#are they technically work at a pizza place ocs

[pressure-escapee-au]

Not too sure how to introduce these guys naturally, so before I stop drawing for today here’s Sebastian in his work uniform, as well as his coworkers!

You’ve already met Bacon, even if only briefly. Hoping to expand on these guys more

[marclef]

about to finally start work on the first part of the comic! but i made some nice-looking character sheets for them. (finally happy with how a couple of these guys look heh)

(if you have no idea who the heck eyhm is i've got a post on here here.)

[pennyserenade]

all we ever wanted was everything

interlude i: henry & mariella - fade into you | ao3 link

pairing: javier peña x female oc, javier peña x named female oc (mariella), male oc x female oc rating: e (explicit) tags/warnings: angst, smut, talk of children and pregnancy, marriage, depression, infidelity.  word count: 6.7k summary: theirs is a story as old time: married much too young, certain they were pioneers on those unbeaten paths of love. all they ever wanted was everything & all they ever discovered was how none of it was really as original as they had hoped. it is a love story & it is not.  a/n: you don’t technically have to read this but i think for the sake of the story & all  understanding of mariella as a character, it is recommend. also it does play an important part in the next chapter, but i do think could get by without it.

The clock ticks past midnight at the college library and no one notices. Mariella Tawes and Henry Rath are both little more than lowered heads at the opposite ends of the same room, drawing in the same tedious, steady breaths.

She is studious at the wrong hours, insomniac and homesick, and he is making up for another weekend of fun. His head swarms, full of numbers and equations, and hers tilts, rested on the palm of a tired hand. Mariella’s mouth follows along silently with the words on the page and Henry’s eyes are prone to wandering in her direction. He chances a glance at her now and then, and finds she never looks back, so he grows braver still with the length at which he inspects her each time.

He remembers her name. They had health together last year in that cold, creaky classroom with old Mrs. Severson (who remembered, ironically, as being pretty severe with the deadlines). Her name is Mariella, pronounced Mari-ella. He wonders if she remembers him. She doesn’t seem to notice him from her corner of the world – and didn’t then, either – so he guesses probably not.

Henry is good-looking: hazel eyes, more green than blue, generous nose, boyish smile with a heavy bottom lip, and a head full of thick brown hair that falls shaggily over his ears and cascades just above his eyebrows–just how the girls like it. If you think of an All-American boy–try to conjure up an image–he might be the product you receive. Someone, in the spring of his Freshman year, told him he was the Pacific Northwest’s answer to JFK Jr, so of course he is not alien to the attention of women. He doesn’t really need more of it, but for some reason he’d really like Mariella to look at him just once.

Maybe that’s why he’s staring so hard. It’s not just a glance anymore. He’s inspecting her the way she’s looking at the book in her hands, careful and captivated.

She looks up at him, notices, like she can hear his thoughts. He smiles at her, not as nervous as he ought to be for having been caught. He wanted to be caught. It's the truth. She smiles too, before she ducks her head and finds her book page again. Her cheeks tint red and he feels poorly, but nicely too—liking the idea that he might be something that could make her nervous in a warm way. They go back to their quiet, to their own work, until his hungry stomach upsets the balance in the room thirty minutes later. It grumbles for seconds that feel like hours.

He laughs nervously, embarrassed. She smiles, reserved. “I haven’t eaten in a while,” he says.

“I think the pizza place is open down the street,” she provides kindly. He nods; it is. During the week, he works there. It is odd that he has never seen her there.

“Are you hungry? Would you like to go with me?”  He is personable. Mariella is less so, it seems, but not in an unwelcoming way. He can tell she’s shy. He remembers that she rarely ever raised her hand in class.

She shakes her head. “I’ve got to study.” The book in her hand is lifted, as if to say: see.

He smiles. “That’s fine. I’ll bring one back for us.”

He doesn’t give her the time to protest. When he comes back, cheeks red from the winter bite, he’s got half cheese, half pepperoni. She’s still in the corner, softly whispering a passage to herself. “Which kind?” he asks, opening the box in front of her.

“It’s okay, really,” she tells him. She smiles. “Eat your pizza. I don’t need any.”

“Are you sure?” he frowns.

She shakes her head again. “I don’t want to take your pizza. I’m okay, really,” she insists, still smiling. A polite smile, cushioning a rejection.

He gives up, trying not to act too defeated. He probably wouldn’t take his pizza either, now that he thinks about it. “Okay,” he tells her. He goes back to his side of the room, opens the math textbook that has been making his head feel heavy, and gets back to work. Grease stains the college-lined paper as he begins yet another problem.

“You’re Henry, aren’t you?” she asks out of nowhere.

When he lifts his head, he sees her looking at him from all the way over there. Her finger is tucked in between the pages of her book and she is beautiful in a way he can’t necessarily pinpoint, and wouldn’t want to. He nods sheepishly. Rejection does wonderful things to the ego, especially at hours like this. Even JFk Jr. would blush. “Yeah,” his voice says for him.

“I’m Mariella. I think we had a class together.”

“Yeah, health last term. I didn’t know if you remembered.”

“I did.”

She did. He blooms with his newfound boyish crush.

They are going to fall in love. It’s written between the lines of the grease stained paper his number is sketched on—the one he gives to her just shy of one am, and she keeps for decades after.

—

Leafs fall on campus the day Henry walks Mariella to class for the first time. They meet in the middle of the large university, at the edge of the empty soccer field. She wears a maroon cable knit sweater and her smile grows incrementally as he approaches her. His hair is wet, curling around his ears already, and the wind is biting as it blows in his direction. He wouldn’t have put this off for the world; he’d jog halfway here from the gym, wet droplets falling onto his heather-gray sweater the whole way. Even with the shower, he smells somewhat like chlorine and clean sweat, but he’d made it. His chest burns from the effort, but he beams at the sight of her–a beautiful square toothed smile.

They’ve been seeing each other in that tentative way young people do when they’re not sure what the other one wants; casual non-dates at the cafeterias peppered across campus, kissing in the back of his car with the radio turned down low on weekends; promises to see each other throughout the week. But no one dares to say the word date or boyfriend and girlfriend. They exist in the liminal space of the pre-relationship, and it’s beginning to worry him.

“Want me to carry those?” he asks her, nodding to the books in her hand. They don’t seem to be weighing her down, but the act seems chivalrous and he wants to be helpful, giving. Last night he’d explored the inside of her mouth with his tongue, tasted the salty column of her neck and felt her over her white lace bra. The car had gotten so stuffy, and she’d been grateful to let him draw up her blouse — it had proved rather tantalizing for them both. But as nice as that was, he doesn’t want her to think that’s all he wants.

“It’s okay,” she tells him. He looks so handsome like this: dripping wet, his chest rising and falling, so earnest. He’s got such an intense stare–so imploring.

Henry likes her–really– and she knows it, which scares her most of all. Something about him makes her feel helpless. He is like a cosmic wonder, some shooting star that tails its way across the night sky and fills you with hope – all while making you feel the precariousness of human life.

“You didn’t have to walk me to class, you know? I’ve been doing it by myself for a long time,” she says, though not unkindly. Her voice is always warm with him, even without her trying.

His bottom lip protrudes and his eyes go droopy, as if he is a puppy dog that’s just been kicked. “You don’t mind it, do you?”

“No. No, of course I don’t,” she's quick to clarify. “I just don’t want you to think you’ve got to do it.”

A cloud of relief flushes into the ecosystem of his body. He wears a contented grin as he breathes out: “I do want to. I like being around you, Mariella”

If  he only knew how much she wanted him. She can’t shake this feeling of impending failure, can’t shake how it looms ominously over each interaction they have together. At the dining halls she worries her food choice is wrong. In his car she worries he might have more experience than she does. On walks such as this one, she worries his inspecting gaze will catch an errant behavior, an ugly mark, too much smile or too little—anything—and find her no longer attractive. The fact that he seems so pleasantly happy to be here with her, walking, stuns her more than it ought to. It isn’t that she isn’t pretty. It’s not even that being pretty is what matters most to her. What Henry has brought into her life, along with a pocketful of joy she’s trying her best to ignore, is the realization that she’s afraid she’s not lovable. That something is wrong, always has been wrong, and that when she opens herself to him, he will find it.

“I’d like to take you as my date to this party I’ve been invited to next week.” He broaches the topic gingerly as they round the corner. They branch off into a more secluded pathway that she takes every day to this class. The stony decade old buildings provide an echoey background as he says,“It’s a low stakes affair, just something a friend of mine’s putting together.”

She stares ahead, feeling the lump of fear form in her throat. Now is the time to back out, she thinks. But for some reason she can’t. His body bumps into hers and he apologizes weakly for the misstep. In his voice she can hear nerves. She looks at him. His face is open, nothing to hide on its handsome expanse; he is nervous. “You don’t have to,” he adds quickly, “I just thought maybe since…”

“I’d love to go,” she tells him. Okay, she thinks. This is it. You are going to do this. This being: pursuing him, allowing herself to be pursued, falling in love with him. Getting serious. This is more than she’s ever given to any person in her life and it makes her flush. A grin breaks out across her lips and she feels like laughing. He looks like he feels that way, too.

“Great,” he says. “I…Would you like to have lunch with me? After your class?”

“Yes.”

“Two yeses in a row. I feel like I’ve got a good streak going here.”

“You do,” she laughs. They turn another corner. When they bump into each other again, no one apologizes.

“Mariella?” he asks.

“Yes?”

“Would you be my girlfriend?”

Her eyebrows draw up to her hairline. She looks to see if he’s joking. He is not.

“Okay.” It doesn't take her long to decide. This is a part of the plan, after all, just served up sooner than she imagined. “Yes.” —

In Harvey, James Stewart talks to his imaginary bunny and loses his mind in the most endearing manner. He’s set to the soft volume of six tonight, heard but not always seen. The hues of the movie throw shadows on Henry’s face and Mariella admits to herself that this boy is devastatingly good looking. Her heart thrums nervously in her chest as his warm hand skirts up her leg. They’re going to do it. He’s got condoms in his bedside table and a bottle of lube in the bathroom, if needed.

It isn't Mariella’s first time, nor his, but there’s an exciting freshness to it anyway. He gathers her up in his lap, asks her once, twice, ten times whether or not this is okay. His hand fondles her breasts, grips at the flesh of her ass, and drags a slow path to the waistband of her underwear. She nods against his forehead, warm with desire and flush with excitement. Last week he had fingered her in his car, in a position much like this one. She’s been thinking of it since, let’s it cross her mind at odd and obscure hours of the day. To be wanted by Henry makes her feel good, seen, human. When she thinks of his fingers inside of her, the way he kissed her hotly as his fingers ran over clit…

She moans wantonly and he nods, encouraging her. “Please,” she tells him softly, “Now.”

Suddenly Henry is above her, in her, forearms pitched at either side of her head, tongue in her mouth. Her hands guide his ass and her legs embrace him, the entirety of her body opening for him. He groans softly as he sheaths himself inside of her. Beneath them, the mattress groans from the pressure of their sway. It is nothing. It is everything. People have been doing it for centuries and yet nothing like this, not the way Henry and Mari do it now. It is flesh meeting flesh, the undoing of neatness and propriety that has guarded her for too long. Mariella gasps earnestly when he comes inside of the condom and he kisses her until her lips are red and plump and ache a little. Then he does something no man has done before and he makes her cum too, his lips glossy with her want at the end. She likes him.

In the post-coital aftermath, they finish the movie. He holds her loosely against his naked frame and touches her appreciatively, a thumb stroking a nipple, or her stomach, or some place as innocuous as her cheek. When he tells her that the movie is a favorite of his father’s, a man who calls him once every five years and who he scarcely knows past that single fact, Mariella falls a little in love with him.

Henry Rath understands her before he knows he does.

—-

They move in together, in an apartment close to campus. During the summer they had searched relentlessly for a place, calling long distance from Laredo to Washington, racking up unimaginable phone bills as they circled their newspaper entries with red pens. They hummed and hawed over the possibility of their future and now they stand in it: A plain two bedroom that costs three hundred a month. 

The manager had been so adamant that they take the apartment as soon as possible — “These things go fast because we’re so close to campus” — so they did. Because why not? It's been two years and Henry’s finally got a diploma. He wants to hang it somewhere that’s all his. 

Mariella wraps her arms around his torso and lays her head against his back. She moves with his muscle, listens to him speak through the sinew of his body. “It’s so hot,” he groans, but he doesn’t tell her to get off of him. He bangs a nail into the wall and laughs with boyish pride when it turns out alright. She had told him she worried that his craftsmen skills weren’t up to boot. 

“You did it,” she says, poking her head out from behind him. He lifts an arm and she pulls herself through, hanging off his side. It is hot; she can feel the sweat on the small of his back. They inspect his work with  grins only people in love can wear; soft and pleasant, like life is a cloud and they’re ready to sleep on it. “I probably shouldn’t have,” he responds. But he’s happy he did. 

She nods; she told him so. But this is so new. He is a college graduate and she’s a year out from her own degree. For the first time in her life she will never return home after the year finishes. This fact alone is enough to make Henry warm with excitement. Two summers without her had been long–even with internships to keep him busy. He visited her once, midsummer this past year. Laredo had welcomed him as most places did: with open arms. Mari’s father thought he had a good head on his shoulders, and told her so. And secretly, without her knowledge, Henry had asked the man—who could be intimidating when he wasn’t actively being warm—if asking Mariella to marry him would be alright. 

“At twenty-three it is easy to think you know what the world wants for you,” James told him. But he’d said yes after Henry added on the fact that he wouldn’t do it until Mariella was finished with school. So there’s this apartment and the promise of more to come. It’s pleasant to have so much future, an endless expanse of more stretched out before them. 

They will even thrill at the insanity of shared holidays, divvying themselves up between Laredo (her father’s) and Washington (his mother’s) with a bewildering delight. Their marriage is inevitable, but time is no race. Unlike their parents, they vow to do it right. -

She wears an inexpensive pink gown that her father had bought her for a different occasion–her college graduation–and admires the way her simple gold band looks against the tan of Henry’s suit. It’s fitted, the first he’s ever had. He’s so handsome that she feels a deep and incessant need to just touch him. Her husband. The word feels ethereal and interminable, sweet on the tongue as she nuzzles her head into his neck and whispers it. As they sway along to the soft sound of wedding acoustics, he lays his hand on the small of her back. Married in a church earlier today and celebrating in the back of her grandparents’ sizable home, Mariella feels like she’s beat some magnificent curse. After the reception, they travel into the thick of the Washington woods. He’s gotten them a honeymoon cabin, equipped with a hearth. There is no reception, just trees and the eerie quiet of vast woodlands. What is usually the makings of a horror movie seems a respite with him.

She wraps herself around him in an armchair, moves into his lap, lets herself gasp with pleasure. There is no one around to hear. He tastes like forever, his tongue finding her own, his cock deep inside of her. They move like they did when they were dancing, a sway, his hips meeting her hips, a rhythm so comfortable and easy as to allow for conversation.

“Two children,” he rattles off, tucking her hair behind her ear. He looks down between them, his voice heavy with his own desire as he watches them connect. Henry. He’s got a mole on his cheek and he wants to fill her with children. His wedding ring rests against the softness of her curves and hers presses into the firmness of his bicep. Two children, he says, because he and Mariella are the only children to two sets of parents who didn’t work out. It’s lonely being the only creation. She nods against his forehead and presses her lips to his. They gasp into each other as he fills her deeper.

She’s on birth control so the sentence is little more than a fairy tale, but they like it. Maybe it’s sweet naïveté or honeymoon foolishness. Perhaps it’s the fact that they’re tucked away in the trees, no one coming to disturb them for a week, not even in the form of a phone call. Whatever it is, they enjoy it. They form these stories between them, hips moving together in wedded sync. She feels him deep inside of her and her cheeks tint red as he tells her, against the cusp of her ear, “Let’s make them now, Mariella.”

