#and this take (as unfortunately right as it is) just makes me go....... bad timeline
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"well I can see why s2 felt rushed because they don't think they're getting a season three so they're putting all the fan favorite parts in now!" how the fuck have we gotten to the point where this is normal to say
#not witcher#sab spoilers#kinda#somehow we went from#'oh netflix is starting to let you watch movies on their website instead of just sending the dvds that's cool :)'#to#'it makes sense the season feels rushed because they don't think netflix will give them another season so they can't afford slower pacing'#frothing biting#the actual pacing & story beats of shows should not suffer because its unclear/unlikely if Netflix sees continuing the show as profitable#or if itll ax the show & start another for more revenue#for fucks sake#streaming platforms are PLATFORMS FOR A REASON#they should be SUPPORTING THE SHOWS THEY HOST/ORIGINALS THEY MAKE#it should be streaming platforms supporting the shows/movies they host#not shows being axed after 2/3 seasons because it's more profitable for the service itself to end it prematurely and make another show#netflix stop prioritizing profit over continuing shows that are actually good/letting them tell their full story challenge (IMPOSSIBLE)#mine#i havent caught up but i still love what ive seen#and this take (as unfortunately right as it is) just makes me go....... bad timeline
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iâm kinda curious on whether or not the reader would continue going to college after they go back to the wayne manor. furthermore, i also remember the resder mentioning a small group of friend they had, will they stay in contact with them? how do the family react to them being so close with others? dudhjew i love this series you write so well.
â masterlist !
a/n: phew i finally get to answer asks !! yesterday was insane, me and my family swam on around 5 different beaches so i was outside for more than 12 hours with no wifi and the power keeps turning off in the house due to the weather so that's that. i love writing so this is a bit longer than i expected hehe. oh yeah i forgot to tell yall that in the timeline, the mc may be bruce's third child but they're actually younger than tim as he was adopted later on.
now, to answer. i don't think bruce, as your ever-so loving father, would agree to get you back to college once you're back (kidnapped) in the manor. he wouldn't directly say it, but with your current state of relationship towards your family, with just how much time they have lost not spending it with you, it's a given that bruce, your dad, and your siblings who are feral for any ounce of attention from you, would insist that you take... a very long vacation with just them.
after all, desire is one of the stronger emotions they feel towards you, and they grapple at anything you offer towards them. but they still want you to be happy, no?
so at first, they'll let you go to your classes (though you'd be heavily monitored everywhere. who knows what bad influences scurry the area, right? barbara and tim take turns watching through the live feed of your college) but that's only if, and only if the uni's timetable allows for a flexible schedule with your family after. that means, if you're stubborn enough (which bruce understands, because "bruce! you allow damian to go to school so why can't i?!" and he's willing to give his baby the world after he finally hears them say his name) and still wish to continue the course you're working so hard for, one you had attained a full scholarship for, then go ahead!
though they can't help it when the hours they're supposed to get to know you better are taken away from them. for now, you'll have a taste of freedom before it's ultimately taken away from you.
but until then, you'll have to learn how to balance school life with family life. because even if there would be no more crappy apartment to go home to, even if you actually get a full meal instead of cheap, microwavable oven meals and dollar priced ramen, even if you still get to pursue your dream courseâ it's undeniable that the moment you leave your uni's doors, you'd be picked up by dick, tim, and even your youngest brother damian fucking wayne driving the car, to be escorted back to the manor strictly after classes. during the night, should you ever overstay for projects, it would be jason who'll greet you and allow you to ride his motorcycle; though that's only permissible if you have updated them a day before that you wouldn't be home before the curfew bruce has set up for you.
sometimes, it's your father who makes an untimely appearance with his well-known persona, brucie wayne. he'll greet all the people who pass by with a teethy smile, his big hand holding your stiff shoulders after he kisses your cheeks as a greeting. if you're out the door with your friends - friends who knew of your history of neglect, who told you they would always take your side - then he'll shake their hand, introduce himself with a charm that makes them question if what you've told them is true.
he presents himself with such an aura that's harmless, as if him and your other siblings who are spying by a bush aren't incapable of taking all friends down with just a punch to their face shall one of them speak up or dare tease you in front of them.
unfortunately for you, even some of your friends would be truly convinced that your father wasn't the same man you've told your lifelong stories about neglect. not when he makes a show of running his hand through his baby's head to comfort them whilst he talks to them, not when he cloaks your shoulders in his own work suit to make sure his child wouldn't feel the chilly weather, not when he takes all the time in his busy day to pick you up from school as he should've done all those years ago.
but who would believe you when it's obviously known by the public eye that bruce loves his child, (name) wayne?
you know it's all fake, and it's scary for you, that he simply was able to make a cover up story to the journalists that his child's lack of presence to the public is him merely wishing to shield them from the disgusting media, no?
now that you're older, he says, he would want to make a show of his undying grip over you, that his gleeming eyes that hold multiple threats towards the people in your campus is simply his overprotectiveness as your father, that if they ever harm you or dare question your family's overprotective nature towards you; they'd be gone by the very hands that sworn to protect gotham.
it's all fake, you tell yourself.
but what isn't false are his intentions to make you feel like you're part of the family now, no matter how much you kick, or fight, or scream; they'll always remind you that you're loved and always will be. it's both an apology and display of affection towards you.
it doesn't matter if your uni is on the other side of gotham, you're always coming home to them and that's final. at least you know they still have an ounce of empathy for you to continue having friends (and a boyfriend that they've no knowledge of, yet), as long as they heavily monitor you...
... what you don't know, though, is that the moment you've fallen into the hands of dangerâ your father wouldn't hesitate pulling you out of college and instead settling for homeschooling. you have brilliant siblings, after all, and a father who had trained all over the world.
that's why hangouts with friends are unpermitted, you soon discover that only trying to beg bruce to at least be more flexible with your friends would only lead to even lesser chance of trying to find escape in your already stuffy life.
and don't even dare throw a tantrum about preferring your friends over them. if you even go as far as calling one of your friend's parents as an even better parent than bruce could be, that your friends are people you consider actual siblings, then you've guaranteed yourself a one way ticket to being locked up in the manor, permanently; with your father and your siblings, especially damian, trying to prove themselves that, no, you didn't just fucking say that, take it back.
you're going to witness a personal breakdown from damian. because no way do you prefer those scum over him! he's supposed to be your favorite, who are they to take his place?! you love him, you love them, you wanted attention from the family, didn't you?! you wouldn't be able to comfort him because he'd already wear his robin suit, ready to eliminate any of your friends who are younger than you because they don't deserve to be seen as your younger sibling, no matter if you had just blurted that out as retaliation for an argument.
what you had just said is serious, and bruce and dick wouldn't even try to stop that kid from slashing someone in broad daylight; dick choosing to cry and refusing to let you go from his arms as he babbles on about his delusional baby bird, trying his damn best to not let his temper get to him, trying so hard to not choke the ever living shit out of any of your older friends once you confess calling anyone of them your older brotherâ because him, jason, and tim are supposed to be the only ones you consider your older brothers, babybird!
hell, even tim and babs are already on the monitors ready to give damian each and every one of your friend's individual locations.
bruce especially, would be heartbroken that his child called someone else their father. that's his title. you calling him father, or dad, or papa, or any language that describes him to be your parental figure is the only thing keeping him sane. he hates it when his child only calls him bruce as if to describe a mere stranger, to which he knows he is to youâ but it sounds wrong and it furthers the ache in his heartâ and it's even worse if you chose to call someone else a father, chose anyone else than him as your dad.
batman is even more cruel in his patrol after your argument, punching the living hell out of any male criminals, picturing your voice playing over and over again calling them your father instead of himâ it only makes him perceptive of jason's moral code. because what if you have fallen into the hands of anyone but him before he had come to take you back? he knows he isn't the best, was never there for you until now, but fuck, he needs to make it up to his child, and getting angry at you only worsens your already severed bond with him.
so you may expect a punishment, but it's already punishment towards you when you're now isolated inside the manor with only the presence of your siblings to comfort you throughout the nights where it gets too lonely during patrol time. bruce would have more than an hour long talk with you in his study, forcing you to confess every single thought you have about him and your siblings. he tells you it's all unrecorded, that there's no cameras to watch over your one-on-one confrontationâ he just wants his baby's opinion on everything so they could adjust to your every whim, but really, it's all just a matter of them wanting to dive deep into your very thoughts like the invasive creatures they are.
the worst part of it all, is that nobody even dare mentions the names of your friends and their respective family. they listen to anything you say, because you already barely talk, but the moment you mutter about missing them, the topic would be shunned down by something, anything else. whether that'd be damian deciding that his older sibling should paint with him, or dick inviting you to watch him perform his acrobatic stunts.
it's a distraction you know you're susceptible to, because they all wish to take your thoughts away from those scum, as damian calls them, and instead have you focus on them, your actual family. those people are nothing to you, now that they're out of the picture.
... you should've chosen to be homeschooled instead of unintentionally getting your friends killed.
#đ¨... yael's talking#đ§... yael's misc.#series: again & again#yandere dc#yandere batfam#yandere batman#yandere bruce wayne#yandere dick grayson#yandere jason todd#yandere tim drake#yandere damian wayne#yandere barbara gordon#yandere#yandere x reader#yandere x gn reader#yandere x male reader#yandere x you#yandere x y/n#platonic yandere#soft yandere#the neighbors keep playing loud music too#so it's hard to focus
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I saw this really great thread on twitter by Grungygrim and it definitely highlights my thoughts and frustrations with the story of these games and the Splatoon fandom as a whole. (be forewarned, i get really tilted in this blog post fyi.)
I made a blog post about 2 weeks ago where i said that i was happy that the narrative online that "Callie is an idiot who got kidnapped and then brainwashed/mind controlled against her consent" is going away. (Here's the link: https://www.tumblr.com/dr-spectre/749710338672525312/im-so-happy-that-the-narrative-online-that?source=share)
Unfortunately I'm gonna have to retract a lot of the stuff i said. I'm still seeing, TILL THIS DAY THAT NARRATIVE ONLINE! IM STILL SEEING SO MUCH MISINFORMATION AND IT MAKES ME REALLYYYY ANGRYYYY!!! As a big fan of Callie, people completely outright ignoring her character arc THAT WAS SET UP SINCE SPLATOON 1 BY THE WAY!!! and not even bothering to look at outside sources for more information and lore genuinely pisses me the fuck off to no end.
No, hypnosis is NOT MIND CONTROL/BRAINWASHING! I DONT WANNA KEEP REPEATING IT! YOU CAN LOOK IT UP! if a person is genuinely uncomfortable and doesn't wish to take the suggestions to heart while hypnotized, THEY WONT DO SO! THEY STILL HAVE CONTROL! Yes, Marie did say "kidnapped" in some of her dialogue, but from her perspective, OF COURSE SHE'S GONNA THINK CALLIE GOT KIDNAPPED! She's known to worry about Callie all the time and ruminate about her, of course she's gonna think of the worst case scenario, doesn't mean she's right though. Was Octavio still in the wrong for hypnotizing Callie in the first place and allowing her to bring out her darker traits more easily? YEAH! NO SHIT! HE'S A BAD DUDE! Not a totally evil person but he has made some awful decisions out of desperation for his people. Why do you think he was so quick to help out the New Squidbeak Splatoon in the finale of Splatoon 3? His people got turned into fluffy monsters by a giant bear, he's all about helping his people.
Hell look at how Callie acts while under the Hypnoshades, she decorates Octo Canyon and her peppy and energetic self is still in tact even during the final boss, she's just more mean and violent. Callie was in an emotional and mentally unwell situation due to her overworking herself and being incredibly lonely as her relationship with Marie was damaged overtime. Callie accepted the suggestions of DJ Octavio and heard him out, AS SAID BY HER FROM THE RELATIONSHIP CHART! She wasn't forced into anything. She didn't suffer "sexual abuse" from Octavio by being forced into skippy clothing as some psychos say online, if she didn't want to wear that outfit she wouldn't cause hypnosis is NOT MIND CONTROL!! I hate having to repeat this over and over again, i hate how the developers basically rushed and ruined this interesting villain arc with stupid shades, only to try and hastily fix it later with an obscure post about A GOD DAMN RELATIONSHIP CHART THAT PEOPLE EITHER DONT KNOW ABOUT OR DONT CARE TO LOOK AT BECAUSE THEY SEE SPLATOON AS SOMETHING FOR KIDS AND TO NOT GIVE ANY CARE TOWARDS!!!!!!!!
I made a god damn giant blog explaining Callie in Splatoon 2 because i felt so frustrated about how my favorite character in the series was being treated and i tried to salvage the story that the writers tried to make. The way that people made her situation worse by saying she got kidnapped and forcibly ""mind controlled/brainwashed"" actually gave me chest pain, thinking about that kind of scenario for Callie actually hurts me... Heck i cant even listen to the Splatoon 2 stage music or final boss music because hearing her reversed vocals makes me feel uncomfortable due to the misinformation online. I hated all the misinformation and i wanted it to stop. HELL EVEN IN GIANT TIMELINE VIDEOS WHERE PEOPLE DO TONS OF RESEARCH THEY STILL GET IT WRONG!! UGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! i guess it'll still be the common and popular notion that Callie is an idiot that got kidnapped and then ""mind controlled"" by some shades... oh well... ugh...
I'm sorry if I'm coming off as really angry, i am. It's just, my brain is really hyperfixated on this squid and she means a lot to me. Seeing the way the fandom as well as the writers treat her makes me really mad. I hope i can find some peeps who feel the same way as i do. Misinformation is so frustrating man... i dont even wanna get into the Octarians because that's a whole other can of worms... anyways im done ranting. have a good night or good morning wherever you live y'all.
#splatoon#splatoon 2#splatoon 3#callie cuttlefish#callie splatoon#rant post#complaining#sorry for the rant#octo callie#dj octavio#marie splatoon#marie cuttlefish#octo canyon
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Nonviolent Communication - Part Eleven
Pairings: Miguel O'Hara x SpideyFemReader Summary: You volunteer to babysit Mayday last minute. Miguel, Mayday, and you have dinner. Miguel shares a part of his past with you. Word Count: 25,585 Warnings: I reviewed this twice but I may have missed some errors as I really wanted to update!; mention of verbal and physical abuse; emotional child neglect; mention of rapture and addiction; mention of testing on humans; marital issues; mention of insecurity about physical appearance/features; questioning of self-worth; someone gets hit in the head but nothing serious; fluff then angst, then fluff again; translations for Spanish terms included at the end; I think that's everything without giving too many spoilers. Short A/N: I just wanted to clear up that this part takes place several months before the Thanksgiving drabble. This part takes place sometime in late May, early June - two months after Miguel's incident. So, that's the timeline if you read that drabble, which is not necessary to read! Thank you! Previous Part Masterlist
Part Eleven
âBye, guys! Thank you for dinner again,â Gwen says with a wave.Â
âThank you for dinner! See you guys on Monday!â Miles calls out with a wave of his own.Â
âBye, you guys be careful,â Peter B. calls out, raising his entire arm to wave goodbye at the two spiderlings.
âBye, guys!â you say, looking up from what youâre doing to see Miles and Gwen just as a portal opens up.
âBye!â they call out and with that, they head out through the portal.
You continue to help Mary Jane and Peter B. clean up. Itâs Friday evening and everyone has called it a night already due to exhaustion from either school or their duties as superheroes, or both. Peter B. and you are putting away leftovers from dinner as Mary Jane takes care of other things. The sound of her ringtone startles the three of you but elicits a laugh from Mayday. You chuckle at her laugh and shake your head as Mary Jane picks up her phone.Â
âItâs our babysitter. Let me take their call. Iâll be right back,â she says with a little frown, hoping itâs not bad news as she heads to one of the bedrooms to let Peter and you talk in peace, yet you can hear her soft voice even from the kitchen. âHey, how are you doing? Iâm doing well, thank you⌠Oh, I see. Yeah, no, itâs alright. I understand things pop up⌠Yes, donât worry. Peter and I will figure something out. Thank you for letting me know and I hope everything goes well. Thank you. You, too. Bye-bye!â
You keep putting food away even as Peter leaves your side, heading towards the bedrooms. Despite your best efforts to give privacy to the couple, you can hear Peter and Mary Jane talking quietly now.
âDonât worry, honey, weâll figure something out. Thereâs plenty of time, right?âÂ
âPeter⌠Itâs very late. Where are we going to find a babysitter on such short notice? We canât go. Weâre going to have to cancel unfortunately. Iâll let Hailey know we wonât be able to make it.â
You finish putting away the last thing before you wipe the counter clean, trying to help the Parkers as much as possible after they hosted dinner.
âIâm sorry, honey.â
âItâs alright, Peter. Thereâs always next time, right?â
Peter and Mary Jane step out of the bedroom, each giving you a sad smile. You smile back, thinking after hearing some of their conversation unintentionally, since thereâs only so much the thin walls of an apartment can block out.Â
âIs everything alright?â you ask.Â
Peter B. smiles softly and tilts his head side to side. âOur babysitter unfortunately canceled on us for tomorrow.âÂ
You frown and nod, remembering they mentioned having an event tomorrow thatâs three hours outside their city and unfortunately Mayday cannot attend. You finish wiping their counter, thinking and then smile.Â
âI can babysit Mayday.â
That catches both of their attentions.Â
âOh no, Y/N. We appreciate it but itâs so last minute and you probably have plans already,â Mary Jane says.
You shake your head. âI donât have any plans and I donât mind looking after Mayday, really.â
âY/N⌠MJ is right. This is too sudden. We appreciate it but itâs alright,â Peter B. adds.
âI seriously donât mind. Plus, Mayday likes me,â you say with a small smile. âIâd love to babysit her, seriously. Just leave everything weâll need and any special instructions. Weâll be alright, I promise.âÂ
âMayday doesnât like you, she loves you!â Peter says with a smile. âBut are you sure?â
You nod once again. âYes, Iâm sure! I can come here and pick her up or I can stay here, however you like, just let me know. Weâll be good and you guys can go and enjoy yourselves.âÂ
After a few more minutes of reassuring the Parkers that babysitting is no problem, you have solid plans to babysit Mayday for Saturday not remembering that you do, in fact, have plans, at least for the evening.Â
It has been two months since Miguelâs incident and ever since that first weekend that he invited you to dinner to thank you for looking after him, youâve been having dinner at each otherâs place every weekend, rotating from his place to your place each Saturday. It has become a part of your routines and the two of you attend dinner each Saturday without failure, yet you still remind each other about it with a simple âDinner still on for tomorrow?â to confirm.
You cannot deny the fact that you love Saturdays for that reason alone. It gives you something to look forward to during the week and thereâs also the fact that you enjoy spending time with Miguel outside of HQ and at each otherâs places instead, where you can talk freely without possible distractions or interruptions or the lingering gazes of others. Plus, it brings you great satisfaction to know that these dinners mean that heâs not working through the entire weekend like he used to. You know he still goes to HQ in the mornings to check up on things, which you expected. You have a feeling he might never fully stop doing this as the leader of the Spider Society, unless something down the line changes his mind of course but for now, itâs great relief to know he spends his afternoons in his home at least.Â
Despite confirming with Miguel earlier before you left HQ for the day, you forget in the moment as all you want to do is help out Peter and Mary Jane. You get back home and prep your place a bit as an attempt to make it safer for Mayday, even though you know it is a lot harder to keep up with her these days with her swinging everywhere. Once you feel satisfied with your place, you go to bed early to catch some sleep, knowing that tomorrow might be a long day.Â
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The next morning you wake up early and do some more preparations as you wait for Peter B. to drop off Mayday. He eventually arrives, making several trips to retrieve items as Mayday will be spending the entire day with you, including the night. Even though you insisted on staying at their place, the Parkers decided that it was only fair for you to stay in your universe since you were helping them at the last minute. They said they wanted you to feel comfortable at your own home. So, you spend the morning and early afternoon with Mayday lounging around your apartment.Â
You stick to the schedule the Parkers gave you, making sure that Mayday is comfortable under your care. You feed her during the assigned times, entertain her with toys Peter brought, put her to nap when sheâs ready, and all the other little things to keep her safe and comfortable, not noticing the way your apartment has slowly been taken over by her items. Itâs not until you lay Mayday for a nap that you stop and look around. There are visible traces of a child in your apartment, something youâre not used to. In fact, you come to the realization that Mayday is the only child that has ever been to your apartment. Back in the day when you hosted parties or dinners with your old friends, no one had children yet and on the family side, neither Peter nor you were close to other relatives that had kids, so there were never any children at your apartment. Â
The sight of Maydayâs items scattered around your apartment leads your mind to other thoughts, like how your Peter wanted kids. You had typical worries about having children whenever the topic came up in the early days when the two of you were still in college, given you understood how big of a responsibility a child is. However, your worries were always soothed by Peter. You knew heâd be there with you all throughout it and besides, you could already tell heâd be a great father one day. With a sigh, you silently think about how thatâs no longer a possibility. You will never see your Peter become a father or grow old, the way the two of you once envisioned.Â
As you pick up around the apartment, you recall those conversations youâd have with him late at night. Heâd hold you against his chest while his thumb brushed over your knuckles. His body heat engulfed you in the most pleasant way, and heâd do it to warm you up because he knew you grew cold sometimes.Â
âCan you imagine - a little you or a little me running around? Not here in this apartment. Somewhere bigger where weâll have more space. Like that place a few blocks from here,â heâd whisper.Â
Youâd smile, knowing exactly what place. âThe place with three bedrooms and the lovely view.âÂ
âThat one. One bedroom for us. One bedroom for each child.âÂ
âSo you want two kids?âÂ
âI - Letâs skip that question,â heâd say with a small grin. âJust imagine for now two kids. Two kids and walks to the park so they can play. Trips to the bookstore because if their mom likes to read, surely one of them will pick up the habit. And a bigger apartment means we can have more bookcases. Youâve always wanted a little library, so weâll have that there. You can go on patrols at night, and weâll wait for you for bedtime. Iâll tell them stories about Spider-Woman and how Iâm the biggest fan,â heâd say, causing you to laugh in the darkness of your shared bedroom.Â
âYou might have to tone it down or they might start thinking you have a crush on her just like our friends believe. Besides, itâd be a while before we could tell them about my superhero identity.â
âOh, I know, darling. We donât want to get calls from their school that theyâre claiming mom is Spider-Woman. And hey, itâs not my fault our friends think I have a crush on Spider-Woman.âÂ
âWell, buying all that merch doesnât help,â youâd say smiling, turning to face him at last. âOr the way you jump in her defense - or my defense - every time someone says something negative.â
âAlright, alright. Maybe I need to tone it down but you have to admit itâs pretty funny how they try to get you to feel jealous. If only they knew that Spider-Woman herself is my girlfriend,â heâd reply before kissing your forehead. âIâll try to tone it down for the kids though.â
Youâd laugh, shaking your head in disbelief, finding the moment endearing nonetheless as you imagined a future that is no longer possible. You clear your throat and carry on organizing your place until Mayday wakes up. Itâs all going well until close to dinner time when you remember.Â
âShoot,â you mutter as you reach for your gizmo, carrying Mayday.
You quickly send a message to Miguel, letting him know you canât make it to dinner. The sudden change of plans alarms Miguel, who instantly asks if everything is alright before he requests a live hologram. His hologram appears over your gizmo once you approve the request, making it easy for Miguel to put together whatâs happening. He sees Mayday wrapped around your body and that youâre at your apartment on your own.
âHey, Iâm so sorry for having to cancel dinner so suddenly. Peter and Mary Janeâs babysitter canceled on them at the last minute last night and I offered to look after her today,â you inform him.
Miguel nods, watching as you hold Mayday.
âRight, I think I heard Peter mention something about an event this weekend,â Miguel says, recalling bits and pieces from Peter telling him about it but he wasnât paying too much attention at the time because Lyla had just told him you were back from a mission.Â
âYeah, itâs about two hours outside of the city or something like that and Mayday couldnât go, so I offered to look after her for the day. Please forgive me for just letting you know. I canât believe I just remembered,â you say, truly feeling sorry. âI was caught up trying to make the apartment safer for her and then you know babysitting,â you add, giving Miguel an apologetic smile.
âKeeping her safe is already a hard task,â he replies, smiling softly as he recalls how hard it was for Peter to keep track of her a year ago when she had less movement, now itâs twice as hard.
âSheâs done very well so far, thankfully,â you reply with a relieved smile as Mayday plays with a Spider-Ham plushie, still holding on to you.
