#Yeah yeah I know there's even more unsavoury places to take this but I'm in too good a mood to dwell

[violent138]

Bruce probably has a small army of lawyers on standby every time he gets a call about one of his kids.

[thedemolitionderby]

I dont know my name or anything right now. I'm a new alter formed over the past couple of days and well.

Thats the thing. I got medicated for ADHD and my mind has quietened down and its so calm here. When I'm not stuck in the static of my thoughts, playing in several realms at once, I just feel like Loki. Right now anyway. Shifts do still occur but I find that unsavoury ones from alters who would take over for coping purposes, happen much less frequently. Its become kind of odd, actually. When interacting with the body's family and friends, instead of shifts occurring (I have no idea what happens when theyre in the same place. I feel only one of us is fronting and pretending to be the other one that would front to talk to a friend if family is also present) I kind of just stay me. Whoever I am right now.

Thats the thing. All of us are Loki. We're always Loki no matter who we are. Right now I feel more connected to the 'essence' of Loki, as I feel the flame flickering in my chest, nice and warm. But there's kind of a conflict because I want to put feathers in my hair and fly across cold plains which...I can't do that. Not in this realm at least.

I feel there needs to be a distinction between 'corporeal' - 'real world' - physical world, external world whatever its called, and the...er, other one. Incorporeal? Spiritual? I dunno. Yeah. Two things can be true at once. I've always thought of things as absolute - autism haha - so if one thing is true the other can't be. Because I like computers and gaming and maths and programming and doodling, it seems, well, kind of the opposite to what the fire in my chest makes me feel. When I'm more connected to my self as Loki, I think...pine needles for some reason or pinecones, that appeared somehow, and the opposite of tech, and falcons and swifts. Lots of swifts. Snakes too. Haha banana snake

Maybe shit isn't that deep. Maybe I can be two things at once. Well, three. Even though I'm the only one fronting right now.

Theres...me right now, kind of unknown name, maybe T(). Who wears modern clothing and has tech related interests.

And there's me right now who is the opposite of that. I'm Loki chilling out somewhere. It's either a mind palace of the past or me doing other stuff in other planes. Not sure. Completely different.

Oh and there's me in animal form. That's why I identify as a therian. I'm usually a snake, swift, falcon, or a shrike.

And these are true at the same time. That's the thing I've been struggling with grasping. If one thing is true how can that other thing be true? If im here and like these things and like this, how can I be pretty much the opposite in every single way, at the same time?

Answer: I don't know. But I do know that I operate in 3 planes default. (Not counting if im covering for another alter while they're off doing god knows what and theyre the one who made a friend who thinks I'm that alter so shit is really awkward and I just pretend it's me)

So I guess, 3 planes authentic.

1 plane (covering+masking plane) non authentic but still happening.

Before the meds I was operating on like...20 🗿 also, I couldn't tell which were intrusive thoughts and which were actual stuff that was relevant. So. 3 is perfectly OK.

So...tldr : stuff is weird. Very weird. It keeps getting weirder.

The more I realize what's going on the more I hate covering for other alters because now I know its not me my friend thought they talked to. In the past before I knew I was plural I got an odd bodily sensation like I was watching my body talk, like they were talking through me to somehow behind me and I'm just relaying info from the person behind me to them. Actually I think that's pretty accurate. I didn't understand why. I've only understood why more and more recently and...I guess, I'm angry that it is this way. Really angry. And because the body I live in is tainted with trauma, especially since I look like SK (first alter) it keeps triggering shifts to SK which is really annoying. Also I get confused and think I'm SK which I'm not. Also SK isn't really active, he kind of grew up a bit to Cleo, so...I feel Cleo ends up fronting every time I just...see a picture of my body's face. I can't express things well, even anger, in the external/physical/corporeal/'real' world because everything is twinged with trauma and one specific alter, some versions of Cleo, have been carrying us through for years and years and none of us know how to really exist outside of the internal worlds. I feel we will be able to with time, but its one of those problems that are relevant every second, every movement, just you can't ignore it and if its a problem it will continue to be a problem every moment. If you can't ignore it you deal with it. Oh and I'm trying to learn acceptance rather than problem solving. "Yeah this occurs. Yes it sucks. Yes its a problem. And that's OK. I dont have to try to solve every problem immediently, especially since its not possible, sometimes the solution is completely unknown to you right now, a new experience or perspective is needed. I'm going to live with it instead of feeling things that aren't desirable are villains to be killed. Theyre part of me. They make up bits of me. I can't choose the good bits and try to kill the bad bits. It's just not even true."

So, yeah. Gonna have to live with the fact that existing as of now is very confusing, uncomfortable, and weird. People are talking to other people and I have to pretend I'm other people and its frustrating and invalidating. My body is riddled with trauma and associations with the body's parent that are no longer relevant. Seeing it makes an alter who technically dosent exist anymore front - or try to. Or his thoughts bleed into mine. I dont know my name or my story. I exist 3 times at once. Annnd that's OK. It is what it is.

Written by T - 'Midwinter'

[nonuggetshere]

Please, your grace, tell us more about the vessel children

GLADLY

Sorry if this makes little sense, I am very sleepy and my brain refuses to work normally

All of these bastards were made with FaaF AU in mind, but they exist in other AUs too

Their ages are listed compared to Flower's age, 21-26 years old, because that's the point where they met most of them to when the conflict with Norel concludes. Except for Baby, who was found when Flower was 26.

This is probably the first time I draw most of these designs, so they might change in the future

Alabaster and Silk were practically inseparable from the moment they left the Abyss (I'm considering making them twins too). The first few years of their lives weren't pretty, they were homeless and survived by stealing alone, it wasn't much but they got by. In their early teens, they got wrapped up in some pretty unsavoury circles before two older ladies showed them some kindness and took them in. The two ladies were fashion designers (a spider and a silkworm moth) and took the kids in as their apprentices, and eventually officially adopted them. A few years later, Alabaster and Silk would find Lime just wandering the streets by themself and took them back to their mums who happily took their younger sibling in as well.

Silk is very very talkative and energetic, a social bee who loves to travel and meet new people. She had some issues with trusting people when their mums just took them in, but eventually, they blossomed into a cheerful kid.

Alabaster is the more tame and level-headed side to Silk's coin, they prefer peace and quiet and sometimes just prefer to be alone. He's completely non-verbal, but despite this also doesn't like to sign, just prefers to stay quiet most of the time.

Lime is a shy, reserved kid who spent most of their early life alone and now finds it hard to connect with others. They mostly stay glued to their siblings' or mums' side and rarely open up to anyone but these four. As they grow, though, they begin to slowly come out of their shell, but it's a long process.

Alanis and Dancer are travelling companions along with Dancer's love interest/boyfriend, Anthony (he's an ant and he's trans, he saw the pun opportunity and took it). Neither of them has naturally dark hair btw, they just dye it.

Alanis used to be a singer in a travelling band, but after a chance encounter with Norel she lost both her friends/siblings and her voice. Thanks to that experience she's a bit more got headed than before and snappy with Dancer, though it all comes from the place of concern. She can come off as a bit rude and bitter at times, but she means well. Though she's no longer able to sing, she still pursues being a musician by playing different instruments.

Dancer is a street performer who takes a lot of pride in his skills and art (his siblings teasingly call him a clown which he despises). He tries to be the comedy relief but it's actually all to mask his years of trauma. He used to travel with two more of their siblings before they got captured by Norel, he was the only one who managed to get out and save Alanis, which is how they met/reunited. Also, literally the biggest pussy there is when it comes to fighting, he's got them oppossum skills (play dead and hope for the best).

