#augh sorry the ids took me a bit

[acidsaladd]

here they r!!! these were gonna be like a set with one other drawing that i did finish and posted

[id: three drawings of cole, kai, jay and zane from lego ninjago. they are drawn as humans in all three of them in a warm yellow canvas. in the first drawing, all four of them are hugging, jay on the very left then zane, cole and kai on the far right. jay has his cheek on zanes shoulder his eye squeezed closed and smiling, his arm reaching across zanes chest. zane is resting his head slightly on jays head, his eyes closed and smiling. cole is poking out from behind all of them, his head resting on zanes shoulder, he is also smiling with his eyes closed. kai is leaning his head close to coles, smiling and looking at the viewer, his arm is resting on zanes stomach. jay is drawn with brown skin and reddish brown hair, he is wearing a pink shirt and lichtenberg scars poking out of his short sleeve. zane is drawn as a black man with a cool undertone, he is wearing a light blue shirt. cole is also drawn as a black man with a warmer undertone and thick locs in a half-up-half-down hairdo. kai is drawn with slightly darker brown skin and a dark wine red t shirt, burn scars over his forearm.

the second image is a drawing of the four of them laying in a bed, cole on the far right, then kai, jay and zane. they are all half under the covers. cole is half sat up, one arm bracing his head and the other resting close to kai over the covers. kai is looking back at him while hugging jay close with one arm. jay has his eyes closed and mouth open as if yawning. zane is looking back at them, hands clasped over the covers. the third image is a drawing of them sitting and laying on the floor over each other. cole is sitting in the middle, legs stretched out in front of him, resting his head on the wall, eyes closed and mouth open as if talking. zane is leaning into him on the right, legs crossed and one arm is reaching across cole to hold jays arm. jay is laying down head pillowed on coles thigh on the left and his legs tangling with coles leg, his eyes are closed and he is laughing. kai is using jay as a backrest while laying down, hes resting one foot up on his knee, one of his arms is resting against jays stomach and the other is reaching at coles face./ end id]

[degendog]

ayo its macgyver packer guy! ok so yeah cant lie hygienically that was like top 3 worst ideas at least, so instead of doing the sane idea of like just buying something or using a few socks (which WHAT you're supposed to pin that to you're underwear??) i committed to the bit and made a v2! party because its just fun to say "yeah i made my own cock", partly because its just kinda fun to make and i have enough art materials so that its more cost effective the buying something , and why im doing any of this in the first place is because its nice i guess to have it like attached to you..? i guess? and it not just like a sock? although its not 100% realistic (its fucking sliver), its still just pretty cool, so yeah i made a version 2. i made it using like a flimsy metal wire thats made for like crafts (to give it some bend, and so it would just be bricked) , duct tape, and hot glue. (no sock or anything in the center so no risk of mold) i first made 2 balls using hot glue, they weren't super big, i then covered them in duck tape. i made something of a heart-shaped pad using duck tape that i folded onto itself, and glued the 2 balls onto it. then for the dick part, i took the wire, folded it over about 4 or so times to make it thicker, it was about 6 inches in length. i then warped duck tape around the wire in 3 sections, tip, middle, and bottom, with a bit of space between each. in the space between, i cut strips of the tape in half, and warped it around to enforce to wire. i then put hot glue on the tip just so the tape wouldn't fray. i then split a little bit of excess wire in half at the bottom, and then attached it the the balls (would like to state that absolutely 0 wire is even remotely sticking out anywhere once i was finished). I then attached the whole thing the to a second underwear (underwear explanation: ok so i basically cut the underwear to be more like a harness/kinda a strap on when dick is added, to cut back on the layers id be wearing, and not to just wear 2 underwears, one with dick, and one encasseing said dick so that it wouldn't just be flailing around in my pants) finally, im going to be trying to see if wearing a sock just to see if thats more comfortable then using a fuck ton of lotion (the sheer redundancy and 100 degree summer be damned) and then boom! diy dick v2!! i made it in like 30mins, (tbh me writing this took more time then me actually making the dick) and if its incoherent or misspelled sorry its pretty late over here :3

okay so i tried to answer this but tumblr ate the draft augh. trial two i guess.

fucking. WIRE??!!!?!?!! bro.

yeah, you’re supposed to pin the rolled sock in place, unless you’re wearing packing underwear. you put the sock inside where the dick would go, whether that’s a pouch or a closed fly or whatever and you use a safety pin on the outside of your undies, stick it through the front of the sock, and back out the front. the safety pin should not go through the sock all the way. works best if you wear boxer briefs or regular briefs—. i use a quilting sewing pin bc the bent shape makes it easier, but anything with safety pin functionality will work. i know a guy who used a “yaoi lover” circle button pin.

the hot glue balls are lowkey hilarious. i’m imagining what those feel like lmao. “what if—hear me out—the balls got hard too” type shit. that’s hilarious. what the hell.

and while the absence of a fabric core is an improvement, from experience i know that duct tape is not necessarily watertight man. like one little wrinkle at the edge of the tape and all of a sudden you’ve got all kinds of liquid and shrapnel in there. and hair. ew.

also. wire. even if you’ve got the wire ends covered, it’s not guaranteed that they won’t poke through and stab something. idk about you but i wouldn’t risk dick impalement over the like $30-50 a real packer would be. or free, in the case of a rolled sock. seriously, if penis procurement is an issue, whether for financial or other reasons, please just use a sock.

if you’re desperate to diy something here, you probably could sew a harness for a regular packer out of elastic, or modify your existing undies to better accommodate a packer.

please let me know how the sock packing goes. if you need further advice on the matter lmk. i lost the tutorial post i made a while back, but im more than willing to remake it.

you have a bright future as a sculpture artist. i’m picturing a series of various unsafe insane diy packers in a gallery. and/or a series of photos of you wearing these diy packer apparatuses exactly one time. could be cool as commentary on transition being an act of recreating yourself with whatever you can find. or something. idk you can workshop that part.

please, please be safe lmao.

[happi-tree]

i love YOU so much and my favourite thing i love about YOU is how you are so loving and you are so caring and wonderful and your prose is literally so fucking brilliant and elegant and you describe sensory details so vividly it's like i can FEEL every piece you write. just. augh you're genuinely one of my favourite writers. ever. EVER. i'm in awe of your writing abilities and i look up to you so much and you inspire me every day. i adore you so much

thought since tumbkr ate my first ask id make it longer this time around

💌

COOKIES!!! Hihihi lovebird, sorry it took me a bit to get around to answering this. *Presses ok on fissh and gives both them and you a little kiss /p* 💗💗💗 Thank you sm for the compliments - you're very very sweet 🥺 Hope your night has gone well!!!