It’s so easy to agree knowing it can’t happen. Playing pretend like children, except now the concepts are grander and the playing is different, a shade more intimate. She closes her eyes and imagines hazel-eyed children in a beautifully lit house, their little feet in the palm of her hand. Their toes will look like his; their smile will look like hers. Maybe they will inherit something from his mother. Maybe something of her father’s. It doesn’t matter. There will be two and they will not be lonely, and they will be half of him and she will love them just as much, if not more.

Her and Henry are going to grow old together. They’ve discovered love, really discovered it, a groundbreaking newness to the oldest thing in the world. It's never been like this, not between anyone else. Mariella is so sure.

- During the first summer of their new marriage, Henry makes friends with the principal of a private Catholic school. They stand cart to cart in a long checkout line and find common ground on a topic as simple as Sunday night football. By the time they reach the end of the line, Henry’s got himself an interview. They need an accountant as badly as he needs a job. In the parking lot, holding a package of hot dogs in one hand, he leans forward and shakes the man’s hand with the other. He is so pleased with himself that he calls Mariella as soon as he gets to the car.

He gets the job because he’s Henry: lovely, affable, and qualified. He does a good job. Such a good job, in fact, that they take Mariella on too.

At first she is a helper for a large second grade class, but then she matures quickly into a full fledged teacher herself. Mrs. Miller has a baby in December and decides the baby needs her more than her little classroom does. There is talk of Mariella being set to take on kindergarten next year, too because Ms. Neely, a seasoned kindergarten teacher, is ready to move up with her class.

The air is full of promise. Their future feels nearer and nearer every day. They buy a moss green ranch house with a downstairs and an upstairs, and two extra rooms for anything they want. They get the approval to paint it tan by the Homeowners association and they laugh together about the fact that they have to ask for things like that.

Henry falls asleep on the couch sometimes, too tired to drag himself to bed but they are happy. They married young and people told them it would be hard. And it’s not terribly hard, not as bad as they made it seem. He is still adoring. He brings her flowers for no reason, and he still loves her enough to take her on dates every Saturday night, no matter what. She can’t ask for much more.

——

Henry’s wearing a red baseball cap. His cotton white t-shirt is paired with blue-wash Levi jeans and he looks devastatingly good–like a baseball player on a day off. It is the school’s annual end of summer picnic. Mariella wears a pink summer dress that falls to her ankles, and a delicate gold cross on her neck to make up for the indency of bare shoulders. Children and parents alike call her “Mrs. Rath” as she helps pass out food.

One of the mothers is flirting with Henry, the way mothers tend to do because school accountants don’t usually look like this. It makes Mariella ache with pleasure. His muscle is flexing beneath the cotton of his shirt as he plays idly with a baseball in his hand and listens to the woman. It’s like he’s James Dean or Marlon Brandon: an American dream lover in the flesh. He is all hers.

The mother looks at him like he’s the greatest thing on God green’s earth and he’s so polite, so kind, nodding along to her like he doesn’t notice. Perhaps he doesn’t. She wouldn’t put it past Henry.

He turns his head and sees her. He begins waving like crazy and the mother turns her head to look too. When she sees Mariella she smiles like a woman who understands, or one who’s been caught, and nods her head respectfully. I see, the move says. And Mariella beams. Yes, she thinks warmly, he is all mine.

She finds she wants to bury herself in the love he has for her. She’ll give him children, of this she is certain. Not now, but one day. They both intrinsically understand this, so he doesn’t ask and she never says. Their condoms and their concepts stretch on, because they are so young and life is so sweet with ripe possibilities, but she knows, looking at him, that she must do this for him. She loves him more than anything. If she is going to give anyone children, it has to be him.

-

Her mother was older than this by the time she had her.

Henry and Mariella experience a shift, eat separate dinners on Wednesdays and Fridays, and make friends with people at work. He goes golfing sometimes, talks about country clubs and moving away. This is ennui. She shrugs, content with life but open to the possibilities. Or is she content? Is this just boredom she’s grown used to? She finds it’s better not to think about that. It is contentment.  

One night Henry asks her about babies. It is not a forbidden topic but they’ve begun to treat it like it is. He has come home late, a little buzzed, and he is groping her. She doesn’t mind. It has been two weeks. “When?” he asks softly into her ear. She leans back into him, hums. He humps against her backside and seems to forget she doesn’t answer.

She has children. Fourteen, all small and bright and lovely. There’s a precocious little girl who she favors, and almost makes her consider the possibility of it. It just doesn’t seem like the right time now.

Some day, she will give him his children.

They are still young. There is so much time. –

Over a cup of coffee, Mr. Seton confesses to Mariella that he loves her. His classroom is across the hall from hers and he seems to be her only friend these days. They’ve bonded over many things: music, old movies, the fact that they’ve both got busy, active partners and that they are the youngest on the roster this school year. Henry has so many friends, and seems to make a new one every week, despite the fact that his job is rather isolated. It makes Mari nervous, like there’s something wrong with her. When Mr. Seton – whom she calls Adam when there are no children around – tells her he loves her, she feels betrayed. You were my friend, she wants to tell him, in the same tone she uses to tell a student she is disappointed in them.

When she gets home, she tells Henry. He is upset—not at her, he makes sure to clarify—but at Adam. He asks her all kinds of questions about him, and though they are spoken in a gentle tone, she knows: Henry is upset at her, even if he says he’s not. It’s an undercurrent, his anger, his frustration.

“He knows I’m married,” she adds hopefully, as if it will help. But she has wondered all day if maybe she hasn’t been doing a good job at showing how married she is–wondering if maybe somewhere along the way Adam had figured out something she hadn’t. When Henry asks, “And Adam’s wife? Does he not think of her?” she knows the questions are meant for her, at least in part. And Mariella’s husband? Does she not think of him?

Henry loves Mariella more than he has ever loved anyone. If this divide they’re experiencing is because of children then he won’t ever ask about them again. He hadn’t even meant to. He’d gotten a little tipsy that night and it had slipped out, but it doesn’t matter to him. Not this much. He’ll do anything if it means that goddamn teacher won’t tell Mariella things like that again. Next time he sees her–tomorrow–Mr. Seton will know Mariella is too goddamn in love–that it will be pointless and embarrassing to confess something like that. Their love is invincible and this is just a kink because they married young. Everyone said they’d go through rough patches and this is one of them. How dare that man think his confession could come to anything?

“Mr. Seton, love your own wife,” Henry can imagine himself saying to the be-speckled, wannabe home-wrecker. He is nothing if not equable, even to those who threaten his domain, his life. “You’re going through a rough patch, and my wife will not be your garden of Eden. She loves me. She tells me what you said. Your secrets are her stories to me, because she loves me.”

Maybe not so equable, then, not in his own mind. Not to Mr. Seton. Not to fucking Adam.  

Later Henry fingers Mariella on the staircase. They don’t make it to the bedroom because they can’t; it's needy and desperate. It feels like before, like she is twenty and he is twenty-two and this is that shitty apartment they rented together their second summer as a couple. It feels like that until he asks her to say she loves him. She does, and he asks again, over and over and over, and he swallows the words in his mouth along with her moans. They go down like stones, hard and sharp. They are true–she does love him–but they are also just words, yet to be eroded by the pleasures of deep meaning.

Mr. Seton loves her, but Henry loves her more.

She loves me, she loves me not.

God, they married so young.

- A third anniversary. They don’t think of children, at least not together. Henry does, but it makes him ache so he tries not to. They’ve got a lifetime ahead of them and Mariella is not yet even thirty. They will have her eyes, her mouth. They will have his eyes, his nose. They will be perfect and loving and worth the trouble and the time and this desperation he can’t seem to fix.

Mariella forgets to say she loves him in the morning before work but remembers many more times throughout the day. This is just life.

- They argue. It is so rare that they do. They are not like this.

It is angry. His anger is large, not violent, but it makes her lip trimble anyways. For the first time in her life, she thinks she could hate him. She does. But then she doesn’t. She loves Henry so much and this is her fault. She works so late, comes home too tired to do anything but sleep.

“What does a teacher even have to do that late, Mariella?” he bellows and it is an ugly accustation. She counters: “Are you saying my job is somehow less important than yours? You don’t think I need to stay out as late as you because what–you make more?”

The argument becomes about so much of nothing in the end. Henry wanted to go on vacation—and it was only a suggestion. She was unrelenting and mean and they end the night by fucking. Fucking, unlike anything they’ve done before. It is ugly and they don’t use a condom. He cums on her thigh, mostly, and she is afraid two weeks later when her consistent period isn’t consistent anymore.

She doesn’t buy a pregnancy test to assuage her fears, not that first week, and she doesn’t tell him. The thought of it makes her sick. She can’t bring a child into this. It is so boring and ugly, and they are so young. She has fourteen kids in her class and she doesn’t want to take time away to be a mother. Not yet. She knows she will not be like Ms. Miller and he will not understand. Henry aches to be a parent. She can’t barely handle it, the way he aches. When her period comes she wants to be happy, but she is so notably unhappy now. Henry worries more about the teacher who confessed she loved her, to the point of quiet paranoia. He asks her so many questions about him. He finds the pregnancy test in the trash. They don’t talk about any of it. - Henry doesn’t want to divorce Mariella, but he realizes that he has to. He’s watching a movie late at night and she’s gone, at a conference for teachers and he is so excited for her to get home, wants her more than ever. But he knows what will come is not the Mariella he needs. It’s this idea he’s in love with, and maybe he’s that to her too. Ideas don’t stretch very far.

She doesn’t love him anymore. Not really. Not the way he needs her to.

They discuss it in the shower when she returns. He can’t tell if she’s crying as she leans her head back into the water spray. “It’ll cost money,” she tells him, so matter-of-fact he wonders whether or not it's a badly timed joke. It is and it isn’t. She loves Henry. She only said it so she wouldn’t promise babies to make him stop talking about it. Because she can’t do that. Not yet. Not now. Probably not ever. She is only twenty-six.

She read once that babies inherit fears and anxieties of the mother when they are in her womb. Her mother had been twenty years old and scared to death of her, of the idea of having to care for her alone. Maybe that’s where she got this: a fear of motherhood. Or maybe she’s just wrong, born out of sorts. She’s got a maternal instinct but an emotionally barren womb. It's no man’s land, working but unavailable. Everything will come out wrong somehow, she knows. If God was that cruel to Eve, what’s stopping him from doing something as twisted as that to her? Nothing.

Henry will never understand that. She is only twenty-six today and next time she will be only twenty-seven. Or maybe she will just be twenty-six and divorced. Who knows?

—

It's raining so hard outside that they’re wet from the downpour. He’s kissing her like he’s never kissed her before. Her lips are cool against his own. She shivers, drenched. They are going to be fine. She is an April baby and it always rains on her birthday. He gives her a necklace that’s too expensive but just her taste. They discuss a child quietly in bed that night and he is so excited. She is twenty-seven and terrified. They are going to be alright.

Aren’t they? - Henry asks Mariella for a divorce in the summer. By Christmas they are. She goes back to Laredo, tail between her legs. She doesn’t eat properly for months, but life moves on. - He invites her to the wedding. They promised to remain friends and this is how he is  a friend. She knows it’s not mean, that Henry really wants her there. The wife looks so different from her. She wonders how badly she must’ve fucked him up. Mariella declines. She is meant to be a good friend the way she was meant to be a good friend: hardly. - He is a father to a baby girl. Her name is Emily and she is their concept, an idea they formed together as a married couple, come to life with some other woman. She doesn’t have anything of Mariella’s, not the eyes or the mouth or the nose. Mariella tells him congratulations so earnestly she hates herself for it later. She is in Washington to visit her grandparents. Her grandpa is dying, which is something she might’ve told him before, but can’t now. He has a child! The grocery store is so overwhelming, all that bad fluorescent lighting and passing carts. She just needs soup. He tells her to keep in touch, really means it because he’s so goddamn happy and full of life. A beaming new father. She doesn’t keep in touch. Of course she doesn’t. - Randomly, he writes to her. Asks how she is, says that he wonders about her. His daughter is yay high and his wife is happy. Mariella writes back. She’s got a new job as a teacher. It’s been a good week so she sends the letter and forgets about it until he sends one back. They talk and talk and talk, safety in the miles between them.

She is happy to be his friend. - She visits her aunt and her grandmother at the beginning of summer. Henry isn’t on her mind until he’s in her line of vision. Another grocery store. She’s wearing a summer dress and her hair is shorter than it’s been in ever. His daughter tugs at his shirt and they stare at each other forever, remembering the life they had once lived. He asks about dinner. She says yes. Of course. They’re good friends.

They spend the night having sex, and it’s familiar. It  isn’t supposed to be like this. He is home. She was so young when she fucked it up. They are in love or maybe not. Maybe this is just the past mistaking itself for the present. That happens when you get lonely enough.

“You’re so…” Henry stutters off. His fingers dig into her hips, his groan deep as she fits herself over him again. “Tight,” he finishes. “God, Mariella. It..” His pace quickens, the sound of bare skin hitting bare skin evading the sex scented air. “It’s never been like this.”

Her skin tints red. A furrow settles between her eyebrows and he wrongfully mistakes it for mounting pleasure. She feels his satisfaction between her legs, his moan low and guttural as he takes in the sight of her above him. When he opens his mouth to speak again, she raises her hand, covering his wet lips with her fingers. The unashamed obscenity of his words is so unlike him. She never thought about the ways he’d be attuned to his other wife, about the ways doing this with him would make her think of the fact that he’s no longer hers. He takes her finger in his mouth, his hot tongue eagerly swirling around it.

His eyes connect with hers for the longest second in the world. They are the most promising thing she’s ever seen, wet with silent apology and the pain of their enduring love. Maybe even a little bit of remorse. He’s a cheater, after all, and she is his willing accomplice.

Beneath the soft orange hue of the bedside lamp, his eyes are green, freckled with familiar browns and blues. She replaces her finger with her tongue in his mouth. He tastes achingly of home, of their abandoned Washington ranch house someone else probably owns now. It’s so ironic she could cry. He does, a little; their kiss becomes salt drenched and tragic, but real, honest, like it should’ve been at the beginning and not now, some place even further beyond the end.

He twitches inside of her. He pushes her downward, so close to his chest that her nipples scrap over his chest.

Her cheek rests against the warmth of his lips.

She is gone by morning and he frowns, touching her side of the motel bed like he’s not quite sure she is really occupied by it. But she did. He remembers. Hip to hip, mouth to mouth, married in memory. When he gets home, his little girl opens her arms and giggles into his embrace. His wife is in the office, the one they share. She is also an accountant and she doesn’t ask where he’s been, but he tells her anyway. “Was at work,” he lies.

She believes him, because why shouldn’t she? He is always at work.

—

It has been three months. He leaves her a voicemail once, twice, three times and she deletes them all. His wife does not know. His daughter asks him why he’s gone so much. He cries in the shower and wonders why the hell he lets Mariella ruin his life.

And the answer is as simple as anything, but no less painful: because he loved her first and he might love her always. He is envious of the men he cannot know exist--the ones he imagines might be entertaining her. He wants to fly to Laredo, to ruin her life, but does not. Life moves on.

All they ever wanted was everything. He realizes that was too much. He will settle for half of it. 

[theragamuffininitiative]

☕️🥧 (a delicious snack!)

A delicious snack indeed! 😊👏

☕ coffee or tea: describe your OC’s favorite place to relax.

Mostly sticking with my western bc it's the foremost in my brain even though technically the MCs are not my OCs but shhh : Lasater is an extrovert living a very isolated life, so his favorite place to relax is with people. When on the trail of the outlaws he can never truly relax, so he finds it a great relief each town he stops in. Any local business or public eatery is where he spends his time - partially bc of information gathering of course, but also bc he can get a plate of food and some good conversation. He makes friends easily and he's always a little sorry to leave. Sonny is also rather extroverted and an entertainer. His favorite place to relax is in a circle of people hearing their stories and making them laugh, or playing them a new song on his guitar.

