#blue check = red hat = white hood

[wilwheaton]

Elon's new blue-check subscription service was a massive flop, and the sudden removal of nearly half a million blue-checks suddenly made it crystal clear to Twitter's user base that the blue-check club going forward was going to be populated almost entirely by right-wing weirdos. There would be no hanging out with Stephen King or LeBron James; your fellow blue-checks would instead be a few notorious racists and jokes from (checks notes) influential wag "catturd." In fact, by so clearly labeling the worst of Twitter’s worst people, it spurred a genius #BlockTheBlue backlash, in which people gleefully banned the blue-check trolls that now populated the top of every single prominent Twitter thread (like those of actual celebrities announcing their refusal to pay for what was now a worthless mark). The visible unpopularity of the program wasn't just embarrassing for Musk. It's an existential threat to the program’s viability. Musk sold the subscription service as a way to become one of the site's Important People without merit; if all the Important People didn’t just stay off the program, but mocked it, only the most diehard of Musk loyalists would be eager to sign up for that. As the collapse of the program became self-evident, third parties had already begun working on automated #BlockTheBlue plugins that would systematically block all checkmarks. So Musk immediately set out to salvage the reputation and very existence of the $8 club—by forcing Important People to be in it whether they liked it or not. And by "immediately," we mean "by afternoon."

Elon Musk's Twitter Blue is a verified disaster

I was one of Twitter’s early adopters. I was one of those accounts they suggested you follow when it started to get big. I went from a few thousand followers to a hundred thousand in a matter of days, and was at 3 million when I closed my account.

I left Twitter long before Musk took over, but I kept the account to protect it and the branding it comes with from bad people.

Last year, before Musk bought it, I posted a couple of tweets to let those three million accounts know that my memoir had been published. It seemed silly not to. I turned replies off, and just let it be an announcement.

Then Musk took over, and I watched Twitter turn into 4Chan. When it started to become 8Chan, I deleted my entire archive, unfollowed everyone except family, and then made my account private. I figure I still need to protect the username.

I don’t look at my account, but someone told me the check was gone. (Oh, I was one of the earliest verified users, too). I was thrilled. I didn’t want anyone to think I gave that bozo my money.

Then the same person told me the check was back, shortly after I think all decent people had concluded that blue check = red flag (or red hat). So I signed back into my account and updated my bio to make sure nobody ever thinks I gave that dumbass any of my money.

I know I’m not alone. That check mark is now toxic, and I’m not the only longtime verified user who doesn’t want anything to do with it. I wonder if someone more famous than me, with more at stake, makes noise about the implied endorsement  / affiliation the blue check now carries with it, and the brand damage that comes with it?

[zeldathusiast]

Do you ever think that the heroes of the past watch over the newest hero as they embark on their adventure?

Maybe as Link dives from the Sky Islands, he thinks he sees a man falling right next to him, glee on the man's face as a saddled bird catches him midair before disappearing into the atmosphere.

As Tulin blows a final gale to position Link right over Colgera's weak spot, do you think that, for a moment, the breeze alongside Link becomes the face of a boy no older than 12, who smiles at him and then waves a swirling baton, giving Link the final nudge he needs to finish the fight?

Perhaps, as Link climbs the waterfalls of the Zora Domain, he sees another Hylian reflected back at him, one who dons a Zora mask and leaps out of the waterfall alongside him before becoming mist?

And when Link handles weapons carelessly or deals in elemental magic, sometimes one to four small Hylians in different colored tunics appear at his side, and sometimes they enjoy watching over the local blacksmith's shoulder when they can.

As Link takes on the monster forces of Lurelin Village, do you think that sometimes he swears there is another alongside him, a soldier in a royal blue scarf helping him to rid the village of the hordes?

When Link watches the packs of wolves run below him, sometimes one catches his eye- a striking black-and-white wolf with intricate markings on its forehead and muzzle greyed with age. Their eyes meet, cold blue to a deep cerulean, and the wolf disappears. But it will return to check on him again soon. It always does.

When Link slows time for just a moment to aim his arrows midair, sometimes a ghostly pair of armored hands steady his grip. And when recall is used, Link can swear he hears a somehow familiar tune echo in his ears: A, D, F, A, D...

And there are more.

There is a boy in a conductor's hat who cheers when Link successfully makes a machine work.

There is a teenager in a red tunic who helps Link with puzzles, snarking at monsters when they come near and sometimes talking to another ghost that looks like he could be the boy's dark world counterpart, often trying to snag rupees from Link lightheartedly, a bunny hood often covering his face.

And when Link finally faces Ganon for the last time, they are all there.

"It was once dangerous to go alone.

But you are not alone, now.

Not anymore."

[characteroulette]

More character sheets for the kids! I had to do the main crew hahaha.

All info under the cut!

Paige Philips (she/her)

Blonde hair (straightened), blue eyes, soft-sharp nose

Casual clothes: yellow bow tie, white button-up with rolled up sleeves, yellow skirt, white crew socks, blue shoes

5 feet 4 inches, 16 - 17 years old, thick thighs and calves

Also known as "Navigator"

Tends to be exasperated, but cares a lot and is kind of a flirt with the other girls

Game Form: unused (Pip Pirrup core)

Frank Ernest (he/him)

Black hair (curly/kinky), dark green eyes, flared base nose

Casual clothes: suspenders, short sleeved white button-up, green shorts, white crew socks, black shoes

5 feet 2 inches, 15 - 16 years old, tiny

Also known as "Doktor"

Big expressions and irreverent. The life of the party!

Game Form: black bodysuit, grey hooded robe with purple trim, grey boots. (Purple lines crawling up his face)

Abraham van Helsing IV (he/him)

Wild red hair, ash blue eyes, upturned nose

Casual clothes: brown suit jacket, white button-up, dark blue tie, brown slacks, black shoes

5 feet 4 inches, 17 - 18 years old, small feet

Also known as "Professor"

Pleasant and polite until his switch is flipped. His eyes are wrong somehow and he has memory issues.

Game Form: brown hat, brown trenchcoat, brown turtleneck and pants, brown boots, weapons and hunting gear

Vektor Ketziah (he/him)

Flared out grey hair, golden eyes, angular nose

Casual clothes: tan suit coat, yellow button-up, tan slacks, barefoot

5 feet 7 inches, 17 - 18 years old, shadow biology

Also known as "Prince"

Observed and mimics the others' expressions and gestures. A learning program! His eyes glow when using his powers or when he's overly emotional.

Game Form: black bodysuit, silver knight armour, visor and golden key staff can be manifested

(maybe check out my books about these two)

[theonepointperspective]

The Payphone Encounter Part 1

Digital Diary Entry Nov 22nd 2025

The sweat poured down my face. My eyes were bloodshot, hands in sheer pain. There was a shadow of a man in front of me. His face was consumed by darkness and smoke. He was wearing a hat with a brim And a long trench coat. That's all I could make out. He reeked of vintage Cuban cigars. A no-bullshit kind of guy. He wanted his questions answered and answered fast. I cut to the chase and told him everything he needed to hear. Mainly the conversations I had with that unknown man on the other line of the payphone and everything that happened that traumatic night. Starting with that Extremely vivid and horrifying Dream.

Classified Personal Debriefing Document Calico Military Base 9:22PM

I was driving from Phoenix to Sedona. Don’t know why I was doing it. But it had something to do with Cathedral Rock. It was evening time, maybe four or five. The sky around me. Almost had a yellowish-orange. It was a beautiful evening. Not too hot or cold; it was just right. I was in a 1966 Lincoln Continental. It had a white clam exterior and a ruby-red upholstery. With light blue-tinted windows. The car my father used to drive. He loves his classic cars. Anyway, I was going about forty-five on the Arizona State Route 89A. On my left, I could see beautiful rock formations. It reminded me a lot of the Old John Ford Western Films and Big Thunder Mountain Rail Road. On my right were large, luscious, beautiful green pine trees. I rolled down my window, smelling the fresh scent of pine wafting through the air. As I continued to drive, the smell began to fade. And less and less of these trees appeared in my field of view. I could only see brown sand and miles upon miles of small bushes clumped together on either side. But the rock structures were still there, creating a beautiful backdrop. It was truly breathtaking. It filled me with so much joy that I decided to drive faster. I was going now about eighty. I could also feel the wind and that relaxing ice-cold breeze through my hair. That engine was purring. Then, all of a sudden, the car began to lose its juice. The speedometer was slowly dropping from eighty to sixty, sixty to forty. I began to hear a loud, hissing noise. So I pulled into this small dirt road in front of a mound of small bushes. I exited the car and tried to figure out what was wrong. I decided to check out the hood first. I opened the hood, and a lot of black smoke rushed into my face. Fanning it out, I knew the fan belt or possibly the engine. Put the hood down. I leaned on the side of the vehicle. I rubbed the black soot off my face with the bandana I had worn around my neck. Took out my cigarette and lit it. Whatever happens, happens. I whispered under my breath. I then sighed and looked up at the sky in slight anger. I could see it changing quickly from its original yellowish-orange to yellow.

The clouds began to part. The Sky started to get darker; I could hear the loud sounds of thunder in the distance and saw streaks of lighting hitting the nearby mountains around me. I looked down at my feet and noticed the brown sand turning bright orange. Startled, I returned to the car, rolled up the windows and the sunroof, and locked the doors. Took my phone out of my pocket; there was No signal! I needed to calm myself down. I took a deep breath, reached into the glove box, and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. As I took a drag of my second cigarette, I began to hear the sounds of the wind echoing through the mountains. I could see the particles of orange dust hitting my car, beginning to pile up all around its windows. Almost sticking. Gradually, the wind started to get more powerful and louder. It had such strength and such force. It could lift the right tire at one point, at least for a few seconds. Until the tire crashed down into that sandy orange abyss below me. My dashboard was now fogged up, and so were my side windows. I could barely see anything. The only thing I noticed was the road behind me. Then, there was a lull in the storm. I felt like the chaos was over for a moment, but little did I know it was just beginning.

[marcopollio]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: RealTree Gray Pullover Hoodie w/ Camp Logo American Flag Size Adult xl xlarge.

[flmer-archives]

You walked down the streets of south park to get some errands done for your mother ‘aishh.. Why doesn’t mama make big bro do it?’ you thought inside your head as you tried to make your boredom disappear by kicking random stones on the road

“Ack-!” you heard someone wail as your (e/c) eyes widened “shit! Fuck-! I gotta run-” you were about to turn around and run back to your house to hide when suddenly you heard the same voice that made that same wailing annoying sound you heard just a few moments ago “hey you! Now, where the fuck do you think you’re going you whore?” a rather large kid shouted at you as you turned around to face the large kid and analyzed him from top to bottom.

The large-sized kid was wearing a red jacket, yellow mittens on his rather cute chubby hand, a blue hat with a yellow puff ball on top of his head, brown pants, and a pair of black shoes paired with a white sock.

“Whaddya want?” you said with a pissed-off tone; trying to act as if you didn’t just kick a random stone and accidentally hit the large kid with it.

your eyes landed on the rather noticeable red bump on the large sized kid's forehead ‘oh shit- is that a fucking bump.’ you gulped as your mind registered the fact that said bump was caused by you “yeah that's right you r(censored)rd! you're looking at the fucking bump you caused! I don't know what the fuck were you doing nor do I fucking care to know why you kicked a stone randomly at me!” the large-sized kid shouted at the (h/c)-nette and that's when you decided to raise your white-gloved hands and cover your ears, your hands bumping on your hello kitty shaped earrings and making a ‘jing!’ sound

the large sized kid gawked at the (h/c)-nette in front of him, his anger skyrocketing and he was so close on throwing a tantrum right there and then but the (h/c)-nette in front of him was kind of adorable with their white jacket on that have some pink stripes on the sleeves and the two bracelets on one of their wrists while your other wrist had those hello kitty watch that he would see displayed on the mall.

his eyes trailed to your head as he took note of the white beanie with cute little cat ears and a pink bow on one side of the cat ears- resembling the famous hello kitty character as he noticed the strings attached to the beanie ending with soft white circle-shaped that frames your face cutely

his gaze traveled downwards on your pants? skirts? no matter, the color was white as well with a few linings of pink and he looked at the white leg warmers and the (h/c)-nette's white boots with the heels and strings colored pink.

“what? ya done sexually harassing me with your eyes you creep?” you said with a sassy tone “Just to let you know I have more important things to do than just stand here to wait for you to finish checking me out.” you walk past the boy and bumped your shoulder against his on purpose “I'm not a creep you fucking bitch! And get back here! you have the balls to run away without fucking apologizing to me?!” the large sized kid yelled at you but you continued to walk with a smile on your face as his voice started to sound far and far until you could only hear a bit of what he was saying to you- maybe he was cursing you or something? eh, It didn't matter.

what does matter is the fact how are you gonna finish the rest of your chores given to your mother who told you to be done precisely before the sun sets or else and you most definitely did not want to know what will happen to you if you come home after the sun sets with the rest of your chores unfinished.. you wouldn't want to know again after last time.

'✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹'✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

“Mrrp, mrp hrrp mrrp mrrp hrrmp?” (Dude, what the fuck are you shouting for?) A short boy who’s wearing an orange parka, orange pants, brown gloves, and his hood on with his eyes that can only be seen.

“Shut up kenny! Mind your own goddamn business!” the large-sized kid fumed at kenny

'✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹'✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

Your eyes lit up as you saw a certain blonde's house. you slowed down your walking when the blonde's house got near and you stopped in front of their house as you slowly looked up at the window where your guess was correct- your blonde friend is there all this time. huh, he must've been grounded again by his parents but eh who were you to meddle in their family business?

you raised your arms and waved at him energetically as the blonde boy waved back at you with the same energetic expression but stopped when he realized he couldn't hang out with you or play any hello kitty games with you because apparently he's grounded for some reason that he forgot about...

you cupped your mouth with your hands as you pointed at yourself and then at your house, asking him if he could come over but he shook his head no and made an 'X' sign with his arms, you stomped your foot in the snow and pouted as you saw his response but he merely smiled at you and signaled that 'he'll make sure to play with you next time.' and that was enough to make you smile again as you waved goodbye at him and return to your house, completely oblivious for a certain big bone kid's curious over you that will probably hunt you at school tomorrow but eh who cares right? that's your future self's problem, not yours.

'✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹'✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

[maddiebiscuits]

also some personal notes from my time that i can remember:

if you see kids doing emo/scene throwback fits if you see cropped tops or high-waisted pants/shorts/skirts throw it out - that shit was NOT in style in the 00s. shirts were tightly fitted/silhouetted and LONG - you wore your bottoms low on the hips to show your square stud belt OR you wore your bottoms at regular height, pulled the shirt over it past your hips and then actually just wore your belt over your hips as an accessory. unique belt buckles optional.

vans and converse, only boots if you were emo-goth/mall goth or had a special fit for them, hoodies also had to be snug on the frame, zip-up, usually black, patterned. no wings on the eyeliner just raccoon eyes or underlined, short black nails (cheap polish, chipped, DIY), no lipstick, no blush, no one really knew about/no one really had makeup tutorials yet en masse like we do now so no proper foundation/concealer/contouring knowledge, faces were pretty pale and flat.

no wide/thin diamond fishnets, only small or chunky, you can layer them over other tights if you want. elbow-length or to the wrist fingerless gloves they HAVE to be fingerless oh my god. you can get asymmetrical with your accesories, like only one glove, etc., but any stockings/tights should be on both legs even if the patterns are different. leggings weren’t really a thing yet. jeans are ball-crushing skinny, the end.

horizontal stripes or checker pattern, lace sometimes popular with girls especially as the lace top/bottom cami became popular. generally you wore patterns on the feet/hands/lower leg/arms but kept the center of the body a solid colour (black, only interrupted by design on the shirt). common to layer shirts - black tee over a striped or checked long sleeve, or a single colour. several shirts were actually made in this style so you didn’t have to layer and bake.

hair with blonde red green blue or purple highlights (dark not bright or neon which was scene, as was the striped dye pattern, rarely multi-colour highlights). hair short, rarely past the shoulder, worn DOWN and in front of the face. it was common to have the bangs very long and contain the highlight, and the back very short and you would spike up the back. layered hair was common at this time too, everything was sort of poofy and fluffy on white kids because of this layering and then you used a flat iron to straighten the long bangs, or the whole head to get this weird shaggy, choppy look. this escalated IMMENSELY with scene hair later. SOMETIMES girls would have longer hair and do something quirky, like loose pigtails, but i rarely saw this and never did it.

wristbands and bracelets!! necklaces fine, chokers good, but not the 90s lace ones that came back, they were gone in the 00s. You could get spiked, studded or ornamental ones anywhere - walmart, claires, etc. Aside from black only offsetting colours were white, dark red/green/blue/purple, pink sometimes and then all the time in the later 00s when scene hit its big stride. belt chain! skull motifs popular. neckties you just wear like a necklace also popular. Safety pins were another motif idk why.

hood up, beanie or - yes - a fuckin trilby, the fake fedora trend started in the 00s and then morphed in the late 00s/early 2010s, but usually no hats or hair pieces until scene brought in bows clips and headbands. band shirt, or a logo or image of a Thing popular in the culture - nightmare before christmas/tim burton stuff VERY VERY popular in this era! invader zim/hello kitty and early internet memery/anime/video games was a bit more scene-y but not uncommon either on the more emo fashion.

eyebrow/lip/tongue piercing popular, many ear piercings, septums got popular more in the very late 00s/2010s. must pose bent foward or in such a way as to sort of appear dainty/frail and accentuate LENGTH. 00s emo fits emphasized long torsos arms and legs, neutral or mopey expressions.

for extra dress up girls would experiment with frillier skirts, tutu-esque sometimes, and tops that looked like corsets weren’t uncommon, which you’d sometimes see more often with the mall goth/emo goth style. again with the t-shirts you would usually wear them over a contrasting tee or long sleeved shirt. you didn’t really show a lot of skin dressing like this except in the summer when you wore shirts and ditched layering shorts because it was hot out. Wearing a lower-cut shirt wasn’t usually the style band/logo shirts were made in, and would sometimes mess up layering. when the lace top camis came in as this fashion had an older wearing group you’d get more cleavagey shirts and then the lace pop from the cami under underneath.

It wasn’t available to me in Canada at the time, but I saw american kids on forums always visit Hot Topic in its golden era. bear in mind though that the popular tripp pants weren’t very emo-adjacent because emo clothes, despite the layering, are very snug-fitting and tight, and tripp pants are baggy, so it was a more emo-goth, mall goth sort look.

actually piggybacking off last RT i probably dressed more emo-punk or emo-goth in highschool and phased out by the time i graduated, basically if Ebony Darkness Dementia Raven Way wore it i wish i had it because her character was a time capsule of what that sort of look was - too done up and edgier than emo, too early for scene

my hair was a popular emo bang/back spikes though, sometimes with highlights. i had this awful choker from friggin Claire’s of all places that had an iron cross on it that i had no CLUE what it meant because i was 15 and after deeper history lessons on WW1/WW2 i threw it out asap and replaced it with a spiked choker LMAO

studded bracelets also very popular at that time, had tons, striped socks/stockings, black boots and converse, I had cute mary jane shoes with cat faces on them, many black hoodies and t-shirts, a few black skirts, one black lace corset, black skinny jeans but never owned any tripp pants. heavy eyeliner, never wore black lipstick though because i had thin white girl lips and i didn’t know how to overline so wearing lipstick drew attention to them :c

it was really fun to participate in a fashion fad as a kid ngl, feels very In The Moment upon reflection. i briefly experimented with rockabilly fashion after college when that got popular but then i gave up. when you turn 30 and you’re not skinny like you used to be and have to mind your finances you can’t really stick to a sense of style even if you’re thrifty because your size, time, money and basic comfort is against you, but i got to do it as a kid so i’m pretty happy! :D

[sylverstorms]

Daniela x Maiden ---- Hunted Ch. 1

Your breath casts little plumes of smoke while you trudge through the snow-covered forest, double-checking the map in your hands as if it will provide the solution to your problems.

It doesn't.

You remain in the same state you have been for the past hour or so; so fucking lost.

There's supposed to be a village around here, you’re sure of it, but you cannot, for the life of you, pinpoint its location. The forest feels like it spans forever and the white layer that covers the ground does you no favors, either. There are no discernible marks or traces for you to follow. For all you know, you may be walking in giant circles.

And the worst part is; the sun has began its descent.

Ugh. You huff irritably, holding the map on one hand to adjust your backpack's straps with the other. Considering the distances you often cover, you know to always pack light. Only the absolute necessities are in there, a few clothes, a few supplies, your trusty old bow and its matching quiver attached to one side.

Still, even this little is starting to weigh heavily on you now. You're exhausted, your lungs struggling in the icy air like you are. Alarm bells are going off in your head, warning that you need to find shelter, quick.

To make matters worse, a sudden gust of wind pries the precious sheet right from your numb fingers. You can't even summon the strength to be mad as you watch your last hope of guidance fly further and further away from you.

Luck is just not your side, but you already knew this.

With the life you led so far, it doesn't take a genius to figure that out.

If there's one thing you're good at, though, that is fighting against the odds. Surviving. Battling some more.

So, you look forward and push yourself through the hardships, until a ray of light shows itself. Well. You pray that one does, preferably before the sun sets. You don't know how optimistic you can be, then.

Hope flickers inside you for a while... until you see someone move in the distance.

You have to blink your eyes several times to make certain you aren't hallucinating, yet you are elated to realize you're not. That's definitely two figures walking your direction, clearer by the second.

Yes! You walk a little faster towards them, stumbling over hidden branches in your excitement.

“Hello!” you call.

The figures are distinctly female, you can tell now, one incredibly tall and the other about your height. They pause at the sight of you.

A bit closer and your breath is stolen by what you see; the intimidatingly tall woman is dressed like royalty, with expensive, grey furs covering her cream dress –admittedly thin for this weather, how is she not freezing— and rows of pearls adorning her neck. A wide-brimmed hat tops off the chic look.

Yet what shocks you more than her image is the fluidity of her movements; she walks as if she weights nothing, untouched by the cold and oozing elegance.

Beside her, the smaller figure, clad in a tight outfit underneath a heavy cloak to block out the frost, tenses as you approach. Her lean shoulders raise and square, her hooded head tilts ever so slightly forward. Her companion lays a large hand on her shoulder and speaks something –sounds an awful lot like an order?— you don't quite catch.

“—No.”

You jog the final steps to them.

“Good evening.” you greet, trying to keep your body from shaking.

The woman stares down at you with golden-blue eyes that crinkle at the corners, as though amused by something you can't even begin to guess.

“Ah, a visitor.” she says, voice deep and as rich as she looks. “We don't get many around these parts.”

Perpetually snowy, deadly mountains are not exactly tourist-friendly, you want to reply yet hold your tongue.

That is when your gaze strays to the dark-clad lady, to her features underneath the hood. And—

You almost forget what you were about to ask right there.

The face of an angel stares back at you, framed by silken strands of red hair, complete with almond eyes the color of molten gold, full, crimson lips and a cute divot at her chin. She, too, wears a necklace that screams ‘money’ and you can only wonder what two noblewomen are doing out here, in the middle of nowhere.

Hello, gorgeous. You can't help but think.

Still, there's also something about her –you can't explain what— that makes you want to initiate a tactical retreat... asap.

“Um.” you glance between the two ladies. “I was wondering if you could point me to the nearest village? I am completely lost.”

The way your eye keeps getting drawn back to the redhead, though –okay, yes, your weaknesses are hard to hide— it seems like you pose the question mostly to her.

Her jaw is too tense to answer you, at first. She seems to have a hard time, probably with the cold. You can't blame her. The girl is absolutely pale from it, even if she's the more suitably dressed of the two.

The tall lady's hand then tightens its grip on her shoulder. The leather of her gloves creaks loudly –and it looks like that amount of pressure should be painful.

“Daniela. This young lady has asked you a question. Be a dear and answer her, yes?” there is no logical explanation why that sweet tone sounds so much like a threat.

Everything about these two is off, but then again, with the viruses and mutations running rampant around the whole world, you cannot be truly surprised. Strange is the new norm.

“...that way.” the redhead replies, her silvery voice music to your ears. Dainty, gloved fingers raise to point to her left. “The village is that way.”

“Ah, thank you so much!” you beam at them.

“You should hurry, little one.” The Lady speaks next. “You do not want to be caught out after dark, here.”

“Of course. Thank you again. Safe travels!” you bid them, then make your way towards the village.

When you look over your shoulder, however, a minute or so later… there's nobody there.

What a peculiar village.

-

-

Peculiar, it turns out, doesn't begin to describe it.

You have been here for a month now, but the strangeness and eerie factor has not lessened one bit. If anything, it gets creepier by the hour.

The village is divided into two sections, the Innkeeper tells you; the day and night cycles.

Apparently, the residents of the night cycle are mutants who are not allowed to walk outside during the day, while the opposite is true at night. Anyone who breaks this rule can be terminated by the other side without consequences.

There are other, smaller restrictions set in place by the local ruler –Mother Miranda, who is worshipped as a saint– that you gradually learn mean the difference between a good life and a bad death here.

You've seen your own share of fucked up shit, so a village that functions this way is not that extreme of a notion to you. You're only here for a short amount of time before you must move, anyway. May as well follow their rules and be on your best behavior.

You stayed at the inn the first weeks, but after several successful hunts you made enough Lei to rent the wooden cabin at the outskirts of the village.

The general rule in your life is: the further away you stay from other people, the better.

The better... for them.

And, well. All these years, you're well used to being alone. Loneliness doesn't strike you down as deep nor as hard as it used to.

You don't linger on it anymore. There are more important things to focus on...