I just. Love your energy. You just have so much presence and enthusiasm for everything you do, and it reminds me just how,,, cool it is to be alive, if that makes sense? I love reading the little updates on your day, and even if I don't have anything interesting to add, it sort of. Motivates me to be more vocal about the things that I enjoy! You're unapologetically, confidently yourself, and it imbues everything that you do, from your art to your fic to our conversations, and that is hands-down one of my favorite things about you! :D

Also, speaking of. Your fic, your art. There is no better way to really word this, but it sparkles - sometimes literally! Sometimes tear-like, sometimes glitter-like, but always sparkling <3

[scopostims]

okay so. gosh im sorry about the amount but im !!!! SO excited to be able to suggest kpop things !!!!! finally able to put my 8 years of being into kpop to good use /hj

im also so sorry about the color-coding and italics but its easier visually to me,, ;^;

vixx : voodoo doll has two versions, one is a clean version (fun fact! they had to change the choreography for performances on music shows to be broadcasted :D ) /// hyde, on and on, and error are other darker concept mvs of theirs!

dreamcatcher (deukae) : a girl group known for their horror/darker music videos and rock sound, so pretty much any of their music videos! the most noteable ones would be chase me, good night, piri, and because :]

boy groups : boyfriend witch / cross gene black or white / exo monster / block b jackpot

girl groups : nature girls (also has both censored and uncensored versions) / irene & seulgi monster /red velvet peek a boo / pink fantasy poison and fantasy / ladies code hate you / pixy wings

soloists/misc : lee jung hyun v / sunmi full moon and tail / sunny hill midnight circus

a couple of my favorites would be red velvets rbb and shinees married to the music but id consider them more 70s/80s comedy horror-esque than anything :0

i can send a second ask with the list in fully plain text if youd like but it would be organized differently nsmfmgm (im very happy and excited about this so im doing it in a way that makes sense to me ^^;; )

NO NEED TO APOLOGIZE FOR THE AMOUNT. THIS IS VERY EXCITING. i'm gonna add a read more because i'm rambling a little (a lot) but

i need you to know i kept a notepad and pen and took notes on each song and video because. ajajdsflaksdfjaldf. exciting. proof ↓

i do not think you'd wanna see my individual notes for Every Single Song so i will attempt and fail at summarizing it:

Overall Favorites were "Black or White" by Cross Gene, "BEcause" by Dreamcatcher, and "Voodoo Doll" by Vixx.

My reasonings for black or white & voodoo doll are pretty similar as in i am a sucker for violence and gore. ehehe. predictable choices there

black or white had a STUNNING video, the lighting of the whole thing was so delightful, i loved the contrast between the warm red oranges, cool blues, and the very bright white towards the end. Some of the violence and graphics made me shudder but i mean that in a great way. it made me so happy i had to rewrite the note because i was shaking so much from stimming lmao

the effects in voodoo doll went so hard actually, quite a few of the scenes actually remind me of how some of the original hellraiser was shot which was exciting to me because i heart hellraiser. i loved the effects and body movements that went into showing them being controlled in a voodoo doll sense and i LOVED the makeup quite a bit. also the choreography went so hard i need to see if there's a dance practice vid for that, i love dance practices

AND BECAUSE WAS LIKE. MADE FOR ME RIGHT. slash not serious BUT i LOVE fucked up hotel and carnival imagery (which is something i commented and made notes about in other vids as well) and combining the two and making it a little mind fucky was SO NICE. AUGH. genuinely such a pleasure to watch.

some other vids i really liked were "Piri" by Dreamcatcher, "Hate You" by Ladies Code, "Poison" by Pink Fantasy, "Monster" by Irene & Seulgi, "Girls" by Nature, "Monster" by EXO, "Witch" by Boyfriend, "V" by Lee Jung Hyun, and "Midnight Circus" by Sunny Hill.

Despite that list i liked most of them! there were some that weren't bad but overall just not my thing so i wasn't really the target audience to enjoy them. there were also some where the videos were GREAT but the songs weren't really my thing so there was a mix match of feelings there but still fun

-

if my rambling wasn't evident i am SO genuinely appreciative of you for sending all these, when you sent the original ask asking if i wanted them i got so excited and i've been waiting in such anticipation for the list and AUGH!!!!! so great!!!!!!!!!

this is unrelated to your ask so feel free to ignore but i've actually only been like. really getting into kpop and stuff for a few weeks now (i had a few songs i've liked for years but i'm only recently getting super into it) and it's been so fun finding new music and stuff! i love it so much because i LOVE watching the choreography and performances and people's stage presences and AUGH. i definitely prefer more upbeat & faster & rap and/or rock heavier songs but sometimes even if the songs aren't my things, the videos and performances just make it so fun and enjoyable anyway (like some of the videos you listed here) and augh. music :•)

[queertazsecretsanta]

A gift for @gravitaz, created by @dork-empress!

~~

“GREETINGS NEWTON FAMILY!” Minerva announced, flinging the door open. 

“Honey!” Duck said, clutching his hat to catch up from where he was running up the driveway, ��I told you to KNOCK!”

“I did!” Minerva said, “and the door did not open, and so I decided to help it along!” She smiled at him, outshining the sun. Or so it seemed to Duck anyway. 

“You are welcome to rob us.” A girl said from the stairs, “Start with Duck’s old dolls--oh, sorry ‘’’action figures.’’’’”

Duck rolled his eyes, and pulled the girl, his sister Jane, into a half-hug, which quickly turned into more of a half-nelson. “Missed you too, Gremlin.”

“Augh!!!” she yelled, flailing like they were kids again, “Abuse! Abuse! Child abuse!”

“Oh please,” Duck said, “You’re not a kid anymore, you can’t use that excuse.”

Jane grumbled. “That’s right!” she said in challenge, “I can fight back!” Jane darted her hands out to tickle Duck’s stomach instead, getting him to let go. “Ha! Jane Newton, Still the Undefeated champion!!”

“Most impressive!” Minerva said, still standing in the doorway and somehow not looking awkward, “Wayne Newton is a most formidable warrior.”

Jane raised her eyebrows. “Wayne, huh?”

Duck scowled at his sister, “Let it go Janey.” 

“I also wish to inform you, Jane Newton,” Minerva continued, “That I have no intention of robbing your house, even Wayne Newton’s action figures.” 

Jane smiled, “Oh, I like this one, Ducky.”

“Nope,” Duck said, shaking his head, “we’re not doing that.”

Jane ignored him and held out her hand to Minerva, “Pleased to meet you in person, Minerva.”

Minerva beamed again. “You as well, Jane Newton. I wonder, are you what people call, ‘a hugger?’” 

Duck could see three whole jokes pass through Jane’s head that she swallowed down. “Yes, I most certainly am--”

Minerva swooped Jane up into one of her classic bone-crushing hugs. Jane groaned as the air left her lungs, while Duck snickered at her pain. He’s been there, though he didn’t regret it. “Alright, honey, let her breathe.”

Minerva let Jane down, who staggered back. “Well. Damn,” Jane said, blinking at the hug. 

Minerva paused, “I hope I was not too forceful, Jane Newton. I’ve learned to ask permission first, but I have been told I have trouble holding in my incredible strength.”

Jane whistled. “Oh, I’m fine. Just fine,” she said, biting her lip. 

“Hey,” Duck shooed her into the house, “My girlfriend, you can’t have her. Stop it.”

Jane chuckled, walking into the hallway, and letting Duck and Minerva properly enter. Duck took off his shoes, Minerva mimicking him. “Forgive me for stalling out here. I was just trying to save you, Mom’s on the warpath, and--”

“Wayne?” they heard a call from the kitchen, “Is that you Wayne?” 

Duck sighed, “Hi Mom,” he said, “Minerva’s here too.” 

“Excellent, come in here and set the table!” His mother called. 

Duck sighed, taking Minerva’s hand and leading her to the kitchen. 

His mother was bouncing about from counter to counter, preparing at least 3 dishes at once. On sight of her son, she thrust a stack of napkins into his hands. “Good to see you too, Mom.”

She doubled back to kiss him on the cheek before dropping her phone onto the pile of napkins. “I’ve pulled up a video on how to fold them, follow it as closely as you can. Jane, check on the vegetables while I mind the turkey, and--oh goodness.” She had finally taken in Minerva. “Oh my deary, you’re much taller than you looked on Skype.”

Minerva took it in stride. “Yes, I am very tall in comparison to most hu--women.” she stopped herself from saying humans, and Duck could only hope his mother and sister overlooked it. “Some people have become intimidated, I’ve noticed, but do not fear. I am here only for peace.” 

Mrs. Newton’s face lit up. “Fear? Oh goodness no, deary. You’re perfect. Can you get the platters I’ve put on the top shelf there? I don’t fully trust my step stool, it’s rather old.”

“Certainly!” Minerva said, easily reaching up to grab it.