âThatâs good to hear. Iâm glad it has been going well.â Miguel pauses for a few seconds as he looks at something in his dimension. As he looks away, you notice the way heâs dressed. The sight of him in normal clothes is a much more familiar sight to you these days since you see him like this every Saturday. In fact, youâve started to pick up on his style, which has been fun to see since youâve always found his dimensionâs fashion interesting from the beginning. Miguel turns back to the gizmo at last, with a thoughtful look on his face. âI have dinner ready but I know you probably donât want to leave your apartment with Mayday.â
You nod. âKind of? I just - Iâm not used to doing this. I mean, I play with her and look after her sometimes for short periods of time at HQ or at her universe with either Peter or MJ around but nothing like this on my own. Plus, Iâd be bringing her over to your place and⌠I donât know if youâd be okay with that and even if you are, your place is so much larger than mine.â
âMore ways for her to get hurt and more space for us to cover if she decides to evade us,â Miguel says, fighting the urge to smile at the fact that youâve thought of everything. âI see what you mean⌠I can pack everything and meet you at your place, if you still want to have dinner, of course. Or I can drop off some food for you regardless.âÂ
Even though youâd like to have dinner with him, you start to protest because that would mean making Miguel go through the hassle of packing food and then traveling here with everything but he stops you before you even really begin. âI donât mind and I made food for two people anyway. Just let me know and Iâll pack everything.âÂ
After a few seconds of hesitation, you nod and smile. âIf itâs not too much hassle for you, Iâll wait for you here to have dinner.âÂ
Miguel smiles back and nods. âItâs not a hassle. Iâll see you in a few minutes then.âÂ
You say goodbye and the live hologram call ends. You quickly make sure your kitchen area is cleared up for Miguel before looking around your apartment once again. Itâs clean and organized, though there are a few items here and there that belong to Mayday that have been used since you last cleaned up during one of her naps. Besides that, your apartment is presentable. You hold Mayday, who is blabbing to her toy, and take in your apartment. Itâs been two months and every time you look around, you canât help but still feel awe with how different the place looks.Â
You moved your furniture around after deciding that a new layout was needed. You also replaced some furniture like your coffee table and its old decorations. Your eyes fall on your couch, the one that youâve found yourself sitting on more and more these days since youâve started to get back into reading. Other times, you sit to watch some TV or when you host your friends over, including Miguel.Â
Youâve even added new cozy chairs, which have really brought the place together. Your eyes turn to the wall with photographs. Even though it has been two months since you changed it, youâve added new photos here and there over the weeks, like the one of Miguel and you working on your new bookshelf, which makes you feel amusement now that you recall that day. You were excited to build it since you had your previous one for years. You had it for so long that the middle of the shelves were dented, making you wonder how it hadnât given up on you with so many books but thankfully it didnât. You remember Miguel finding it amusing that you were so excited about it but your excitement quickly faded when building it became a struggle.
You were both dismayed when you realized that the instructions were gibberish but thankfully after some trial and error, the two of you pulled through. Now, the bookshelf sits in another area of your living room, organized differently but still storing your books and other decorations, like gifts youâve received over the years as Spider-Woman. You turn back to the photo, taken by Lyla of course, of Miguel and you on the floor assembling your bookcase. You chuckle softly as you take in Miguelâs frowning and pouting captured in the photo. You swear youâve never heard him curse as much as he did that day. His string of curses in Spanish were repeatedly followed by apologies to you for cursing in your presence, even after you told him you didnât mind the first time. You recall trying not to chuckle because you found his reaction sweet each time he realized he was cursing again. At last, after some food and a few more strings of curses from Miguel, the bookshelf was assembled and now it looks all pretty in your living room.Â
Looking at the bookshelf, your eyes move to Peterâs record player which is now placed next to it. Even when you were looking through your furniture back then to see what needed to be replaced, you knew his record player was going to stay. Itâs something you will always keep with you, no matter what happens. You glance at the vinyl records, realizing it has been a while since youâve played anything.Â
âHow about some music, Mayday?â you ask, looking down at her. She seems to nod, so you walk over to the record player and bend down with Mayday to give her a view of Peter's collection. âAlright, Iâll let you choose since youâre my special guest this weekend. Letâs see⌠Billie Holiday - hm, no not her. Not now anyway, right?âÂ
You scan the spines of the vinyl records, failing to notice that Mayday is getting ready to engage her web shooters that Peter B. made for her. She startles you when she shoots a web, pulling a vinyl record off the shelf your Peter kept them stored in. You sigh in relief after you catch it just in time before she hits herself with it or the record gets damaged. âI guess this is your choice, hm?â you say as you eye it. âHow did you know the girl on the cover has red hair, too?â you ask amused, which makes Mayday laugh. âAlright, this one then.â
You put the record on with Maydayâs full attention, seemingly interested in the process, and hum to her as the music starts playing. You grab Maydayâs free hand, since sheâs still holding on to her Spider-Ham plushie, and move along as if you were dancing with her.Â
âAnd love is when you try to make it out alive but you canât turn the radio down and you canât think of anyone else,â you quietly sing to Mayday, dancing with her while being careful. You start to do a little spin but pause halfway when your eyes land on Miguel. He stands about twelve feet away from you holding a large reusable bag in one hand and your sweatshirt in the other. Your abrupt pause makes Mayday giggle before she starts waving her toy around excitedly, apparently having a great time. Meanwhile, you feel heat on your cheeks as you make eye contact with Miguel, who looks like heâs holding back from chuckling based on how his lips twitch. You end up smiling and hold Mayday closer, figuring itâs too late to play it off anyway.
âA mini dance party was also scheduled for Mayday?â Miguel asks at last, trying to hold back from chuckling for your sake as he can see your embarrassment from being caught dancing and singing.Â
You shrug with a sheepish smile. âSomething like that.â
Miguel grins at last. âWell⌠donât stop on my behalf. Iâll set up while you two finish the song,â Miguel says, unable to stop himself from teasing you a little bit as he places your sweatshirt over your couch before turning to your kitchen. He carefully sets the bag on the counter and starts taking out containers with food, smiling to himself now that his back is to you.
You stand there, feeling hot in the face while Mayday is still having the time of her life waving around her Spider-Ham plushie to the music. You sigh quietly and approach Miguel to help, still holding Mayday.
âIâll get the plates,â you say as you enter the kitchen, retrieving them quickly and setting them on the counter before grabbing utensils, too.Â
While you do that, Miguel watches you as he starts taking off the containersâ lids, taking notice of the way you hold Mayday, and how at ease you look with her. He also notes how comfortable Mayday looks with you, though heâs not surprised. He looks away and continues to set up the food, silently wondering once again if at this point in your life youâd have children of your own if Peter was alive. He has thought about it before, back in the infirmary two months ago when he realized that you probably wouldnât have been there with him if Peter was alive. For some reason, he believes that youâd be married by now, at least. He canât help but think about children now though, as you hold Mayday with such care. He has seen you with her before but not quite like this in the comfort of your home as you move around your kitchen, where the gesture feels more personal. He silently tells himself to put away those thoughts as he places the containersâ lids away and pulls out a travel pitcher with agua de jamaica. Ever since you made it for him during his recovery, he has been making a fresh pitcher every few days as needed since you rekindled his love for it.Â
Upon seeing the pitcher, you retrieve glasses and also remember to grab napkins. You set everything before you ask Miguel what kind of utensils will be needed to serve the food but he shows you a set he brought along. You smile softly, seeing how prepared he came. Miguel also retrieves a large thermos filled with cafĂŠ de olla and a bag of pan dulce. Along with Saturday dinners becoming a normal thing for the two of you, Miguel has made cafĂŠ de olla and pan dulce a tradition. No matter who hosts dinner, the hot and rich liquid along with the sweet bread are always present for after dinner. So, Miguel places both items on the counter carefully, making sure not to squish the pan dulce with other things before he starts serving food for the two of you.Â
Shortly after, the two of you are sitting side by side eating while Mayday sits on her high chair, also brought by Peter because the Parkers wanted to make sure you had everything you needed to make babysitting Mayday a good experience, next to you. You take a small spoonful of food made by MJ to her mouth, making sure to pick up the bits of food that slip out of her mouth carefully. You gently clean her mouth before you turn to Miguel, who seems to have been watching Mayday and you.
âThank you for dinner and for bringing it here. You really didnât have to go through all that trouble,â you tell him with a soft smile.Â
âWell, I was already done and besides, as soon as you told me you were babysitting, I figured dinner would be one less thing for you to worry about,â Miguel says with a small smile, gazing at Mayday for a few seconds before his eyes meet yours again.Â
âIt was last minute. I was helping MJ and Peter clean up after dinner when their babysitter called to tell her they were canceling. I could tell they really wanted to go and I got so caught up in the moment with trying to help them that todayâs dinner slipped my mind. Iâm really sorry for the sudden change,â you apologize but Miguel shakes his head gently.Â
âDonât apologize. You just wanted to help Peter and MJ. Itâs very kind of you to help them out,â he says before he takes a drink from his glass.
âIâm just glad they could go. I could tell they really wanted to attend but at the same time they seemed bummed this morning. You shouldâve seen Peter. He looked so sad. He said itâs the first time MJ and him are spending the night away from Mayday but at the same time they really wanted to attend this event. I can only imagine their conflicting emotions.â
Miguel nods, surprised to hear that youâre looking after Mayday for the night, too. He thought it was only for the day. âYeah, I can imagine itâs conflicting,â Miguel says, not really sharing that experience with MJ and Peter. The longest time he spent away from Gabriella was when she was in school but he does recall feeling somewhat sad when she was away, even though she was always so happy to go. Miguel smiles softly at the memories, recalling how he never had any issues with Gabriella doing her homework or not wanting to go to school. His gaze turns to Mayday before he returns it to you. âSo, Mayday is spending the night, then?âÂ
You nod. âYes. Peter will be back in the morning but so far itâs going to be us two, right, Mayday?â you say as you offer her another spoonful of food.Â
Miguel watches the interaction, smiling softly as Mayday happily eats her food, even trying to grasp the spoon on her own. He watches for a few more seconds before he replies.Â
âShe seems to be more than happy with this arrangement.âÂ
You clean Maydayâs mouth and chuckle. âIt seems so. Weâve been doing great so far but Iâm a little worried about her sleeping. Peter and MJ said she sleeps through the night without trouble but Iâm a bit worried the different environment might be an issue.â
âI think⌠Sheâll sleep peacefully. She likes you and seems comfortable here in your apartment. If she wasnât, sheâd make you aware of it. Itâll be alright,â Miguel states with a reassuring tone, making you smile.Â
âI really hope so. If not, I guess I can always just travel to their home to soothe her,â you answer, feeling more confident now thanks to Miguelâs words.Â
âYou can do that and if I can be of any help, let me know,â Miguel adds softly without thinking, not realizing that heâs offering to help you look after Mayday. After losing Gabriella, being around children has been hard for Miguel, so he has never offered Peter and MJ to look after her.
Now, heâs here offering to help to look after Mayday because of you. Miguel looks away with a small and embarrassed smile, wondering if he should count this as part of his progress. Ever since he almost died, heâs been trying just like he said he would by making small changes. The major change has been his sleeping schedule. Heâs sleeping better than he has in years thanks to the sound of your breathing and your scent from your sweatshirts. Both things help him immensely, so much that he falls asleep within minutes of climbing in bed. He still has nightmares sometimes, but for the first time in a long time, he can count with his hands the number of times heâs had them over the last two months.
With less nightmares, Miguel now has pleasant dreams more often, which were practically nonexistent before. These dreams consist of Gabriella and Gabriel, with his mom and wife making appearances sometimes. Then, thereâs you. Youâve slowly started to make appearances in his dreams, too, in which you interact with Gabriel and Gabriella the most. He hasnât told you about them. One day he will though. He will tell you how heâs seen you playing dolls with Gabriella and that she always wants to show you every doll she owns. He will also share how Gabriel, you, and him have had cafĂŠ de olla together in his penthouse, and that just like he told you a few months back, Gabriel likes you a lot and has befriended you in his dreams. One day he will tell you but not yet.Â
Another small change in Miguelâs life is his work schedule. He returns home most nights at a reasonable time from HQ. The latest he stays now is usually seven, which gives him plenty of time to make dinner because yes, he has also begun to have regular and homemade meals. On the weekends, he only shows up in the mornings to make sure everything is fine before returning home. Heâs also tried to be more friendly with the others like your friends, though he still finds it difficult. He has found himself calling Miles âmijoâ more often these days though, something that still surprises Miles each time.Â
Then, thereâs your shared dinners each Saturday. It started with him wanting to express his gratitude to you for everything you did for him when he was hurt, and you ended up inviting him for dinner the following Saturday when he offered cafĂŠ de olla with pan dulce. That Saturday rolled around and he found himself going out early that morning to the Mexican store to buy fresh pan dulce. He bought several pieces to give you options, hoping that youâd love the other types since you really liked the conchas you had back on Dia de Los Muertos night and made the coffee that you seemed to love so much. He brought a thermos and the bag of pan dulce with him that day to your universe and after having a wonderful meal made by you, the two of you enjoyed the coffee and pan dulce. By the end of the night, before he even knew it, Miguel was inviting you for dinner at his place again the next weekend. Now, having dinner with you is part of his routine and though he hasnât said it out loud yet, Miguel looks forward to it each week.Â
He looks forward to it so much that when itâs his turn to cook, he starts thinking about what heâll cook days in advance. He goes through different dishes in his mind, wondering which ones youâd like the most before he decides on one.Â
Miguel wishes he could tell you how much he enjoys them directly. It gives him something to look forward to and much like you, he enjoys spending time with you outside of HQ, where the two of you can talk about anything and everything without anyone interrupting, something that happens often and that Miguel dislikes since he finds it annoying. Miguel knows the changes in his life so far are small but nonetheless, Miguel feels happy about them. He knows he has a long road ahead of him but itâs progress, and he feels satisfied with how heâs approaching his healing journey so far. He knows and understands that there are certain things he might never fully be able to move past or that some days will be harder than others but it fills him with great gratitude and solace to know that heâll have someone to count on when those days come around. You.Â
You smile at Miguel after he offers to help out with Mayday, noticing the embarrassed smile, which makes you wonder but you donât ask. Thereâs also the fact that you know Miguel seems to struggle with Mayday around sometimes, so him offering to help warms your heart. âThank you. Hopefully itâs not necessary but I appreciate the offer,â you reply at last.Â
Miguel nods, lifting his glass for a drink. âAlways.âÂ
The three of you continue eating dinner. Mayday happily eats her food and babbles some words here and there, which makes Miguel and you chuckle. The conversation is light and like always, you talk about anything and everything, like how you caught an anomaly on Tuesday and how Spider-Cat and Spider-Wolf had a little feud at the cafeteria on Thursday. You eventually find yourself sitting next to Miguel on your couch with Mayday on your lap. You look at the clock on the wall, noticing the time and remembering that Maydayâs bedtime is in two hours.
You play with Maydayâs hair for a bit before you reach in a bag that MJ and Peter packed for her, and retrieve a hairbrush. You gently brush her hair, noticing she has a few knots here and there probably from her swinging around your apartment earlier. Miguel sits next to you, watching and responding to Mayday as she makes the attempt to talk but the simple action reminds him of the times he brushed Gabriellaâs hair. He looks away slowly, remembering this is why heâs tried to avoid being around kids for so long, yet his gaze returns. Such a simple action reminds him of his short time with Gabriella and yet, he wants to keep watching. Miguel canât help but continue to find the way you treat Mayday with such care so endearing, and then thereâs little Mayday, who seems perfectly at ease with you. Miguel is torn between watching and not watching but in the end, his gaze remains fixed on you and Mayday as you continue to brush her hair. You take your time doing this, especially because Maydayâs hair has grown a lot over the last year, so you have a lot more to brush. Meanwhile, Mayday sits comfortably on your lap with her plushie until she offers it to Miguel with a grin.Â
Miguel smiles gently and hesitantly accepts it, looking at the Spider-Ham plushie with amusement. You keep brushing Maydayâs hair, obviously noticing the little interaction. Despite finding it cute, you keep your attention on the task at hand. You donât want to make Miguel uncomfortable or make the moment end too soon, since youâve hardly seen him interact with Mayday. You obviously know the reason behind it, which is why youâre pretending not to see it, though you hope that these small interactions help Miguel a little. You also canât deny that a small part of you is enjoying this because youâre seeing a short live glimpse of that side of him, meaning his fatherly side. There are subtle signs of this side of him but nothing quite like this. You can see it in how there are dorms at HQ for members to sleep at or the free food at the cafeteria, along with other resources that are typically welcomed by younger members that need them.
Youâve thought about Miguel as a father a few times in the past, especially when you know so much of his life back then and the things he did for Gabriella. You werenât there for it but just based on the way he talks about her and the different memories he has shared with you, you know he was an amazing father. Sometimes, you canât help but wish you were there during that time so you couldâve seen that side of him in person. You wish you couldâve seen his full smiles and heard his laughter, perhaps from him sharing something funny that Gabriella said or did. You wish you couldâve seen him when he was happy.Â
Unfortunately, Miguelâs life changed. Gabriella and his wife are no longer here, so your wishes are impossible now but if you could, you would give anything to see him with his family. Perhaps that means that you wouldnât be close with him like you are now because youâd be experiencing different things but youâd give this up in a heartbeat if he could have Gabriella and his wife back at least.Â
You smile sadly to yourself as you brush Maydayâs hair, knowing very well that if Miguel hadnât lost his wife and Gabriella, he wouldnât be here now. Itâs a Saturday, and you can only imagine that heâd definitely be with them, out for dinner. You can almost picture them at some restaurant, maybe Gabriellaâs favorite place to eat, celebrating the win of her soccer match at this very moment. You most likely wouldnât be friends but⌠Yes, youâd give this up in a heartbeat if it meant Miguel would have his family back. If it meant that heâd be happy again. Yes, you would do it, even if the mere thought of your friendship not existing triggers a deep sadness that leaves you breathless for a second. You would do it. For Miguel. For his happiness.Â
Your thoughts are interrupted when you feel something soft hit the side of your head, making you close your eyes in surprise. You open them again and lean back, just as Mayday moves her arm down after hitting you with her plush. You look over at Miguel, who looks like heâs trying to hold back from smiling. The sight makes you forget your line of thinking from just seconds ago.
âI think thatâs her cue that sheâs done with the hair brushing,â you mutter, smiling a bit and finishing up with her hair.Â
You look over at Miguel again, noticing the amusement in his eyes but still holding back from smiling or laughing for your sake.Â
âI know you want to laugh, so just go ahead,â you say, trying not to laugh at yourself while you hold Miguelâs gaze with a feigned annoyed expression.Â
Gazing at each other for a few seconds, you can see Miguelâs lips twitch as he tries to hold back but ultimately fails when he sees your own lips form into a smile. He chuckles, louder than he usually does, which is a surprise on its own but it doesnât stop there. You watch as he throws his head back with closed eyes, still chuckling and oh, the sound of it along with the sight, makes you wish you could record this moment and safekeep it forever. It brings you so much happiness to see and hear him like this and yet, it also leaves you longing for more. If the sound of him chuckling like this is so delightful, you canât help but imagine what a true laugh from the man sitting next to you looks and sounds like.
Still smiling, you release a shaky breath you didnât even know you were holding before you chuckle along with him.Â
âIâm sorry - I was going to warn you and stop it but she moved so fast,â Miguel says, his tone still full of amusement as he meets your gaze again. âShe didnât hurt you, did she?â he asks, sounding concerned in the midst of his amusement.Â
âNo, Iâm alright. Just took me by surprise,â you answer, shaking your head in disbelief, smiling.Â
âI gave it back to her and she randomly lifted her arm. I didnât think she was going to do that,â Miguel says apologetically but you shake your head.Â
âShe didnât mean to. Sheâs been carrying this plushie around all day and gets really excited with it,â you reply, feeling unbothered since you know Mayday didnât mean to and besides, it gave you the little moment with Miguel chuckling. You almost feel like thanking Mayday, even if she wouldnât understand what sheâs given you.Â
For the next hour, you entertain Mayday by bringing out other toys Peter dropped off while music still plays in the background, creating a peaceful and cozy feeling in your apartment. Miguel sits on your couch, watching from a few feet as you sit on your living room floor with Mayday. You show her an action figure of Peter B. himself but Mayday doesnât seem too interested in her own fatherâs action figure. Instead, she picks up yours, which you didnât even know Peter had, and shows it to you. You chuckle and nod at Mayday, despite still wondering how Peter acquired everyoneâs action figures.Â
âThatâs me,â you say, earning yourself a happy nod from Mayday before she picks another action figure. âThatâs Miguel,â you continue as you observe his action figure, noticing how much taller it is than the other ones, truly highlighting how much taller Miguel is compared to the rest of you.Â
Miguel continues to watch, also feeling surprised by the fact that Mayday has an action figure of everyone in your friend group, including himself. Heâs surprised not only by the fact that heâs included, but also wonders how Peter got his hands on all of them, considering currency is different in each universe. He decides not to think about it and shrugs it off, focusing on Mayday as she holds both his and your action figures in the air now, babbling something that is not comprehensible just yet, so the two of you nod.Â
âYes, thatâs Miguel and I. Really cool, right? Look, here we have⌠Miles,â you say lifting Milesâs action figure. âAnd hereâs Hobie Hobie Brown,â you say in a fake British tone but quiet enough so Miguel wonât hear you.Â
Despite your attempt to be quiet, Miguel hears you anyway. He hides his grin subtly by resting his elbow on the couchâs armrest and covering his mouth with his hand. Mayday laughs at your fake British accent but she still refuses to pick any other action figure. She continues to hold on to Miguel and you, showing the action figures to you once again. You watch in amusement until she makes both action figures clash face to face.Â
âMwuah!â Mayday says loudly with a giggle.Â
Your grin falters as you hear that sound coming from her. Heat immediately rises to your cheeks as Mayday giggles again, dropping the action figures at last. Before you know it, she shoots a web towards Miguel. You try to catch her before she flies off but youâre a second too late, thanks to your embarrassment, and by the time your hands reach for her, sheâs already halfway across the room, landing right in Miguelâs hands. You sigh in relief that she landed safely, forgetting for a second what happened before you remember again. You try to search Miguelâs face quickly for any signs of discomfort, but he holds Mayday up just as fast, hiding his face from your view.Â
Miguel intentionally hides his face from you so you wonât see the pink thatâs formed in his cheeks because he played dolls with Gabriella more than plenty of times to know what that sound means. Kissing. Mayday accidentally, or maybe not so accidentally, made your action figures kiss. Right in front of you two.Â
You start picking up Maydayâs toys, using this as an excuse to hide your own face as you hear Miguel talk to Mayday. You carefully listen to his tone for any sign that heâs upset but thereâs no indication. His tone is soft and gentle. You quietly get up and walk over to the toy bag Peter dropped off, gently placing each action figure back. You look down at your hands, noticing the last two action figures are yours and his. You put them away as well but waste time by pretending to rearrange whatâs in the backpack to give your face some time to cool off. At last, you zip up the backpack and look around your living room and kitchen to make sure no toys are left behind. You spot the Spider-Ham plushie and pick it up, walking slowly to the couch where Miguel still sits talking to Mayday.Â
You sit as far as possible and watch while you hold the plushie Mayday hit you with earlier. You subtly search Miguelâs face now, silently sighing in relief as his face reveals nothing. In fact, he turns to you and grins softly as he still holds Mayday up. You grin back, feeling the tension in your body evaporate as you come to the conclusion that either he didnât notice or it didnât make him uncomfortable.
You watch as Mayday reaches with her small hands towards Miguelâs mouth, making him turn his face back to her.
âSheâs always interested in my fangs,â Miguel mutters as he watches Maydayâs hands move around, trying very hard to reach for his mouth but of course, he keeps her away. On rare occasions he lets her see them but he contemplates doing so right now, since youâre also here.Â
Despite your time in the society, you donât see his fangs often. Of course, sometimes you see them on missions but usually from a far and not for long since those missions are typically fast paced. You can count the times youâve been close by to get a decent look with one hand. Twice. Only two times and both times Miguel immediately closed his mouth or retracted them once he saw that you were nearby. Youâve wondered if Miguel doesnât like members seeing them.Â
After a few seconds, Miguel decides to indulge Mayday, who gets all excited and tries even harder now to reach for Miguel. However, Miguel keeps holding her steady, ensuring that she wonât end up hurt. You watch, feeling less embarrassment now and enjoying the interaction between Miguel and Mayday. She shows excitement the entire fifteen minutes that Miguel shows her his fangs but with each passing minute, the two of you start to notice that her energy decreases more and more, signaling itâs time for bedtime. You let Miguel know, who nods in agreement since he notices Maydayâs eyes drooping with sleep.
