#anyways the new definitely needs more tweaking i wanna change the style of the top a bit i think

[arentijusttheshiniest]

Girl help I've been trying to come up with a toy bonnie design for my (tbh kinda basic) au and it's getting closer but idk it's kinda similar to what I have in mind for toy chica so idk still like it more than the top one

Also tried giving him hair but idk if i like it. Its kinda giving Karen which sort of fits his lines in ar if you swint and tilt your head a bit. Anyways I'm keeping those vers under the cut lol

[natsunoomoi]

FFVII Thoughts

-This whole thing with Jessie is so much filler it’s mostly unnecessary. Plus I feel like the whole impact of Jessie and her arc and even this filler is detracted by her being a former actress. Like I mentioned before I feel like her being an actress and known for toying with men kind of takes away from her crush on Cloud and makes it seem cheap. Also even though she’s someone’s daughter who is more tech inclined, I always thought of her as an engineer herself and like a former Shinra engineer that quit would have been a more powerful message than that of an actress. Even if you keep her Dad getting sick it adds an extra layer. Like say she worked in R&D and they like pushed an experimental mako enhancement for the plant too soon and she warned it would make people sick and it made her Dad sick. There’s a lot of ways her story would have been better and fit more nicely into the narrative. :/

-Even though Jessie annoys me, Biggs is kind of okay but he comes off to me as a little cliche. Wedge is kind of a little nicer.

-Aww, they took out the pickpocket on the train during the ID scan. That would have been a lot harder to deal with, but yeah.

-Good lord they stretched out these areas.

-Completely lost in this lamp and platform maze, but after a long time I finally figure out how to get out even with the items.

-Another maze and more reactor context change.

-Robot change where you can screw it over. That’s interesting.

-Yay Aerith!

-Dang Reno. You hard.

-OMG stupid ghosts get out of the way. I bet I have to trek all this way back to get this materia.

-This church is now also a crazy rat maze.

-Now onto roof rat maze.

-Ugh, why do I have to take the long way just to avoid Rude?

-Let me explore the town!

-Cloud and Aerith are way more helpful in this game. The kids have a secret hide out. Cool, I guess.

-Chadley is seriously simultaneously frustrating and useful.

-Yay I can go back and get crap from the church.

-Okay, so sneak out. Why tf is there a pot right outside my room that I can’t see?

-Okay, so there’s Aerith. We have a secret tunnel-ish. So many ladders. So much up and down.

-Out of that maze and yay they kept that scene where Aerith brings up Zack. Still not sure I’m liking all the foreshadowing cuz this was a spoiler in the original game.

-Tifa looks nice in that outfit. Like in general in this game though. They gave her a pretty thoughtful makeover that like captures the essence of her original profile, but also with some added tweaks in style that I actually like better. Like she didn’t have those thigh highs before, but those are a nice touch. And instead of her mini skirt her skirt is actually a skort and is pleated. Plus like the better boob support.

-Good lord Wall Mart is so involved now. So many alleys. Get out of the way yo!

-Leslie seems kind of cool, but I’m not sure cuz he works for a creep.

-Ugh hussle of trying to figure out how to get in. This sponsorship thing is new. I guess Corneo got more exclusive in this game.

-I have to go to the coloseum? Ugh, why?

-This crowd is full of haters.

-Okay winning over the crowd....

-I have an extra battle? WTF is this BS. I almost wish it was the Turks making a surprise appearance. That seems like a silly stupid thing the original would have done.

-Obviously Cloud caught someone else’s attention.

-Yay! Finally dress up time.

-Awesome. I’m doing a bunch of quests now.

-Whoops I didn’t level up my materia all the way. I got most of them so it’s doing fine but just the medicine thing.

-I saw a lot of people complaining about Jules, but he wasn’t so bad? I just needed to remember the rhythm and what I was doing by saying it so I could keep track of the pattern.

-Ugh, Johnny where you taking me? I have to wait for someone not yet.

-Oh Aerith looks nice. I like her outfit.

-Okay time to dress up Cloud.

-Whoa, Folia is a honeybee? Teh shock.

-What is this mini-game? It’s hard to keep rhythm and sometimes I actually can’t see the queue. Why do you design a mini-game where you can’t see the thing clearly?

-Oh shit I missed a track because I didn’t want to sit there and keep playing a frustrating mini-game. D:

-Yay! At least I got the cute dress. But real talk I kind of miss the old way to dress up Cloud only cuz I would want to see what the different colored wigs look like, but that whole storyline is very trans insensitive. Or even drag insensitive, so I understand why they changed it.

-Andrea is kind of cool. I was worried they were going to make him into some kind of flaming stereotype, but actually although he definitely has some flare, he’s a pretty well balanced character and none of the characters really judge him for his personal choices. Although definitely some judgement for the stuff they make them do, but that’s fair because you’re being subjected to it. Good on Cloud for following along.

-Okay time to take down this fat loser. So how does this work? How do you know who he’ll choose?

-Wait does he just choose Cloud every time? That’s a little less fun. I liked dressing Cloud up as the prettiest princess so that you could get him picked.

-This bit of them threatening Corneo’s private parts is still one of my favorite things. It was teh shock when I saw it the first time back in the day and I still enjoy it now.

-Ugh, the sewer. Also a lot of denial. But ugh the sewer.

-My sister was right. The train graveyard is creepier.

-Oh crap I forgot to steal from Eligor. !@#$@#%

-Alright climb the pillar. This is kind of slightly more fun with the extra scenes from Reno and Rude.

-Whoa, they saved Wedge. Cuz he originally totally ate it. Like straight fell off the pillar several stories and was unresponsive.

-Biggs and Jessie still die. That’s fine. I actually feel less sorry for Jessie dying than I did with the original. :/ I think because they managed to actually make her irritating with how over the top they made her.

-Aerith and Marlene is so cute!

