#Uncracked AU

[carnation-damnation]

Slowly getting through the rest of the cast. Here's anti-amy, Rascal!

[uncracked-case]

I want you

Er…

That’s certainly honest of you, I suppose.

You should have at least taken me out to dinner first before you stated that, however.

I would have been delighted to indulge you.

…

…I hope you didn’t think I was being serious.

…Let’s just move onto the next question.

(I sincerely hope the next ask isn’t like this one…you’re pathetic.)

[sleeps-au-bag]

ok ok ok

ace time loop au BUT riddle somehow becomes aware of the time loops as well so now they're looping together. it's just them against this forever-looping world and neither girl knows how to healthily deal with it. you can't really just tell others you're stuck in a time loop without people thinking you're crazy for it.

it's just them against the world. just two girls who know of timelines that have simultaneously happened and not.

[s1ld3n4f1l]

dingaling had to make buzzo and lisa's relationship unhealthy cause he knew that if they weren't they'd be unstoppable.

[betawooper]

no you dont understand how long ive waited for the reveal of who tls123 was gonna be bc i was gonna immediately trans their gender in my au and my god its so funny im having the time of my life

[n0-n1c]

⚰️ nov 12: zombie au ⚱️

lighthouse au | coffee shop au | zombie au

it's rin week 2024 & we're starting out strong: with dead rin. brought to you by kabuto, most likely to mess with kakashi! no agency whatsoever! she is a dead prop again! 💀 if she had a ryo for every time she was made into a seal-controlled weapon against her allies, well...

i will bring you ruin in everything i do it's never my intention, but it happens all the same -- ruin (the amazing devil)

brown and white drawing ink, brown and white paper, 24x24cm

the song lyrics as a whole don't really fit (it's about a crumbling relationship) but i like the music and the cracks & kindness & not coming back

cause brick by brick, you built us and i'd fill in the cracks nothing quite prepares you for when they don't come back i wish i'd done things different, i wish that i'd been brave i wish i'd known these stones were something i could save

miss corpse here is still wearing her headband (uncracked)

kunai with a control tag; taken from a screenshot of orochimaru stabbing it into edo tensei hashirama

obligatory heart shot

my cursive writing sucks because i only use it for stuff like this

supposed to be a test of white ink and its opacity on darker paper, somehow this happened. who am i to fight my art urges? ^^

+ playing with a filter that makes the brown look like gold leaf plating:

[xiaosonlybeloved]

Hi! Saw your requests were open and I wanted to ask for Heizou and the Hanahaki prompt, please? 🙏🏼 you try your best to hide it from him but being the genius detective he is, he figures it out. I’d love to see how you write it!

Melancholy -Heizou

featuring:- Shikanoin Heizou, fem!reader, brief mentions of Kujou Sara tags:- Hanahaki AU, angst, hurt/no comfort, brief mentions of blood a/n:- im so so sorry anon for writing this so late! But here you go, and i hope you like it :) thank u for requesting! (i think it would kill me to actually write fluff for once)(also if i made a taglist, would you guys sign up?) wc:- 2.5k

masterlist

∼⟪◍⟫∼

‘He knew.’ You realised with a sinking heart as his firm eyes searched yours for answers, a hint of disbelief and concern in them. He’d figured it out.

∼⟪◍⟫∼

Everything started out small. It always does.

For you, it started the very day you two met, little by little. You’d needed someone to help you find and retrieve some books from your treasured collection that had gone missing, and good old Detective Heizou was the one assigned to help you.

He didn’t take long to draw you in. The charisma and confidence in his voice, the intelligence and wit sparkling in his eyes with a hint of mischief, the amusement dancing subtly across his face. Everything about him pulled you deeper in. Not to mention, you were incredibly impressed at how efficient he was at his job, despite his carefree, playful attitude- within 24 hours, each and every one of the missing books had been neatly stacked in a pile along with an apology letter from the thief, and Heizou had returned them to you, with that charmingly cocky grin of his. You’d thanked him profusely then, and he’d waved it off as just helping out a bit. He even refused to take payment, insisting that if you really wanted, you could repay him with a nice lunch or dinner.

Since then, your ‘friendship’ with Heizou only grew.with time.The next time you met, it was an accidental encounter in the streets of Inazuma, and then you’d repaid him with that promised lunch. After that, you two just seemed to bump into each other more often, or perhaps you both just noticed each other both. More than a year passed, and you two were fast friends.

Just friends.

You didn’t know when those pesky feelings started to develop, but they did, taking root in your heart like a bug. And your poor heart cracked a bit more everytime Heizou called you his best friend with a grin, or when he casually flirted with random people, your emotions covered with an airy smile that betrayed none of what you felt, unfortunately for you. If only he knew…

∼⟪◍⟫∼

“[Y/NNNN]!” Heizou called over to you with a grin as you stood talking to the owner of one of the flower shops in Inazuma, running over as if to give you some great news. Your heart jumped a bit to see him again, even if it had only been less than a day since you last saw him. “What is it now, ‘Zou?” you chuckled. “Which uncrackable case have you cracked now?” He stopped right in front of you, breathless. “Guess what? Kujou Sara confessed to me! Can you believe it? The high and mighty, proud general Sara?” He was laughing. 

You raised an eyebrow, trying to mask your surprise and disappointment. She got there first, huh? “Well? What did you say?” “I said yes, of course. Now boom, we’re dating.” Heizou replied easily.

You took in a deep breath, feeling like a hundred knives had been stabbed into you. But you needed to hide it, because Heizou was still looking at you expectantly, awaiting your response.

You’d always be his best friend. Not his lover.

This cold truth seemed to sink into your heart, as you controlled your facial expressions, making an excited smile that probably seemed very fake to the sharp eyes of someone like Heizou. You quickly followed it up. “Dang, I never thought I’d live to see the day when you actually dated someone! Man alive, am I surprised.” Heizou laughed again, his eyes crinkling, driving the wedge deeper into your heart. “Never thought I would too.” Then looking at his phone, he apparently remembered something as he quickly said, “Oh darn, I totally forgot I had to meet up with a client right now. See ya around, [Y/N]!”

You smiled sadly as he ran away, your heartbreak now visible on your face. You return your attention to the store owner who looks at you curiously. “Sorry, Ma’am, but I won’t be needing the flowers anymore. Could you please cancel my order?” The lady looked at you in sympathy as she nodded, probably having figured out who you were planning to confess to.