You get up and walk closer, offering your hands to take her. Miguel carefully hands her over to you, retracting his fangs at the same time. Once sheâs in your arms, you bring Mayday closer to your body, a gesture she accepts as she instantly buries her head on your chest with a soft sigh. You canât help but freeze for a few seconds, not used to this but you smile tenderly at her after a few seconds. You gently cradle her head, keeping her steady as youâre reminded yet again that if things were different, you might be more familiar with these moments with your own kids. You turn around, silently telling yourself to not dwell too much on the moment and to focus on Mayday instead. You begin to walk to your room, telling Miguel over your shoulder that he can follow if he wants, to prepare Mayday for bed.Â
Miguel thinks about it for a few seconds before he gets up, noticing the Spider-Ham plushie left behind. He picks it up and makes his way to your room, stopping at the doorway to respect your space. Sure, he could enter. Itâs not like he hasnât been in it before but that time was different, so he stops at the doorway and leans on it. He finds you leaning over your bed as you change Mayday into her pajamas and watches from a distance, unable to ignore the gentleness with which you change Mayday, whoâs half asleep already. He scolds himself internally, knowing he shouldnât but he canât stop himself from thinking that youâd be an amazing mother. He knows he shouldnât. For all he knows, you and Peter never had plans to have children or you no longer have plans to, even if one day you find love again, but still. The image of Mayday burying her head in your chest flashes in his mind, making him smile softly because he found it sweet.Â
You finish changing Mayday and lift her up to your chest again, before walking over to her sleeping set up that Peter also brought, which makes you grin to yourself. Peter really brought everything here when it wouldâve been so much easier for you to stay the night in their universe, but they wanted you to be in the comfort of your own home since it was going to be a whole day and night. You gently lay down Mayday and cover her with a blanket. For a moment, you forget Miguel is watching from the doorway and just look down at Mayday, who seems to be drifting off to sleep now. You smile a bit, thinking that this wouldâve been nice; that your Peter wouldâve loved this.Â
You look up at last, remembering that a set of red eyes linger on you along with the fact that Mayday is missing her plushie, the one Peter B. was adamant Mayday needs to sleep with. Your gaze moves over to Miguel, noticing that he has the plushie so you beckon him over, understanding that he didnât want to enter your bedroom out of respect. Miguel straightens up and walks over to you, seemingly hesitant but reaches your side almost instantly because of the size of your bedroom and his long strides.
âShe needs the plushie,â you whisper and Miguel nods, handing it to you. You carefully tuck the Spider-Ham plushie next to Mayday, which makes her sigh softly in her sleep. You smile and look up at Miguel, who has continued to watch. He smiles softly back at you before the two of you slip out of your bedroom. You leave the door ajar while Miguel heads back to the couch to take a seat. The little leftover food from earlier is still out in the kitchen but neither of you think about it as you join him on the couch.
You reach for a baby monitor that Peter dropped off and check it. Youâve been using it throughout the day during naps, so by now youâre using it with confidence and ease. You find Mayday sleeping peacefully, so you set it back on your coffee table, noticing that Miguel is quiet as if lost in thought. You get comfortable on your couch, suddenly fully aware that youâre sitting on your new couch with Miguel next to you. Itâs nothing new, of course. More often than not this is where the two of you find yourselves when itâs your turn to host dinner. The same happens in Miguelâs universe, though you sit separately there. So, no, this setup is not new except, you have the sudden realization that youâre sitting on a couch that Peter never sat on to listen to his music with you by his side reading. Itâs a bittersweet thought; to think that all the new furniture and pieces of decoration were never touched or used by him. You sigh softly. Itâs a sad thought but you know he wouldâve been happy you finally replaced some items. It was needed.Â
You turn your attention back to Miguel, noticing heâs still lost in his own thoughts. This isnât strange or new to you either. You find him doing this very often and you know itâs not because of disrespect or because he finds the moment or your presence boring but rather, itâs the fact that he finds your presence comfortable. The two of you sit like this sometimes, finding comfort in each otherâs presence without the need to fill the silence, which makes you happy because that kind of silence is hard to find in just anyone. Some people have the need to fill the silence with small talk but every once in a while, you find a person with whom you donât feel like that. You find the person whose presence soothes your very soul without the need for words. You sigh softly, thinking about how you had that kind of connection with Peter and how itâs nice that youâve been lucky to find it with Miguel, too.
The two of you sit like that for a little while until your thoughts find themselves going back to earlier when Miguel showed Mayday his fangs. The fact that you donât see them much comes back and you wonder once again if Miguel prefers not showing them. You silently think itâs a shame since you find them fascinating and so unique, though youâve also wondered if they hurt in the past, or at least when he first got them.
A little while later, you turn to face Miguel just as he does the same towards you, which is a recurring thing. Itâs like you subconsciously agree and communicate with the other when you are ready to engage in conversation again. Miguel smiles softly, thinking about this. He doesnât know how but it always happens. He secretly pins it to that special connection between the two of you, the one that scares him, but not nearly as much as it comforts him these days.Â
Everything about you brings comfort to Miguel though. Your presence. The fact that you exist is comforting. That part scares him but he canât help it. Everything about you is comforting to him. Even when the two of you are just sitting on the couch, his dimension or yours, he finds it comforting. The peaceful silence that falls - no -Â embraces the two of you is comforting. Itâs comforting and safe, and itâs the reason why he allows himself to think about his past then. He knows youâre there, keeping him at bay, keeping him grounded. With you near him, Miguel feels like he can safely explore his past the way he was just now.Â
You smile back at Miguel with a thoughtful expression, your mind still on his fangs.
âWhat are you thinking about?â he asks, knowing that look on your face all too well. The more time the two of you have spent, which has definitely increased over the last two months, the more Miguel has learned about you, and truthfully, Miguel loves it even if it also scares him a bit. Heâs aware that the more he knows about you, the more he learns about you, that it means heâs letting that connection between the two of you strengthen each day. He knows that each passing second he spends with you or every second his mind finds its way to you, which these days is very often, he knows it means that heâs caved in. Heâs allowed it to happen and while it terrifies him that he could lose someone, you, again, he still loves it. He loves knowing when something bothers you or when youâre happy about something. Or how he can tell when youâre tired but youâre lying about it. He loves being able to tell that you find comfort in his presence, just like he does in yours, and that fact alone makes him feel - grateful. To be someone that you find comfort in makes Miguel feel special. He also loves being able to tell when somethingâs on your mind but holding back from speaking your mind, the way you are now.Â
You smile at him and shake your head slightly. âNothing.âÂ
âCome on.âÂ
You look away and stare at the baby monitor. Despite the nearness between you and Miguel, you still refrain from asking. You donât want to push him nor disrespect his boundaries. Besides, with all the changes youâve noticed in him, you feel that little by little, Miguel will share more about himself when heâs prepared. So, you avoid sharing your thoughts for now.
âItâs nothing, really.âÂ
âIâd like to know,â Miguel says softly, resting his arm on the armrest.Â
You stay silent for a few seconds, contemplating.Â
âYouâre thinking,â he says with such certainty, like he can see the gears in your head working. âTell me whatâs on your mind,â he adds, softly.Â
After a few more seconds of silence and a sigh, you let the words slip out of your mouth. âItâs about⌠your fangs.âÂ
Miguelâs eyebrows raise, feeling a bit surprised but also amused that his fangs are whatâs causing you to feel so hesitant. âWhat about them?âÂ
You shake your head. âItâs nothing.âÂ
âYou can tell me,â Miguel says, sounding hopeful that youâd share your thoughts. He wonders if you find them weird or disturbing, or maybe both. Or maybe youâre okay with them.Â
âWell, I think theyâre really cool,â you say quietly, looking over at him. Miguel raises an eyebrow. âThey are. I mean - theyâre fangs. Maybe I donât know what Iâm talking about because I donât have them but I think theyâre really cool and unique - as are your talons. Theyâre amazing,â you say, sounding genuinely in awe. âAnd I was wondering if it hurt, you know, when you first got them.âÂ
Miguel keeps his gaze on you, pleasantly surprised to hear you say you think his fangs and talons are âcoolâ and âamazing.â He thinks about it for a few seconds before responding. âI was awake during my transformation. It was a short one.â Miguel pauses, looking down at his hand. âMy fingers and toes felt slightly sore from the talons but it was bearable. My fangs on the other hand, made my gums extremely sensitive for a week or so.âÂ
âIâm sorry to hear that. I can only imagine⌠the kind of discomfort and pain caused by your fangs,â you say softly, eyebrows furrowing in concern, though Miguel isnât in any pain these days.Â
âItâs alright. Thankfully it was just for a few days. You know - I had a lot of light sensitivity in my eyes afterward. That was the worst, really,â Miguel shares, thinking back to those days when he had to wear glasses to help.
âYour eyes⌠Because they turned red.â
Miguel nods, meeting your gaze. âI had to figure out how to hide the new eye color and then on top of that, how to avoid the sensitivity. I used to get really bad migraines,â Miguel explains. âSo, I had to use glasses until a few years ago. The sensitivity is gone now, thankfully and I donât have to worry about hiding their real color⌠At least not anymore,â Miguel says, thinking back to his time in Gabriellaâs universe.Â
Miguel looks down at his lap again. âIt became an issue again when I was in Gabriellaâs universe. My counterpart had brown eyes, like I used to,â he says with a tone that you immediately recognize as sadness, as if he misses his natural eye color. âI had to wear a hologram over my eyes while I was there, though sometimes I just wore contact lenses.âÂ
You nod, feeling a pang of pain as you detect the sadness in his tone about his eye color. You search your brain, trying to remember seeing Miguel with brown eyes in the pictures hidden by Lyla so many months ago. You faintly recall that, yes, his eyes were brown in those pictures but your brain didnât capture that detail at the time, as you were caught up in the moment when Miguel was so upset about the hidden file.
âIâm so used to the red, sometimes I forget there was a time they werenât this color,â Miguel says quietly. âThat there was a time when they were normal.â
The soft and quiet emphasis on ânormalâ makes you frown because it sounds like Miguel isnât happy with his eye color now. You continue to look at him and before you even realize what youâre going to say, you open your mouth. âBrown or red, they are beautiful,â you say in a tone that leaves no room for debate. You find his eyes beautiful, no matter the color, period.
Miguel looks up, lips parting in surprise and cheeks instantly feeling hot due to the compliment. Recruits usually find Miguelâs eyes scary when they first meet him and even when they get used to them, they still find them odd. In fact, both his talons and fangs tend to scare some of the recruits, a reaction Miguel thinks is understandable.Â
Even though you complimented Miguelâs eyes with confidence, because truly, you find his eyes beautiful, you canât help but feel a little worried as you realize your words might be too much for Miguel. However, you quickly realize that itâs too late to take it back so you decide to smile softly, and hope that it eases any discomfort you may have caused Miguel. To your relief, Miguel smiles softly.Â
âThank youâŚâ he says looking down again, with a slight blush to his cheeks. He stares at his lap for a few seconds before looking back at you again. âSo - you think the fangs and talons are cool?â Miguel asks with what you can only describe as disbelief, as if itâs impossible to him that anyone could see his features in such a positive way.Â
You nod quickly. âYes, I do. I⌠I remember when I first learned about them. I was really amazed,â you say as Miguel listens intently. âI thought they were so unique. I still do,â you say softly, meaning it.Â
Miguel nods, smiling a bit. He canât help but feel appreciation for the fact that you donât find the very features that make him stand out from the rest of you odd or scary. Back in the early days of the Spider Society, Miguel often felt like an outcast among the other members despite being the founder and leader.Â
âI havenât always been fond of them,â Miguel reveals suddenly, as he looks down at his hands.Â
You watch as his talons appear suddenly on command, feeling awe.Â
Miguel, however, canât help but look over at your hand, remembering he scratched you back when he was in the infirmary. He can spot some scars that remain from the talons. He looks away, feeling upset with himself again after all this time.
âYou never told me if your suit was ripped from my talons.âÂ
You smile softly, even though you sense a shift in Miguel. âIt had some tearing but nothing I couldnât fix. You canât even notice it.âÂ
âI knew itâd have rips on itâŚâ Miguel says quietly. He knew, of course, from experience in his early days after gaining his spider abilities. âI knew it from experience.âÂ
âItâs alright. Donât stress about it,â you reply gently.Â
Miguel nods but he cannot help but still feel guilty, especially from leaving scars on your body. He eyes your hand again and this time you notice it, realizing whatâs going on through his mind and why thereâs a sudden shift in his demeanor.Â
âMiguel,â you say softly, trying to get him to look at you. He looks up, meeting your gaze again. âPlease donât stress over it. You didnât mean to and I promise, it hardly hurt. And these little scars, they donât bother me. I donât mind them. I have a bigger scar and I donât mind it at all. Remember the sword incident I mentioned back when we were at the infirmary?â you ask and he nods, remembering. You lift your top slightly, only revealing the scar on the side of your stomach.
Miguelâs eyes travel down to your bare skin, feeling surprised but also moved by the fact that you feel comfortable enough to show him. He respectfully scans your scar, noticing itâs so light but itâs there, on your soft skin. Miguel remembers you telling him how you refused to go to the hospital and now that heâs looking at the scar, he canât believe you didnât seek professional help despite knowing your reasoning for it. His eyes meet yours again as he feels a wave of respect for you, yet again, for refusing medical help when you needed it, all to protect Peterâs identity. He also feels admiration towards Peter for tending such a wound on his own.Â
You let your top slide down and shrug slightly, smiling.Â
âPlease donât feel bad about them. It didnât hurt me the way you think,â you reassure him.Â
Miguel looks away, nodding slowly. He lets your words sink in, letting them reassure him. There is some relief when he thinks about how he couldâve hurt you much worse while being unconscious. Hurting someone with his talons by accident has always worried Miguel, yet itâs a worry he doesnât have with himself since the talons retract automatically when he brings them close to his skin.Â
With all this talk about his fangs, talons, and red eyes, Miguel canât help but think about how he got them and how he became Spider-Man 2099. He sighs softly, feeling like maybe he could tell you about it now. Maybe he can tell you about rapture and why he took that mysterious neon green liquid months ago with your help. He noticed the curiosity in your eyes back then but like always, you didnât ask.Â
âI wasnât bitten by a radioactive spider like most spider members were,â Miguel says quietly, wondering if right now is a good time. âLike you.âÂ
You nod slowly though Miguel is looking down at his hand on his lap.
Miguel thinks about it for a few seconds. In order for everything to make sense, he needs to go back. All the way to his childhood. He sighs again, wondering if this is a good time but then again, is there ever a good time to talk about things like these? Miguel frowns to himself. The evening has been enjoyable and relaxing, like they always are, and he really doesnât want to ruin the mood now. But⌠It doesnât have to be ruined, right? It canât be if Miguel doesnât let the conversation become a sad or depressing one. Itâll only turn sad if he lets it, and he decides he wonât. Or at least, he will try not to.Â
âI was born in the OâHara household. To Conchata, who you know by now, and to⌠George OâHara,â Miguel starts, pausing when it comes to the manâs name. âI donât remember my early life, of course. To be honest⌠I can only remember my life from the moment Gabriel was born.â Miguel smiles softly at the mention of his little brother. âI was so happy about having a little sibling and even more so when I found out it was going to be a boy. I knew we were going to be inseparable and we were - until - until his passing, of course. He made my life so much better.â
Miguel pauses for a few seconds, wondering whether he really should talk about this. Itâs something that no one else knows about. The other person who knew about it was Gabriel but with him gone⌠Miguel clears his throat.Â
âI have some fond memories from my childhood while others are not so happy,â Miguel admits.Â
You narrow your eyes softly as those words sink in, preparing yourself mentally to hear Miguel. For some time now, youâve put together that his childhood was not always nice but to hear him admit it, breaks your heart even more.
âGeorge OâHara⌠He provided the basic necessities, so that was something at least but he didnât like me. Growing up, I always wondered why. I wondered if I had done something. If I reminded him of someone. If I was just - not a welcomed child because of the timing in his and momâs lives. I wondered so many timesâŚâ Miguel says, clutching a fist as he stares at it. âI wondered if maybe - I wasnât enough.â
Miguelâs words cut through you like a knife. Youâve yearned to comfort him so many times before but nothing compares to this moment. You feel an incredible pain in your chest as you imagine Miguel as a little kid, wondering if he was enough, something no one should ever question, let alone a child. Unknowingly, your hands are in fists right now as you feel both anger and sadness course through you but at the same time, itâs your body holding back from reaching out and comforting him.Â
Miguel notices your fists, instantly feeling regret.
âIâm sorry,â Miguel says, looking up at you with an apologetic look on his face. âThis is too much.â
âNo, no, no. ItâsâŚâ you state softly but trail off. Yes, itâs too much but not for the reason he thinks. Itâs too much because of the vulnerability and the upsetting memories heâs telling you about. Itâs too much because your heart is breaking with each sentence and all you want to do is comfort him. If you could, you wouldâve already thrown your arms around him and held him as he recollects these memories but you know you still canât because despite the changes in your friend, heâs still learning to move forward and physical contact is off the table indefinitely. So, you settle for a sad smile. âIâm here,â you whisper softly. âBut if you donât want to talk about it, thatâs okay, too. You donât have to.âÂ
Miguel holds your gaze.âThe truth is⌠I want to. I need to, Y/N.â He sighs and looks down. âI need to because Iâve never talked about it before. Gabriel knew because he was there for it but Iâve never actually talked about it with someone. Iâve just - bottled it inside like Iâve done with everything else,â he says so softly, almost a whisper. He looks up again, meeting your gaze. âAnd Iâm tryingâŚâ
You nod, smiling softly in understanding. Miguel hasnât said it out loud but you know. Ever since his incident back in the spring, youâve noticed the changes, of course. He smiles and chuckles more often with you. He calls Miles âmijoâ more often. Then, thereâs the Saturday dinners with you of course, along with the many other signs, like him having a more regular sleeping schedule these days. Heâs trying. Heâs trying to move forward ever since his incident and that means opening up about other parts of his life. You nod again, encouragingly.Â
âIâll be listening, then. If you need anything throughout it or you need to take a break, please let me know and do so, okay?â you say gently.Â
Miguel nods, grateful for your understanding. âIf you donât want to hear anymore, you do the same, okay? Please donât hesitate to tell me. It wonât hurt my feelings, I promise. I know it may - be too much,â he says with a heavy sigh but still waits for you to acknowledge his request, wanting to know that you understand that you can stop him at any time if you feel uncomfortable hearing what heâs sharing.Â
You nod. âI will.âÂ
Miguel nods and sighs again. âI donât want this to be some - sad thing. I just need to talk about it,â he says quietly. âIt used to hold a lot of power over me, especially in my early twenties. I wasnât the man Iâm now,â Miguel says and then chuckles a bit. âI donât think you wouldâve liked me back then, to be honest. I was very arrogant.â
You smile softly when he chuckles, wondering what he means.
âYeah, you wouldâve not liked me,â Miguel says thinking about it more. He was quite arrogant back then and you, well, you seem like youâve always been this way: sweet and kind. He shakes his head softly and decides to just get it out. âThere was physical and verbal abuse from George. For everyone in the household. Mom and him argued a lot. I hated it so much but especially for Gabriel,â Miguel says looking at you. âHe used to get so scared when they argued. If the fighting started and I wasnât in the room, heâd run to find me. Heâd burst into my bedroom, his little face marked by fear and all I could do was just - hold him to calm him down, which always made George angry.â Miguel shakes his head softly at this.Â
âWe were very close; Gabriel and I, and it made George so furious. I used to think that it was because he wished he had that bond with Gabriel. That he wished Gabriel found comfort in him as well but no. It was just his ego and his ideas. He was the kind of man that believed that boys shouldnât cry,â Miguel says evenly, remembering the many times George berated him as a child for crying. âHe used to scold me for doing so when he⌠When he hurt me. He probably thought Gabrielito was weak for getting scared when he and mom argued, which just makes my blood boil,â Miguel continues with clear anger in his voice despite the time that has passed. He clears his throat softly, trying to let go of this anger but the memories of little Gabriel clinging to him, shaking in fear are still too painful. Gabrielâs voice echoes in his mind then.Â
âIs everything going to be okay?â heâd ask Miguel, and of course, Miguel would say yes for his sake.Â
Miguel goes quiet for about a minute, trying to calm down. He reminds himself youâre there, nearby, and that itâs okay. Heâs okay.Â
You sit still by his side, listening respectfully and letting Miguel take his time to navigate through these memories until Miguel sighs softly, nodding to himself.Â
âAfter many years of living like that, mom finally divorced him. He ended up marrying again and he cut contact with us completely. He died pretty young,â Miguel says. âThat was the end of George OâHara in our lives. At least physically. My mom⌠She had phases. Sometimes she was amazing, the way a parent ought to be to their child and other times - she wasnât great, with me at least.âÂ
â... with me at least.â
You sigh silently, remembering Miguel has talked a little about his mom and their relationship.Â
âMy memories of her are mixed. There were months that were great, like the holidays. Even on those days George was somewhat decent, too. Sheâd cook and sheâd let us help. Sheâd tell us that we needed to learn to cook,â Miguel says and smiles sadly. âShe said she didnât want her sons to not know how to fend for themselves in the kitchen nor did she want us to think that cooking was a womanâs chore or duty like George did, so sheâd teach us during those days when he was still at work to avoid making him mad. Those were good days and then there were the bad days⌠It was as if she resented me. I thought it was because of George - because I reminded her of her abusive and controlling husband. I couldnât understand why. I used to think it wasnât my fault that there was a resemblance to him⌠Sheâd barely talk to me sometimes except when it was necessary. Sheâd get mad at me for anything on those days. I was the older child, so I always noticed the different way she treated Gabriel, something I never resented him for, of course. It just made me wonder⌠And then it would pass again and sheâd be great for a few weeks or months before the cycle repeated.â
Miguel pauses for a few seconds, taking a deep breath.Â
âOnce I was older and could be independent, I limited my contact with her. Gabriel always tried with her and I donât blame him, she was our mother after all but I couldnât just forget about everything. I became a geneticist and started working at Alchemax. It was all great at first but I started to see the reality of everything. Alchemax controlled the city,â Miguel pauses. âThere was a lot happening with that, but what changed everything was an experiment. We were trying to imprint genetic codes into a humanâs physiology. The goal was to have humans with superhero skills, like Spider-Man. We were in the early stages when an executive demanded human trials to start. It was too soon but it was an executive order. Our subject, he⌠turned into a creature and died shortly after. The experiment was a failure. After what happened, I didnât want to keep working at Alchemax, so I made up my mind to quit and scheduled a meeting with a higher up. He was an executive at the company.â
Miguel turns to you, meeting your gaze. âThere was a drug called rapture here in Nueva York. It was horrible and highly addictive because it binded to an individualâs DNA, which made it impossible to recover from. Alchemax was the only manufacturer for it, so just keep that in mind. When I went to meet with my boss, he gave me a drink. I thought it was harmless, of course. After telling him that I was leaving the company, he told me the drink was laced with rapture. He suspected from the start that the purpose of our meeting was for me to give him my resignation.âÂ
You hold his gaze, feeling shocked and in disbelief, though you try to mask it as best as possible. Your thoughts take you back to two months ago when you injected a neon green liquid into Miguel. You silently wonder if it was rapture; if Miguel is still managing an addiction.Â
âTyler Stoneâs plan, that was his name, was that Iâd stick around to have access to the drug through Alchemax. Since Alchemax was the sole distributor, he was going to make sure Iâd have no access to it. The only other way wouldâve been through the black market, so he threatened to have me arrested, which wouldâve been easy as he had the police in his pocket. I agreed to stay but I had a plan. I didnât want to be addicted for life, so I decided to get rid of my addiction by overriding my DNA using the same procedure I had used before. Iâm sorry if this is boring,â Miguel says with furrowed eyebrows.