-Helicopter shots are annoying, but I like hearing Reno. It’s sad that Fujiwara Keiji died two days after this came out. This is like the last thing he did probably. But his voice fit Reno really well. I don’t think it fit Ardyn well. Ardyn I think deserved a lower register, but I think Square gave him the part probably because of his diagnosis cuz I think Ardyn’s in-game struggle in a sense reflected his real life trials in some way only in the game he became immortal. Real life not so much, but immortalized in a sense through these works. I wonder if Square would have wanted it to come out sooner so that maybe he could have played it himself a little bit before passing, but they had to push the date for quality and stuff.

-I don’t know why, but I really like looking at Reno’s open shirt. Like I think the way they did his abs are a bit different from Advent Children. I think his shirt is even open wider than in AC. *checks* Yeah, it is. AC it’s buttoned up toward the top and just the top one or two are left open. And okay for real Remake has his shirt open even more than even in the original. Nevermind him buttoning up more for AC, but like in original FF7 polygon Reno and original Nomura art Reno looks like it’s only unbuttoned to about mid-pecs. Remake Reno is like down to like the top of his stomach. I guess I can’t complain about the equal opportunity fan service.

-Tseng is actually done pretty well, but I keep looking at him cuz he just strikes me as odd.... Oh wait is it his hair? Is that a hair tie? I don’t think he had a hair tie before. I think we were just supposed to assume he had his hair slicked back and kept in place by gel or hair spray. Also his face is interesting cuz I think they tried to make him actually look Chinese, but I think he just turned out looking kind of like Tamaki Hiroshi. Oh and Suwabe-san!

-LOL Rude carrying Reno like a rag doll.

-And there goes the plate. Oh, no, Wedge. I guess he did die. But the kitties. ;o;

-Let me explore Wall Market! Ugh, fine.

-That Kyrie chick seems kind of a little annoying. I kind of want to let Barret hit her. But I’m probably biased because I had a hot mess of a flatmate with that name and she like didn’t clean up after herself and left dirty dishes in her room and like pushed it up against her roommate’s bed. >.> Like passing responsibility over them to someone else. And I think she maybe broke one of my cups? And like tried to use my stuff without asking? Maybe stole some stuff too but idk. And like worst of all was like she sold her car so she could get money because she couldn’t hold down a job and like needed money and instead of like you know paying rent and bills, she spent it on shoes and make up and left the receipt out for us to find.

-Wall Market is...different in the day time.

-All teh quests.

-Okay Kyrie is still kind of annoying and stupid when you talk with her one on one, but she at least seems better than my flatmate.

-Oh old lady is the Angel.

-Findin’ all the birds. It kind of strikes me that they added this in cuz of how much time it takes to get places and it’s kind of like XV and even the XIV MMO, but not. I guess it’s a staple now with their newer titles because of how grand they make the scenery.

-Down in the sewer again....

-I just really wanna find Corneo’s stash.

-OMG I got a chase this little asshole now.

-Okay so now Leslie. Leslie is a good guy after all. Not a bad new character too. Nice decent development and stuff.

-But gdi Corneo’s still alive. I mean, I knew that cuz Wutai, but ugh.... I think he deserved at least a punch in the face.

-Okay so anyway I guess I’m going up now. Just going to finish up stuff before I go past the point of no return. Get all teh things I can from the coliseum and all that.

-Climbing, climbing. Oops I missed a thing. Was I supposed to?

-Gdi this helicopter thinger is annoying. I can’t slash any boxes. Just kick them around.

-Okay done so I guess I’m going in.

-...Is this a parking lot?

-Oh okay so here’s the entrance.

-Shinra headquarters actually looks like a bigger version of Square Enix’s headquarters in Higashi Shinjuku. I’ve been there pretty recently and also like to cut through the office building to get to Artnia cuz I don’t want to walk all the way around. Decor and stuff and specifics are definitely different, but like the double tower U-shaped look with the walkway in the middle thing is very much how the building is in Shinjuku. Specifics with the stairs and escalators are also different, but kind of the same deal with some amount of ambient lighting at night time and the lobby and such is still mostly open in the evening for people who work late or want to pass through. Some of the doors being locked or like certain staircases and such being roped off are a thing as well. I just know this cuz I often go to Artnia around dinner time when I’m there, so it’s generally after hours already.

-I think even the parking lot situation might even be the same? I’m not sure because I usually take the subway and that let’s out into the mini mall downstairs, but parking if you go there and do that is like subterranean for sure and would be the first layer if it was on a plate.

-I mean, the HQ is also technically kind of on a plate also. Cuz the mini-mall is like below normal street level, but it’s like more cool with like a Lawson’s and restaurants. Coming up from the subway is also a lot similar POV-wise to coming up through grappling hook too in terms of perspective.

-Getting the key. Getting a glove on the way. This part is kind of cool. I always liked this part of the game in the original too and exploring an empty office.

-This is suspicious. I have to take a tour...?

-I guess this is interesting to learn about the company and stuff.

-Weird movie theater. Oh look a spoiler hallucination in the theater. It’s nice to see more of Sephiroth.

-Oh yeah the mayor. That’s a bit of a change that he’s secretly Avalanche. Whatever cool. Yay I got a weapon.

-I gotta do a battle simulator. Oh great I guess if I want items I have to sit here and do all the simulators.

-Oh look it’s Chadley. I have turn ins. Take my stuff.

-Okay so hike upstairs....oh shit they’re going in. Sneak slowly behind and like go around and explore stuff.

-Found the toilet. Haha. Tifa yells at Cloud if he goes in the wrong one. Good.

-This is a nice bathroom.

-Okay up in the vent.

-Interesting extra context and oh yeah Palmer saw Sephiroth.

-Hojo is more gross looking than I remember. Like piled on extra creep factor for him.

-Following into the lab. I guess I should be glad he wasn’t a dumbass and trying to mate Aerith with Red XIII.

-Interesting that it’s only now that they’re really making good use of Those Who Fight Further. I don’t think I’ve really heard it all that often before.

-Yay! Yamaguchi Kappei!

-This part getting serious with Sephiroth is appropriate, but kind of different with him starting to freak out.

-Oooh, Turks scene! It’s nice that they know they are fan favorites now and they put them in more scenes. I wish it would actually play their theme every time they show up like it used to. That’s what made them badass too.

-Aww, Aerith’s room.

-Interesting they are talking in Aerith’s room instead of getting captured and Aerith talking through the wall.