Duck smiled, taking the napkins into the dining room. He didn’t know why he worried. He should have known his family would take to Minerva just the same as he did.

He was still folding the first napkin by the time Minerva came in with a beautifully plated asparagus, complete with drizzles of sauce. “Are you having trouble, Wayne Newton?” Minerva asked. 

Duck sighed, “Sorry ‘bout my mom,” he said, “She tends to go all out, and goes a bit overboard in my opinion. I mean, this is a bit much for a simple Candlenights.”

“There is no need to apologize,” Minerva said, “I don’t really know much about your human traditions. What is Candlenights, anyway?”

“A trademark of Big Head Productions LLC,” Duck answered easily. Minerva blinked, as she did when she was trying to figure out if something was a joke or not. “Look, back when she left my dad, Mom had this huge falling out with her church, and felt...weird celebrating Christmas. So we celebrate this like, secular version that’s on this podcast she likes and connects a bunch of different holidays together. Hence the menorah,” he said, nodding at the candle that served as a centerpiece, “And the Thanksgiving turkey and New Years Eve poppers….its just a whole grab bag of winter holidays.”

Minerva nodded, “A brave thing to do, to leave a culture behind that had wronged her, and to start something fresh and new.”

Duck smiled, “‘Brave’ is a...nice way of describing mom,” he said, “She’s a character, for sure. Always liked to do things her own way. It’s funny, when I came out---” he stopped himself, reminding himself he hadn’t actually super had this conversation with his girlfriend yet. Most people already knew once they’d known him long enough, but Minerva didn’t know a lot of human culture or societal norms or...anything. 

“Came out of what?” Minerva asked, the only indication of how long he had stopped talking.

Duck took a breath, and summoned her over to his mother’s picture wall. There were two that were further back than a few years ago, the first of him when he was a baby….and the second of him with Jane when she was a baby. Except he had little pigtails and a yellow dress he’d hated wearing even that far back. “So, this is me,” he pointed at the young child holding up baby Jane. “Or...was me.” She frowned at him, not understanding the significance. “Ho boy, where to start. Um, so, when I was born….people thought I was a girl,” he winced, unsure how to explain western gender standards to an alien. Minerva always referred to herself as she, but he was unsure if that was a translation thing, or if her planet had the same gender norms or what.

“Why did they think that?” Minerva asked, innocently.

“I just…” Duck said, “Sometimes...that happens. People use the markers they have available before kids are old enough to really know themselves, and then...if they got it wrong, then those people---me---are called Trans. Like, transitioning. I’m a trans man.” She nodded. “But uh. Anyway. The point is, when they do the telling, it’s called ‘coming out.’ And...some parents don’t react well to it.” He smirked, “Not Mom though. She was ready to go toe-to-toe to anyone who gave me trouble about it. Gave me the name ‘Wayne’ too….that was quite the ordeal.” 

He frowned, but wasn’t seriously annoyed at the memories of Mrs. Newton being fine with helping to change the gender marker on his ID, but refusing to let him legally change his name to ‘Duck.’ in fairness, he was happy with just having Duck be a nickname now. Wayne Newton was something he and his mother bonded over, so it worked out well, a symbol for just the family.

“Then she is an honorable woman,” Minerva said, getting Duck to smile wider, “and a worthy commander, I must go and help with preparing more dishes to be served. Are you sure you don’t need help with the napkins?”

Duck sighed, mood souring as he turned back to the cloth that refused to fold like in the video. “Give me one more chance before I call it forfeit,” he said. She frowned again, trying to figure out if it was a joke. “I’ll be fine,” he told her, quickly jumping to his toes to kiss her on the cheek, “Go help, before she declares you AWOL.”

Minerva smiled, recognizing that one for a joke. She gave a salute, “Yes, sir!” she said, before marching back into the kitchen.

Duck smiled, watching after her. He gave one last look to the photo on the wall, the only one of him pre-social transition his mom kept up. Even that had come with a long discussion, but Duck wasn’t ashamed of being trans, and besides, the first pictures of Baby Jane were important.

As he heard footsteps, though, he turned his attention back to the napkins. How in the hell was he supposed to just make it look like a swan?!

[yrpspiritsintheshadows]

The Way Home

The Way Home

“So, since we weren’t on the boat, I gotta ask… How did you dispatch the adults?” Lucian asked the scientist as he followed him. 

“Hm? Thought it’d be obvious. Euthanasia, than cryogenics to preserve the coprses.” The scientist smiled. “It was honestly rather easy once we had them under wraps. They’ll do anything for their young. Quite different from normal sharks.”

“Is that so? Did they… say anything? I just find it frustrating that you didn’t try to talk to them first, to study their intelligence.”

“That’s what the juvenile is for. The adults were already past their prime anyways.”

Just keep talking. The court is gonna eat this up. You all are going to jail for murder.

“Honestly, isn’t it exciting? We’re introducing a new species to the world!”

The scientist opened up the door to the supply room, sliding a rather hefty cart with a collapsible sling on it.

“Oof, here!”

“Thanks… Mind if I ask you one more thing?” 

“Hm?”

Lucian rushed him, slamming the man into the wall, grabbing him by his neck.

“How much does this hurt?”

“AUGH!”

These sickos… They were a couple. They were in love. They were trying to raise a family.

“I’m going to ruin your life.” He whispered before hitting a pressure point as the man slid to the floor unconscious. Lucian looked through the man’s pockets, finding an ID, a keycard… and the man’s wallet.  

“.... This’ll do.” He took out the cash in the wallet, pocketing it. “Consider it your payment for me NOT killing you.” 

He grabbed a few other supplies before hurrying off with the cart, locking the supply room behind him, leaving the man where he was. No one would be going there, at least, not right now. He knew Eiji wanted in and out as fast as he could.

Soon as he was in the room with the tank, he composed himself, waving his “colleagues” over.

“Got ‘im. Our guide had to… go away.” He smiled thinly, a cold look in his eyes.

No one wanted to know what he meant by that.

“What do you got for us?” Eiji asked.

He held up the key card, a wicked grin coming across his face.

“...Oh, you absolute genius.”  Eiji rubbed his hands together. “Let’s roll.”

“Right, just follow me. I saw an elevator in the hall.”

��Perfect.” 

They hurried off, heading right on to the next level of the building.

Now, they were on the level that lead to the tops of the different tanks. Most were empty, nothing but concrete awaiting below.

“Just act normal. Perfectly normal.”

“We’re alone.” Lucian looked up and down the hall, scoffing a bit. “Besides, I wanna have a few words with the rest of ‘em.”

“Lucian, we can’t go to jail for killing murderers. I’m already pulling in enough favors so we don’t get slapped with vigilante justice.” Skyler hissed, smacking his shoulder.

“I know, I know.”

Chase looked around, noting the cameras in the area were on the ground. He occasionally got a glimpse of a shadow along the wall.

“I think we’re getting a warm welcome.”

“Good.”

Before long, they were at the old Great White enclosure. The filters caused the water to ripple and shift on the surface.

EIji turned to his team, giving them a serious look, taking off his glasses.

“You guys ready?”

“Ready. Hikaru’s not gonna come to the surface willingly. He knows their tricks.”  Skyler frowned, looking down into the depths. “One of us is gonna have to go in… Unless…”

“He’s also still a shark.” Eiji knelt in front of the water, rolling up his sleeve, reaching his hand in, splashing at the surface of the water, creating ripples that disrupted the filter, creating a sound. 

They didn’t have all day to wait for him. If he didn’t come up on his own after this, Eiji would go in himself… but he wanted to give the kid a chance to make his own decision.

“Come on Hikaru…” He whispered.

Chase kept his BB gun aimed at the hallway, not taking his eyes off of it.

Skyler pulled out her bat, stirring the water with it, causing more ripples.

These movements should at least make him curious. It should be close enough to the “yummy hum” regular sharks fall for.