You shake your head, letting him know itâs not. âItâs not. Iâm listening, I promise.â
Miguel nods slowly. âI had been using my own DNA in the experiment to test. So, my plan was to override the DNA that was basically corrupted by rapture with a copy of my saved DNA from the database. I wasnât sure if I was going to survive the procedure but⌠It was either death or Iâd be an addict by morning. So, I proceeded. It was sabotaged by a coworker, who changed the DNA. My DNA⌠it ended up being spliced with a spiderâs genes because of him. So now, fifty percent of my DNA is spider DNA,â Miguel says quietly. âDo you remember a few months ago when you helped me inject a green liquid?â he asks. You nod slowly. âThose are suppressants. They stabilize my DNA because of the spider DNA,â he says softly.Â
After a few seconds of silence, Miguel looks up again. âThatâs how I became Spider-Man. The thing is - It was a while later when I found out that Stone didnât even lace my drink. He only gave me something that imitated raptureâs effects. He wanted to keep me tied to Alchemax no matter what. It was like a slap to the face when I found out I had gone through all of that trouble for nothing. Then - there was something else I found out only a minute later after I overheard that. My mother confronted Stone about it - about rapture, and thatâs how I found out that I had an imitating drug along with the fact that Stone was actually - my biological father.â Miguel pauses, taking a few seconds to breathe. âI heard her admit it. I heard her say that she knew I always believed she disliked me because I reminded her of George, only to tell Stone that I reminded her of him more each day - because he was my father. Stone and my mother had an affair while she was already married. After so many years⌠it finally made sense, why she treated me the way she did sometimes. It was her guilt about the affair⌠so, thereâs that.â
Miguel pauses and sighs, feeling strangely⌠lighter. âBecoming Spider-Man changed me, not only physically and genetically but⌠mentally. It changed my character. I began to try and be what a Spider-Man ought to be. You know I was so - arrogant before. So prideful. Becoming Spider-Man taught me to become better. It made me want to help people, and so I tried my best and became a decent superhero. So much, that one time my mother said I ought to be more like Spider-Man 2099. I got so upset I told her I was Spider-Man 2099. She didnât believe me. She laughed,â Miguel says remembering that incident. âThings changed later on and we had a better relationship, which Iâm glad for. Our last years together were far more peaceful. It felt like a real family at last without secrets and abuse. I still feel some resentment towards her sometimes but Iâve moved on for the most part. Slowly but surely. So⌠thatâs how I became Spider-Man,â Miguel finishes in a calm tone.Â
Now done, Miguel leans back on the couch and begins to move his hands but stops when he feels softness. He looks down, finding your sweatshirt on his lap. He left it on the couch earlier when he first arrived to return it to you so you can wear it for the week, but at some point while talking, he pulled it and has been holding it closely without even noticing. Thereâs still a light trace of your scent on it but itâs mostly gone and replaced with his own since he keeps it close during the night. He canât help but feel a bit embarrassed right now in your presence as he remembers how he wakes up every morning. No matter how he holds it before falling asleep, he wakes up every morning with his face buried in it, as if he canât get enough of your scent.Â
He looks up at you at last, finding a soft expression on your face, though he can also tell youâre processing everything he has shared with you. He sighs deeply, staring at you silently for a few more seconds, feeling something. Relief. Freedom. Itâs like a major weight has been lifted off his shoulders; one he didnât know he was carrying around. He sighs again but this time easier and less deeply. He smiles softly at you.Â
âI didnât expect to feel like this but I feel lighter?â he says, sounding more like a question. âI didnât imagine talking about it would feel this⌠freeingâ
You return his smile and nod slowly, still trying to wrap your mind around everything Miguel has shared, yet you feel happiness for him when he says that he feels lighter. Even though what he has shared with you was hard to listen to, youâre thankful that Miguel felt comfortable enough to tell you about it.
âIâm sorry if Iâve made you - uncomfortable,â Miguel says. âBut please donât worry about it. Iâve been over it in a way. Itâs just something Iâve been carrying around, and now that Iâve said it, I feel like it truly has zero power over me. Thank you for listening,â Miguel whispers, still holding your sweatshirt. He lets his fingers grasp it tighter, letting them sink into the softness of it.Â
You sigh softly, feeling that lightness he has mentioned, as if it was your own. Smiling, you nod again. âAlways,â you whisper, earning yourself a soft smile from the man next to you. You notice at last that he has your sweatshirt on his lap, remembering that it was draped over the armrest earlier. You were listening so intently to him the entire time that you didnât notice at what point he pulled it onto his lap. You donât fail to notice now, however, how his fingers are lost in the fabric as if heâs seeking its softness or maybe its comfort. You canât help but feel tenderness at the thought. Maybe you did comfort him physically somehow, even if it was just through your sweatshirt.Â
Miguel looks down at the sweatshirt, staying quiet for a few seconds before he looks up again. âHow about that cafĂŠ de olla and pan dulce?â he asks softly, preparing to stand up but you stand up faster than him with a smile.
âIâll get it for us, donât worry,â you say softly, wanting to serve the coffee for the two of you. You want to do as much as you can to comfort him right now after everything he has shared with you.Â
You quickly check the baby monitor before you head off though. Mayday has continued to sleep peacefully the entire time but you still want to make sure. Feeling satisfied, so you place it back on your coffee table before walking to the kitchen and retrieving the thermos Miguel brought. You place it on your counter and open your cupboards to get mugs. Over the last two months, youâve done some more organization in your kitchen and it led to you finding an old mug your parents bought for you when you were a teenager. You retrieve it for yourself, smiling as your eyes trace the beige ceramic mug with a bearâs head on it staring back at you. Youâve been using it again ever since you found it after not using it for years because it used to make you sad, but now that youâve found it again, it brings you happy memories of when your parents were still alive. You place it on the counter and then reach for another mug for Miguel, though itâs a more serious one.
You quickly but carefully pour the cafĂŠ de olla into the mugs. Once youâre done with that, you get some plates as well and grab the bag with pan dulce. You take it to the coffee table and set up the plates before returning to the kitchen to grab the mugs. At last, you reach Miguel with both mugs, ready to give him his when you hear a noise detected from the baby monitor. The two of you look over at it, surprised but also alarmed by it.
Through the little screen, you can see Mayday moving around a bit and yawning in her sleep before she settles down again with the Spider-Ham plushie still at her side. You turn to Miguel once you see sheâs alright and carefully hand him a mug, going as far as holding it for him in a way that your fingers wonât brush since youâre still adamant about respecting his boundaries. Besides, you know that Miguel might feel emotionally exhausted after the conversation, so all you want is to make the aftermath as comfortable as possible for him.Â
You stand still to avoid either of you getting burned as he reaches for it from his seat, watching his hand move closer to it. You look down at the mug then. The sudden baby monitorâs alarm distracted you so much you donât even realize you are offering him the bear mug until the last second. Youâre about to tell him but you only manage to open your mouth when you feel his hand brush over your fingers on the mugâs side. Your mouth closes just as his fingers slide into the spaces between yours, immediately noting his body warmth and the way his fingers are far more bigger than yours.Â
It takes you by surprise to say the least but before you can fully comprehend it, you feel his pinky finger curl slightly around your own as it hangs below the mug. You keep a neutral expression, still worried about getting Miguel or yourself burnt with hot coffee, though your mind is kind of short circuiting right now. You push past it and tell yourself that itâs just an accidental brush of fingers. His fingers are bigger than yours after all and he needs more room to hold the mug; room that your fingers are taking up for him to grab the mug more comfortably, probably. However, as youâre going on about this in your head and you sense Miguel take a stronger hold of the mug, you feel it.Â
His pinky finger, which has been loosely curled so far, wraps around yours a bit more firmly before he gives you a gentle squeeze, as if the two of you were making a pinky promise. He releases your pinky one or two seconds later, fully taking hold of the mug and moving it towards him. You look at him for a few seconds, noticing the way his eyes are on the mug, as if avoiding your gaze.
You look away quickly, trying not to make it obvious before taking a seat next to him. You hold your own mug in your hands, no longer thinking about how you mixed up the mugs, before you set it down on a coaster. You gently pull the bag with pan dulce and a plate towards you, offering it to Miguel with a smile as you try not to think about what happened just seconds ago, though itâs really hard not to. Miguel accepts it, smiling gently as you carry on and open the plastic bag for him to grab a piece of bread. He avoids your gaze as he reaches into the bag, placing his choice of bread on his plate.Â
âThank you,â he says quietly.
âAlways,â you answer in an equally quiet tone as you process what happened.
You grab a piece of bread for yourself before placing the bag back on the coffee table, thoughts racing. You thought it was an accident that he brushed his fingers over yours but now⌠You walk through every step of the moment, breaking it down in your head. Did you imagine it? Maybe you are reading too much into it? No, with the way you placed your fingers Miguel had a decent amount of space to take hold of the mug without touching you and yet, his hand went for the exact spot where your fingers rested before he slid them between yours to grab the mug. You take a small and careful sip from your mug since the coffee is still perfectly hot from the thermos Miguel stored it in. Okay, maybe the brushing of fingers was an accident but the curling of his pinky around yours? The gentle squeeze? Thatâs where it doesnât make sense. It was intentional.Â
You break a small piece of bread to eat as the realization hits you. Miguel did that intentionally. The more you sit there and eat your piece of pan dulce, the more you are convinced that everything about it was intentional, including his fingers brushing over yours. Yet, you sit in silence next to Miguel and wonder. There have been so many times when youâve wanted to comfort him and each time youâve reminded yourself to hold back out of respect. You wonder if he has ever noticed that. Have you been so obvious about it that he knows? You remember he noticed your clenched fists earlier, so maybe he does. Perhaps Miguel knows that there have been so many times you wished you could comfort him physically. And maybe - maybe he needed that little comfort after the memories he recollected today and knowing that youâre open to physical touch, Miguel seeked that comfort in a small way - just for today.Â
You canât help but brush your pinky next to your ring finger now, discreetly, of course. You recall the sensation, almost feeling the warmth that came from his hand but not quite because you canât recreate that unique warmth that only Miguel has. You canât, not without him. Then, there was the feeling of his pinky on its own and how the tip of it was enough to wrap around yours almost fully. This simple fact makes you think for a moment. Itâs obvious that Miguel is a tall and big man, so it is no surprise that his hands are large but the fact that his pinkyâs tip was enough to wrap around yours, makes you really realize the size difference, which you find amusing but also sweet.Â
You silently and briefly wonder what your hand would look like next to his but you donât spend too much time on this because for some reason it feels wrong. Your thoughts return to the moment, to the gesture. To how his fingers felt warm and strong. To how you felt their weight, which was a comforting one, like when something presses over you but instead of hurting or bringing discomfort, you could lay underneath such a weight because it feels pleasant. You take another sip of coffee as the realization hits you. You enjoyed the way his fingers felt and the way his pinky finger wrapped around your own. You enjoyed the way his warmth seeped into your skin and how his fingers slid past yours, settling between them to take hold of the mug. You enjoyed the little squeeze from his pinky finger. You enjoyed every second of it.
You blink, trying to clear your thoughts but even then you find yourself running your thumb over the back of your fingers, as if trying to recreate the sensation on your own when you know very well itâs impossible. You retrieve your thumb, giving up, before you finally break the silence. âI say it every time but this coffee and pan dulce⌠The best combo,â you say, mentally wincing at the way your voice comes out because it sounds like youâre nervous.Â
Thankfully, Miguelâs face reveals nothing if he notices, which he does, and instead, nods with a smile at your comment about the coffee and bread.Â
âIt really is, isn't it?â he responds, quietly. He takes a sip of his own coffee, wondering why he did what he did. Why did he do that when he saw the way you were holding the mug? You went out of your way to avoid brushing his fingers as a way to respect his boundaries regarding physical touch like always. Itâs one of the things that he most appreciates about you, how respectful you are with him and his boundaries when there have been so many that have disregarded them but not you. Never you.Â
Even when there was no other option back in the infirmary, you were so concerned about it, going as far as wanting to request gloves from the medical team. So why did he do it? It was a spur of the moment, Miguel guesses. He saw your fingers and he couldâve taken hold of the mug without even grazing your skin. Yet, before he even realized it, his fingers were brushing yours and then there was your pinky and his mind wasnât thinking properly because it was stuck on how it had felt to graze your skin even if just for a few seconds. His mind was dazed by that mere sensation and before he knew it, his pinky was curled around yours and then he gave it a gentle squeeze. And it all felt right.
The two of you sit side by side drinking your cafĂŠ de olla and eating your pan dulce in silence. Youâre trying to process the fact that his touch was intentional, even if it was small. Miguel continues to try and figure out why he did it in the first place and all he can think about is that he needed it without knowing it after having to recollect parts of his life that werenât too happy.
You smile softly as you eat a piece of your pan dulce, happy about the little moment as you slowly recover from your surprise. Miguel is trying. Step by step, little by little. You look over at him as he lifts the bear mug to his lips, unable to stop yourself from finding it endearing how much smaller the mug looks in his hand. You smile even more but look away before he catches you, not wanting to make him uncomfortable.Â
âThank you for dinner again. And for this,â you say at last, lifting your mug up and motioning to the pan dulce. Youâre silently relieved that youâve found your voice again. âIâm sorry for the change of plans since it was so sudden but I appreciate it. Dinner was amazing as always.â
Miguel smiles softly, nodding and feeling relieved that you donât seem to mind what he did. In fact, you seemed to have moved on from it, even though heâs lowkey still thinking about how small your pinky felt when he wrapped his around it. He clears his throat, nodding again. âAlways. Iâm glad you enjoyed it, and donât worry about the change of plans, I didnât mind it,â he replies.Â
You smile at him, nodding before you take another sip of coffee. The two of you fall into a peaceful silence again. Itâs at this moment that everything Miguel told you rushes through your mind. You listened to him intently and paid attention to every detail but there are certain parts that stand out more than others, like how he questioned whether he was enough as a child because of his stepfather along with his treatment of the whole family or the way his mother treated him sometimes. For a while now you suspected he didnât always look back at the past fondly but you never thought about the reasons as you didnât want to speculate about someone elseâs life, even less about Miguelâs. You stare at your coffee table, lost in thought, wishing you could say something; wishing you could tell him what is on your mind but you know this is sensitive and Miguel didnât share his memories seeking your opinion or thoughts. Besides, you think about the fact that it isnât your place to do so. Miguel needed to let it out of his chest and he wanted someone, you, to listen, not give him your thoughts about it.
âTell me what youâre thinking about. Please,â Miguel says softly, breaking the silence, knowing youâre thinking but refraining from saying anything.
You clear your throat softly, looking at your mug now. Itâs halfway empty and youâre very likely going to get a second one because the coffee doesnât compare to any other coffee youâve ever had. You look at the dark liquid, feeling the warmth through the mug on your fingers, reminding you once again of Miguelâs pinky wrapped around yours before he gently squeezed it. You want to shake your head and tell him itâs nothing, but Miguel seems to be able to read you so well these days, that you often feel like an open book when youâre around him.Â
âI canât,â you finally say, softly. âItâs⌠not my place,â you add, still looking at the coffee because you can feel his gaze on you.Â
Miguelâs face softens at your words, guessing itâs about his childhood. âYou can tell me. Itâs not going to bother me. Or upset me. I promise,â he says.Â
Your grip on the mug tightens as you hear his last two words. He promises. It eases some of your worries but youâre still hesitant because you donât want your words to come out wrong. You donât want Miguel to think that youâre pitying him or something of the sort because thatâs not how you feel. Youâre not pitying him. You just want - To do so much but youâre unable to. Youâre okay with your words but youâve always been better at showing your feelings through actions. If Miguel was more open to physical touch, even just a little, you wouldâve already had him sitting next to you with a blanket around him or something. You wouldâve taken his hand or laid your hand on his shoulder to let him know everything you feel, everything youâre thinking about but canât say because you also fear your words will be too much for him.Â
You must be patient, you remind yourself. One day, you may be able to do it but for now, you will be patient like youâve always been. You clear your throat and smile softly, looking up at him. Youâre about to try to change the subject but the look on his face makes you stop in your tracks. Miguel looks down at you with a soft expression and a smile that, despite how much you see it these days, still catches you by surprise each time, along with a look in his eyes. One that seems to be asking you, maybe even imploring you to reveal every running thought through your mind right now. You find yourself meeting his gaze, wanting to indulge him but thereâs still that hesitation, which does not go unnoticed by him.Â
âY/NâŚâ Miguel quietly says with a tone that confirms your suspicions. He really wants to hear what youâre thinking. Â
âMiguelâŚâ you reply softly, still holding on to your mug. You shake your head slightly, with a sad smile. You canât. You must not.Â
âPlease.â
One word. One single word uttered from his lips. His tone is soft, gentle; the way itâs always with you as youâve come to notice. Miguel holds your gaze. Your hesitation to tell him makes him worried. Is it that bad that you donât want to tell him? Even when heâs asking you to share your thoughts?
âItâs that bad⌠Iâm sorry if I ruined the mood,â he apologizes.Â
âNo, no, no⌠Miguel,â you murmur tenderly, feeling upset with yourself instantly. Your hesitation is now making him reconsider his decision to share something so personal and thatâs the last thing you ever want to do. You already know how much it takes for him to be this open about his past and here you are, making him apologize because he thinks you canât handle what he has shared with you. âMiguel, that's not it. I promise. I just-â you stop, lifting your hand towards him but stopping midway. No, you canât do that but your body wishes to. You move your hand back, trying to play it off as something else despite how obvious it is what you wish to do. âMiguel, what I was thinking - Iâm no one to say it,â you reply softly, looking down at your mug, holding it with both hands again. Itâs better if you do that, you think. Itâll prevent you from wanting to reach out to him again.
Miguel stares at you and scoffs softly. Youâre no one? He wonders if you really believe that and if so, how can you? How can you say that youâre no one when youâre his friend? When youâre his only close friend. When you make him smile and laugh. When you make him want to talk about trivial things when in the past he didnât want to nor could he imagine wanting to do so with any spider member and found it annoying when they tried. Now, he wants to tell you about the most random, insignificant little things that happen in his life, like how this morning when he went to get pan dulce a kid asked if he could help him get a piĂąata down and how it was Spider-Man 2099 themed or how the carniceros call him âel primo,â now that he shows up more to buy groceries. Or, when he wants to hear random bits of your day like how Hobie and Pav got into a debate yesterday about the best tea. How can you believe that youâre no one? When he wants to tell you his whole life because he feels comfortable with you. When you sit at his kitchen island and eat the food he cooks with such delicacy to please you because for some reason, he feels a great satisfaction seeing that happy, delighted look on your face when you try his food and enjoy it. When he comes to your apartment for dinner, which means he has visited your universe more than he has ever visited any other spider memberâs dimension.
How can you believe such a thing when he has spent more time with you than any other member in the Spider Society? How can you believe that youâre no one when you sensed his troubles, universes away. When you found him, saved his life and maybe in more than one way? When you looked after him while he was recovering with such tenderness that Miguel hadnât felt in years nor did he feel he was worthy of. When you give him your sweatshirts, rich in your comforting scent, and each morning like a broken record, he finds his face buried in the fabric, as if he canât get close enough to your scent. He doesnât know why and no matter how he positions himself before drifting off to sleep, he finds himself like that each morning without failure. You dare say that when your breathing lulls him to sleep each night like a sweet melody. When he could recognize your scent and the sound of your breathing in a crowd. When he buys pan dulce or the Mexican candy he knows you love because he has learned what you love best. How can you say that youâre no one when you mean so much to him?
âDonât say that,â Miguel says with a frown, feeling upset that youâre undermining your impact on him. That youâre undermining your significance to him. âYou⌠are more than someone to me,â he says, full of sincerity, leaving no room for discussion. âYou can tell me. Please,â he continues.
The grip on your mug tightens as you hear Miguelâs words. You look up at him, eyes softening because you know admitting that alone is hard for him, yet here he is, telling you regardless and sounding upset at you for telling him youâre no one.Â
He holds your gaze, letting his words sink in and hoping that his eyes give away everything else he cannot say, at least not yet. Youâre more than someone to him. Youâre his close friend. You matter to him, and you have for a long time. He cares about you. It all scares him - to know that he has someone to lose yet again - but thereâs no way out. Thereâs no undoing what youâve done to and for him.Â
There simply isnât. He has thought about it over the last two months, especially since youâve spent so much more time together. He thought of the time before you were recruited, which is easy to remember, for it used to feel like one long, endless day. Now, after everything, he cannot go back. He canât and doesnât want to. If he was given the chance today to go back to that day when you first volunteered to organize his lab after Jess commented on the chaos that his lab surfaces were, he would still accept your help despite knowing that heâd be here now, afraid that heâll experience loss and grief again but at the same time, feeling happy for the first time in a while.Â
The fact that he would stick to his original choice is a sign of progress to Miguel. He canât help but think that his past self, the Miguel from that day, wouldâve declined the help immediately if he knew what would unfold over the following months. That Miguel wouldâve pushed you away even more if he knew that over the next few months, youâd somehow sneak past the walls he built so high around himself.Â
His past self wouldâve been angry at himself for letting go. He wouldâve been mad for sitting here in your living room and drinking cafĂŠ de olla on a Saturday like he used to with Gabriel. He wouldâve been angry for sharing his ofrenda with you, or for telling you about his family. He wouldâve been angry about spending time with you over the holidays. He wouldâve been angry about sharing something so personal as his childhood and the not so good memories but not the Miguel of today. He cares about you because youâre his friend, and he wants to hear whatâs on your mind.Â
You nod slowly, seeing different emotions and thoughts on Miguelâs face; his eyes revealing things to you that his lips cannot yet disclose. You take a deep breath and at last reveal your thoughts.
âI just - I need you to know that I donât say this with pity nor do I think you need to hear it from me, or anyone butâŚâ you trail off continuing a few seconds later but in a whisper. âWhat you said about wondering if you were enough when you were little. About your mom and how she treated you, about your stepfather⌠I just want to tell you that youâŚâÂ
You look down at your mug, wondering why the words are so hard to say; why your heart is racing and why your hands are suddenly stuck to the mug thanks to your spidey abilities, something that is only possible when you wish for it these days, though in your early days as Spider-Woman it happened too often when you were nervous. You ignore it and look up again at Miguel, finding a small moment of opportunity.
âI wish everything was different. I wish - you deserve so much more,â you softly but quickly whisper at last, wanting to get the words out before they get trapped in your throat again but with a gentle tone that will reassure Miguel that youâre not judging him nor his life, nor are you pitying him, but rather express that you genuinely believe he deserves better than the cards life has dealt him. âYou deserve so much more and you are worthy. Youâre more than enough. You always have been. You always will be. Arrogant or not. With brown or red eyes. With talons and fangs, or none of it. Superhero or not. Youâre a person and youâre more than enough. I know you probably donât need to hear it these days from me or anyone else but - thatâs what I wanted to say,â you finish and look down at your mug to escape his gaze, hoping that he doesnât find your words to be too much; hoping that you didnât overstep a boundary. You grip your mug, waiting for him to say something, anything.Â
Miguel watches as you turn away, sensing your uncertainty on revealing your thoughts. He initially believed that your thoughts were harmless, just like theyâve proven to be, but then your hesitation made him worried. Now, he understands why you were unsure of sharing them. For him and his boundaries. Youâve always been so careful and attentive to the way that certain things can be a little too much for him at times after being distant with everyone for so long. Like always, you were thinking about not making him uncomfortable. Like always, you are so considerate, so respectful. Â
Miguel feels an itch to move closer to you, to comfort you the way you were trying to comfort him earlier because yes, he noticed it. Heâs noticed almost every time youâve reached out and stopped midway, remembering and respecting that line regarding physical touch. Yet, he wishes he could put his hand on your shoulder right now to get your attention. He wishes he could let his handâs warmth be an indicator that heâs not upset but that heâs⌠touched. Heâs touched by the fact that you think heâs enough because quite frankly, no one has ever said that to him. He tells himself itâs not something he needs but hearing it - it does something to him in that moment.Â
Thereâs a feeling in his chest. Itâs heavy and it makes his heart race. Itâs so strong he even feels a little breathless as your words settle in his heart. For so many years, he has believed that he didnât need to hear those words. Not anymore. Not since he was a child. Yet, hearing you utter those simple words - it makes him wonder if a part of him has needed them all along. Miguel feels accepted, especially after you mentioned that he was worthy with or without the very features that have always made him feel like an outcast. Itâs those same features that have led to doubts about himself - about his physical appearance. He doesnât know if it was that obvious, or maybe you were just able to pick up on his insecurities, but he knows youâre not just saying those words to say them. The fact that you mean them - it makes Miguel feel accepted and appreciated, and like a part of him has healed even. He gulps softly, feeling a knot beginning to form in his throat. He grips his own mug, suddenly feeling the clay texture. He looks at it, noticing the bearâs face on the mug for the first time. He smiles at it before turning his gaze back to you, his dear friend.
âThank you, Y/NâŚâ Miguel says, once he feels that knot in his throat loosen up.Â
You look up, slowly. Miguelâs tone is somehow softer than before and when you meet his gaze, you canât help but notice that his eyes look misty. He nods, smiling softly at you. The sight makes your heart race with heartache, for you can see that your words have struck something in Miguel, making you realize that maybe, he did need your words after all. A sense of relief also rushes through you at seeing that Miguel took your words well, so you smile back.
