#as of right now hes just my slightly weird friend who i ask magic questions to. and tbh. i love him for it

[crows-of-buckets]

Okay Solas fans I think I get it now. I get why you like him so much the cheeky little shit

[annaloveshjp]

drunk in love

harry potter x fem!reader

word count: 1k

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a/n: another little fluff scenario :)

warnings: slight drinking.

summary: y/n has a little too much butterbeer(?)

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Loud music filled your ears as you entered the crowded Gryffindor common room. Almost everybody had a drink in their hand, or was dancing with someone.

Gryffindor had just won another Quidditch match, which was always the perfect excuse for a party. Harry had invited you even though you weren’t in the same house, but being the boy who lived’s girlfriend has its perks.

“Whataya doin here!?” Ginny Weasley stumbles your way with a half empty cup in her hand.

“Harry invited me!” You shout over all the noise.

“Oh, right!” She remembered, “come on in!”

You smile at the intoxicated teen before making your way further into the common room in search of your boyfriend.

After asking a few people where Harry Potter was and receiving a few “I don’t know” and “want a drink?!” In return, you find your good friend Hermione chatting with Ron by the fireplace.

“Hey, Mione!” You exclaim, relieved to find someone who might know where Harry is.

“Y/N!” Hermione and Ron say in unison.

“Have you seen Harry?” You ask them, ducking suddenly as a Weasley invention flew over your head.

“No, I haven’t,” said Hermione thoughtfully. “Have you, Ron?”

“No, sorry mate,” he said, giving you an apologetic look.

“Okay, thanks,” you muster up a smile as best you can before walking over to an unoccupied armchair and sitting down.

You wonder where Harry could be. maybe in his dorm? It’s fine, he’ll probably be here soon.

But even after waiting ten minutes, still no sign of your boyfriend.

“Want a drink?” Hermione came up to you holding two cups, a sympathetic look on her face.

“Sure,” you take one cup gratefully, the first sip burns your throat slightly. “Firewhisky?”

“Mixed with butterbeer,” Hermione confirms, taking a swig of her drink.

“Tastes nice,” you say before drinking almost all of it in one go.

“Woah woah, slow down,” Hermione chuckled.

You laugh, feeling lighter than before. This drink is magical.

After a few more drinks (more like a dozen), and some dancing later, you now sat on the floor leaning against the wall.

“My head hurts,” you whine like a little kid to no one in particular. “I want my boyfriend.”

You suddenly see someone walking towards you. They crouch down to your level and start talking to you.

“Hey, what happened?” The stranger asked you, their face appeared blurry but you could make out a look of concern on their face.

“I had butterbeer,” you reply, your words slurring slightly.

“How much?” They ask.

“Why do you care?” You question.

“Too much, I take it.” They sigh before lifting you up by the armpits and walking you towards the boys dormitories.

“Noooo I don’t wanna,” you complain, attempting to plant your feet but failing.

“Honey, you need some water, I’m taking you up to my dorm.”

“Hey! Only Harry can call me that, don’t be weird.” You say accusingly.

“Guess what,” the stranger says. “I am Harry.”

You gasp. “Harry? Awww I missed you!” You lean into him.

“I missed you too, Honey. Now, can you walk?” Harry asks you.

“Hmmmm I think so,” you walk, stumbling a bit. He holds your waist as you both walk up the stairs to Harry’s dorm.

Harry shut the door behind him and led you to his bed. He laid you down before taking your shoes off, he then went to the bathroom and returned with a glass of water.

“Here,” he said softly, lifting your head up and tilting the glass for you to drink.

“Thanks,” you mumble before rolling over and planting your face into his pillow.

“You smell nice,” you say, sniffing his pillow.

“You say that a lot,” he chuckled.

“I do?” You ask. “Hm,”

“Mhm,” he hummed in confirmation. “So tell me, what happened earlier?”

“Well, I came into the common room and I couldn’t find you, so I got sad and decided to have some butterbeer, but it wasn’t just butterbeer, it had some firewhiskey, Hermione told me. Then I danced, then I got a headache so I sat down, then you found me, then I thought you were a stranger, then I realized you were Harry, then Harry took me to his dorm and gave me water, then he asked me what happened.”

“Oh, wow,” he says.

“Yeah. Where were you, by the way?” You ask him. “It felt like I was waiting hours.”

“It was only twenty minutes,” he said. “But I was taking a shower,” he pointed to his hair that was dripping onto his now damp t-shirt.

“Oh, right, you get all sweaty after Quidditch,” you say. “But I think it’s hot,”

He chuckled. “Thank you?”

“You’re welcome,” you say, snuggling into his blanket.

After a minute, you feel the bed dip beside you. You look over and see Harry laying next to you.

“What are you doing?” You ask him.

“What does it look like? I’m lying with you.” He states.

“But I thought you’d want to go celebrate, you know?” You say confused.

“Nah, I’d rather be with you, and since you’re wasted, I figured it’s best if we don’t go back down there.” He reached out and pulled you closer to him, your head leaning against his bare chest.

“Oh,” you mumble. “I’m sorry for drinking too much…”

“It’s alright, Honey,” he muttered into your hair, stroking it with one hand and holding you with the other. “I like this better anyway,”

You smile and sink into his warmth, both your slow breathing and the muffled noise from the common room being the only sound audible.

“D’you need anything else?” Harry asks you, brushing your hair from your face.

“No, just need you,” you say, turning around and snuggling your face into his neck. “This is good.”

You gave him a few kisses on the side of his neck and on his collarbone. Although you couldn’t see, Harry smiled.

“I love you,” you tell him.

“I love you, Honey.” he said, kissing the top of your head.

—————

[angstywaifu]

The Lost Sister - Part 37

Synopsis: Xaden is known as an only child due to his sister who 'died' during the Rebellion. Little do they know she didn't die and has been so close this entire time.

Garrick Tavis x OC (Ophelia Riorson)

The Lost Sister Masterlist | Masterlist

Home. Or close enough to it. I can’t help but get emotional at the sight of the Cliffs of Dralor that surround Tyrrendor. That surround home. It’s the closest I’ve been in five years.

You ok little one? Mealladh asks, concern evident in her tone.

Just feels weird to be here. To be so close to home.

As we cross the border where the wards end I feel a strong tug in my chest, my right hand reaching out to grasp onto Mealladh. As I look around it looks like none of the others are affected the same as I am. But I can tell by the look on Violet’s face she felt it to.

The magic feels different here. Stronger.

It is. Magic is wilder, more unpredictable out here. Mealladh informs me as we bank towards Athebyne.

I nod in agreement, feeling the wild and unpredictable nature of the magic within me. But I also felt stronger, like I could do more. Something I was probably going to find out depending what awaited us at Athebyne. Just after lunch the dragons descend towards a lake close to the outpost to by order of our dragons. We needed to rest and gather ourselves before heading out to the outpost. The surface of the lake ripples as all elven dragons land along the shore of lake. If I wasn’t so nervous about what could be awaiting us, I would have stopped and taken in the beauty of the clearing we had landed in. I note I’m not the only one nervous and on edge, even the dragons not seeming to like where we are.

”We’re twenty minutes out from Athebyne, so hydrate! We have no idea what kind of scenario is waiting for us.” Xaden calls out as I slide off Mealladh.

Instead of joining Liam and Violet, the only other first years in this squad, I make my way over to Garrick and Xaden who have separated from the rest of us. Their attention shifting to me as I approach, both going quiet.

”I think we’re past the point of keeping secrets.” I tell them as I stand between them, Garrick nodding in agreement. “My money is on Dain being the reason we’re here.”

Xaden cocks an eyebrow at me. “Jumping right into the allegations today.”

”Well if someone hadn’t told their situationship about Athebyne we wouldn’t be in this mess.” I retort, my turn to cock an eyebrow at him.

Garrick freezes, before snapping his head towards Xaden. “You did what?” His voice raising ever so slightly.

Xaden pays him no attention as he stares at me wide eyed. “How do you know about that?” He demands, stepping forward.

”Violet. I reached out to her in the Rotunda.”

Garrick’s head snaps to me, both his and Xaden’s eyes darkening with anger. “You did what?” Garrick’s question now directed at me, his jaw clenching tightly.

I cross my arms over my chest, not letting these two intimidate me despite the size difference between me and them. ”I reached out to her and spoke in her mind. Because I’m pretty sure that’s why the Colonel has sent you here.”

Xaden shakes his head at me. “Trust me, she didn’t tell anyone about that.”

“She didn’t. Or have you forgotten what Dain can do?”

Xadens face reveals nothing, but I feel the shift in his emotions. The nervousness seeping in. “He hasn’t been anywhere near her since then. Hasn’t touche-“

“Do you know that for certain?” I ask, cutting him off. “Because even with you assigning Liam to her, I can guarantee you don’t have eyes on her all day. And with the way he was almost pleading for her to stay behind, he knows something.”

“Shit.” Garrick mutters while shaking his head.

“Yeah. Shit. And poor thing probably has no idea what’s happened. Has no idea the guy she calls her best friend has sent us all off to die potentially.” I say as I nod towards Violet.

Xaden turns his gaze to Violet who also turns to meet his gaze as if drawn by a magnet. She definitely had no idea what Dain had potentially done. Reading her thoughts and reporting what he found to his dad. She’d be devastated if she found out she was why we were sent here.

“So whatever is at Athebyne is something we’re not meant to survive.” Garrick states gruffly as Xaden turns back to us.

He shakes his head slowly, shoulders slumping slightly. “Probably not. But I’ll be damned if we don’t walk away from this.” He says before turning on his heel and walking over to Violet, leaving Garrick and I alone.

“You ok?” He asks after a few moments, grabbing one of my hands in his. His thumb tracing lightly along the back of my hand.

“Yeah.” I say with a sigh as I turn my gaze back to him. “Just feels so weird to pretty much be home, and my magic just feels…. Different. Stronger. But I’m ok all things considered.”

He offers me a tight lipped smile, the only sign he’s worried about what’s ahead. “It does take some getting use to. Both of those things.”

“Have you been home since it happened?”

He nods. “Only a few times, but not for very long.”

I slowly nod my head, turning my gaze to the ground. One day I would get back. One day I’d go home. See what had changed, what was still the same. See if the courtyard I imagined to ground myself was still as I remembered.

”You’ll get to go back one day Ophelia. I’ll make sure of it. We will get through this. Whatever is at Athebyne waiting for us, we can handle it.”

”But what if we can’t?” I ask as I look into his hazel eyes. “All these dragons are on edge. They know something bad is waiting. They can sense it. Hell so can I. But I don’t know what. I can’t pinpoint it.”

Garrick steps forward, grasping my face between his hands as he looks down at me. I can see how worried he is. He can’t deny it. He knows I can sense it. But there’s a look of determination in them. A look that tells me he will do anything he can to make sure we all walk out of this alive.

”We are going to be fine. This squad is filled with the best riders in that Quadrant. We have the best signets on our side. You can use yours without holding back. We have got this Ophelia. Trust me.”

Garrick angles my head, leaning down to pull me into a kiss. Our lips almost touching when I sense it. I push Garrick back as I reach out, sensing them before I see them. I step away from Garrick as I scan the tree line behind us. We should be the only riders out this far. Least from the Quadrant.

”Ophelia, what's wrong?” Garrick’s voice slightly panicked as he steps in front of me.

And that’s when I see them over Garrick’s shoulder, just about the tree line. Flying right for where Xaden has taken Violet. Violet who does not know about our allegiance with them.

”Gryphon riders.” I say as I look wide eyed at Garrick.

Garrick’s head snaps to where I’m looking, muttering under his breath before he takes off running towards where Violet and Xaden went. I take off after him, having to put in twice the effort to keep up due to his longer legs.

”What’s going on?” Bodhi calls out as Garrick rushes past.

I slow down to a jog, pointing to the sky where the last of the Gryphon rider is landing. “We have some visitors it seems.”

Bodhi goes pale as he sees what I’m pointing out, quickly moving to follow Garrick and I. And by the sound behind me I know some of the others have joined us. We may know who they are but Violet doesn’t. And with how Garrick and Bodhi are reacting they aren’t meant to be here. We burst into the clearing as Xaden hauls Violet against his chest, stopping her from unleashing her signet on the Gryphon riders. She fights back, trying to push off him. Her eyes wide with panic, not understanding what’s going on. Tairn lands next to her with a loud thud, the ground shaking with the force.

”Holy shit, that one is huge.” A women calls out as they all retreat a few steps.

I watch as Xaden pleads with Violet, most likely to trust him before passing her into Liam’s arms. But I can see in her face she wants to do anything but that right now. In her mind the enemy is right there. The enemy she’s been taught to hate her entire life. And right now she’s the only one moving to try fight them.

”You’re fucking early.” He snarls as he turns to the Gryphon riders.

I turn my attention to them, and it’s then I realise I recognise them. I don’t remember their names, but they are faces I had seen before.

”What happened to meeting tomorrow? We don’t have a full shipment.” Xaden says as his voice turns calm and even.

The womens eyes skim over us all before turning back to Xaden. “The shipment isn’t the issue.” Her voice grim as she focuses back on Xaden.

”So you we’re waiting nearby to chat on the off chance that we’d fly by a full day early?” Xaden asks, and I don’t have to see his face to know he’s cocked an eyebrow at them. He is not pleased at all.

”We were patrolling from Draithus yesterday, it’s about an hour southeast from here-”

”I know where Draithus is,” Xaden retorts as he cuts her off.

”Never know, you Navarrians act like nothing exists beyond your borders,” A male flier snarls. “I don’t know why we’re bothering to warn them.”

”Warn us?” I ask, stepping forward to join them.

The female turns her attention to me, some recogntion in her eyes as I join Xaden and Garrick. ”We lost a village in the vicinity to a horde of venin two days ago. They decimated everything.”

Did she just say what I think she did? Venin?

When we’re you going to tell me about the Venin part of your little rebellion? I snarl in Xaden’s head.

When you we’re ready to know. He snaps back.

Well it might be a little late for that. I say before severing the connection.

”Venin never come this far west.” Imogen says from behind me.

”Until now,” She replies before turning back to Xaden. “They were unmistakably venin and had one of their-”

”Don’t say anything else.” Xaden Interrupts as he holds up a hand. “You know that none of us can know the details or we put everything at risk. All it takes is one of us to be interrogated.”

He’s right. Though I know he’s not referring to actual interrogation. I’m sure any of the riders standing here with us wouldn’t let anything slip regardless of what they put us through. But there’s one thing only I can withstand. I’m the only one here that could know details and be safe. Every other rider is an open book if Dain gets his hands on them. Every detail would be available to him.

”Details or not, it looks like the horde is heading north,” the male says. “Straight toward our trading post on the border across from your garrison at Athebyne. Are you armed?”

”We’re armed.” Xaden confirms.

The way the male smiles at us unsettles me. “Then our job here is done. You’ve been warned. Now we have to go defend our people. As it is this side trip only gives us about an hour to reach them in time.”

Something in the air changes, Xaden becoming rigid before he looks over his shoulder at Violet. There’s something about the emotions of the male flier in front of me that I can’t quite put my finger on. Almost as if he’s up to something, and the way Xaden is acting tells me he feels the change to. But how the hell would Xaden know that?

”If you think you’ll ever convince a Sorrengail to risk their neck for anyone outside their own borders, then you’re a fool.” The man says with a sneer before leaning to the side to get a better look at Violet. “I wonder what you’re king would be willing to pay in order to get back the daughter or his most illustrious general. I’m willing to be your ransom would be worth enough weaponry to defend all of Draithus for a decade.”

Instantly everything changes. The riders behind us all move to attack, Tairn snarling at the flier as lightning flashes across the sky above us. Instantly shadows race from the trees surrounding us, stopping just before the fliers who all take a cautious step back. Gasps sound from around me as I reach out to everyone in the clearing, and instead of one Tairn behind us there are multiple all stalking from the tree line. Earning me a pointed stare from Xaden.

That’s a little dramatic don’t you think? Mealladh muses in a teasing tone.

Maybe, but they need to know to not fuck with us.

I think they got the point.

”You take a step toward that Sorrengail and you’ll be dead before you can even shift your weight. She’s not up for discussion.” His voice dropping to a low and lethal tone, that seems to get this point across.

”We’ll be there with the rest of our drift. Just signal if you can get away from the disbelievers.” The women says before turning and leaving, the man close behind her as they take off and leave us alone.

@riorgail @going-through-shit @fw-gt @bbkissme99 @xceafh @leptitlu @came-to-laugh-but-cried @onthewaytotimbuktu @daardyrnitta @lovemesomevesey @mxtokko @krowiathemythologynerd @callsign-blue @1islessthan3books @side-angel @wolfbc97 @just-an-ace-elf

[oneknightstand-if]

So, uhhh, first ever message on tumblr, here's to hoping this is actually the place to post that stuff?

