#dream and his niblings

[sunshowersanddandelionwine]

au where soap is medically discharged and doesn’t really have a “purpose” anymore. He enlisted so young, and had been in the military for so long that he’s got no fucking idea what to do next. In the end, he moves in with his oldest sister and her kids after his brother-in-law passes away suddenly.

While getting his feet back under him, he takes up drawing again. More seriously this time than just doodles on paperwork and scribbles on briefing notes. But real illustrations. It starts as a way to keep his hands occupied while idle at home, but then it becomes an actual hobby of his. He gets better and better, watching YouTube tutorials to learn things he wouldn’t have picked up otherwise.

It’s his 15 year old niece that gets everything rolling. She (without his knowledge) sets up a social media account to share his art. But a very specific series of art. See, he started illustrating the stories his 5 year old nephew told him. And the art, just like the stories, are mindblowing. Soap didn’t do it for recognition, but his niece insisted on sharing his work with the world.

The account starts to get a following, and when his niece shows it to him he nearly has a breakdown. But then he sees the comments. Parents of kids who feel seen in his art. Young self taught artists feeling seen through him. A whole community of people who connected with his work on such a deeper level than anything he’d expected. So, begrudgingly, he lets her continue to post.

Then comes the storefront. With prints and merch and all sorts of wild ass things he’d never dreamed of. And while the income is modest, it still an income. For a while, a part of him had felt guilty for “mooching” off his sister (despite her protests to the contrary) and now he can really start contributing to the household. Plus, a little bit of each sale gets squirreled away for his niece and nephew. Since without them, this whole thing wouldn’t be happening.

And then the email comes. It’s innocuous at first, something he’s gotten a number of times. The sender asks him if he’s willing to illustrate for an upcoming project with a children’s book author. They’d seen his work online and thought his style would match perfectly with the book. Initially, soap was going to politely decline the offer. As much as he’d come to accept the minor fame he’d gotten online, he didn’t think he was good enough to actually illustrate something for a traditional publication. But then he sees the sender’s signature.

S. Riley.

Not much was known about Riley as a person. Their personal life, much like their first name, was kept down tight under lock and key. But their books were beloved by so many, including Soap and his family. Riley wrote on topics that not a lot of other children’s book authors dared to touch, and not with the deft and delicate hand necessary to properly tackle them. Things like parental abuse, neglect, trauma, death; there wasn’t a subject Riley was scared of, and there wasn’t a subject that they handled with anything less than the utmost grace. Their book on dealing with grief and loss had gotten Soap’s niblings (and his sister, to be perfectly honest) through those first few months after their father’s death.

So, despite his misgivings and anxieties, soap accepts.

(Across the country, one Simon Riley waits with bated breath to see if his nephew Joseph’s (and his) mysterious favorite artist will say yes. For no other reason than professional curiosity. It definitely has nothing to do with the briefest glimmer of a bright blue eye caught in the corner of a recent post.)

[yandere--stuck]

would u ever write more for stanley.. its so dry out here.. stanation is suffering in a drought……….

You're so right, I'm so sorry, Stanation!!!!

---

🎱 Stanley's obsession for you manifests into rocketing between pitiful internal justification for his possessive feelings for you and deep, deep self-loathing and disgust with himself while trying to distance himself from you. Oh, and who could forget, Stanley allowing himself to indulge in fantasies of you returning his feelings and living out happily ever after together. Ha, like that'll ever happen! … But, a man can dream, can't he? Just nice, sappy, romantic stuff, you know? Cuddling together in bed, making the kids breakfast with sleep still in both your eyes, watching the sunset together on the porch, and scaring off any lousy creep that tries to take what's his with one of his many guns. In fact, he may already be doing that last one.

🎲 Talks a big game and acts like a tough guy around you, but it couldn't be further from the truth - at least when it comes to you. In reality, when Stan's around you, he feels one second away from breaking and acting like a lovesick puppy. He feels like a kid with a crush! He hasn't felt this way since he was a young man! It'd be embarrassing if it, if you, didn't make him so happy. He just feels lucky he hasn't turned into a babbling, blushing idiot in front of you or the kids. That's for when your backs are turned. There have been some close calls, though. Like the time he got so lost in listening to you speak that he hadn't realized he'd started resting the side of his face on his hand while staring at you, hearts practically in his eyes. The moment he realized, he'd run off from you with a shout of, “Nonspecific excuse!”

🎱 Stan is a bit of a collector, and that certainly doesn't stop with you. He loves snatching little keepsakes from you. Nothing you'd miss, or nothing you'd miss for long. Discarded doodles, forgotten gloves, change that had fallen to the floor unnoticed, and occasionally, your phone, to make sure he didn't have a competition. Everything he keeps goes into his study. He also likes swiping your unfinished snacks or drinks and finishing them himself - he thinks of it as an indirect kiss (yeah, he's gross, what of it?) And it's hard to admit even to himself, but he gets a certain thrill whenever he snaps a candid shot of you from one of the polaroid he swiped from stock for “store use.” That's not all, though! He goes through security camera footage and rifles through it for cute videos of you - ah, but hey, you're always cute, aren't you? He saves them all and watches them religiously. He also may secretly go through Mabel's scrapbook to find pictures of you and make copies of them for his own personal collection, always making sure it gets returned to Mabel seemingly untouched. It's probably the most organized collection he has! And, of course, he's put a framed picture of you right beside the one of Mabel and Dipper in the laboratory downstairs. It makes Stan think of an imagined, impossible world where you and he raise the two together. Your own little family.

🎲 Another fantasy he indulges in is drugging you up and keeping you hidden in the laboratory. It'd be so easy. You're so trusting of him when you really shouldn't be, when he doesn't deserve to be. It'd be so easy to steal you away all for himself. Gravity Falls is a weird town. Strange things happen, and they either go unremembered or unspoken. Sure, you'd be missed, but it's not like the police force in town would get very far. Heck, he'd put more faith in his grand-niblings cracking the case than Blubs and Durland! And, well, you stole his heart first. It's only fair. And Stan would take such good care of you, he knows it! He'd keep you all nice and drugged up. Maybe you'd be euphoric and clingy, or your brain too foggy to escape or do much for yourself, or maybe he'd give you something so that you're too sick to even consider leaving for the hospital lest your condition worsen any further. You'd need him. That's all he'd ever want.

🎱 Stan is very protective of you. He tries not to be so obvious, but his temper had such a short fuse when it came to you. You were just so sweet, so nice, even to a scumbag like him! You were so good with the kids, always such a help around the shack, even going so far as to visit on your day off just because you liked the Pines’ company. Liked his company. I mean, how the hell could anyone think they're good enough for you? Nah, nah, nah, he's not letting any mouth-breathing idiots in this town try to make moves on you just because they're too stupid to realize you're outta their league! And if he even thinks he hears someone a bad word about you, he'll be up in their face, cussing them out and making threats (as well as very rude hand gestures.) It's embarrassing for him afterwards, though. He doesn't want to think he's losing control and becoming more obvious, but with how Mabel claims it was ‘so sweet’ of him to be so protective of you, he can't help but worry.