🥧 pie: let’s talk about food in your wip. are there any special recipes or traditional meals? do any of your OCs cook or bake?

Since I answered for the cowboys already, I'll have to confess now that food is a part of worldbuilding I struggle with. I struggle with worldbuilding in general (which makes writing an historical fiction both a blessing and a curse bc the info exists but I have to find it and make sure it is correct lol).

I really need to give this more attention in my other stories, I'm sure River in Cloy has both fae and human meals and treats she loves to return to when going between realms, and things that her roommates make - a few of them love to cook! I'm terrified of sci-fi food but I should take the plunge in Air Jumper, maybe go full Star Wars on just random made up foods that have no real basis in the worldbuilding anyways. XD And I haven't yet decided what my police detective Colin thinks of deep-dish pizza with his move to Chicago in Only the Broken... (that boy needs somebody to cook for him, and this is why Meg and Saturday are doing the Lord's work over there) but he did give a local burger joint a low rating in one chapter. XD I have more commentary on hospital food with him than normal food. 😂

Thank you for dropping by with a tasty snack! 😋

[stonecoldhedwig]

Fic List

I have not done an updated fic list in a while, so here it is! I want to finish up my WIP this year, and then in the works I have a Dating App AU Jily fic (Remus is a dairy farmer?); another Oxford Chronicles installment; a massive Jily Hogwarts era thing; a Lily Luna/OC Quidditch AU; and about 19 other ideas.

WIP

A Great Many Things (M, eventual E; Alicia Spinnet/Oliver Wood; canon compliant; probably my favourite OC ever)

Celandine (E; Wolfstar, Jily, Blackinnon, literally every ship ever; open relationships; magical AU)

Coming, Evans? (M, but eventually E; magical AU inspired by Around the World in 80 Days; Jily and Wolfstar)

Highgate Mews (M; established Wolfstar, Jily & Dorlene; Muggle AU; part of the Marauders Map series)

Honeybee Mine (M; Muggle AU; Jily and Blackinnon; James Potter keeps bees)

The Shoelaces Case; or, the many ways to spend your 37th birthday (M; Blackinnon; magical AU; time travel)

Use Your Best Colours (T; canon from Hedwig's perspective; it's so stupid)

Multi-Chapter fics (completed)

In Love and Death We Don't Decide (M; eventual Blackinnon and Jily; Hogwarts era fic)

Miracles series (James Potter as the Boy Who Lived):

A Bitter Little Eucharist (T; established Wolfstar and Jily)

The Marauders' Map series:

Hepburn Avenue (M; text fic; utter chaos as the Marauders meet the girls at uni)

Canterbury Lane (T; Wolfstar; Remus checks Sirius out in a car)

Costa del Sol (T; text fic; established Jily and Wolfstar; the gang go on holiday; currently unfinished for a really petty reason and tbh, probably staying like that)

Caraway Street (E; established Jily and Wolfstar; the post-uni years)

Peverell Hall (G; fluff; James Potter's idyllic childhood)

The Oxford Chronicles series:

The Paintbox (M; Blackinnon, background Jily and Remadora; Muggle AU)

Jily One-Shots

A Little Bloom of Hope (T; Muggle AU; flower shop)

Better Ways (G; pre-relationship)

James Potter and the Case of the Lacy Black Bra (E; everyone lives)

Last Rites (E; canon compliant; emotional smut)

My Heart is Overcome (Gen; canon compliant; fluff and angst)

The Parting Glass (T; fluff)

The Way the Light Looks (T; fluff, but in an angsty setting)

Blackinnon One-Shots

Confession (M; love confessions)

Oceans and Glaciers (E; ok, it's actually a 2 shot, but hey ho; very explicit)

Wolfstar One-Shots

Mosaic (E; 8 one-shots with a lot of different kinks, I guess)

Snowed In (T; first kiss; Hanukkah; Jewish!Remus)

Until It Shines (G; mild angst but also very fluff; canon divergence)

Hinny One-Shots

A Lesson Overheard (E; first time[ish]; canon compliant)

A Place for Hidden Things (T; canon compliant; post-canon; sad but with a happy ending)

Opaline (E; post-war; angry sex and unhealthy coping mechanisms)

Three Gnomes in a Knitted Trench Coat (G; technically canon compliant; a bit of a crack fic tho)

Misc. One-Shots

Afternoon Delight (E; Colin Creevey/Draco Malfoy; yeah, I hate myself too)

Enough Pizza to Feed a Horse (G; canon compliant[ish]; the OotP girls hang out)

Giving Us Doomsday (T; angst; original OotP celebrating New Year)

God Bless the Shed, and All Who Sail in Her (G; fluff and humour; the Potters being Potters)

hoax (G; Marlene/Gideon; angst; implied cheating)

Remember that You are Dust (M; 2nd person POV; the universe addresses the Marauders at the time of their deaths)

The Theory of Relativity (T; established Jily and Wolfstar, previous Remadora and Blackinnon, but not in a misogynist way; Lily is enby)

Rabastan Lestrange/Narcissa Malfoy fics

coney island (M; angst; sex; adultery)

The Burning Edge of Dawn (M; angst; who is Draco's dad?)

Collabs

All's Well That Ends Well (even if it takes four years) with a lot of people (E; Wolfstar; angst then fluff)

WIP: The Secret "Oral" History with @jennandblitz (E; 1980s university; lots of drugs; we affectionately call this Coke Fic)

WIP: We Were Electrified with @siriusly-sapphic (M; how the Lestrange twins became the worst people ever)

[lostrealities0]

Finding Home part 2

Part 1 - Next

"Oh. Sorry." They took a moment to look around the restaurant, and returned to staring at Hueso. They sounded...young. Couldn't be much older than the turtle boys. "I was just- I didn't know how to enter."

Hueso eye widened. "You knocked earlier."

They stood up, nodding. The black goop solidified for the most part into skin and clothes. Features formed on their face and their eyes stopped glowing, revealing dark pupils.

"How long were you out there?"

"I don't know. Maybe...three hours?" They shrugged. The casual gesture contrasted with their stiff body. It was a look that Hueso was very familiar with. A confident facade to disguise fear and disconnect, one his Pepino used to wear a lot.

Something tugged in Hueso's ribcage. This was a kid. A kid that stood outside in an alleyway for hours alone. A kid that's scared but trying to hide it. It didn't take a genius to figure out something was wrong.

Hueso asked the first thing that came to mind. "Are you in danger?"

They hesitated. "No."

"Do you need anything?"

This time, he never got an answer. He signed, running a bony hand down his face. Why him? Why did all the teens go to him? The said teen's stomach growled. "Alright. You sit." Hueso pointed at a nearby table. "I will get something for you to eat."

"I don't have any money-"

Hueso cut them off. "On the house. If you feel bad, make it up to me later. For now, sit."

The dark being obeyed, awkwardly pulling out a chair.

Several minutes later, Hueso returned with a small pizza, a salad, and some water. When they didn't take anything, he slid the platter closer. Immediately, they chugged the glass of water, careful to place it down gently. Hueso refilled it while they worked on the food.

"My name is Señor Hueso."

The teen stopped eating. "Hola," their voice was quiet.

That was concerning. "You don't have to share your name if you are not comfortable with doing so."

They looked to the side. "I don't...I don't like my name."

"That's alright. You can be called whatever you want to be called...niño? Niña?"

"Niño. I'm a boy." The kid smiled a little.

"Good to know." Hueso let him finish eating before speaking again. It pained him to see the kid eat so desperately, even more so when Hueso recognized that he was trying to hold himself back. He couldn't help but wonder how long it had been since the teen had food. Concern flooded the skeleton. He thought about his son, how he couldn't bare the thought of the boy going through something like this.

Hueso wasn't an altruist. He didn't go out of his way to help others. But he was a father.

Y este niño lo necesitaba.

---

---

A/n under cut

Once again, thanks for reading! If there are any errors, please let me know!

The oc/reader can be interpreted as trans or not. I'm technically writing him as trans, but not really mentioning it (not liking your name doesn't have to be dysphoria related). He does identify with nonbinary as well, however he mainly uses he/him pronouns and almost always describes himself as male.

I love representation, and as a trans guy myself, I love being seen. But at the same time, I don't want having the label "trans" being attached to me, nor the character. Yes, I'm a trans man, but I'm also just a man. Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of being trans and have no issues with showing that, but it's not all that I am, and I don't want that to be all this character is either.

Sorry for the rant. Tl;dr: whether or not he is trans is not important for the story. I may change this in the future. Either way, he's a boy :)

[thrushforreal]

Batfam Ages and Other Things

So technically I guess this would be an au, because of my oc and tweaking of characters ages, but most things stay the same and I’m not ever really planning on writing any full blown stories. I don’t trust myself to get the character characterizations right, having only just started to get very interested in the Bat Family. Bolded names are what they go my what now, that out of the way here we go!

Alfred Pennyworth/Agent A: 67 yrs old

Bruce Wayne/Batman: 44 yrs old

Richard ‘Dick’ Grayson/Robin/Nightwing: 23 yrs old

Jason Todd/Robin/Red Hood: 19yrs old

Timothy ‘Tim’ Drake-Wayne/Robin: 15yrs old

Trace Drake-Wayne/Thrush: 15yrs old

Stephanie ‘Steph’ Brown/Spoiler/Robin: 15 yrs old

Cassandra ‘Cass’ Cain/Batgirl: 16yrs old

Barbara ‘Babs’ Gordon/Batgirl/Oracle: 25yrs old

Okay, ages and aliases out of the way! So lets see if I can get this into a comprehensible type beat of a timeline. Basically everything before Bruce becoming Batman is the same, parents die, Alfred stepping in being a father figure. Where I am going to really start is the night Dicks parents passed. So in the comics, and in other places and sites, its said that Tim was 5 when he went to the circus with his parents, I've shifted that back 1 year he’s 4 now. Why? Because I can, and it’ll make things move smoother. So because he is now 3 yrs old obviously he can’t really remember things very well from that young, but you know how you have these really vivid memories of like one or two things from when you were really young? Lightbulb memories, and that’s what the circus is for Tim, a lightbulb memory. His parents had brought him to a circus (Trace unable to come having come down extremely sick but Jack and Janet couldn’t go any other time it was to important), and he met this really bright personality person that hugged him so tight, tighter than he can ever remember, and he whispers something to him. But that's all he remembers, not before where his parents talk about this being a good opportunity to try and talk Bruce Wayne into a company partnership, or afterwards in the chaos of the Flying Grayson's dying. So, Dick’s 12, Tim’s 4 which make Trace 4 as well, making Jason 8, Bruce 22 and Alfred 45. (Age difference are because of birthdays happening, it all works out)

Five years later tiny 9 year old Tim is hopping rooftops, with his twin chasing behind him with various types of bandages cause their parents are out of town and their babysitter is very much asleep and nothing short of an atom bomb will wake her up, taking pictures of Batman and Robin. He snaps a picture and witnesses Robin execute a trick that only one person should be able to do. A trick that hes’ heard mentioned in one of the only stories his parents will tell him and his twin. Bruce Wayne and Richard Grayson were Batman and Robin. Shortly after the mantle of Robin passed on to a new person, Bruces new ward, 13 year old Jason Todd.

Through the next three years and some months the two children would continue to jump rooftops following the vigilantes during the night. When not doing unnecessary parkour at night their either at school, both being smart enough to move up to sophomore year by the age of 12, skateboarding, Tim, studying medical books because someone has to keep their brother alive, Trace, trying to figure out if the oven should be smoking like that when they’re making pizza, both of them. When their parents are home it usually coincides with a gala being help so they would be dressed up for their parents tastes and attend in silence. One gala that sticks out to the both of them was held at Wayne Manor, their parents had set them free, planning on finally getting Wayne to agree to a partnership between their companies. The two snuck around the edges of the room, Trace tripping on their dress a couple of times falling into her brother, giggling. They ran into an older boy, also hanging around the edges of the room, for different reasons, looking uncomfortable. Tim was frozen with excitement from seeing Robin in person so up-close instead of from behind a camera lens. Trace saw a kid, an older kid sure but a kid, who unlike her and their brother wasn’t as comfortable with high society. The rest of the night the trio were quite inseparable, sneaking beneath tables and into other rooms in the manor, under Alfreds watchful eyes of course.

Of course this of era of time couldn’t last forever, and it ending with a death. Robin had run off to Switzerland, Batman not far behind him. The twins couldn’t follow them, not without making their parents suspicious. Eventually news came, but not in the way either of them were hoping. Jason Todd had died, the reason not to revealed to the public. Their parents were back in town for the funeral, the three kids had grown a little close in their civilian identities. Batman became more violent during his patrols, and Tim couldn’t make himself take pictures after the first couple of times. Three months passed before He couldn’t take it anymore, travelling to Bludhaven to Dick Grayson's apartment. Because Batman needs help, not just help he needs a partner, he needs a Robin. Dick said no, he couldn’t be Robin again, after Tim explained how he knew, but agreed that Tim was right. Batman did need help, and he would help as Nightwing, but not Robin. Five months after Jason had passed and Tim confronted Batman on a night that was more peaceful than most. Batman was flung into memories of catching a child stealing the tires off of his batmobile. He was refused, Batman didn’t want to be responsible for another childs death. Six months after the second Robin had died 12 year old Trace opens the door to Alfred Pennyworth. They knew what he was here for and called Tim down. And so the third Robin came into play, Batman agreeing to help train him. If the kid was going to go out anyway, he might as well make sure he’s prepared. Not long after Robin came into play, did another Vigilante make an appearance, Thrush.

Thrush only kept their identity secret for about a year before Batman figured them out and started training them to, by this time Nightwing had begun to help with Robins training so he also helped with Thrush. Thrush was an on field medic more than anything else, shown by the red cross on their chest where the Robins symbols was on her brothers uniform. They had a lot of experience with patching wounds, from night excursion cuts to belt lash's on the back. Their knowledge only grew over the years with Alfred and Dr Thompkins help.

When the two were 15 the Red Hood came onto the scene. And he seemed to have a vendetta against Robin and Batman. After a bad run in with the Red Hood at the Titan’s Tower Tim was put on bed rest for a while, and after he was off it was supposed to be benched from patrol. He would sneak out anyway so Batman made him promise to not go out without Him or Nightwing. It was a particularly quite night, one that Thrush wouldn’t be needed on, so Trace stayed at the Drake manor, planning on trying out a cake recipe Alfred gave them. The years where they made to oven smoke from making things far behind them. She was mixing the ingredients when there was a crash from the upper level of the house, the lights flickered and the power went out. In the dark Trace and Tim are practically indistinguishable besides their voice, that might have been the reason Red Hood came after them if they hadn’t known their name.

Red Hood took them, luring out Batman and Robin. He was focused on The Bat for the altercation allowing Tim to sneak and grab Trace. Unfortunately they were noticed as they were leaving and in the resulting chase they lost Batman. Tim and Red Hood fought, Robin taking considerably more hits that the Hood. After a while Tim was on the ground with Thrush standing in between them, ready to take any more hits for her brother. It was at this moment that Red Hood took of his helmet, “I’m not here to hurt you Trace. Just the replacement.” Twin gasps came from them, because behind the helmet was someone they both knew. It was their Robin, their hero, and their next door neighbor, Jason Todd back from death. Seeing Trace refusing to move, because that's their brother fuck you very much, even when Tim tells them too Jason leaves clutching his head. They were found not to long after by Nightwing and taken to the cave.

Things pretty much go in the direction you would think they do. Batman is confronted about Joker by Jason, Bruce and Dick get all teary eyed about him being alive and he is now slowly warming back up to his father, older brother, and two snot-nosed kids that are his younger siblings that don’t know their part of the family yet. And that’s were we are right now in the au. In the future Damian, Duke, and probably others will be added. I believe that’s all for now!