Like fixing your goddamn leaking roof before you wake up one night in a sea of rainwater.

-

-

Meanwhile, in the forest...

The small hours of the morning are not for many locals to experience.

It is the time for predators to roam and hunt and feed. The time for the most brutal parts of nature to come alive under the fading moonlight.

Giggles and laughs echo deep in the heart of the forest, followed by slices of sickles that come away swinging arcs of thick, glistening red. Golden eyes narrow and zero in on their next target. It is a wonderful feast.

Until.

Until the cold truly starts to settle. The wind picks up and snow once again starts to fall, quicker and harsher than anyone would have expected.

“We need to head back now, before it's too late.” The eldest of the three sisters on the hunt calls.

“Don't be a chicken, Bela. This is still bearable. Who knows when we get another chance to be outside?” the middle one counters.

“The temperature is dropping rapidly, Cassandra.”

“No, nooo, I still have to get that wolf that got away!” the third complains and runs ahead.

“How unsurprising that I'm the only one that thinks with my head out here.”

Another hour passes.

And Bela has had enough of her sisters' awful, foolish decisions as she races back to the castle. Her speed is already waning in the blizzard. Were she wearing anything other than the outfits specifically tailored for them and their common weakness, she would have frozen over already.

The castle's main gate grants a massive relief when it comes into view. Bela shoves the doors open and immediately flashes to the ever-burning fireplace.

Cassandra joins her only seconds later.

Bela throws her a dirty look.

She opens her mouth to chastise the brunette... but someone else beats her to it.

“Are you out of your damn minds?!” their mother's voice shakes the chamber itself. “How did you risk staying out longer in this unearthly cold?!”

“Mother—”

“I will hear none of it! You three know the dangers—” Alcina continues, then abruptly cuts herself off.

Bela notices what is off about their situation at the same time the Lady does;

“...where is Daniela?”

Cassandra and Bela frantically look at each other, then behind them, at the dark forest shrouded in a white blur. Flies break off and anxiously begin to buzz around their bodies.

“I— I thought she was ahead of you!” Bela exclaims, eyes wide and staring at her sister.

“Why would she be ahead of me when she always runs behind you?!” Cassandra barks back.

“Did... you two...” Alcina begins in a low, threatening tone, like a volcano rumbling before its inevitable eruption. "...actually..."

Heavy steps come down the stairway, each one akin to a judge’s hammer, delivering a severe sentence.

“…abandon your sister out in this BLIZZARD?!”

-

-

In the crack of dawn...

You underestimated the weather to your own peril. Then again, according to the locals, you weren't expecting the snowstorm for another day or two.

The winds are so strong you can barely walk forward. Every gust is an icy slap to the face. You pull your scarf up higher and fight past the resistance, trying to get back to your cabin before you freeze to death.

Everything before you is white...

Except for a black dot a few ways off your road, curled underneath the roots of an ancient tree. The closer you move, you realize its shape looks vaguely humanoid, like someone collapsed over from the cold.

You don't have the time to think on the potential danger to your own well-being if you try to save them. You rush to the figure as fast as your burning legs can carry you—

And you gasp when you see her.

It is her, the girl you saw on the first day here, the beautiful, wealthy redhead.

Except there's nothing showing off status about her now. Not when she's pale as a corpse, halfway buried into the piling snow. Her skin literally looks cracked, but you assume that's due to the layer of frost over it.

Is that... blood? You wonder as you lean closer, checking for a pulse. Indeed, there are dried stains all over her outfit, especially around her chin and you can only pray it's not from her lungs.

There's not just crimson splashes on her, though. Looking closer, you notice frozen, gray blowflies laying lifeless over and around her form. Not to mention the rose-like tattoo right in the middle of her forehead, as if she's part of some strange religion or cult...

That's weird, you think, but there's no time to linger on that now. Everything about this village is weird.

“Shit, shit, come on.” you grab her arm, trying to lift her. She's much lighter than she should be, or that's just the adrenaline talking. Either way, you easily secure her onto your back.

Now, the real fight is getting her home.

You only hope you're not stuck with a dead body in your hands by the time you make it there.

-

-

Hours pass and the woman –Daniela?— doesn't stir. You often have to check her pulse to make sure she's still alive.

She needs help from a doctor, but you can't get anywhere with this blizzard yet raging. All you can do is keep her warm with every fur you own thrown over her in your bed and be ready to dash out as soon as the weather allows it.

“Uggh.” you hear her groan weakly, at some point.

The next heartbeat, you sit on the edge of your bed, anxiously waiting to see if she will open her eyes.

Gradually, she does. Her long lashes flutter against her fair cheeks several times, until her honey orbs start to focus on their surroundings. You open your mouth to assure her she's safe when her gaze catches yours... yet the words never make it past your lips.

Instead, you are literally flipped and pinned into your mattress by her cold hand around your neck. She's over you in a flash, thighs locked around your waist faster than you could ever hope to counter, staring at you like a wolf gone crazed from hunger.

Ack!

Okay, so the angelic-looking redhead is a little feral. Still, you can't really blame her. You would have probably reacted similarly waking up to a complete stranger, whose intentions can only be guessed at.

“H-hey, Daniela, right?” you croak.

How strong is this woman, anyway? You can't breathe.

“You're gonna... be... okay...”

Her grip eases a fraction. Her expression changes to something you can't read. A bit of apprehension, a lot of hunger and a smidge of...

...pity?

Normally, you'd feel better about your dream girl straddling you so fiercely in bed, looking down at you with lidded eyes and long red hair spilling over her tight shoulders like liquid fire.

So... why is it your instincts want you to run?

Daniela slowly leans closer, closer still and you have to turn your head a little so you're not practically ghosting your lips over a stranger's. Even if she's a particularly attractive one. Your body has already decided it wouldn't mind.

Your stomach seizes in both a good and a bad way.

What is she doing...?

You wonder as she nuzzles your neck, runs the tip of her nose underneath your jawline until her chilly lips are hovering right over your pulse. You can feel every little contour and gentle swell of her lithe body pressed tightly, hotly against yours...

There's several levels of wrong to being scared and simultaneously turned on by a mystery girl you just saved from certain death invading your personal space so suddenly.

Things start to get a bit tense for you, however, when you realize you cannot push her off...

Full lips already by your earlobe give a tiny huff of a laugh.

“I'm okay... but you're not~”

You don't have time to ponder what that means, for the next millisecond—

Twin, sharp nails are driven hard into your flesh.

You cry out and thrash violently as she holds you down, biting deeper, harsher. Despite your panic, you register the chilling sensation of your blood being sucked out of your veins in greedy gulps. Your heart is pounding so hard in your chest it's about to burst, only making matters worse for you.

Really, the eyes and complexion should have been your first clue. Should have listened to your gut sooner.

Before you lose all your strength along with your life, you manage to bring a knee underneath you and roll your hips to finally shove her off. You don't know how you manage it, but she doesn't look too happy that you did—

You stumble out of your bed, leaving her wrapped up in the furs and make a mad dash for the door. A loud, insistent buzzing, like that of flies, starts behind you, though you don't peer over your shoulder to check where it’s emanating from.

You practically kick the door open, rush out into the storm—

But you barely make it two meters off your threshold, before you knock onto something very solid that shouldn't be there.

Frantic, your wide eyes turn up –way up— meeting those of the unforgettable, meters-tall Lady. She glances down at you with a tired gaze and an almost sweet smile playing at her red lips...

Then the back of her hand knocks against your head with the force of a truck going at the speed of a bullet.

Your world snaps, cracks and goes pitch-black.

[frecklesky]

The Sun + Sun Signs and Their Couple Halloween Costumes

**Check your Rising + Rising as well

Aries + Aries: Astronauts 

Aries + Taurus: Superman + Batman

Aries + Gemini: Peanut Butter + Jelly 

Aries + Cancer: Danny + Sandy from Grease 

Aries + Leo: Red Riding Hood + Wolf 

Aries + Virgo: Pikachu + Ash 

Aries + Libra: Dead Bride + Groom 

Aries + Scorpio: Cop + Criminal 

Aries + Sagittarius: PIlot + Plane 

Aries + Capricorn: Soccer Player + Referee 

Aries + Aquarius: Burger + Fries 

Aries + Pisces: Joker + Harley Quinn 

Taurus + Taurus: Thing 1 + Thing 2 

Taurus + Gemini: Tom + Jerry 

Taurus + Cancer: Lilo + Stitch 

Taurus + Leo: Horse + Cowboy 

Taurus + Virgo: Woody + Buzz Lightyear 

Taurus + Libra: Snow White + Sleeping Beauty 

Taurus + Scorpio: Red Pill + Blue Pill 

Taurus + Sagittarius: Donkey + Shrek 

Taurus + Capricorn: Hera + Zeus 

Taurus + Aquarius: Patrick + Spongebob Squarepants 

Taurus + Pisces: Cosmo + Wanda 

Gemini + Gemini: Eggs + Bacon 

Gemini + Cancer: Thelma + Louise 

Gemini + Leo: Man in Yellow Hat + Curious George 

Gemini + Virgo: Waldo + Wenda 

Gemini + Libra: Betty + Veronica 

Gemini + Scorpio: Mario + Luigi 

Gemini + Sagittarius: Shaggy + Scooby Doo 

Gemini + Capricorn: Peggy Carter + Captain America 

Gemini + Aquarius: The Chicken + The Egg 

Gemini + Pisces: Mickey + Minnie Mouse 

Cancer + Cancer: Skeletons 

Cancer + Leo: Anna + Elsa 

Cancer + Virgo: Leia + Luke Skywalker 

Cancer + Libra: Winnie the Pooh + Piglet 

Cancer + Scorpio: Pirates 

Cancer + Sagittarius: Tinker Bell + Peter Pan 

Cancer + Capricorn: Bert + Ernie 

Cancer + Aquarius: Alice + The Mad Hatter 

Cancer + Pisces: Milk + Cookies 

Leo + Leo: Cheerleaders 

Leo + Virgo: Hannah Montana + Lily Truscott 

Leo+ Libra: Velma + Daphne 

Leo + Scorpio: Firefighters 

Leo + Sagittarius: Hans Solo + Chewbacca 

Leo + Capricorn: Garfield + Odie 

Leo + Aquarius: Medusa + Statue 

Leo + Pisces: Calvin + Hobbes 

Virgo + Virgo: Crayons 

Virgo+ Libra: Magician + Rabbit 

Virgo + Scorpio: Cruella + Dalmatian 

Virgo + Sagittarius: Harry Potter + Ron Weasley 

Virgo + Capricorn: Thor + Loki 

Virgo + Aquarius: Zookeeper + Animal 

Virgo + Pisces: Fish + Fisherman 

Libra + Libra: Tourists 

Libra + Scorpio: Phineas + Ferb

Libra + Sagittarius: Basketball Players 

Libra + Capricorn: Serena + Blair 

Libra + Aquarius: Angel + Devil 

Libra + Pisces: Fred + Velma Flinstone 

Scorpio + Scorpio: Zombies 

Scorpio + Sagittarius: Racecar Drivers 

Scorpio + Capricorn: Joey + Chandler 

Scorpio + Aquarius: The Shining Twins 

Scorpio + Pisces: Gomez + Morticia Addams 

Sagittarius + Sagittarius: Wrestlers 

Sagittarius + Capricorn: Minion + Gru 

Sagittarius + Aquarius: Wayne + Garth 

Sagittarius + Pisces: Timon + Pumbaa

Capricorn + Capricorn: Construction Workers 

Capricorn + Aquarius: Doctor + Patient 

Capricorn + Pisces: The Grinch + Cindy Lou 

Aquarius + Aquarius: Aliens 

Aquarius + Pisces: Priest + Nun 

Pisces + Pisces: Chefs 

[killmebythebeach]

A bunch of head cannons (Maybe too much). Also in talking about the characters.

I think Dream is that one design where his skin is just the static tv screen. He just constantly emits that fuzzy noise, Sam crafted him the smile mask that he can see through so he doesn't scare people.

George is just kind of the server itself. He's the same species as Hannah, but a mushroom and more powerful. If he stays awake too long, the server just kind of freezes. This is also a reason XD keeps him sleeping, it's his way of talking to George and he thinks the server is like his soap opera of mortals.

Callahan is sort of like the person who makes sure George doesn't get killed or dies while asleep, making sure he's surrounded by mushrooms and such. Deer hybrid <3

Alyssa joined the server because she knew all her friends were idiots and didn't want them to die immediately. But once the elections rolled around, she felt the pressure of choosing sides and ran away to the desert, only keeping contact with Ponk. She actually lives just a couple miles from Foolish's summer home. Her communicator actually died after a couple months and she had no way of charging it, so she lost contact with everyone.

Sapnap is a magma cube hybrid and can jump higher than most, his natural temperature runs hotter, and is fire proof. Bad found him in the nether when he was maybe 10-15 years old.

Sam was actually a normal creeper, but gained player like sentience from being struck by lightning. Instead of becoming charged, he gained intelligence and met the others on the server. Callahan taught him some Redstone, but from there he figured out a lot on his own. He's also a creeper centaur.