Nomi is very different from most of their siblings. Ey were adopted pretty early on by a royal couple from another kingdom and lived a pretty well-off life. They've got kind of shitty self-esteem so they overcompensate by appearing obnoxious confident and self-absorbed. They're kind of naive but try to mean well. You know the type of rich person who asks insane questions like "why don't you just buy a house?" when you complain about rent and then are shocked to learnt hat 99% of people can't do that? Yeah, they're that type of guy.

Razor is a leader of a bandit group. She's an asshole with a gigantic martyr complex who insists that they don't need help even when they're in desperate need of it. Despite his rough exterior though, he loves his siblings more than anything in the world and would sacrifice everything for them. They used to take care of three of their siblings (bluethepearldiver's ocs) until an incident where they ended up murdering their little brother's abusive spouse finally made them realise maybe they can't handle it all by themself and decide it's better if they take their siblings to Hallownest. Also, her hair isn't naturally black, she just dyed it with her own void (with a name like that, did you expect anything less edgy from them?)

Razor also doesn't get along with Nomi and Dancer. They absolutely hate Nomi's naivety to how the world truly works, the two of them just come from such different walks of life that Razor just can't deal with Nomi's perspective on life. Dancer they just comply find annoying.

Wish was Norel's assistant, helping him lure and trap its siblings, all out of its own selfish desire to be spared from the same fate its siblings endured. Aside from that, it's kind of a cold, calculated asshole, placing its own needs above anybody else's. Still, it is not without a heart, and if it feels it can get away with lying to Norel and sabotaging him to help its siblings, it will do it. It does feel remorse sometimes, and in the end, it stabs Norel in the back and helps its siblings, but after everything it did, it doesn't feel like it deserves anything from them so it simply leaves and never contacts any of them again.

Baby was a premature vessel, born after most of their siblings already left the Abyss. It isn't until many years later when Flower is 26, are they finally heard by them. They drag their father out of bed and make him open the Abyss again, and Baby's found and brought to the surface, although weak and wounded. For some time they would only want to be handled by Flower, but eventually warmed up to their parents and slowly started to regain their strength and heal. Now, they are being raised by PK and WL, and considering their small age gap they're best of friends with Flower's twins, Spectre and Sting. Baby was also named by Flower (they suck at naming things).

[maritime-melodies-multiverse]

Maritime Melodies Across the Multiverse

Being introduced to things like the multiverse is... an experience. You feel so much smaller.

"...Marie...?" Callie mumbled, lip quivering. It's like her brain couldn't comprehend what she was seeing. This is Marie, even if her face was covered by a large respirator and goggles. She recognised everything, even her beauty mark, peeking out from under the mask. By all accounts, this is Marie Cuttlefish.

But it didn't feel like Marie. She walked differently. It was a hunched over, heavy gait, propelling her weight forwards and not as gracefully as her cousin would. She was unmistakably her cousin, yes, but... not really. She was taller... with her face being different in a way that was uncanny to Callie. The mask and goggles could've contributed to that, but masks and goggles don't shift the structure of the face's temples, or the size of one's forehead.

Marie didn't care about any of that, though. "Quit with that. You know it's me." She walked closer, and took off her mask. "I'm still dead to you, by the way."

Dead to her? What does that even mean...? Callie pulled a face as she tried to think, but Marie realised how that sounded, and decided to give her a better hint. "...your me is still dead."

She didn't understand either way. "You're hurting my head. Ca-can we start again?" Callie asked, a look of bafflement painted clearly on her face.

"We literally just starte- ghg. Fine."

She kicked the Lobster, before walking over to a bench and sitting down. Meanwhile, the cops searched the rest of the building. They won't find anything else. Marie didn't find any other anomalies.

It took a second for her to think of a place to start. If she just went into end-game multiverse theory, Callie wouldn't understand. She'd have to ease her into it. "'Kay, explaining the intricacies of the multiverse would instantly explode your pea brain, so we're starting small."

"Hey!" Callie retaliated, offended by that comment.

"It would."

"Anyway, imagine I have a rock."

Marie takes some rubble, and puts it in front of Callie. She seems intrigued by it, leaning in close and touching it. Marie fires an unsavoury glance at her, annoyed and frustrated. She's getting tired of her acting dumb, when clearly, she can act more mature. She wasn't four. "The rock's not important. Stop staring at it like that."

"But what if it is."

"Shut up."

"Anyhoo. The rock, ladies and gentlemen, has an infinite amount of instances of itself throughout other worlds."

"So it is important."

"Let me explain. Please."

There's one thing Marie doesn't miss about Callie, and that's her insistence to worm her way into every single place she can when speaking. She'll try and be smart and Marie will have to put her back in her place. This is one of those times.

"We call these different worlds 'universes'. If you can think of a universe, it already exists out there in the 'multiverse'."

"So the rock can..."

"Forget about the rock, it didn't work."

Marie leans back on her seat, and slumps down. She looks prepared to provide a dumbed down explanation, and a dumbed down explanation she will provide. "So, the multiverse contains an infinite amount of possibilities. There's an infinite multiverse of me and you, and everyone you know. However... most of them aren't Inklings."

Aren't Inklings? Callie raised and eyebrow at that, and leaned forwards at Marie. She's heard about the people before Inklings, but... she didn't know that there were other...

Guh. That hurts her head. "Whaddya mean...?"

"What I mean, is that they're all mostly humans. You know those bones people find a lot? Those are human bones, and everything we know about humans is completely incorrect."

Callie's pea brain explodes. She can't comprehend this information, and stares aimlessly forward. "For eel...?"

Marie picks up on her bafflement. She actually finds it really cute. She misses when her Callie would have those pea brain explosions. "Yeah, it's nuts. Took a while for us to even speak, because it turns out, that Inklish is complete gibberish to humans."

She cracks a smile, from under the mask. It's hard to pick up on, but Callie manages. "Wanna meet some?"

Marie stands up, and reveals a special watch-looking thing. It's streamlined, and has a neon orange screen, which glows with this otherworldly aura. It feels foreign, as if it couldn't possibly exist here. It didn't fit with Marie, either.

Callie stammers, looking at the watch with an uneasy look on her face.

"I mean, I have to protect Inkop-"

"Inkopolis can wait a day."

"..."

Weighing her decisions... Callie turns and looks out at the night sky behind the windows of the Institute. What does she have to lose...? After all, she doesn't have to go to work tomorrow... because she's fired.

There's not much to lose. She heaves a sigh, signalling to Marie, that she gives in. "Alright..."

"Let's go."

(yahaha! new part done! now with sparkly coloured text!!

[canoodlebanoonle]

The Cathedral of Memory

Chapter One

The halls of Wichita State University were deserted and quiet, the students had all left hours prior in high spirits as the end of the day heralded the start of their month-long break before they were expected to return to the University. Professors and staff were still present in the building, all of them eager to finish off their last pieces of work so they could also begin their break.

One professor, however, sat in the dusty library of the University. The table she sat at was occupied only by her and around a dozen books based on her subject; History. The library, no matter how old, was beautiful. There were tall and imposing bookshelves that held all sorts of books, ones that spoke of ancient civilizations all the way to books that spoke of economics. It was lit only by a few lamps that were scattered across the room, no one used it, why would there be a need for more lamps? But Eris didn’t mind, she never minded, she always sat down and began to work on her lessons, skimming through pages of books like it was nothing and being able to paraphrase them in a way that her students would be able to understand once it came to that specific lesson. 

When the Librarian was ever asked about her opinion on Eris, the only other person who frequented the library as much as she did, she always responded with the same tone, even without the same words. She was always introspective with her opinion, and yet, she always said there was something strange about the incomprehensible history professor.

