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hyuckwrlds · 4 months ago

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>> caught up

wc: 1.6k you win some you lose some

There are three moments that Jisung will always regret in his life, no matter how hard he tries to forget them. In no particular order, those things are:

Letting Chenle give him a bowl cut before freshman orientation

Sitting with Jaemin during the Calc 122 final (their tests got flagged for cheating)

Meeting you (this might actually be the worst one)

Sure, he knows things could be even worse. In fact, he was really close to peeing himself in his organic chemistry lab once. But even that would be more favorable than his biggest regret—the day he met you.

That day, he’s working a shift at the student store when Chenle suddenly turns to him, gesturing to the tour of prospective students standing outside the glass doors.

“The next group that comes,” he begins, spinning the register keys around a finger. “Over or under fifteen people?”

Jisung snorts; surely the answer is obvious. “Over.”

“You sure?”

“I’ve literally never seen a group with less than fifteen people.”

“Wanna bet on it?”

Jisung snickers, already sensing success. “Bet.”

That was his first mistake.

Because soon enough, the next group arrives and he’s watching, mortified, as Chenle counts a total of fourteen people. Jisung was merely two bodies shy of a victory.

Next thing he knows, he’s trudging out of the storage room in a poorly-ventilated costume of the school’s beloved mascot: Neo, an oversized wolf in a neon green jersey.

Chenle immediately bursts into a fit of laughter, earning a few stares from the freshmen nearby. Jisung considers smothering him right then and there. His next mistake was not doing that.

“Dude, this thing smells,” he gripes, voice muffled by the large head.

“Yeah,” Chenle agrees, clearly amused. “I don’t think anyone has ever washed that thing.”

Jisung winces at the thought. Then through the perforated plastic eyes, he catches Jaemin barrel into the store, undoubtedly arriving on behalf of Chenle’s erratic texts in their group chat. His face lights up once he sees the giant wolf figure.

“Oh, aren’t you cute?” Jaemin grins, nearly slamming his gym bag into someone’s mom as he makes his way over.

In response, Jisung tries his best to fold his paw into a middle finger.

“Ah—speaking of, I passed by another tour group on the way here,” Jaemin adds. “I think it’s only right that our lovely mascot goes outside to greet them.”

He reaches up to tug at the fake ears and Jisung swats his hands away, scowling behind his mask.

“I’m not doing that,” he groans.

But he stood no chance against the two of them. Chenle and Jaemin easily wrestle Jisung into going outside. They end up (quite literally) having to drag him out the doors and he blames all the time Jaemin spends at the gym.

Now standing at the top of the front steps, he’s held captive by a firm grip around each furry arm. The warmth (and smell) of the suit is starting to get to him so in hindsight, he kind of wants to get it over with as fast as possible. If he can just wave at the group then leave, it'll be fine. It’s not as if anyone will know it’s him anyway.

All of that changes though, once he sees you round the corner.

Fitted in that bright green ‘tour guide’ jacket, Jisung feels his knees buckle as you lead your group towards the store.

He blanches. “You’ve gotta be kidding—”

There’s a desperate attempt to wiggle away from his friends but it only causes them to hold on tighter, their fingers pressing into the glossy gray fur. Chenle makes it a point to smile widely at him.

“Hey, we can’t have a wolf on the loose when there’s visitors,” he beams.

Jisung’s gonna kill him.

You stop just short of the stairs when you notice their presence, blinking up at Jisung (well, Neo the wolf) in surprise. His heart is pounding in his chest as your eyes flicker between him and his friends.

You’ve shared a few classes with Jisung, and while the two of you have never spoken to each other before, he’s always thought you were pretty (like, really pretty). Meanwhile, he’s not even sure you know his name.

Or that he exists at all.

Beside him, Jaemin coughs out a low, “Wave.”

Hesitantly, Jisung raises his stupidly oversized paw in the air. He can hear you start to tell the story behind the school’s prized mascot but even worse, he can feel Chenle’s hand on his back, pushing him to move closer. Tentatively, Jisung takes a small step forward.

And like the idiot he is, he trips.

With his giant wolf feet, he somehow misses the first step and is sent tumbling to the ground, landing on his stomach as he slides down the concrete stairs.

This earns a chorus of gasps from you and your group which is soon followed by a stunned silence. He lays still on the ground, frozen under everyone’s stares. Yet that isn’t the most horrifying part.

The worst part was that in the midst of falling, the obscenely large wolf head had come off too.

With his face now smushed into the concrete, Jisung feels the embarrassment coil in the pit of his stomach. He hears someone kneel down beside him.

“Shit, are you okay?” you ask.

Even though the steps were small and the suit had cushioned most of his fall, the lack of a mask meant that he had, in fact, hit his nose at some point. He feels it start to ache. Though the last thing he wants to do right now is face you. He can’t get himself to do it.

Instead, he stays facedown and settles on giving you a thumbs up. You don’t immediately move, so after what feels like an eternity, he hears your shoes shuffle a bit against the pavement. From the corner of his eye, he sees you set down the wolf head beside him. It must’ve rolled away at some point (oh god).

“Jisung…right?”

He stiffens. That might’ve been the worst possible thing that could’ve happened next. He would’ve never expected his name to fall from your mouth and slowly, he lifts head up in humiliation. So much for remaining anonymous.

The sight that greets him, though, could’ve came straight out of a shoujo anime.

Bathed in the afternoon light, you’re hovering over him with knitted brows and a look of concern. He catches you sigh out in relief once his eyes meet yours. Now he’s stuck staring dumbly at you, suddenly at a loss for words. You’re somehow prettier up close.

“You okay?” you ask again, setting a hand on his shoulder.

Jisung is just about to respond when he realizes that his nose is very much going to start bleeding. He quickly pushes himself into a seat and reaches a paw (oh god) to his face. His mouth is uncomfortably dry as he looks at you, nodding sheepishly.

“Y-yeah,” his swallows. “I’m okay.”

Your eyes scan him and his cheeks burn. He looks away, praying you don’t notice how flushed his face probably is.

Unknowingly, you scoot closer. “Are you sure? I can call someone, if you need me to. I’m also First Aid certified.”

He nods again, only to pause at the feeling of blood rushing towards his right nostril and he really can’t risk getting it on the suit. He gives you a bashful look, “Actually…do you have a tissue?”

You smile at the sudden request, laughing softly. “Yeah, I do.”

His heart swoons.

Reaching into your tour guide backpack, you take out a packet of tissues, sliding one out before handing it to him. As best as he could, he presses it against his nose with the stupid paw. You help him stand back up.

“Thanks,” he breathes, giving you a small nod.

“Yeah, no problem,” you say. “I didn’t know you were the mascot.”

“I’m not,” he admits, nodding towards the two idiots behind him. “I lost a bet.”

This earns another dazzling laugh from you. “Okay, good. I think you look better without the fursuit anyway.”

He blinks at you and suddenly, it’s your turn to blush, waving your hands frantically in the air. “N-not that you don’t look good in the costume. Because you do. You always do. I, um, I just meant that—you know...”

Your words falter and honestly, Jisung is still stunned that you think he looks good at all. He lets out a small laugh, one short and airy to ease you.

“It’s okay,” he reassures. “I know what you mean. Thanks.”

You pause for a split second then, looking up at him as if there’s something more you want to say. Only, your attention is snatched once you seem to remember the unfinished tour waiting for you. You look from the group back to him and take a step back.

“I gotta go.”

With his free hand, he gives you wave, still a bit dazed. “Oh, right. See ya.”

Though just before you leave, you meet his gaze, adding a quick, “I’ll save you a seat in class tomorrow, yeah?”

He stills. This can’t be real. His pulse picks up again, thrumming against his ribcage.

“Y-yeah, sounds good,” he stutters, a smile tugging at his lips. “I’ll see you then.”

You resume your tour and Jisung turns to head back inside, but not without first smacking both Jaemin and Chenle with the stupid wolf head in hand. Even then, he’s undoubtedly smiling like an idiot.

So sure, while Jisung may always regret the way he met you, he can’t really say he’d change a single thing about it either.

After all, it brought him to you.

#nct jisung #nct fluff #nct drabbles #nct scenarios #nct dream fluff #park jisung #nct dream imagines #jisung x reader #nct jisung x reader #jisung nct #jisung imagines #nct dream x reader #nct dream scenarios #nct dream drabbles #hyuckwrlds

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oftenwantedafton · 4 months ago

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the new hire - steve raglan x female reader

rating | explicit

part 9/9

words | 3.6k

cw | minor blood and violence

ao3 link

You stare at the yellow rabbit, and the yellow rabbit stares back at you.

A standoff, of sorts, like one of those old western movies they played on the weekends in the early morning when you’d been a kid. Awake when you were supposed to be asleep. You wish this was a dream right now.

The mascot’s head tips to one side, considering you. Your flashlight is still on the floor, where you’d dropped it, shining uselessly on a set of steel shelves loaded with equipment. You find the rabbit’s own illuminated eyes too bright to look at for too long, your gaze darting around the room for something, anything, to aid you. You still don’t know if this thing is friend or foe.

Why did I leave the office?

Too much energy. Nervous about seeing William in the morning.

William.

The mascot inhales and exhales. There’s no mistaking that a part of it is alive, at least. You don’t see the chestpiece rise and fall, but the air exchange is clearly occurring nonetheless.

Why does a robot need to breathe?

The figure is so massive, towering above you, so broad it blocks most of your possible escape from your position tucked between a work station and a filing cabinet. You could try to make a run for it, but there’s no way it couldn’t just grab you if it wanted to.

What does it want?

Maybe you should start there. Ask that very question. It’s never spoken, but that doesn’t mean it can’t.

“What do you want?”

Silence, other than that steady breathing. The golden furred animatronic has not moved an inch since it’s blocked your path.

“I’m not going to interfere with whatever you’re doing, alright? I think if you wanted to harm me, you would have done it already. So I’m just going to head back to the office. And you do…whatever it is you’re doing. Deal?”

No response. Well, you’d tried talking your way out. That only left one other option.

You lick your lips, finding them parched. The air in the room is stale, musty, and feels almost humid, for some odd reason. It reminds you of a basement. You want out, and you want out now.

You choose the narrow space that’s closer to the room leading back to the hallway, or at least, you hope it is. Not that it really matters, because you bang your hip badly on one of the shelves during your attempt, dislodging several items and sending them clattering to the floor, and the rabbit’s metal hand closes over your arm easily, pulling you off balance. You stumble and go down.

Concrete. There’s nothing to cushion your fall in here. You find yourself scrabbling backward much as you had in your previous encounter, unable to get your footing, and this time, there’s no police, no William to come to your rescue.

Your hand closes over something metal, some sort of thick rod. You keep ahold of it, struggling to stand. You make it back on your feet. The rabbit hasn’t begun pursuing you yet, but you know that can change at any moment.

The very next one. Fast. You always forget how fast it can move. It doesn’t make sense, it looks so bulky and awkward, but it has no trouble advancing. You swing whatever it is you’re holding onto; scrap metal, tool, it doesn’t matter which it is. It makes contact with a dull thud somewhere along the rabbit’s left arm and it freezes, probably more surprised that you’d retaliated than from you actually inflicting an injury. It’s no good swinging it like a baseball bat. The intruder had done something similar, and look where that had gotten him.

You change your hold on the metal, this time positioning it forward like a spear. Like jousting, trying to aim. One of those tears in the mascot suit is where you’re aiming for, and you don’t have a lot of time to set it up. The rabbit lunges forward and luck seems to be with you suddenly. You’re rewarded with a very loud gasp of sound, but any triumph you might have felt quickly evaporates when the other end of your makeshift weapon is wrenched from your hand.

You’re done trying to fight back. Now you’re just going to make a run for it. You turn, seeing the outline of the open door and the light spilling in from the hallway, a beacon to guide you. It still seems so far away. You start towards it, hearing your enemy just behind—that’s what it’s become, surely—and feel the heavy, metallic hand reaching for your shoulder, the tips of those synthetic digits just missing, brushing your work shirt as you manage to make it back out into the hallway.

Your shoes squeak on the linoleum as you rush back to the security office, barely managing to slam the door shut and lock it before you see the handle futilely turn, that gesture somehow more terrifying than the pounding on the door. The thing was intelligent.