Ponk is actually a descendant of a fairy, a lemon tree. Their mask was also a gift from Sam because after the second or third time their tree was burnt, their immune system was weakened a considerable amount. Alyssa also wore her mask for them.

Bad is a size shifting demon from the nether, more specifically soul sand desert. He uses soul fire to gain strength, so because the egg died when near it, he was just a little weaker than normal. Because he's a demon he needs a tie to the overworld to stay there, he tied his soul and lives to Skeppy.

Tommy was grown in a lab to be a hero, project: THESEUS. The lab gave him small enhancements, like slightly stronger and just a bit more resilient, to make the Above Average Boy (TM). He then ran away to meet Wilbur. When Dream asked Wilbur if he wanted to come to the server, he asked if Tommy could go first to see what it was like. He also actually really likes gardening and making up funny songs to Wilbur playing guitar. He also made funny lyrics for his discs, but he's still a bit scared to take them out of his ender chest. Other than bringing attachment, Dream also exiled Tommy to see what his lab enhancements could do.

Tubbo is an adaptive hybrid! His hair was blond, shifting to brown when Wilbur found him, getting blue eyes from Tommy, growing small horns under Schlatt, parts of his skin being static when Dream was "helping" him with his presidency, and parts of his scars tinging black and green from Ranboo and Micheal. Tubbo also helped Wilbur write part of the anthem. He likes living in the snow because the Manberg flag had magma blocks on it, casting a heatwave over the country, and after L'Manburg blew up it got really hot from the exposed stone in direct sun.

Fundy can actually hold his breath for a very long time and swim very well because of Sally teaching him and his salmon genes. The yellow things on his hat are actually shells, and the stripes on his jacket are trans colors. Also with his dreams, he saw Eret was going to betray them but didn't think it was real, or didn't want to. He also saw Wilbur blow up L'Manburg but chose not to believe it, thinking his father could still be saved. He actually saw pretty much everything, but didn't quite understand what they were until after doomsday.

The necklace Punz wears is one of those picture lockets, but he lost the picture and can't remember what it was. The first time Dream paid him was when Dream asked for help and Punz made an off hand joke about getting money, and then Dream thought he was being serious. Him, Dream, and Sapnap were like brothers, and Punz got sadder every time he saw Dream pushing people away and diving deeper into darkness.

Purpled is an aliensent to see if the planet was colonizable, but then crashed and was stranded, all his communications down and his ship barely able to hover fifty feet off the ground. When Quackity blew it up, he essentially got rid of his chance of ever going home. Purpled's species can shapeshift, so he turned himself into the first person he saw, Punz. Eventually before trying to communicate with the native life forms, he edited his form a little so they weren't identical, keeping purple eyes and antennae, changing the colors slightly, and changing the voice up. When he moves away from the main SMP, Ponk makes sure to check up on him and that he has a way to check his communicator.

Wilbur came a month after sending Tommy. His father being a patron of life and his mother the goddess of death, he met in the middle being born as a human. The only reason Ghostbur was as active and present as he was was because he was so connected to both life and death. Since his corpse was decaying for as long as it was, Wilbur is now super weak, his flesh is thin and his eyes are rotted and gone. Much like Ghostbur, Wilbur in limbo saw what people said about him, and Ghostbur could hear that from the back of his head. Now Wilbur can hear what people say about Ghostbur and he hates it, not wanting to be connected to what he thinks like a shell of himself.

Schlatt is a ram (duh) and actually does the fainting goat thing. So when he died of a heart attack, no one knew at first if he was actually dead or not. His alcoholism stems from the revive book, as the possibility of tampering with death made him existential and scared, so to cope he drank. There are also a ton of other stuff other than revival in the book, but it's in galactic.

Skeppy was just a normal human, but after making the pact with Bad, Bad put a spell on him. Parts of him turned into diamond, protecting both his and Bad's lives. He however, is unaware of this. With the egg, he would just sit on it, the diamonds chipping away to make room for the vines.

Eret was cursed by the Wither Cult, giving them white eyes and a slowly deteriorating memory. Not sure what to do, Foolish dropped them off at the SMP. Sometimes they would dream about old memories from before the curse, but it was just glimpses so he could never tell what they meant. Once they were king, they made the Herobrine shrine subconsciously, not really sure what it was after. They also had a strange affinity of beacons and resurrection, some of their memories resurfacing when they tried to help Phil and Ghostbur revive Wilbur after doomsday. The reason people are more scared of their eyes than any other wierd eyes was because he generally looks like a normal human, but the wither along with their Herobrine origins creates an uncanny valley that people are shocked by.

Jack had red and blue irises before crawling out of hell, but after coming back the whites of his eyes also turned red and blue. He always wears 3d glasses so no one noticed, but he just thought no one cared enough to mention it. He also has a bunch of scars and burn marks that no one but him can see, therefore no one asks about them or thinks something is wrong, cementing the idea that no one cares about him.

Niki is a blaze hybrid (stole this from @/420technoblazeit) whose fire hair color changes based on strong emotion, something she bond with Tubbo for as a fellow shifter. A soft yellow in L'Manburg, brighter orange in Manburg, hot pink on Doomsday, a soul fire blue with the syndicate (which Techno hates), and a dead grey when she found out Wilbur was alive. She was also old child hood friends with Ranboo and Eret, leaving Ranboo for the SMP. Ranboo, unfortunatly, doesn't remember much more than her name. She also knows galactic from Ranboo, so she talks about her troubles to Shy the Enderman. She doesn't really know how to talk to Puffy anymore after Doomsday or finding out how she wants to protect Tommy.

Quackity can perfectly replicate someone's voice and, with a lot of effort, can completely change his form to another player. He also has very small yellow wings, too small to fly, so he almost always hides them. He used to constantly change his voice for jokes with Karl, Sapnap, and George, but he doesn't like doing it now in Las Nevadas, as he sees it as unprofessional. However, sometimes he uses when he visits Dream, changing his voice to people like George and Sapnap to make torture more effective.

In the In Between and Other Side, Karl actually looks like his old skin, or his natural state (the big purple one that inspired his sweater). But most of the time in the normal world, he looks human. With effort he can bring out the interdemential being thing, something only Quackity and Sapnap know about. The more he time travels, the easier it becomes to change, and he's even started defaulting to the other form.

HBomb is actually just a normal news reporter, sent to interview and record what's going on in the server, his first big story being the election. Upon Doomsday, the stress of seeing everyone alone, fighting, and disconnected, he ran away from the world, essentially becoming a cat lady. His undercover reporter persona is actually the cat maid. He eventually came back to the server to see how he could help after Doomsday, befriending Niki again and living with her in the underground city.

Techno is a piglin, so he's scared of soul fire. He forgot to tell Phil before he decorated the syndicate room, so he just suffers in silence. He also does better when around a lot of gold, like in the nether, and he feels drained and slightly weaker without it. Instead of just putting gold around the area (it would ruin his property value), he just hibernates. He has an emerald earing, like all of the syndicate, but his is a locket that unfolds into pictures of the syndicate.

Ant always wears a red hoodie, now ruined by the egg, that used to be Red's. On Red's death anniversary, him, Bad, Skeppy, and Sam would make cake and put flowers on his grave. He missed the last one because it was during the egg, but for a brief moment after Puffy killed him he saw Red. Red then promptly and bluntly told him to stop being a pussy (haha, cat) and that he shouldn't do all this just to get him back, one of Ant's motivators to make amends with the people he hurt while with the egg. Ant is also a shapeshifter, but can only turn into a cat.

Phil actually used to work under Foolish as a patron of life but then he had a son with the goddess of death, so his title was removed so he could be with her and he became an Angel of Death. Kristin noticed how sad he was after being released, so she gifted him wings. They were however, destroyed on November 16th. His chat also serves as messenger pigeons, which were used to send letters to Wilbur.

Connor is actually just a hedgehog who somehow befriended Schlatt. Even before the haunted mansion, Karl vented to him about his time travel troubles, not knowing he was a sentient player. As a hedgehog, no one really cares where he goes, so he goes outside the server limits to meet his friends from the haunted mansion.

Puffy is a distant relative of Schlatt, but instead of politics she went into piracy. With her mom, she went travelling the seas. One say, a storm came and wiped out her ship, her crew, her mom, everything but her. The reason she survived was because Foolish saw her and saved her. Unfortunately, Puffy hit hee head in the crash and doesn't remember anything.

Vikkstar is the equivalent of a big time celebrity, so of course his endorsement of POG2020 was a big deal.

Lazarbeam is literally just a ginger bread cookie.

Ranboo has actually met a lot of the smp before actually joining. He's met Niki, Fundy, Eret, Punz, and Dream at least. He also sees the inverted colors Enderman see. His suit was actually a gift from Eret before they forgot how to tailor. He got the crown from Techno after joining the syndicate, claiming he didn't want any syndicate members to look like trash.

Foolish came to the server most recently to check up on Eret, but he couldn't bring himself to leave again. When Puffy adopts him, he can't say no because he remembers saving her. His initial goal was to kill an ender dragon to claim the XD title and become a full god like DreamXD, but after realising someone already killed it he went into his totem if death phase. Upon meeting Eret, he got over it and they went on some silly adventures, Foolish now taking a more peaceful route.

Hannah is essentially a weaker George, as her power is tied to the plants themselves and not the entire server. She however has a lot more physical power because rose dryads like to fight because they have thorns. Since roses can be taken out a lot easier, she is essentially a glass canon. Also when around any plant, she can make it grow faster than normal.

Any guest on the server? Corpse, Pokimane, Lil Nas? They were all Slimecicle. That's how he knows where everyone is from, even outside of Las Nevadas. No one else knows this. He's also ancient, if he met Phil they would probably recognise eachother. There was an actual Charlie Slimecicle who was not a slime, but after being launched into orbit this Slimecicle decided to impersonate him.

Michael Mcchill is a sort of bounty hunter. He came to the server after hearing of all the crime, assuming there'd be a lot of bounties to collect. However, he soon learned that no one really cares if you commit a crime. He then took to reading news articles made by HBomb to see if there were any past open bounties. But after reading for a while about the server's wronguns, mostly Dream, he began to sympathise with them. And he's also a speedrunner, so maybe he could help with some bounties across other servers!

This was a very long post and i apologize, but it was so fun to finally write all these thoughts down! I hope you liked them! I can't even fit all the tags I want.

[wilwheaton]

C+ Santa Monica City College Fascist Stephen Miller, everyone.

Maybe it isn’t about the money, stupid.

[puppyluver256]

[Image Description: Lyra, the feminine player character from Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver, with her Cyndaquil. Lyra is a girl with light skin, auburn hair in pigtails, and brown eyes. She is wearing a white hat with a red ribbon, a red sweater with a white hood, a black t-shirt, blue overalls, white thigh-high socks with black trim, and red shoes with white soles. She has a yellow bag on her shoulder, with a pink Pokegear device attached to the strap with a white pom-pom decoration. She is holding a red and white Pokeball, her free hand interacting with the Cyndaquil on her shoulder. Cyndaquil is a Pokemon resembling a small teal and yellow shrew. It has a long snout, its eyes are closed, and it has small red circles on its back from where its flaming quills would appear from when active. The background is the central square of New Bark Town, with large pine trees in the distance behind a small white windmill. There is a tan house with a blue roof to the right, a red mailbox at its side. End ID.]

-----

“Are you ready? Your very own tale of grand adventure is about to unfold. Fun experiences, difficult experiences, there's so much waiting for you! Dreams! Adventure! Let's go to the world of Pokémon! I'll see you later!”

All right, time to start up the next Pokemon series with Lyra! Unfortunately for any Ethan fans I won't be drawing him as well, just gonna let that be known right now hehe. Thankfully I think Lyra is generally more popular, so hopefully that means not too many people will be disappointed! And who could be disappointed with the presence of Cyndaquil? Lookit hiiimmmm ;w;

💖🐶 Check out my pinned post for ways to support my artwork, among other things! 🐶💖

~Likes are appreciated, but reblogs are greatly preferred as they let more people see my content! If you have something to say, feel free to give feedback in tags/comments/replies as well!~

Lyra, Cyndaquil, and other Pokemon concepts © Nintendo/GameFreak Artwork © PuppyLuver Studios

[gottawriteanegoortwo]

Darkstache Week: Day Seven - Hallowe’en

Other Days: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven Ao3 Link

The prompt I chose for the free space is ‘party’. After the week they’ve had getting ready, it’s time for the big day!

Word Count: 1,443

-

Day of the party!

Or, to be more precise, one hour until the guests were due to arrive. After a chat with Dark over breakfast Wilford had been out in the garden, gathering fallen leaves that were so large they looked as though they had been cut out of paper. These were being scattered around the table of treats in the living room. With how monochromatic he was, one would be forgiven for thinking the colour had been drained off him. His moustache was black as coal, which fit in nicely with the dark suit he was wearing. The crisp, white shirt was buttoned to the top so a light grey tie could take pride of place. A switch was hidden in the jacket pocket that powered blue and red LED lights trailing along the inside of his sleeves and stopping at the cuffs to give a sense of that mysterious, unearthly glow. He had even used the lightest foundation he owned to make his face look less 'alive' and added eyeliner and eyeshadow to really strike up a contrast.