-Shinra science experiment...You’re probably not entirely wrong.

-Huh, wisdom from Red XIII. That’s different context.

-Wow, that’s different. Pointing out a different greater enemy so early. I guess it makes sense Aerith would know because of the whispers she hears, but also it kind of sucks the mystery of the progression of the original story.

-Dang, Sephiroth and Cloud confrontation-ish now? Not going to mysteriously take a body and stab the President?

-Oh joy another crazy rat maze.

-Hojo is definitely more gross than he used to be.

-Oh, nope. Just different order. There’s the trail of blood.

-Well, “blood”. Jenova blood is now apparently purple bubbling ooze.

-President Shinra is just hanging?! DISAPPOINTED. I liked it better when you just showed up and he had a giant sword in his back. Also wondering if you’d be blamed for it, but yeah, sword in the back!

-This is what you get for showing mercy. :/ Sword in back was better.

-Oh shut up already so Rufus can take over.

-Oh you get to watch the sword in the back.

-WTF. He’s not supposed to stab your party.

-Ghost things protecting fate is weird. But also I have some theories like the game is conscious that it’s a remake or something and for some reason they’re repeating history, but some things are different because people don’t do things in exactly the same way but certain things are fated to happen so they have to be preserved.

-Interesting that this game shows the cloaked figures going back and forth between Sephy. Kind of takes away the fun from years of debate on the subject about wtf is happening.

-And here’s Rufus. Still better than his Dad.

-I like that there’s more Turks footage than the original.

-Kind of nice that there’s more tender moments between Tifa and Cloud or rather we can experience them bonding more first hand.

-Did they make Wedge die in a different spot?

-Motorcycle bit is a bit different. Boss on motorcycle is kind of hard. Died once.

-I think it’s just cuz it’s a Remake that they added him here, but Sephiroth is at the end of the highway and I kind of think it sucks. :/ Cuz like it shouldn’t be like this.

-Why is Zack alive? Oh I think this is a flashback. Aww, this is supposed to be a hidden thing. ;o; Stop feeding them all the stuff. Let them find it.

-Whisper monsters...Okay this is just some kind of an AU. Like not really entirely a remake, but a different game in the same timeline cuz Sephy figured out somehow how to alter time and space. Aerith knows kind of what’s up because she became god essentially during AC. Would also explain why the game itself is giving away so many damn spoilers too.

-Holy shit, is Zack dead or not? D:

-Okay I looked up a thing and it said his death is ambiguous, but he’s never seen. Zack was an actual SOLDIER too so he could be a cloaked guy for all we know. But also at the end of AC it was both him and Aerith chilling together welcoming people to the lifestream so who the hell knows what she did.

-Biggs is alive?!

-So okay, if this is an AU things can change and I’m less gripey about the weird things that happened. Cuz it’s like just another pinpoint on the timeline that kind of has pseudo time travel and when you repeat things over again they’re not always exactly the same. I suppose for Square itself it’d be kind of boring to make an actual Remake because they don’t want to take away from the original and they want people to still buy that too cuz it was so good even though the graphics didn’t age so well. Instead they slapped Remake on a new title and trolled us all into thinking they actually did it when actually it’s like a timey wimey thing.

[writingsofadream]

Chapter Three | The Spark

Pairing : Jungkook x Reader

Story : You knew being an intern at BigHit wouldn’t be easy, but you’d never imagined Jungkook would make it even harder.

You are a new intern at Big Hit, and you get to meet the boys. Set in the real world (as opposed at an AU), and just before the Love Yourself: Tear comeback. 1.5k words in this chapter. Enjoy :) 

|||||||||| 3 ||||||||||

It’s already been a whole week since your very first day at Big Hit. Since then, you’ve been shadowing managers and important people, including some of the stylists. It’s been an eye-opening experience, and you’ve been learning more and more each day. However, you hadn’t seen BTS, or more specifically Jungkook, since the first day. It was definitely a shame, but also probably for the best. It meant you weren’t as distracted as you would have been otherwise. You definitely didn’t want to stuff anything up, either. This wasn’t some kind of everyday opportunity you could risk with a stupid crush…or whatever it was.

It was Friday evening, and you were finishing up with one of the stylists, helping to pick out their outfits for next week’s fan meeting. You were going to be able to go and be staff for it, and the thought of next Monday made you anxious but also very, very excited. Suddenly, a cough brings your attention up from the assortment of earrings before you. You blink quickly, as if to confirm what you’re seeing isn’t some kind of tired hallucination.

“Jungkook?” You ask tentatively.

“Hi, Y/N. I wanted to come down and check up on some of the piercings for tomorrow. I don’t want one in one of my top ones, Jimin bumped it playing video games and it’s kinda sore. Is that okay?” He smiles sheepishly at the request, seeming less confident than the last time you saw him.

“Uhhh…sure? You should ask the head stylist, I really don’t have the authority to say anything about that.” You feel disappointed saying this, reminded that your position in only as an intern, and temporary at that.

Jungkook checks with her, and she tells him this will be fine. She adds that you should help him decide which ones to keep and which to lose, as she has other things to take care of before leaving. At this, she waves goodbye and makes her way out of the small styling studio.

“So…which ones do you like best? I think the silver is probably nicer, but it’s up to you.” As you say this, you give him a quick smile, and your heartbeat quickens as he returns it.

“I think you’re right, Y/N. You have good taste.” At this, he bends down to look closer at the piercings. His body is right next to yours now, and his muscled arm in its black Puma sweater brushes against yours. You jump back a little.

“That one, I won’t wear that one.” He says decidedly, noticing you jumping back from him.

“You don’t need to be so nervous around us. We’re just people.” He sounds sad, and you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding.

“No, it’s not because you’re an idol.” You say this without thinking, and hope he doesn’t ask you to elaborate. No such luck.

“Oh? Then…why?” His brow is slightly furrowed, his expression evidently curious.

You swallow the lump in your throat, then reply almost cautiously. “You’re very attractive.”

His laugh catches you off guard, and you instinctively push him playfully. “Hey!” you say,  admittedly a little shocked at being brave enough to actually touch him.