It's great, As a Game Master (mostly for rpgs on discord) I'm a big fan of the freedom of expression when it comes to characters. I just finished a run I'm pretty happy with, so I figured I should do as asked and share the results below.

(A word of warning, since I can only draw anime-style, this is now an anime.)

As a bonus, here's some design I doodled up for the character, to help myself visualize her.

Additional Data:

Adrian: Crush Merlin: To Befriend Pet: Cat (Roland)(Like the Paladin of Charlemagne) Wears: Frilly blouse and long skirt (She started wearing those to get reactions out of Adrian while avoiding more extreme outfits) Camelot Sequence: Lucid dreamer, talked to Merlin in the past (monty python reference to prove she's from the future), got directed to Arthur, asked Past!Arthur about lucid dreaming, Caught Current!Arthur about Lucid Dreaming (He now knows who she is), then spilled all the beans to Merlin after waking up (He knows who she is). Items: Magic 8-Ball, Cat memento, pouch of pearls, miniature garden (Audrey III!) Gas Station: Followed Merlin, Destroy Cameras, Clean traces, Get matches.

And now, for the wall of texts that nobody asked for but that you're all getting anyway!

Character Design

The design I went with was 'the super sussy character who actually is kinda hiding the least'.

Physically, she's basically hopeless, with her teeny tiny 10% on physical, which puts her firmly into the 'dead weight' category. Considering what's going on in here, it's a bit sus.

Even more sus is the amnesia background, because here's that girl popping out of seemingly nowhere with no memories right around the time the failed Lesser Circle happened, who just so happens to be a potential harbinger? Sus.

Appearance wise, her best features are her eyes (my dice determined they should be violet), but they are downturned (Tareme) ones, that usually express either gentleness, or belong to suspicious people, with a gentle, caring and overall traditionally feminine/motherly behavior (wears frilly outfits, cooks gourmet food, tends to her (mutant) plants). In other words, she's very much an 'ara ara'-type character. (The cuckoo is mostly limited to the confines of her mind).

However, she is an imposter whose special move consists of spilling all the tea (ironic, her favourite drink is Jasmine…), all the time. Had a weird dream (Part 1)? Write a report and drop it on Adrian's lap, almost shoving the marked arm under his nose. Freak encounter in a horse trailer? Write a report and drop it on the club leader's lap. Meet a strange but weirdly helpful stranger? Drop the Weird dream Dossier (part 1) on his lap. Questions about the self medication? Ha! She's got her entire (albeit short) life written in a folder ready for perusal! Had a weird dream (Part 2)? You better bet she's writing it down and dropping it on Merlin and Adrian's laps.

…

This is probably a side-effect of being overworked all the time and getting in the habit of making biology reports for everything, isn't it?

IC Thoughts on characters:

Merlin: Super strong incubus who may or may not be the actual Antichrist, may or may not want to cause the Apocalypse themselves to put humanity out of their misery if the Arthur plan doesn't pan out, and yet may very well be the most trustworthy person in this entire group, if only because waking Arthur up seems to be their number 1 priority. After all, all they needed to do was stand aside and do nothing if they wanted the Lesser Circle to fail, right?

Adrian: 'Friend' for several years, eventually got a crush on him a few months ago, but his ambiguous way of almost-but-not-quite friendzoning her is beginning to wear her down. Slightly suspicious due to his being much too prepared for the crisis at hand for a random bystander, but he had all the opportunities in the world to get rid of/corrupt her in all the years they knew each other, and she herself has this 'tiny' Impostor secret going on so she's trusting him so far.

IC thoughts about the adventure: 4 (Reluctant/panicking, but not forced)

What is there to be said. The end of the world, man-eating monsters, plagues, the end of the world, homicides, abductions, did she forget to mention the end of the world? For a woman with little inclination toward physical fighting and who would rather read a book in a corner, this is very much outside of her field of competence.

With that said, she almost got eaten by the monster under her bed and Merlin healed her when she was at Death's Doors, so she's giving them the benefit of doubt, for now.

Character affinities:

Probably Percival (cuckoo connection), Arthur (dream shenanigans) or Broderick (this entire thing is crazy!) would work best?

Here's to hoping this didn't get too long, I tend to get too verbose when I become enthusiastic about something.

It's impossible to be too verbose, especially compared to me. Also, my imagination runs in 4K surround-sound anime-style, so it was anime all along! Olwen fits in perfectly!

[jasntodds]

Petrichor [18]

Pairing: Jason Todd x Fem!Powered!Reader (little bit of fwb)

Words: 9,775

Chapter Warnings: Swearing, angst, canon character death, blood, canon violence, mention of previous abuse, mention of drug use, mention of drug addiction, mention of canon gore, kind of a mention of alcoholism

Summary: ❝Pylades: I’ll take care of you. Orestes: It’s rotten work. Pylades: Not to me. Not if it’s you.❞

Gotham is home, not just for Jason but for you, too. And now that you’re both finally back home, together, you’re ready to see where this next chapter brings the two of you. He’s your best friend and you’re his. And you both might want a little something more with being back home, the place you both feel most comfortable. Surely, nothing could possibly go wrong now.

A/N: I can't believe I've had to type out canon character death 4 times for this series lol You can add yourself to the tag list below, ask me to be tagged, or you can follow my library blog @jasntoddslibrary  and turn on notifications if you prefer that!! I love feedback, I swear it keeps me posting on a weekly basis 😭

series masterlist | masterlist | tag list

You and Gar are seated on the floor facing each other while Rachel went out to get you some supplies. You're trying to wrap your head around how you're supposed to function around the city and take down Crane when the entire city wants your heads on spikes. The GCPD has always been weird about Batman but now they actually want all of the Titans taken down and with Crane behind it, that can't mean just throwing you all in cells and tossing away the key. You can't just go out and fight every civilian that hates you now. They're brainwashed because that's what Crane does and fighting people who have no clue what they're doing isn't going to help your situation. It feels more like you're all sitting ducks at this point.

"Doesn't it bother you?" Gar asks, breaking the silence between you, earning an eyebrow raise from you. "How Jason came back."

Your eyes narrow slightly, unsure how or why it would bother you. Him being alive is a good thing. "Why would it bother me?"

"I mean the Lazarus Pit." Gar states as he leans forward. "Like, he came back and that's just it? Some water somewhere is magic and can bring people back from the dead. That doesn't make sense."

You nod your head slowly, this is the same thing he told you at the manor when he showed you some of the books Bruce had on it. "Yeah, we went over that. It's because of Ra's which I think makes a lot of sense, honestly. It's still bothering you that much?"

"Yeah, like why doesn't anyone know where it is? Or what if they do but it's a secret. Bruce knew, right? Why didn't Bruce close it off like the others? Why did he keep the one in Gotham open?" Gar rambles off his questions.

Of all topics that's going to pick at Gar, this is it? The Lazarus Pit? You're bothered by it, too but not enough to be sitting here thinking about it when you're worried the Titans are going to be hunted for sport now. You've been separated and you're going to need each other but Gar doesn't seem bothered by it at all. Just the Lazarus Pit.

You blink at him a few times. "I've been trying to rationalize the decisions Bruce makes but I think that's more of a dead end than anything else. If anyone is going to have that answer outside of Bruce, it'd probably be Jason or Dick. But, they don't really get him either. I don't know." You shrug your shoulders. "Bruce is paranoid, maybe that's all there is to it. Couldn't explain why no one else knows..."

"Yeah, he's paranoid!" Gar groans. "So why leave it open?"

"No, I mean that's probably why. Or research." You let out a breath. "Maybe he's worried something will happen if he closes all of them off. Or he needs it to do more research. I don't know." You scoff. "I don't know how he feels about resurrection so maybe he wants to use it to help people or something I have no fucking idea, Gar. I think you'll drive yourself insane if you try to rationalize Bruce Wayne." You lean back on your hands, stretching out your legs.

"Maybe more people know about it." Gar says quietly. "If Crane knew..." Gar trails off as his eyes grow worried.

Without him finishing, you know exactly what he's thinking.

"Yeah, thought of that." You nod your head, your heart skipping a beat.

If Crane knew and his guy knew, more people know. They have to. Gotham is a big city so anyone can stumble upon it. People talk, it's what they do. It can't be that big of a secret. The question is who knows about it. If Crane knows, more Arkham inmates might know. More people who are crooked might know. There have been some really bad people who've been killed. If Jason can come back, so can they.

"We have to find it." Gar states.

"Why?" You ask flatly, tired of the circles you've been running.

"So we can do something about it." Gar says sternly.

"Like what?" Your voice raises.

Considering Crane is literally taking over the city, poisoning the water, and still might be wanting to distribute his drug, you think your hands a little bit full at the moment. Why go messing with something like a Lazarus Pit? That just sounds like a bad idea. Doing research into it is fine but the way you see it, it's probably best to leave well enough alone. Maybe you all should tackle one problem at a time and the Lazarus Pit doesn't seem to be a problem right now.

"I don't know! But maybe we can understand more about it and...use it for good. Or close it off so people like..." Gar's voice trails off as his eyes dodge yours. "The Joker don't get brought back."

"We should leave it alone." You urge, not missing a beat. "That's...that's Bruce and Ra's' business and Jason filled me in on the whole League Of Assassins and the Al Ghuls and I don't want to fuck with them."

"Since when are you on Bruce's side?" Gar scoffs in disbelief. The you he knows would love to do anything to get one over on Bruce, to show him up, prove he's wrong. Or just spite him in general. "He left. He left Dick to clean up his mess."

"I'm not on Buce's side." You grit your teeth. "I don't know why I have to be on anyone's side besides my own, by the way. Look, he's been doing the Batman shit a long fucking time and his methods don't always work but there has to be a reason the pit was left open." You pause for a few seconds before you shake your head. "It brought Jason back. It's not up to us to close it or do something with it."

The room falls silent with your final words. A lot of really bad people can be brought back and that is obviously a big concern. And you disagree with Bruce like you get paid for it but you know if that, of all things, was left open there is a reason for it. It brought Jason back. The way you see it, it can't be up to you and Gar to do anything about it. The Lazarus Pit isn't a battle and it's not up for Gar and you to make it into one. That's Bruce, Ra's' and Jason's business now.

"I got everything." Rachel states as she walks into the room, gaining Gar's and yours attention. The two of you get to your feet as Gar takes the bag from Rachel. "So, this happened last night? With the GCPD?" Rachel asks as Gar looks through the bag and pulls out a box of Cheeze Its.

"Yeah." You nod. "We, uh, we were set up. Dick and Babs had a plan to get the public off our backs but uh, Crane has basically the rest of the department on his payroll now so, uh, yeah." You nod your head as you look to the ground. Gar nudges you softly, offering you the bag. You look inside, seeing clothes. "Thank you." Your eyes widen at Rachel as you nod your head but before you can go to change, all of your phones start blaring an alarm.

The three of you pull out your phones, hoping this means cell towers are back up and running but you can never get so lucky. Instead, Jason wearing the Red Hood suit appears on your screens. Sam's heart falls to her feet. This is never good.

"Hello Gotham!" Jason cheers. "It's Red Hood coming to you live from the most exclusive spot in town: The Batcave. For too long, this city has been at the mercy of criminals and I'm not just talking about the Penguin and the Riddler and The Joker. I'm talking about the ones who pretend to help but only make things worse. First Batman and now the Titans. Hypocrites who feed off of your terror and pursuit of glory and they turn Gotham into a city of carnage. But it all comes to an end today. There's a new savior in town. First thing I'm going to do is burn the trash. You hear me, Nightwing? You're public enemy numero uno. But not for long, meet me at midnight. You know the place. It's time for us to finish this." Jason finishes before the screens go black.

You can feel the headache coming back. What the fuck?

"Okay, what the hell was that about?" Gar asks, looking to you.

Just last night Jason got you both to safety, took out the snipers. Gar might have been a bit out of it but he remembers that pretty vividly. Now, Jason is back with Crane?

"I literally have no fucking idea." You let out a groan, stuffing your phone back into the pocket of your suit.

"I thought he was on our side?" Rachel asks.

"Yeah." Gar raises his brows. "Isn't he supposed to be?"

"He is!" You immediately defend, desperately grabbing for an ounce of faith and reason Jason might have. "I don't know what he's doing. Maybe..." You pull in a breath, trying to figure out why he'd be acting like he's trying to target the Titans. If it were you, it'd be an act, a ploy to play both sides. "Maybe it's to meet up with Dick? I don't know. I mean, he has to make the public think he's with them and not us. He has to play along with Crane or he's dead again. And Crane clearly has access to the towers so it's not like Jason can just...call Dick. Crane might know." You nod your head, mostly just blurting out whatever bullshit you could come with on the spot.

"That's not reassuring." Gar remarks. "How do we know he's not working with Crane again?" Gar asks and he wants to hold onto hope that's not the case but after everything, even he's starting to be chiseled down into a calloused version of himself.

"We don't." You state, holding your head steady, careful not to waver. "We don't know. I don't think he would but it's always possible Crane drugged him again, I guess." You roll your eyes before you roll your shoulders. "Okay, I'm gonna go find Dick."

"No!" Gar protests. "They're going to try to kill you if you go out there. We need to stay hidden until we think of a plan."

"Yeah, I'm with Gar on this one." Rachel states, glancing between the two of you.

"I know this city like the back of my hand. I can find him and be fine." You argue back casually.

At this point, you aren't too afraid of what's out there. It can't possibly be any worse than anything you've experienced lately. You can change, go out as a civilian until you find them. It shouldn't take too long and if it does, you know where they'll be at midnight and you can go there. Someone has to find Dick before any of this gets any worse. And someone needs to find Jason to make sure he's not actually going to try and kill Dick again. You're volunteering, again.

"How are we supposed to find you again then?" Gar asks.

"I don't know." You shrug. "Rache's ESP or whatever?" Rachel offers a slight glare to you as you shrug and give her a grin. "That's kind of what it is." You mutter under your breath. "Whatever Rachel just used, use that. I'm gonna find Dick and if I can't, I know where they're gonna meet."

"Why do you know that?" Rachel asks.

"Because I know Jason and so does Dick. So I'm gonna go there if I have to." The casualness of your voice is not reassuring to Gar or Rachel.

"We're gonna try to find the Lazarus Pit then." Gar states, holding his head high as he crosses his arms.

"You're not gonna stop about that are you?" You ask slowly, giving Gar a slight glare.

"Nope." Gar offers you a smile right back which gets your rather cold exterior to crack just a little.

"Fine but can you promise not to mess with it...like don't take any water...liquid? From it, okay? Or have Rachel try to destroy it." You raise your brows at Rachel and then at Gar who starts to beam.

"Of course not." Gar nods his head once. "I just want to find it, learn more."

"Alright." You let out a sigh. "I'll change and head out. If we don't meet up and you don't hear from me before somehow, we'll meet back here at noon tomorrow, okay?"

"Sounds good." Rachel offers a soft smile. "Don't do anything stupid."

You let out a soft laugh. "Yeah, too late." You look back to Gar. "You guys don't do anything stupid." You smile cheekily at Gar before you turn on your heels. "Be careful!" You wave a hand as you leave the room.

You start your search near the tunnel system, hoping Jason will be there at least but he's not. The reality is that if Jason doesn't want to be found, he won't be. That little bit of information about him has you starting to really worry. It's probably nothing. Jason is probably just with Crane, getting information and saving his own ass. But, there's this small part of you that does wonder if he's preparing to go after Dick again. As much as you don't want it to be true, a part of your trust in him is gone. It's been ripped and torn to unrecognizable shreds. It's as if he took that trust and ripped it apart, baring his teeth with anger like a rabid bear and it can't be mended from that. It's not how it works. There is no fixing it. Just gaining something new and you are not there yet. That leaves you questioning his motives even if the beating between your ribs is telling you his intentions are only pure.

Finding Dick is of no use either. You don't even know where he would go. At least with Jason, you know he likes the school around the block from the library but he doesn't care for that library. He prefers the one near the shelter that houses mostly kids. He has his favorite gargoyle. Finding Jason, when he wants to be found, is easy but Dick? You have no clue where he would even go. He probably has places to go but you aren't sure of any of them which leaves you mostly wandering around until it gets closer to midnight.

By then, it's time to change and meet them at the spot. If nothing else, Dick will be there and you'll be able to tell him where Gar and Rachel are.