🎲 Stan gradually becomes more physically affectionate with you. “Accidentally” brushing his hands against yours, leaving a hand on your shoulder or arm for a bit too long, nearly embarrassing himself by wrapping you up in a hug in front of everyone. He just can't help it! He's… He's in love! He's in love with you, and he wants to be with you. You make him happy just by being near him. You make his life better just by being in it. He wants to hold you, hug you, kiss you, be with you, and keep you with him forever. But, Stan also knows he can't. You'd never agree to it, surely. No matter how much Stan wants to think otherwise. Old bastard like him, he wasn't good enough for you - but then again, he thought no one was. But he could take comfort in you just being near him (if you ever tried to leave, he doesn't know what he'd do…) That way, at least, he couldn't screw anything up. That's all he'd do, anyway. It'd fail, just like all of his other relationships and all because of him. He should know better. He should know that he's a fuckup, that he destroys everything he touches, and that everyone he's ever known has suffered because of him. He just… He just wishes he could be closer. He knows he's not good enough for you to love him or need him and that he never will be, but God, does he wish he was.

[bluishfrog]

Foreign noble who is visiting, wondering why nobody is batting an eye at this random guard drooling in his sleep on the throne while the king is sitting on a wooden chair someone dragged from the corner

:D !!!

IM IN LOVE WITH SLEEPY KNIGHT DREAM OKAY??? He is so precious and dear to me 😭 George would totally make him sit down on the throne to "test" the new cushions (for safety ofc) and if dream takes a little nap there then so be it >:))))

[thegnomelord]

For the 500 followers game (congrats btw) 9 with Price, soap, and m!reader???

Thanks anon, I went back and forth between giving reader or Price the piercing, but ended up with reader. I used some of @rodolfoparras old man price stuff as inspiration :Dd, play the game HERE.

Prompt: "You have a piercing where?"

CW: NSFW, M reader, sub bottom Price, sub top Soap, reader has piercings, oral, double penetration, body shots, light feminization of Price.

Like with most stupid ideas, booze was to blame. It had started out with just sharing a few drinks of Price's special whiskey after a mission, but knowing you and knowing Johnny, that quickly developed into taking body shots off each other. Price had been hesitant to do it but your and Soap's quick and loving, if a bit disorganized, kisses had swallowed his usual words— I'm too old, I'm not good at this, I— until he caved.

Whiskey swirls in the little glass, sparkling in the light as you pour it between his ample pecks, cold liquor forcing a shiver down Price's spine and sticking to his chest hair like molasses. Your hands ease the tension in his frame, firmly pushing his pecks together to create a deep valley you could follow with your tongue, the cold of the booze replaced by the little piece of metal piercing your tongue dragging against his skin as you slurped up the whiskey.

Your eyes meet Price's, your tongue sticking out to show off your piercing and the brown booze pooling around it before you swallowed.

"Bloody tease," Price growls, bringing your faces closer with a hand on your chin so he could kiss you. This is new; you have plenty of piercings but your past partners had soured the idea of wearing more 'extreme' piercings around them, but in this moment Price is happy you'd forgotten to take it out. The heat of your mouth contrasting with the cold metal, the 'clack' it makes when clicking against his teeth, the sensation of something foreign swirling around his mouth— it is just such a new sensation. One he is getting addicted to.

"Oi, don't bloody forget me," Soap growls, capturing your attention and your mouth the second you separated from Price, giving you a sloppy kiss.

"Wouldn't dream of it." You chuckle, reclining back on the bed just enough for Soap to pour booze haphazardly on your abdomen just so he could taste your sweat mingling with it. They were all half naked and sticky with spit, alcohol, and sweat, a heavy scent of heat in the air making you flush.

"Fockin' 'ell," Johnny breathes against your skin, collecting the last drops of liquor in his tongue and jerking up to kiss you, sharing the burn the whiskey brings. "That piercing's some'tin' else." He chuckles, suckling on your tongue and the piercing.

"Do you have any more lad?" Price asks, a low flame burning in his belly from watching his sergeants act like that.

"Got my dick pierced." You shrug without thinking.

Price sobers up real quick at your words, glancing at Soap as if to ask if he heard you right. "Repeat that," He says, his eyes narrowed. "You have a piercing where?"

You open your mouth, but Soap beats you to it. "Hold on," He shakes his head, a look in his eyes denoting trouble. "Yea've got a thing in yer knob?" He looks bewildered, then perks up. "Show it."

Your eyes swivel to look at Price to see a familiar look on his face; that uncertainty — same one your previous partners had. "I don't know..."

"Oh come on, I'm begging on me bum knee," Soap whines, tugging on your pants with a desperate whine, turning his attention to Price. "C'mon, back me up here geezer."

Price's eyes narrow at the name, but can't help the way heat flares in his stomach. There's a sort of morbid curiosity in him, wanting to know what your cock would look like with piercings, what they would feel against his tongue, how they'd feel inside him—

"Yeah," He breathes out, leveling his gaze with you, determination hiding the slight trepidation nibling on his bones. "Yeah, we want to see it."

You look unconvinced, but relent. Shuffling off the bed you quickly find your piercings and come back to bed, sitting on the edge. Before you know it Soap's in front of you, "Oh, don't go hiding now." He grumbles, watching your every move like a kid on Christmas.

"He's right," Price sits next to you, a gentle hand on your neck as he kisses you sweetly, "We won't judge you."

You breathe out a short laugh and quickly undo your pants, your hard cock springing free. They watch transfixed as you put your piercings in, a prince albert and an apadravya, the metal shining brightly against your flushed skin.

"Well fock me sideways," Soap laughs in disbelief, falling to his knees and taking hold of your shaft, "It's like yer cock's got horns!"

His words bring a laugh out of you, and Price chuckles along, the light atmosphere helping him gain the courage to sink to his knees next to Johnny, their broad shoulders keeping your legs spread open. "It is something." He hums, licking his lips.

"Stop staring at it." You grumble, not expecting Soap to swallow you balls deep in one go the moment your words leave your mouth. The way your piercings hit the back of his throat has Johnny groaning like a whore, bringing moans from your chest.

"Leave some for me you muppet." Price growls, yanking Johnny by his hair, a wet and lewd 'slurp' ringing across the room, your shaft shining with Johnny's spit. You don't have any time to breathe before Price leans in to experimentally lap at your cockhead, his breath stuttering as he takes you into his mouth.

It's the sensation of the cold steel resting on his tongue and Soap's encouraging but sloppy kiss at the corner of his lip that has him taking a bit more, wrapping his plump lips around your shaft and hollowing his cheeks to swallow around you, his own dick getting harder from your resounding groan.

Johnny joins in soon after, giving wet and messy kisses along the flesh not in Price's mouth, the difference in Price's constant pressure on your cock and the sloppy tongue bath Johnny's giving your balls making heat gather in your stomach. Hell, the sight of them both almost worshiping your cock has your mind fuzzy with desire, your heart fluttering every time you feel Price's inquisitive tongue swirl around your metal piercings.

"Shit," You breathe out, your fingers carding through their hair without trying to push Price down further on your cock. "I'm not gonna last long." This time you grip Price's hair just firm enough to lightly tug him off you, patting your thigh "How about it captain, want us to take care of you?"

A violent and pleasant shiver races down Price's spine, not at all aided by the hungry groan Johnny lets out. The last time you two had 'taken care' of him he'd been fucked within an inch of his life and been walking funny for a week, but fuck, had that felt wonderful. And not to mention that now he was given the chance to feel your piercings inside him.