Sarah was sitting with her co-workers in a local bar, sans her companion that joined her everyday in the library. She held her drink loosely, and took occasional sips but mostly focused on the conversations that were taking place between the people around her.

“Sarah, how is your time in the library as of late?” The coworker she had a thing with asked with a probing smile, not that she noticed. Sarah smiled happily and thought back to her time in the library, old books, the smell that surrounded her, and Eris.

“It’s good, you know? I like sorting the books and then reading them, oh- and the smell! Honestly, you should all come to the library one of these days, it's so nice there.” Sarah explained enthusiastically, she looked at the people surrounding her and obviously didn't note their slowly deteriorating interest in her life at the library.

“Yes, that's all well and good, dear, but what about Eris? How is she doing?” Another coworker asked, one of less importance to Sarah but one she still tried to pay equal attention to as to not make her feel left out.

“She’s… great. Yeah, great. Just sits there and reads her history books is all, doesn’t do anything else, really. Why?” Sarah asked timidly, the poor woman not understanding why they always questioned her about their more elusive coworker, if she wanted to be left alone, why couldn’t they just give her that?

“No reason, dear. Just… be careful around her, there’s been unsavoury things that have been said about her.” Her coworker responded, the older woman had a gentle smile on her face and placed a reassuring hand on Sarahs before squeezing softly. “I'm sure it’s just silly rumours though, despite Eris being a recluse, she’s respectable.”

Sarah had smiled and nodded, continuing her drink and answering any other questions she was asked. She was far-off though, sure, the rumours might be just that-rumours, but if they were even a smidge true, she didn’t want to know their contents. She slowly came back to herself before being easily distracted by a pretty man that sat in a booth with another man across the bar from them. She spent the rest of her evening alternating between speaking to her lovely coworkers and staring at the man across the bar.

Sarah's focus comes back to her task, organizing books that have been organised hundreds of times and discreetly, or so she thinks, sneaking glances at her companion. Well, not companion - more like fellow book reader, fellow bookworm, fellow book lover? She shook off her thoughts and continued her task, no point in getting distracted now, if she didn’t finish she’d be doing overtime and she couldn’t miss her date.

Of course, Sarah was easily distracted, especially when the coworker she hadn’t spoken to was in the room with her. She wanted to be her friend, look her in the eyes and speak with her, and just- be her friend. It was a deep-rooted desire she hadn’t acknowledged until that very moment and decided to act upon it, damn the apparent rumours, and her paranoid coworkers, she wanted to be friends with the quiet woman who was alone.

“Hey!” Sarah greeted happily, all inhibitions and worries pushed aside as she sat down next to Eris.

Eris looked up, broken from her deep focus by a cheery voice, and came face-to-face with the librarian. The one that bumbled around and tried so hard just to fit in with the other staff, even when they were so obviously fake. 

“Hello.” Eris replied quietly, not as enthusiastic to be speaking to someone she didn’t know. Her lips were pursed slightly, curiosity warring with annoyance in her gaze as she stared almost expectantly at Sarah.

Sarah lit up just like the night sky did when fireworks were set off, her anxiety all but dissipated when she got the quiet response, instead she radiated confidence and effortless happiness. She leaned forward, a bright smile fixing itself on her face and almost blinding Eris with its intensity, she seemed happy to sit there and chat Eris’ ear off while she researched, and honestly, Eris didn’t mind either.

That’s how their days went, Eris would sit in the library, pouring over one history book or another, and Sarah would finish the tasks she needed to do to maintain the library. She would then go sit by Eris and speak about all sorts of nonsense, in Eris’ opinion, about the latest staff trip to one of the many bars in Wichita, or one of her dates with her sure-to-be soulmate. Sarah gradually got closer to Eris each time they spoke until she was sitting nearly shoulder to shoulder with the professor and was able to read her history books easily if she leaned forward just slightly.

Sarah had, one day, been interested in what Eris was reading and commented lightly on one of the book's perceived age. It was crumbling at the edges and the spine crackled everytime it was ever so slightly moved, so she couldn’t really be blamed for her thoughts of it being at least five hundred years old.

“Actually, it's only around one hundred years old. The author was alive…” Eris had jumped into a whole rant, or explanation depending on how you saw it, about the book's age and how you could figure it out. Sarah was awe-struck and decided to use the tactic to organise her books.

She did just that, but then realised finding the authors and corresponding dates of publication was more difficult than she had anticipated and had enlisted Eris’ reluctant help in her quest to organise the library books by date of publication and not alphabetical order. It took them about five days because they got side-tracked more than they’d like to admit, and they were also only a two person team, so that technically means doing such a task in five days was the best they could do. Sarah believed they could’ve aimed for three days, Eris had just shook her head and sat back down with her history books.

It hit the three month mark of their odd friendship when Sarah had sat next to Eris with a mind full of thoughts, and none of those were things she could talk about. She stayed quiet and pondered, not noticing the occasional glances that Eris sent her that had quickly changed to looks of concern. Really, it wasn’t that surprising, Sarah was talkative and never stopped talking for more than a few minutes before launching into her next great adventure. But this time, Sarah hadn’t begun speaking at all, and Eris had grown to care for her, so she was, naturally, concerned. Sure, she should be glad for some peace and quiet but when she’s so used to someone talking to her while working and then having to basically split her focus to listen to that one person and also do her lesson planning, she was already focusing on her unconsciously and the silence annoyed her more than she thought it would.

“What’s wrong, Sarah?” Eris questioned, putting her books down without a fuss and staring at the woman across from her. She noticed the paleness of her skin and the red tint that the whites of her eyes had, apart from that she looked like she normally did, so she wasn’t surprised that no one picked up on her deep thoughts or how sickly she looked for that matter.

“It’s,” Sarah interrupted herself as a puff of air left her lungs abruptly before she continued breathing normally, “it’s nothing, i just didn’t sleep well, is all.”

Eris frowned, her eyes glided over Sarah’s face and creases formed between furrowed brows as she stared at the usually cheerful woman. She looked gaunt, and sick. Sarah didn’t just not sleep well, something else happened for her to be so deep in thought, and Eris felt the need to figure out what began to form in her chest. She breathed out a quiet sigh and moved towards Sarah and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, frowning deeper as she flinched and jumped before relaxing as she realised it was just her.

“Sarah… are you sure? You can talk to me.” Eris gently prodded and held her shoulder tighter as she saw tears fill Sarah’s eyes and slowly begin dropping down her face. Worry filled her so quickly that she nearly jerked in surprise, she hadn’t been concerned about someone in this way or so intensely in a while.

It was all too much for Sarah, too overwhelming. Why did Eris care for her so much? Why was she so nice to her? She curled into herself, her body began shaking as tears rolled down her cheeks and dripped onto the dark hardwood floors beneath their table. Sarah’s eyes closed and she felt herself be tugged into an embrace, golden warmth surged through her and settled deep in her chest and her body seemed to melt from the rigidness she hadn't even realised she’d held herself with all day into a softer, more pliant state. She was just so warm, her body bubbled with it and it felt like it’d never be too much, it felt it’d never overflow, and never burn her. She was warm, safe, and happy.

“He broke up with me, Eris.” Sarah managed to get out finally as her last remaining tears fell down her face and they stopped falling altogether. She felt Eris let her go and her hands itched to grab her to keep her close, keep her warmth near her. As Eris moved to look at her face, Sarah felt a numbness wash over her body, the warmth had gone and there was nothing else to replace it.

“I’m sorry, Sarah. I am so sorry.” Eris replied, her hands grabbing Sarah’s hands and caressing them with a single-minded intention to comfort her only friend.

