#he'd be right here with the rest of us clowns

[ashwhowrites]

Could you do a killer clown fic with Eddie x reader? Like Eddie is all dressed up as a clown and is chasing after reader but it leads to smut if that’s okay

I hope this is what you wanted and you enjoy it. Thank you for requesting 🫶🏻 Happy October! 🎃

⚠️ smut, a bit darker than my usual fics, kidnapping, slightly forced sex but reader does enjoy it. Please do not read if you are uncomfortable with the content

Red nose and smile

It was Halloween night and Y/N didn't have any plans. She didn't feel like attending the college parties, a night alone with movies was good enough for her.

She walked to the small gas station that was down the street, snuggling into her coat as the October breeze washed over her. She was walking to the front when a body appeared right in front of her.

She jumped back frightened, her heart raced with anxiety as she took in the stranger. She felt a little uneasy as the stranger's face was painted like a clown. But not a birthday party clown, more of a creepy ass clown.

There was dark black paint around his eyes, the tip of his nose painted red, and his lips and cheeks were painted a deep dark red and stretched into a smile that ran up to his cheek bones. The rest of his face was painted white. She could see some features on the man but she had never seen him before. He wore a wig that covered his forehead, bright red long hair all the way to his shoulders.

She stepped over to the side, avoiding more eye contact as she went to walk around him. He moved fast, and opened the door for her. She gave him a terrified small smile and walked into the gas station. She muttered out a small thank you, in hopes the kindness would save her life. He gave her a small bow and little wave.

The door closed behind her and he stayed outside. She quickly moved through the store and grabbed the popcorn. But she could feel eyes on her, watching her every move.

She walked up to the register, sliding over the popcorn. She looked over her shoulder and the strange clown was no longer there. She let out a relieved breath as she checked out.

She decided to go out another exit, hoping she could walk straight home without any issues. She walked out the door, as the door closed the clown was standing behind it. She slowly stepped back, her hand reaching for the door handle. But as she did, the stranger turned his head to the side and his eyes stared her down. He held up his finger and waved it back and forth from left to right.

She gulped as fear began to fill her body again. She looked around and the streets were dead and silent. She tried to plan an escape route in her head but then the clown moved closer and closer. Walking towards her until her back was up against the wall.

She clenched her eyes shut when his hand gripped her chin and forced her head to the side. She trembled as his nose pressed into her hair, inhaling her scent. He groaned into her ear and moved his mouth down to her cheek, she whimpered as she felt his tongue licking up her skin repeatedly.

She stomped her foot down onto his, he cried out in pain and released her. She kneed him in the balls and was fast to run when he dropped to the ground. She didn't look behind her, just kept running towards her house.

She could see her house in the distance, heading for her front yard when she heard footsteps behind her. She opened her mouth to scream but a gloved hand covered her mouth. She tried to fight against him but he was stronger. She screamed against his hand as he picked her up. She trashed as much as she could, hoping he'd lose his grip but it was no use.

~

He carried her to a small house that was in the middle of nowhere. He dropped her on a creaky old bed, the room was lived in and decorated as a circus. She felt uneasy as she observed everything around her. She was terrified of what he planned to do to her, was he going to kill her?

"What do you want from me? Why did you take me here?" She asked

She watched as he moved around the room. He went into his closet and she could hear him digging around. He didn't answer her, but he came out of the closet with a small bag. She held her breath as he walked closer to her. His hand went under her chin, forcing her head up. Her bottom lip began to tremble as tears filled her eyes. He leaned down and pressed his painted lips against hers. She stayed still as she tried to ignore the feeling but it seemed that made him mad. He began to growl against her mouth, he fisted her hair and yanked it. She cried out as a few tears began to fall.

"Kiss me," it was the first time he spoke. His voice was deep and didn't match the creepiness of his clown look. His lips were back on hers with force. She still fought against kissing him, trying to pull her head away but his grip in her hair tightened. She yelped as she felt the hair pulling from her skull.

She admitted defeat and kissed him back. Slow and timid at first. She could feel his body relaxing as her lips melted into his and his grip in her hair loosened. He continued to kiss her until she was gasping for air.

Her lungs burned as he pulled away. In a twisted way, her lips felt cold and abandoned.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her, she fell back against the mattress with a small bounce.

She kept her eyes on him as he stared down at her. She couldn't help but look him up and down, she could see the outline of his hard cock through his white pants. She felt betrayed by her body when her cunt began to throb. She tried to keep her brain in control, reminding herself this was a stranger.

She looked back up when his hands caught her attention. He began to unzip his clown suit, a white muscle tank top showing underneath as he slowly stripped out of the suit. She tried to remain unfazed as the suit bundled at his feet. Wearing the tank top and a tight pair of boxers.

Was it insane to admit that his body was attractive? She noticed a few tattoos on his arms, his gloves no longer on and she could see dried up blood under his nails. He had a few splatters of it on his tank top, she wasn't sure what the hell was wrong with her but her thighs clenched.

He moved fast as he threw his body down on top of hers and his hands gripped her chin. She could feel his cock pressing against her inner thigh. She couldn't help but moan as his fingers slipped inside her pants and underwear to touch her clit.

She shivered as he laughed against her skin, his mouth kissing her neck. Her skin was becoming stained from his red paint.

"So scared, so frightened, and yet you are soaked," he whispered in her ear. She wanted to fight against him but he began to spread her wetness up and down between her folds.

"Are you going to kill me?" She whimpered

His fingers slipped inside of her with ease, and she moaned out.

"Never, baby. I just want to play with you," he whispered into her ear

She whimpered and he softly kissed her lips. She kissed him back, and she was rewarded when he slid two more fingers inside her. She gasped and he laughed against her mouth.

He moved his free hand up to her mouth, roughly shoving his fingers down her throat. She gagged as she tasted metallic and dirt. He fucked her throat and cunt with the same roughness. Her cunt gushed around his fingers and her spit made a mess down her chin.

He removed his hand from her throat to allow her to breathe. She gasped and choked for air, fighting through moans as he circled her clit. She wasn't sure why, but a part of her was enjoying it. She never had someone manhandle her the way he was. He touched her with confidence like he knew her body more than she did.

She felt his hard cock against her leg, and he began to move his hips back and forth. He groaned as he began to rub himself against her, hissing at the pleasure.

She felt slightly disgusted with herself as her stomach tightened. He was sucking an orgasm right out of her and she had no control. But it was the best orgasm of her life. She arched her back as his mouth mixed in with his fingers. His tongue sucked her clit as she lost all control, moaning out as she came all over his fingers.

He sucked his fingers clean, and she watched through heavy eyelids. He stood up and shredded his tank top down the middle, she hated how attracted she was feeling toward him. He was skinny, but a little toned. She eyed his clean chest and the happy trail that led to his boxers. He slipped out of his boxers, and his red aching cock sprung up against his stomach.

She moaned out as she took in his thickness and length. She could feel her cult pulsing and aching for it.

He was back on her in seconds, spreading open her legs as he held his cock against her cunt. He teased his tip between her folds, watching how it began to glisten from her wetness.

"You want me to fuck you, pretty girl?" He chuckled

She was surprised to hear herself say yes

He didn't think twice and slammed himself inside of her. She cried out as she took him fully. He was ruthless, fucking her as fast as he could into the mattress.

"Let me hear those sounds, let me hear how much you love being fucked by my cock," he groaned in her ear. His hands held her hips in a bruising grip, moving to his knees to drill himself deeper inside of her.

Y/N answered with moans and whines. She couldn't think straight. She reached up and yanked off the wig, letting his real hair show. It was dark, curly, and long. She shoved her hands in his hair, bunching it up in her hands as he fucked her.

"Fuck, feels so good," she moaned

He growled in response, leaning down to shive his tongue in her mouth. His hands moved up to her chest, roughly massaging the skin.

"Your pussy feels incredible, baby girl," he moaned in her ear his hands moving down her body. He yanked himself out of her, and she lost her grip on his hair. She whined at the emptiness, but he flipped her over and moved her hips in the air. He slammed his hand down on her ass and shoved himself back inside her. She clawed at the sheets below her as he continued fucking her.

He licked up her spine, then kissed back down. He dug his nails down her back, continuously doing it until the skin broke up and blood began to run down. She hissed at the pain but the pleasure of his cock took the focus.

He smeared her blood all over her back, smiling as he leaned down to clean it up with his tongue. She shivered as she felt his tongue all over her skin, her legs felt like jelly as he continued to pound into her.

He moved his hand to her stomach then moved down to her clit. He began to play with her clit as he slammed himself inside of her. She cried out as he hit a spot that made her see stars.

She reached forward and clawed at the headboard. His sweaty chest met her back as he put his free hand over hers on the headboard. The position felt even better as he chased his orgasm. He rubbed her clit as fast as he could, he could feel her thighs starting to shake.

"I'm going to stuff your cunt full of my cum. Make this cunt my own," he said into her hair. She screamed as she felt her second orgasm taking over. Eddie hissed as he felt himself needing to cum. He kept his hand on her clit to work her through her orgasm but moved his free hand to push down on her head. Her screams were muffled against the mattress as he held her down.

He moaned loudly as he released his cum inside of her. He hissed as he emptied himself, keeping his cock inside of her to make sure she got every drop. He removed his hands from her, letting her body drop against the mattress as he caught his breath.

He flipped her body over, smiling down at her tear-stained face. He patted her cheek, telling her how amazing she did. She smiled at the praise but whined when he moved his fingers down to her cunt. She hissed as he pushed her folds together, he smiled as his cum began to drip out of her.

He cupped his other hand below, catching his cum as he squeezed as much as he could out. Once he got enough that satisfied him, he shoved his hand into her mouth. She tasted a mix of his blood and cum, sucking his fingers until he pulled them out. He replaced his fingers with his mouth.

Before she knew it, everything went black.

~

When she woke up she was in her room, in her bed as the moon shined through the window. She reached over to turn on her lamp but hissed as she felt pain in her back. She figured the whole clown thing was a dream, and wasn't sure what it meant.

There was nothing out of the ordinary in her room, she slid out of bed and walked to her mirror. She went to turn to look at her back when she noticed white and red paint smeared all over her face. She looked at her body in the mirror and gasped when she saw the same paint smeared all over her inner thighs.

@bmunson86 @mxcheese @ladymunson @michaelfuckinglangdon @z0mbie-blah @biittersweet @mirrorsstuff @somethingvicked @micheledawn1975 @ago-godance @magnificantmermaid @tlclick73 @hargrovesswifee @cityofidek @silky-luxe @lokiofasgard616 @loving-and-dreaming @eddiemunsonsbitch69 @thegemaqua @ashlynnkennedy @strangerthingsstories5255 @harringt8ns @pleasinghellfire @whoscamila @stusdollface93 @gretavankleep37 @bellaisswagger @arlxt @ineedmentalhelp123

[thisapplepielife]

Written for @steddiesmuttyseptember.

Ready For It?

Week #1 Prompt: Mile High Club | Word Count: 2589 | Rating: E | POV: Steve | CW: Sex Acts, Risk of Being Heard, Alcohol Consumption | Tags: Famous Corroded Coffin, Road Manager Steve, Established Relationship, Steve Will Make Good on an Old Promise, But The Guys of Corroded Coffin Don't Wish to Hear It

"Are you ready for it?" Eddie asks, standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame. Steve hears it creak, and rattle, under his weight. It's a door that's not made to be touched or used, only looked at, Steve's pretty sure.

"Don't lean on that. What's it?" Steve asks, not looking up from the binder that's on the desk in front of him. He has a thousand things to look over before they land, and he really doesn't have time for whatever nonsense Eddie's proposing. 

And Steve knows Eddie well enough to know it really could be anything that he's trying to break Steve's concentration with. A tray of shots. A racoon he smuggled on board the plane. Or just his finger sticking out of the fly of his jeans, so he can pretend it's his dick. 

Nothing would surprise him at this point. Between the four of them, he's seen everything twice at this point. Okay, maybe not the raccoon. But Eddie would, if he could just get one caught.

"It," Eddie stresses again, but not elaborating any further. 

Steve finally looks up, "It, like, the clown? What do you mean, it? You love to talk, use your words."

Steve's sure he sounds snappish, and short-tempered. But he's always this way before a show, and Eddie knows it. He entered at his own risk. There's too much to do, and never enough time.

That's why Steve gets this back section of the plane, the only bit of privacy on board, unless he wants to hang out in the john. So, he squirrels away back here so he can work while they're flying from show to show. It's technically a bedroom, and there is a bed that any of them are welcome to use to sleep while Steve works, as long as they are fucking quiet about it. 

Eddie's never quiet, though. 

And today surely won't be the moment that changes. 

Eddie laughs, amused and delighted, and it's a good sound, so Steve relaxes against his will, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Spit it out," Steve says, raising an eyebrow, then watches as Eddie pulls the flimsy accordion door closed behind him. It's not much of a door, more of a paper-thin screen, and Steve hopes whatever Eddie's about to say is something he's fine with the rest of the band hearing, because. Well. Door basically made of tissue paper and paper clips.

Lean on it, and you're definitely crashing through, as if you're the Kool-Aid Man, and that's why Steve just leaves it pushed open all the time. He's scared if any of them touch it, they'll destroy it and then they'll have to pay some ungodly amount of money to replace a shitty excuse for a fucking door.

Eddie flops on the bed, or what passes for one at the back of a small, private plane. For as much as this costs to lease, Steve really thinks it should be a little more sturdy in the furniture department. 

Steve watches as Eddie then runs his hands over his body, down his chest, finally settling on framing his crotch with his hands. 

"That's it?" Steve questions, trying not to laugh, but he's smiling. He can't not. Eddie's ridiculous. But he loves him. 

"C'mon, you promised we'd join the mile high club. Let's do it now."

Steve had promised that, a long time ago, when it seemed highly unlikely that he'd ever have to make good on the deal. Eddie wanted to do it on a commercial flight once upon a time, and Steve preferred to not have an audience of three-hundred and an indecent exposure arrest on his record when the plane touched down.

So, he'd promised that when Eddie made it big, and had his own private plane, they'd do it then.

Fucker probably went and did it just to spite Steve. 

But Steve smiles, "You can't be serious. They are right out there. They can hear every word we're saying-"

"We can!" Gareth yells from the other side of the sad excuse for a door, "And we are formally requesting that this not happen. We voted."

Eddie laughs, and shouts back, "You don't get to vote on whether I have sex or not! This is not a fucking democracy!"

"We do. We did. It is," Goodie says back, interjecting, not even raising his voice. He doesn't need to, nothing is blocking the sound, and Steve can hear all three of them cackling. He's sure they're each three drinks into the mini bar by now. 

He really should go take it away. They've got a show tonight, and he needs everybody to be able to stand on their own two feet. Well, Gareth just has to be able to sit. But Steve's not gonna remind him of that. Give him an inch, he'll take a mile.

Eddie sticks out his bottom lip. 

"You'll trip on that lip, if you keep it up," Steve says, looking back down at his tour bible. 

"Steve," Eddie whines. 

Steve closes his binder, and crawls up on the bed, until he's hovering over Eddie's face, whispering, "We will. I don't renegade on my deals, you know that. But not right now. Wait until we're at least halfway alone."

Eddie's about to argue, Steve can tell, he always can, when they hear an acoustic guitar plucking out the melody to Let's Get It On. Then it's followed by laughing, and Gareth drumming on something with his hands, and Goodie making bass noises with his mouth. 

Eddie laughs, "Okay. Point taken."

And Steve's fucking thrilled, because those three already know more about their sex life than Steve would ever prefer. 

"Alright, alright!" Eddie shouts, and they howl as they stop. 

Eddie's big eyes are still pouting, but he nods, ever so slightly.

"Nap with me at least?" Eddie asks.

Steve looks at his watch, figures out the remaining duration of the flight plan, and decides he probably has enough time for a short nap.

"That I can do," Steve says, and crawls on the bed, curling against Eddie's side. 

"I really wanted to join that club," Eddie says. "I wanna get my wings."

Steve laughs, "That's not how you get wings"

"It could be," Eddie stresses. And yeah, Steve supposes it could.

"Okay. You will," Steve promises. Just, hopefully when everybody else is knocked the fuck out. 

They have almost no privacy from each other, as is, but doing that with them right there would be ridiculous. They'd never hear the end of it. 

Eddie rolls off the bed, standing up, and starts removing his jeans. Steve's seen this move before. He knows the ending, and waggles his finger, shutting that shit down. 

Eddie doesn't listen. He never does. And the jeans hit the ground, the heavy belt buckle reverberating as it lands. 

Then he's standing there in his boxer briefs. Hand fondling his dick. 

Steve shakes his head. 

Eddie pantomimes jacking himself off, then points at his eyes, then at Steve, then at his own eyes again. 

Steve rolls his eyes. There's no way in hell Eddie can stand there and jerk off with Steve watching, and stay completely quiet. 

But if Eddie wants to embarrass himself, which probably isn't even possible, then he can go right ahead. As long as Steve doesn't have to be involved in any compromising ways.

So, Steve folds his hands behind his head, propping himself up, and crosses his legs at the ankle, getting comfortable. 

Then raises his eyebrows, like, I'm waiting. 

Eddie wastes no time, he steps out of his underwear, and strokes himself one, twice, then holds up a finger. Telling Steve to wait. Steve waits as Eddie bends over, bare ass mooning him, and Steve smiles. 

He's never prepared for anything. 

He finally digs around in his duffle until he comes up with the lube and raises his eyebrows, slicking up his hand, and going back to stroking. 

He tilts his head back, exposing his throat, and Steve looks between that length of pale skin and his hard cock sliding in and out of his fist. The soft sound of his strokes, the sight of the head of his cock appearing and disappearing, his other hand on his chest, playing with the ring through his nipple.

Fucker.

It's working on Steve, of course it is, even if he's not gonna cave and get fucked right now. But he'll enjoy the show, and has to force himself to not give in and join in. He won't give Eddie the satisfaction.

Eddie adjusts his head back upright, and catches Steve's eyes. Then he looks down at his slick cock, gazing at his own hand as if he isn't the one doing it to himself.

And they both watch. The slide, the firm grip of his talented, calloused fingers, and Steve lets out a small involuntary noise.

That's all it takes. Eddie's gonna come. Steve can see it in the shudder that rolls through his body, can see it in the tension in his stomach, his forearm, as he slows his stroke as he looks around for something to come in, to not make a fucking mess. Unprepared, as always.

Steve takes pity on him, and sits up, scooting towards the edge of the bed, letting Eddie slot between his thighs. 

Then he lowers his head, and opens his mouth. 

Eddie keeps stroking, and then slips the head of his cock past Steve's lips, the underside of his length rubbing against Steve's tongue, as he thrusts in once, twice, shudders and bites back a whine as he pushes all the way in, coming.

Steve closes around him, bobbing slightly, and swallowing as Eddie chuckles. Steve lets go, and licks his lips. 

Eddie bends down, slick hand finding Steve's cheek, and Steve can't even complain as he kisses him. Then Eddie's crawling onto the bed and falling face first into his pillow, sure to be asleep in a minute or less. 

Steve slides back off the bed, wipes his face with Eddie's shirt, and goes back to work at the desk. 

The show is textbook, running smooth and on schedule, and then they are wheels up again just a couple hours after. Off to the next one. The pace of this tour is faster than any other they've been on before. 

Steve's balancing the books from the night, when Eddie very carefully slides through the flimsy door, slotting the accordion door into place behind him. Turning the lock that can only be decorative. Steve had heard them out there doing shots and playing cards, the noise slowly dwindling as they wound down, the adrenaline finally fading.

"Everyone's asleep," Eddie whispers, "Now? Can it be now?"

"Didn't we already check that off the list?" Steve teases him. 

"That didn't count," Eddie hisses, eyes pleading. 

Eddie had somehow conned the band into playing a metal version of Learning to Fly during their encore earlier, really stressing the "I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings" portion of the song. Steve had heard him loud and clear.

Steve looks at him, standing there looking so hopeful, and laughs, "Okay. It can be now."

Eddie smiles so fucking wide. He's adored by fans worldwide, he just stood in front of a roaring stadium crowd a few hours ago, for god's sake, but Steve knows it's somehow still him that Eddie most wants attention from.

And he'll damn well give it to him.

Steve's facedown on the bed, and Eddie's grinding into him so slowly, trying to not make any noise. Not that he thinks anything would wake the rest of them up at this point in the night, but still.

Eddie's doing such good fucking work that Steve wants to moan. To whine. To scream. He doesn't know how Eddie has the drive, the stamina, after a whole night on stage. He just never stops, and right now, Steve is the lucky beneficiary of all that boundless energy.

And he can't help it, Steve lets out a muffled whine and Eddie covers his whole back, pressing into him, "Be quiet, sweetheart." 

Steve nods. He can be quiet. He can. 

Eddie doesn't move, just stays laying on top of him, his full weight pressing Steve down into the mattress as he slowly grinds his dick right into Steve's prostate.

It's torture.

It's hell.

It's fucking goddamn perfect.

Just a slow, firm roll of his hips, pushing up into him, over and over, and Steve is gonna come. 

The moan starts to escape his lips, and Eddie's hand is suddenly over his mouth, meant to silence him, but all it does is push him right over the edge. Body spasming as he comes into the sheets of the leased plane bed. 

Eddie chuckles, thrusting another half a dozen times, before coming inside him. He releases Steve's mouth, and Steve sighs, Eddie collapsing on top of him. Still deep inside. Right where he belongs.

"Fuck," Eddie whispers, and Steve laughs.

Fuck indeed.

"Oh, gross," Steve hears, and opens one eye. Gareth is standing in the doorway of the bedroom, looking at them laying on the stripped bed, the dirty sheets balled up in the corner, on the floor.

"I thought I locked that," Eddie says, not even opening his eyes.

At least they aren't naked. It could be worse. It really is a fucking worthless door, though.

"Twenty minutes to landing," Gareth says, "You need to get your asses in seats."

"Says who?" Eddie mutters.

"The pilot, asshole," Gareth answers.

Eddie groans, not moving, but Steve rolls out of the bed. Cars should be waiting at the airport to take them to a hotel so they can get some actual rest, and showers, before the show tonight. He definitely needs one.

"Eddie," Steve says, "get up."

"No," Eddie says, and Steve laughs. Now he's suddenly too tired to do anything. His motivation clearly all dried up since he got what he wanted.

"Yes," Steve says, pulling his shirt over his head.

Eddie mutters and grumbles, but flings himself off of the mattress, falling to his knees on the floor of the plane, crawling around, grabbing at his clothes. Eyes still closed. Hands reaching out, patting around, like he's a little raccoon looking for food.

It's a method of getting dressed, Steve supposes. Not a good one. But a method, nonetheless.

Eventually, they slide into their seats and buckle up, just in time to feel the decent starting, and Steve looks at Eddie. Eyes closed again, already falling back asleep. He reaches over, and slides the needle of the pin through Eddie's shirt.

Eddie opens his eyes, and looks down to see what Steve's doing.

They are a pair of golden wings, like children get to celebrate their first flight. Steve had asked their private pilot if he had any when they landed earlier, but he hadn't. However, when they reboarded after the gig, Steve climbing the portable steps, the pilot had handed over a pair he'd scrounged up at the airport while they were gone to the gig.

Now, Steve has gotten to give them to Eddie.

"Your wings," Steve explains.

And Eddie just grins, covering the pin with his hand.

Steve shakes his head, and looks down at his binder, going over the schedule for the coming day, and the days after.

He smiles to himself, happy that Eddie's happy, and decides that maybe he needs to pencil a few more of these mile high sessions into the official itinerary, after all.

If you want to write your own, or see more entries for this challenge, pop on over to @steddiesmuttyseptember and follow along with the filthy fun! 💦

Notes: Song from the encore is Tom Petty's Learning to Fly.

[oh-no-its-bird]

Fic where, in practicing to get edo tensei right, Orochimaru uses Izuna as a test subject and tries to substitute DNA to make it work, using Suigetsu's bc like it's extra flexible or whatever bc shape change

Edo tensei mermaid Izuna locked in a tube somewhere in Oro's lab,,

He's SO mad about it and has literally no information ab what's going on at all bc hes locked in a fucking tube !!

Bonus points if Orochimaru doesn't even specifically know who he is

They unearthed him w the rest of the founders on a whim but bc no one really requested him specifically, the body just kinda sat there and eventually got mixed in w the rest of the Uchiha corpses, till Orochimaru requests an Uchiha corpse and they shrug and send him over

He still has Madara's eyes too (left alone either by oversight / or bc they decided not to pull them before he got mixed in w the other bodies, who had by then already gotten scooped of their eyes so they assumed he'd already been harvested)

Ok but like. No one even tells him what happened/where he is/that madara made the village. Why would anyone?? The only one Izuna sees regularly is Orochimaru, and he doesn't know those facts would matter??

Izuna doesn't even know what Konoha IS, he isn't gonna recognize the name

From Izuna's perspective, he died in his bed and then BOOM. Tank time.

Orochimaru might tell him it's been some years since his death (thinking he died in the massacre) and even if Izuna doesn't believe him bc like, enemy, enemy territory, he sure as fuck probably won't be thinking "Ah yes it's been decades since my death and my brother went against my dying wishes to make that village"

Tho he might get nervous and start picking up those cues when he sees the tech

Oro mentions offhand that the Uchiha were all killed and Izuna immediatley assumes the Senju won the war and loses it

He'd figure it out eventually obviously (probably after being set free, most likley by Sasuke w Suigetsu) But he'd also probably keep that to himself, bc like, enemy territory n stuff

Mermaid shapeshifter Izuna terrorizes the shinobi world,, Sasuke doesn't know what he just unleashed.

Ok actually but like. Suigetsu's shape-shifting but bc Izuna has a fire chalra nature, make it liquid fire shape-shifting. Fuckin, fire mermaid Izuna. He has an awful time retaining his form and actually for the first chunk of time, him being in that tube is genuinley just for the best. He keeps turning into liquid fire with no real solid body and can't put himself back together for hours.

Izuna hears his brother is still alive and running Akatsuki and is so down to clown till he realizes THATS NOT HIS FUCKING BROTHER HOW DARE YOU USE HIS NAME

Anyways oh my god Izuna on team Taka,,

He and Sasuke would be SUCH a dynamic actually, they look alike so much?? Sasuke doesn't recognize him but he's clearly a close relation, so there's some mystery there. Sasuke is like super shaken by finding a member of his clan and Izuna, by that point aware that apparently the rest of his clan is dead, is sticking to him like GLUE. Sasuke is bitchy little brother coded and Izuna understands this is probably karma bc he is also bitchy little brother coded

They probably clash a lot, especially bc both are expecting to be in charge here, but ultimately I think they'd get along better than Sasuke does most people, and there's also that bonus vulnerability of like. Izuna is an older Uchiha boy who's trying to brother him (with a noticeably different brother-ing style to Itachi too) and Sasuke has been alone for so, so long.

Sasuke accidentally calls him nii-san then promptly has several break downs about it

Suigetsu and Izuna either get along ALARMINGLY well or they hate eachother. I think I wanna go with the first bc it sounds more fun. They couldn't talk to eachother in the tanks but they could still see eachother, so maybe they kind of developed some sort of code to communicate?