And strong. You’re not all that confident that the door is going to hold up under all that battering. The sheer weight of that animatronic alone is probably enough to make it cave in. You grab the phone off the desk, hurriedly punching in William’s number. The noise from the hallways abruptly ceases. It’s no longer attacking the barrier between you. It’s…listening?

“Will, come on, for fuck’s sake, not now.” Deja vu rolls over you. Again, he’s not available when you need him most. “Fuck you, William.” You slam down the receiver and then dial 911. You’re done playing. Fuck this job and fuck the rabbit and fuck William most of all.

The operator answers and you hurriedly say you’re being attacked, conveniently leaving out the part about your pursuer being a rabbit, of course. No need to get into that detail now. You try to keep your voice calm and your words clear, struggling to remember the address of the restaurant—it’s not like you had occassion to use it, once you knew the location, your mind had considered that useless information—as you keep your gaze alternating between the monitors and the door. You can’t see the rabbit, and you can’t hear it. You’re not sure if that makes it worse or not.

“There’s a patrol car in that area. They’ll be there shortly.”

“Okay.” You sink into the office chair. Your hip is still throbbing. That’s going to be one hell of a bruise. Your arm where it had grabbed you will probably be marked up, too. But you’re alive. At least there’s that.

You see the flashing lights outside the main entrance and sigh in relief. You’re not sure how well the police are going to manage against a seven foot tall mechanical homicidal rabbit, but at least they have real weapons. Tasers. Guns. Something that has to do some kind of damage, right?

Only the one car that you can see, and now, just one officer. Female. She looks familiar. Maybe that one you’d caught of glimpse of the night that man had broken inside the pizzeria. Must be her usual route. Lucky her. She must have pissed somebody off to get stuck doing this.

The buzzer sounds and you jump, startled.

“The police are here. One person. At the door. I have to let them in. I don’t know if it’s safe to leave the room, but…hello? Operator? Are you fucking kidding me? Again?” Silence on the other end of the line. No dial tone. No service.

The police officer pushes the door button several more times and the harsh sound sets your teeth on edge. You hesitate, glancing at all the monitor displays. Nothing unusual. But still. The thing has to be out there somewhere.

Is it always there? Just waiting? Why is it never around when William is here? Why does it only appear when I’m alone?

The buzzer sounds again and you make your decision. Another sprint down the hallway and around the corner to the front door. And you’re not sticking around, either. The hell with that. Let her call for backup. You’re not a tour guide.

I should never have taken this job.

It’s the final thought before you unlock the door and poke your head into the hallway. Nothing. Three…two…one. Go.

Back down the corridor and a quick dash to the right. You burst through the doors of the employee restricted area and aim for the front door. Fuck. You still need to unlock it. Keys on your belt where you always keep them.

Taking too long. You flip the switch and turn the key in the slot and shove the door open, brushing right past the cop.

“You’re going to need more men. That thing is still in there,” you pant, dragging lungfuls of fresh air inside of you. You lean against the side of the building and wince, remembering your injury.

“What’s going on?” The blonde woman looks calm, and sure, that’s probably a good demeanor to have in her line of work at times, but now isn’t one of them.

“There’s a…someone is in there, trying to kill me. You’re going to need backup, I’m telling you right now. Can’t you call for…”

Your voice trails off when you see the look on the young woman’s face. She’s still standing in front of the glass doors of the entrance, staring at something inside.

You reluctantly push off from the brick and mortar, turning warily. The yellow rabbit is on the other side of the doors.

“Fuck. We need to get out of here, now. Do you have a weapon? A gun? Yeah, you do. We need to go, we need to…” Your voice trails off. She hasn’t moved, hasn’t said a word, merely staring at the mascot. It’s not fear etched on her features; it’s sorrow. “Officer…Shelly,” you say, squinting to read the name printed on the gold bar pinned to her uniform. “I’m leaving. You should, too.” No response. Well, you’d tried.

The rabbit’s hand closes over the door handle. Your eyes dart to the gun in the holster on the police officer’s waist, the button securing it already lifted. You’ve handled a weapon before. Target practice. That’s what your father had considered quality time during your childhood. Hunting, even worse. You could never bring yourself to aim properly, missing on purpose. He’d known, you thought. Disapproving. Disappointed.

You can’t miss now.

You grab the weapon and make sure the safety is off, bracing your arms. The door starts to move. Your supposed rescuer is still frozen, immobile.

Where do I fire? What will do the most damage?

You squeeze the trigger, and even though you’d tried to prepare yourself, it still terrifies you, still makes you cringe and wince, shocked at the feeling. You see the bullet shatter the glass and lodge somewhere along the rabbit’s left shoulder—a terrible shot after all, then—before you feel the woman next to you finally moving, pulling the gun from your fingers, pushing you back towards the parking lot. “Go,” she says, and it’s your turn to stare, transfixed, watching as the rabbit seems to melt back into the more shadowed recesses of the dining room. “Go, now!” You rush to your car, thinking you’ve run more tonight than you ever have, fumbling to get the car door unlocked, then again to turn the ignition. You dart one last, frantic glance at the restaurant in your rearview mirror, seeing the blonde woman actually stepping inside the building—brave but foolish, certainly—and then you return your eyes to the road, saying a silent prayer that the officer survives.

***

You don’t know why you drive to William’s house.

He’s the absolute last person you want to see right now, and yet, you’re so furious, you need to let it out, all these emotions you’ve kept pent up for the past several weeks. You’re so tired of the head games, the back and forth, the teasing and mockery and that stupid, condescending smirk of his. You hate yourself for ever trusting him, for letting yourself feel for him, and that, right there, gives you pause. He had been kind to you. Just a couple of days ago, he’d made you breakfast and cuddled with you and made love to you for hours. How could he go from that, to the other, that indifferent, cruel, cold man? He’s been making you think all along there was something wrong with you, but that’s not it at all. It’s him. There’s something terribly, terribly broken inside of him.

And you still want him. Even now, even after you’d almost lost your life tonight. Maybe cost someone else theirs. So maybe there is something broken in you, after all.

The driveway is empty when you arrive. Not home, in the middle of the night, yet again. You park along the curb and switch off the engine, swiping at the tears that have been spilling over your cheeks. Now what?

You wait. That’s what. Because that smug bastard has to come home eventually. You get out of your car and slam the door, walking to the front porch and sliding down onto the top step. Your last stand. This is where you’re making it. You’re going to quit, and you’re going to leave. Not just his house. The area. There’s no place for you here, either. Nowhere you belong.

***

You roll your head from side to side, hearing the fluid being pushed around as your body protests at sitting so still for so long. You stretch your legs briefly, trying to get comfortable, glancing at your watch. Three thirty. It’s been a couple of hours since the incident at Freddy’s. The neighborhood has been quiet. No lights and sirens. No backup heading to the restaurant.

Headlights grab your attention. A car. You recognize that throaty sound. William’s vintage sedan. It pulls into the driveway and you stand, descending the stairs, your hip throbbing anew and your lower back on fire.

He exits the car, frustratingly slowly. The door creaks as he shuts it and you hear the key turning in the lock. He approaches slowly, the porch light spilling over features that look paler than usual. His hair falls in damp locks over his forehead, and there’s something a little stiff and awkward about the way he’s moving.

He stops just in front of you, not looking surprised to see you, and although his voice is soft and low, you recognize it for what it is: that dangerous calm before the storm.

“Why are you here?”

“That’s what you’re asking me? Seriously? Not: am I fucking okay, because once again, when I need you, you’re not around. That fucking rabbit tried to kill me tonight, and don’t even bother telling me it’s not real, because we both know that’s bullshit. I had to call the cops, and Officer Shelly showed up, don’t even know if she made it, and I had to be the one to shoot, because she was just standing there—”

“—Vanessa is fine.”

“What?”

“The police officer. She’s unharmed.”

“Oh.” Well, that was one thing off your conscience. “How do you know?”

“Because I was there. I saw what you did to the door.”

“Oh, fuck the door. Are you kidding me? Are you even listening to me? I almost got killed tonight. In that stupid fucking pizzeria. I quit, by the way. That’s what I came to tell you. I fucking quit. Give me my money and I’m gone.”

You can feel your eyes burning again. You’d thought you’d been all cried out earlier, but maybe not.

“Come inside for a minute.”

“What? No.”

“If you want to get paid, you have to come inside.”

“Oh, bullshit. You owe me. It’s against the law to withhold wages.”

“Please come inside.” He grimaces and you see another bead of sweat roll down his cheek. He really looks unwell.

“Fine,” you snap, waiting for him to unlock the door. He has a difficult time making it up the stairs, leaning heavily against the doorframe. You frown, watching him rest his back against the door to close it, heaving another sigh.

“This night…did not…go as planned,” he murmurs, sounding out of breath, his keys dropping to the floor.

You bend to pick them up, tossing them onto the table nearby. “What the hell is wrong with you, anyway?”

He starts to chuckle, the sound turning ragged as he coughs. “That’s the question…everyone always asks…sooner or later. Later…for you.”

The pauses between words are growing more and more pronounced. His breathing sounds awful.

“To answer…your question, though.” He grabs the bottom of the dark button front shirt tucked into his pants and drags the hem free, exposing a dark purple blotch along his ribs, then shoves impatiently at the neckline, dragging the material aside to reveal a bandage that’s soaked in blood. “And another…in my arm. Gift from…my daughter. Nicked artery…I think.”

“What…?” You stare at the injuries, not comprehending what’s happening. “We need to get you to the hospital. I’m calling an ambulance. Where’s the closest phone?”

“Are you…sure you want…to do that?”

“What do you mean…look, I might be pissed at you, but this isn’t a joke. I don’t know what happened—”

“—Your aim…is poor. But you’re…strong. Stronger…than I thought. For the record…” He winces, then bends over. “I wasn’t…trying to kill you.”

“What…”

“Lucky…springlocks didn’t…go off. Or unlucky…maybe…I might…pass out soon…”

“Christ, William.” You reach for him just as he collapses, keeping his head from striking the floor, only barely. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re even talking about. Just tell me where the damn phone is.”

“Come closer. Want to…tell you…”

Your hand clutches his sleeve, finding it damp and sticky. So much blood. Why was he being so difficult? You’re just going to go to the kitchen. He has to have a phone in there. Or the living room, or…

“It’s me.”

The pale eyes meet yours, and you feel a wave of nausea roll over you. The injuries. The rabbit. You lean back in horror.

“You get it…now.” His lashes flutter. One final movement and then his eyes shut.

***

You finish the final question on the multiple choice exam and hand it into the instructor before exiting the classroom.

You’re pretty sure you aced it, but there’s still a little lingering doubt. Some of the questions had been tricky. Sometimes more than one answer seemed correct. Other times, the right decision had been crystal clear.

It’s always easy to find William’s car in the parking lot.

Modern cars are so much rounder and wider. That vintage sedan is all boxy corners and long lines. The nose of it juts from between a couple of SUVs and you walk towards it, finding the bearded driver leaning against the passenger door, arms folded across his chest.

“How did it go?”

“I think I did well.”

“Hmmm.” William lifts the handle and pulls the door open for you, but doesn’t move over, still blocking your path.

“Really? We’re doing this again?”

“It didn’t go so well for you last time, did it?”

“It didn’t go so well for you either,” you return.

His lips twitch. “Alright. Hop in.”

You reach between the seats to drop your backpack into the rear of the vehicle while the older man settles behind the wheel. The familiar rabbit’s foot hangs from the keyring. Luck. Is that what it all really came down to? Just sheer random happenstance? Everything that occurs a matter of chance, of percentages? If you’d chosen another town. If you’d seen a different career counselor that day.

If you hadn’t made the call to that ambulance and saved his life.

But you had. You’d been the one with the greater power in the end. The greatest power there is.

You don’t talk about the yellow rabbit.

Don’t talk about Freddy’s, about what happened the last night you’d been employed there.

You don’t talk about William’s past at all.

You’d resolved to be done with him, once you’d committed that generous act of granting him his life. You’d been certain you’d be moving away as soon as possible.

But it hadn’t happened like that.

You do kind of like this town, and as for William, that fucked up man that enjoyed playing those head games with you, using every bit of what he’d had on file against you, well…

Maybe, in some twisted way, he had been exactly what you’d needed. The worst of him bringing out the best in you.

