#exterior is completely done and the only thing I really need to work on is the café as this build is old-ish

[moonwoodhollow]

WIP - Exerzierplatz 1:

This place includes the bookshop I shared yesterday, a delicatessen/corner store, whose post is in my drafts and a small café in the early stages. Also included are 4 apartments that currently have a somewhat awkward layout. I will keep them completely unfurnished and only focus on getting the café ready in a somewhat reasonable time.

[thewalkingdilf]

OKAYYY i’ve had this idea of a perv! daryl x shy, inexperienced reader that i just cannot get out of my head.

18+ mdni, poorly written smut, not proofread, perv!daryl, large age gap (reader is early 20s), loss of innocence

this is a drabble-ish. not a completely finished work, this is more of just an idea that popped into my mind that i may create a larger work for later.

your heart is absolutely racing as daryl’s darkened eyes stare you down like you’re his prey, nothing but an easy target. he’s above you on the bed, a large hand on each side of your head, holding his weight above you. you felt trapped in the best possible way. your head felt fuzzy and your pussy was aching with desire. he knew you were a virgin, innocent and as physically pure as could be. It’s not like you hadn’t wanted to do these things before, you’d just never had the opportunity to while living in your strict, religious home. besides, you hadn’t even found anyone you had taken that strong of a liking to, no one worth throwing your innocence away for; not until daryl, anyway.

there was just something about him that you were so intrigued by that you just couldn’t quite place your finger on. maybe it was his age— how much older and stronger he was than you— or maybe it was his rough, manly, and intimidating exterior. regardless, you had never had anyone make you feel like this before.

daryl, on the other hand, couldn’t help but be attracted to your innocence; you were so different from him, and in a world like this, he needed that, almost just as much as he needed to mold you into a perfect little toy for him like he had been fantasizing about since he’d met you.

“daryl,” you cry out pathetically as one of his hands come down to touch your sopping wet pussy for the first time, causing a fire to burn within your core. He felt his jeans tighten; your reaction to the slightest touch was already on the verge of being over the top. i mean, he barely touched you and you were practically drooling for him just like your aching cunt was. how in the hell were you going to handle his fingers, let alone his cock?

“sorry,” you mutter, embarrassed of your intense reaction, “i’ve just never done anything… ya’ know, like this before…” your soft voice trailed off, your big doe eyes staring up at him, “feels really good.”

daryl smirks, collecting your slick on his fingers, moving up to rub tiny circles on your puffy clit, “nothin’ at all? surely ya touch yourself, right darlin?” he questioned, pausing all movement, awaiting your response.

a deep blush covered your already hot cheeks at the admission of your already obvious innocence to the older man, “well, i mean, i tried before, but i dunno how to do it, it just felt weird. couldn’t make it feel good so i gave up.”

fuck. you were more innocent than he thought. not only are you a virgin, you’d never even came before? he was going to have so much fun with you.

“holy shit,” daryl muttered, “pretty thing like you has never felt an orgasm?”

“…no.”

his cock strained against his jeans so hard he could’ve sworn he was seeing stars for a moment. the last remaining traces of his once icy-blue orbs disappeared, deep black taking over as he gazed down at you, like a predator hunting his prey, hovering above you in a straddle, one knee between your legs, the other on the opposing side. “fuck, sunshine, you’re gon love this. promise.”

daryl’s finger returned to your clit, working itself in circles a bit faster than before, the new sensation causing you to arch your back and whine, your pussy clenching around nothing, causing a string of your arousal to drip down your plush thigh.

“ahh, fuck! fuck daryl, pleaseeee.”

“please what?” he teased, continuing his pace, watching you completely fall apart beneath him.

please what? that was a great question, you had no idea what you were begging for, you just knew that whatever he was doing was way too good for him to stop now.

a large, calloused hand gripped your jaw, forcing you to meet daryl’s lust-blown eyes, “i said please what? don’t ya’ wanna be a good doll and answer me so i can help ya’ out? c’mon pretty girl, just tell me whatcha need and i’ll take care’a you.”

“i-i dunno… i-” you felt embarrassed out of nowhere, like the feeling had just popped out of thin air. you cover your face with your arms, a bright pink wave creeping along your cheeks once again, spreading to the tips of your ears. you knew nothing about this, didn’t know what you wanted, what to ask for— you just knew you needed daryl to keep doing whatever it was that was making you feel so fucking good.

you felt the strength of daryl’s large arms gripping your dainty wrists, pushing them away from your face and onto the bed, holding them there with a force you knew you wouldn’t be able to escape from.

“ah, ah, ah, c’mon now, sunshine. keep those hands away from that pretty face of yers. you know i wanna see all those pretty looks my doll gives me while i make her cum ‘round my cock.”

[i-yap]

Hi there! LOVE your thoughts on Jason like truly i <3 clingy Jason!!!!! What do you think a relationship would be like between Jason and a corporate baddie? Like she's serious, career-driven, and almost viciously ambitious, but for him? a total softie!! Like they just melt for each other despite the fact that they both put up a tough exterior to others!!

Omg i love that , here are my headcanons -

Jason todd x corporate baddie!y/n

I think the time schedules would be a mess. She works 9-5 and he 'works' 9pm-5am. But since she is a really career driven woman, I can see her sort of completing her extra or personal work/ international calls etc from the time that jason is vigilanting and therefore cutting her shift from like 9-3 or something similar. Since she gets all her work done, no one can say a word and honestly no one would dare to either way. Relstionship is about compromise and I think jason will cut down his vigilante time to get home to his stressed worker bee.

Jason prolly cant sleep without her so while she is at her job, he is working out or doing his other stuff. They catch up on sleep after her shift . This means afternoon cuddles !!( Ofc I am firm believer that jason should with time leave crime fighting and become an English professor )

I also love how most of her coworkers thinks she is prolly dating a Submissive type of guy or like a really serious professional dude cause she is so scary and strict . But then Jason- 6 feet something, huge asf, leather jacket, tattoos(maybe) and motorcycle dude walks in bringing her lunchbox( that looks so tiny in his hand). Yea now they're even more scared.

And I think everyone from jason's side also assumed that he'd either get a super cute-sy girl that will "fix him" or another vigilante girl that'll " make him worse". But he walks in with this poised, smart hardworking no nonsense woman and everyone's like DAMN

Damian loves you probably. He doesn't get how todd wooed you, like he thinks todd is a doofus. For once you are a normal (non crime fighting) girl that his brother is dating who is this career driven and also treats his brother properly. He loves talking business with you ( there was this scene where he figures out who is stealing money by looking at the finances at wayne enterprises) . and for once someone doesn't take him for a kid and actually wants to listen to pointers that he has. Tim prolly also loves talking to you about business cause he is a CEO too same thing for bruce.

Power couple fr.

but once you too get home...yea no one recognizes you.

Jason loves the fact that you show your soft side only to him. He has never been someones first choice in anything and this makes him feel so much more loved and cherished. and vice versa applies to you

he loves taking care of you after your long ass workday, helping you just be vulnerable and drop the whole tough act and be human. you do the same for him once he comes back at night. Just taking care of each other the way you guys need.

And you can bet jason knows how to be your biggest supporter. big raise? promotion? or just a good presentation?? He is genuinely excited for you.

Will give you back rubs when you've been sitting on the desk the whole day

will cook you brunch/snacks for when you come back and you will cook him breakfast/dinner for when he does .

it will take some compromise and adjustments but its all worth it and no price at all for loveeee.

[thebreakfastgenie]

What is your s'mores theory?

It's not a theory about s'mores so much as a theory of s'more-making.

Graham crackers. Nabisco from the red box are ideal. If you can't get those, the Honey Maid ones are acceptable, but inferior.

You need mid-tier chocolate. Hersheys is perfect. Lowest-tier store brand chocolate is no good, but chocolate that's too fancy doesn't work either. The one area where I'm willing to diverge from 100% classic s'more is that in my opinion dark chocolate pairs better with marshmallow than milk chocolate does. However, milk chocolate has a lower melting point so it melts a little better. It's personal preference. Also you really want to pay attention to the shape of the chocolate, because it has to fit on the graham cracker and it has to be the right thickness for melting. The classic full-size bars are the best (half a bar per s'more), two minis will work in a pinch. Don't fuck around with fancy shit like Reeses cups. That's not what we're here for.

Classic marshmallows only. This is so important. They NEED to be ROUND so you can rotate them and make them roast evenly. Those square ones are an abomination unto the lord. The ones coated in coconut just don't roast as well (they are delicious though). You MUST roast the marshmallow on a WOODEN stick. Metal heats up too fast and the inside melts before it's done cooking and it falls off the stick. Sad! Also I'm sorry but the people who say they like to set their marshmallows on fire are just too impatient to cook them properly. It's pure cope. You have to cook them slow to make them puff up!!! If they're not puffing up they're not cooked right!! They should be gooey and melty on the inside and toasty and crunchy on the outside. I like a dark brown exterior it must be said but you will get that by roasting. It works best to roast over coals, not a big open flame, which does kill the bonfire aesthetic a little but oh well. Have two fires or build the fire back up after you make your s'more idk.

S'mores CANNOT be recreated indoors. They never taste right. It's not just about the chocolate+marshmallow+graham cracker combination. For one thing roasted marshmallow is a completely different flavor and it can only be achieved over an open flame. Melting a marshmallow in the microwave will never give you that. Secondly it is also about the TEXTURE and the TEMPERATURE. It's a whole experience. It should also be dark! You should be outside!

S'mores WILL be messy. As god intended. That thing WILL ooze when you bite into it. You WILL have marshmallow all over your hands, face, in your hair. If you're not prepared for that you're not ready for S'mores.

Seriously don't try to make them gourmet! I've tried it! It's never as good! You cannot beat the classics!

[silenttrxxs]

Choi Brothers

- choi san! - choi jongho! x reader

(This is a work of fiction, to please the delulu side of every atiny, now this will have little anecdotes towards the series of The Vampire Diaries as this is the what the idea was based from and this may become chaptered… enjoy)

You’d think it’d be unusual for a world to be merged, the living and the spiritual, mythical whatever the hell you want to call it becoming one being under the same sky. But in this town it’s more than normal. Vampires being the main characters of this show… other beastly monsters or we humans call them… also co-existing.

So pan around now to the house on the hill. Far away from any civil beings, this is the chois home. From the outside it looks like an abandoned building, the vines and branches of the forest covering the home like a blanket. Personally they would do anything to mordernise the home itself to have the house show the decor they both like but there’s a kind of beauty of the ruggedness of the house. Now imagine you’re a camera panning into it through a big bay window.

This is where you meet them. The Chois. Known for being the only vampires in the town and the oldest of their time.

Now turn around… this is you.. walking up to the house, slowly, carefully.

How you got here is a complete nonsense, the last thing you knew was your old Toyota was left somewhere in the forest. You sighed deeply, the last hour of walking to find any resemblance of civilisation taking its toll, you lifted your hand up wiping the sweat from your forehead before knocking on the door hoping the residents inside would allow you to at least use the toilet and a mobile phone with service.

Inside the brothers… stopping what they were doing immediately and running to the door shoving and kicking each other on the way.

Now before we get to the part where you meet them let me introduce you to these two.

Firstly we have the eldest brother… the supposed heartthrob that everyone soooooo adores… Choi San.

Known for his handsomeness, charms and tough exterior that melds with the classic dad jokes that leave his mouth every five seconds. He was also known to be the only one out of the brothers to have a blood lust, the insatiable taste and need for blood be it human or animal he did not care as long as he was able to keep the thirst away.

Now, lets move onto the youngest, Choi Jongho.

He was known thoroughout the town to be the nice guy, the one that would rather talk amongst others rather than imitate a fight. But also known to throw the swiftest right hook that could kill a man in a second if provoked in the wrong way. He also was the only one out of the brothers that did not have a bloodlust he managed to escape this feeling after years of practice, the insatiable taste for human blood was something that he did not need. The ability to survive with the basic animal blood that he would hunt or ensure that San hunted to store in the chest freezer in the basement of the home.

Now that we have our introductions done let’s get back to the script huh?

San currently kicking and pulling jongho away from the door as they reach it.

“Don’t you fucking dare, your such an asshole san. What if its just the postman” Jongho shouts before throwing a vase at sans head.

“Ouch that hurt” san shouts rubbing his head before gripping the door handle and opening the door slowly.

A gasp leaving his body as he let his gaze fall onto you, his tongue darting out of his mouth to lick his lips as he let his gaze fall back up to your eyes.

“Hello..” he said before leaning against the doorframe.

“H-hi erm i.. i kind of broke down, about 50km back there in the forest this is the first house that I’ve seen in the past few hours and i really need to use the bathroom and … maybe a phone that has life in it and service… if that’s okay?” You breathe out as you look at him, something about his aura being a little unsettling but somewhat exciting to you.

“Sure, dont mind the mess we wasn’t expecting guests today.. although my brother was hoping his delivery of his new toy to arrive soon but it looks like its not coming…” san laughs before pushing the door open and ushering you inside.

You walk inside the house seemingly a lot more bigger on the inside rather than the outside. You glanced around taking in the decor of the home before looking around and landing your eyes on the man sitting on the couch.

“I guess this is the infamous brother of yours then huh?” You say before laughing and looking at them both.

“As much as id like to introduce myself right now i need to use the bathroom immediately so if you could be so kind to show me where it is id be best pleased” you say looking at them both with a pleading look.

San being the man he was quickly showing you to the toilet.

“Thank you I’ll be quick” you say before disappearing.

San walks back to the living room, sitting next to his brother, slapping his arm as he does so.