This is not how Jason wanted this to go. He wanted to meet up with Dick but with Crane having control of the entire city, he couldn't risk it. Too bad for Jason because Dick does not trust him. Dick has offered him no benefit of the doubt of this not turning into a fight and no part of Jason actually blames him even if he's mad. Of course, Dick doesn't trust him. Why would he? But Jason doesn't stop fighting him to try to explain anything and neither does Dick. Instead, the two of them fight, throwing punches and kicks. Dick uses the enigma sticks and Jason shoots at Dick a few times. It's turned into chaos.

Somehow the roles have flipped. Jason doesn't want to kill Dick but by the way Dick is fighting, Jason is scared Dick will fight him till the death and Jason doesn't want to die again...not yet. It leaves him with no choice. Fight harder, faster, better. Be better.

But Jason and Dick's attention is pulled away from each other.

"What the fuck are you idiots doing?!" You yell, fully suited up again and just walking up to see the chaos they're creating.

This does not look good. They shouldn't be fighting. If all Jason wanted to do was meet up with Dick, they shouldn't be fighting. Something went wrong and at this point, you aren't even sure who caused it this time. But by the way Dick snaps his attention back to Jason and smacks him with the stick, you almost wonder if it were Dick that started this.

Jason doesn't take it lightly, immediately stepping back into combat mode and firing a shot at him. You roll your eyes, pulling out your grappling hook and a knife. You aim the hook at Jason's feet and the knife at Dick before you fire and throw. The hook smacks Jason's feet, throwing his aim off while the knife's end hits Dick's arm with enough force to get him to drop his stick.

"Hello? What the fuck are you two morons doing?" You snap again.

"He started it!" Jason yells as he points at Dick like a child.

Dick snaps his attention back to Jason. "Me?!"

"You threatened to kill him again, Jason!" You yell at him. "Seriously, what the fuck is going on?!"

Jason spins to look over at you. You cannot believe he wanted to fight Dick again. Of all people, you have to know this is not what he came here to do tonight.

"I just wanted to fucking talk and he attacked me!" Jason points at Dick again.

"Gee, I wonder why Dick would attack someone who just threatened to kill him. It's a real brain teaser, Jay." You quip back but you roll your eyes and look over to Dick. "So...you gonna kill him now?"

"I saw him!" Dick defends as he points the stick at Jason once he picks it up. Are they both five? "At the PD." Dick clarifies. "He was on the roof when we came out. He was in on it!" Dick closes the distance between them and smacks him with the stick again.

Jason doesn't miss a beat in fighting back, not even bothering to explain that he was at GCPD to help. Of course, Jason isn't going to try to explain that now. You're just exhausted with these two. At some point, they need to learn how to communicate with words and you figure, maybe they can just fight it out for once. Maybe they need to just fight until they get tired. So, you cross your arms and decide you'll watch and try to intervene if it looks like they might actually kill each other.

Dick ends up disarming Jason entirely, sending him to the ground just as a crowd of civilians gather around to watch the show and that's when your stomach starts to sink. Jason will be fine but these people hate Dick. The fight turns into a violent hand-to-hand fight, the two of them throwing punches and kicks as hard as they can and going for the neck. Jason grabs Dick's neck, pushing him back but Dick grabs Jasn, throwing him over Dick's head and slamming him on his back onto the hard pavement. You wince at the sight and sound. Dick walks over and picks up one of Jason's guns before he goes back to Jason and stands right over him. Dick points the gun at Jason's head.

You're quick to run and stand over Jason. You look up at Dick. "Dude, put the gun down." You put your hands out in surrender, the gun aimed at your stomach. "You're not gonna kill him." Your voice doesn't waver even if you're not entirely sure if that's true anymore.

Would Dick kill him?

Jason doens't want to die. It feels wrong to be back. It feels wrong. Like he's stretching the universe too far and it's all going to snap back, straighten itself out and toss him back into the grave where he belongs. But today, at the hands of Dick Grayson? No. He is not dying tonight so he decides to taunt Dick. Even if Dick wants to kill him, he'll never do it. He'd never give Jason the satisfaction even if Dick were able to toss his morals to the side.

"I did this to you." Jason mutters.

"Shut the fuck up, so fucking help me." You look to the sky in annoyance.

"You did this to yourself." Dick points the gun past you, aiming at Jason again. You move to stand in front of the gun again.

You were just shot two days ago. As badly as it hurt and as bad as it still sucks now, you'll take the bullet if you need to. No one is dying tonight. You've all lost too many people already and this is over a miscommunication.

"Come on. Give me the fucking gun." You mutter. "You're not like us." You plead, locking eyes with Dick.

There's something about the way you say it that gains even Jason's attention. It's not pained or sympathetic, it's just honest. It's not remorseful even, just honest and candid. But it's sad with the smallest touch of desperation. It says everything Dick and Jason need to know about how you really feel about people killing other people.

Dick looks at the gun and back to you. He hands you the gun and you take it, removing the bullets immediately and tossing them before you bend down beside Jason to make sure he's okay. For a second, you really thought Dick just might pull the trigger.

"You okay?" You ask softly as Jason leans up on his forearms, his head and back throbbing from the impact.

Jason looks back at you, brows pinched tightly together but then he sees movement from the corner of his eye, grabbing his attention behind Dick. "Nightwing." Jason's voice is rough but stern, harsh. A warning. Jason's eyes widen with the slight nod of his head.

You follow his stare, seeing an innocent civilian aiming a gun at Dick. Dick's brows pull together but before he can turn around, the kid starts shooting. Lucky for Dick, the suit is bulletproof. The bullets bounce right off as Dick turns around. The gunfire comes to a stop as you and Jason watch from your spot behind him. The both of you start to worry, just a little because the suit might be bulletproof but the kid just needs one lucky shot for this to be catastrophic.

"Woah, easy. I'm not here to hurt you." Dick says, putting his hand out as he walks towards the kid.

You get to your feet first, offering Jason a hand up. Jason takes it but the two of you keep your eyes on the kid. Scared kid, a gun, a guy painted to be the enemy fighting the guy painted to be the hero. The air fills with dread, suffocating Jason with its bare hands tattooed with guilt and regret. It's his fault Dick is here. It's his fault he didn't just say what happened and what he wanted. None of these people should even be here. What is he supposed to do?

"Careful, put the gun down." Dick states.

Jason pulls out another gun, switching to new bullets. He's definitely not going to shoot a scared kid who thinks he's doing the right thing. But, he can shoot in that general direction, he can just use it as a threat if he needs to. He doesn't want to threaten the kid but if he has to he will. He did not come here to kill Dick, get Dick killed, or watch him die. Not tonight.

"What the hell are you doing?" You whisper to him.

"Being prepared." Jason mutters back.

Dick hears Jason and turns around to face him before he starts walking back toward you and Jason. Dick is on guard, feeling as if he can't trust Jason. The second his back is turned, Jason is reloading a gun. From Dick's perspective, Jason isn't done fighting and Jason poses more of a threat than the kid. So, he pulls out the enigma stick again.

Before Dick can reach you and Jason, the kid starts shooting again. Dick is blocking them but Jason pulls you behind him, blocking you from the few shots not even putting any thought into it. But, by the time the third shot rings across the stale air, it finally makes proper contact with Dick. The kid got lucky. The kid got lucky, sending the bullet into Dick's neck right above where his armor stops.

It's as if the entire scene falls into slow motion as you and Jason watch in horror as the blood spurt from Dick's neck. Jason's heart stops beating entirely as Dick's hand goes to his neck, trying to put pressure on the wound. Jason eyes the kid who doesn't even look surprised or sorry or fucking scared. He doesn't look scared. He should look scared.

Jason didn't feel scared killing all those people but if he weren't high, he would have at least felt something. There would have been some part of him that would have felt some sort of fear or remorse or pity or he would have had a thought questioning if it were the right thing to do. Is this really the last resort? He would have felt fucking something other than pride for a job well done. This kid does not look like any of those things. He looks like he just did something on a random Tuesday night. No remorse, no consequences. Just a thing he did.

What is the city turning into?

What has Jason turned this city into?

"I did it for you." The kid's wavered voice breaks the silence, shattering the slowed illusion.

Jason glances to Dick as he falls to the ground and then he looks back to the kid. This is not what he wanted. Crane, Jason, they convinced the public of this. That this was the right way. Jason may not have had a part in that video but it never would have been made if it weren't for him. The public is gonna get blood on their hands. This will clear up, somehow, someway, it will and now this innocent kid, has to deal with the death of someone on his own hands for someone who was masquerading around like a hero, like a savior.

"Red Hood." The kid states, this time the unsteadiness of his voice is gone. And then he starts chanting Jason's vigilante name, over and over and over again as the rest of the civilians join in.

You look at him with heartbreak before you run over to Dick, pushing him onto his back where you put your hand over the neck wound. How could this happen? Another person? Another fucking person? Dick was always right about Gotham. Maybe Bruce was right about Gotham.

Jason went into more detail about what Bruce said to him the day he took Robin away. Bruce had said something about how people lose themselves to the city. Maybe he was right. Maybe they go mad, maybe they turn into murderers, and maybe they die. But eventually, maybe everyone gets lost in the city of damaged hopes. And maybe Dick was right, too. This city takes and it changes people. It's as if this city needs the chaos of destruction in order to stay afloat and it waits in the shadows, just waiting for the perfect victim at the right time before it sinks its teeth into them. It bleeds them of all their good parts until there's nothing left. A perfect sacrifice for the city.

Maybe that's all Gotham is because Dick is bleeding out because some kid got fucking lucky with a gun.

Jason watches in horror and having everyone chant his name does not sound as good as he once thought it would. At one point, he thought having everyone cheer for him would feel good. He would be important but he just got his brother shot. Someone who has almost always just tried to help him. Jason has been out here trying to kill him and thanks to you, Dick was willing to trust Jason and give him a second chance but now he's just been shot and it's his fault. And he's going to die because of him.

Jason knows what it's like to die and it's fucking terrifying and painful. Tears brim his eyes and the crowd is still chanting and he sees your cheeks glistening in the low streetlights around you. He wanted to talk but when Dick attacked first, rightfully so, he just couldn't help it. He thought that it was over for him and maybe it didn't have to be. How the fuck did he get here again? He should have just surrendered. That's all he had to do but his ego and pride get in the fucking way. All he ever does is get in the way. Dick's gonna die and it's all his fault.

He wants to run, get out of here because it's all too much. Too loud, too heavy. Too much pressure. Everyone is cheering as if Jason pulled the trigger and killed the worst of the worst. They're brainwashed and Jason knows that better than anyone. Someone has to snap them out of it. It's too much but running and pushing has never done him much good.

"Get out here!" Jason yells over the crowd as the chanting slows down. Your attention, like the rest of the crowd, lands on him. "Go! Before I start fucking shooting." Jason aims the gun into the air, his arm steady and his eyes threatening.

"We're on your side!" One of the citizens announces.

"So do what I fucking say." Jason snips back. "Didn't ask for you fucking help here. Get out of here." Jason takes steps toward the crowd as they start to back away.

They grumble and mutter amongst themselves before they eventually disburse. Jason takes that as his cue to run up beside you, leaning over Dick. There's blood pooling out of his mouth as he gasps for air.

"I can't stop the bleeding." You state. "Think he hit the fucking artery."

"I got it." Jason mutters, slightly nudging you out of the way where he can replace your hands with his. You have had enough blood on your hands lately, this is on Jason.

Neither of you have ever seen Dick look scared or panicked. Surely, he feels it. He is human and normal, mostly. But, he's really good at hiding it. With Deathstroke, you didn't see the look of pure terror on his face when you were standing outside the window. You didn't see the look of horror and agony on his face as Jason was falling to his death. You didn't see it because Dick has always been good at making sure no one sees those emotions from him. He has to be strong, sturdy, and a little calloused in order for everyone else not to panic. If the leader looks panicked and scared, so will everyone else. If everyone is scared and panicked, mistakes are made and more people die. So, he hides it. Until now.

Dick can feel the blood loss taking over, making him light-headed. The blood loss and bullet wounds alone are making it harder to breathe. He knows how long he has, maybe minutes but nothing more. Not unless you or Jason can get some sort of help in the next few seconds. He's going to die and it is fucking terrifying. He isn't ready. He has too much left. Who is going to look after the Titans if he dies? Who's going to stop Crane? He has too much life to live, outside of the Titans to die tonight but he is helpless. There is no help and there is no hope. It's just him bleeding out in the middle of downtown Gotham.

"Get." Dick tries to pull in a breath. "Help."

You look around and you don't see a single person around. Your heart starts to break as the lump comes back to your throat. It destroyed you when Jason died and it destroyed you when your mom died. You're actually pretending like Tim survived just in case he didn't. You can't deal with it if he died, too. But, you look back at Dick and you're really scared he'll die.

You might fight with him all the time and disagree with him usually, but you have a lot of respect for him. He saved your life more than once. You might not like his morals but you think he is a good person and he tries a lot harder than anyone else ever would. To help innocent people. To help you, no obligation, no transaction, no contingencies. He helps you because he just does. Just like with Rachel and Gar, and despite what Jason thinks, you think that's why he tried to help Jason, too. Just because. It shouldn't be Dick to die. The Titans need him. He's a really good leader, usually. It's almost shocking but he is. And everyone trusts him. The Titans will fall apart if he dies. They practically fell apart when Donna died but Dick would kill them. The Titans need him. You need him.

Jason glances over to you, knowing this is going to be bad. He's not going to make it and by the look of devastation in your eyes, he knows you feel it, too. And then the throbbing under Jason's hands comes to a slow halt.

"Dick?" Jason questions, looking back at him. "Hey, man, stay awake." Jason holds his voice steady, careful not to let it slip how much this is ripping him to shreds. "I can't feel his pulse." Jason says quietly, glancing back to you before he pulls his hand away, trying a different spot but he still feels nothing.

"Keep your hands on the wound." You mutter, moving to the opposite side before you place your hands on his chest and start chest compressions.

Jason watches you, trying to keep his hands steady on the wound but with every ump, Jason can feel blood coming from the wound, warming his hands. The tip of Jason's nose starts to feel like it's on fire while his eyes feel like someone's just thrown sand into them. This cannot be happening. Dick is otherwise dead and he's got you doing CPR, just as you did the night Jason died. And Jason can't peel his eyes away from you as some sort of self-torture because he thinks this is probably similar to how you looked that night.

The hood of your suit falling off of your head, resting lazily on your shoulders and moving with every compression. The way your hair is a complete mess. Tear-stained cheeks shining against any light that they catch. And blood soaking your skin. Jason wonders if this is the exact sight Babs walked in on. You must have felt so alone.

"Dick!" You and Jason hear Gar's voice from across the pavement, wet footsteps picking up their pace. "What happened?" Gar yells as him and Rachel get closer to the two of you.

"He was shot." Jason states as you don't miss a single beat.

"He's not breathing." You rush with heaving breath.

"Are you sure?" Gar asks with glossy eyes.

You stop, feeling for a pulse and there's still nothing. "Positive." You continue chest compressions, looking to Rachel who falls to her knees beside you.

"Is there anything you can do?" Gar asks, looking at Rachel.

You stop, sitting back on your toes, to see if Rachel can use her powers somehow to save him. It might not have worked on Donna but maybe it could work on Dick. He hasn't been dead long. Maybe that matters and Jason and Gar seem to have the same hope. Jason pulls away while Gar keeps his stance steady, almost holding his breath as Rachel tries her powers, a purple glow coming from her hands over Dick's neck. But nothing comes from it. Instead, the purple fades as Rachel lets out a cry.

"It's too late." Rachel sniffles, looking to Gar.

Gar lets out a scream as tears start to fall from your eyes. Jason's eyes stay trained on Dick, almost distant as he thinks the pain of it all has just chewed him to pieces. What are you gonna do?

You look to Rachel who looks like she might break into a million pieces right in front of you. Gar yells again as bats crowd the space above all of you. The four of you look up, watching the bats circle around all of you. Gar starts to have problems with his eyes as he rubs them only for his face to start turning green and then his hands start to change until his body follows. Suddenly, Gar is a bat, flying with the others above you.

"Gar?" Rachel asks.

You, Jason, and Rachel get to your feet as the bats circle closer and closer to Dick, Gar right in the mix of them. You all back away as the bats fly down to Dick and start to pick him up, all of them working together. They fly Dick high into the air before they start moving.

"What...the....fuck?" You look to Rachel as she'll have some sort of answer.

"That's new, right?" Jason looks to you who just nods.

"Come on." Rachel says, without missing a beat, grabbing some of Gar's clothes before she starts following the bats and Gar.

You and Jason exchanged a confused look before deciding to follow. You both have absolutely nothing left to lose at this point.