They are "cause problems on purpose" friends. They're also "wdym I can't kill him???" *looks of genuine confusion* buddies. They're giving Sasuke the biggest headache actually, someone stop them. If you leave them to "take care" of a problem, there will be carnage.

Also, like, Izuna literally has Suigetsu's DNA in him. That's a thing.

Mmm maybe some complex thoughts ab how Izuna has effectively become a bloodline thief against his will (the ULTIMATE taboo for shinobi from his era) and he's like, actually fucked up about it.

Running joke where they refer to each other as cousins, could be funny. They argue over who's the bastard child (it's Izuna obviously but he won't just take that title lying down)

Izuna is like, in his 20s, and Karin is around 16 or 17 at this time I think?? She definatley has a bit of a crush on him (which helps take the edge off Sasuke) but like, he's not acknowledging that beyond patting her on the head. She'll get over it eventually. (Sasuke hides behind Izuna when Karin is trying to flirt w him and Izuna absoloutley laughs at them both)

Izuna is actually really impressed w Karin's sensing abilities specifically. I think he'd be a bit on edge around her at first, bc Uzumaki -> Senju ally. But he'd quickly assume she's a deserter (he has no idea the Uzumaki are pretty much wiped out rip) and becomes cautiously chill after a minute or two (also when he first escapes, he REALLY doesn't have the luxury to pick and choose his allies. He's instantly attached to Sasuke and cautiously fond of Suigetsu, and Karin seems to have Sasuke's trust at least, so he'll keep an eye on it but otherwise trust Sasuke's judgment)

Izuna and Karin besties arc where they paint eachothers nails is a must. I love the take that Izuna is really into fashion n stuff and he and Karin should like, trade hair tips or smthn. Karin knows modern soap brands where as Izuna bought his soaps from clan vendors who no longer fucking exist, so like, it's definatley helpful.

Karin is the only one of them to have any real hint of where tf Izuna came from (tho even she doesn't have the full details) it'd be cool if she was the one to figure out more details ab his general mystery— maybe something about her chakra sensing gives her a hint as to how old he really is?? Or she finds the paper trail that hints towards the bodies being mixed up???? Idk but she deserves to have an "aha!" moment

Also Izuna's medical knowledge/standards are NOT up to modern and Karin is so mad about it, she's giving him hella lessons on first aid n shit and he's very, very interested in all this free medical knowledge

I know the least about Jugo so bear with me on this one pls— I think Izuna would find Jugo to be pretty fascinating as a person actually. He enjoys tentatively poking him with sticks, and comes to genuinley like him as a person (when he's calm) pretty quickly

Also cats love Izuna so he gets bonus points from Jugo bc of that, they can bond while petting Izuna's contracted cats or smthn idk

Yeah I really don't know much ab Jugo so that's all I have to offer sorry

Ok let's backtrack a bit, back to Orochimaru ->

Fun scene towards the very start of the fic, where Izuna still has no fucking clue what's going on, but recognizes Orochimaru as a member of the Orochi clan. He says as much, and Orochimaru has to pause.

No one's mentioned his clan to him in years. They haven't been relevant in Konoha since Orochimaru was born— even before that, they were barley relevant. Izuna should not know who they are.

(The only reason he does know is bc they had a neutral to positive relationship w the Uchiha back in the warring era, and Izuna had visited them once before)

Immediatley, Orochimaru is squinting at this guy. He's giving Danzo a ring asking who exactly he got sent over, but Danzo doesn't actually have anything to offer him??? The paperwork is a mess and there were a LOT of Uchiha. He's not registered as a shinobi tho.

Hmmmm.... ok.

Orochimaru is suddenly aware there's some kind of mystery here now, which is dangerous for Izuna. Izuna is, again, in enemy territory, and he's able to pick up on the fact that Orochimaru doesn't actually know who he is. This ofc means that HE sure as hell won't be telling him.

Maybe he bares his teeth and sarcastically says he's the second coming of Uchiha Madara (not even that big of a lie when u think ab it)

Pivoting time ->

Izuna is listed in the data books as like, being equally as talented as Madara and I think we should talk ab that more actually

I love Tobirama but he really did get him by surprise

Izuna just got cocky and taken by surprise!!

HE DIDNT EVEN GET COCKY HE JUST LOGICALLY DIDNT EXPECT TOBIRAMA TO FUCKING INVENT TELEPORTATION

Then he went down in the history books both in canon and out of it as the weakest of the 4, that's so tragic

Izuna gets mermaid edo tenseid and (once people know who he is) everyone is like "Ok well at least he's uhh. The weakest of the 4 right?? I mean tobirama killed him when they were like only 19/20 so we'll probably be fine???"

Then he just fucking bodies them all bc hes a nightmare actually AND on whatever special test trial edo tensei steroids they gave him

Izuna is fueled on rage and spite and he's full up on both

Imagine he gets the full story of everything that happened while he was dead too, like.

Ok so Madara goes against his EXPRESS dying wishes and makes his village. (what the fuck!!) Then backs out (yay!!) but in an awful way that effectively fucks over the entire clan for years to come (nii-san what the FUCK)

Then gets literally backstabbed by Hashirama (HE FUCKING TOLD YOU!!! WHAT DID HE FUCKING SAY!!!!!)

Then the Uchiha seem to thrive and like. Ok. He's still mad about it, but at least something... kind of nice came out of it.

THEN BOTH THE VILLAGE AND MADARA'S(?????) SCHEMES KILL THEIR ENTIRE CLAN

Izuna is SO mad at literally everyone, holy shit. The only one safe from his rage is Hikaku, god rest his poor, poor soul

Actually, I think it'd be funny if Izuna was like, indescribably extra awful mad at everyone— but then is like. Normal mad amounts at Tobirama, who was a bitch but at least didn't seem to carry on a personal fucking vendetta against the Uchiha like EVERYONE ELSE INCLUDING FUCKING MADARA FOR SOME GODDAMN REASON

Izuna is going like, "FUCK you, FUCK you, OH, EXTRA FUCK YOU—" then squints at Tobirama and goes "...fuck you." Then goes back to screaming

To be clear, Tobirama absolutely contributed to the end of the Uchiha, but like. A) it'd be funny, and B) at least his seemed slightly less on purpose than literally everyone else

There's also I think a difference of like. Izuna never expected Tobirama to suddenly turn around and be pro Uchiha

Where as everyone else (again, including his brother!!) Was like. A genuine betrayal

Tobirama fucking over the clan was never a surprise

He never pretended to be on their side (like Hashirama lowkey did)

Tobirama vs Izuna but it's them getting to relive their rivalry where as Izuna vs literally anyone else is emotionally charged as hell and filled with demented screaming

Leaving it there for now, I might actually try to write this one but who tf knows

[partycatty]

i am so desperate to top dark star!johnny he makes me so horny mad, like someone humble that son of a bitch. it so doesn’t fit him to be topped but 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

UGHHH UR SO ME FR!!!! LMFAOOAAO i love pathetic men!!!! i love projecting my kinks onto my fics — WHAAAT WHO SAID THAAAT????

for those unfamiliar with dark star!johnny

dark star!johnny cage > payback

you have had it up to HERE with the white man's utter nonsense.

warnings: you humble evil johnny sexually. 😀 no but fr this is nsfw, bratty johnny and he hates it, he says "stop" and "no" but we all know he's lying and he loves it (afab reader)

notes: i was so excited to write this i don't even think it's coherent i'm literally barking gnawing frothing foaming i crawled to my pc to boot up the game to make gifs of him for future use bc i know DAMN well i will come back to this clown

masterlist <3

i will microwave him.

part 1* / part 2* / part 4* / part 5* / part 6*

•lord have mercy where do i even begin.

•alright, so let's paint a picture here.

•dark star!johnny may have stupid amounts of money, but he's a fucking idiot. he didn't spend a single cent on you for christmas! he'd argue with you for hours, saying both "i am the gift!" and "i buy you enough shit the rest of the year and now you want more?"

•when you argue to the point of running out of new things to bring up, you decide to angrily drop the topic entirely and move on with life. that is, until you hear johnny's muffled voice call from you from upstairs as you begin to prep dinner several days after the holiday.

•"sweet cheeks, a hand would be nice!" he shouts, a suspiciously evident grin in his tone of voice. you roll your eyes as his persistent cocky nature, but your frown turns into a little gasp when you open the bedroom to your shared door.

•this absolute idiot is sitting face down ass up on your silk sheets, tied down nice and tight with a thick red ribbon. a bow rests on his neck and broad chest. The Coat is discarded on a chair beside the bed, but everything else is still on. he smushes his cheek against the sheets as he desperately tries and cranes his head to look at you.

•"heeeey babe," he'll meekly greet you, shimmying his shoulders. "i, uh. i was going to surprise you. but i kinda fell forward and couldn't get back up. it was supposed to be a sexy pose but i tied my arms down before anything else and i can't prop myself up."

•"you're a dumbass," you reply back with a frown, not entirely amused as much as he is. "you think this makes up for your fuckup?"

•"...yes?"

•"no! and you know what? i'm gonna fucking enjoy this whether you like it or not!" you sigh with exasperation, slapping his clothed ass pretty hard, the sound of contact echoing in your large bedroom. he lets out a whiny shout, trying to tug his hips away from you out of desperation and ending up flopping onto his back.

•"hey! not fucking funny. i hate when you do that," he'll complain with a scowl, but his protests are hard to take seriously when he flips over and reveals an angry boner throbbing against his pants.

•"yeah, that's why you have a raging hard-on," you reply with a dramatic groan, grabbing a handful of his thick shaft through his dress pants. he yelps again, twitching his hips upward as you feel his heartbeat through his cock. "i'm not helping you up, johnny. this is payback. for christmas."

•you climb on top of him, hovering your lips right above his in a sickeningly sweet way. johnny, like the needy whore he is, tries to lift his head up and capture your lips, but you cut the attempt short when you expertly undo his belt in a swift one-handed motion and squeeze his dick through his boxer briefs. his once puckered lips open to let out a deep, strained whine, and you feel a warm wetness in his pants as you milk the pre-cum from his tip with your grasp alone.

•ohhh he is in AGONY. ds!johnny literally HATES when he's not in control, and even though he feels his dick get impossibly harder, he's still writhing at the thought of not being the leader.

•"come on, dollface," he'll try to protest with furrowed brows, but you see the way he bites his bottom lip. "don't play mean. that's not how this was meant to go."

•you don't even reply to his annoyance, you just stick a finger between his neck and the ribbon around it, tugging it and sending a wave of pressure on the sides of his neck. his eyes involuntarily roll back as you temporarily choke him with his own doing.

•"you're gonna take it, aren't you? the torture?" you ask, palming him through his underwear and holding his face close to yours. his expression contorts instantly at your roughness. "how are you gonna fucking like it when i treat you like shit?"

•"you'll regret it," he groans out in an attempted threat, but it ends up sounding more breathy and gravely than intended. "you'll fucking regret crossing me like this."

•he's literally the one that had the genius idea to tie himself up. he's a Grade A idiot for putting himself in the situation to begin with. or maybe he likes it :)

•you hastily tug your own pants off, shaking your leg to throw them aside. once you're free of the fabric, you pull down johnny's pants too, since he hasn't got the ability to do it on his own. sure enough, his underwear is already definitely stained, and yours is getting there. the sight along made a wetness pool in your panties. something about such a cocky, annoying man finally being put in his place was starting to drive you a little wild as you straddle his hips.

•you shove your panties aside and settle them in the crack between you pussy and thighs, and return the gesture to your boyfriend by tugging his waistband down and unleashing his little jonathan (sorry). his pink, angry cock springs free and slaps against your tummy. you giggle.

•"ha, ha. very funny. untie me now," johnny whines again with a frustrated tone, but there's a hint of blush on his cheeks as he looks away from your body on top of his. his anger contorts into needy moans when you wrap your fingers around his dick, stroking at a medium pace and coating himself in his own precum. "ngh, fuck — stop it, i'm not fucking playing around — aah —"

•his back hopelessly arches as you lazily stroke his dick. when you decide he's hot and ready enough for the real thing after he turns into a blabbering mess, you hover above his dick and grab two fistfuls of the ribbons; one on his neck and one on his chest. his pretty lips part as he catches his breath from the sudden movement, eyes darting across your features.

•as he tries to make sense of your bold move, you sink down onto his throbbing cock and fully take him in your walls. he's unable to writhe and squirm as you hold him in place firmly. johnny's eyebrows knit together and he swiftly moves his head to the side, his sunglasses crooked and dropping on his hooked nose. when he finally gets the strength to look down at your pussy engulfing his length, he whines at the beautiful sight and involuntarily bucks up to relieve the strain. you immediately let out a little shout of discipline and pull his upper body toward you.

•"my pace or no pace," you warn through gritted teeth. "don't pull that shit again."

•"or what?" he replies with a cocky grin, his horniness absolutely dripping from his voice. "you don't scare me." as he tries to play right back, you slam yourself down on his cock again without warning, his tip kissing your cervix invitingly. his eyes widen and he yelps out pathetically before turning it into an angry groan. "you're such a fucking bitch. i hate you."

•he starts to spew more utter nonsense about hating you and you being a bitch as you start to actually ride him, for once at your own pace. he's typically fucking up into you but this time he's tied down and taking it like a good boy! you needed this, though, to let out your frustrations with him lately. it's incredibly funny that, yes, he could technically just start bucking his hips into you, but you take note that he's actually listening to your threat and allowing himself to be used. you remind yourself to ask him to top him more often. i doubt he'd say yes.

•your pace becomes a relentless combination of slamming his cock and grinding on it to stimulate your clit, and johnny has now turned into a whimpering mess. his perfect hair was sticking to his forehead and flying out in all directions, his sunglasses were just barely hanging onto the bridge of his nose. all the while, he's still sputtering complains about being used and begging you to stop, but they sound hungrier than disgusted. your deep moans drown out his whines and cries, and you frankly don't really care about how he feels.

•you've officially fucked him stupid. he can't even get a proper word out as he's now trying to literally break the ribbons and give him access to his hands, but he's so horny he can't find the strength he typically has.

•"b... stop — babe — 'm gonna cum if you — aah, oh you fucker —" johnny starts to twitch and whimper, thrashing his head side to side as he gets closer toward release. you don't really give a shit though, as you're now chasing your own orgasm as your grinding becomes increasingly uneven. you grab hold of his neck to stabilize yourself, and the coil in your core snaps, your body sending waves of blissful pleasure through your entire being. you're violently reminded of your boyfriend's impending load when he throws away all command you gave him and starts fucking up into your sensitive pussy, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes as he pathetically tries to get himself there, too.

•you're acutely familiar with how his cock throbs when he's about to cum, and you use this information to your advantage as you abruptly pull yourself up and away right as he shoots his load. he lets out a damn near cry for help as he makes a complete mess of himself. it shoots up high, painting his stomach and chest as his hips thrust into nothing.

•"YOU FUCKING —" he groans out, eyes clenched shut as his desperation makes him act out. "I WANTED TO CUM INSIDE. YOU KNOW THAT'S MY FAVORITE. AND YOU RUINED A PERFECTLY NICE SHIRT!"

•all you do is return to straddling his hips, sliding your panties back into place and catching your breath.

•"but you look better like this," you reply lowly, taking a flat palm and putting it on his stomach. "all tied down and fucked out. i could get used to it. besides, this was my gift, wasn't it?"

•as his head tilts back to regain his composure, you snap a quick photo of his cum-stained shirt, flushed expression, and weeping dick.

•"consider this payback," you chuckle, wiggling the photo in front of his eyes. "i might just post this everywhere if you don't get me anything for my birthday next."

•"delete that, you cunt," he hisses back, once again trying to free himself. "untie me now. fun's over."

•"nah, i'm good," you reply, your annoying boyfriend being restrained giving you a dangerous amount of confidence. "i think i'll just leave you here. not before cleaning up your cum with your coat, maybe."

•"DO NOT USE MY COAT. IT WAS EXPENSIVE."

[covetyou]

fools just wanna have fun

ao3 ⋆ main masterlist ⋆ series masterlist

pairing: Dieter Bravo x fat contortionist f!reader rating: Mature (18+ only!) warnings: no smut, Dieter's cock and balls, arguing as foreplay, references to past and hoped for sexual encounters (fingering, squirting, oral), clown!Dieter is a menace (but not explicitly clowny at all in this, for those with coulrophobia), drug use, reader is referred to as Sparkles and has a briefly mentioned latex allergy. word count: 1k summary: A quiet night is all he wanted. It's what he deserved after sweating his balls off out there in the ring all night. But, you have different plans - plans, he's certain, involve riding him until the sun comes up.

A/N: this is a follow on to for one night only (Frankie x Reader), but can be read totally independently of that fic. if you'd like more of this pairing, check out jester little bit more.

follow @covetedfics and turn notifications on for updates on future work

when the workin' day is done, oh fools, they wanna have fun, oh fools just wanna have fun...

Bravo the Clown's balls were sweating. They had been all fucking day. It's simply what you get when you're in the asshole of Florida dressed head to toe in colored polyester.

But he was free now. Free for the night, free from another fucking show and, most importantly, his balls were free.

He'd just pulled them out actually, yanking his waistband below them, letting them bunch up under his flaccid cock as he rolled another joint. The one he had just before the last show didn't quite hit the spot, but this one was sure to do the job. Especially now that his balls were finally cooling down.

Not that the peace and quiet lasts too long. It never does.

Before he can so much as find a lighter to light the joint resting between his lips, you slam your way into his trailer with a bang.

"What the fuck?!" He shouts, flinging the nearest thing to him - which just so happened to be his fucking lighter - at you as you stand there panting.

"Don't you dare light that," you say, pointing to him as you catch your breath. "Condoms. I need condoms."

This isn't the first time you've stormed in here, demanding sex of him wearing nothing much at all. It is the first time you seem to have ran here though. You're never usually this desperate for it, but he supposes there has been a lot of tension between the two of you lately. Not exactly sexual tension, more extreme general frustration directed at him rather than anything particularly mutual. Still, it was there, he'd sensed it, and now here you were, demanding a fuck from your favourite clown, already looking positively fucked out -

Wait.

"What the fuck," he says again, pointing right back at you. "I am not giving you my condoms. What about me?! I know that look, you're not leaving me high and dry, Sparkles."

You're practically snarling at him now, and fuck does he love you like this. Feisty. Definitely wet too, even if it's not because of him. Don't ask him how he knows, but there's something about the way your sweat smells that changes when you're get horny that never fails to make him hard.

"What about you? You are not cock blocking me again, Bravo."

Dieter scoffs. You always brought this up. It wasn't exactly his fault you were fucking a civilian out in the open like that. He was well within his rights to walk over and take one of the blankets you had under your head that day. They didn't belong to you, they didn't belong to anyone. They were communal. "That was one time, and he was a nerd anyway."

"A nerd with a massive dick and button mashing fingers. He was about to make me squirt and you came stumbling over. And you're forgetting the girl with the nipple piercings!"

With each angry flap of your arms, he can see your panties as your t-shirt rides up on your thighs. They look wet and fuck if he isn't jealous of whichever asshole is getting a turn between your legs tonight. It should be him, with his condoms. It's not fair.

"That doesn't count," he answers, crossing his arms over his bare chest with a pout.

"It does!"

"If there was no cock involved, I didn't cock block shit."

His dick is at full mast now, and he's surprised you haven't noticed. If you have, you haven't said anything, and usually you were very good about shouting at him when he had his dick out.

Instead, you just sigh. You give in. To him.

"I don't have time for this shit. The condoms, Dieter. Please."

And, quite frankly, it's no fun fighting with you if you're not going to fight back. That doesn't mean he's going to put his dick away, of course. There's no point. He's only going to play with it when you leave.

What he does do is point you to his condom stash kept in a tin under his trailer bench. He didn't exactly use them often. He didn't like them. But he did use them with you, or if he was taking a little knock at someone's backdoor, or even if someone looked a little less sanitary than he'd like. He did have standards.

He also could've got them out for you. But if he did that he wouldn't have been treated with the view of your ass he's currently getting. You always wear the tiniest little thongs for shows. They're the only things that won't show up around the edges of your glitzy costumes. It gets him going just thinking about them wedged up your ass as he watches you perform some nights - an activity that has made him late to his own performances more than once.

Right now, that tiny little thong is nestled right between your ass cheeks, your t-shirt hiding none of your modesty now that you're bending over in front of him. The gusset of your panties peeks out from between your plush thighs too, and it is absolutely fucking drenched. If he knew you'd be amenable to it, he'd be on his knees eating you from the back already, but he knew you. Only the lucky asshole waiting for you would be getting that privilege tonight.

"Gold packet," Bravo grumbles as you rifle through the tin, picking out a small handful of condoms like you plan on having a very eventful night.

"I know what ones are latex free, Bravo."

Because that is why you came here, to him, and not to anyone else. He's probably the only person in this whole place that carried the condoms you could use - the latex free ones that didn't smell like balloons.

You finally stand just as Dieter idly wraps a hand around his balls, giving them a gentle little squeeze, and with nothing more than a middle finger and the poke of your tongue, you go to leave his trailer.

"Oh, and Dieter?" you say, stopping in your tracks halfway out the door. "Max was looking for you."

"Shit."

His wank would have to wait.

tagging previous lovers of clown!Dieter: @beefrobeefcal @sp00kymulderr @not-a-unique-snowflake-blog @clawdee @chronically-ghosted @dieterbravobrainrotclub @for-a-longlongtime

[short-honey-badger]

Forgetful Valentine's

The long awaited fic! I do hope you all enjoy what I've whipped up!

Everyone have an amazing Valentine's Day! ❤️❤️❤️

Pairings!: Sir Crocodile x AFAB Reader.

Quick summary : Crocodile is hard at work trying to get the Cross Guild up and running and accidentally forgets that it's Valentine's Day.

4.3k words

Masterlist

Buggy Town was lively as usual. Almost Everyone here belonged to the cowardly clown’s crew, but a few select members had elected to stay loyal to Crocodile. The ex-warlord strolled through the tall tents toward the middle of town where real construction had begun. He had a hand in each building, deciding what and where needed to be built first. Mihawk was uninterested in this side of running the guild, and Buggy was far too incompetent to use a hammer, much less direct a building crew made out of pirates.

Crocodile made his way to the largest building, a hotel slash bar of sorts that housed him and the other leaders of the Cross Guild. It'd been a couple of days since the devil fruit user had been able to rest his head, and he was thrilled at the thought of getting to see you, his wife. The two of you have been together since his relocation to Alabasta, been married for around eight years now. Impel Down and Marineford had been life-changing for both of you, but things were beginning to look up with the formation of the Cross Guild.

Only the people Crocodile thought worthy enough to see him with his walls down knew that he was a bit of a romantic at heart. You were obviously one of them, and he couldn't wait to get back to their personal room, curl his huge frame around you, and go to sleep.

However, Crocodile couldn't help but think that he was forgetting something important- he just couldn't figure out what. He sighs heavily and pushes open the door to the hotel, and his cigar would have fallen out of his mouth if he had not clenched his teeth.

The entire lobby has been decorated in PINK. There are paper hearts and streamers everywhere, and someone has even made cupcakes with cutesy designs. There is a massive banner that spans across the bar, where Buggy and his crew sit at the bar, drinking and having a swell time, and Crocodile feels his heart drop. It's Valentine's Day, and he forgot.

Crocodile has nothing ready, nothing prepared for you. He's been far too busy dealing with the new shipment of crops and lumber coming in. The ex-warlord swears under his breath and spins on his heel, mind working quickly to try and find a solution.

Any other year, Crocodile has gone all out for you. Back in Alabasta, he'd wake you with flowers and a sweet breakfast, keeping the day open just for the two of you. Then he would take you out for an extravagant date, only to bring you back to the casino to feed you expensive fruits and worship you from head to toe. Before the night was over, he would run the two of you a bath, making sure it suited you perfectly before gently cleaning his love of the day's events.

All that changed after Straw Hat came and wreaked all of his plans, but right now, none of that mattered. Crocodile needed to find something - anything to give you. He's already wasted the majority of the day and cursed himself for not realizing what today was again. He could only hope that you would be forgiving.

Crocodile flies out of the hotel, dropping into sand and scattering out through Buggy Town. He comes back together when he finds Mihawk, knowing that the other man would have some fancy, expensive wine lying around somewhere.

The swordsman cocks a brow at him, looking thoroughly unimpressed at Crocodile's sudden entrance. Mihawk takes in the older man's rather erratic appearance.

“Can I help you?”

Crocodile smooths his hair back, settling back into nonchalance. He doesn't want the haunty man's help, but he doesn't have many options at the moment.

“I need a favor, a bottle of wine - strawberry, your most expensive brand.”

Mihawk shifts his weight, crossing his arms and leaning back against the crates behind him. It's not every day that Crocodile of all people comes asking for a favor.

“Why?”

The taller man flicks the ash from his cigar, eyes flickering to the darkening sky. He inhales deeply, lungs filling with smoke and then leaking up into the air. Fuck. This was embarrassing.

“I forgot it was Valentine's Day. I can't show up empty-handed,” Crocodile grumbles and huffs in annoyance when he sees the amused smirk on Mihawk’s face.

“You? Why celebrate such an unnecessary holiday?” Hawkeye inquires, but his eyes shine in mischief. Mihawk knows exactly the reason, but he can't help but want to pick on the other man.

Patience running thin, Crocodile glares down at the pompous bird who looks too smug for his own good.

“Because I don't take the one I love for granted,” he snarls down at Mihawk and revels in the look of anger that flashes across his face before it disappears. They glare at one another before the swordsman ultimately sighs and rolls his eyes as he is being asked to do the most unfortunate thing in the world.

“Fine,” Mihawk drawls and turns on to march back to the hotel, “Only because your wife deserves to have a nice Valentine's.”

Wine now in hand, Crocodile stalks to the back and into the kitchens. He demands the cooks whip up a platter of fine fruits and cheeses, simple things that he knows that you like. As he steps back into the lobby, he catches sight of the rack of cupcakes that sit far too close to Buggy for his liking. He sighs as he steps over to the figurehead of the Cross Guild, clearing his throat and smirking around his cigar at the way the clown shrieks and breaks into pieces.

Crocodile snatches up a cupcake, transferring the bottle of wine to a helpful pile of sand that he summons without a thought, “Who made these?”

Buggy looks about to die in his spot when he raises his hand, cheeks coloring bright red in embarrassment as he admits to baking the cupcakes. Crocodile scoffs at the goofball of a man who somehow became an emperor of the sea.

“Of course you did,” he sneers before turning on his heel and loping upstairs, leaving behind a befuddled and terrified Buggy.

The gator is uncharacteristically nervous when he arrives in front of his door. He can hear soft music playing from within, and his scar pulls tight around his nose when a wince crosses his face. The song is slow and crooning, one that he recognizes as one of the few that you play when you are feeling upset with him. Shit.

I’ve lost all ambition

For worldly acclaim

I just want to be the one you love

Crocodile steps through the door, brows pulling up at the sight of soft lighting and delicate decorations that are just a bit tacky. He cracks a tiny grin, and stubs out his cigar in the nearest ashtray, though the effort you’ve put in here just makes the ex-warlord feel guilty. On he goes, passed the living room, and out to the small balcony where he can still hear the slow tune of the song.