Price doesn't say anything, only standing up long enough to take off his pants and boxers before sitting in your lap, your cocks hard and flush as they rub against each other. "Yeah," He finally says, his hands wrapping around your neck when you roughly fist both of your cocks, only to jump when Soap's tongue sloppily swipes across his puckered rim.

"Fock, forgot what an ass yae have Capt'n." Johnny groans, blindly passing you the lube before he focuses on eating Price out like he's Johnny's last meal, wetly slurping at his hole, his spit drooling down his chin and cock twitching at the way Price groans.

Price shivers and whines, his head falling to rest on your shoulder the moment your lubed fingers press alongside Johnny's tongue, cock twitching the moment your first finger breathes him. "Yeah? Like that Captain?" You put emphasis on his rank, pushing a second finger in and scissoring, spreading his hole open so Johnny's tongue can push inside unrestrained. "You like it when we use your cunt?"

"Yes," Price groans, mind swimming with arousal, low and husky moans falling from his lips with every brush of your fingers against his prostate, every swipe of Soap's tongue, the way you work him up to four fingers making his body burn with the stretch so pleasantly. "I love it when my Sergeants use me."

You smirk, continuing to stretch him open, uncaring of how much he shifts and tries to wiggle his hips in an attempt to get you to fuck him. "Hear that Soap?" You hum, feeling Soap's groan vibrate against your fingers. "We'll have to fuck him good, pump him full," You continue, knowing how much your dirty talk fuels both of their arousals.

Price is whining soft little 'please, sir fuck me,'s against your ear when you finally pull your fingers out of his spasming hole, even without looking you can tell his hole is clenching around nothing, greedy thing. "You get your wish now." You lift him up to position the head of your cock against his hole, letting gravity do all the work on the way down.

"Fuck-" He moans, head lolling back and heavy chest heaving for breath. You'd stretched him good, but he's unaccustomed to the way the piercings scrap against his walls, precum spurting weakly from his tip the second your piercing presses insistently against his prostate. "-so good,"

"Don't forget about me," Johnny grins, wrapping a rough hand around his waist, his cock nudging against Price's hole as it flutters around your shaft. "Here ah come," He says and pushes. Initially his body tries to resist, clamping down on your shaft you nearly cum there and then, but a few swipes of your thumb against Price's tip has him relaxing just enough for the constant pressure of Johnny's tip to finally slip inside.

A weak sound leaves Price's throat, mouth moving in a silent moan as Johnny pushes inside inch by inch, forcing his body to yield. You all stop to give him a few seconds to catch his breath, your cocks twitching inside his tightly clenching walls. "So good for us captain." You chuckle and buck your hips without warning, drawing a moan and a spurt of precum from him when your piercing brushes against his prostate.

"Aye, good fockin' cocksleeve." Johnny groans in Price's ear, following your movements and bucking harshly into his tight heat. You swallow Price's moans with bruising kisses, letting Johnny rut into him like a bull while you languidly roll your hips, abusing him with sensations that leaves him shaking and moaning, pathetic tears prickling his eyes.

"That's right captain?" You ask, subtly picking up the pace, spit and lube noisily 'squelching' as both of your cocks push and pull inside him, "That's what you're good for, taking us so well,"

"Yes, yes, yes-" Price moans, cock dribbling precum like a tap from the way your cocks stretch him, from the way your piercings rub firmly on his prostate, "-please, give me, I need-" He moans before he can finish, but you understand what he wants, one look at Johnny telling you he won't last long either.

Finally you two cum, and the sensation of your and Johnny's cum flooding his insides pushes him into his own orgasm, painting your front in white, watery cum. The both all but collapse on top of you, your cocks plugging up your mixed cum inside him.

"You alright?" You ask, brushing a sweaty lock of hair out of Price's hair.

"Yeah," He smiles, pleased like a fat cat. "Maybe I should get a piercing too." Price slurs, giving you a lazy kiss.

[the-barefoot-hatter]

Hi, i just learned about the niblings Pyramid Steve AU and i love it but now i have so many questions. that i am going to dump here now lol. Is Bill jealous that Pyramid Steve can access both the mindscape and the physical world? I like to imagine that he was born like Athena from Greek Mythology since he was created in a dream. Or maybe does it not work that way, it's like Looney Tunes rules where anything can happen just as long as it's funny lol? Is Pyramid Steve existing in the physical world more of a motivator for Bill to demand that Ford finish the portal asap? If Ford learns about the original purpose of the portal, will he think that Bill made Pyramid Steve as a manipulation tactic? Would he be emotionally devastated, thinking poor Pyramid Steve was given life because he was merely a pawn in his sick father's mind games, and try to protect Pyramid Steve from Bill, not accepting Bill's insistence that he is just as confused as Ford? Or would he think that Pyramid Steve is "in on it" with Bill? If something goes down like what happens in canon, who is taking Pyramid Steve in the divorce? 😂

eeeee, a fan! I'm glad you like it! my au tag is the: non euclidean geometry au search it up on my tumblr for a bunch more silly little comics <3 the nibling comic is where I started actually really thinking and adding continuity, so some of this is wobbly/subject to change:

Is Bill jealous that Pyramid Steve can access both the mindscape and the physical world?

A little bit! Also very proud, because LOOK how ADVANCED his baby is!!! Obviously the BEST BABY! (Oh, your's can sit up on it's own? what cute little accomplishment there, you must be so proud)

I like to imagine that he was born like Athena from Greek Mythology since he was created in a dream. Or maybe does it not work that way, it's like Looney Tunes rules where anything can happen just as long as it's funny lol?

A bit of both! They aren't exactly sure how Pyramid Steve was made, since he popped up right after karaoke night and memories are... hazy lol

Is Pyramid Steve existing in the physical world more of a motivator for Bill to demand that Ford finish the portal asap?

Yes, absolutely! You can't separate family!

(also having a baby around is making Bill much more tired/slip up about what's really going on/change his plans for the benefit of his family, so the result of opening portal is bit less end-of-the-worldy. probably)

If Ford learns about the original purpose of the portal, will he think that Bill made Pyramid Steve as a manipulation tactic? Would he be emotionally devastated, thinking poor Pyramid Steve was given life because he was merely a pawn in his sick father's mind games, and try to protect Pyramid Steve from Bill, not accepting Bill's insistence that he is just as confused as Ford? Or would he think that Pyramid Steve is "in on it" with Bill?

lol, well you see, this Ford is slowly coming to realize that his Bill is not actually a Muse of Knowledge but is in fact just some guy. A smart but so, SO stupid guy with a lot of issues. It's more like the horror of finding out the guy you are seriously dating has been faking his entire resume, but has been real with you, emotionally. Just not about his job or his background or his initial intentions and oh god, he's dating a stan-type conman. And the conman fell for his mark.... Is his life some sick hallmark movie?? (They love each other and will work it out)

but IF this AU went the darker paranoia/betrayal route like in canon, Ford wouldn't think Pyramid Steve's in on it (because Ford is paranoid but he can recognize that PS is just an innocent baby). Ford would be utterly gutted at being 'baby-trapped' and pretty resistant to listening to Bill about the situation at all, because Ford is a pretty unforgiving guy prone to dramatic grudges, especially once he learns you lied to him.