"You aren't eating the snacks again, are you?" Dark approached from the kitchen with a large jug of juice and themed paper cups. In contrast, Dark was alive with colour. The sunny, yellow shirt was a little too large, so the sleeves had to be rolled up. The beige pants were kept in place by rainbow suspenders with tiny black pumpkins on them. His fringe had been combed back and temporarily dyed pink, while Wilford had applied his makeup wizardry to give Dark a bit more colour to his face, complete with cartoony rosy cheeks.

"I'm bein' good! But before I forget - selfie!" He dumped the bowl on the table so he could yank out his phone, tug Dark over, and snap some photos. Only the best photo could be shown to Dark.

"We look ridiculous," snorted Dark.

"Only goes ta show we look good even if swapped! This was a great idea, sugar!" Wilford kissed Dark on the temple and resumed his task for a full second until-

"Wait. Where are th' kids?" Dark rolled his eyes.

"In the kitchen. They're minding the pumpkin carving table - Will, we don't have time for messing around!" Dark slammed the paper cups on the table so he could chase after Wilford.

Sure enough, the kitchen table was covered in an old tablecloth and newspaper, ready for carving. The tools were nearly laid out beside some large scooping bowls. And at the top of the table sat a carved pumpkin and a carved turnip. Interestingly, they were both adorned with knitted hats. The pumpkin had a turnip hat, and the turnip had a pumpkin hat.

"Trucy!" Wilford scooped up the turnip and kissed the side of it. "Yer way too young ta be near all these knives! Yer big brother Percy can handle supervision!"

"You just want to carry it around with you, don't you?"

"... Yes." Wilford held the costumed turnip close to him while giving Dark the best pleading eyes he could muster.

"Alright, alright. You're going to be an awful parent when we decide to expand our family if you're going to have such obvious favouritism."

"Huuusssh.” A pause. “Wait, what was that 'bout wanting ta -"

A loud, ear piercing shriek boomed through the house.

"Ah, this must be our trick-or-treaters. Will, be a dear and open the door for them."

"Wait, but I wanna check what -" It was too late as Dark pushed Wilford out of the kitchen, grateful that all the colourful makeup hid the blush that he could feel warming his face.

-

"TRICK OR TREAT!!"

Wilford opened the door to Yandere and New Jim. He was surprised to see that not only was their costumes themed, but it wasn't anime inspired. Instead, it was Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf.

"Look atcha! Yer both so stinkin' cool!" The teenagers swapped proud grins at each other. "I didn't think anyone would manage ta get Yan-Yan into a fairytale outfit.”

"It's not just a fairytale outfit, Wilfy-Wilf!" A bloody prop knife was pulled out of Yan's basket and brandished at New Jim. "This is the version of the story where Little Red Riding Hood's mom gave her a knife to defend herself against strangers!" Sure enough, New Jim's costume included bloody bandages wrapped around his left arm.

"And though the wolf was powerful, even he could not best the cold iron…. Was that right, uncle?" New Jim's training had paid off. The brief narration voice was flawless.

"The Host does share affirmation that the Youngest Jim's vocal presentation was perfect. However, he does question why Jim insists on calling him 'uncle'." Host stepped into view with a smirk. Wilford's face lit up, until it dropped in thought.

"Wait. If yer mindin' these two, then who is with King of -"

"GRRRR!" A tiny, red blur leapt off Jim's shoulder and aimed straight for Wilford's face. The reporter staggered back to the laughter of the teens as he blindly flailed his hand over his face until he caught the target by the scruff of the neck.

"There's my favourite itty-bitty rascal!" Wilford kept the red squirrel at eye level as he booked the tiny nose with his finger. Are ya a little wolfman too?"

"The Host corrects Wilford, explaining that King has opted to be a 'weresquirrel' - human by day, squirrel by night. It was mainly an excuse to obtain a shirt that matched Jim's that King could rip up and wear." King, in response, chirped as he wriggled out of Wilford's grip and scrambled onto his shoulder.

"Dark is gonna love yer costumes - except fer Host. Why didn't ya dress up? An' ya used th' blind excuse last year."

"The Host is in costume. He is the storyteller for this fairytale. He even has a fairytale book complete with edits." Wilford scowled, but it was enough to let it slide and allow the group entry after giving the teenagers candy and King some peanuts.

-

The other egos and staff members gradually arrived after that. They had all agreed to the simple request of wearing a costume (except Google, who claimed that he was 'a human dressed up as a Google bot'). The only ones missing were Yancy and Illinois, but it didn’t stop Wilford. He had gathered everyone into the living room that had been plunged into darkness and, using Trucy as both a prop and a source of light, began telling the other egos the story of where Hallowe’en came from. It wasn’t in the same tone of voice Wilford used for storytelling, and Dark quickly realised it was Wilford impersonating him. He couldn’t decide whether to be offended or flattered, but a knock on the door was an excuse to distract him from that.

“Hey, sorry we’re late. Mister ‘I’m so Perfect’ wanted to fix his stupid fucking wig,” Yancy blurted as Dark opened the door. They were dressed as Bigfoot and the Lagoon Monster… Except Yancy was the Lagoon Monster, and Illinois was Bigfoot.

“If I had to be a ridiculous pile of fur, then I may as well look good.” Illinois elbowed Yancy before switching his attention to Dark. “We’re sorry for the other day. We got carried away with a topic that caused upset. It was reckless of us and we should know better.” He even took off his hat so he could give a proper apologetic bow. Yancy seemed bemused, until he realised he should probably do something similar.

“Yeah. Sorry, boss. That was pretty shitty of us.” 

“It’s alright. It shouldn’t be something that troubles me. I’m trying to improve on that. However, I need to ask: does this mean you two are going to fight in the back garden?” Dark raised an eyebrow, and it was enough to break the tension and bring smiles of relief to all three faces.

-

While there was no fight between Bigfoot and the Lagoon Monster, the pair were the source of an entertaining bickering during a game of Pictionary. Wilford couldn’t even remember how drawing ‘apple bobbing’ turned into them bickering about ducks, but there they were. Dark and Wilford had declined to take part, opting to stay on the couch. Dark rested his head against Wilford’s shoulder, one hand in his as he watched the chaos unfold - apparently the bots had decided to fuel the fire and share misinformation.

“You know… I’m glad we agreed to do this. I thoroughly enjoyed tonight.” Dark’s murmuring was drowned out by the shouting to all but Wilford. In return, Wilford squeezed his hand.

“Happy Hallowe’en, Darkling.”

“Happy Hallowe’en, dear.”

[wthcew]

JayTim, flirting, falling in love and cuddles and JJ Tim who gor adopted by Harley and Ivy pretty please??

Sweetie, you just jumped on my train of JJ fics, I hope you don't mind that I added a little bit of smut

I'm so sorry it took me that long to write it, I hope you like it!

_____________________________________________

30 days

_____________________________________________

The first time he heard about it he was under the ground. He felt like he was choking, his helmet somewhere unknown and with it his communication with Oracle. He isn't talking to B (not after he chose the fucking Joker over him) but he does help Nightwing sometimes, and oh, did he wished right now that he would have never let Dick in his safehouse.

Nightwing and Red Hood were about to bust a drag ring, but the thing is, it was an ambush, so now they're both under ground, Hood's leg impaled to the ground by an iron pillar from one of the walls that exploded and that they're buried under, his helmet in an unknown place and 'wing trying to call for help.

Jason tried to slow his breath but being under ground is bringing back bad memories (He can't breathe, he's locked, and all he want right now is his dad-) of being six feet under and he's hysterical- because everything is hurting and broken and half his face are burned and he can't breathe so please, please he just want his dad, "please dad come save me"-

He's so gone into his mind, letting his panic control him that he's flinching away when Dick touching his shoulder, but it's pulling him out of his head (and just when did the tears started to spill out of his eyes?), and Dick is looking at him, the whites lenses of his domino mask are gone and instead Jason's getting those blue eyes that are full with concern.

"It's okay Jay" Dick smiled at him, a small smile that somehow made Jason believe that it's okay. "B and baby bat are on their way right now," Dick's hand found Jason's and he squeezed it in reassuring. Jason returned the squeeze. "We will be fine"

...

"Did someone ever told you about the kid who almost killed Joker?" Dick asked after couple minutes of silence, when Jason's breath is under control and he isn't so much as hysterical as he was couple of minutes before.

Jay turned his head to Dick, "No" his voice was hoarse, too hoarse for his own ears but Dick didn't seems to mind, he just nodded his head and smiled softly at him.

"He was thirteen years old back then, Joker took him, when Babs still was Batgirl" And at that moment Dick's comn beeped and after five minutes they were out of the ground, Bruce and Damian next to Dick, checking if he's fine while Jason took his helmet, the hole in his leg isn't that bad and when Dick looking at him the Red Hood already swing away.

_____________________________________________

The second time he heard about it was because he wanted to, he was curious and he wanted to know what happened to the kid, what made a thirteen years old kid almost kill the Joker.

So, he was on his couch, his leg bandaged and a cup of hot tea on the coffe table, his laptop open and working and the reading lamp's orange light made his shadow look like some villain from kids cartoon.

It's hard to find anything about it but he is (A bat) Red Hood, if he wants to he'll find out what happened back then. And he want to.

So Jason cracked his fingers and started to work.

The seconds became to minutes that became to hours of work and clicking on his keyboard, it's hard to find anything because apparently this whole story is shushed and all Jason gathered until now came from a video of the news report and all they said there was that Joker broke out of Arkham and decided he wanted a son, kidnapped some unlucky kid and deleted the boy's personality with electrical shocks until he becamed Joker Junior, and then he kept torturing the kid until the Batman and Batgirl found the kid, broken minded and holding a gun to Joker's head.

It was quite the story, but Jason didn't know what happened later, who the kid was or what happened to him.

But he will, just to know if the kid's okay. Or to ask why he hadn't pulled the trigger..

So he kept digging, looking for anything that may conect to the story. And that's how Jason found himself reading article about Jack and Jent Drake disowning their only child Tim Drake. The kid was only thirteen back then, and all he took before he took off from the face of earth was a stuffed Kola and a camra.

And it may be his curiosity about this because he don't remember the kid and apparently they were neighbors or the JJ thing but he knows that he'll find Tim Drake.

_____________________________________________

Jent Drake died two years after she disowned Tim in a car crash, her husband got depressed and started looking for Tim to reown him but then he met Dana Winters.

There was some love story there that Jason wasn't really that interested in reading but in the end they married and left Gotham, never coming back. And the most annoying thing is, that Tim was never found.

But he did found out that there was some kid that helped Harley and Ivy sometimes, he had a faded red hoodie and faded green jeans.

The hoodie's hat always hiding his face and from the little Jason saw, his skin was more white than normal human skin.

Jason couldn't find a lot of photos of the kid but he did find one of Harley hugging the kid.

Jason looked at the photo, it was fuve years old, when Tim desperate and all the JJ thing happened. The way he held himself was familiar to Jason, something deep in his mind, memories that he couldn't remember, but it was there, and Jason knows that this Tim kid is JJ who is also somehow Harley's kid.

_____________________________________________

"I need your help"

"Oh that's nice, what aby 'hey Babs, how was your day? Did Dick pissed you off and going to sleep on the couch tonight? Can you please help me with this thing?'"

Jason smiled, shifting the phone that was pressed against his ear "What did Dick did?"

"He was a dick"

"How was your day?"

"What did you wanted help with Jay?"

"Clown boy"

"Hmm?"

"Joker Junior"

A sharp breath "What about him?"

"You know who he is?"

"We found him after he took a dip in the acid, and he was dressed like the Joker, too much make up, green hair, purple suit, couldn't recognise him"

"But you know don't you?"

"Batman doesn't know"

"Well you're Oracle not Batman. It's simple question O, you know? Yes or no?"

"I know"

"I think I know too"

"Who do you think it is?"

"Tim Drake"

"..Yes it's him"

"Why didn't you told Bruce?

"He's a good kid"

"He's with Harley now"

"Tim isn't bad"

"Babs, if he's Joker Junior and he's with Harley he can't be that good"

"Jay, Harley and Ivy gave me the tip to find him and Harley took him in after his parents disowned him, he may be stilling sometimes or helping Harley and Ivy but he is good"

"You kept tabs on him?"

"He's smart, he may have lost a lot of his memories because of the Joker and he is crazy but he have support"

"Does Bruce know you're helping hiding him?"

"No, and he wouldn't. Not until Tim decided that it's fine"

"You're in contact?"

"We're just talking, I'm sending him puzels and riddles and it's helping him keep clean mind"

"Can I talk to him?"