There was movement below, coming right up at them.

“Do you hear that?” Lucian whispered.

“Their stupid hum trick? Or the footsteps?”

“The footsteps.”

They narrowed their eyes, getting into position.

“Lucian, you keep by EIji, Hikaru might be hurt.” Skyler pulled her bat out of the water. “Eiji?”

“Skyler… Go sma-ACK!” 

A sandpapery hand gripped his as tight as they could, clawed fingers digging into his skin. Eiji bit his lip, bracing himself as Hikaru pulled hard, nearly sending him into the water.

“Whoa! Hikaru! Easy! Easy! I’m not gonna hurt you!”

The boy’s head surfaced for a moment, his eyes full of anger as he pulled harder.

“Liar…” He hissed. “Liar…”

“Easy… Easy…” He pulled out his pendent, showing it to him. “I’m like you!” 

Hikaru froze up, hesitating, swimming closer, curiosity coming to his eyes.

“You’re not with them?” He murmured.

Eiji shook his head, giving him a gentle look.

“I promise, I’m not with them. You can trust me.”

Hikaru growled, moving back. 

Eiji frowned, reaching into his bag, turning the ghost box up to full volume.

“Hikaru.” The box blared out, in its monotone voice. “Hikaru, we are here.”

That, made the boy pause.

“... You can see them?”

“No… but my son can. And they lead me to Hideki. My name is Eiji. I’m from the Memoria coven.”

Hikaru sunk deeper, eyes growing wider.

Eiji held his free hand out to him.

“C’mon. Your mom and dad helped us every step of the way. We can send these people to jail.” 

“I… I can see Hideki?” Hikaru’s eyes were dark, keeping his distance… still keeping a grip on Eiji, in case he had to pull him into the water with him. He was faster. He reasoned he could outswim a human running for their life.

He wanted to trust him so badly… but he was still scared. The outside world seemed like a far away dream, compared to the way he was living now.

A test subject, ran day in and day out. Fed stuff that’s not even fit for cats. Poked and prodded. Mocked….

His eyes stung, reaching for Eiji’s hand.

“You can see Hideki. We’re going home right now. Okay?” Eiji grasped his hand, pulling the boy up, partially lifting him out of the water. 

“P-Promise?” His tail swished, unsure… something felt wrong.

“I promise.”

An alarm blared overhead, causing them to jump.

“Sorry to interrupt such a sweet theft-ACK!”

“LIKE HECK YOUR INTERRUPTING THEM!”

Eiji looked over just as Skyler swung her bat at a guard’s head, knocking him unconscious.

Chase was using the end of his BB gun to hold another back.

“You guys better get your butts moving! Time is not on our side anymore!”

Hikaru huddled against Eiji, shaking like a leaf.

“It’s okay. You're okay.” He looked at the guard with disgust. “What do you wanna do to him?”

Hikaru looked between the adults before a dark look crossed his eyes.

“Into the water….”

“You heard the boy! Eiji, go!” Lucian slid the keycard into his front pocket. “Swipe this on any doors you see and make a break for it.”

“Right.”

“You thought it’d be that easy?” Hikaru asked, as Eiji bolted off with him.

“Let’s just say I was hoping faking being a horrible person would work.” 

It wasn’t long before the team rushed to catch up to them, Chase’s BB gun missing.

“Took all my effort to not go over the side too.” He panted as they entered the elevator.

“Basement level.” Hikaru whispered to Eiji. “They brought me in through there. It’ll go outside. We are going outside… right?”

“All the way out.” Eiji held him close, cradling him in his arms.

While Hikaru was trying to keep quiet to keep minimum exposure away from them, he knew it was just a matter of time.

“One small problem…” Hikaru reached behind him, brushing a piece of plastic.

“... Frick.”  Eiji knelt down, turning him around seeing a tag protruding from the boy’s dorsal fin. “Be honest, does that hurt?”

“It did when they put it in. I know how to pull it out though. They can’t track me without it. This is tag number three.” Hikaru fumbled for it behind him. It was harder to grab it, dripping water like crazy. “If I change back it’ll be stuck in me still.”

“We’re almost to the basement.”

Skyler checked her phone, noting a message.

“One of my friends from the force just messaged me. They’re already storming the building from the front.”

“So we go out the back!” Eiji helped Hikaru reach the tag, making sure it didn’t shift, until the boy could unclip it.

It took a few minutes, the boy sighing in relief as the tag fell free from his fin. The next time he transformed into this form, the hole would be fully healed.

“How long does it take to change back?” Eiji asked. 

Hikaru sighed shakily, looking at his form. He was so tired. It normally was easy to force a shift back to human, but right now… He wasn’t sure.

“I… I don’t think I can… Not right now. You guys have no idea how hard they ran me until you guys showed up.” Hikaru looked up at the team, a frown on his face. “... Did you mean it? About… them going to jail?”

“Every word.” Eiji offered his arms to him, the boy wrapping his own around his neck. He stood, lifting him up. 

“Thank you.”

The basement floor opened up to them, rushing out.

“Left!” Hikaru cried out as Eiji veered that way. “The door’s this way!”

“Right!” 

He fumbled for the keycard, sliding it into the door as it was pushed open into the light of day as the sun shone down on them.

There was chaos outside, police were swarming the building. 

“Skyler? Be honest, are we gonna be screwed if we leave now?” Chase asked, crossing his arms. “I mean, we did our damage.”

“I’ll handle this…. Buuut.” She grabbed Lucian by the arm. “I’ll need Lucy.”

“HEY! What did I say about LUCY!?”

“Chase, go with them. I got this.” 

Chase nodded, hurrying off to handle damage control. Eiji slowed his jog to a walk, knees becoming shaky as he reached his van.

“We’re almost home free, kiddo.”

“Deki…?”

“Deki’s gonna spoil you like crazy.” Eiji unlocked the car, setting Hikaru along the back seat. 

The boy’s eyes were drooping, threatening to close at any time. He didn’t want to sleep yet. He wanted to know exactly what was happening.

Eiji squeezed his hand, giving him a gentle smile.

“You’re a tough one. I can appreciate that. I’m a twin too.”

“Yeah?”

“Yup. Older than my sister by ten minutes. How about you?”

“Five minutes older… Deki’s technically my “little” brother.”

“You’re a good big brother then for hanging in there so long.”

Hikaru shrugged, curling up on himself. He was quiet, his body shaking still. 

Eiji frowned, hesitating before looking through the van, finding a blanket Carmen had stashed in there. Mainly for the times where Ken had dozed off. 

“Is this okay?”

Hikaru looked at him, nodding a little.

“Yeah… Thanks.”

“Welcome.” Eiji wrapped him up. 

Hikaru curled up more… sniffling, as he tried to hide it. 

Eiji frowned, sitting beside him, stroking his back.

“I’m so sorry, Hikaru.”

“Why…? Why us?” He whispered, a small sob escaping him. “What’d I do bad? What’d Okaa-san and Otou-san do bad?”

“You didn’t do anything wrong. I promise that.” Eiji kept stroking his back, frowning. “You didn’t deserve anything that happened… and I can’t promise everything’s gonna be perfect.”

“Nope… Hello foster family… New town…” 

Eiji shook his head, confusing him.

“When I said we’re going home… Hikaru, you boys are NOT going to be alone in this. I won’t allow that.”

Hikaru sat up, rubbing at his eyes. 

“Why?” He sniffled. “Why do you wanna help two freak kids and risk getting killed like that?”

Eiji gave him a gentle look.

“Because, I’m a dad too. If someone murdered me I’d want someone to watch out for my son. And…” He sighed shakily, rubbing the back of his neck. “Ho boy, I wanted to tell you when we got you back to your brother, but you two really are similar, y’know that?”

Hikaru tilted his head.

Eiji smiled a little.