“She’s fucking beautiful isn’t she?” San says laughing and looking at jongho.

jongho lifting his head from the newspaper he was reading and rolling his eyes.

“Y-yeah she looks incredibly familiar though” jongho says his face contorting into a look of confusion and wonder.

“I was going to say that, she looks like whatshername… oh shit fuck” san says covering his mouth hoping the words would be swallowed into the back of his throat.

You had finished your business and slipped back into the living room, staying quiet as you stood watching the boys talking amongst themselves.

A cough escaping your throat, the boys lifting their head up in unison as they both stared at you.

“T-thank you erm… what’s your names, im y/n” you say before offering your hand out in front of them.

“Names san, Choi San” san says laughing and shaking your hand.

Jongho scoffing loudly before offering his hand and taking the soft skin of the back of your hand to his lips. “Jongho, nice to meet you”

You gasped at the actions from the boys and let out a giggle.

“Now i would like to see if possible i could get some charge in my phone or even make a phone call… I need to get my car out of the forest its got all my things in it” you explain twiddling your hands together as you spoke.

“How far did you say it was?” San asks grabbing his leather jacket and swinging it around and onto his body. The action alone sending an unknown shiver down your spine.

“About 50km i think I wasn’t really counting…” you explain.

“You can’t miss it it’s a red Toyota in the middle of the forest” you finish.

“Okay okay well you’re welcome to stay here with Jongho I’ll go grab it for you and tow it here.. its getting dark and we wouldn’t want you out there when night falls” San says smirking and showing a little of his fang; the glimmer of the light shining just enough for you to pay more attention to the action. “Don’t miss me too much darling” he says before winking at you and laughing.

You turn around to see jongho sat on the couch a laugh escaping his mouth.

“He’s the worst honestly, how he manages to pull girls and not a hamstring is beyond me” he says before patting the empty side of the couch, taking the offer you sit on the couch, you gaze taking in the house once more. “It’s truly beautiful in here, but kind of old dont you think” you say giggling a little.

“Y-yeah I’ve been wanting to decorate but i cant do it on my own and that thing is always out” jongho says sighing.

“Well i just want to thank you for letting me stay for the night not many people would be so kind” you say before looking at Jongho.

“Hey it’s alright the world’s a scary place especially for humans like you” jongho says laughing a little and locking his eyes with yours.

“I must say it’s rare to see someone with such beauty arrive in this beat up town” jongho says smiling sweetly.

“W-well thanks: you say a slight blush creeping up onto your cheeks as you turn to look away from him, his aura becoming overwhelmingly sweet before you could even blink the door swung open, the breeze filling the room. You looked in the doorway to see an out of breath San flying in and the door slamming behind him.

“Y-you are so lucky that you had your keys on you, i was about to set fire to the damn thing who the hell let you drive that thing anyway that looks like a tuna can too me” san laughs before sighing. “Shit i forgot to bring in your suitcase two seconds” san says before disappearing and reappearing with your suitcase almost immediately.

“Whoa that was quick”

“Yeah comes with the gift love” San says smiling, before sitting down on the couch next to you.

“Y-yeah what’s with the e-erm fangs and all that” you say giggling.

“Well clearly were vampires darling” san says laughing before glaring at jongho who is motioning behind you for him to shut his mouth.

“Oh yeah really… prove it” you say laughing and looking at them both.

“If im going to stay the night i might as well have some fun”

Looks like this is going to become a chaptered story, i will write as and when the urge hits. I hope you like it…

[cfierce116]

I Want You Around

A/N: Sooooooooo I haven't done this in a verrryyyyyy loooonnnnggggg tiiiimmmmmeeeee. Writer's block/real life circumstances/and self doubt is a bitch. But a burst of inspiration hit me out of nowhere and this is what I came up with. Let's see where this goes. S/O to @lisayourworries for staying on my ass & @krysxtotheo for the constant thirst chats about The Bloodline.

*Pairings: Solo Sikoa/OC (black fem)

*Warnings: 18+, hint of smut but not too much.....for now

*Word Count: Approximately 1900 words

************************************************************************“Krys you awake?”

“No.”

Chocolate brown eyes rolled as a soft giggle filled the room. The woman laying next to the muscular body turned to face her bed companion, resting her head on top of her arm. Her gaze landed on the side profile of her boyfriend’s face, his expression unchanging. 

“I’ve been thinking.”

“That can’t be good,” Krys joked with a small smile. She reached out and placed her index finger on his cheek, turning his face towards hers. “What’s on your mind Sefa?”

“Us.” 

“Us?” Krys asked with a raise of her perfectly arched brow. “What about us?” 

Silence filled the room as Sefa studied the woman’s face, his eyes unreadable. Krys felt her palms start to perspire despite being completely nude under the lightweight bed sheet, the air conditioner nestled in the window rumbling lowly above the bed her and Sefa laid in. Despite being in a relationship with one another for a little over a year, most times Sefa was a puzzle that Krys couldn’t solve. He mostly kept to himself not allowing many people to penetrate the hardened exterior that he constructed to conceal his innermost thoughts and emotions.

Krys, however, was different. 

From the moment he laid eyes on her on his first day at NXT as she prepared to take his introductory photo after he joined the company he was enamored with her. From her infectious giggle to the way her light brown eyes sparkled when she watched him ringside performing as she snapped pictures to the way her body melted under his firm but loving touch whenever they made love, Krys had managed to do the one thing that no other woman before her could do.  

She turned him into a pile of mush.

That could be the only explanation as to why he was even considering this proposition. His brain was screaming at him that he was taking a huge risk and to slow down. There was no need to make such a hasty decision at this stage of their relationship. They needed more time to get to know one another to strengthen their bond. Things were great the way they were currently going. So why change what wasn’t broken? 

However, despite all of the valid reasons his brain created he couldn’t ignore his gut telling him he was making the right choice. 

Sefa parted his lips to speak before Krys’s shaky exhale interrupted his thoughts. She fully sat up in the bed, using the sheet as a temporary shield to hide her breasts that were decorated with of a spattering of Sefa’s teeth marks. 

“Sefa, I already know what you’re going to say.” 

“You do?”

Krys nodded and ran a hand through her curly blondish brown hair, pushing it away from her face. “Yeah. You’re gonna say that you care about me but you need to focus on your career now. You just got called up to the main roster and that requires a lot of focus and you can’t handle being distracted with a semi long distance relationship while I still work down at NXT.” 

“Krys-"

“And I get it. This has been a dream of yours before we even knew one another. So it hurts but I completely understand it.” 

“But-“ 

“You’re a great guy and I want the best for you.  I truly mean that. Even if it means we have to break up.” 

Sefa’s head jerked towards Krys, his brows furrowed in confusion. “Break up? You think I want to break-"

“I really should get going,” Krys interrupted as she swung her legs out of the bed, her foot touching the hardwood floor to look for her slipper. Before her other foot could do the same, Sefa’s large hand darted out and gently grabbed her wrist and halting her movements. Krys shivered at his touch, a chill running the length of her body and making her nipples harden instantly. 

“Move in with me.” 

Krys’s lips parted slightly as her eyes widened before darting to look at Sefa who was staring intently at her.

“What?”

“I don’t wanna break up with you Krystle. I want you to move in with me.” 

The couple held each other’s stare waiting for the other one to speak. Krys cracked first, clearing her throat softly. “Wow I wasn’t expecting that.” 

“Why not?” 

“It’s just…I mean we’re…well…honestly Sefa I didn’t think that was an option,” she admitted softly. Her gaze fell to her lap and she shrugged. “You just don’t seem like the type that would want a woman living with you and being around 24/7. You’re kinda of a loner.”

A soft chuckle fell from Sefa’s full lips. “True.” 

“And things are going really well between us. Sure the new adjustment of you being on the road weekly is a new challenge but besides that we’re pretty solid.” 

“Is that so? Well why did you automatically assume I wanted to break up with you a few minutes ago?” Sefa asked as he folded his arms across his chest. 

Krys shrugged. “I mean if your boyfriend tells you that they’ve been thinking about your relationship late at night it typically aren’t good thoughts.” She turned to look at him over her shoulder. “So you don’t want to break up with me?”

“I love you Krys why would I want to break up with you?” 

Sefa watched as relief flushed over Krys’s face, another small exhale slipping from her lips at his admission.  She slipped out from underneath the sheets and started to pace back and forth in front of the bed. His eyes couldn’t help but study the naked frame in front of him, her full breasts bouncing slightly with every step she took as her hips swayed from side to side. He subconsciously bit his bottom lip as his eyes landed on her supple ass, the moonlight streaming into his room accentuating her caramel hued skin that was prickled with various stretch marks that he loved to trace with his tongue any chance he got. Not only was Krys the most beautiful and sexiest woman he laid eyes on but she also one of the nicest people he knew. As corny as it fuckin sounded she was one of the rare people that managed to lighten anybody’s life that she came in contact with. She was extremely compassionate and charming and could crack the toughest person she encountered, her contagious personality causing people to constantly want to be in her presence.  

Sefa was a prime example of that. 

When he finally got signed by WWE, Sefa main goal was to add to his family’s rich wrestling legacy. He knew he had big shoes to fill based on the amount of Hall of Famers in his family and the current legacy his brothers and cousin were crafting at that very moment. Sefa told himself that failure was not an option. Being less than great was not a choice. And he was willing to put in the work to carve his own legacy that would be praised for decades to come. 

But the moment he met Krys, his goals shifted.

Sure he still wanted to become one of the greats in his family. But now he slowly found himself thinking about what he wanted his life outside the ring to look like. And every fantasy included Krys. Marrying her. Having kids with her. Growing old with her. Loving her until he took his last breath. 

But those fantasies couldn’t become a reality if the naked woman in front of him wasn’t on board. 

“You don’t seem happy about my request.” 

Krys stopped pacing back and forth at the sound of disappointment in Sefa’s voice and turned to face him. “Baby it’s not that I’m not happy. I just want to make sure this is something you truly want. What if we move in together and it ruins what we have now? I don’t want to lose you.”

Sefa stood to his feet and climbed out of his bed, taking large strides towards Krys before he finally reached her. His muscular arms wrapped around her body pulling it plush against his chest as he dropped a kiss on her temple. Krys’s arms automatically opened to hug him back, her body relaxing in his embrace. 

“Krys I don’t wanna lose you either. But I also know that I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. You’re right I’m a loner and stay to myself. I keep most people at a distance. But Krystle Washington you’re not one of those people. I want to come home from the road with you waiting for me to talk my ear off about whatever gossip from those housewives shows you watch that you read that day. Or to wake up every single morning and watch you test every last bit of resolve I have while doing your daily yoga routine in the living room. I want all that sappy shit in those rom com movies that you force me to watch with you and only you.” 

Krys scoffed. “Stop lying I do not force you to watch those movies with me. You love them just like I do,” she said with a giggle. 

Sefa smirked. “What I love more is watching them with you. I love spending time with you baby.” He pulled away from the embrace and titled Krys’s head upward so they could lock eyes once again. “Admit it I make a compelling argument.” 

Krys couldn’t stop the small grin from appearing on the corners of her lips as Sefa’s words resonated in her mind. It wasn’t like she already didn’t spend all of her free time at his place. Financially it made sense to agree to his request so she could stop paying rent for a place that she had barely slept in since the moment her and Sefa became intimate a few months prior.  There was no denying how head over heels she was for him and the mere thought of taking this leap with him and moving to the next stage of their relationship excited her. But it was still a huge decision she had to think about. And seeing as how the two of them were currently holding each other’s naked bodies, his penis slowly awakening and slapping her inner thigh she knew it was not the right circumstance to think clearly.

“I’m not saying no.” She held up her index finger as a wide smile spread across Sefa’s face. “But I’m not saying yes either. Not yet anyway. I’m just saying give me some time to think about it babe.” 

Sefa nodded. “Ok that’s fair enough.”

Before Krys could say anything else, Sefa dipped his head and captured her lips in a smoldering kiss. She felt the wind slowly evaporate from her body as she quickly became lightheaded. She placed her small palms on Sefa’s chest to steady herself as his tongue slid out of his mouth and expertly pried the seams of her full lips before quickly tangling with her tongue. His hands fell to her round ass and squeezed generously eliciting a loud moan from Krys. Her thighs instinctively parted as the heat rushed to her pussy  causing it to throb without being touched and begged for attention. Sefa’s arms suddenly scooped Krys’s body into a fireman’s carry and he slowly walked back to the bed without their lips parting, planning to spend the next few hours to convince her to take him up on his offer. 

[oigimi]

. warm drinks .

. arthur x reader . 1k words . day 1 of 12 days of arthur .

I sighed and flopped down on the couch by the fireplace. A hard day’s work had gotten to me, and my body physically couldn’t support itself any longer. Cleaning after ten vampires was not for the faint of heart. I closed my eyes for a moment, not because I was particularly sleepy, moreso due to fatigue. My eyelids couldn’t remain up anymore, and as they got heavier, I started to succumb to the spell over me. Just a few more moments…

“Ah, there you are, bird,” a familiar voice chimed. I didn’t open my eyes, but my other senses quickly registered who it was: The mansion flirt and prolific mystery author Arthur Conan Doyle. I sat up and stretched, taking a sharp inhale. 

“What do you want?”

“What do I want? I don’t know if you’d like the true answer,” Arthur chuckled. “Well it’s quite late and we haven’t seen you in hours.”

I blinked. “What do you mean? It’s only nine o’clock.”

“I disagree. The clock does too,” Arthur mused, pointing to the clock on the wall.