"I thought he couldn't turn into anything else?" You ask as the three of you run to keep up with the bats.

"He turned ito a snake once." Jason answers, not even thinking.

He was possessed at the time and the reason Gar turned into a snake in the first place but Gar talked about it a lot at first. Jason tried to help him transform again, several times with different methods. Getting him mad, scaring him, sparring harder with him, they tried everything but nothing ever worked. And then Gar stopped talking about it.

"Yeah, once but now he's a bat?" You question. "What the fuck?"

"Is that really what you're concerned about right now?" Rachel asks, her voice torn between amusement and worry.

"I mean..." You suck in a breath. "It's better than the alternative. I would prefer to focus on the weird shit than the sad shit."

Rachel gives you a subtle glare as you keep up your fast walk. It's not a long walk before you all reach the entrance of a building and Rachel is the only one who understands what's happening.

"They're taking him to the Lazarus Pit." Rachel says as Gar and the bats take Dick into the building.

"What?" Jason almost demands as his steps come to a hard stop. "You found it?"

"Yeah." Rachel mutters softly, turning around to see Jason not walking and you standing a few feet in front of him.

He can't go in there. It feels wrong. How do you know Dick would want that? Would he want it? If someone were to have asked Dick before he died if this is what he wanted, would he say yes? Would he agree to it without knowing the consequences of being brought back? Would he be okay with the constant feeling of being pulled back to the dark where the Grim Reaper waits with a smile?

But Jason looks at you and Rachel, the two who Dick has saved. It's not his place to argue it. Dick hasn't been dead long. Maybe he won't feel the way Jason does. Jason was dead a few days. Maybe it's different. Maybe the Pit has different effects the longer someone is dead so it's not his place. Jason hasn't been on good terms with Dick in a few weeks, he doesn't get a say. But, he can't go in. The pull is too strong and his bones feel like they might vibrate and shatter right through his skin. He can't do it.

"You coming, Jay?" You ask softly as you close the distance between you. You thought maybe he'd want to see the thing that brought him back. It is fascinating. And maybe he could be there if it works for Dick. Maybe help.

"No." Jason shakes his head. "I'm going to Crane." Jason spits it out without thinking as he watches the shock consume your face.

"Do you think that's really a good idea?" Rachel asks as a wince almost consumes her entire expression.

Jason takes a step towards you and nods his head at Rachel before looking back at you. "I gotta try to fucking help. Maybe I can get Crane to spill with Dick dead. He won't know about the Pit."

He has to do this. Maybe he can convince Crane to give up some form of information. If the Pit can bring Jason back, it can bring Dick back. He's going to wake up in a few hours and now it's Jason's job to get him some answers so they finally put this whole thing out of its misery. He owes Dick that much.

"Are you sure?" You ask, eyes scanning his face as if fully convinced this is just him avoiding something.

Jason nods softly. "Yeah, go with them. We'll meet later." Jason offers something that's not quite a smile.

You don't like the idea but...maybe Crane will think Nightwing's death is on Jason's hands. Maybe that'll be enough for Crane to actually trust Jason just enough to offer some sort of information to him. It's the right thing to do.

"Okay." You nod reluctantly. "Be careful, yeah?"

"Always." Jason gives you the subtle smirk he always does before he nods and runs off in the opposite direction.

The two of you go into the building, following the way Gar and the other bats took as you run to catch up. You get to an open room where a glowing pool of blue liquid sits right in the middle of the room. Gar and the other bats hover above it, holding Dick's lifeless body.

"Gar, now!" Rachel yells as the bats start to lower Dick into the water.

Once Dick is lowered, the bats fly around until Dick is completely submerged and then they disburse. Besides Gar. You and Rachel sit at the edge of Lazarus Pit, just watching as it starts to bubble. This whole thing is weird but you can't help but feel just a little bit of hope. If it worked for Jason, it should work for Dick.

"You're not allowed to leave anymore." You mutter, keeping your eyes on the Pit.

"What?" Rachel shakes her head in confusion.

"You're not allowed to leave. Everything went to shit and you show up, find me and Gar and then the damn pit. You can't leave, Titans need you." You nod your head quickly as Rachel smiles softly, looking back to the pit.

Gar transforms back to himself and starts getting dressed. Once he has his pants on, he walks to the edge of the pit, standing opposite you and Rachel. He's blinking dramatically, having a subtle sway to stance as he tries to get his equilibrium back to normal.

"He's gonna make it, right?" Gar asks, looking at you.

Gar isn't sure how you would know but you're the one who's had more conversations with Jason than anyone. Jason might not know a lot but something about asking you gives Gar hope. Maybe you do know the Pit works every single time. Gar hopes it works like that.

"I don't know." You shrug. "Uh...J-Jason just said, uh, that someone put him in it and then he was alive. So..." You nod your head. "I-I guess if that's all there is...yeah. Jason was dead for a few days so..." You pull in a shaky breath.

"I can't believe he actually died." Rachel states, her eyes on the pit. She says it mostly out of hope that whatever happened with Jason to bring him back, will bring Dick back.

You glance to her before you pull your knees to your chest. You know it's because Rachel is finding all of this out for the first time while everyone else has had a few weeks to digest the news and fumble their way through the aftermath. But, no one can believe Jason not only died but then came back. It's the way it's talked about, how it's said in passing and so casually that you almost wonder if they're all just...fine with it. At the end of the day, Jason died. He died. That was something that happened and he remembers it. As someone who was nearly beaten to death, you know that was haunting. Is haunting. You can't imagine what dying is actually like. And how terrified he probably still feels. But, everyone else is...it's as if that aspect of it, doesn't matter. To some extent, you get it. You understand because he became Red Hood and decided to kill Dick. You understand because they didn't see it. But, it irks you anyway.

"Sorry." Rachel says quietly. "I didn't mean anything by it. I just meant that it's kind of crazy. Jason was reckless but I didn't think he'd actually get killed." Rachel explains calmly.

"No, it's okay." You shake your head. "You're just getting the news of everything and then Dick is killed. I get it, don't worry about it."

"Are you okay?" Gar asks, his brows knitted together in their usual state of worry.

"I'm fine." You look up to him with one stern nod. "Been here a few times, right?" You quip bitterly.

"That's why I asked." Gar nods his head.

"Yeah, I'm good." You sniffle. "Are you guys okay? I mean...it's Dick." You look between Rachel and Gar as if feeling you have no right to grieve him as much as them.

You've been at odds with Dick most of the time over the last few weeks. It doesn't seem fair for you to absorb any space for grief. It should be given to Rachel and Gar.

"No." Gar answers. "What're we supposed to do without him?" Gar's voice nearly shatters.

"We don't have to think about that because if it worked for Jason, it'll work for Dick." Rachel states with ease and you're not sure who she's trying to convince.

"Yeah." Gar says shortly.

"I think we need to force the batboys into therapy after this. Group and individual until they learn how to have a conversation." You groan, trying not to focus on Dick actually dying and not coming back from this.

"We all need therapy." Gar mutters as he comes to sit on the other side of you.

The three of you fall silent, just watching the pit with no idea how long this is supposed to take or if you'll even know if it works or not. This is definitely the pit but none of you know the logistics of it. For all you know, this isn't going to work or it could take hours or days. So, you just fall into silence, mostly thinking of everything that's happened.

It's haunting and sets reality into stone of the work you all do. Of couse, it was real the day Donna died. Wonder Girl was killed. It was real then, too. But, it was an accident. And then it was real when Jason died. But, it was Jason who was killed by The Joker. That was different. This is Dick though. He's the leader and even when he's wrong, he still knows what to do. He was Robin. He's Nightwing. He's not supposed to die and he did anyway. And it was by some kid with a gun. It wasn't The Joker or Two Face or Deathstroke. It was just some kid. A kid Dick would have protected but everyone turned their backs on the Titans over Crane. And Dick was killed for it.

What are you all supposed to do if this doesn't work? Just go back to San Francisco like nothing happened? That doesn't seem possible. It'll just feel cold and lonely.

Between the three of you sitting here, he's saved your lives more times than you can count. He is the older and annoying brother none of you really asked for. It's losing another family member. But...it hits a little different this time. So, the air around you feels like it's carrying bricks and the guilt of the entire world.

Jason, he's also still processing everything that's just happened. When he left to meet Dick, he knew he'd have to start talking immediately, given his own broadcast and conversation with Dick. But, then the flashbang went off and it's like it...triggered something in him where he just had to fight. He just had to. Something deep inside of him told him Dick would never let him explain why he did what he did. It's the immediate defensive mechanism and he knows it. But, he's on the way back to the manor and he's thinking that was just dumb. It was not giving Dick any bit of credit which Jason doesn't like to do on most days but he deserved this time. And now he's dead. He's dead and that's Jason's fault because that kid was defending him. Everything is his fault even when he is desperately clawing his way away from all of this. It follows him.

He told you that, months ago, it follows him like a curse and he has never been so sure of that. First it was his mom. He is not mad at her and he holds no resentment towards her but he wasn't enough for her. She chose those drugs every single day over him and he knows part of that was so she could function. That's how it started. It started so she could take care of him. If it weren't for him in the first place, his mom wouldn't have gotten addicted and then she'd still be here.

His dad was angry and desperate because he was just trying to provide for them. He was down and out and he was an ass and abusive but there was a point, before the alcohol, where he was trying. He was trying and if it weren't for Jason being an extra mouth to feed who needed other things, maybe his dad wouldn't have been so angry and desperate.

Had he never gone after Deathstroke, you wouldn't have been there. Had he never gone after Deathstroke, the Titans wouldn't have left and the tower wouldn't have been attacked or the Titans would have fought together. Gar wouldn't have been kidnapped and turned into a killer. Donna wouldn't have died.

You wouldn't been traumatized had he never went after the Joker. You wouldn't have been shot. Dick wouldn't have been shot and killed. Hank wouldn't have been killed. Everything that's happened has been following right on his heels like a rabid dog chasing him down a dead end alley. There is no escape. He is just stuck in this constant spiral of agony and causing everyone else around him the worst pain they will ever experience.

This is all his fault and there's nothing he can do anymore.

Even if the Pit works, will Dick remain the same? Or will he be as terrified and traumatized and stuck as Jason? Whatever side effects Dick gets from the Pit, that has to fall on Jason, too.

Jason reaches the Batcave, the cuts from Dick's punches still bleeding over his face. Crane is dragging his scythe on the floor, his face covered in fresh cuts. He's got this evil and eerie smile while there's a body on a table, cut open with his organs sticking out. This is the first time he's ever felt terrified of Crane. At the hospital, it wasn't Crane Jason was worried about it. It was who would call in. But this? This is Crane losing his damn mind on some, likely, innocent person and Jason thinks his days are definitely numbered with him. Everyone's days are numbered with him.

"Nightwing's dead." Jason states, his words flat and pained.

"Batman saved my toy." Crane says but it's only slightly enthusiastic, almost childlike as he holds up the scythe by the chain. Crane lets out a light chuckle as Jason just watches him closely, ready to move if Crane tries to pull anything. "A trinket of our courtship together. Who would have thought he was so...sentimental."

Jason's eyes narrow as he watches Crane. All of this...over his scythe? Jason knew he was insane but he's really pushing the envelope tonight.

"Did you hear me?" Jason questions but with no venom or snark. His chest is in so much agony, he doesn't think he can muster it at this second. "I said Nightwing is dead!" Jason gets himself to yell, growing frustrated.

"So?" Crane states. "Wasn't my monster." Crane states plainly but not in the way where his words feel light. This time there's something heavy and dark in his tone, running a chill up Jason's spine. The scythe drops to the floor, Crane still holding it by the chain. "He's your monster. What do you want? A cookie?" Crane offers a half-assed chuckle, mostly to himself.

A fire starts erupting through Jason's blood like an overdue volcano. He can't be serious. Getting clean, Jason realizes that so much of the shit Crane was spilling was just him manipulating him, making sure Jason had no one to run to besides Crane. But, there's some part of him that is still hurt and disgusted by the reaction. It was Crane's idea.

"You said that's what you wanted." Jason argues softly, taking just a few steps toward Crane. "When it was done, we would save Gotham my way." Jason's voice is small as the sense of betrayal kicks in.

He is only here to find out what Crane has planned and then he's gone. But, he can't help how badly it hurts. It would hurt anyway because he was manipulated into it. Turned against someone who has been looking out for him. But, Jason, as far as he knows, felt like Crane figured they were still on the same side. This doesn't feel that way. That's when Jason is realizing that's the point. Jason does the dirty work so Crane can be up at the top, hands clean and filled with the power Jason served him on a silver platter.

He knew that's all it was but maybe a part of him still believed otherwise and for the life of him, he has no idea why.

"Gotham will be saved." Crane starts his walk towards Jason, holding his scythe so it doesn't drag on the floor. "But first, it must be destroyed. As clever hopes expire, waves of fear and anger circulate over the bright and darken the lands of the earth." Crane explains as he uses the chain to sway the scythe back and forth while he paces in front of Jason.

"What the fuck kind of gibberish is that?" Jason quips back not even entirely sure if Crane is actually coherent.

"No," Crane says quickly, turning to face Jason. "No, not gibberish. No, it's the past come to life in the present." Crane pauses and Jason realizes how completely fucked he is. "An ode to the bat and his wee bird. When they stopped me, but they can't stop me now. No." Crane is looking away from Jason and Jason is starting to wonder if Crane is talking to him or just talking to himself or some third person Jason isn't aware of. "They can't stop me now...because." Crane shakes his head. "Because we will walk among them. The dead." Crane looks back at Jason and Jason hangs his head, something about him basically being the dead. "And the fallen city will be like...it'll be like a beacon. Very soon, very soon, Jason, very very soon they will die. Yes, they will die."

What the hell is this maniac even talking about?

"Who will die?" Jason asks cautiously.

"All of them!" Crane faces Jaosn as he screams, his entire face turning red. "All of them! Everybody." Crane looks to the floor and this is not how Jason wanted to fix Gotham. The answer isn't gutting the fucking the city. "You still stink of fear. After all that I've given you."

Jason's growing tired of Crane's babbling. It's not making any sense and he wants to get the fuck away from him before Crane tries to slice him in two like the other guy.

"You said I was gonna be a savior." Jason nods his head at him, a hint of disgust in his voice. "Is that your whole plan? Destroy the fucking city?"

"Is that not what it's been about?" Crane states almost whimsically.

"And how the fuck do you plan to do that?" Jason lets out a scoff but Crane just offers him a harsh glare as Jason sees his grip tighten on the chain.

Crane isn't going to tell him anything and even if he does, it'll likely be an incoherent mess like it has been the last few minutes. It was a waste of time, mostly. What Jason does know now is that he wants to destroy the entire city. There are a lot of ways to do that though and that's where he finds himself stuck. But, he can't stick around here. Not when there's no chance of getting a good answer.

"I won't help you destroy the city." Jason holds his stance, firm but calm.

"Well," Crane says with disappointment. "Perhaps you won't." Crane says before there's a pause and then he turns around quickly, throwing a scythe at Jason, still holding onto it by the chain.

Jason dodges just in time, moving quickly away from Crane. Crane follows right after him, swinging his scythe at him and just missing by a few inches. Jason keeps moving away and running, avoiding the blows each time. He does not want his head taken off tonight. That is not the plan. So, he dodges and once he sees the opportunity, he runs out of the Batcave as quickly as he can.

Crane has officially lost it which was only a matter of time before that happened. Jason was hoping they had a little bit more time but, if Crane is losing it, that means he'll be easier to take down. Once Crane starts losing his mind, he gets distracted, starts losing some of the quick thinking he's so proud of. But, Crane has something in place. It's the way he talked about it that tells Jason Crane won't need to do anything else. It's already in motion. So, now he needs to find at least you, Rachel, and Gar and maybe the four of you can figure it out. Maybe you've had some luck with the Lazarus Pit.

Jason hopes you've had luck with the Lazarus Pit.

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[boots-with-the-fur-club]

Not sure how good it is but here it is anyways!! A non canon AU of the crossover AU that is heavily based on The Last Day of Summer from Percy Jackson The Musical.

@daboyau

@phoebepheebsphibs

@littlemissartemisia

DvD: Until I Found You Donnie

Dee: No Fun in Fungus Donnie

“Hey, you ready to finally leave the competition?” Leon questions, packing away non perishable food he was gifted.

DvD stands next to him, arms folded in thought.

“I…..don’t know. It feels….wrong…..leaving so soon.”

“If this is about Misa, she can come see us any time. She even asked to come babysit Mikey.”

“No, it’s not her. My brain is nagging me like I’ve forgotten something important.”

“Maybe Karai can help you figure it out?”