“No, I’m not mocking you! It’s just…I wouldn’t have guessed that.” He looks shy and modest at this, and your heart flutters in your chest.

“Your winks say otherwise,” you laugh, “they’re definitely very confident!”

No wonder they call him the Golden Maknae, his laugh sounds like molten gold flowing down a mountainside. “I just like looking assured in front of the other guys. Especially in front of such a pretty girl. And hey, you winked back, remember! That caught me off guard, I’m not gonna lie.”

His honestly is warming, and you realise you feel comfortable rather than the nervous wreck you expected. “Yea, well, it was only a retaliation!” you quip back jokingly.

A quick moment of silence follows, and his eyes darken as they run over you. The atmosphere changes in an instant, and you feel hot and unnerved all of a sudden. He takes a step closer to you, and your feet are glued to the floor.

“Can I kiss you?” The question catches you completely, and your words are caught in your throat as you choke a little.

“I’m sorry?!” you shake your head slightly in disbelief, both at the situation and the prospect of it being reality.

“Yea. Can I kiss you? Just once, and only if you say it’s okay. I just…I can’t really explain it, but I really wanna do it.” He sounds genuine and sweet, but the look in his eyes is dark and dangerous, definitely sultry.

“Yes.” The word is out of your mouth before you fully realise it, and it’s already too late to take it back. His hand slips up to your cheek and he comes straight for you, his lips reaching yours before you can even fully realise what’s happening.

His lips are soft and sweet, like honey. His approach was rushed, but the kiss is slow and sensual. Your hands reach up to rest on his chest, and he wraps his other hand around your waist subtly. Returning his kiss,  you feel a distinctive warmth between your legs as your body responds to his touch. His tongue prompts your mouth open, and you willingly oblige. The kiss is possibly the sexiest thing you’ve ever experienced, particularly as the lights are dimmed and the offices surrounding your encounter empty.

He sharply pulls away from you, and you’re left breathless and aroused. Whipped back to reality, you realise you can hear the tap of heels on the flooring, headed straight towards the room. Good think Jungkook had heard, you think dimly, or who knows what could have happened. You look up at him, and his face is unreadable. However, lust exudes his being, and there was no mistaking his quickened breathing and large pupils. The footsteps reach your room, and the door swings open.

“You’re both still here? Come on, the guards want to lock up for the night.” The stylist looks annoyed, and rightfully so. A glance at your watch confirms the time: 12:13am. Whoops.

“Shit, sorry noona.” Jungkook’s apology seems to placate her, and she nods.

“Whatever, just get out of here already.” She rolls her eyes at his smile, and leaves the room for us to follow her out.

“Give me your phone.”

“What?” You ask. Jungkook’s low whisper doesn’t quite make its way through your hazed and horny brain.

“Give me your phone, quickly Y/N!”

You hand it over, and he types something in with great speed. Slipping it back to you, he calls back out to the poor woman waiting for our slow asses.

“Coming now, noona!” With that, he walks out of the door confidently. You follow, and flick the light off behind you. At least we actually sorted out the piercing thing, you guess. It seems a little inconsequential compared to the rest of tonight’s events.

The rest of the next half hour goes painfully slowly. The three of you exit the building, and you call for a taxi. Jungkook says goodbye to you both, and heads off to the back of the building to an area you haven’t seen before. It’s most likely where his private car is waiting, or where the members are able to park their cars. The stylist asks you if I’ll be okay to wait, and you tell her to go on without you. She also waves goodbye, heading off to her car. The cold air is hitting you like a flood of realisation, and you feel no longer turned on but simply stupid.  You’d risked your whole internship and the possibility of what? A lawsuit? Surely nothing good would have come from being caught.

The taxi pulls up, and within 20 minutes you’re back in the safety of your home. Changing into silk pyjamas, you brush your teeth, thinking about Jungkook’s kisses and the way his tongue had made its way into your mouth and even across your teeth. Every thought of the moment tweaks your arousal, and you feel like wanting more. Slipping into bed, you check the time on your phone before going in to set an alarm for Saturday. 12:50am. Closing the alarm app, you wonder what Jungkook did on your phone for those speedy few seconds. Instinctively, you open your text messages, and there it is. A text from 12:14am, to a number you don’t recognise. You open up the text, confused.

12:14am This is my number. Text me. -JK

Woah. Okay, so now you had his number. For a solid five minutes, you wonder what exactly to do about this information. On one hand, you could text him, like he’d seemingly asked. But then again, tonight had you torn in half. There was undeniable attraction, sure. Your job though, your internship. That was important. He’s probably already asleep anyway.

You put your phone on do not disturb, pull the covers up around your body, and fall into a restless sleep.

[fanfic-inator795]

WoY Oneshot: The Simulation

Plot: Even Awesome can’t deny that Peepers is actually a pretty good teacher when it comes to combat training and even just giving advice. But even so, not all of his ideas are good ones...

((Part of the Awesome Arc. Enjoy!))

“...So, we’re just going to be fighting holograms?”

In a sea of giant eyes, it was very easy for Peepers to see where (and who) the simple comment had came from. At least it was only simple and not sarcastic. Rolling his eye slightly at the shark-man, the commander continued to explain, not wanting all his hard work to go unacknowledged or unappreciated. 

“It’s more than just holographic enemies,” he continued as he paced along the stage, “If that were the case, then it would be cheaper to just stick to the punching bags. No, what we have here... (pause for dramatic effect) is a total training experience!”

Pressing a button on his clicker, the image on the giant screen suddenly changed to a video clip of the room that played in-time with Peepers’ descriptions. “Our new holo-training room can create any environment with a 87.59% accuracy to it! It can create various types of weather as well as other unpredictable and/or unstable elements such as mud, huge bodies of water and so on! ...And, yes it can also create holographic enemies. BUT, because it can create a scenario to go along with an enemy, this room will not only test your fighting skills, but will also help you all improve on endurance and adaption!” The crowd murmured, actually sounding a bit impressed - much to Peepers’ delight. 