And with your admission

That you feel the same

I’ll have reached the goal I’m dreaming of

You sit in one of the chairs that have been set outside, blanket wrapped tight around your body, and turn when you hear the door slide open. Crocodile catches your eyes, and his shoulders slump in relief when you reward him with a soft smile full of love. You stand, dropping your blanket, and come to his side, simply happy that your husband has made it home before the end of the day.

Crocodile drapes himself over you, setting the wine bottle and cupcake away and then curling his arm around you tightly. He lifts you, tucking his hooked arm under your legs, and you wrap your arms around his neck, pulling yourself in so that you can seal your lips to his, sighing in relief at feeling the man you loved close again. You know that he is busy, and you try not to let how much his absence hurts, but you hadn’t thought that Crocodile would have forgotten Valentine's Day.

You rest your brow against his own when the ex-warlord parts from you, letting out a quiet giggle when he presses a smattering of kisses to your cheeks and nose, though when he stops, you can see the regret still shimmering in his purple eyes.

“Forgive me, doll,” Crocodile rumbles against your lips, “Getting the guild up and running has taken too much of my attention away from you.”

You smile at him, a soft quirk of your lips that Crocodile had fallen in love with over time. He once thought you were mocking him with that easy expression, but now it is one that he cherishes above all else.

“There is nothing you need to apologize for, baby,” you coo softly and smooth a hand along his jaw, feeling the days-old stubble there. You trace the scar that runs along his nose and cheekbones, “I know that you’ve got a lot on your plate.”

Crocodile huffs, leaning into the hold you have on him, “That’s no excuse. You deserve better than this. If I’d remembered, we wouldn’t be spending this evening in the hotel surrounded by fools.”

“It's not very nice to speak about your co-workers like that,” you tease your husband, and the gator just rolls his eyes skyward.

“As if either of them contribute to the guild,” Crocodile grouches and shrugs out of his heavy overcoat and settles into the chair, situating you into a more comfortable position in his lap. Below the chair, sand shifts and slides back inside and to the cellarette. He retrieves two wine glasses and his hand reforms with the stems tucked between his fingers.

“Impressive as always,” you quip and take the glasses, resting them beside the wine and cupcake that you are just now noticing. Your smile turns into a delighted grin, and you snatch up the bottle, reading the label, “You got my favorite!”

Crocodile gives you a smug smirk, feeling proud of himself for doing at least something right tonight, “Thank Mihawk later. He’s the one who had it lying around.”

He disintegrates the cork of the dark bottle and pours them both a generous amount of the pale pink wine, handing you your glass first and then taking up his own, “The cooks are making you that little snack tray you like so much. Always eating like a little mouse.”

You snort at the old nickname, “Not my fault that fruit, cheese, and bread go so well together.”

Crocodile keeps a steady hand on your hip when you lean back over and pick up the cupcake, examining the bright pink icing and chocolate cake, “Who made this?”

The sigh Crocodile disperses is earth-shattering, and you raise a brow at his dramatics, only to smirk when he hisses, “Buggy.”

“See, your business partners are good for something, right?” You point out and take an obvious sip of your wine, then examine the cupcake, wondering which angle to go in at to create the least mess.

Crocodile snatches the cupcake from your hand, setting it back on the table. He didn’t trust you not to get crumbs everywhere, “Enough, you’ve made your point. Be grateful, hmm?”

You scoff at his audacity to think that you would ever be ungrateful for anything the devil fruit user got for you. You quickly decide to show your husband just how grateful you can be by being obnoxious, of course.

You drape yourself over Crocodile’s chest with a dramatic sigh, shifting to cradle his face in both of your hands to press your lips to his in a lip-smacking kiss, “Thank you so much for the wine and snacks to come my sweet, dear husband! What would I ever do without you?”

“Be wineless and snackless,” Crocodile rumbles and snickers at your dramatic display. Seas does he love his wife, so opposite to him, but with a unique outlook on life that he has always admired.

You laugh, catching him in another kiss before settling back down. Crocodile pours you another glass, and you sip it with a suspicious look, “Are you trying to get me drunk, Sir Crocodile?”

The grin that you receive is dastardly, and you are tugged impossibly closer, almost spilling your drink if not for the grip you had on the delicate stim. You shiver when that dangerous hook finds the edge of your dress, and send Crocodile a soft glare when you hear it begin to rip. Cool air meets your thighs when he rips it further, and he leans in, lips brushing against yours as he speaks.

“If I recall, you quite like it when I take advantage of you, Doll,” He rumbles, and his flesh hand smooths up your thigh, thumb dipping in between the juncture of your legs and stroking the soft skin there. Crocodile longs to feel your plush thighs wrapped around his waist or his head. The ex-warlord wasn’t picky. He presses his cheek to his wife’s, breathing you in and leaving a lingering kiss to your ear, “Or am I remembering incorrectly?”

A breathy laugh escapes you, and you turn your face, lips finding his stubbled cheek, “No, you remember correctly.”

You think about teasing him about the fact that he had forgotten what today was but cast the thought away when you lean back and catch sight of the dark circles under his eyes. Your husband looks tired, and your tipsy, lust-filled mind is swiftly reminded that this is the first time that Crocodile has been back to the hotel in days.

The gator raises a brow when he catches the change in your expression, and he sighs as he is subjugated to your concerned fretting until a knock on the door grabs his attention. Crocodile sets you on your feet, hands off his glass to you, and suggests you gather the wine and join him inside.

By the time you make it inside, Crocodile is shutting the door and lopes over to the sitting area where you’ve sat your bounty on the center table. The tray of snacks joins the wine and sweet treat, and Crocodile presses a quick kiss to the top of your head, “Get ready for me while I change, Dear.”

Crocodile smirks at the way you flush at the husk of his voice, and satisfaction curls hot in his chest at still being able to make you blush like a virgin even after all these years.

“Yes, Sir,” You breathe, and his cock twitches in interest. Crocodile leaves before he can say fuck it and go straight to the main course.

With your husband gone, you take in a deep breath and set to “getting ready” as he ordered you to do, which surmounted to waiting for him to get back so that he could manhandle you how he wanted. You help yourself to another glass and pick at the charcuterie board - eating the cupcake too while you’re at it - you’ve already eaten, but you were never one to turn away food.

The sight of your husband dressed down in black sleep pants with a cigar hanging from between his teeth - he’s even taken off his golden hook for the night - makes you smile, affection, and love for the dangerous man who used to infuriate you at every turn. Now, only you had the honor of seeing the suna suna user like this, all soft and intimate, and all for you, his wife.

Crocodile sighs as he settles on the floor where you’ve strewn out pillows and thick blankets, making a cozy pallet for the two of you. He rests his back on the couch, extending his hookless arm along the cushions and taking up his filled glass. He watches you pick over to the record player and switch songs, smirking when the husky voice of the female artist fills the room. You settle back in his lap, and he wraps his left arm securely around your waist.

Your fingers find his scared wrist and trace gentle patterns there. You rest against him and quietly ask him about how the last couple of days have been. You listen to your husband grouch about the incompetent fools he works with a fond grin, occasionally rising to pick at the snack board and feed your overworked ex-warlord just to get him to pause in his rants. You chime in here and there and offer one last time if he wants your help, but Crocodile denies you like every other time.

“I won’t have you out there around those heathens when I can’t be there to protect you. Mr. 3 and Daz are the only two I trust around here,” Crocodile grumbles and pushes away the cracker and cheese combination you offer him. He smirks as he watches you shrug and eat it for yourself.

“Once I get a more stable network, then we can talk about getting you back out there.”

You huff, but agree for now, not willing to argue with the stubborn man right now. You blink when your world suddenly spins, and the next thing you know, your husband is looming over you, scar scrunching up as he grins meanly down at you.

“Enough about work, Doll. I’ve held myself back for your sake, but I’m done being patient,” Crocodile rumbles and stabilizes himself with his left elbow, trailing his flesh hand up your knee and pushing your dress up and around your hips. Saliva pools in his mouth at the sight of smooth thighs, your panties hugging your mound and leaving little to the imagination. He wants to mark you up like his personal canvas and paint you with bites and hickies so that everyone would know who you belong to.

He leans back just enough to tug your dress up and over your head, tossing it behind him the moment it leaves your head. Crocodile hums, pleased at the sight of your bare breasts, though he would have liked to have seen you nice and dolled up for him, “What have I told you about wearing the lingerie I bought you?”

You blush and shake your head, “It just gets in the way.”

“Ku ha-hah, If you would give it a chance, then maybe you would change your mind,” Crocodile grumbles at you and then leans down to mouth at your collar bone, nipping at the delicate skin there. His hand splays across your side, and he slides it down your hip to hook into your underwear. He tugs them down, growing impatient when his cock throbs in his pants.

Any thoughts of arguing about lingerie are whipped from your mind when those sharp teeth of his find one of your nipples and bites. You curse, one hand gripping his shoulder and the other sliding into his hair, nails biting sharply into his olive skin. The tip of his tongue curls around your nipple, sucking gently to ease the sharp pain.

With your underwear out of the way, Crocodile hooks his fingers around your thigh and tugs your legs open, hooking your left one over his hip. The tips of his fingers dig into your inner thigh, and you moan when he nips your nub before releasing the abused flesh and lean your head back to expose your throat when he noses forward. He sucks dark marks into your skin, leaving behind a painting that only your husband would have the pleasure of viewing.

Crocodile drags his hand down your thigh, growling low in his throat when you dig your nails into his scalp again. The tips of his fingers find your cunt, and he slides his middle finger through your folds, smirking against your skin when he feels how wet you are for him. He leans up and sucks his finger into his mouth for half a second, soaking it thoroughly before sliding it back down and finding your entrance with practiced ease.

“Fuck,” you hiss, and your hips jerk at the sudden stretch. Crocodile was a large man, bigger than the average at the least, and that meant everything on him matched his height. His fingers, usually decorated with rings, were long and thick, and the gator knew how to use them to bring you over the edge until you were begging for his cock.

“Too much?” Crocodile grunts out from where he has leaned back to lave his tongue along your throat, sharp teeth nipping, “But you can take it even if it was, couldn’t you, sweetheart?”

You jerk your head in a nod, deliriously with wanton lust, “Of course, Sir. Whatever you wanted from me.”

He laughs against your skin, and then he is moving up to shove his tongue past your lips, groaning at the mixed taste of you and sweet strawberry wine. You suck on the thick muscle that fills your mouth, jaw aching at the way Crocodile doesn't let up. Your thighs shake when he adds another finger, the pace brutal and impatient.

“C-croc, please,” you plead when he pulls away, lips red and smeared with spit, “You're not the only one who's been waiting.”

Crocodile gives you a smirk, not needing to be told twice. You unwrap your arms from his neck, and he sits back on his knees, thumb hooking into the elastic of his pants, pulling them down, and you watch his impressive length spring free. Your mouth fills with saliva, and if you didn't want your husband inside you so badly, you would demand he sit back so you could suck him off.

Instead, you reach out and wrap your hand around the thick base, smirking when you feel him pulse in your hand. You squeeze gently, eyes landing on the thick precum that leaks from his tip. Crocodile rumbles above you, sounding like the animal that he is named after, and the sound sends shocks straight to your core.

Done with your playing, you sit back and tighten your legs around his waist, causing the big man to rock forward.

“Fuck me, Crocodile. Make it up to me for almost missing Valentine's.”

Crocodile's grin is nasty and mean, sharp teeth pearly and on display, “As my wife demands.”

With those words, Crocodile bats your hand away from his cock and takes himself in hand. He guides himself forward, hissing at how tight of a fit you are, swallowing him down until his hips pressed flush against your own. Crocodile lingers for half a second before he is pulling out, dragging along your walls before slamming back in.

You shout, head falling back to the pillows below as Crocodile sets a back breaking pace. You hold on to his shoulders to dear life, his hand tight around your hip to keep you still as he fucks into your cunt. He shifts his knees under you, arm moving to wrap around your waist, keeping you close as he moves to kneel on the ground. This position pushes him impossibly deeper, and you lean forward to rest your sweaty brow against his chest.

Crocodile bounces you on his cock, bodily moving you up and down, and you feel that hot coil of pleasure snap inside of you when your clit grinds wonderfully against his pelvis. He doesn't stop, growling as you clench tight around him and snapping his hips up, dragging his length against your sweet spot.

“You should see yourself,” Crocodile snarls above you, and bends, pressing his cheek to yours, “Stuffed so full with my cock. You like it when I'm rough, don't you baby?”

You nod eagerly, teeth clenched tightly when your husband tightens his grip in your waist and holds you down while he grinds up. You come quickly after that, hands tight around his shoulders and nails digging into Crocodile’s back.

His pace becomes erratic, and Crocodile can feel himself starting to get close. His wife feels too good, and he doesn't fight it when that heat snaps, pulling you down and shoving in to fill you up to the brim. You watch him, taking in the blissed out way, his brows furrowed and his sharp teeth clench. He paints you from the inside, and the two of you look down at where you are connected to see a mix of slick and semean leak out and stain your thighs.

The two of you stay like that until Crocodile grows soft and he slips out of your fucked out pussy with a quiet groan. You stay draped over him, unwilling to move, and feeling exhausted. The gator huffs at you, though he can't pick when Crocodile lets out a jaw cracking yawn. He stands with a heavy sigh, unbothered by the mess left behind as he lopes to the bathroom.

Crocodile switches arms, tucking his handless arm under your ass to keep you help up while he flicks on the tub. It's too hot for him when he steps into the huge tub, but he knows that you wouldn't tolerate anything cooler than molten lava. He adjusts you so that you are mostly submerged, big frame relaxing against the edge of the tub.

He smooths your hair away from your face, a soft smile playing on his lips when he catches your eyes. He leans in and presses his lips to your brow, “I love you, Doll.”

You grin, eyes falling shut, and you press yourself as close as you can to your husband, lips grazing his chest, “I love you too, Crocodile.”

The ex-warlord hums low, a smirk appearing, but you can still see the slight discontent in his eyes. Today isn't how he would have liked it to go, and you both know it. He tucks you close, head leaning back.

“I won't forget next year.”

[muddyorbsblr]

midnight cravings

See the full 14 Days Collection here! See my full list of works here!

Summary: Deciding to take advantage of the fully stocked pantry within the Avengers Compound, you go down there only to realize that Loki has the same idea, and he decides he'd much rather enjoy his little snack with you. And on you.

Pairing: Loki x Reader

Warnings: 18+ | smut (minors & pearl clutchers, don't even try me, i am not the one); fingering; oral (f receiving); improper use of whipped cream; language [let me know if i missed anything!]

Things to be aware of: coworkers to lovers; friends to lovers; hints of mutual pining

You huffed in your bedroom, staring up at the ceiling that was only faintly illuminated by a small crack of light peeking through your blackout curtains. Ever since you'd become a fifth wheel in your friend group, numerous girls nights had been swapped out with double date nights for Wanda and Nat with their respective husbands, Vision and Bucky.

And while you were happy for them, that also left you all alone in the tower with nothing to do on an otherwise fine Friday night -- well, Saturday morning, technically speaking.

"Well maybe if you could just lower your expectation from black hair, a thousand years old, and Asgardian, maybe you could actually pull someone and you'd be able to make it a triple date night. Ever think of that, Y/L/N?" you grumbled to yourself, finally accepting defeat that at least for the next few hours,  you weren't getting any sleep.

You padded over to the front door of your apartment, slipping on your fluffy loafer slippers, and walked out into the compound to make yourself a snack. Just because you weren't currently out with your friends and eating your fill of pasta or chimichangas or whatever cuisine it was that they  ultimately decided on didn't mean that you were gonna let yourself starve through the night.

The sound of metal clinking against ceramic stopped you in your tracks, the notes of the song you were humming carelessly dying on your lips. You were about to turn back around and take your chances at seeing what was still open on Postmates when a voice spoke up.

"You needn't turn away, Y/N. I'm not my brother, I promise you I'm covered enough."

Your shoulders slumped as you let out an inaudible sigh at the sound of Loki's voice. Of course it had to be  him. Probably out for a snack after sending home his latest conquest.

"Now how'd you know it was me?" It took all your strength to resist the urge to buckle your knees when he came into view and you realized that his definition of 'covered enough' was a pair of green sweatpants and nothing else.

"Come on, darling, I'd know your voice anywhere." To the best of your ability, you tried to hide that, like clockwork, his calling you 'darling' sent a rush of wetness pooling between your legs. "I thought you'd joined your friends tonight."

"Oh, uhm… it was more a couples thing, I would've been out of place," you mumbled, trying to focus on taking out one of the fudgesicles out of the freezer instead of the god's current proximity to your body. You popped the frozen treat into your mouth and began to make your way back to your apartment. "Later, Mischief," you mumbled around the treat.

The feel of his hand taking yours stopped you in your tracks. "You know that if you spill even a drop of that onto the floors, Stark's wife will have your head." Dammit, he was right. Pepper had chewed everyone out in the Compound at least once. It was an unspoken Avengers rite of passage at this point. "Join me."

No matter how soft spoken the words were, and uncharacteristically so for the Asgardian, they reached your ears like a command. One you'd be an entire clown to defy. You masked your sigh by taking a bite out of the chocolate-flavored treat, plopping yourself down on one of the bar stools. "What're you doing up anyways?"

His mouth upturned in a smirk at the muffled way your words came out. "I do not require as much rest as you Midgardians seem to need. In truth I'd just woken up."

"Ah, so your current bed buddy's still tuckered out?" You nearly bit your tongue at the sight of his jaw clenching at your question, wishing you had a time machine so you could rewind back a few moments and stop yourself from saying something so stupid.

Hell, rewind back a few minutes and stop yourself from even stepping out of your apartment.

You didn't bother to hide how your breath hitched as he stepped closer to you, his hand reaching up to start twirling a lock of your hair around a wickedly long finger. "I stopped playing the game of 'bed buddies' long ago, dear Y/N. That has been a game only my brother has partaken in as of late, seeing as Barnes has found a sense of home and permanence with the Widow."

Something in the way he said the words felt like a stinging slap across your face. "Are you--jealous? Of Bucky?"

Of course it was Natasha. With how fucking gorgeous she is, this isn't even surprising. Still hurts like a motherfucker, though, you hissed inwardly. You tried to hide your disappointment by taking another bite of the fudgesicle, trying to swirl the frozen morsel around your mouth to induce a brain freeze you knew would never come.

"In part, yes. But not because he'd built a life with Romanoff. Rather because of what he has instead of who he has it with. I could only be so fortunate for the woman I crave to want me in return. To find a semblance of home with me as I do when I'm around her."

"Whoever she is either has horrible taste if she doesn't want you back, or is oblivious as fuck," you thought out loud as you bit off the last of the chocolate flavored treat. The words escaped you before you could even think of filtering them. "Shoot your shot. You never know she might want you back after all and all your worries are for nothing."

You chucked the little popsicle stick in the direction of the trash bin, comically throwing your hands up in the air as you watched it fall into the little receptacle.

"Perhaps you're right," you heard him mumble before he grabbed the back of your neck and held you in place as he leaned in and captured your lips with his in a fevered kiss. Your gasp from the suddenness of his actions giving him the perfect opportunity to slip his tongue past your lips and glide against your own, feeling your body weaken in his hold as he groaned into your mouth.

All rational thought left your head as you felt his fingers weaving through your hair, his free hand traveling down to the back of your knee, putting the slightest bit of pressure on the sensitive spot and coaxing you to part your legs just enough for him to step in between them. You whimpered against him as he wrapped his arm around you, pressing against you until your hips were flush against each other.

"What if I told you that I craved you, little mortal?" he asked as he kissed a trail down your neck, sucking a bruise into the spot between your neck and shoulder. "That every time our paths would cross, my thoughts are consumed by the image of seeing your lips swollen from my kiss? And I often find myself unable to lay in my own bed without thinking what it would be like to have you there beside me?" He made his way back up to your lips, pressing a soft kiss before pressing his forehead to yours, the bridge of his nose nestled almost perfectly against your own. "What would you say then, darling?"

Your answer came at a nearly inaudible level, finding it difficult to even breathe properly at his admission. "I would say that I feel the same."

There was a fluttering in your stomach as you watched a brilliant smile grace his features before he pressed his lips to yours again, chuckling against you as you let out a muffled yelp  when he tightened his hold on you and lifted you off your seat. Wrapping your legs around him led you both to groan into the kiss, his free hand reaching over to take something from the counter before he broke the kiss. "Open."

He raised a can of whipped cream to your mouth, a devious smirk on his face. You let out a giggle as he aimed the nozzle between your parted lips and placed a large dollop of the cold aerated concoction on your tongue, the sound quickly morphing into a moan as he covered your mouth with his and felt his tongue coaxing the whipped cream into his own mouth.

You didn't even notice that he'd used his seiðr to bring you to his bedroom until he'd laid you down on the silken sheet covered mattress, the god crawling up your body as if you were prey he'd just ensnared. He smirked at the little squeak you made when he knelt above you, his hands grasping at the center of your nightdress and ripping it down the middle, baring you to him.

"Oh, min lille kjære," he murmured, touching his fingers to the soaked fabric of your panties before snapping the sides apart and pulling the rendered scrap of clothing off you, devoid of pause as he stuffed the fabric into the pocket of his sweatpants. Your pulse hammered against the side of your neck as you watched the can of whipped cream materialize in his hand once again. "Lay your head back."

Your view shifted from his face to the ceiling as you followed his command, your pulse quickening in excitement as your head swam with the possibilities of what he could do. You didn't have to wait long, feeling within seconds the cool substance piling up on the base of your throat. The way he let out a sound of appreciation at the sight before him had you thrumming with anticipation, eager to know the feel of his lips on your skin again.

Instead, you felt another mound of the whipped cream piling up between your breasts, and another one just above your navel. "You look worlds better than any delectable little morsel I could have in that pantry, min lille kjære," he murmured before his mouth descended onto your body, licking and sucking the whipped cream he placed on you. "You've spoiled me, dear Y/N."

The sound that escaped you was incoherent, barely even resembling a human let alone yourself, as you tried to ask him to elaborate.

Loki chuckled against your skin, the sound sending a deliciously sinful thrill all throughout your body, down to the tips of your fingers. "You've given me my new favorite way to enjoy dessert, darling." Your legs twitched involuntarily as you felt his fingers trailing up your inner thigh, teasing along your folds and coating the  wickedly long digits in your arousal. "Atop the most sinfully beautiful woman I've encountered across the Nine Realms."

Your moans echoed around the room as he slid his fingers into your slick entrance, curling them upward and making your hips jerk upwards and off the bed. All the while he kept his lips latched onto the skin above your navel, sucking and licking at the spot despite the whipped cream being long gone.

"That's it, sweet girl. You're so wondrously responsive for me, so deliciously wet," he growled, moving his head to close his lips around the stiffened peak of your nipple, eliciting a broken moan of his name from your lips. "Let go, my darling. Let me feel you come apart by my hand." He placed the pad of his thumb on your clit and began to rub against it, mirroring the movements with his tongue against your nipple.

That was all you needed to go over the edge, the pleasure overtaking you as your walls convulsed around his fingers, your legs shaking from the sheer strength of your climax hitting you and setting every last nerve on your body alight.

Your mind was a mess as you watched him withdraw his fingers from you, your heartbeat pulsing violently at the sides of your head as he squirted a mound of whipped cream on his fingers before placing them into his mouth, unabashedly sucking his fingers clean of the mixture of the sweet concoction and your release.

"You taste divine, my precious little mortal," he rasped, chuckling darkly as he watched you squirm under his ardent gaze. "But I think it would taste even better directly from the source."

"Loki…" you whimpered, the raven-haired god smirking as he moved his way down your body, placing your thighs on his broad shoulders before reaching for the can of whipped cream again, shaking the container in a sensually menacing manner. "Mischief, what are you--OH!"

You gasped at the feel of the cold substance escaping the can and making contact with your soaking heat, his name escaping your lips in stuttered pleas and moans the moment you heard the now empty can clatter to the ground and felt his tongue start lapping at the mix of your slick arousal and the sweet aerated cream. He placed his hands on either side of your hips and lifted you off the mattress, preventing you from squirming away from him as he devoured you.

It didn't take long for him to bring you to another orgasm, your hips jerking against his mouth as he eased you down from your high, taking long, slow strokes at your entrance with his tongue, the deliciously sinful sounds from his mouth putting you in a place of complete contentment.

He set your body back down on the bed, giving you a few moments to catch your breath while pressing soft kisses to your stomach, working his way up to your mouth. When your tongues met, you could taste the mix of the sweet whipped cream and your release on his tongue, creating a heady combination that had your mind spiraling in a shameless decadence of it all.

When your breathing began to even out, he began to hook your legs around his waist, pulling you to him with a slight tug and knocking the air out of your lungs again. You whined his name as you tried to raise your head to look at him, earning you a low chuckle from him. "Oh, min elskede," he cooed at you, thumbs lightly stroking the tops of your thighs. "Did you truly think I was even anywhere near finished with you for tonight?"

A/N: Aaaaa when I tell y'all that this is one of the stories that had me staring at the wall for a few minutes after thinking of some of the sequences that went down for it 😮‍💨😮‍💨 I can't believe that in a few short days, this project will officially be done for me 😳 I hope y'all have liked the filth so far because there's still 3 days left and we still have 2 Loki stories and 1 lusty vicar story to get through 🥵

'everything' taglist: @sailorholly @loopsisloops @unlucky-number-13 @imalovernotahater @coldnique @loz-3 @huntress-artemiss @salempoe @vickie5446 @athalialaufeyson @lokiprompts @sarahscribbles @kats72 @kikster606 @evelyn-kingsley @lokixryss @thomase1 @mischief2sarawr @peaches1958 @lovingchoices14 @goblingirlsarah @iamlokisgloriouspurpose @creationsbyme @maple-seed @mjsthrillernp @ladyofthestayingpower @mygfloki @sititran @glitterylokislut @ozymdias @fictive-sl0th @lovelysizzlingbluebird @lokidbadguy @mochie85 @silverfire475

Loki taglist: @calumance @severuslovebot @moonlightreader649 @i-stand-with-loki @nixymarvelkins @cheekyscamp @lokisgoodgirl @purplegrrl27 @thedistractedagglomeration

[tojiscrack]

𝐔𝐓𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐀

summary: 31k words — your time in the northern division didn’t go as planned. coincidentally, captain levi’s time in the southern division also didn’t go as planned.

notes: i’m very, very, VERY sorry i neglected you guys 😭 but it’s here now, and for compensation for the long wait and your patience, it’s a whopping 31k words!! i hope you like it :)

tw: very strange behaviour, swearing, i’ll update this if there’s something i’ve missed

i do not own any of the characters of aot. i only own the character of y/n and a few other made up characters. the rest belong to hajime isayama as well as aot itself.

previous chapter :)

next chapter :)

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・

start of day 1:

utopia did not look like anything you expected. what you assumed would be a similar setting to trost, you were taken aback to discover that up in utopia, it was way more bright, way more sunny, and way more calm. knowing this, you could not exactly pinpoint what made it so visibly pleasing in comparison to the setting that you were so used to: the trees looked the same, tall and dominating as it loomed over the rest of you. but the grass seemed greener here, somehow.

what you were really looking forward to, however, was what the training field looked like. and you weren't disappointed. kind of. it was spacious, just like the one back at trost. majority of it was concrete though, which had to have been a health hazard, right? back at trost, most of it was grass, the rest being concrete. over here was the complete opposite.

it's a good thing i'm good at hand-to-hand, you'd thought to yourself as you crossed the empty field to enter the brick building adorned with small windows.

you could hear a pair of footsteps echoing after yours, harshly reminding you of the fact that you still could not be trusted to walk yourself over to the office on your own. the only thing the escort was useful for was dragging your suitcase along and not letting you lift a finger for it.

and the fact that you had no idea where the commandant's office was.

you lagged behind the escort at the realisation. the hallways were as narrow as the ones in the south, but they didn't hold the same familiarity. it wasn't the same corridor you'd spent running away from keith after somehow pissing him off again. it did not feel right.

it hadn't been long before you found yourself nearly walking into the escorts' back when he stopped in front of a tall, wooden door, identical to the very one you'd constantly found yourself standing behind back when you were still part of the southern division.

the man in front of you barely spared you a glance before knocking rhythmically on the door. you thought that was weirdly amusing, was that a must here? why couldn't the southern division be like this?

because keith is a party pooper, you bitterly thought, stepping forward and ignoring the warning look your escort directed at you as you raised a fist.

and instead of doing the same rhythmic knock as he had done, you turned your fist so your knuckles couldn't touch the door and instead, the side of your hand took the impact for each aggressive and fast attack on the wood.

the escort's eyes widened, letting go of the handle of your suitcase and hurriedly nudging you away from the door. you still persisted despite the way he'd put your wrists together and pushed you away.