“Jesus, it’s two-?! I didn’t even realize, I just wanted to rest for a sec.” I rubbed my head and stood up. “No wonder I’m aching so badly. Jeez, my back hurts so bad.”

Arthur laughed a little bit. “Poor thing. If you’d fallen asleep in my bed I think you would have had a much better time.” Satisfied with the pout on my face, he looked around the room. “Alright, alright. Come on, I know what’ll make you feel better.”

“Oh really? And what’s that gonna be? A full body massage or something?”

“Don’t give me ideas! No, you’ll like this.” He led me through the dark hallway, almost reaching for my hand at one point before remembering we knew where we were. I couldn’t help but smile. Arthur was a lot of things. He was flirty, he was smart, he was determined, he was sometimes annoying, but deep down inside, he had a heart too big for him to know what to do with it. I could tell how much he cared for the other residents. He teased Isaac because he liked spending time with him. He was always around Theo despite his rough exterior because he understood him like no one other than Vincent. He was grateful for Comte and Sebastian. He coated his true feelings in a thick layer of frivolousness, refusing to let anybody peel it back. That was why he was leading me down this hallway. That was why he cared enough to look for me. And that was why I needed to begin trying to peel as much as I could until I got to the center one day.

“Okay, tell the truth. What’s happening?”

“Nothing! Nothing. You’re so abrasive, love. Here.” He entered the kitchen and turned the lights on. “Let’s get you to bed soon, but first…” With a few swift motions, he got out some milk and dark chocolate out. “I figured you’d need something to drink.”

I once again blinked quickly, and felt a swift, sharp pang in my chest. He was making hot chocolate for me? Really…? I had completed my psychoanalysis earlier, but it was still hard to fathom someone like him doing something so nice for me specifically. A man treating me sweetly, who ever could’ve thought? “Ah… thank you. Here!” I got on my toes and opened the cabinet, grabbing two china cups and a shaker of nutmeg. “Let’s drink it out of these. And it tastes better when you add nutmeg than sugar, in my opinion.”

“Nutmeg? Alright then. Are you sure we should drink out of those? You’re pulling out all the stops for me, I’m flattered. I hardly see you and Sebas using them. They must be for special occasions. Do you consider this a special occasion, (Y/N)?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know, really.” We heated up the chocolate and watched it boil. It wasn’t the only thing warming up; I felt my cheeks and ears slowly becoming pink as I became more aware of the intimacy of such a domestic situation. I turned my head to try and steal a glance at Arthur, who looked away from me. Apparently he was attempting to do the same. But why wasn’t he performing his usual schtick? 

“The chocolate is done,” he hummed, going to take it off the heat. Arthur poured it into the two cups, and added some warmed milk and nutmeg into both of them. “I hope you’re right about the nutmeg. I can’t say I’ve ever tried it with chocolate before.”

“Really? It seems so popular though!”

“Indeed it is, but I’m not a trend follower, am I?”

“Uh huh.” I laughed and sat down at the table, feeling some of the tension leave my body. “Alright, bottoms up.”

We each took a sip of the chocolate, and let out our own satisfied sounds in perfect sync. 

Arthur looked down at his cup and took another sip. “Mm, I daresay this is the best chocolate I’ve ever had. Perhaps it’s your nutmeg, perhaps it’s because you’re with me.”

“I might be able to say the same, really. Thanks, Arthur.”

“Oh? And why are you thanking me?” He rested his head on his hand, smiling a little bit. “For our time together?”

I nodded, huffing a little bit. “Yeah, I am! It means a lot to me, you know. Seeking me out so late and making something nice for me… It’s small but it really means something, you know. I think you’re a lot more genuine of a guy than you let on.”

He stared at me for a moment, a little stunned. “Well, if that’s how you feel.” Grinning again, he wrapped an arm around me and gently rested my head on his shoulder. I sighed again, this time, a little bit more peacefully. He smelled like fresh parchment and ink. I could’ve just basked in it forever, paired with his cologne and strong shoulders… My eyelids grew even heavier, and before I knew it I was asleep again.

Arthur kissed the top of my head, rubbing my side gently. “Goodnight…”

[bludpudding]

You know how I love myself some furniture so I'm curious what your 🫵 prefered house interior/exterior look is :3

it’s a mix that I haven’t really seen been done before. gotta do everything by myself I GUESS

I’m a country boy at heart and I could not ever thrive living in the city long term, but my style is very industrial. imagine an art studio out in buttfuck nowhere. that’s me. I feel at home in rustic and countryside aesthetics but I have to make my space unique to me or I’ll fall over dead.

maximalist in the sense that every square inch of the house is a blank canvas and has the potential to be something more - I love things that look like other things, if that makes sense.

but!! I have to take into account my sensory issues in everything I do. the walls have to be light to give the room that airy quality I need - which is to say they can’t be completely covered. the pallete has to stray away from using predominantly darker colors and instead put emphasis on a happier and brighter atmosphere. learned the hard way how debilitating a darker aesthetic can be.

I take a lot of inspiration from the 80s for almost all of my work. I was meant to be born earlier I think

It’s hard to find the exact aesthetic I want because each individual thing I have in my house would need to be either something I made or fell in love with one by one. we’re not doing the whole ‘putting things together and only focusing on the finished product.’ I want the amish cheese cow from my childhood next to a table that looks like a piano on top of a rug shaped like an eyeball.

here’s a lil picture from my room. we’re in the process of packing up to move right now so I’m excited that I’ll be able to completely start from scratch and update my space.

imagine all of this in a farmhouse. the dream

[djarindroid]

For the requests, what about Cassian and acts of service? He seems like someone who wouldn’t express his love with words very often, but more so with actions.

(sorry this took so long to respond to, the second I opened up requests life got really crazy) ok ok this is so accurate, you just know Cassian would go above and beyond for you 🥹

Helping Hand

Pairing: Cassian x Reader Summary: Its chaos at the rebel base, but you have a mysterious helper... Word Count: 1236

It had been a grueling day, you had woken to the sound of sirens as ships returned to the base. You’d sprinted down to the hangar to discover, for lack of a better word, a shit show. Multiple ships had returned with smoke pouring out of them and blaster marks littering their sides. You didn’t have time to ask what had happened as before you knew it you’d been swept into the chaos of it all.

That was hours ago, you weren’t even sure how long you’d been working. You’d been making your way around the ships, trying your best to fix what you could. Completely covered in dirt and oil, you groaned as you laid beneath the 4th (maybe it was the 5th) ship. Staring at the mass of tangled wires above you, you could barely focus your eyes and tell where one cord ended and the other began.

Having been in such a rush to get to work that you hadn’t stopped to grab your morning cup of caff. You definitely didn’t have time to go get it now, you rubbed your eyes in an effort to refocus. Before you could reach up to begin working you felt something tap your ankle, you peaked down to where your lower legs stuck out from the bottom of the ship. You saw two feet standing next to your own, and a hand reaching down placing a cup of caff next to you before the two feet retreated.

You slid out as quickly as you could to thank your savior but there were too many people in the area to figure out who’d brought you the cup. You took a moment to savor the smell of the hot caff as you picked it up. You took a sip, the taste instantly made you feel more alert and awake. You glanced around the area attempting to catch a glimpse of the mysterious person. Really it could've been anyone, maybe another mechanic who’s been down here as long as you.

With a renewed sense of determination you dove back under the ship, ready to carry on with the task at hand. The re-wiring was a breeze, you easily completed it in half the time you expected to and you put it down to the gifted caff. 

You moved onto the next job, raring to get stuck in. This one wouldn’t be so bad, it just needed the exterior patching up where the blasters had broken through the shield. You grabbed your gear and clambered up on top of the ship. 

After inspecting the damage you knew you’d just need to weld the exterior together, you reached into your supplies to search for your protective goggles only to find they weren’t there. Sighing you climbed back down off of the ship and jogged over to your station. You searched high and low but with no luck.

You decided to go back to the ship and think of another way to solve the problem but upon your return you found your goggles waiting for you. Maybe you’d just missed them before but you were sure they hadn’t been there when you left. You glanced around but couldn’t see anything or anyone out of the ordinary, shrugging, you got back to work. 

A few more small things happened throughout your day, a glass of water appearing just as you started to get thirsty, a towel appearing when you spilled oil over yourself, your wrench making a reappearance after you lost it a few weeks ago. You didn’t dwell on it for too long, for all you knew you could be that over tired that all of this was  stuff you were doing. 

There was one job left for you to do, it wasn’t anything major, the head mechanic had even told you to leave it for the day but you were determined to get this done. If you got this done that would be everything back to as normal as it can be, but you were so tired. Everything ached as you tried to figure out what you needed to do. Surely it couldn’t hurt to sit down for 5 minutes, just to reset yourself. That would be ok.

You lowered yourself onto a nearby crate with a groan, your body grateful for the brief break. The busy day caught up to you instantly, the exhaustion washed over you as you battled to keep your eyes open. A battle that you quickly lost, sleep quickly consumed you as you fell backwards where you rested upon a wall.

You awoke suddenly, unsure with how much time had passed but it was now completely dark outside the hangar. ‘Shoot,’ you huffed out, you hadn’t meant to fall asleep, you wanted to get the last job done before you went back to your bunk. You prepared to stand up, when you noticed a large coat covering you.

A smile crept its way on your face, you’d recognise this coat anywhere. Cassian was back. As you pulled the coat closer to you everything from the day started to fall into place, Cassian was your mystery helper. He’d given you that morning caff, your goggles mysteriously appearing, the water, everything was him. 

A metal clang brought you out of your thoughts, you looked up to see him standing under the wing of the last ship. Tears brimmed in your eyes, he was finishing the last job. You couldn’t believe how lucky you were. With a mix of excitement and relief you hurried over to where he was working.

Upon hearing your footsteps, Cassian glanced over to you, a smile gracing his face. The sight of him, disheveled with a slight sheen of sweat covering his face, made your heart skip a beat.

‘Hey,’ he said as you approached. ‘I didn’t want to wake you until I was done.’ 

You closed the distance and wrapped your arms around his middle. Burying yourself in his warmth, you took a deep breath and truly relaxed as he wrapped his own arms around you. 

‘Thank you,’ you mumbled into his chest.

‘Don’t thank me yet, I’m not done,’ Cassian replied.

‘Not just this Cassian,’ you pulled back slightly to peer up at him. ‘For everything today.’

He smirked, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ he uttered as he looked back up to the ship. You giggled and he looked back down and met your eyes. One of his hands came up to cup your cheek, ‘I know today was stressful, I just wanted to help.’

You lent up to place a light kiss on his lips. No-one had ever shown you that they cared for you this deeply before. What Cassian lacked in words he more than made up for in his actions and you would be eternally grateful for every little thing he does for you. Your heart swelled knowing that he had been watching out for you all day. 

‘Now you’re awake you can help me finish this and we can go rest in an actual bed, not on that uncomfortable looking box I found you on earlier,’ he smiled.

‘That sounds perfect,’ you kissed him lightly once more before the two of you got to work. You knew this would be the quickest job of the day as you wanted nothing more than to retire to bed and lay in Cassian’s arms for as long as possible.

[snowiwyvern]

this is originally a post i made in a community, so im just gonna repost it here yay

bored af in the car, time to infodump about a swap au that ive been rotating in my brain

ive done a good amount of thinking about this and this is like... my second time writing anything down about it :333

this post is going to be about the broadcasting club and toilet trio! theyre more shuffled around rather than directly swapped tbh

btw pit god likes men in this au instead of women like canon

toilet trio (og bc)

tsukasa, aka hanako: swapped with amane! he tries holding back a lot of his more violent tendencies, and is pretty tight-lipped about his past. instead of amane killing him, he killed amane (beat him to death with his bare hands as self-defense and went a bit too far, for now). never became besties with the pit god, was just a bit violent because he never really got the whole hitting people hurts thing for a while, and tends to let off his violence on troublesome supernaturals instead of people he cares about now. still has some troubles with getting violent with people but hes trying his best ok

natsuhiko: taking on the role of nene! made a deal with tsukasa to get sakuras love, and kinda went through nenes whole arc. after that, he dedicated himself to sakura and winning her love the old fashioned way. not too much about him, but he isnt cursed to be immortal anymore! just cursed in a completely different way, through the blood of some poisonous supernatural i havent figured out yet that hes sharing with tsukasa. if he didnt share it he would turn into another of those supernatural, but he is just poisonous instead so Watch Out

sakura: taking on kou's role! she is a beginner exorcist who is perfectly aware of her abilities. her mentor is also at the school, and is like. making sure she doesnt die immediately. she has the same calm and cool exterior, and it makes others be over confident in her abilities. natsuhiko and tsukasa thinks shes badass and shes like 'relax, ive only been doing this for like a few months' and theyre like 'so humble! shes definitely an expert!' im not sure what weapon she wields and i need to do more research, but off the top of my head im thinking a scythe. shes just that cool

broadcasting club (og tt)

amane: swapped with tsukasa! instead of holding himself back like in canon he does not give two shits here. hes super casual about his past, and is kinda neutral on violence. doesnt hate it, doesnt like it, its just a means to an end. is homies with the pit god, and does stuff it asks. super possessive of people he perceives as his, and kinda ranks them. nene and tsukasa are currently tied in his brain, with kou after. hes scared of the other minamotos so he doesnt fight with them over kou, and just kinda goes >:| and shares him (i will elaborate on those two at some other point)

nene: taking on sakuras role! since we dont know all that much about sakura, this is mostly inspired by nenes stuff and the little mermaid >:3. she was a servant of the mermaid, but ended up running into amane, and begged him to make her humanoid and share her fish curse. he was like ok be my servant tho, and now shes doing the broadcasts and is chilling pretending to be human. avoids the exorcists in the school. she starts crushing on some humans immediately, amane threatens to kill them so she ends up just crushing on teru. wears gloves to hide her hands which are kinda scaley. still sensitive about her legs because a boy said they looked weird and she cried to amane about it. that boy was never seen again and amane started teasing her about the legs she worked so hard for. her mother also misses her dearly (i think the mermaid is one of the few who isnt rlly changed from canon i have no ideas for her)

kou: taking on natsuhikos role! hes a silly little immortal cursed guy, and has been around for a long long time. still kinda shortsighted somehow tho, and doesnt rlly think through a lot of decisions. ended up befriending nene by saving her from a supernatural, and then proceeded to pledge himself to her basically. he has his rateijiou to channel his cursed spirit energy which would literally destroy every human and supernatural in the vicinity if he didnt have it (other minamotos are unaffected because the curse is shared between them). amane hated him at first but wasnt allowed to kill him and they ended up forging a friendship over time. now they are friends and amane gets annoyed by his middle school buddies existing :)

[mynamesaplant]

The Headspace that is Grief (Ch. 2)

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Summary: The grieving process is different for everyone, Emmet and Olivia know that first hand but they just don't know it yet. Sometimes it takes another person experiencing the same things as you to move through those feelings. Together, they learn and grow with their grief and each other.