"I can't tell you where he is but I also can't stop you from doing this"

"Thank you Babs"

"Not a problem Jaybird"

_____________________________________________

It was a week later that Jason walked into a small unnoticed coffee shop.

The design of the place gave him a feeling of happiness, like it was some kind of home.

He looked through everyone there, couple next to the window, three old ladies sitting in a table for four, chatting and laughing, couple of collage students sitting with something to eat and something warm to drink and typing on their laptops, and on the farthest side of the coffee shop, in a table for two, sat a teen, his hands paler than any human skin, his long hair hiding his face, a coffee cup in front of him and his legs shacking.

"Hello! Can I help you?" A cheerful voice called from the cashier desk, he put on a smile on his face and turned to see a black haired girl, with a big smile on her face.

"Yeah, do you have Eral Gray?"

"We do! Anything else with this?"

"No, thank you"

"Okay, just a minute"

When he got his cup he paid the girl murmuring a "Thank you" and walking to Tim.

When he sat down in front of the teen, icy blue eyes looked at his face, and his breath hitched when he saw the little cuts on at each end of his mouth, creating a smile.

"Hey" Jason said, smiling at Tim.

"Hey.." Tim's voice almost didn't reached his ears and Jason's smile grew wider when Tim smiled at him. A shy little amazing smile.

"I'm Jason"

"T-Tim"

"Nice to meet you"

"Why are you here?"

"I wanted tea"

"You aren't scared?" Tim's eyes looked a bit insane when he said the last word, his smile grew wider and he leaned closer to the table. The cuts on his face and his pale skin made him look like Joker but there was also something else there, something in his eyes that said 'Pleas don't be scared' and Jason swallowed and forced his nerves to calm down.

"No, you actually seems nice"

Tim blinked once.

Twice.

And then his smile became nicer, less dangerous and more shy. He relaxed and took a sip from his coffee.

Jason smiled, sipping from his own cup while making a note in his head to be careful with this one.

They drank a couple more cups together, chatting about nothing in particular and when Tim excused himself and left, Jason found a paper next to the cup.

He opened it because of his dammed curiosity and bis breath hitched.

'Ha ha ha'

_____________________________________________

It was in the middle of the night, the streets lamps flickered on and off every couple of seconds, and the stars were hidden in the sky, behind the clouds.

His parents just left the town. Without telling him. Again. And it's fine, he can't be mad at his parents for leaving him -he is, like his mother says, rotten child- all the time.

But sometimes he wonders if he'll ever be good enough for them to stay. If he'll ever be good enough so his mother wouldn't need to hiss his name through clench teeth and his father to hit him.

Maybe he would never be good enough..

In those nights when he wonders about it, he goes to a walk. It's always makes him calm and shuts his mind down. It's leaving him with the feeling of wholenesses, like some how the wind that hit his body in cold sharp hit is welcoming, or the cold of the night is like his stuffed Kola -the one he got from Bruce Wayne In a gala that his parents hosted when he was four and since then he hides it from his parents and hugging it when he need comfort- or like the silence out here is better than the silence inside the empty house.

And maybe, just maybe hr would see his heros.

And as Tim kept walking he could barely hear this cursed laugh, followed by the soft like song-

Mary had a little lamb

Little lamb, little lamb

Mary had a little lamb...

"Cutie pie?" His mama's voice rang, it was muffled but it was still there. "I'm hearing laughing, it's a good joke?"

A knock on his door "Sweetheart?" His laugh grew and his eyes burned, tears dropping from his eyes.

"Timmy?"

He hugged his legs to his chest, laughing and crying and this song is stuck in his head and he can't stop it and-

"Mary had a little lamb"

Mama's hands are around him, hugging him and petting his hair "Shhh shh shh, everything's fine baby, I'm here"

He can't breathe and the song is on full volume in his head but mama's here and mama is safety, she's safety. He's safe. Safe

_____________________________________________

"What the hell were you thinking?" Oracle's voice rang through the comn in his helmet.

"You need to be more specific than that O"

"Tim blocked me, Selina is mad at Bruce because one of his kids hurt her niece, Harley and Tim are nowhere to be found and Selina and Ivy are planning something"

"I didn't hurt Tim and I don't know why you told ma all the other stuff"

"Hood, Tim's smart, maybe too much smart but his mind is broken, he's crazy and genius"

"Okay and..?"

"He wants to go -and I’m quoting him- Boom he always wanted everyone to know that he's Harley's kid, and I always made him take more time, think about it more the fact that he blocked me means that I can't tell him to sit back anymore"

"You can remove it though"

"I did, and he just throw his phone away"

"So I broke him?"

"No, Joker broke him you just set him off"

"Shit"

"Yes. Shit"

_____________________________________________

"Wohhooo" Was shout out to the sky as Tim set in shopping cart, Harley -in her rollerblades- holding the handles of the cart, and they're both 'driving' down a road, laughing.

The air hit Tim's face in the best way he could have ever imagined and he laughed so hard that his cheedk burned, and maybe he ripped his stiches oncr again today but he dosen't care.

He is happy. So, so happy, like he was with this hot guy in the coffee shop, before his meltdown.

But right now, right now it's all this.

His mama and him, having fun, his mom and aunty kitty somewhere doing her own thing and everything's okay.

He laughed again as they started to speed up, the wind throwing his hair in any direction possible.

After a few minutes they cane to a stop, his mama's smile is so loving and he hopes that his smile is loving as well.

"Come on sweetie, let's do it" Harley smiled as she gave him the lighter, he jumped out of the cart and lit the lighter, his eyes sparking as the fire started spreading.

Tim and Harley walked away because they're crazy not stupid.

There faces lit up as the fireworks blew and flew to the sky.

Harley hugged him from behind and he relaxed into his mama's touch, watching the fireworks becoming to words that are shining over Gotham's sky.

30 days

_____________________________________________

"Hey Hoodie" A cheerful voice called from behind him.

Red Hood turned around, a gun in his hand just to be met with Tim's lovely smile.

"Chill, chill" The teen said, holding his hands up "I'm not going to hurt you"

"What do you want?" Hood asked, lowering his gun.

"We have never met have we?" Tim said, his smile calm

"I don't think so"

"No, but I did met Robin"

"So you met the Demon"

Tim frowned "No. The second one."

"Don't know him"

"Red Hood can't meet Robin II"

"And why's that?"

"Robin II's dead, dad killed him" Tim shock his head "I don't like dad, I liked Robin II and dad did it because it's funny. It's not!"

Tim looked so frustrated, his eyes big and he's looking at Jason like he hope that he would understand that and, something in Jason change, his face are softer under the helmet and-

"Okay Tim, I know you aren't the Joker."

"I didn't met *you* but we did met, I know Robin and I know Jason and now I know Red Hood?"

"You know who I am"

"No, no no no!" Tim looked him straight in the eyes, like he could see his face behind the helmet "You're Red Hood now, you were Robin and you always were Jason but now you Red Hood, I don't know Red Hood!"

"Okay, okay, relax, you don't know Red Hood, that's fine"

"I need to know Red Hood"

"Why?"

"Because I need Red Hood to help me"

"You need help?"

"Yes"

"Okay, but why Red Hood?"

"Because.. Ummm because- Because of Dad! I need Red Hood to help me kill dad"

To kill.. the Joker.

To kill the Joker.

The Joker dead.

'Yes'

"I would help you, Red Hood and Jason, okay?"

Tim nodded "Yeah, okay."

The sky started to glow and they both looked up, looking at fireworks that formed

29 days

_____________________________________________

It was so logical and simple that Jason almost laugh.

He sat next to Tim in some small safehouse, looking at Tim up and down as he was solving Sudoku.

They're waiting for the others to decide exactly who will go in and kill this son of a bitch and aho will make sure that everyone else will be present in that day.

They are waiting for Tim's small family, and Jason smiled at the thought of this family, he once had one and then he died and he was replaced by Stephanie Brown who is now Batgirl so they're fine now. But he doesn't have this family now, all he have are some blurred memories.

Tim let out a little "Yay" with a cute, small giggle that made Jason smile.

"Hey!" Tim suddenly said, looking at Jason with big eyes, Jason looked around him, trying to find something that would make Tim look panoco "What-"

"Are you hurt?" Tim's voice was soft and caring and Jasom heart might have skipped a beat, "No?"

"Than why do you have split lip and bruise on your jaw?"

"I've got into a fight, it's not serious" But Tim was there in seconds, his worry eyes looking at Jason's jaw and just wow- Jason swallowed the lump in his throat when Tim's slender finger touched his lip and-

"I've the best thing to help!" Tim pulled away and his finger caressed Jason's lip in a way that made Jason hold his breath.

And in the next moment Tim putted a chocolate bar in his hand, smiling at him "It help!" He said and Jason huffed a laugh, mentally shacking his head.

"Thanks Timmy" Jason said an smile on his face, opening the chocolate and cutting a line.

It was milk chocolate with pop candy and it was amazing, Jason hummed as he ate it, looking at Tim solving a new sudoku.

After the meeting (if it even can be called that) Jason took the rest of the chocolate bar, just to have something sweet after patrol tonight.

_____________________________________________

Jason stripped from his Red Hood gear, stretching his hands out and poping his back.

He took a quick shower and pulled on a sweat pants and grey hoodie from the deep of his closest 'Maybe it's time to do the laundry'.

Jason smiled as the sky were lit in 25 Days and turned the lamp off.

His lip tickled as some kind of reminder that Tim touched him there, he looked so worried and that just warmed Jason's heart.

And that amazing chocolate- maybe he will have to get hurt more just to have it.

He closed hid eyes, ready to fall asleep and then it hit him-

Oh.

Oh.

Oh shit.

He- he have a crush.

_____________________________________________

The sun was in the middle of the sky when Jason woke up, blinking into the darkness because the blinds are close.

He groaned as he stretched his body, still in the bed under the warmth of the fluffy blanket. The sleepiness still has her claws clutching on him and made Jason wonder why the hell his bed isn't as comfy whenever he's trying to sleep but is when he tries to wake up.

He almost fell asleep again, but the *Bam! Bam! Bam!* on his door made him jolt up from the bed, the gun that he hides between the mattress and the bed in his hand, walking to the living room without making a sound, looking through the peep hole.

He huffed in relief, opening the door looking at Dick who smiled at him. "You woke me up you asshole"

"Sorry little wing" But Dick didn't sounded sorry at all and that just made him groan.

Jason followed Dick to the kitchen after Dick let himself in, the door closing behind them.

"What are you doing here?"

"I can't visit my little brother?"

"Not your brother" Jason turned around to the pantry to take out a tea bag just when Dick flinched from the words as if they're physically harming him.

"You're my brother, even if you don't see it like that"

"Dick."

"No! You're my brother, I count you as my brother" Dick snap and Jason would lie if he said that that didn't touched his heart, even if it's not true because in the end Dick have his new little brother and also a sister and it's really is fine that Jason isn't part of his family. It is.

So he didn't reply to it, just let Dick think what he wants to. "Do you want to tell me why you actually came or what?" He asked as he started to boil water.

"I wanted to talk to you"

"About?"

"You said you'd this case, how's it going?"

Jason took the teapot off the gas, pouring the hot water to his glass, "I didn't told anyone that I've a case"

"Well no but Babs told me"

"Babs don't know, and she would have asked if she wanted to know" Jason took a sip from his cup and turned around to glare at the older man "What it really is about?"

"Bruce saw you with Harley and Ivy and their kid and he wants to know what you all doing"

Jason saw red for a moment and them took a calming breath, a long sip from his tea and walked his way toward the island, putting his mug down and glaring at his so called brother.

"So you're here on a mission?" His voice was cold and full with venom.

"N-no!"

Jason raised an eyebrow "You just said it"

"I don't care what B wanted, I came for my brother"

"Damian isn't here"

"Jason!"

"What? You want me to say that you didn't came because Bruce said something on me? You don't want to know what I'm doing with Harley, Ivy and their kid? Ah? That's what you're telling me?"

"I-"

"Ha! And you just said we're brothers!"

"We are Jason"

"No! You have your own little family, I'm not part of it, never was!"

"You are! You always were and you always will be!"

And at that moment Jason saw green, throwing his mug down on the island, the shatterd flew everywhere and the hot water started to drip down to the floor.

And as a last resort Dick yelled "TIM DRAKE!"

It made Jason blink, and look at Dick, "What did you just said?"

"Tim Drake, it's this boy Joker kidnapped, Harley and Ivy's kid"

"How do you know this?"

"Well, family of detectives and all"

"What do you want?"

"Is he threating you?"

"What? No!"

"Jay, you can tell me the truth"

"Oh I can?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Okay so fuck off"

"Wh-what?"

"The truth is that I want you to fuck off and don't ever come back. Bye."

"..Jay.."

"I'll throw you out of the window"

"Okay, okay. But.."

"Go!" _____________________________________________

Tim sat on an air conditioner motor that was on the roof of a building, his legs tangling down, one shoe red with zigzag lines on it and the other one yellow with glitters. His pants in a fading green colour and a black-blue t-shirt. And Jason just looked, glad that his helmet hiding his face as a stupid smile crossed his face.

