#even though the game is PAUSED. and uhhh..... yeah I don't know if that's like on purpose or if it's a glitch

[ff2-soda-pop]

I love playing a game and having an experience where I'm like "is this a glitch or is this an intended feature? I don't know"

[the-silver-peahen-residence]

||Fun day or secret date between two flowers||

Hi there dears, I just had this idea for a drabble but it's been a while so I'm trying to get back into it. So lets get right into it shall we?

||Drabble Summary||

It's been a while since Yuuka recovered from the recent events and things were getting back to normal. So, she was just done with patrolling with her fraction but they saw she was trying to keep busy. So, it was time for a hang out. So they suggested that to her. So who do you think she'll hang with? Read to find out?

||Warning||

-No bad warning but warm fluff and cuteness

-hang out between two people

((Guests in this drabble))

Rave” Oblivion” Daitengu as well as the DBT belongs to my friend @demon-blood-youths

Yuuka Nakano a.k.a Nightshade along with her team The Dark Eclipse nightshades belongs to me. Others may appear as guests in this but just a heads up. :3

((Just a heads up: Grammar is not good and their will be heavy mistakes but this was written for fun so please enjoy. ))

Another good day was here in New York city, seeing that the fractions were relaxing or chilling. Doing their own thing while knowing their days were fine. Like right now, Oblivion was playing her hand held game today but was hearing the news from the living room with Jaron and them watching it.

Seems it was involving Roosevelt Island in Brooklyn. The news woman gave the details:

"And another rouge is taken down thanks to some hidden help. No one knows who but it seems the word on the street of Brooklyn's fraction; The Dark Eclipse NIghtshades have been doing a lot of work after the recent attacks back then. For now, we keep whoever is doing this in our prayers. Them and the other fractions have been helping us a lot more than the heroes but some are still unsure of trusting them again. More on this story later...."

"Seems Yuu is doing better now a days. I Heard ever since she got out of the hospital, she and her fraction has been doing more to help others in Brooklyn but she's getting more used to it." Oblivion heard Jaron say but he along with the DBT were proud of Yuu.

"Yeah, I think it's pretty neat she's gotten the hang of it. Even with her quirk getting stronger by the day. Or that's what Kali tells me when she checks on her." Ink thinks about it but even so, she was happy for her. For now, everyone was alright but it leaves one question:

"Hey Oblivion? Have you been still checking up on Yuuka?" she heard Ophelia asked since she was thinking about it and pauses her game.

"..I do and have. She's been alright so far after leaving the hospital. Though, the doctor said she had to take it easy so I'm guessing the others in her team were helping a lot more than she was. Just to be careful." That's what she remembers when they left the hospital that day. Even Luna was making sure Yuuka rests up and don't over do it. For her health and mental health. From that day, her mental health had taken a beating and she's been a little more down.

She tells the others she's fine but Oblivion knew she was just saying that to not worry anyone. And she didn't like when Yuu was sad.

"I see...."

"Well, knowing Yuuka, I hope she will take it easy.." Navarro said with the other DBT thinking the same thing. Though, the two said nothing only to wonder about it. For now, they would just hang out for the day before Ink thinks about something. That's when they heard a buzz from someone's phone to see it was Oblivion's phone.

".......???" she looks to pick up her phone to check. Their was a message to see it was from Yuu. Seems she was checking up on Oblivion but she sets her game pad down to text back for a moment. The other DBT was wondering who she was texting till she only heard her texting more and more.

"Uhhh..."

"Hmmm..."

"You okay Oblivion?" Navarro asked but he sees him looking more curious seeing her standing up.

"I'm heading out....I'll be back later on... "she said getting her back bag then goes ahead to head out but the other members were wondering. Where was she heading off too?

"......"

"Navarro...No.." Shdwkyz said looking to him but he only had his arms crossed. "........I know what your going to think and I am telling you right now. Don't. Do. It." he said glaring at him.

"What!? I wasn't going to do anything!" He said.

"Sure you wouldn't...it's always either you and Rust doing something dumb when it comes to one of us heading out for a moment." Shdwkyz said.

"Hey! I don't!" Rust said.

"You do too. Both of you do." he said but he sighed to see them looking at him.

"That's not fair!!" Both Rust and Navarro said but they got both bonked on the head hard by Maggie who was holding a fist as it shook.

"Owwwww...."

"You two are not helping.." Maggie said but that leaves the others thinking. Where could Oblivion be going or so. Well, it leaves them wondering.......

~~~Later on that afternoon~~~

"Dang it Navarro! Shdwkyz told us not to-" Rust tries to talk but they were sent to get some snacks for everyone hours later but Oblivion didn't come back.

"I am not going to do anything! I was really hoping to get snacks though. Besides, I don't want to get bonked on the head again by Maggie. Or that asshole.." he said speaking of Shdwkyz but Rust sighed.

"Even so, lets just hurry back and get these snacks back." Rust said walking. Though, as they did, they were passing by a small shop. When they did, Navarro heard a familiar tone to stop. Huh? He looks to see two people that made his eyes widen.

Sitting under a tree on a bench was Yuuka Nakano aka nightshade with...Oblivion!? They were sitting down together eating some Mochi together but it seems they were talking to one another. He saw that Yuuka was eating some but she seems more relaxed now. Though, her arms were still showing some cursed marks on her while she was taking another bite.

"Navarro, what are-" He got hushed up by Navarro who blinks to see him point while hiding. The two were in the bushes but Rust saw who and Oblivion. He moves Navarro's arms away to look at him.

"Navarro, seriously. What are you....you know the others told us to not bother them..." he said.

".......I know that but I figured Oblivion was getting something but I was not expecting her to see Yuuka today. I think it's nice to see her getting out more." He said.

"Oh now you wonder about it." Navarro said looking. "Though, do you think Yuuka is better.....then.."

"I'm sure and hoping she is. She seems to be." Navarro said.

~~With Yuuka and Oblivion~~

"So you been doing alright so far after? That's good to hear. I heard you are taking it one step at a time after what happened." Oblivion looks ahead but she was holding her mochi treat to her looking down then at Yuuka.

"I've been on break honestly. The others back at home wants me to take a break so Luna is taking over for the time being till I can get back in. I guess I feel a bit down knowing I'm doing this but..I still want to get back into it to help my fraction." she looks ahead to hold her treat but takes another bite of her mochi. Oblivion was told from Luna Yuu was taking the time to rest up but she was showing some depression for getting in this state again. She didn't mean to but it's like good luck isn't on my side all the time."

"Hey, don't think that. I know that even after all the stuff you been through, your still standing. I'm more happy to know your still pushing through and living your life." Oblivion looks ahead again but she keeps thinking towards it.

"However....I do remember your texts telling me you been doing things to help you through your recovery." she said.

"...I am. Either doing some things or playing the video games we have. The most that's a lot more calming to me is the game you got me a few days ago. The puzzle game or the adventure game." she said, knowing Oblivion remembers.

"Is that so? I'm glad that game is helping you. I hear it's really good and it's pretty fun....." she said but Yuuka looks to her to nod. It was a mining game but it helped her relax. She's already played the game a lot but she also plays some fighting game with Oblivion at times.

~~~~~~

"What do you think their talking about?" Navarro asked.