In this chapter: Emmet starts making a few changes to Olivia's home and she's unsure how to take them, or her new tenant.

Notes: This is a short chapter by comparison to others, but it's more for set-up than anything. This was not beta read - so if there are spelling or grammatical errors, let me know. Regardless, I hope you enjoy!~

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Over the course of the next week, Mr. Emmet made a lot of changes that weren't strictly part of the rental agreement. She could tell he combed over it carefully, not disobeying any of the rules she set in place, but Olivia was starting to find some of his realistic and reasonable “things” involved a lot of renovation.

"There was not anything in the lease agreement that said I could not."

Mr. Emmet said as Olivia stormed up to him. He was meticulous. He was selecting things that he knew she wouldn't object to if she really paused to consider it. Better internet access with underground cables running from Cedaridge, a bigger generator to replace the old one that had seen better days, and he had a replacement fridge in mind from the moment he saw her old one.

That was the one she fought him the most on, but Mr. Emmet was quick to assure her that none of these changes were going to come out of her own pocket. He warned her that he was going to have an electrician come in and upgrade the wattage of her house and all the outlets, that was when Olivia told him that she couldn't allow any more changes.

"I will require no more after that."

He said patiently, offering her a smile. He knew that she was very unlikely to object, not without being completely unreasonable. That, Emmet had clocked right away. She had outlined all other aspects of his lease, but this had been a pretty big blind spot that he conveniently neglected to expound upon. He was referring to them as cosmetic changes or necessary upgrades made by the tenant at the tenant's expense.

She left the house, Raichu and Infernape in tow as she tried not to be annoyed with the workers who were fundamentally changing her home. He watched her go with whatever guilt he was feeling shoved off to the side to be examined later.

In town, Olivia took refuge in her still closed for the season shop. It would be opening soon, so she figured might as well clean up here. She would also have to talk to Hayate about working the shop this season, knowing this was his last year before he went off to university.

He was a moody boy, but he had a passion for plants, which was the only reason entrusted her shop to him. The lock clicked and the door swung open, the closed sign still flipped toward the street when she shut the door behind her.

"Alright guys. Let's get this place cleaned up for Hayate."

Olivia rolled up her sleeves and pulled her hair back into a bun, knowing she was going to get pretty gross cleaning this place up. She handed Raichu a feather duster and told him to shoo away any stray Bug Pokémon hiding in the curtains. Infernape was also on dust duty, getting any loose debris on the floor for Olivia to sweep up before he hopped on window duty, a spray bottle and rag in his hands. With his climbing and jumping skills, he was usually done pretty fast.

"Keep going in here. Don't forget the vents and fans in the back, Raichu, okay?"

She heard a dutiful squeak before she stepped onto the street to view the exterior with a sigh. It really needed a fresh coat of paint. It hadn't received one in nearly five years, and it was starting to show when you looked at the cracked and sun-bleached sills.

She knew if she asked Ethan to do it, he would get it done in a weekend for a pack of beer. Hayate would be too busy with cram work. She didn't want to hire a crew to paint, it would cost her an arm and a leg... Ethan was her best choice. She would go see him and her best friend when she was done cleaning up.

Olivia's mind shifted back to her new tenant with a frown. She was trying to be understanding, but she also felt a little insulted that he was taking over her home. Mr. Emmet intimidated her slightly, something about his expression and intensity that made her a little nervous. She was glad she had the foresight to put that clause to evict him if she thought he couldn't handle living there, but that would only be applicable with the change in seasons.

For now, she would put up with the changes - many of them were for the better and he had assured her that none of them were temporary once he vacated. They were hers to keep.

"A token of my thanks."

He had said, just a touch sheepish, before she stormed out of her home. Realistically, how long could or would Mr. Emmet want to stay? Olivia guessed a year at best. If he stayed any longer, she would be very surprised. She looked at the empty pots in the sill boxes, her face falling into a steep frown as she remembered she would have to transplant her gracideas soon. ------------------------------------------

Gina opened the door and lifted Olivia off her feet with the tight hug she engulfed her in.

"Livvy! So good to see you. It's been an age. Ethan just finished up dinner, but there’s plenty enough for another plate."

A warmth settled in her chest while she was ushered inside and to a dinner table. The LeMars were the closest thing she had to family anymore and it was always so nice to feel so welcomed in their home. Gina's two girls greeted her with a barely contained excitement,

"Auntie! Mama helped me catch a Buizel down by the coast last week."

"Oh yeah?"

Olivia hummed curiously, listening with rapt attention to Sierra's story while Gina, not so surreptitiously, piled her plate high. Conversation was light for the duration of the meal, but once Gina started a fire outside and Ethan put the girls to bed, Olivia knew she was going to be offered a drink and to have a more serious chat outside. She didn't fight it.

"Are you sure you're okay with painting this weekend? I don't want to stress you out."

"Nah, I like to be busy."

Ethan replied, bringing up a glass to his lips with a congenial smile. Gina slid into her line of vision, effectively interrupting their conversation.

"There's been a lot of trucks headed up your way, Livvy. Doing a little remodeling finally?"

Olivia's face turned crimson, and she looked towards the flame, a spike of guilt lancing her heart at the thought of how much was changing.

"I-It’s not me. I have a new tenant and he's... weirdly specific."

Ethan and Gina exchanged looks, what did that mean? Olivia shifted in her chair, hiding a grimace in her glass of beer. She tried to change the subject, joking about losing Hayate next year and having to hire Sierra, but Gina leaned forward.

"Why is a tenant making so many changes to your house?"

Although Olivia had brushed it off with a joke about how Mr. Emmet was footing the cost and had forced the topic of conversation to other things, she wondered to herself why she was accepting these changes with less of a fight. A few days into residence and he was already turning her life upside down - what did the mean for their remaining lease? She could have told him no. She could have forced him to stop his renovations or expelled him... But she hadn't. Although frustrated, she didn't kick him out.

She returned home and found Mr. Emmet reorganizing his room, looking at what appeared to be a small, framed picture that he set abruptly face down when Olivia stuck her head in to apologize for not providing dinner. His posture relaxed a little, stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him.

"I am Emmet. I ordered some food from town. The fried rice was good... I, uh... I bought you some."

"Oh," Olivia was a little stunned by his foresight. "Thank you. I ate at a friend's house, but I'll probably eat it tomorrow."

"Ah..." He trailed off, something about his posture was nervous and Olivia couldn't help but wonder if something had happened. She was reminded of a little kid who was trying to hide a broken vase. "You left earlier. You were upset with me. Because of the changes."

He tapped his fingertips together, searching for words to apologize in a reasonable way. Olivia raised her eyebrows as he released a held breath, the apology sincere, if a little rushed sounding.

"Thank you." She replied, nibbling her lower lip, and folding her arms over her chest. "You're very observant, Mr. Emmet, and you were within your rights, according to our agreement... It's just - It's hard to see so many changes so quickly."

It was her turn to trail off, to half turn and take great interest in the wilted flowers set in a vase on her table. She didn't notice the little tilt to his head when she said that or how his grey eyes seemed to soften imperceptibly when she had her back to him. She tended to her flowers, filling the vase with fresh water, and returning it to the table just as Mr. Emmet said he was going to turn in for the night.

"If you find any issues, please let me know right away. I will have them handled right away. Yup."

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[paytato435]

Chapter 4: Spider's Web

Inspiration

Donnie agreed to go with Casey and Leo if Casey agreed to help him work on the Turtle Tank. Since it had nearly been crushed in the subway tunnels, Donnie hadn’t been able to decide how to “improve” it. To be perfectly honest, it would have still run just fine; the only things that really needed repairing were the shields, but simply fixing the machine didn’t seem to interest the soft shell. Instead, he had completely deconstructed the vehicle and put it back together again- thrice.

Casey had no idea what Donnie was going for with this obsession, or how he had time to work on it at all with his college applications, scholarship essays, etc, etc… but perhaps that was why he had asked for help.

“We’re taking it apart again,” Donnie told Casey when they walked into the garage.

“Again? It’s not going to be done in time before dinner,” Casey groaned.

“Not with that attitude it won’t!” Donnie cackled, tossing him a drill. “But in all seriousness, it doesn’t have to all be done tonight. I just can’t stand looking at her right now.”

“She looks great though,” Casey pointed out. And he was right. The tank had never looked better. Donnie had gone all out on the tank’s design too. Each exterior piece had been repainted, waxed, and buffed. There wasn’t a scratch on her.

“But it’s just… the same!” Donnie growled.

“You say that everytime and then you put it back in the exact same way,” Casey reminded him, looking at his reflection in the tire rims. “Do you want to redesign it?”

Donnie looked stumped.

“Maybe you should plan out what you want before you actually, you know, make the tank unusable? What if we need to take it somewhere?”

“That…" Donnie looked around the garage for the answer to his problem. Seeing nothing to help him, he slouched.

"I am completely stumped, Junior," he admitted, dropping his head.

"You're stumped?" Casey had never seen him so defeated.

"Yes, stumped. Don't go bragging to the others, but I have no idea what I'm doing," Donnie grumbled, tapping his foot in frustration.

"Now that is a first."

"Wow, that must mean a lot, coming from the future boy."

Casey pinched his lips together. He needed to really keep his walls up around Donnie. Out of everyone here, he was always asking the most questions. He was infinitely curious, and didn't seem to know when to stop asking.

"I'm sure you'll come up with something cool," Casey encouraged. "Maybe you need to work on something new. Set this aside for a bit until inspiration hits."

"Inspiration… that's it!" Donnie grabbed Casey by the shoulders.

"You gotta tell me what I build in the future!"

"You told me not to do that," Casey pinched his eyebrows together in confusion.

"Past Donnie didn't know what he was talking about," Donnie turned up his nose. "But future Donnie is a genius! It would be foolish not to learn from the best!"

Sometimes Casey forgot that Donnie's ego was just as great (if not greater) as Leo's.

Donnie looked at Casey expectantly.

"You want me to just, what? Tell you everything you did over the course of twenty years?"

"If you had a list in chronological order that would be best."

Casey sighed. Oh boy he did not want to have this conversation.

"Donnie… I can't just give you everything. First of all, if you had a list it's long gone. I didn't exactly bring everything here with me."

"You didn't? Why not?"

"I don't know, maybe because I didn't plan to come here in the first place!" Casey burst out, frustrated. "You don't need help from your future self, Donnie, you are literally him! You're smart and can figure your way out of whatever rut you're in."

Donnie sank back a little, looking a bit hurt.

"I'm sorry, I'm not here to solve your problems, I'm just… stuck here."

The statement sat in the air like a rain cloud, its ominous presence daring Donnie to try and argue against rain. Sometimes, not often, but sometimes Donnie made Casey feel like an exotic creature or prophet- if he could just pick him apart in the right way maybe the secrets of the universe would just come spilling out. But Casey wasn't that; he was just Casey. He just wanted to keep the little bit of life before to himself; nobody could understand it the same way he could. He was put off that it would be anything different to someone else. The future had not been kind, but Donnie seemed to see it as a gold mine of opportunities. 

Donnie took a deep breath.

"You don't think me having access to my future self's technology would be a boon to us in any capacity?"

"That's not my point," Casey told him. "I don't know what it would do."

"It seems straightforward to me!"

"Our circumstances are different now. If I gave you the information for this stuff, which is limited at best, by the way, you'd just have more questions because there'd be no context for what anything would be made for. Sure, giving you a design for a new tech bo could be useful, but you don't need one that specializes in taking out only the Krang."

"So you do have some information?" Donnie's eyes sparkled.

"I have had enough," Casey answered.

"I'm sorry I can't help you with the Turtle Tank. I'm going to get ready for dinner."

"Hey wait-"

Casey put the drill down and turned to face Donnie.

"What?"

The softshell shifted uncomfortably. "I'm sorry."

"Okay."

Casey felt a little bad leaving the conversation there, but he didn't know what else to do. It wasn't as if he could help Donnie get out of his block. If there was some tech they really needed that Casey just so happened to know Donatello had in the future, he'd let them know about it, but not before. He wouldn't give that up just because Donnie was having a bad day.

Or maybe a few bad days. It did take awhile to disassemble the tank, after all.