"Hoodie hood!" Tim's cheerful voice made Jason's smile wider, and Tim pushed himself of the air conditioner motor, when his feet touched the roof his yellow shoe started to sparkle with light, like little kids shoes.

"Hey clown kid" Tim smiled, something sweet and beautiful that made butterflies fly in Jason's belly.

"I don't like this helmet today" Tim said, his hands touching lightly at the sides of the red helmet.

"And why's that?"

"I can't see your hair. I love your hair!"

Jason smiled, Tim was just... just.

"Thanks baby clown, I love your hair too"

"Baby clown?"

"Yup"

"I like it"

"Good"

Tim took Jason's hand in his and started walking them to the air conditioner motor.

They both sat down, Tim's hands now in his lap and Jason opened his helmet, setting it next to him.

Tim looked at him, his blue icy eyes glinted and a small smile on his face. Jason looked right back at him, the blue-green eyes looking like some amazing place that kids are being told about in fairy tales.

Jason don't know who moved first, or what exactly happened. All he knows is that Tim is sitting in his lap, Tim's hands in his hair and Jason hugging him close. There mouths pressing against each other's. Tim's mouth have this amazing chocolate taste, a hint of coffee and Tim.

In the dark sky above of them, the fireworks draw the 18 days.

_____________________________________________

Jason is happy. Like really truly happy. He couldn't stop smiling this stupid love sick smile since the kiss.

He met Tim every patrol and those small kiss were the best, 10/10 would definitely do again.

Tim's cute and smart and he seems to really like Jason which is amazing because Jason really like him too.

None of the Bats came to annoy him, and everything is just amazing. For once in his life everything is just good.

His grapple gun shot to the next building and the cold wind never felt better. As Red Hood's boots hit the roof a "Hey there, love bird" greeted him.

"Cat," He called back, doing a small '*hi*' with his hand "'sup?"

"We need to talk"

"About?"

"Tim"

Jason sat next to her, his legs tangling down from the roof, "You here to give me the talk?"

"Not the talk you think about, I'll that to his moms"

"Then what talk?"

"Are you serious with him?"

"For now.. for now yes" he said with a bit hesitation.

Selina nodded "That's good for me"

"Thank you?"

"You're welcome sweetie, anyway you nrrd to be careful with Timmy"

"I know that, I wasn't born yesterday Cat"

She huffed a laugh, "Oh I know that sweetie, but you still need to know about Tim's past"

"Isn't he supposed to tell me about it? In his own time?"

"He will, I'm going to tell you only things that he won't because it's a trigger for him"

"The torture?"

"Yes, the torture, and what lead to his kidnapping, and it'll give you an idea yo what his parents were like"

Jason looked at her in the eyes, seriousness burns in them. "Okay, let's hear the story" _____________________________________________

His parents left again, it has been hours since the screaming stopped, his cheeks were wet from tears and his eyes red.

He was hiding in the closet, his hands holding his stuffed Kola close, his left arm is numb except for the cut on it, but it's a small cut and he deserved it. He isn't supposed to talk back to his father.

The dry blood on his arm itched and he needs to treat the cut, but he don't want to move. The closest is a safe place because mother and father can't get in.

New tears slipping down his face and he hugs the Kola tighter.

_____________________________________________

When Tim woke up his neck hurt and his left arm felt like a million fire ants stung her.

He opened the closest door, stumbling out of there holding the Kola in one hand, dropping it on his bed and walking to the bathroom, pulling the first aid kit from under the sink, treating his wound with a hiss of pain.

A quick glance out of the window and he knows it's in the middle of the night, and his parents were supposed to stay home for more couple of days but once again they just left the town. Without telling him. Again. And it's fine, he can't be mad at his parents for leaving him -he is, like his mother says, rotten child- all the time.

But he doesn't have something to do now, and his arm's fine, he can go out and see Batman, and maybe Robin too. Though Robin isn't around a lot now, maybe something happened... _____________________________________________

The streets lamps flickered on and off every couple of seconds, and the stars were hidden in the sky, behind the clouds.

The cold wind hit him merciless, but it just made him smile, he loves the winter. It always made him feel better with himself.

His camera clutched in his hands, his black stocking cap falling on his eyes every couple of minutes, and yes it may be annoying but it's also letting him something to do, because tonight he can't find Batman...

What the hour anyway? Maybe he's late and Batman's back in the cave...

And then he could hear it, some quiet voice singing.. Maybe a kid.. What if the kid need help?

"Hello?' he called out, moving closer to the voice, he can hear the words now.

"Mary had a little lamb Little lamb, little lamb Mary had a little lamb..." _____________________________________________

He cried out, pain strobes through all hid body, tears on his face and blood run down his chine and neck

This psycho laugh making him shiver and try to run away. This hateful song in the background..

And this voice.. "Come on Little Lamb, be a good son for little old me, and tell me. What's. Your. Name?"

"T-Tim"

He screamed as he got electriced again. _____________________________________________

He is shacking, scared out of his mind, tears rolling down his face. And it doesn't stop.

He can barely breathe, the electrical shock isn't stopping. And Tim is honest to God scared.

He don't know what's next to come, he can't actually believe it's happening and everything- everything hurt.

He can feel himself leaving his body, his heart- _____________________________________________

He woke up, everything is hurting again and the fucking Joker is looking at him, this psychotic smile on his face-

"Welcome back my Little Lamb"

-And this horrible song again

"Mary had a little lamb Little lamb, little lamb Mary had a little lamb..." _____________________________________________

"What's your name?"

"Tim!" _____________________________________________

"What's. Your. Name?"

"Ti-" _____________________________________________

"Your name?"

He don't even* know *anymore, and it's really frustrating... _____________________________________________

He is laughing. A manic good laugh. Happy laugh.

He's happy because he remembers who he is and it's funny- why did he forgot anyway?

"What's your name?"

"JJ!" _____________________________________________

He laughed as his dad cut his face open do he'll always smile. He laughed as dad throw him to the acid. He laughed as dad painted his hair.

He laughed and he laughed, and laughed and laughed-

But it's not funny anymore- dad isn't here and his hair is black... JJ scowled at the mirror, dad don't like his hair black. He like green. Yes, green hair and purple suit, and red- red, red, red blood. And it's funny- everything funny so hr laughs, but the mirror- The shattered glass flew everywhere and it's so funny that he can't stop laughing-

"Timothy!" Mother's standing by the door, she looks horrified.. it's not funny anymore- it's not-

He can't breathe, he stumbles backwards, tears rolling down his face and he. Can't. Stop. Laughing. _____________________________________________

One night he heard his mother and father talking. It's not fine, but what is fine anymore? He's finally Tim but he's also JJ and it's so confusing.

"I can't look at him anymore Jack, he is pathetic!"

"I know Janet, don't worry"

Tim chokes a whimper. _____________________________________________

The next week Ivy and Harley found Tim trying to drown himself and took him in... _____________________________________________

Jason took in a deep breath, his eyes wet and his heart ache for his little clown.

"It's..."

Catwoman gave him a small smile, "A lot? I know. Those are once of the memories Tim still have"

"I'm- I can't even-" Cat smiled at him and squeezed his shoulder.

The words 13 Days shined in the sky above them.

_____________________________________________

"Hood" Oracle's voice filled his helmet.

"O, how many times do I need to ask you not to hack my helmet?"

Oracle completely ignored him "How's Tim been?"

Jason swallow, he forgot that Babs is actually one of those people who really care about Tim (and him. Because Babs amazing).

"He's been good, happy" Just like Jason. It's like they feel the same thing. He can see Babs smile in his mind at that, like something changed in the weather just because of what he said, and it pulled a smile in his face.

"That's good, how are you?"

"Same as Tim"

And now he can hear her smile when she talks "I'm happy to hear that."

"How are you O? Does Dick head annoying you? 'cuz I can beat him if you need"

O snorted, "Two days sleeping on the sofa and he'll be begging for my forgiveness"

Jason laughed. And they kept talking about nothing for two more minutes, before Babe had to go.

And that's when Jason shot his grapple to another roof and went flying in the sky, the feeling of happiness all over his body.

But it all stopped when hr heard it.

It came straight out of his nightmares, something from his deepest fears.

This manic laugh. Joker's laugh.

And no just no. Thete's no way this stupid fucker got out again.

He dropped to the ground with a thud sound, looking for the fucker but instead seeing a group of teenagers, kicking someone on the ground.. someone who couldn't stop laughing like the Joker and his heart stopped beating for a second when he realised who it is.

A shot noise ripped through the air and the teens stopped, looking back at the red hood holding a gun at one of them.

All he needed to do wad to say "Go. Away" and the teens ran away, leaving Tim on the ground, hugging his legs to his chest, blood and tears mixed together on his face, and he couldn't breathe because the laughing wouldn't stop.

Jason hurried to him, helping him to sit up and uncurl himself, unable to look over Tim's face since he wouldn't let him.

"Tim, sweetie, my baby clown," Jason kissed his cheek, hugging him close to him "It's me, remember? Red Hood"

And at that Tim's head moved, looking up at him. Eyes full of tears and his face twitched in this manic smile, blood dripping down from the now open cuts in his chicks to his chin.

"Timmy babe, can you hear me?" He received a small and hesitate nod that he took as yes.

"Can you give me your hands?" He asked, showing Tim his gloved hands. The smaller man put his hands in his, feeling the fabric.

Tim relaxed, his eyes fixed on the red helmet, the tears stopped rolling down his face.

The laughing quiet down a bit, but still were there.

"You remember me, right? We are friends, hell I'm hoping even more than friends"

Tim nodded, but Jason wasn't sure what he was agreeing with so he just kept talking.

"We have this amazing plan, because you are my little smarty boy right?"

Tim could take in a breath and that was good, he wasn't laughing anymore but he also didn't talk exactly, just watched Jason and every couple of seconds squeezed one of his hands (never the both of them together for some reason).

"Hell I even kissed you that night and it was the greatest thing in the whole world baby clown"

"No." Tim's tiny voice waved on the air.

"Hah?" If Tim didn't like Jason like that... It would be ok, he will be heart breaked for a few days but he would be fine at the end... Somehow.

"I kissed you" Tim said, looking at him with this witty little smile that Jason grew to love so much.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah" a small smile tug on Jason's lips, and their lips met. It was amazing just like the first time they kissed, and it sent sparkles down Jason's body.

And after a minute he let go, both of them taking deep breath.

"Come on baby clown, let's go to my home"

Tim took his hand and he pulled him up, hugging the smaller man.

The words 7 Days exploded in the sky exactly when they reached Jason's apartment.

_____________________________________________ 

Waking up with Tim by his side is amazing.

The smaller man was curled next to him, a hand clutching at the fabric of his shirt. The long black hair messed up but still so beautiful. Tim's face relaxed, a samll smile on his face.

Last night Jason gave him one of his own shirts, and the younger basically swam in the white shirt.

Jason looked at the paler than normal skin that was now available. It was in the same colour of the shirt.

He pulled Tim closer to him, kissing the beautiful man's forehead and closing his eyes.

Immediately going back to the welcoming blackness of sweat dreamless sleep. _____________________________________________

The next time he woke up was because Tim wasn't next to him.

Jason didn't know exactly why he woke up because of that, but the moment Tim's weight left his body his eyes snapped open, meating beautiful blue eyes.

Tim smiled at him, a sleepy smile. His hair a whole lot of mess and Jason's heart beated faster as he smiled back.

The sun was already in the middle of the sky and the clock on the wall said it was already one A.M.

"Mornin' Jay" Tim whispered.

"Morning baby clown" _____________________________________________

They ate together, silence surrounding them in the most comfortable way.

Jason couldn't exactly point it out but something about Tim made him.... just feel whole. Like he didn't felt since he woke up six feet deep.

Both of them were in Jason clothes and Jason found out that for some unknown reason, white looked better at pale skin.

And Tim.. Tim was the most beautiful human he saw. His blue eyes, his black long hair, and this perfect smile. Jason started asking what he fucking did right to get this angel. _____________________________________________

He didn't knew how it happened but Tim's hot wet mouth was on him and he was practically in heaven.

His hands gripped the black hair and pulled slightly, making Tim moan and himself gasping as the moans vibrate on him.

He was definitely in heaven and this angel between his legs was the most perfect thing to ever happen to him.

"Oh God" he said and moaned Tim's name, his legs shacking.

"Tim I'm about to-" and with that he came down Tim's throat, the angel swallowed it and looked him in the eyes, giving him this beautiful smile. And well, Jason might die happy this time around. _____________________________________________

This night he hugged Tim closed to him, the smaller man hugging him back.

Outside the words 6 Days colored the black sky with pink, green and yellow.

_____________________________________________

It was simple. Very simple, and Jason did it already so why the hell is he freaking out?

Harley and Ivy started a riot somewhere in the city while Catwoman helped them in Arkham and said that she's going to take care of the security. So from there they were alone.

