike Dick, Jason gets thrust into his role as Robin. He learns of his father's true fate; that he was killed by Two-Face. Going out of his way he almost kills Two-Face, but decides not to. Canonized Comics include N/A (I tried so hard, but I could not find the comics referenced in Death in the Family. Oh well!)

Batman Year 14: Jason and Bruce fight off a cult led by the mad Dean Blackfire. Bruce gets brainwashed, reminds himself why he fights, and then destroys the totem that controlled the cult. Barbara Gordon also retires from Batgirl this year. Canonized comics include Batman: The Cult

Batman Year 15: Barbara Gordon is shot by the Joker, and becomes paralyzed for life. In addition Jason finds out that his mother is still alive, and goes off to find her. This ends with him being beaten to death with a crowbar by the Joker. Bruce goes into a fit of grief, putting himself into more and more danger, until 6 months later, 13-Year-Old Tim Drake takes up the mantle. Canonized Comics include Batman: The Killing Joke, Batman: Death in the Family and Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying (Sometimes these stories are sold together, sometimes separately).

Batman Year 16: Oh boy. Here's the first hearty year. Firstly, Tim goes to train with Shiva for a couple of months. While this happens, Superman dies. Tim returns home. Bruce meets Azrael, and they fight before Azreal joins Batman’s crusade. As Bruce and Tim start to figure out their relationship, Bane comes into the city, breaks every criminal out of Arkham, and breaks Bruce's Back. Bruce leaves to go on a trip to rediscover himself, and Azrael becomes the next Batman, kicking Robin out of the Batcave and becoming more and more ruthless. Tim goes off and meets Spoiler, his girlfriend, and defeats the Cluemaster. Bruce begins to Travel all around the world, learning how to cure his back. Canonized Comics include Robin: Reborn, Batman: Sword of Azrael, Batman: Knightfall, Robin: Solo and Batman: Knightquest

Batman Year 17: He returns after doing so, defeating Azrael and establishing himself as Top Dog once more. He takes a quick break, letting Dick Grayson take a quick stint as Batman, before returning to the role of Nightwing and moving to Bludhaven. Also important to note, though no comics here reference it, the Birds of Prey begin here. Soon after this, however, a virus spreads throughout Gotham, causing the entire city to go on Lockdown. They defeat the one who caused the virus, and another crossover ends. During this year (Not Sure exactly when), Batman’s failsafe gets released, and Batman is voted out of the Justice League. Canonized Comics include Batman: KnightsEnd, Batman: Prodigal, Robin Turning Point, Batman: Contagion and JLA: Tower of Babel

I’ll be making a few more Batman Timelines after this, adding on Years 18 and 19 (No Man’s Land and War Games), Years 20 and 21 (Damian, Jason, and Bruce’s Death), Years 22 and 23 (Return of Bruce Wayne and New 52), and Year 24 (Rebirth). But each of these are hearty as I try and narrow down the top 15 comics to include for each.

[mud-castle]

(Same nonny) I also saw that Hawk/Squilf would happen as an arranged union, which I am v curious about, especially bc you said the “drama is spicy there”. May I have the tea? Also, who would Dove/Ivy’s second parent be? And - sorry for the question bombardment - are arranged unions commonplace in the DM clans?

Bombard me, I beg.

I'm noticing that I'm treating the clans like miniature kingdoms more and more in Dark Mirror, lol.

The whole thing is messy af right now due to serious timeline issues I'm trynna work out but:

Basically, Leopardstar is on the thinnest of ice with Misty after the whole Tigerclan debacle. Honestly, she's barely treading ice-water with Misty. Leopard's refusal to go with the clans until the last possible minute mostly do to her pride was the last straw. Maybe Reedwhisker is taken or something. So Misty goes to TC and Fire is more than happy to aid.

Having both worked together to take down Tigerstar and Leopardstar, they're like "yo, we should like officially align." or maybe they get a sign or something who knows. This is basically the only legal way half-clan cats can be born.

Anywayyy, the end result is Hawkfrost (eligible because he's deputy) and Squilf (eligible because she's the leader's daughter) getting cat married. Squilf especially does not appreciate this.

Anyway the deed is done and Leaf returns to the clans. A mess of things happen, Leaf discovers she is preggers and leaves the clans a bit before the three are born (partially because she's preggers, but for a number of other reasons.)

Now this area is extremely messy, but it's my favorite. For background, Leaf has always been the favorite. She has a calm mind, and strong presence. Whereas Squilf only has one of those things and is highly prone to impulsivity. Squilf feels she's not treated with the proper respect. So, when Squilf turns out to be barren and knows Leaf is about to have kits, she strikes out on her own and steals the Three. Which is the start of their sibling rivalry to actual enemies arc.

There's also a bit of a parallel with Hawkfrost and Brambleclaw in there. One being the respected deputy of Riverclan, the other a social pariah turned exile, both with the same father. Actually...there could be quite a bit of that with Hawk v Moth and Bramble v Tawny too. Maybe I'll have Moth join Leaf's cause then hmmm.....

Idk who Dove/Ivy's second parent would be tbh. I'm open to suggestions tho.

Arranged unions are made in the case of an alliance between two clans, but with extra assurance. It's a deeper form of allyship. Generally made between the leaders themselves, leaders' kids, the deputy, or a high-ranking warrior with the ability to become deputy. Tiger & Leopard should've gotten married, which should've been everyone's first tip that something was up with this whole uniting thing. No, it's not common, but it is quite binding and shameful for a clan to break.