So now you’re attending classes at the community college. Working in a safe, clean office, during sunlit hours. And during the evenings, you’ve got William beside you. More scarred than ever. Seemingly humbled, though you don’t entirely trust this new submissiveness. Sometimes there are sparks, brief flares of his previous demeanor, like he’d just done right now. Testing. Seeing what he can get away with.

“Where are we headed? Hungry?” William’s voice drags you back from your reverie.

“Starving, actually.”

“Okay.” He turns the key in the ignition, then glances over at you. You know that look. You nod slightly and he leans over to kiss you. It’s meant to be a brief one, but you startle him when your tongue prods his lips apart, your fingers curling around the nape of his neck as you greedily swallow that little moan of surprise.

“Let’s make it take out instead.” You’re rewarded with a smile, and another lingering kiss. You know it’s broad daylight and you’re in a very busy, public space, but you want more.

You always want more of him.

#william afton x reader #william afton x you #steve raglan x reader #steve raglan x you #divider @ cafekitsune

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mira--image · 29 days ago

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ROTTMNT EPISODE ORDER

We fans know how hard it is not only to access the show's episodes, but to watch them in order as well. I created this list when I was rewatching the show and noticing all the inconsistencies in the timeline. I went off the production codes for the base order, then rearranged it based on what made sense to me. I organised the plot into more consistent arcs. So this isn't THE order, but it's the order I watch it in and enjoy. Hopefully it's a useful resource for some of you too!

Some spoilers below, because I left notes for myself to explain the order. (Dm me if you wanna know where I watch the show 🏴‍☠️)

SEASON 1

The Mad Dogs are born, and decide to start going on missions to help the city.

Mutant mayhem. Turtles, April, Draxum, Hidden City, and weapons introduced.

Origami tsunami. Inspired, the team decides to go on a hero mission. Foot clan introduced. Raph makes a full mystic body, only briefly.

Newsworthy. The team continues to do missions of a much smaller scale. First mutant introduced. Raph can make a full magic arm.

The turtles explore ways to better their new hero team in between living their regular lives.

War and Pizza. Donnie tries to use his tech for good. Raph fails to activate his ninpo.

Donnie’s gifts. Donnie tries to use his tech for good again, and it works this time. Too bad the team doesn't like it. Meat sweats introduced.

Down with the sickness. Raph and Leo’s leadership skills are explored.

Shell in a cell. PBJ duo and leader duo navigate their dynamics. Ghost bear introduced.

Repo mantis. With their friendship renewed, Donnie and Mikey hang out. Todd is introduced, the turtle tank is acquired.

Hypno! Part Deux! While Mikey and Donnie are gone, Leo and Raph help April with a problem at school. April has no friends, her side plot of wanting to be normal is introduced.

Minotaur maze. Hueso and the mystic pizza restaurant are introduced.

The Fast and the Furriest. The turtle tank is completed.

Mascot Melee. Raph explores the surface.

The gumbus. Baxter Stockboy is introduced.

Bug Busters. The team tries to deal with the oozesquitos themselves. Big Mama is introduced, Baron Draxum lore, Leo’s strategy explored. Raph’s mystics improve.

The longest fight. The team is a bit reluctant to sacrifice their time for missions. Armor plot introduced.

Al be back. Satisfied that they seemingly stopped the foot clan, the team carries on with their lives. Stockboy returns. Alberto is taken care of. Splinter is shown to be musically inclined.

Mrs. Cuddles. Mrs. Cuddles only shows up here.

Nothing but truffle. Todd and Meat sweats return.

Stuck on you. Raph tries to get the Mad Dogs to improve their teamwork. The shell hogs are introduced. The armor plot is furthered.

Pizza pit. Bug buster suits and shell hogs are used again.

The purple jacket. The purple dragons are introduced.

Smart lair. After meeting the purple dragons, Donnie has a renewed interest in his tech. Donnie tries to use his tech for good. Shelldon is introduced.

Late fee. Ghost bear returns.

Mind meld. Donnie tries to lead a mission, and it doesn't go well. Donnie tries to ‘fix’ his brothers again using tech. The purple dragons are mentioned.

Hot soup: the game. Mikey goes on the team's first solo mission. Donnie puts more faith in his brothers. The foot recruit is introduced.

The Evil League of Mutants. The team goes on a mission again to stop crab men at the greenhouse, and it doesn't go well. They ask Splinter to train them again. The mad dogs aren't satisfied with Splinter's training, but Splinter teaches them to be more creative and improve without weapons. They get targeted by Baron Draxum. Baron Draxum backstory.

Bullhop. After seeing how many enemies they have, the team decide to fix at least one mistake and make a friend. Bullhop is introduced. The team carefully plans a mission together, but it doesn't go according to plan. Big Mama's web plot hits a dead end.

Turtle-dega Nights: The Ballad of Rat Man. Splinter backstory mentioned. Big mama mentions how they stole her webs in bullhop. Warren doesn't wear the gauntlet all the time. Splinter vows to be a more attentive father.

The world becomes more dangerous, and Splinter begins formally training his sons.

Shadow of evil. Splinter pays more attention to April, and discovers a strange symbol on her shirt. Splinter and armor plots furthered. Splinter has to step up to meet his destiny, and promises to train his sons.

The ancient art of ninja hide and seek. Splinter makes good on his promise to train them. He trains them to improve without relying on weapons again. Lou jitsu and big mama lore.

The purple game. The mad dogs go to a sci-fi convention, except Donnie, who gets addicted to a game. The purple dragons are involved.

Jupiter Jim ahoy! Day two of the sci-fi convention. Splinter talks about being Lou jitsu. Jupiter Jim introduced.

The mutant menace. Baxter Stockboy causes mutant panic. The team needs to lay low for a while. Leo's portals grow in size and maximum distance, but struggle with going to the right location.

Warren and hypno sitting in a tree. The armor plot is furthered.

Portal jacked! Leo's portals send his brothers to the wrong location without him. The Hidden City is explored, Leo’s magic improves. Captain piel is introduced, Hueso and Leo grow closer.

Mystic library. The team finds another mystic location. Mystic library introduced, Raph’s magic improves.

Operation normal. Sunita is introduced, April's friendship plot and armor plot are furthered, Leo’s portals improve.

How to make enemies and bend people to your will. Draxum and armor plot furthered. Foot recruit returns.

Man vs sewer. Raph gets lost in the sewers. Leo’s leadership improves as his brothers don't take it seriously.

Sparring partner. Raph finds training a bit too easy, and rescues a paper ninja. With more free time and less of a power dynamic since Draxum became leader, foot recruit and foot lieutenant grow closer.

You got served. Huseo gets Leo and Mikey to be waiters for one night.

Snow day. Leo is using portals reliably. Ghost bear mutates.

One man’s junk. Donnie and Mikey go on their own mission to collect mystic metal, but aren't trusted in their decisions. Leo’s portals improve. Repo mantis’ cat introduced.

Cloak and swagger. Splinter tries to train the boys in the woods, but get stuck indoors. Sunita and April hang out. Shelldon is like Donnie’s son.

Todd Scouts. The mad dogs aren't taking training seriously. Splinter and the boys actually go to the woods this time. Donnie uses sign language, Todd reveals his mystic power.

Insane in the mama train. The boys choose to give themselves entirely to training. The armor plot is almost finished.

End game. The boys decide that being themselves is more effective than what they learned while training. Continuation of insane in mama train. Shredder introduced.

SEASON 2

Many unhappy returns. Continuation of end game. Lou jitsu backstory. Leo’s strategy improves, but he fails to communicate and coordinate with his team. Mikey’s powers improve. Raph’s powers improve (both in size and his first raph clone limb).

Goyles, Goyles, Goyles. Turtle mutation flashback.

After facing such a foe, the appeal of being a hero team fades a bit. Only Raph seems to be interested in continuing training and missions.

Flushed, but never forgotten. Mikey is playing the hot soup game. Buddy the paper ninja is there. Splinter says ‘you only learn lessons the hard way’, which I interpret to reference the harsh lesson from Todd scouts.

Lair games. Leo’s strategy improves. Leo gets on Donnie's bad side.

The hidden city job. Leo tries to get back on Donnie's good side. Leo goes to the Hidden City with Huseo. The shadow fiend is mentioned, the upcoming battle nexus mentioned.

Repairin’ the baron. Baron Draxum becomes an ally, and gets a job.

Pizza puffs. Raph is the last one still taking heroing seriously. The first villain is kidnapped.

Sidekick ahoy! Jupiter Jim returns. Raph is the only one acting rationally at first, then he too gives in.

Air turtle. Leo becomes a basketball mascot. Leo is still not a good communicator and fixes the problem himself.

Breaking purple. Shelldon is 13. Donnie tries to 'fix' Shelldon through discipline (he learned his lesson from Mind Meld not to mess with his mind), but learns his lesson not to forcefully change others once again, this time for real. The purple dragons are back.

Always be brownies. Foot recruit tries another way to gain power. Splinter bonds with her and April. More kidnapping.

Mystery meat. Draxum likes his job. He grows closer to the turtles.

Raph’s ride along. The team goes to the Hidden City for a holiday.

Donnie vs witch town. Donnie reveals that he wishes he had mystic powers. He learns that tech and mystics can work together.

Hidden city’s most wanted. Baron Draxum and Splinter grow closer.

Bad hair day. Leo has a spa day.

Fists of furry. April becomes a more integrated part of the family, and practises ninjutsu.

The clothes don’t make the turtle. Movie makeover montage! More kidnapping.

The Mad Dogs are forced into fighting once more.

Battle nexus New York. Kidnapper and shadow fiend revealed.

Finale part 1 & 2. Splinter’s memories are explored. Shredder returns. Karai is introduced, and lost. The lair is destroyed.

Finale part 3. April is accepted as a Hamato. The Mad Dogs unlock their ninpo.

Finale part 4. The final fight against the shredder. Cassandra Jones switches sides. Leo is made the leader, but he hasn't yet learned to be a good communicator and not do everything himself. How will he lead the team after seeing how dangerous this life can be? Does he double down like Raph would, or pull back and encourage fewer, safer missions without giving a reason?

#rottmnt #rise of the tmnt #unpause rise of the tmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt analysis #rottmnt leo #rottmnt mikey #rottmnt raph #rottmnt donnie

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k-looking-glass-house · 1 year ago

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Sam Fairy Gala~ Flower and moonlight

Gah I'm a bit shy to share my "crazy" lore" about twisted wonderland, but you already know that I love making outfits.... Kinda the reason my mascot/"oc" can sew and create outfit.... I also have an obsession with the NRC staff.....hnnnnnnnn *help them*

Anyway in my lore Sam was an NRC student for only his 3rd years (around 17/18 y.o), getting his mage certificate and taking shortly after the shop! He already has his familiar K and tried all sort of way to get very rare items during his scholarship!

Mister Crewel was the almost futur NRC alchemy teacher, he tried an only girls school before thinking it would be only cutie, soft stuff and talk.... While it was only cat fight to panthers/lioness fight and love letters, with some crybabies moments (that's what he said!). He returned to his former school making Trein already tired about the situation! He tried each time to put every puppies in good stylish outfit!

Mister Crewel took a soft spot about Sam (knowing since his teenage days about Sam's grandfather and the shop) and vice versa. They help each other to get items they want (actually they kept from spilling:blackmailing the fact that they both smoke behind Mystery S shop, catching the other by surprise from time to time)~ And so Mister Crewel helped Sam getting some fairy powder, while K would help with sewing the fairies's dresses and they would both promote his fashion collection during the next Fairy Gala~

In the end the fairy gala is a success, K is revealed to eat blot (canon to her disney counterpart), Mister Crewel has fairy blood and can't stand alcohol and Sam believe in fairy tale and has one of the pure heart a fairy could sense (the Fairy Queen said so).