“My friend, Skyler, she’s a social worker. She’s helping my wife and I.” He offered an arm to him. “Hikaru… we want to adopt you and Hideki.”

… What?

The boy gave him a bewildered look, tilting his head. 

“Why?”

“Like I said, we want to give you a chance. I can’t turn back time… but we can make sure you guys have a chance to just be kids.” Eiji gave him a warm look. “To go on dates, to go after your dreams, get into mischief and feel weird, in the way every normal teen does.”

“That… That sounds amazing…” Hikaru sniffled, looking down. “I… I’m sorry. I just don’t…”

“Don’t know how to process all this right now?”

He nodded, wiping at his eyes again. 

“But I do want that… I wanna… I wanna be normal. I wanna tinker with my stuff again, I wanna eat normal food and rough house with my brother and… and…”

Hikaru lunged forward, tackling Eiji a bit, hugging him tightly. Eiji brought his arms around him, stroking his back.

“I wanna go home…” He sobbed a little. “Please… just take me home.”

Eiji hummed softly, rocking back and forth a little.

“We’re gonna take you home, kiddo. To Hideki. You can meet my wife… and our youngest son. You okay with having a really young little brother?”

“How little?”

“He’s just six.”

Hikaru chuckled a little.

“Just a lil shark pup…” He relaxed a bit, curling up to Eiji… his dark brown eyes sliding closed. A small glow overtook his form, as a long tail became lanky legs. Rough, shark skin adorned with tiger stripes faded to pale skin, the fins on his head, fading away into messy black hair.

He was dressed in a purple t-shirt and khaki shorts, but he was there.

Eiji held him close, stroking his hair, taking in the boy before him.

Safe and sound. 

Right where you belong.

ooooo

“Hikaru.” 

He winced, rolling away from whoever was speaking. He was just so comfy. He didn’t want to move. It was warm… So warm…

Where am I though?

“Hikaru, wake up buddy.” 

He opened his eyes slowly, looking around blearily. He was still wrapped up in the blanket, strapped into the car. He was still leaning on Eiji at that.

“Hey there.” Eiji smiled. “Sleep well?”

“Y-Yeah…” He paused, yawning into his hand. He buried his face into Eiji’s jacket, not quite ready to move just yet. He stopped, looking at his hands, opening and closing them slowly.

Not having to stay in his predator born form to keep alive in the water… He was actually himself again. He grinned, tears of joy stinging his eyes.

“I’m…” He laughed a little. “I’m really okay.”

“That’s right, kiddo.” He ruffled his hair, grinning. “You changed back after you fell asleep.”

“Good…” He yawned again, shaking his head. “Alright, I’m up.” Hikaru, looked up at Eiji, giving him a grin. “I’m ready.”

“Come on then.” 

He helped him out of the car towards the house. Unlike Hideki, Hikaru didn’t even blink at the large house. He took note of it, more so wondering where his brother was in this large house.

Eiji didn’t even get to open the door before it was thrown open.

“HIKARU!!!!” 

The boy cried out as Hideki tackle hugged him right to the floor. His eyes went wide, looking up at his twin.

“You’re okay… You’re okay…” Hideki laughed, hugging him tightly. 

Hikaru returned the embrace, burying his face in his shoulder.

“Yeah… M’right here. Nii-san’s here.”

“Karu-Nii…” Hideki nuzzled him, a churr escaping. His grip tightened a little, keeping his sibling close to him. “Sorry, I-”

“Missed you too.” Hikaru finished, tears of joy running down his face. “I’m home… I’m really home.”

“We’re home.” 

The twins looked up at the towering house, the last of the daylight bouncing off the windows.

It wasn’t the house they grew up in… It would take time to adjust.

Hikaru ruffled his hair, helping Hideki to his feet.

“So, where’s this room I was told about?”

Hideki chuckled, pulling him inside. 

“First, come meet the rest.”

Carmen and Eiji were just inside, sharing an embrace. They had been watching, keeping their distance to let the boys have their moment. Ken was hiding behind his mother, a timid look on the child’s face.

“Hikaru, this is Carmen and Ken. They’re part of the family too.”

Hikaru bowed a little.

“Thank you for… for taking us in and…. and for everything.”

Carmen smiled gently.

“You’re family now. We’ll always have our family’s back.”

“Even weird shark kids?”

“Oh, especially.”

Ken hurried up to him, tilting his head.

“Uh… Hi?”

“Are you a new big brother too?”

Hikaru knelt down to his level, ruffling his hair up, eliciting a giggle.

“Sure am. Anytime you need me, I got your back.”

“Yay!” 

Hikaru yelped as Ken tackle hugged him, but didn’t fall over this time. Instead, he just lifted him into his arms, leaning on his twin a little.

“So, what do you think, Bro?” Hideki asked, smiling. 

“I think… I think this is what our parents would’ve wanted.” Hikaru replied, looking up to Eiji and Carmen. 

“Alright you three, c’mere!” Carmen brought all three boys into a bear hug, eliciting laughter from them.

Eiji chuckled, bringing out his phone for a quick picture.

“Welcome to the family boys. Welcome home.”

[sorceressmidnight]

Midnight Sorceress

Chapter: 2/? [1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - ?]

Chapter 2: You’re Gonna Get Yourself Killed

Words: 2265

Warnings: Some cursing, mentioning depression and medication

Primarily following the events of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it revolves around an original character.

Description as posted on ao3:  A member of SHIELD is forced to struggle with her mental stability and keeping her secret as the craziness surrounding the Avengers crashes around her. She ends up befriending Tony and Pepper, who help out her mental health a great deal, but will they be able to help her with her secret? Something that could destroy her if she uses it too much… What will happen when Tony tries to convince her to use it to help the Avengers?

Read on ao3: here

Tags: @txnystarkimagines @h0bsyrup

Hit me up if you want to be tagged in future chapters.

This chapter takes place a bit before, during, and a bit after Iron Man 3.

Kiana pulled her hair behind her ear as she stared at the door quietly, sighing and lifting her hand to knock against it anxiously; she wondered if he would even answer. There was a minute or so of silence before she could hear shuffling inside and footsteps towards the door. It opened up to a disheveled Tony Stark, but not in the ‘I just had sex’ way she might have expected. He didn’t look like he had just woken up from a night of fun or the likes, but rather… he looked almost… afraid? Her chest tightened, recognizing the oh so familiar look immediately. “Hello? Oh… Hi.” “Kiana.” “Hm?” he questioned quickly. “My name is Kiana. Everyone calls me Kiki.” “Oh… Well, what brings you here, Kiki?” he seemed to straighten himself up a bit as she stood there, brushing through his hair with his fingers and adjusting his shirt so it fit on him a little better. “I was hoping that maybe I could sit down and talk?” She offered a small smile, fidgeting with the edge of her shirt. “Sure, but I dunno what you’d wanna talk to me about.” He held his arm out, gesturing for her to come inside, letting her walk in first before closing the door. She made her way over to the couch and sat down, patiently waiting for him. Tony put himself down in a chair across from her, leaning forward a bit while resting his hands in his lap. “So…” she began, extending the length of the sounds for both the s and o. “So.” “What’s up?” That was the dumbest question she could have asked at the current moment in time. It didn’t relate to anything she actually wanted to talk about, let alone give any sort of actual reasoning as to why she came. A heavy sigh heaved from her chest, licking her bottom lip as she struggled to form her thoughts into audible words. Her brows knitted together, opening her mouth a couple of times only to close it once again. “Do you know what a panic attack is?” she finally managed to get out. His own brows arched slightly as her eyes met with his, pursing his lips in brief thought, “You mean… like when people start to freak out… and rock back and forth? Screaming or crying kind of thing…?” “That’s the neurotypical way to talk about it, Tony,” she gave a soft smile, “panic and anxiety attacks are different per person. For instance... some people end up crying uncontrollably, struggling to breathe, shaking, chest tightening, while their thoughts are racing yet not making any sense. While for some… they struggle to move, the world seems like a blur, slurred speech, nothing happened but everything’s wrong... ” Her words held a certain tone to them, swallowing harshly as she avoided eye contact with him. “That sounds like it’s from personal experience,” he said, his tone a bit softer than his normal snarky one. She sighed, looking back in his direction, “Yes. I personally experience panic attacks, as well as anxiety attacks. Let me tell you, just the two different emotions cause severely different reactions… The first I described was how I experience a panic attack… while the second is how I experience an anxiety attack...” He paused, staring down at his hands and taking a minute to think over what she had explained to him. It… sounded so familiar, but different. What she said resonated with him on a level he didn’t expect it to. “I’m sorry…” he finally responded. “For what?” “I’m sorry you’ve had to go through something to cause that…” “It kind of happens when you experience trauma… One thing that’s caused mine have been near death experiences… So I… I kind of know how you might feel…” she gave an awkward smile. “To be fair, I’m sorry for what you’ve been through… I know you’ve lost a lot and almost died a number of times… Aside from my near death experiences… I’ve had a decent life growing up, but I know no matter how hard you try, mental problems tear you up without hesitation.” “I see… What’s all this about, though?” he asked, curious to get down to the point. She was here for a reason, but he wanted to know why. “I guess... I just wanted to let you know that you have someone to talk to when you’re feeling overwhelmed… I’m not a therapist, but I am a good listener.” “Well,” Tony began, standing up, “I appreciate the sentiment, but I don’t need it. If I do, I’ll keep that in mind.” He extended out his hand, offering to help her up as he added in, “In the meantime, care for lunch?” “At least you’ll consider it,” she sighed. She reached up and took his offer, pulling herself to her feet. “Lunch sounds great,” she smiled.