"I don't know but we are getting late getting back. We need to go." Rust said but Navarro didn't leave. He was still curious to what is going on or what their saying.

~~~~~~~

"Though, Oblivion?" the girl blinks to look at Yuuka but saw her looking down again to her almost done eaten treat. Was their something wrong? "I'm...sorry you had to see me like this. Even worse that I got hurt again back then. I'm not trying to show I'm weak or anything I......I just don't want you to think that I'm.....useless.." she mutters.

"Huh? But your not useless..your never useless...I know you been worried and all but remember what I told you? Your never useless..not to me."she said to reach and take her hand. OF course Yuu blinks looking to her hand but then at her.

"......"

"Besides, true it's a lot for you but remember your getting through it." she said. "You are not useless to me or anything. Your going through things but your still hanging in there." she said. "I worry about you a lot even when you had to stay in the hospital for a bit longer but your here...alright." she mutters.

"....I..I know but I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you and the others that helped me. I just hope I didn't do anything wrong when you saw me lose it when being possessed....I just didn't want you guys to lose your friend." she mutters but felt Oblivion gently squeeze her hand.

"But the others shouldn't lose their friend either....and.." the two hiding in the bushes looked seeing Oblivion look away but her cheeks had a dust of pink. "I didn't want to lose you." she mutters but Yuu blinks that her eyes were wide then looks away hiding her own face too. Even if both didn't let the others hand go.

"Do I worry you that much?" she mutters after a bit.

".....When you feel down or anything because I want to be sure your alright...but...knowing that your doing okay and being happy is enough for me." Oblivion sighed but that's when she only looks down. "Besides, I told you before seeing you happy and alright means more to me than anything.........though, I rather see you happy even so." she mutters.

"...Oblivion.."

"I mean, you know what I mean! You just means much to me and seeing you happy is more and I just want you to-" she turns to face Yuu to tell her but stops talking. She said nothing but the guys were shocked.

Yuu was hugging Oblivion now but she was hiding her face in her shoulder. She shook slightly not saying a word that Oblivion was worried.

"Are you alright? Did you-"

"......Thank you Oblivion...thank you..." she mutters softly but all Oblivion said was silent to gently hug her back quiet.

"Your welcome Yuuka....." she mutters though when Yuu pulls back to even kiss her cheek as a thank you. This made Oblivion more shocked but held her cheek that she was silent. Yuuka smiled but her eyes were closed.

"Again...you really are something else....."

"......" She looks away hiding her flushed face now but a small smile was seen on Oblivion's face. "That goes for you too...."

The boys were quiet but they quickly went home shocked at what they saw. Later that night, the DBT were seeing the boys finally come back but Shdwkyz was wondering why it took them so long to return.

"You guys been out for so long! What the heck were you guys doing!?" he asked.

"Nothing! We were just a little distracted.." Rust said.

"Are you sure???" Maggie asked.

"Yes!"

"*Sighs* Even so, you both got the snacks so it's fine.." Jaron said curious with Fosh agreeing with him. However, that's when they heard the door open showing Oblivion back but she was having a bag from a shop to head in the living room.

"Welcome back Oblivion. Were you able to do what was going on?" Ink asked.

"Yeah. I was just checking up on someone....." she said walking over to sit down but Jaron noticed the bag and another one with some sweet cake wrapped up.

"Well, we hope the other is alright." Fosh said.

"No worries she is." Oblivion said about to play her game again.

"Well, knowing you I'm sure Yuu is but it was pretty nice knowing you cared. That or her kissing your cheek-"

"Rust shhh!" Navarro stops him but the DBT blinks to hear this but Oblivion did too.

"Huh? Yuu?"

"Rust? Navarro? How did you know i was checking and visiting Yuu today?" Oblivion asked in a quiet tone looking at them.

"......Ummmmmm...lucky guess?" they said with a sweatdrop but Oblivion was quiet only to show some sparks from her as the boys tense.

"W..wait wait wait! We can explain!!" Rust said with Navarro holding his hands up seeing her having a vein on her cheek ready to hit them.

"Were you both spying on us?"

"......" Both boys said nothing before quickly leaves with Oblivion following them. The DBT said nothing to blink but sweatdrops hearing the two boys shouting.

"...." Shdwkyz said nothing but facepalms shaking his head. Well, that explains why they were late coming back.

[anenbylilpotato]

A Letter Sent Too Late

Ayo, it's ya boi. This is something I wrote a while ago. A little background on the Aika character in this fic, uhh, I wrote them as a character who grew up with Byakuya and started as his best friend until they started getting older and pushing each other away. Eventually, they pushed each other away to the point that all their interactions were just jabs at each other or arguments. So uhhh, yeah. Basically, childhood best friends trope gone wrong. Friends to enemies, if you will. Aika's talent is the Ultimate Jack of All Trades, basically they're pretty good at basically everything they've tried but they aren't really a master of any of them. They're a master of gathering skills basically. Listen I know it kinda defeats the purpose of an Ultimate but shhhhh I liked the idea. Also, Aika is a little ball of chaos. Also, Byakuya acts slightly differently from how he would in canon bc of how Aika influenced him growing up. Not a huge difference just pointing it out so people don't pester me about it.

Includes: Byakuya. And an OC of mine.

Warnings: Blood, death, ANGST, OH, SO MUCH ANGST LIKE I CRIED WRITING THIS and absolutely no comfort :) Byakuya cri, also it's from Byakuya's POV

Footsteps echoed through the halls of Hope's Peak Academy as Byakuya Togami walked down the hall. They were so deep into this killing game now. He could feel himself just on the verge of figuring out who the mastermind was, like when there's a word on the tip of your tongue but you just can't think of it.

But something was wrong. He could feel it. He wasn't usually the type to act on instinct alone, but something told him that this one was right on the money. Now he just had to find the proof of his theory. He continued through the halls, checking in doorways and ignoring the sound of Toko's footsteps trailing several paces behind him.

Then, on the 5th floor, he stopped at yet another and paused. He could smell blood. So he was right, then. 

There'd been another murder.

A bit of a smirk crossed his face. That's right. I'm Byakuya Togami. I couldn't possibly be wrong.

The smirk vanished, however, the moment he slid the door open. He froze, eyes widened, one foot set in the doorway. He suddenly had a sickening desire to have been wrong.

That oh-so-familiar pink-and-blue hair, soaked with red. That outfit he knew they'd made just to show off the chest they were so proud of after getting surgery, now torn and bloody. That face, which had once been so expressive, whether it be grinning and laughing while making the most idiotic, nonsensical jokes, or giving him that infuriating smirk while teasing and poking and prodding at him, or even contorting with rage and hurt as they screamed at him.

He blinked a few times, forcing himself to come to his senses. Why was there such an ache in his chest? He ignored the sound of Toko passing out at the sight of blood behind him, slowly walking towards the lifeless body of what was once his dearest friend. And he'd pushed them away. He'd done it on purpose too, not wanting someone with no talent bringing down the prestige of someone like him. Why did he care so much? He crouched down beside them. They weren't quite dead yet. It was faint and getting weaker by the second, but he could see the movement of their chest as they breathed. Why did that realization cause such hope to flutter in his stomach? 

Then, their eyes flitted open. Those vivid, golden eyes that were once filled with so much life, now dull and tired.

His brows furrowed. "Aika." It was the first time he'd called them by their given name in years. Their eyes immediately flitted to his own though they seemed unfocused.

A weak smile graced their face. He found his eyes widening. He hadn't seen such a genuine smile from them in years. "Byakuya." Their voice barely reached a whisper. And then, just as soon as they woke, they were gone again. He watched as the life faded from those eyes he'd grown so familiar with, those eyes he'd seen almost every day since he was a child. Their body went limp. No breathing.

They were gone.

Why did it hurt so much?

He stared at their body for a while longer. Maybe too long. Something in him just couldn't bring him to look away, to get up and walk away, to stop caring.

After what felt like hours—though he knew it was only a few minutes—he forced himself to stand up, still unable to pull his eyes away from them. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again and walking towards the door. He knew telling the others would probably be the best course of action, but he didn't care. He knew he should do something about Toko's unconscious form as he stepped over her on his way out, but he didn't care. He knew she'd be even more insufferable when she woke up, but he didn't care. To be quite honest, he didn't really care about anything at that moment. All his rational thought had flown out the window as he paced down the hall, not quite running but also not quite walking either. He wasn't even sure where he was going, or what he was doing.

Eventually, his legs carried him to Aika's dorm. He stared at the little 8-bit image of them on the door and the throbbing in his heart was almost too much for him to take.

He tried the doorknob, and to his surprise, it opened. However, in his stupor, he didn't care enough to wonder why. He shoved the door open and walked in, pushing it shut behind him. He didn't bother checking if it closed all the way, and walked the rest of the way into the room. The air hung thick with the cologne they usually wore. He remembered the comment they made when one of the others brought it up. "It smells kinda like honey, which is what I imagine bees smell like. And since I'm bees, that means it's perfect for me." It was such a ridiculous thing to remember at this time, but he still couldn't help the twinge in his chest thinking of when they were alive.

 Their bed was made up nice and neat. One thing he knew from his years of being around them was that they were a bit of a mess—no, not a bit. A lot. So seeing their bed made up like this was a strange sight indeed. And he knew it couldn't have been Monokuma.

Did they know this was going to happen?

He walked over and looked down at their bed. The place where they’d slept during their time here. It was hardly their most personal of spaces, considering how little time they’d spent here and how little they’d had when they came here. His gaze raked across the surface before eventually landing on the pillow. He paused, noticing a small protrusion in the pillow sheet. And immediately a memory popped into his head, of Aika hiding things in their pillowcase. He reached over and slid his fingers under the edge of the pillowcase, and, sure enough, he felt a little button sewn into the inside, holding a little cloth compartment closed. He undid the button and reached into the compartment. A piece of paper grazed his fingers, and a small breath escaped his lips. He pulled it out and peered at it.

It was a folded-up piece of paper with the words "To Byakuya" written on it. It was a little shakier than their usual handwriting but he'd recognize that round, bouncy handwriting anywhere. Though he wasn't sure why that was the proof that they wrote it. He was the only one here other than they themself that knew about their technique of hiding things in a pillowcase.

He quietly sat down on the bed and opened the letter. Their last words and they'd left them for him. There was yet another pang in his chest. He slowly started to read.

"Hey, Byakuya.

"So. If you're reading this, I'm probably dead. I don't know how much you care. Hell, I'm not even sure you care at all. I'm not even entirely sure you'll care enough to end up finding this. But it doesn't really matter, I guess. I suppose I'm probably writing this more for myself than for you. But there's just. A lot I need to get off my chest before I die. Because I'm really not sure I'm gonna make it through the night. I don't know who's after me or why, but it's pretty obvious they want me dead. And if you're reading this, well it seems I was right.