“Alright. So, over the next week or so, all of you will be getting at least one scheduled training session inside the holo-training room so we can see how effective it really is, as well as get some feedback and make some improvements if we need to-” Though he highly doubted that they would need to do make any improvements, other than maybe a couple small tweaks here and there- “before making the room available to use at any time. Is everyone clear on that?” 

Most of the Watchdogs gave a mumbled ‘Yeah’ or simply nodded, so Peepers just accepted it as a good enough answer. Honestly, their monthly meeting had gone on long enough, as is. “Good. Now, if there are any other issues or points that anyone wants to bring up-” A single hand shot up into the air, easily rising above the Watchdog heads. Peepers narrowed his eye a bit. “Issues that don’t involve suggestions for a party.” 

Awesome scowled back at the commander, but still quietly put his hand down. “Alright then, Watchdog meeting adjourned! Everyone back to work - and don’t forget to check your emails for your scheduled holographic-scenario training time!”

()()()()()()()()()  

It had taken about six days for Awesome’s holo-time (as it had been nicknamed, thanks to Fred in R&D) to finally roll around. Normally he would’ve been annoyed at having to wait so long - especially since Peepers’ new device actually sound pretty cool - but with literally thousands of Watchdogs on the ship, he supposed he couldn’t be too mad at having to wait his turn.

The soldier in front of him stepped forward, walking into the room and shutting the door behind him. Awesome was now next in line, but he also knew that it would still be another several minutes, at least. “So... How’s it working so far, bro?” he asked the techie that was working at the computer connected to the holo-room, if only to kill some time.

“Pretty well!” the techie chimed, “I mean, there are a couple bugs here and there, and we still can’t quite get winter environments right - not nearly cold enough - but other than that, it’s working great!”

“Heh,” Awesome smirked slightly, “Looks like Peeps knew what he was doing when he was plannin’ this thing out.”

“As usual, of course,” a familiar, nasally voice said from behind him.

The shark-man rolled his eyes. “Speak of the nerd, and he shall appear.”

“Oh shut up,” Peepers replied simply, walking past him and taking a seat next to the techie. On the second screen - the one that wasn’t controlling the holograms - he quickly opened up a list of all the Watchdogs that had completed the simulation so far as well as their results and skimmed through them. He gave a small hum, and after a few moments, a proud smile made its way onto his face.

“And, just as I thought, this style of training is already having a positive effect on both reaction times and blaster accuracy!”

“Yeah!” the techie nodded, “And it’s an enjoyable kind of training too! In fact, a lot of the guys have been comparing their results and sorta challenging each other, seeing who can do the best on their training simulation.”

“Heh, like a giant video game competish,” Awesome added with a toothy grin.

“...” Peepers’ smile faltered a bit at that as he gave a small sigh. Of course... Oh well, even if the Watchdogs did just think of it as a giant game, they were still training and improving, and that was something. Whether they were conquering planets or protecting planets, Peepers was still determined to have the strongest army in the galaxy, one way or another!

“...But yeah,” Awesome started to say, getting the commander’s attention, “What you’ve got here can totally be called a success, Peeps. And I don’t know about you, bro, but don’t you think that maaaaybe a success like this deserves-”

“No.”

He blinked. “I- I didn’t even finish-!”

“You didn’t have to. I already know, and I already have an answer, Awesome. No party.”

Awesome groaned, even stomping his foot a bit. “Yes party! Come on, man!”

Peepers didn’t even flinch at the stomp, and matched his look without hesitation. “I thought you wanted to focus on working hard and becoming stronger?”

“I do!” he insisted, “Of course I wanna focus on that stuff! But, like... It’s been, like, two months since my last party! Almost three! Though, really, that last one barely counts... And hey, it’d only be the Watchdogs being there-” It wasn’t like he had a ton of people to invite to parties these days anyway- “So it’d be, you know, a small party! Come on! Everyone needs the chance to party every once in a while!”

“The answer’s still no, private,” Peepers said firmly. The Watchdogs were already easily distracted, they definitely didn’t need a party - especially not one of Awesome’s parties, where there were unlimited drinks and a usual ending time of ‘whenever we feel like stopping’.

“Ughhhh, whatevs...” The shark-man scowled, crossing his arms. Well, at least he gave it a shot. Admittedly, he was expecting an answer like this, but even so... What he wouldn’t give for just one quick party, even one with only Watchdogs attending and Hater’s style of music playing in the background. 

A few minutes passed, and eventually the holo-room powered down and the Watchdog inside it walked out, looking a bit tired but otherwise fine. “Good work,” the techie nodded at him before turning to the next recruit in line, “Alright, you’re up.”

Awesome nodded and started to stretch slightly, preparing himself for whatever holo-enemies that were waiting for him. Glancing over at Peepers, he gave him a slightly cocky smirk. “Hey, betcha I can get in the Top Ten scores easily~”

“Don’t be worrying about a competition that isn’t even legitimate!” Peepers scolded, though he surprisingly didn’t scowl, “Because believe it or not, you actually do have the skills and strength to pass most of the scenarios we have programmed into the room, you just have to remember how to use them. Understand?”

“...” His smirk softened a bit as he gave a small chuckle. Typical Peepers-Style encouragement. “Right, got it.” With that, he walked forward and into the room. However, as soon as the door shut, Peepers stood up. 

“I’ll select the scenario for this one,” he told the techie, who blinked in surprise at him. Still, as strange at it was, he did stand up, letting the commander take his seat. Squeezing the mouse slightly, Peepers scrolled through the list of holographic scenarios, and quickly selected one that simply read ‘D-1′. “Here we go...”

“...Huh,” Awesome mumbled, glancing around the room - specifically at its shiny, grid-like walls and floors. After a couple seconds though, the grids started to disappear and were replaced by darkness. 

Frowning slightly, he got out his blaster and turned on the small light that was on top of it. Not too bright, but at least it was something. “Hello?” he asked, glancing around some more, “Yo? Any of you holo-dudes out there? I’m ready to throw down if you are!” ...No response... 

Awesome gave a small hum, now both curious and a bit annoyed. With no other options, he walked forward. As he walked, he stretched out his arm slightly and lightly touched the walls. A little rough, definitely not artificial, maybe sorta earth-y? “Guess I got dropped into a holo-cave or somethin’,” he mumbled. It also felt somewhat warm, but he just assumed that was due to all the electricity in the room.