You can see more of it ....somewhere on my tumblr ah ah

Sam (NRC student)~ SR Moonlight De Vil suit

Summon Line: "Even shadows appear under the moon light, gnee hihihi" Groooovy!!: ....Finally....FINALLY HA HA HA!! I got the fairy powder! Home: I am ready, so are my friends on the other side gnee hihi~ Home Idle 1: I must say that when Mister Crewel told me that he could help....I didn't believe it at first! Looks like everyone has their secret! Home Idle 2: Fairies are truly something, my sisters* were right about them, back in our childhood stories! Home Idle 3: This night is truly something, between Mister Crewel "STAY!" and K making him berseck....*sigh* I must stay strong and not get eaten by shadows~ Home Idle - Login: Glitters! Jewel! Silk!! IN STOCK NOW! That's what I would say if I was a seller! Home Idle - Groovy: Thank you Ko-yousei-chan! Yes I'll give you Mister Crewel personal jewel designer contact~ Gnee hihi! Home Tap 1: Mister Crewel is part of the De Vil fashion's house, that's truly something, no wonder he has such style! Home Tap 2: If you want to attract fairies, be kind, be nice, be polite and pour a lot of glittery things! ....Also being handsome help! Home Tap 3: I don't need a bell to talk to fairies, we learned it with grandma it's important to talk to any kind of friends gnee hihi!! How? It's a secret, I'm not going to tell you! Home Tap 4: Arwwghhrr K please stop eating the flower, we'll get scold again by "KURUELLA"! Also stop eating the remain blot TOO!! Home Tap 5: I'll be sure to make good use of that fairy powder! Home Tap - Groovy: Ha ha ha! Somehow it was a good night! We had a lot of fun! Right everyone?!

.....we don't even see the lotus pattern huh....

-Credit-

Sam fairy gala (young version) concept done by me

The lanther bell was ref from "Handbook of ornament; a grammar of art, industrial and architectural designing in all its branches, for practical as well as theoretical use" (1900)

#twisted wonderland #twst #sam twisted wonderland #twst sam #k imeart

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dust-corner · 2 months ago

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All info we have (so far) from Secret of the Mimic (PAX West 2024 Demo)

(WILL BE UPDATED / CHANGED AROUND OVER TIME WHEN NEW INFO SURFACES) For abit of a refresher... Secret of the Mimic is a game that Steel Wool Studios have supposedly been teasing in both RUIN and HW 2 under the code name "Carnival"; from dev notes, to various props that reappear, to more subtle things like Daycare Attendant and a spinning (and burning) Carousel seemingly originating back to a 1970s Fallfest.

Various lead directors and writers at Steel Wool Studios have stated they've also wanted to do a "FNaF Origins" style of game set in the 1970s. This seems to corroborate with the following information. (timestamped)

youtube

With that out of the way, here is what we know. Teaser Trailer: Five Nights at Freddy's: Secret of the Mimic - Teaser Debut - YouTube Playstation Store: Five Nights at Freddy's: Secret of the Mimic (playstation.com) > Dig deep into the past to discover the horrors of the future. - Playstore > To see the future sometimes you need to understand the past. A brand new original nightmare in the Five Nights at Freddy's universe! - Steel Wool Studios (as an aside, the teaser trailer gives us the date 1979, probably indicating the time period of the game) Technical Specs: From what the Playstation store page says, the game is both PC and PSVR compatable on launch. The PAX Demo is also stated to have both PC and VR movement options, although the demo showcase itself is VR. The Demo's First Section: The Office:

The Demo's Second Section: The Chase:

(gameplay descriptions courtesy of Wheat (@Wheatttttt) / X) (the name Jackie + pronouns confirmed by employee at the booth)

Booth Posters:

lots of interesting stuff to dissect here (official prop of) Jackie: The main atagonist of the Demo:

(+voicelines!)

(video courtesy of EVA 🍉FREE PALESTINE (@Bravvyy_2) / X) (note: Jackie is stated to have a yellow tutu, and under that is a large spring coil instead of legs. When she first comes out of the box, she pulls out and seperates her upper torso when they get stuck in a doorway trying to reach you. Their eye coverings fall off during the paper shredder destruction, revealing the orange Mimic eyes beneath, and finally they have a more broken appearence at the very end after another encounter with a door to the face.)

Camera screens of various Rooms in the Factory:

(keen eyes might notice the Spring Bonnie poster, a carousel under construction, and shadows of a few mascot suits hanging around)

(also image i cant make much sense of besides just the main menu for the VR demo lol)

Other info from various PAX attendees: -The jumpscare sound is a mix of SB's scream and the laughing from the teaser trailer -Instead of death static, the game over transition is a visual of a film reel ending (aesthetic flair) -Ray (the co-founder/creative director of SWS) was at the booth and said "8 DAYS". no idea what that means! 8 days til trailer? new demo? announcement? (note: It's unknown if the "Balloon Circus" released merch designs, while fitting, are for this game specifically, although their merch descriptions state they are indeed for a game)

#fnaf #fnaf secret of the mimic #fnaf mimic #fnaf news #steel wool studios #pax west #live blogging #Youtube

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princess-of-the-corner · 5 months ago

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Idea, with the negative reads on both Chloe & Adrien's parents, imagine a parent swap?

IE, Gabriel/Audrey & Emilie/Andre.

Gabriel/Audrey

Its two massive egotistical perfectionists who ae incredibly callous and easily given to cruelty. They are a power couple in the most terrifying sense of the word and place basically no regard on those around them except how it serves their interests.

When things are good.

If there's ever a problem a mishap. a failure, oh boy can it become destructive & given Audrey is intensely independent and Gabriel is a massive control freak I can envision there being no shortage of room for conflict.

I imagine whichever kid they end up with is either a traumatized and nervous wreck, often used as ammo against the other parent & needing to navigate their endless expectations & drama. & or wound so tightly they're going to pop and kill someone.

Emilie/Andre.

They are on the surface loving and indulgent parents. Unfortunately they are also intensely selfish and toxic people who are just instinctively good at dressing up their behavior.

Andre is blatantly corrupt and considers this fine, he will oscillate between sycophant's and stern power house as needed. His relationships exist to make him feel good about himself & stop mattering the moment he's not in the mood.

Emilie is more on the surface moral, but will happily compromise any moral or belief if it gets her what she wants. What she wants is to be the apple of of someone's eye, their sun, their moon, their definition of love. Andre showers her with gifts & her to him affection.

Their child is someone they have insulated and isolated, they don't want to share, they don't want them to leave, they want them always around (When they are wanted) and always focused on how great they are. Its looks loving but it basically two parasites using their child for food.

I would have suggested Gabriel/Andre & Emilie/Audrey but that'd just canon with the genders swapped right? Huh... Maybe not?

If one were to touch on the sociological side of things, gosh being openly queer would potentially affect a lot. Especially whether some of them could even make it big. If nothing else their trajectory might change a bit.

If we ignore the sociological and treat their relationship as totally normalized culturally, so its just their personalities being kept in mind...

I think there is stuff to muse on definitely, but needing sleep I might be less than my best with this one XD

Emilie/Audrey

High flying famous stars, they go where their work is. For Emilie this means studios and locations, for Audrey its a mix of New York, Paris, Milan and so on.

Their child is likely used to being carted around as Emilie's luggage, essentially a mascot and emotional support dummy she says she loves cos she likes the idea of them adoring her.

Audrey is far more indifferent unless they impress her, but is more keyed into the marriage itself. Emilie is exceptional and while inclined to be swept up in Audrey's wake, can coax some tact from her.

She is still distant, harsh and near impossible to please however and neither think much of their Childs needs & tend to be very much enamored with one another when times are good & when not... There's work.

Likely a very unpredictable, isolating and unstable childhood with an affectionate but emotionally selfish parent and a callous impossible to please parent.

Gabriel/Andre

Definitely a bit more public than the hyper private Agreste of canon; Gabriel's penchant for isolation and antisocial behaviors, would still exist.

This would n many way ways suit Andre as it lets him be the socializer, the face, the mover and shaker the one who meets people and is protecting his dear husband by handling all this stuff in one way or another.

Gabriel's more aloof nature would beckon one like a moth to flame however and he likely thinks of himself as the protector in the same way the viziard who rules through the puppet prince is a protector.

Both are very much in favor of corraling their child in the home, Andre so he can always have a source of easy affection & praise & Gabriel because he wants everything under his control.

Andre is probably the "Fun parent" but provides nothing but superficial acts. While Gabriel does want to raise said child to be a success, he also doesn't care if they are happy or have opinions.

So in both cases rather similar to canon but also distinct I think?

Either way these kids are FUCKED

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fandomwritingbit · 11 months ago

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Could you do one with William afton's wife walks in on him putting the bead boy in the Freddy suit and he knows she would tell but he doesn't really want to kill her but she would try to take they're daughter away from him

Hiya, finally got around to doing this one lol. I broke two of my fingers at work so this was a mare to type lmao. Hope you enjoy!

Red-handed.

William x wife reader

Warnings: child murder, threat, violence, reader makes a bad decision.

Something felt off the second you entered the building. The air is heavy with knowledge you don't have a clue about, but it still chills you, making you pull your cardigan tighter around your shoulders. Your husband should be here somewhere, no doubt sorting something out that happened earlier in the day; he often made use of late hours for work, leaving you home alone and frankly bored. But tonight was different, call it a sixth sense, but sat at home watching it get later and later you just knew something was wrong. So here you are, looking for your partner and silently begging for him to be alright.

If something happened to him you don't know what you'd do.

This place is full of potential accidents, those mascot death traps being at the top of the list. Since you met William all those years ago, the thought of his creations being his downfall nestled in the back of your mind. You thank the stars every day that your children aren't as scared of the animatronics as you are.

Your footsteps are the only thing you can hear in the building, the usually lively corridors hushed with the silence of after hours. It's creepy as all Hell, but the knowledge of your husband being here somewhere was a great comfort. You try ringing him. Again. Your phone is ringing but his is deadly quiet. It must have run out of battery because you can't hear it in the building.

Eventually you've made your way to the back offices, calling for William as you peek in his office, then Henry's, both are empty. But a coat hook proves to you he's here, his jacket hung up on it from the end of the hallway looking almost like a figure standing there.

You're starting to feel a little bit pointless, looking from room to room, including the showroom for William, each coming to no avail. There's only one place you haven't been, and his words replay in your mind as you recall a previous conversation. "Don't come in here without me. It's not safe." You asked him why at the time and he frowned. "It's full of endoskeletons and unfinished characters." He answered bluntly, before adding, "Not to mention it's practically made of asbestos."

And you listened. Until now. It's a push come to shove situation, you have no choice but to look in there, though you still feel a tingle of guilt as you approach the door. The ‘parts and service’ sign amplifies your apprehension. Reaching out for the handle, you hesitate as your fingertips brush against it, thinking about how William was going to react when he found out you've gone in here. But you push through, the worry of his well being outweighing any doubt.

The very second you open the door you’re greeted with the overwhelming stench of iron, familiar enough to you that you gasp. Blood, undoubtedly, the metallic smell invading your mind and stimulating an animalistic impulse to bolt, to get as far away from this scene as possible. You carry on, entering the room but unable to see anything due to large shelves blocking your view.

“William?” You speak, hardly audible. “William?!” You manage more firmly this time. There’s no response, but a sudden metal clanking sound rang out, making you flinch. It's enough to see you turn the corner in a panic, spurred by fear that your husband could be hurt. When you do you freeze, as if life was taken from your body and you suddenly became inanimate. It is subconscious, forcing you to look at the gruesome scene in front of you. You would look away if you could, you don't want to see the blood on the floor leading up his leg, coating his hands and the small, unmoving body within them. It’s like your mind needs you to know exactly how real this is. And you resent it.

A hoarse breathy sound leaves you as your husband glares at you, a cruel expression warping his features that you’ve never seen before. You want to ask what happened, but you don’t need to. Your eyes flicking around the room reveals it all. A knife dripping with red, the child dead and suspended above the open mascot suit.

“W-what…?” You start shakily. William grunts with the effort of lifting the corpse, steadying the suit with one hand as the other slowly drops the child inside, letting you watch in horror as he lowers them until it’s secure enough for him to let go. You continue staring, no legitimate train of thought in your mind, before he sighs, finally turning his attention to you.

“What are you doing here?” He asks, the question sharp, tinted with accusation like you had done something equal to him just by being here.

“I-I came to ch-check on you. I thought something had hap- something has happened. What is this, William?” As your speaking the gravity of this catches up to you, your husband has hurt- killed this child. And there’s no remorse in his face, just a cold realism. In the pit of your stomach you know that this wasn’t an accident and it terrifies you.