Sarah felt warm again, and that was when the tears bubbled up again, when the rushing emotions came running back and caused her to break like a weak dam in the face of a strong flood. Her dam broke, the pieces splintering into small pieces that were unable to be picked up and put back together again. Eris pulled her back into a hug and this time, Sarah bunched Eris’ clothes in tightly clenched fists. She couldn’t let Eris move too far from her, her warmth, her golden warmth kept her grounded, kept her real, kept her there. 

Over the next few months, their friendship changed from just hanging out in the library but also hanging out outside of the University. They had coffee, got drinks and even went to the grocery store together. They were best friends in every sense.

During one of their nights out, they both found themselves sitting in a bar that was kind of out of the way. It sat in the shadows of other buildings and had only around a dozen people inside, soft music was playing from an old radio and the patrons of the bar sat around, lounging while speaking to each other about the mundane things people would talk about while they sat in bars.

Despite this being something for them to speak more about their days with each other when they didn’t see each other in the library, Sarah was too focused on watching Eris. She smiled as she spoke to the handsome bartender, she was happy in the bar, in her element it seemed, and Sarah couldn’t help but admire her from afar. Eris was beautiful, she had realised this a while ago, but to Sarah, she was the sun, the one thing that kept her from freezing over. Her light was something she could bask in even from far away, it brought her to life in ways she couldn’t explain to someone who didn’t know how it felt.

She couldn’t help but admire how Eris’ lips turned up in a smile reminiscent of the stars, and that's when she realised. Sarah, lovely Sarah, loved her best friend. The best friend that kept her alive and energised her everytime she saw her.

Eris could feel eyes on her, it was hard not to when the eyes of Sarah were burning into the back of her neck with such intensity. She smiled at the nice bartender, grabbing the two drinks and walking back over to their table. Sarah was smiling. Eris couldn’t help but stare. Sarah was beautiful, her short, blonde hair that seemed to curl just right and her hazel eyes that lit up amber when she was happiest. Eris slid her drink over to her, a strawberry lemonade and vodka, and ignored her thoughts.

Sarah smiled sweetly at her. Her chest filled with a gooey feeling, the feeling overflowing and spreading to the rest of her body. She felt light, and happy, and she was sitting across from the woman she loved and she couldn’t ask for anything more. She would be willing to sit and admire the gorgeous woman across from her for the rest of her life, her brown hair that flowed down her back like chocolate and deep blue eyes that conveyed so many emotions, none of which she could name. Sarah loved Eris.

The night was deep and quiet as they walked down the cobblestone street, the streetlamps cast an orange glow on them both, which bathed them in what could’ve been a beautiful sunset. They were both a few drinks in, but had decided on going home while they still could. Sarah was stumbling and quietly laughing at Eris’ jokes, they were shoulder to shoulder, nearly leaning on each other in their drunkenness.

“Thi-this is my stop.” Sarah slurred as she managed to stumble her way up to the front door with Eris keeping her hands behind Sarah’s back in case she fell. Eris laughed and stayed behind her to make sure she got into her house safely and with no problems. Sarah turned around and smiled at Eris. Eris smiled back and turned to leave, her lips already forming the words ‘goodbye’, but Sarah grabbed her and pulled her back with surprising strength for a woman who was tipsy. 

It all happened so quickly. Sarah’s hands had fallen to Eris’ waist, her hands gripping her clothing there like they had all those months ago. Her lips had landed softly on Eris’ and they fit together, like two perfect puzzle pieces. Eris had felt shock shoot through her before a feeling she was unfortunately intimate with began to form a knot in her chest. Her hands grabbed Sarah’s biceps and she kissed Sarah back with all the feelings that filled her body. Their bodies leaned towards each other, like two magnets being attracted to each other and when they finally landed in eachothers arms, electricity bolted through them both.

Sarah pulled back shakily and her forehead landed on Eris’. A quiet laugh slipped from her and she wrapped her arms fully around Eris, a genuine sort of happiness rushed in waves through her and filled her with such peace. 

“I love you, Eris.” Sarah said, her whole being filled with happiness. She tightened her arms around her before pulling back to stare into her eyes. “I love you so much.”

Eris smiled and a laugh of pure happiness bubbled up from her chest, her eyes were full of adoration.

“I love-” Eris’ sentence was cut off as her elated laughter devolved into an anguished and choked gasp. She looked down and felt blood seep from her own stomach, where a long talon-like claw had stabbed through her.

She looked up into Sarah’s eyes and her face was just as pale and anguished as hers. Eris looked down and saw where the talon had come from, it’d stabbed through Sarah and into her. They’d both grabbed onto each other as blood poured rapidly from them both, their strength slowly but surely being sapped from them. Tears flowed freely down both their faces, and sobs of pain wracked through Sarah’s body.

“I love you, Sarah. So much, and I'm sorry.” Eris sobbed as they both sank to the floor together, their dying bodies cradled in eachothers arms.

“I love you too, Eris, there’s nothing to be sorry for, I'm dying with the love of my life.”  Sarah responded breathily as darkness slipped over her vision and her body fell limp, any sign of life gone in an instant.

Eris sobbed harder as her body weakened and went limp as the cold darkness finally took her as well.

[lovecharged]

one could be forgiven for thinking that after a few years in the industry, imposter syndrome would've waned, but it hadn't. all that had changed was wallace's ability to disguise it, and his understanding that allowing anyone to know of his insecurities would be a mistake on his part. it would fuel some more volatile, unsavoury creatures and he'd be damned if he became anyone's prey; now or ever. so, he graces the exclusive party like he belongs there, has established himself as a worthwhile member of the fucked up world that his stardom enough to feel as if he fools the majority of people there. he's throwing smiles and warm regards like they'll pay his bills and in some wicked way, he supposes they do. his band mates being in attendance would've made it an awful lot easier to achieve, but he figures he's doing well enough on his own. he's been here enough times, faked it till he really had made it and he felt almost at home amongst the noise and the rush of the crowd, no matter how much that would've pained him to confess to. the place is full of people he admires, faces that had been plastered over his walls when he was a teen, only now for them to be approaching him for conversation. as it goes, maybe he's pretty accomplished at keeping his composure after all.

after all of that, he needs a moment to breathe. the only place he figures he can do that, is by the bar. he finds his way there with ease, the crowd almost parting like the red sea. it makes it easy for him to take his rightful place at the front of the bar, waiting for the attention of one of the barstaff; not that it takes him long. he orders his drink, away with the fairies as he looks over the crowd to see if he can spot one of his close confidantes and that's when it happens; before he can even process it. eyes widen, and he's not saying a word -- she seems to be saying enough for the pair of them. these things happened, more often than not in a crowded bar full of drunken (and high) stars and so he's almost entirely unfazed by it, but she really does seem different to the rest. his head tilts, watching her with nothing but intrigue in his gaze. "it's okay, it happens. plenty more drinks in the keg." he snorts, his smile sweet, cheeky and ultimately charming. yeah, he hadn't seen her here before - if he had, he'd surely remember. "does it make you feel any better to know you're not the first this has happened to?" it doesn't have to be entirely true, for him to say it with confiction. anything to reassure her of her unncessary qualms. "i'm wallace -- and i don't know, jane. maybe this is the best way to meet anyone. can only go up from here, can't it?"