If something goes down like what happens in canon, who is taking Pyramid Steve in the divorce? 😂

;-; oh, that be a tough one!

Bill is much more powerful, but Ford is scrappy and determined!

IF this AU went the paranoia/betrayal route like in canon, and Bill has Pyramid Steve, Ford will stop at nothing to get him back/kill Bill. If Ford has Pyramid Steve, Bill would be a thousand times more desperate to escape the Nightmare Realm and get them BOTH back/on Bill's side.

(ps, i welcome anyone else playing with these setups, just link me so i can enjoy them too <3)

[nowimjustastranger]

Not a fic request; I just recently discovered and binge-read your Somebody to Call My Own Au and I was struck with an idea I'd love to share.

I love your post about stcmo!Ford meeting the Canon Grunkles, but I got to thinking, "Why would he need to go to dimension 46'\?" And the most obvious answer is, Grunkle Stan almost died.

So picture it, the sea Grunks have been living their shared dream for close to a year and have been steadily making their way back to Gravity Falls for their niblings second summer there, when 46'\ Ford detects an anomaly that's not too far off course. He convinces Stanley to go investigate it as one last hurrah before they turn in for the summer.

However, in an attempt to document it, they ended up angering the creature and now have to fight it or risk their boat capsizing. Stanley ultimately ends up falling overboard, and while Ford is concerned, he is rational enough to know that Stan's wearing a life jacket, has fallen off the boat before (and knew how to pull himself back up by now) and always turned out fine, save for falling ill for a bit.

But while Ford's busy making sure the boat doesn't turn over, he realizes Stan is taking a lot longer than he should to climb back up.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he catches a flash of blue light and a dark figure landing on his deck. It takes him all of two seconds to realize who it is, and in that time, the guy has already dove into the water. Motherfucking Stanford Pines from dimension 419"3.

So now Ford is pissy because this edgelord version of himself, who beat him up once over having a shit take years ago, just showed up for no reason and will probably make his day even worse.

And then he comes to the chilling realization that 419"3 Ford only shows up when a Stanley is at risk of dying.

In the meantime, 419"3 Ford kills the monster and ends up having to unhinge it's jaw in order to drag Stanley out of its mouth. He's unconscious, but alive.

The boat settles and Ford 419"3 drags Stan onto the deck to perform cpr, make sure he does get hypothermia, y'know, standard procedure. Ford 46'\ is instantly glued to his brother's side and is insistent that once he is breathing clearly and conscious, Ford 419"3 has to go.

Frankly, he's knee-deep in denial that Stan was even going to die. His Stan isn't like the other Stan's that need help. He's tougher. He beat Bill Cipher for crying out loud! He doesn't need help, especially from 419"3 Ford!

He's always fine.

Of course, 419"3 Ford disproves that claim, saying that's a very naive way of thinking. That 46'\ Ford had believed Stan was "fine" for ten years, when he very clearly wasn't. In fact, there was a 100% chance that Stan would die in that fish's mouth because Ford had prioritized the boat over rescuing Stan.

419"3 Ford says he's going to stick around to ensure that Stan is healthy and he might even stay until they reach land because he doesn't trust 46'\ Ford to not get distracted by some other big fish.

46'\ Ford is appalled by the idea that he'd put his brother’s health even further at stake and is pretty insistent that they get Stan to a hospital asap, which they both can agree on for once. (I like to imagine Stan's in the background very much not wanting to go to a hospital because he's still legally dead and would honestly like to keep it that way, but he's being ignored in favor of his health.)

Still Ford 46'\ wants 419"3 gone. He knows his methods, he knows his MO, and he does not trust him with his brother. He does not need to be tested. He's learned the lesson already. The thought of losing Stan again kills him inside.

And yet the thought lingers. Stan would've died, barely a month before their first shared birthday in forty years. He'd have to return to Gravity Falls alone. He'd have to break the news to Dipper and Mabel.

Their hero was gone and it would've been his fault.

But he wasn't. And Ford wouldn't admit it out loud, it was all thanks to Ford from 419"3. That asshole saved his brother.

But we all know how much Ford struggles with saying "Thank you".

Anyways, that was just something my angsty ass came up with because your Au is so compelling and inspiring. I'd actually write a fic of it, if I wasn't already committed to a long fic rn. Hope your days going well☺️💗💗💗

Omg... why do y'all keep giving me the brainworms??? You know I'm gonna have to write something for this now, right?

[lbulldesigns]

I found this picture on Pintrest and can't stop imagining Jinx wearing this.

I even came up with a modern AU concept where Jinx distances herself from everyone, family and friends, because she feels like everyone doesn't really like her as a person. But lands a modelling gig, thanks to Silco before he died (in this story he and Vander were still close and he liked to spoil his niblings and left majority of his estate to Jinx), and this as well as school helps keep her too busy to really have a social life. Until one night, she goes out to the clubs to unwind (wearing this outfit) and runs into Ekko, whose out with the others (Vi, Mylo, Claggor, Scar, a few other Firelight characters I don'tknow the name of, and the guy who helps Vi in Nothing Left to Lose).

Vi, whose drunk, starts hugging Jinx and starts bawling her eyes out cause she missed her little sister (and because her and Cait are on a break) and Jinx feeling awkward and guilty sticks with them throughout the night just to keep an eye on her sister.

Basically, the AU is like one of those comedies where these people get themselves in increasingly more chaotic situations throughout the night and come out at the end with some new bonds and views on life or, in Vi's case, a wicked hangover.

Some of the chaos they get in:

- Drunk Vi wanders off and everyone goes off to find her, and somehow end up in a strip club where they find her dancing on stage (I've seen her Fortnite dances)

- Ekko and Jinx butt heads throughout the night because he's pissed she distanced herself from him

- The big guy (Vi's Enforcer friend) keeps getting hit on

- Scar and the other Firelights are working overtime to play cupid with Ekko and Jinx (there isn't any animosity with her, and they find Ekko's attempts to seem like he doesn't like her funny)

- Mylo keeps hinting at Jinx to put a word in for him to get a modelling gig (it's his dream job)

- Claggor, for some reason, has decided to film the night

- And, on top of all this Jinx has to dodge paparazzi because she promised Sevika, her disgruntled manager, that she would behave.

I might get around to writing this, I have so many story concepts converging in my mind.

Edit: If any of the lovely artists on Tumblr would like to draw Jinx in this outfit (with any Jinx-fied alterations), then I would be greatly grateful 🙏

[thicctails]

Gravity Falls is finally popping off again, so naturally my obsession with it has been dragged out from deep within me and thrust to the front of my mind, so here's a collection of various au ideas i have.

Explanations below! Contains Book of Bill Spoilers!!

A different form, a different time: Due to a widescale time and space fuck up, both Bill Cipher and the Axolotl get reincarnated (temporarily?) as humans. Specifically as older teens/very young adults. Hot topic wannabe and pink gumball son of a bitch must learn to navigate the hell that is mortality and human puberty as they set out on a road trip to try and reach the only place they can think of to find answers: Gravity Falls.

Obligatory dragon au: exactly what it says on the tin.