An almost amused expression crosses his face as he scoffs, but it’s still mean. “What have you done?” You’re suddenly incensed, a rage like you’ve never felt coursing through your veins. “What have you done?” You ask again, scowling. You’ve known this man for what felt like your whole life and now you hate him, he fucking disgusts you.

“Easy.” He raises his hands like he’s trying to defend himself, trying to justify the unjustifiable. “We can-” He steps towards you slightly and you immediately recoil.

He stiffened, his expression completely changing, as the grave and serious feeling finally reached him. He looks at you with an unnameable emotion, “Don’t you fucking dare flinch away from me.” It’s said so harshly, so venomously that a pang of fear spreads through your chest. All of a sudden you’re aware of what William is capable of and whilst it still repels you, the violent reality chills your blood. You’re alone, with him. With that.

He watches the cogs turn in your head. He always knew you’d find out who he is eventually. It's inevitable, if not exactly like this then through a firm knock on the door concealing two uniformed officers. What’s the saying? ‘All things done in darkness will come to light.’ Well, here’s the fucking light, and it’s looking at him like he’s a monster. And it equally pisses him off and excites him.

“Come here.” It’s an order.

“No, William… I…” There are tears in your eyes at the emotional whiplash you’re experiencing. When he again steps towards you, you jump back, bumping into the shelving behind you, odd objects clattering on the floor. “Dont! Don’t touch me.” You hiss, panic making you raise your hands to strike at him, him touching you seems like the worst thing imaginable. You hit him in the chest, then again in the face before he stops you, grabbing your wrists and banging them above your head. The force of it again shakes the shelves, proving your terror right.

“Don’t be fucking scared of me. I’ve never hurt you before, have I? Why would I start now?” He speaks through his teeth and it’s soberingly firm.

“Get off me.” You struggle against him, thrashing as much as his brutal grip will allow.

“You,” He lowers his head so he’s speaking directly in your face. “You are the mother of my children, I’m not going to lay a finger on you… Unless you make me.”

Instantly you go still, his threat thinly veiled but clear as crystal in the damp and bloody room. There’s a man you recognise. A man who likes to bargain. Only this isn’t business, it’s life or death, his life for yours.

“There you go. You need to get your head on straight, this is nothing to you.” And despite the poisonous hatred you feel you find yourself nodding, you have more than yourself to worry about and you’re as obligated to him as he is for you. For better or worse.

#fnaf #william afton #william afton x reader #william afton x you #fnaf smut #fnaf movie

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swampgh0stt · 11 months ago

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That's not Child's Play

art by: @stardustrobin

Vanessa doesn’t trust the plush Spring Bonnie that T’aaku found. He isn’t willing to throw it out. Spring Bonnie comes to life and attacks Vanessa.

Something new sat in the nursery, staring with blank purple eyes. Settled beside the baby crib, the plush seemed like a sentry over the young infant Deishu. But Vanessa thought it more horrifying than anything else, and she couldn’t wrap her head around why T’aaku would have added this to the nursery… or when. She didn’t remember it when they first moved in together, and she had helped set it up when he came to live in her home. Yet, there the golden rabbit plush was, as if it had always been there.

“T’aaku?” Vanessa called, never taking her eyes off the plush golden Bonnie. They had been through entirely too much to not question this strange appearance. “Can you come here?”

He didn’t leave her waiting for long, hurrying into the nursery in case something was wrong. “Yeah?” His voice was soft, dripping with his own anxiety. “What’s wrong?” The blonde pointed to the plush rabbit, his yellow eyes following until they fell on the strange plush. Then his heart ached, tightening in his chest.

Golden Bonnie. --William’s mascot. He had only ever known the man as the costumed character, having pulled William out of the secret room while he was trapped in the springlocked suit. The imagery of the golden rabbit was so heavily tied to everything T’aaku knew of his ex-lover, how could it be anything or anyone else? And then he felt guilty for not moving it sooner, now seeing the confused and terrified look in Vanessa’s green eyes. “Oh, that…” The mechanic swallowed down the lump forming in his throat. “Yeah, I… I don’t know where it came from. I think Aniu may have got it for him?”

But that didn’t make sense either. Aniu had made it her mission to bring justice to the children who lost their lives, to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that William Afton was the murderer never charged.

“Deishu really likes him,” T’aaku tried to add as he slipped past her and closer to the crib. He took the golden Bonnie plush gently in hand, his gaze softened as he looked it over.

Vanessa struggled to find the words. She didn’t blame T’aaku for any lingering affection (even if she didn’t quite understand it), but… “It’s creepy,” she admitted. “I don’t like it.” Her lover shrunk back like a kicked dog, falling quiet for the moment. He didn’t see the harm in keeping a toy around.

“It’s not real, Vanessa…” Rarely was there a moment he would try to argue with her. Oftentimes, they agreed on… well, everything. Having spent so much time together, Vanessa and T’aaku found themselves in sync with each other.

Was he really going to get upset over a stuffed animal? Then she paused, her green eyes shifting down. Was she really going to get upset over a stuffed animal? She clenched her hands, feeling something bitter bubbling in her gut as her eyes narrowed. Unable to explain, Vanessa was forced to resign, even if there was something off about the plush. Clearly, T’aaku didn’t feel the same way. And wouldn’t he know? His goggles were special, even if he never told her how or why. He would be able to see if there was something truly wrong with it. “Nevermind,” she mumbled, retreating from the nursery.

That would not be the end of it.

Vanessa swore the plush began moving around on its own. She would remember seeing it in one spot, only to find it in a completely different area of the house later. T’aaku was soft on the plush, wanting its company and somehow finding comfort in it. Vanessa didn’t understand, but she wasn’t going to give him much pushback for it either. Feelings were complicated. Despite how she felt about William, and the hell he put them both through-- she understood that her partner’s feelings (while messy) were genuine. And to his credit, T’aaku never argued in defense of their tormenter. At the end of the day, the mechanic had still come through for her-- saved her from William’s hold on her mind. He stood his ground and worked hard to take down the Monster in the pizzaplex. Together, they trapped the Mimic animatronic below, and brought MXES out to tackle the electronic beast William had become.

She trusted her partner. And so, she kept her mouth shut about the oddities surrounding the Golden Bonnie plush. In the wake of her freedom, Vanessa knew she was prone to hallucinations and wrote off what she saw as nothing more than that: hallucinations. Her mind playing tricks on her.

It was nothing to worry T’aaku over. Until that day--

Sharp pain shot through her whole body from the force of something metal penetrating her side. Vanessa immediately recoiled and fell to the floor, putting pressure on the open wound that took her by surprise. Blood seeped out, staining her white tank top. Her body trembled, overcome by agony and shock. What just happened?

And then she was answered with a sneer. Her green eyes shifted up, finding the now animated plush of Golden Bonnie, his little paws bloodied. How he managed to shove a small pipe through her was beyond the blonde, who crawled back to create some distance between them. “Does it hurt?” William’s deep voice purred out from the plushie. “I guarantee it doesn’t hurt as badly as what you did to me.”

“Fuck you-” Vanessa breathed out, but the pain in her voice made the statement lose its edge. It betrayed her, showing how truly scared she was in the moment. Her body pressed against the wall, one of her arms slapping against it for support-- to keep her weight off the protrusion in her side. Her voice might have failed her, too weak to call for help, but the scraping and scrambling done in her weakened state was enough.

T’aaku’s white German Shepherd-- Shane, had heard the subtle sounds of distress. His sensitive nose immediately caught on the smell of blood, and he was off hunting down the source. Nose to the ground, the massive canine padded around the home until he found the threshold to the room Vanessa was trapped in.

--the room where the living plush stood, taunting her.

Shane’s fur bristled along his shoulders and neck as he let out a vicious bark, loud enough to catch T’aaku’s attention outside. Then, the canine lunged for the plushie, his metallic fangs ripping through cloth and stuffing with ease. There was nowhere to run. And no matter what William did, what scheming he came up with-- this damn dog was always there to ruin his plans.

#fnaf vanessa #fnaf vanny #william afton #springtrap #glitchtrap #spring bonnie #fnaf #five nights at freddy's #fnaf oc

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fire-of-the-sun · 1 year ago

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Speculation on Lotor's Armor

It's time for more unnecessary speculation about Lotor because I miss him. Last time we addressed Lotor's appearance, we talked about what was up with his incredible hair (here), now I'd like to discuss his iconic armor, the potential history behind it and how it services his character.

Even just at first glance in his introductory scene, Lotor clearly stands apart from his fellow Galra and not just due to his features. Even before we see his face, his unique stature and attire speaks volumes about the character we're about to meet as the colors and overall style bears no resemblance to anything we see a typical Galra wear - nor anyone else for that matter - singling Lotor out as a unique and unpredictable individual. So, why does he choose to dress so differently?

One interesting and inescapable truth about Lotor's armor is that it perfectly matches the color scheme of his cat, Kova, to such a specific degree that it can be no accident, so it only makes sense that Lotor himself decided to create or commission a suit to match. But why? Well, given the childhood that Lotor had to endure, it's not hard to imagine the inspiration was simply due to his allegiance to the fellow quintessence-touched creature. A way to honor it as the only true friend and companion he's ever had and the only thing that's ever truly been his or, at least, the one thing he chose for himself. Kova no doubt played a huge role in his lonely life and was probably the only decent thing in it as, for someone who had no real or meaningful connections, this relationship would naturally become incredibly important to him - important enough to showcase visually. In this way, perhaps the decision isn't just a matter of honoring a friend, but also perpetuating his own individuality as defined by his relationship with his cat as something that belongs solely to him.

However, if we dig deeper into this, things get more interesting.

When I was originally writing this meta, I was looking for clues in Lotor's main design that could legitimize the idea that he would have tailored it to honor his Altean side (as he clearly isn't dressed like a Galra), as I think that would make a lot of sense for his character. Unfortunately, there's nothing incredibly obvious in his clothing that matches the aesthetic of the Alteans we see in the show as the style and color palette just don't align. This makes sense, I suppose, given that Lotor would never know exactly how they dressed even if he wanted to emulate them. And then I thought harder about Kova...

Given that he was originally Honerva's pet and she's Altean and therefore is from there as well, one could argue that designing his appearance after Kova was, intentionally or not, reflective of Altean culture to some degree. And if Lotor devised that Kova was originally Honerva's, his signature look could also be a way to remember his mother as well as her culture, both of which he deeply admires and are intrinsically part of himself. At this time, he believes all Alteans to be extinct, making him (and Kova) the sole keepers of their legacy and he chooses to wear that proudly. Ultimately, Kova isn't just his best friend, he's also a connection to his mother and Altea and all the things he holds dear and thus becomes his own personal mascot of sorts.

This decision is also deliciously ironic given that his chosen appearance is simultaneously an unintentional extension of Haggar as well, whom he despises but cannot fully escape. Just as Honerva and Haggar are two halves of the same person and Kova, therefore, belonged to both, the style Lotor chooses is also inextricably a reflection of Haggar just as much as it is Honerva and what they represent to him: corruption as well as purity - which is an interesting contrast in regard to Lotor's character.

Speaking of contrast, it's worth noting that there is, of course, a distinct and purposefully clashing styles between the Galra and Alteans. The former made up of sharp edges and intimidating reds and blacks while the latter is defined by soft shades of blue, gold and pure white. Both designs are successful in respectively encapsulating a race who's known only war and another that promotes peace. With a parent from each, Lotor naturally stands somewhere in between these opposing views both in his internal struggles as well as an outward appearance that doesn't conform perfectly to either. Lotor's style, therefore, is an interesting amalgamation of his roots, an echo of their inherent conflict, and a bold statement to all who see him who he is and where he stands.

So, we have an idea of the inspiration behind the armor, but when did he implement it?

We see in some flashbacks that young Lotor did wear Galran styled clothing. Though he cannot change the reality of his mixed blood, he can try to speak, act and dress as a Galra - all actions that a young prince would be expected to uphold but also probably pushed himself to practice and perfect in order to assimilate himself better into their society and appeal to his father. However, there's a huge unexplored time gap between what we see of Lotor's childhood and him as an adult who has already adopted his very divergent final look with no real explanation. That's why I mainly want to address the flashback in 8x02, as it's the youngest adult version we see of Lotor and marks an influential event that I feel could have had a grander effect with a few tweaks to his design.