Casey found himself directionless again. Leo was still watching tv, and even though Raph had come out to join him, Casey kind of wanted some time to himself. If he were in a movie, this is where the script would cut to the next scene.

But Casey's life wasn't a movie, no matter how fucked it was, so he decided to do the thing anyone would do when they were waiting for something to happen:

He went to his room to doomscroll on his phone.

-

Tamanegi

Raph knew from the jump this was a bad idea. He didn't even just have a feeling. He couldn't believe Leo had just decided to go to Big Mama's for help and expect everything to go fine. Not only that, but he was probably going to end up dragging Hueso into it too if something did go down at Run of the Mill. What was Leo thinking?

Of course Raph was going along. Just because Leo was the leader now didn't mean Raph wasn't the oldest anymore; he still had a responsibility to look after his family.

He just hoped this Synth guy was worth the trouble.

When they showed up to Run of the Mill, it was bustling just as usual. Ok, that was a good sign. Nothing seemed to be suspicious yet. But Raph wore his no nonsense face anyway. He wasn't about to let his guard down.

"Wait, I just realized, this is the first time Casey can actually eat the pizza here!" Leo pointed out as they sat down.

"You've adjusted?" Raph asked CJ. He had noticed the kid had started branching out from plain sandwiches and oatmeal, but he was afraid CJ might still have hang ups about pizza. Not liking pizza seemed like a fate worse than death. 

To his surprise, the kid gave a small smile and nodded in response. "That's awesome! Wait until you try the armadillo meat pizza!"

Casey's smile fell into a look off horror to show that maybe he wasn't that adventurous yet, but Raph let it slide. He would appreciate it soon enough.

Synth was five minutes late, Raph knew because Raph counted.

The bobcat that Leo had described clopped in with an unusual gait, like he didn't quite know how to walk right; even for a person with cloven feet. He looked around the place cautiously, more like a snake than a feline, before his eyes found the massive snapper.

Raph was a little glad he seemed more uneasy seeing an extra turtle at the table. He didn't want the yokai to think he had all the cards, even if he was sincere.

Leo waved the blademaster over, and he clopped his way across the room and into the booth beside Casey. Leo and Raph sat across from them. The yokai was lucky to be sitting as far as possible from him.

"Okay… on a scale of 1 to 10, how well do you think that grindstone actually kept Big Mama from listening in on our conversation?" Leo opened after Hueso had taken their orders.

The bobcat immediately squirmed in discomfort, which Raph did not take as a convincing reassurance.

"Is that why you brought the big guy?" Synth asked, flitting his eyes quickly over to Raph and back to Leo.

"Maybe," Raph propped his elbows on the table and leaned in a bit, demanding the attention back to himself.

"Synth, this my brother Raph," Leo introduced. "Raph, this is Synth."

"Nice to meetcha," Raph grumbled. "But if anything funny happens tonight, you'll be lucky if you walk out of here on both of your legs."

Leo gave him a concerned look, but didn't say anything. He was probably wondering where the big softie had gone.

Raph wished he could loosen up a bit too, but his perspective had changed a little since he'd been kidnapped by giant pink aliens. Or maybe it was when Casey had first appeared. Or maybe he just wasn't used to Leo calling the shots yet. Either way, his role was to act as the gatekeeper; he was not going to let anyone near his family that shouldn't be.

The message came through crystal clear; Synth looked like he was about to try and leave while he still had his legs.

Leo sighed.

"Don't mind him. He's just very protective. A big sweetheart, I promise."

Leo batted his eyes at Raph and made a stupid face, but Raph didn't let that break him down. If anything, he scowled harder.

"Right," Casey stepped in. "Where we left off, you all but admitted you're not happy with your current employment. Would you like to elaborate on that?"

Raph was surprised to hear Casey speak up, and so confidently too. He kind of sounded a bit like Leo.

Synth turned to face Casey, and seemed to relax a little at the prospect of having something different to talk about.

"Y-yes. Well, I wouldn't say I'm unhappy… or perhaps it'd be better to say I'm just uninspired. The money's too good for me to consider workin' anywhere else. But I'm an artist. If I'm making the same shit everyday I start to lose it. But Mama's got ears everywhere; if she heard I was moonlighting or doing anythin' off task she'd put me in a cell or worse."

Worse needed no further explanation. Even the people Big Mama claimed to have a good relationship with seemed to end up in her arena at some point.

"So you want to help us?" Leo asked hopefully.

"In a manner of speaking, I do. But there are a lot of steps to consider if you're going to get me to make anythin' for you."

"Like what?" Leo crossed his arms.

"Firstly, if I make you swords, Big Mama'll be pissed."

"That kind of seems like a big issue," Casey noted. "How are we supposed to help with that?"

"I did some thinking, some research, and I've come up with a solution to many problems in the Hidden City," Synth explained. "So while it is a big ask, I think you'll find the reward worth everyone's while."

Everyone waited for him to say what he thought, but he held back. Raph thought he looked unsure.

"You're asking strangers for help with something that could get you into serious trouble, and there is a very high chance Big Mama knows exactly what you are up to," Raph pointed out. He did not like where this was going.

Synth looked up to the ceiling as if he could find an answer there. When he looked back down, he seemed to find his answer on Leo's face, because it was only then he had the courage to speak.

"The second problem I have, has somehow, ironically blessed me with a solution. You see… I'm kind of cursed."

"Great, you're cursed too. Leo, Casey,have we heard enough? I think we've heard enough we should probably go."

"But we ordered pizza already!" Leo complained.

"I nearly forgot about the curse," Casey mumbled.

"You know about my curse?" Synth turned to Casey, surprised.

"Aha," Casey made that 'oh shit I said too much again about that future' face. "Yeah, about that…" the kid ran his fingers through his hair and gave a nervous smile.

Leo made a gesture for Casey to knock it off, but Casey put his fist over his lips.

"So, Synth has a curse that enables him to tell when anyone is lying," Casey squeaked.

"And how do you know that?" Synth bristled.

"Other than by the fact that your question is an attempt to test my honesty?" Casey asked back.

"You don't have to lie to him," Leo pointed out. "You just don't have to tell him!"

Casey frowned.

"I'm not afraid of telling people I'm from the future Leo, I'm afraid they'll think I'm crazy for saying so."

Synth's ears twitched.

"There it is again, your ears are twitching!" Leo pointed.

"I'm just surprised," Synth rolled his eyes. "That is twice now that what you've said is unbelievable," he gave Casey a suspicious look. "It's why I wanted to have this conversation in the first place."

"What do you mean?" Casey asked, clearly dumbfounded.

"You told me that he-" Synth pointed over to Leo. "Was the greatest ninja the world has ever seen. I could use the greatest ninja the world has ever seen… or two," he added on, glancing over at Raph.

"For the record, Casey's a ninja too," Leo smiled. Raph couldn't help but notice Casey's eyes sparkle at that. Raph didn't want to ruin the moment for Casey, but he wondered just how exactly he was supposed to be a good ninja with a chainsaw as his primary weapon. It wasn't exactly… subtle.

"Whatever. You know he's the greatest ninja ever, and that was a true statement."

"Well yeah, but it's just an opinion right? Even if I believe it, doesn't mean it's true for everyone right?" Raph asked. Facts and opinions were easily confused.

"That's true," Synth nodded. "Leo himself was lying when he said he was the greatest ninja ever."

"Hey! That's not true! I am the greatest ninja ever."

This time Synth's ears flicked to lay flat against his head.

"You really need more confidence in yourself, my friend," Synth chastised him before taking a drink of water. "That lie really hurt to hear."

"So what's up with this curse? It doesn't seem related, or even like a problem at all," Raph asked, redirecting the conversation.

Synth sighed. "Yes, it seems rather useful at first, but the world is not so black and white. Ironically, it seems some lies are meant to be told. There are things I wished I'd never known because of this power. And when people know I have it, they want to use me to their advantage."

Synth turned to give Casey a grave look.

"For you to know about my secret makes me wary of the future. Should I be concerned?"

Casey shook his head. "In the future we were close allies. I don't want to risk saying more, but your secret is safe with me. I don't know anyone else who would dare share it."

Casey gave a pointed look at Leo.

"What, me? No no no, I would never!" Leo turned and bowed his head to Synth. "Your secret is safe with me."

Synth turned to Raph next.

"You admitted this in a public space where anyone could hear you," Raph pointed out. "I don't know how useful my word is, but you have it anyway."

Synth looked like he wanted to die as that realization washed over him. Raph didn't get the impression he was very smart. And this was coming from the 'smash first, ask questions later' guy.

"And then there is the matter of how the curse works itself. Are you familiar with it?" Synth looked over to Casey.

Casey shook his head.

"Swords talk to me… well, any blade actually. Swords are straightforward. They don't care much for nuance, they take sides one way or the other. It's a simple way of thinking, but they are always decisive. They are also tremendously awful gossips."

"Wait, so swords gossip? They tell you whether or not someone is lying?" Casey asked.

Synth nodded.

"I've yet to hear them steer me wrong. And they have told me all about your situation, Leonardo," the bobcat looked at Raph's brother with… unease? Irritation? It was hard to tell."

"My situation? What's my situation?" Leo already looked upset, like he knew he was in trouble.

"That kitchen knife you call a katana-" Synth pointed to the blade on the back of Leo's carapace. "It's quite the tattle-tale. And word's getting around. If you keep treating blades that way it will end very badly for you."

"You mean they'll keep breaking?"

Synth shook his head. "Worse. They'll bite back."

"Bite back? That's silly. It's a tool-"

Synth slammed his paw on the table.

"Don't be so arrogant!" the whole restaurant turned to look at him. Suddenly self-aware, he sank back into the booth quietly.

"A ninja's weapon is more than a tool…" Casey spoke up. "It is your closest ally, literally."

Synth nodded. "It seems you've learned a bit from me."

"I must have," Casey agreed, but he was looking at Leo when he said it.

"The long and short of it is- you take care of your blades, and they will take care of you."

Synth pointed at Leo. "You have not been holdin' up your end of the deal, and for that the steel is sufferin'."

"Well yeah, that's why I want actual swords, this is clearly not working!" Leo rolled his eyes.

"It's not about you!" Synth snapped. "The damage is already done. It's not so simple as I make you new swords. For one, they would probably scream at me until I went deaf if I intentionally made a sword for you. They are pissed. The same would go for any premade swords I give you. Same for teaching you anything. They hate you. Your first step is to win their trust back."

"How do I win their trust back?"

Synth pulled something out from his bag; a small sheathed paring knife. He set it on the table.

"While I was working earlier, I had some conversations with my swords about our situation. While they may hate you, they are willin' to reconcile this matter for their own benefit too. We'll get into that in a moment."

Synth unsheathed the paring knife and immediately winced, as if the action pained him. He turned the blade over in his hand until the reflective surface caught Leo.

"This is Tamanegi. He has somewhat reluctantly agreed to help us."

Synth resheathed the knife and slid it over to, of all people, Raph. Raph lookedndown at it, but did not move to pick it up. They had not agreed to anything yet.

"Like I said before, I can't give you the knife, Leonardo. You shouldn't just expect it to work for you either. Give that to your youngest brother, Michelangelo, and help him where you can. When Tamanegi trusts you, then we can talk about your swords again."

"Wait, how do you know Mikey's name?" Raph asked.

"The gossiping, Raphael. They tell me everything."

"That's suspicious as hell. We don't have privacy in our own home?" Raph growled.

"Not as long as your brother continues to treat knives this way."

Raph glared down at the knife on the table. It was the fanciest paring knife he'd ever seen; not that he'd been keeping track.

The ones Mikey had at home had plastic handles, but this one was a part of the blade itself. It was heavier too. Mikey would probably get a kick out of it, at least.

"But speaking of privacy, we need to revisit the first problem. Many years ago, when my father was young, the Battle Nexus was an honorable place. The champions were brave warriors from all over the world, not just playthings of Big Mama's design. The swords of my forge and I have been laboring without honor all my life. My second ask is that you help me restore the Battle Nexus to its former glory."

"That's quite the ask," Raph pointed out. "Do you even know what that would mean?"

"It would mean destroying Big Mama completely," Synth said,  leaning in and speaking quietly. "As long as she is in charge, everyone in the Hidden City suffers."

"She is the majority shareholder of yokai suffering," Leo pointed out.

"This is ridiculous Leo, we can't take out Big Mama! She hasn't even done anything to hurt us… lately," Raph argued. "We'd just be causing trouble."

"Hasn't done anything to hurt you? Are you ignorant? The woman has her spindly hooks in everything she can. She hurts thousands of people either by her deals, imprisonment, her own whimsy…" Synth trailed off.

"We're heroes, Raph." Leo reminded him. "I don't think our responsibility ends at topside New York."

"This is more trouble than it's worth," Raph insisted. Saving all of the Hidden City of the largest and most influential crime boss for a pair of katanas? This was ridiculous.

"How would Leo even fight Big Mama without his swords anyway? This isn't a fair trade."

Synth nodded wisely.

"I will make you a pair of katanas before then, if you promise to help me. I can risk the time and effort to make them if I know my future outside of Mama's influence is secure."

"You would be putting a lot of trust in us," Raph warned.

"It has nothing to do with trust. The swords will hear your conviction themselves," Synth shrugged casually.

"I need your word that you will help me," he faced Leo, his face serious. "My family has made weapons for the Battle Nexus for centuries. It is my responsibility to restore their traditions. I have looked for many ways to do so, but it isn't until now that I've been able to come up with a solution. This means everythin' to me."

"Sure, we'll help you," Leo agreed too quickly.