"Listen. I know you hate me. I'm… still not entirely sure why other than that you suddenly thought I was beneath you. And I guess that's fair. My talent is just. Being average at everything. And that's kinda lame compared to you, who's a master of basically everything. But, to be honest, as hard as I tried to hate you for it, I never really could. I think it would have been easier if I'd hated you. Maybe then I wouldn't have had to deal with such intense pain in my chest every time I looked at you. Maybe then I wouldn't have felt so lonely all the time. The truth is, I still care about you. A lot. Even after the way you've treated me. Even after all you put me through. I know it's not healthy, but… I just can't help but think about all the things we've been through together. I can't help but think about those days. I miss those days. God, I miss those days so much.

"I miss you, Byakuya—"

He stopped reading when a drop of what looked like water plopped onto the paper. At first, he thought something might be leaking until he felt something drip from his chin. Setting the paper down, he touched his cheek, only to be greeted with wetness.

He was crying.

Crying.

Byakuya Togami, the Ultimate Affluent Progeny, Heir to the Togami Corporation… was crying.

God, when was the last time he'd cried? Hell, when was the last time he'd felt even a little emotion, let alone one this intense? He couldn't remember.

He put his head in his hands, pushing his glasses up and pressing the heels of his palms against his eyes in a futile attempt to stop the flow of tears. How ridiculous for him to be reduced to this. How ridiculous that he should be feeling such things. It was irrational. Emotion as a whole was irrational. So why, why, was he, of all people, feeling such things? It made no sense. Nothing about this made sense. He was supposed to hate them—he thought he did. So why was their death causing him so much anguish?

 He remained like that for what felt like an eternity before he finally managed to regain his composure. He pulled his hands away from his face and took off his glasses so he could wipe the wetness from his face. Then, after carefully cleaning his glasses lenses with a cloth, he put them back on and picked up the paper again. Some of the letters were a bit smudged now, but he could still read them. He picked up where he left off.

"I miss you Byakuya. I just wish things could go back to the way they used to be. But don't worry, I might be dumb, but I'm not so dumb that I don't realize that it won't happen. It's not ever going to happen no matter how hard I wish for it. And depending on how tonight goes, it definitely might not happen. To be completely honest, if I have one regret before I die, it would be that I didn't bring all this up to you sooner. Because now I'll probably never get to know the answer to my question: Why? Why do you hate me, Byakuya? What did I do wrong? I wish you could tell me so I could fix it. I wish we could just be friends again. I'd give anything to be your friend again. But… now I guess I'll never get the chance.

"So… I guess this is goodbye. I'm sorry for being so stupid all the time. I'm sorry for being such an ass. And… Thank you. For being my friend. Even if it was only for a short period of time. It meant the world to me. It truly did.

"Aika"

Byakuya stared at the paper, reading and re-reading the last paragraph over and over. The ache in his chest grew almost unbearable once more and tears threatened to spill from his eyes again.

But then he was interrupted by the all-too-familiar bing bong ding dong of the body discovery announcement and following it, Monokuma's voice saying, "A body has been discovered!"

He sighed and stood up. It seems the others have already found them. He folded the letter and tucked it into his vest. His emotions would have to wait. It was time to do what he did best. He steeled himself and forced the emotion out of his expression before leaving the room and heading towards where his only friend's body was.

[darlingpwease]

... :// oh heaven forbid I express happiness without getting criticized >:(( /j /nsrs You bite, they pinch. I- I think you should stay with biting,,, I don't think that you need to add pinching into the mix <//333

Oh, reading, writing, games, the stuff I mentioned before,, oops lol. But that's fair,, u resting is very important~~ <33 ...I'm gonna pretend I didn't read that <333 /t /hj [OH– ik I probably say this a lot but still, be careful and try not to overwork urself too much :))] I'M JUST AS SHOCKED– I thought I was gonna guess wrong again,,, /gen

(yes, I'm gaining the salt and pepper look early too!! /j Thats true, still a pain in the ass lol,, dw,, I'm looking forward to sleeping now lol I feel like an ostrich would fit more,, I try to hide lmao I don't wanna hear that from you >:(( Worm? Frog? Yet you also call me sweet names too?? We're going to be going back and forth again at this point >:(( /ht

It means I will sleep a lot. And if I sleep a little, my day will be full of on and off naps.

I can't even refute that. Instead I kinda wanna applaud you for finding the post... Ah,, let me stop you right there!! I agreed with being a frog as long as I don't become a worm!! /100000% gen AND SRS I STILL REMEMBER SOME THINGS!! /vvv gen + srs

your imagination is flourishing, darling /t I agree!! I'm a sucker for those especially when the gold are the highlights or used in details, it always makes artwork and architecture (and many other things too) look more majestic than before. The way people use it too is just really cool. Do you not think they fall under earth/nature related things?? /t Dark browns and greens, some beige colors too. ...okay, uhhh lets pause for a sec... Thats,, fair,,, but I'm pretty sure I talked about that before?? There's barely any bellies in my head (if at all). And if I were taken I would be acting very differently when speaking to you Dove, I promise lol. Plus I'm not even looking for something like that rn, so there should be no worries about being the 'other crumb.' being rotten on the other hand– /t

Ah, both?? yes yes... that does make sense.... Oh, oh no, I'm illiterate now,, but weirdly for only this section? Oh oh no oh well oops oh goodness well time to move onto something else– ...are u sure you did the test right, Dove?? WHAT

-panna cotta

of course; you're already acting teasingly, even though they're constantly trying to tame criticize you, so what kind of mess will you be when we stop doing this??? <///3 /t /hj why not??? I thought about it and decided that pinching you is much more effective than biting; we should start combining<333 /t

😧😧😧wow. I can only relax when I cuddle with a toy,,, you're interesting, boo~ then I will repeat once again that it is a pity that you have not grown even taller due to lack of sleep<///3 how do I roll you back to factory settings??? what is this sudden increase in the level of eloquence??? do you want to become a sweeter talker than you already are???

I sympathize; not that I can understand, I'm destined to remain forever young & beautiful<33 /t /j /nsrs yes;; fucking work with expired deadlines</3 that's good!!! so I can continue to rest while you work😋😋😋 trust me, 50% of your success is your lack of a bunny face, lovely~ of course!!! I love frogs and worms; when I was little, I often caught frogs and lizards to play with them, and dug up worms so that I could just let them go, since the moment of hunting interested me much more than doing something with them<3333 I still remember how I collected worms on the street in front of school (especially those who were trapped in puddles or could not move because they were crushed by someone) and carried them to the ground~ or when I walked around them just so as not to crush; so you're just wormphobic & frogphobic, panettone :///// not very panna cotta-ish of you :///////// /ht /hj I mean, it's normal for STRANGERS who DON'T KNOW EACH OTHER WELL and DON'T HAVE A LOT OF MEMORIES, so yeah, we can go back and forth until I get to know each other better >:3333 /t /j

ah,,,, it's so cute,,,,, I've often let friends sleep on my thighs before; I'd like to see your pretty sleeping face when you're not teasing or saying mean things<33 /t

it was very easy since I remembered him; it's good to have a memory /ht /j /neu no, no, you definitely agreed to become my worm!!! on the contrary, you said that instead of a frog you want to be a worm, because then they won't make a potion out of you<333 /1000000% gen<3333 heheh >:3333 you're wrong~ /t /j

not very peacemaker-ish of you~ /t /pos yes!!! it's just so beautiful,,,, it gives a certain antiquity and nobility to things<3333

[Janthina janthina / Liguus virgineus /Hinea brasiliana] ' fall under earth/nature related things' oh?

of course, there is no belly; instead, someone's glasses are there🤨🤨🤨 /j /t /nsrs If you start communicating with me differently one day, I will block you; NO non-single pies here, even panna cottas 3:<<< /hj /t /¾nsrs being a rotten crumb is a blessing, silly panna cotta<333 you may know a lot of crumbs, but do you know a lot of rotten crumbs? exactly~

It's okay, I can crawl out of the closet and we'll talk!!! I will be happy to explain to you what is hidden under the armor & why people are actually naked and you don't need to be shy about it. hey hey don't be sHY- /t /j of course, I made it up; now I will think about what sanctions to put forward for such an illiterate panna cotta~ yes!!! we urgently need to figure out what to do with you!!! everything always starts with rebellious and unfaithful panna cotta!!! 3:<<< /t /j

[beansterpie]

hope you don't mind me just reblogging this with my addition! thanks for tagging me moth <3

tagging: @yokozumi, @yormgen, @spacesealion, @tootyfruityflower, @deabruarenjarraitzaileaya-ha, @ofdemonsandangels, @hawkfawun, @fancymeats, @alovelyburn

Were you named after anyone?

Kind of! Not my first name, but my middle name is after my paternal aunt, who died a very long time ago, way before my parents even met.

When was the last time you cried?

Oh idk lol, probably pretty recently. I'll cry at fic or movies or whatever at a drop of a hat. Sometimes I'll be reading fic, then just pause at an emotional moment and start imagining what I think would be the most emotional outcome of the scene and make myself cry lmfaoooo. Outside of fiction though, I cry rarely.

Do you have kids?

Nnnnnope

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Generally yeah, though I can reign it in easily if I have to be polite or whatever.

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

Uuuuhhhh, how gnc they look maybe? Also people's height I guess. I'm tall-ish, which means I grew up with an ego about it, so I'm constantly low key measuring myself against other people's height lol.

What’s your eye color?

Brown

Scary movies or happy endings?

Lol yeah this is so arbitrary. I suppose happy endings? But honestly it just depends on the quality of the story, and I love some good spooky vibes.

Any special talents?

Mmmm I'm artistic, I can draw and sculpt and stuff, though idk how special of a talent that is. Oh I can ride a unicycle, though tbf I haven't tried in many years.

Where were you born?

Califonia, though we moved right back to Tokyo after I was born.

What are your hobbies?

Drawing, writing, fandom stuff, reading comics (esp webcomics) & books. I've been trying to sew more lately, because I've always thought it was a cool skill to have. I also reallyyyy wanna get back into sculpting and also miniatures?? It would be so fun getting into miniatures, I just don't really know where to start.

Have any pets?

Not right now! Growing up I had... well several goldfish, three of which died within five days because we got them from a summer festival stall game which uhhh traumatizes them and results in short life spans (I'll always remember you Pinky TT.TT), and then later on two dogs.

What sports do you play/have you played?

I am Not Athletic™ lol. I did play one season of basketball in high school, mainly because my best friend at the time was on the team, and all the PE teachers would urge me to join in passing (like literally passing each other in hallways) because I'm tall, even if we'd never spoken before lol. I was ok, and it was kind of fun, but mostly for the travelling around aspect than the game itself.

How tall are you?

5'10"

Favorite subject in school?

Art lol, though I also liked English and PE. Of course it also depended on whatever teacher I had that year.

Dream job?

Literally idk. I mean something involving art, but I've always had trouble ever since I was a kid envisioning a dream job, which has very inconveniently never gone away rip.

5 questions and 15 mutuals

ty for the tag @majorbaby and @transgayhawkeyepierce 💖

tagging: @beansterpie @professormcguire @kissing-monsters @undecimber-of-joy @v-e-l-v-e-t-g-o-l-d-m-i-n-e @rescue-ram @pigtailedgirl @assignedishmaelatbirth @creepydai @hetakiba @penguinhug @pomegranate @lyesander @partlyironic @charlesemersonwinchesteriii

Were you named after anyone?

Nope.

When was the last time you cried?

Hm, it's been a while. Might be the last time I watched the mdzs Safe and Sound animatic lol, which would've been a couple months ago.

Do you have kids?

Noooooo

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Depends who I'm talking to, but often with certain friends.

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

lol idk, unless 'general physical appearance bc obviously' counts.

What’s your eye color?

green

Scary movies or happy endings?