At the beginning of the flashback, we see Lotor and Kova together - the proximity affording the audience a strategic reminder of their unmistakably similar color schemes and of their bond. Now, perhaps his appearance remains unchanged here simply to make it easier for the artists and animators so they could avoid designing a new look for him for only one scene, but I personally find it a wasted opportunity to benefit the story further by showing Lotor at a very different point in his life and a different appearance would certainly help reflect that.

Personally, I would have liked to have seen him in more traditional Galran clothing here and maybe even sporting slightly shorter hair - even if only for the selfish desire to see Lotor look somewhat different at some point during the course of the entire show. The hair would help to indicate that he's a little younger here (though we don't actually know how long ago it was) and the traditional armor would supplement the story visually by showing him still bearing some ties to his Galran heritage at this point as he continues to try to prove himself to his father that he is an effective and worthy son. He does want to change things though and help his father see there are other, more merciful ways of reaching their goals and by appearing as a Galra in the best way he can, he could perhaps make his sentiments more palatable.

Of course, things go horribly wrong and this flashback details one of the biggest shifts in Lotor's life. In the span of one scene, he transforms from dutiful Galran prince trying to please his father to exile who has severed all ties to the Galra, all hopes of appealing to Zarkon and is now determined to bring him down. Until this point, Lotor has struggled and failed to be the prince his father and the rest of his people would approve of and changing his entire appearance after his exile would really punctuate his literal and symbolic divergence from the Galra by creating a look and identity all his own with no aesthetic connection to them. Lotor, at last, is taking control over his own life and no longer living in his abuser's shadow. Naturally, the change is openly rebellious - an unmistakable rejection of a culture that rejected him and a slap in the face to all who see him. He's charted his own course and pledged allegiance fully to himself and what he believes in. Lotor's generals are also tasked to wear the same style clothing as him - a clear sign to all who see them to whom they serve.

Of course, there could be other explanations that accommodate the writers need for him to maintain this look:

Perhaps Lotor just changed his look as an angsty teen who wanted to rebel perhaps. My issue with this idea though is that I don't think Zarkon would have approved of him dressing as anything less than a Galran prince is expected to and, as we see of Lotor even as an adult in the flashback, he's still trying to present himself the best he can to his father, and I don't think he'd take the risk of angering him just to feel more independent as Zarkon will use any excuse to punish him. I like to think that Lotor's outburst against his tactics in this flashback is the first real time he's ever rebelled against his father, hence the surprise and severe punishment. Lotor would never want to willingly incur his wrath unless over such an important thing as the lives of others - another reason why I think changing into his final look after his exile is the best narrative choice. Only after being formally expelled from the empire, I imagine, Zarkon would no longer care about seeing Lotor maintain a Galran appearance and would no longer protest to seeing him dressed differently.

Or, maybe he only recently adopted the new look while staying on Ven'tar's planet with Kova for a year. Perhaps, in his first real venture outside of Zarkon's shadow and Galran culture, he became more independent, more self-assured and wanted to adjust his attire to reflect that growth. To make something of himself on his own and define himself as an individual who is open to clothing untethered to just one culture. Maybe this decision was also partially bolstered by his inclination to make the people he's leading feel more comfortable around him as well by presenting himself as different than the other Galra they know and fear. Of course, during his conversation with Zarkon, we also learn that Lotor now knows about his Altean roots and that potentially recent discovery could also have played a role in his desire to alter his appearance (using Kova as his muse) as his time away gave room for him to begin to distance himself from the Galra and begin his exploration into his Altean heritage. Again, though, I don't think Zarkon would naturally approve of seeing him in foreign attire (especially inspired by Altea). He doesn't care about Lotor but he does care about maintaining his image as a Galra prince and projecting the strength and authority that title brings over others as demonstrated in this scene.

Ultimately, regardless of the exact origins, this visual separation from the Galra serves to aid Lotor in his quest to transform the universe by presenting himself as someone who stands apart from the rest of his race and their ruthless ways. He's independent with a unique appearance to match his unique manner of leadership and ideas for the future. Presenting a wholly personal choice of style that acts as a natural extension of himself and a love for his Altean heritage as inspired from the only friend he ever really had.

So, there you have it! That's my unnecessarily long take on why Lotor dresses to match his cat.

#vld #voltron #lotor #prince lotor #kova #zarkon #honerva #haggar #v:ld #voltron: legendary defender #lotor meta #vld meta #voltron meta #vld lotor #lotor vld

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cat-shouty-13 · 7 months ago

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I may be cringe but I am free

Magical girl benbaro au !

I love them and I love magical girls so I make content that appeals to me only :)

Lepus (the genus for hares)

Albert is just a cute design, he's fluffy and has bells that jingle. His glasses are purposely over sized here as a sort of mask/identity hider

Fun fact: in doing this design I realized that Juliet sleeves are my one true love and I will put them on more people <3

Reaper (I hope the name reason is obvious)

The skirt is just Cure Finale's skirt but it's a great design and I think it suits him. The torso draping's are meant to look like ribs. He still has his boots because I like them and also because it would feel wrong if he didn't have them. His mask has little fang-like protrusions because vampire

Lore Time !

So ! Albert and Barok both have little mascot creatures called Standards (like the flag) Albert's is a hare called Helle and Barok's is a skeleton/reaper called Angel.

People who transform and use the Standards magic are called Champions, so Albert is the current Hare Champion and Barok is the current Skeleton Champion.

When transformed, Champions can give people a kind of magical stupidity, this just prevents people who know them from recognizing them. It manifests in a Champion just looking like a completely different person (this different person is actually just the human form of their Standard)

For example Reaper looks and sounds like a tall, slender woman with straight, black hair to everyone else but himself and other Champions. To himself and other Champion he looks and sounds like himself (the way he looks in the above designs). His mask is purely so that other Champions don't see his scar and have the chance to work out that he is Barok van Zieks dispite the magical stupidity.

Their weapons are a scythe for Reaper (very creative I know) and a pair of pistols for Lepus (like the dualies from splatoon).

Lepus can control electricity to a degree and can also teleport to any place he's been before or any place within sight (super high voltage instantaneous kinesis is real now). Reaper can control blood but he has to have an access point, if that makes sense. Essentially, if someone has an open wound he could just take that blood and use it in the same way most magical girls with water powers use water.

I do have more lore but I feel like I should put that in a separate post

Anyway ! Yippee magical girls !

#albert harebrayne #barok van zieks #benbaro #the great ace attorney #magical girl au

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jellycreamjammedart · 1 year ago

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Lost and Found (Super)Stars

[THATS IT YALL THE BRAINROT AND HEADCANONS FINALLY KICKED ME IN THE ASS AND NOW I WANNA MAKE IT AN STORY]

PT. 1 (index/parts) (Tag: desktop/mobile)

FNAF Security Breach Ruin, post-"betrayal" elevator ending hurt/comfort, Found Family, something I like to call "Hopeful Horror"

Summary: Having had her kindness stomped on then spat back at her, betrayed by who she thought was her friend, and now stuck at the ruined remains of Freddy Fazbear's PizzaPlex, Cassie tries to find the slightest bit of meaning and worth in all of this.

"Cassie?"

Roxanne Wolf uneasily called out to the silence that was following the very nasty, loud metallic sound of heavy free-falling and crushing. The kind of noise that makes one feel the vibrations of it through the air and reverberate over the walls. When it comes to that, the dead silence that came afterwards was anything but reassuring. The wolf's endoskeleton ears pinned back against her exposed metal skull.

'Please let her have left this accursed place,' she thought to herself.

Even without her eyes, the view before her sends an sinking feeling into her non-existent stomach.

The elevator shaft that was supposed to lead her twice number 1 back to freedom was squashed to around half its former height, almost like a harmonica. The damned creature she fought not long ago was motionless on the floor, likely knocked back by the crash-land of the elevator; interestingly, it was missing an arm now.

No matter. Roxy walked past the rogue endo, bee-lining to the elevator, internally begging for it to be empty. With what remains of her sharp claws, as well as robot strength, she slashed and forced open the elevator doors, and her ears drop at the sight before her.

"Cassie!?"

Roxy doesn't hesitate to gather the unresponsive child into her metal arms, a million thoughts racing through her head, most of them along the lines of what happened and how could this happen?

How could this happen!? How could she have let this happen to her twice number 1!?

She shifts the girl into one arm, her other hand brushing the curling hair off Cassie's face; her metallic spine shudders uncomfortably at the feel of something wet upon doing so.

Any laments are momentarily halted when Roxy feels some ominous rumbling, like land shifting. But not under them. Somewhere above. Something is tunneling around through the earth above their heads.

It's become a lot more urgent the moment a large boulder results from that, and lands right onto the squashed elevator shaft, crushing it completely (as well as the endo arm that was in there.) If she had taken Cassie out just a little later...

Roxy shifts the child again, holding her in both arms with her head resting over her shoulder, before she twisted on her heels and bolted down the hall, knowing the sign of a boulder means, usually, more boulders. She leaps over the endoskeleton, seemingly just now starting to recover its senses. More boulders fall over the elevator shaft, rendering it and even the possibility of scaling it up null.

Roxy can hear that creature screeching after her, almost as if frustrated at having its planned way out buried under boulders and rubble, but the wolf ignored it, refusing to look back let alone slow down even the slightest bit. Especially when she can still hear some rumbling above them. She dashes through the doorway right before boulders fall, partially blocking it, which buys them time as the rogue endo has now to plow its way through it. Roxy rushes through the raw tunnels, feeling like the world was crashing down over her and her precious winner, even though it was probably only a few more isolated boulders crashing onto some of the dead-ends.

Upon reaching that mossy room full of creepy mascot suits, Roxy can hear the rumbling of earth calming down a little. She wouldn't have stopped at all, but a certain other sound caught her attentive ears.

"... Roxy...?"

"Cassie??" Roxy skids to a halt upon hearing the girl's hoarse voice, carefully setting her on the ground but still holding onto her shoulders. "Cassie? Cassie, are you okay??" If she had lungs, her torn up torso would be raising and lowering rapidly in anticipation of the answer.

Cassie's eyes do drift to her favorite bandmate's endoskeleton face. She's conscious but still dazed, a trickle of blood leaking down the side of her forehead from under her hair; no wonder she's dazed, she must have hit her head back at the elevator. That definitely will need some looking at. "Roxy, you... You actually came back for me, even after... after what I..." She trails off, seemingly struggling to get her bearings, and yet understood perfectly how far Roxy had just gone for her. Something catches the corner of her eye, and she slowly bends down to pick up the Freddy-talk that had been used to play her like a fiddle, staring down at it.

Roxy would've said that of course she came back; she didn't exactly understand why Cassie had tried to deactivate her, but could see crystal clear the pain and grief in the girl's face every second of it, it was like Cassie was murdering her and hating every moment of it. But before the wolf could say anything, a sound once again catches her ears. "CASSIE, WATCH OUT!"

She basically tackles herself and Cassie through the formerly barricaded door and into the next room, the girl held securely into her arms, turning so that her robotic body scraped by the floor rather than the kid's. She had pushed them both just before a boulder in the other room would've crashed onto them both.

They both sit up and stare at the fresh debris right next room.

"... that was a close one." Roxy exhaled stunned, while Cassie scrambled onto her feet and nearly stumbled over to the old computer off to the side. "Cassie? What are you doing?"

Cassie groans to herself still a little dizzy; of course the computer is lifeless and useless. ... in the Real World, at least.

She wipes the blood off her forehead with her sleeve, then reaches for an ominous-looking rabbit mask from under her red sweater, putting it over her face.

Now she can see the power on button highlighted, in the Augmented Reality, which she presses, bringing in a message onto the screen:

WARNING: SECURITY PROTOCOLS DEACTIVATED. TURN SYSTEM ON ANYWAY?

[YES] [NO]

Cassie presses YES, prompting a BOOTING UP... message to pop up on the computer screen, the sound akin to the humming of a CPU starting to run in the large server right behind her.

To Be Continued...