@racylove with JANE && WALLACE

Slowly, she descended down the stairs and immediately the noise, sounds and music of the place greeted her. Almost like a new friend — a strong sense of unfamiliarity but with a twinge of a feeling the unfamiliar would fade away, and with that, a new friendship to bloom. It was Jane's first time here, at the exclusive club where all sorts of rich, influential people, celebrities knew of and frequented. Purely by chance she snagged an invite to tonight's event. Running interference for a patron, a woman with her side piece, her lover, just as her husband with his side piece had just came into the dive bar she worked at. It was all, very soap opera but thankfully no drinks were flung, thanks to Jane, and she was rewarded. The aspiring singer put on her best dress, worked on her hair tirelessly as well as her makeup. She had one shot at this, to make connections, to pass around her demo. She had to be Jane Bardot, the next big thing. Even if it killed her... The leather jacket was checked in upstairs, making her feel a bit bare, almost vulnerable as she walked through the floor.

A smoke-filled haze all around her, making her nose tickle, almost wanting to sneeze. A part of her used to it, but another part quite not, the pressure of the night weighing down on her. Until she saw the bar — liquid courage, that's what she needed. Ankle boots marched toward there, though her eyes got distracted. Gaze across the room, towards a face she kind of recognized, but wasn't sure and in her time of trying to figure that out... She didn't see the man in front of her, drinks at hand, and her petite form made the misfortune of colliding head on to him, not only spilling drinks on him, but on Jane as well. The cold liquid hitting her chest and the front of her dress that she squealed and even let out a gasp. "Oh, fuck!" She was absolutely mortified. "Oh, shit, I'm so sorry!" Groaning as she looked between them, "Jesus, fucking.... God damn it, that's so... That's so fucking cliche that it's embarrassing. I can't believe I fucking did that. So.. So fucking lame, of all the fucking..." She had to laugh, shaking her head, "You don't understand — this is so fucking karma for the amount of times I've laughed at people doing this shit and now... God," she reached for any napkins that she could grab, helping him dry off, as well as dab against her chest. "I'm.... I can't fucking believe this. I... Let me repay those drinks? Again, so sorry, I'm... I'm not usually like this, sounds like bullshit, but I'm so much cooler than this... Um... I'm almost too embarrassed to give you my name, but, it's... yeah, it's Jane. I...so regret meeting you like this."

[tenthgrove]

Omg imagine la squadra with a teenage teammate 👀 (platonic obvs but I'm 18 and I wonder how they'd act with a team member that's a lot younger than them) cause I hc them as being in their late 20s early 30s ‼️

Okay I love love love this idea! I decided to go for the approach of a younger teenager, someone around 14 or 15 years old, and make them someone who is keen to prove themselves and be respected, but still has all the fears that would be natural for someone in this situation so young, hidden beneath the front they put on.

La Squadra Interacting with a Younger Teammate

Formaggio- The prospect of La Squadra’s next recruit being a kid is actually quite appealing to Formaggio. He doesn’t get much respect from the rest of the team, but he hopes a teenager would be more impressionable, more easy to wow. As soon as the newcomer is through the door Formaggio is already pulling out his cool uncle act. He’s always begging to show them something cool (usually just some random thing he shrunk) or tell them a gruesome story from the job. He totally forgets how naturally weary they’re going to be as someone who recently moved teams. When he finally realises how uncomfortable he makes them, he feels very guiltridden and backs away. But then one day, by pure accident, he makes them laugh. Genuinely. Things ease up a lot after that.

Illuso- Since he isn’t particularly good with kids, Illuso thinks it’s best to just treat them the same as he does any other teammate. This doesn’t go well, their interactions clunky and awkward as the newcomer is unsure how to respond. Eventually, Illuso realises too and decides he’s going to have to change tactic. What do teenagers like? Mischief? While the idea of taking the kid around the mirror world to wreck havoc on the base is tempting, it would not go down well with Risotto once he finds out. What else is there? Gossip? Yes, that could work. When Illuso finds himself alone with the kid with nothing else to talk about, he starts telling them all the dirty secrets he’s collected about his team over the years. There’s nothing age innappropriate, but it’s enough to break down the image the kid has of La Squadra as humorless, intimidating adults. The others soon notice a change in the kid’s behaviour and congratulate Illuso for helping them settle in, however it was he managed to do that. Well, that certainly wasn’t Illuso’s intention, but he’ll take the applause anyway.

Pesci- The arrival of the newcomer marks a big change for Pesci. He’s no longer the youngest of the group, both in age and in experience. While he’s glad to lose the associated teasing, it fills him with a sense of responsibility he isn’t quite ready for. Being the youngest in the group gave him a slight feeling of immunity for all his fuck-ups, both real and percieved, and that’s gone now. Worse, he sees this kid and he sees someone far newer to the game than he is yet somehow still able to face it with more courage than he does. The kid scares him, really. It feels like he is the junior member of the dynamic they have together. Then one day he finds their phone in the front room. He knows the others have a habit of pinching things like this for mean-spirited jokes, so he puts his anxiety regarding the kid on hold to go up to their room and give it back to them. He didn’t expect to find them crying there. He rushes up to them immediately, patting them on the shoulder nervously to offer some comfort. He asks them what’s wrong. “Everything. I’m scared.” At the end of the day, they really are just a child.

Prosciutto- The second-in-command doesn’t have time to mentor the newcomer to the same extent he does with Pesci, but he’ll still keep an eye on them whenever he can. Any of those violent idiots could teach them to kill, but Prosciutto’s going to make sure they learn to carry themselves right as well. For one, they need to get rid of those grungy hoodies and jeans they insist on wearing. He supposes he’ll just have to take them shopping. Overall, he can seem quite harsh on the kid, but he has their best interests at heart. He wouldn’t be paying them any mind at all if he didn’t have faith in them to go far.

Melone- As is only natural with his stand, Melone is good with kids. Teenagers are a different matter, and with little concrete memory of the whirl of heartbreak and emotions that were his own teen years, Melone isn’t as sure of himself as he would like to be. So he takes the experimental method, observes how their reactions to certain interactions in order to figure out the best way of keeping them at ease. It’s overall a good approach, and Melone becomes one of the earlier members of the team who the newcomer opens up to. The only issue is the others. They do not trust him. So, Melone takes it upon himself to prove himself. He makes a point of adjusting his behaviour, abandoning some of his more unsavoury habits for good, and not just in the kid’s present. The others are surprised, but pleasantly so. Melone is thankful to the newcomer for improving his standing with the team in general.

Ghiaccio- He is not happy. He knows about other teams getting actual children dumped on them, but he never thought it would happen to them. It makes him absolutely furious; the last thing this team needs right now is some petulant brat to take care of. Ghiaccio will give them the cold shoulder for a long time. Eventually, it takes Risotto dragging him into his office and point-blank asking what his problem is to make him reconsider. Ghiaccio drags his heels, insists he needs nothing to do with the newcomer, but then Risotto reminds him how young Ghiaccio was when he got trapped in his life. That changes things. That evening, as Risotto watches on silently from the doorway, Ghiaccio approaches the newcomer in the sitting room. “Hey… kid… do you like video games?” he asks uncertainly. The kid perks up, surprised to hear such an offer from Ghiaccio of all people. They accept. Ghiaccio invites them to play with him often after that. Risotto doesn’t need to ask him.

Risotto- Well, this is interesting. Risotto finds the kid hard to deal with because of how much he sees himself in them. They’re pretty much the same age he was when his own life went to hell. Risotto may have trouble facing the newcomer, but he’ll do it anyway for their sake. He wants to do what he can to make their own youth easier than his, if only by a fraction. For them, he’ll let down his walls and be a confidante. He’ll let them be honest about their fears with him, and he’ll comfort them to the best of his ability. He doesn’t want them to end up like him. He doesn’t want them to lose their humanity.