[cryptidofthekeys]

Nigel and Frank

Alrighty! I’m posting my silly lil Pizza Tower OCs, are they perhaps too serious for a game like this? fgjkdjgfkd probably- I made Franks fucking horrifying ...Unintentionally technically but then when I thought about his appearance i was like

ah,, thats horrible- uhhh TWs for Murder (blame Frank for that one) and a Panic Attack

also if you see anything inconsistent ignore it fgjkdldkjfsd all my OCs change over time, also tried to work on them when I was still exhausted

but either way,, take these two while I work on the third and final one

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| Names: Nigel and Frank

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| Nicknames: Nigey (nigh-gee) and Franky or Franks

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| Genders: Nigel goes by He/They and Frank goes by He/Him

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| Ages: Idk specifics for ages for these idiots but they are adults

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| Heights: Nigel is 4’11” meanwhile Frank is 6’8”

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| Species/Races: Nigel is a Pizzard and Frank is one of those, idk if those things have a name unfortunately but its the weird butcher sausages in that one fnaf inspired level

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| Occupations: Nigel is a fucking W I Z A R D, they magic! And Frank is just,, a butcher

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| Eye Colors: Nigel’s eyes are just black pupils and Frank’s… Eugh… He just carved Xs for his eyes (no real reason for the Xs, it was just the easiest) and he even carved himself a mouth, don’t ask me how but he has razor sharp teeth (are they his? …Maybe)

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| Body Types: Nigel I guess is average? He’s just, a shadow dude- Frank is big and w i d e.

| Appearances: They’re appearances are nothing special- like… Literally they just wear the outfits they do in game because I’m too lazy to think of anything else, the funniest thing though, if you take Nigel’s cloak off- They are just a shadow figure, just eyeballs on a shadow-

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That’s about all I can say seeing as I’m not changing anything here sooo… (I only really changed the butcher sausage, giving Frank X eyes and teeth and a mouth)

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| Personality: Onto the personalities of these lads! So like,, Nigel knows he’s supposed to be an enemy to that,, weird pizza guy- Peppino? Yeah, that’s his name- …Weird… Name but aight- whatever- They literally do NOT want to deal with that chef, yeah no fuck that nonsense- Nigel wants no part of Peppino.

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They’d never admit it even though they’ve made it blatantly obvious but they are scared of that bastard, he’s seen the way he’s fucking just RUN at enemies and that alone was enough to make Nigel shake his head and go ‘yeah I’m not doing this’

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Literally fucking b o l t s when they see the chef in the fucking DISTANCE even if he’s not approaching them, wants nothing to do with him- Aside from his crippling fear of the chef, Nigel is actually pretty chill despite his role, he can be kind when he wants to be, and even friendly.

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Nigel does have anxiety, especially social anxiety as they don’t usually tend to socialize around others, not even the other Pizzards, they just prefer to be by themselves or hanging out with Frank (I’ll explain how those two met in side facts)

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Overall, Nigel can be kind and friendly if you get past the social anxiety/anxiety in general, got whatever the fear of Chefs would be despite their role of being an enemy that needs to stop him, and hell tbh they just do not give a shit, they wanna do their own things-

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He’s also a huge nerd who loves to talk about the magic he’s learned and overall he’s REALLY big into fantasy stuff (Nigel would love DnD) can talk your ears off about a lot of fantasy themed things and or magic stuff.

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Now onto Frank, oh yeah, he’s a fucking nightmare- He’s VERY MUCH not as chill as Nigel can be, he’s aggressive, cruel, mean, and pretty evil ngl- Franks just stalks about the place usually, looking for any intruders even though they do got alarm systems but he just can’t fucking lay there all night, he gets so b o r e d in that place.

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Franks knows it's against the rules, he shouldn’t be leaving that dumb decrepit restaurant because it’s not allowed but given his size and stature… If anyone is THAT dumb to try and tell him he can’t or try to stop him, well, guess he’ll find a really nice place to put that cleaver of his.

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It depends on his mood, he very much enjoyed scaring the hell out of that chef, uh, Pepperoni? …Peppers? …Tony? …Whatever the fuck his name was- Frank doesn’t care about his name, he’s just here to fucking murder because he’s a bastard.

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…Franks WON’T deny however, that chef has some fucking s p e e d, like god d a m n- He can move so fast when he wants to and it’s honestly a little unnerving even for him, does find it funny though when he just fucking BARRELS into enemies, laughs when they get obliterated.

--------------------------------------------

He takes pleasure in others misfortunes and suffering, he’s a huge sadist, that much is a given- When he’s NOT being a horrible disgusting bastard, he’s either patrolling the restaurant, sneaking out to see Nigel, and or just doing what he does best, butchering …N-Not necessarily JUST a being of course.

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Speaking of Nigel, how the hell these two became friends is the fucking mystery of the century, because if anyone saw Franks approaching them, they’d think oh he’s going to fucking murder that guy oh no- But nope, he just ruffles the other’s hat and asks how’s it goin’?

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Franks is secretly pretty protective over Nigel, won’t let anyone mess with him- No, he’s the only one allowed to mess with Nigey- And oh does he fucking mess with the other, he loves to pull pranks on them, he knows they’re scared of that chef too so sometimes he likes to be a little mean.

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And well he’ll be like “Heh, hey Nigey, that chef’s coming” at first Nigel believed him every time and would fucking run up a tree or ANY kinda platform to try and get away bc he didn’t want to get fucking obliterated by the Italian Flash meanwhile Frank just laughed at him, now he’s not as quick to believe it but even then, Nigel still doesn’t wanna risk it.

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Because what if this is the ONE time Franks is not lying? Franks thinks it's fun to mess with Nigey but he knows the other’s limits and he knows not to push them too far, deep down, Frank actually genuinely does care about Nigel, hell if Peppino actually d i d start approaching him, Franks would legit stand to oppose him.

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Franks ain’t letting n o b o d y hurt Nigel, hell, he’s been afraid a few times himself that he’d hurt them because he’s a big fella and he’s REALLY strong at that, wouldn’t even need to use a weapon to hurt anyone, could easily just crush them with his bare hands.

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Also Franks doesn’t give a shit if your Peppino or not, he’s an enemy to fucking EVERYONE …ExceptNigelahem- But he’s a fucking menace to society, if he wants to, he’ll butcher you-

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| Side Facts: (I fucking forgot about Gustavo and uh, Brick- Nigel isn’t scared of him at all, thinks the giant rat is kinda cool- doesn’t get near him because of... You know who... While Franks thinks the rat is cool too but Gustavo? Just another lamb to the slaughter to him)

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How Frank and Nigel met was an… Interesting one, honestly Nigel had just been wandering around, he was looking for something for one of his potions and apparently this weird honestly creepy ass looking restaurant had exactly the item they needed!

-----------------------------------------------------

So Nigel went in looking for it and uh needless to say he fucking HATES that place, absolutely terrified of that place- Literally will never step foot in there again (...Unless Franks needed help of course)

--------------------------------------------------

He got chased by these… Well he’s not sure what they were, it was like some freaky looking animatronics- IF they were actually animatronics, honestly Nigel didn’t know and didn’t care, not his business if they were organic or not- He was here for one item and that’s it.

---------------------------------------------------

Nigel set off so many of those,, alarm things, they weren’t sure what to call ‘em but they set s o many of those fucking things off lmao

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Frank however wasn’t laying there like they do in the game tho lmao, nah, he was already patrolling when he heard the alarm, he was e x c i t e d, eager- Because holy shit, finally an intruder!

--------------------------------------------------------

Frank found him with the slightest ease tbh, it wasn’t that hard with how much he yelped and screamed, oh they were v e r y easily scared, that’d be fun- He was surprised to find it was one of them… Pizza Wizards, one of them lil guys, he’s encountered a lotta things before.

-----------------------------------------------

Franks was curious because, what the hell was one of them lil guys here for? He stalked them for a good bit, just seeing what they were doing, also watching them run from the others and trying not to laugh at his misfortune.

-------------------------------------------------

Eventually Nigel found one of the items he had been searching for this entire time, he looked s o fucking happy, holding the item high above his head “I-I did it… Haaa… Hahahaha” …Oh, okay, maybe they had cracked just a little bit, that was a maniacal cackle-

---------------------------------------

Franks then just stood in front of the mmm, only exit, blocking Nigel’s path entirely- He was still celebrating his victory when he saw a shadow cast in the doorway and then they turned around, eyes wide “...You’ve got to be kidding me, that’s not faaiirrr…” …He sounds a little angry lmao and he’s complaining.

--------------------------------------------------

Frank literally just laughs and waves to the small Pizzard “Hey there lil fella, got a problem?” (That’s another thing he does, he constantly pokes fun at Nigel’s height) This leads to Nigel complaining about this entire damn restaurant and this makes Frank sigh afterwards when Nigel gets through “...Ya done yet?”

-----------------------------------------

Nigel then looks up in thought, opening his mouth a few times before shrugging “Yeah, okay, I got nothing more” Franks then started approaching the other who readied a lightning bolt “S-Stay back! Don’t you d a r e c-come any cl… Closer!”

----------------------------------------------

Franks of course doesn’t stop, he’s just grinning, showing off his sharp teeth- “Ya know, if ya fire that there lightning bolt, it’ll cause a fuss, and that fuss’ll cause them alarm bots to come investigate, which’ll prompt th’ others to also investigate”

-------------------------------------------------

Nigel’s eyes narrow at that “...And if I DON’T, I’ll still die, because YOU will just kill me, so what does it matter? I’m damned if I do or don’t, at least I won’t go out without a fight!” Franks then pauses at that, thinking for a moment before nodding “Eh, I reckon yer right”

-------------------------------------------------

Alright I really don’t,, wanna turn this into no mini-fic (It’s a little too late for that one, past me) so I’ll cut to the chase. Frank actually applauds Nigel for making it THIS far, applauds for actually getting they’re hands on the item they came here for, in fact, he’s so impressed… That he legit moves to the side.

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Which surprises the hell out of Nigel but they think it's a trick, even accusing the other that if they come closer, then the other will surely strike them- Franks feigns being hurt by such ‘cruel words’ and then says that he guesses Nigel doesn’t want the secret shortcut outta here.

----------------------------------------------------------

There was a pause from Nigel, momentarily before they cautiously ask about the shortcut, to which Frank tells them they should apologize for ‘’hurting his feelings’’ …They groan and begrudgingly apologize.

-----------------------------------------

Franks then motions for them to follow him, Nigel has a lotta anxiety and paranoia about this moment, because this feels like he’s being lead to his death.

-----------------------------------------------

Why should he trust the other? He’s one of them damned butchers! So why wasn’t he… Chasing him? T R Y I N G to kill him in SOME way? …It didn’t make sense, he followed behind Frank but from a safe distance.

------------------------------------------------

…Much to Nigel’s surprise, Frank didn’t lie, he actually led them out safe and sound, this way had n o animatronics nor alarms, nothing- It was calm, quiet, and clear as could be- Franks had talked about this being his special way out of the restaurant without being questioned.

-------------------------------------------------------

Of course when they got to the end, Nigel questioned Frank, asking him why he was helping them escape? …Why was he doing this? Why wasn’t he swinging that cleaver down or- or SOMETHING! Nigel had been narrowly escaping death all night so why… Wasn’t Franks doing the same?

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…The funny thing is, Franks didn’t have an answer then, he just snapped at Nigel and said that if he don’t get going, he’ll change his mind and Nigel WILL be on the end of that cleaver, so he heard that loud and clear and began scampering out of there before pausing and turning around.

-------------------------------------------------------

“...What’s your name?” There was a pause from the sausage butcher who had turned around and had begun to walk away before that question popped up “...Frank” And then Nigel spoke up “...Thank you, Frank… I’m Nigel, it uh, heh… I guess you could say it was nice… MEATing you”

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And oh Nigel has a cute lil snort when he laughs- Franks couldn’t help it, he let out a full on belly laugh at the other’s stupid pun, which made Nigel feel all giddy- He then turned around, a big toothy grin on his face “...Yer alright, lil fella… I’ll see ya around”

--------------------------------------------------

And so that’s how those two met essentially- Nigel still complains about that damned restaurant because holy fuck is it terrifying, he doesn’t know how or why Frank stays there- …But then again they also have no fucking clue how Frank found where they lived-

----------------------------------------------------

It’s best not to question it- Either way, the two have been friends from the beginning …Maybe a lil more- Who knows- Ahem-

--------------------------------------------------

Nigel and Frank are curious about one another’s… Occupations, if you could call it that- Frank is curious about the magic stuff and Nigel is curious about the whole… Butcher thing …L-Less so if it involves butchering a person however.

-------------------------------------------------

Frank has ‘destroyed’ (more so just roughed em up) some of the animatronics/other butchers and even alarms for Nigel, he ain’t ever cared for the others anyways- They just… Aren’t as sentient as he is, not even the other butchers- They follow protocol or whatever, while he does what the fuck he wants lmao.

----------------------------------------------------

Franks has a deep southern accent and Nigel has a bit of an Irish accent.

---------------------------------------------------------

Nigel is Gay while Frank is Bisexual. (They’re in love with each other lmao)

----------------------------------------------------

I have some juicy lore for the lads now that I’m not baked on meds and anesthetic- Sooo! For some of the bosses, yeah they’ve met em-

Uhh spoilers I guess bc I literally just fucking realized Pizza Tower hasn’t been out that long- jfkdjgdfs- i really need to pay closer attention smh,, but either way BOSSES MENTIONS DOWN BELOW

---------------------------------------------------

Franks hates pretty much everyone who ISN’T Nigel- so he hates all the bosses- but first up I suppose- Pepperman-

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Nigel is more so neutral toward him, the both of them think he’s too narcissistic for his own good, nothing much there tbh- so moving on!

---------------------------------------------

Next up is The Vigilante, honestly? Franks and Nigel like the cowboy aesthetic he’s got going on.

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Nigel sometimes asks about cowboys and the western aesthetic in general, he likes The Vigilante well enough- not necessarily friends or anything like that but he thinks the other is cool …Although there’ll be no more chances of him e v e r being able to fire a gun again…

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The Vigilante doesn’t want a bullet hole put through him and Nigel fucking sucks at guns- he can aim his magic lightning bolts and such just fine but not a gun, The Vigilante doesn’t know a thing about the magic stuff, so they learn from each other tbh.

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They haven’t met that weird Pizzaface/Pizzahead thingy- I should go ahead and get that out of the way.

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The Noise …Oh my fucking g o d Nigel fucking HATES that thing s o goddamn much, has struck him with so many lightning bolts but the fucker just DOESN’T go away! He’s so loud and obnoxious and just, just… INSUFFERABLE- Franks won’t deny, he fucking hates the thing but…

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It can be kinda funny to watch Nigel get angry and try to hit him with lighting bolts, Franks still thinks he’s very annoying, nothing changes there- …Frank has nearly butchered him out of anger once before Nigel stepped in and dragged him away somewhere, he wasn’t doing it to protect that pest, he was doing it to protect Frank tbh.

---------------------------------------------------------

But also legit uh they had some business that needed taken care of tbh, but either way- now the BEST parts of the lore…

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Fake Peppino- or Feppino/Feppi- …Nigel was the only one to encounter that… Thing, and he’d take dealing with The Noise over this Feppi- Nigel was literally just minding his own business when he encountered it, they had been reading up on a new spell they had been trying so hard to cast.

----------------------------------------------------------

He eventually bumped into something because the dumbass decided hm, yes, I’ll read while walking- Nothing can go wr- BAM- Right into a wall… After recollecting themselves, they got up, dusting themselves off and then their spellbook before looking at…

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Oh, a pizzeria? …Bruzo’s Pizza? …Nigel then mentally smacks himself bc its fucking Bruno’s Pizza- the N is just falling off- but that wasn’t the only thing falling apart…

------------------------------------------------------

The whole fucking building was falling apart it seemed, old and decrepit- The windows on it were boarded up but also broken, but what caught Nigel’s eye the most was a piece of paper tacked to the wall “...Danger…?” And it just had a pair of eyes in the darkness.