âAlways, Miguel,â you whisper softly, holding his gaze before you look away to give him a moment. âI know that must not have been easy⌠Thank you for trusting me,â you add, knowing that it must take a lot of courage to talk about something like this.Â
For a minute or two, you give Miguel some space and think about what he said earlier, about him trying. He has even brought up the words you said to him a while ago, about how talking helps with moving forward, which you find endearing because that means he has taken your words to heart. Filled with gratitude to Miguel for sharing something so personal and optimistic for his healing journey, you look at his coffee mug, remembering the bear mug. You smile softly before you break the silence at last, noticing that Miguel is already looking at you.Â
âMore coffee?â Miguel nods, ready to get up but you stand up before he does again. âIâll get it for you!â you say, placing your own mug on a coaster before you retrieve the thermos from where you last left it, wishing nothing more than to comfort Miguel even in this small way. Once back on the couch and the thermos in your hand, you motion for his mug. He holds it out steady and away from both of you and your couch, to avoid any injuries or spills on it. You serve him coffee before you refill yours and settle back on the couch next to him.Â
The two of you continue to drink and eat your coffee and pan dulce in yet another moment of silence, as you can sense that Miguel seems to need a moment to gather his thoughts.Â
Internally, Miguel feels content as he drinks from the bear mug and finishes eating his piece of pan dulce. The knot in his throat has dissipated, and so has the mistiness in his eyes. Yet, he canât stop thinking about your words. They keep echoing in his head because they mean that much to him. Then, thereâs the fact that heâs shared something so personal and triggering for him from the past with you, but he did it. He shared it and he truly feels like a weight has fallen off his shoulders. Itâs as if that part of his life no longer holds power over him because itâs out of his chest. Those memories are no longer bottled inside his heart, for him to silently carry alone.Â
Those memories are out. Itâs done. Miguelâs healing journey is moving along, perhaps slowly but today - today is a win for Miguel and heâs happy that he has you to share it with. Heâs filled, yet again, with an immense gratitude to and for you, his dear friend. His mind goes back to whether he would change his decision from months ago and he thinks to himself that no, he wouldnât change his decision on that fateful day you volunteered to organize the lab.Â
Letting his thoughts settle down, Miguel looks at the clock on the wall realizing itâs much later in the evening, and wonders, how is it possible that the hours slip by when heâs with you? He doesnât understand it. His gaze moves to the baby monitor placed on your coffee table. Just like Peter B. and MJ assured you, Mayday has been asleep without trouble while everything has been going on. He canât help but think that neither of you should be drinking coffee this late but like always, neither of you really care about potentially messing up with your sleep schedules, though if Miguel is honest, his sleep is unaffected by the rich, dark liquid. As soon as heâs in bed, Miguel falls asleep as long as the recording of your breathing is playing and your sweatshirt is near his face, so heâs not worried about his sleep too much but rather yours. He wonders if he should head home now. Youâve been babysitting Mayday all day and perhaps youâre tired but⌠Miguel doesnât want to leave yet.Â
He doesnât want to return to his own universe, to his own home. Not yet. He finds comfort in your presence and the new welcoming place that youâve created for yourself two months ago. He looks around, taking notice of the changes once again even though he has become acquainted with your apartment. Heâs sitting on your new couch and thereâs the new rug you also bought. There are new pictures since you last rearranged your wall with photographs two months ago. Heâs in some of the photographs, which still feels like a dream every time he sees himself there. It seems so surreal to Miguel sometimes; that youâve found him worthy of being there along with all your friends, parents, and Peter. And that youâve allowed him to be a part of your life, that youâve welcomed him into your home not only physically but also in this way, through photographs.Â
Then, thereâs the bookcase with your books and some decorations, like little things that youâve been given throughout the years as Spider-Woman for memory keeping. He canât help but grin to himself as he remembers what a pain it was to put it together but secretly, he loved every moment of it, even if his cursing might have suggested otherwise, because he was able to spend the entire day here. He helped you build your bookcase but also with other things like rolling out your rug, and placing your furniture in different locations even though he knows youâre more than capable of doing it yourself. He remembers your chuckling when he picked up furniture with one hand like it was nothing, asking you where you wanted it placed. He also recalls feeling grateful that you allowed him to be a part of that process; a process that he needs to start at his own home. Miguel silently hopes that one of these days heâll have the courage to do it and when he does, that youâll like to be there for it, too.Â
You drink more of your coffee, thinking about the time. You wonder if Miguel is tired after everything, or at least emotionally wise. You hope that if he is, that he will make the decision to go so he can sleep and rest properly but otherwise - you hope he stays around for a little while, even if itâs just an hour more, or even thirty minutes.Â
You look over at the record player, remembering the music stopped playing a while ago. Your gaze turns to Miguel, noticing his eyes on your bookcase. You glance at it, noticing the gifts youâve received over the years as Spider-Woman. Some of the other items, like drawings and letters, are safely stored away. You stand up slowly, checking the baby monitor to ensure that everything is okay with Mayday. Noticing that sheâs still peacefully sleeping, you walk over to your bookcase and pick up one of the items gifted to you. You stare at the knitted figure of you in your suit for a few seconds before walking closer to show it to him. Miguel looks at it, smiling softly before you offer it to him. He seems hesitant at first, as if afraid that heâll ruin it, but seeing that you donât retrieve your hand, he takes it.Â
âThis has to be one of my favorite things gifted to me. It was from an elderly woman who used to have a yarn shop a few blocks from here. She started being targeted by petty thieves, thinking she was an easy target because of her age, so I started being more vigilant around her block. She was always very nice and even baked pies for me on several occasions,â you share, smiling softly as you remember her. âThey called her Mrs. Y because of the yarn,â you say with a little chuckle. âShe made it for me before she passed away a few weeks later. Her store is still open, run by her family but itâs not the same without her.âÂ
Miguel nods, holding your knitted plushie and staring down at it. âShe sounded like a lovely lady,â he says.Â
You nod, turning around to see what else you can show him. You donât know why you decided to do this but if itâll keep him here for a little while longer and it helps to lighten up the mood after his conversation, youâll do it. You look around at your collection while Miguel continues to look down at the knitted plushie. He notices your back to him and allows himself a moment to trace the soft yarn with his index finger, though heâs still afraid heâll ruin it by accident with his talons somehow. Still, he glides his finger around the plushiesâs head before softly gliding it down, tracing the jaw area. He removes his finger and simply holds it as he notices you begin to turn with yet something else.
âThis one - it was made by a thirteen year old. Sheâs eighteen now. Kind of crazy how much time has passed by. Sheâs starting college in the fall,â you say turning around and showing him a clay figure, painted and everything.Â
âYou kept up with her?â Miguel asks, with raised eyebrows.Â
You nod and shrug. âI tend to remember the faces of people who give me gifts. I saw her a few weeks ago and caught up with her.âÂ
Miguel nods, accepting the clay figure to look at it, feeling a new level of respect for you for keeping in touch with people who support you as Spider-Woman.Â
âThe details⌠This was by a thirteen year old?â he asks in awe as he examines it, noting the small details of the clay figure from the lines of your suit to the shapes. You nod, smiling. âIncredible,â he says, smiling softly.Â
âI know, right? Sheâs so talented. And so sweet,â you say, turning around to look for more stuff. âOh, this one has movement. It was done by an action figure creator that makes video skits of superheroes - fictional ones, of course, but she made this one and gave it to me a few years ago. Look,â you say as you come closer to him. You lean on the armrest and lower yourself to show Miguel. You press a button and watch with Miguel as your action figureâs arms move in a swinging position. âShe makes skits of me sometimes, too, adding me into the mix with the fictional superheroes. She has about a million followers on her main platform.â
Miguel continues to smile as you show him a few other things, feeling relieved that he can stick around for a little while longer before he should probably head out so you can rest properly. You spend about fifteen or so minutes showing him other things and telling him about the people who gave them to you, which further amazes Miguel. He watches you with a tender look on his face as you excitedly tell him about those people, not noticing the way heâs gazing at you. Placing the last thing you showed him back on the bookshelf, you frown a little as you realize itâs the last thing and Miguel will probably leave soon. You subtly look at the time, realizing itâs so much later now and he will most definitely want to leave now. Â
âAre you sleepy?â Miguel asks, pulling your gaze to him.Â
âNo, not at all... Are you?â you ask, holding his gaze.Â
âNo.âÂ
You smile slowly, happy on the inside that heâs not sleepy yet, which means he might stay for a bit longer. You nod to yourself after a few seconds, still standing next to your bookshelf.Â
âDidnât even realize the music stopped,â you say at last, even though you did at some point. You walk to the record player again, remembering how Mayday pulled one of the vinyl records earlier. You smile as your eyes scan the titles before you tell Miguel about it.Â
âI was able to catch it just in time before it hit her or it got damaged. I can only imagine the fun Peter and MJ are going to have in one more year, or even a few more months, when sheâs fully walking,â you say, eliciting a low chuckle from Miguel who nods.Â
âOh, I can imagine alright. She already has Peter running around HQ,â he replies, thinking of the many times Lyla has shown him live footage of it.Â
You laugh softly, knowing exactly what heâs talking about as youâve witnessed it in person before, and have even helped him, along with your friends, catch her sometimes. At last, you pull a vinyl record. You hold it for a few seconds. You usually donât play her music unless itâs Peterâs birthday or if youâre really in the mood to listen to her because otherwise you get emotional but for some reason, you find yourself wanting to play it now. You put it on, deciding that you can put something else if you find it to be too much even after four years.Â
Billie Holidayâs voice fills your living room once again. Itâs strange at first to hear her familiar voice, even though Holiday used to fill your ears regularly thanks to Peter.Â
âI hope you donât mind,â you say quietly, walking back to the couch.Â
âI donât,â Miguel replies, staring at the record player as you settle nearby.Â
You pick up your mug and drink more coffee as the familiar notes fill the air. You wait for it. For the knot to form in your throat, the tears to swell in your eyes, and your chest to tighten with grief, pain, and longing but none of those things come. For once in four years, you can hear her voice again without crying even when âSolitudeâ comes on, a song that you related to so much those first years after Peterâs death.Â
You drink your coffee and listen to the lyrics, remembering nights in which youâd sit on one of your kitchen island chairs, the one that became your unassigned assigned chair. Youâd turn to the other one, knowing its unassigned assigned person would never sit on it again. You wondered, how was that possible when he had been sitting there just hours, days, weeks, months ago eating next to you while you talked about anything and everything. How was it possible that he no longer sat there? He was there and then he wasnât. There was no one or anything but solitude as your mind taunted you with memories, filling your already despaired heart with even more torment.Â
Smiling softly, you sip more of your coffee and think about your own progress. You glance at a photo of Peter, knowing that wherever he is, he must be happy youâre playing his vinyl records and that youâre listening to one of his favorite artists again without breaking down. You sigh and look over at Miguel, noticing that he seems to be paying close attention to the lyrics. He turns to look at you, his gaze is soft and sympathetic as his mind is filled with an image of you sitting here in your apartment alone. The image alone breaks his heart in pieces, even when you give him a reassuring smile.Â
âI used to be unable to listen to her and a few other artists. She was one of his favorites,â you start. âEvery time I played it - when I told myself I could do it, that Iâd finally be able to - I wasnât able to and Iâd just end up - you know. Crying,â you say, looking down with a weak chuckle. âI only listen to this music when itâs his birthday but for some reason, I felt like listening to it now and Iâm okay,â you say, looking up at Miguel again. You smile more brightly this time. âProgress.âÂ
âProgress,â he repeats, softly. Miguel returns the smile with a soft gaze yet his mind is still occupied by the same image of you alone in this apartment. He heartily wishes, more than ever, that he found your universe sooner because if he had, you wouldnât have been alone for so many years. Miguel felt lonely so many times when there were people around him. He often wondered what was worse - being completely alone or surrounded by people and still feeling lonely. Yet, as he thinks of you all alone for three years, he decides that the latter is the least worst of the two. His mind is overrun by so many thoughts and images, and the more he thinks about it, the more he wishes he could change the past for he realizes you had no one to talk to about your loss and grief, even if you had wanted to because as Miguel has learned, you distanced yourself from your friends. Â
He wonders⌠Did you only talk when you were out on patrols? How much time went by before your apartment walls heard your voice or laugh again? How many times did these walls witness your tears and grief? It all breaks Miguelâs heart.
âI wish⌠I wish I wouldâve found your universe sooner,â Miguel quietly reveals.Â
You smile, touched by his revelation. After a few seconds of thinking, you reply. âYou found me at the right time.â
Miguel nods slowly at your words but asks himself, did he? Was it meant to happen until then? Would youâve still joined the Spider Society if your universe had been discovered a few months before? He recalls that you declined Jessâs recruitment a few times even then and you only joined when she brought up your Peter. He mentally sends his gratitude to Peter for Miguel doesnât want to even imagine the possibility of you not joining. So, he silently agrees with you that it was the right time if the outcome was you joining.Â
You finish your coffee and reach for the thermos to refill your mug, which brings Miguel back to the present. He grins at you.Â
âYouâre not going to sleep at all tonight,â he mutters, amused.Â
You grin as you refill your mug. âIâm okay with that. Iâm not sleepy anyway. Iâm going to stay up and listen to music here,â you say, motioning to your living room.Â
At that, Miguelâs mind wanders. Would you mind if he stayed, just a little longer?
âYouâre more than welcome to stick around. Besides, I just remembered I bought some new snacks to try when I went grocery shopping earlier this week. I think right now is the perfect time to do taste tests,â you say, still grinning.Â
Miguel grins back, feeling a wave of happiness rush through him now that heâs staying a little longer. âWhat did you buy?â
With much more lighthearted music, Miguel and you sit on the couch to try the new snacks, little by little. You talk about anything and everything, like what made you buy a specific snack and how when Miguel helped the little kid get the piĂąata down, the kid told him that he looked like he could be Spider-Man 2099, so Miguel only grinned at them.
You check up on Mayday often, though she sleeps peacefully.Â
You both realize itâs morning when you notice the sun streaming through your living roomâs windows, announcing the beginning of a new day. Somehow the hours went by in your cozy apartment without your knowledge. Staring at the sunlight, the two of you grin softly as you both realize that youâve spent the entire night in each otherâs company.Â
As he takes a drink of water, Miguel realizes that this is his first all-nighter in two months. Heâs overcome by this fact alone, for two months ago not having an all-nighter seemed impossible to Miguel but here he is. His first all-nighter in two months, and the first one with someone by his side at that.Â
You turn towards the baby monitor on your coffee table. Youâve kept it in the same place the entire night to monitor Mayday and at last, it notifies you that thereâs movement and noise. You pick it up to check the notification, briefly checking the time on the clock. Itâs past 7:30, which reminds you about the schedule.Â
âRight, MJ and Peter said she wakes up around 7:30,â you say, seeing Mayday begin to move around. You grin and show Miguel the screen just as Mayday stretches her short arms, yawning.Â
You subtly look at him, noticing the small grin and tender look on his face as he watches Mayday through the screen before looking away, thinking once again about Miguel as a father. You hum softly and put the baby monitor away, suddenly wondering if he was okay with being around Mayday so much yesterday but then remember that he didnât seem to mind as he did come over knowing she was going to be here.Â
âIâm going to go and check up on her. She has her breakfast in about thirty minutes. Peter should be dropping by 9 or so to pick her up,â you say, running through the end of the schedule as you stand up, stretching slightly.Â
Miguel nods, shifting in his seat to stretch himself.Â
âIf you want to come with me you can,â you say, gesturing to your bedroom.Â
âThank you. I - I will. If you donât mind, I'd like to wash my hands first. I think my hands still smell like the last snack we had,â he says with a sheepish smile.Â
You chuckle and nod. âOf course, go ahead. Iâll be in the bedroom!â you say before you head over to your room where you find a sleepy Mayday already sitting, Spider-Ham plushie in hand. You quietly greet her with a smile to avoid startling her but once she sees you, Mayday seems to brighten up. You laugh softly as you reach her.Â
âSomeone seems happy to see me. Slept good, baby?â you ask her, unable to stop yourself from babying her at the sight of her sweet smile and messy hair. You approach her, expecting Mayday to get herself out of her sleeping setup but no, she waits for you to pick her up, so you do that just as you remember what Peter B. said.Â
âShe likes cuddles in the morning. Oh - and sometimes she likes to do a spidey dance.â
âA spidey dance?â you asked, with a raised eyebrow.Â
Peter nodded before giving you an apologetic look. âOh man, I hope she doesnât do it. Itâs not a problem since itâs always us who wake her up - this is the first morning weâll spend away from her,â Peter said with a little pout. âBut, MJ showed her this video of someone dancing, or moving like a spider because you know,â he said, pointing at himself. âAnd sheâs been obsessed with it ever since. If we donât do it, she gets teary eyed with us but hopefully she wonât do it tomorrow with you.â
âAnd what do these poses look like exactly?â you asked with your eyebrow still raised.
Peter sighed deeply. âYou donât have to do it. Maybe distract her with something else, but just in case, it looks like thisâ he said, before he showed you said spidey dance.Â
You hold Mayday as she cuddles up to your chest, hoping itâs just cuddles for this morning and no spidey dance but you hope too soon because Mayday starts waving her arms around similarly to the way Peter did yesterday when he showed you the dance.Â
âOhâŚâ you say, realizing. You look towards the door, noticing Miguel hasnât come in yet. âLook - Spider-Ham plushie. Here he is,â you say, showing him to her, trying to distract her. It works for about thirty seconds before she starts waving her arms again. âYouâre really gonna make me do the spidey dance, arenât you?â you ask quietly. âFirst, you beat me with Spider-Ham plushie, which Iâm telling him about. Then, you do the kissy thing with the action figures, and now youâre gonna make me do this in front of Miguel?â you add quietly, amused and yet feeling embarrassed. âYou got something against me?âÂ
With a sigh you sit down and set her down in front of you. You watch in surprise as she starts doing it herself, causing you to giggle.Â
âOkay, well itâs cute when youâre doing it. I'll say that,â you say, still giggling.Â
Mayday grins at you, happy to show you her little spidey dance but it doesnât last long. She stops and begins to wave her arms at you, as if telling you to go on because itâs your turn. You look over at the door, no sign of Miguel yet. In fact, you can hear the water running from the kitchen. You turn to Mayday, finding a pout and a sad expression.Â
âOkay, okay, Iâm doing it but this stays between us,â you quietly say before you copy her dance from earlier, which is supposed to be some dance that imitates the way a spider moves. You run through it quickly, moving your arms around like she did earlier. âOkay, there we go. Spidey dance for the morning, done.â You sit on the floor again as Mayday giggles excitedly, and wonder if she has something against you this weekend when you see it, or rather him.Â
Your eyes land on Miguelâs legs before they travel up his body, until you meet his gaze. For the third time in twenty four hours, you feel heat flood your cheeks. You notice the amusement in his face before he turns to the side, trying to hide a chuckle as a cough, though he gives up and just chuckles quietly. You sigh deeply, embarrassed and yet amused. Miguelâs chuckle slowly fades as he leans on your bedroomâs doorway once again, arms crossed over his chest with a grin.
âSo, thatâs the spidey dance,â he says, tone laced with amusement.Â
âThatâs the spidey dance.â
âPeter has talked about it.â
âItâs a good thing heâs only talked about it and not shown you,â you reply, finally giving him a smile. âIt looks cute when kids do it. Not so much with adults,â you say with a little grimace, knowing Miguel watched you do it.Â
âI think - you did it justice,â he says, raising his eyebrow slightly, which makes the heat in your face intensify.Â
âThanks,â you mutter quietly, wishing your Earth would open up right now and swallow you whole.Â
âI doubt Peter looked half as graceful as you did,â Miguel offers.Â
You shake your head softly but smile, not knowing what else to say to that so instead, you swiftly scoop up Mayday in your arms, taking her by surprise, which makes her laugh.Â
âTime for breakfast,â you tell her and then look at Miguel, thinking for a few seconds and pushing past your embarrassment. âWould you like to stay for breakfast?â
Still leaning on the doorway, Miguel grins softly for a second before he frowns, remembering. âThat sounds great, but are you not tired?â he asks, his tone laced with concern.Â
You grin and shake your head. âIâm good. Are you tired?â
Miguel holds your gaze. âIâm not.â
You nod, smiling. âThen⌠Do you want to stay for breakfast?â
He watches you for a few seconds, assessing your face to see if youâre telling the truth. He knows youâve been up since yesterday morning, probably have been awake close to, if not the exact twenty-four hours by now. The last thing Miguel wants is to keep you up any longer. Looking at your face, however, all he sees is your bright smile and happy demeanor, surprisingly finding no trace of sleepiness or exhaustion. He nods at last and that grin comes back to his face as he continues to lean on your bedroomâs doorway, taking up the entirety of the space.Â
âIâd love to,â he replies quietly.Â
âGreat! To the kitchen then,â you say with a smile. âOff we go, Mayday - Oh, right,â you stop and turn around to grab Spider-Ham. âCanât forget him, can we?âÂ
Miguel steps out of the bedroom to let you through, smiling to himself as he hears you talk to Mayday before you lead the way to your kitchen. You place Mayday in her high chair and hand Spider-Ham to her, just as Miguel stands next to her.Â
âMay I help you with something?â he asks, looking around at the clean kitchen since the two of you put away the leftovers at some point during the night to avoid the food going bad.Â
You move around your kitchen with ease, preparing Maydayâs breakfast. âI got it under control, thank you though. You go ahead and take a seat or - if you want, you can play some music.âÂ
Miguelâs eyebrow raises slightly as he watches you prepare Maydayâs breakfast while simultaneously setting up your coffee maker. He looks back at the record player.Â
âOkay - I can do that,â he replies quietly before walking across your living room. He stares at the record player for a few seconds. Itâs not that he doesn't know how to use it, heâs just not sure if he should touch it since he knows it was Peterâs. What if he accidentally breaks it? With a soft sigh, he tries to ease his nervousness about it and gazes at the collection of vinyls. He reads the titles, trying to see if he recognizes anything besides Billie Holiday. At last, he pulls out a record that catches his attention. He turns to the record player again before he places the record on the turntable and sets it to play, mindful of his every move. He steps back as the music starts playing and adjusts the volume before he heads back to the kitchen island. His eyes find you sitting next to Mayday now, offering her a spoonful of food that she happily accepts. He glances at the stove, noticing a few pans that youâve set out to start heating.Â
âCoffee should be ready soon,â you tell him as you gently wipe the corner of Maydayâs mouth, listening to the music Miguel chose. You hum softly in appreciation. Itâs the perfect music to start the day with. âNice choice of music.â
âThank you,â Miguel says with a small grin, glad you like his selection. He takes a seat next to you, watching quietly as you feed Mayday, feeling at peace. He briefly remembers this is around the time he heads to HQ on the weekends but he tells himself that heâll go later.Â
You hear the coffee maker finish so you set Maydayâs food down after giving her another spoonful to prepare the coffee.Â
âAre you sure I canât help you with something?â Miguel asks, looking at Mayday and then at you as you retrieve two mugs.Â
âIâm sure,â you say as you serve the coffee. âBut thank you for offering. Hereâs some coffee. Not as good as cafĂŠ de olla but something to start the day with,â you say with a smile as you place the mug in front of him on the counter before you check the stove.Â
âThank you.âÂ
âAlways,â you reply, seeing that the pans are not ready yet, so you return to feeding Mayday.Â
Miguel notices this, of course. âI can help if you want. With the cooking,â he softly clarifies because heâs not sure he can feed Mayday without thinking of Gabriella. He wasnât there for Gabriellaâs early years but there were times heâd still mouth feed her. Even though he has slowly found those memories to be less painful to think about, thereâs still heartache from them.
You nod softly, understanding whatâs happening. âDonât worry about it. Iâm almost done feeding her, see?â you show him the container. âPlus, my stove is on the older side, so it takes a little longer. I wonât be running around doing both things, so donât worry,â you reassure him, smiling to yourself as you turn to face Mayday. You say nothing else but find it sweet that heâs offering to cook just so youâre not cooking and feeding Mayday at the same time.Â
As promised, you finish feeding Mayday and get started on breakfast. You move through your kitchen, listening to Mayday babble to Miguel, who quietly responds back, and the music he selected. The scent of breakfast surrounds you and thereâs a lovely glow around your apartment from the sunâs rays. As you check the food on a pan, you think about what a wonderful Sunday morning this is. Smiling, you shake your head softly and continue to cook, brushing off your thoughts.Â
At last, breakfast is ready. Miguel and you sit at the kitchen island to eat with Mayday, who keeps showing off her Spider-Ham plushie like she didnât hit you with it yesterday and allowed you to hear Miguelâs lovely chuckle. All throughout the meal, Miguel and you talk, and simply enjoy the moment with Mayday.
Shortly after Miguel and you finish breakfast, a portal opens up in your living room, causing Mayday to giggle in her high chair. The two of you turn around just as Peter B. steps out.Â
âGoo-â he starts but pauses for a second when he notices Miguel, surprised to find him in your apartment. Even though Peter B. knows about the Saturday dinners, the sight of the Spider Societyâs leader in your apartment is still shocking. He clears his throat and smiles warmly, somewhat recovering from his initial shock. âGood morning, guysâŚ! Sorry for interrupting your breakfast.â
âItâs alright. We just finished,â you say, standing up. âHow was the event? Did you guys have fun?âÂ
Peter nods and begins to tell you and Miguel about the event and how much fun it was to catch up with old high school friends. Miguel watches from his seat as Peter thanks you profusely and even gives you a little gift both him and MJ bought to show their appreciation. After helping Peter take everything back to his universe, and MJ and him thanking you again, you and Miguel say bye to the Parkers and head back to your universe. Neither of you notice the discreet glance between the adult Parkers as Miguel and you head out.Â
You step out of the portal first with Miguel behind, and head to your kitchen area but he lingers by the portal, looking at the time again. Itâs close to 10am now and heâs sure you must be sleepy, so at last, Miguel decides itâs time to go home. He offers to help you clean up and even though you politely decline at first, you end up letting him help you with some things, sensing that heâs about to leave. You finish wiping the last counter just as he puts away the last mug before you turn to face each other in your small kitchen.Â
The time has come.Â
You smile at him. âThank you for bringing dinner here again. I know I already said it but - seriously, thank you. I loved it, as I loved the cafĂŠ de olla and pan dulce. And thank you for⌠Trusting me,â you quietly say.Â
Miguel nods, smiling softly. âThank you for listening to me. I truly appreciate it,â he replies in an equally quiet tone, even though itâs just the two of you in your apartment.Â
âAlways,â you respond. âIâm here for you.â
Miguel continues to smile and gives you another little nod. He looks off to the side for a few seconds, the words at the tip of his tongue. Heâs said them out loud before, just not to your face, back on Dia de los Muertos, when you first uttered them to him. He wanted to say them back that night but he couldnât. He had to settle for the next best thing, so he said them after you were gone but now⌠His eyes meet yours. âIâm⌠here for you, too,â he says, softly, at last.