Back at home, you suddenly doubled over in a coughing fit, your lungs hurting.

∼⟪◍⟫∼

You’d stayed holed up at home for the next few days. Believe it or not, it actually wasn’t because of your broken heart. You’d fallen ill, and it greatly annoyed you. You kept coughing your throat out, and it wasn’t stopping. You did go about your normal routine for the first few days after Heizou told you, but then it got bad and you started staying home. Your friends often visited you, keeping you company. With their presence, you did seem to get a bit better.

So why was it that Heizou coming over out of concern for you always made you cough more?

One evening, he’d come over like always, with some medicines this time for bad coughs. Looking at his worried face at your deteriorating health, you wondered just how cruel it was for him to be always looking out for you, never knowing what you felt for him or what being with him did to you. 

Unfortunately, it was in front of him that your illness grew worse- you started coughing out blood, him panicked and trying to help you. 

Once you were temporarily better, he was insistent on staying the night with you to make sure that you didn’t get worse, but you made him leave reluctantly to get some rest. Immediately, you seemed to breathe a bit easier, even though your throat felt like there were vines practically growing in it. With that came an inkling suspicion of why you weren’t getting better. But it couldn’t be that, right? 

Then, a week later, you coughed out your first petal, confirming your worst fears.

∼⟪◍⟫∼

Purple hyacinths were known to mean sorrow, longing, etc. 'How fitting.' You thought bitterly as you ruminated upon your less-than-ideal situation. You’d known for a while now that you held strong feelings for Heizou, but you never thought it would actually develop into Hanahaki. Damn it… What do you do now? You had to at least confess to Heizou for a chance at surviving, no matter how slim. But that would be very hard to do, considering he’s literally dating. That thought brought a bitter taste in your mouth. The other option would be to get the surgery, but it would mean removing Heizou from your life for good, but you weren’t quite keen on doing that. If not… You’d die.

No. You would most certainly not allow yourself to die for a failed love. Sure, you really loved him, but there was no point in throwing away your life for someone. 

As you were thinking about this, there came a series of soft but strong knocks at your door. With a sigh, you dragged yourself down the stairs to see the visitor, noting that the knocks didn’t sound like Heizou’s or anyone else. 

When you see the person at your doorstep, your eyes light up after a long while. “Kokomi!” You exclaim as you run to hug your old friend. You’d been forced to part with her after you shifted from Watatsumi Island to Narukami Island, but you’d regularly kept in touch. Kokomi frowned as you led her into your home. “You’re ill, aren’t you?” “Yes indeed, Doctor Kokomi.” You tried to joke. Kokomi narrowed her eyes at you. “You smell of blood. What sickness do you have? I can heal you.”

You hesitate for a moment, unsure of whether to tell her or not. Not because you don’t trust her- she’s probably your most trusted confidante apart from Heizou, but because you’re a bit afraid of her reaction. With a sigh, you say, “Hanahaki.”

You could see it in the way her eyes fell. “Who is it? Heizou?” She asked, immediately understanding. You sighed in affirmation. “Can you heal me?” This time, it was Kokomi who was hesitant as she responded, “... I do know how to conduct the surgery, but there’s no other way out unless you confess and he accepts.” You grimaced. “Can you please keep this a secret from Heizou for now? I’m still thinking on what to do.” She nodded, looking resigned, but said, ”Alright, but you need to decide fast. To me, it looks like your illness is already quite severe. There is a certain stage beyond which the surgery cannot be conducted and the only option is to confess or die.” You nodded. “Thank you so much, Kokomi.” A while later, after you two had caught up with other topics, she left to go to the hotel she was staying at, giving you her address and telling her to come see you immediately if anything happened, along with some medicines for delaying the growth of the hanahaki.

∼⟪◍⟫∼ 

While you were chatting with Kokomi, Heizou was flipping through books on diseases and illnesses. Needless to say, he was worried sick on seeing that it had been weeks and your condition had only grown worse. 

On a different note, he had just broken up with Kujou Sara that morning. Things just weren’t working out, and he wasn’t interested anyways- he just wanted to try things out. So now, he had more time to find something to cure you. 

He groaned as he went through the list of symptoms. He had a feeling that he knew what was wrong with her, but he was too afraid to admit it. ‘Heavy persistent coughs that slowly deteriorate to frequent bloody coughs, along with a feeling of being unable to breathe. In the last stage, which is almost certainly fatal during the later phase, the victim coughs out flower petals symbolic of their situation, along with blood. When the flower petals change into full blooms, the surgery cannot be conducted anymore, and the disease becomes fatal.’

His heart sank- his worst fear had been confirmed. You had hanahaki. He hadn’t yet seen you cough out flower petals though- so there was still time. He’d talk to you about it today, unsure of whether you knew about Hanahaki or not. 

He also wondered who it was who was dumb enough to not accept or return your feelings. He would, in a jiffy.

∼⟪◍⟫∼

You sigh a little, enjoying the cool breeze hitting your face after so long. You were going over to pay Kokomi a visit, taking this as an excuse to get out of your house, which had started to feel cramped and stuffy. But of course, your moment of pleasure just had to be interrupted by another bout of flowery coughs as you hurried into some street corner to ensure that no one sees it. As you hurriedly stuff the purple flower petals with red, bloody edges into a bag you were carrying, a voice calls out to you that made dread settle in your heart.

Heizou stands there, staring directly at you and the bloody purple petals in your hands. 

‘He knew.’ You realised with a sinking heart as his firm eyes searched yours for answers, a hint of disbelief and concern in them. He’d figured it out.

“You didn’t tell me it had gotten this bad.” Heizou said quietly, stepping closer to you. “I didn’t want you to know.” You murmured a response, looking down at your feet to avoid his stare, his eyes still looking at you in disbelief. “Why? Why, [Y/N], why? Who is this person?” 

You gulp under his stare as you debate whether to tell him or not. Yes, you knew he was dating Sara but still… You were on your way to Kokomi’s anyways. The opportunity had presented itself, you should take it. 

“It’s you, Heizou. You’re the one I love.” you whisper as you look up to meet his gaze.

You wish you hadn’t. Then you wouldn’t have seen the way the disbelief in his eyes changed into shock, surprise, and denial.