"What? Leo! This is dangerous-"

"Then don't go," Leo shrugged.

"You know I can't let you do this alone!"

"Then come with me!"

"Leo!"

Leo scowled.

"Let's at least think this through some more."

"There is no hurry," Synth assured them, raising his hands defensively. "Just take your time with Tamanegi for now. Discipline is often its own reward."

That was the first thing out of Synth's mouth tonight that Raph didn't hate.

"What do you think Casey?" Raph asked curiously. "You're supposed to know this guy."

"Wha- me?" Casey kind of jumped. "I don't know if it's my place to say what we should do-"

"But this was your idea," Raph reasoned.

"Well yeah," Casey rubbed the back of his neck. "I think that principally, it's the right thing to help him. But it would take a considerable amount of risk. In the end, I think it's up to Leo."

"Do you think it's worth it?" Leo asked him.

"Synth makes the greatest swords in the world. It's a great deal in the long run," Casey nodded.

Synth's ears twitched again, and when he looked at Casey, Raph could tell he was amazed by the kid's sincerity.

"I make the greatest swords in the world?" he asked, nervously.

Casey gave him a huge smile. "Of course you do! Without your help-" but he cut himself off. He looked back at Synth with that ghost face. The facade had been cracked for just a moment.

Needless to say, the silence following was agonizingly awkward.

"Well," Synth finally sighed. "It's a pleasure to hear such praises from you, Casey. But I suppose I would be better off not knowing whatever you're holding back from me."

Casey gave a sad nod. As much as it could be helpful, the kid had told them over and over how dangerous his foreknowledge could be. It was a bit frustrating sometimes, hearing all his cliffhanger inducing thoughts. It eventually wore out all the curiosity Raph had of the future. It wasn't worth bugging him over.

"I'm not asking this because I want an answer," the bobcat explained in advance. "But you must know that I wonder what became of the Battle Nexus in the future. Are we working toward the future you are from?"

"Well actually…" Leo started to say, but Raph kicked him under the seat.

"Do what you want," Casey answered. "The future is made by what we do today."

Synth seemed satisfied with that answer.

-

Dinner came and went. Phone numbers were exchanged, and once they had gotten through the serious bog, the conversation lightened.

As it turned out, Synth was another one of Liu Jitsu's many fans, and he was eager to hear all about what had happened to him after his disappearance from the Nexus all those years ago. Raph almost forgot about Casey’s warning hours ago: that Big Mama might have heard them. That she could already know everything. In his head this wasn’t a good idea at all, and he’d remind everyone later when they got home.

But then something perfectly normal happened: Sunita came in to visit her dad at work. She waved at the boys as she came in, and it looked like she had brought some flowers with her. Her dad came out from the back of the restaurant and he took the flowers from her happily. It was cute; Raph wondered what the occasion was. On her way out, she took a moment to stop by and say hello.

“Sunita! It’s been a minute!” Leo smiled at her. “You still hanging out with April?”

“Hi guys! Yes! We’re going to the library tomorrow. One of our professors has already assigned us reading.” She made a gagging face. Their term didn’t start until next Monday.

Sunita’s eyes moved over to Synth and Casey, and Leo caught her look too.

“Sunita, this is Casey and Synth. We just met Synth today, but April’s told you about Casey, right?”

Sunita’s eyes lit up in recognition.

“Oh yeah! Hi Casey, nice to meet you!” she held out a slimy green hand and Casey shook it without hesitation. He smiled like… ok he probably already knew her already. Time travel was weird. Raph tried not to think about it.

“I heard you and Mikey are starting high school this week?” Sunita asked, raising a gooey eyebrow. “That should be interesting. I’m still going to college classes in disguise.”

“We’re going to try it out,” Leo shrugged. “I’m sure we’ve dealt with worse.”

“My dad’s real nervous about it,” Sunita admitted. “Even though I’m going as a human, he’s worried someone’s going to rat me out, and he’s all like: ‘humans are evil! Don’t trust them!’ and all that.” Sunita glanced over at Casey and bit her lip. “Sorry, he’s not… he doesn’t think…”

“Oh it’s fine!” Casey waved his hands. “I’m sure he’s just worried about you.”

Sunita nodded. “Well, I hope it all goes well for you,” she encouraged Leo.

Leo put his hand over his heart and smiled.  “Aw, thanks.”

“You guys have a good night!” And then she was gone.

Soon after, it was time to go home. Raph had eaten enough pizza that he felt like he was approaching a food coma; he was very ready to get some well-deserved shut eye. The party walked out and said good night to Synth, who quickly disappeared into the shadows of the overworld. Leo drew his sword, and a portal was soon shimmering and urging Raph onward. Pizza supreme he was glad nothing bad had happened.

He stepped through the portal, with Leo immediately behind him, and started to walk to his room, when he noticed Leo hadn’t closed the gateway. He turned, and saw that CJ had not followed them through. Leo looked through the portal, but the kid was nowhere in sight.

“What the hell?” Leo stepped back through the portal. He poked his head back in, concerned. “He was just with us, where did he go?”

Raph pulled out his phone and dialed CJ’s number, but it went straight to voicemail. Where had he gone?

“Donnie!” Raph called up toward the lab. Donnie poked his head out, looking tired and frustrated.

“Raph!” he yelled back.

“Do you have one of those tracker thingies in CJ?”

Donnie jumped down to the main floor and looked at Leo, who was still on the other side of his portal, walking up and down the street and peering back into Run of the Mill.

“You lost him?”

“He just disappeared! We had eyes on him not three seconds ago!”

Donnie groaned.

“He was very adamant that I not track him. He told me so like… a million times.”

“But let me guess, you did it anyway.”

“Scoff. I do believe in some levels of privacy Raphala. (Though maybe not anymore.) I do have his vitals though.” Donnie tapped at his wrist tech. “He’s fine.”

“Oh good," Raph's expression lightened.

“But unconscious.”

“Nevermind," his expression darkened again.

Leo popped back into the lair. “Guys I can’t find him anywhere!”

“Given the fact that he’s already unconscious, I’d wager he’s been kidnapped.” Donnie theorized.

“What!” Leo started to panic. “How does that even happen! He was just here!” He grabbed Donnie’s hand and dragged him through the portal. Raph followed them closely behind.

“We have to find him!”

-

Spider's Web

Casey was about to follow Leo through the portal when he felt something itch at the back of his neck. Ok, maybe not like an itch, but like something gooey had just crawled up on him. It was a horrible feeling really. Instinctively he went to scratch it off, but it wouldn’t let go.

It only took a second, he didn't even have time to react. He was suddenly yanked by his free arm and more of that ooze crept over his face- he couldn't even scream. He struggled as best he could, but it crawled up over his body as if he were sinking into jelly.

“I’m really sorry this was how we had to meet, Casey,” came Sunita’s voice. Where had she come from? Casey remembered when they had shaken hands. Had she… hidden herself on him?

Ew.

“I’m really, really sorry.”

To her credit, Casey did think she sounded sincere. But he was also rapidly losing consciousness so he wasn’t really in any place to forgive her.

-

The first thing Casey noticed when he came to was the kick of carpet under his shoes. Then the pressure of clawed hands gripping tightly to his arms. He was being dragged somewhere. When his eyes opened, he saw a familiar pattern pass him by in the runner beneath him. His eyes darted to either side and confirmed he was back in the Grand Nexus Hotel. Well, he wasn’t exactly surprised.

The bellhops pulling him hadn’t yet noticed he was awake. If he could twist out and take them by surprise, he might have a chance to break free. But just as he was about to pick up his feet, double doors swung open in front of him and he was carelessly thrown into a large room.

He heard Big Mama shout in surprise and disgust. “Idiots! What do you think you’re doing throwing our guest?” Casey looked up and watched as the bellhops stepped back into his space to pick him back up, but Casey scrambled away and to his feet.

Glancing around quickly, it looked as if he had been brought into Big Mama’s office. The woman herself was seated behind a massive, black lacquer desk. The double doors he had come through were swung shut and bolted behind him. He was trapped. As he continued to take in his surroundings, Big Mama continued to wring out her staff.

“And look at his arms! Honestly, I’m going to have you on probation if you can’t behave properly. We’re civilized yokai. I expected much more from you.” She turned to face Casey. “I’m really sorry for the way they treated you sweetie. Please, have a seat.”

“I’m good, thanks.” He didn’t know how he’d said that, honestly. His brain had gone from zero to one hundred when he’d scrambled to his feet, and now he couldn’t rest on any one thing. His adrenaline had kicked in and he was just waiting for the first opportunity to get out. One of the yokai standing by the door had his hockey stick. If he could somehow get that from him…

“I brought you in to talk, Casey. I’m not here to hurt you,” Big Mama’s voice made him jump. “I heard everything, I have friends all over. But believe me, I’m not the eensiest upset.”

Casey did not believe her.

Big Mama stood up from her desk and approached him. Casey took a careful step back.

“More than anything, I’m curious about you,” she cooed. “A child from the future; you’re very valuable. I’m sure the psychics in Witchtown would lose their minds over you.” She gave him a mischievous grin. “But why would I sell you to them when I could have all your little secrets myself?”

Why couldn’t he keep his damn mouth shut? Ever??? Raph had been right. They probably should not have met up in a public pizza parlor.

“I’m not telling you anything.”

“Of course not; what’s in it for you, anyway?" Big Mama giggled. "Your freedom? Your friends? Your… identity?”

“That’s not a deal, that’s blackmail!”

Big Mama smiled mischievously in response, spinning away and leaning against her desk.

“Why are you so upset?” she teased. “You all seemed far too eager to dispose of me. If anything, I’m being generous.”

“I’d rather die.” He meant it. Truthfully, he didn’t see himself knowing anything particularly useful to her personal situation, but the things she could learn about his friends, his family- she would never have that.

Big Mama rolled her eyes. “You’re no fun. You’re just as stubborn as that red turtle.” She gave him a quick glance over from head to toe. “But you aren’t just keeping these secrets from me, are you? Unfortunately for you, it’s much harder to hide mystic energy from me than it is from your friends.”

Shit. Had she really…?

"I… I don't know what you're talking about."

"Ooo… you are not a very convincing liar, are you honey? That's not going to work out for you in the long term, is it?"

Big Mama snapped her fingers and two more yokai appeared at Casey's side. 

"It's on his right ankle," she sneered.

The yokai grabbed him.

"Hey! Stop-"

Big Mama just smiled.

While one of the yokai held him still, the other pulled his pant leg up, his sock down, and Casey felt his stomach drop.

"Please don't," he choked.

"Take it off."

The yokai unstrung a small black ribbon that was tightly tied around Casey's ankle. As soon as they did, Casey's skin turned a scaly emerald green.

The yokai handed the ribbon to Big Mama, who inspected it carefully.

"Give it back!" Casey snapped.

"Not yet, darling," she giggled. "Not until you tell me why a handsome little turtle such as yourself is hiding from his own family."

________

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Notes: Oops he a turtle! This will be expanded upon next week eeeeeheeheheheheheheheeee

So this was my plan all along muahaha. Cass Apocalyptic Series got me by the throat and I had to put a different spin on turtle Casey. I saw this sweet boy and I thought "let's fuck him up a little bit. Let's make his life miserable, and this time there's no peepaw coming to make him feel whole again." Casey is alone and his story is finding meaning in the new life he has on his own terms. And he a turtle. turtle turtle turtle turtle...

[vivarthur]

Random sniperspy drabble i wrote wouaah

Spy was… well. He was a solitary person at heart. Secretive, reticent, unforthcoming. All of those and more. If you've talked to Spy, at least the real Spy, you would also learn he was quite bad at talking.

When it came to being other people, he could regurgitate the things that his victims wanted to hear. He could seduce any man or woman he needed to. Spy could talk to people just fine if it were someone else talking out of his body. But when his normal-brain took over… it was a mess.

Spy, more or less, was a bit of a mess.

That was fine. No one knew who Spy even was, no one would see that mess. It was all under the guise of a refined gentleman, an egotistical womanizing Frenchman, a perfect man. Life goes on, and Spy never lets a soul get close. In fact, he was sitting alone in his smoking room today. As far away as he could get from his coworkers. As far away as he could get from speaking. From being himself.

He wasn't much of a person anyways. He was more like… a marionette doll. A puppet. A blank slate, a faceless doll to project anything onto- it came free with his job. He opened his disguise kit, lighting a cigarette. He needed one if he really wanted to go down this train of thought. Closing his eyes, Spy retreated into his mind. Into that maze of thoughts, a limbo of emotions.

All his disguises, a museum of names and faces flashed behind his eyes. From Jacques to Roman to Elle, men and women he's pretended to be, all false, were like paintings upon a wall in which he based who he was off of. Spy didn't even have a name, at least anymore. He was just a Spy. It was sad in a sense, despite all these people that would fall to his feet in an instant, none of them knew Spy. The museum of Spy was crowded and flooded by infinite faces and identities. Entire lives liven, only to be abandoned and never touched. He felt sick, trying to erase those identities from his mind. As if the world itself was spiting him with images of ex lovers and ex identities. families and -

Memories this time flashed behind his eyes. Instead of portrait paintings, they were scenes. Scenes of things he's done with people who swore up and down that they knew him. Dancing with an ex lover he was to assassinate a month later. Singing to a child he was temporarily the step-father of, only to walk out. Playing baseball with Scout of all people, only for him to leave a few weeks later. It was sickening, those memories that he worked so hard to hide and forget yet always tipped over the metaphorical cup of secrets he hid.