Sorbet and Gelato- “Sorbet, that’s a baby.” “Christ, you’re right.” Sorbet and Gelato may be devoid of sympathy towards a majority of humanity, but they at least have it in them to feel sorry for a kid. Especially a kid dumped into the closest thing the couple has to a family. Truth is, Sorbet and Gelato have long desired a child of their own, but never truly believed the opportunity would present itself. They know taking in a scarred teenager a few years off from adulthood will never truly take the place of a child to call their own, but if this is the closest they can get, they’ll take it. So yeah, congratulations kid, meet your new group assinged fathers. Sorbet is the more realistic of the two, the one who reluctantly accepts the need to prepare the newcomer for mafia life. They develop a dynamic somewhat comparable to Pesci and Prosciutto, with Sorbet becoming the primary mentor for the child when Risotto is too busy. Gelato is the one who really tries to baby the kid, trying to keep them away from their work as much as possible and always fussing over them whenever a mission can’t be avoided. The kid might be reluctant to accept it, but it is what they need. At least once in a while.

[one-boring-person]

Only Traitors Consort With The Damned. (Part 13)

The Lost Boys x reader

Warnings: injury, blood

Context: The boys, (Y/n) and Nico formulate a plan to get out of the cave safely.

A/N: I have a new editor! It is my good friend @jawline-of-steel and she will hopefully be helping me with editing on all of my work!😊💛💛💛

Edited By: @jawline-of-steel

Masterlist

“What do we do? There’s no way out of here except through there! We’re trapped!” I say quickly, keeping my voice down as much as i can so as not to alert anyone outside of the fact that we are very close by, “Is there anywhere we can hide?”

“In here? Yeah, there is, but I’m not sure how good the hiding places are, especially not for someone as big as him.” Dwayne muses, gesturing to Nico as he turns to David with a questioning look on his face.

“All of the hallways are blocked off by debris, and any of the crawlspaces barely fit us, so it’s doubtful that he will be able to get through.” The platinum blonde responds dismissively, though his tone betrays his nerves, the idea of a team of highly trained Hunters waiting just outside the cave worrying and unnerving to him.

“How is she supposed to walk anywhere? She’s got a busted leg, remember?” Paul interjects, pointing at me.

“One of us could carry her?” Marko suggests, which draws a low growl from Nico, his protective side showing through as he tightens his grip around me, holding me tighter to his chest.

I think for a minute, during which time the other five tense up, clearly having heard something I can't, Marko and Paul starting to look even more worried. Frowning, i look around at them all, as if asking them to clarify, though none of them care to explain; instead, David jerks his head to the side, signalling for the rest of us to follow him as he leads us through a nearby tunnel, which takes us to what i assume is their sleeping quarters, Nico having to duck down the entire time as he struggles to fit his bulk in the space. As we emerge into the area, David quickly starts talking.

“The sun is gonna come up soon, so we don’t really have too much time, but I think we can help you. If one of us carries (Y/n), then she can leave through the way we get in and out of here, which isn’t accessible by foot, so it's the safest way out. As for Nico, there’s a chance we can lure the Hunters around the caves enough for him to have a clear chance at getting out of here, but it will only work if you're fast, because they'll most likely be expecting something like this to happen. There’s a safehouse a little way away, where you can stay until you can find transport, and where one of us can stay whilst the sun is out.” The vampire swiftly explains, the rest of us nodding as we take in the plan, glad that one of us is thinking rationally. 

“Hold on, why do you have a safehouse?” Nico asks, frowning in the dim light.

“Our sire made it in case anyone ever came after us.” Dwayne fills him in, before moving on again just as quickly, “Which one of us is going to carry her?”

“Paul will, he's the fastest out of the four of us, which will mean he can get to the safehouse much quicker.” David says decisively, looking to his friend for confirmation.

“I’ll do it.” The tall vampire nods, reaching out to take me from Nico, who reluctantly hands me over, giving me one last squeeze for reassurance as he passes me to the blonde.

“Hang on a sec, what about Nico? How is he supposed to know where the safehouse is?” I chip in, looking at the towering werewolf as he straightens again.

The vampires are silent for a moment, thinking the question through, clearly as stuck as I am. Eventually, Dwayne pipes up again, having thought of something.

“I guess one of us will have to go with him.” The brunette says, looking around at the others.

“Yeah, I guess that would help.” I agree, adjusting myself in Paul’s arms.

“I can do it, I'm fast enough to get out of here and into cover before the sun comes up.” Dwayne offers, looking over at Nico as the werewolf, nods appreciatively, still uneasy around the vampires, but not as much as before. 

“Ok, Dwayne will go with the werewolf. We’ll stay here and out of sight as much as we can.” David says with finality, watching us all agree before speaking again, “Alright then, let's get going, I can already hear them on the steps.”

“Alright. Thank you for doing this, you really didn't have to.” I say to them all, smiling thankfully.

“No problem, Dwayne is right. We owe you this, you’ve saved our lives too many times to count.” The platinum blonde waves me off, moving to start off into a nearby hallway. 

I go to say something, only for Nico to cut me off, gesturing for Paul and Dwayne to move off immediately, not allowing me to argue with him, as is often the case. Paul starts moving off, carrying me as he turns down a different way to the others, where there is already a cooler breeze blowing in from the sea just outside. I lean back against the vampire’s chest, tensing in his arms in trepidation as i think through the plan in my head, still nervous about what will happen to my friends whilst im gone, particularly David and Marko, who will be stuck in the cave with a bunch of Hunters ready to kill them at a moment’s notice, should they get themselves caught. Part of me is confident that they won’t, but the more rational part of my mind knows that there is a very high probability of things going badly, which will end even worse for the rest of us. 

I am snapped from my thoughts by the sound of the roaring ocean, the cave now widening out into a cavern that is filled with crashing waves, the far end ïleading to the sea itself, the horizon still cloaked in darkness despite the proximity of dawn that is fast approaching.

“You're gonna want to hold on tight.” Paul warns me, waiting for me to grip him with more force before he kicks off the ground, the disorientation that comes with his floating slightly off-putting as I become stiff in his arms.

“Hey, relax. I'm not going to drop you.” The vampire promises, before he starts to move off towards the front of the cave and out into the open. 

*

My back aches as I slouch in the chair I'm sat in, my fingers knotted together as I watch the doorway, my lip already in shreds from how much I've been biting it, every muscle in my body tense with nerves. Across from me, Paul eyes me in concern, knowing that every movement I'm making is upsetting the injury on my knee, which is throbbing painfully now, though I am ignoring it in favour of staring at the space where Nico and Dwayne should appear. 

"They'll make it, (Y/n), don't worry." The vampire tries to reassure me, though he isn't too convinced, looking just as worried and uneasy as i feel.

"I hope so." I manage back, my jaw clenched and tight, though I am doing my best to relax it.

We wait in silence again for a few moments, neither of us daring to say a word in case we miss the tell tale sounds of someone entering the safe house through the hatch in the abandoned gas station above, the actual door itself squeaky and stiff from disuse. It takes a little while, but eventually we hear it, at which point Paul moves to stand by the doorway, ready to intercept if it should be someone unsavoury, rather than the supernatural beings we are expecting. I sit up straighter, my eyes trained on the doorway, anxiously awaiting whoever it is, the heavy footsteps becoming more and more audible as they approach.

Suddenly, the familiar, lithe silhouette of Dwayne enters the candlelight, the brunette limping a little, his bare chest stained red with blood, Nico just behind him, the werewolf completely bare, his skin covered in sweat, blood and dirt. A few cuts litter his chest, though there is a wound on his shoulder where the shaft of a crossbow bolt is just visible. The German instantly comes over to me as he sees me, ignoring any pain as he chooses instead to pull me into an awkward embrace, glad to see I'm alright.