It was clear as day to you- Heizou didn’t return your feelings, you were dumb for thinking you had a chance.

You ran past him straight to Kokomi’s, wanting to escape. On the way, you could feel another round of flowers coming up your throat, but you held them down till you reached your destination.

Meanwhile Heizou stood still, shocked at what had transpired, a hand outstretched in the direction you had ran.

It was him.

As his brain finally processed things, he was still in disbelief and shock. He had been smart enough to figure out that you had hanahaki, but much too dumb to realise who it was directed towards. It was then that he forced his body to run, to search for you.

Late into the night, he still had no idea where you went, as he stood in the desolate streets of Inazuma, hands clenched.

∼⟪◍⟫∼

More than a year had passed since then, and he had no clue of your whereabouts, or if you were even alive or dead. Everytime he thought of you, regret and guilt filled him as he cursed himself out.. If only he’d told her his feelings instead of hiding them like an idiot. If only he’d run after her immediately. If only he’d figured out your feelings faster. If only, if only…

He was in Watatsumi Island for a new case, although his efficiency at work had decreased over the last year. He thought he might as well take some time off for himself, give himself some time to recuperate quietly. 

But it seemed fate had other plans for him, as his eyes fell upon a figure in the woods of Watatsumi Island, one more than familiar to him.

His heart jumped into his throat as the figure straightened, then turned to look at him. “...[Y/N]?” He ran towards you to engulf you in a hug, but stopped short on seeing the expression on your face. There was curiosity, but not an inkling of recognition.

Ah. So that’s why he didn’t see you anymore. You’d taken the surgery and moved out.

“Oh, do I know you? May I help you? I see you are new here.” You said with a kind, polite smile, the one that you usually reserved for strangers.

His heart and fists clenched as he realised that you had no idea who he was anymore. As he realised that once again, he was too late.

[requests are open for now (please check requests page) ] tags and comments are very much appreciated!

[crescentdream3r]

Hey there! Intro post alert.

My name's Crescent. (You can call me Cres if you'd like, though.) I'm a guy who mainly posts DCA and Dandy's World content, though I do post / reblog other fandoms from time to time! I go by they/them and he/him. I post about my ocs sometimes. NAVIGATING TAGS: #crescent's art #crescent answers #crescent's text posts ASK BLOG(s)?: Uncracked Case - Dandy World AU

You can ask me questions here if you're curious about anything; requests are also open! I don't bite.

—-

Art Trades: Open

Commissions: Open

[cookiesrunaus-whitelily]

Welcome to this account, where I will publish my cookie run au's.

Mainly White Lily Cookie because it is my favorite.

The first au: White Lily Dragon Cookie (daughter of Longan Dragon and Millennial Tree)

So many years ago Longan Dragon and Millennial Tree had a relationship before they separated.

At that time, they both had an egg.

But when the fights started, the harmony and affection was replaced with fighting and yelling.

In one of their fights, the nest where the egg was found was destroyed, both beings believed that their egg had been crushed.

Both blamed each other, and separated.

Until Millennial Tree found the egg, it was cold but uncracked.

Since then, Millennial Tree has been guarding and hiding her daughter from other cookies or dragons.

[shamelesslymkp]

REC: Catbit (AltairAstralia) - Last Night on Earth - Multifandom [Archive of Our Own]

URL: https://ift.tt/9OadRB2 The ruins of the city rose up from the ground like shattered teeth, jagged and splintered, biting into the sky with a stark, alien viciousness. A graveyard disturbed, mired fields of churned up earth and chunks of stony rubble. Craters blasted into the pavement, splinters of broken glass glinting between piles of debris like tiny bastard stars– No stone uncracked, no building untouched. Smokey remnants drifted long between the dimming clouds, thick ribbons of lethargic, billowing ash all black and gunmetal gray, exhaling from toppled buildings like a sigh. Or final breath. It settled over the city’s carcass like a shroud. Like the fog that lingers over the road in the early morning. And everywhere, fires simmered dim and glistening– like clumps of hot coals in a bonfire. Banked, it seemed, from several days of burning, their rage already depleted. Whatever had happened that night, Amity Park had not gone quietly. April 21, 2016 USA Today The Amity Investigation; FBI, Justice League et al. Quietly Declare Cold Case! DPxDC Limetown/Analog Horror Fusion AU

(Words: 90,139, WIP) !!!fandom, !!fic, |site:ao3, +danny.phantom, +batman.-.all.media.types, +dcu, +dcu.(comics), +justice.league.-.all.media.types, :::teen.and.up.audiences, ::::multi, r:jazz.fenton/jason.todd, r:danny.fenton/tucker.foley/sam.manson, r:danny.fenton.&.danielle."dani".phantom, r:batfamily.members.(dcu).&.danny.phantom.ensemble, r:minor.or.background.relationship(s), r:danny.fenton.&.jazz.fenton, ~ao3:halfa.|.half-ghost.jason.todd.(danny.phantom), ~ao3:ecto-contaminated.|.liminal.batfamily.members.(danny.phantom.and.dcu), ~ao3:good.parent.bruce.wayne, ~ao3:bad.parents.jack.and.maddie.fenton, ~ao3:torture, ~ao3:blood.and.gore, ~ao3:imprisonment, ~ao3:hurt/comfort, ~ao3:hurt.no.comfort, ~ao3:danny.fenton.needs.a.hug, ~ao3:good.sibling.jason.todd, ~ao3:protective.jason.todd, ~ao3:found.family, ~ao3:vivisection, ~ao3:ecto-contaminated.|.liminal.jazz.fenton, ~ao3:ecto-contaminated.|.liminal.sam.manson, ~ao3:ecto-contaminated.|.liminal.tucker.foley, ~ao3:major.character.undeath, ~ao3:task.force.x.(dcu), ~ao3:government.conspiracy, ~ao3:human.experimentatio

YOOOOOOOO READ THIS

[rabbitcruiser]

National Egg Day 

National Egg Day on June 3 finds eggs finally breaking out of their shell.

Eggs had some tough years as health experts fretted about the high cholesterol content. But after a revision of the American Heart Association’s guidelines in 2000, the health benefits of eggs seemed to outweigh the concerns. The AHA says healthy adults can enjoy an egg per day and easily remain within the daily cholesterol limit.