All these paintings, faces, memories, people who he loved, people who he killed, surrounded the identity known as Spy, and yet, no matter how hard he tried, he would never be kno-

His spiral of thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Hey Spook." Ah, the bushman. Silence fell between them for a second before Sniper spoke up. "Are you up for tonight?"

Ah, tonight. Spy completely forgot about their little agreement, one of physical matters. His mind was far too deep to be up for anything, pun intended. "No."

He heard a slight chuckle. "Aight. Ain't no problem. You doin' okay?"

It was Spy's turn to chuckle. "No."

"Do you wanna talk?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

Spy snorted. "Just because we fuck doesn't mean that you're obligated to my feelings, bushman." That cold exterior responded, the voice he heard a stranger to Spy.

"I was just offerin', like a good person would." Sniper retorted, most likely offended as just yesterday they shared a meal together while talking about Sniper's life. That was too close. Too romantic. Spy needed to distance himself or he'd hurt Sniper.

A few more seconds of silence.

"Damn, spook. Goodnight then."

"Night, Sniper."

How deeply Spy wanted to connect, how he wanted to tell Sniper his life. His faces. His memories. Who he was, who he is. And yet, how unable he's to share anything about himself. He would not let the Sniper's portrait hang on the wall of failed ex lovers.

Looking at the mirror across the room, Spy wanted to vomit. That pale imitation of a person staring back made him want to hurl, yet all he did was smoke more.

[Epilogue:

"My apologies for snapping at you last night. I had a rough day."

"It's fine." Sniper lied. Spy could tell it was very much not fine.

"Let me make it up to you?"

"Okay."

"Okay.

They were fine. They'd be fine.]

[scribhneoirtuirseach]

I'll Let the Seasons Change My Mind (3/10)

featuring: Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Kamek & Koopas

wordcount: 1125

"Lu! Mail for you down here!"

Stretching out nice and big, Luigi releases a content sigh as he stirs from his sleep. The sun is out but not too bright, providing a nice warmth to the spot he'd been previously curled up in. Perfect, really, for him to just curl back up and sleep again…

"Luigi Mario, don't make me come up there!" Mario calls up again in Italian this time— Must be grumpy from the late night out, Luigi can't say that he blames him all that much. The Toadstools really know how to party!

Soon changing into fresh clothes and making his way downstairs, Luigi runs a hand through his hair as he retrieves the envelope from the table. Not a bill, he notes groggily.

He takes a seat, thumb sliding under the fold to carefully pry it open before taking out the letter within.

"Mr. Luigi Mario is hereby invited to Bowser Castle, which should currently be floating some distance above Mushroom Kingdom, accessible by pipe for ease of travel.

P.S., No need to be anxious: You're the only guest."

"No time…" Luigi mutters softly to himself, brows knit together as he turns over the sheet.

Mario lets out an inquisitive him, setting Luigi's breakfast in front of him. "For what?"

"I'm invited to Bowser's— It doesn't say when to go." He informs, handing the letter over to free up his hands and begin eating.

"Just go when you're done breakfast, eh?"

"I might seem too eager."

"Are you eager?"

Pausing, Luigi squints and playfully jabs his fork in his brother's direction. "Not-a the point."

Hands raising in defence, Mario chuckles as he leans back against the counter. "I think you should go soon as you can, spend the day with him… We don't have anything happening, anyway. Perfect timing!"

Humming, Luigi vaguely wonders whether Mario has any involvement in… whatever this is about, but ultimately decides to shrug it off and focus on eating.

Barely half an hour passes before he leaves home and finds the correct pipe, eyes widening in curiosity at the site of the castle he plops in front of, much different to the last time he'd… 'visited'. The stone exterior is lighter now, must have been cleaned, and the facade of Bowser's face is— inexplicably less intimidating. Though, that might just be his own changed perception of things. 

The land around is no longer completely barren; Still dark, yes, but the grass is beginning to grow and leaves are starting to sprout on the trees. Could do with some flowers…

Flapping his hands for a moment to let go of his anxious energy, Luigi blows out a breath before walking to the gigantic front doors and reaching up in an attempt to tug on the knocker— Not a hope in hell, unfortunately, due to his height.

Luckily, there are Koopas inside who somehow know he's there and work to open the doors from the inside. Unluckily, Luigi loses his balance in his attempt to reach and falls forward into the castle after failing to fix his footing. Lucky a second time, Kamek's magic prevents him from going face first into the floor.

"Mamma mia!" The plumber chuckles nervously as he's set right again, cheeks glowing an embarrassed red by the time his feet touch the ground again. Trust him to mess up just entering a place!

Familiar thundering footsteps are heard approaching the entrance hall, and Luigi watches curiously as the Koopas quickly bow their heads when Bowser comes into their vision.

"Luigi! You're just in time, come along!" He seems thrilled, if not a little nervous, and Luigi can't help a smile, waiting a moment for Kamek to finish dusting him off before jogging to join the King's side.

"What is happening, did you need me for something?" He questions, curious.

"Oh, no, no," A large clawed hand comes up to brush Bowser's fur back as he begins to lead their way through the halls— It looks soft, the way it bounces slightly with each step. Luigi wonders in the back of his mind if it'd be considered offensive to pet it… Hell, if their strange considering-things situation it offensive. Are interspecies relationships accepted and common here? "I wanted to show you something." Thank goodness he can still hear when his mind insists on wandering.

Even so, it's better to will himself to focus than hope he catches context. Whatever this is, it's clearly important to Bowser… He finds himself not wanting to miss out. "Oh ye?"

Nodding, the King stops their tracks in front of another set of doors, hands reaching towards Luigi. When he doesn't move away or show any sign of discomfort, Bowser uses them to carefully cover his eyes for whatever surprise is ahead— By the sound of things, he's using his tail to push the door open as he continues to guide the human ahead. Endearing, the plumber feels.

"Okay, keep your eyes closed…"

Luigi does as he's told, doing his best not to pay mind to how cold his face suddenly feels when Bowser's hands leave it.

"Aaand… open!"

Ever obedient to the wishes of others, he opens his eyes, and they immediately widen with amazement at the room he finds himself in. No overwhelming overhead sources of light, no colours too intense, comfortable furniture, books a-plenty, and… a bouquet of peonies in Bowser's grasp.

After so long living in his brother's shadow, Luigi has been seen. "How…?"

"I had Kamek do some research— And some magic…" The King admits sheepishly as he steps closer, tail swaying proud behind him while he looks over his fine work. "Do you like it? I thought you might prefer spending time somewhere tailored for you, rather than those big, loud parties."

Glancing over to Luigi, his eyes widen to find those beautiful blues beginning to tear up. "And, and it's alright if you don't like it, I can change it! Anything you want—" He's cut off by the plumber jumping up and clinging onto him in his best attempt at a hug considering their size difference.

"It is perfect, Bowser," Luigi manages to whisper, relaxing at the feeling of large arms coming around him to support him. "A perfect space to share with you."

Steadying his own breathing as to not start crying himself, Bowser lets out a relieved huff through his snout as he closes his own eyes. He had been prepared for Luigi to outright refuse, or accept on the condition of being alone… But he wants Bowser's company, if their last few anything interactions are anything to go by— Something that will take time to truly believe, but hearing it truly is enough to melt a previously hardened heart.

[twsted-princess]

51 CamillaElliot

67 maybe CarolJamesMetaElias

Just do what you wanna do

I can do both!!

51. One muse is known for their hard exterior and softens only in the other’s presence

Outside the world stood still. The waves crashing along the cliff as the radio crackled and an old song crooned over the silence. Camilla watched as seagulls rode the wind, some falling down to the waters below only to rise back up. She looked down at her half eaten box of fries then to her boyfriend watching him grumble to himself. "Thought I fixed the damn thing." he said under his breath as he took a sip from his soda. She glanced at him with violet eyes before looking back at the sunset, feeling the day's events wash away. Riddle's screaming, the flamingos getting loose, someone forgetting to get paint, everything going completely wrong. When Elliot invited her out for a joy ride she also turned him down as her stress was through the roof but it was like he could tell she was ready to punch somebody. So she agreed to it, the burgers were good even with the oil leaking out with every bite and feeling the wind through her hair was a feeling she didn't expect to be nice. "Thank you." she finally spoke, causing Elliot to look at her. Her normally stern face softening as she ate a fry. "I........really needed this." He smiled back. "Don't mention it." As the song faded into a old-timey newscaster he reached over to take her hand with his, the two squeezing as they listen to the waves below.

67. Our muses move in together

"Shit." Carol perked up hearing the swear from the living room. She looked up at the opened room right in front of the stairs before shouting "Are you ok?" James then came out rubbing the back of his head. "It's fine, we just got the wrong color of paint." She sighed, her hands resting on her hips as James walked down to be at her side. "I can get it, how about you help Meta with the kitchen?" At the calling of his name the ex space bounty hunter grumbled. "Yeah sure whatever...." They could both tell he wanted to paint the guest room now but it would have to wait. Carol smiled as he followed after James, they did need to put all the dishes away. Outside she knew Elias was working hard on the garden, raking rows to plant the many seeds they bought. She would be helping him but.....a five and a half month old baby was still cooking. Metaron ran his hand over her stomach "How's the little guy doing?" he smiled as she looked at the seed of their labor. "Well, he's getting his strength from you that's for sure." A frown spread across his face but she giggled, patting his chest. "It's ok. I'm not that easy to break baby." James had already left as Metaron then kneel down to pat her belly. "Hey. Your mom's doing a lot now, I don't want you giving her trouble ok?" Carol blushed and smiled, taking his cheek in her hand. "I'm ok really. But thank you." As he rose back up he leaned in for a kiss only to hear Elias. "Carol!! Which pot do you want the tomatoes in!!" Sighs left the happy pair, there's more work to be done.

[everythingendsnovel]

CHAPTER 3.

It was absurd, how light they were. You would think that when a human was unconscious, it would be heavier. But despite Omnia’s unresponsive body and her arms loosely draped around his neck, Refiner’s Fire was having no trouble carrying her. 

It was as if she was made of paper. Even a single component from the many inside him all working together to keep him running was comparable in weight to Omnia-the-human, which was insane, because she had a lot of components inside her keeping her running, too.

He wished she was awake. He would have liked to talk to her. Refiner’s Fire didn’t like small talk, because none of it made any sense at all, but he would have talked to Omnia about anything, up to and including how the weather had been lately and if the Cubs had really been cursed not to win the World Series for, like, seventy years. (All he knew about this particular topic had come from an old holo he’d found en route to the old city on the horizon, where he’d been planning on going scavenging for more things like it until Hay2uiL had radioed in and told him that if he didn’t get his ass back to Liore right this instant he was going to be in a hell of a lot of trouble. As Hay2uiL was not someone that often wanted Refiner’s Fire around, he heeded the old man’s advice and set a course straight back home.)

But, despite being asleep for a very, very long time, she had fallen back asleep, and so it was just Refiner’s Fire and his own thoughts as he trudged ever closer to Liore, where the sun was beginning to think about setting as its light reflected off of the seemingly endless water off to the east.

First and foremost, he was trying to figure out how Omnia had survived all this time. Surely, she couldn’t be a new human. They weren’t built the way androids were; they were organic, they had to come from somewhere. And since she had been alone and humans had been confirmed to be extinct, he was having trouble understanding how she could have stayed alive until now. Following that line of thought, he wondered how lonely you would be, waking up and hearing that the entire rest of your species had disappeared while you were asleep. How isolating it must have been to be the only one of your kind left.

She was going to need a lot of emotional support when she woke up.

Not long afterwards, he found himself at the front door of Thessaly’s house. The exterior was nearly covered by climbing plants, the type that you’d expect to find after an apocalypse as a result of nature reclaiming buildings and train stations and cars and buses — Refiner’s Fire had seen such a thing on nearly every outing he had been on, because the end of the world had come suddenly for humans, and the rusted-out skeletons of their cars, wrapped in ivy and the roots of trees, were affixed permanently to wherever they’d been on the streets or on the highway when it had arrived — but upon closer inspection you could see that they were carefully trimmed, enough to encourage their growth but not enough to impede it entirely. Each vine was being gently nudged in a specific direction by someone who cared about its health very much. Refiner’s Fire had no hands available, so he sent a ping to the house; a series of quick footsteps, and Thessaly was opening the door, their expression something that wanted to be angry and wanted to be concerned and wanted to be surprised, but couldn’t commit to any of the three and ended up flickering between all of them.

“I told you to stay where you were,” they said. Their tone, like their expression, also couldn’t decide where it wanted to be and hovered somewhere squarely in the middle.

Refiner’s Fire said, “If I’d done that, I wouldn’t have found the last human on Earth.”

Thessaly froze. It was clear they were trying to decide if Refiner’s Fire was full of complete and utter bullshit or not. They pinged Omnia — when they got nothing back, because she wasn’t an android and therefore didn’t have a system that could respond in the same way, they sucked in a breath, their bright eyes wide, and motioned him into the house. “Quick,” they warned, though Refiner’s Fire was kind of forced to be on the slower side of things with an entire human person on his back.

Once he was inside, they shut the door behind him and motioned him over to the pair of couches in their living room, placed opposite each other. Hay2uiL was on his back on one, mostly just looking like he’d fallen asleep, which was an immense relief for Refiner’s Fire. It was obvious how much Thessaly cared for him. There was a heavy blanket draped across his body, despite there being no actual need for it. Next to him was a cup of tea and an automatic warmer; all he would have to do was reach over and press the button, and it would heat up to the perfect drinking temperature. Even the ivy that curled on the walls and across the ceiling like strings of holiday lights seemed to be angled towards him.