Time Stuck... with a twist: Something goes horribly wrong with the Time tape, resulting in Mabel, Dipper, and a 12 year old Billy Cipher being sent to the 80's. Trapped in the past/future, depending on who you ask, the preteens end up on the run with a mullet-wearing grifter with a familiar face, and must learn to work together to set things right. However, having two Bills' will make things much harder than usual, especially since one absolutely adores his star-marked humans and their weird Larger Human, while the other wants nothing more than to watch them burn.

Monster Falls but they're both Unitaurs: Mabel and Dipper are twins, let them be the same monster you cowards.

Under the Falls: This is one of my older ones! Its a strange little mer! au, where a younger Stan and Ford must take in their niblings after a monster hunter slaughters the rest of their family. Baby mers cant disguise themselves, so they must stay in the nearby lake. Luckily, their cat-eyed deer friend is more than happy to keep them company, and take them on Non-Grunkle-Approved adventures.

I Grow Maddened (From Grief): In the Book of Bill, we learn that Mabel and Dipper don't make it to 13 in pretty much every other timeline. Now, Bill 100% could be bullshitting, but i like to think thats its at least partially true: Dippers and Mabels don't tend to last in the Multiverse. But what about their Grunkles? Surely there are quite a few timelines where one set of twins is left to mourn the other.

This au follows a Ford that lost his Dipper and Mabel to a dangerous creature that escaped confinement while he was distracted by his work. It managed to also near fatally wound Stanley and nearly take one of Ford's eyes before he managed to kill it, leaving him with two dead family members and his twin on the brink. Consumed by guilt and refusal to live in a world without his beloved niblings, Ford set Stanley up on cryogenic life support and managed to lie his way into more time by convincing the twin's parents that both of them would be more successful under his tutelage.

Once everything was in place, he threw himself back into the multiverse (this time with a way back) and began hopping through other timelines, looking for the perfect replacements for his missing family. Man spirals hard, eventually deciding that the twins, when he gets them back, would not be leaving his and Stanley's sides again, because his twin is also not leaving. After all, their parents clearly dont value them like they should, and Ford knows that it will be easy to remove any memory of the twins all together.

Euclid + Scalene live (and get better children): Somehow spared from the genocide of their entire dimension, the deeply wounded Cipher parents eventually find themselves inexplicably drawn to a little backwater planet. The two find themselves becoming attached to a pair of twins that seem blessed by the Axolotl itself, and although their last child had caused violence on a previously unseen scale, both Euclidians find that they want to try again. The Ciphers become mostly unseen guardians to the little Pines, content to simply watch over them and bring them sweet dreams while they struggle to hold themselves together.

Then Bill shows up, and everything goes to shit.

[vendetta-if]

Same anon as the gushing, but I don't know how to spoiler text things. Did Luka hook up with Skylar's dad (Mayor Marsh can't remember his first name) during the Halloween story? I love a puzzle. If he did, he must have been good. (Way to go Uncle Luka) A BMW is a big birthday gift.

Heyy, I’m so glad someone tried to figure out the little easter egg I put in the Halloween Side Story 🤭 It’s a good guess and it would’ve been funny if it was Skylar’s dad, but unfortunately, Mayor Moore doesn’t swing that way.

Marsh is actually the corrupt police commissioner guy that MC (or Ash) assassinated in Chapter 3 😆 It was simply a one night stand thing and I doubt any of them even thought about it by the next few days.

At least Luka didn’t think much about it. I don’t know about Marsh though; maybe he had those moments where you lie awake in your bed in the middle of the night and suddenly remember something from years ago and he was just like, “Damn, did I really sleep with Luka Morozov once or was that just some kind of fever dream?” 😂

As for Mayor Moore giving a BMW for MC’s birthday was more like, “I’m sorry I didn’t attend your nibling’s big 20th birthday party. Let me at least gift a good gift in exchange. Please, don’t get mad at me.”

[thecrowroad]

Trying to work out my Rook de Riva’s family history, and I’ve gotten distracted by Viago and the Antivan royal family. Who could possibly have predicted.

Previous king: King Natale. He was still ruling in 9:28. Natale had a lot of children - at least 11 legitimate enough to be in the direct line of succession, plus who knows how many bastards. Did not appear to cover himself in glory.

Known children of Natale:

Current king: King Fulgeno II. We don’t know many details about him, but he’s Viago’s father, so can be assumed to be at least in his 60s. Has been on the throne since at least 9:41. Does not appear to be covering himself in glory.

Prince Azrin and Princess Ferenna, who joined forces to work Azrin up from 11th in line for the throne to 4th through assassination of their inconvenient siblings/niblings - including possibly arranging/inducing Estefan’s assassination. Zevran was part of the mission to assassinate them both.

Prince Estefan: probably one of the older sons of Natale? Father of Rinna and apparently a lot of other bastards. His assassination for sleeping with married noblewomen was the one that was duplicated for Dante and Viago in 8 Little Talons.

Other descendants:

Rinna: was sent to the Crows, presumably on the same deal as Viago, at around about the same time. She was Zevran’s (and Taliesin’s) lover, and was assassinated by them as part of Crow Politics (ending the Rosso Noche faction that would have tried to put her forward as a legitimate successor to Natale, getting Eoman Arainai the seat of 8th Talon and reminding Zevran of his place in the House - the inciting incident for Zev taking the contract on the HoF. )

Did Viago know Rinna? They’ve got to be a similar age - was she competition? Is the aftermath of the Rosso Noche conspiracy/faction still a hinderance to his dreams of taking the throne? How unpleasant was it for him when his cousin’s ex/murderer came back as The Renegade and how much has it influenced his politics as a reformist Talon?

[matrixbearer2024]

Also how old are the Stan twins by the time Dipper and Mabel are 12? I’m assuming they’re in college but feel free to correct me.

By the time Dipper and Mabel are 12, the Stan Twins are out of college(technically). If we place the AU in 2024(they were born in 2003) they're already 21, and considering that most undergraduate programs could typically last 2-6 years- their undergrad courses (BSBA[Bachelor of Science in Business Administration] for Stan and BS(CMB)[Bachelor of Science in Biology with specialization in Cell and Molecular Biology] for Ford) are 4 year courses. They haven't been delayed or are late in any educational progress so they've only got a year left of undergrad.

They study in Graviton University Oregon, because I didn't have gravity falls "exist" technically. The town exists and that's where the university is, just more urbanized and without any of the wtf weird creatures that reside in the town from canon.

By the way, the niblings haven't been born yet considering that Shermie isn't even married yet. I plan on Shermie getting married by new year of 2025 and settling down in Piedmont with his girl, and the niblings will be born the year after around the same time the Stan Twins finally finish undergrad.

That's not the last of it though since they both still plan on moving up to masters and Ford wants to get a Phd(he starts with one and then starts collecting them like Pokémon) and it's mostly where they diverge paths as Stan throws himself into more of accounting/enterprenurial and Ford into researcher/biologist.

I don't really think Stan uses his knowledge on business too much at the start however since I do plan on him being scouted for a sports team(Haven't decided between basketball or baseball yet) before he graduates and while building his career as an athlete he finishes his masters(he takes 3 years to do it instead of the usual 2).

Ford had his fun in undergrad, so he fully commits to studying at this point and like in canon is pretty damn advanced compared to the rest of his peers. The curriculum and subject weights have definitely shifted from canon but I still do think it would only more or less take him 7-8 years to get his first doctorate.