Also, a single egg has only 75 calories, which is great for those looking to lose weight. And the seven grams of protein in an average egg almost makes this a superfood with a great calorie-to-protein ratio. So those of us who are big fans of poached, scrambled, over easy, hard-boiled, fried, sunny-side-up, or soft-boiled eggs can feel free to use National Egg Day to utter that timeless phrase, “How do you want your eggs?” And it doesn’t matter if it’s 7am, 7pm, or somewhere in between.

Eggs are great to eat anytime … or any day, for that matter.

National Egg Day timeline

Neolithic AgeWhich Came First?

Archaeological evidence for egg consumption dates back to this period.

1400 B.C.Earliest Records

Fowl lay eggs for human consumption as early as 1400 B.C., according to records from Egypt and China.

300 B.C.What an Idea!

Chicken farmers start incubating chicken eggs in warm clay ovens.

1920sPrimitive Methods

Eggs are still mostly farmed in backyards.

National Egg Day Activities

Try eating a non-chicken egg

Try a new recipe with eggs

Emphasize eggs in your day’s activities

Although Americans primarily eat chicken eggs, that’s not the case in all cultures. Pheasant, quail, goose, gull, and turkey eggs are all popular to eat around the world, offering a slightly different taste from chicken eggs. Consider trying duck eggs, which have more of an orange and blue tint to them. Do you need more food at breakfast? An emu egg is equal to about 12 chicken eggs, while an ostrich egg is equal to about 24 chicken eggs.

Don’t let National Egg Day slip away without cooking a new egg recipe. Consider trying an egg recipe from another culture, such as huevos Mexicana, oyakodon (from Japan), or the French "omelet au boudin de Nancy." (Every French recipe just naturally sounds great.)

Eggs aren’t just for eating on this day. Consider visiting the local zoo and see if you can learn more about birds and eggs in nature. Build a birdhouse with a transparent plastic back so you can see the eggs and the hatchlings as they develop. And because it’s June, consider playing Mythbusters at home and testing whether it’s hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk.

Why We Love National Egg Day

Arts & eggs

They can be prepared so many ways

They're good for the brain

Although most people crack the egg shell over the frying pan and don’t think any further about it, uncracked eggshells are great for crafts. Of course, at Easter time, many people paint and decorate hard-boiled eggs. But you can use eggs in arts and crafts at other times too. Hollowed out eggs of all sizes — from ostriches to robins — are used in home crafts and decorations. Just make sure you hollow out the egg first.

We feel pretty confident in saying that, no matter how much you love eating egg dishes, you haven’t tried every possible way to cook eggs. (And if you’re sure you have, you should apply to be the permanent CEO of National Egg Day.) Eggs can be cooked alone or placed in other dishes. Because nearly every culture incorporates eggs into its cuisine, the number of worldwide egg recipes is almost endless.

Nutritionists have not only found that the nutritional value of eggs outweighs their cholesterol level, but that eggs have a positive effect on brain development and on memory enhancement. The nutrient, choline, which is similar to the family of B- vitamins, plays a part in the process of developing signaling molecules in the brain. This means moms should hide the sugary breakfast cereal when it's test day at school for the kids; go with eggs instead!

Source

[uncracked-case]

heeeyy rodger!! if you metaphorically and totally theoretically were to have a gun (more specifically a revolver), how experienced and/or comfortable would you be wielding it?

A gun?

I suppose, hypothetically, I’d feel… comfortable, somewhat. (I’m experienced enough.)

It would provide a decent amount of protection against the Twisteds, I suppose, but it’s not useful in the long run - if you fire the gun, it would only alert other Twisteds to your location… but that’s a given when using these types of weapons. It’d be better to use a melee weapon when dealing with Twisteds.

(…Why do I know this?)

[yallemagne]

#all of this #and I do sincerely believe that Jonathan chose not to add that where the travel suit went missing he found something else in its place #some lopsided 'exchange' he refuses to mention under the excuse of its unimportance... #...when really he shrinks from it in premonition and fear #one of the Count's ensembles? #one of the Brides'? #something that cements the fact of his anchoring here #as much insult as threat as promise (see-arcane)

hey um hey ah fucker you come into my house????

Don't even. Get me started. On the possibility of Dracula dressing Jonathan. Fucker.

So this is a possibility I've thought of just earlier so.

Of course, there is the implication that Dracula plans to leave Jonathan to the Sisters as some sort of... surrogate him. One of my untouched AUs is basically this concept.

But there's also another abuse tactic: grooming. Dracula recognizes the uncracked egg that is Jonathan, and out of the "kindness" of his heart, he allows Jonathan to explore the possibility... by forcing him to dress as though he is one of the Sisters. In this, he weaponizes Jonathan's femininity against him and twists it into another means of control. To Jonathan, femininity means free emotions, love, and serenity. To Dracula, it means submission, being lesser than, being one of his possessions.

It's kind of a twist on the idea that vampires represent freedom from repression and stuff... because what they really represent is the predators that take advantage of youths' desire to express themselves. Oh, Dracula is so "kind" to let Jonathan dress up, but there are expectations that come with that. Jonathan must repay the favour and play the role as Dracula sees fit. And then, there is the assertion that abusers make that "no one else will accept you for the way you are, only I will let you be your true self". It's so grossly manipulative agh. I know this is probably not the point you were going with, see-arcane, but you drove me to it.

Either way ahh it's such a twisted fairytale trope. Jonathan gets new, pretty clothes! But the reality is that he is being treated like a doll. If Dracula leaves Jonathan a suit befitting his own wardrobe, he's foreshadowing Jonathan taking his place. If he leaves one of the Sisters' dresses, it foreshadows Jonathan becoming one of them. And the best Jonathan can do is reject the "gift" and continue to suffer in his overworn clothes.

What can I say of today that hasn't been said before? Nothing, really.

I'll just rehash, I guess iojpge

So, textbook abuse tactic here: commandeering all of Jonathan's belongings. His clothes, his papers, his envelopes, his money, his travel information... All he has is the clothes on his back and his journal.

I would say that if Jonathan were a woman people would recognize this better as abuse and not be making WIFI jokes, but truthfully if Jonathan were a woman, she would simply be scolded for "getting herself" into this situation. Though, the nonconsensual intimacy of having your clothes stolen would be better understood if the gender was swapped.

Let's focus on the implications of the clothes. What is Dracula going to do with those clothes, hm? Can't be anything good if he's doing anything at all. All the while, Jonathan will be forced to walk around in the same clothes, no doubt paranoid to even take them off for fear they'll be taken once he turns his head.