"Thank God you're ok!" He hums into my hair, pulling back to look me in the eye.

"I'm fine, Nico, though I can't say the same about you. What happened?" I respond, looking between him and Dwayne, who has sat down beside me on a different chair. 

"There were some waiting for us outside the cave. We fought them off, but we both got hurt in the process. Nico took a crossbow bolt for me." The vampire informs me, nodding thankfully at the werewolf.

"And you took a bullet for me. We are even." He responds, smiling at the vampire in his usual crooked way, moving away from me when he finally notices that he is still naked, "Are there any clothes in here that I could wear?"

"Err, yeah man, they're over there. What happened to your first ones?" Paul asks, looking a little confused.

Nico sends him an odd look, obviously wondering if the vampire is joking.

"My clothes were destroyed when I transformed."

"You transformed?!" Paul exclaims, going wide-eyed as he looks over the huge werewolf.

"It was the only way either of us would be fast enough." Dwayne cuts in, groaning as he pulls a bullet out of his shoulder with his fingers.

"Oh, right." His friend nods, going to the brunette's side to offer his aid.

Across from us, Nico roughly yanks out the crossbow bolt, growling as he does so, pulling on a shirt that is much too small for him after, knowing that the wounds will heal themselves in a little while. Once done, he moves to sit on a sofa nearby, only to come and help me up when I gesture to him that I'd like to join him. Carrying me over to the sofa, the werewolf sits down with me, placing me beside him as he leans back, clearly tired.

Tired now, I watch as Paul helps Dwayne with his injuries, the two vampires talking quietly amongst each other, clearly worried about David and Marko, who are most likely still running from the Hunters back at the cave, the two of them in great danger. Unconsciously, I let my head drop onto Nico's shoulder, my eyelids starting to droop as I start to give in to the sleep I've been fighting off all night, the perpetual warmth from his body soothing and calming to me, his arm coming up to support me as he carefully manoeuvres us so that he's lying back against the arm of the sofa, my body resting on his. In this new position I quickly feel myself start to lose consciousness, my muscles finally relaxing as I let myself fall asleep.

Part Fourteen

[owl-with-a-pen]

Hi! I just read the fanfic about Brainy and Nia going to the future and meeting their daughter, I know you posted it a long time ago, I'm just new to tumblr, so if you can I want you to do a fic about the future, where Brainy's daughter and Nia is 5 years old. And it would be cool to see the antics that her daughter does.XD

- Sorry this took so long to fulfil, but yes! I’m sure she’d get into all sorts and this story probably only scrapes the surface! Thank you for the prompt x

Nia had always preferred the night over the day; maybe it was just her Naltorian side talking, but she’d always felt there was a certain peacefulness about the night-time that just couldn’t be replicated in daylight.

That definitely hadn’t changed since Nova had come into the picture.

The daytime had always been busy for a number of reasons. Balancing work and family life, balancing family and hero life - balancing work, family and hero life. But, now that Nova had reached an age where she was starting to explore her natural curiosities, Nia and Brainy hadn’t had the luxury of focusing on anything else. At five years old, they couldn’t let their daughter out of their sight for one second of the day.

The second the sun went down, though?

Nova’s sleeping pattern had always been pretty steady, and once she was out - she was out. She’d definitely gotten that from Nia’s side of the family. After all, Brainy didn’t really need all that much sleep, although he had admitted to her on more than one occasion that he enjoyed resting at her side, retreating to his inner network at hours Nia would otherwise be sleeping, working on small tasks and calculations reminiscent of an actual dream-state. In that way, he could still be close with her during the night, and Nia valued that time together immensely.

Of course, the fact Brainy didn’t actually need those extra hours had made him the best dad ever when it came to late-night wake-up calls courtesy of one baby Nova.

She still wasn’t old enough for them to know for certain the extent of her abilities; Brainy had predicted they wouldn’t fully develop fully until her teen years. Honestly, though? Nia didn’t care what powers Nova had; she was perfect no matter what.

Nia watched from the doorway that evening as Nova cuddled against Brainy on the bed. Her blonde hair was getting so long now, falling in relaxed waves down to her elbows, and the light green tone of her skin was almost washed out entirely by the soft purple of her nightlight on the bedside table. She was curled into Brainy’s chest, chewing idly on her thumbnail, her dark eyes scanning along inquisitively to the passages he was reading aloud to her. Nia smiled privately to herself; Brainy really got into character when reading Nova to sleep, making a big show with grand gesticulations and silly voices, even when the book of choice for tonight was an account on quantum mechanics from Carlo Rovelli’s collection.

Nova had a unique taste in literature, that was for sure and, while she was definitely getting a taste for mathematics and physics, she also still enjoyed simpler story telling. Nia and Brainy had decided to switch up who read to her each night. Sometimes, they’d choose something on Brainy’s bookshelf, and other times they would go for stories catered for a younger – human - mind, like The Far Away Tree, or even folk stories like Little Red Riding Hood or Goldilocks.

Nova really liked Goldilocks; Nia must have read it to her at least twelve times this month alone.

As Nova let out a big yawn, relaxing further into her dad’s side, Nia caught Brainy’s eye, jerking her chin towards the door.

He nodded his understanding, continuing his narration as Nia ducked out of the room, heading towards the living room where Alex was waiting for her, already working open a bottle of red.

“How is she?” Alex asked, sizing up her wine glass as she began to fill it up generously.  

“She should be asleep soon,” Nia said. “But, uh, Brainy sometimes runs Q and A sessions with her if she stays awake through a whole chapter.”

Alex snorted. “Only for Nova would I find that concept adorable.”

Nia collapsed onto the sofa, snatching her wine glass immediately. She reached out expectantly to Alex, grinning when she rolled her eyes, ditching her own wine glass to fill up Nia’s.

“Why, thank you,” Nia said, tucking her legs up beneath her.

Alex tipped her own glass with a wry smile. “It’s my pleasure, really.”

Nia took a long sip, savouring the rich taste. They couldn’t exactly go off the walls with a toddler sleeping next door, but right now, anything that could offer her a brief period of relaxation, Nia was more than eager to accept. She swirled her glass thoughtfully. “You know,” she murmured, “Brainy’ll probably need something a little stronger to take the edge off.”

“Oh, way ahead of you,” Alex said, shifting to the edge of her respective sofa to grab a bottle she had stowed away inside her backpack. She placed it on the coffee table with a flourish, giving Nia the opportunity to try and decipher the alien script scrawled across the label. “Kara recommended this,” Alex said, raising a finger. “Please do not ask me what it’s called, because I will not be able to pronounce it.”

Nia snorted, taking another sip of her own regular alcohol. “I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.”

“He better, this stuff wasn’t cheap.” Alex smirked, leaning back into the sofa. “How have you guys been, anyway? I feel like this is the first time we’ve seen each other in months.”

Nia opened her mouth, only to frown. Had it really been that long? All the days had been blurring together recently, and yet each one seemed to be separated by something inexplicably unique in its own right – courtesy of one overly curious toddler.

Nia wasn’t even sure she could remember the last time she’d visited the Tower, and going out for patrol or even something as simple as date night was so far off the table right now, it might as well have been in another galaxy. There wasn’t a sitter in the city willing to take on a genius, alien five-year-old with a penchant for mischief.

To Alex, Nia only shrugged. “Nova’s just been needing a lot of our attention lately. Well, all of it, actually. Or else she’ll burn the apartment down.”

Alex’s eyes widened. “Wait, like seriously burn the apartment down?” When Nia pursed her lips, Alex’s mouth fell open. “Is that normal?”