#fnaf sb ruin spoilers #fnaf #fnaf sb #fnaf sb ruin #five nights at freddy's #five nights at freddys #five nights at freddy's security breach #five nights at freddys security breach #five nights at freddy's security breach ruin #five nights at freddys security breach ruin #cassie #roxanne wolf #mimic #the mimic #jellycream art #lost and found superstars #i fought the post elevator ending found family brainrot and lost royally #this might be a little short but remember its just the beginning

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oftenwantedafton · 10 months ago

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Night Shift - Steve Raglan/William Afton x Female Reader + Mike Schmidt

Finale

Rating - Explicit

Minor violence, no warning for this chapter

Also available on AO3

You stare open mouthed at the empty steel cabinet before you. Whatever it was that had terrified William so badly is now free.

You gradually become aware of footsteps nearby: loud, metallic, something with tremendous weight making contact with the concrete flooring. You don’t want to know what’s making that sound; you have to see exactly what it is, for Mike’s sake.

It’s more difficult to navigate the maze of corridors without the older man’s guidance. You’re relying more on following the auditory trail of disturbing sounds than visual memory.

The noises are getting louder. You’re getting closer. You’re finally starting to recognize where you are now.

Something towers ahead of you. One of the animatronics? It certainly looks like it. The rabbit, maybe. Except it’s the wrong color. A sort of sickly yellow instead of blue. Part of one ear torn off. Dark openings where pieces of the mascot had been destroyed, exposing the innards that were never meant to be seen by human eyes.

You duck back around the corner before the suited figure sees you. It’s standing outside the security office, observing the interior of the room. Your heart is pounding so loudly it’s a wonder it can’t be heard. You risk another glance. Still standing there, watching. You think you see something silver glinting in one hand. Is it a knife?

The rabbit takes a step forward. You ease into the hallway. It doesn’t seem to notice you. It takes another step and you continue to creep forward, keeping yourself pressed against the wall, tucked into the shadows. The figure has to duck to enter the office and you take the opportunity to close the remaining distance in time to see it lunge towards Mike who’s fallen asleep, head pillowed on his arms.

One swift tug and he’s wide awake, pinned against the wall, the gray hooded sweatshirt beneath the security guard vest bunched in a steel encased hand, heels kicking futilely as he is raised to eye level with the seven foot tall mascot.

You had to help him, but how?

“Sleeping on the job? You really are useless, aren’t you?” The synthetic voice is vaguely masculine. The yellow rabbit pulls your friend away from the wall and then slams him back again, Mike wincing in pain when his head connects with the concrete. “What your ex girlfriend ever saw in you I’ll never know.” He relaxes his grip and the security guard drops to the floor, groaning.

You freeze. How did he know about you?

“How…how do you know…” Mike asks, echoing your thoughts.

“I know everything that happens here. I own this place, after all.”

“You’re the owner?”

“I am. I’ve heard a lot about you, Mike Schmidt.” The contempt is clear even through the modulated voice. “None of it good, I’m afraid. Your former girlfriend on the other hand, quite a different story. Did you know she came to the office right after you had your first little ménage a trois? Desperate for more.”

William had told the owner? After everything you’d done, and he’d promised not to, and…You feel a wave of nausea roll over you at the betrayal.

“Steve’s full of shit if he told you that. She never would have—”

“—But she did. Dressed up and everything. So upset when she got turned down. Then she made plans to meet at the movies. What? Did you think that was a coincidence?” The encased man chuckles as Mike stares at him, open mouthed. “It was all over for the two of you the second Steve Raglan walked into this room that night.”

There’s no way he could know about it unless William had told him. What other intimate details did he reveal? Why would he share that with the owner? It made no sense.

The rabbit’s lit eyes flick towards the Nebraska poster taped to the wall and he rips through it, the image of the forest shredding, the pieces cascading down in a gentle rain of fluttering paper. “Maybe I should have taken you instead of your brother that day at the park. Just put you out of your misery right then and there. You’ve made an absolute mess of your life. Can’t hold down a job. Can’t keep a girl. Your sister will probably thank me for this one day.”

“You…you took Garrett?” Mike gasps, his eyes anguished.

“I wouldn’t say take. He came along pretty willingly. They all did.” He shoves Mike when the fallen man tries to stand, the heavy costumed foot pushing him back down to the floor. “But if it’s any consolation, he died with more dignity than the others. At least he was quiet about it. Didn’t struggle. Just like going to sleep.” The butcher knife—that was exactly what it was, thick and long and viciously sharp—rolls in his palm, the steel encased fingers deftly moving the handle back and forth. Another chuckle emerges from the depths of the suit. He’s enjoying this. Toying with the fallen man. Gloating. Prolonging the moment and savoring it. How long had he been planning this? Why was tonight the one when he’d finally decided to confront him?

Mike struggles to rise again but the rabbit’s foot returns with a vengeance, this time kicking his chest, driving the air loose.

You wince, clamping a hand over your mouth to stifle any sound. There’s no way you were going to be able to confront this guy head on. The element of surprise was about all you had going for you. But what were you going to use as a weapon? What could possibly stand up to this suit, damaged as it was?

“Stop resisting, Mike. You’re fighting a losing battle. Take a page out of your brother’s book and bow out gracefully.”

“Why him? Why take him? He was innocent, he did nothing to you.”

“Of course he didn’t. I never said he did. I don’t need a reason. I’ve never needed a reason.”

No. No, no, no. It couldn’t be him inside of there.

You recall standing before William, the words mirrored.

Do I need a reason? Have I ever needed a reason?

There are things in my past.

You’re going to hate me one day.

Suffice to say I have my reasons to use an alias.

Now you know my best kept secret.

He never told the owner anything. He didn’t have to. He is the owner.

“William.” The name escapes before you can stop it as you enter the doorway.

The yellow rabbit’s head turns towards you sharply. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

You can hear it now, underneath the voice modulator: the cadence of his words, the inflections and nuances. It’s him. Your eyes dart to Mike who’s staring at you wide eyed.

“Why are you here?” The voice is no longer arrogant and cruel. It sounds weak, tired. Dissappointed.

“It’s Mike’s birthday. I was just bringing him…William….”

He reaches for the headpiece, fingers tucking beneath the jaw to lift it free. It falls to the floor with a loud clank.

“What the fuck…” Mike stares at the profile of the figure in front of him. “Raglan?”

William’s hair is plastered wetly to his forehead, the pale eyes that are fever bright softening when they see you. “Sweetheart…I didn’t want you involved in this.”

“William, please listen to me. You have to stop…”

Cold metal fingers dart out and swiftly seize your throat, shoving you back through the doorway and against the wall. He’s not squeezing, just holding you in place. “Oh, honey. I tried so hard to keep you away from this. I tried to give you what you needed. Tried to be what you wanted.”

Your fingers futilely prying at the steel hand trapping you grow still. Twin tracks of tears spill down your cheeks. “You did give me what I needed. You are what I want,” you whisper.

He groans and it’s an echo of the wounded sound he’d made that night when he’d come to pick you up when your car had broken down. Regret. Longing. A life full of so much destruction, a darkness he can’t seem to escape. His mouth crushes yours.

You know you’re supposed to be terrified of him. Repulsed by him. He’d killed Mike’s brother; killed others too from the sound of it.

Still your body melts against him. Moth to flame. You can’t help it. You cannot choose to only love part of him. The ugly darkness is not separate from the good you’ve seen in him. Brought out of him.

You hear the knife clatter to the floor.

You taste William Afton’s surrender.

#william afton x reader #william afton x you #steve raglan x reader #steve raglan x you #william afton #fnaf movie #fnaf fanfic #mike schmidt

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artzychic27 · 11 months ago

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You got to admit that Marc and Nath have always had Adrien’s back in a way others haven’t. Like, them automatically sensing he was genderqueer/genderfluid? (Marinette probably dictate she was supposed to be the princess in their comic but they took one look at Adrien, and said “yeah no they’d wear a dress. There’s something gay going on there.” And take creative liberties because we all know Marc and Nath have good taste.) and to top it off on the Boys Only Party they literally kissed Adrien on his cheeks. That party was extremely gay and like I feel like Nath and Marc both said to Nino “we know he’s your baby chick but it’s obvious he’s not straight or Cis. We can break it to him gently or do it the fun way.” And Nino is saluting them like “I leave it to you. Don’t break the baby chick.”

Basically I’m just imagining Nath and Marc making plans with the Science kids to kidnap and adopt Adrien. He really needs it. I mean, a queer magical catboyTM who was literally born out of magic? He’s the perfect mascot for the Science Squad. From what I’ve seen they’ve all had some weird experiences with magic. Adrien literally is the definition of “weird experience with magic.”

Marc: *Pulls Adrien out of the body bag* Sorry, but we didn't know if you'd go with us willingly.

Adrien: But, I would have!

Nathaniel: See? I told you.

Marc: You suggested using chloroform!

Adrien: Guys! What's going on?

Jean: Why tell you... When I can sing to you?! *A spotlight shines on him, dressed in a sequin suit* Maestro! *Piano music plays* Weeeelll~

*After a lavish musical number written and choreographed by Jean*

Jean: And that's how they do it, from England to Pompei! My dear, sweet sunshine child, you're totally... GAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY! Yeah! *Confetti rains down*

Adrien: *Clapping* Oh, my gosh! That was amazing!

Jean: Thank you! Thank you! Yes, I know! So, did you get the message?

Adrien: ... The what?

Cosette: How can someone so cute be so oblivious?

Zoé: It's one of life's mysteries.

Nathaniel: Alright, I'll just come out and say it. In fact, this is so serious, that I'm gonna drop the shy voice. *Lower voice* You're obviously queer and genderfluid.

Adrien: ... What?

Aurore: Way to lay it on gently, Nath.

Adrien: But, I'm not. It's normal for guys to enjoy being girls for a bit... Right?

Science Kids/Nathaniel: *Raised eyebrows*

Simon: Sure. And, you're probably gay or bi.

Adrien: What? No, I'm not. I like girls.

Denise: Nothing about the way you look at Luka is straight, penqueño sol.

Reshma: And, what is it about Marinette that you truly like?

Adrien: ...

Reshma: What about Kagami?

Adrien: ...

Lacey: Yep, he's gay.

Mireille: Knew it. Now, he's obviously not a disaster gay. And, I don't think he's functional, either.

Cosette: More like a cross between distinguished and disaster, really.

Reshma: We'll settle that later. Adrien, we're going dress shopping. I'll pay so your dad doesn't see the charge.

Adrien: ... Can I get something in floral print?

Ismael: As long as it's tasteful and accentuates your shape. *The others look at him strangely* What? I hang out with Reshma, so I pick up fashion terms!

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous #nathaniel kurtzberg #marc anciel #zoé lee #aurore béaureal #mireille caquet #jean duparc #adrien agreste #mlb ocs #science kids

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night-dark-woods · 10 months ago

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Yet she had also decided that she felt a strange kinship and sympathy for it, this cornered, desperate god, making infinite sacrifices out of its people.

I'm on a "rereading Forsaken loretabs" kick and I'm rotating this line in my head. Mara constantly sacrificing herself and her people to protect the solar system as a whole. Her sense of duty. Determined and deadset on saving everyone and the thing is she does she DOES save everyone!!! But does that make it worth it does that make it right!!!

What got me started again was the last line on the loretab of this year's Dawning ship (Hiera Hodos - which also... thats the Sacred Way from Athens to Eleusis, as in the Eleusinian Mysteries that Mara's throneworld is named for...):

And Mara walks alone, between the City and the dark outside.

Which made me think about this part of the Savin loretab (Title is also from this loretab):

Perhaps the Earth would be better off if the Traveler vanished or was destroyed, she thought. Even in the Reef, she felt as if she were living next to a torch held up in a dark wilderness, calling out across the galaxy to hungry things with too many eyes.