"stop — stop it!" he snapped, voice low and hushed, perhaps to make sure the ruckus did not wake the cadets earlier than they should actually be up. the hand that broke free of his grip had immediately been forced back down as he glowered at you. "no!" he demanded, as though scolding a child. "are you trying to get us killed?"

you scoffed at him.

"he can't be that bad," you told him confidently. "if you've gone through keith, you can go through anyone."

he gave you a look of something in between disgust and confusion. you thought he looked like your local clown back home.

"the heck are you calling him by his —" he began, but then shook his head as if he'd made a terrible mistake. "you know what? i don't even wanna know — just don't do that in there."

he slowly turned the knob on the door, back flat against the door as he pushed it open for you to step in.

you spoke as you did.

"relax, i don't even know his na—"

and sitting behind the desk that you'd normally see keith in, you found that it was someone you knew, someone you were quite acquainted with: it was buzzkill teach!

he sat at his desk with his fingers clasped together in front of him and his thick brows raised so far up his forehead, the lack of hair made it appear as though it were much larger than it actually was. but the second he met your gaze, his pupils dilated and then grew smaller and smaller, the whites of his eyes becoming the centre.

you did not know whether to beam or to scowl; judging from his very negative reaction of you, you wanted to choose the latter, but simply could not bring yourself to — for some odd reason.

"oh — hey buzzkill teach!" you said instead, voice cheery and loud that your escort had to hurriedly shut the door behind him, glaring at the back of your head as you spoke.

"you?" your former trainer questioned, fingers unclasping and palms facing the ceiling in some exasperated hand gesture.

"i'm y/n," you introduced yourself as if he had forgotten who you were.

"i know who you are, dammit!" he snapped, standing up so fast his chair made a loud squeaking noise as it dragged itself across the wooden floorboards. "they never told me it was you!"

"i wondered what happened to you, you know," you said fondly, walking over to the seat on the opposite end of his desk and sitting down comfortably. you looked around:

the office looked very similar to keith's (that hadn't surprised you at all). the desk placed across the large window was the same as keith's, however the only difference you could actually pinpoint was the fact that the room had more drawers and space. it also looked much well kept — no cobwebs or dust gathered on top of the piled up books in sight.

and it seemed that your ex-trainer was better at his job than keith was, the usual mounts of paperwork piled up on keith's desk was no where to be found at his empty one (though that did explain the dark bags hanging underneath both his narrowed eyes).

"whatever," he sighed, waving a hand at your escort who then silently left the room after leaving your suitcase to stand by itself on the back wall. he sat back down again, running his fingers across the length of his bushy brows and opening the drawers in search of something. "just sit silently while i —"

"what's your name? you never told me —"

his head still hung and his posture bent to dig through the drawers, his eyes were the only thing that moved to address you. "what did i just say?"

"oops, sorry," you whispered, leaning back on your chair and crossing your knee over the other.

"hmph, it's badis if you must know," he said lowly, placing several sheets in front of himself.

you froze, eyes that had been wondering around the room now darted right back to the man sitting across from you in silent amusement and shock. it seemed that your silence had been going on for too long, so when he met your eyes once more, you'd accidentally let out a snort: your hand immediately shot up to press itself against your mouth in a helpful attempt to stop yourself.

"what?" he demanded, frustration evident in his tone.

you tried your hardest not to smile.

"could you — could you repeat that?" you asked. you let out a long exhale, hand back on the arm of the chair in disbelief. "sorry, i think i might've misheard you or something. i thought you said your name was badis."

his eye twitched.

"it is."

that was the end of the line for you. the dam broke. you laughed so loud, you were certain that the cadets had woken out of their deep slumbers, but you had barely any thought left in you to care.

the man sitting in front of you, the commandant of the northern division, straight faced and furious, and his name just so happened to be badis.

badis.

your stomach constricted in on itself, your throat closed up making it more difficult to breathe, and when he demanded what was so funny to you, you could barely stop the stitch that was forming itself on the bottom left of your stomach.

"badis —" you said, through heaved breaths, "badis — badis and shadis!"

you sneaked a glance at him. his eyes looked bloodshot, resting firmly on you as you leaned back against the head of your chair.

"stop!" you said, nails digging into the arms of your chair so deep, your knuckles turned white.

he didn't say anything. that made you laugh even more.

"so — so what, is — is the eastern division's commandant called madis?" you joked, and then found yourself guffawing even harder at your own comment. but before he could even respond (whether it was to scold you or to just stop you), you continued ridiculing him. "and the western division — the western division — what's his name then? kadis?"

commandant badis was not pleased with your joke. he simply stared at you, eye twitching every once in a while as he slammed the drawer shut without looking down at it once.

"no — no wait, wait! maybe we should rename each of the walls — shadis, badis and kadis!" you gasped out, chuckling. "oh but don't worry about madis, we'll just make another wall entirely, just for him!"

and you couldn't even tell if he had anything to say to that, for your laughter had echoed around the spacious room straight after the last syllable of the sentence left your lips.

it had been, perhaps, five good minutes before your laughter started to die down, and commandant badis took the opportunity to finally cut through your sniggering.

"are you done?" he'd said, voice gruff and hard, showcasing his displeasure.

you sighed, closing your eyes as you hung your head back over the head of your chair to face the ceiling.

"yeah," you breathed out, chest heaving. "i think."

"good. so we can get back to business —"

"poor madis," you muttered, giggling to yourself and simultaneously ignoring anything the commandant had to say to you.

"madis is my cousin, so i'd appreciate it if you stopped using his name in your little story."

"what?" you gasped, tears starting to well up in your eyes as you swallowed down the ear-splitting laugh that threatened to leave you. "madis actually exists?"

commandant badis knew his mistake then, revealing such information to you did not plead his case for you to simply shut up and just fill out the details on the paperwork sent over about you, especially not when you began cracking up again.

he thought to himself, as he watched you clench your stomach, why he had let this piece of information out so carelessly.

"so i could never be commandant because the entry requirement is for my name to end in -adis, right?" you asked, barely able to keep it together before he lost it.

"can we get BACK TO THE WORK NOW?" he shouted, reminding you of the version of him that you'd met back at the southern division during your extra training.

"woah," you breathed out, wiping at your eyes. "okay... okay, i'm sorry. let's —"

"yeah."

"yeah," you tiredly agreed.

even though the next ten minutes were spent with accidental giggles slipping out of you, you still managed to get most of the boring paperwork out of the way. commandant badis kept asking you the most unexciting questions in the world, you had half a mind to simply fall asleep. after all, you barely got any in the carriages that took you and your luggage over to utopia district. still, you repressed the urge, even though it physically and mentally drained you to do so.

"it says over here," commandant badis continued after what felt like ten long years, "that since your first day at the cadet corps, you've gotten too comfortable. in order words, this misbehaviour of yours isn't new."

you folded your arms over your chest defensively.

"why does everyone call it 'misbehaviour' like anyone else wouldn't do the same things i do?"

he regarded you with a look you did not particularly like. though his name was almost identical to keith's, his attitude was not. you actually preferred badis over shadis, minus the expression of aversion he was giving you.

"because they haven't done anything that warrants suspension, you miscreant," said badis, venom lacing each word.

before you could argue, the commandant had already flipped over the sheet of paper he'd been examining on his desk and leaned in to read more information. after tutting and shaking his head — you assumed it was because of the lies that were written about you — you'd been proven wrong when he continued to grumble to himself as he pulled open another drawer and placed thin-framed glasses over his nose.

he continued to casually read the paper, his disappointment still etched on his face like a bee to a flower.

"what i don't get is why they don't just permanently ban you," he said aloud.

you half believed that he hadn't meant for you to hear that, but when he continued to go on and on about it, his voice never wavering from its loud volume, you knew he'd meant for you to hear it.

rude, you thought in your head.

"i mean, with everything you've done... like 'faking amnesia when she stole from the kitchens with another cadet' — walls! — i'd have you gone within the hour."

you tilted your head in vague interest.

"they still remember that?" you accidentally blurted out. at the way badis's eyes shot up, you immediately recoiled. "i mean — i don't remember stealing from the —"

"just stop," he snapped, tone firm yet tired. "we both know what you're doing here."

you shrugged. he was right. it was impressive how you still managed to keep up the act of innocence and confusion with the matter as if you truly did not understand how the food from the kitchen miraculously ended up in your dorm. what shocked you was the fact that you were certain that had happened almost two years ago, were they seriously still salty about it?

"if my cadets ever did half the things you've done..." he continued lowly, eyes skimming and scanning the sheet, "thought that old fart was smarter than this. don't know why he chose a temporary suspension and not complete exclusion."

a part of your brain did not like the way badis was insulting keith, but when the memories of his home-wrecker-tendencies flashed before your eyes, all the defensiveness and sympathy flew out of you smoothly.

"it's because i'm actually number one in the rankings back at trost," you said carelessly.

your rested your knee over the other one with a confident smile on your face. commandant badis took a swift glance at you, back down at the paper with furrowed brows, and cleared his throat loudly.

"really?" he said.

"yep, i beat everyone back there," you nodded gracefully.

"because over here it says that you're ranked thirty-eighth —"

your smile dropped quick enough to rival even connie's speed using odm. he stared at you with a blank expression, you could barely meet his eyes at the embarrassment of being caught in such an easy lie.

immediately you stood up, wordlessly walking over to the door. it wasn't like this was the only reason you were choosing to leave. no, you felt that familiar churn in your lower abdomen, quite similar to the one back at keith's office that had been the reason you found yourself cleaning horse shit at the stables.

you did not want a repeat of that. the simple thought of that situation cured the embarrassment you felt simmering inside of you at the prospect of being caught out in a lie.

"where are you going, squirm?" commandant badis demanded as your hand turned the cool knob on the door.

please don't be like keith, you prayed in your head.

you turned back around and jutted a thumb at the open door behind you.

"have to go and do something real quick —"

"no."

your heart dropped to your stomach.

"no you don't understand," you tried reasoning desperately. "i can't — oh my god..." you let out a long breath of air to prevent yourself from bursting into tears. "i can't have a repeat of this again —"

"all right, you lied, big deal! i expected it anyway, there's no way you could be ranked number one anywhere —"

you could barely find it in yourself to be offended, the jittery feeling in your stomach taking your attention away from all else.

"sit back down," he ordered you strictly. when you shook your head, eyes pleading and brows raised, he shouted. "NOW!"

"please," you begged desperately. you rubbed your forehead with annoyance, dragging your hand down your face in exhaustion. "you don't get it — i have to leave — it's gonna stink!"

he raised a brow at you.

"if this is another one of your dumb antics — actions — shenanigans or something —"

you stomach churned. holding it in was never healthy, you remembered your mother telling you at one point. however, knowing this, you still did not want a repeat of what happened all those weeks ago.

"i'm begging you," you said, feeling the tears sting at the back of your eyes. you swallowed harshly, a lump lodged in your throat. "i'll come back inside, i promise! just after i —"

but commandant badis was having absolutely none of it. it was clear that he did not trust you enough to allow you to stand even right outside his office door without being watched over. it reminded you of that story your mother had told you once when you were about five or six — something about some kid crying about a wolf and then no one believing him... what was the name?

ah, right: the boy who cried wolf.

except you were not a boy and there was no wolf. so why the hell did your mother act as though your little mishap situation back at home had any correlation to a wolf and a boy?

dumb, but you could not dwell on the matter too long even if you so desperately wanted to. there was a much more pressing issue at hand, particularly the odd feeling swirling around your stomach. it was travelling lower and lower, pressing at your abdomen and somehow further down your back simultaneously.

the last thing you needed was a new nickname when you'd been given the fresh opportunity of starting anew. though you'd find out only moments later that luck was simply not on your side (not exactly new information, to be fair).

"just after you what, huh?" the commandant interrupted harshly. "run off and wreck havoc 'cause you don't know the place, huh? wake those lazy cadets up if you haven't already, HUH? ANSWER ME!"

"you and keith are the same!" you cried when the pressure became too much for you, so much so that you actually put a show of stomping your foot. "i'm doing this for your own good! ... and mine, but still!"

"watch that tone, you slimy snob!" he snapped at you, slamming his palm down on his desk with such strength, the remaining paperwork shook where it lay. he raised a pointer finger at you with narrowed ieyes. "look, you might've been able to pull at old shadis's hair where you came from, but round here, no one has more authority than i!"

you watched him for a moment, face still scrunched up out of desperation and slight pain (you'd gone against your morals and actually made an attempt to hold it in).

"keith... doesn't have any hair," you commented, wasting your last breath and moment of strength needed to hold the gas in on that silly little comment — you only realised how stupid that was of you when the gas you let escape was silent.

poof.

silent... just like the one that started it all.

oh.

you smiled at last: well at least your stomach felt better —

"what's that smell?" he questioned, slowly.

you glanced at the wall beside him, waiting surely. i've just about done it now, haven't i? you thought to yourself, feeling as though a twisted form of deja vu had taken place.

lovely.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・

the carriages were a hassle, but it was the only form of transport that he could use besides the gear he wore twenty-four-seven (and erwin had slightly lectured him about wasting gas just to travel the short distance from the scouts' quarters to the grounds of the cadet corps, also situated in trost).

he watched as members of the public stared and fawned at the sight of him grumpily observing from the large gap in the carriage he was sitting in. he hated it. it was because of them, after all, that the funding for the scout regiment was extremely low (that and the pigs of the military police). he found himself staring at a kid that had been looking up at him with wide eyes, only to cower back under his cold gaze.

he shifted his pupils to the cursed book in his hands — he hadn't meant to scare off the little kid, but his mind was plagued with the (somewhat) forbidden writing he had read and reread not so long ago.

he wouldn't be making his way down to trost if not for the act of returning your stupid diary, and make no mistake, your diary was absolutely stupid. he'd never in his life read something so dumb, so disgustingly detailed and completely untruthful till you and your too-happy self had come along and proved to him that writing could be as such. you just had to be so frustrating. who had raised you to become the way that you were? because he wanted to have a good and long conversation with the culprits.

he'd arrived at the cadet corps quicker than he'd expected, though it was something he knew happened when your mind was too occupied to focus on your surroundings: this was proof of it.

he ignored the stammering escort that had arrived with him, barely waving the nervous man off before marching towards the heavily-guarded grounds of the cadet corps. he watched the cadets carefully as he passed the training field. it seemed that most were on their lunch-break. he'd concluded that from the sight of several of them messing around, laughing and joking with each other. had they been doing this during training hours, shadis surely would have reprimanded them. though now that he really thought about it, he barely had you on a leash — who's to say that his discipline was good at all?

levi ignored the students on the field, making his way to the building he had once resided in a few years ago. not much had changed, he'd noticed, on the several occasions he'd been personally sought out to come over and study or teach the current students.

levi felt more and more anger towards you as his grip on the book tightened. it was you that had him walking towards the part of the building that was forbidden for any and all men. it was you that caused this entire issue to begin with. why did you have issues with merely following simple instructions? why did you struggle to behave properly?

why were you such a pain in his ass?

and most importantly, why were you such a liar? when had he married you and then broken up with you? he certainly didn't remember any of your interactions going along the lines of the traditional vows and contract, so where you got that impression from, he had no clue.

the closer he got to the girls' barracks, the more his blood simmered beneath his pale skin. never in his life did he find himself venturing the dorms belonging to the girls — until you. if he hadn't mentioned it before, or expressed it enough, you were extremely annoying. a pain in his ass. a thorn at his side. a devil in disguise.

but it was too late to feel embarrassment or shame and turn back, for he'd made it to his destination. he knew the door at the end of the hallway was your dorm, for he had once been in it.

levi had one job to do and then this entire situation with you would be over and done with: put the diary back where he found it and disappear unless he was given an order to accompany teaching with shadis.

he twisted the knob on your door, barely registering the fact that he should have knocked as he made his way in, eyeing the bunk bed pressed against the right side of the room and the single bed on the left. his tense shoulders drooped ever so slightly — he was glad your dorm-mates (whoever they were) were not present.

he eyed the book in his hand, contemplating, before cursing you in his head for your complete corruption of his once innocent mind and slammed the book down on your desk, turning away and preparing to leave, only to find himself turning back at the sight of your broken cupboard. how did that even happen? why was the majority of your stuff broken (your cupboard, the hairbrush on the desk — that of which was also standing on three legs instead of four).

you'd better pay for that, he thought to you in his head.

he wouldn't deny that — surprisingly — your room was cleaner than expected: your bed made and the floors dusted, but he didn't trust you enough to believe that you were responsible for the cleanliness of your own room. probably her roommates.

he wasn't too surprised in finding that only your possessions were broken and that the rest — which he wisely assumed belong to the other girls you roomed with — were perfectly intact. what the hell was wrong with you?

he tutted as he swiped a finger across your desk, expecting his smooth skin to be dusted with dirt and grime, only to be proven foolishly wrong by the sight of nothing. your (broken) desk was clean. he looked around. he didn't know which was your bed, but all three were smooth and made.

levi only then realised that he probably should not have lingered for so long. the thought stuck, especially when he heard the creak of your door once more. he half-turned, almost expecting you to stand there in front of him, before harshly reminding himself that you were currently suspended.

instead, standing at the opened door was another cadet, one he had seen you hang around with, and it wasn't the friendly freckled boy or even the incredibly tall one: it was a girl, tall in stature with big brown eyes, her hair in a high ponytail which had become slightly loose from all the physical training. she had a look on her face that reminded him of you (only slightly). it was curious and pressing. the only difference he could visibly notice was the fact that you would have beamed at the sight of him. this cadet was simply... confused.

"captain levi?" she said, eyes wide and brows raised.

he almost kicked himself for choosing to listen to the devil on his shoulder and wander around your room, because look where he found himself now.

"that's me," he responded, almost making a move to leave before the curious cadet bombarded him with the very question he was aimlessly hoping she would not ask.

"what're you doing here?"

he repressed the urge to groan loudly. he had nobody to blame but himself.

and you, of course.

levi shoved his hands in his pockets and tried not to scowl. he had to act as though he hadn't made a mistake, even though it was quite obvious that he had. he could only hope this annoying cadet was as clueless as you were.

"none of your business," he responded icily.

he didn't know what he expected from this friend of yours, but as she replied back to him, he couldn't help but think that he should have foreseen it. after all, he didn't imagine you to befriend just about anyone, no matter how social you were.

"but it is my business," the girl bravely commented. "this is my room."

...

at his cold stare, she scrambled to look for an explanation. in doing so, he carelessly watched as she pressed a fist to her heart and stood up straight. he supposed that was another obvious difference between the two of you — this nosy girl understood her position in the cadet corps. you breached it.

"i mean —" she began, the whites of her eyes much more prominent than when she'd first spotted him only a few seconds prior, "not that you have to — like — explain yourself to me or whatever, captain levi! i just meant — well i didn't really mean it — but what i actually wanted to say was —"

"save it," he interrupted, exasperated. "you sound like oluo when i look at him in passing."

she blinked at him.

"oluo?" she repeated, visibly addled.

he did not care to explain to her who oluo was. instead, he gave her a look of contempt and made his way to the door she was standing by. she did not need to be told; she stepped to the side to allow him the space to leave. that, he noted, as he mumbled a low order of 'at ease', was another difference between you and her. she was well aware of social cues. you lacked them.

levi once again ignored the gasps and stares of the cadets as he walked by, unable to rid the pressing feeling at the back of his mind that questioned how lifeless the cadet corps seemed that day.

and several days after that one too.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・

day 1:

it was only your first day here and you found yourself already on duty in the mess hall, helping the old ladies serve breakfast for the cadets as punishment for your little... incident. accident was probably the better word for it.

it was odd. this had never been a punishment from where you came from back at trost. usually, keith would send you to the stables, have you clean two entire classrooms with no break, or worse: spend dinner running laps instead of eating. this punishment, however, as you plated some bread and cheese for the small girl standing across from you, didn't seem so bad.

you noticed how timid she seemed. you secretly added another piece of bread on her plate and handed it to her confidently. her brows became tight, eyes searching yours in confusion. you winked at her (or tried to, because you still hadn't mastered it somehow) and she walked away, still looking bewildered, not a spring in her step which was unlike what you expected.

"i was trying to say it's a secret!" you called out after her, annoyed that she hadn't understood. who wouldn't understand? a wink was a wink, whether it was done correctly or not!

collectively, the old ladies stared at you, watching the interaction with obvious critique in their eyes and faces. you waved your spatula at them dismissively.

"don't judge me, i'm new. i learn quick though, so don't worry about it," you assured them, returning back to your task as another male cadet approached you, tray at hand and a friendly smile on his face.

you had to do a double-take at the sight, nearly dropping the large wooden spoon you held tightly in your hands at your surprise. if you blurred your vision intentionally, you were almost one hundred percent certain that you'd mistake this amiable gentleman for your dear friend marco.

the similarities between the two were uncanny. like marco, he had dark hair that gleamed under the light seeping through the gap between the double doors of the hall, looking so soft that you couldn't help but have the silent, intrusive urge to reach up and run your fingers through it. his smoothly rounded jaw and gentle smile that reached his eyes were features you distinctly remembered marco possessing. the resemblance left you blinking up at him dumbfounded, completely taken aback by his appearance.

"is... something wrong?" he voiced, when it became clear that you would simply stand there and gawk.

he even sounded like marco.

you nearly cried, for you missed him dearly. it didn't matter to you whether you had been gone for a day, a week, or even a year — it was marco. sasha had once explained separation anxiety to you, recounting the time when keith had sent her to run laps while connie was forced to clean his office for goofing around during training. she had described it as sheer torture, exaggerating her words to make it seem like a punishment as dreadful as mucking out the stables. at the time, you had thought she was being overly dramatic. but now, looking up at marco's near-double, you realised she had been right all along.

you beamed at him, shaking your head and loading his tray up with extra bread and cheese. he recoiled as you continued to do so, clear that you would not stop.

"er —" he began, visibly and audibly concerned. still, you had no plans on stopping. "i — i don't need this much —"

"no," you said, using your gloved hands to level an extra potato on top of the loaded pile of food you had already burdened him with. "you have to eat."

"thank you..." he said, and you couldn't help but think of your marco, how humble he always seemed. you expected a 'but', and you were right in doing so, for marco 2.0 was not finished. "but i'll be really full —"

"pocket some of it then," you told him, voice low. "where i'm from, they're always stingy about food portions. so eat."

he opened his mouth, to argue with you, no doubt. too righteous, you thought, shooing him silently. when he hadn't moved, still looking sheepish, you came to another conclusion. too stubborn. annoying. like my marco.

"lalala, i can't hear you!" you sang, making an obvious attempt to ignore marco 2.0's feet that were still lodged into the floor before you, immovable, unyielding, and unrelenting. "next!"

the smile you had been maintaining slipped away like water through your fingers as the fake marco finally moved aside, revealing a tall cadet with a scowl that could curdle milk. his expression, dark and stormy, made it clear that he was thoroughly unimpressed with you for some unfathomable reason. however, calling him tall was probably an understatement. this cadet was a giant, lanky like a bean sprout, so much so that when you lifted your gaze, you were met with his chest rather than his face. when you tilted your chin higher, meeting his eyes, you noticed how the shape of them, narrow, seemed rather familiar, like someone you knew.

the long face was what had you finally put your finger on it. paired with the permanent grimace, sharp jawline, and what seemed to be slightly darker than the usual ash blonde you were used to, you came to the horrifying realisation that the male cadet resembled jean a little too much.

you didn't like it.

"you're holding up the queue," he'd unhelpfully informed you, as though your kindness towards marco's doppelganger was unjustified. what an idiot.

"you look like jean," you said, your words sharp as daggers as your eyes slowly raked up and down his figure.

the unidentified twin glowered down at you, clearly unimpressed.

"who the hell is jean?" he demanded, visibly irked.

you scoffed, shaking your head.

"even got an attitude like him too," you tutted out loud, reaching for the wooden spoon lodged into a field of peas. you looked up, tilting your head at him curiously. "do you like peas?"

his eyes narrowed into slits, radiating irritation like a cat ready to pounce with his lips pressed into a thin, unforgiving line, as if he were biting back a torrent of scathing words. at your innocent question, the furrow in his brow deepened, like a crack spreading through ice.

"no —"

"well now you do," you said, joyfully plating several green peas onto his plate, ignoring his loud protests, only stopping when he took several steps back in order to move his plate out of reach. "next!"

"what — no!" he argued, only forcing you to raise your brow at him challengingly. "you can't just give me a few peas. i hate 'em!"