I… I tried talking to Tony, but he’s definitely not willing to open up and talk about his problems… not yet, at least… I just hope he realizes he needs to talk to someone about all of this before something stupid happens, since that seems to be a common theme with him… I suppose I’ll have to keep an eye on him for the time being, just to see how he’s faring...

It was shortly after Tony taunted the Mandarin on television, giving out his home address that he received a call from an unfamiliar number. “Hello, I don’t remember giving my number out to blocked ID.” His tone was snarkier than normal, a little more than annoyed at the current moment. “Oh shut it with the snarkiness, Tony! Why the hell did you give out your address like that?! I’ve already set up a safe house for you and Pepper to go to, and I’ll be sending an agent to come help with picking up your things!” her tone was mostly annoyed, with undertones of concern. “Don’t even bother, Kiana,” he grunted, clearly annoyed, “I’m not leaving and that’s final.” “You’re going to get yourself killed, you stupid piece of--” *click* He put his phone on silent, rolling his eyes and continuing his drive home.

Kiana glared forward, mouth agape as she was in the midst of talking, anger boiling inside of her veins. She gripped her phone tightly and threw it against the nearby couch, letting out a muffled scream. “That stupid little… AUGH. I’m gonna kick his snarky little prideful ass from California all the way to New York!!!”

I haven’t heard from Tony since the phone call, but I’ve been paying close attention to everything revolving around him. Dummy always rushes off when his emotions get the better of him. I just hope that he doesn’t do anything to get Pepper in serious trouble, or anyone else for that matter. I hope he comes to his senses soon…

“I’ve been getting migraines since I’ve been on these new pills… Do you think I should get that checked out?” Kiana rubbed her forehead, taking a pain reliever with water. “That depends, is it a serious side effect of the pills?” Sammy mumbled while munching on a strawberry. “I dunno.” “You should see if it is, if it isn’t serious I’m sure it’ll go away. If it’s not a side effect at all, you might wanna go in. Strawberry?” Kiana sighed and took the fruit that had been offered, biting down into half of it as she silently contemplated on what to do. There was a short pause as the two sat in silence, thinking or reading over their own different things. “What’re the pills for?” Sammy finally piped up again. “Depression.” She sighed. “About time. I thought I was going to have to bathe you in alcohol.” “Shut up,” she rolled her eyes, “I was forced to go on a temporary leave after pushing myself too far mentally. I saw a psychiatrist and I’m now in therapy. I just… never had time before.” Sammy sat up and shoved another strawberry into Kiana’s mouth, “bullshit. You were just afraid to get help.” Kiana coughed and struggled to swallow the strawberry, “so are cough you!” “... That’s different.” “You don’t have to be afraid of him…” “I’m not afraid! He’s my dad! I have to listen to what he says!” “Sammy…” Before Sammy had a chance to respond to her, there was a knock on the door. Kiana sighed and stood up, walking over to the door and opening it. On the other side of it was a messy Tony, not disheveled and stressed out like the last time she saw him. “Can we talk?” his eyes peered in towards Sammy then back at Kiana, suggesting they go somewhere else. “Uhm… sure…” she quickly told Sammy that she would be back a bit later, getting a raised eyebrow from her in response. She then turned back towards Tony and walked out the door, closing it behind her and falling him towards somewhere with more privacy. The walk was silent as he led her to another room, Tony flippin on the light and swiftly closing the door and blinds. “I didn’t know we were on these terms,” she half joked, trying to break through the awkward silence. “You were right,” he responded rather quickly with a sigh, “what I did was incredibly stupid and I almost lost Pepper. Both you and Pepper wanted me to leave, but I was too stubborn to agree. I-I…” She gently put a hand on his shoulder, looking up at him with a soft smile, “You didn’t lose Pepper. I think this is just a harsh lesson that needed to be learned. I know you’re never going to be done with the tinkering, but… maybe just take it a step down on the reckless behavior. Use this,” she poked his head, “to reason out this.” She lightly pressed her hand over his heart. “I guess you’re right… Maybe I should take you guys out for dinner.” “So Pepper and I can make fun of you?” He pursed his lips in thought, laughing softly, “Maybe not then.” “I’m kidding! I dunno about Pepper, but I am always on my best behavior,” she stroke an ‘innocent’ pose causing him to shake his head and laugh. “Alright, alright. I’ll send someone to pick you up later,” he opened the door of the room and offered for her to exit first. She strode up to the doorway, stumbling a little, Tony catching her before she had a chance to fall. “You okay?” his brows arched, looking down at her concernedly. “Yeah… I’m just on some new medication. I always get a little weird when I start something new…” “Alright… Just make sure you take care of yourself, got it? We’ll need you around if the world needs saving again.” He winked at her, forcing her to stare quietly at him. The twinkle in his eyes made her realize as she gently punched his chest. “You did not!” “I did. You didn’t strike me as British… or blonde for that matter.” “Oh god, shut up. We’re not talking about that ever again, got it?” She grunted and stood up straight, leaving the room. “How much can you drink before you get drunk?” “I don’t drink, Tony, nice try.” “Really? You should try it makes my life a lot more tolerable,” he chuckled as he closed the door behind him. He walked her back to where she was hanging with her friend before messing her hair up before reminding her of when she needed to be ready by to be picked up. “Yeah, yeah, whatever, dad,” she scoffed, stifling a giggle. “That kind of talk is saved for the bedroom, so~ unless you want to convince Pepper to try being poly…--” “Stop. Anyway, go on before I kink shame you.” She held her hands up in an attempt to shoo him. “So rude, I wouldn’t kink shame you.” “You’ll never know my kinks, so that’s fine.” With each response, Tony got a little further down the hallway, until he finally said “Challenge accepted, then!” from the other end of the hall. This only caused her to shake her head, murmuring ‘oh my god’ under her breath. She went back in the room to find three pizzas on the table with one open next to Sammy, a few slices missing. “Who is buying this time?” she sighed, knowing that she probably spent around thirty to forty bucks. Sammy looked at the card, squinting to read it. “Robert Smith. Remember when I went to the store yesterday? Yeaahh.” “You make a decent amount of money… I have no idea why you feel the need to steal.” “Iunno,” she shrugged, “Two of those are for you, though. Some for now and some for later. I got your favorite~” “That’s like four meals for me.” “Then some for breakfast and lunch tomorrow. Anyway, I heard you’re going on a date with Tony?” Her brows arched, munching on the slice that was currently in her hand. “You said you couldn’t stand him.” “Ohmahgod. First of all, how dare you. Secondly, he’s taken. Third of all, he’s old enough to be my dad. Fourth, well… he’s not a terrible person…” “Hey, ya never know. I know a lot of people younger than you who wanna do all sorts of crazy things with Thor, who’s even older than Tony.” “We’re through with this conversation, Sammy,” before the other could respond, a different piece of pizza floated into her mouth and successfully stopped her from talking for a short while.