this is a very arbitrary dichotemy lol, lots of horror movies have happy endings. I'm saying happy endings because scary movies is too narrow a category.

Any special talents?

no lol, all my talents are mundane or the usual nerd stuff like video editing/writing/etc.

Where were you born?

alberta 😔

What are your hobbies?

fandom, ie writing meta, writing and reading fic, and vidding; i'm into link to the past rando but only casually and as a viewer lol; singing and one day i will join a choir again.

Have any pets?

not currently. had budgies and hamsters and a dog growing up.

What sports do you play/have you played?

none really. I played badminton in middle school one year lol. went indoor rock climbing relatively recently and really enjoyed it, but not enough to take it up as a dedicated hobby.

How tall are you?

5'4"

Favorite subject in school?

hs: english (or choir if that counts lol. one of the choirs i was in counted for credits at least) uni: gender and horror perhaps? canadian cinema was a surprisingly good course too

Dream job?

frankly, cashier in a world where full time is 20 hours a week and you can easily live on minimum wage.

[mageofseven]

Part 3 with Beel and Belphie is ready!

Part 1 | Part 2

~

Beelzebub:

The big guy noticed the changes with his girlfriend before she even mentioned them; the sixth brother is pretty observant with those he cares about after all.

Whenever he discussed how worried he was about her, about her lethargy and dizzy spells, the woman would just smile and say she was fine, that it was just her body being off and human bodies are just weird like this at times.

Beel didn't know much about the human body so he chose to believe his Muffin on this, even if he was still worried.

As the months went on, MC started to gain weight. The demon noticed this, but it really didn't faze him at first; he didn't mind it if his girlfriend was a bit rounder in her torso.

What he did mind however was how self-conscious his girlfriend got about it. She had been eating a lot more recently and she couldn't really fight it, but she also hated every pound gained from it all.

Beel always told her how beautiful she was and how her weight never changed that to him.

However, she'd glance down at how her belly poked out now and looked to her boyfriend, who was so incredibly strong and was practically the living definition of fitness and was so good looking... and she couldn't help but fall even deeper into the slow burning feeling of loathing with of her own body.

One day, MC asked if she could go to the gym with him. The Avatar of Gluttony was immediately tense because she still wasn't feeling well, but he knew it would probably make her feel a bit better if she was exercising and actively working on what was bothering her

So he agreed, but the man couldn't bring himself to do his usual workout routine with her there. The big guy was just too worried about his Muffin.

At one point, the man just noticed that something seemed off about his Human.

He set down the weights and walked over to the treadmill she was on-- and got there just in time to catch her as she fainted.

Luckily, the woman woke up fairly quickly, but her boyfriend had enough; no more exercise for her, not until she got her dizziness under control.

For the next few days, the MC was extra depressed and just found herself in bed more, usually snuggled up with either Beel or Belphie.

It was one such day when the cramping started.

She had gotten to lay with Beel for awhile, but eventually he had to leave for the game with his teammates.

Usually, MC would go and watch him play, but since her cramps were so bad, she didn't really have this option.

She was cuddled up in bed with Belphie when the redhead gave her a kiss goodbye and told her and his twin that he'd come straight home, receiving a nod from his Muffin and a thumbs up from his twin.

The pain just got worse while he was gone though and things evolved to MC gripping onto the Avatar of Sloth and heavily sobbing into his chest.

The seventh brother couldn't move and get help; everytime he tried, the human would beg between sobs for him not to leave her. He couldn't call for help either because he realized that he left his phone up in the planetarium.

Belphie was stuck with the sobbing human for over three hours until Beel came home.

Eventually, MC could feel something lowering within her and the need to push was unbearable.

"B-Belphie, help me up!"

The man did as he was told and helped her off the bed.

Beely came into the room just in time to see his girlfriend squatting and pushing out the head while his twin held onto her to help keep her balanced.

Eyes wide, the demon ran to girlfriend. His brain wasn't fully registering what the heck was happening, but his immediate reaction was still to rush to her side and help her.

MC immediately grabbed onto her boyfriend.

"B-Beely--uhhh... i-it's coming out."

Still deeply confused and concerned, the man's gaze dropped down between her legs, now letting himself focus on the head between them.

MC... his Muffin was having his baby!

Okay action then thoughts. Right now, the man just had to be there for her.

"Belphie, go tell Lucifer. We need a doctor."

The man was really trying to keep calm for his Muffin.

Without really pausing to answer, his twin rushed out the door.

"It's okay, Muffin, I'm here."

The redhead held onto his girlfriend and encouraged her as she pushed.

When the baby was finally pushed out enough to be freed from it's mom, Beel already had his hands around it so it didn't fall to the floor.

The demon forgot to breathe for a minute as he stared down at his daughter. His daughter.

Smiling, Beel lifted his gaze back to his girlfriend, but found that the woman was still crying in pain.

"Muffin?"

"I-It still--ughhhh, I think there's another."

The man's eyes widen.

Beel noticed his girlfriend's legs shaking and knew she wouldn't be able to keep herself up.

He adjusted his hold on his little girl before guiding MC onto the bed to lay down. He stayed between her legs and continued to give her encouraging words.

Since their sister already stretched the way open for them, the second baby was crowning in very little time.

A few minutes later, MC birthed the second baby, another girl. Both girls had his wings, horns, even his hair and eye color.

The man held both girls in his arms, already overwhelmed with his love for them, before looking up at MC, who was regaining her breath.

Beel sat down next to her and kissed her cheek.

"Are you alright?"

His girlfriend nodded, gaze falling to their girls.

"Beely... we're parents now?"

Beel smiled and nodded.

"I..." The woman sighed. "How did this even happen?"

"I dunno... are you okay with this, Muffin?"

"...Are you?"

His smile grew.

"Yeah."

She gave her boyfriend a small smile.

"Then... I am too."

Beel leaned down and kissed her.

"Good. I love you... I love our girls." The demon smiled down at the twins in his arms before meeting MC's eyes again. "This is... a dream. All at once, I got everything I wanted in life. I'll make sure to give you and the girls everything I can."

The doctor finally came a few minutes later, obviously late. Still, he checked MC and the girls to make sure they were okay and before he even left, the rest of House of Lamentation knew that the two were now parents.

Belphegor:

It took Belphie a bit longer than his twin to realize something was wrong with MC.

Sleepy boy... well, has a sleepy mind.

Not to say that it took him long though; while Beel noticed the human feeling off in his scenario on the first day, it took his twin about three days.

Honestly, he wasn't really worried about how tired they got. Hell, that just meant more naps they could take together so the Avatar of Sloth was winning in that regard.

He didn't really care about the weight gain either. Yeah, he teased her about it a bit, but it was always followed by wrapping his arms around her waist and if his words actually hurt her, which sometimes they did, he'd sleepily kiss their neck, their cheek, their lips

"It was a joke, Butthead." He'd tell them. "If anything, you're even cuter with a belly."

And the boy thrived off the blush that came after.

What the boy didn't enjoy, however, was her dizzy spells. The woman would go pale and suddenly have to grab onto him. Sometimes, MC would even full on faint and he'd have to quickly catch her before she hit the ground.

The first time that happened, the two were on their way to lunch at RAD and suddenly his girlfriend stopped walking. He turned around to ask why she stopped just for the woman to fall forward and for him to have to scramble to catch her.

Luckily, the woman was only out for a minute and was confused when she woke up in her boyfriend's arms, laying on the hallway floor at RAD.

Belphie took her straight home after that, not even giving the human the option to stick around and finish the school day.

The demon didn't understand what was wrong with his Human and whenever he'd ask MC, the woman didn't seem too concerned. Lightly, yes, but she said it'd probably correct itself and human bodies are just weird for the sake of being weird sometimes.

The seventh brother wasn't sure that he believed it, but he also didn't have any other answer so he just chose to leave it at that.

Basically, it was months of Sleepy Boy pretending he didn't care, but secretly hovering over his girlfriend.

After nine months of this hovering, it finally ended.

The two were upstairs in the attic, napping.

MC had been having cramps all day and Belphie suggested just sleeping through them, saying that eventually they will just go away.

Technically, he was right, just not in a way he expected.

He woke up to MC heavily sobbing his name. The man jolted awake and found his girlfriend gripping his shirt and burying her face in his chest.

"What's wrong--"

That's when he noticed the bed was... wet? Why was it wet?

"B-Belphie, somethings--gaaahh." The woman was panting through the pain.

The demon threw the blanket off of her and saw that the bed was soaked, as was her leggings, but there was also a slight bulge.

He pulled them down and saw that she was crowning.

His eyes went wide. She's pregnant? How the hell is she pregnant?

He looked back up at MC, who was still crying from the contractions, and knew he had to handle this before anything else.

He got up from the bed and positioned himself between her legs.

"You gotta push." He told her. "It's not gonna end if you don't push, Butthead."

His voice was firm, but tinged with some sympathy.

The woman was in too much pain to argue.

It took twenty minutes, but the MC managed to push the baby out half way, only to be pulled out completely by her boyfriend.

The demon stared down at the baby, a boy with his tail, eyes, and hair, and didn't know how to feel. He had gotten so focused on helping MC that his emotions felt lightyears away.

The human cried out and his head snapped up to look see her still writhing in pain.

Was there another one? The man quickly found out that there was.

And so it all repeated.

Once the second one was born, a little girl with his horns and eyes, but MC's hair, Belphie stared down at the twins on the bed, crying at the top of their lungs.

The man was already so tired of hearing cries.

"B-Belphie..."

He looked up at MC, who had a panicked expression on her face.

Leaving the twins laying between her legs, the Avatar of Sloth went back to his side of the bed and pulled her into his arms.

Neither said a word for a while. The only sound in the room were their twins' cries.

"I didn't know..." MC mumbled.

Belphie pulled back to meet her eyes, just staring into them for a full minute.

"Promise me. Promise that it's true and you didn't know."

"I promise. I swear on everything I have with you that I had no idea."

He sighed.

"Okay." He leaned in and kissed her.

After a moment or two, he pulled away and looked down at the crying babies on the bed.

"So... what do you wanna do with them?"

"I..." The woman stared down at her babies. "C-Can you bring them to me?"

Her boyfriend nodded and scooped up the babies one at a time to bring into her arms.

The woman brought them to her chest, causing them to finally stop crying in favor of feeding from her.

Belphie watched this quietly, not really sure what else to do.

After about a minute or two, MC spoke up.

"Belphie... would you be mad at me... if I said I wanted to keep them?"

The woman knew her boyfriend wasn't a fan of kids, a topic they always clashed with a bit. MC didn't think she could survive losing her twins in anyway now that they're here, but she worried about what Belphie would think of this.

The man pursed his lips. He honestly never wanted kids before, never liked them. Still though... he felt odd. Different.

Maybe it was seeing MC hold his children so sweetly in this moment, but he wasn't as against this as he always imagined himself to be.

Was he at the beginning of developing paternal feelings or was he simply not strong enough to take away something that his girlfriend obviously wanted so much? The demon wasn't sure.

"No. I'm not mad." He shook his head. "I... damn, I don't understand how this is happening but... if you want this then I'm here for the long haul. I'll take care of them; I'll take care of you. We'll do this together."

~

Part 1 | Part 2