"cope," you dismissively said, tilting your chin up at him as though you were of higher authority. in some ways, you were. you didn't believe that the rules here in the north applied to you anyway. you were a child of the south, and proud of it too. they didn't need to know why you were here to begin with (or how you had been so brave, the higher ups had ended up writing new rules because of you). duplicate-jean was just going to have to get used to it.

this unknown-jean was a little too much like your old friend too. quick to anger, you thought, examining the onslaught of colourful curses he yelled at you. stubborn, you added thoughtfully, watching as he stated something about refusing to move till you served him right. and simply tired, forwhen real-jean dealt with you, he'd give up after a while, just as fake-jean had, when it had become quite clear that all you had to offer him were peas (which according to him, he couldn't stomach).

you met him halfway, throwing a piece of bread at him with impeccable aim; it landed right on his peas. the rude bastard didn't even thank you. you would remember that for next time.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・

the sun blazed high in the clear blue sky, its bright rays casting sharp shadows across the concrete floors of the training field. despite the warmth and light, the place felt sterile and cold, the grey expanse of concrete stretching out in a monotonous, uninviting uniformity. it wasn't usually like this. or at least, he didn't remember it to be like this. even the vivid colours of the cadets' uniforms were dulled, as if washed out by the stark brightness of the day. it felt unnatural, odd, almost monotonous, as though each cadets' movements were the same, repetitive, like a broken record.

the rhythmic clatter of boots echoed through the air, but rather than motivating or energising him, it only highlighted the desolation of the scene.

birds chirped cheerfully from a distance, their songs a stark contrast to the sombre atmosphere that enveloped the field. the golden sunlight, which should have brought more movement and energy, felt more like a spotlight on the bleakness that permeated the area. he couldn't place his finger on it, but something was not right. everything was dull, nothing was asking for his attention, intriguing him.

he watched as several cadets made exaggerative movements as he passed by. he knew they did it to impress him, to have him glance at them and give them a reaction, something they could use for their self-satisfaction. he didn't like that. he silently cursed his position whenever he'd see the rookies look over their shoulders in the case that he just so happened to be looking. well, he had no where else to look and coincidentally locked gazes with them as he mindlessly passed by.

the usual bustling energy was conspicuously absent, replaced by a heavy stillness that seemed to press down on everything. it was a sunny day, but through the lens of this moment, it felt devoid of warmth and joy, a hollow reminder of what was missing, if anything at all.

levi found this to be one of the monotonous days, reminiscent of the days the scouts would simply eat, train, plan, and then repeat. over the last few weeks, he had found that being called over to the cadet corps to govern and teach the cadets had been a little more interesting than back in the day. even so, he simply could not find the reason as to what had changed.

moments like these called for hange to come over and chat his ear off about another one of the titans she'd been experimenting on, but he would never voice that out loud. ever.

he didn't have much interest in many things, he was well aware of that fact. it could explain why he was so terribly bored walking around and correcting fighting stances and positions. while shadis managed the east side of the training field, shouting curses, threats and insults at those he had been watching over, levi managed the west side, silently judging and observing, correcting where necessary. his sour mood meant that his already blunt tone came off as more aggressive than he naturally intended it to be.

it was the small group at the back corner of the field, nearing the woods, that caught his attention. he knew them: the brunette girl who styled her hair in a high ponytail (now messier than when he'd last seen her back in your dorm room) was holding the wooden weapon, waiting to be disarmed by her shorter partner: a male, scrawny and energetic. your friends, he had concluded, watching him through half-lidded eyes. he could tell.

there wasn't much to correct — it almost annoyed him. as infuriating as you were, as many headaches you might have given shadis and the rest of the staff that worked here, as troublesome as you might be, there was one thing levi acknowledged that he'd most likely never voice. it was the fact that you had skill. and so too did your stupid, silly friends, it seemed.

to him, it looked as though they were simply enjoying the combat instead of really trying, and even then, their fighting stances were accurate; the way they moved was impressive. the bald one was quick on his feet, and when the girl took everyone by surprise by throwing her weapon at him (which was not the task, he had to add) she had hit him square in the centre of his forehead, aim impeccable. all of this, he thought, without even noticing his presence. it told him enough about their rankings. he'd probably rank the male one a five. the female was bordering a five or six, too.

a couple metres to the right of them was where the set up for the odm training had been laid out. surrounded by multiple cadets, levi watched as the ash blonde and dark haired friends of yours took charge, showing off their skills as they released themselves straight into the air, turning midway and diving back down again, all with a swift, smooth and simultaneous landing.

he had not realised that he had been walking until he found himself standing before them, face stony and unreadable. the area around them had gone quiet, his footsteps the only sound, the bottom of his boots scraping against the rough concrete.

"get back to work," he demanded, tired of the gawking eyes watching his every move.

they scrambled, waiting in line for their turn with the gear, whispering among themselves.

as your dark haired friend worked on taking his gear off, while the ash blonde one pulled on the wires holding them up, examining them as though they were faulty, he approached them, posing the question before all else.

"i see cadet l/n's not here," he stated, the freckle-faced boy looking up at him with a sheepish smile.

"yeah... she was suspended, sir," he explained hesitantly, as though levi did not know.

of course he knew. he was the one tasked with passing the message on to you... although he never did.

"who doesn't know at this point?" said levi, and he hadn't meant for it to be hyperbolic.

really and truly, with you having the higher ups write new sanctions, bending the rules so that a suspension could be possible, he assumed that anyone who didn't know your name was either living under a rock or simply intellectually challenged. with this in mind, he slowly shifted his gaze to the other friend of yours; he looked like he wanted to be anywhere else within the walls but in the captain's presence. levi thought he understood him, in a way. he was, after all, associated with you of all people. he couldn't imagine pride radiating from your grumpy friend, not when you had not given him much reason for praise.

"did she tell you when she'd be back?" he asked, because he truly did not know. he didn't care to listen to shadis's long rants about you, mostly leaving mid-vent. "if she hasn't already escaped somehow," he added, refraining from rolling his eyes at the thought.

"no, but i wouldn't put it past her," the ash blonde friend of yours spoke up with a grunt. for someone who he would see spend nearly all his time training with you and the freckled boy, it sure did seem as though he was more your foe than your friend. 

the kinder friend of yours chuckled nervously, half abashed and half jovial.

"if she had an escape plan, i think she would have told us," he'd said, but after turning his head to lock eyes with the taller cadet behind him, he cleared his throat and continued with a smile. "...i think she would have told me."

the small scoff that the ash blonde cadet had let out did not got unnoticed by levi. the captain's brows barely shifted as he watched him carefully, observing the way he frustratedly tugged at his own gear and shook the gas canisters to check how much had remained. it sounded full.

levi had no reason to linger there any longer. he had a slew of cadets to observe, a daunting and time-consuming task that awaited him. as much as he dreaded the monotony, his duty required his attention elsewhere. when he had made the move to turn on his heel and leave, the light-voiced friend of yours spoke up, immediately grabbing his attention.

"do you have to tell her something?" he asked, with a smile that levi could only describe as dopy and child-like. "i can pass the message on to her, if you like?"

"don't bother," he stated, and he hoped that the authority in his voice could be registered clearly, he hoped the weight of his words left no room for argument or doubt. the very last thing he needed was for you to find out that he had spent less than five minutes wondering about your whereabouts. knowing you, you'd take it as an ego boost and spread a lie about how he took an hour of his precious time asking around for you due to your impressive ability and potential (despite being ranked so poorly). there was no telling with you... and he didn't like that either. "just get back to work."

he fled the scene, hearing the usual affirmations of 'yes, sir' as he did so.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・

day 2:

you had spent the last four hours on the training field, taking breaks in between each hour for ten minutes before continuing again. your muscles screamed with each movement, as if they were rebellious children refusing to cooperate, though it was not like you had much of a choice. as harsh as the system back in the south was, the last thing you needed was an extension for how long you would stay here for. but you were tired. fatigue weighed heavily on your limbs, turning them into leaden anchors that dragged you down with every step. the sun's relentless glare felt like a spotlight on your weariness, intensifying the sensation of being trapped in a never-ending cycle of exertion. boredom gnawed at the edges of your mind, a persistent itch you couldn't scratch, as the repetitive drills became a monotonous blur.

you longed for the company of your friends, their laughter and banter a distant memory that felt like a lifeline you couldn't quite grasp. the field, never once a place of camaraderie and shared purpose like back at trost, felt like a barren wasteland, devoid of the familiar faces that brought the other one to life.

you missed marco. you missed the way he'd smile at your jokes, his sheepish grin timid and gentle, lighting up his face with a warmth that felt like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. unlike many others who-shall-not-be-named-as-of-right-now, marco's light brown eyes would sparkle with genuine amusement, crinkling at the corners as if you had said something funny enough to make even keith crack a smile. the absence of his quiet laughter and the gentle teasing that had always followed your banter left a hollow void, making the training field feel even more desolate and empty.

you didn't particularly miss jean. you missed annoying him, sure. you missed the sour look on his face when you'd say something out of pocket and he happened to be the unfortunate one to be near you at the time, enough to catch every word. you almost smiled thinking about that, your hands working tirelessly at your gear as you re-filled your gas canister. you thought long and hard, patiently waiting for it to be filled to the brim. no, you concluded, you did not miss jean...

you missed what came with him though... embarrassing him, annoying him, teasing him, hitting him, embarrassing him, attacking him, embarrassing him, embarrassing him, embarrassing him, etc.

you missed him.

mina. you missed her, too. her kind and nurturing nature was like a soothing balm, always there to provide comfort and support when you needed it most. you missed the way she'd listen intently to your worries, her light brown eyes filled with empathy and understanding, never drilling into you about your worries being unrealistic or dramatic (seriously, the girl sat with you and listened to you press on about the fear of attracting a titan). the training field felt lonelier without her reassuring smile and the way she could effortlessly bring everyone together. if mina was an inanimate object, you thought in your head, smiling to yourself, it'd be a glue.

you definitely missed sasha. you missed her insatiable appetite and the way she'd sneak extra rations back to the dorm, sharing them with a conspiratorial wink and a grin that made you feel like partners in crime. her laugh, loud and unabashed, would echo through the halls, lifting everyone's spirits no matter how gruelling the day had been. your dorm mates now merely watched you with bored eyes, silent glances at one another, as if you had been part of a running joke you were unaware of. sleeping felt emptier without sasha's vibrant presence, the silence a stark contrast to the lively chatter and playful antics that usually filled the space.

you and mikasa did not speak on deeper levels as much, but she was a quiet listener, and you were a proud yapper. you missed the way she would nod thoughtfully as you rambled on, her dark eyes focused and attentive, making sure you had felt truly heard. mikasa's stoic yet compassionate nature provided an unspoken support, and you had found solace in the simplicity of just being together. the training field felt even more daunting without her steady gaze and the silent assurance that she was always there, quietly listening.

when hannah would sit and study with you, her eyes constantly darted around, as if seeking out someone else in the crowd. it had annoyed you back then, barely two days ago, when you'd call her out and tell her that it was abundantly clear who she had been looking for, distracted. she would blush, tell you it wasn't what you were thinking, you knew otherwise, and then you'd continue working on the answer to how jorge pikale discovered that a titan's weak point was the nape of the neck.

franz was nice, you supposed. it was a little jarring when he'd unknowingly divert hannah's attention from you to him and then continue to deny it. he was good to her, though. he was fine.

connie was almost in the exact same boat as jean. there was little to miss about him, constantly loud and in your ear. he would probably be up your ass too if he had the opportunity to be, you sourly thought, remembering each and every situation where he felt the need to voice his opinion on whatever you'd gotten up to... like the time where you had snuck into the boys' barracks with a shit ton of ink to draw over thomas's face, and he had very loudly asked what you were doing and why you had been equipped with so much ink. not the brightest one in the room, that one.

sandra was nice to you. not particularly the greatest, but a familiar face either way. as were many other cadets back at trost.

reiner was like an older brother, though recently, you hadn't felt like interacting with him as much, not when he relished in your defeat. you hoped you taught him a lesson.

armin was sweet, reminding you of marco in every which way. his thoughtful explanations and patient guidance on the academic aspect of the training corps made even the most challenging parts seem manageable. the long study sessions where he'd help you untangle complex theories were some of your most cherished memories, filled with his insightful comments. you weren't particularly bad at any of it (contrary to popular belief); you just needed occasional help. so, whenever your teacher separated you from marco to prevent copying, or when jean refused to share his answers, armin's tutoring sessions over dinner became invaluable. it helped that he had all the patience in the world, too!

eren was all right: he provided endless entertainment whenever you would purposely say something to make his blood boil, watching his fiery reactions with a mix of amusement and satisfaction. he was nosy, very nosy, but funny nonetheless. you still felt half bad for what you had accidentally done to him. it was an honest mistake, you thought to yourself, fixing up your gear again and making your way over to the training field where everyone had moved away from odm to hand-to-hand combat, your personal favourite. won't happen again.

your mind wandered, daydreaming of easier times and the comfort of friendly voices, but each snap back to reality was a jarring reminder of your isolation. the minutes stretched on like hours, each tick of the clock mocking your struggle. as the drills continued, your spirit felt as drained as your body, the emptiness of the field amplifying the absence of those who made it bearable.

"hey — new girl!"

you looked over your shoulder, met with the sight of a rather pretty girl making her way towards you, strutting more than she was marching. as she approached, you couldn't help but notice the confident sway in her stride. her sharp features were framed by a cascade of fluffy hair, falling in waves and stopped just short of her smooth neck.

like a lap dog came a taller man, running after her and seemingly out of breath. you thought he could do with a better haircut. he looked like a mushroom.

the girl stopped before you, a decent amount of space put between the two of you before she posed her pressing question.

"are you really ranked as number one from — where was it? — the east?" she'd said, voice firm, demanding an answer.

you grinned. it wasn't like commandant badis was around to un-do your lies...

"the south, but yeah," you effortlessly lied, throwing your hair back over your shoulder with an easy smile. "no one's beaten me for my spot in the last two years."

the boy behind her gaped at you. you had half a mind to wink, but after your last two experiences with the action, you thought otherwise.

"making it to the top ten is hard," the girl commented, eyes narrowed in a way that made her long lashes brush her pale cheeks. she looked sceptical. you couldn't find it in you to care that much.

the boy sent you a toothy smile.

"that's impressive!" he said, extending an arm and holding a hand out for you to shake. "i'm marlowe!"

you had already shaken his hand by the time his name had shock-wired something in your brain. you drew back quickly, as if you'd been burned by his touch.

"marlowe?" you repeated, nose scrunched in mild disgust. "why are you trying to copy my marco?"

"..."

"huh —"

"marlowe, marco, marlowe, marco," you repeated, raising a brow at him. "don't copy my marco —"

"hey, i don't want any trouble," the copycat interrupted, hands raised in some form of surrender as he peered down at you with anything but malice.

so he's copying marco's humble personality too? you questioned in your head, about to grill into him for doing something so childish before he beat you to speaking.

"i didn't... copy 'your' marco," he said, hands slowly resting by his sides again when it had become quite clear that your aggression was leisurely dying down. "that's just my name. marlowe."

you frowned, still not impressed. perhaps it was because you had spent two days without interacting with marco (the longest since you first met him two years ago). it was tiring, you noted, especially when you still had the rest of the week to go, and the week after that before you returned to trost.

"anyway," said the girl, tilting her head up with unbridled judgement, "my name's hitch. what's yours?"

"y/n," you answered, not exactly seeing the point of voicing your own name back because you had not planned on staying here permanently.

"y/n... people have been talking," said hitch, her eyes narrowing slightly as she gauged your reaction, the hint of suspicion evident in her tone. "they're not convinced that you're ranked number one."

you raised a brow, simultaneously adjusting the straps over your uniform to better prepare yourself for good use of your gear. safety purposes too, you supposed. these people seemed to be harder to sway than those back at trost, you realised. with obvious irritation, you spoke up loudly.

"why not? i got sent here because they said i needed to be a role model to you guys —"

hitch pursed her lips in doubt. "huh? i heard you got suspended —"

"— yeah well that's not true," you hurriedly faux-corrected her, averting your gaze by examining the sky — which had also turned out to be a bad idea, for the sun had completely blinded you upon contact and you found yourself slapping your hands over your eyes, rubbing them furiously to silence the pain.

the pair didn't wait for you to recover before they gave their responses.

"boris told us that the commandant said you're trost's trouble-cadet," hitch continued, sounding certain.

"and that you were sent here because of behavioural issues," marlowe finished off, by which point your vision had finally returned and you were now blinking up at the two of them to rid the water in your eyes.

"what the hell is a boris?" you said, scoffing. "ugh, whatever. what kind of a name is boris? i'd jump straight off the walls if my parents named me boris."

hitch's firm and stony expression had started to crack. a smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth despite her obvious attempts at maintaining her serious demeanour, but the incredulity of your statement was too much to keep her composure. a soft, mocking laugh escaped her lips as she tilted her head slightly, clearly entertained by the conversation.

"he's ranked number one here," she informed you, a hand hovering by her thinly-shaped brows to shield her eyes from the demeaning gaze of the sun. "he's an ass to everyone, but i guess he's found his new target."

"he's jealous that i'm ranked one, too?" you laughed, internally praying that badis would not miraculously materialise behind you and (loudly) accuse you of lying for the second time within the same week. "wow, must be a skill."

"i mean, the only way to shut him up is to give him a good run for his money," said hitch, and you couldn't help but think that there was an underlying message behind her words, as though suggesting you do something without actually outright saying it.

you frowned. "so i should go and beat him up?"

marlowe recoiled, arms extended to wave his hands around frantically.

"no, no, no! no, don't do that!" he'd said, alarmed. "you gotta speak to him first."

"oh," you pouted, nodding. you perked up once more, smiling again. "and then i should go and beat him up?"

"scrap the idea of beating him up entirely," said marlowe, visibly startled. his face was a canvas of sheer panic, his eyes wide and darting around like a cornered animal. his hands shook slightly, like the delicate trembling of a leaf about to fall, and e stood rigid, as if rooted to the spot, his unnecessary fear starkly evident despite his attempts to maintain a calm exterior. "you could get into serious trouble for that," he continued, frowning.

you shrugged. "commandant likes me."

another tiny white lie, so what? it never hurt anybody.

"well i think you should beat his ass," said hitch, blunt and fierce. "but marlowe's right. so the next best thing is to challenge him with odm training. the higher ups just put up the fake titans for us to kill. challenge him on a one-to-one battle. you know how it works — the winner's the one who gets the most kills by the end of the timer."

you thought long and hard. if this boris truly was ranked as first place here in utopia, it meant that your skills were perhaps not refined enough to challenge him at such a battle. losing meant that you would lose the trust of the people here (not that they trusted you much anyway, but at the very least, if you won, you could prove your strength to them). the very last thing you needed was for them to find out the very poor ranking you had found yourself sitting gloomily at.

thirty eight.

you'd make up your mind the second you started hallucinating the ugly number around you, the number three pressed on hitch's cheek and the number eight hovering above marlowe's atrocious bowl-cut.

"which one of them is a boris?" youasked, shielding your eyes from the bright sun as you glanced over at the rest of the cadets walking into the woods where the next set of training would begin.

hitch placed her hand on your shoulder and directed your body to face the other way. "see the guy with the silver-blondish hair near the stables?"

you hadn't caught him at first, eyes zeroing in on everyone but a male with silver-blondish hair. from where the three of you were standing, a lot of the cadets simply moved like background characters, barely visible to the naked eye until you squinted, searching for him.

the crowd of cadets was a sea of uniforms, each blending into the next as they went about their training routines. you scanned the faces, your eyes darting from one person to another, but it felt like trying to find a needle in a haystack. a sigh of frustration escaped your lips as you craned your neck, standing on tiptoes to get a better view. your impatience grew with each passing second, the lack of familiarity of the faces around you only serving to highlight the absence of the one you were searching for; it was like looking for a single star in a sky full of constellations, and the more you searched, the more elusive he seemed.

"there, look!" said hitch, extending her arm to point despite marlowe's protests of looking impolite. "talking to gordon!"

"gordon?" you repeated, uncertain.

"the tall guy with the long chin," she clarified, impatient.

a small wave of relief washed over you as your eyes finally landed on him, his silver-blonde hair catching the light and standing out amidst the sea of cadets. there he was, tall and unmistakable, standing by the stables and engaged in conversation with gordon. the frustration of the once-fruitless search melted away, replaced by a warm sense of accomplishment.

determination set in as you started towards him, each step deliberate and fuelled by the simmering displeasure you felt. the distance between you seemed to stretch endlessly, the path winding like a snake through the bustling cadets. your muscles protested with every stride, the soreness from hours of relentless training flaring up anew. it was as if your legs were weighed down by invisible chains, each step a test of your resolve.

the sun beat down mercilessly, its harsh glare matching the intensity of your irritation. sweat trickled down your back, mingling with the ache in your shoulders and legs, a constant reminder of the gruelling hours spent on the training field. yet, the sight of his silver-blonde hair and the casual way he conversed with that gordon guy spurred you on, each pulse of pain sharpening your focus. even so, you remembered what you had been told. you wouldn't attack him, not even if he said something that would light your fuse, and you repeated this mantra in your head like a prayer, trying hard not to forget it. it would be a calm conversation, you had decided, one where you would act civil and politely challenge him in a test of skills with the use of your precious gear. you weren't threatened: you were good with your gear, even when rattled. excusing the one time where your ex-husband captain levi had rattled you, you still remember doing well when you rushed back to your dorm room that time, all without injuring yourself or being caught.

you shook the traitorous memory out of your head and focused on the situation at hand.

you could feel your jaw clenching, your hands balling into fists at your sides, ready to silence him if need be. the closer you got, the more your annoyance crystallised, turning into a steely determination. the thought of confronting him propelled you forwards, overriding the exhaustion gnawing at your limbs. it was as if your frustration was a second wind, carrying you through the soreness and weariness, fuelling the fire that burned within.

standing in front of him, you straightened your posture, forcing a semblance of calm. you repeated to yourself that maintaining composure was crucial, that a level-headed approach would yield better results. your goal was to handle this maturely, to rise above the irritation that simmered beneath the surface. you rehearsed polite, measured words in your mind, envisioning a conversation where you could express your displeasure without resorting to anger.

you forced a tight smile, repeating a silent mantra of civility. a measured approach was always more effective, and you could get your point across without raising your voice or resorting to hostility. but as he turned to face you, the look on his face — smug, indifferent, almost mocking — ignited a spark of rage within you.

the fuse had been lit.

you punched him.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・

"what... is WRONG WITH YOU?"

sitting in the commandant's office, you couldn't help but smile, the corners of your lips curling up in a serene, almost blissful expression. the commandant's words washed over you like a distant, unintelligible hum, their meaning lost in the fog of your contentment. you nodded occasionally, maintaining the appearance of attentiveness, but your thoughts were far from the reprimand being delivered.

your mind had drifted to lighter things, the tension of the day melting away as you basked in your small victory. the commandant's stern gaze and raised voice seemed inconsequential, mere background noise to your quiet satisfaction. each scolding word bounced off you harmlessly, unable to penetrate the bubble of tranquillity you had found yourself resting quietly in. you were oblivious to the gravity of the situation, lost in a world where the repercussions seemed miles away. you thought that boris thing deserved it anyway.

"explain yourself!"

you sighed, drumming your fingers over the arm of your chair, half bored, half thrilled.

"okay..." you began, speaking for the first time in a while since the yelling lecture had begun. commandant badis folded his arms over his chest, his body looming over yours from behind the desk. he had been so rattled and angry with you, he hadn't sat in his chair once. "i was training."

he glowered down at you, pale, wrinkly face turning pink with each second that went by. you took that as a sign to hurry up and continue before he smashed your face in through the floorboards.

"i was just teaching him how to do hand-to-hand!" you lied, shrugging as if you had done nothing wrong (in your mind, you hadn't, but you had to speak in the same language as the rest of the boring higher ups).

the commandant's face was a storm of fury, his eyes blazing like molten lava beneath furrowed brows. his cheeks were flushed crimson, the colour creeping up to his temples, where veins pulsed visibly with each heartbeat.

"hand-to-hand was completed for the day!" he reminded you, repressing the urge to shake you by the shoulders. "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE PRACTICING USING THE OMNI-DIRECTIONAL MOBILITY GEAR!"

"okay, okay!" you hurriedly replied, falling so far back into your chair, your back ached against the hard wood. "i lied... see, i was actually teaching him a lesson."

his mouth was a thin, taut line, quivering with the effort to restrain the torrent of anger threatening to spill over.

you took that as a sign to continue.

"i heard that he's ranked number one here from a few people, so i was just making sure that he deserves to be number one," you explained, using multiple hand movements to reiterate your point. "i noticed that they don't teach the cadets here this... i was trying to test him, get him to use his brain and see if he could defend himself and get away from a surprise attack using his... wait for it... odm gear!"

as he glared at you, his expression was a thunderhead ready to unleash its wrath, every feature a testament to his barely contained rage. you foolishly continued.

"he failed the test by the way —"

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" he thundered once more, his voice echoing with exasperation.

commandant badis's face was a stormy canvas of fury, his eyes burning like twin infernos beneath thunderous brows, his cheeks flushed as red as embers, and his mouth twisted into a snarl like a predator ready to pounce.

"well, i'm not the one sitting in the hospital now, am i?" you countered, palms raised up by your shoulders as you shrugged. "so clearly there's something wrong with him, not me."

he glared at you with eyes that could pierce steel, his gaze sharp as daggers and searing with unbridled fury, like a predator locking onto its prey with unwavering intensity. every line on his face etched with anger, his jaw clenched so tight it seemed ready to shatter. you could feel the weight of his disapproval bearing down on you, suffocating and intense, like a heavy blanket threatening to smother you. this felt oddly nostalgic. you didn't know why.

"i think you should knock him down a couple ranks," you advised him, lowering your voice as though the conversation was illegal knowledge that could only be heard of between you and commandant badis. "maybe down to ten... fifteen... twenty five and, i don't know, thirty eight —"

the rest of the day had been spent running laps around the premises, with no lunch and no dinner. even keith wouldn't have punished you this badly.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・

day 3:

blindfolded in the carriage, you felt every jolt and bump of the rough road beneath you, the wooden seat creaking with each uneven motion. the rhythmic clopping of the horses' hooves echoed in your ears, a steady beat that was occasionally interrupted by the sharp crack of the driver's whip and the soft murmurs of encouragement to the horses. the wind whistled past, carrying with it the earthy scent of damp soil and the faint aroma of pine needles. you could hear the rustling of leaves as the carriage passed through the forest, the sounds blending into a symphony of nature that was both soothing and disorienting. your hands gripped the edge of the seat, knuckles white, as the carriage swayed unpredictably, each lurch sending a tremor through your body and making your heart race with the uncertainty of what lay ahead.

the blindfold heightened your other senses, making every sound and movement seem amplified. you could feel the vibrations of the carriage wheels against the uneven ground, each bump jarring your spine and making you wince. the leather of the seat was cool and smooth beneath your fingertips, a stark contrast to the roughness of the road. the scent of the horses, a mix of sweat and hay, was strong and familiar, grounding you in the midst of the sensory overload. you would have made a joke about jean and his uncanny similarity to the horses, but knew that nobody sitting around you would understand just what you were getting at. so you sat quietly, laughing about it in your head, picturing the sour expression on his long face as though he were right next to you.

occasionally, the driver's voice would break through the cacophony, calling out directions or commands, the authority in his tone a reminder of the task at hand.

today was one of those rare occasions where you and the rest of the cadet corps were divided into various groups and taken beyond the standard training field to complete diverse tasks and activities. your group was being led into the forest, and the blindfold over your eyes ensured you had no idea where you would be left off. the thrill of the unknown mingled with a tinge of anxiety as you and several others were guided through the trees, each bump along the road taking you further into the wilderness and away from the familiar routines of your usual training.

the task was simple: work as a group to find your way back home.

it wasn't long before the carriage came to a complete stop, the abrupt stillness almost as jarring as the bumpy ride had been. the rhythmic clopping of the horses' hooves ceased, replaced by their soft snorts and the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze. you could hear the driver dismount and the faint creak of the carriage door opening. the sudden silence amplified your other senses, and you felt the anticipation build in your chest.

hands reached in to help you down, the ground beneath your feet feeling solid yet unfamiliar. you nearly stumbled, but the hands clasped firmly around your bicep steadied you, helping you keep your balance. the blindfold remained firmly in place, heightening your awareness of the earthy scents and the hushed whispers of the forest around you, though not for long, for after you had heard the carriage door close again, your blindfold had been removed.

you looked around. it wasn't very helpful. it looked like the any random area in the forests: there were trees, soil, bushes, branches, leaves scattered all over the floor, etc.

the two staff members jumped back on their horses, wished you good luck, and then trotted off into the distance.

you looked around and examined each and every one of your group members:

hitch was standing next to you, looking disgruntled. you were quite pleased to see her in your group. marlowe stood beside her, dropping his blindfold onto the floor and patting himself off. you couldn't say you were displeased to see him, no matter how much you wanted to.

boris was also here, only partially healed from your attack, sporting a scab over his cheek, a nasty lump on the right side of his forehead, and a black eye. you didn't mind seeing him here, but it did not seem as though he thought the same at seeing you. which was fair, you concluded, averting your gaze to the tall male standing beside him, gordon, his friend, who also regarded you with a look of disdain. you didn't care much for it.

the other two members of the group were two you hadn't met before. a short girl, around the same height as yourself, with round brown eyes and dark hair styled in a braid that went down her back. her name was mia, hitch had whispered into your ear. the male cadet beside her was noah, average height, dirty blonde hair, dark eyes.