And what clothes is Jonathan wearing? These things went missing while he was asleep, so is he in his nightgown, or did he sleep in his day clothes the previous night? Or was it that only the suit he travelled in is gone, so he just has no clothes suited for that purpose?

Taking his papers and travel information means no more cries for help and no hope of travel. Dracula has stolen his voice and clipped his wings. And taking his clothes is another exercise of control over Jonathan's appearance. He cannot shave, he cannot change, he cannot look at himself. Dracula has done this to steal Jonathan's sense of self and take full control over his self-perception.

Dracula might even coyly remark on how put-together Jonathan looks next he sees him -- this look suits him so well! Meanwhile, Jonathan is entirely dishevelled because that is how Dracula wants him.

[goldenslowpoke]

Uncracked - Tales of the Pink Court Pt. 1 - Successor

It’s finally here! After a lot of false starts, waffling over how to do it, and a lot of drawing it’s finally come together! My first piece of writing for the Uncracked AU.

As I’m sure you’ve all noticed by now, I’ve been very intentionally avoiding using the phrase “Chapters” for this AU. And that’s because I’m very specifically not writing a 50 chapter fanfic in linear order my enjoyment be damned. Instead I’m just writing smaller self-contained works like Tales of the Pink Court here. It’s a three-parter that basically lays the foundations to this AU. Well, Steven’s foundations.

And so we set our scene. Homeworld, Pink Diamond’s Chambers....

Before we begin, there is one thing that must be eminently understood. Pink Diamond had spent 8000 years trying desperately to change, to atone for an act she had very nearly committed. This must be understood, or nothing that follows will seem marvelous. Though this tale may not be her’s, it remains the tale of her desire to change. A desire that led her to have a son, Steven Universe, who today was waking up in the private chambers of Pink Diamond.

This is, of course, because Steven Universe is Pink Diamond. The role he inherited from his Mother, the aforementioned Pink Diamond. Confusing? Even worse for the Gems of Homeworld. But that’s getting ahead of ourselves. Let us begin by discussing the matter of Steven’s birth.

For you see, Gems do not normally have children. In fact, Pink Diamond was the first, for having Steven carried a terrible cost for her. Pink Diamond had to pass on her gem to Steven, the very core of a Gem’s being. Pink Diamond was gone now, and now Steven was Pink Diamond. I told you it was even more confusing for the Gems of Homeworld. Some of them still struggled with the idea that Steven was Pink Diamond, but not Pink Diamond.

It didn’t bother Steven that much, though. Steven didn't live on Homeworld,  he lived on Earth. In a nice beach house by an old Gem temple, or sometimes in the Moon Base his mother used to watch over the Earth from when it was still an ordinary Colony. Back before the great Gem War, but that’s also getting ahead of ourselves. There will be a time to talk about the Gem War, but now is the time to talk about Steven.

Steven very rarely came to Homeworld, and today’s reason was to attend a ball of all things. His first, and his first official presentation to Gems as a whole. And… he hated it. For a number of reasons, but top on his mind this… morning were the dreams. He only had the dreams when he stayed on Homeworld, and they were terrible dreams.  Locked in dark places, attacked by his aunts, the Diamonds White, Yellow, and Blue, or dreams of himself nearly hurting Peep, one of the Gems that took care of him since he was just a little kid.

And speaking of Peep, the pink-hued Pearl had been waiting by the chamber’s window, a window that stared out at the giant torso and head where White Diamond resided. Peep was still dressed the same as always, something Steven was sure to hear no end to. It was a bold and large outfit, that would look more befitting a Garnet than it would a Pearl. A dark pink skirt, stretching down to the Pearl’s ankles. Its sole redeeming features, for a Pearl anyway, were a sheer layer over top of it, and the fact it was open in the front to reveal similarly-colored leggings and brighter pink ballet slippers that one would have expected on any Pearl, along with the pink stars marking her court that dotted the inside of it. On top she looked much more like a normal Pearl, diamond cutout for her navel-set Pearl, the only flaw was the large puffy shoulders she sported.

Steven then turned his attention to the actual exit, where another Pearl stood watch. Unlike the Pink, and more Pink, Peep, this Pearl was like a black and white picture were it not for her side-swept peach hair. This was Akoya Pearl, and she made sure everyone knew she didn’t do cute nicknames like Peep had. She also was dressed uncommonly for a Pearl, wearing a black suit top with sheer white trim around the wrists and flaring out from the bottom, and a white ruffled shirt underneath. Her tights were black, and so were her shoes.

The two Pearls were the only ones that were with Steven right now, no matter how much he wanted other Gems there too. On Earth, nobody cared who lived with Steven, but on Homeworld? Here there were norms, here there were protocols. Peep was here because, in the eyes of Homeworld, she was still just “Pink Diamond’s Pearl,” and Steven was Pink Diamond, so she had to stay with him. A rogue Pearl was in serious danger on Homeworld still. Akoya, though? That he wasn't quite as sure of, his Mother for sure never owned Akoya, actually Steven didn’t know if anyone did. Even when he asked, Akoya never revealed anything about where she came from before his Mother. Still, Steven was glad to have her here.

Akoya had always been like a mother, or perhaps a nanny, to Steven. Other Gems came and went as they pleased, doing their part to keep Steven’s “colony” running, but Akoya had always been there. She taught  him “what a Diamond needed to know,” as she would always put it, even when most definitely not teaching him anything relevant to Diamond-hood, or instead just mothering the hybrid.

“Steven, you’re awake!” Akoya had been the first one to notice, too. It made sense, though, since Peep was staring out at the bright lights of Homeworld. Steven was probably the only thing on the planet that slept, so of course the walkways and geometrical buildings outside were always brightly lit and bustling.

“Oh! Steven! Thank goodness, White Diamond’s been asking for us for the last six hours now!” Peep finally realized he was awake, turning toward the simple square bed produced by the room for its owner. The exact length of time Peep mentioned was lost on Steven, given he’d just woken up and wanted little more than a little bathroom, but it wasn’t lost on Akoya.

“Six hours!? And why was I not informed of this?” She was practically ranting already, “I’m the one making out Steven’s schedule here.”