The other couch was vacant — it was this couch that Thessaly gently maneuvered Omnia onto as Refiner’s Fire stood up straight and stretched, getting rid of the discomfort that had started to bloom along his shoulders from carrying her.

He was fascinated by her. Just looking at her. There was something so entirely different about the stillness she exhibited. Even asleep, she brimmed with life — the organic stuff, the sort of life force that connected you to the ground, to the energy of the planet beneath your feet. Refiner’s Fire had stood barefoot on the ground before, but it had always felt like there was a barrier, even if it was millimeters-thick. As if Earth was allowing him and the others like him to take custody of her, but only because her actual children, the ones that she had fashioned from her own self, had disappeared.

“Where—” said Thessaly; to an outside observer, they would appear to be looking off into the middle distance, but Refiner’s Fire knew that they were running searches on how to take care of human beings. There was no small amount of reference material, as most human literature had been digitized and recovered even though the humans themselves were no more, so Refiner’s Fire completed the question in his head to save Thessaly the trouble.

“Not that far out of town, actually,” he said, locking his hands behind his back and pacing a few steps one way and then the other, his eyes consistently traveling back to Omnia and then away again when he noticed. “These, uhm… these arrows showed me where to go. Invisible ones? Ones only I could see, I think. Anyway, they brought me to this shed with a big tunnel in it, and I climbed down the tunnel, and she was, uh, inside this enormous vault.”

“A vault…” Thessaly was cross-referencing that now, Refiner’s Fire was sure. He was fairly certain there wasn’t much upkeep you had to follow with a human who was just asleep.

“Yeah, a vault. Uh, with, like, all these rooms? A library, and, like, a bunch of other rooms with things in it I didn’t know about. A lot of my normal functions weren’t working down there.” He stopped by the counter and drummed his fingers along it, taking comfort in the repetitive rhythm. “She’ll probably want to go back, at least to visit. There was a lot of stuff in there that she’ll probably want to take with her, when she moves up here.”

It wasn’t really a question, in his mind, that she’d want to move up to the surface. After he’d reached his limit for interaction for the day, he liked being alone — but that wasn’t to say Omnia was the same. And it had taken a long time for him to go to and from her vault. Surely she wouldn’t want that long of a commute every time she wanted to be around people?

Thessaly knelt by Omnia’s bedside, pressing the back of their hand against her forehead and making a satisfied sound as they did so. “Temperature’s nominal. Breathing—” They paused, because measuring breathing was beyond strange. “—is within the acceptable range for an organic human. There doesn’t seem to be any danger to her health. I think she just needs some more rest.” They glanced at him. “You said she was in bed when you found her?”

“Uh-huh. She looked like she had just woken up. She couldn’t talk. She could barely tell me her name.” She had managed to whisper it as they were leaving, and barely anything else. He was working on about as much information as Thessaly.

“Hm. Well, her physical age puts her in her mid-twenties.” Mid-twenties, Refiner’s Fire thought in wonder. She might as well be an infant. “Of course, I don’t think she was actually born twenty-some years ago… which means that she’s been asleep for a very long time. If that’s the case, she’s likely to feel exhausted for a few days. She might not be able to wake up and talk to us for— oh. Good morning.”

Omnia had, at some point during Thessaly’s monologue, opened her eyes, and was now staring at Thessaly exactly the way one would expect someone who had been asleep for an indeterminate amount of time to stare at Thessaly.

“Are you an angel?” she whispered, or maybe the more accurate word was croaked, because there was a certain element of throatiness and scratchiness to it, but it also felt kind of disingenuous when the closest animal Refiner’s Fire could associate with croaking was a frog, or himself when he hadn’t run maintenance on his vocal cords in ages. He couldn’t deny Thessaly was angelic — their taking care of crabby old-man Hay2uiL time and time again was evidence of that — but it was Omnia who was an angel, in his opinion. A creature that had only been spoken of in stories, who had been locked away in a place that was only accessible when he’d followed the voice of God, and who had, upon being removed from that place, found herself in a world that she wasn’t likely to be familiar with and even less likely to understand.

Thessaly said, “Not that I’m aware of. Refiner’s Fire told me your name is Omnia?”

“Refiner’s Fire…” She had slipped back into whispering. Her eyes traveled around the room; Refiner’s Fire gave her a small wave to help her out. She said, “Oh… you’re the one that found me.”

“And brought you here,” Thessaly added. “He was worried about you, so he brought you all the way to me.”

“Oh,” said Omnia, and winced. “Sorry.”

Refiner’s Fire was aghast. “Why?”

“For making you do that. I must have been heavy.”

Refiner’s Fire couldn’t help it. He laughed out loud. “A human… heavy… good one. I might as well have been carrying a sack of potatoes home from the market.”

Too late, he realized that maybe sacks of potatoes were heavy to humans. Oops.

“A… A human…” Omnia’s pretty white eyebrows, which matched her snow-white hair, scrunched up in confusion, then quickly unscrunched as her eyes went wide. “You… You said… When you came to get me, you said… that humans were…”

“Extinct,” Refiner’s Fire supplied helpfully.

Except maybe it wasn’t so helpful. Thessaly was shooting a look at him, the kind that meant shut up, you idiot, of which he had been on the receiving end of quite a lot. He had a hard time feeling genuinely apologetic about it; it always felt like there was a big rulebook of things you were supposed and not supposed to say, and like everyone had read it before they’d been built, except that they didn’t know they had, but were still somehow angry at him for not reading it. And he couldn’t even check it out of the library and read it now, both because it didn’t exist, and also because the only library around was the Pavlopetri Library which must have been a sprawling and extensive wealth of information at some point but was currently suffering a bad case of being submerged under twenty feet of water.

Omnia had brought both hands up to her mouth, curled them into fists, and seemed to be in the beginning stages of hyperventilating. Ah. That was why.

“E-Extinct,” she repeated in a very squeaky sort of voice.

It was incredible, Refiner’s Fire thought, that she didn’t know. Had she just gone to sleep one night completely unaware of the fact that she would remain asleep until after the end of the world had come and gone? Surely her caretakers had to have told her something about what to expect. She hadn’t been surprised that she was in a vault, after all — or maybe she had been, but she was too tired to properly display it. He took a few steps toward the couch and knelt by it. His fingers itched with the urge to touch her, to feel that life under his fingers again, the same way as when he’d curled his arms around her thighs and hiked all the way here with her. “Didn’t whoever put you to sleep tell you?”

“My dads,” she said, which was a word Refiner’s Fire knew the meaning of, but had never experienced for himself. Her voice was hitching a little bit, like she was trying to decide whether or not to cry. Her eyes were starry and wet. “They, uhm… they told me. Sort of.”

Refiner’s Fire blinked. Sort of?

“I just…” Omnia swallowed, and her next words were heavy with misery. “I didn’t think… I mean, when they said… like, it just didn’t seem real, you know? Like I’d wake up, and everything would still be the same, and my dads would be there telling me everything had been fixed after all, and…”

She trailed off, in the thick, damp way that made it easy to tell that if she said another word, she was going to burst into tears. This was probably the safest place she could do it, surrounded by people who wanted nothing but the best for her, but Refiner’s Fire understood. It was hard to be vulnerable like that, especially when you’d only woken up maybe an hour prior and hadn’t known either of the people in the room for longer than ten minutes.

Thessaly had taken to stroking Omnia’s hair, pushing it gently off of her forehead. It seemed like the kind of thing you would do to a young child, but Omnia looked like she was taking comfort in it.

“There are still people here,” they said softly. Their voice was always musical, even when they were snapping at Refiner’s Fire or bargaining rapid-fire at the market, and right now it sounded like wind chimes, or a soft breeze through the highest branch of the tallest tree. “Not humans,” they corrected when they saw Omnia light up for a second, “but people nonetheless. Your parents didn’t leave you to an abandoned world. We’re all going to take care of you. We just… have to figure out how we’re going to break the news that there’s a human around.”

Omnia said, more squeak than actual voice, “Will they know? I mean…” She swallowed hard, and her eyes bounced quickly from Thessaly to Refiner’s Fire and back again. “...you both look human.”

“They’ll know,” said Refiner’s Fire immediately. “There’s, uhm, something we do called ‘pinging’ each other. When you—”

“Oh,” Omnia interrupted, “like a phone. I know what pinging is.”

Refiner’s Fire blew a thin stream of air out of his mouth and tried to pretend it didn’t drive him up a wall that she’d cut in while he was explaining something. He said, “Sure, I guess.” He was sure Thessaly was shooting him another look, one that said, Stop being difficult, except I’m not going to tell you how or even exactly why anyone thinks you’re being difficult in the first place, but he pointedly didn’t look at them even though he could tell they were looking at him. So sorry for feeling things, Thessaly, he wanted to shoot back at them. I’ll try not to do it again.

“Pinging is a conscious act,” said Thessaly, turning their attention back to Omnia, “so unless someone tries to do it, they won’t know that you’re human. But we do it often — like, er, taking a deep breath, for humans. Or sneezing.”

“Sneezing isn’t a conscious act,” Omnia told them. “We don’t try to sneeze. It sort of just happens.”

“Oh.” Refiner’s Fire could see the sparkle in Thessaly’s eyes. He was sure they would be asking her about the intricacies of the human body once she had recovered a sufficient amount. They said, “Well, my point is that, if you and Refiner’s Fire fly under the radar — stick to the back streets, like, and try not to run into anyone — you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. He doesn’t live all that far from here. It shouldn’t be too difficult. It’s the middle of the day. Most people are at the market or by the oceanside.”

Refiner’s Fire was having trouble following. He tilted his head. “Wait — you’re saying I should bring Omnia home with me?”

“Well, I’m sure she doesn’t want to stay here.” They either missed or intentionally ignored the slightly panicked look Omnia was giving them that indicated that actually, yes, she did want to stay here; at this point, it felt like maybe Thessaly was trying to kindly kick them out. To spend all their time taking care of Hay2uiL? He was unconscious, for God’s sake. And Omnia, despite having slept for all this time, was beginning to look like she might be considering drifting off to sleep again. “And you’re the one who found her, Refiner’s Fire. It only makes sense that you should be the one to have the privilege of housing her.”

The privilege. He wanted to bark a laugh. Not that he wasn’t, you know, absolutely enamored with the idea of a real live human being around, but Omnia so far had not given him any indication that she was a fan of, like, his whole thing.

“Right,” he said, and regarded Omnia, who was watching him the same way a dog in the process of being rehomed might. “Is that okay with you?”

She sighed with all the weight of the world and said, “I guess it’s gonna have to be, huh?”

*

“I still can’t believe we didn’t run into anyone.”

Omnia was standing in the middle of the room, watching Refiner’s Fire make up a bed for her, her arms wrapped around herself tightly, as if she could disappear into herself if she tried hard enough. She wasn’t offering any suggestions about the bed, which meant Refiner’s Fire had to just assume what was going to be comfortable for her and hope for the best. This, among many other things people did by default that threw Refiner’s Fire for a loop, was irritating as hell — but he couldn’t exactly tell her that. The last thing he wanted was to start things off on the wrong foot by pissing her off. Though he seemed to have started things off on the wrong foot anyway, despite the fact that he, you know, had taken her out of the vault she might have spent her entire life in if he hadn’t come along.

“Yeah,” he said, doing what he hoped was fluffing a pillow, except that he didn’t really understand how that whole process worked or what fluffing a pillow was actually supposed to do to the pillow. “That’s ‘cause when people irritate me, I take the back ways like that so I don’t run into anyone.”

Omnia said, “Do people irritate you a lot? It sort of seems like people irritate you a lot.”

He stood up and turned around to see her. Lord, she was nice to look at, though. Even with that snow-white hair all mussed from her long nap, it fell into her eyes and tumbled over one shoulder attractively. Refiner’s Fire had never really thought about dating anyone, and it felt kind of blasphemous to think about dating the only human in existence, but he couldn’t say that he wasn’t entertaining the thought, if only in the farthest reaches of his imagination. “Not really. Like, maybe half the time? It mostly just depends on if I wake up overstimulated that day or not.”

A light of recognition flashed in Omnia’s eyes. Refiner’s Fire couldn’t imagine what for.

She must have been pleased with how the bed looked, though, even though it was just a mattress on the balcony of a very large bay window, because she walked past him and climbed up onto it, wrapping herself in one of the many blankets he’d given her. Already, her eyelids looked heavy. She’d already slept so long. How on earth did she have more sleep left in her?

But as she lay her head on the pillow, her arm hooked beneath her head, watching him with eyes the color of cherry blossoms, she said, “Thank you, Refiner’s Fire. Really. I’m sorry I’m so tired. I… I’m really hoping I wake up soon. So I can have a real conversation with you.”

So maybe he had just been assuming that she didn’t like him. Maybe it was just that she was still half-asleep. There were, after all, a lot of things about humans that no one, not even Thessaly, who was probably the most knowledgeable on humans out of all of Refiner’s Fire’s friends (which was not a high number), knew. He gave her a smile — a real one, a genuine one — and he said, “Yeah. No problem. Come get me when you wake up if I’m not already awake, okay?”

“Okay,” she said, but those pink eyes were already fluttering closed, and without any effort at all she was slipping back into sleep.

Refiner’s Fire stood there for a minute or two, watching her chest rise and fall with her breathing, and then he turned and made his way back to his room. He was just beginning to climb into his tank when he heard the telltale internal tone of a message coming through. Thessaly, the message sender field read. He opened the message and read it even as he swung one leg over the barrier and felt the room temperature gel envelop it.

[What on earth were those bruises on Omnia’s throat?]

CHAPTER TWO <<