----------------------------------------------------

And Nigel nearly fucking drops they’re spellbook when they see eyes and hands in a darkened boarded up doorway, however when Nigel blinked those limbs and eyes were gone “W-What the hell…?”

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Okay, yeah, Nigel should just run- Run right now- There was no point in investigating, what did he care about some old pizzeria?! Welp ya know how curiosity can be, and Nigel r a r e l y comes through this kinda area, he had just needed to get out and wander- get some fresh air-

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…So Nigel basically goes up and takes the boards off the door …With the help of his magic because of course, after that they then call out “Hello? …Is someone in here?” …And then there’s a pause “...Do you need any help?”

--------------------------------------------

They don’t hear an answer, cautiously, they take a timid step inside, fidgeting with their gloved hands “If y-you need uh, need an… Any help, I-I can…! I-I um, i-if you're hurt I mean!” …Nothing until he heard something fall that startled him, almost like a spotlight turned on and that lit up the room somewhat.

-----------------------------------------

…Okay, Nigel was getting more nervous by the second- And then they looked at the sign that was illuminated and their eyes widened “...P-Pepp…ino’s… Pi…zza…” They struggled to get out, now it’s not necessarily because of their anxiety toward h i m but because this wasn’t right!

-----------------------------------------------

“...This… I-Isn’t… P-Peppino’s place…? What the-” And then suddenly the light went out and then came back on and oh holy fuck it got so much worse, the sign now just said that name over and over but the worst bit was… There were those eyes again, those eyes now in a hole in the wall, staring intensely at Nigel.

-----------------------------------------------

There were legs sticking out of different places, those legs were f a r too wide apart to look remotely normal and oh there was a fucking bone sticking out of the trash bag then leg was in, and then they saw an arm, a face in the pizza boxes- and even the sign that once said ‘Nothing Compares’ changed, the face unhinged, letters scrambled and nonsense.

-----------------------------------------------

Nigel felt his breath hitch and tears prick his eyes “W-What… A-Are you…?” Just then, the limbs stopped moving before disappearing, making Nigel yelp at the sudden movements and then, just when they thought it couldn’t get any worse? …It got m u c h much worse.

----------------------------------------------------

That thing emerged from the hole in the wall, practically deforming itself and then reforming itself on the ground on all fours, it looked like Peppino… Except the sunken eyes, the far too long limbs, the melty body, a permanent grin on its face-

--------------------------------------------------

Nigel could feel tears pricking his eyes, and he could feel himself starting to tremble, no…

-----------------------------------------------

Not right now- anything but right now- He could NOT have a fucking panic attack right now- Feppino just stared at him, tilting its head, it said something but it was nothing but gibberish- It sounded like a question though but Nigel just shook they’re head “I-I u-um… Ihavetogo!”

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They spoke way too fast and turned around and just fucking began to book it out of there, it wasn’t even a few seconds later they heard it behind them, they didn’t d a r e turn around because they knew it was chasing them.

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This prompted him to go a lil faster tbh, far too panicked to even think about using any sorta teleporting magic rn- He just ran back toward the door and right as he got out of it, he felt a hand wrap around his ankle.

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They fell flat on their face and then turned around to see that creature who just had its head tilted but there was something there, it looked… Desperate, especially when it spoke- Despite it being nothing but gibberish- there was desperation in Feppino’s tone, of course Nigel could feel his throat closing up.

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It got worse when that thing began dragging him closer to itself, trying to drag it back inside the pizzeria, however he just started struggling, grasping at the slick floor …And of course failing, it wasn’t until he cried out a loud ‘NO!’ that the creature let go, it seemed startled by that.

-------------------------------------------------------

But Nigel barely spared it another glance, just yelling out that he didn’t want to die before finally, his magic suddenly kicked in (he didn’t do it purposefully, sometimes when extreme feelings/emotions start rising, it causes his magic to go all crazy)

----------------------------------------------------

And then finally he’s back with Frank- who is startled by Nigel suddenly popping in, he’s about to reprimand Nigel for that but then he sees the other hugging his knees close and struggling to breathe, this causes Frank to immediately kneel down by they’re side “N-Nigel?! Woah, he… Hey now, easy there lil feller… C-C’mon…”

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Nigel pulls his knees away and grasps at his chest “I-I c… ca… n… c-can’t… bre…athe” He managed to speak but just barely, Franks got the picture though, he realized Nigel was having a panic attack “A-Alright, hey, Nigel… Look at me, remember yer breathin’ exercises…” And that leads into Frank trying to get him to calm down.

----------------------------------------------------

…It EVENTUALLY works but Nigel is still shaking and crying and just hugging onto Frank so tightly- Frank was just completely lost, he has no idea what happened that night, he still doesn’t because Nigel REFUSES to talk about it.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

…You could argue this also made his fear/anxiety of the real Peppino even stronger (bc I wanna be clear- He knew the REAL Peppino before encountering Feppino, this isn’t a situation where oh he’s mistaking Peppi with Feppi

------------------------------------------------------------------------

And also I’d argue that he’s actually a lot more terrified of Feppino than Peppino tbh)

----------------

I’ll be very vague with this last bit, was Feppino purposefully trying to hurt Nigel? ...Or was it all a misunderstanding? Who knows~

[bright-side-of-the-moon]

salaam everyone!

this is an rp and general account for my riordanverse oc Hilal, you can find me @kindred-spirit-93. i wont be very active here for both irl and in character university lol, but the important thing is having fun :)

all rights reserved to rick riordan, only my ocs belong to me. keep in mind that this is fiction, so enjoy it for what it is. you can read more about Hilal here.

･ﾟ.･ﾟ✧ .･ﾟ･ﾟ

✧ about me:

my name is Hilal which is Arabic for crescent moon. my twin brother's name, Badr, means full moon.

birthday: December 31st 1986

likes: strawberry milk, purple, cats, books, sleeping, languages, beatles, teas, autumn, mint chocolate chip and pineapple pizza

dislikes: dishonesty, deadlines, sardines & fava beans, cleaning the pellets of Marmalade's midnight snacks (ew), social situations

speaking of, this is my eagle owl companion Marmalade. say hi!

she was gifted to me on my birthday by my father. she likes to nibble on barazek, syrian sesame biscuits. shes a bit odd but so am i & i love her very much.

･ﾟ.･ﾟ✧ .･ﾟ･ﾟ

✧ trivia and stuff:

as a daughter of Hades (long story), i have a certain affinity for the dark, but through a boon from Persephone (even longer story), i also possess some botanical abilities.

said powers shift with the changing seasons, and in all honesty im still learning about them myself, so bear with me.

i speak many languages; English and Arabic i grew up with, Chiron very kindly taught me Latin and Greek. in the summer holidays during highschool i learnt Turkish, Aramaic, and a little Farsi too.

i recently took up embroidery! i never knew stabbing could be so much fun but here we are ;)

im a practicing muslim Alhamdulillah, and my faith means a lot to me. it can be hard sometimes to wear the hijab and balance everything, but i try my best and thats what matters

funny story: shortly after my birth when we went to get the paperwork done, mama accidentally wrote her dad's name after mine on the forms, so my 'middle name' is my grandfather's name; Khalil, which is Arabic for friend or companion.

i dont have any weapons (i use my hardcover anatomy book if needs be), but im learning archery. looks cool and is quite fun

its also less taxing on my wrist; i underwent surgery about a year ago for CTS and am still hesitant to commit to strenuous physical activities, even knifesmanship. but im working on it

･ﾟ.･ﾟ✧ .･ﾟ･ﾟ

✧ people, places, and things:

after moving to camp half blood (february ish), the first camper i met was a young Will Solace! there werent many year round campers, but i saw Will every now an then when i went to pick up some pain killers from the infirmary. i still have the sunshine plasters (band-aids) he gave me :)

Nico i met when i was 19 i think, he showed me his mythomagic cards and i made pasta and pesto (a comfort food of mine)

he introduced me later on to Hazel, and i was overjoyed to have a little sister, which is only made funnier when you realise that i am technically the youngest XD

life seems significantly brighter with my new little family and close band of friends. i do hope being on tumblr will serve to strengthen the bonds and make new ones

chances are on any given day you can find me either in the library, the kitchenette over Chiron's study, my cosy room in the attic, or on my sunrise walk where i internally monologue and brood

after a wonderful and lengthy conversation with Lady Hestia over some tea and biscuits, the plans for a cabin of her own revolve around it being a sort of safe haven for relaxation and some peace when things get a little loud or overwhelming.

with her permission ill be using the second floor of the new Hestia cabin as an office for sessions for anyone who needs to let off some steam, have a good cry or a chat and some cookies.

this comes after my psychology & councelling degree and necessary training to qualify as the camps resident mental health councellor, because sometimes being a demigod is a bit much

"because sometimes being a demigod is a bit much" - Hilal Khalil

jokes aside, i look forward to being of some comfort for those who need it in their time of need. baked goods work wonders too.

i have a satchel i carry with me nearly everywhere i bought it at the airport and its been my trusty companion since. i embroidered some (wonky) flowers and skulls with jewels for eyes on it :)

i made a few pendants back when i dabbled in epoxy resin art to make some coasters with flowers i picked. keychains were a bit harder so i only made 3; for hazel, myself, and nico respectively:

･ﾟ.･ﾟ✧ .･ﾟ･ﾟ

✧ before i forget:

the phrase "Sub umbra floreo" is Latin for under the shade i flourish, which i think fits me well all things considered

my idea so far for this blog is recipies, interacting with fellow campers, Marmalade & Abercrombie, and other bits and bobs

the Arabic phrase written in the profile picture reads: heal your sorrows with shawarma, which is my favourite food :P

have a nice day/ night and i will see you (maybe) soon!

[yeowninefive]

My 2023 Art Retrospective (Part 1)

Before we continue--yes, this is just part one. I will warn you upfront--this is going to be a wall of text, and so will the next part. With my 2022 retrospective I did try to condense things down, but I wasn't anywhere near as successful for this year.

I originally didn't want to write a retrospective because in terms of general performance/productivity, I felt there wasn't much to discuss. Looking back on my 2022 retrospective, my big story there was how I made a *big* leap over 2021 in productivity, and raised my profile/art skills quite a bit, with 2022 seeing some of my most popular art, period. 2023, all things considered, seemed like it was 2022 again, like one of those videogame sequels that's mainly just more of the same. But the more I really consider the following, 2023 honestly was like if I took whatever strides I made in 2022 and strapped a rocket (assume 2022 is a car for this analogy to work). I think going into the nuances as to why I feel this way is important, and with 2023 marking my online art identity having existing for over a decade by this point, I think that milestone itself is also worth more than a cursory acknowledgement.

Like last year, I'll first start this retrospective by looking back on my my art goals outlined for 2023, when I made my retrospective by 2022's end.

Fanart: Much like 2022, I think I came close on having at least one fanart posted each month, but my OC projects (The Clock Robin Caper; and an upcoming OC project I started development on, but eventually decided to withhold for 2024) took priority, the fanart became more secondary. Regardless, the fanart output was still at least twice as much from 2022, and they included some of my most-popular pieces to date. The popularity of Not Paying for That/The House Special (the Pizza Tower/SpongeBob crossover) in particular was arguably a case of being at the right place at the right time with an appealing/funny concept--it's to date the only art I've had on tumblr pass 100 notes in less than two days. The (relative) popularity of that work (as well as the popularity of Petals to the Metal [Princess Daisy fanart] on Twitter) are probably the most encouraging works of this year, where the interest they receive does give me hope I can still make more of a name for myself as a artist(/animator) in the current landscape (or hellscape, take your pick) of online creators.

So now I'm in something of an odd pickle in terms of where my angle with fanart goes in 2024. Of course, I would like to make even more fanart of things I like or at least have a vested interest in, but I recognize that the fanart I've generally made has typically been some sort of unique concept (either being something I used to theme my OCs around, or some sort of crossover/mashup of ideas that I like). The fanart also tends to be among my more "technical" works I put added emphasis on details/development, instead of quicker/simpler items like doodles or sketches. I feel like I'd have to change my approach/production process for fanart if I wanted to get more of it out there in the upcoming new year.

Animation: This is where I'd say this was a step back, though I hope with the new circumstances/what I've learned, it does lead to bigger, more, and better things into the future. While I made three animations, it was only two original animations (with a third being a WIP of the existing two), and one of the animations didn't even feature any character animation. Nonetheless, I am admittedly pretty proud that two of them were honestly put together pretty quick (produced out of the interest of a then-viral Barbie Special Month commercial from the 1970s) and I feel they fit the aesthetic/direction of the source material moderately well.

If nothing else, I can at least say that one of the animations (Complimentary Doll) marked my return to trying to animate in CSP, which I had abandoned due to limited features (I had PRO, so I was limited in framerates); while the other (Waiting for Free Stuff) was animated in OpenToonz, which I do think I grew more comfortable to using as time went on (learning keyboard shortcuts and taking a more "modular" approach with using multiple levels for animating different parts of the animation). I fully believe I could had gotten Waiting for Free Stuff finished even earlier if I didn't use OpenToonz' raster layers for the entire animation (which was very limited to use, even with using multiple levels), instead of vectors layers.

Between being able to get an upgrade to CSP EX (Ver. 1--copies of which are still being sold in certain areas), becoming more accustomed to OpenToonz, and getting a new drawing tablet; I'm hoping to really expand my animation ventures. In particular, I'm hoping that I'm able to get back into producing animations with colors and producing more animated stuff in general--which in general, I foresee being easier with CSP instead of OpenToonz. (I still want to keep learning OpenToonz nonetheless, since it's UI/setup is still arguably more tailored for an animation workflow compared to CSP.)

Backgrounds/environments: Overall, I say this was a step up over 2022. There's still a fair amount of basic environments here and there; but I think there were much less non-environments overall. Fittingly enough, I highly credit my Clock Robin Caper project for the improvement in this area--since I was producing "film stills" representing different "scenes," I made an effort to present most of the characters in multiple different environments; using photos references for most of the settings in question and even going the "extra mile" in adding small details that most people wouldn't even notice. I'd in this regard, Frames 04-09 were my highlights in environment design this year.

The mixed media artwork I did in the spring, where I incorporated my Commodities OCs in photos I took during my trip to Canada, also helped in this regard. That was a fun project that, as I alluded to earlier, I'm honestly not quite finished with. There are other photos I took that I'm hoping to use; but they were shelved to make way for the Clock Robin Caper and the other untitled upcoming OC project. Going into 2024, I hope to try and create at least a few "pure" landscape works, akin to my earlier artwork; though of course I want to properly measure where my current art skills lay with environment design. By the same coin, I'm still open to doing remakes of my previous art (which was sadly a no-show for this year).

Comics/stories: I had nothing to offer on this front for 2022, and I said I wanted this to be my art priority for 2023. I'd argue I delivered and then some--although I think the development process certainly could had been managed better. A core element of my The Clock Robin Caper project was to develop the mystery/story across each of the frame, without much--if any--explicit dialogue said by the characters. (Though I did also regularly include descriptions to at least give some basic explanations as to what was happening and what was the importance of each character in the scene.)

I'd say without a doubt, the Clock Robin Caper is inarguably the most elaborate art project I've done, since I went through a bunch of story ideas/concepts in finalizing it (which is partially why it took so long to finish), in addition to the addition multiple OCs from others' creators that were included (deciding who to use for each frame and figuring out how to draw them--a little over half of the OCs I was drawing for the first time) and the aforementioned environments I developed for each frame. I was also able to get two other comics, with the newspaper-styled short comic "The Thought That Counts" and the longer-form, multi-page comic "The Story of Ronda" (both concerning Ronda and Aero, go figure).

I still have a bunch of story ideas that I'd like to adapt, but much like the fanart, I think I'd have to change my strategy if I wanted to get more comics/stories produced in an adequate matter. I think I still have issues with how I manage my time, which also played a role in The Clock Robin Caper being drawn out longer than it arguably needed to be. It's why I ended up shelving my aforementioned in-development art project --which I actually teased within one my 2023 artworks-- for 2024. Some of the artwork I've made for it was actually completed and has been finished for months, and in other circumstances, I probably would had published it by this point. But with this one, I'm aiming to have most of the artwork completed first, so I can publish it on a consistent/regular schedule.