“You may be the one making his schedule, but I’m still ‘his Pearl,’” Peep almost sounded like she was taking pride in bringing it up, in twisting some kind of knife between the two of them, “Besides she just wanted to move up the Ball. You would have said no to her, too.”

“Move it up!? The Ball isn’t even supposed to start for another three hours. When did she want it to be?”

“Lets see, if I’m doing this right…. Right about now,” Peep started, before immediately adding on “Don’t worry, don't worry, I told her no. Besides, looking out there guests are only just now arriving, we’ll have a few hours before Steven is anything more than fashionably late” after seeing Akoya looking like she was about to go off on her.

“Now!?” Well, Akoya still went off, but she was too busy racing to Steven’s bag of clothes to do anything more than yell. Clothes sent flying as Akoya looked for the one specific outfit she had set aside for this exact moment, “We need to get Steven ready! We can't keep the other Diamonds waiting.”

“Come on Akoya, what’s the harm in letting White Diamond sit a while? You need to learn how to live a little rebelliously,” Peep teased, as a red shirt with a yellow star on it was throwing at her face. Truth be told, for how motherly Akoya was, Peep was quite the opposite. She was like… Steven’s cool aunt or something. The most rebellious Pearl Steven had ever met. And Steven liked that about her.

“You know what she could do, now why don’t you head down to the ballroom and make sure the other Diamonds know we’re coming?” Akoya asked, holding up a pair of pants while looking at Steven. Without even listening for a response, Akoya started to dig in the bag again.

“Yeah, fine, if it gets us back to the Earth faster. Hey Steven, when we get back do you want to take a trip to Funland?”

Steven wanted to say yes, well he actually wanted to say “boy would I” but Akoya was now throwing clothes at him. Incredibly soft, probably wool, they were something fancy that Akoya had prepared for events like this that much was for sure. He thought he heard Peep saying something, but by the time the clothes were all removed from his head, the pink Pearl was gone.

-

Once Steven was dressed, he and Akoya set off after Peep. Steven dressed in the clothes that Akoya had packed specially for him. Fancy black pants, tight shoes, light pink shirt with a darker pink cardigan over the top of it. His top cut perfectly to expose the Pink Diamond sitting in his gut.

And he did not like it, “Do I really need to wear this? Can’t I just wear my red shirt?”

“Absolutely not, Steven. At this ball you are Pink Diamond. And that means you need to wear Pink, the same way your court does,” Akoya explained, pointing down a number of branching paths in the complex that served as both a sort of castle, and as a large dock for Pink Diamond’s personal ship. Various Gems were shuffling around all of them wearing some sort of Pink, and all of them sporting a Pink Star on their outfit.

“Well maybe I don’t like everyone wearing pink here. They should be wearing whatever they want, like everyone does on Earth.”

“Steven, you know it doesn’t work like that. Earth and Homeworld are different. White, Yellow and Blue have different rules than—”

“Than Mom, I know,” Steven suddenly cut Akoya off as they passed by a large mural. A mural of his mother, sharp and blocky, every point from her dress to her hair was emphasized. And the gem was wrong, cut like Blue or Yellow’s Gem instead of her… his actual Gem. And cradled in her hands, being held up to the sky, was a single planet and moon, representing the Earth.

The Gem everyone on Homeworld thought Steven was, and everyone on Earth wanted Steven to be. It wasn't like he could just forget how different she was when it was shoved in his face constantly. The only Diamond to have a “Free Colony.” The only Diamond not to shatter her defective Gems. The only Diamond to take defects from other Courts. The perfect story for a perfect Diamond.

And Steven was expected to live up to all of that, just because he had his mother’s Gem.

“Exactly,” Steven was snapped out of his thoughts by Akoya continuing, “Don't worry this Ball won't take long. And if we take the Galaxy Warp instead of your ship we can be back on Earth before bed.”

“I hope so,” Steven muttered as the hallway shifted from Pink hues to yellows and browns.

“Now what happened to Peep? I swear I sent her ahead of us,” Akoya asked herself as the duo came up to a large doorway blocked by layers of curtains. Steven could hear the distant grinding of what passed for ballroom music on Homeworld.

“I sent her off for a bit,” another Gem’s voice said from behind Steven. He spun around to look at whoever was talking to him, but no one was there. Then Steven felt a tap on his shoulder, and heard Pearl yelp and jump. Spinning around again, he finally saw the culprit.

Two star-shaped pink pigtails was all Steven needed to see to know who it was. “Spinel!” he called out, hugging the Gem only about his size. Careful around her pointed shoulderpads, and of the heart-shaped gem on her chest.

After recovering from her scare, Akoya wasted no time inserting her arms between the two, pushing them apart, “Spinel are you saying you sent Peep away? I specifically sent her here to get ready for Steven’s entrance.”

“It’ll be fine,” Spinel stressed, stretching an arm around Akoya, “I just sent her to go check with Jasper and her security. Besides I didn't want her overhearing our little chat here.”

“Our chat? Spinel we’re on a very strict timetable here, and we’re already late,” Akoya snapped. “Then I’ll be even quicker about it. You both know Peep well, and you're a Pearl too, Akoya, so I need your opinion on this,” Spinel motored her way through, before pulling something out of her gem. A small, multicolored flower, made of crystal. Pinks, Reds, and Blues reflecting across the flower, that had a similarity to the hair buns on a certain Pink Pearl…

“You sent Peep away over a rose?” Akoya asked, a growing anger behind her voice. Thankfully, Steven butt in before she could get into any more arguments, “Oh wow that looks so beautiful. You got it for Peep?”

“A-huh,” Spinel proudly replied, flatly ignoring Akoya, “I’m gonna give it to Peep during the ball.”

“That sounds wonderful!” Steven had missed the point of Spinel’s gesture, but it still made her smile wide to hear.

“See No-Fun? Steven thinks it’s a good idea.”

“Yes well your good idea has one rather large flaw. None of us are to be part of this Ball. Peep and I will introduce Steven, and then we will wait for the Ball to end and him to join us,” Akoya pinched the bridge of her long nose, glancing past Spinel and silently hoping Peep would turn the corner and put an end to this.

“Well that’s fine, then. We’ll just hold our own Ball out here instead. And you won’t be invited to it, you can just stand over there like a ‘good Pearl’ should,” Spinel crossed her arms and stared Akoya down. Akoya wasn’t angered this time, just smiling wider until someone tapped Spinel on the shoulder.