“You’re right. I’ll go talk to her.” DvD lowers his arms and walks with purpose to their ancestor.

Karai is watching over Mikey and Raph saying goodbye to Misa before she notices DvD walking her way.

“Donatello, is something troubling you?”

“I should have known you’d know already. Does anything seem off to you right now? Anything at all?”

Karai considers this for a moment then shakes her head.

“No, I don’t believe so. Perhaps you still have leftover anxiety over what happened.”

“…..I don’t think that’s it, but if you say everything is okay….”

Karai puts a hand on his shoulder, immediately throwing him off since she knows how he feels about touch.

He’s more focused on how her eyes glow, though.

“You have been betrayed by one who calls you friend.”

“Ex-Excuse me!?”

April suddenly appears and moves Karai away.

“Haha, whoops! Looks like she still isn’t normal after all that mystic weirdness! I’ll take care of her, don’t worry.”

“Wait! April! Where are you taking her-!?…..Aaaand she’s gone. This only confirms my suspicions. I have to find the NFIF group, that Donnie should share my doubts.” He begins walking again.

DvD is surprised when he sees a portal open and 3/4 of the counterpart turtles already gone. He picks up the pace to catch the last member, which luckily is the one he wanted to speak with.

“Dee!”

NFIF Donnie turns his head back.

“If it isn’t the big hero that got rid of the spores.”

“You’re leaving? Without saying goodbye?”

“We said it before, don’t you remember?”

DvD furrows his drawn on eyebrows.

“No…? Wait….vaguely….?”

Dee smiles faintly.

“Tough last day of the competition?”

“I thought when we took care of those spores everything would feel normal again, but it doesn’t. It’s the last day but I don’t feel like anything is truly over.”

Dee turns his whole body around at those words.

“I get it. After I dealt with them the first time, I thought I’d never have to feel the way I did again. We destroyed it. It was supposed to be done. Then we came here and everything just repeated. I was changed, but they were exactly the same. The mod always said no fighting, it’s supposed to be this safe magic space. The truth? It’s so the authors can see us suffer, even if they don’t bother to show their face.”

DvD feels another change. Or, maybe, this was what he felt before. He’s just feeling it stronger now.

“What is going on? Are you causing this? What did you do?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just telling you what this all really was. I need to get back to my brothers.”

DvD looks at the portal.

“Are they really in there?”

“Technically they’re on the other side-“

DvD suddenly pushes past him and goes through the portal despite the attempts to stop him from doing so.

He takes a gasp of breath as he sits up. There’s a bunch of spores clouding his vision that he waves away. It’s then he sees the reality of the situation.

Everyone in the competition is unconscious on the ground, surrounded by spores and mushrooms. It’s dark in the room but lit up by the eery glow of everything. His brothers are laying near him, Misa tucked under both Raph and Mikey’s arms. April and Karai are there too, although Karai has been moved away from the group slightly. He might be the only one awake.

Or that’s what he thinks, until he sees Dee in front of him.

He’s sitting next to his sleeping brothers. Vines are wrapped around their hands. It doesn’t look painful, more….reassuring in a way. His eyes are glowing somewhat, but not fully.

“Of course it had to be you who broke out. Karai almost did too, did she use her chance to help you instead? Typical.”

“You’re the one who did all this.” DvD hisses.

“Karai warned you. Betrayed by a friend.”

“You spored me! You freed the mushroom! Why!?”

“It promised me the power to keep everyone safe from whatever is back in their universes! All I had to do was add my own nanobots to it so it can generate and feed off emotions other than fear.”

“It’s just using you! It wants to have everyone from every universe!”

Dee stands up, vines keeping him off his feet.

“Good! We’ve been brought here although we’re just kids! I watched everyone suffer with those asks, yeah I did! And for what!? You know our worlds will never be ours! Not as long our authors rule over the stars!”

DvD reaches for his tech bō, Dee sends vines that grab it and him, holding him closer in front of him.

“So I’ll do anything.”

A vine breaks the bō.

“I don’t care if I hurt anyone.”

Dee tightens the vine around DvD.

“It doesn't pay to be a good kid, a good kid, a good creation.” He tears up.

DvD struggles heavily.

“The authors were never on our side, so I think it’s time we watch them fall!” Dee turns to look at the device for the competition that tracks and sorts universes.

“And soon you'll see what I did, soon there’ll be no other worlds at all!”

“What are you talking about!?”

“If there’s only one world, this world, and I’m in charge, we’ll be safe from everything. Forever. No Kraang, no invasions, no bad futures, not even fear.”

“You’re crazy!”

“Maybe I am! But you’d do the same if it kept your Mikey safe! You’re lucky that you don’t have to make the decision! I’m doing it for you! Your whole family is seeing whatever they want! You could be doing the same!”

“I don’t want your fake happiness! Grow up and realize that you can’t just fix everything bad that happens!”

Dee grabs him harshly by the face.

“Watch me.”

[britt-kageryuu]

It's a fairly nice day, and the stream is going well. On a background of a blue themed bedroom, Leo's model is lounging on a rainbow beanbag dressed in blue jeans, a shirt with a turtle that says 'Turtlely Gay', blue bandana with Trans tails, and unicorn slippers, he has a rabbit plush dressed like a samurai in blue. River is sitting on the floor next to the beanbag.

"Would you believe I found out some guys we know actually got their lives together after their lives went weird a few years back. It was really weird seeing them again after not seeing them in a while. Like this guy who's a chef had some setbacks in the food industry, and now he's employed at this High Class Hotel in New York as a head chef in one of the restaurants. Yeah fancy enough to have more then one restaurant." Leo lets out a slight laugh at a memory.

"Not to forget this couple that got together after being roommates for at least 3 years. We weren't invited to the wedding, which was understandable, we weren't really friends just barely acquainted with each other. I wonder who threw the bouquet, and who caught it? Hmm... " He starts muttering while counting out something. "I might remember to ask them the next time they drop by the local Museum of Magic. Last I heard they were planning to do podcasts about Magicians through the ages, or something. Gotta do something with that journalism degree I guess."

A notification goes off, "Why do you guys say you live in New York in your lore video?" River reads off.

Leo rereads the question for a sec, "Oh, that's easy. We heard about those urban legends about mutant sewer gators, and figured it wouldn't be that much of a reach for there to be mutant turtles. The rest of the lore was because of random family fairy tales, and just the randomness of our Actor Dad getting with a Scientist who also specializes in Genetics." He pauses to think about something, "Also the villains in the Lore? Dads Ex, some relatives who were kinda crazy, and the guys I just talked about and some other dudes. Yes we know this is why we weren't invited to the wedding! I'm just glad that one Wrestler asked me to be part of his wedding party for some reason!"

"Side tangent, I swear his wife purposefully aimed right at Star Warriors head during the bouquet toss. Like threw it like a baseball right at her head!" Leo mimes the throwing for emphasis. "Red caught it before it hit, and the bride literally shouted, "Close enough. Remember to invite me to you wedding!". Such an awesome woman." He wipes an imaginary tear from is eye.

"Anywizzle, the whole villain thing was just because of some events when we met them. Many of those not being our fault. Right?" Leo looks down at River.

"Data on file is inconclusive, or biased to it not being Dad or you guys fault!" River replies, before adding, "Though I still can't find out why you guys had a hippo costume, before that one time,in the first place."

Leo gives her a slightly flat look, and just shrugs, "I don't remember. We needed it for some reason. Dee really didn't put a reason in any of their archives?"

"Nope!"

Leo is understandably confused, "Must be something they don't want us to remember, or some similar reason. Well I just lost my train of thought. What topic should we switch to? Any suggestions Balemates?" He asks the audience.

The chat spams random suggestions, and emojis. Leo makes comments on some of the suggestions with jokes, and puns. And goes on from there with random tangents, and jumping topics.

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

Masterpost

[bunnakit]

(please bear with me this is the most convoluted question known to man, but whenever you post for asks I can't help but want to scratch my weird lore theory itch, sorry not sorry)

So, like, the chomer's got fancy magic powers, right? And there were those photoshoots back during Treasure where each member had some kind of prop, right? And we've seen a couple kind of appear in other mv's like the telescope showing up in Answer, or Mingi's lines all coming through the radio in Fireworks when he was the one who had the ham radio as a prop. And, arguably, the candelabra Seonghwa has in the photoset and then the lantern he has in Wonderland. (I personally like to think that there are a couple other magic pirate artifacts already in play and its just that whatever they do hasn't been relevant to mention in the diary lore or the point of the timeline we're currently at yet).

I was just kind of idly thinking about how Hongjoong had a wand in that photoset, which hasn't specifically shown up anywhere again in that exact same form, (and quite frankly how in the heck they would ever work a wand into an mv)

and then I was like 'a wand is basically just a long stick, how would you adapt-... wait a minute'

a cane is also basically just a long stick. That he has in Guerrilla and Don't Stop, (and I know Don't Stop is not part of main canon and its own thing, but I love how they just spin slightly different AU flavours of their own lore as it suits them, and the cane in Don't Stop is.... kind of significant in the mv soooooo)

This was my crazily-roundabout way of asking if you had any thoughts/theories etc about Hongjoong and wands/sticks/canes, normal, magical, or otherwise and the lore

AAH LORE ANON YESS thank you for gracing my inbox its always a treat

so i kind of have weird theories on this? my friend [@pop-off-nabokov] and i were doing some Cromer Silvia conspiracy board theories one night and we realized something really interesting about trends in ATEEZ MVs and their themes in general.

so the captains symbol looks A LOT like like The Wheel tarot, a card that essentially breaks down the alchemical symbols of life (with EIGHT in the outer ring)

and then you have their entire last album theme The World

the wands could either be a reference to a 'of wands' tarot or the wand-like objects shown here in The World

and one of the big themes i noticed throughout Halazia is Hongjoong and Seonghwa play off each other in a theme of 'as above, so below' - Seonghwa is bathed in light and on the surface and we meet Hongjoong as Wooyoung gestures down and the camera pans downwards where Hongjoong, dressed in dark colors, seems to be a figurehead of a different gathering.

as for the lantern in Wonderland, well, i've got something for that too

The Hermit also depicts a lantern!

we also have...

Judgement

and...

The Fool - okay this one is a bit of a stretch but the pose is pretty spot on and the meaning of The Fool feels very lore!San (and really, all of the boys entering their journey in the Z World)

so i don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that ATEEZ features a lot of nods to tarot and perhaps some of the artifacts may be related to them in some way. now if they're magic like the Cromer or not? who is to say. i certainly would love to find out the looking glass allows you to see through the dimensions or something similar, or that the staff/wand has the same abilities as the breakers or who knows.

and if we want to be extra ridiculous about it, well, i hope this is at least good for a laugh

please always come to my inbox with any thoughts or questions. i hope my answers are always at least a little fun to think about.

[igetthedisneybox]

Merry (late) Christmas @hannahhook7744!!!!

Consider this nebulously in the Hannah Hook universe, set after D3, where all the VKs have left the isle. Fiona and Noah are teens here. Sorry if this is really out of character. TW: Bullying, cursing.

Noah wandered aimlessly around the Auradon Prep campus, growing little flowers in the grass as he walked. Since he spent his formative years on a very busy, very crowded pirate ship, the sheer amount of nothing there was to do around the campus was both slightly over and underwhelming.

Noah froze suddenly when he heard what sounded like mean laughter coming from around the corner of the school building. Using his powers on the grass (still weird to him, even all these years later), he was able to sense that four people had walked this way, one on their own, the other three in a group.

Peering out from behind the school, what Noah saw was enough to make his blood boil.

His best friend since childhood, Fiona, was pressed up against the school, trying to shield herself against three Auradon kids, who were pulling and prodding at her distinct wings, laughing and jeering all the while.

"Are you sure you're a fairy, freak?" The only girl and clearly the leader of the group said as she lifted up the side of Fiona's wing. "You look more like a demon from Hell."

"Fuck off!" Fiona snapped, tugging her wing out of the girl's reach.

"She sure don't talk like a fairy." The biggest of the two guys laughed, grabbing the other side out of Fiona's grasp.

"Just leave me alone!" Fiona begged the three teenagers.

"Why don't you and your freaky demon wings go back to the Isle where you belong?" The girl demanded, leering over Fiona.

That was enough.

"HEY!" Noah yelled as loud as he could, trying to call upon his godly blood to make himself seem more imposing.

All four heads turned to where Noah was standing.

"I, uhm...you three...get away from her! Right now!" So much for being imposing.

All three Auradon kids laughed. The second guy, scrawny as a string bean, sauntered over to Noah, a smirk on his face. "Oooooh! Magic plant kid! I'm soooo scared! What're you gonna do, flower boy?" He asked, crossing his arms.

Noah was a firm believer that violence should always be a last resort, that talking things out was better than punching first and asking questions later.

However. Noah was also a firm believer that no one touches his friends and gets away with it.

With a flick of his hands, the roots of a nearby tree erupted from the ground, grabbing the scrawny guy by his ankles. Noah snapped his fingers, and the roots dragged the guy across the grass and up into the tree, leaving him dangling from one of the high branches.

Turning his attention to the other two, the bigger guy tried to bolt, but Noah caused the ground beneath him to open up, catching his feet inside of two sinkholes, rendering him unable to move.

The leader was bolder than her friends, and angrily stalked towards him with a hand raised to strike.

Before Noah could do anything, the girl was suddenly shoved sideways and onto the ground.

Noah looked and saw Fiona standing there, panting heavily, arms just falling to her sides from the push.

Thinking fast, Noah grew a bunch of flowers into his palm, and threw them in the girl's face to stop her from getting up.

He grabbed Fiona's hand and said "Run for it!"

The two friends ran out from behind the school, ignoring the shouts of the bullies from behind them.

Once Noah deemed them a safe distance away, they stopped to catch their breaths.

"Are your wings okay, 'Ona?"

Fiona hugged herself and nodded.

"Are you okay, 'Ona?"

"Yeah, I'm alright." Fiona took a shuddery breath. "Thank you. For saving me."

"Of course. You're my best friend." Noah grinned at her. "And plus, that push was really awesome."

Fiona blushed, trying to hide her face with her hair. "I just didn't want her to hurt you."

Now it was Noah's turn to blush. "I, uhm. Thanks."

Taking a bold move, Fiona stood on her tip-toes and pecked a kiss on Noah's cheek.

They both grinned silently at each other for a spell, before snapping out of it. "Let's get out of here. I want to tell Skia what happened before we get caught."

"Oh, she'll love this." Fiona smiled, and grabbed Noah's hand again.

The two friends raced off, not knowing that everything had suddenly changed for them.

[taggedmemes]

SENTENCE MEME ⟶ OXVENTURE PRESENTS: DEADLANDS / ch3 always feel free to tweak the sentence to fit your muse.

'YOU'RE A DEAD MAN! DEAD MAN WALKING, THAT'S YOU!'

'you can box him up to go.'

'isn't there some kind of gravedigger's union?'

'aw, you read the rules? aw dang...'

'you just stood there. you didn't do anything! you didn't even try!'

'now we've gotta get justice.'

'i wasn't there, but that sounds awfully wise.'

'oh, sorry, hang on. i've gotta kill someone real quick.'

'he'll think you're trying to kill him. which you are.'

'you've just gotta push that anger all the way down until the time is right.'

'well, it's already dusted in opium.'

'young man, do you know what jerky is?'

'can you move away from the house now, please?'

'we could pack the coffin with dynamite.'

'you'd be amazed how many people try to bribe me to declare people dead.'

'so you take bribes, you say?'

'people who love opium famously think they don't need any more opium.'

'well i enjoy getting paid money.'

'lost to a child. embarrassing.'

'doctors make mistakes all the time!'

'he might have the appearance of a dead child...'

'do you know what'll happen to me? do you know what he'll do to me if he finds out?'

'he won't be capable of anything when he's dead!'

'do what i tell you, or... i'm gonna have to hurt you.'

'man i get a kick outta you!'

'i don't know, i'm young, i don't think about illness.'

'looks like this chump doesn't wanna die!'

'i seen quicker molasses than her draw!'

'what kind of contest is this?!'

'i've been countin'. he's only got one bullet left.'

'i drank a lot of whiskey today, i could do with a milk.'

'once we've stripped anything valuable off the bodies what's the point?'

'then he comes back into town and he's all shooting the ground and making us dance and all that kind of stuff...'

'i'm increasingly not worried about making good decisions.'

'he seems pretty smart and pretty evil.'

'never seen him love on anybody.'

'he's very angry. that's a sort of weakness.'

'but you'll be dead because he will have shot you at the same time.'

'no one's this lucky this many years in a row.'

'does he look like his spirit has been crushed?'