Art trades/collaborations: Truth be told, this is largely a beat-for-beat replay of last year--wanted to do trades/collabs, but I was busy with my art projects. I did at least respond to at least one OC draw request, and joined in on some viral art redraw memes--which while not quite within this topic realm, was at least some self-imposed challenges I was willing to take on, and were pretty fun to do. By the same coin, there's not much if any movement towards me being open to art commissions (either for fun or for commerce).

--

By this point, I think this has gotten long enough that I'm splitting this up into two parts. Here is a link to the second part. A sincere thanks to anyone who has stuck around to read the whole thing (so far), and have a Happy New Year's Eve/New Year's Day and a wonderful 2024.

[artfoncorner]

2022 was a bad year

Well, saying the year was “bad” is an understatement. How bad was it?

In January, one of my friends’ Discord accounts was taken over by some jerk pretending to offer me a game demo to try. Now, some hackers are pretty obvious to spot but this bastard used social engineering to get what he wants…my account. Sure enough, I was fooled and unable to log back into my account. My contacts started blocking me as my account was compromised. The hacker gained access to my PayPal and debit card, buying things with the ill-gotten money. Luckily, my bank’s anti-fraud bureau caught onto some purchases that bounced so I was able to get my money back and have my debit card disabled. I also changed passwords on my PayPal account, enabled 2FA on many of my apps and sites (including Discord), and did a clean reinstallation of the software to ensure that the token logger (fake game) wouldn’t snatch up whatever information I put in.

February through May were uneventful for the most part, but I did celebrate my birthday at Mac’s Pizza Shack (they have such good fried chicken) and I got back to work on Chapter 9 of Rage-chan. If you don’t know what that is, it’s a webcomic I worked on back in the day and I used to have a dedicated Tumblr blog for it. I’ll upload those old pages in the near future, I swear! Oh, and on Memorial Day weekend I was tasked with watching after my brother’s dog on his farm while he left town. It was pretty nice to out of the city and into the quaint countryside, and his dog behaved quite well too.

June was a bad month because of several minor things going wrong on a consistent basis, and July was the result of an unstable internet connection as a result of our modem getting wrecked by a storm and a poor setup. August was one of the higher points as I scored a brief tenure at the technical college’s bookstore and went on a trip near the Mississippi River. Sadly, as it was a temp job, I was only needed there for about two weeks. While that job gave me some financial cushion, it wasn’t enough and I struggled to find work afterwards. The job hunt continued with fruitless interviews and countless rejections. I was so distraught that I gave up on the job search for a little while.

What also didn’t help was that during August, our town house (the upper part where my mom and I lived) went up for sale. It was purchased in September where we’d hear about what the new landlord planned on doing with the property. It resulted in our eviction and a whole month of hauling, packing and cleaning. Where’d we end up? My sister’s cramped apartment.

The move was completed in late October and since there’s no room for me in the house, I’m stuck in a garage. The only means of income I have are commissions, and while I’ve continued with the job hunt, it hasn’t gotten any easier. Even though December heralded the completion of OC on Parade 3, I was discouraged because it barely gained much traction compared to the works of others. How disappointing is it that a project you spent months on while dealing with various life factors didn’t even amount to some sketch a fetish artist only took about 20 minutes to complete?

So that was 2022, arguably one of the worst years of my life. While 2021 started out okay until it went downhill in the latter half of the year, I came in hoping that 2022 would fare better. I went into the year as a bright eyed idealist and left a broken, jaded and bitter curmudgeon.

My goals for 2023 are to find a decent job and get a new place to myself, moving out of this dumpy garage to gain some self-respect. I’ll also be posting art more often to try and get myself out of these negative ruts.

Have a good New Year’s Eve and hoping for the best in 2023!

[simmerandwrite]

Title: Lower The Stakes - Part 1: Help Wanted

Summary: Bucky Barnes still isn’t sure of his place in the world. After the mess with Zemo, Walker and the Flagsmashers, returning to Brooklyn felt foreign once again. But, when a new friend starts to carve a place in his life, he knows it’s time to figure out who he is and what he really wants.

For Haley Fisher, making new friends has always felt like a challenge. Though getting a second chance at life gave her the opportunity to reinvent herself and determine where she fit into the world again. It’s time to shift the expectations and determine what she really wants.

How does that old classic go? ‘I get by with a little help from my friends.’

Aka the post Falcon and the Winter soldier friends-to-lovers mini series no one asked for, featuring one ‘grumpy but warming up’ centenarian and one ‘coming into her own’ plus sized original character!

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x plus size original character

Word count: 4k

Parts: 1 of 7

Warning: none for part one

Notes: hi! hey! I've been a bit drained creatively but I have also been sometimes chipping away at this story. I want to explore a post FATWS Bucky and how he is adjusting to life again. On top of that, I had an idea for a new OC and, well, here we are. Technically Haley is first introduced at the end of the one-shot 'Try Again' but you don't have to read that to follow this series. I have a plan for 7 parts to this one, not necessarily chapters but small vignettes or moments in time for Bucky and Haley. I think that's it! Thank you for clicking on this one and giving it a try. I appreciate you being here.

— — —

“Who is this?”

A quiet sigh sounded out from the other end of Bucky's phone.

“Oh. Uhm. I remember specifically putting my name in your phone but okay, uhm, ouch. Hey. It’s Haley. Haley Fisher. From the bar?”

Receiving phone calls from unfamiliar numbers typically sent Bucky into a frenzy of concern. But, he had really only given his information to a very select few people and considering the line of work he aligned himself with, burner phones and misdirection was not out of the ordinary. But when he heard who the mystery caller was, he couldn’t help but relax a bit. He shifted his phone to rest between his right shoulder and ear, reaching his free hand out to turn off the running water in his kitchen sink.

“Haley, hey. Sorry. I got a new phone recently and..” He trailed off, pushing his tongue across his lips as he searched for the right excuse. His lack of communication hadn’t been intentional - he didn’t anticipate getting so wrapped up in everything with Sam and Zemo and Walker and The Flagsmashers.

Hell, he had only just gotten back to Brooklyn after visiting Delacroix and he was desperately trying to figure out just what else he was supposed to be doing with his life. Sam had been in touch, of course. Their communications were always open and Bucky insisted he was available whenever Sam might need him - for strategy or planning or a mission or anything.

“I know you’ve been busy.”

“Oh so.. You saw the news?”

“Not only that, I have a James ‘Bucky’ Barnes Google Alert.”

Bucky didn’t reply. A what?

“You don’t know what a Google Alert is, do you? I guess that joke doesn’t work.. Sorry. Yes, I saw the news. I actually did have a reason for calling you. I realize this is completely out of the blue but - ”

Bucky’s lips curled into a smirk, leaning against the counter in his kitchen. He had met Haley by chance - thanks to a swell of courage he introduced himself after they both had dates that left them a bit burnt. One conversation led to enjoying pizza together and walking around Prospect Park until the sun disappeared.

Well, then a few weeks Bucky had left. He did think their evening was well spent though - Haley had been easy to talk to, a bit shy and a lot honest, and he’d be the first to admit how cute she was, even if she didn’t seem to believe it. If anything, Bucky could feel the foundations of a friendship. But, then he ran around the world with Sam, cleaning up a villain's mess and doing everything he could to figure out whatever the hell balance should look like.

Truthfully, he had sort of written off dating. The various attempts just served to fill that hole in his heart and soul he carefully avoided dealing with. Plus, given that he had not followed up with Haley as he had intended, despite the series of messages she had sent his way after they met, he figured he’d probably never hear from her again.

“I could use your help with something.”

“What kind of help?”

— — —

Haley Fisher hated giving up. If there was one frustratingly annoying trait she had inherited from her late father, it was his determination. She also considered herself wildly independent - because, well, she’d always sort of been on her own. But when her new IKEA furniture showed up on a truck and dropped in the lobby of her apartment building, she found herself in a bit of a pickle.

Asking for help didn’t always come easy to her but when certain circumstances presented themselves - she felt like she had no other choice.

Her first thought had been to recruit her neighbour, the very obvious bodybuilder she nicknamed Quadzilla, to help her carry the boxes, but it seemed her delivery coincided with a work day for him. In the beginning, a few flights of stairs seemed manageable. But did she ever have regrets about impulsively ordering all the furniture needed for her empty apartment at once. One dresser, a new bed frame, two bookcases, one TV stand, one kitchen cart and a pair of stools for her island - that totalled over a dozen boxes and, well, she just couldn’t manage it on her own. So, she took a bold chance on someone who might be able to help her.

Haley had learned a long time ago that she wasn’t for everyone and not to take dating failures personally, online or otherwise. But given her social history and her severe lack of relationship experience, part of her just couldn’t feel surprised that Bucky hadn’t responded to her after their fluke date. In fact, when she thought even more about it - and she thought about it a lot more than she would admit to anyone - it was laughable to consider that someone as handsome and charming as Bucky would be seriously interested in her anyway.

The round girl, below average height, with a slightly crooked nose and weird squeaky laughter. The one who, yes, had an incredible aptitude for data analytics and computer engineering but who felt slightly inept when it came to normal social skills. The former high school lacrosse player who now considered walking to the grocery store enough fitness for a lifetime. The nervous girl who chewed on her nails until discomfort took over, who could barely keep her emotions in check as she navigated the world after losing five years of her life.

The one who definitely wasn’t in any sort of mental state to be dating, anyway.

That girl. Bucky was never going to date her.

But she had noticed every little gesture of kindness he had delivered during their time together and she figured there was absolutely no harm in trying to borrow half an hour of his time to help her move the heavy boxes. She also remembered him saying he was a homebody who often got stuck in his apartment so maybe she was doing him a favour, too.

When Bucky appeared outside the door of her building, her heart sort of twisted around. Suddenly she was very grateful to have changed into some of her flattering athleisure clothes. Mostly because moving heavy things was a work out she didn’t ask for, but also because compression leggings held everything in really nicely and sports bras sort of kept her figure in place. To the outside eye, she had the illusion of a nice waist, at least.

Her only regret, visually, was the big oversized promotional t-shirt she was wearing from one of her old days as a Starbucks barista. Truthfully, she didn’t have a lot of possessions left from her life before The Snap and as ragged as the shirt was, she felt a sentimental attachment to it.

Bucky gave her a warm smile when she pushed the door open to let him inside and for a second it felt like he was going in for a hug, then stopped himself.

Haley let out a long breath. “Thanks for coming. I hope I didn’t interrupt your dinner or anything.”

Bucky shook his head as he stood opposite her in the narrow foyer. “You didn’t interrupt anything.” He reached his hands out, stretching his arms as he looked around. “So why do you need a heavy lifter?”

Haley laughed nervously, running a hand across her forehead before sweeping it back to secure her ponytail. “Fun fact. Most budget friendly Swedish furniture comes in long, flat, heavy boxes.” She winced apologetically before taking a few steps and motioning around the corner, near the stairs, where all her boxes had been left. “I tried sliding that one up the stairs myself but..” The swish of her hand showed the trajectory of a box sliding down and hitting the wall. “If my landlord asks, that hole in the drywall was there the entire time.”

Bucky couldn’t help but smirk. He eyed the boxes, the stairs, then crouched to pick up the nearest box. “Lead the way.”

It was completely laughable, to Haley, how strong he was. And, well, she shouldn’t have been all that surprised. That night after the bar, he didn’t hesitate to reveal who he was and his history. The concern on his face while he guaged her reaction had been obvious. When Haley carried on as if they were just swapping regular life details, like Bucky’s admission of being a former brainwashed prisoner of war was as innocent as what he liked to do on Sunday mornings, getting to know one another seemed a lot less daunting. Clearly who Bucky was now mattered more to her than whatever his past involved. She didn’t comment on his metal arm nor did she ask questions about Steve or Sam or The Avengers. She treated him like a perfectly normal person and he had been so grateful.

Bucky had actually really enjoyed his sort-of date with Haley. But after everything that followed it, he had come to the conclusion that maybe he really wasn’t ready to date yet anyway. He really needed to figure out who he was before he could let himself explore everything else. But, when Haley called, it occurred to him there was nothing wrong with having a friend.

He figured Sam would be proud of him for getting out of his apartment, at least.

Bucky followed Haley up the stairs, to the top floor of the four storey walk up. When they reached her door, he paused. “Maybe I’m wrong-” He felt like he could never be sure of what he remembered correctly if he didn’t write it down or make a note in his phone, “-but didn’t you mention you lived over in Astoria?” He narrowed his brows when he noticed her freeze up.

The messy chestnut hair falling out of her ponytail bounced as she tipped her head. Haley swallowed and took a deep breath before answering. Right. The pin she had sent Bucky half an hour ago was for her new place in Williamsburg, so they were clearly not in Astoria. “Did you hear about the mess at that ROA housing development near LaGuardia?”

Bucky nodded, slowly putting down the box in his arms. He knew of the Rebuilding Our America plan, a partner initiative funded partly through the Global Repatriation Program. Given what he had seen while overseas, he knew that America was ahead of the rest of the world when it came to providing assistance and housing to citizens who had returned from vanishing. Although, that wasn’t saying much. While there had been infrastructure progress, it was a sore truth that there was still a long way to go for social and economic recovery.

Not only that, but there were still quiet, and in some cases, loud groups around the world with regimes similar to that of The Flagsmashers. Some less threatening, some equally as bad and even worse. In New York City, these groups still managed to make their presence known - defiantly protesting the ROA programming, rioting at health centers where access to care had slowed down and, as Bucky had heard a few weeks ago, leading much more dangerous activities to make sure their voices were heard. Like bomb threats and large scale acts of arson that threatened innocent people and sent apartment buildings up in flames.

“You lived in that apartment building?” Bucky’s eyes went from narrow with concern to wide with realization. He scanned over her quickly, looking for signs of some sort of injury or burns. Perhaps it wasn’t his place to be concerned, but after those news reports, he couldn’t help himself.

And well, he really didn’t mind looking at her anyway.

Bucky wouldn’t call himself an expert on what was deemed conventionally attractive in this century, but he had found Haley easy on the eyes that night they met. Full hips, a soft stomach, a hearty laugh, and her eyes - he imagined that in the right sunlight, her hazel eyes would really shine. But despite having had a lovely evening together, it had technically been a first date. She had her guard up. He wasn’t sure how to read her, really. But scanning her over now, his analysis came to a safe conclusion: she seemed unscathed on the outside.

Haley let out a long breath, raising one shoulder to shrug. “I got out before the structural integrity of the building collapsed, at least. And, as an even bigger blessing, it had been one of my last nights I qualified to live there any longer anyway - most of my personal belongings had already been moved into storage in this building. Since I got a brand new job and could finally afford a real apartment.” She motioned to her door then looked back at Bucky. “I’m okay though, the worst of it was smoke inhalation and irritated lungs. For me, at least.”

The news hadn’t been shy about it - there had been fatal casualties from the fire and many people left with serious injuries.

Following another moment of somber silence, Haley pushed the door open and headed inside. Bucky followed - nodding to himself at the bright windows and exposed brick wall ahead of him. Once he took in the space, it became increasingly clear that she was just moving in. Her new home was somehow more barren than his own apartment.

She directed him to place down the box in the living room area ahead, next to a box spilling with books. A quick look confirmed his suspicions of their content - all classics, mostly. He wondered for a brief moment which might be her favourites.

Then, Bucky sucked in a breath and moved back towards the door.

Haley stopped him before he carried on with his task. “You sure you don’t mind carrying all those? Would the buddy system be of any benefit?”

He couldn’t help but offer her a smirk. “I mean this in the nicest way possible, but I think this will be quicker without you.”

— — —

Once all the boxes were piled up in her living room, Haley felt relieved and impressed all at once. Bucky hadn’t even broken a sweat, even in the warm spring air. She offered him a cold beer, one of the only things she had stocked in her fridge, and for a few minutes they lingered inside her apartment in silence.