[greenygreenland]

Sink or Swim: Kai x Reader [kinda angsty]

-tbh i had a tiny crush on Kai growing up

-i still swoon over him when he's cool but like, lloyd has stolen my heart

-you all live in yang's temple still

-as a note, i write for female readers because uhhh yeah plz don't be mad at me ;-; (and either way, you can always change the words around in your head if it bothers you)

Summary: Kai needs help. You're there for him, catching him before he sinks.

Kai's got Lloyd, but who's got Kai?

Ninjago was filled with a variety of perils. Some were easier to see, such as destruction of any population within the premises of Ninjago city. Other times, it was minuscule, like a speck of dust. If you looked hard enough without blinking, you could see it. But most times it was invisible.

The sun was bright today, shining past the swiftly moving clouds as you clashed under its heat. Sparks flew as your katana slammed into Cole's, who skillfully parried your blows. You readied another combo, twisting to the right and faking a slash before spinning and striking to the left.

"Cole look out!" shouted Kai. Cole wasn't fast enough, and you knew it was because he wasn't used to using a katana. His hammer lay on the platform leading inside, right by Jay's side under the sunshine.

You suddenly realised Cole would be split in half if you didn't stop. But how could you when the inertia practically sent you flying towarss him? "Cole--!"

Clang!

Kai parried the attack. He hit your blade with so much force that it was sent flying across the courtyard, thankfully, clattering harmlessly on the ground. You heaved out a harsh sigh and slapped your knees. "That was close. Sorry Cole." He chuckled, giving Kai a good slap on the shoulder.

"For once our Hot-Head wasn't distracted by his 'oh-so-perfect' looks." Cole said. "How did you do that so fast?" Kai sheathed his sword with a shrug. It was odd to see him so quiet, especially around this time in the day. His expression remained relaxed, but it was void of its usual smug smirk. "I don't know, I just improvised."

You can't help the frown settling on your lips. There was an edge to Kai's voice, as if he had just returned from an unseen battle between life and death. He looked normal, yet the way he forced out a small laugh made you cringe.

"I'm going inside, think I might shower." he abruptly announced. "Don't train too hard or you might bake in the sun!" You watched as he fiddled with the strap on his sheath, twiddling it and running it between his fingers. He caught your stare and flashed a fleeting smile your way, yet it didn't feel genuine. "Kai--"

He pretended not to hear you and rushed through the temple doors. Your frown deepened. "He looks upset." Jay rested his cheek in his hand with a snort. "I'll say. He looked like he was thinking hard about something."

"But what?" Cole inquired with a sigh. "Nothing's been happening around Ninjago, shouldn't he be happy about it? He can play video games all he wants now, or, I don't know, talk to Skylor on the phone? Morro's gone and Lloyd's fine now." Zane raised doubtful brow. He took a seat by Jay and leaned his head back against one of the supporting beams. It was an odd sight to see everyone so deeply in thought again, especially since none of you should have been deeply in thought in the first place.

"Lloyd has not fully recovered." Zane notes. "He suffers from mental trauma and is regaining his strength as we speak." Nya hummed in agreement. She set her weapon down with a thoughtful nod and leaned against a supporting beam. "I don't know about you, but he seemed kind of sad. Why don't you talk to him (Y/n)?"

"Yeah, you're his girlfriend so you guys share a special connection." piped up Jay. You cam't deny that. Your relationship with Kai was special, so he told you certain things no one else had ever known about him. Whether it be about his past, or even what he dreams for the future, you knew it all.

Well except this.

You stood up, ignoring the low cracks from your aching body. "I'll be back." You pulled open the temple's doors, gently shutting it behind you as you surveyed the vast room. The main hall was empty, save for Sensei Wu who sat at a table drinking tea. He turned to you, eyeing your troubled expression knowingly. "Kai is in his room." he simply stated. You smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you Sensei."

You sprinted up the stairs, caring not if you skipped the creaky steps or walked right over them. It was quite tranquil in the halls of the quiet temple, yet somehow, it made you uncomfortable. "Kai?" You stopped in front of his door. "Kai--"

Sniffling. That was the first thing that caught your ears. Your fingers paused on the door handle, slipping past the cool metal as you continued to listen to the sounds. You knew what crying sounded like, but this? It was earth-shattering. The way he cried sounded exactly like raw agony. It was painful to listen to, yet you couldn't bring yourself to walk away.

If Kai was suffering, you had to be there for him like all the times he had been there for you, or Lloyd, or Nya and Jay and Zane and Cole.

Your fingers wrapped around the door handle. You gently knocked and peeked inside. He sat on his bed with his back facing you. His katana lay on the floor instead of of by his bed or next to his pillow like he usially did.

"Kai?" Your voice came out as a gentle whisper. "Are you okay?" His crying ceased so quickly that if you hadn't been standing outside listening, you would have thought everythimg were your imagination.

"Yeah." he steadily said. "I'm okay. I just needed to take a break after that spar. It got really intense." He laughed. It wasn't a happy one. If you knew what it felt like to have your organs ripped out, you'd describe it as listening to Kai fake his laugh and fake his happiness. He put on a brave face for the world, and perhaps that was because he knew people relied on him to step up when Lloyd couldn't.

You opened the door a little wider and let yourself in, softly closing it behind. "If something's wrong Kai, you can tell me." He sniffled quietly. "No, I'm fine." He laughed; you didn't miss the quiver in his voice. "I'm just a little tired."

"No, it's something else. I won't judge you, promise."

Kai sniffled and grabbed a tissue from his nightstand. He blew his nose with a shaky breath and tossed the tissue in the bin. For a good minute, he sat there in silence, slowing inhaling and exhaling rattling breaths. You made your way over to him and took a seat at the edge of his bed. He kept his back towards you as he sniffled some more, so you sat there, watching his shoulders quiver.

Slowly, Kai entertwined his hand with yours. He gave it a good squeeze, as if reassuring himself you were still there. You didn't want to say anything to him yet. If you did, you were sure it would break his already fragile tranquility. Thankfully, he made the first move.

"I know you wouldn't leave me," he began, "but sometimes I can't help worrying. What if we go on a mission and none of us make it back? Lloyd almost died, Cole's a ghost.... What if something happens to you? Or--or Nya and Jay or Zane?" He let out a rattling breath that spoke of all the battles you both endured. It was hard to believe you both survived every single one of them.

"Kai, we've lived this long." you said. "Why not longer? And even if one of us does die, life will go on. It always does in Ninjago, and it blooms again into something new." You squeezed his hand. "You're thinking about your parents too."

The quiet Kai stayed in was enough of an answer.

"I understand it hurts. You know, my parents died when I was very little. I don't remember how they looked like, but I remember what I felt. They made me so happy. It was short, but I found it again in you and the others. Even if something disappears, it's never truly lost." You smiled even though Kai would never see it. "Lloyd's still here because you saved him. None of us are going anywhere for as long as we can help it."

Kai's shoulders slumped. A sigh left his lips and he finally turned to face you. What strikes you the most about him isn't the puffiness under his eyes, or the bags and crinkle in his brow--it's the life that's been sucked out of his expression. His eyes were hollow, as if someone had completely wiped the emotion of happiness from existence. The deep frown tugging at his lips is even worse. It's thin, tight, and quivering.

"I-I'm sorry..."

You placed a hand on his cheek. "Kai." It's all you can muster, a name, a look of sorrow, and worry. Howw had you not seen this? How had you missed something so plainly put?

You gently pulled him closer, wrapping your arms around his warm body as the rain fell from his eyes. "You have nothing to be sorry for. If anyone should be sorry, it's me. I should be there for you, but I didn't notice. I love you though and I'm here now." you gently whispered.

"You're not alone Kai. You don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. We're all here for you and no one is leaving." His cries started out soft, but with each word that left your mouth, his whimpers grew, gaining and gaining in volume until a heart-wrenching sob ripped through his throat.

Tears gathered in your eyea and you allowed yourself to cry with him. It hurt to think about losing anyone, it hurt to see your boyfriend so battered, so beaten and defeated. What cure could you offer to remedy his pain you shared?

There was no answer to that. And so you sat there, keeping your arms tight around each other as if either of you would disappear. Right now, it was sink or swim. You had to fight the ache and push forward, even if it felt like you were both drowning.

Please don't forget to reblog so this can reach more people! Thank you all for reading!

[metalgearsolidexclamationpoint]

I played The Quarry ch 2/3/4 in one big chunk

I am terrible at finding tarot cards! There was one where I walked into the room and the game was like, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD IDIOT PRESS X TO COLLECT THE TAROT CARD.

That said, I also got 2 cards (Star and Tower), said I wanted to look at Tower in more depth, and when I got to the pause screen to look at it again… the video clip was under Star. Uhhh… bug report? A shame, because Tower is the most evil bad news card in the Major Arcana, even worse than the Devil, Hanged Man, or Death.

8 years of shooting qualification and treat-never-keep-keep must have really gotten under my skin, because when Jake flagged Kaitlyn and Nick with the shotty, I flinched and yelled in real life. Also, giving a gun to a genuinely unstable person is not recommended.

Chapter 3 seems pretty early to reveal the (a?) monster, which was teased with green-o-vision spy cam but seemed distinct from the rednecks, and again looks very similar to UD's enemy. When it attacked Abi and Nick, something shot at it, which I assume is the (prev post) rednecks. Also, when Abi had the choice to run or hide, I remembered Jess and hid. Then I had the choice to climb a tree and I thought... this chick can't climb trees. I seem to have made it through okay!

Also learned from UD to take the shortcut, which got Ryan to Nick in… the nick of time. 😎 🏆

I'm kind of digging the reveals, though. The rednecks watching the kids and saying, fuck this and walking away. The weird bloated corpse in the lake, which to me is kind of like... yeah, creepy, but if you don't know it's there, and also you've been swimming in that lake all summer long anyway... does it really matter?

Btw, the muscle reminds me of Stephen Fry from the Kickin’ Ass sketch. Oren here will just tap along to the strange rhythms in his head.

Ohhh, the graphics are becoming harder and harder to overlook. The water looks TERRIBLE, which makes me think it was added to show off PS5 capes, and my PS4 is absolutely chugging trying to render everything, My PS4 is also coming up on 7 years of age. I had to force quit a loading screen twice already. PLEASE HANG ON BABY.

Thus far I have managed to badly misinterpret both of the tarot card hints I got: failed to take the fireworks with me, and, proving I forgot the lesson from UD and also the last chapter, opened a trap door, which got Emma killed as, frankly, anyone opening a trap door deserves.

Luckily, Jake was already dead at that point, because Ryan fired a warning shot into him. Fascinated by the VHS tape (what a fun design choice, btw, they are so cool looking [even if Video Nasty is an explicitly British term] and I’m dying to know the provenance of the fake director names) for that chain of decisions: Jake didn’t distract the hunter who freed him from the rope trap > hunter pours blood on Jake’s face > Ryan shoots Jake in the bushes. If Jake didn’t have blood on his face, would he have yelled, “hey guys! It’s me!!”? Did the blood enervate him? I assumed the blood had something to do with hiding from the monsters, not other normal humans.

Anyway, Nick got bit or whatever and according to a tarot card he will develop superhuman strength, presumably while transforming into these Nosferatu-looking mfers. Abi has been unfailingly kind to him, which will hopefully pay off when he loses all traces of humanity but recognizes the bright spark of her love and stops himself from ripping her face off. In chapter 5, I guess, because so far all the tarot cards have been hints for the immediately upcoming chapter. Which is a bit hand-holdy for my tastes, but also I forgot the totem hints 30 seconds after I saw them in UD, so I see where they’re coming from.