Your smile grows and Miguel can see a little twinkle in your eyes at his words, though you try to keep your reaction as normal as possible because you know these words are not the easiest for Miguel to express. So, you smile and nod, clearing your throat softly despite the happiness youâre feeling right now.
âI almost forgot - let me get you the sweatshirt.âÂ
You withdraw to your bedroom, returning in seconds with this weekâs sweatshirt. You offer it to him and like always, Miguel accepts it with a grateful yet sheepish look on his face.Â
Miguel thanks you as he takes a quick glance at the sweatshirt, already being able to smell your scent on it. He has figured out that the best days are the first four days when your scent is the strongest on it. On the rest of the days before you exchange, he has to bundle up the sweatshirt to get a decent amount of your scent from it.Â
He returns his gaze to you, knowing that he must go now.Â
âThank you, for - everything,â he says with a soft grin.Â
âAlways,â you reply.Â
âYou should rest,â he says with a little frown, though still smiling as he opens up a portal. âIâll see you tomorrow at HQ.â
âIâll see you there, as always. And - to be honest, Iâm still not tired.â
Miguelâs eyebrow raises as he walks backwards towards the portal, holding eye contact.Â
âBut Iâll rest, donât worry,â you add, noticing the concern in his eyes.Â
He nods, satisfied with your words and stopping right at the portal. âGood. Youâll need rest after babysitting for a whole day andâŚâ Miguel pauses, looking to the side for a second before looking back, as if thinking. â.. after the little dance party the two of you had yesterday, plus the spidey dance from this morning. And, thereâs also Spider-Hamâs hit to your head. You should really rest,â he says with a serious face, though his eyes and tone reveal amusement.Â
âI see,â you say, looking to the side in amusement yet surprise because Miguel seems to be poking fun at you, allowing you to see a side of him you havenât seen before. You follow along and smile. âIâll definitely rest. Donât want my exhaustion and head injury to interfere with my duties.âÂ
âI would hate for that to happen,â Miguel replies, stepping into the portal, unable to stop himself from giving you a small grin now. âYouâre an irreplaceable member of the Spider Society,â he says, meaning it.Â
You grin back, sensing the sincerity in his tone now. âI shall rest properly tonight then. I donât want to disappoint my colleagues.â
Miguel nods, grinning. âIâll see you tomorrow, Y/N.â
âSee you tomorrow, Miguel,â you reply with a bright smile.Â
With that, Miguel gives you another nod and turns around. He walks into the portal, sweatshirt in hand. You watch his back until he disappears, and even then, you continue to stare at the portal until it, too, disappears. You look towards your windows and sigh softly, smiling.
âIrreplaceable,â you whisper. ______________________________
Next Part - Thanksgiving One-Shot
Translations: Agua de Jamaica - hibiscus tea CafĂŠ de olla - coffee made in a pot Pan Dulce - Mexican pastries; sweet bread Mijo - term of endearment for a male friend or relative; translates to "my son" Conchas - literally translates to seashell; a kind of pan dulce Dia de los Muertos - Day of the Dead Ofrenda - an altar for Day of the Dead PiĂąata - you know this Carniceros - meat butchers "El Primo" - "the cousin;" it's just a nickname from the carniceros, they're not actually related to Miguel; Latin people give each other nicknames, sometimes they make no sense lol; don't mind me just imagining Miguel giving reader a nickname in the future AHH
Long A/N: If you read this far, thank you!! I swear I didn't think it was going to be this lengthy! I want to say that the upcoming parts will be shorter but I'm not sure. Either way, if you have read this far in the story, THANK YOU SO MUCH! I hope you guys have enjoyed it! I also want to say sorry for taking so long to update! I got caught up with the holidays and other things like work and family. To be honest, I don't know if I'll have another update before the new year. I will try my very best but I also don't want to post a rushed and unedited part. So, if this turns out to be the last update of the year for "Nonviolent Communication," I'll go ahead and wish you all happy and warm holidays!! â¤ď¸ I'm going to make a few dedications and mentions now. First, I'm going to dedicate this part for all the readers whose birthdays are this month! In one of my posts (you can also spot the bear mug I included in this part here. Did I buy this mug just because I imagined Miguel holding it as soon as I spotted it? Yes, I did), I discovered that some readers have birthdays this month like me, so happy early birthdays to you guys and everyone else whose birthday is on this month! @moonygirlsworld @giulscomix @lauraolar14
This part had inspo from some lovely readers, so I wanted to give them a shoutout as well! @sunsetdoodler has created BEAUTIFUL art for the fic and inspired me so much throughout the story! The detail about reader's version of Peter buying too much merch and their friends thinking Peter has a crush on Spider-Woman was inspired by this fanart! We both have a soft spot for reader's Peter 𼚠The spidey dance idea came from @giulscomix who thought of reader doing it and Miguel seeing her. I really enjoyed writing reader all embarrassed after doing it, haha! So, thank you!
As mentioned before, there's so much fanart for "Nonviolent Communication" - which, I'm so incredibly THANKFUL FOR!! It's one of the best things that has ever happened to me and makes me so happy that I decided to write online again after so many years of not doing so. Thank you so much to the wonderful artists! Please know it means the world to me!!! You can find all fanart in my masterlist. Please go and take a look at everything as these talented artists have brought to life so many scenes from the fic, and show them some love!! â¤ď¸ Very briefly, I don't want to make this even longer than it already is but I want to talk about the script for ATSV. I've seen some fans that work in the industry say that there are several versions of a movie script sometimes and that the version we saw might be an early edition, which makes total sense that there would be multiple, but that doesn't take away my sadness, anger, and disappointment for how Miguel is described in this particular version. I had already started working on this part before the script was released, so Miguel's talk about his features/appearance and him feeling like an outcast, was already in the works. I had a feeling that this was the idea the team was going with based on the way he was talked about by other characters and the way he was animated to move, so I wasn't entirely surprised but I'm still very sad about it. However, I'm very happy by the fact that so many of us see Miguel for who he really is!!! He's a soft giant that has gone through so much already based on what we've seen and he deserves better. I wish it had just been part of the fic and that there wasn't actual evidence from the script that supported my suspicions, but at least I got to tell Miguel that he's worthy, no matter what through this fic. â¤ď¸đĽş
In other unimportant but funny news, my Spotify Wrapped revealed that I listened to the song "Nonviolent Communication" 639 times since June 13th (the day I went to watch the movie) and I've probably heard it about 40 more times since the Spotify Wrapped dropped lol. So... there's that! I don't know what that says about me but anyway, that's it! I'm going to try and write short one-shots for the rest of the month and obviously work on this fic. I have a Christmas one-shot in mind and I'm also planning another fic, which has been stuck on my mind for some time and it's making me so sad đ Hoping I can launch it sometime in January but we'll see. That's all for real now! Thank you so much for reading "Nonviolent Communication" and for sticking around! All your support towards this fic means so much to me! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and again, happy holidays just in case!!! -Alondra
Taglist: @loverlorn @saturnknows @d1lf-loverrr @eddiestitmiguelsbigdick @freehentai @arithestrawberry @scaleniusrm @haradasaya @spidermanismyfav @bitchykittenconnoisseur @thecraziestcrayon @obi-mom-kenobi @natsury-kazuki @coraline750 @edgycatx @safixiovi @sunnyx07 @nxrdamp @rorel1a @oceanstar19 @happishark @carmilla01 @somebodyelsethanyouthink @adora-but-ginger @angie2274 @vampi-amora @tired-writer04 @plzfeedmebread @shadow-pancake9 @tynakub @faretheeoscar @giulscomix @luvstuffies @coffeeauthorvibing @lauraolar14 @bl0osclues @pinkiemme @lil-cinn @mashiromochi @loveletterfrommwah @muzansucker @theleftkittycollection @kikookii @www-interludeshadow-com @holographicang3l @aisyakirmann @bucky-to-my-barnes @geraskier-thots @l3laze @yujyujj @taylorsmakingfuckingmacandcheese @damhanallagorm @heyohalie @kaliuea @moonsua1 @darksidescorner @geminis93
#miguel o'hara#miguel o'hara x reader#miguel ohara x reader#miguel ohara#miguel oâhara x reader#miguel o'hara imagine#atsv miguel#miguel o hara#miguel o'hara fanfiction#miguel o'hara x y/n#miguel o'hara scenarios#spiderman 2099#atsv x reader#atsv x you#miguel spiderman#across the spiderver fanfiction#across the spiderverse#miguel o'hara x you#miguel ohara x you#miguel ohara x y/n#spider man: across the spider verse#across the spider verse
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Soothing words and decaf
Satoru Gojo x Reader x Suguru Geto one shot
When nightmares wake you up once again your boyfriends decide they can't just leave you to sit up alone. Gn!reader, reader wears glasses and has bad eyesight, not stated where in the timeline this is. It's an AU where Suguru never left though. This is really just to comfort myself because my nightmares have been bad lately and making sleep super difficult. It why i've been slow on writing stuff because i'm tired a lot. Also i couldn't decide on just one of them for this comfort fic and needed to be doted on by both. Pls excuse any typos or mistakes
You wake with a start, a stuttering in your chest and a choked gasp. You gaze blearily up at the ceiling, your current location slowly invades your senses and pushes away the personal hell your subconscious had been creating for you. Thereâs warm breath fanning over the crown of your head. It would probably be ruffling your bangs if not for the fact they were plastered to your forehead by the sweat. You glance to your right and see that at some point in his sleep Satoru had decided you were his personal teddy bear. Your eyes then drift to the left and you jolt slightly to find that Suguru is blinking back at you with a combination of tiredness and concern.��
âAnother one?â He asks, voice low and thick with sleep. This had unfortunately become routine.
You go to speak and nothing comes out the first try but upon clearing your throat slightly and trying again you let out a small. âYeah.. Go back to sleep, Sugu.âÂ
He huffs a little at your words and how you begin to try and wiggle out of Satoruâs arms without waking him. An impossible task given that all three of you werenât what anyone could call heavy sleepers. Trauma will do that afterall. So itâs unsurprising when Satoru grumbles and tightens his grip on you. âYou should take your own advice.â Satoruâs voice is just as gravely as Suguruâs and when you glance up you see him peering down at you with his impossibly bright eyes.Â
âYou know I canât do that⌠Let me up and the two of you can get some sleep.â You scoot up to a sitting position, Satoru's arms wrapped around your waist making your task of reaching over him to the side table to get your glasses a far harder task than it needed to be. You whine and flop on him. Fine youâd just be blind. You wiggle down and under his arm, surprised he allowed you to do so as you slide to the end of the bed to get up.Â
You didnât feel like giving Satoru a chance to change his mind about letting you go so you donât walk past him to get your glasses and instead just pad your way into the kitchen. Your shared apartment with the two men was so familiar you could probably navigate it wearing Satoruâs blindfold.Â
Once youâre close enough to the microwave to make out the little glowing numbers you let out a huff. It wasnât even five am yet. Youâd maybe managed to get four hours of sleep which was becoming painfully typical. Today would be another day of surviving off coffee and hopefully slipping in a nap as soon as you got a chance. Your nightmares seemed to happen less when you slept during the day.Â
Youâre shuffling around the cupboards getting down what you need to make coffee when you hear quiet foot falls, perhaps near silent for someone else but your ears were sensitive and seemingly more so when you chose to mostly forgo being able to see. Anything beyond a couple feet away from you losing all clarity and blurring around the edges. Impressions of objects you only recognized based on familiarity.
Well mostly. âThatâs the sea salt, love.â Suguru whispers against the shell of your ear as he takes the long cylindrical container from your hand to place back on the shelf and then grabs a very similar but not identical container that houses the sugar.Â
You grumble. âWhy do we even keep them next to eachother on the shelf?â Suguruâs hair tickling your neck makes you twitch slightly but you donât brush it or him away as he leans over you, enveloping you in his warmth, resting his chin on your head as he bends at the waist and wraps his arms around your middle.
âNormally youâre wearing your glasses and can tell the difference.â thereâs the smallest hint of amusement to his voice.Â
You sigh. That was true. It annoys you but itâs true. You rock back on your heels and lean into his chest. âReally you should get more sleep. Go cuddle with Satoru, Iâm sure heâs lonely trying to sleep alon-â
A loud yawn cuts through the kitchen as Satoru walks in. âToo late, already here.âÂ
âSeriously you both should-âÂ
âIf we should be sleeping so should you. So either you come back to bed with us, or weâre all starting our day at this ungodly hour.â You feel Suguruâs jaw moving against the top of your head as he talks.Â
You frown deeply, slouching in his hold. âI⌠canât sleep okay? If i go back to sleep itâll probably just start again.âÂ
Suguru hums and rocks the both of you back and forth. âThen it sounds like weâre all getting up then, right Satoru? â He turns you both so youâre facing Satoru whoâs much closer now.
Another yawn. âSounds about right.â And as he says this he places your glasses on your face, bringing his own into focus for you. Satoru is beautiful as always but definitely looks like he needs more sleep. But you know very well how stubborn both he and Suguru are, theyâre worse than you are.Â
You cave. âFine, stay up if you want then.â You wanted to sound petulant but instead you just sound tired. Suguru Squeezes you before rising to his full height and releasing you. âGo relax, Iâll make the coffee.âÂ
Before you can respond he gives you a small nudge in Satoruâs direction who doesnât give you time to protest as he scoops you up and carries you toward the plush living room couch. He flops both of you down before rolling you so heâs squishing you into the plush fabric. âSatoruuuu-â You try to protest as he nuzzles into your neck. If you were more awake you might have caught on to what the two men were doing since in the kitchen Suguru put away the regular coffee and switched it out for decaf before brewing it. They still had some hope of lulling you back to sleep and caffeine wasnât part of that. They knew you well enough that you likely just needed to be soothed and given time to get out of your head so you could be directed back to bed.Â
âMmm donât want to cuddle me?â He pouts at you.
âYouâre squishing me, you big menace!âÂ
The two of you go back and forth, you sinking back into the couch and giving Satoru his way despite complaining when what feels like suddenly Suguru is there holding two mugs of coffee and judging by the heap of whipcream on the third mug a cup of hot chocolate for Satoru. He kicks one of Satoruâs legs. âMove over and quit crushing them. âÂ
Satoru grunts and starts to complain until he looks At Suguru and spots the mug topped with whipcream. He sits up quickly, suddenly looking angelic which earns a sigh from both you and the long haired man. You sit up and give Suguru a grateful smile as he passes you one of the steaming mugs. âThank you, Sugu.âÂ
âOf course.â He leans forward and brushes his lips over your forehead. He gets you to scoot over slightly and as you often do you find yourself squished between the two men. You didnât need to be squished, the couch was big enough, Satoru just seemed dead set on not moving further than he had to.Â
You donât really talk as you quietly sip at your coffee, instead listening to Satoru and Suguru talk about the upcoming day, voices low and soothing. You hardly notice when your mug is pulled from your hands and placed on the coffee table before you can spill the remnants of your drink on your lap. You blink rapidly realizing youâve been completely zoned out only now to have Satoruâs face directly in yours. Itâs brief because the next thing you know heâs picked you up for the second time that night, or rather morning. âSatoru-â You cut off in a yawn and wrap your arms around his shoulders, body shaking slightly with a stretch.Â
âI think itâs time we head back to bed. Suguru and I have been talking to you and you havenât even noticed,â he says amusement clear in his voice. You can hear Suguru in the background putting your mugs in the sink before following the two of you.
âMm sorry,â you mumble against his shoulder, your glasses being pushed askew though you couldnât care less. You feel more than hear Satoru laugh. And it feels like in the next blink heâs laying you back in bed, and gently slipping your glasses off before crawling in after you, wrapping you in his arms. Itâs only a couple moments later that Suguru follows. A rough warm hand sliding under your sleep shirt to splay over your stomach.Â
Youâre finally back asleep then, safely tucked between the two of them where no harm can come to you, even if your dreams make you feel otherwise. The two of them will always be there to remind you that youâre safe.
@nanamikentoseyebags @strawberrystepmom @icy-spicy
@gojoest
#satoru gojo x reader#gojo x reader#suguru geto x reader#gn!reader#jjk x reader#geto x reader#satosugu x reader#gojo x reader x geto#rossi writes
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A Note for New Writers
               When I started this blog, one of my goals was to compile advice that I hadnât really seen online anywhere. Stuff a little bit beyond the foundations I was already very familiar with. I took university courses and different approaches to writing combined with my own experience and lessons from the mentors and teachers around me, and began to write it all down to share with you.
               The idea was never that you would start writing your first character with Character is Plot say. However, I noticed there are a lot of new, beginner, or learning writers on here, and thereâs a great value in really nailing the foundations, so here marks the start of a short series of foundational advice for you new writers (or for writers who have been around the block and may need a refresher. I know I do!)
               I see a lot of new writers in the tags looking down on yourselves or your ability. Stuff like, âwhy canât I seem to do thisâ or âif only I could actually follow this adviceâ. My posts were never meant to make you feel like you arenât good enough. It was written with over a decade of experience behind it. It takes time to build those instincts in knowing what to do. Unfortunately you canât just build writing skill by reading and collecting articlesâthey can be a guide, but they arenât meant to instantly come naturally to you âif only you were a good writer.â
No one can automatically learn how to write just from reading some advice because writing skill isnât about the knowing, itâs about the practicing.
               And it takes a hell of a lot of practice.
               Writing is mostly intuitionâwe practice certain skills to get them to a place where we can just do them without really thinking about it. Itâs kind of like when you were learning to type, and you had to constantly remind yourself to put periods at the ends of your sentences. Then, over time and a million reminders, you started to just do it on instinct without really thinking about it.
               Itâs muscle memory, itâs trying again and again, itâs a lot of struggling and tears and feedback and more tears and a million and one false starts and unfinished drafts and finished drafts that are really bad and lost contests and rejections. I have been through it all. Iâm still going through it all. Only recently have I been publishedâit took me over a decade of practice to get there. Oh, and in the same month one of my pieces was published, another was rejected.
               Thatâs how it goes. Itâs not some switch that will one day flick where youâre âgood enoughâ. And the timeline isnât so set. While I was working on building up skill, I was also working on building up confidence. In the right publications, with enough confidence, I probably couldâve been published years ago. In the right place, and if youâre brave enough to submit, you probably could too.
               Itâs about who sees it, very rarely does it really depend on how âgoodâ it is (and you can tell from all the published work that canât possibly be better than your unpublished work, right?)
               TL;DR, writing isnât about the knowing, itâs about time, patience, and practice. If youâre reading advice and donât feel good enough to execute on it, just take a little bit more time and get a hundred thousand more words under your belt. One day, it will just become intuition.
You will get there.
#writing#creative writing#writers#screenwriting#writing community#writing inspiration#filmmaking#books#film#writing advice#new writers#advice for new writers#a note for new writers#beginner writer
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HOW DARE YOU!!! WHAT DID KUNG LAO DO TO YOU TO DESERVE THAT ANGSTY ASS PIECE???? HELLO, I DEMAND A SECOND, THIRD, ALL THE PARTS AND HE GETS Y/N BACK BC WHAT THE FUCK!!!! IMA KNOCK YOU OUT, IM FEELING SO MANY THINGS RN!!!!
âMEANT TO BEâ KUNG LAO X FEM!READER PART 2
This is part 1
A/N : LMAOOO NOT YALL THREATENING ME. Iâm going to make a part 3 next
WARNINGS : still angsty
MASTERLIST 1 , MASTERLIST 2
There was a massive change in Kung Laoâs performance. When training, Kung Lao was actually letting Raiden beat him. That was when they knew things were bad.
Raiden slams Kung Lao down to the ground and Kung Lao had emotionless expression on his face. Raiden sighs. âYou have to actually try, Lao.â
âWhatâs the point?â
Raiden helped Kung Lao up. Johnny and Kenshi both wandered to them. Johnny pats Kung Lao on the shoulder. âWhy donât you take five buddy?â Kung Lao shrugged and walked over to sit on the bench. âOkayâŚthis is not good.â
âIâve never seen him so upset over a woman before.â Raiden said. âHeâs used to getting rejected.â
âYeah well, they have been dating for awhile.â Kenshi stated. âWhat happened again? Kitana kissed Kung Lao?â
âYes, but he didnât kiss her back. I donât think (Y/N) believes him.â
âWe gotta get them back together.â Johnny said. âTheyâre meant to be together. I mean sheâs the reason why Lao is actually tolerable now.â
Raiden nodded. âThat is trueâŚâ The three turned their attention to Kung Lao who was holding the necklace he gave you. âI have a feeling this will get worse.â
Liu Kang walked over to them. When he noticed you werenât around he was a bit confused. He looked over to Kung Lao. âKung Lao, where is (Y/N)?â
âNo, no, no!â The three shouted but it was too late.
Kung Lao started to cry again as he stared at the necklace. âI donât know. Probably happier without me.â
The three sighed and Liu Kang looked confused. âWhat did I do?â
â(Y/N) broke up with Kung Lao.â Raiden explained.
Liu Kang had a look of sympathy. âThat is unfortunate. I wouldâve thought it not possible.â
When he said that, Johnny gave him a curious look. âWhat makes you say that?â
âIn every timeline that I know of, the two are bound to be together.â
âIf thatâs the case then this is probably just a petty break.â Kenshi said.
âIt is unlikely. (Y/N) does not tend to go back to relationships she deems as unfit for her.â
âWhat do we do?â Johnny asked the two. âWe gotta get them back together. I canât see him cry like this.â
They all turned their attention back at Kung Lao who was still sobbing with the necklace.
Raiden hated seeing Kung Lao like this. He was his best friend and it was just completely out of character. He didnât know if Kung Lao would be okay without you. âLord Liu Kang, where does (Y/N) stay at?â When Liu Kang looked unsure to say, Raiden felt the need to beg him. âPlease Lord Liu Kang. You told me that in the other timeline, the roles were reversed. You were Kung Laoâs best friend. Which means that you know that him being like this is scary. Scary to me. Please.â
He had a point. Liu Kang knew that. He was in Raidenâs shoes at one point which meant he knew exactly what was going on with Kung Lao. It would take a lot to pull him out of the depression. âAlright.â
When the three arrived at the house, they were confused. It was a really beaten down house in a bad neighborhood. You just didnât seem like the type to live there.
âYou sure we got the right place?â Johnny asked unsure of the area.
âWe did.â Raiden simply said and knocked on the door.
The three waited patiently until the door was opened. âI donât want your Girl Scout cookies-â You stopped yourself when you had seen it was your three friends.
You looked like a mess. You had a dinghy robe on. You looked like you were dead. You had dried up ice cream around your lips.
âSheesh. Break up face is not a good look on you.â Johnny said.
You huffed a little. âHow the hell did you guys find me?â
Before anyone could say anything, you heard your mother speaking in the background. âWhoâs at the door sweetie?â
âNo one, mama!â You tried saying but it was too late. Your mother was already coming to the door in her wheelchair.
âAre you (Y/N)âs friends? Iâm so glad youâve finally stopped by. I was a little worried thinking she didnât have any friends. Come on in.â
You sighed at your mother for having a big heart and opened your door wider so they could walk in.
When the three walked in, they werenât expecting how small your house actually was. It was actually very neat and tidy.
They walked in further and saw a little girl, about eight years old running around the house. âNo running! How many times do I have to tell you?â You yelled at your little sister.
Your sister, Presley, didnât reply. She just looked at the men behind you. âOoh. Are one of these boys your boyfriend?â
You hit her upside the head slightly before sitting on the couch. âNo. And I donât have a boyfriend anymore.â
âWasnât your boyfriend a descendant of a champion? And you broke up with him?â Presley said as if she couldnât believe it.
You grabbed the ice cream that was on the table and sat back on the couch. âGo away. Play with dolls or something.â
Presley was about to walk out of the room until she reached to Johnny. She smiled brightly at him. âHi. My name is Presley. Iâll be legal in 10 years if you wanna wait for me.â
Johnny laughed at what she said. You took off your slipper and threw it at her and she ran away. âOut!â
âKids have low standards.â Kenshi said and Johnny smacked his shoulder.