By the time the niblings are 12, the Stan twins are 34, Sherm's 42.

Stan's spotlight as an athlete is waning and he's mostly helping run Fidds' family business, he's practically acting CEO in Fidds' place and is very comfortable with the pay he's getting. Stan wasn't really hardcore into sports anyway, he just took the opportunity because it presented itself to him and frankly he's okay with that. He starts drawing comics again as a hobby and with Fidds' help eventually becomes a comic-book artist part time since a businessman is his main gig post sports stardom. Much like some iconic artists and writers in DC and marvel, he ends up joining them when people like the series he puts out and the more "retro" artstyle.

Ford is making innovations left and right in the realm of genetics and biotechnology ever since graduating at 30 and he's got Fidds and Bill to help him with the more techy parts of his work. Ford hasn't stopped studying entirely though and honestly collects honorary PhDs to keep himself well rounded, not to mention he consistently attends seminars or science conferences to keep on top of the newest discoveries or updates to what's going on in the world. It wasn't his dream or intention of becoming one of the "greats" that go down in history but he really might at his pace, it's not something he thinks or cares about though.

You could argue that their life is practically being fast-tracked here but honestly, I think the pace fits them. It's a lot less chaotic compared to canon but considering how driven these two are, I think it's a pretty comfortable pace.

By the way, despite the busy life and all that- Ford tries his best to go to all of Stan's games live even when Shermie or Caryn miss it, despite the fact he doesn't really know anything that's going on just which team his brother's playing and if he's winning. Similarly, when Ford is called to give conferences to explain his findings or research Stan is more than happy to fly out to where he is and sit in just to give his support despite not knowing a damn or understanding whatever the hell his brother is talking about LOL

They're still very close considering that they didn't ever have a fight that tore them apart, they respected each other's wishes and interests and just talked. They always talked. I suppose that's ultimately what makes the big difference.

[candyheartedchy]

I just had a little dream about your Digital Circus sona and Jax that I thought you would find pretty amusing.

You had posted a little comic about your sona and Jax doing a ventriloquism act (you were the ventriloquist, Jax was the "puppet"). (I'm guessing my brain went with that because Jax doesn't open his mouth when he talks.)

Either way, Jax was going way off script, telling his own jokes and your sona was getting mad about it. This ended up starting an argument (your sona was actually arguing, Jax was more bantering) which ended with a kiss? (Jax: GUYS I SAID "OOO YOU WANNA KISS ME SO BAD" DURING AN ARGUMENT AND SHE DID IT, SHE KISSED ME, WHAT THE FU—)

I'm not sure how accurate this is to your sona and Jax's dynamic, but I wanted to share. Enjoying all the Jax posting either way!

( @gible-love-nibles )

I’m sorry but I had to draw this out!

[ask-zedaph]

*Doc holds Doccy, watching as the sculk spreads on his child, too farcome in his own sculk to see very far. He just slowly keeps going forward, away from the lab he had found Doccy at.*

- @ask-docm77

*Zed wakes up in a cold sweat, having unintentionally fallen asleep with dreams of his friends skulked faces. He rubs his head and forces himself to stand*

Doccy, come on let’s get you some food…

*He looks over at the discarded art supplies, and his heart sinks*

Doccy? DOCCY? WHERE ARE YOU KIDDO!?!

*The sheep frantically searches the lab and finds the emergency lockdown switch deactivated*

NO! Nononononononono! DOCCY!

*He runs to the front door and sees a twisted, skulk version of what used to be a normal picture; Doc holding his sleeping child. Zed drops to his knees, knowing he’s failed yet another person, this time his poor innocent nibling. He lets out a pathetic Baa*

[robotgirlworld]

So um... I had this Pjsk au in my mind for a while

(I'm not really good at english so please don't mind the bad grammar)

So it was like "what if the vocaloids were actually some people or something but they still try to help our main cast" type of thing.... HEAR ME OUT..... (The sekai still exists btw but without the vocaloids).

So each vocaloid is actually a human and while trying to help the cast, at the same time they also realize things about themselves. They can enter the sekai too, but they don't know how it works, they just know that it's made out of feelings.

So here are the vocaloids:

Kaito: A man who gave up his dreams on being an actor and decided to find a job that would let him at least live in an apartment.

Meiko: A woman that works at her somehow successful cafe (living better than Kaito of course) and takes care of her 2 niblings (Rin and Len).

Len: A boy who goes to Kamiyama high school, his dream is to become a famous street singer and after finding "Vivid bad squad" his dream of becoming famous gets more powerful.

Rin: A miyamasuzaka student who not only has the same dream as Minori (becoming an idol) but also wants to help her achieve her dream. "More more jump!" help her to her journey as an idol too.

(They both help Meiko at her cafe)

Luka: The lead guitarist and singer from a not so famous band who helps Ichika and her friends + sometimes does free guitar classes to Ichika.

Miku: The youngest of all vocaloids (being 13 to 14). She found out about Nightcords music and felt identified. Even if she's young, she shows a huge maturity towards the Nightcords and helps them a lot. She sees the Nightcords as inspiration.

And that's it, I'm not really good with aus or in general making my own stories but I thought that it was a good idea 乁⁠(⁠ ⁠•⁠_⁠•⁠ ⁠)⁠ㄏ

(thinking of drawing their designs in the future)

[bestanimatedmovie]

Revenge of the Underrated

15. Help! I'm a Fish vs Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs

Vote in the other polls!

Propaganda:

Help! I'm a Fish

"It's a Danish movie from the early 2000s, so it already has that uncanny valley feel of being unfamiliar to the average American viewer, and is almost entirely 2D animated with 3D only used to help instead of being the main medium. It's about 3 kids that stumble upon this scientist's lair and the youngest of them, Stella, accidentally drinks a potion that turns her into an aquatic animal (a starfish for her) thinking it was Kool-Aid (or lemonade, depending on the dub). Her brother, Fly, throws her into the ocean not realizing that the starfish was his transformed sister and he and his cousin, Chuck, drink the potion (a flyfish and a jellyfish respectively) so they can search for her in the ocean. Along the way, they accidentally drop the potion into the sea which gives sentience to a pilot fish and shark, the main villains. They then start to administer the potion to any fish they find.

I heard about the movie from a Youtube review and then watched it for myself that night. It was super fun and I could totally see this being a fever dream movie from some unsuspecting 8 yo. Part of the reason I say that is because the movie isn't afraid to have its dark moments. Fly gets slashed by a crab and almost DIES. Chuck has to do a risky mission in order to get Fly and Stella back to the scientist's lair so he can turn them back. Stella admittedly didn't do much, but she's 4, she gets a pass. She makes a seahorse friend, so that's good. The parents of the kids track down the scientist in his lair and confront and are ready to beat him up before he manages to show them the video of Stella turning into a starfish (the scientist planned to drink the potion on camera to prove it works, but forgot he had to get the antidote, leaving the potion alone and getting Stella's transformation on camera). There's even a moment where you think Chuck's mom straight up (accidentally) stomped on Fly's fish body before you find out it was just a stuffed fish and Fly is a human again.

As for the villain, he was a fun little sleezy villain, immediately creating a dictatorship with his newfound intelligence (he had a whole song about it). And Fly uses that against him by tricking him into drinking more of the potion to become smarter. Unfortunately, the potion doesn't just give fish human intelligence, it MAKES them human, and the last you see of the villain is him drowning and floating away as a half-fish, half-man igor. Horrifying but so, so awesome.