Nearly a full moment of walking passed before he caught any sign of life. It was faint, but he was almost certain that he heard footsteps. Feeling the determination rise in him, he pressed himself to the warm, rocky wall and waited, his finger already on his blaster’s trigger. 

Glancing over at his opponent, he could see that it was small. It was still too dark to really see it well, but he could hear a bit of... something, in its steps. Maybe, mechanical? What, was he fighting a robot or something? Or maybe some sort of caveman cyborg? Whatever, it didn’t matter. As soon as it got close enough, Awesome stepped out and aimed his blaster right at it, and-

His eyes widened. The light on his blaster had revealed exactly what it was... 

As if coming out of sleep-mode thanks to the sudden spot of light now on it, lines of orange melted down its sleek, round body, allowing it to now give off a threatening glow. Its tentacle arms began to glow slightly as well, digging into the dirt. Finally, the lava-bot produced a blaster of its own, and aimed it right at Awesome.

Shaking slightly, the shark-man mustered up a scowl as he fired a shot. A narrow miss, and the lava-bot quickly fired back in retaliation. Thankfully, Awesome had been able to dodge it, jumping back while still trying to keep his blaster steady. “Y-You don’t scare me... You-”

Just then, the ground began to shake slightly - not violently, but enough to be noticed, at least. Behind the lava-bot, the ground began to crack and splinter, quickly becoming an opening for more lava to come up. “...No way...” It only took seconds for the lava to form into three new lava-bots, each of them with their own blaster, and all of them with their eyes on Awesome...

“S-Stay back, alright?!” he shouted, firing more shots as he began to back away from them. But each shot managed to miss - sometimes barely, and sometimes he wasn’t even close. And the more he missed, the harder he shook, and the harder it was to aim. 

Adding onto that, he also had to dodge the lava-bots attacks, which was getting harder and harder to do despite how on edge he was. They weren’t just blindly firing - no, they were precise and knew exactly where to aim, making it harder and harder for Awesome to avoid-!

*PEW!* There was a flash of heat in his hands, and Awesome gasped, his grip on the weapon loosening just enough for it to fly out of his hands. It wasn’t destroyed, thankfully, but it manage to bounce a couple feet away from him before landing on the ground. 

“Grop...” he winced, biting his lip slightly, “Gropgropgrop...” With no danger to stop them from doing so, the lava-bots started moving forward, quickly closing the distance between them and their terrified opponent as they continued to fire. 

With no other options, Awesome tried to keep dodging each blast the best he could, his footsteps becoming quicker. At one point he nearly turned on his heel and started to run but- He flinched, suddenly feeling something behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he could see that it was another cave wall, one that had came nowhere and was now blocking his exit. Well, better than a giant lava-bot, at least. But even so...

He could feel himself heat up as he looked back at the bots, his skin starting to itch and burn... He had nowhere to run, no way to defend himself. Part of him told him to try and get his blaster, but with four blasters pointed at him, his body was as stiff as a statue. 

The bots came closer and closer. One of them even fired a shot near his head, and with a yelp, Awesome not only dodged, but dropped to his knees, his snout nearly touching the floor. His eyes were shut and his fists were clenched so tightly that, had it not been for his gloves, he would’ve been digging into his skin. This was it... They were going to kill him or, or bound him - cover him and burning lava so he couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe! They were going to burn him, torture him and then bring him to-! To-!

“NO!” He shouted, squeezing his eyes tighter as his skin continued to burn and a cruel laugh echoed through his mind, “Nonono, I-I-I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Please just-!” He heard a loud mechanical whirl. Were they getting out bigger blasters, or were they just melting down to become his restraints? A hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder, and he screamed.

“AWESOME!” His eyes opened, though he still wasn’t daring enough to move. He felt the hand return, though this time it’s touch was lighter, as if trying to comfort  “It’s okay! It’s okay! It was just a simulation, remember? You’re okay!”

Okay... He was okay... Slowly, he started to look up. The lava-bots were gone, as was the cave, with the walls of the room back to its grid-like pattern. And instead of any enemies staring him down, he only saw Peepers - who was actually looking a bit concerned.

“...It’s okay,” the commander repeated, his voice quieter now, “Come on...” Gently, he took Awesome’s arm and lifted it slightly, pulling him up. He blinked a few times as the burning started to fade, but as he sat there and tried to bring himself back to reality, he couldn’t help but notice the several eyeballs staring at him from the holo-room’s doorway.

...Everyone saw him... Everyone saw him get scared and be weak and lose control and make a fool of himself again... Scowling, Awesome quickly stood up, and nearly fell back down because of it. Though, when he felt a tiny hand grab his side, he forced himself to step forward, and managed to stabilize himself on his own somewhat.

“...Guess I failed the scenario, huh?” he mumbled. And with that, he rushed out of the room the best he could, practically shoving the other Watchdogs out of the way (though it was hard to tell whether that was on accident or not) and not looking back, not even when Peepers called his name.

()()()()()()()()()()

While he definitely wasn’t the most sympathetic or supported Watchdog out there, Peepers did have a lot of experience providing emotional support for his lord. He knew how to cheer Hater up, how to listen (even when the things upsetting him were ridiculous), and was even willing to give back rubs and supportive hugs when they were required.

But even with all of that experience, he still felt like he wasn’t properly prepared for this (and he HATED being under-prepared). But that didn’t matter. And, after one last moment of hesitation, he knocked on the door of what was formerly Smooching Room #3. “Awesome...?” After a few seconds, he opened the door and peeked inside. 

The shark-man was laying on his bed, listening to some random electronic song (at a very high volume, if the fact that Peepers could almost clearly hear it was any indication), though he didn’t seem too into it. Still, it was a decent distraction, hence why he didn’t know that Peepers was there until after he opened the door. He glanced at him, and then paused his MP3 player. “What?” he asked quietly, not really looking at him.

“Well, erm... You left your blaster behind,” Peepers said as he walked in, placing the weapon on his bedside table, “Just thought I’d grab it for you...”