'listen up fella, i didn't wanna do this...'

'you ain't so humble though.'

'let's push over something big at the same time.'

'there's a piano in the saloon; you go push the piano over.'

'we'll ask his cold, dead corpse, i guess.'

'well now i'm mad. i'm getting increasingly mad and vengeful.'

'it's like this fella's doing some kind of witchcraft or magic. i wish i knew more about this stuff.'

'i don't understand it, but there's something going on.'

'if things go weird, you throw this at him and i'll do the rest.'

'dynamite's not a weapon, it's a tool.'

'it's like any other tool. like a hammer.'

'this is just my walking-around dynamite.'

'if anything happens to me, you kill this man dead.'

'he was disinclined to hand over his weapons. it's his way, so.'

'I DON'T TALK TO DEAD MEN!'

'this is slightly awkward, i was mostly interested in talking to your friend.'

'i've been impressed by the way he killed those men.'

'you line your enemies up in a row and you gun them down.'

'i've not seen many come through with skills like him.'

'let me just go run it up the flagpole.'

'he's a big fan. he likes how you shot those people in the throat.'

'folks like that, i don't think they like people who're as good as them.'

'but... not above cheating. love to cheat.'

'if you get an opportunity to just outright kill him...'

'seems a shame for a young man of such obvious talents to die out here in the middle of nowhere.'

'i don't see your name on it!'

'there's no need to be raising your voice now.'

'this is the emergency prybar for when we put someone in a coffin who's not ready.'

'you're a dead man! the doctor said!'

'i'm glad you're back but, um, we're in the middle of a firefight outside.'

'springin' out of the grave!'

'did i get shot? or did i just get nearly shot?'

'we have a man to kill! shoot now, ask questions later!'

'i'll duel you right now! i'm young and i'm crazy!'

[hrefna-the-raven]

Lawmen

Masterlist - DBH masterlist

Chapters: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8

Words: 1991

Warnings: drunkenness, smut (18+)

Chapter 9 - (Don't) judge a book by its cover

An hour passed before you were ready to start the mission. You tried your best to check off the misgivings that were tearing your stomach apart, making you slightly nauseous. What was wrong with Gav, despite your weird situation, there normally were no issues while texting. Had he finished his reports by now? Where was he? At home? At Jimmy's? These thoughts plagued you, serving as a foreboding of what might await you when you arrived at his place after work. The sound of footsteps ceased, and David stood next to you, casting a concerned gaze at your pale face.

“Are you ok?”, he asked, his hand gently encircling your arm.

Feeling a wave of relief wash over you at his touch, you nodded and continued towards the entrance of the club, grateful that his hand remained on your arm. It felt comforting, and also added to the appearance of authenticity. As soon as you stepped foot inside the club, passing by the few androids trapped and dancing in glass enclosures, an overweight man approached you. He wore a stained purple shirt, a lanyard, and black slacks. Grease clung to his beard, and his receding hairline accentuated his pitiful existence. A sinister smile emerged from behind his beard, causing a shiver to run down your spine.

“Ah welcome, my friends, to the glorious Eden Club!”, the grandiloquent wave of his arms ridiculed his appearance even more, “this is where the magic happens. What can I do for you? Oh, no wait! Let me guess, you’re here to spice things up, ay?”

He playfully nudged David's elbow, who struggled to restrain himself from punching Floyd Mills right then and there. Instead, he mustered a grin.

“My, uh, girlfriend and I are looking for a third party to, uh, you know…”

“Ah don’t be ashamed, my friend, this is more common than you think”, he winked at David and beckoned for both of you to follow him, “come with me, I have the perfect spot for you two lovebirds. Male or female?”

“Male”, the answer escaped your lips faster as you planned it, earning you a curious glance from the captain, who tried to anticipate the play as fast and efficient as possible.

“I promised to spoil my love today, so we decided to add another man, or, in this case, a male android. I hate to share her with a real person.”

“Don’t worry I understand and good ol' Floyd won’t judge”, his leer revealed a golden tooth.

What a cliché, you thought to yourself. Mills presented you with four different male androids, playing along as you pretended to be selective, ultimately choosing the one you initially spotted. In the end, it didn't really matter. Mills claimed this particular model was unique and had just arrived the day before, ensuring that the two of you would have a memorable time together. As Mills opened the door to the room, which was supposed to be unoccupied, you completely froze in shock by what you saw inside.

“Hey, you should have left already!”, Mills shouted in anger as he stormed into the room.

The person in the room was obviously dead drunk and, totally unimpressed by the audience he just gained, continued to clumsily fuck the female android from behind.

“I told you to get out, you drunk idiot!”

Mills grabbed the man by his t-shirt collar and swiftly spun him around, causing him to trip over his sagging pants that he desperately tried to pull up. The man stumbled and ended up falling heavily at your feet.

“Iiiii’m da po-po-police!”, he slurred, his speech barely intelligible.

His gaze drifted upwards, locking with yours, as the weight of his realisation hit him like a ton of bricks. Gavin laying there, sprawled out before you, completely intoxicated, his pants shamelessly lowered in the sex club where you were undercover on a crucial mission. Your mind spun, overwhelmed by a torrent of questions, desperately trying not to succumb to the wave of sadness that consumed you in that very moment. You had endured and tolerated so much from that insufferable jerk, but this was the final straw. Just as the expression of sorrow and disappointment threatened to etch itself onto your face, the captain swiftly guided you out of the room, pulling you into a tight embrace and whispering almost inaudibly into your ear.

“Focus, I’m here, we can still do this.”

Gavin opened his mouth to speak, but before any words could escape, Floyd Mills stepped over him, making his way towards you.

“Please forgive this unfortunate sight. As compensation for this incident, we will gladly offer you a discounted rate for your reserved time. Please proceed to this room, and an android will be with you shortly.”

You entered the adjacent room where Gavin was still lying, shutting the door behind you and collapsing onto the bed, tears streaming down your face. The captain sat beside you, gently stroking your leg.

“I apologise that you had to witness that”, his compassion sounded honest, even though, in your opinion, he had no reason to empathise.

“You’re not the one who needs to apologise”, you replied, rising from the bed and straddling him, “you’re right though, let’s focus on the mission, it’s too important.”

The door opened quietly, and the male android entered.

“Hello, I am an HR400”, its voice was soft, but the static monotony stripped it of any human touch, “let me know how I can assist you.”

As soon as the android reached you, you took out the hacking prototype, hold it to its face and its head dropped instantly as you activated the device. Grateful that the android didn’t completely collapse at the force shutdown, you stepped back and opened a small panel above the liquor cabinet in the room. Frantically typing a few codes on the keyboard, a holographic display appeared.

“We’re in, cap”, a small amount of joy found its way back to your shaken voice.

Allen took his position on your left and inserted a small chip into the keyboard.

“Let’s hurry and retrieve as much data as possible. That android will be back in two minutes. And don't forget about the hidden files”, said, rubbing his neck as he glanced at the display and then at you, “I can’t wait to see what’s hiding in the system here.”

You managed to finish and close the panel just in time before the HR400 was back online.

“Hello, I am an HR400. Let me know how I can assist you.”

“Sit on the chair and watch the ceiling”, you commanded it harshly, observing as it immediately obeyed.

You pushed the bewildered captain onto the bed and straddled him once again.

“Uh, are you sure? I mean, you and Reed, uh, I don't want to intrude ”

You seemed to have completely startled to usually so confident captain and you couldn't help but find him even more endearing in this vulnerable state. You leaned your face closer to his until the tip of your nose grazed his.

“Less talking, more kissing”, you pecked his lips, “Captain Allen”

"You might regret this", he whispered, his hands caressing your face as he held it firmly to admire your beauty.

"I already have many regrets, so adding this won't make much of a difference at this point", you chuckled, "and it's up to you if I need to regret this later on or not."

Allen leaned in, pressing his lips against yours, deepening the kiss as his tongue explored the depths of your mouth. He groaned at the sound of your soft moans, feeling the bulge in his pants grow. His fingers traced along your body, tearing open your blouse and gently squeezing your breasts. Breathless, you broke the kiss, admiring his radiant face. With his striking features and captivating emerald eyes, which held the power to consume you entirely.

"Tell me, what does my girlfriend desire?", his tantalisingly husky voice wrapped around your mind.

"She desires", you slowly unbuttoned his fly and lowered his pants and briefs, "you to be deep inside her."

The way you moved and spoke sent chills through his spine. From the moment he laid eyes on you, he knew there was something special about you. Your beauty was just one of the many qualities that captivated him; your wit and charm were equally enticing. Despite his attempts to resist, he couldn't deny that he was falling in love with you. But until tonight, you were with the detective, and even if you were to reconcile with that douche, he had you now and he would be foolish to let this opportunity slip away. He swallowed back a groan as he moved your panties aside and felt your wet cunt. It seemed you desired him as much as he desired you at this very moment. His hands dug into your hips and pressed you on his erection, grinding your wet swollen sex up and down it. You felt his cock twitching underneath and the heat rising to your cheeks. You needed him inside you, now, the was no way this could be delayed any longer, you wanted the captain to fuck you here and now, screw your brains out that you were unable to even waste any more thoughts on that douche detective. David threw you off him, on your back and positioned himself above you, pulling on of your legs up and nudged his tip at your entrance.

"Don't keep me waiting, Dave", you moaned with a mix of desire and impatience.

"As you command agent", he grinned and pushed inside.

The bed gave a suffering groan as he thrust his cock inside you. Your walls clenched at the exquisite feeling and he moaned your name repeatedly.

"Tell me, Dave", you asked as you bucked your hips to get him deeper, "how long did you long to do this?", you moved your hips back again, blocking him from entering you again with your free leg.

Allen hungrily pushed your leg away and gave you a fierce thrust.

"Since the first moment I saw your beautiful face", a gentle smile spread across his features, melting your heart instantly.

Your breaths grew more ragged as he increased the speed and depth of his movements, becoming more desperate as both of you approached your climax. You writhed against him, unable to suppress the pleasurable moans that escaped your lips. He reached around to grip your hips, lifting you slightly to ensure his cock hit the perfect spot with each thrust.

"I'm close, I want to cum together with you"

His seductive voice drew you closer to the brink of ecstasy, causing your fingers to tighten around his firm butt, pulling him deeper with each passionate thrust until you finally came, sending your mind and vision into a hazy maze of almost unbearable pleasure and happiness. Allen groaned, overcome by the tightness surrounding his cock, pumping his seed into as he came, moaning your name. He collapsed onto your body, relieved and content, burying his face in the crook of your neck, showering you with tender kisses. Your heart was beating rapidly, almost tearing your chest apart. You haven't felt this good for a long time, not even after you and Reed managed to get that weird relationship somewhat working. Reed....you expected a lot as you knew him for quite some time and yet nothing could have prepared you for the heart-wrenching scene you witnessed earlier. Despite your love for him and your willingness to forgive, your mind struggled to rationalise his decision to get reeling drunk, fucking an android at the very same club where you were supposed to meet for a crucial assignment, instead of finishing his reports and spending his time with you, the woman he was supposed to love. What on earth did he think planning this through, considering the possibility that he actually did think or plan anything.

Chapter 10

[themarginalthinker]

For Jack: 23, 18, 13 58. For Kenzo: 56, 51, 43, 37. For Cole and Jay: 1, 19, 21, 32 :>

OKAY HERE WE GO PEOPLE all of these are ocs for oc projects! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!

Jack:

23. What do they feel guilty for, even if the other person doesn't remember: Jack as a character both feels a lot of guilt, and almost none at all, at times. I think Jack tries to justify his actions to himself, and will usually do the right thing, but when he messes up, moves on fairly quickly. There are times when he does feel guilty, and it's usually when the other person is doing something for him, but he's not reciprocating. (Such as telling truths, or revealing deep secrets.)

18. Who do they love, 100% unconditionally, if anyone: Kenzo :3 of course. Though, it certainly didn't start out that way. First it was just 'that weird friendly book nerd with the cute but annoying spirit cat, and then became...well, spoilers, but they ended up together, and let's hear it for ace attraction, baby! Jack will also kill for his friends. (pleas ask him to kill for his friends......)

13. When do they fake a smile, and how often: Usually when he absolutely must - Jack HATES playing politics and trying to play nice for people in positions of power. (I apologize for the alliteration). His fake smiles fail most charisma and bluff checks, to say the least. However, he's very good at hiding his real emotions, or at least obfuscating them enough to put people off the trail.

58. How many hobbies have they attempted? Is there a common theme: Ehhhhh Jack, despite being my slightly adhd baby, doesn't pick up hobbies that much in my mind? The most I can see him do is whittling/little carving projects when on long trips. He makes little sphere shaped animal trinkets for the funsies, and often just leaves them random places. He does like to tinker though, so I can see him, after the events of Quillguard, getting more invested in combining magic and mechanical creations. Jack seems to like small, intricate parts - he'd probably like puzzles or Rube Goldberg marble-track art pieces.

Kenzo:

56: If they're scared, who do they want comfort from? Does the answer change depending on the type of fear:The first person he goes to isn't actually a person at all! It's Yuna, his little spirit cat! She's been with him since he was a young child, and has acted as his guardian, helper, and companion for well over a decade now. Yuna isn't just a friend, either, she's also capable of some serious offensive magic (though, to enact it, Kenzo must be pushed to the limit of his own abilities, and she's acting more like a flight/fight response.)

The next runner up would probably be Articulate the wyrm. As Kenzo's legal guardian, he knows that if he's got a big problem, he can always turn to the old dragon for advice, and Articulate will usually offer an amount of comfort where he can. Though, given his age, his own duties, and his lack of...human...ness, Articulate is sometimes a tad awkward, and is more like 'pat pat, there there, boy' with Kenzo.

The newest person this list is...Jack. :> Though, for Plot Reasons, Kenzo finds some things difficult to discuss fully with Jack.

51. What's a phrase they say a lot: I'm not actually sure lol. I don't think we've written enough of him to say with that specificity, (a crime!) however, I do think something he starts off his sentences with a LOT, is "You know..." bc just like Articulate, he's a little reader.

43. What do they commonly misinterpret because of their own upbringing/environment/biases? How do they respond when realizing the misunderstanding: Kenzo, despite his usual calm, serine nature, is actually a fairly anxious individual inside. It doesn't come out a whole lot thanks to his various coping skills and strategies, and also tendency to be one step ahead BECAUSE of that anxious nature, but sometimes, he encounters something or someone who will take him back to a very, very bad time in his life, and it spooks him. He will then avoid the person or situation, and sometimes this causes conflicts. There is also, despite Kenzo's general intellectual abilities and objectivity, a very small proclivity for being TOO objective. Or. At least thinking he is. Once he believes he's got an answer for something, he usually thinks it's the RIGHT answer for the thing, and it will take a very large shift in evidence or justification to change that.

He also has the tendency to completely remove himself from the situation if he learns he is, in fact, wrong about it. He won't engage with it anymore, choosing the total opposite of thinking he's completely right - simply not acknowledging the thing At All.

37. What's a secret they haven't told serious romantic partners and don't plan to tell: Wouldn't you and the rest of the cast love to know ;) But, one that's a little less plot-spoilery is that he knows a bit more about Briar's identity than he lets on.

Cole and Jay!

1.What is a lie they say most often: For Jay, it's literally "I'm fine." Jay is not fine. Jay is the opposite of fine. If 'fine' were the sun, Jay would be in the Oort Cloud. But he's sitting on it though. He can be Not Fine once they're out of this fucking mad-scientist test tube lab.

For Cole, it's "She'll never forgive me." Yes, this is still a lie. Because in reality, it's him who will never forgive himself.

19. What would they do if stuck in a room with the person they've been avoiding: Cole would attempt to just not speak, look-at, or interact with the person in any way, shape, or form. Mostly because he knows the moment they try to interact with him, it's over. They're Having a Conflict, because he can't not respond, which is WHY HE'S BEEN AVOIDING THEM.

Jay would try to keep interaction to a minimum, but also can't take the fucking silence, so he may actually try and resolve things, but is so fucking awkward about it. He'd keep testing the door handle just to see if it magically opens this time.

21. What common etiquette do they disagree with? Do they still follow it: Cole will not take his shoes off indoors, unless he's in his own room, or staying for longer than an hour. You can vacuum the carpet, his shoes aren't dirty, what's the fucking issue. He will be made to take them off if you hit him WITH a shoe first.

Jay stands too close to people in lines at stores and the like. He doesn't seem to know he's doing it.