And Dylan… that’s not how infection works?? It doesn’t appear within 20 minutes as a black mold spreading through your veins?? And what did you want to amputate anyway, his shoulder?

I feel like Kaitlyn is an apology for Emily from UD after Supermassive didn’t realize how much backlash Emily was going to get for being assertive and opinionated (aka a bitch). I like Kaitlyn and the way she takes charge of situations, but it looks like she doesn’t get to be equally forthright/"alpha" in relationships.

Also, uhh… SM has paired the POC together again, but this time threw a wrench into it by also making it a love triangle including a gay guy. I have thoughts but I also don’t want to wade into waters I am not qualified to swim in.

Loved the narrative device of Emma as influencer filming videos that gives her an excuse to walk and talk, rather than give us a Heavy Rain-style button to read thoughts or just have the PC talk to themselves the whole time.

“Do we snoop through someone else’s belongings or do we open the spooky trap door and die a horrible, painful death?!” There’s another explicit UD ref. I remembered that lesson and didn't snoop in Max's bag in the prologue either.

[hunnyuwu]

My Baby Don’t Like It || NCT Jaehyun+Mark [part I]

Premise: What went wrong along the way? After everything we had been through, you still chose to leave me?

Pairings : Dad! Jaehyun x fem! reader x Friend! Mark

WC: 2.1 K

Warnings: explicit language, some extreme fluff

Part I || Part II || Part III

"Hey baby! How are you today?" You were crouched down on your knees, shooting a silly smile as the most adorable four year old in the world ran straight into your outstretched arms, worming his way into the crevasse of your neck. You cooed into the kid’s ear, happy to see the boy happy and healthy. He  withdrew from his squirmy snuggles to plant his tiny, moist lips on your soft cheek as his little greeting to his beloved Noona.

"I'm happy to see you, Noona!" A smile lit up his round, chubby features before he nuzzled back into the crevasse of your neck. You rubbed the top of his head a few times, messing up his short black locks, before getting up so that you were finally standing at your own height.

"Thanks for looking after him today, Y/N."

Your heart beat slowed down to a steady, rhythmic pace immediately. The slow, heavy thrumming taunted you as it rattled in your within the hollow shells of your ears. You interlocked hands with the small boy beside you before lifting your chin to see the person before you.

A gentle smile blossomed over your lips, a wave of calm washing over your body as you examined the familiar face before you, "Of course, Jaehyun."

"Remember Y/N, I changed my name." Jaehyun gave you a teasing jab, a dumb grin occupying his eyes. You flinched a little backwards, knives stabbing your poor heart as memories flashed at the forefront of your mind.

‘Yeah, but you changed it for her.’

"A-Ah, right! Sorry, have a good day, Yoon-Oh."

You released a breath that were holding for a little while as you saw Jaehyun hop into the driver's seat of an extremely expensive, luxury car. The flashy woman in the passenger seat threw an overstated air kiss to the little boy beside you, glancing your way soon after. A scowl replaced the smile you were holding onto desperately as she simply smirked with triumph. Your free hand curled into a tight fist as you watched the car whiz away, to the point that your knuckles turned white and your nails threatened to puncture the flesh of your palm.

She removed Jaehyun from your life, 

And he allowed it to happen.

You and Jaehyun had known one another since primary school. On a bitter, cold day in the autumn of your second year, Jaehyun nervously approached your lunch table to ask if he could sit with your group, which you guys obviously said yes. While the friends you had in that group all eventually slipped away from your life through your years of schooling, Jaehyun and you had managed to maintain a close friendship. The close bond and chemistry the two of you had was undeniable to the public and private eye. Everyone thought the two of you would eventually get married, which you didn't mind them thinking in the slightest. Jaehyun had always thought the same too, even though there was no official romance. Just adoring looks, sweet gestures, lovely memories, and tense atmospheres.

In university, you finally confirmed your feelings for him, ready for that next step with him. You finally realized that he was your destiny, and you thought you were his as well.

Next thing you knew, Jaehyun found a girl from his economics class and the rest is history. They had an accidental child early on in their whirlwind romance, the one you were currently watching playing with stackable plastic blocks. Anger boiled your blood... you still loved Jaehyun to the depths of your heart, to the point that you regularly questioned whether you would ever be able to move on, but you couldn't understand how dense he was when it came to his girlfriend: Jimin.

Jimin wasn't your average, plain Jane college gal. She was simply receiving a business degree for the sake of having the piece of paper that she didn’t even work for. Jimin had her daddy's money and company waiting for her once she deemed herself ready for the role. When Jimin set her eyes on Jaehyun the very first class of economics, it was game over for anything between you two. Jimin made it her mission to claim Jaehyun as her own personal property, in other words her personal boy toy, basically making it her life’s mission to rid of you in his life. Or as she specifically explain it, 'spending quality time with boyfie while they were young.' You saw through her sugary sweet act from the moment you laid eyes on her when Jaehyun introduced the two fo you.

She was a brat, a snob, a snake, and any description with negative connotation that you could think of. You hissed as you remembered that the woman even convinced him that 'Yoon-Oh' was a more handsome name than Jaehyun. ‘How could he be so under her spell to not see the sort of shit she puts him through?’ You wondered. 

‘The least she could be is a sweet, decent person to make Jaehyun happy in life.’

That would have satisfied you, but in the end, you knew that people never really get what they want. You were left high and dry while a snobby rich whisked Jaehyun away like he was never there to begin with. And the fact that the woman barely paid any attention to her child made you absolutely sick to your stomach. Hot tears pricked at your eyes as you watched the innocent boy giggle as he was currently in the midst of building a little block boat. 

‘Taking random selfies with your extremely adorable child for your dumb Instagram page does NOT count as parenting, Jimin.’

As you reminisced on all of the times that you had to deal with Jimin's endless childishness and her possessiveness over Jaehyun, you felt a little tug at your sleeve. You smiled tearily as you saw one thing that significantly brightened up your bleak life.

"Noona?"

"Yes, Baby?"

"Why do you look so sad today?"

Your heart constricted like someone was squeezing it tightly, already feeling regret as you had been too absorbed in your own thoughts to give him your full attention. You didn't have an early education degree for nothing.

"Ah, just little things, Baby. Don't worry about it."

"But I don't want Noona to be sad! We should get you ice cream like you do when I get a boo boo!" Jaehyun's son, Jeno, happily suggested, probably just wanting to eat some ice cream himself. You were put into a bout of laughter as you lovingly looked at Jeno get up to 'go get you some ice cream to fix your inside boo boo.'

You complied as you simply couldn't ever say no to the precious boy, so you were on your way out to the local grocery store near your house, which you hadn't gone to in awhile. You peered down to the eye smile prince himself who was happily skipping alongside you, his tiny hand wrapped around the middle three fingers of your hand, a gesture that you you screaming in an internal maternal mess. 

Jimin and Jaehyun have been so neglecting of this poor child lately, always going out on day long dates and luxurious overseas trips, obviously as per Jimin's request. 

You had to say, you were extremely disappointed at Jaehyun for forgetting his caring, sweet roots. The child you were currently leading into a small grocery store was basically your own, you were more of a mother to him than Jimin could ever be.

"Hey, Y/N!"

You looked around to see who called out your name when you spotted a familiar face, causing you to stumble back with pleasant surprise.

"Oh hey, Mark! I didn't know you worked here! Master's degree yet?" You led little Jeno over to the cash register to greet him, gushing over seeing the adorable guy once again. You knew Mark when you were a senior in college, him being a spry sophomore at the time. While he was a music major and you were an early education major, you two fatefully ended up in the same science requirement classes, leading to a beautiful, supportive relationship to blossom between the two of you. You hadn't been able to see him as of late as you were busy with your job.

"Yeah, I’m here part time. Needed some money so I can pay off my college debt as I'm looking for a gig at the moment. But anyways, uhhh, y-you look beautiful as ever, Y/N. Is he your child?" You blushed at his compliment while looking down at little Jeno who Mark was gesturing to gently. Jeno was shooting Mark a suspicious glare causing you to giggle as you dropped a hand to pat his head.

"No, this is Jeno, Jaehyun's son. I regularly babysit him."

Mark gave you a confused look, something wasn't adding up for him.

"You and Jaehyun aren't together?"

You were taken aback at his lack of knowledge. You even told him about Jaehyun's girlfriend a long time ago, but it seems like he didn't remember. Besides, you and Jaehyun were very, very not together.

As you were about to explain, Jeno took the spotlight.

"Daddy should date my Noona! She's a lot better-"

"Shh, you shouldn't say stuff like that, Jeno." You cooed to comfort the pouting kid as you hoisted him up onto your waist to rock him a little. He was getting a little heavy for this, but you didn't mind throwing your back out for him.

Mark laughed to himself, throwing a loving gaze your way as you and Jeno bickered for a little. His insides turned to goop as he fell down the tempting rabbit hole once again.

"Well, if you're not with anyone right now... c-could I ask to maybe take you out on a date sometime?"

You abruptly paused your conversation with Jeno to whip your head to the blushing male. A little blush to match his crept up to your cheeks as you reeled over what he just said in your mind like a broken cassette.

"You want to... go out with me?" You whispered with a tilt of your head, needing a firm confirmation from him before you let your mind start playing tricks on itself.

"Yeah, if that's fine with you." Mark restated, biting down on his bottom lip as he awaited your answer.

Thoughts of Jaehyun’s beautiful, warm smile plagued your mind like a disease; you were still very much in love with him. Even if his actions gave you a whole list as to why you should give his ass up in a heartbeat. 

You looked back into Mark's eyes, finally making up your mind.

"I'd love to, Mark."

"Really?" He choked out, already expecting a rejection coming his way. You were oblivious to it, but Mark had the largest crush on you ever since you became partners for your science class. Whenever he even thought of asking you out, he remembered how close you were to Jaehyun, so he always chickened out. 

This was finally his chance.

"Yeah, of course I would." You said sheepishly.

"But what about Daddy?"

You looked back to Jeno who was inches away from your face with round, glassy eyes. You sighed as you gave his cheek a quick little peck.

"Your Daddy is happy with your Mommy, Jeno. Don't worry, you will always be the number one man in my heart, okay? We will have a bunch more playdates!"

Mark watched as you comforted Jeno, feeling his heart thump violently against his ribcage. He knew you were the one for him, and he truly pitied Jaehyun, for he couldn't even see the true beauty that was sitting in front of him for so many years. Mark prayed above, thoroughly thanking fate to bring you to him today.

"Excuse me, but are you checking out right now?" An elderly woman appeared behind you with a harsh glare, a sharp tongue to match her tapping foot. You bowed quickly, not too much so that Jeno wouldn’t fall off, muttering small apologies as you moved out of the way.

"You better give me a discount for the ice cream, Mark!" You yelled as you walked away with Jeno over to the ice cream freezer. Mark gave you a cute little smile before diving back into scanning the items that that woman gave to him. Though it has been hard in your journey to give up on Jaehyun, there may be just as amazing men that would be better for you out there. You sighed out happily, maybe things were going to improve for you in the future.