Her apartment. This had really been a luxury she thought she might never experience - especially since returning to the world after vanishing. When Haley had figured out what the fuck had happened - why she was suddenly falling to the floor, in what had been a very busy floor of an office building now abandoned with half cubicle walls and hanging overhead lights - she had spent months back home in Florida with her family.

She thought she had been doomed to live the next stage of her life in Daytona. Then by some beautiful blessing from the universe, her funding and application had been approved for the ROA housing agreement and her life resumed in New York City again. A different version of her life this time, but it was hers.

Before she vanished, Haley had been renting a tiny room from a coworker near Hell’s Kitchen. Now, thanks to finally upgrading some of her past credentials and passing an aptitude test for her new tech job, she had her very own place in Williamsburg.

It was an older building but she loved the charm. High lofted ceilings framed the space, meeting exposed brick walls and big windows, a kitchen filling out the opposite walls. At the end of the space, a set of french doors led to her bedroom that granted even more natural light in. She felt lucky to have a place to call her own.

“So, what needs building first?”

Haley pulled her thoughts back down to where she was leaning against the counter, bringing her eyes to meet Bucky’s as he sat on top of a pile of boxes.

“Oh, logically - the bed frame. But I really want to get the bookshelves done because I think they will look great over there,” she replied with a sheepish smile, pointing to the space between the windows. “I can deal with another night of having my mattress right on the floor.”

“I think we could get the bookshelves and the bedframe done,” Bucky said with a confident nod, looking around the room as he stood up. “Do you have tools?”

“Wait.” Haley took a step forward and held up her hand to stop him. “You don’t have to help me build anything. I really just needed you for the lifting of heavy boxes. I’m sure I can handle the rest on my own.”

He narrowed his gaze for a brief second and tipped his head towards the boxes once more. “That little diagram on the box indicates you need two people for most of these.”

“Sure, I guess. But I don’t want you to think you have to help me, especially when you probably have other things to do and -

“Trust me, I don’t.” Truthfully, Bucky had absolutely no plans and if he was to head back to his own apartment, he’d probably just be tearing into another mystery novel or watching another episode of a series. “Unless you don’t want the help. I’m not tryin’ to, uh, stay here if you don’t want me to or -

“No, no.” She shook her head. “The help would be great. I just..” With a deep breath in her lungs she centered herself and nodded. “Thank you. Can I at least buy you dinner or something? To say thank you? There’s an Indian place down the street I wanted to try.” She smiled at him and looked down, unable to keep eye contact while she waited for him to respond. When Bucky didn’t say anything, she peeked up again, noticing a small smile on his lips.

“If you insist,” he replied with a nod. “I’ll start on the bookcases.”

An hour later, they were both sitting cross legged on the floor, using some of the boxes as a dining table between them. Bucky, who had very politely let her pick their menu, felt surprisingly comforted by the food they shared. He liked how savory it tasted - with overlapping flavours that reminded him of Wakanda. The bread was warm, the sauces spicy and bold, and more than that, he was really enjoying the company.

“So I’ve gotta ask - that John Walker guy, is he as big of a tool as he came across in that last interview?” Haley tore off another bite of naan and dipped it into the sauce ahead of her, raising an eyebrow at Bucky. “Unless you’re under oath about sharing those sorts of secrets.”

Bucky smirked. “Believe me, it’s no secret that Walker is a jackass.” He liked to believe that everyone deserves redemption, in some way, but damn, John Walker was cut from a different cloth. And the way some news media seemed to be trying to spin his story for empathy, even now, even after the viral video of his actions blew up across the world, well, Bucky was not about to go and hide his feelings about the guy. “I think he thinks he has something to prove but it doesn’t seem like he knows how to do it the right way. Either way, I’d be happy to never have to deal with Walker ever again.”

Haley just nodded, trying to wrap her head around how different the plights of her life were compared to Bucky’s. While she was fighting off the skewed expectations she had for herself and trying to repair the fractured relationships she had with her family, Bucky was fighting to keep the world safe. But she supposed there was a universal understanding when it came to shitty people. “He reminds me a lot of my step-dad. Who is ironically also named John and also a jackass.” When she caught Bucky’s curious stare, she brushed her hands together and tried to move beyond that subject. “But new Captain America? I like him. A significantly better choice than Walker.”

“An easy upgrade,” Bucky agreed. They continued to talk while they finished their meal, sharing stories and laughing, and maybe avoidings the ones they weren't quite ready to share yet. There seemed to be an easy, comfortable rapport settling between them, perhaps made even easier by the bottles of beer shared as the bookcases and even Haley’s bed frame were assembled as the night crept on.

Eventually she was digging through some boxes piled up in the corner of her room to find fresh sheets for her mattress and Bucky was trying to organize the empty cardboard boxes near her doorway. When he was finally pulling his jacket back on and getting ready to leave, Haley took a deep breath and finally asked what had been on her mind for so long.

“Can I ask - did you, I mean, are you seeing anyone? I know you were obviously busy and had other things on your mind but when I didn’t hear back from you, I..” She wasn’t sure where her thoughts were heading. She had hoped to find a conclusion along the way and yet she trailed off, letting her words disappear into the air.

She had to give him credit, because when she finally locked eyes with him, his face had fallen.

“No, I’m not seeing anyone. I, uh..” Bucky slid his tongue across his lip and inhaled sharply, rubbing his right hand across his neck nervously. “I had one failed date right before everything, uh, escalated. But I don’t think I had the right intentions going into it.” He paused again, closing his eyes. “Honestly, I’m not really sure I know who I am so I’m not convinced dating is a good idea right now, anyway.”

“Well, that I understand,” Haley replied with one heavy nod.

“But I did enjoy our date,” Bucky kept going, meeting her eyes one more and waving his hand. “I did. It’s not about you.”

“No, no. I know that.” Haley raised both her hands and desperately prayed he wouldn’t say anything else that was intended to placate her feelings. She had heard ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ plenty of times in her life. “Listen, this might sound really sad but I’m just happy to have a friend right now.” She scrunched up her face. “Yep. Sounds super sad. Let’s scratch that from the record.”

Bucky laughed and offered her a soft smile. “You have no idea how proud Captain America is going to be when he finds out I have a real friend.” He made his way towards the door and paused once he grabbed the handle. “I’m glad you called Haley. Really. And next time I’ll be borrowing from your classics library if you’ll let me.”

Haley smiled at him, and nodded slowly. “Since you built them, you’re welcome to anything from the bookshelves, anytime.”

“I’d like that.”

Bucky gave a final goodbye, and closed the door behind him. And just like that, he was heading home. He opted to walk instead of getting on the subway, concluding that bouncing his thoughts off the city lights and noises might help him settle whatever seemed to be stirring up within him.

He could use a friend. He decided he needed to forget about the soft, hesitant look in Haley’s eyes when she asked him about his dating life. He decided it was for the better he didn’t ask about hers, either. He decided that yes, he could benefit from having someone in his life to spend time with, to laugh with, to talk to. Someone outside of his life with Sam and avenging bad guys. Someone he could lose an entire night with, where building low-cost furniture was an exciting prospect because he enjoyed the company.

Yes, he decided it certainly wouldn’t hurt to have Haley Fisher in his life.

Part 02 - Bucky After Dentist

[eating-you-alive-cutely]

I’m gonna rant cuz I wanna

I was gonna wait to post this till I had a few drawings to go w this rant but wah- forget it-

So here’s a draft that I am going to finish post at 3:15am because it’s ramble time baby

So this is technically an AU- but just for myself - cuz none of y’all would understand the differences being made

Until I explain it to you lalalalaaa so here we go-

everyone has thier own versions of sun & moon and Y/N wether it be in personality or design or both

I just wanna explain how I picture my universe of sillies ig- I always wanted to go on a rant about it but I would always shut myself down- being afraid that I would come off as more annoying than I already am ndndksbsj- Idk- nevertheless it’s fun to info dump- wether or not people actually read it- I don’t mind at this point- so I’m just gonna go for it man

So basically I have this OC world I call Zermerands-(don’t hurt yourself trying to pronounce it) - which is a planet full of my original species and a very messy plot point- I think I mentioned this planet maybe once before-? Don’t quote me on that- but that’s besides the point

The point is that in this world- magic,psychic abilities,elementsl powers, advanced technology, and all that yadda yadda is the norm- so a pizza plex existing here would be considered kinda a basic kids establishment- but it’s still very much a popular place to kill time with the kiddos- and the daycare in this case is the backbone of the company-

ok so each species has their own districts- and usually all the crazy outstanding and very risky establishments are built in the Feindly district- I’ll one day go into depth with all the species but rn I’m too lazy and I wanna try to keep this as short as my rambling self possibly can B)

In the canon story I have an OC named Jackie that owns an establishment similar to the pizza plex- so basically- the AU is that Jackie’s Place is replaced with the pizza plex - tadaa

As of right now - Zermerands doesn’t have any robot inhabitants- so ig in a way the animatronics are a somewhat fascinating feat- however most people are so use to the diversity of the population that they may just assume the robots are actual citizens just working there to provide for thier robot families

Which is not the case given that they were accidentally given sentience-

But ya- so- ya

In the Feindly district - murder isn’t illegal- however most stores/households/establishments have installed an T.T.M.S.S (acronym for “Thing That Makes Stuff Stop”,, people here don’t know how to name their gadgets) which is basically an,,, idk a word for it,,? Anesthetic?? Ig?? - it works at a kinda mist that they put In the air so that basically it makes people incapable of using their special abilities-

like- for example - if a dragon person waltzed into the pizza plex- they wouldn’t have ability to breathe fire - and they would be in a relaxed state to where they would be for the most park physically and emotionally incapable of causing any problems- but the effectiveness of this must varies from creature to creature-

This doesn’t affect the animatronics tho- cuz - they don’t have lungs-

they don’t have any special abilities outside of the canon game but they would technically be stronger than all the costumers

Which is why moon has been shamelessly eating trespassers

Even tho murder isn’t illegal- people are still pretty civil and respectful- and they would expect nothing less from the animatronics

Murder is a controversial topic in the Feindly district- some consider it incredibly idiotic that it’s not illegal- some say “Ya don’t like it? Move to another district!” And then most of which are indifferent- most are pretty chill they really don’t care- but it causes them to be fairly callused- given that any day at anytime- they- or a loved one could be gonzo within seconds

Ok back to talking about the plex-

All the glam characters are basically the same in personality-

Moon is more feral and only speaks fluent sentences if he feels you’re worth his time- if not he’ll talk with very few words

For example

I kinda respect you, moon: “You can leave now. Your shift ended half an hour ago.”

I playfully disrespect you, moon: “You. Gone.”

That kinda thing

Sun is very calm and sarcastic

Absolutely panicking and questioning his life 24/7 on the inside-

He’ll only let his panic shine through if he feels threatened or has a suspicion that he’s being replaced

But ofc he hides it very very well with being chill and silly silly

He only raises his voice when he absolutely positively needs to

Otherwise he prefers to solve conflicts in a fashion that causes less stress in everyone involved

He kinda had to take on both roles of being fun and upbeat- yet calm and relaxed at the same time

Sun was the one who ratted Moon out tho-

After being addressed for his behavior- management figured it would be safer if Moon was just strictly a security guard and never was allowed to interact with the kids

He acted pretty indifferent to the whole thing- but he does kinda miss the kids-

A lot-

Sun loves his job- but he felt if Moon wasn’t so morally STUPID that it would be a lot easier to manage

Also yes they both reside in the same body

So he is very well capable of speaking with moon he just prefers not to most of the time

They don’t hate eachother- they just rather not associate- they view eachother as mere business partners rather than brothers

[amberrskiies]

𝗢𝗕𝗘𝗬 𝗠𝗘 𝗠𝗖: 𝗔𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥

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Picrew

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Personal - Basics

[Name]

Amber Heaven

[Race/Species]

Demon [] Angel [] Human [x] Other: []

[Age]

18-22 (Season 1 - Season 4)

[Birthday]

November 17

[Height]

5'7

[Fingernail Polish Color(s)]

Black nail polish with crimson and white gradients

[Hair color/description]

Natural short shoulder length black hair. Front part is dyed with crimson red dye and white streaks on the side of her bangs. Has a small braid of the left side of her hair with a small pink ribbon.

Personal - In-depth

[Gender or no | Pronoun(s)]

Female; She/her (possible use of Them/Them)

[Sexual/Romantic Orientation or lack thereof]

Pansexual; Boy Lean > Girl Lean

[Occupation Before Devildom Life]

On her last year of college and works part time as a concept artist

[Favorite Color(s)]

Crimson, baby pink, amber yellow, rose gold and dark blue

[Personality]

MBTI: ENTP/ENFJ

Ennagram: Type 2

Zodiac: Scorpio ♏

Personal - Other

[Likes]

Anime, gaming, spending time with the brothers (mostly Levi) and the side characters, planning prank stuff with the Anti-Lucifer League and technically eating pastries from Madame Screams. She's also a huge fan of TSL.

[Dislikes]

Arguments, when the brothers talk bad about Mammon and anything that seems to tick her off and is somebody talks bad about the brothers, angels, Solomon and anyone she is close to

[Positive Traits]

Has good observation skills, empathetic, outgoing, funny, pretty much optimistic, upbeat, positive, kind, very supportive of others. She is protective but mostly chill going.

[Negative Traits]

Gets distracted easily, stubborn, represses her emotions at times, found bothersome by others and curious

Relationships

• Fears 💀 | Dislikes 🔪 | Acquaintances 🤝 | Friends 🫂 | Close Friends 💛 | Crush 💚 | Loves 💙 | Indifferent 🌱 | Tolerates 👋 | Respects 🙏 | Suspicious 🎭

[With Demons]

Lucifer - 💀🙏 -> 🫂🙏

Mammon - 🤝 -> 💛

Leviathan - 💛💚 -> 💛💙

Satan - 🌱 -> 🫂

Asmodeus - 🫂

Beelzebub - 🌱 -> 🫂

Belphegor - 🎭 -> 🫂💚 -> 💀🫂 -> 🫂

Diavolo - 🌱🙏 -> 🫂🙏

Barbatos - 💀🙏 -> 🫂🙏

[With Angels]

Simeon - 🌱🤝🙏 -> 🫂🙏

Luke - 💛

Michael - 🌱🎭

[With Humans]

Solomon - 🤝 -> 🫂

Skylar (OC) - 💛

[With New Exchange Students]

Thirteen - 💚🤝 -> 💛

Raphael - 🌱🙏 -> 🤝🫂

Mephistopheles - 🌱👋 -> 👋🤝🫂

Favorite Things About the Devildom

[Favorite Job(s)]

Mausoleum and Majolish

[Favorite Place(s) to Hang at]

Madame Screams, Demon Lord's Castle, Library, Levi's Room and Purgatory Hall

[Favorite Food(s)]

BLT Devil Sandwich, Family Pack Sushi, Fried Devil Chicken, Spicy Rainbow Pizza, Barbatos' Signature Cake, ChocoCrunch, Madame Scream's Macaroons, White Ghost Cake and Comfort Candy

[Favorite Class Subject(s)]

Spells, curses & hexes, potions, Devildom language, Devildom history, art, music, 'three realms', Normal & Cursed photography & related media, astrology and illusions and evocation

[Favorite Devildom Version of Something from the Human World - Be Creative!]

Devildom's version of McDonald's and Amazon being called AkuDonald's and Akuzon

Personality Chart

[wickfur]

TOP FIVE FIC CHAIN RULES: ● Link your top 5 fics you've read. ● They don't have to be for any particular fandom. ● Ping at least 3 other people to give their recs. ● if you get pinged again, just link the next five favorite you have. ● Include title/link/fandom/rating(if available). Chain started by: spectralsleuth

Thanks for the ping Venomousspiders!

Aaah, a few of my faves have already been mentioned but.