32. If they committed one petty crime/misdemeanor, what would it be and why: You assume either of these boys have only ever committed one crime lmao. I suppose the LEAST of the Things they have Done, would be something quite small. Jay has stolen from the store before, though usually nothing very big. (Mostly because he knows he can get away with it, and even if he IS caught, the penalty would match the value of the item, and he's not willing to potentially pay more for something he didn't want to pay for at all.)

Cole has - done graffiti in the lab, stolen and snuck back to his cell everything from pipettes to whole pieces of equipment that cost more than a good car, stolen a car, ATTEMPTED to steal a car, attempted homicide (not a misdemeanor, but he didn't manage to do it, so it counts), faked his own identity multiple times, and changed the gender signs on the restrooms.

He does it because are YOU going to stop him?

[syrianna-blackstone]

Zanvis head cannon #1

I like to think that these two had the weirdest start to their friendship.

It started when Zane had to get something from Garroth and Travis was having a bad day. He was pissed since everyone kept being loud, where bugging him, and were questioning his clothing choice too much. He was wearing a oversized fuzzy hoodie and sweatpants that had the white stripes down the side. His hair was messier than usual, and he had eye bags. When Travis opens the door he expected Zane to question him but Zane didn’t bat an eye and just asked if Garroth was home before he came inside. Travis was confused. Zane just went straight to Garroths room, grabbed something while Garroth protested, then went and stood right in front of Travis, who still hasn’t moved from the door. The two just kind of stared at each other, Zane slightly taller than Travis. Garroth, Dante, and Laurence where looking at the two in confusion now. Finally Travis spoke up.

“ Um...Do you need something or...?”

“ Put your shoes on. Your going to the cafe with me.” The other three watched yelled out in shock as Zane left the house, Travis standing there with his mouth open before leaving the house with him as well. The two walked in silence before Zane started speaking again.

“ So what happened to you? You look dead?”

“ What? Oh I um...I didn’t get much sleep.” The two where silent again before Zane answered Travis’s unanswered question.

“ Aphmau wanted me to bring you to the cafe since I was already going to your house. I don’t know why she wanted me to though.” Travis nodded in understanding and the two entered the cafe, only to be pulled into a hug my Aphmau. To Zane’s surprise, Travis quickly and gently pushed her off with a sorry look, but Aphmau just smiled and squeezed Zane for a second before letting go. Zane looked at him in confusion and Travis let out a nervous laugh.

“ I’m not THAT big of a fan of hugs...” That shocked Zane. He didn’t expect that. He had always seemed like a touchy person. Then again, he could agree that hugs where very annoying. Travis and Aphmau went to grab a seat and Zane started leaving. He did not want to be in on whatever those two where talking about. If it was anything like high school, it was going to be weird and make absolutely no sense.

To his surprise, and Travis’s, Aphmau dragged them both to a table and sat them down before dismissing herself to go get their orders. The two just stared at each other awkwardly for a bit before Travis spoke up.

“ You know I would just go on my phone but I sort of left it at home... so...this is really awkward.” Zane rolled his eyes and gave him a ‘no duh’ look. The two really didn’t have anything to talk about. They where barley even friends. Although, Travis was still a bit confused on what was going on.

“So...what’d you get from Garroth?”

“ None of your business.”

“...Do you know why Aphmau-”

“ No.” It was silent again before Zane spoke up, quietly, as he intended for Travis not to hear. Travis, being born with practically supernatural hearing, heard him anyway.

“ I still can’t believe how clean his room was...”

“ Oh that’s before I made him clean it. Honestly, I don’t know how someone keeps it that messy.” Zane raised an eyebrow.

“ YOU got Garroth to clean him room?”

“ And Laurence. And Dante. And for them to clean after themselves. I swear they are so messy. I also banned them from making food. The only time they’ve cooked for me is when I first got here. It tasted like burnt coal, and the kitten smelled smoky. I now make the food. They really need to learn how to take care of themselves.”

“ You do, all of that? How?”

“ I dunno. I just glare and they listen. Add a bit of magic for intimidation and boom.”

“Smart.”

Just then Aphmau decided to come back with their orders. She placed a Expresso infront of Zane and a Mocha in front of Travis. Travis looked at her weird.

“ I thought it was pretty clear that I don’t like coffee?”

“ I know, it’s just you look like you haven’t slept in years. I got like the sweetest thing and asked for extra sugar so you won’t taste the bitterness, trust me.” Travis just sighed and slowly took a sip. It wasn’t bad, a bit too sweet, but he was fine with it.

“ Well anyway, you know how Vlyad’s birthday is coming up?” The two nodded.

“ Well I need your help planning and setting up a surprise party.” Travis got confused.

“Wait why am I here then?”

“ Uh, cause we all three where not alone buddy’s? Plus, you are really good at keeping secrets. Both of you are!”

“ And i’m here instead of Garroth because? Other than the secret part. We all know that idiot can’t keep his mouth shut even if his life depended on it.”

“Cause, don’t tell Garroth I said this, but you kind of know him better. And your a better planner.” The two just looked at each other and then Aphmau again, having a silent agreement to not question anything, just to make life easier.

They ended up planning for three hours before calling it a day. The sun was already going down and they needed to get home. Aphmau had already made Travis and Zane exchange numbers so they could talk and created a group chat so all three of them could chat before leaving with a smile on her face. The two went their separate ways, having mixed feelings on what had just happened. Zane didn’t think it was too bad. Not that big of a deal anyway.

He didn’t expect them to start texting everyday because Travis couldn’t stop sending him memes at 3 in the morning due to his, probably self induced, Insomnia.

[malleux]

idk if my request went through cuz my internet went weird just now-- but anyways, could I perhaps get a soft corpse x reader in which they're all playing among us and Rae or Sean invites (y/n), who none of them have every heard of, and she's just very shy but has an adorable childlike voice, and is an incredible imposter? Like she's just super convincing just like corpse, and can tug at the heartstrings with her voice? thank you!

spell. | corpse husband

part two ; part three

-> Pairing: Corpse Husband x Fem!Reader

-> Fandom: uhh youtubers? idk

-> Genre: Fluff, Crack

-> Warnings: Cursing

-> A/N: hi it’s a long overdue corpse fic :) it’s not the absolute best and for that i’m super sorry i’ve just got to get in the groove of writing for him!

corpse husband taglist is closed!

You were never one to enjoy the spotlight. Instead, you were often found in the background of things, just observing the extroverts who managed to get themselves in the middle of everything.

You had a nerve to admire them- their ability to just get out there and show their true selves, despite so many people watching their every move. Just the thought of it made you shudder. Yet you couldn’t help but also be rather envious of them.

Them, in question, being Sean McLoughlin.

You weren’t quite sure how you became associated with Jacksepticeye himself, choosing to focus on the present and future with your friend rather than dwelling on your past. He was just Sean, your internet friend. And also Jacksepticeye- a famous youtuber with millions of followers.

Sean was who you aspired to be in life. Outgoing, happy, out there, everything positive in life that Sean had, you wanted.

He’d confided in you often about how nervous he’d get before streams or videos, fearing that he’d say the wrong thing or upset his fans, but he still put on a brave face and went out into the chaos. That’s what you admired. His ability to conquer those anxieties.

You wished you could do that. You were simply too nervous.

Which is why when Sean facetimed you one night- morning, actually, seeing as it was 3am in California, where you were- asking you to join a game of Among Us for one of his videos, you adamantly refused.

“Why? Please, Y/N, we need one more person.” Sean begged, “It’ll be me, you, Felix, Ethan, Corpse, Julien, PJ, and Dave. Not everyone’s playing today, it’s a smaller crowd.”

“But it’s still a lot.” You groaned, “I don’t even know them. I just know you.”

“They’re nice! You literally watch their videos.” He argued back.

“That’s the point, Sean! They’re famous, I’d just be some random chick in the game that everyone asks where the fuck she came from.”

“No, you’ll be the girl that everyone adores. Now get on, we’re playing in ten.”

You sighed as the phone hung up and turned on your computer. A Discord invite was waiting for you- Sean must have invited you for you to talk to everyone as you played. You accepted with shaky fingers and put your headphones on, pulling up Among Us and typing in the game code.

“Hello everyone- wait, who’s pink?”

“She’s a good friend of mine,” Sean explained to Felix, “Say hi Y/N. We’re streaming live right now.”

“Hello,” You couldn’t help the meek tone in your voice, smiling shyly as if you were actually on camera. “Wait, you’re streaming? Sean, I thought you said it was a recording for a video.”

“I, well. It’s a video all right.”

The group laughed, but you stayed silent, fixating your attention on a lower voice that chimed in at the end.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Y/N. I’m Corpse.”

“The King of Imposters.” PJ joked, making Corpse laugh.

You giggled a bit, “Hi…”

Felix gasped. “Corpse, her voice is like, the total opposite from yours. Her’s is so cute.”

Corpse laughed as well. “Agreed. I like it.”

As the game loaded, your heart practically dropped.

Imposter.

As if your nerves weren’t bad enough as they were. But, on the bright side, you were with Sean as the other imposter. At least it was someone you knew.

You both split up, you heading towards Electrical. Corpse and Felix were close behind you, Felix following you into the room while Corpse left. You pretended to do your task for a minute before moving to your left a minute and killing Felix.

You rushed out of the room and then headed to Navigations, making sure to avoid anybody who could have seen you leave Electrical. A few moments later, a body was reported.

“Where was it?” Sean asked Julien, the reporter.

“Electrical.”

“I saw Y/N go in there with him at the beginning of the game.” Corpse joined in, “I saw them as I was going to the Reactor.”

“I was in Electrical with him,” You admitted, still acting a bit shy. What could you say, deep voices and new people made you nervous. “But after that I left and went to do my task in Navigation. Felix was still alive and there when I left.”

“Did you pass anyone sus on the way there?” Sean asked.

“No, if they came in after I did it must’ve either been from the other way or after I was already in Electrical.” You started picking at your nail polish- a habit of yours when things got a little overwhelming.

“So you’re saying that it could’ve been from the direction Corpse was in?” You could hear the smirk in Sean’s voice.

“Whoa, whoa, hold up. Why are you so quick to throw me under the bus? I’m just a crewmate.” Corpse questioned, “You’re pretty sus if you ask me.”

Sean scoffed, “I’m just inferring that the culprit came from your direction. Never in my words did I say it was you. Sounds like you’re getting a little too defensive for someone who’s ‘just a crew mate’.”

“Uh, guys,” You quietly spoke up. You didn’t expect anyone to hear you, but Corpse and Sean immediately quieted down at your voice. “I hate to interrupt, but we’ve got to vote. I don’t want us to argue…”

Sean laughed. “Oh little Y/N, you’re too sweet. I’m skipping this round.”

As you voted to skip as well, your stomach clenched when you heard Corpse quietly repeat “Little Y/N”.

꧁꧂꧁꧂꧁꧂꧁꧂꧁꧂꧁꧂꧁꧂

“It’s Y/N, I’m fucking telling you! Y/N!” Julien was practically screaming at this point. You tried to stay calm, focusing on keeping your voice steady.

The group had been calling you cute and adorable practically all night, so you were seriously about to put that to use.

“I was in Medbay with Corpse, isn’t that right, Corpse?” Your tone was sweet and slightly flirty- hopefully he’d get the hint.

Corpse hesitated for a millisecond- long enough for your breath to catch, but short enough for nobody else to notice. “Yeah, she was with me.”

“She was with you after she vented there!” Julien cried, “I can’t believe this- she killed Ethan and vented away right as I went into the room! You all are fucking nuts if you don’t believe me.”

“I don’t even know how to vent…” You murmured innocently, but in reality you were smirking. Julien was definitely telling the truth, and you were internally beating yourself up for letting yourself be so reckless after a kill, but nobody was seemingly buying his story.

There was only you, Corpse, Julien, Dave, and PJ left. Sean was voted off after fucking up his alibi, leaving you alone with the rest of the group.

Corpse sighed. “You all heard the girl. She doesn’t even know how to vent.”

“Wh- she just fucking vented!” Julien exclaimed, “Corpse, man, she’s got you under some fucking magic spell if you can’t see all the evidence. Guys, back me up here.”

“She’s sus.” Dave admitted, “And Corpse defending her makes it even more sus.”

“The spell she tried on him obviously got the best of him. I say we vote Y/N.” PJ agreed.

“There’s no spell, guys, oh my God.” Corpse laughed, “I just don’t think it’s her. I’m skipping.”

“I can’t believe you guys don’t believe me!” You whined, deciding to go further with your emotional tactics, “I’m literally about to cry. It’s not me!”

And yet, despite your protests, Dave, PJ, and Julien all voted you out. Crewmates had won the game and you were giggling nearly like a maniac as everyone gushed about how you did as an Imposter.

A bit later, you had to say goodbye to your new friends and face the reality that their fans would definitely find who you were by tomorrow. Or like, in a few hours, because it was already 4am. Corpse was in California as well, wasn’t he? He should be getting some sleep too, you thought. But maybe sleep schedules were different for Youtubers. You didn’t know.

You pondered the thought for a moment before the notification sound for Discord alerted you of a new message on your phone.

Corpse:

Just letting you know, your voice definitely had me under a spell. I’d like to hear it more often

[lupically]

#FFF8EA | XIAO. 

genre | fluff

word count | 2233

warning | mention of falling off a moutain​

note | i just have some ideas for xiao...

"the yaksha is fond of you."

madame ping was no stranger to you. the kind old lady roaming around yujing terrace, often seen admiring flowers or brewing a cup of hot tea, was someone you come across every afternoon after school when you head to the censor to make a wish to rex lapis.

the conversation you two have had always been brief, mainly because you were always in a hurry to get to work. she never minded your urgency, blissfully talking about how fast-paced and active young people these days are, and simply being happy that you even stopped to let her hand you some glazed lilies from time to time.

interestingly, though, she stopped giving you glazed lilies after a while and began handing you some pretty qingxin instead.

you never questioned it. it was just flowers. you could live without being gifted only one kind of them for the rest of your life. but after today's incident—after the burning down of your school located just outside the city, as well as what madame ping told you with hearty laughter laced in her voice, you were starting to think the switch to qingxin meant something.

"the yaksha is fond of you."

you tightened your hands around the weak strap of your school bag, made out of bamboo after lots of trials and errors, and you tilted your head with increasingly furrowing brows.

"pardon me, the what is fond of me?"

"the yaksha, my dear."

you stared at her. the corner of your lips was quirking up in confused twitches, and she could see that you were fiddling uncomfortably on your spot because you truly have no idea what she was talking about. it was not because of the history of the yaksha that might have made you feel jittery and out of place, you simply had no idea!

madame ping smiled even harder at your innocent oblivion then. how could you have such ample knowledge of rex lapis and the adepti, but nothing about the yaksha? especially the one with his mark, a jade green glow surrounding you like fireflies, all over your aura?

maybe that was why xiao chose you.

or, at least, it was one of the reasons why he liked you.

it was because you knew nothing of him. you never think about him, you never talk about him, and you would never suspect the string of random good luck and trails of safe travels that have been following you around.

while it must be tearing him down on the inside; the fact that he wasn't being able to approach the one person who made his good deeds a choice rather than an order. it must be plaguing his mind and patience every day.

but, even then, your surprising lack of information about his identity does save him the pressure of being chased down by you.

it saves him the problem of being even further attached to you. it was already pressing on his breaking point when he went out of his way to watch over you, leaving trails of his magic over your mortal soul to keep you safe when he was busy. any further interaction would be disastrous.

logically, he knew he would fall for you, so he was doing preventive measures. he has to keep his chest sealed so his heart wouldn't jump toward you involuntarily; he has to keep his chest sealed so you couldn't see all the mess inside.

"oh, sweet child," madame ping cooed as she walked toward you. she whispered to herself, "you're being protected by an adeptus and you don't even know."

she brought up a qingxin from her pocket, the petals slightly wrinkled from the confined space. she tucked it carefully in the pocket of your shirt before patting the bloomed flower, almost as if she was reminiscing.

"this is his flower," she said.

you hummed, looking down at it. "this is his favorite flower?"

"i'm not sure about his favorite flower, but this is his flower," she replied casually.

you pursed your lips together. well, at least now you knew the qingxin did have something to do with the... yaksha... or whatever.

"madame ping... may i ask–"

"you can find him at qingyun peak," she cut you off calmly. "during the lantern festival. he is always there during the festival. it was for the quiet, he said, that old man."

you shut your mouth, surprised that she knew what you wanted to ask. "uh... qingyun peak... is kind of... a big place..."