"anyone got a compass on them?" said hitch, already taking charge of the conversation.

everyone either shook their heads or looked over to another person for hope.

"the carriage went back that way," you said, tilting your chin in the direction of where the two men had horse-ridden away from you all. "so unless we're being deceived —"

"— i'm going my own way," boris cut through you, and with the venom laced in each word, you knew it was intentional. "follow me, or don't, i don't care."

"someone needs their ass beat again," you mumbled, also with malicious intent, hoping he'd hear you. he had, and he scowled. it was hard to take him seriously with all the bruises on his face.

"if you leave," mia spoke up, waving her notebook at him, "i'll have to write it down."

"there's no need for that," said marlowe, ever the peace maker. "we can make it back altogether, we don't have to split up. besides, the task is to get back with every member of the group, right? otherwise we get no points."

nobody spoke for a bit, everyone thinking about marlowe's point. even if boris hated the idea, marlowe was factually correct. the task was to make it back in one piece, translated to: altogether.

but your mind had wandered elsewhere.

as the group stood in contemplative silence, you felt a spark of inspiration ignite within you, like the first flicker of a flame catching on kindling. a brilliant idea had just struck, and your heart began to race with exhilaration. it was like a hidden gem unearthed, shimmering with promise. excitement bubbled up inside you, a river breaking through a dam, flooding your thoughts with its potential. the thrill of having a potential solution coursed through your veins, making it hard to keep still.

why hadn't you planned this before? it was brilliant!

your mind raced ahead, weaving the strands of your idea into a brilliant tapestry of possibilities.

"yeah, you're on your own for this one, feulner," said noah, and you watched everyone with cunning, snake-like eyes, ready to enact your plan.

keep talking, you thought, examining the trees above you and calculating everything silently.

"we gotta stay as a team, otherwise this entire thing is pointless," noah continued, and when silence draped itself over your group once more, you cursed in your head.

you needed them to keep talking. so, naturally, you prompted them to continue.

"what about you, gordon?" you asked, watching as everyone's heads had turned to face him with curiosity. you took a step back, careful. "you staying or leaving?"

with everyone distracted, you found yourself standing behind hitch and marlowe now, no one's eyes on you, not even gordon, who you had posed the question to. instead, he found himself facing boris, shrugging and looking back at noah, eyes darting back and forth, back and forth, but never landing on you.

you slowly rested your chin over your left shoulder, glancing down at the ground behind you, examining the area for any crunchy leaves or unidentified twigs that you might accidentally step on. you did not want any of their eyes drawn back to you.

"c'mon man, you're seriously gonna let me go by myself?" said boris, sounding rather offended, though he did not let it show.

you had taken a careful step back. no one had noticed.

"if you make it back on your own, you fail," gordon argued, and you silently agreed. "all of us fail."

you'd taken another step back. not even hitch glanced your way.

they continued to argue:

"so just follow my lead, then," said boris, looking directly at mia's notebook. "all of you. and we make it back together, we pass, everyone wins —"

"i'm not following your lead," snapped hitch, scoffing. "who said you were our leader?"

by this point, you were now a safe distance away from the group, their voices becoming more and more muffled as you continued to take several steps backwards. the group had become a full circle now, arguing with one another with no space left for you to stand with them.

you grinned to yourself, taking out your blades and clicking the top trigger of your hand held controller grip, firing the anchor into a nearby tree, and then clicking the bottom trigger to release some gas and fly up, out of the mind of your temporary comrades, out of sight of them too.

it was time to go back to your real comrades.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・

you followed the tracks of the carriage, surprised to see that your group hadn't followed. you thought, with the use of common sense, if not to find you, then to find their way back themselves, they'd have looked for tracks and gone off in the direction of the carriage that you had pointed out to them the second you'd landed on your feet after the blindfolds had been removed.

ah, well, it wasn't like you had to worry about them anymore. it was definitely the last time you would see them again, unless keith sent you straight back to the north to complete your sentence like the (successful) homewrecker he was.

you had swung from tree to tree, keeping an eye on the tracks which had started to fade at some point. it meant that you had to go on foot, eyeing the hoof prints instead. you supposed that it was good, for it meant that both your gas cylinders would remain full enough for you to use it to swing back if need be. 

after a long while, the hoof prints had led you back to the streets of utopia.

the streets of utopia district were alive with activity, a vibrant tapestry of daily life unfolding under the warm afternoon sun. market stalls lined the cobblestone roads, their colourful canopies flapping gently in the breeze. parents strolled hand in hand, pausing to admire the fresh produce, handcrafted goods, and aromatic street food that tempted from every corner. the scent of baked bread and roasted meats wafted through the air, mingling with the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers from a nearby florist's stand.

families wandered from stall to stall, the children's eyes wide with wonder as they clutched small toys or sweets bought by their doting parents. street performers added to the lively atmosphere, with musicians strumming guitars and playing flutes, their melodies weaving through the chatter and hustle. artists sketched portraits and painted landscapes, which reminded you strongly of one of your neighbours from trost before you had enrolled into the cadet corps.

you knew the way back to the south would be long. when you had first gone from the south to the north, you'd had to reside in karanes district for half a day before moving on, since the distance was large, miles upon miles apart. this time around, you had to figure out a different way of doing things, for you had no carriage to ride in, you had no horse to accompany you, and you certainly were not accompanied by an escort that would take care of the travel expenses.

instead of entering the streets if utopia, you aimed your anchor at a nearby house, the hooks grappling onto the bricks as you flew up, landing swiftly on the rooftop. it wasn't unheard of military members to be casually roaming the streets or walking quietly on rooftops. in fact, you could already spot multiple garrison members drinking heartily and going about their day without disruption.

averting your gaze, you made your way up onto the fifty metre wall, which seemed to be the only way to get back to trost without money for an escort or a carriage. the disheartening part of it all was the fact that you'd have to walk on the walls all the way from utopia, to karanes, to trost. that would talk you at least two and a half days (one if you didn't dawdle or get distracted) but there was no other option. you would rather jump into titan territory than go back to utopia. you missed your friends, you missed the usual training schedule the south had, and you would much rather have keith yell at you then someone you weren't too familiar with. at least you knew keith for almost three years. who the hell gave badis the authority to shout at you?

each step felt like an eternity as you walked along the wall, the journey stretching endlessly before you. the sun hung high in the sky, casting long shadows that seemed to mock your slow progress. the expanse of stone beneath your feet felt unyielding, each footfall echoing the relentless passage of time, and despite the steady rhythm of your steps, the distance seemed insurmountable, as if you were trapped in a never-ending journey. the horizon never seemed to draw any closer, and with each passing second, the enormity of your undertaking weighed heavier on your weary mind.

above you, the sky was a breath-taking canvas of vibrant blues and soft, wispy clouds that drifted lazily across the expanse. streaks of pink and orange hinted at the approaching evening, painting the horizon with a tranquil beauty that contrasted sharply with the arduous journey beneath your feet. it told you that you'd been walking for at least an hour or two by now, and yet when you looked ahead, the distance seemed greater. high above, birds soared effortlessly, their calls echoing through the still air, adding a touch of life to the vast, open sky. the sheer beauty of it all was a stark reminder of the freedom and peace you sought, pushing you to keep moving despite the seemingly endless path ahead.

you could see other military members in the far distance. they looked like small ants, but the closer you got, the more clearer you could see the uniform. what distinguished the scouts from every other military branch was their green capes, several of which you could see before you mingling with members wearing jackets that displayed two red roses.

it was a problem. you couldn't exactly explain to them why you weren't stationed at utopia, but there was no other way to evade them. they were blocking the only route that was closest to karanes district (which you were, even now, no where near, by the way). there was no other plan than to simply ignore them, answer their questions vaguely (if they asked any, you hoped they wouldn't) and then break off into something in between a sprint and a walk.

it had been, maybe half an hour, before you found yourself walking past them with your head hung, eyes trained on your footsteps, only to be completely shocked at the familiar voice that had called out your name.

"cadet l/n?"

you looked up.

squad leader hange's face lit up with a mix of delight and astonishment, her eyes widening behind her glasses as a broad grin spread across her lips. her eyebrows arched in pleasant surprise, and she leaned forwards slightly, her excitement palpable even from a distance. the genuine warmth in her expression made it clear to you that she was thrilled to have spotted you, her curiosity and enthusiasm shining through.

"cadet l/n!" she said again, this time with more certainty and excitement.

you looked over your shoulder to make sure no one that shouldn't know you were here had heard; thankfully, it was safe to interact with her.

"what are you— hang on, are you meant to be up here?"

smart woman, you thought. asking all the right questions, unfortunately for you.

"of course!" you lied, bright and cheery.

she tilted her head down so that you could see her eyes behind her glasses without the glare projected by the sun.

you dropped the act. it wasn't like she'd send you back. you remembered one of the first few meetings you'd had with her. she seemed to like you enough not to rat you out.

"yeah i'm not meant to be here —"

"— i'd figured."

hange grinned at you, hands placed on her hips with an expression of clear intrigue.

"sooo..." she began, her words trailing off as she gestured to the garrisons and very few scouts that surrounded the two of you, minding their own business — all but one, a tall, brunette man, standing behind squad leader hange with a slight pout. "what are you doing here? by yourself, unsupervised?"

for the first time in a long time, it seemed that you'd found someone unaware of your suspension. it almost felt refreshing. almost, for you knew that you could not delay the inevitable and that she would most likely find out about it even if you chose not to inform her of it now. she was, after all, close with captain levi. and commander erwin, who you hadn't seen in a while, now that you thought about it.

"i got suspended," you said bluntly, ripping the band-aid off without hesitation to hurriedly get it over and done with.

she furrowed her brows at you, still smiling as though you were deceiving her. when you did not return her playful grin, she realised you were dead serious.

and then laughed loudly in obvious incredulity. the man behind her looked startled, trying to calm her down, but she merely waved her hands wildly at him, laughing throughout it all.

"wha— suspended? that was you?"

you furrowed your brows at her, confused. "what do you mean?"

"well news broke out that someone from the cadet corps was suspended," she explained, still gawking at you with obvious shock, "i just — i didn't think — i didn't know it was you!"

"anyway," you interrupted vociferously, finally knowing what it felt like to be on the receiving end of the jokes. for everyone you'd ever made fun of, you owed them one big, fat apology. "i can't stand it back there. i have to get back."

"can't stand it back where?" she asked, tilting her head at you. you watched as her eyes focused on something behind you. she had ultimately answered her own question. "you were sent to the northern division? so why are you here— oh!"

you nodded slowly.

"oh,you're escaping..." she said, taking enough care to whisper, thank the lord. she pushed her glasses a little further up her nose, nodding. "hmm... i did wonder how you were doing, you know? you're the most entertaining person i've ever met. oh! after levi, of course. yeah, he's a boring, old grump, but when you carefully observe the guy —"

"he's the reason i got suspended," you grumbled, kicking a stone on the floor. you watched it roll, tumble, and fall off the edge.

hange gaped at you. the man behind her seemed interested in the conversation too. if he didn't have that soft, gentle look, you probably would have told him to stop eavesdropping by now.

"no way!" she exclaimed, her face a portrait of incredulity, eyes wide and mouth agape. "he never told me that! he never told any of us that! moblit, did he —"

"it's the first that i'm hearing of this, section commander," the guy hovering behind her, moblit, you assumed, answered.

"how long ago was this?" hange demanded, more invested in this story than anyone that had ever known about it.

"like... three days ago-ish—"

"what a sneak!" she interrupted with a long sigh. "the moody shrimp hid it from us!"

in the near distance, you spotted a familiar figure, the sun glinting off his blonde hair and highlighting his unmistakable height. as he turned slightly, the sharp lines of his face came into view, leaving no doubt it was commander erwin. his broad shoulders and commanding presence made him stand out even among the other scouts. your heart sank as you realised the situation— commander erwin, the epitome of responsibility and integrity, would undoubtedly report you and march you back without hesitation.

a wave of dread washed over you, your initial excitement of the journey turning into a cold knot of anxiety in your stomach. the prospect of being caught by him felt like an impending storm, knowing his unwavering sense of duty meant there was no escape. seeing him filled you with a mix of fear and exasperation, knowing his adherence to the rules and his unyielding nature meant your journey might be abruptly and unpleasantly cut short.

you turned back to hange, cutting through her long speech on what she was going to do to captain levi when she saw him next.

"commander erwin's here?" you asked, taking several steps back and looking around as though there were buildings to hide behind. the top of the walls were bare, nothing to hide in or behind, leaving you feeling utterly naked.

hange nodded. "oh, yeah, why?"

"he's going to take me back!" you whispered, frantic. "quick, do something!"

you watched her scramble to think of something, watched as moblit's expression turned into one of exhaustion, watches as the poor scout who had the unfortunate luck of standing next to you in that moment became harassed by your hands, tugging and pulling at his cape.

"give — me — that —"

the stupid scout protested rather loudly. "wha— who the hell are you?"

"shut up and give —"

"here, cadet!" said hange, undoing her own cape and throwing it to you.

you released your tight grip on the poor man's cape and shirt, catching hange's and draping it over yourself, pulling the hood up and turning around just as commander erwin began to approach you all.

scrambling to look occupied and avoid conversation, you nearly forgot the standard protocol for soldiers when addressing their leader. for you and the rest of the cadet corps, it meant standing up straight and saluting when keith spoke. however, for the scouts, it involved gathering closely together, saluting with chins held high, and eyes firmly fixed on the commander.

it didn't work too well for you, not when you were concealing yourself from him, or the fact that the other guy you had harassed just a moment ago was now sending you sideway glances, making it obvious that you were an imposter.

erwin spoke loudly to you all; you kept your chin pressed against your chest, avoiding his gaze and concealing yourself within the dark parts of your — squad leader hange's — hood.

"our duties here are done," he began, voice authoritative and booming. "we do not have enough time from here and our next expedition. we must leave immediately. funding is not easy to come by as scout members. we —"

he paused. you dared not look up.

"hange," he said, and you tried not to breathe out a sigh of relief that might give you away. "your cape —"

"i'm feeling really hot today!" she lied straight through her teeth. you could kiss her. "i had to take it off for a bit —"

the scout next to you, the one you had tried to steal from, glanced down at you with furrowed brows. you'd had enough, stepping on the tips of his shoes with enough force to crush the toes inside them (obviously not enough to break) enough to remind him of his helpful, important silence.

he let out a lady-like squeak. erwin's calculating eyes darted back to the rest of you. you mentally cursed him in your head.

"six scout members we took to accompany us on this mission," he commented, gaze hovering over your heads, "not including you or moblit... but seven i've counted as of now." he glanced down at hange, a mask of ease placed over his suspicion. "care to explain?"

he posed it off as a question, but you knew he wasn't asking.

intimidating man, you thought, if his backstory wasn't so goofy to you. seriously, how did he pick the ugly titans over the girl he loved?

hange laughed under his stare. the moblit guy looked as though he wanted to voice his disapproval, but his loyalty to the section commander demanded otherwise.

"we must've taken seven with us instead of six!" she cheerfully responded, holding up the ruse which you commended her greatly for. had it been you in her position, you most likely would have ended up revealing everything (especially if you had to answer to captain levi and not erwin). "silly me! i overcounted!"

"you did not," said erwin, raising a thick brow, and before she could say anything to further deepen the lie, he turned to you all once more and pointed at one of the scouts in the front line. "lauda," he said, before pointing at the scout next to her. "nanaba," he spoke, following that with several other names, before finally landing on you.

at least i made it further than i thought i would, you concluded in your head, silently accepting defeat.

"remove section commander hange's hood," he ordered you.

you could feel everyone's eyes on you, a swarm of bees buzzing with judgment and curiosity. the weight of their stares was suffocating, like a spotlight exposing every flaw and mistake, examining, scrutinising, observing your every move.

it seemed that hange had given up too.

you slowly raised your hand to lower the hood, leisurely meeting his cool gaze as you had done so. it would have been laughable, the way his expression shifted into some hybrid from of realisation, shock, and disappointment all at once at the sight of you, had it not been for the circumstances you had found yourself in. it truly was a shame.

you sheepishly chuckled, grinning as you met his gaze.

"remember me?"

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・

"i don't understand why i can't walk back by myself," you grumbled, kicking a rock and watching it tumble and roll.

"you cannot be trusted to manage that on your own, cadet," said commander erwin, practically attached to your hip as you walked alongside his horse, too. "i'm sure you can understand."

the two of you, plus his trusted horse, were no longer standing on top of the walls. you were currently walking along the forest, the very one you had escaped from, making your way back to the northern division of the cadet corps, whilst also simultaneously searching for any of your teammates or other members. if you did happen to find them, commander erwin promised to make his way back and leave you in the hands of your fellow comrades. otherwise, he would accompany you all the way back to the training field.

he was a pain in your ass for sure, you'd almost forgotten what that felt like.

it was sunset now, halfway close to nightfall, and you had spent the better half of the journey begging to be taken back to the south. every request and plea had been denied.

"i don't understand," you said, frowning. "i could've been at the south by now, you know —"

"no living being, except perhaps a ten feet tall titan, would have made it back to trost in such a small amount of time," he corrected you firmly. "you would have to stop by karanes district."

you ignored him, speaking as though he hadn't said a word. "i could have been training right now!"

"indeed," he agreed, taking you by pleasant surprise. you were rendered disappointed when he hadn't stopped there. "your skills could have been put to better use, like the task you were given, for instance. you're clearly capable if you made it away from your group, into the streets, and even up the walls to make your way back on foot without a horse. no one would have thought of that if they were in your position."

you narrowed your eyes at him. "was that meant to be a compliment..?"

"no."

you scoffed, rolling your eyes and walking ahead of him for the first time. "i knew that."

commander erwin did not call you back. it made sense, to be fair. so long as you were within his eye sight, he would not reprimand you or have you tied to the horse (his words, not yours).

you tried not to complain too much in your head. things could have been worse, you were almost grateful it was commander erwin walking you back and not, god forbid, keith shadis.

or even worse... captain levi. you couldn't promise that you wouldn't have gone on another odm spree if it had been him. nobody ever told you how difficult going through such a messy divorce would be.

you stopped, waiting for him to catch up before walking alongside him again, striking up a conversation that you had felt was very necessary.

"what if i promise not to bother you for the next year or so? if you let me go back to trost, that is."

he did not look at you when he gave his curt response. "no, cadet."

"okay," you nodded, thinking harder. "what if it was two years, then?"

you could hear every crunch of the leaves laying helplessly beneath your feet, you could feel every snap of each discarded twig you stepped on as he responded. "still no."

"final bid," you tried again, looking up at him hopefully, "two and a half years... assuming you make it back alive from one of your expeditions —"

"cadet l/n —"

"that's my final offer! take it or leave it!"

he pulled the halter attached to his horse. "i will respectfully choose to leave it."

you scowled at him, taking obvious offense to his foolish choice.

"that wasn't respectful at all," you muttered, walking away from him and nearly bumping into a tree. you stumbled, falling slightly against his helping arm, and moved away from him quickly, as though you had been burned by his touch.

straightening up, you marched on, slightly irritated that his long legs gave him the advantage of effortlessly keeping pace with you even when you had tried to dash away. his strides were like a giant's, making your efforts seem almost comical. but just then, an idea sparked in your mind, a glimmer of hope amidst the frustration.

you glanced up at him hopefully.

"maybe i can get marie back for you too!" you told him, ignoring the way his stern eyes met yours with absolutely nothing close to admiration. "if you let me —"

"cadet, we have been through this," he sighed, but you did not let him continue, practically jumping up to debunk his pessimistic belief.

"if you're worried about it being too late, don't!" you assured him, beaming. "if she truly loves you —"

"she is married with kids," he reminded you, ever the pessimist.

you frowned, lower lip pushed forward in a pout. "please! for marie."

"that is precisely why i'm sending you back."

"nooo," you moaned, finally accepting defeat with your head hung, slouching as you continued to walk deeper into the forest.

the conversation had ended at that, an awkward silence draping over the two of you like a warm blanket on a cold winter day as you marched on, reluctant and unforgiving. his effortless strides beside your frantic steps felt like a mocking dance, each step he took a silent reminder of his advantage.

"are you still keen on joining the scout regiment?" he asked you, cutting through the silence with a voice holding such authority, you understood exactly why he was commander.

the frustration you held for him earlier still gnawed at you, a persistent itch that couldn't be scratched, as if the universe itself was conspiring to amplify your every irritation. even still, you answered.

"yeah," you grumbled, and you felt his piercing gaze digging holes in your cheek. "sir," you added, begrudgingly.

he hummed. "we could use your intelligence and skill."

"don't mock me."

"cadet, i do not possess any form of humour that you might find entertaining," said commander erwin, stern and grave. "i am quite serious in my observation. i have noticed, however, how little excitement you have compared to our last meeting."

he was referring to the meeting where he practically slapped you in the face for defending him against that vile nile dok (you would still do it again, if given the opportunity).

"care to explain?" he prompted, when it had become clear that you would not answer without another push.

you sighed irritably.

"i'm going through something right now," you explained, half angry and half exhausted, "and it's all because of captain levi."

"did he have something to do with your suspension?" the commander questioned. you finally looked up at him and found that he looked rather curious. did he seriously not know what had happened?

"he didn't tell you?" you returned, also stumped. "aren't you guys meant to be, like, best friends or something?"

"best friend is not quite the term i'd use," he continued gracefully.

"okay well i think you're best friends so that's what i'm gonna go with from here on out," you dismissed him, still irritable and annoyed. "section commander hange didn't know either —"

"i'll have to ask him about it later —"

"no!" you interrupted, eyes wide as you stepped in front of him and his horse to stop him from continuing on. "you can't let him know you found me. he can't know anything."

"cadet l/n —"

"if you tell him," you began, grasping at straws, "i'll shave your eyebrows and glue them to keith's head since yours are so bushy, you're hogging them all —"

the look of surprised concern had vanished from his face, now stern and firm, with all the authority you knew he carried himself with when addressing his scout members. you stopped yourself there, scratching the back of your neck nervously.

"okay maybe i went a little too far..." you said, half apologetic, half not. "i just... i ask that you don't let the captain know that you've seen me. before you ask why, it's because i'm pretty mad at him for what he did —"

"what he did? —"

"— he chased me around the woods with the gear!" you told him honestly, and you did not offer any form of context to help him understand the situation better. you figured that he'd just side with his comrade rather than logic (you). "so when i got scared and ran off, i got in so much trouble for 'defying his orders'. i couldn't follow his orders 'cause i got scared!"

he didn't look too convinced. it only irked you further.

"please," you tried again, all the venom that had laced each word from earlier slowly running out in a desperate attempt to convince him of following your humble request.

every glance he gave you felt like a needle prick, sharp and aggravating, turning the air around you thick with tension and resentment towards him.

"i will not mention the adventure i found you immersed in," he began, and when you had smiled at him for the first time since your last meeting, he added on to his speech. "however, if the captain happens to question what you'd been up to during your time in utopia, i will inform him of this."

from the serious tone of his voice, you had expected to be showered in disappointment by the end of his speech. instead, you'd found yourself grinning, waving a hand at him and turning away with joy.

"that's great!" you beamed, marching on, elated. "i remember the early morning training sessions with him, and if that's anything to go by, i know that he won't mention me at all! he's a quiet one, isn't he?"

the commander followed you as you skipped on. "i would refrain from getting too excited, cadet l/n. especially since you are the topic of conversation we are gambling on."

you looked over your shoulder at him, brows furrowed and head tilted. was he implying something? you were good at picking up on those. as blissfully unaware as you might seem with certain events, you still found yourself to be quite perceptive. either commander erwin meant nothing at all, or he meant something else entirely.

"what's that supposed to mean?" you asked, frowning.

"nothing important," he responded, and there had been no doubt in your mind that he was not lying.

you had arrived back to the cadet corps by nightfall and the walk of shame back to the commandant's office had been anything but pleasant (especially since you had made a beeline for the dorms and had been pulled back by commander erwin's snitch of a horse).

it seemed that you would not see your friends for the remainder of this week and the next, unlike you had hoped.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・

day 4:

the commandant had been so surprised, shocked, and all around enraged by your actions the day before, he hadn't been able to conjure up a punishment specifically made for you that would, in his words, teach you a good lesson. instead, he had told (yelled at) you to continue through with the training schedule the next day, meanwhile he would think long and hard about what to do with you. should you end up foolishly misbehaving even after this threat, he would have someone higher up than him to personally deal with you themselves.

you did not necessarily believe that he held that kind of authority, though you'd kept that thought to yourself, especially seeing as commander erwin had been present during his ear-splitting speech.

you had been working in the stables with the horses when it happened.

hitch and marlowe had come to visit you and asked what had happened during the task, why you had run off and how their team had failed miserably out of everyone else's in the task assigned. you shrugged it off, barely answering their questions properly so as to save yourself from the embarrassment of them realising how you had not only failed their entire team, but failed yourself in the process (which was obviously not part of the plan).

hitch was standing by the door, far away from the horses and the faeces you were, unfortunately, tasked to clean up. marlowe stood a little closer, near the haystack where it was still safe from the dirt.

"people are talking, y'know," hitch had told you, twirling a strand of her short hair around her finger. "last rumour i heard said that you were eaten by bears."

"bears should fear me," you scowled, chest heaving with exhaustion as you used your arm to swipe some of the loose hair off your face. "and that's the dumbest thing i've ever heard anyway... after jean saying that he's better than me —"

marlowe frowned. "who's jean?"

"you'll find out soon enough," you said bitterly, rubbing the wet cloth against the dutch door with vigour. at their silence, you looked up at them, slightly out of breath. "you're joining the military police, aren't you?"

marlowe nodded. you went back to work.

"then you'll meet him at some point next year. just look for the tallest guy there with the face of... that horse," you said, pointing at the horse standing in the left corner of the little shed, segregated from the rest, and for good reason to. after spending the better half of an hour cleaning, crying, and then cleaning again, you'd found that this particular horse had a very arrogant personality, one that did not mesh well with the others. it also helped that his fur was almost identical to the colour of jean's ash blonde hair.