[imagines-never-die]

While searching through wreckage of a recent war site, Hanzo/McCree/Lucio find a person who begs them not to bring them to a medical place. The stranger somehow persuades them to just go to their home and as they clean up, the man sees that they have huge bird/bat wings and the person has become almost fully healed from being injured in a matter of hours! Thanks! {Angel Anon}

(Oh hello again, AngelAnon~ So nice to hear from you! This kind of sounds like an OC idea? Are youplanning an Angel OC? I can totally help match them for you if you want. This one turned out to be pretty long, though, so I put it under the cut.)

Hanzo

The archer surveyed the wreckage around him,his breaths heavy and his fingers sore from exertion. It had been some fightand he was the last one to leave the war site. He had been told to look for anysupplies to scrounge or any possible survivors, but there were none that hecould find. Sighing, he began the trek home when he saw a meek little head popup from the rubble.

The stranger glanced around nervously andshakily, their [color] eyes darting this way and that. Hanzo watched them for afew moments until they pulled themselves from the rubble and collapsed on thesurface. Now that he could see the rest of them clearly, he saw that their bodywas covered in dried blood and dirt. Beneath all that grime, they wore astrange sort of dress that ran from their neck to their knees, hanging looselyaround their form. It had one large zipper running down the back. Suddenly, herealized they could be survivor he was supposed to be looking for, and herushed over to them.

“Are you alright?” he asked as he knelt downnext to them.

The stranger flinched and sat up, giving him asuspicious glare.

“Do not worry,” he assured them, “I willnot hurt you,”

They just continued to glare at him, theirlips wavering slightly before muttering, “O-ok…”

“You’re hurt badly,” he pointed out, “Iwill take you back to the city and find you–”

“No!” they suddenly gasped, scrambling awayfrom him, “Not the city! I can’t go anywhere where more people might seeme,”

Hanzo cocked his head in confusion, “Whynot?”

“I just can’t! You sh-shouldn’t have seen meeither!” they exclaimed, “J-Just leave and pretend you never saw me!”

“Leave you?” he echoed, “Why would Ileave you? You could die from those injuries,”

“I-I’ll be fine,” they insisted firmly,hugging their knees to their chest.

Hanzo let out a small groan and pinched thebridge of his nose as he stood up. Why was she/he being so difficult?

“At least let me take you back to myapartment,” he offered, “I have medical supplies there that could help. Itwill not be as effective as proper medical attention, but at least I won’t beleaving you out here,”

Glancing around worriedly, they nodded slowly,and got to their feet. They were hesitant to let Hanzo carry them or even touchthem at all, so he merely offered his arm for them to lean on. Even when theyreached his apartment, the stranger continued to look about them nervously,darting like a skittish cat through the door once he let them in.

They insisted they could tend to their ownwounds and asked that he just leave them to get cleaned up. So, Hanzo went backto his room and waited for about an hour and a half. After that time hadpassed, he figured they’d have finished cleaning themselves up. Maybe theycould use some tea; probably an extra calming type for their nerves. 

When he entered main room, tea in hand, he wasastonished to find the medical supplies unused. At first he worried that theyhad just let themselves die, but when his eyes moved to the stranger, he nearlydropped the tea he was carrying. All their wounds were completely gone, leavingtheir skin smooth and unscathed. Even if he had taken them to a hospital, itwould have taken days for them to recover like that!

But that wasn’t even the most shocking part.The large zipper to the back of their baggy dress was open and two giant batwings had unfurled from within it! The wings lay strewn across the carpet,little veins running through the leathery black skin. Meanwhile, the strangerlay on the floor, their lungs slowly rising and falling as they slept.

Hanzo didn’t even know what to make of it! Washe dreaming? Carefully, he set the tea down, and studied the wings. They lookedlike your average, enlarged bat wings…Felt like them too. Smooth yet ruggedlike fake leather; bony in some spots. Then his hands wandered to where theirwings met the back, his hand pushing the dress to the side a little to get abetter view.

Where the wings were implanted didn’t looknatural. It was like someone had dug them into their shoulder-blades thenhaphazardly stitched and spliced them into place. Just as his fingers began torun along where their normal flesh met their wings…

“Augh!” the stranger jumped awake, sending Hanzoflinching backwards.

The whirled around, their face flustered asthey tried to hold up their dress at the front.

“Y-You creep!” they shouted, “What thehell w-were you trying to do?! What, do you have a thing for backs?!”

“I-I…” Hanzo stammered, his face turningred, “Forgive me, I just–the wings were there, and I–well I didn’t evenknow what I was–”

“Wings?” they repeated, then their facesuddenly paled.

Quickly reaching back, they felt their wingsand their mouth formed a little “o” shape.

“They…came out?” they whimpered, “Yousaw?!”

“Y-yes, but that’s not a bad thing, is it?” heasked.

Suddenly they started to flap their wings andwith each flap the wings grew smaller and small until they completely retractedinto their back and disappeared.

“I can’t believe I let them fall out while Iwas sleeping!” they gasped as they frantically zipped up their baggy outfit.

“What…What are you?” he asked.

That question seemed to make themuncomfortable. They slumped their shoulders and hugged their sides, rockingthemselves back and forth gently.

“Y-You shouldn’t have seen me,” they mutteredunder their breath, “You sh-shouldn’t have seen my wings…”

“Why not?”

“I…I’m a geneticexperiment from Talon, but I escaped this morning,” they mumbled without makingeye contact, “I stowed away in one of their ships, but I didn’t know itwould lead me to one of their fights…”

Hanzo sat there, taking all that he/she had told him. So he had been harboring a fugitive that whole time. No wonder they were so jumpy. But at least now he knew what to do.

“Here,” he handed them a cup of tea, “You can stay here and rest for one more day, and then I’ll contact headquarters,”

They opened their mouth to protest, but he raised a hand to stop them.

“Don’t worry. Overwatch will keep you safe; you have my word,” he said, “And you’re knowledge of Talon could prove invaluable to them. But for now, just rest. My name is Hanzo Shimada by the way. I am sorry for not introducing myself sooner,”

“[Name],” they said in response, “Thank you for saving me, H-Hanzo,”

McCree

Jack groaned when he saw Jesse’s caller ID on his cell phone. What did he want now?

“Hello?” 76 grunted into his phone.

“Howdy, Morrison,” McCree said on the other end, “So, uh, I’ve got a bit of a problem and I need your advice…”

“What is it?” he grumbled.

“You know that mission we were just in? Well I was surveying the reamnants like you said, and I found someone,” he explained.

“Then take them to medical like I said,”

“Well I woulda,” McCree grimaced, “But uuuh…they were very insisting that I hide them and it all seemed a little fishy to me,”

Now the story seemed a little more interesting to Jack and he perked up, “So where did you take them?”

“Back to my ranch,”

“You took them to your personal home?!” 76 barked, “Agent, that’s a risky move! They could be undercover!”