The animation is spectacular, the voice acting is great in both English and Danish (plus Chuck is voiced by one of the dudes from Breaking Bad), and with actual peril for the main characters (I forgot to mention that they would be stuck fish if they didn't take the antidote in the next 24 hours). I'm definitely going to find a CD of this movie to show/traumatize my future kids + niblings. "

Really cool animation, really interesting storyline and fun songs that stick to your brain like a fever dream

Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs

Red Shoes is a Snow White retelling that features a plus size princess and teaches that it's who a person is on the inside that matters. It contrasts Merlin, the male lead, who is normally conventionally handsome but cursed to be a "hideous" (actually quite cute) dwarf, a form he's desperate to escape, with Snow White/Red Shoes who is normally an adorable plus sized princess (ie not the traditional beauty) who is trapped by necessity in the form of a thin traditional princess, a form that she's incredibly uncomfortable with. It's ultimately about being your true self, loving who you are, and looking past appearances to find the beauty that lies within. Also, Patrick Warburton is the magic mirror.

It's an adorable, sweet movie that deserves more people to know about it! It was so fun and funny that after I watched it the first time, I turned around and immediately rewatched it with my husband (like he came in during the last 5 minutes, and we immediately started it over).

[nekohime19]

Heart behind the lie # 68 : a shidi

Mac is slowly recovering, he has a lot to think about

Macaque looked up at the cloudless sky of Flower Fruit Mountain. It was as it had always been. A sea of azure undisturbed by the squalls of the outside world. Yet he couldn't help but think that something had changed. Something was different. It was bluer, almost brighter, than he remembered. Or perhaps, he was the one that changed. It was easier to notice nature's beauty now that he wasn't running away from death itself. The cold embrace of the Diyu finally let him go. He didn't have to live with the memory of its ghostly touch anymore.

He was free from death.

Yet it didn't mean he was fully healed. He was quite aware of his own situation. He had a long way to go before he could fully call himself a living being. But yet, in this instant, he was closer to life than he had ever been in his wretched rebirth.

The Demon Bull family chased him away after his awakening. Macaque didn't blame them. It was very generous of them to welcome him in the first place. He didn't want to bother them more than he already did. Wukong, unsurprisingly, dragged him on the sun-drenched shores of Flower Fruit Mountain. He was put under house arrest in Wukong's small hut. The rest of the team stayed for a couple of days before deciding to leave, giving Macaque a breather from the constant affection he was drowning in these last few days. Don't get him wrong, he liked the attention, he wasn't one to shy away from others (not anymore at least). But he wasn't used to the overwhelming concern they showed him. He didn't know how to react when they looked at him with eyes wetted by worry.

So, as bad as it could sound, he was relieved to see them leave. They did so much for him already. They should go back to their own lives. Macaque didn’t want to admit it, but while one part of him was eternally grateful for everything they did, he was also feeling quite guilty. What kind of warrior was this helpless? He knew better than anyone else that wallowing in self-pity wasn't going to solve the situation though. As such, he promised himself to train harder after his healing.

Hard enough to be able to pay them back.

To be the hard-battled warrior he always dreamed of being.

Lady Wan and her nibling settled on the mountain, the horse monkey couldn't be much far from him during the treatment. She had to regularly check on his state. She was also actively working on the lantern. Trying to glue back the pieces together. She wasn't that knowledgeable in shadow magic though, so Macaque had to regularly update her on how to handle the lantern pieces, and what to expect from the shadows. It was a strenuous ordeal.

Macaque sighed, he looked down and picked up a peach from the pile of sun-drenched fruits. The little monkeys gathered the freshest of fruits for him. They were especially considerate since they learned that he wasn't at his full capacities. He didn't really like to be treated as a fragile piece of glass but he didn't have the heart to stop them. There wasn't any malice in their bead-like eyes. Nothing but pure, unadulterated care. They didn't deserve to be reprimanded for his own insecurities as a warrior.

The black-furred monkey lifted the peach, his arm was stiff, stiffer than usual at least. It was as if his body was becoming a piece of wood. Lady Wan warned him about this phenomenon. It wasn't anything worrying. Apparently, his body lived through many shocks during the operation, especially since Lady Wan had to physically remove his soul from his body for a short period of time, thus “killing” (if you could call it like that) his body for a brief instant. Recovering from this traumatic shock was a slow process. Sudden stiffness was to be expected. And while it wasn't anything incapacitating, it was still unpleasant to feel this sort of stiffness. It reminded him of how rigid his body had been as a corpse. Not a pleasant memory. But Macaque could do with it.

The peach was overwhelmingly sweet. The juice glided in his throat, giving him a new breath. He didn't mind the sweetness. It wasn't his favorite flavor, but he missed it. It reminded him of his sun. Speaking of Wukong, it was rare for him to not be glued to Macaque's side these last few days. And as sweet as it was to see him worry that much, Macaque was getting particularly antsy at being so closely watched. He loved Wukong, as embarrassing as it was to admit, but he needed his own space at times.

In normal circumstances, Wukong's touches felt like the sun rays' sweet caress, but when he was overwhelmed by touch, it felt like sunburns. Perhaps Wukong noticed his antsiness, his sun was annoyingly sharp at times, especially when it came to him, and decided to let him take some well-deserved alone time. Macaque was grateful for this. He needed it. He needed to think.

It was a bit daunting to think of the after. What would he do once healed? He spent so much time fighting for his life, latching on this plane with gritted teeth, he didn't even think of the after because the now was already slipping away from him. Even after the Lady Bone Demon's demise, in the midst of the pseudo peace he won by babysitting the feral Wukong, he never thought of the future. Because in the back of his mind, he always knew that one day it would end. Death would catch up with him. It was only a matter of time. But now that he officially began his treatment. Now that being alive wasn't just a dream anymore but a reality he could grasp with the tip of his fingers, new perspectives were laid before him.

What could he do?

Should he travel? He never entertained the thought before. Flower Fruit Mountain had always been the only home he ever wanted. Was he even ready to leave the green-filled paradise? So many questions, yet no answers. Life spread before him and yet instead of diving in, he kept lingering on the shores.

Perhaps answers would come on their own. It's not as if he was in a rush. The benefit of not being on a timer anymore was that time was on his side now instead of being a cruel reminder of his limited existence. He had plenty of time now. More than he knew what to do with.

Macaque hummed, he put a hand over his chest and smiled. He could feel wisps of Wukong's magic inside of him, holding his soul together. It was warm. Tender. Loving in a way few things in this world could be. He liked the feeling. The ever-present chill of the Lady Bone Demon was no more, replaced by the loving embrace of his sun.

The warrior perked up. Someone was approaching. He could recognize the familiar pacing between one thousand. Loud, diving in the earth with all its weight.

Unashamed of its presence. Yet incredibly gently with its surroundings. Wukong appeared from the lush bushes and approached him.

“Hey.” Hummed the great sage, his tone soft, as if minding his loudness around Macaque (like he used to do when Macaque proudly fanned out his ears). Wukong sat at his side, he eyed the pile of fruits with hungry eyes. His thoughts apparents. “The monkeys spoiled you.”