You let out an annoyed grunt. âSit down I guess or whatever. Mama, thatâs Raiden, Johnny, and Kenshi.â You said, pointing at each one.
Johnny sat on your left side while Kenshi sat on your right. Raiden sat on a chair that was nearby.
Your mother came into the room and wheeled to you. She set a plate of cookies on the table. âIâd figure Earthrealmâs greatest fighters are hungry.â
âSweet. Cookies.â Johnny grabbed a cookie off the plate and immediately started to eat it.
Raiden smiled at her. âThank you, Ms. (L/N).â
âOh please. Call me, Mama (L/N).â
âMom. I love you but please go away. Forever.â You told her while eating the ice cream.
âAlright now. Iâm just glad youâre being social.â Your mother said while going off into a different room. âAnd donât be eating all my ice cream!â
Everyone turned their attention towards you. âYou wanna tell me why youâre at my house intruding on my misery?â You asked them.
â(Y/N), we need you to snap out of this funky depression and go back to Kung Lao.â Johnny told you.
You scoffed. âWhy would I do that?â
âWell for one, youâre obviously depressed.â
âIâll get over it.â
â(Y/N), youâre eating ice cream out of the carton.â
You shrugged. âSo?â
Raiden decided to speak. âAccording to Liu Kang in every timeline, you and Kung Lao end up together. That has to mean something right?â
âIt will just be the first time this has happened then.â
âI canât accept that.â
You sighed a little. You put your feet on the table and ate more of your ice cream. âWhatâs the point? Heâll find somebody better no way.â
Kenshi decided to chip in. âIn Kung Laoâs world, there is no better. Thereâs only you.â
âWell heâs stupid because there is.â
Thatâs when Raiden thought about it for a moment. You had to be more upset about something. There was something else to all of this. âYouâre not that upset about the kiss are you? Because he didnât kiss her back. Youâre upset about something else. What is it?â When he saw you stop eating ice cream, he knew he was nailing it. âWhat are you afraid of?â
You placed the spoon back in the carton and sighed to yourself. You couldnât even meet him in his eyes because you were embarrassed. âWhat if he finds out the real me?â
âWhatâs the real you?â Kenshi asked.
âThis house. My family. Everything is just soâŚdifferent from his world.â
Raiden stood up from the chair and sat directly between you and Kenshi. â(Y/N), trust me, Kung Lao is the last guy to care about any of that.â
âNot to be that guy but heâs not exactly Mr. Millionaire himself.â Johnny added.
Raiden placed a hand over your shoulder. âHe loves you for you and heâll keep loving you. None of that matters.â
The feeling of regret consumed you. Did you make the biggest mistake of your life? What if you could never have him again?
Tears started to come out of your eyes. âWell it doesnât matter because itâs over. Kitana won. She can have him.â You got up from the couch and walked into your room before closing the door.
The three of them sighed in unison. âNow what?â Johnny asked.
âWe have convince Kung Lao he still has a shot.â Raiden said. âWe have to tell him the truth. That (Y/N) believes sheâs unworthy of him.â
âOkay, what about the Kitana thing?â Kenshi asked.
Johnny thought for a moment before the idea came to his head. âRaiden, go to Kung Lao and get into his head. Kenshi and I will go to Outworld to talk to Kitana.â
Raiden looked unsure. âYou really think thatâs going to work?â
âIt has to.â
#mortal kombat#mortal kombat x reader#mortal kombat 1#mk#mk1#mk 1#mk x reader#mk1 x reader#mk x you#mk1 x you#kung lao#mk kung lao#kung lao x reader#liu kang#johnny cage#raiden#kitana#kenshi takahashi
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Chifuyu Relationship Headcannons
Note: This one is a little short but I have a Ran hc post in my drafts đ¤. Also the timelines donât really add up since Ryusei is mentioned.
- Has broken your window more than once trying to throw stones at it to try and have a romantic moment like in movies.
- Gets relationship advice from Baji, and actually follows it until you tell him that the advice is really bad.
- Unfortunately, Chifuyu turns to his romance mangas to get advice.
- Giggles in his head like a school girl whenever you give him a kiss on the cheek in the early stages of your relationship. He just doesnât know how he pulled someone like you.
- Has your day-to-day routine practically memorized even before you guys were dating because he wanted to âcoincidentallyâ meet you (itâs giving marinette from mlb).
- Might actually shed tears of joy if you read romance mangas and novels with him, itâs like a dream come true!
- Gets a little jealous of Baji if he talks too much with you, especially if you guys get along. It conflicts his feelings because he wants his best friend and girlfriend to get along but at the same time Baji is âsuper cool and awesomeâ and âcan charm any womanâ.
- You probably tutor Chifuyu and Baji. Well, Chifuyu is just there for fun since heâll take any chance to spend time with his two favorite people.
- Will actually go FERAL if Ryusei speaks with you and youâre speaking back with him. Drags you away, yells at him, and will definitely initiate a fight until Baji drags them both.
- Also asks Takemichi for relationship advice, but his is actually good because Takemichi asks Hina what to say to Chifuyu.
- Speaking of them, you all go on double dates. Takemichi and Hina and then you and Chifuyu.. plus Baji, but heâs there for food and some fighting probably.
- Definitely bought a copy of your exact perfume to spray around his bedroom for when you come over. He read it makes animals comfortable to smell familiar smells and figured it would work for you too. (He doesnât see this as insulting).
- WAS A PICK ME BOY WHILST YOU GUYS WERE IN YOUR TALKING STAGE. ONLY WHEN YOU GUYS WERE AT THAT POINT WHERE YOU WERENâT OFFICIALLY DATING BUT HE WAS COMFORTABLE WITH YOU, I CANâT STRESS THIS ENOUGHHH
- âI get the feeling you donât⌠love me. I know there are better guys around but I just thought I landed the girl of my dreams đĽşđĽşâ
- Doodles your guysâ initials with a heart around them in every exercise book, even the ones he uses for school.
- Has tried to make you shy by pinning you to a wall but he ended up tripping.
- Didnât recover from it mentally and he wonât speak to you if you bring it up in front of people
- ESPECIALLY BAJI.
- FaceTimes you right after he wakes up just to tell you âgood morning!â
- Refuses to show you any pictures of him whilst he had that god-awful mohawk hairstyle but Baji will show you anyways.
- He says he wants one again to scare you.
- âI kinda want a mohawk, as a new change before I meet your parents. What do you think, babe?â
#m4nj1r0s#tokyo revengers#headcannons#tr#x reader#chifuyu matsuno#chifuyu x reader#chifuyu fluff#baji keisuke#peke j#x y/n#relationship headcanons#general headcanons#chifuyu headcanons#tokyo revengers toman#tokrev chifuyu#tokyo revengers headcanons
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Yandere Liu Kang? đđđ
yandere liu kang x reader hcs
warnings: toxic relationship, controlling liu kang, yk regular yandere tendencies
summary: hcs of yandere liu kang x (gender neutral) reader
a/n: i just ate like 7 tacos anyways hereâs a story about a god that is obsessed with you bc we all secretly want that!! (hi its me from the future this took so long for me to write anyways i just ate 12 chicken nuggets and i was holding in a shit while i was writing this anyways please enjoy guys love you all. havik is next :333)
when liu kang created the new timeline, he was bent on making sure everyone had the chance to live a life of peace. he wanted everyone to be in control of their lives.
but when it came to you, liu kang had a twisted desire to completely craft your life so you two can be together. however, he resisted the urge, and he decided to let you be in control of your own life.
but he didn't expect for you to naturally gravitate towards him. he felt so... familiar to you. as if you knew each other in another life.
liu kang was so grateful that you naturally found each other again. and now, he was determined to make sure nothing would happen to you.
now that you two are together, he treats you as if you're glass. he barely lets you leave your house without him helping you. but can you blame him? he's a demi-god and you are just a vulnerable mortal. he just doesn't want you getting hurt!
"liu kang, please, let me leave. i just want to walk around. i'm not going to get hurt!" you begged.
"i cannot risk you losing your life, my darling. you'll understand one day." liu kang told you.
liu kang may be extremely controlling, but it's because he holds you very dear to his heart. he doesn't want anything bad happening to you, so he safeguards you very carefully. he is afraid of losing you more than anything.
you are his darling. you are the love of his life. can you really blame him for wanting to keep you forever? hold you in his arms til' death do you part?
he doesn't mind when you talk to others, however. he doesn't trust you to protect yourself, but he trusts you to stay loyal to him. he isn't that possessive. but he does always have to know every single person you are acquainted with. he just wants to make sure they're good people, that's all! he just doesn't want you to accidentally be friends with bad people.
however, liu kang is extremely busy as earthrealm's protecter. he doesn't get to keep an eye on you all the time, unfortunately. so he keeps you locked up in your shared living space! fun, right?
but he knows how bored you can get in there, so he knows to get whatever furniture you want inside your home. anything you show even a little bit of interest in, ends up in your home a few minutes later. you're very spoiled in other aspects other than furniture, however.
for example, on the rare occasion that liu kang isn't too busy, he does whatever you ask him. make you tea? he's on it. cuddle and watch a movie? he's got the blankets and snacks ready. need a shoulder to cry on? he's there, and he'll give you advice on how to solve the problem.
liu kang is very thoughtful, and he knows exactly how to take care of you. but unfortunately, his fear of losing you someday is too strong, that he doesn't know how to love you without a voice in the back of his head always reminding him that your lifespan is much shorter than his. he knows you won't be with him someday. but he likes to pretend that fact isn't true.
for now, he'll stay hopeful that nothing will come between your unconditional love. your loss someday will leave him crestfallen, and you will stay within his heart forevermore. so for now, let him love you with his whole heart. let him kiss you every morning. let him enjoy your company every afternoon. let him embrace you every night. he'll go mad if anything were to happen to you, his sweet beloved.
#mortal kombat 1 x reader#mk1 x reader#liu kang#liu kang x reader#liu kang x you#yandere liu kang#yandere mortal kombat#yandere x reader#ik this isnt THAT yandere#but i did my best okay#also im so sorry it's short :(
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My Take on Levi's Age
I originally wrote this as a rb addition to another post. I've been meaning to make it a stand alone post since then, and with all the talk about Levi's age since the publication of bad boy, here it is, finally.
If you ask me, Levi could not have been more that 4-5 years old at the time Kenny found him around 829.
Why?
He's severely malnourished, probably spent several days cloistered in the room with Kuchel with nothing to eat. So my guess is that, though he was old enough to speak and understand Kuchel was dead (even if he could not quite grasp the bigger concept of Death), he was too young to go out and procure himself and his mum some food, be it by stealing or begging. And for that, he's need to be very young.
I lived in Greater Buenos Aires more than half of my life (the infamous "conurbano"), and I've seen lots of very small kids, 4-5 years old, begging like pros for either change or food. It's unfortunately very common in impoverished areas. And I wasn't even in the bad ones. So, in that aspect, the Underground wouldn't be different from our villas or Brazil's favelas.
Kuchel was a prostitute. She wouldn't want Levi to witness her at work. It is fair to think that as soon as he was old enough to cross the street she'd let him roam and go play with other kids while mummy's busy. There, he'd quickly learn how to come by a piece of moldy bread to stave hunger.
So in order to just sit starving by his mother instead of going out looking for help, Levi must have been young enough that his mum could still keep him under wraps; too young to know his way about the Underground's streets, too much of a rookie in terms of using his charm or his cunning to get a bit of food.
Uri Reiss inherited the Founding Titan in 829. BUT, nowhere does it say that Kenny's encounter with Uri happens right after the latter became a titan. So Kenny might have joined Uri up to a couple of years after 829 (not many, as Rod Reiss still looks young in that flashback).
So Kenny finds Levi between 829 and 831; And Levi is 4-5 then, meaning he was born, at earliest, in 823 (considering his b-day is only one week before the year's end, that'd make him 5 in for most of 829) and latest in 825 (same if Kenny found him in 831). That makes him 10-12 years older than Eren and company. , ~20 when he joins the SC, ~26 during seasons 1-3, ~30 after the time skip, and ~33 in the epilogue.
"But Yams said he was thirty-somethiiiing!"
TLDR: I wouldn't consider canon some spur-of-the-moment answer given by Yams in a panel where he's probably tired, nervous, and doesn't have his timeline handy.
Allow me to speak here as a writer: the whims of your imagination often don't align with the logic of what needs to go on the page. So it is perfectly possible to imagine your character in a way that is inconsistent with your timeline. You see them with short hair and summer clothes fixing lunch in their sunny kitchen in a scene and, when they move to the dining room you see them with hair 4 inches longer and serving supper as a snowstorm rages outside. When you write it, you're going to have to pick up one, and go back to your notes often for continuity after, bc your brain keeps forever placing the kitchen in sunny summer and the living room in a winter night. Oh, and they're both simultaneously on the ground and the second floor. Escher pictures make more sense.
The story of AoT spans many years, so we don't know which year Levi is the default Levi in Yams' brain. It could even be the Levi from the time skip, or from a future after the last chapter that only exists in his imagination. Also, Yams has bungled up numbers before so, personally, I don't trust him much in that department.
In any case, Math is a hard science, so if Kenny found Levi with 4-5 years in 829, he can't be 30+ in 850. 5+21=26. No matter what Yams says.
Additional notes:
The original post. With additions. I recommend reading the quoted twitter thread.
Another, recent twitter thread on Levi's age
A lengthy post by an actual psychologist providing scientific foundation for Levi's age when Kenny finds him.
I saw yet another post on Levi's age recently, but I can't find the link rn and I have to make lunch. if/when I find it, I'll add it (and others I may come across)
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Hey love if u cud do a piece of yuu nishinoya x reader where itâs enemies to lovers where they constantly argue ( fr canât find any nishinoya enemies to lovers fics)
I HATE YOUR GUTS!! - nishinoya yuu (hq)
you and nishinoya argue like itâs your last day on earth. God forbid you get any peace from that loud mouth and nishinoya feels the same about you. these arguments end up as something else howeverâŚ
contents: enemies to lovers, gn!reader, angst, fluff, not accurate to the hq timeline, reader has a small crush on daichi, fake friends, academic achiever reader, nishinoya hating someone is crazy, ennoshita fan service (jk)
word count: 1k
a/n: I hope I did it justice!!! :3 Kinda nervy but I love noya #noya4eva
Nishinoya Yuu is loved by all, especially the ladies.
Heâs friendly, outgoing, and considerate. Itâs so easy to get on his good side. It can be the same on his good side as it can be on his bad side. Nishinoya considers himself the best friend you can ask for, but if you say or make the wrong move, youâre done.
Unfortunately, Nishinoya doesnât just not like this person; he hates them.
Itâs not even rivalry; itâs pure hatred.
"Look, itâs y/n!â He overhears what his peers say. Looking up to the end of the hall, sure enough, itâs you. Nishinoya grimaces and rolls his eyes. As you were nearing his view, you also had a look of disgust. His face just ticked you off, and you turned your face away, making a tsk sound.
Nishinoya grumbles and shouts, âThe hell did you say?!â You stopped walking and faced him. âI literally said nothing! Youâre imagining things!â âOh yeah?! I know what I heard!â You groan, âUGH! Youâre so annoying!â âSo are you!â You furrowed your brows. âMe? Annoying? Youâre the most obnoxious person Iâve ever met!â
Nishinoya takes a step forward and says, âYouâre more obnoxious than anyone I know!â âYou have like one friend.â âI DO NOT!â You roll your eyes while shaking your head. You begin to walk away, with Nishinoya continuing to shout at you.
âWhat the-! Get back here!â âSorry! My friends are waiting for me!â Nishinoya growls, then stomps right into his classroom.
You wouldnât consider yourself popular, but you kind of were. Mostly because of how smart you are. Youâre humble about it, but you never fail to rub it in Nishinoyaâs face.
And that pisses him off.
âWe can hear you guys shouting from below.â
Daichi states this with a serious expression. Nishinoya pouts, âThey had it coming!â âSeriously?â Daichi sighs, pinching his nose bridge. âNishinoya, you canât keep arguing with them every chance you get.â âBut they deserve it.â Nishinoya says it matters factually. âNishinoya.â âUghhhhh.â
Daichi lets him go to walk back to class.
âIâm not a child.â Nishinoya mumbles. It's kind of embarrassing to have your volleyball captain, whoâs also a grade above you, come down to personally lecture you. As he heads straight to his classroom, you walk out from the corner, causing him to frown deeply.
You notice him and return the gesture. âA bug.â You say out loud, and Nishinoya's eyebrow twitches. âDonât you have anything better to do than pick on Karasuno's one and only guardian?â âNo one calls you that.â âYes, they do!â You cross your arms. âLet me guess.â You point at him with a condescending smirk. âThose sorry first years?â
Nishinoya raises a brow. âSo?â âSo?â You laughed. âTheyâre first years! They donât know any better!â âOur captain agrees with me. â You blush. âSawamura?â His eyes widen a little. âNo wayâŚâ He whispers. Seeing your flushed face, thereâs only one answer to this, and that makes him laugh. âYou like Daichi?!â
You stutter, âI-I do not!â You sigh, âThink of it as a celebrity crush!â "Uh, huh, right.â âIâm serious!â Nishinoya chuckles, âTo think youâre actually able to feel any type of love.â Your face is still burning. âScrew you, seriously! I do not like him! Not like that anyway!â âYou donât like who?â You whip your head around, and it was your close friend.
You compose yourself, straighten your shirt, and part your hair. âN-nothing! I was just, uh-â âDonât care.â She interrupts. âAnyways, hurry up; weâve been waiting for you for like ever.â âSorryâŚâ You lower your head. She pats your head, then finally notices Nishinoya. "Oh, were you arguing with that shorty again?â âHUH?!â
You chuckle. âYeah. Short guy, short temper.â âIâm seriously going to kill you!â Nishinoya shouts. âLetâs go, y/n.â She walks off, and you nod. âKay.â You glance at Nishinoya and grin before leaving. Nishinoya really hates you.
âNot only is y/n a dick, so is their friend!â He complains to Ennoshita, whoâs trying to get his work done. âAnd this is new?â He thinks for a moment: âNot really.â Ennoshita sighs. âThen whyâre you telling me this?â âBecause youâre my therapist!â âI am not.â
Ennoshita looks back down at his paper. âI really donât know what you expect.â Nishinoya crosses his arms. âI just want them to fail at least once. I hate seeing their name at the top.â Ennoshita looks at him and says, âThen put in effort.â âNah, I donât want to." Ennoshita sighs once more. Nishinoya leans forward, resting his head on his friendâs desk.
âI mean, someone else beat them!â He stares right at Ennoshita, and the other isnât phased. âIn your dreams.â âDamn it!â
Nishinoya was at a loss. He wanted to get back at you so badly, but his stupidity and low attention span wouldnât let him.
He roams the hall after exiting the restroom and finds you on your phone. He grins mischievously and points at you, âY/N! Whyâre you on your phone?!â He shouts, and you quickly put it away, rushing to him and trying to slap him, but he dodged. âYOU-â He laughs as he dodges your every attack.
Your cheeks were flushed, and you stopped trying to hit him. âMind your damn business, you mouse!â "Mouse, I am, because not even a cat can catch me.â He looks at you since youâre the feline in this analogy. Your face turns even more red. âYouâre so insufferable! Canât you back off?! Go fawn over Kiyoko or something!â
Nishinoya shakes his head. âBothering you is much more fun. All you do is walk away when you canât handle the smoke.â You raise a brow at that. âAre you calling me a coward?â âWhat? Need me to say the word for you to get the picture?â Your blood boils. âIâm not a coward.â He shrugs. "Okay, then fight me.â Then he laughs, âOr are you going to run away like you always do?â
You grab his collar, but at the same time, he holds your fist to stop it. âCoward.â He mouths, and you were really going to punch the hair dye out of his hair.
âY/n,â Your friend appears behind you, and you stutter, âI was just!" âYou and Sawamura?!â She laughs and grabs your arm, forcing you to stand next to her. âYou know how much I like him! How could you do that to me?!â âI donât like him, I swear!â You glance at Nishinoya, who only shrugs at you. He didnât say anything about you liking Daichi to anyone.
âYou better not.â She states and lets you go, âWhere are you going?â âGym. Bye.â You just stand there in panic. You take a step forward but shiver and look back at Nishinoya. He didnât have an angry expression, but more of a confused one. His eyes were digging into your soul as he wondered what youâre going to do now.
You take a breath, turn back, face forward, and walk away.
Nishinoya walks out of the school and starts to head to the gym. Volleyball always takes his mind off things, and imagining your face as the volleyball is really therapeutic!
As he stands at the gate, he hears crying.
Nishinoya perks up and listens closely. The sound isnât that far, and he slowly makes his way to it. To his surprise, he sees you sitting on the bench under the tree.
You covered your face, head hanging low, and hunched over in sobs.
Nishinoya has never seen you like this before and kind of thinks you deserve whatever happened to you. But heâs a nice guy at the end of the day. He scratches his head before walking up to you. âHey,â he starts, and you sniffle before looking up at him. âWhat? Are you going to make fun of me?â You wipe your tears. âIf so, do it fast because Iâm not in the mood.â âAs much as I want to, Iâm not.â He confesses.
âWhyâre you crying?â âThatâs none of your business.â You say that, and he rolls his eyes. "Okay, fine, whatever. Go cry to your bestie and see if I care. Just letting you know, I tried getting along with you.â He turns around, but he hears you burst out crying again. He turns his head back, and you try to wipe the tears away.
âSheâs not my best friend.â You say it in between sobs. âNo?â You shake your head. âShe just acted like one because of how smart I am.â You started to calm down a little and hug yourself. âI donât really have friends.â Nishinoya looks at you wide-eyed. âEveryone I hang around just uses me for my brain, and they donât really like me in their conversations.â
You rub your eyes. âI get good grades, but Iâm very lonely. I have no one.â Tears start to appear again, but you close your eyes to prevent it. Nishinoya stands there in awe. You continue to speak, âWe were supposed to hang out today, but my friends left without me. They said they cancelled, but their social media posts say otherwise.â
Nishinoya canât help but feel sorry for you. Which sucks, but, as mentioned, heâs a nice guy. He slowly sits down next to you. âIâm sorry your friends left you alone.â He begins, âYou shouldnât be hanging out with those types of people anyway.â âBut I did. I told you, I have no one, so I took the chance.â You then raise a brow at him.
âYouâre not laughing at me?â âCan I?â You glared, and he took that as a no. He shrugs while leaning his head back. âI think I just pity you.â You sigh, âI understand. You have lots of friends, and you get along with everyone. Youâre so social, and everyone likes you, and you donât even have to try. You're really awesome, Nishinoya.â
Something happened to him that surprised him. Nishinoya's face was all red, and when you guys made eye contact, he looked away. âR-Really? I mean, duh! Iâm the most awesome person ever!â He gloats. You blink, then laugh. âIn your dreams!â It was good hearing your obnoxious laugh again, and that made him puke.
âWell, Iâm done here!â He stands up, placing his hands on his hips. âKarasuno needs me!â âYou mean the volleyball team or the school?â âYou know what I mean!â You laugh again. âYou know, Nishinoya, I really donât hate you right now. Thanks for listening to me ramble.â He blushes again and scratches his cheek. âAs long as I can hear you laugh, then itâs worth it.â He admits. âIâd listen to your ramblings every day." âI-I see.â
You look down to cover your flushed face and hold your hands. Nishinoya stares at you for a while before walking to you, grabbing your shoulder gently, and placing a quick kiss on your cheek. You instantly looked back up, and he moved back, his face redder than ever. âWell, see ya.â He starts to pick up the pace, but you immediately call out for him while standing.
âWait!â He stops but doesnât look back at you. âKissing someone like that... you couldâve at least taken me out, you know?â A small smile appears on your face. Nishinoya turns back with a grin. "Picky, are we?â âVery.â âOkay, tomorrow then.â He nods. âAnd you better pay.â âWhat the hell?!â You laugh, and he laughs with you.
âOkay, Iâll pay, and Iâll make sure itâs up to your standards.â âThatâs what Iâd like to hear.â You both smile at each other. You give him a small wave. âBye, Noya.â He blushed but waved back. âBye, Y/N.â
Who knew that, in the end, you guys make a perfect couple?
#offbrandkyoya#haikyuu#nishinoya yuu#haikyuu nishinoya#nishinoya x reader#hq nishinoya#nishinoya yĹŤ#yu nishinoya#noya x reader#noya#haikyuu kiyoko#kiyoko shimizu#sawamura daichi#haikyuu daichi
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Reworking my neurodivergent Fuuta post because I had more to add and wanted it in one place đIt started out just silly thoughts and projection but I have a lot of evidence now??? It feels pretty solid!
đ´ He holds to an overwhelming sense of right, wrong, rules, justice, etc. Itâs a system that makes sense to him (you learn to apologize before anything else, right?) and heâs obsessed with it. He's an extreme rule follower. He's obviously careful so he's not called out online, but even inside Milgram. He follows Es' orders naturally. Even though theyâre silly, in the minigrams heâs repeatedly reminding people of the rules about requesting items. Even though he'd been shown to voice thoughts about escaping, he refuses, and is too much of a stickler that he wonât even let other people request things considered dangerous.