"you didn't just get sent here because we needed a role model, hm?" asked hitch, skilfully changing the subject.

the ruse had lasted as long as it could manage. you didn't particularly mind that it had been hitch who had figured it out and that marlowe would be present to hear the truth. you quite liked them, actually.

"you're trost's trouble cadet," she concluded, as you slowly stood up to walk over to the next horse, feet almost tripping over the hay scattered around the floor. "well, you're not nearly as bad as our trouble cadet."

you turned around, regarded her with a look of annoyed interest, and furrowed your brows.

"your trouble cadet?" you repeated.

she nodded. you averted your gaze to marlowe. he nodded too.

"i was actually expecting you to stumble across him here," said hitch, looking around the dark as though expecting this trouble cadet to jump out and reveal himself.

"why would i —" you began, confused.

"he likes being in the dark," said marlowe. "you never saw him during regular training because he trains in the woods where there's more shade from the sun."

your eyes widened, and you couldn't help but stare at marlowe, eyebrows raised in disbelief. an odd silence hung in the air as his words echoed in your mind. you tilted your head slightly, as if trying to make sense of what you had just heard, but the sheer oddness of it left you speechless. your mouth opened to say something, but no words came out, leaving you with a bewildered expression that you thought spoke volumes.

"i'm lost," you had finally settled on saying.

"it's been a while since anyone's reacted that way," said hitch, arms folded over her chest as she leaned back against the wooden wall. "everyone's used to his weird ass since we've been living with him for two years now, but i guess your reaction's warranted. you've never met him."

"or seen him in action."

"am i supposed to be concerned?" you asked, raising a brow. "he likes the darkness? he trains in the woods? what does that even mean —"

"he starts acting really weird when he's in the sunlight," hitch informed you, moving her head left and right, forward and back, as though he were hiding somewhere amidst the darkness. "it came to a point where the commandant had to come to a compromise: he'd stay in the cadet corps, but train away from everyone else — in the shade in the woods."

you frowned. "unsupervised?"

you didn't believe this trouble cadet was as unhinged as you were, for you had to be escorted from one place to the next, always chaperoned. could he have been as bad as they were communicating to you if he, unlike you, was allowed to venture and be alone without having a staff member attached to his hip? you didn't think so.

"oh, he believes he's unsupervised," said hitch, leaning back against the wall as though she'd determined that the trouble cadet was not hiding in the stables, "but he's not."

"they have someone up in the trees, watching him," marlowe added helpfully.

now, you were intrigued. it was the first time all week that something had genuinely piqued your interest.

"why can't he know?" you investigated, taking your gloves off and throwing them in the bucket you had carried with you, filled with water that had slipped out the second the gloves had been dunked in.

"he starts acting weird again," said hitch, blunt. "he doesn't like being watched or followed. hates anyone with hair that isn't black —"

"— but can tolerate hair that's dark brown," marlowe finished off.

"he went crazy when i spoke to him," said hitch, fingers raking through her light brown bangs. "never approached him again after that, the weirdo."

"he's usually here," said marlowe, looking around. "don't know why he's not today."

lost in contemplation, your mind wandered through a maze of possibilities until a small idea flickered to life. the more you considered it, the more it began to take shape, growing clearer and more compelling by the moment.

you shouldn't... it was a safe option to simply stay put, not act on your thoughts.

however, you were curious, you were intrigued, you wanted to meet your opponent...

but you shouldn't...

but when had that ever stopped you?

"so he's either here or in the woods," you started, taking note of the way marlowe's brows had raised and the way hitch had stood up straighter. "rule the stables out, he's probably in the woods, right?"

the two original members of the northern cadet corps exchanged a look with one another. you hadn't bothered deciphering it, too busy throwing the wet cloth into the bucket and then leaving it behind the large haystack next to the jean-horse.

you would come back for it. you were taking a little break, that was all. you would be in and out of the woods in no time; it would be as though you had never left!

leaving the stables behind, you ventured into the dense woods, the trees standing tall like the silent sentinels you had seen that one time you had ventured in mitras. the canopy above whispered softly, leaves rustling like a conspiratorial hush as you moved deeper into the forest. hitch and marlowe followed you like two unshakeable shadows. you did not mind. in fact, learning about this trouble cadet had you so intrigued, you felt that if you did manage to find him, you would need more clarification should anything odd occur.

each step felt like an eternity, the ground beneath your feet a patchwork of soft moss and brittle twigs that snapped like brittle bones. this was an issue, for you had promised yourself that meeting him would be quick and easy. the air was thick with the earthy scent of damp soil and pine, wrapping around you like a shroud. as you searched for any sign of him — using hitch and marlowe's guidance — your heart pounded a steady rhythm, a drumbeat of determination that drove you forwards into the unknown depths, further away from the training field.

just as the voice at the back of your head had started echoing demands to go back, save yourself the trouble and complete your assigned punishment, a hiss had caught you off guard. however, where you had flinched and immediately started looking around, hitch and marlowe had merely sighed, one of them shaking their heads, the other scowling.

"yeah, we're in his territory," said hitch, letting out a pained exhale. "it's not too late to turn back if you want to —"

"who is this newcomer?" a chilling voice had interrupted her, and with that voice came a tall boy, only seeming shorter due to his slouching.

he was pale, with dark liner resting on his waterline, and jet black hair that covered all of his forehead and parts of his left eye, falling all the way down to his cheek.

what an interesting looking cadet, you thought, eyeing him up and down. but this was supposed to be the so called 'trouble cadet' of the northern division? you doubted it.

"y/n, meet kai," said marlowe, taking a step back as though standing within the same vicinity as this kai would infect him with something. "his actual name is m—"

kai gave him a look, one that you could best describe as a warning. he also simultaneously looked possessed and troubled.

"er... kai, this is y/n," marlowe continued, as though heeding kai's warning. was he really that terrifying? you didn't think so. an odd looking person, for sure, but you did not believe him to be scary in the slightest.

standing just within the shade of the dense trees, kai's pale face and dark-lined eyes glinted with curiosity and suspicion. he peered at you from his secluded spot, his black hair blending into the shadows like ink spilled on parchment.

"i have never seen you before... y/n," he said, chest heaving as though he had been running for miles.

you stared back at him, deadpanned. "well, obviously, i'm not a member here."

his posture was oddly rigid, and you could see the tension in his frame, as if he were a tightly wound spring ready to snap.

hitch, who had been standing behind you, finally spoke and drew kai's attention from you to herself.

"remember me?" she said, as though expecting him to do something out of the ordinary.

his dark eyes, narrowed in incredulity, searched her face, travelled across her bangs and the rest of her hair, visibly shaky.

"war flashbacks," she commented, watching him lazily.

"i have taught myself the art of tolerating hair as light as yours..." he said, curling his fingers and speaking with exaggerated arm movements; what a silly guy. "i am still disappointed with your choice of colour —"

"oh fuck off," she snapped, scoffing, "this is my natural hair colour. deal with it."

kai ignored her. you spoke up.

"he doesn't even seem that bad," you had said, looking at a tentative marlowe with a shrug. "bit of an odd one, sure, but not as bad as you guys were painting him out to be."

"you are a trespasser," said kai, apparently uncaring of the rare politeness you'd handed to him. he dramatically pointed at hitch and marlowe too. "all of you!"

you laughed. "trespasser?"

"indeed..." he nodded, extending his arms outwards as if to introduce you to your surroundings. "the darkness consumes me... i like to be alone."

"but you're not alone," you told him simply. "there's a higher up watching you in the trees."

you had forgotten that this part of the information that hitch and marlowe had fed you back at the stables was meant to be a secret, but you had realised that a moment too late, for kai had already begun to look distraught. if his behaviour since your introduction had been anything to go by, you knew that this was not good.

the moment the words left your mouth, you could see the shift in his expression, his eyes widening in sheer horror. hitch slapped a hand on her forehead and marlowe had taken several steps back.

"why did you tell him?" she groaned, as the three of you watched his body go rigid, and then start to shake violently, his pale skin almost glowing under the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees.

"i —" you began, rendered speechless for the first time in your life (usually it was you rendering others to be at a loss for words), "i — i don't know, i forgot!"

a low hiss escaped his lips, growing louder and more feral as panic took hold. his hands clawed at the air, fingers curling like talons, as if trying to ward off an invisible threat.

you looked back at your two friends, shaking your head and gesturing at the odd cadet, visibly confused. "do we do something —"

"no!" said marlowe, with such demand in his voice, you almost winced. "no, don't touch him! he'll somehow hurt you!"

kai stumbled backwards, eyes darting around frantically, before collapsing to the ground. your jaw dropped at his act, for his body had started convulsing in spasms, twitching uncontrollably as he let out a series of guttural sounds, somewhere between a growl and a whimper.

there was a rustle of leaves above you, and when you had looked up, you'd been met with the eyes of a very grumpy looking man, glaring at you.

you specifically.

he called down to you all.

"i refuse to get in trouble because the new girl couldn't keep her mouth shut," he snapped, standing on a thick branch and adjusting his gear. "i didn't see anything and neither did any of you!" he said, before zooming off, out of sight. the only thing he had left behind was the rustling of more tree leaves and the sound of his wires being reeled back in and then out again, repeating until it was low and faint amongst kai's ragged gasps.

and kai continued to hiss, the sound growing more desperate with each passing second. his eyes rolled back, and he curled into himself, rocking back and forth as if the revelation had shattered the fragile equilibrium he had maintained in his solitary existence.

"oi, get up, we're gonna get in trouble 'cause of you!" hitch demanded, kicking his twitching side which only resulted in more drama: he rolled over and continued to act feral. "malakai!"

and if you had thought the first revelation had set him off, his response to his full government name had started something else entirely.

"ah, shit," hitch whispered to herself, stepping away from him as he slowly rose to his feet...

and then charged at you.

it wasn't even normal running. his arms were extended behind him, his torso slouched and head bent forward. it was akin to some form of ninja run, only ten times more dramatic.

you dashed away, saving yourself by pushing marlowe in his direction, grabbing hitch's pale hand, and sprinting away, ignoring marlowe's confused yelp.

it would have been wiser to go through the woods to lessen the risk of being seen by another, more sensible higher up, but you had been in such a panic, you did not care who saw or questioned you. you had made a beeline for the stables, ignoring hitch's constant demands to run back to the training field.

kicking the wooden door open, you caught the attention of every horse, their curious heads turning towards you. releasing Hitch's hand, you dashed to the fastest horse, unlatching its rope and tossing it aside, urging her to do the same. despite her obvious reluctance, she followed your instructions, helping you free the jean-lookalike horse for marlowe (for whenever he would arrive; you hadn't looked back to see what had happened to him after you had pushed him towards kai... malakai).

you hoisted yourself onto the horse you had chosen the moment you glimpsed malakai's shadow darkening the doorway. your heart pounded like a drum as you swung your leg over the saddle, the leather creaking beneath you. the horse's muscles rippled under your touch, its body a coiled spring ready to launch into action.

but malakai had already entered, charging through as your horse shifted beneath you, eager to break free, its hooves tapping out a restless rhythm against the wooden floor.

"where did marlowe go?" said hitch, her voice raised over the horrible hisses that malakai had let out.

"beats me," you said, pulling at the reins of your horse, preparing to dash past malakai, who was blocking the only exit. you hadn't felt this scared since keith had dragged you out of his office by your own hair.

as malakai's eyes locked onto the ash-blonde fur of the jean horse, a visible shudder ran through him. his already frenzied state escalated to a new level of hysteria; a guttural scream tore from his throat, raw and animalistic, echoing through the stables. as if that hadn't been enough, his body had started convulsing violently, as if an electric current surged through him, and he dropped to the ground, thrashing and clawing at the air.

the scare had been enough for you to ride your horse straight out of the stables, galloping away as malakai's hands grasped at the dirt and straw, fingers digging in while he writhed, trying to escape the sight before him. you heard him hiss and spit, could see how his eyes had widened, unseeing, consumed by an irrational terror. the horse neighed in alarm, pulling back against its restraints, but malakai's focus was entirely on the pale fur. his entire body trembled uncontrollably, movements jerky and erratic like a marionette on frayed strings.

you turned your head away from the sight, both you and hitch directing your horses around the stables and through the training field. you were grateful it was lunchtime, for it had meant that everyone would be occupied in the mess hall and that you would be free of the blame.

"y/n!" said hitch, her voice carrying through the wind.

she was on her horse beside you, the wind brushing her short hair backwards, her bangs dishevelled. a dusty pink had rose up over her pale cheeks and nose, but she looked concerned and unhappy.

"the horses!" she called out to you.

you glanced back over your shoulder.

the horses, very clearly alarmed by malakai's reaction, had all started filing out of the stables, running one behind the other in a straight line. you pulled at the reins of your horse, abruptly stopping him, nearly throwing yourself off with how sudden the action had been.

"uh oh..." you mumbled, unable to find the memory where you had shut all the doors properly. "that's not good..."

"what do we do?" she said, visibly and audibly distraught.

the commotion sent some horses scattering in all directions, their hooves pounding the ground like a frantic drumbeat. others followed one another, a chaotic herd racing down into the woods, their silhouettes quickly swallowed by the dense foliage. the once orderly stable had transformed into a scene of pandemonium, with the horses' frightened whinnies echoing through the trees.

"i have an idea," you said, heart beating against your chest.

and before hitch could interrogate you any further, you had slid off your horse and made a run for the dormitories. after all, it was not as though they could blame you when you were not even near the stables, right? and everything you had learned about malakai told you that he enjoyed staying in the stables, whose fault could it be, but his?

the rest of the day had been spent with gossip about how kai had released all the horses, and commandant badis has not approached you since.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・

day 5:

the classroom was a dreary space, filled with rows of wooden desks, each scarred with the carvings of previous students. the walls, painted a dull beige, were lined with maps and charts that had faded from years of sunlight streaming through the large, grimy windows. the air was thick with the smell of chalk and old books, a scent that seemed to cling to everything within the room.

you had only been seated for two minutes, but boredom had already seeped into your bones like a slow, creeping fog. your eyes drifted over the chipped blackboard and the monotonous droning of the instructor felt like an endless lullaby. the clock on the wall ticked sluggishly, each second dragging into an eternity. you tapped your fingers on the desk, the rhythmic sound offering little relief from the oppressive monotony. it was as if time itself had decided to stall, trapping you in a stagnant bubble of tedium.

"new girl," said boris, slamming a hand against the desk you were resting your elbows on.

you looked up, eyes half lidded with disappointment. you would kill to have a conversation with anybody but this fool.

"you're in my seat," he'd said, leaning down in some odd tactic of intimidation; it was not working.

hitch and marlowe were attending their class in the classroom across from yours. after spending several classes laughing with hitch and engaging in one-sided arguments with marlowe, you were relocated to a different classroom, sentenced to endure absolute boredom.

you looked up at boris, disinterested as the rest of the class had begun filing in.

"your eye's healed nicely," you commented thoughtfully.

boris's face flushed with indignation, his eyes narrowing into sharp slits as he glared at you. he crossed his arms tightly, his posture rigid, and muttered something under his breath, clearly taken aback by your remark.

"still in my seat," he'd said, matter-of-factly.

you shrugged, eyes following the teacher who had finally arrived, making his way to the desk, gaze meeting yours and hardening when you did not straighten up and salute him as the rest of your peers had.

"l/n," he called out, voice firm and grave, "there is a seating plan. move to your assigned desk."

you frowned. you would have rather had him scold you for not participating in the salute than call you out for the whole seat debacle. boris looked too smug for your liking.

"but sir, i like sitting here," you responded, hands flat against the rough wood of the singular table, only further reinforcing your firm stance on staying where you were.

"i won't ask you again," he snapped, the black in his eyes turning smaller and smaller the longer he glowered down at you. "move!"

"well if m— kai can sit under the desk, why can't i sit wherever i want?" you demanded, outraged.

because that was a thing: malakai (who you had learned quite well preferred to be called kai) had this peculiar tendency of sitting under his assigned table, away from watchful eyes, submerged in the darkness. apparently that had been part of the agreement him and commandant badis had come to since the first few training days.

he let out a low growl at the mention of his name, nothing as bad as what would have happened if you had referred to him as malakai.

you could tell, with the way your temporary teacher's eyes had widened ever so slightly, that you had bought about a good point. sitting under the table was odd; it was weird; it was unusual.

"that decision was made between him and the commandant," he announced at last. "i have no say in it. now go back to your seat!"

you grumbled the entire way back to your seat.

because of the fact that the seating arrangements had already been made before your arrival, bringing up a new desk and table in the classroom had proven to be difficult due to the lack of space. in conclusion, they had shoved you into the seat next to kai, which had been vacant for obvious reasons. it was the second to last row from the back.

halfway through the class, the teacher had called on you to answer a math question.

you started.

you were not good at math. history? definitely. english? absolutely.

but math?

back at the south, you had nearly forced your teacher's hand at retirement due to how incorrigible you were.

all eyes had directed themselves to you at your radio silence.

in turn, you had turned around too, facing the stony-faced girl who had, unfortunately for her, been placed behind you.

"he asked you a question," you said quietly. "why aren't you answering —"

"i'm talking to you, cadet l/n, and you know it!" the teacher had snapped, quick to anger. you thought he should step outside and think about his short temper for a bit.

leisurely, carefully, and calmly, you turned back around and laughed. perhaps if you simply pretended not to know what he had been talking about, he would grow tired of dealing with you and move on.

"me?" you'd said, looking around the classroom as though another you existed.

"there is only one you, l/n," he said, extending his arm and offering the chalk to you. "thank the world for that."

you did not pay his insult any mind, simply eyeing the chalk in his hand as though it were a shard of glass rather than a simple writing instrument. your hand hovered in the air, paralysed with the weight of impending failure. taking the chalk felt like grasping a live wire, the fear of failure sending jolts through your body, and you felt the classroom close in around you, the walls whispering your ineptitude. your fingers twitched as you finally reached out, the chalk cold and unwelcoming, ice against the skin on your palm.

you reluctantly and slowly got up and made your way to the chalkboard. he had written out the question for you and you were already lost, the numbers on the board moving and dancing and confusing you even further.

but you persevered and wrote everything you knew, your hands moving fast against the chalkboard. it... wasn't so bad. you were thoroughly enjoying yourself. the class had even remained silent as you worked through the question (taking up the entire middle half of the board with your writing) and you knew they were most likely in awe. your math skills were bad, if not downright terrible, yet their silence spoke volumes about your ability now.

once finished, you turned around with a smile, dropping the chalk on your teacher's desk and hanging your head in a humble bow.

"you... what..." he began, brows furrowed as he examined your work.

you beamed, visibly proud of yourself.

"i know, i know," you hummed. "it's —"

"why did you draw a field of flowers?"

you frowned. he didn't look too happy, now that you observed the look on his face properly. you looked back at your work, doubtful, but there had been nothing wrong with it, nothing that you could point out, at least.

"mmm... the daisy on the left does look a little malnourished —"

"i meant," he began, through gritted teeth, "what do these BULLSHIT flowers have to do with the question?"

your mouth fell agape, brows furrowed as you glared at him, offended.

"that's so rude, it took me forever to make them!" you exclaimed, feeling as though you had been slapped in the face for your hard work. some people truly did not appreciate you and what you had to offer. you cleared your throat and pointed at the flowers. "if you must know, there are ten flowers on the bottom row and seven hiding behind them because the question mentions a pyramid. so the field of flowers is just a visual because behind the seven flowers, there are four flowers —"

"just sit back down, you worthless piece of shit," he spat, pointing at your table with disdain.

you scoffed, walking back to your seat and mimicking him. sure, the flowers may have been a bit much, but did he have to make such a scene about it? people were laughing now. whether at you or him, you had no idea, but nothing was ever that funny, not enough to have you gasping for breath (that was directed at the male cadet in the back left corner).

"y/n..." kai's low and haunting voice had come from your right, just as you had slid into your seat with an expression of irritation.

you turned, and once met with the vacant seat, moved your head further down to meet his eyes from underneath the table.

"you are the epitome of lightness..." he began, and you remained patient enough to hear him out despite knowing how he was. "you enjoy flowers... i do not, unless they are black and other worldly... the darkness consumes me —"

"all right kai, where are you going with this?" you sighed, still annoyed at your teacher for being so cruel to you.

"yesterday you helped me..."

you raised your brows at him, interested and surprised. you hardly believed laying the blame on him for your reckless behaviour was helping him, but remained silent nonetheless. he went on:

"you alerted me of the lie i was living in... i hate being watched, i hate being followed, and no one but you told me the dark truth..."

you refrained from telling him how that had been an accident and continued to listen to his odd speech.

"and when i was found in the stables yesterday... after the horses ran away... they took me to a dark room..."

was he expecting an apology? you did not know, but he still continued to speak without letting you cut in.

"i pretended to hate it there so they would not discover a punishment that i would actually detest... like being submerged in the sunlight... that would be dreadful..."

"sure," you nodded, still confused.

"it was the best dark day of my life..." he said, still using odd hand gestures when speaking.

"oh," you replied, nodding and trying your best to decipher and comprehend his odd language. "you're welcome? —"

"i carved your name on the darkest part of the tree i sit by in the woods..."

you raised a brow, unsure of whether that was a concern or something to be excited about. how many times had this odd cadet rendered you speechless? you were still not used to being on the receiving end of such unusual behaviour.

"erm," you began uncertainly, "thank you. i'm... glad i helped you?"

he did not respond to you. the last thing you had heard from him was a chorus of very heavy breathing, unrhythmic. you hadn't initiated conversation with him then, but there had been a silent understanding between the two of you. you did not know what to label it as, but something told you that it was almost akin to an alliance.

after half an hour of the same boring and mundane math lesson, you found yourself ripping parts of your paper and doodling all over it. you had drawn marco and yourself around a field of flowers that you knew was probably safer not to show your teacher. you had drawn marco and yourself picking out some of the flowers too. you had then drawn the two of you taking the flowers back to your horse (jean) and greeting sasha and mina on the way.

lazily, you had ripped another part of your paper and tried your hand at drawing the teacher himself. it was hard to do so, for he never stayed in one position for too long, constantly talking and pacing, always yelling and making odd facial expressions. you finally understood jean's frustrations when you'd keep laughing or fidgeting when he'd tell you to sit still so he could sketch you.

you looked down at your final piece: it was comical, no where near as accurate as how jean would have done it. there was no fixing it either. so, in an act of pure impulse, you'd drawn a speech bubble by his head and written 'I HAVE ANGER ISSUES AND HATE PRETTY FLOWERS' inside it.

and then you passed it to the person on your left...

...who passed it to the person in front of him...

...who passed it to the person next to her...

...who passed it to the person next to her...

...before it had travelled around the entire classroom, finally left in the hands of kai, who let out a growl as he emerged from underneath the table (the slightest bit) to hand it over to you.

kai had added some adjustments to your drawing. the teacher's teeth that hadn't been coloured in earlier was now black with ink, the same went for his uniform and the whites of his eyes.

your teacher's face flushed crimson as his eyes fell upon the defaced image resting on your desk, which you had failed to swipe off the table once he'd approached you. his jaw clenched visibly, veins pulsing at his temples as he picked up the drawing with trembling hands. the added layers of black ink marred the likeness of his face, transforming his image into a grotesque caricature. a sharp intake of breath escaped his lips, the silence in the room palpable as he struggled to contain his rage.

his gaze swept across the classroom, fixing upon kai, whose weird behaviour from beneath the table only fuelled the teacher's ire further. words failed him momentarily, replaced by a tense silence that seemed to fill the entire room. his nostrils flared as he finally spoke, his voice tight with suppressed anger.

"which one of you scums drew this?" he demanded, each word pronounced with clipped precision.

the atmosphere grew heavy with anticipation as he awaited a response, his hands gripping the drawing tightly. his eyes bore into kai, demanding an explanation while the rest of the class held their breath, keenly aware of the escalating tension in the room.

"cadet mortimer," he pronounced sharply. unaware to whom he was referring, you had deduced wisely that it must have been kai's last name, given his unwavering gaze fixed solely on the peculiar cadet, who responded with nothing more than a hiss.

"it... was not... i... who drew... that art piece."

the teacher's eyes had fallen on you next. you did not hesitate to protest immediately.

"what did i do?" you demanded, lying straight through your teeth.

"you were in possession of this," he said, glowering down at you, lips pursed. "tell the truth now, either one of you!" he mercilessly scrunched the paper up in his hand. "or i'll send the both of you to the commandant's office. let him have his way with you idiots."

in a desperate and angry attempt to save both yourself and kai, you hadn't realised that you had spoken far too quickly:

"it wasn't me or malakai!"

some people had groaned. others had gasped. you watched as your teacher's scowl had turned into something far more ugly. you did not understand.

"why's everyone looking at me like— oh..."

you slowly turned your head to face the vacant seat that kai rested beneath, only to find that he had finally emerged, slowly standing up straight, cheeks hollow and eyes already rolling to the back of his head.

his reaction was immediate and intense, body body stiffening as if he'd been electrocuted by the mention of his full name, eyes widened in alarm, darting around nervously as if searching for an escape route. a tremor shook his hands, and he began muttering under his breath, a stream of incoherent words punctuated by sharp, uncontrollable hisses.

"LOOK AT WHAT YOU —" your teacher had started, gripping onto your bicep and hauling you out of your seat, away from the danger that was kai as he shoved you towards the exit. "JUST GET OUT! GO!"

you would have gladly left, a spring in your step if all of this had occurred under normal circumstances, but this was different. the commandant's threat, as empty and unbelievable as it may have seemed, was still fresh in your mind. you had escaped trouble the day before simply due to the fact that you had made a run for it, a sanctuary found in your dormitory where no man could enter. however, during classroom activities, there were always higher ups walking up and down the corridors, alert and aware, strict and harsh. they would alert the commandant of you being kicked out of your class despite your bribery.

you could not leave.

"i'm sorry, i didn't meant to!" you tried, turning your back to the door as you pleaded with your teacher. "i'll sit at the back and stop talking! i won't bother anyone, i swear!"

"GET," your teacher punctuated, pointing at the door, his voice carrying even through kai's loud hisses, "OUT!"

"please —" you tried again, placing your hands together and staring up at him with raised brows.

"NOW!"

you flinched, a faint ringing now audible as you opened the classroom door and made your way out.

your plan had changed; searching left and right, alert, you noted how empty the hallways were, slowly making your way down, unsure of what to do for the remainder of the time left.

you wandered the hallways aimlessly, each step a cautious whisper against the cold, wooden floor. the oppressive silence of the corridor only amplified your wariness, every distant creak and murmur sounded like the impending approach of the commandant. shadows loomed large, stretching and shifting with your movement, making your heart race with flickers of something almost akin to fear (not that you actually feared badis, but you figured that avoiding any sort of trouble would be beneficial).

at the end of the corridor, you spotted the imposing silhouette of the commandant, his stern gaze scanning the halls like a predator on the hunt. your heart nearly dropped to your stomach as you stumbled in your hurried attempt to turn around and slide away without being heard or seen. you had nearly made it, for all of two seconds, before you heard your name being called out harshly.

he had spotted you.

"l/n!"

at first, you tried to ignore it.perhaps if you continued to walk as though you hadn't heard him, he'd give up.

wrong: he called out your name again.