And that Gem was Peep, startling Spinel so badly she almost dropped her crystal flower before scrambling to hide it back in her Gem. “Oh good, Steven you’re here too, I just got back from talking with Jasper. Security is as pointless on Homeworld as ever. But she did get Akoya’s orders about screening out Gems.”

“Screening Gems?” Steven asked, turning his head back toward Akoya, who he was fairly sure still hadn’t moved an inch since she first noticed Peep walking up. “Oh yes, about that. Do you remember how this Ball is going to work?

Steven sighed, this wasn’t the first time since they left Earth that Akoya had stressed this to him, “Yes. I’ll sit on Mom’s seat and Gems will come up to present themselves to me, or to request things of me, and you want me to just nod and wave them along.”

“Exactly. And so to go with that I made sure to tell Jasper to make sure that the only Gems that ask you for things are things we’re comfortable with just saying yes to. A pre-screening, if you will,” Akoya explained before the music coming from the ballroom stopped. Suddenly she straightened up, “Oh no, White knows we’re here. Okay ready everyone. Steven you’ll do fine, just smile and wave. Peep are you ready?”

“Yeah yeah I’m ready. Now Steven when you start getting bored, and trust me you will, just start yawning… or some other human thing. Pink would do that all the time when she was tired of Balls. The Diamonds will end things so fast if they think you’re going to break that perfect facade a diamond should have.”

Peep and Akoya then took up positions on each side of the curtain, leaving Steven to try and commit all the instructions to memory as it slowly was opened from within.

“Presenting the newest Diamond, lord of the Pink Court, Steven, Pink Diamond!”

[ismaet]

Presenting: Mirabel Valentina Rojas Guzman Milagros Madrigal!

[heliads]

Waking, Dreaming

Based on this request: "Newt x fem reader. The characters are high school students. Y/N and her parents move because her father got a new job. She joins Thomas, Newt, Minho, Gally, Alby, Teresa, and Brenda’s friend group. Thomas and Minho are on the boys’ basketball team. Sonya and Harriet are on the girls’ soccer team. Thomas is the valedictorian."

ok so this ended up taking a far more surreal twist than i really intended. have you ever wanted a modern au in which newt was semi aware of the fact that he was in a modern au? here you go!

masterlist

Newt wakes from a dream, and he doesn’t know that he’s ever been so happy to see his familiar ceiling stretching out in front of him. It almost doesn’t feel real for a second, that perfect plain white paint, uncracked and unbroken and utterly without care. If he keeps his eyes trained on only this impersonal bit of wall, Newt can pretend that none of this is actually his, that the whole place is just on lend from some other kid lucky enough to be born in a time when he was completely safe.

This makes no sense, of course. This is Newt’s room, this is Newt’s life, this is Newt’s happiness. Perhaps it’s the nightmare getting to him. The vision he’d had just before forcing himself awake had been a terrible one. He’d been trapped in a city burning to the ground, and as Newt lay on his back, staring up at the smoke and stars, he knew with unsettling certainty that it would be the last time he’d ever see such a sight again. Or any sight, for that matter.

Newt woke up, of course, so clearly his dream-based paranoia is just that, the stuff of nightmares and nothing more. Newt is here, and everything is alright. He has always been here. He will never be anywhere else.

After all, when would Newt have a chance to see any other scenery? Newt grew up in this town, he’s been here for as long as he can remember. His friends are just down the street, probably waking up to a myriad of alarm clocks and shouted warnings about missed school buses. This is their home. No other place would ever make sense as much as this does.

Newt shakes himself and starts getting ready for the day. That’s the problem with dreams, after all, they get you thinking about what life would be like if you weren’t here, in the same place as always. Maybe somewhere out there another Newt is looking up at the stars and wondering why he tastes copper on his tongue, but this Newt, the one in his body and thinking these very thoughts, is safe. He doesn’t know why, but he gets the feeling that safety is pretty rare, and thus something he should treasure instead of find reasons to deny.

Newt heads down to the bus stop, early as always. He likes to get there before anyone else so they can only get the view of him leaning casually against a nearby tree, not the visual of Newt’s walk over. Despite all this time spent around the same friends, Newt is still wary to show off the fact that he isn’t quite like the others. He can’t walk the same way they can, and any difference from the norm makes Newt’s teeth stand on edge.

It’s all because of an injury, one Newt sustained when he was just a kid. Hypothetically, it happened when he was in preschool or something, but Newt has no recollection of the actual incident itself. You’d think he would remember something like that, a pivotal moment leading to a pivotal injury, but no, it’s all been smoothed over in his head.

Sometimes, Newt has different dreams, nightmares in which he’s falling and only regrets it halfway through the plunge. He bolts upright to find his leg throbbing like it had been freshly broken, even though everyone tells him the injury is older than anything. Still, the facts don’t lie. Newt can’t walk properly because of the limp. The actual source of it shouldn’t matter, especially not since his friends all seem to avoid bringing it up.

The rest of his merry group arrives soon enough. Alby first, Alby always first. He’s the oldest of them, the leader. Newt doesn’t remember when they all decided that Alby would take up that role, it just makes sense. Minho is next, then Gally, Thomas, and Teresa. A girl named Brenda who used to go to another school. She started hanging out with them a while ago and long since fit in like another piece to their grand puzzle. Y/N, too, newly moved here from a different city. She changes everything for the better, Newt thinks, like they’ve all been put on this earth for the sole purpose of being there to see her.

They all have their own roles to play within the friend group. Thomas and Minho are on the school basketball team. It feels like they’re out at practice every day, spending hours in that gym just to be able to score a little better and build a better championship team inch by inch. It always surprises Newt that they’d choose basketball of all sports. Not that they’d be athletes, of course, that goes without saying. The guys are full of restless energy, always eyeing the doors to a crowded room like they’ve already plotted twelve different ways to get out and are just deciding which would be the fastest.

No, Newt is mainly surprised that they’d choose that sport in particular. During the first few months of freshman year, Newt was constantly switching up what sport they did. He knew they told him they were on the basketball team about a thousand times, but he could swear that he’d seen them doing something else, something involving running. Maybe cross country or track, that would explain why Newt keeps seeing snippets in his head of the two of them sprinting side by side, half out of their minds from exhaustion but full of the urge to keep pushing, keep fighting until the very end.