đ´ He takes things very literally, most notably some of the interrogation questions. In both his vds heâs pretty particular about describing his involvement, taking a long time to admit he could be a killer because his situation falls pretty far out of its normal definition.
đ´ Heâs shown to be intensely lonely: sitting alone, walking alone, watching others from the outskirts, but thriving online where the social rules are different. He has trouble identifying/defining friendships, choosing to focus on the sharing of interests and excitement.
đ´ However, he does find a group that accepts him and listens to him -- and that feeling of belonging becomes intoxicating. The typical âgets a taste of doing something correctly but then gets carried away and crosses a line in excitementâ
đ´ He doesnât think hard work can get him anywhere in society, he doesnât have any goals, he struggles at school, he wants to just go with the flow -- aka, burnout from trying so hard in a society that isnât made to accommodate you. Instead of focusing on that, he loses himself in fictional worlds of heroes and villains. He sees connections in everyday life, occasionally getting so lost in them that thoughts of them bleed into reality.
đ´ He's bad at lying. Or, he has to deal with people pointing out nonsensical body language cues to make assumptions about his emotions (which is just as much a neurodivergent experience, unfortunately).
đ´ I know all the prisoners have some kind of act they put up to cover up their true emotions, but itâs still so obvious how he lashes out in anger instead of properly processing/expressing his legitimate fear of the entire situation.
đ´ Extreme restlessness when waiting in an empty room all alone
đ´ This may be more personal interpretation than evidence (because I donât know how it holds up in the original Japanese), but his line in Muuâs bday timeline just struck me as someone who isn't usually accepted or accommodated for when they're feeling down.
đ´ Also. Transed Gender. đłď¸ââ§ď¸
#fuuta kajiyama#milgram#i definitely dont think that was yamanakas intention for him but i still think its a strong theory if you wanted!#ill need to go through some of the timelines -- its been a while and theres probably more in there#but yeah im reposting it with better organization and wording lol#if anyone has anything to add id love to hear!#fuuta my beloved. just like me fr.#the pic organization is fucked up on desktop but fine om mobile? sorry rip#analysis/thoughts
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When one side of the fandom lies bleeding while the other one is thriving or how I learned about fandom wars the hard way
This is a message from someone whose beloved ship rests forever in the depths of the ocean.
We had high hopes. It looked like our ship was afloat and ready to explore the seven seas for three seasons. Then, the show got a new showrunner who was very homophobic, and from that point on, the show and our favorite ship went downhill. Even though I'd been in different fandoms for about fifteen years and should have known better, I let myself get caught up in an unprecedented fandom war. Those who favored the Het couple were attacking one half of our ship, not just his character but the actor. Don't think they don't know what's going on just because an actor isn't on social media. We knew some crew members and learned that everyone knew about this fandom war.
The whole thing escalated until the show's final episode, which came to a more than undignified end after ten years. Knowing what he was doing, the showrunner wrote an ending that damaged the show and destroyed our ship. It was bad. There were words like, "Now we're dancing on your grave," and much worse. I was mentally at the end of my rope at that point. Then, the sets were immediately dismantled after the last scene was shot. It's something that happens very rarely when a show reaches some cult status. Our ship didn't even do a joint farewell interview for the fans because the actors left the set quickly and never looked back.
Why am I telling you this? Because I've learned to observe things from a certain distance.
We are fans of the same show but have different priorities and ships. As a multi-shipper, it's easier, I'd say. But those who are running amok right now because their ship is staying in the harbor while another is sailing away with flying colors brings back extremely unpleasant memories to me. But the same goes for those who are just as happy about what's happening and are starting to lose their grip. Please take it from someone badly burned: This is not a competition. This is not me winning and you losing. It's deceptive to think you're on the winning side and make fun of others for it. The tide can turn. We don't know what the showrunner has in mind. We don't even know that season eight might not be the last. Take what we have right now and be thankful for it. Enjoy it while it lasts. But don't be tempted to point fingers and mock others or say, "Your ship will never be canon. Mine already is. Your ship is crap. Mine is better." Also, do not be fooled by the fact that the haters in the fandom are a small group of people who only appear to be many because of their vocality and because some are playing the old sock puppet account game again to make it look like they are many.
I can only tell you from experience that we should treat each other respectfully. Not every Buddie fan is an enemy. Unfortunately, I also see another phenomenon that is becoming more and more common. Fans barely dare to post anything for fear of the crazies in the fandom (which unfortunately exist on both sides). Fans who have nothing to do with a fandom war want to have fun. And if they have a ship, they just want to interact with like-minded people. Which - especially on X - seems to turn into a gauntlet. Because suddenly, Your Rudeness sneaks into the conversation and starts pissing on the timeline. For clowns like this, the block button still works. Getting involved in any discussion is pointless. I also had to pay dearly for this realization.
"Never wrestle with a pig because you'll both get dirty, and the pig likes it." - Positive energy is much more powerful than negative energy. If you stay positive, negativity can't touch you. Oh, and I've wrestled a lot of pigs. Other than excessive blood pressure, gastritis, and countless sleepless nights, it didn't do me any good.
Stop participating in dick-measuring contests. Stop bragging about your favorite ship and how the others are nothing but losers. Stop saying we won because we didn't. Again, this is not a contest. We are on equal footing, and we can all coexist in peace. There is plenty of room. For everyone, for every ship, for every fan. Oliver made a single statement for those unhappy with Buck's journey and his current travel companion. He dropped it for good. And I couldn't agree more with the message and how he did it.
Of course, we would like to see more of our ship. Of course, we want the actors to have a relationship storyline to sink their teeth into, and hopefully, we get to see some domestic stuff and some hot scenes. But so far, that is fanon and not canon. So far, there is usually more going on off-screen than we see. We can only hope that this will change. Those who call themselves open-minded and tolerant while going on a witch hunt should think twice about what those words mean, and they should live them and not just throw shallow phrases around.
My wish for the future of this fandom is that it becomes a safe place. Safe as in a h*te-free zone. A place where no one has to be afraid to speak their mind. And a place where you can express (constructive) criticism without getting a shitstorm. Peace out.
#bucktommy#evan buckley#tommy kinard#lou ferrigno jr.#oliver stark#buddie#tevan#kinley#kinkley#eddie diaz#rayn guzman#911 abc
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hello, i love tsukasa suou and you love tsukasa suou what if i request for hcs for tsukasa crushing on someone who likes him back after experiencing an unrequited love? ((Definitely not talking about your floating series)) Anyways thank you and have a nice day~!
summary head canons for crushing! tsukasa. read ask for more details <3
pairings tsukasa suou x gn reader
tw none!!
a/n chat i love tsukasa suou!! also floating timeline!! tsukasas old crush is now leo's s/o đĽ˛đĽ˛ but ofc you don't have to read the whole smau to understand this <3
hayst how do i even explain this?? this poor baby would just be finished healing from his old crush, when he saw you walking down the halls of yumenosaki.
other knights could see how much he adored you just because of his eyes, the way it would immediately soften once his stares landed on you.
as a lesson from his old crush, he avoided you. it was already obvious that tsukasa was still affected by what happened. just a happy crushâ that's all it i-
@rizztsu_kumaz : why the fuck are you stalking their parents on facebook
@tsuk4s4_suou : LISTEN TO ME. listen.
he's either in denial, or is doing anything and everything in his power to make a move. from adjusting his classes to be in the same class with you to literally fullblown asking you out.
GENTLEMAN!!! offers to help you with everything and anything, even if its just carrying your bag, he'll do it just for you! he's down bad can you tell?
once he sees you returning his affection, he's going to go crazy (mentally, don't worry) also especially adores it whenever you run your friends fingers through his hair.
starts rambling to knights about it once more, and knights being excited about his new little crush for him and for you!! but in this case it's a bit obvious to them that you like him back. unfortunately tsukasa does not see that ummm..
his heart starts beating out of his chest whenever you smile at him, even if too just locked eyes for a glance. a very obvious blush creeping on to his face, it makes you giggle.
when he confessesâ it's really very sudden. he has it all planned out, until he's standing right in front of you in the place where he asked you two to meet.
âi really like you, more than just a friend!" ?????
VERY surprised and emotional once he realizes you like him back, and gives you one of the most comforting hugs that has ever been given to you.
GREENEST FLAG EVER, would have no problem setting up boundaries, or even court you first before properly being your boyfriend.
tsukasa's the type of boyfriend to make you a playlist on spotify, write you proper love letters, take you out to frequent dates, and most importantly, be there for when you need him the most.
clingy, very clingy. you wish you could say you're shocked but at this point, i think we all know he's a little bit needy in the inside just for your affection and love for him ;(
after a long day, he always finds himself in your arms and his face practically buried into your chest as you comb his hair with your fingersâ just how he likes it.
rich boyfriend, has an issue with spending all his allowance and his savings from working with knights on you. but of course he spends it responsibility!
when it comes to you though? uhhh.. not really that responsible. you want something? use his card. you're asking for his card to buy something? which one do you want to use? (he literally owns a rolex wtf.. it's so expensive??)
YEAHH.. but you're not that mean. the only time you ask for something is probably on your birthday if everâ only if he asks you. but its definitely going to be expensive.
and he says as an excuse, HE SAYS AND I QUOTE: "because you only deserve the best."
side eye.. okay mister smooth talker i see you???
myunghology: đŚđŚđŚ
#jianâs works!#ensemble stars x reader#enstars x reader#tsukasa suou x reader#enstars x you#enstars x y/n#tsukasa suou#ensemble stars headcanons#enstars#ensemble stars
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Mind if I ramble at you for a bit.
So I read both of your Marcille/canary rarepairs and the Fleki one inspired me to share a one-shot idea I had a while ago (that I am never going to write). Anyways the idea behind this is that it happens in an AU, where Canaries recruited (arrested) Marcille at some point in the timeline (maybe during her brief stint as Dugeon Lord).
Anyways in the one-shot Marcille would have a mental breakdown, when she realizes that her sentence is longer then most of her friends´ remaining lifespan and she will likely not meet them in person again (not to mention the irony in the fact that her effort to prolong the time she has with her friends she lost the chance to the time they have, Marcille will be avare of) and Fleki ends up comforting her.
I also consider a second part, where Marcille "repays the favor" when Fleki has a bad trip.
I didn´t ship Marcille/Fleki before your post, so the original idea was gen, but it could work as shipping fic as well.
I also consider some other one-shots in this AU (which I decided to call Jailbird AU), like Marcille managing to peacfully resolve a conflict between the Canaries and some people living in a dungeon (maybe goblins since they didn´t appear in the manga/anime), or her interacting with Mithrun (maybe she could make him a soup after they end up stuck in a dungeon together and run out of food), since as you pointed out those two have a nice potential dynamic (platonic or romantic).
Also Falin and rest of the party would definitivelly mount a Marcille rescue operation, which would make for a nice inversion their situation at the begining of the canon.
Makes me wonder how well would Marcille get along with the other members of the unit and what their interactions would be like.
The way the canaries are is that there are two prisoners for one warden right, but Marcille could be assigned as a temporary third charge⌠đ¤ Especially since the canaries are understaffed, probably under Mithrun and not Pattadol then because Mithrun is much more high ranked and experienced than Pattadol. As a past dungeon lord sheâd be considered higher threat I imagine, but sheâs capable so like Mithrun after his dungeon stint theyâd really want to recruit her. This mithrille fanartist makes some canary!Marcille AU art like this one that I find super fun to think about⌠Yeah theyâre right Mithrun would treat newbie recruit Marcille like that (carelessly and ruthlessly) pfft, since canaries assigned to Mithrun used to die a lot regularly before things stabilized with the current group I like to think of wether or not they expected Marcille to die soon and if theyâre fine with that. Not like Mithrun would hesitate to strike her down if she stepped out of lineâ but she seems to get along with Pattadol so that could give them some hope, so either way, stamp of approval.
Wether Marcille would get along with each canaries or not imo:
Pattadol: Yes. Pattadolâs soft on Marcille, she thinks sheâs sooo sensible and smart and thinks her dunlord thing was just an unfortunate turn of fate that sheâs already forgiven for. They chat a lot, each otherâs favorite coworker. If it wasnât for Mithrun being the top leader I feel like Marcille could sometimes get carried away and take over with leadership of the group tbh gdvgd, and Pattadol may or may not notice sheâd doing it and let her. Marcille gradually climbs up the canary ranks au? Would be fun
Fleki: I def think sheâd be the one both poking fun at Marcille, about how sheâs new to everything in the canaries and how dramatic she can act, and the one to lighten up the mood and be friendly because sheâs open and casual like that and the one to tell her to relax. Their relationship could be a little tense especially with how judgy and critical Marcille can be, and how singeing and uncaring Fleki can be. Marcilleâs "you didnât do this for friendship because itâs the right thing to do?! How heartless!". But especially with time and familiarity theyâd grow closer and Mariclle would be sad Fleki keeps people at an emotional distance and Fleki doesnât let her in more- "Fleki may seem rude and crass and lowbrow and a rotten egg and- but sheâs a good egg if you take the time to crack her up a bit⌠Sheâs my rotten egg⌠I prommyâŚ" Also her overbearing mom friend tendencies would kick in and sheâd want to get Fleki to be healthier. Lycion-Marcille "spend less time high and be with us we love you" alliance pt 2. Ty for coming to my ted talk. Imagine Fleki climbling Marcille like she did w Otta in that one beach page. Dramatic duo <3 Anyways so yes theyâll often banter and chat and have disagreements and sometimes bad synergy but ultimately they trust each otherâs judgement and work well togetherâ
Lycion: ehhhhhhh. Lycionâs easy to get along with but equally distant, and more judgy than he appears, and I donât think Marcille would try to get closer, if not just in curiosity to figure him out. Their dynamic would fall flat a lot imo. But I do think heâd also poke fun at her idealistic gullible nature kinda like with Pattadol, would find it fun to string her along with tall tales and push her around in these small jokey ways, especially if she acts holier-than-thou even at this point in her life (bc I do think heâd tend to have more patience and empathy for a fellow inmate). Donât ship it donât ship it donât ship it Fumi Marcille falling for a mysterious werewolf help Marcille you cannot "you should love yourself and your body â¨â¨" him out of this
Cithis: No, but Cithis might like to mess with her. I think Cithis would find her too loud though. Too dramatic too talkative too bumbly too annoyingâ Chilchuck does always call Marcille clumsy so thereâs that. Cithis hates rich people and Marcille like Pattadol does give that vibe, and unlike Pattadol Marcilleâs not her superior so I think sheâd show more cold disinterest than mean playfulness bc thereâs little power dynamic to play with and dunk on there. Pattadol playing favoritism with Marcille would def fan some flames though. Cithis would find out Marcilleâs not so bad and untolerable over time but thereâll always be some cold rivalry vibes crackling I feel, maybe Cithis takes pity on her and takes her under her wing somewhat at one point. Eh. I think Marcille would get the vibe to steer clear of her esp with Pattadolâs warnings about her, think of her kinda like how she treated Toshiro or Namari after she left, but alsoâŚâŚ. Ă la Chilchuck the harder someone tries to be closed off and mysterious the harder she wants to befriend them and learn everything about them.
Otta: Decently yes! The inmate she gets along best after/alongside Fleki. Sheâs sociable and generally friendly though the less flashy type, sheâs the most mature and tends to be quieter than the chaos duo Fleki & Lycion. Otta would also find Marcille easily overbearing I think but sheâd tell it how it is and try to help her integrate. And then brag about how good of a person she is for it lowkey~ Jk haha or is she. Theyâd both talk seriously and joke together. Ultimately the Fleki-Lycion-Otta-Marcille quartet is a fun one to sit with at a table.
Mithrun: Both terrifying and unapproachable and the person she feels like she can talk to plainly with the most imo even if he doesnât always respond much. She appreciates him being smart but thinks heâs reckless. His words and judgements are harsh but often something she has to grapple with and acceptâ Pattadolâs very kind on her (sometimes overwhelmingly so) and sort of a rookie that follows orders so Marcille has trouble talking strategy or for real for realâ˘ď¸ with her, and Ottaâs approachable and levelheaded but well- Not necessarily the most moral or that knows what sheâs speaking about. Flekiâs easy to talk to plainly with but isnât often constructive, Lycionâd be great actually but they donât talk like that. Mithrun? Academic and experienced and blunt and thereâs no pretenses ever. Maybe Cithis would want to drop some of her Mithrun-caring duties onto her but I doubt it tbh. On ship travels she might get overwhelmed and seek some quiet in his room tbh, and he says he doesnât care either way⌠she could read books in there or talk onesidedly. Idk idk idk, themâŚâŚ..
Marcille starting out trusting no one and vowing to keep to herself and go unnoticed for the time she has to serve, but being surrounded by so many mysterious cool people that arenât as bad as she wwass bracing herself forâŚâŚ And wanting to know everyoneâs tragic backstories. Mithrunâs is pretty much common knowledge and she learns it quickly through gossip, maybe from Pattadol, either once she starts taking an interest in her coworkers or a bit before and itâs what piques her interest because before then she found him so senselessly rude & she tends to assume people are black and white at first⌠He might even overshare himself like he did with Kabru and sheâs on the edge of her seat all the while gdbdg. Pattadol has nothing to hide or so she says so she tells Marcille all she wants to know about herself. Marcille eventually learns about Lycion I think but Fleki she has to fight tooth and nail to get anything except one liners casually dropped randomly here and there and what do you mean you have a brother?? Cithis will never let her know anything so gossip or such is her only way but tbh Marcille doesnât dare.
OKAYYYY that was way longer than I thought but hopefully itâs some fun food for thought lol. I still think Iâve thought about Otta the least but Iâve started paying her more attention a while ago esp when I realized sheâs pretty much the Chilchuck equivalent of the group. -Squints and suddenly gets a vision- Chilchuckâs a mix of Otta and FlekiâŚâŚâŚâŚ Me liking flekille so much suddenly makes even more sense to me hm
Any and all canary Marcille AU is very fun, here I was thinking halfway between âshe becomes a canary in a canon divergent ending where the demon isnât defeated and Laios isnât kingâ (which would def make the Mithrun-Marcille dynamic even more interesting) and her having become a canary pre-canon someway sometime somehow. I also like AUs where Marcille went to jail post-canon in general, I have some old laimar and marchil wips with that since the manga wasnât over then and I thought she might spend some time in prison but have an early leave because of Laiosâ power and influence and good behavior hehe. Hereâs one fun other canary Marcille I just stumbled upon~!
"Not to mention the irony in the fact that through her effort to prolong the time she has with her friends she lost the chance to the time they have" beautiful mwah⌠Jailbird AU is a banger name
#Ask#asked on august 22 i drafted my thoughts n reactions right away i just took forever to polish n post#Spoilers#dungeon meshi manga spoilers#Mithrille#flekille#âŚâŚâŚâŚ..#lycille#Dunmeshi au#headcanons#the canaries#Fleki#lycion#Cithis lycion otta analyses wait for me cithis x otta everyone my beloveds#Iâm on a marcille kick phase rn though#Her. Marcille is kinda giving Katara#Yk I didnât see Cithis x Marci at all before this but itâs not just recolored cithadol so hmmm pondering. Gdbdgdg katazula#Marcille donato#pattadol of the house of vari#pattadol#Canary Marcille#Otta#cithis ofri#Some people would say the marchil of the canaries is mithdol and i see the angle but also iâm trying to make otta/pattadol work#Will report back if i get results
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28 asks! :DD Thank you as always!! đđ
@astaherussy
My FNAF AU has been sorted out. In the sense that the timeline has been re-written enough that I can go back to drawing it..
Now the next comic in the AU is a re-write/re-draw of my old FNAF comic, Moon Malfunction. A few months ago though there were several time sensitive projects that came up and I needed to shelf Moon Malfunction 2.0 until they were done. Well now they're all done.. but Moon Malfunction is gonna take me some time to get around to..
For the past few months I've been in a really bad spot mentally and physically. And taking on my FNAF Recap/Repair project is just not something I feel I have the mental energy to do at the moment.. All it feels like is a one big pile of work. And all I wanna do I just draw what ever comes easily to me and focus on recovering..
Soooo for the time being,, my main FNAF AU might not see any updates for a bit.. Though I haven't forgotten about it and I do want to get back to it at some point soon. But for now I want to cut any work out of my relaxing/drawing time and just draw what ever I want. Which atm is pirate cookies-- <XDD
They're also great for grabbing something across the room while I stay in bed đđ
Why haven't I drawn anything like that yet- what--
I might just have to at some point! :00
@ardent-38
AWWW THANK YOU SO MUCH!! THATS SO SWEET!! BUT ALSO LSKNAKJ XDDD
I never thought of it like that! Anyone who gets into the game through my characters is like a lactose intolerant person recommending an ice-cream joint- and they're very persuasive! XDD
But fr, thank you! And hey, even if my characters aren't in the game, they'll always be here on Tumblr waiting for you XDD
Actually, I wasn't! :00 I haven't seen that episode of the Cuphead show. But I'm assuming its about Cala Maria and Captain Brineybeard, yes? If so I can easily see the relation XD
(Post in question)
AAAA THANK YOU!! The comic was different than what I'm used to. But it was a nice change of pace. I'm glad you liked it! :}}}
@badlyblurry (Post in question)
FRRRRRR THO He's been holding that glow back for a while. Trying not to send the wrong messages to Blue and potentially damage their friendship đđ
XDDD ITS OK!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!! :DDD đđâ¨
@mod-bubamon
I have! In this post you can see 3 of them floating behind Melvin! (The anthro donkey)
And in this post, you can see Melvin holding one while it passes away... :((((( Sad day for sure.
Well? What did she taste like? XDD
Oh wait you're dead my bad-
Unfortunately I cant think of any songs that would match each crew members theme.. Rn all my brain can think about is this đ
youtube
@nunyabusiness459 (Comic in question)
đĽ°đĽ°THANK YOU!! :DDD
What is primordial dough? :0
@2006-stupid-thatsme
Thank you! :DD Though unfortunately my fwernnd, I am known for being very bad at explaining how I do art things. :(
If I tried to explain my thought/design process it would just be a lot of word spaghetti that boils down to "uhhh... I just drew it.,. aandd if it dont look good.. draw it differently.. until it looks good-"
My advice would be to look on YouTube for character design tutorials or ask some other artists that have artwork similar to mine and see if they can help. :( Again, so sorry! I wish I could articulate my thoughts better đđ
@beryl-shade
This actually makes me think- Google says that if you add too much sugar to a cookie they become brittle.
Huh,, makes me think. If one of the cookies was baked with too much sugar.. they'd break real easy.. hmm.. đđ
@whereismycupofcoffee
@artistiemi
Thank you so much!! :DD I wish the same for you!! â¨đâ¨
@sunnys-bloog
I've thought about drawing them! :0 And I thiiink I drew Franny one time..? The Blue one. Although I don't think I'll be able to find the sketch unfortunately-
NOT THE GUMDROP BUTTONS!!
tbh though I think they'd see him as just a normal guy! :0 Right..?
@beryl-shade
I'm not sure.. considering what I know about the games.. I thiiink they'd be horrified?? <XDD If they understand that they're made of dough, it'd be the equivalent of a human walking into a giant meat factory where they chop up meat and make weird false humans..
Okay yeah, they'd be horrified for sure XDDD
@wdillustration
:DD THANK YOU SO MUCH!! :}}}
@neo-metalscottic (Cookie run post in question)
AAAAA thank you so much!! I'm glad you liked it!! :DD As for the power, I think you're right about it being a rare occasion. And the idea of her gaining better control over it over time? While her love grows as well?? Perfection. But man I'm also tempted to make it so she can change when ever she wants. :( I really like drawing her and Seafoam together like that.. đĽş
As for the Colossal squid episode,, I'd have to go back and re-watch it to decide if I'll keep it for my AU or not..
But thinking about all the stuff you described about a violent altercation and nightmares?? đđ Its giving me ideas! XDD
Now if the crew did face a violent altercation like that, I imagine their #1 goal would to protect the Octopod. That's their home man! They would probably do what ever they could to get the octopod away from the situation. Like the Captain manually piloting it and some of the crew being sent out in gups to distract the squid. Stuff like that :0
@luna-purple454
AAA IT WAS ON THE 10TH BUT THANK YOU!! XDD :DD
@khoiazo
It was on the 10th actually- and hey thanks! Seam could probably use the calories <XD
@unpopularartist14 (referencing this ask post)
<XD oh boy, what a stark contrast between the sides--
@shaziztrazh
I didn't have them in mind while designing them,, though maybe I took some subconscious inspiration? I see the similarities! :0
#my response#fnaf security breach#octonauts#cookie run#cookie run kingdom#cookie run ocs#my ocs#welcome home#Youtube
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