"you will find him if he wants to see you," she said. "you can speak his name–xiao. he might not show himself to you, but if you have something to say, he's likely there to listen."

qingyun peak. the lantern festival. the yaksha.

right.

that was how you found yourself bearing the freezing night cold with just a thin shirt and a ragged fabric wrapped and tied around your torso, your hands hurting from grabbing sharp edges and rough rocks, and your anxiety increasing with every jump that not only would the almond tofu in your bag fall, but you would as well.

as opposed to watching xinyan play for the lantern festival, being warm and cozy from the warm city lights and the tasty street food, and maybe even letting go of a lantern yourself after making a wish, you were here. you were alone, climbing mountains for a chance.

all for a random boy madame ping told you about! someone who was supposedly fond of you—if this xiao guy was so fond of you, he would have shown himself the first three times you called his name at the bottom of the mountain!

"fond of me–what a joke," you said through gritted teeth as you hoisted yourself up on a small ledge. "i'm going to kick his ass so hard when i find him."

you let yourself pant for a minute, regaining your stamina as you groggily accessed the higher peaks above you. your eyes squinted in dismay, but something inside you—the curiosity for the truth, as well as the longing for a friend, also the anger for playful revenge—urged you to keep going.

"he better eats the almond tofu i made," you muttered to yourself as you moved closer to the mountain. "i even picked some flowers... for him."

jump after jump, you were close to making it to the second ledge when suddenly, a slime jumped and appeared above you. it looked surprised, mirroring your expression, and as it prepared itself to attack you after seeing your hands move, it stopped when it saw you fumble about in the air before you began to fall further away from itself.

you had let yourself go. out of surprise, and an instinct to grab a weapon, your hands moved away from the edge and you fell.

your mind raced as the wind hit your face, your falling body heavy against the current that desperately tried to take you up from the ledge you just climbed up from. you would surely die from the impact if you drop. even without dropping down to the bottom, you would still suffer from a painful death.

was there something to do? how did this happen, you were doing fine! what should you do, what could you do? you were falling already—what was there to do now? anything, something?

"i–archons–" you heaved with the cold air, your lungs squeezing inside you with fear as tears began to drip out of your eyes.

anything? anybody?

xiao?

"you can speak his name. he might not show himself to you, but if you have something to say, he's likely there to listen."

"xi–" your voice broke for a millisecond when you could see the green grass approaching quickly. you squeezed your eyes shut, and your voice was louder than you have ever allowed it to be.

you called his name, loud and clear.

the first thing you felt was a lightning strike. you opened your eyes at the electric feeling to find a flash of green. it was bright, close and bright, in a way that was blinding. but then the tail broke into gentle fragments as a pair of arms circled your body to catch you from the fall.

one arm went around your waist, the other hand securely tightened itself around the back of your neck to keep it from breaking from the impact of his fast landing.

xiao growled under his breath when his feet struck the ground in a heavy blow. he pushed your head to his shoulder, shielding your face away from the soil that bounced upward as a result.

quietness ensued after a moment of calm. you took the moment to access the situation—you were fine. someone, likely xiao, saved you from the fall. you were fine.

he dropped onto the ground, sitting on the cold grass with your body pressed close to his, when he heard that you began to sob from the accident.

despite feeling awkward and unsure, he kept quiet and let you vent out the post-accident fear so you could slowly bring in the relief that you were still alive. but his quietness was unwelcomed when you suddenly curled your fist and hit him across the shoulder.

"screw you! why didn't you just answer me when i–when i was at the bottom of the moun–mountain! screw you!"

you blamed him and you hit his shoulder repeatedly. your weak fist was nothing compared to the pain he has endured in the past, but your cries cut through him like glass in the most seamless pattern when he realized he was part of the reason why you had to go through that traumatic experience.

if he had just jumped down from the peak when he heard you the first time, this would not have happened.

xiao looked at the empty spot before him. his golden eyes glowed with a softness that has long fallen into the abyss, forever gone and forever abandoned. but he brought it back out now because he cares about you, and he is, ultimately, attached to you, and he loves you.

"you're right," he said, holding you close to him. "i'm sorry."

ever since you discreetly left the almond tofu on the roof of the wangshu inn, your shy figure hunched over in an apologizing manner because you were told that you were giving food to an important, albeit weird, guest, and your blissfully ignorant words of encouragement as you told him to go out and explore the world, to give it a chance so he could find people he would like.

ever since then, he has loved you, in fragile and discreet ways, in unwavering and patient ways, in protective and caring ways.

"i love you, i'm sorry."

you stopped sobbing almost immediately, and he was afraid he might have said the wrong thing.

wasn't it what he was supposed to do? verr told him to speak his mind once. just be truthful with his feelings and nothing could go wrong. was he not supposed to show his affection blatantly, as he would his complaints and opinions?

"that... that is going a little too fast for me, xiao," you joked. "let's settle with appreciating each other for now."

he heard you laugh, causing the weight of his heart to drop, like finding lights in a fog, like seeing the lanterns in the night sky and realizing that there are more people alive with you than you think.

"thank you, for saving me," you said kindly then, your fist long stopped hitting him and was now patting his shoulder.

"always."

“but burning my school down is not the best approach for... whatever it was you were trying to help me with.”

xiao blinked in confusion, then realization hit him. he almost forgot about that! he was, shockingly, dwelling in the prideful fact that because he literally destroyed the building, you would be free of school for the day, and therefore not having to face all the hardships inside the walls he could not venture past. he thought it was the best thing to do, second to beating up everyone, which he politely opposed to.

“i am not sorry about that,” he muttered. “it was what i thought was best.”

he could feel you grin in his embrace. your laughter reverberated in the air, making his magic glow around you both. it was like nothing he has felt before. he wanted to stay like this—in this position where you were engulfed by him, where he could surround you with himself instead of the fireflies of green he has left behind, where he was with you in a way it was entire, in a way he could feel your beating heart against his own.

you are pressing onto his breaking point.

you are going to open him up, see him whole, and renovate his insides to your will. you are going to take his heart from his chest, breaking through his ribcage made feeble from his sheer affection for you, and claim it as your own. you are going to make him love, like sharp knives, like soft breaths, like tragic past, like warm blood, you are going to make him love.

you are pressing onto his breaking point.

and xiao lets you.

because you will be worth the tragedy, you will be worth everything.

[thanksjro]

More Than Meets the Eye #43 — Swerve’s Terminal Case of Sad Bitch Disease

Y’all ever think about how IDW Publishing has a DeviantArt? Because I think about that sometimes.

Anyway, I know you’re are only here for Wife Mode Cyclonus, so let’s just get on with it.

You fucking horny bastards.

So weirdly enough, this comic about giant space robots doesn’t start with giant space robots. Or in space. Instead, we find ourselves on the set of the apartment from beloved mid-90s/early 2000s sitcom Friends. It’s a pretty faithfully detailed background, too. No wonder Milne needed help with inks on this issue.

On the couch is a toddler wearing some safety goggles, while a woman in Victorian dress stares out the window. The toddler complains about how she’s got nothing to do, save for reading More Than Meets The Eye, though even that she finds confusing.

Imagine needing to check the wiki for your Transformers lore. Couldn’t be me.

(It could be, and is very frequently.)

The Victorian woman comments that the comic didn’t capture her likeness very well, but the toddler disagrees. The Victorian woman then gripes about Rung, Skids, and Bluestreak having been MIA for the last six hours. Yes, this lady in fancy dress is actually Cyclonus, and the toddler is Tailgate; we’re having a holomatter adventure, and everyone’s gotten hot new looks, because Guido Guidi isn’t on this issue! Instead, we have our standard artist, Alex “Same Face Syndrome” Milne.

Toddlergate gets a message from Rodimus, who texts like my mom, asking what the hell is going on down there. In New York City. Because they’re in the Friends apartment. Also, apparently he has a Swerve emoji in his phone. Does he have emojis of all his crew, or is Swerve special? Many questions that will never be addressed again will arise in this issue.

There’s a knock at the door, and Serving Cuntclonus lets in the rest of the search team.

Skids what the FUCK is your face doing

Cuntclonus yells at the three for having gotten caught up in the neighbors’ antics, because they’ve got a search and rescue mission on their hands. Everyone agrees to having no more distractions, and then Sir Rungington VII’s paint gun goes off, hitting Cuntclonus in the face. The story’s cold open ends, I’m assuming so Cuntclonus can tear Sir Rungington VII limb from limb, and we get our opening credits.

That’s right— opening credits.

We get two whole pages devoted to a sitcom-style opener, introducing the cast we’ve seen so far, alongside some fun panels from previous issues, assumedly set to some upbeat, non-offensive music, then we jump back in time to Megatron calling for Swerve to come to the bridge of the Lost Light. Rodimus enters, asking what’s going on, and Megatron informs him that the ship is being chased by a planet. Rodimus takes a moment to process this info, then notices that the planet chasing them is, in fact, Earth! Weird, since they’re nowhere near there. Blaster plays the only clue to what the hell is going on for his captains, and we get an idea of why Swerve needs to get his little ass to the bridge.

Believe it or not, Earth’s chasing the ship Never thought it had flight capability Flying through space, it’s a vacuum, no air Who could it be? Believe it or not it’s just Swerve

But how did Swerve do this? And why? Somebody go find the bastard so we can get some answers!

Thank you, Skids.

Before Skids interrupted just there, First Aid was having a moment with Tailgate, only slightly marred by Tailgate’s refusal to stop straddling his hoverboard. It turns out First Aid’s about to leave the Lost Light, on orders from Optimus Prime to fuck off into another comic run. I’m sure First Aid will be completely unchanged by the experience, certainly not joining any weird magic polycules, but it sucks for Velocity, who is now the only practicing medical doctor on the whole ship. Girl failed her exams nine times, hope she’s up to the challenge of handling the health and bodily integrity of a ship the size of friggin’ Manhattan.

But anyway, something’s wrong with Swerve. He’s in rough shape physically, though his brain activity is going absolutely bonkers. First Aid predicts that the guy’s got a couple days at most before he dies, and he’s got no idea why, since there’s no sign of injury that he can find. Rodimus (who showed up to be told the bad news) thinks this is strange, because this is the same day as the dance party, and we all saw that Swerve was there and feeling well enough to host, right up until he phased out of reality. Nightbeat cuts in here (he’s also in the medibay, for the purpose of being nosy) to say that the Swerve at the dance party was actually a holomatter avatar, which is why he phased out in the first place; it coincided with Swerve's current state hitting critical mass.

Swerve is also projecting the Earth that’s following the Lost Light, and the friggin’ thing is partially populated with human avatars. No wonder his brain is cooking inside his head; I can barely keep track of myself, let alone the entire populace of NYC.

After taking a moment to reconsider the direction his life has taken, Rodimus calls for volunteers to fill out the search team, who we’ve already seen. Though dubious about this whole situation, they agree to go down and see how hostile Swearth is. Brainstorm (who is also here, because the holomatter program is his baby, and it’s not like the guy on house arrest is gonna tell his captain no) warns the gang that projecting the 400 mile distance to Swearth might hurt, and also maybe kill them.

The team pops on their avatars, Bluestreak reminds us that he went to Earth during the eruption of modern internet culture, no one knows what a 101 class is, and Rodimus again reconsiders the direction his life has taken.

We cut back to the scene in the Friends apartment, where Skidstopher Eccleston has taken to drinking, and Toddlergate appears to have a sippy cup that looks an awful lot like Cyclonus. And not a Getaway-shaped thing in sight. I think we know who end game is going to be.

Obviously, Huffer/Xaaron.

Anyway, Toddlergate is telling the gang about the comic she’s still reading. She’s is currently on #21, when Swerve opened the time case. If you don’t remember him doing this on-panel, it’s because Swore Swan Sweets Swe Sweye is from Swerve’s perspective, as opposed to being omnipresent.

This is the point where Bluestreak 2005 comes in, the troublesome neighbors in tow.

I’m sure these three men named after sitcom characters and encompassing different aspects of Swerve aren’t plot-important at all!

They immediately start tearing into each other, Sheldon and Ted berating Jerry over sabotaging their work for the LOLs. Jerry in turn implies that Ted lacks the faith needed to actually go make an impact in the world, and that Sheldon isn’t doing nearly enough with what is supposed to be his life’s purpose. Skidstopher Eccleston tells them all to shut the fuck up, then has Bluestreak 2005 take a call from Rodimus. But not just any Rodimus. This is 80s Mullet, 4-Shirts At Once Rodimus.

Oh Milne what the fuck is thissssssss

Not that this isn’t in-character for Rodimus “Surfs on Meteors for Funsies” of Nyon, it’s just… I feel like there was a cleaner way to get this visual information across. Maybe didn’t need ALL the shirts. At least Trenchcoat Nightbeat looks cool. And his skin is colored like an actual human being, and isn’t literally the same color as asphalt like we got in All Hail Megatron. Thanks, Lafuente!

Swearth isn’t a one-to-one facsimile of Earth, as it’s revealed there’s an omnipotent laugh track that goes off anytime someone says something that could be seen as an attempt at a joke. Bluestreak 2005 goes on to explain more of the sitcom weirdness soaked into the foundation of Swearth, probably deeply regretting having galactic wi-fi set up for the ship at this point. Mullet Rodimus points out that their non-Swearth-related life is also pretty weird, then hangs up to go help an old man cross the street.

Mullet Rodimus makes a weird little dig at PeePaw Megatron’s cane, then they decide to hit the bars, to see if Swerve is hiding out in his chosen career path.

Back over at the Friends apartment, Bluestreak 2005 is getting the neighbors’ locked door situation fixed, while Skidstopher Eccleston has a moment of crisis with Sir Rungington VII, because he never went to Swerve’s room in all the years he’s known him. He only ever saw Swerve at the bar, or during ship-wide adventure nonsense, never sought him out just for the hell of it. Maybe if he had, Swerve’s months of hiding in his room rotting away wouldn’t have become the now-critical nightmare that it is.

Toddlergate pops in to say that the comic book finally got to issue #43, and man is the Story So Far a doozy!

Brainstorm is gonna fucking strangle him.

So, Swerve is using MTMTE to communicate his situation, as best he understands it, to those who might come looking for him. Awesome! But we still have to find the guy.

Lol, just kidding, he was literally across the hall this entire time.

Milne that’s not hOW FUCKING GLASSES WORK YOU GOON

Over at the bar, Peepaw Megatron laments his faded youth, while Overalls Nautica explores her death wish, by way of trying to tickle the bastard who killed everyone in NYC. Peepaw Megatron has a moment of reflection on the nature of humanity, after getting a cut on his hand, but nobody gives a shit about whether he’s cool with humans or not, so Rodimus cuts in to let everyone know that Swerve is not cooperating with the Not Letting Swerve Die mission.

Back in the Friends apartment, Crisis on Infinite Swerves admits that he doesn’t know what’s wrong with him physically that could be causing him to fucking die. Sir Rungington VII gets lost in the psychoanalyzing sauce, but Skidstopher Eccleston gives not a fuck about that. He only cares about Swerve’s impending death! He grabs Crisis on Infinite Swerves by the face like he’s gonna kiss him, and tells him to stop burying the pain so they can help.

Toddlergate butts in, stating that Swerve is stuck doing Rungian re-experience therapy, a thing that was mentioned way back in issue #13 as being a thing Swerve did when life got stressful. The cocktail of being sad over his demotion from main cast, angry about Megatron boarding the ship, and exposure to several Brainstorm inventions made it so that his self soothing manifested outwards into the real world, after months of isolating himself from his peers. Why Sir Rungington VII, who was also there for that conversation, didn’t consider this possibility, is unclear, but it’s probably because he’s bad at his job.

This is where Cuntclonus cuts in, telling Crisis on Infinite Swerves that despite his many faults, people still care about him, the entire Lost Light crew having projected to Swearth as part of this search mission.

Now knowing that he hasn’t faded away from everyone’s minds, Swerve can finally acknowledge the pain, and Crisis on Infinite Swerves’s shoulder begins to bleed in the shape of an Autobot insignia. Hooray, we found the issue! Drinks all around!

Later, we see First Aid on the shuttle to “Combiner Wars”, on the phone with Velocity discussing the aftermath of Swearth. Velocity had cut into into Swerve’s shoulder, revealing a rust infection that had gone untreated for years. As they talk, First Aid looks through the tablet Tailgate gave him as a goodbye present. There’s a picture of him with Ratchet, Ambulon, and a smiley-face drone, and then a picture of Ironfist and Swerve that sets off his “I need to be weird about people’s badges to impress Springer and his giant boobs” senses.

Before he can fly out of the reception zone, First Aid tells Velocity to cut Swerve’s shoulder open again. The one where the infection was. The one he patched up after running into the DJD. The one where he used to have an Autobot badge. The one where he got shot by Agent 113, with a bullet containing vital information.

I mean, yeah, no shit. She hasn’t sewn him back up yet!