Once, Newt almost convinced himself that he might have been out there too. Thomas hadn’t been there, for some reason, only Minho. He can still feel the desperate gasping of air in his lungs as Newt hurled himself forward towards something he can’t remember. The dreams, the false memories, they’ve been going on for a while. Newt can’t explain it. Neither can his doctor, Ava Paige, although she just shakes her head and hands him some new medicine to try whenever he brings it up in his annual physicals.

Still, it’s not like they’re hurting anyone. No one knows, just Newt. He distracts himself by trying to commit the details of everyday life to memory. Maybe if he does it better this time around, he won’t have issues like this, problems where he can’t quite tell which memories are real and which are just figments of his slightly confused imagination.

When he gets confused, he goes to his friends, and they welcome him with open arms every time. Alby has always been a good listener. Gally’s biting sarcasm is welcome, it cleans Newt’s wounds like a cauterizing flame. Teresa always knows the right thing to say. Y/N has a way of distracting himself from the bewilderment of his own thoughts every time.

Y/N. She only moved here a few weeks ago, but she’s already quickly made her way into Newt’s heart. He swore he knew from the first time he saw her that Y/N would be someone to watch, and what do you know, he was right. Newt spends the most time with her out of anyone from his friend group. He hadn’t intended on it, it just works. They spend long hours talking, and if there’s anyone who can straighten out Newt’s head, it’s her. Everything makes sense when Y/N is nearby, like she’s rewriting the tangled mess of words and sentences in his head whenever she’s around.

That’s how things go around here. Slowly, surely, Newt makes it all work. He leans into his friends, both the old and the new. His little sister, Sonya, is a freshman at their high school this year. Newt can’t deny that he’s already tried to be the overprotective older brother to the max, but it’s not like she needs it. Sonya’s a firecracker, same with her friends.

The girls have come over to hang out with Newt’s group on more than a few occasions now. Sonya and Harriet both play on the girls soccer team at their high school. Their fierce spirits remind Newt of Thomas and Minho, but somehow slightly different. They’ve been shaped by different events, their rivers running through different turns. Newt can’t entirely decide who had it worse, not that it’s a contest.

The comparisons are interesting, though. They all seem to be the same sort of person at their core, all of them, the boys and girls alike. Newt wishes that Sonya wasn’t quite so much younger than him. She and her friends are freshmen, after all, and Newt’s group are seniors. They’re graduating in a matter of weeks, and then that’s that, all over. Newt wishes he could have had more time to get to know the second group of friends. He wishes he had more time for far more things, too, but that’s beside the point.

In truth, Newt doesn’t know where his life will lead. He did his college applications, of course, same as anyone else, and he’s got a place to go once he gets his diploma, but that’s not what really matters. Somewhere out there, a world waits for Newt to discover. There are thousands of cities that call his name, a million roads to travel down.

If he was just going off of his memories, Newt would say that it’s too good to be true. It feels like he spends more time looking back than looking forward. Some secret part of him always assumed that his life would end here, on the precipice of moving forward. His friends all have their eyes towards the sun and what will become of them, but not Newt.

No, he’s still stuck in the past, caught between deciphering what all the fragments of his history could mean and the relentless surge forward of time. Try as he might, Newt cannot stay the same forever. Something will always come to pluck him out of his normal life and bring him to his fate. No one can fight time forever, not even Newt. Not anyone.

Graduation comes soon enough, and Newt has the pleasure of watching his friends don their caps and gowns. They’re laughing, the lot of them, all out in the parking lot outside the building before the ceremony starts. Newt’s next to Y/N, watching his friends talk in excited, loud voices about the end of all things they’ve ever known.

Thomas and Teresa are trying to shout across to each other from opposite sides of the tight bundle of friends, but they’re not having much luck in getting their voices over to each other. Minho watches the proceedings with an ill concealed grin. The dark-haired boy has been swearing to Newt for months now that he’s going to lose his mind if Thomas and Teresa don’t manage to confess their feelings before graduation. Looks like insanity is a promise he’ll just have to keep.

Deep inside, Newt thinks that Thomas and Teresa are a hopeless case. They might get along better than anyone else, and Newt is certain that the two of them have about a thousand inside jokes that no one could even hope to understand, but that’s all they’re ever going to be. A million secrets, too many kept, not enough spoken aloud until it was too late. That’s not a strong enough foundation for a proper relationship, even if their feelings seem worth the fall.

Thomas is distracted by Brenda at his side, asking him a question. Thomas’ smile is easier now; he never has to try so hard when he’s around Brenda, Newt wonders if the other boy has ever realized it. Teresa shakes her head with a laugh and joins Newt soon enough, filing into the building where graduation will be held once the teachers start calling for everyone to head inside.

Newt dutifully takes his seat in the long rows of chairs. Alby on his left, Teresa on his right, Newt feels safe in this impossibly large gathering of people. This is where it all changes, then. This is where his old life ends and something else begins.

Thomas takes to the stage. He’d been named valedictorian to the delight of everyone in the group. It makes perfect sense to Newt, of course. Thomas has been a braniac for about as long as Newt has known him; always one to come up with the perfect answer, the capable solution. Combine that with his athletics and natural leadership abilities, and you couldn’t make a better valedictorian if you crafted one in a lab.

Thomas is the survivor, Newt thinks. He wonders why that would occur to him, but it feels right somehow. Thomas up there on that stage, separated impossibly from Newt and Alby and Teresa and the rest of them, it makes sense. Thomas did it, he took all the challenges of school and the future and life and made them work out for him. When the sun sets, Thomas will be there, ready for the dawn to come. Newt doesn’t think he could say that about everyone here.

Someone turns in the row in front of him. Newt glances to the side to see Y/N looking at him. She smiles at him, and it’s a happy sort of look, carrying with it a thousand unspoken messages. They’re alright, then. They’re going to be okay. This is only where one story ends, but a thousand more begins. When the doors open up and the newly graduated kids get to run out into the bright sunlight of a new day, Newt and Y/N will be among them. That’s how it ends, a perfect resolution. Newt couldn’t ask for anything else.

requested by @thornyrose463, i hope you enjoy!

tmr tag list: @rogueanschel, @ellobruv, @retvenkos, @neewtmas, @thatfangirl42, @hiya-its-amber, @gods-fools-heroes, @hope92100, @23victoria, @w1shes43