~~~

Part I || Part II || Part III

This mini fic is the result of when I learned that Jaehyun said he would have basically been a teenage dad if he wasn't an idol 👁👄👁

[stranger-who-writes-fiction]

i don’t believe in peter pan, frankenstein or superman

Fandom: Supergirl Rating: K Summary: As Alex and Kara help Eliza prepare for a garage sale, a shocking secret is revealed! A/N: *wants to tell a single joke about dragons on Krypton* *ends up writing thirteen pages of what is probably incoherent nonsense*

...

Spring in Midvale is...a bit tempestuous, to say the least.

It brings just as much rain as it does sun; plants blossom in the warm weather one week, only to have the new buds washed away by a freak downpour the next.

Kara doesn't mind the indecisiveness of the season all that much—she likes the sound of the raindrops on the leaves outside, and the sunlight is pleasantly mild, when it decides to make an appearance. So, she's fine with a few stretches of grey clouds, here and there.

“Yeah, well. Not all of us are impervious to the cold,” Alex mutters miserably from inside her jacket and scarf.

Kara just shrugs, not even batting an eyelash at the windchill.

Now, allergies, daylight savings, standardized testing...some of those, Kara does mind, and she'll wholeheartedly agree with Alex's complaints.

Especially when it comes to another annual spring occurrence.

“Girls, if I have to ask you one more time—”

“Alright, alright!”

Kara watches as Alex rolls her eyes and hastily tosses a few more books into the cardboard box situated in the center of the room. Kara moves a bit slower, adding a pair of old shoes that no longer fit, but hesitating with the pair of jeans in her hands. The knees are starting to go a bit thin and threadbare.

“Keep those,” Alex says. “Ripped jeans are cool.”

Kara frowns, not entirely convinced, but does as Alex says, setting aside the jeans and instead reaching for her freshman math book instead. “What about this?”

Alex huffs, clearly annoyed at being interrupted, but schools her features into something a bit more patient as she looks over her shoulder, and considers.

“...Yeah,” she finally decides, nodding towards the box. “I don't think you'd get much if you took it to a used bookstore anyway.”

Kara tosses it in.

She's been on Earth for...a little over two years, now? And thus, she's familiar with the yearly ‘Danvers' Household Spring Cleaning and Garage Sale,’ a ritual that does not actually involve the sale of garages...though Alex did try and convince her, that yes, that's definitely what garage sales are about.

(And...okay. Kara...maybe believed her for like...five minutes. Four. Tops. And then Jeremiah kindly set the record straight.)

“Girls!” Eliza calls, and Alex huffs again.

“Coming!” Alex yells. “Are we good?”

Kara looks at the sizable collection of items in the box, and nods.

“I think so. I...don't really have anything else to put in.”

“Yeah, figured,” Alex says. There isn't much that Kara has that's old enough to warrant tossing out—everything works perfectly fine, or fits perfectly well, will definitely last another year. Most of the stuff they've found belongs to Alex—old books and board games. Of course, Alex first offered them to Kara, but. Kara didn't have much use for an old Chinese Checker set that was missing half the pieces. (And Kara certainly had no use for Clue...as she’d been permanently put off of murder mysteries ever since Kenny.)

But Kara does has more to contribute this time around, at least. Like those shoes, for instance. (And that pair of jeans she sneaked back in the box, when Alex wasn't looking.)

Her sister stands, hefting the cardboard box as she does so. Kara grabs a smaller box, and Alex feigns annoyance.

“Hey, you're the super strong alien...you should take this one.”

Kara smirks.

“Sorry, can't. I'm not supposed to use my powers, remember?”

Alex nudges her in the side, adding a drawn out, “riiiiiight,” generously laced with sarcasm. They both laugh and head downstairs.

“Finally!” Eliza says, once they reach the bottom of the stairs. Kara wonders if they're in for a lecture, but Eliza's clearly too wrapped up in prepping for the garage sale to fit in any scolding. “Just put them over by the door, and then Alex...I need you to go through some of the things out in the shed...”

“What?!” Alex yelps as they add their boxes to the (ever growing, it seems) stack near the door. “You never said I had to clean out the shed...that'll take forever.”

“It's just a few things,” Eliza insists, “some of the sports equipment, and the old camping gear. I think one of the tents is broken...”

“Uggggh,” Alex groans.  And Kara is ready to leave her behind, and retreat back to their room, because she's been out in the shed a total of two times, and both were entirely unpleasant affairs.

Besides, Eliza only mentioned Alex. So Kara’s pretty sure she in the clear.

But of course, Alex isn't about to let that happen.

“Can Kara at least come and help me lift stuff?” Alex asks, and Kara—having zero desire to get roped into this, is quick to remind her:

“I'm not supposed to use my pow—”

“It's just moving junk out of the way,” Alex says, turning to Eliza to plead her case. “It'll go faster, and then we'll be all set for Saturday.”

Kara can see Eliza turning the idea over in her head...clearly taken with the notion of being ahead of schedule.

“But—!” Kara tries once more, but Eliza is already moving towards the office, several empty milk crates in tow.

“Help your sister!” she calls over her shoulder. “But no flying or super speed—just strength!”

Alex chuckles wickedly under her breath as Kara slumps, and emits a disgruntled whine.

“You're the worst,” Kara mutters. And Alex just shrugs it off.

“It’s a sibling thing, get used to it,” she says, and when Kara gives her an inquisitive look, she elaborates, “'if I'm going down, I'm taking you with me.'”

The shed is just as bad as Kara recalls.

Dark, damp, and void of any semblance of organization, it's a dumping ground for outdoor gear, (both broken and functional), gardening equipment (that they never use) and patio furniture that, by Alex's calculations, has not seen the light of day for at least six years.

“Okay, I know mom said just strength...” Alex starts, staring into the shadowy abyss, “but you think you could...?”

Kara sighs, and slips her glasses off, using her x-ray vision to quickly locate the items they've been sent to find.

“Camping gear's all the way at the back,” Kara says, “What sport stuff did Eliza want you to look at?”

“I dunno,” Alex says, pushing a few foam boogie boards out of the way. She nods towards some lawn chairs, and Kara grunts, but ultimately obliges, easily hoisting them out of the way. “Let's do the camping stuff first.”

“'Kay.”

Alex is right, of course; Kara's super strength makes clearing a path a cinch, and, admittedly, it turns out to be an invaluable asset, given that the tents are buried beneath several layers of cobweb-covered junk.

Kara hauls everything out into the backyard, allowing Alex to yank the tents from the shelving units.

“Okay, let's check and see...” Alex starts to say, dumping the pieces out onto the lawn.

A puff of red dust and the moldy remains of what was once a canvas tent come tumbling out.

“...Yeah, I think that's...done.” Alex surmises.

Kara nods, recoiling slightly at the smell of water damage.

“Here, just—put that in the garbage, actually. No one's gonna wanna buy that,” Alex tells her. “I'll start putting this stuff back.”

Kara does as she's told, gingerly taking the tent to the side yard, and shoving it into one of the trashcans.

“Yeeeuch,” she mumbles, shaking her head and trotting back to join her sister. Alex stands just outside the shed, brushing her hands on her jeans, and regarding two items propped up against the shed's corrugated metal siding.

Kara recognizes them as bicycles—bikes.

“Do you need my help, moving them?” Kara asks, wondering why Alex has paused. The whole reason she was out here in the first place was because Alex wanted to rush through this.

“No,” Alex says slowly, “I think I'm actually gonna move these to the garage.”

“For the sale?”

Alex shakes her head. “No,” she says again. “Or. Maybe...” she scratches her head. “I never ride mine, anymore. But, I dunno...” she runs her hand over the seat, which Kara thinks might be black, underneath the thick layer of dust. “They're kinda nice to just have, you know?”

Kara nods, even though she's not really sure she understands.

“Uh...yeah,” she agrees, and her hesitation must be apparent, because Alex turns and gives her a funny look.

“Oh...come on,” she says suddenly, realizing. “You guys seriously didn't have bikes on Krypton?”

Kara crosses her arms, feeling a twinge of defensiveness working its way into her response. “Why would we? They're...archaic.”

Alex doesn't take offense at the comment, instead grabbing one of the bikes and nudging the kickstand up out of the way.

“Well now we have to keep them,” she grins. “Here, take this, I'll go see if I can find the helmets—”

“Uhhh...” Kara is forced to take hold of the nearest bike by the handle bars, because Alex is already dashing back into the shed. A few loud crashes follow, along with some grumbling and more than a few phrases that would have Eliza frowning in disapproval, but at last, Alex emerges, two bike helmets in hand.

“Here,” she says, giving one to Kara. It's smaller than the other—bright blue, with the faded, gummy remains of stickers dotted along the front.

“But I don't—”

“I know you don't need it,” Alex says, clipping her own helmet into place. It's larger, and a plain dark grey.  “But, you know. It's the law, and everything, and you have to blend—”

“No, I—” Kara steps away from the bike, handing the helmet back to Alex. “I don't...want to. Ride, I mean.”

Alex blinks.

“Oh,” she says, taking the helmet from Kara. “Like...you don't wanna go right now, or...?”

“Yeah,” Kara nods vigorously. “I...I forgot I have...some APUSH stuff to finish.”

Alex narrows her eyes. They're in the same class.

“What APUSH stuff?”

“I meant Bio,” Kara says, already heading back towards the house. “We can go...some other time, maybe!”

Alex watches her go, eyes still narrowed, so not buying this.

“Riiiight.”

It's not the same thing, Kara tells herself as she stares at the ceiling in their room, sprawled on her bed and not working on Bio or APUSH.

It's not the same thing at all.

And she's not sure if that makes her feel better...or worse.

Kara doesn't even entertain the notion that Alex will leave well enough alone—she knows, right from the get-go, that her sister is going to keep harping on this until...until something happens. Either until Kara snaps or caves or does something else that Alex can hyper-fixate on.

“I can teach you,” Alex offers, literally riding circles around Kara. She's taken to riding her old bike to school...no doubt an attempt to wear down Kara's resolve.

Kara just shrugs, and keeps walking.

“No thanks.”

Alex sighs angrily. “I just don't get it,” she says. “Why not?”

Kara shrugs again, “I dunno, I just don't want to.”

“That's not really a reason.”

“I don't need a reason,” Kara insists, gripping her backpack straps a bit tighter. Alex has stopped pedaling, allowing the bike to coast alongside the sidewalk. Kara can hear the spokes clicking loudly in her ears.

“I guess not,” Alex admits. “...But it would...kinda be nice to have one.” She thinks for a moment. “You can't be scared—it's impossible for you to get hurt.”

Kara scowls.

“I'm not scared.”

“Yeah, I know. I just said you weren't.”

“Good. 'Cause I'm not,” Kara reiterates firmly.

Alex squints at her. “Well, now I'm thinking that you kind of are.”

“I'm not!” Kara says again, raising her voice. Alex frowns, taken aback.

“Whoa, calm down, I didn't—”

“I'm not scared of your...your dumb Earth bikes. You know why we didn't have them on Krypton? Because we had dragons. These big—lizard—dragon things with wings that were ten times scarier than any of your antiquated...” Kara stammers a little, the Kryptonian and English getting jumbled in her head. “Stuff. Your antiquated stuff.”

And she knows she shouldn't, but she uses a touch of super speed, because she's done talking.

Alex watches her go, still a little...stunned, by Kara's outburst.

“...Dragons?”

“Is it scary?”

“Mmmm.” Uncle Jor hums thoughtfully as he chews. “A little. At first. What do you think, Zor?”

Her father nods in agreement.

“At first, yes.”

“I had to push him, you know,” Uncle Jor tells her, leaning forward and pretending to whisper. Kara rolls her eyes—Uncle Jor is under the impression that she finds his antics hilarious.

(Which, admittedly, she did. When she was five.)

But she is interested in the story.

“Did you really?” she asks, looking from her uncle to her father, and back again. Uncle Jor laughs.

“I see you've not shared this particular story with Kara, then?”