“Kay,” Awesome mumbled, not saying anything else. Honestly, Peepers was kind of waiting for him to start yelling or demanding answers. But when that didn’t happen, the commander decided to speak up once more.

“I wasn’t purposely trying to cause you to fail the simulation, just so you know. I was just-”

The shark finally gave a bit of a reaction at that. “Really? ‘Cause, it don’t seem like that from my end, bro,” he told him, scowling slightly. 

“You’re the one who said that you wanted help getting over your fears,” Peepers retorted. Though, once he heard his own words, he realized that they had come out just a bit too harsh than he had wanted. “I mean, I just thought that it would be a good test for you. A chance to face your fears without the risk of physical harm!”

“Tc’ch, yeah well, you still could’ve given me a warning about it, you know?” Awesome told him, clenching his fists slightly, “But, like... I knew it wasn’t real, you know? Like... I knew it in the beginning, that the holograms couldn’t really hurt me, and I was ready to face them and still actually try to fight them despite knowing that they couldn’t hurt me. But...” His gaze fell to the floor. “But, but then I just... forgot, alright?”

Peepers’ own gaze softened a bit. “...I know... But, you could go do another simulation test if you’d like. Like I said, you have the skills to pass most of them.” He offered a small smile. “You could even try to get into that ridiculous Top Ten Scores if you really wanted to.”

He thought about it for a moment, his eyes still on the shiny, black floor. “...No thanks,” he said eventually before unpausing his music, clearly indicating that he was done for the day (and perhaps for a bit of time after that, too).

“...” Holding back a sigh, Peepers nodded and stepped out, only staying by the door for a moment before walking back down the long hall. “I really didn’t think it would be that big of a deal...” he mumbled to himself. According to his research, exposure therapy was always difficult but usually worth it in the end, and Awesome had been the one who had said he wanted to try and get over his fears. 

“Besides, it’s not like the holo-setting was Dominator’s ship, or that the enemy was Dominator herself...” By all accounts, his theory AND his plan should’ve been successful! Yes, it would have been challenging for the recruit and maybe even a little intimidating, but it also should have led to a moment of personal growth, strength and success for Awesome - not to mention a bit of success for Peepers as well, being his trainer and all. 

...But, perhaps that was his biggest mistake of all. Perhaps he should have known by now that things don’t always go according to plan...

“And this plan was definitely a failure...” For both Awesome and himself. “Hmph...” ...Then again, Peepers never was the type to just take failure lying down. “And maybe... maybe there’s a way to turn this failure around, or at the very least make up for it.” And just like that, the little commander had a new plan in his mind. 

As he mentally hashed out the details, his steps quickened in both determination and in excitement. Oh yes... Even if he was admittedly a bit reluctant to launch said plan, he was certain that this one would work!

The night passed quickly. It hadn’t been a great sleep for the shark-man but it had at least been a decent one, with no nightmares thanks to his headphones blasting music the whole night and distracting the subconscious part of him enough. 

“Not perfect, but it works for now,” Awesome mumbled to himself as he sat up, stretching slightly. After turning off his MP3 player, he turned it off and plugged it into his charger before standing up. But, no sooner had he touched the floor, did he hear a knock at his door. “Hm?” He briefly wondered who it could be before figuring that it would have to be Peepers. Who else would be at his room. “Ugh...” Still, not really having much of a choice, he opened the door.

“Hey.”

Awesome blinked. “Flex?”

“Yep,” the buff fistfighter nodded, “S’up?”

“Uh, not much. Just woke up...” he replied, suddenly feeling a bit self conscious about his uniform and lack of make-up, but he tried his best to shake these feelings off and play it cool. “So uh, what are you doing here, bro?” Sure, they had been talking about meeting up again on Awesome’s next day off, but they always met on his limo-ship (since the Skullship was considered a ‘work-only’ zone, or at least, that was the vibe Awesome always got from it).

“Just figured we could hang,” Flex replied simply with a small shrug, “And uh, your ‘commander’ (he did the air quotes with his fist-head) said it was cool for me to pick you up.”

“Oh...” No doubt an attempt to make up for what happened in the holo-room... Still, Awesome could appreciate it somewhat, though he hoped that Peepers didn’t give away too many details. “Uh, yeah, sure. We can hang.”

“Cool. Though, you think we can stop for some breakfast before we head back to our ship? I’m starving.” Awesome paused, putting a hand on his own stomach. After not having much of a supper the night before, he could definitely use something to eat now. “Besides, I heard a couple of our guys talkin’ to some of the eyeballs here, and apparently this ship’s food court has some pretty good breakfasts?”

The shark-man smirked a bit. “Tc’ch, yeah they do. Surprisingly, the food’s actually one of the better things on this skull.” Definitely worth the extra trip too. So, Awesome stepped out, closed the door behind him, and started to lead the way. “Not nearly enough fish, but still pretty great. Both Hatey and a lot of the watch-dudes here have got a HUGE love for Mexican food. Would you believe that they actually serve churros at breakfast sometimes?”

“Seriously? Huh. Maybe we’ll get lucky and they’ll have ‘em today.” “Heh, yeah, maybe...” As they get closer to the food court though, not only does Awesome pick up on the usual breakfast smells, but also certain sounds. Lots of talking, a bit of cheering, and... music? 

“Wait... Is-? No way...” Picking up his speed a bit, Awesome makes his way to the familiar entryway, only faltering slightly at the fact that the doors are closed before easily pushing through them, and as soon as he’s in the food court, his expression quickly goes from complete shock to total excitement and happiness.

By normal standards, it’s not too crazy of a party. Nowhere near it, in fact, but that doesn’t mean there’s no evidence of effort or enthusiasm put into it. Pink, purple and teal streamers were hung along the walls as well as each food court station. Though, speaking of which, the normal counters were closed and instead the guests were getting their food from a long table. A typical party staple, even if the food being served was anything but, though it was breakfast time so at least the dishes being served made sense.

Stacks of pancakes and waffles next to a syrup fountain, three different kinds of milk to drink served in red plastic party cups, a mountain of various baked goods that were practically smothered in frosting and sugar, plenty of bacon and eggs, a couple actual party foods like popcorn and chips, and - what caught Awesome’s attention the most - a huge plate of sushi, with several different kinds of fish on it to choose from!