Nia rolled her eyes, leaning back into the cushions. “According to Brainy, yeah. Coluans express themselves through their intellect, and Nova’s been flexing that muscle a lot lately. Brainy thinks it’s a good sign, that she’ll probably rise to the twelfth-level, but we don’t exactly have much for a frame of reference, y’know?”

“Well, you have Brainy,” Alex considered. “How was he raised?”

Nia shifted uncomfortably, averting her gaze. She took a long sip of her wine to fill the silence. “Uh,” she said softly. “That’s sort of a… sore topic, actually.” She bit her lip, running her thumb along her glass’s neck. “He had robot caregivers for the most part.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

By the subdued look on Alex’s face, Nia knew she didn’t want to butt in with any more questions on the subject of Brainy’s upbringing. Brainy had certainly shared a portion of his childhood with his friends, at least enough for them to know that his parents were not a topic up for discussion if he could help it.

Even with Brainy occupied with Nova in the other room, Alex didn’t appear comfortable to continue the direction of their conversation.

Nia chuckled softly, trying to clear the air. “Anyway,” she said quickly, steering them back on topic, “there isn’t an earth-equivalent to a robot nanny here; well… except for…” She stopped herself suddenly, resisting the urge to grin.  

Alex narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Except for what?”

Nia shook her head, pressing a finger to her lips to keep from laughing outright. The wine was definitely starting to do its job - not thirty minutes ago, thinking about this would have only stressed her out. She reached for the wine bottle, eager to keep this high going for as long as humanly possible, topping up her glass. As soon as it was full, Nia took another long swig, breathing deeply as the wine warmed her chest. “Kelex,” she said on her next exhale, unable to keep the smile from her voice.

Alex laughed incredulously. “Wait, what? Kel- Kelex? From the Fortress?” She shuffled to the edge of her seat, almost conspiratorially. “Doesn’t Brainy hate that thing?”

Nia shrugged half-heartedly.

Alex’s eyes widened. “Why does he hate that thing?”

That question seemed to ground her, at least. Nia winced. She was pretty sure they were skirting back along unsavoury territory. “He was never totally clear with me,” she admitted, staring down into her glass, “but I’m pretty sure Kelex reminds him of his own caregivers. They – uh – didn’t exactly get along.” She rolled her eyes. “Anyway, it doesn’t even matter. Brainy was happy to entertain the idea, but the second Kara brought Kelex over, Nova was obsessed with the thing. She rewired it in like… twenty minutes.”

Alex stared. “She’s five, right?”

“She’s also half Coluan,” Nia reminded her, toasting her glass in Alex’s direction. “Dismantling machinery is better than any toy I could buy her.” She closed her eyes at that, pulling a face. “I left her in the bathroom for ten minutes today to shower and by the time I got out, she’d turned my hairdryer into a blowtorch.”

Alex winced into her wine glass. “Oof.”

“She’s just curious,” Nia said quickly, rubbing idly at her forehead. Was she really getting a wine headache already? God, she was really out of practice. “She’s exploring her intellect,” Nia said eventually. “It’s healthy for her and I wanna encourage that, I do—” She sighed heavily. “It’s just…”

“Exhausting?”

Nia smiled bleakly. “That obvious, huh?”

“Then, take a break,” Alex insisted.

Nia stared at her levelly. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Hey,” Alex said with a smirk, pushing the wine bottle over to Nia’s side of the table. “Start with this. Finish the whole thing. Trust me, I have more.”

When Nia laughed, Alex glanced up at her, eyes flashing with a smile. “And, if you guys need a real break, you know that Kelly and I would be happy to help out.”

“You sure about that?” Nia asked warily. “Remember what I just said about the blowtorch?”

“You think a bit of fire’s going to scare me off?” Alex challenged. She leant back, gesturing to herself with relaxed emphasis. “Don’t forget, I shared a bathroom with an incredibly overpowered alien for years. Hell, I used to work for a super-secret government organisation that kept alien prisoners.” She placed her glass back onto the coffee table, folding her arms with a confident nod. “I’m pretty sure Kelly and I can handle a five-year-old super genius.” She winked. “And, if we can’t, we can always rely on Auntie Kara.”

Nia nearly snorted into her glass. She remembered a few choice stories from Auntie Kara revolving her valiant attempt at babysitting for Cat Grant’s son when she’d still been a PA. Something about him ending up on a train that had had a bomb strapped to it? Considering Nova already knew her Auntie Kara was Supergirl, the novelty of being saved from a near death experience would probably still hinge on traumatic, rather than invigorating.

Although, Nia had to admit, the idea of a break – however small – sounded pretty great right about now. She loved Nova with all of her heart, but having even just a few hours with Brainy to herself where she was actually conscious enough to enjoy them would have been amazing.

Still, she couldn’t help but picture Alex and Kelly struggling to figure out how to appease Nova’s more unique interests.

She smirked to herself, pressing her lips against the rim of her glass. “It’s your funeral,” she murmured.

Alex’s cheeks were already a little rosy from the wine and Nia knew she probably wasn’t faring much better. Still, before Alex could promise away any more of her free time, Nova’s door opened and, a moment later, out crept one very dishevelled looking Coluan.

Nia beamed from ear-to-ear. She stood, pausing when the world pitched a little around her. Wine drunk. There was no denying it, she was definitely wine drunk.

After carefully placing her glass on the coffee table, Nia made her way over to the bedroom door. She ran her hand down Brainy’s arm, squeezing gently. “Is she asleep?” she whispered.

Brainy’s expression was warm. He smiled softly, bowing his head. “I believe her excitement today tired her out more than she anticipated.”

Nia chuckled. That was the least surprising statement she’d heard all day. She turned towards the door, peeking inside. Nova’s nightlight was still on, enough to illuminate the profile of her round face snuggled against her pillow where she’d half cocooned herself in blankets only seconds after Brainy had no doubt tucked her in.

Her little mouth hung open slightly, silent breaths escaping her lips. Nia could spy the ears of her own childhood teddy bear poking out from beneath the blankets, hugged tightly to Nova’s chest.

Nia squeezed Brainy’s arm once more before sneaking into the room, summoning a swell of dream energy in her fist to keep from tripping over any mislaid toys or, more likely now she thought about it, machine parts.

Nia smiled; Brainy had promised to fix Kelex for Kara tomorrow. Despite his grievances towards the robot, he still felt guilty over the extent to which Nova had indulged her curiosities. They’d already sat her down to explain to her why what she had done wasn’t appropriate behaviour, and Nova had seemed to understand. Enough that she’d pouted when they’d told her she wouldn’t be able to go with Brainy to the Fortress to help fix Kelex in the morning. The last thing Nia wanted was for Nova to get her hands on the kinds of weapons Kara and Clark had hidden there. Nia had nearly blasted a hole through the wall on accident in controlled conditions when Brainy had been training her, she could only imagine what kind of destruction Nova could cause if she was set loose in there.

It was strange to think all of that had only been a few hours ago. Now, Nova slept peacefully, odd ends of blonde hair strewn across her face. 

Nia reached out, tucking those strands behind Nova’s ears. She perched herself on the edge of the bed, pressing a kiss against her daughter’s forehead. Nova scrunched her nose slightly before relaxing again, and Nia had to bite her lip hard to keep from making any sound.

She was perfect. Even with the chaos today had brought, Nia wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

“Sleep tight, Firestarter,” she murmured fondly.

When Nia returned to the doorway, she found Brainy waiting for her. She grinned, linking her hand with his. “Come with me,” she said, tugging him along towards the living room. “We have alien wine.” She raised her voice enough for Alex to hear. “And guess who just offered to babysit?”