And it wasn't like he didn't knew the plane by heart, it's just that it really is happening. He's going to kill the Joker. They're going to kill the Joker.

And it's not a dream. The mother fucking clown is going to laugh for the last time. _____________________________________________

Each floor has a minimum of two guards, thanks to Killer Croc Arkham was down six guards, so floors 1-3 only had one guard each during the day (Because Gotham’s criminals are all geniuses and think that night is the best time for a breakout).

So doubling up only happened at night on these floors until the guards either recovered or replacements were vetted and hired.

Floors 4-5 had double guards at all times and floor 6 was more storage and extra holding cells than anything else right now.

Thanks to Harley and Ivy's riot there weren't a lot of guards where they were, everyone waiting to catch the two. Catwoman didn't lied about helping them from afar as every door opened to them without problems. _____________________________________________

The elevator doors opened at the fourth floor, Jason noted that there weren't any guards around, wondering what Catwoman did as he heard the muffled noise of an alarm from the floor above them.

Jason walked to the guard station and peeked in to see two men slumped over and unconscious. From the looks of it they have been knocked out, 'help from afar ha?' he thought to himself, smiling a little. Looking over at Tim, the little clown being too quite for so long, the teen smiled, his skin somehow more pale than normal, and his gun at hand. Jason nodded to him and Tim did the peace sign.

They followed a hallway around behind the booth and came up on a large metal door. They waited couple of seconds and the door opened, revealing another hallway with another large metal door several yards down. There were three such doors in their's way and each one opened and closed behind them, making them closer and closer to the goal.

Jason paused and took a deep breath before the final door. This is it. This stupid clown is as good as dead. The door opened.

And there was the Joker, laying on a thin metal like bed that was bolted to the wall.

All that stood between them and the Joker was a wall of bulletproof wall with several inches thick with small round air holes cut evenly to allow air to flow into the (if it could even be called that) room.

The Joker slowly rolled off the bed when he saw them, and came to stand in front of the clear wall, a sick smile on his face. “Well, well, well, what have we here? Visitors? Oh, I know you!" He said as he looked at Tim, his grin getting wider "You're my little lamb. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!”

Jason's heart started to beat faster, looking at Tim's hand gripping the gun so tight that his fingers turned whiter than usual.

"I'm not" Tim said, his voice quite.

"What did you said little lamb? Talk louder for papa"

Tim smiled, a small smile that made Jason question if he's going to follow the plan or not.

And of he really think about it, he was never told about this part of the plan... How will they kill the Joker?

"JJ?"

"I'm not a fucking lamb you old fucker" Tim said and shoot.

[whitechrysanthemumsandlilies]

Dean had been watching Cas toss and turn in the starched motel bed sheets for coming up an hour now.

It had become almost routine over the past week- spend the day researching, wander the town looking for a new cusuine for Cas to try, come back to the motel, and watch him try and evade his nightmares until the early hours.

Dean supposed it had something to do with his new-found humanity- the gravity of the choice Cas had made weighed heavily on him, Dean could tell, and the nights were the worst. As for Dean's sudden protective instinct over the former angel? That he couldn't so easily explain, but he'd wager it had something to do with the ever increasing tension between them as they worked this case, and the growing list of almost-encounters they'd had navigating their new shared rhythm of life on the road.

He would watch as Cas would shift from one side to the next, screwing up his eyes with a sigh against the slow lightening of the morning light, before his bright blue eyes would finally flutter closed, and Dean could rest.

Tonight though, was different. Cas had been restless since they had gotten back from scoping out the hospital, and what little sleep he had gotten between his routine shifts and turns was frequently interrupted- his eyes darting open as a hash gasp was ripped from his throat, the remnants of his waking nightmares dissapaiting.

The clock was turning almost 02:00am when it happened, and Cas had been staring glassy eyed at the ceiling for a worrying length of time, stock still. Dean, squinting to see his face through the dark of the room, was sure he saw a tear beginning to form in the man's eyes, and was just about to call his name, when a bolt of lightning struck through the sky, illuminating the room and nearly blinding him.

Through his closed eyes, Dean heard Cas bolt upright in bed- and Dean gave his best effort at looking unconscious so as not to give himself away.

Five minutes passed of just the rain beating against the thin window before he heard movement. Eyes still closed, he listened closely as Cas rose from the bed, tip-toed to the door, pulled on his shoes, and slipped out of the door.

Dean tried to talk himself down, he really did. He told himself that Cas was a soldier, a trainee-hunter, a former agent of the lord, and that he wasn't going to come into any harm stood outside of a shitty motel in the ass-crack of Illinois...It was no use. He rose from his own bed, quickly shoved on his shoes, shrugged on his leather jacket, and followed Cas out the door.

After blindly stumbling forward, collar turned up against the wind whipping through the exposed pillars of yelowed concrete, Dean saw him, and all at once- the breath left his lungs.

Cas was stood in the open clearing outside their ground floor room, arms outstretched and face turned up against the rain- his eyes alight, and a wild smile had formed on his face. If he was capable of it, Dean might have laughed- he looked biblical.

Making his way slowly towards Cas, his eyes never leaving his friend's face, Dean found himself stood parallel with him.

Neither spoke, until Cas, lit intermittently by the harsh white light of the lightning and wild eyes still pointed towards the heavens, began-

"Millienia ago, before humans walked the Earth, and God became-" he gestured limply towards the world with his outstretched hand "-this, the angels were allowed to freely roam the growing planet."

Cas's voice had took on a wistful, rumbling quality- just audible above the rolls of thunder shaking the atmosphere around them.

"We were encouraged to marvel at God's wonders- we were to feel, live, breathe the Earth as, one day, humans would. To understand them."

Dean could hardly breathe, each cell of his body alight as he stood, transfixed, watching the streams of rain water tumble down the veins of Cas' neck and down his chest- hypotised by the power the ex-angel radiated as he preached in recollection.

"I remember I was stood, on the edge of the first lake to ever be filled, and I watched as the skies opened- watched as the rain poured onto the barren Earth and thunder shook the heavens, marvelled at the significance of it. In that moment, for the first time, I felt Faith. I knew from then on, I would serve."

Dean, having found his voice, managed to splutter out-

"Cas?", growing desperate for Cas to turn his eyes to him. But Cas was not to be stopped, in full thrall of it now he continued-

"In time, the angels forgot- forgot what it was to feel, to love. As God's power and corruption grew, faith was replaced with servitude." A stranged sound, halfway between a laugh and a sob, came from Cas' throat "I forgot too."

At long last, Cas turned his eyes towards Dean, and he felt himself rooted in place- pulled to the cadence of Cas' voice like a moth to a flame. There was a look in Cas' bright eyes that he had seen more and more over the past week- Longing, Lust, Love-

"When I first touched your soul in hell, I felt it then. For the first time in the longest time, I felt the power of God, of storms, of Earth- I didnt recognise it then, but from that moment Dean, I would follow you. I would follow you into battle, I would fight for you-" again, the strange, strangled sound fell from Cas' lips "-I would fall for you."

The water cascading down his hair, flattening it to his forehead, had made a mirage of Cas' face, but even through that there was no mistaking the next emotion he met Dean with- Want.

They were close now, close enough now that Dean could feel Cas' rapid and ragged breath fanning across his face, hear the pounding of his heart over the belts of thunder still tearing through the sky- 

"I think...that is what it would feel like- to kiss you."

No questioning now, Dean breathed "Cas...", his own want pulling his eyes towards Cas' chapped lips.

"I'm not Divine anymore Dean, but do you think I could be worthy of that? Of you?"

Beyond words, Dean made his reply by closing the gap between them- drawn like a magnet to Cas's lips, his neck, his chest.

Before he knew it, he was tugging Cas past the shelter of the sand-yellow corridor and into their room. Pushing him down on the crumpled double bed, Dean set about his task- he would attest to the miracle of the man before him in the only way he knew how, not with words, but with acts.

Starting at the base of Cas's hipbone, he kissed his adoration into the cold of Cas's mortal flesh, left trails of reveration marked into his skin as he dragged his fingers up and across his taught chest. He felt Cas' breath hitch as a drank the rainwater collecting in his clavicle like sweet wine, and heard his soft moan as he whispered, like a prayer, into his ear-

"May I?"

Cas nodded his reply. Dean slid off of him and knelt in worship before his now bare thighs in the dark of the silent room. Raising his eyes to meet Cas' hooded ones, Dean spoke-

"You're still divine to me, Castiel"

With that, he sank his mouth to Cas, and let the result of his supplication join the symphony of rain and thunder still pounding around them.

.........

When they rose the next day, still soaked to the bone, Cas' eyes were lighter than Dean had seen them in months- like the atmospheric release that comes after a summer squall.

Dean kissed him intermittently throughout the morning- as he passed him a coffee in his, their, bed, as he lathered shampoo into his hair in the shower, as he tugged an extra shirt and hat around Cas' frame to stave off the inevitable cold that would seize them both.

The drive back to the bunker was an easy one, despite the sleeping Castiel robbing him of the full movement of one arm, and the sneezes that had begun to occasionally blur his vision.

The week that followed wasn't so easy- after relaying their research to Sam (who decided, after taking one look at the palid skin of both of them as they trudged miserably through the bunker doors, that he would go and finish the job alone), Dean had placed a final kiss on Cas' head before collapsing into his bed- feeling sicker and sicker as the hours went on.

When he rose from his fevoured coma to check in on him, Cas was tucked neatly into his bed. Dean closed the door with a smile and went about transcribing the updates Sam was sending through about the next victims, counting the minutes until Cas woke up.

The time never came. He barely saw Cas after that, who had stayed holed up in his bedroom for the following three days.

Dean tried to give him space, to process what had happened between them, but with every hour that passed doubt and insecurity crept further and further in. It was on the fourth day that Dean decided he couldn't take any more silent treatment, bursting through the bedroom door to confront a shocked Cas- eyes red-rimmed and lined with bags.

"Hello Dean"

"Look man, I-" Dean steadied his breath and pinched the bridge of his nose "I tried to give you time to, ya know, figure out what you felt about what happened in the motel because I guess it came out of nowhere and maybe I shouldn't have just sprung myself on you but Cas, buddy, you're killin' me here- what's going on with us?"

He turned his eyes to try and meet Cas', but upon seeing them downturned, and his head bowed to face his lap, Dean's heart sank. He went on-

"I get that you regret it but we're friends Cas, next to Sammy you're the only family I've got and I can't just-"

"I dont regret it." Cas interjected quietly, and Dean's head snapped up.

Looking at the man on the bed, small and unsure, a ghost of the man stood, soaked to the bone, in the eye of a storm, Dean felt himself soften.

"What then?" he knelt before him and tilted Cas' chin up so their eyes would meet, searching "Why have you been avoiding me?"

Guilt flashed in Cas' eyes, moving Dean's hand to rest with his in his lap he spoke, barely above a whisper, "I'm not an angel anymore Dean"

"I know, but what does that have to do with-"

"What happened at the motel was- it was amazing. We were amazing. And then we got back here and- we both got sick and..." Cas' tone was getting more and more hurried and frustrated as he reached the part he had clearly been holding in "You were sick and I could help. I couldn't help because I was sick, and I couldn't even heal myself and I just felt so useless and-"

"Woah woah woah Cas, slow down okay you couldn't-"

"You called me Castiel, Dean- Divine. But I've got no grace, no power- I'm just human. So what use am I to you both now?" Cas bit his lip and looked down again, deflated.

"Hey, Cas look at me, listen okay- Hey!" Dean tugged Cas' face back to being level with his own "I didnt mean it like that" he said softly, understanding dawning on him. 

"I called you divine and I meant it- you're beautiful Cas. Stood in that storm, like you belonged there, I was in awe of just the sight of you, but I don't just want you like that, I want you like this too. It was never about you being an angel, or useful, but even as 'just a human'-" Dean rose off the floor to join Cas on the bed "you're still powerful Cas, you're still needed"

Tipping Cas back on the pillow, Dean leant over him- starting at his hand and kissing as he went, he continued "You terrify me, and excite me too. You're still the one who saved my ass, and continues to save my ass even now. You're every bit the angel who walked into that barn and scared us all shitless- the only angel I would pray to, and the man I would kneel to"

Dean hovered above Cas now, placing the last of his kisses onto his temple "Castiel Winchester, you are not and have never been just a Divine tool we keep around. You're our family, and we need you."

It was Cas' turn to tug Dean's face to his own. Eyes wide, he breathed- "Castiel Winchester?"

Dean willed himself to be brave, to break the final seal around his heart and let Cas have it. Leaning back on his heels he replied "Yes. Castiel Winchester. You have been since the start and you still are, Cas- angel or man."

Smiling that same wild smile, Cas scooted back upright "I thought humans only gave each other their names if they were married?"

Dean pulled Cas into his chest, laughing into his disheveled hair "Slow down a bit there sunshine" he kissed his forehead "We have time."

[marcopollio]

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