Of course, there wasn’t just the food. While there was nothing as cool as a disco ball there, there were a few party lights set up that changed colors and spun slightly. The music playing over the decent-sized speakers sounded like it was taken right from Awesome’s own playlist. All of the Watchdogs there looked like they were having a great time - Heck, he could even see Handy and Hater enjoying themselves through the crowd! Perhaps the best part of all though, was when some of the guests did notice him, there were no awkward stares or curious looks. There were only waves and smiles that happily inviting him into the party that was no doubt at least partially inspired by him.

“...So, pretty good turn out?” He heard Flex ask eventually, still looking as stoic as ever but a smirk clearly evident in his voice.

Awesome chuckled slightly. “Totally... Heh, I don’t think I’ve ever been to a breakfast party before but, still, this is pretty cool - and it definitely looks like a pretty good time too! Heh, thanks man, I really needed this.” He held his hand out for a fist-bump, but was immediately refused. 

“Don’t thank me,” Flex told him, earning another look of shock from his bro and former boss, “I’m just the guy who made sure you didn’t miss this.”

“But then, who-?” He stopped, and after a moment, he gave a quick “See ya in a bit” to Flex before rushing forward and making his way across the party floor. 

Luckily, even with the huge number of Watchdogs there, it didn’t take him long to find the person he was looking for, thanks to a certain tall helmet. “...So, what happened to mister ‘No-Way-Am-I-Ever-Throwing-A-Party-Here’?”

Peepers rolled his eye, but he didn’t scowl. “Let’s just say... I thought that maybe I owed you something, and I wanted it to be something you actually appreciate. Still, don’t be expecting something like this every time I make a mistake or you need some cheering up.”

Awesome chuckled, taking a seat next to the commander. “Yeah, I know. ...And you’re right, I definitely appreciate this. Totes appreciate it, and I’m definitely gonna enjoy it-” Especially since it would probably be the last time he partied for Grop knows how long. “But, I wanted to say thanks before I did.”

Peepers paused, then gave him a small nod. “Well, you’re welcome. Like I said, I did sort of owe you a bit of a compensation for my mistake...”

The shark-man leaned back slightly, grabbing a nearby cup. “Yeah well... You weren’t totally in the wrong, dude. I mean, I did say I wanted your help. And... Maybe the next time I try out that simulation, I’ll actually be able to get through it.” It was certainly an encouraging thought, no matter how unlikely it might have seemed to him at the moment.

“...I think you’d be able to,” Peepers spoke up, “You’d have good odds at doing so, at least. But... We can still work our way up to it. Try out a few other scenarios before revisiting that one.”

“...” Awesome smiled slightly, taking a quick sip of milk. “Yeah... Sounds like a good plan.” It would probably suck, and maybe he would even freak out again, but the more he thought about it, the more he was determined to eventually go through that holo-cave again.

Peepers smiled back, just a little. “Just as I thought it would.”

“Tc’ch, whatevs.” He finished up his drink after just a couple more sips, but before he could try to say his goodbyes to the commander (since he was sure that Peepers wouldn’t stay any longer than he absolutely needed to), a popular EDM song began to play over the speakers. Most of the Watchdogs cheered, and the crowd quickly became a dance floor. And as he watched, Awesome slowly started to grin.

“...Hey Peeps? Dance with me.”

“Excuse me?!” Peepers asked, looking at him like he was crazy, and even throwing in a small glare just in case it was a big joke.

But Awesome just chuckled. “Yeah, come on! Get out on the dance floor, just for one dance!”

Narrowing his eye at the recruit a bit more, Peepers crossed his arms. “Absolutely not.”

“Aww, come on, Peepsqueak! You’ve gotta have some sweet moves that you can show off! And besides, you do kinda owe me~”

Peepers groaned. “Okay, you are absolutely not allowed to bring up the holo-room incident every time you want something!”

“Oh I’m not,” Awesome insisted, still smirking, “I’m just gonna bring it up until you get out on that dance floor. And hey, f-y-info, bro, it’d be for your benefit too. Like I said, everyone needs the chance to party every once in a while.”

“Ugh...” The commander couldn’t help but roll his eye at the idea. Still, he had a feeling that this would be one thing that Awesome wouldn’t drop until he did it. So, making sure to scowl the entire way, he reluctantly hopped down from his seat and started walking to the designated dancing area, with Awesome happily following him. 

It certainly wasn’t the greatest dancing. Definitely not as dorky as Hater’s, but still pretty stiff - especially when compared to the fluidity of Awesome’s dancing next to his. Still, Peepers was no quitter, and as the bass dropped and the song reached its high-energy climax, he did manage to loosen up just a little. His moves still looked somewhat planned, but at least they also looked somewhat natural, and even a little enjoyable.

“Told ya you had some sweet moves in you!” Awesome shouted over the music. Peepers just tried to ignore him and continued dancing, making sure not to make any big missteps in front of his men despite still looking a bit awkward. At the same time, Awesome tried to match his moves, making them look a bit more like a performing pair while still adding in his own unique flair. As a final touch, both of them received huge applause and loud cheers as they struck their final pose on the song’s last beat. Perhaps it had just been a trick in the lighting or something, but Awesome could have sworn that he saw a faint smile on Peepers’ face.

...Of course, it only took a couple seconds for the commander to make his way back off the dance floor, but Awesome didn’t try to hold him back or force him to stay, nor did he feel too upset when he realized that the party would probably only last until the late morning. 

It didn’t matter if it was tame or short, it was still a party, and he was going to enjoy it. He was going to let himself feel good and feel on top of the universe, just like he did at every party he threw or attended, and no matter what training or challenges Peepers or the universe had in store for him, he was going to try to hold onto that feeling as long as he could. Honestly, it was the least he could do, both for the commander and for himself. His big comeback disaster hadn’t been his final party. His failures hadn’t marked his end, and thank grop for that... But, no matter what happened next, he told himself that this party wasn’t going to be his final party either. 

And he was going to make sure of that.

THE END