“He has not shared it with me, either,” her mother interjects, joining them at the table. She raises an eyebrow and smirks at Zor.

Her father's smile is sheepish.

“Well...it has never come up before...”

“Zor was certain he would take to flying much faster than I,” Uncle Jor says, leaning back in his chair. “But when we got to the cliffs, he froze.”

“I was merely taking my time,” her father says.

Uncle Jor shakes his head. “He froze.”

“So you pushed him?” Kara asks. Uncle Jor nods.

“H'Raka was going to leave without him!” he claps his brother on the shoulder. “So I gave him a good shove, right off the edge of the cliff.”

Her mother covers her mouth with her hand in an attempt to hide her smile.

“I am surprised the thantho flez allowed that,” she chuckles. Her father looks sheepish again.

“She...did not.”

“She threw him right off.” Uncle Jor nods.

Kara's eyes widen, and her mother abruptly stops laughing.

“Did you get hurt?” Kara asks, trying to imagine the scene. Were the cliffs steep? How far did father fall? Was H'Raka alright?

“I landed in a Hantha tree, thank Rao,” her father smiles. “I broke my arm, but if could have been...much worse.”

“I pray you had the decency to feel badly,” her mother turns and scolds Uncle Jor, who is nodding, wearing a very serious frown.

“Oh, of course,” he says, just as he winks at Kara.

Kara doesn't laugh—in fact, she remains quiet throughout the rest of the dinner, still thinking about Father, and flying, and being frightened.

Eventually, Uncle Jor leaves—he has to meet Aunt Lara at the High Council building. She doesn't join her parents, in seeing him off.

“Alright, Little One,” her mother says, once Uncle Jor is gone. “Something is troubling you.”

Kara shakes her head, but her mother and father know better. Her father rubs her shoulder.

“It will not be scary,” he tells her, correctly guessing the source of her worry. “Flying. I promise, it will be fine.”

“Do I...have to go?” Kara asks in a small voice. Her mother and father share a look—something passes between them, a silent conversation. Kara marvels at their ability to do that—seemingly speaking to one another, without actually talking.

“You must take the test...eventually...” her father says slowly, kneeling so that they are eye level. Again, he rubs her shoulders, soothingly. “You know this.”

“Thara waited until fifth tier...” Kara argues.

And she can see her mother, ready to protest, to tell her that she may not wait, she must take the test before her fourth tier lessons.

But it's her father who speaks, soft and reassuring.

“We will wait until you are ready,” he says, smiling. “And when that time comes, we will be right there beside you. To teach you. To help you.”

Kara feels the anxious knot in her stomach come undone.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

That was one year before the planet started falling apart.

(Though...according to her dad and Uncle Jor, the planet had been falling apart for a long time, but. It didn't become...noticeable until...just before the end, really.)

She never took her flight test.

Her parents never taught her how to ride a thantho flez, or a hover skiff, or...or anything, really. She was too young for some of those things...too scared for the others.

And when at last she found some courage (I'm not afraid, father)...

Well.

By then, it was too late.

Kara sighs, poking her head into the living room, finding Alex lying on one of the couches.

“Um. Hey....” she starts. Alex glances up from her phone.

“Hey.”

And Kara takes that as a good sign...Alex doesn't sound like she's mad at her. If anything, she sounds bored. And that's fine. Kara can handle bored.

“I'm...sorry,” Kara says, shuffling into the room somewhat awkwardly. She takes a seat in the chair across from the couch. “About yelling at you. And calling bikes dumb.”

“And antiquated.”

“And antiquated,” Kara sighs again. “I didn't mean it. I'm sure bikes are...are great.”

“Yeah, well,” Alex shrugs, gaze flicking back to her phone. “They're not quite as exciting as dragons,” she drawls, casting a pointed look in Kara's direction. Kara winces. “But. They're okay.”

“I was just upset,” Kara says, wringing her hands, feeling that she owes Alex some sort of explanation.

“Clearly,” Alex snorts. Kara lets the interruption slide, forging ahead.

“Everything you said...about being scared and...and learning to ride...” she shrugs. “It. Reminded me of my parents, I guess. Kind of. Of...something that...I never...” she adjusts her glasses, looking down at her feet. “Never got to, um. We never...got to do, together.”

She takes a deep breath; that's as much detail as she can muster, right now, not wanting to remember too much, to linger too long on those raw emotions. She looks up to see Alex nodding, sitting up and setting her phone aside.

“Sorry. I didn't, uh,” she scratches the back of her hand. “Know. About...that it was...bringing up some stuff.”

Kara nods. “Yeah,” she says.

“Yeah.”

They sit in awkward silence for a moment as Kara struggles to think of something else to say. Fortunately, Alex puts an end to it, as she raises an eyebrow and asks:

“So...when you say dragons, do you mean...?”

Kara grins. “Like. Dragon dragons.”

“Seriously?”

“Well. Some of them look more like dragonflies, but...”

“And you guys would ride them?”

“Yeah.”

“That's...” Alex allows herself to sink back into the couch cushions. “Whoa.”

“Definitely whoa,” Kara agrees, remembering seeing Thara prepare for her test, practicing, her Winged One—her thantho flez—swooping and circling high overhead.

Alex returns to her phone, and Kara...Kara realizes with a start that, no, she never did learn to fly, back on Krypton.

But she did learn on Earth.

“You sure you want to do this?” Alex asks.

Kara buckles the strap on her borrowed helmet.

“Yes,” she says firmly.

“Because you don't have to,” Alex tells her. “I don't want to like...traumatize you, or something, and then you rat me out to mom.”

“I would never,” Kara says, entirely unconvincing.

“Mmmm hmmm,” Alex smirks. “’Course you wouldn't.”

She slings her leg over the bike—free of cobwebs and dust, and sporting a new set of pegs on the back.

“So, do I just...?” Kara asks, stepping forward somewhat tentatively. Alex nods.

“Yeah, but...wait a sec, lemme make sure...okay, go for it.”

Kara steps up onto the pegs, placing her hands on Alex's shoulders. Alex flinches.

“Too tight,” she hisses. Kara eases her grip.

“Oh, sorry. Better?”

Alex nods. “Okay, so now, you just...hang on, I guess.”

“Okay,” Kara says.

And then, they're off.

Slowly, and somewhat wobbly.

“Oh, this is great,” Kara lays on the sarcasm thick. Alex grunts.

“Would you just—I've never had a passenger before, alright? You're throwing off the whole...” Alex manages to straighten out, and pick up some speed. “Ha! Okay, there.”

And now they're really off—Alex picked a particularly hilly neighborhood for the ride, and soon enough, they're coasting down streets, wind in their hair, pale afternoon sun pleasantly warm on their backs.

They don't ride very fast, or very far—it's over all too soon, in Kara's opinion, but Alex is still paranoid that she'll emotionally scar her, or something.

They come to a stop at the bottom of the hill, tires skidding slightly on the asphalt.

“So?” Alex asks, turning. “How as that?”

Kara beams.

“Good,” she replies. “Really good. Almost like flying.”

Alex nods, humming slightly.

“Well,” she says, “as someone who's flown with you once,” she moves her feet back to the pedals, ready to head for home. “Agree to disagree.”

Kara doesn't fully explain to Alex, just what was bothering her. Kara doesn't know if she herself really understands the scope of it. (That will come later—when she has words for things like survivor's guilt.)

But Alex...Alex must understand some of it, because after the ride, on the way home, she tells Kara—somewhat haltingly, and unsure—about how her parents taught her to ride a bike—that, during the summer, they'd go for long rides on the nearby trails together. She tells Kara that there are still some things, she can't even think of doing, because Jeremiah isn't here to do it with them.

“So if I...you know,” Alex's shrug is hindered, somewhat, but Kara's grip, but Kara can feel them tense a little. “Pressured you, or something, I'm sorry.”

Kara shakes her head, only to realize Alex can't see her, focused as she is on the road. So she squeezes her shoulder, and assures her. “It's okay.”

“Quit doing that.”

“Doing what?”

“That—that thing that you're doing—normal humans can't balance like that unless both feet are on the ground.”

“Oh. Right. Sorry.”

“You have to pedal. We can't have an E.T. moment, okay?”

Kara has to think for a moment—which one was E.T.? But then she remembers...and grins.

“You sure?”

“...Honestly, no. It's very tempting. But—secret identity.”

“Right, right. Secret identity.”

“Okay, so. Pedal, and, uh. That's the front brakes—don't use those first, unless you want to flip the bike. Use the back ones—yeah, those. And....there's the gears,” Alex continues to point out  the various parts of the bike. “Don't bother with those for now...you should be fine in two.”

“...Okay.”

“Alright, I think...I think that's it...” Alex says. “Ready to give it a shot?”

Kara nods, her new helmet not quite as snug as the one she'd borrowed from Alex. It tips forward into her line of sight, and she has to push it out of the way.

“Yes.”

It doesn't take long to get the hang of it. Soon enough, Kara's riding like a pro. She skids to a stop in front of Alex, breathless, not from exertion, but from excitement.

“This is fun!” she declares. Alex just laughs. “Here, you wanna...?” she gestures to the pegs.

Alex looks skeptical—Kara is still technically a rookie after all—but she does have superpowers on her side.

So she hops up onto the back of the bike.

And is immediately suspicious of Kara's sly grin.

“What are you—”

“You said no E.T. Stuff, right?”

“Right...?”

“So no flying.”

“What are you—”

Alex doesn't finish, words snatched away as Kara starts pedaling.

Alex never said anything about super speed.

Several Years Later

Alex comes home for Spring Break—it's a surprise; she'd told them she had too much work to catch up on, that she wouldn't be able to visit.

But she arrives, single duffel bag in hand, tight grin on her face.

(Kara's noticed that about Alex lately...her smiles are a little...tense.)

“I didn't even hear you pull up!” Eliza exclaims, wrapping her in a hug.

Kara didn't either...which is very strange.

“Friend dropped me off,” Alex says. “She has family up the coast...we carpooled.”

Eliza is satisfied with this answer, but Kara is not.

Still, she knows better than to interrogate her in front of Eliza.

Her answer comes later...much later. Like, middle-of-the-night later, when Alex nudges her awake, and throws something round and heavy onto her stomach.

Kara groggily regards the item with confusion, running her hands over it, not sure what she's dealing--

She sits bolt upright.

“You didn't,” she says, already grinning.

Alex's smile is no longer tense, or tight—it's small and quirked to one side and so patently Alex.

“I did,” she says, shrugging on her new motorcycle jacket. “Come on.”

And Kara doesn't have to be asked twice.

Notes:

- Kryptonian culture varies, depending on which comic you read; the bit about learning to fly/Jor and Zor is taken from the Injustice 2 title. - Formal speech/minimal contractions on Krypton is a Supergirl: Rebirth thing - Dumb title is dumb...gosh, I hate naming things.