Yeah, yeah I know!” Jack could practically feel McCree rolling his eyes on the other end, “But they were beat up pretty bad, and if I didn’t take them back here to get patched up, then there wouldn’t be much else I could do. Besides, that’s why I’m calling. They’re cleaning up right now which leaves a good chance me to go routin’ through their stuff. What kinda stuff would I be looking for if they were undercover?”

“I guess an ID card of sorts or some kind of pendant,” Jack shrugged, “Most Talon agents wear the company logo on them in the form of a charm or necklace, but you might also find a card with it, too. Look for any confidential files with an undercover mission, too, anything that instructs them to infiltrate an Overwatch agent’s personal abode,”

“Huh,” McCree nodded, “Got it,”

“Call me back if you find anything,” was Jack’s last order before hanging up.

That left McCree sitting in his kitchen, glancing down the hall to the bathroom. He knew the stranger was in their cleaning up, and all he needed to do was slip in and grab their bag. With any luck, they wouldn’t see him, so it was time to put some of his old Blackwatch skills to use. Gradually, he moved down the hall to the bathroom where he could hear little water ripples.

Backing himself up against the wall, he slowly edged the door open just enough for him to reach his arm through. So far, it didn’t seem like they had noticed. He could see their black backpack, so he slowly reached out for it, easing through the crack in the door more and more. Sure, he got it, but made the mistake of looking up.

“The hell?” he mumbled then slapped a hand over his mouth.

He almost couldn’t blame himself for saying it out loud. They had fucking angel wings on their back! Big, white, feathery wings hanging off their back and pooling into the tub around them! Of course they heard him and spun around, disturbing the water around them.

“W-W-What do you th-think–” they stammered, flapping their wings angrily, “G-Get out!”

Jesse yelped and ducked out, totally abandoning the pack he was supposed to have grabbed. He tried calling Morrison back to update him on the…odd situation, but he wouldn’t pick up. When the stranger finally emerged, wearing the same pants and backless shirt from before, their face was red and they looked pissed.

“What is wrong with you!” they shouted, “Can’t a guy/girl get some privacy?!”

“S-Sorry, really, I-I just wanted to–um…” he stuttered as the stranger waited impatiently for an answer, “Well…truth is I was gonna go through yer things and check if you had any evidence for being an undercover agent from Talon,”

They scoffed, “Do I really look like an undercover agent to you?”

“Well I dunno, you had those big ol’ wings on yer back!” he retorted.

Their face turned a darker red and they averted their eyes.

“So…you saw…” they snarled.

“Of course I did! The big white feathers hangin’ off yer back? Duh,”

Sighing in annoyance, they grabbed their backpack and slammed it down on the kitchen table. They unloaded all its contents, even shaking the bag upside-down a few times. There was a passport, snacks, money in the form of a variety of currencies, a silenced pistol, a guidebook to America, and some spare clothes. But nothing that Soldier: 76 had warned him about.

“See? Nothing that points to Talon,” they snapped, “So why would my wings of all things point to them?”

“Ok, ok,” he eased off a bit, “Just uh…wasn’t expectin’ you to be half bird,”

“Half angel,” they corrected him.

“Yeah, alright,”

“Well I am. Don’t you work with people with special powers in Overwatch?” they pointed out, “Aren’t you used to that?”

“So yer sayin’ you were born with this?” he asked.

“I’m saying that you should mind your own business, McCree,” they ordered, “Look, I’m grateful for you hiding me while I regenerate–”

“Wait what?”

“–But I’ve got to fly now, literally. Can’t stick around here much longer,”

With that, they grabbed their backpack and put it on backwards so that it hung off the front of their shoulders. Then they headed for the door with Jesse hot on their heels.

“That’s it? Not even an explanation for why your here?” he whined, “Not even a thank you?”

They stopped just short of the door and took a deep breath. Then they turned to him and looked him in the eyes with a heartfelt sincerity.

“Thank you, McCree,” they gave him a small bow, “I know I haven’t told you much yet–not even my name–but trust me, things will start to make sense very soon,”

“What do ya mean?” Jesse asked.

“I can’t explain that now,” they shrugged as they opened the door.

They walked outside, standing in the ranch’s driveway, and their ivory wings erupted from their back again. They looked so pretty and plush, it almost made him want to run his hands through them.

Looking back at him, the stranger said, “But I will explain soon. You play a bigger part in this war than you think, Jesse,”

They knew his first name?

“Wait, how you know my–” he started to ask.

But in one flap of their wings, they took off from the ground, leaving behind a cloud of dust. Just like that, they were gone, but he was sure they’d be back.

Lucio

Lucio didn’t question in much at first when the stranger requested to be hidden. They seemed so jumpy and afraid that he just wanted to calm them down, so he took them back to his place for the time being. He figured he’d just call the hospital in a bit anyways. If this person needed some time to settle down, he’d give it to them. After all, he found them in the wreckage of the Numbani Museum, where a big fight had just gone down. They had probably seen some shit in there.

He left them in the living room his Sonic Amplifier switched to the healing setting. Last he saw them, they were sitting criss-cross next to the speaker, allowing the light tunes to slowly cure their wounds. But when he came back with some water and blankets, he was surprised to hear that the music was switched off.

“Hey, you should keep that on if you…” he started to say when his voice suddenly died in his throat.

Well for starters, their cuts had totally closed up and they looked totally healthy. But what was weirder was that he had walked in on them changing shirts. But what was weirder than that were the chestnut-colored bird wings sprouting from their back and falling gently to the floor.

“U-uh sorry!” he felt his face heat up and he turned around, trying to hide the oncoming blush.

“It’s alright,” was their calm response.

At least they had chilled and weren’t stuttering and shrieking anymore.

“You can look now,”

They were wearing a shirt now, but a small part of the back was open for their bird’s wings to come out. The stranger fluttered them gently and smiled.

“You like ‘em?” they asked sweetly.

“Uuuuuuuuh…” was the only thing that came out of his mouth.

The stranger just giggled at him and stretched their wings out as big as they could make them, “Go on, you can look at them all you like until you get used to them,”

Lucio just placed a hand under his chin and leaned against the wall, his eyes still unable to move from the wings.

“I’m…not entirely sure I will,” he mumbled.

They just laughed at him again and folded the wings at their sides, “I always get the funniest responses from these. But listen, you can’t tell anyone you saw these. It’s a secret.”

They put a finger to their lips and went “shhh.” Lucio could only nod along.

“Got it. Um, w-why exactly do you have those?” he asked nervously.

“Born with ‘em,” they shrugged, picking at some of the feathers at the ends, “I’ve been looking for my biological parents–or creators–to find out why I’m like this. I came to the Numbani Heritage Museum for answers, thinking my wings resembled a bird native to here, but…”

Their cheery exterior suddenly dropped, and their body shuddered upon remembering their museum experience. Lucio grew worried and approached them.

“Hey, it’s ok now, you’re away from them now,” he comforted them.

“Who were they?” they breathed.

“Talon,” he sighed as he took a seat next to them, “They cause trouble everywhere they go,”

“What were they after?”

“Doomfist’s gauntlet,” he answered bluntly, “Those grunts just won’t take no for an answer. They just keep comin’ and comin’ to take it,”

“That sounds troublesome…” they mumbled.

“Yeah,” he droned, before perking up, “But you can stay here as long as you need to recover, of course.”

“That’s very kind of you,” their smile returned, “But I should be going soon. After all, my wings also somehow heal me, and I’m all better now. I’ll probably spend the night on the couch, but I’ll be gone in the morning. My past isn’t going to discover itself,”

“Heh, yeah I guess,” Lucio shrugged before getting up again, “But listen, if you need anything, just let me know. Food, tunes, birdseed–”

“Heeey…” they pouted.

“Sorry, sorry,” he chuckled.