And so now I'm down the "Mara and her god complex" rabbithole again. Under a readmore because it's long:

If you have grace, then see our sorrows, but swallow back your tears. We were made to pay this price. I led us to our fate. (Archiloquy)

She feels this absolute guilt from the very beginning because she saw deeper meaning in a freak accident:

Because I asked us to leave, Mara thinks. Because something came out of deep space and killed the man next to me, and I saw the omen, and I said we should go. And now I feel like a coward. (Cosmogyre II)

And then you combine that personal guilt with her mother and Alis Li telling her she's responsible for what others think of her and that she is capable of more than those around her:

"It is one thing to have a particular power over people, Mara. But it is another to deny that you are using it." ... "Mara, you are an Auturge, a volunteer. I cannot order you to stop, and your work is exemplary. Are you putting anyone else in danger with your… art projects?" "No," Mara says. "Just myself." "False!" Li barks. "That is a selfish answer. You are now a symbol to my crew, a house god. If you were to die, they would lose something important, something Human that they have created out of loneliness and void. It would be an unforgettable reminder of the hostile nothingness that surrounds us. When you endanger yourself, you endanger that symbol. You are part of this mission's behavioral armor, Mara." Mara is thunderstruck. She's never thought about it this way. "All I did was take some captures. I didn't ask to be anyone's… mascot." "You presented yourself as a conduit to secret knowledge," Captain Li counters. "People made something out of you, Mara. Please take this from a starship captain: What people make of you, what they create of you—even without your consent—becomes a kind of responsibility. If the Mara they see when they look at you is good for them, then you have some duty to be that Mara." (Brephos III)

And you put all of that on the shoulders of an already self-important and borderline suicidal 19 year old who is convinced she's seeing secret meanings in things (and she is!!! Is the thing!!!) You cannot tell me she's not, given that her favorite enrichment activity is going on EVAs and taking off her suit in order to experience this:

The void boiled the water off her skin. Her body swelled with unchecked pressure until her undersuit forced it to stop. Alarmed cytogel crawled down her throat, hissing emergency oxygen: not enough. Her skin blued with cyanosis. She was bathed in the most profound emptiness. She recorded all of it at the neural level. The exquisite darkness. The sense of fatal independence from all things. There are those who will give anything to feel that void. (Brephos II)

And then after they are in the Distributary she keeps her idea of the duty of the Awoken to herself for so so so fucking long and plays such a long game and sacrifices her own people in that game to keep the Awoken from being truly comfortable in the Distributary:

"I have worked for many hundreds of years to arrange this outcome," Mara says, forthrightly, but without the courage to look Alis Li right in the eyes. "I have nurtured and tended the Eccaleist belief so that there will always be Awoken who feel uncomfortable in paradise. Guilty for the gift of existence in the Distributary. People who'll come with me." (Nigh I)

And all for the sake of her eventual goal of returning to the real world and saving the solar system that she is absolutely completely incapable of abandoning, regardless of the cost:

"Do you understand what you've done? Have you reckoned the full cost?" She has convinced tens of thousands of Awoken to abandon their immortality. She has deprived the Distributary an infinite quantity of joy, companionship, labor, and discovery: all the works that might be accomplished by all the people who will join her in her mission to another world. When she lies awake at night, seized by anxiety, she tries to tally up the loss in her head, but it is too huge, and it becomes a formless thing that stalks her down the pathways of her bones like the creak of a gravity wave. "Some infinities are larger than others," she tells her old captain. "I believe… we are here for a reason, and this is the way to fulfill that purpose." "And how much would you sacrifice? Your mother? Your brother? Are the Awoken real to you at all?" Alis leans across her pinned hand, viper-fierce, striking. "Do you think my people were made to die for you? "Not for me. For our purpose. For our fate." (Nigh II)

And she is so so so deeply aware of that cost, in Fideicide II Alis Li knows that "Mara knows the unthinkable value of even a single Awoken life," and she is so deeply deeply guilty about that. Like when she does tell Alis (and Sjur, eventually) we get to see her the most fucking vulnerable we ever do and GOD.

"No," Mara says, with her heart in her throat, with trepidation bubbling in her gut. You cannot keep a secret buried like a vintage for so many centuries, and then unbottle it without any ceremony. "The boon I ask is your forgiveness." Then she explains the truth. She tells Alis Li what she did: about the choice Alis Li would have made, if Mara had not made her own first. It's only an extension of what Alis has already deduced. When she's finished, her ancient captain's jaw trembles. Her hands shake. A keen slips between her clamped teeth. The oldest woman in the world conjures up all the grief she has ever felt, and still it is not enough to match Mara's crime. "You're the devil," Alis Li whispers. "I remember… in one of the old tongues, Mara means death. Oh, that's too perfect. That's too much." She laughs for a while. Mara closes her eyes and waits. "You realize," Alis Li says, breathing hard, "that this is the worst thing ever done. Worse than stealing a few thousand people from heaven. Worse than that thing we fled, before we were Awoken—" "Please," Mara begs. "Please don't say that." Alis Li rises from her chair. "I'll support your fleet," she says. "I'll use every favor and connection I have to get your Hulls completed and through the gateway—and I will do it so that I can hasten your departure from this world. I will do it out of hate for you; I will do it so that every good and great thing we achieve here will ever after be denied to you, you snake. No forgiveness. Do you understand me? It is unforgivable. Go. Go!" "I'd be very glad if you didn't tell my mother," Mara says. (Nigh II)

The last line there fucking kills me. "I'd be very glad if you didn't tell my mother." God. And then when she is brave enough to tell Sjur, to try again after last time backfired so fucking spectacularly, Sjur forgives her:

"I was first," Mara says. And she explains the missing half, the first half of the sentence: I made the rules and initial conditions that deceived her into believing she herself had decided It ends like that, where the rest picks up. Sjur Eido looks at her in expressionless silence. Sjur Eido's hands stroke the seam between Mara's skinsuit and the glassy petals of her helmet. Long ago, this woman betrayed her oath and went to serve the Diasyrm, a woman who cried out in anguish at the curse of physicality and the possibility of suffering. Long ago, this woman threw away her whole life to punish the highest crime she could imagine: the denial of transcendent divinity to those who might have claimed it. "You're the devil," Sjur says. "You're the lone power who made death. You allowed the possibility of evil. You might be responsible for more preventable suffering than anything that has ever existed." Mara cannot shake her head or even nod. "Well," Sjur says, "if you hadn't, none of us would be here. I guess I don't see what else you could've done, if you cared about those we left behind. If you wanted us to be able to go back and help in the fight." She leans forward and very gently kisses the inside of her helmet, where it meets Mara's: in her mind, in that place that is bound to all other Awoken, Mara feels the touch of gentle lips. (Tyrannocide III)

And like, those chapters also make me lose my mind because of the twofold meaning of the title- Tyrannocide because she is killing Oryx, yes, but also because she herself is dying. The self-appointed (and only ever real) Queen of the Awoken:

We are risen from man and fallen from heaven. We are made again in the fall. What was once us will not ever again be us. I am the uncrowned ever-Queen and my only diadem will be the event horizon of the universe, which is my dominion. By falling, I will rise. (Palingenesis II)

"Mara, with all my respect, all my genuine gratitude for bringing us here," Esila sighs, "who died and made you Queen?" Mara says nothing. But she thinks: Everyone, Esila. All of us died and made me Queen. (Revanche II)

On the day the Fallen struck, Mara was proclaimed Queen. It happened swiftly, though after no little debate among the people, for everyone was afraid of a monarch who could speak to their thoughts. Yet they feared more to deny her power and sovereignty, for they had come between worlds in her name. To refuse her would be to refuse their choice. (Revanche V)

And the thing is that she is their queen in such a real and tangible way like she made them she made their fate she can sense every single one of them and feels their deaths and at the same time as she is sacrificing them for The Greater Good she would do anything to save them:

Mara crawls through compartments choked with vaporized coolant. She keeps low and clutches the breather to her face. All she can think of is Kelda Wadj's last message and the data attached. "Mara. The paracausal effects are strongest around you. Whatever's happened to us, you are the locus. I cannot overstate how subtle and how important this discovery might be. Mara, when we use radioactive decay as a trigger for simulated bombs—bombs that could harm Awoken—the trigger atoms are a thousandfold less likely to decay near you. People are literally safer when you are around." She has to get into the riot. She has to protect her people. A horrible groan vibrates through the habitat structure, and then, with an apocalyptic shudder, something tears off the Reef. A ship. A ship is leaving. Mara has failed. ... She rolls onto her back and stares up into the swirling vortices of coolant, seeing faces, futures, the lives she has just lost, the lives she might yet lose. She brought her people here to die in the sense that she brought them into mortality—but she never wanted it to happen quickly. (Revanche IV)

And she keeps losing people and losing people and losing people. So many of the Distributary Awoken defect and go to Earth:

Nasan purses her lips. "I want them to understand that you are—that you—that you are good. That you aren't what they think." Seeing Sjur bristle, she holds up her hand. To her relief, Mara makes a slight warding gesture as well. "And if they know that and still wish to live apart from us on Earth, that's fine. That's their choice." "I don't need them to understand that," Mara says softly. There is the faintest husk of grief in her steady voice. (Chords of Meaning)

And then she loses Nasan too and she comes back as Orin and the Traveler has taken yet another of her people from her (and brought them back wrong!):

"Woof," Sjur Eido says when she sees Orin for the first time, "Mara's gonna hate this." She crosses the detainment cell to get a better look at Gol. "Figured this might happen eventually, but I'd always hoped…" She pulls at the nape of her neck, then gives a little half-shrug: well, what can you do. (Queenslaw)

And then she loses Sjur when she is taken/killed by the Nine:

"This was on her body, Your Grace." A strange coin lay at the center of Abra's outstretched palm. Mara took it between thumb and forefinger and held up it to the cosmos with dainty contempt. Weregild, she thought. Powerful grief filled her chest, as thick and caustic and heavy as unset concrete. (Oathkeeper)

And she turns to Orin for assistance with that and then because of that (!!!) loses Orin again as well:

On the day that Sjur Eido dies, she receives a call from Mara Sov. "I would ask for my boon," the queen says with shaking voice. It is the first time she dares to trust a Guardian. It will not be the last. (Debt)

On the day she leaves to find the Nine, the Techeuns name her Orin the Lost. (Synesthesia)

And then she answers the question Alis Li asked her so long ago about whether she is willing to sacrifice her brother (a resounding, grieving, determined yes):

Mara will begin the end of that Queen's brother today. She knows what that means for the fate of her own. An eye for an eye. She must think now of the fate of entire cosmos—and of her tender, half-assembled answer to the cold sword logic of the Hive. She must not grieve. She must not fear. (Tyrannocide IV)

And then at the Battle of Saturn all of this loss she has been dreading and yet causing for millenia finally comes to fruition and she then will have a good long time just sitting with that in Oryx's throne world:

This is the moment of absolute sacrifice, the incarnation of Awoken doom: to give up their lives in defense of the world they once abandoned. The sense of their great dying rips at Mara like a sob. (Tyrannocide V)

It's just like. Such a classic and compelling and well-executed examination of do the ends justify the means? (Seth Dickinson at it again! In so many ways Baru is Mara is Baru is Mara!!!) Every one of her actions led to this point, to defeating Oryx, and was that not worth it? And yet how could it ever be worth it?

I think especially the outside perspectives from Earthborn Awoken & Guardians are really interesting on that front because while they still have the connection to Mara - "However, there was always in their souls an itch, a vector pointing to a distant place in the Asteroid Belt, where their Queen still dwelt." (Revanche V) - they did not choose to follow her and they do not have the same loyalty:

Zavala:

"She was a charlatan," Zavala says, quietly. "Fighting a war that existed only in her mind. Dragging you all behind her. Any of you who will admit that are welcome in my City. But I will not take in whatever conspiracies she left unfinished. If you come to us, you come to join the City." (Refusal)

Arach Jalaal:

She speaks. "Earthborn. Did you mourn for her?" He thinks she will know if he lies. "I respected her, yes, but I despised the way she seemed… entitled… to us all. I never regret choosing the path I did. I was Awoken to continue the search we started long ago. The quest for worlds worthy of our lives." (Fleet)

Master Rahool:

We long feared that if it were intercepted by her Majesty your Queen, it would be denied or manipulated to serve some need of her own. (Of Earth and the Reef)

Mara is just such an incredibly compelling and complex and interesting character and she is so stubborn and full of herself and self-righteous and she saved the solar system and she doomed her people to mortality and she's always right because she has to be and because she makes it so and she keeps secrets from everyone and has lost more people than many people ever meet and she has felt every single one of their deaths. She is everything to me.

#my posts #loreposting #hi. im sooo stable and normal about this character.#im sure there are more things i missed that would fit really well in here but ive been at it for like. 4 hours lol.#i also have a separate sticky note with a truly unhinged number of petra and sjur lore tabs. god.#do i dare put this in the main tag. i dont have a separate tag so i think i have to for organizational purposes.#destiny #mara sov

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