Here are 5 out of my current faves to read:

(in no peculiar order)

Name: Monsters Among Us

Author: DanzinoraSwitch

Fandom: Rise of the TMNT

Crossover?: no. but technically has some 2003 TMNT elements.

Rated: T

Status: Complete

Summary: He made a vow long ago to protect humanity. And he would keep that vow, or his name wasn't John Bishop. Rise'verse. Set after Repairin' the Baron. While April struggles with her parents coming home, the boys have no idea who they're up against, least of all Donnie.

---------

Name: My Delivery Route is Full of Mutant Turtles (and Other Reasons Percy Jackson Deserves More Than Minimum Wage)

Author: TakingOverMidnight3482

Fandom: Rise of the TMNT

Crossover?: Yes. Percy Jackson.

Rated: T

Status: Complete

Summary: In order to appease his parents, Percy takes a job at a local pizza place as a delivery driver during his senior year of highschool. Of course, with Percy's luck, this pizza place just happens to be frequented by four very pizza fanatic mutant turtles. And with his track record, Percy not only befriends these maniacs, but ends up helping them save the world. Because when isn't the fate of the known universe sitting on Percy's shoulders?

----------

Summary: Leonardo manages to escape the Krang and the prison dimension without outside help. Only the portal doesn't drop him safely into the arms of his family. It drops him on a alien bounty hunters ship.

Name: Lone Hunter and Turtle

Author: MidnightCreator

Fandom: Rise of the TMNT

Crossover?: Yes. Starwars (OC) Chula Verd is such an awesome and lovable character. I love her.

Rated: G

Status: Complete

and by default the second part gets included:

Summary: After a year of traveling through space, Leonardo is finally back with his family. However, they're all in the wrong reality and now have to find a way back home. Easier said than done when all the tension and unaddressed grief from Leon year MIA starts boiling to the surface. And even less easy with enemies lurking in the shadows of this strange universe, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Name: The Portal Home is Built with Roadblocks

Author: MidnightCreator

Fandom: Rise of the TMNT

Crossover?: Yes. Starwars (OC) Chula Verd. and 2003 TMNT.

Rated: T but quite violent in some parts

Status: Ongoing

--------

Summary: Months after the Krang invasion, the Hamato clan sets out on a picnic to celebrate their victory against the worst villains they have ever faced. They also use it as an opportunity to have Mikey practice his latent mystic abilities. It was fine at first, but one minor slip-up sends the four brothers barreling to another dimension- one where mutants walk freely, and heroes are a common profession. As they try to get back home, they have to learn to adapt to the new environment and work with others to create a way back to New York.

Name: What Does it Mean to be a Hero?

Author: HoonHarpoon

Fandom: Rise of the TMNT

Crossover?: Yes. My Hero Academia

Rated: Not Rated but I would say G or T

Status: Ongoing

--------

All gems in this collection.♡

Summary: Splinter was never mutated, and never Splinter. Instead Hamato Yoshi escapes the Hidden City still human, and with four sons. What's an action star to do? A collection of little stories surrounding Hamato Yoshi raising his four mutant turtle sons in a human world. An epic lawyer friend a babysitter and some super chill doctors helping him along the way.

Collection: Little Scraps of Wisdom

Author: clandestineClairvoyant

Fandom: Rise of the TMNT

Crossover?: No.

Rated: T. one M

Status: Ongoing

--------

Summary: Five years. It's been five years. Hamato Leonardo was back. But he was no longer who he once was. Leo has gone a lil crazy, coocoo, loco

Name: The Neon Void

Author: sugarpastels

Fandom: Rise of the TMNT

Crossover?: No.

Rated: Not Rated. but I would say T??

Status: Ongoing

Now... who to tag? A few who came to mind:

@nagichi-boop @holly-rose12 @theiris1002 @kiwinwriting @midnightcreator12 @unorthodoxx-page @wraenata

Feel free to join in regardless of tag or not! Let's show our fic writers some love!

Until next time! //Wick 0v0♡

TOP FIVE FIC CHAIN

RULES:

Link your top 5 fics you've read.

They don't have to be for any particular fandom.

Ping at least 3 other people to give their recs.

if you get pinged again, just link the next five favorite you have.

Include title/link/fandom/rating(if available).

The Dragon Kings Temple-Stargate/Avatar the Last Airbender crossover where Zuko and Toph end up on Earth in Stargate Command under Cheyenne Mountain Washington. Lots of language lore and smart science. Rated T.

Presque Vu- The titular Inception fic. Arthur-centric backstory to the movie that is totally believable, and written by one of the greats. Rated M.

Underdark- TMNT2003. Leo and Mikey are lost underground. Rated G.

Now What I'm Gonna Say May Sound Indelicate- It Chapter2. Eddie Kaspbrak lives. Medical romantic drama. Rated E.

The Whispering Forest and Other Tales- Going to cheat and rec a series. Feudal era ROTTMNT/TMNT/Usagi Yojimbo. Incredibly written and historical drama and romance. Rated T-E.

@thisonesforturtles @olliethescribe @asummersday @radishhqueen @plothooksinc @dangerous-advantage @teainthesnow

[somegirlontheinternet135]

Fnaf AU Facts☆

You might not have picked up of it yet, but they've been a lot of changes to my current Fnaf AU(s). To think I've had story and never thought of on altering it, but then watch content creators on YouTube talk about their AUs and feel upset cause theirs are so better much than mine. It always been like that, till today, I'm learning from mistakes and have new Fnaf AU, fresh out the oven🍞

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Circus Baby's Pizza

Plot: We're sticking to the idea that due to certain events, Baby's Rental Service and Pizza was shut down and later in life brought back in a new light. With the remodeling and rebuilding of the old Circus Baby animatronics

(This takes place the same canon as my two other AUs, which we'll get to later)

☆ Both the rental service and the animatronics are owned Emma's Father, Drake, a man who runs another business, Funtime Chica's Pizza World, a town over

☆ Emma and her family has been ocs for the longest time and I can imagine people not liking Emma, she's annoying and weird; so let's fix that.

☆ Since Drake technically owns half the business, the family gets free access and low prices on everything. So it's safe to assume where Emma spends her days

☆ The restaurant is huge, it's big enough to be a mini Pizza Plex. Baby's Pizza is separated into 4 floors, each having an activity and section made for the animatronics; Baby's section is on the first floor with the stage and main restaurant area; Funtime Freddy's on the second floor with a diner type ice cream parlor; Funtime Foxy's on the third floor with a colorful arcade; and Ballora's on the fourth and final floor with a night club/restaurant

☆ Each animatronic was made for an age group; Baby works with kids, Freddy, Foxy, and Bonbon work with preteens and teenagers, and Ballora works with young adults. Ironic considering, all the animatronics, not counting Bonbon, love kids

☆ In addition to being used for a certain age group, each has their own act. Baby is a popstar, Freddy is a bartender/comedian, Foxy is game show host, and Ballora is a ballerina and jazz/blues singer

☆ Baby's Pizza applys for both kids and adults. In the ice cream parlor, there's a few spiked drink options for milkshakes, and let's not forget the nightclub

☆Of course, the nightclub area on the forth and final floor is area made for adults, so no kids allowed. Based off jazz theme nightclubs in NY, the place is filled with bright lights and beautiful decor. It even has it's own jazz band, who consistent of staff bots, similar to the ones in security breach

☆ The arcade on the third floor is based off casinos from Las Vegas, think instead gambling machines, they have arcade games. At it's that, there's Foxy stage where he does his game show; people can sign up for it and win of tickets to exchange for prizes

☆ Based off diners in the 50s, the ice cream parlor on the second floor is where Freddy and Bonbon do their comedic routine, making story's that'll have the whole crowd laughing. Despite being known for its ice cream, there's an all you eat buffet of desserts and sweets to pick out. From cake to brownies, candy, even fruit if people are interested

☆ Then there's the main, family-friendly restaurant area and stage. Very much based off the restaurant area in Chucky Cheese, Baby performs on stage, singing pop and indie songs. They also have a rock band, which yes also consists of staff bots

☆ Kids are wonder the place freely till the third floor

☆ New technicians and mechanics are trained by Lolbit and Yenno, two animatronics programmed to masters in technology and mechanical engineering. The other animatronics don't see them often because their so busy and jump around businesses alot

☆ Both Circus Baby's Pizza and Funtime Chica's Pizza World have a strict "no being mean to animatronics" rule. If you break it, you will get kicked out

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Emma and The Animatronics

☆ Emma is definition of a brownie. Really sweet and filled with sugar. She's also extremely close to all the animatronics and since she was born an only child, views them as family

☆ Ballora's eyes are sensitive to bright lights, so she much prefers preforming at nighttime when it's darker and the lights aren't as bright

☆ Freddy makes the best milkshakes. He often creates his own flavors and has the kids taste test them

☆ Out of everyone in the group, Foxy's probably the best most competitive when videos are involved. You can tell right way he rages

☆ Because of more interaction between the two, Emma is extremely close with Baby

☆ Despite viewing Baby as her favorite, she also favors Bonbon. Which shocks alot of people considering that Bonbon is massive brat and complete b#tch to everyone. But Emma's like 6, so does it matter?

☆ Speaking of Bonbon, she's extremely possessive and overprotective of Freddy, cause they're overall extremely close and spend so much together

☆ When playing arcade games, Foxy will help Emma with most difficult ones, but never lets her get a high score for "important" reasons

☆ Foxy and Lolbit are siblings(so no shipping). They have a alright relationship and thanks to them, he knows most cheats on the arcade games. Saying "most" cause Lolbit has a habit of figuring out cheats and not telling him, just so they beat him in said games

☆ Lolbit's also an amazing roller skater. It's especially helpful for chases and easy escape

☆ Lolbit's comfortable with being called all pronouns but the ones they gets called most often are "she/her" and "they/them"

☆ Due to regulations and obvious rules, Drake doesn't let Emma enter the nightclub during work hours, she can only visit Ballora before opening or after closing. When Emma does visit, Ballora enjoys braiding or just playing with her hair, when she can see of course

☆ Emma has two human friends, one is Tyler, his dad works bouncer-type for body guard for Baby's Pizza, mostly the for the nightclub, so they to play alot. Unlike Emma, Tyler is more on the timid side and fears all the animatronics. Fortunately, she tells him there's nothing to worry about

☆ Bonbon doesn't like it when Freddy spends time with Emma or other kids, again standing into the possessive category. However, her relationship with Emma seems decent

☆ Bonnet and Bonbon are sisters(again, no shipping) they get along most the time. Emphasis on "most"

☆ Lolbit has both physical and digital body. They have own form of "astro-projection" where she can leave they physical body and create a digital avatar of themselves, they use this form to travel through and control different electronics

☆ Baby acts as a older sister to children. Especially with Emma and the younger animatronics

☆ Even with the perfect hourglass body, Ballora still doesn't understand why men hit on her

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Minireenas and Bidybaps☆

☆ Groups of both animatronics consists of twins. Both of which are the same gender

☆ The Bidybaps, Benny and Billy, are much more mischievous and love to cause trouble, unlike the common minireenas, Holly and Molly, who are made toned down and mature

☆ Benny and Billy are entertainers, made to preform as acrobats or stunt professionals alongside Baby

☆ As for the two girls, they work waitresses in both the main restaurant and the ice cream parlor on the second floor, taking orders and serving milkshakes

☆ For easy transportation from table and table, Holly and Molly use rollerskates, of course they were tot by Lolbit

☆ Benny and Billy, mostly Benny, have a habit of pulling "harmless" pranks on the oth animatronics, even guests. Spoiler alert, half of those pranks aren't so harmless

☆ It's hard to say what the Minireenas do outside of work. What's seen is that they wonder the building freely and have an interest in coloring and dolls, very generic "little girl" activities

☆ Emma doesn't hang with the Bidybaps and Minireenas as much as the other animatronics, but whatever she's does, there's always something that goes down. For starters, she would get involved in one of Benny and Billy's pranks. But overall, Emma has a good relationship with those four

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Funtime Chica's Pizza World☆

☆ Just a town over, is Funtime Chica's Pizza World, a type open mic type restaurant, ran by, you guested it, Funtime Chica

☆ Chica is extremely sweet and act as a nanny towards children. Only issues are she's wee overprotective and gets attached easily.

☆ Times 10x when the younger animatronics or Emma gets put under her care

☆ Both her and Baby think they know what is best for the group, causing to fight for control

☆ Those two, Chica and Baby, yeah, they're dating. It may not look like it but they are

☆ As for the restaurant itself, it's an open mic cafe with a very calm aesthetic with pastel colors

☆ Unlike Yenno and Lolbit who bounce around the businesses, Bonnet lives with Chica. She views her as a mother figure and inspires to be her

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Ennard and Michael ☆

☆ Ennard was experimental, a fusion of Baby's Rental Service old animatronics becoming a separate entity

☆ Ennard lives in the sewers of the town Baby's Pizza is located, but settled in the large sewer tunnels near the establishment

☆ Many are threatened by Ennard's appearance; can you blame them? For context, Ennard is just half the size of an electrical pole and looks as if a spaghetti monster went to a circus

☆ Despite this, they're a gentle giant who wouldn't hurt a fly

☆ For some time, Ennard did use Michael's body as an endoskeleton before escaping into sewer. Speaking of Michael, he was one to design and drew out the blueprints for the animatronics, more on that next

☆Not like his father, he wants this new animatronics to be used for good, advancing their AI so they protect children instead of killing him

☆ Michael is a mix between a "spirit" and "rotting corpse". He does have organs, it just that most are either rotting or don't work

☆ The guys working in robotic engineering and inventor, experimenting with his father's old projects and creating new

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Afton Kids☆

☆ More on the Afton kids, they live in a shack-like house, very old and on the outskirts of town

☆This can't be a series without some sort of antagonist, who's that? None other than Lizzie herself

☆ Short on her personality, think Darla Dimple for "Cats Don't Dance" but British and daddy issues. She also obsessed with Baby, don't if it make's better or worse

☆ Liz thinks Emma has the perfect life; a father who pays attention to her, two brotherly figures who never fight, and a former animatronics as her best friend. Meanwhile, Liz's life, or life before death was the complete opposite, making her envious when they first met

☆ Whenever she can around, Liz will find ways to "ruin" or "steal" Emma's life for herself, which's really just her trying take core aspects from her life. All the while Emma is obvious while being nice to her

☆ And as a spirit it's not possible, at least without Michael's invention of the "Illusion Disk"

☆ Seen in other AUs, the illusion disk is sticker-like device which disguise the spiritual form, in addition to blending in normal society, but rather it being some obvious sticker on their face, it disguises itself as a mark on skin. For example, Elizabeth has a heart-shaped "birthmark" on her eyelid

☆ Liz uses her illusion disk the most often, Michael doesn't need nor want to use one. Evan just stays home during the day

☆ I sadly haven't down much thinking for Evan, but I've conjured a few facts about him. Evan is as you expect it to be, a very introverted yet sweet that was secretly favored by the mother, Ms. Afton. He has a festination with "nighttime," ironic considering he never got sleep when has alive

☆ Michael on other hand, is more down-to-earth. He always acts busy, the type to not make small talk. Because of not-so great parenting, he was made to grow up quickly to raise his siblings

☆ Thankfully, he's not alone, romantically that is. Phoenix, his smoking wife, is bratty and entitled but not in a bad way.

Overall, a good person and finds Michael as intriguing and mysterious, one of the core reasons she married him. She has her own place but likes to sleep at his, becoming the mother figure of this broken yet functioning household

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Plot☆

Very simple series. Emma and her friends go on adventures. Over time, learning the many mysteries and secrets of the old child entertainment franchise, "Fazbear Entertainment"; the company which was bankrupted and unfortunately shut down long ago

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With these results, we can end it there. Sadly, like the Winchester mansion and my other AUs, it will never be done. Millions of other plot points I want to include in this passage but couldn't because I didn't know where they'd fit into the story. But like every unsolved mystery, I'll figure something out along the way