Macaque snorted, he loudly bit in his peach, teasing the other. “I guess I'm the favorite.” He chuckled with a mischievous smile. Wukong fondly rolled his eyes. He dug in the pile and picked up his own peach.

“As if.” Scoffed the golden-furred monkey. “I will always be the favorite.”

They stood in a peaceful silence, enjoying nature's melody. “How are you feeling?” Finally asked Wukong.

“Better.” Hummed Macaque. He wasn't going to lie, the first few days after the operation were challenging… to say the least. It had been odd to feel Wukong's magic coats his very soul. Intruding even. But he got used to it rather quickly.

“That's good.” Wukong tentatively put his hand over Macaque's, as if he wasn't sure if he was allowed to do so. Macaque quickly squeezed Wukong's hand. Not willing to reject his warmth.

“Thanks… for giving me space.”

Wukong brushed it aside with a flick of the wrist. “No, it's my fault. I was too clingy.” The great sage scratched his neck in embarrassment and averted his eyes. “But, huh, you can tell me… when you need some you time. Sometimes, I'm not able to tell.”

Macaque gulped. Communication wasn't exactly their forte, but in all honesty he genuinely thought they were doing better at expressing their boundaries. Yes. Sometimes words came a bit harsher than he would have liked. Sometimes he couldn't help but return to his hard-won shell. But at least he was able to express what he wanted better. He was realizing it now more than ever.

They were doing better.

It was overwhelmingly nice to realize it, but also quite bittersweet. They would probably never return to how they once were. So close that each breath they took they did together. But they were building something new. And as challenging as it was, Macaque found himself liking the process.

They stood together for a bit, relishing in the feel of the other's hand in theirs. It was perhaps silly to be this excited about hand holding when they went far beyond that already. Macaque knew how the other tasted, yet the brush of their hands, as familiar as it was, never ceased to make his heart flutter. Would he ever get used to it? He doubted so. Love was odd like that.

Someone else approached them. Both monkeys looked ahead and chuckled when they caught sight of Xiaobo's pitiful form. The poor lamb was getting climbed by a curious group of monkeys. The little ones had been especially curious about the newcomers. Lady Wan was a bit too intimidating for them so they instead turned towards Xiaobo. Bothering them nonstop. The lamb tried to remove the monkeys latching on their body, in vain. Nothing could move a stubborn monkey when it decided to latch on you. It was a losing game.

“Looking good there, kiddo.” Snorted Wukong. The lamb groaned and glared at the great sage, not happy to be teased.

“My aunt is looking for you, old man.” Sighed the lamb as they turned towards Macaque. The black-furred monkey nodded. So it was time for his daily check-out with Lady Wan.

Macaque stood up (regretfully let go of Wukong's hand) and left to where Lady Wan was. He could distantly hear Xiaobo tease Wukong about “being gayer by the day” and couldn't help but chuckle. Well, it's not as if the lamb was wrong. They were getting a bit bolder, showing PDA in public.

“This little devil.” Huffed Wukong as he caught up to Macaque. “They never miss a chance to tease.”

“Remind me of someone.” Hummed Macaque. If someone was the master of teasing here, it was Sun Wukong. He never missed an occasion.

“Say you.” Scoffed the golden-furred monkey as he playfully bumped into Macaque's shoulder.

Soon enough they reached Lady Wan. Wukong created a temporary home for her and her nibling. It was a humble house (created out of hair) located near the water-curtain cave. It was nothing too grand but the pair of aunt and nibling seemed to appreciate it nonetheless. It was admittedly heartwarming to see Xiaobo discover the wonders of a forest after they spend their whole life in the harsh Black-Ash Desert.

Lady Wan nodded at them, she was as succinct as ever. She went over Macaque's body, inquired a few things here and there and advised some physical exercises to help the body heal better. She then showed them her progress on the lantern project. She was working very fast, Macaque was quite impressed. She had a way of absorbing knowledge unlike anything he saw before. Anything he said regarding shadow magic, she grasped it as if it was her own.

The lantern wasn't quite ready yet, it needed a few modifications to be perfect. But they were getting closer. It was a matter of days truly.

“I have a favor to ask.” Suddenly asked Lady Wan. Macaque raised an eyebrow, she wasn't the type of woman to lean on someone else's shoulder. In fact, she reminded him of a lone wolf more than anything. Wukong stiffened when he heard her words, praying nothing went amiss in Macaque's healing process.

“I know that maybe it is too much of me to ask, but I would like you to be Xiaobo’s teacher.” She looked at him unflinchingly. “Please.” She added as she gracefully bowed.

Macaque was quite speechless, one look on his right was enough to tell him that Wukong was as shocked as him. He didn't expect that. “Me ?” He repeated. “Please stand up,” he added in a hurry. It was terrifying to see someone like Lady Wan bow down. It gave him chills.

Lady Wan raised herself. “I don't have much knowledge on shadow magic, and I know that you are a master in this domain… Xiaobo doesn't know any shadow users, nor do I to be honest. Except for you. I'm willing to offer you anything you want in return.”

Wukong stayed silent, he knew that this decision was to be made by Macaque, as such he simply stood aside, eyes glued on his moon.

Macaque gulped. “You… You saved my life. I-I mean if Xiaobo is not against it I could teach him a bit.”

Lady Wan breathed a sigh of relief, her shoulders lowering as her burden eased. It wasn't easy to fill in the vacant place her sister left in Xiaobo's life. Macaque couldn't even begin to imagine how it must feel. He had some respect for her. She did her best for her nibling… The only nephew he ever had was Red Son, and he never went that far for the boy. Perhaps, it was time to rekindle their relationship, if it wasn't too late already.

Both monkeys left Lady Wan afterward, Macaque was still lost in thought.

“You seem troubled.” Hummed Wukong as they walked along the lushious paths of Flower Fruit Mountain.

Macaque sighed, he scratched his neck in embarrassment. “I mean, me… a teacher ?”

“That doesn't sound so unbelievable.” Shrugged Wukong. “You're good with MK.”

“I teach him occasionally but you're still his mentor. I just… pass by from time to time.” Sighed Macaque. “But I'm not the one planning his lessons or being responsible for his future. What if I screw up? Damn, that's terrifying. How do you even deal with that?”

Wukong chuckled, looking way too satisfied in Macaque's opinion. “I won't lie and say mentorship is easy. Sometimes, you'll be the one learning things from the kid. And sometimes you just have to accept that you can't choose their paths for them. You can only guide them.”

“Since did you get so wise?” Snorted Macaque, strangely enough talking with Wukong eased his fear.

“Huh, it happened somewhere between reaching buddhahood and stopping a crazy ice wraith.” Chuckled Wukong. “I'm wiser than people give me credits for.”

Macaque chuckled but he couldn't help but agree. Under all that silliness, Wukong was still the wisest person he knew. The title intelligent stone monkey wasn't given to him for nothing.

“And, hey, I think you'll make a great teacher. You're the best at shadow magic. And if you have any doubts, you have the number one mentor to give you advice.”

Macaque snorted. “Hey, since MK was technically my student for a while, does that make Xiaobo a shidi ?”

“MK is gonna have a field day with that. Poor lamb.” Laughed Wukong.

Macaque laughed with him, he could already see MK sobbing about having a little martial sibling of his own.

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