"L/N!"

you let out a stressed sigh, peering over your shoulder and locking eyes with him. you could almost feel the weight of his annoyance and disapproval from afar.

"what are you doing out of class?" he demanded, his voice echoing around you.

though you had made clear eye contact with him, that did not stop you from walking as though you had somewhere else to be. you spoke to him in a rushed manner, urgency clear in your alarmed voice.

"just going to the toilet!" you carelessly lied, speeding up the movement of your legs to get away from him quicker.

he paused. you held your breath and turned your head back around, speed walking away.

"the toilets are that way!" he all but roared at you, catching you out in your poorly-told lie, and when you'd glanced over at him again, you were taken aback when you realised just how close he was to you before he broke off into a run.

panic surged through you as the commandant's heavy footsteps thundered closer, so you broke into a sprint, darting around the corner and weaving through the narrow hallways, making your way around the entire building. your heart pounded like a war drum in your chest as you skidded to a halt in front of the toilet door, throwing it open and diving inside without a second thought. only then did you realize, too late, that you had bolted into the boys' toilets, the echo of the commandant's pursuit still ringing in your ears.

change of plans, you had decided, pressing your ear to the door and listening to his footsteps coming closer and closer. once you were certain he was near, you took a tentative step back and looked down at the thin gap between the door and the floor, taking action once you'd seen his shadow move, indicating his arrival. you ran out just as the door to the girls' toilets had closed, telling you that he had gone in to search for you.

you wasted no time darting forwards and twisting the lock from the outside, letting out a sigh of relief, the tension leaving your shoulders while the commandant twisted the handle, pushing and shoving at the locked door and demanding that you open it for him.

you turned away, humming to yourself as you listened to his very rude demands:

"YOU OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW YOU FOOLISH GIRL IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU!"

the door knob rattled violently

"OPEN. THIS. DOOR."

you were almost afraid of the knob falling right off.

"I WILL MAKE YOU CLEAN THIS ENTIRE BUILDING, SCRUB EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY OF THIS DISGUSTING PLACE! I WILL FORCE YOUR HAND INTO THESE TOILETS IF YOU DON'T OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW, YOU TROUBLESOME, FILTHY, STUPID MAGGOT!"

you scoffed, raising a brow at the door he kept banging, watching it shake with each slam of his hand.

"YOU WILL BE EXPELLED —"

it wasn't just his statement that had caught your attention. it was the several pairs of footsteps you heard amidst his yelling, drawing nearer with each passing second.

you hurriedly unlocked the door and took several steps back as he finally emerged from behind it, just as the higher ups that were on duty had materialised from both ends of the corridor.

commandant badis, his face tomato-red with a vein sticking out from several parts of his forehead, namely his temple, froze upon seeing them. they, too, remained stagnant upon seeing him exiting the girls' toilets.

you looked away, twiddling your thumbs behind your back, holding back a laugh.

"commandant... sir..." one of the men spoke up, apparently unsure of how to go about the situation. he looked as though he wanted to be everywhere else but here. you didn't blame him.

"you were..." another one intervened, raising a shaky finger at the sign behind the two of you: a stick woman in a dress.

"NO!" he snapped, looking around frantically. "you don't understand! she —"

he jammed a finger in your direction. you looked up, brows raised, masking your expression with one of complete innocence. he stared at you, glared at you, his left eye twitching, his thin lips parted.

"i...?" you said, expectantly. a warning. this didn't look good for him. he would have to tread lightly.

"commandant badis," a woman interrupted, her forehead lines prominent as she stared at him, stern. "this is... i'm sorry... everyone will have to be informed of —"

"it's fine," you hurriedly cut in, smiling. your plan was in motion. if he knew what was good for him, he'd let you say your piece and in return, would drop any punishments he had formed in his mind. "it's not what it looks like. he was escorting me to the toilet because i'm not allowed to go on my own."

the story made sense, for every higher up here knew of your existence and were warned to be very cautious of everything you did. 

the woman seemed unconvinced. 

"that doesn't explain why he was inside."

"i thought i saw one of the male cadets in there so i ran out. so he went to check while i was messing with the lock on the door and then i accidentally locked him in, which is why he looks so angry."

the higher ups stared down at you, each of their expressions slowly starting to form into one of understanding. it was a good thing that you were so you. had it been any other person, this excuse would have run dry, it would have been completely fruitless. but messing with the lock, accidentally locking him in? for you, that was probably the most tamest thing they had ever heard you do.

"but... he said he'll drop any of the consequences he had in mind because it was an accident, right, sir?" you added, batting your lashes at him knowingly.

his nostrils flared, but one glance at the people watching him and he let out a loud sigh.

"can't believe i'm saying this..." he began, clearing his throat, "the maggot's right."

bingo — you tried not to smile so hard. 

each higher up apologised profusely. commandant badis seemed to be visibly shaking with restrained anger, fists clenched. you had survived the horse incident miraculously. you would not let that go to waste by messing up here.

"get back to class!" he all but yelled at you.

saluting and then nodding, you marched off, roaming the corridors for the remainder of the time you were meant to be in the classroom for, stress free and absolutely ecstatic with yourself. you couldn't wait to reminisce about this with sasha and mikasa when you got back, a tale of how you defeated the big, bad dragon here in utopia. right now, though, you wanted to join hitch and marlowe for lunch.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・

"LEEEEEVIIIIIII!"  sang hange, who had been leading half of her squad members and erwin to the captain outside of the scouts' quarters, several horses in tow.

if hange and the rest of the group erwin had taken with him up to the wall had returned, that meant their business was now concluded and the scouts could finally focus on preparing for the next expedition. levi had recently gotten an earful from erwin, something about being more wise with what he spends half the money on, but he had dismissed that without another thought about it. if nearly half of the squads that had been lead out during the last expedition hadn't returned yet, money or not, erwin would never have been able to get the green light from zachary to fund another expedition, so what did it matter if he spent some of it on a few extra tea leaves? it posed no harm to the regiment at all.

besides, the group were smiling to themselves, which told levi enough: they'd secured the funds, it was nearly time for another scouting mission outside the walls.

what he did not understand, however, was the overly excited look on hange's face. there had been plenty of times since levi's recruitment where they'd secured enough funds, but he had never seen her look this excited since the last time erwin allowed her to capture a titan for experimental purposes (which was several months ago).

what the hell was she grinning so stupidly about?

"guess what?" she said, smiling wide enough for him to be able to count every white tooth in her mouth if he so pleased.

"mission was a success," he stated idly, before turning his head ever so slightly to be able to glance up at erwin. "mike's still at trost with the 104th —"

"that's not what i was gonna say!" hange interrupted him with an exaggerated frown.

he regarded her with a look of restrained irritation, repressing the ongoing desire to kick her in the shins.

"what," he snapped, wondering whether he should have given her the invitation to enlighten him. he was reminded of one gloomy morning where he had asked what she was up to and was left to deal with her never-ending rambling for hours before erwin had saved him with a request (order) for a task.

"woah, who pissed in your breakfast?" she teased, barely giving him any time to insult her before she prattled on. "we met someone yesterday!"

"perhaps we should go inside and discuss the rest of our plans," erwin had intervened.

in any normal instance, levi would have ignored hange prattling on and go straight inside, following the commander's order (not because it was an order, but because he felt like it). however, the slight tension in erwin's jaw did not got amiss by the captain, and he had become well aware that the two of them had encountered something. he could tell just by the way erwin seemed so adamant to avoid the topic, stifling hange's excited jittering for no apparent reason other than that there were plans to be discussed.

hange could easily say whatever needed to be said on the way — it was what erwin usually encouraged, seeing as a scenario very similar to this one had happened more often than not. why was this case so different? what were they hiding?

levi did not want to seem interested. he could live without the information, sure, but he had been so bored out of his mind for the last few days, he found himself silently wanting to know.

and he hated that.

"wait, erwin," said hange, making a move to wrap an enthusiastic arm around levi; he immediately raised his hand to swipe it away before it could reach him — he might be feeling a little out of his comfort zone with interest in places where it shouldn't be, but he was still levi. "we had the most eventful mission since sawney and bean!"

he didn't raise a brow, he didn't ask for more, he didn't even tilt his head ever so slightly in that way that he does when he'd silently gesture to continue.

erwin cleared his throat. "shouldn't you be writing up the report of today's events, hange?"

she looked up at him with an air of indifference, waving a hand dismissively. the other scouts would have thought twice before doing such a thing, but hange had always acted without thinking anyway.

"moblit has that covered!" she turned back to levi excitedly. "anyway, you have a lot to explain, actually," she babbled, smiling all the while despite sounding rather accusatory.

"the hell did i do?" he demanded, unimpressed.

maybe he had been mistaken. perhaps hange was talking about nonsense like she tended to do every other day.

but every other day, erwindidn't seem so dismissive of it.

"well maybe i shouldn't tell you since you never told us!" she responded, poking his bicep in such a manner that made him want to grab her hand and snap her wrist.

"never told you what," said levi, growing more annoyed by the second. what was the point of being so vague? just say it and get it over and done with.

"we met —"

"— dot pyxis," said erwin, raising an arm and pointing at the gates. that single move alone had the rest of the scouts making their way inside in a huddle.

"oh! good idea, erwin!" said hange, all of a sudden very agreeable. he did always have a feeling that she was a bit bipolar, switching between different emotions quicker than he could say his own name, but he had never seen her act so vague. "yep! we met pyxis!"

levi stared at her, deadpanned, eyes locked onto her's with an unyielding, stoic gaze, a masterclass in impassivity. unbeknownst to both erwin and hange, his curiosity simmered beneath the surface, hidden behind a mask of granite he hoped looked convincing. the flicker of amusement in hange's eyes only made him more resolute, his face a perfect portrait of controlled apathy. silence stretched between them like a taut bowstring, his expression unchanging, a silent challenge for her to break first.

hange tilted her head forwards, her eyebrows raised in playful anticipation. she leaned in slightly, the corners of her mouth twitching upwards as she waited, eyes sparkling with unspoken mischief.

levi did not break his silence.

as the rest of the scouts made their way past the tall gates, the two remained locked in a silent war with one another, spectated by erwin, who was also patiently waiting for one of them to yield.

hange, as impatient as bothered as she usually tended to be, had been the first to speak up, her voice teasing and expectant.

"you're... not going to ask what we really meant?"

levi had been quick with his response:

"no."

she paused, as though trying to comprehend his one-word answer. he mentally scoffed at her — was she not meant to be the smartest in the regiment? he had once overheard nanaba and mike betting on whether erwin or hange were the smartest; levi decided that he knew the answer to that now.

"well if that settles the matter," started erwin, pulling on the lead for his horse to jolt into movement, "we have other, more important business to attend to."

hange turned away, walking with a spring in her step as they moved on, changing the subject entirely and babbling on about nonsense. levi silently listened, but did not register anything she had been saying properly, his mind still occupied by that odd conversation.

perhaps he really had been mistaken. it must have been another one of those weird conversations with hange — the ones where she made absolutely no sense, the ones where he usually never bothered trying to understand.

but even those conversations had never gained erwin's full, undivided attention.

as the day went on, he did not think about it again, pushing the odd encounter to the back of his mind which proved well for him, for neither erwin nor hange had brought it up either. it was definitely not one of those weird conversations hange always brought up, but it did not need to be dwelled on by levi of all people.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・

day 6:

you found yourself on the training field with hitch and marlowe, the air thick with the sounds of grunts and shouts as the rest of the cadets around you practiced their hand-to-hand combat techniques. you, hitch, and marlowe moved fluidly, your bodies a dance of practiced strikes and evasions. in between these sessions full of concentration and skill, the three of you found yourselves immersed in good conversation, talking about everything and nothing all at once. your laughter bubbled up, mingling with the rhythmic cadence of your movements, sweat glistening on your brows.

as the three of you trained together, thoughts of malakai flickered through your mind. the memory of his reaction in class, a volatile mix of hissing and shaking, played over in your thoughts and you couldn't help but feel a pang of curiosity about him and his whereabouts. of course, you were well aware that he never trained on the public grounds, instead finding himself working on his own deep in the woods. you weren't too sure how he practiced hand-to-hand combat if he did not work with a partner or two — though you supposed he did battle his own demons regularly.

despite his dramatic tendencies and intense aversions, there was something almost pitiable about his isolation. during the relentless training session, with the sun bearing down on you all, you had found yourself contemplating your next move (this time, you hoped nothing too horrid would occur).

"do you guys ever just wonder what kai's up to?" you commented, tightening your hair held up in a ponytail.

their responses came together:

"no," said hitch.

"sometimes," said marlowe.

...

you glanced at them both. hitch swiped her leg across the floor, passing his left foot and glaring down at him once he had tripped.

"you think about that weirdo?" she demanded, raising a thin brow at him, accusatory and critical.

he rubbed his backside whilst simultaneously looking up at her, shielding his squinted eyes from the sun.

"i get curious," he admitted, barely abashed. "i can't help it."

hitch did not look too impressed by his admission, her eyes narrowing and lips pressing into a thin line. the usually cheerful light in her eyes dimmed, replaced by a glint of irritation as she crossed her arms and shifted her weight.

"in the woods two days ago, that was the first time in nearly a year since we last spoke to him," he added, which did not prove helpful in his favour, for the crease in between hitch's thin, clean brows had deepened. "i almost forgot what it was like to speak to the guy."

"you barely even spoke to him," snapped hitch, displeased.

"i did," he corrected her, though not unkindly. it was in marlowe-fashion, which was oddly similar to marco-fashion. you tried not to think about him too much: you would have felt guilty for actually starting to enjoy utopia's cadet corps. "when y/n pushed me to him, and i kind of panicked when he was... going crazy. that's what the delay was before he reached the stables, remember?"

"oh, that was you?" you said, pushing your weight on to your left leg as you tilted your head down at him curiously. "we wondered what happened to you back there."

"thanks," hesaid, a touch of bitterness in his tone. you didn't mind, for you had understood the gravity of your actions — taking only hitch's hand and running off, plus using marlowe as some sort of human shield, or a decoy, for lack of better words.

marlowe was sitting up, his elbows resting on his knee caps, absentmindedly fiddling with the sleeves of his uniform jacket, apparently comfortable with simply chatting. it was not as though commandant badis was nearby, which you noted was another difference between him and keith. where keith would wander around and monitor you all, badis left it to the other higher ups instead. although you had noticed, with slight amusement, how they did not seem to do the job well, immersing themselves in mindless chatter with one another, uncaring of the rest of you cadets as though there was this unspoken air of trust that everyone had developed for one another.

you had been residing here for nearly an entire week and the way things worked had still remained very foreign to you.

it did, however, make you quite bitter and envious: why was the southern division so harsh, cruel and strict on you all? clearly it wasn't a necessary requirement.

"so, i get how the whole odm training works for him," you said, nodding, "but what about the rest? like now, for example. doesn't he need a partner to train with?"

"when it comes to combat, commandant badis made it so that he had to interact with one of us," marlowe had helpfully filled the gap in your head.

you lifted your gaze, looking around the vast field as though expecting kai to be out in the open with the rest of you, sun present and all.

"but i don't see him around here," you pointed out, confused.

"there's usually a volunteer," said hitch, "but no one ever volunteers, so one of us is picked by random. it's a weekly occurrence, by the way."

"who was picked this week?"

hitch and marlowe exchanged glances, their eyes meeting in a brief but telling moment of silent communication. her raised eyebrow and his subtle nod suggested a shared understanding that eluded you.

"what?" you voiced aloud, reminding the two of them that for as long as you resided in the north, they were no longer just a duo. "what happened?"

hitch took a deep breath, her eyes flicking between marlowe and you with a mixture of apprehension and resolve. she squared her shoulders, as if steeling herself for your reaction, a slight furrow of her brows as she pursed her lips.

"it was meant to be you."

you wanted to laugh in her face. how ridiculous. you hadn't even been introduced to malakai upon your arrival.

"nice one," you said, scowling. "real funny."

"you think i'd have the energy to make a joke about kai?" sheshot back, brow raised. "look who you're talking to, y/n."

that was a fair point. if there was one thing you knew about hitch, it was that she did not like malakai and felt no need to talk about him at all. in fact, the conversation in itself seemed like an exhausting chore to her. 

"i saw isiah leaving breakfast early," said marlowe, "so the commandant must've picked him this week. no one leaves breakfast early unless they've been picked or they're in trouble."

you frowned. "what if he's in trouble?" 

"isiah?" laughed hitch, shaking her head with a toothy grin. "all three walls would crumble before that ever happened."

"so," you began, altering the topic in a way that made it so this isiah wasn't the main focus, "why did badis change his mind then? if it was meant to be me, why wasn't i told?"

marlowe shrugged. "wild guess, but probably because having two trouble cadets of different divisions spending time together would result in more harm than good."

"hey, you've yet to meet some of the people from my division that would actually be considered trouble cadets," you said, raising your pointer finger at him with narrowed eyes. you had heard the term 'trouble cadet' be used more this week than ever in your entire life, and you did not particularly like it. 

"not enough to have them suspended for two weeks though," hitch calmly commented, lip twitching at your widened eyes.

you faltered. you thought that perhaps she raised a good point, but that did not deter you from thinking otherwise. 

"well, there was this one time this guy with anger issues practically body slammed my friend, jean, in the mess hall," you informed them, nodding with such seriousness, you had hoped to convince them to see it from your perspective. "yeah, and it seems like nothing, doesn't it? but it was one of our first few weeks there, so you would have thought everyone would be pretty tame around that time, right? well, not him."

hitch and marlowe exchanged another glance before turning their gazes back to you. their eyes, half-lidded with scepticism, locked onto you with an almost palpable disbelief. hitch raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a faint, incredulous smirk, while marlowe's expression remained more stoic but equally doubtful. the silence stretched between you all, the air thick with the weight of their unspoken doubts, making it clear that neither of them had been swayed by your insistence on your relative innocence. 

"or that time where samuel, a really rude guy by the way, tried to attack me in the kitchens just because i stole his bread for my friend sasha?" you added, scoffing. "as if he had any claim on that bread anyway, he hadn't even bitten into it yet!"

"whatever," sighed hitch, raising her right arm over her shoulder and her left arm around her waist to link hands at her back, stretching. "for our academic classes, he sits underneath the tables —"

"oh i know about that," you said, encouraging her to continue.

"— and for any of the activities we're given outside the field, he's forced to go and participate."

before you could ask why, she had already answered your question. it was almost as if she had gained the ability to read your mind.

"there's no way any of the higher ups could meet his weirdo needs halfway," she said, switching her stretching position to pull her left leg up behind her. "the closest they've gone is allowing more than half of those tasks to take place at nightfall, which sucks for the rest of us."

"he's never been in your group for those?"

it was marlowe who had answered next:

"not for the two of us. i meant it when i said the first time we'd seen him in over two years was the time you met him."

you thought long and hard. 

your interest in malakai hadn't just suddenly grown overnight. you remembered quite well the odd speech he'd delivered to you back in class yesterday, and if you could take away anything from it, you understood full and well that he quite liked you. 

you thought about it during the hours you had meant to be asleep, how malakai seemed the most daring out of every person you'd met here so far. malakai, you hoped, would help you carry out your plan to escape.

not forever, of course.

you just wanted to see marco's face for a bit. you had found yourself thinking during several training sessions how forgetting his features would be terrible. you just needed a refresher, that was all. besides, you were starting to actually enjoy yourself. you did not want to leave just yet.

"does he train in that same spot in the woods?" you asked, staring ahead at the area that had led you straight to place you'd found him before.

marlowe lifted his hand, a silent request for you to help him up. as hitch answered, you held his hand and started pulling him up.

"who knows?" she'd said, "hopefully i never have to find ou—"

"oh, he's right there!" you announced, inadvertently releasing marlowe's hand. this unfortunate lapse sent him crashing to the ground with a jarring thud for the second time that day. 

you paid him no mind, watching malakai in the distance walking in circles with his arms raised and his front pushed forward in that weird stance he always managed.

ignoring hitch's call, you crossed the field and approached him, a slight spring in your step as you got nearer. 

malakai's eyes narrowed as he noticed you approaching, his usually stoic expression flickering with a hint of wariness. his body tensed, like a coiled spring, ready to react, but the closer you got to him, the more the walls he had set up around him had started to crumble.

"y/n..." he said, as you finally reached him and raised your brows. "to what do i owe this surprising yet pleasant meeting..."

"where's isiah?" you asked, for you had just noticed how there was no one partnered up with him. 

malakai dramatically pointed at the concrete training field where everyone else was working.

"he ran off..." he explained ominously, chest heaving as though he had come back from a five mile sprint. "the darkness must have frightened him... he must have known that he would become consumed by it —"

"sure," you interrupted, nodding despite wholeheartedly disagreeing: if there was something that made the cadet run off, it was most definitely not the missing 'darkness' in broad daylight. but you needed his help, and staying on his good side and not calling him out for his odd behaviour would come in handy. "you owe me something, kai. mind paying up now?"

he locked eyes with you, the dark lining of his waterline stirring something rather unpleasant inside you the longer his chest heaved with heavy breaths, silent as he stared at you.

"you have thrown me off... i do not know what you seek —"

"just some help," you clarified simply. "i need you to cause a distraction so i can run off."

he eyed you warily.

"you are planning to run away..." he repeated, as though testing the idea in his mouth, questioning whether it rolled of his tongue the right way. "that is a shame... ensure that you run at nightfall, where the darkness can lead you to your desired destination."

you had no idea what that meant, but did not question him on it. it wasn't as though everyone at trost would move the second you returned. you were the one on a journey, not them.

"mmm... that's some great advice, but i need to get a move on now," you responded, but he did not seem to understand. sighing, you tried your best at speaking the same language as him. "er... the sun needs to be present so i have the light to find my way back. i can't do that in the dark."

he shook his head at you.

"you... y/n... cannot always focus on the light that you are... in your life..." he whispered. you had to lean in to catch it. "the darkness is your anchor... and you must hold on to it... to reach your destination..."

your eyebrows knitted together slightly, your usual bright demeanour faltering for just a moment as you processed his words. still, you kept your smile fixed, a mask of understanding, while your eyes betrayed the flicker of confusion you had felt. you tilted your head, as if pondering his statement, hoping he wouldn’t notice the uncertainty beneath your feigned nonchalance, and determined not to spook him, you nodded, maintaining your casual posture, silently willing him to stay put.

"great. anyway, we're sticking to my plan," you said, waving a hand at him dismissively. "this works in your favour too. if we get in trouble, you get sent to that dark room."

he perked up, his smile so bright, it half scared you; you took a tentative step back.

"i am in on your plan..."

you grinned. marco would appreciate this, you were sure of it. and even if he wouldn't, it was too late. the plan had already begun.

it had taken some persuasion, but the part of your plan where malakai would need to appear on the training field was something that he had finally agreed to. after mentioning how the dark room would be a form of compensation, he had begrudgingly agreed to help out, but you had always secretly known that if he hadn't, you would have stated his full name in front of everyone and that would have been distracting enough to make a break for it. the trust between the two of you would have been broken, but you would walk through fire and swim through gallons of water if it meant that you could meet marco on the other side.

you found yourself speaking to the cadets that did not seem to know you very well. it was crucial to the plan, for if you had approached someone who knew you, like that stupid boris, for example, he would have known you had something up your sleeve.

"oh, the schedule's changed," you told the young girl that had been unfortunate to walk by you at that time. "we're doing odm training now. commandant badis told me so."

"oh?" she said, absentmindedly touching the gear attached to her hips. "but we've never broken out of schedule before..."

"he would have told the higher ups that govern the training field," you added, if only to convince her a little more, "but... i mean... you know how they're never around."

she nodded in understanding. "yeah, that makes sense... so he asked you to pass the news?"

"yeah, he told boris and i just so happened to be there so he told me too," you lied. "now i'm telling you."

it wasn't long before the news had started to reach everyone on the training field. you could tell the plan was working the moment jessica, who you had recognised as the goody-two-shoes of this division, had started making her way down to the other end of the field where odm training usually took place. jessica would never put a toe out of line. the plan was working.

you helpfully handed out the gas canisters, looking over your shoulder and over everyone else's shoulders to make sure that if any of the higher ups had suddenly decided to make an appearance, you would run back to your dorm and shift the plan's outcome.

the whole point of it was to get the right side of the entrance gate clear enough for you to make a run for it, and if you just so happened to be caught by anyone, you could lie and state that you were asking for clarification about the sudden schedule change. it was not as though anyone had the time to question every single person on who was responsible for the rumour. and you hadn't given your name to that girl you chose to start it off with — you were safe.

the sound of the wires shooting out to grip onto the trees had started all at once. you tried not to laugh just yet, victory was so close and yet so far away. there were still several annoying people looking confused about the whole schedule change, which you had predicted, and some had even started peering at the very area you needed to clear since the commandant's office was nearby the gate.

it was time to bring out the biggest distraction of them all.

you entered the woods, approaching the tree you had instructed malakai to sit behind so you could find him when you needed him. 

he was crouching down, not particularly sitting, but not exactly standing either. there was no time to question him.

"it's your cue," you whispered, ushering him out.

he slowly stood up to his full height, nodding at you before marching off. he hesitated on stepping out from beneath the shade, visibly shaking. you had half a mind to push him into the sun but knew better than that. if he caused a scene now, with you present, running off wouldn't even be an option.

"the darkness... the darkness... the darkness... the darkness..." he mumbled under his breath, fingers curled, shoulders broadened, chest heaving, before he finally stepped out into the sun, seizing up and hissing.

you hid behind the tree, watching as everyone's eyes turned to him, feeling triumphant when the annoying ones you had aimed to attract started walking over.

malakai seemed tame, supposedly controlling himself for the sake of your plan. he shot his wires into the nearby trees and flew up, using an unnecessary amount of gas whilst doing so. he circled up into the air, hissing and shouting and screeching as he flew around, unknowingly chasing the other cadets. it reminded you of when he had started chasing you, hitch and marlowe the first time you met him. you understood now that it must have come randomly to him, given the sight before you. 

everyone was yelling. the cadets being chased were screaming, malakai was shrieking, the cadets on the ground had flown up to try and stop him. you realised, however, as you leaned in and squinted your eyes up at him, how he seemed to be smirking.

malakai, the one who feared sunlight, seemed to be enjoying himself every time someone screamed in fear.

you bit back a laugh as you ran off, taking the long way around the woods to get to the gate, only to be pulled back by something tugging on the collar of your jacket, resulting in a nasty fall to the crunchy ground. 

you looked up.

your smile fell.

it was malakai's supervisor, who you had completely forgotten about.

 .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・

commandant shadis leaned back in his chair, the soft creak of the wood a soothing counterpoint to the usual chaos that accompanied his days. nightfall had settled over the southern division, casting long shadows across his office. the moonlight filtered through the small window, illuminating the stacks of paperwork that seemed less daunting without the constant interruptions and headaches caused by your antics. he let out a contented sigh, a rare smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. the past week had been nothing short of heavenly; no surprise inspections of the barracks revealed unauthorised snacks, no midnight escapades through the kitchens, and no bizarre confrontations with other cadets that required his immediate intervention.

as he dipped his quill into the inkpot, shadis allowed himself a moment to reminisce. each day had been a serene cadence of routine and order, unmarred by the whirlwind that was you. the paperwork that had once felt like a relentless tide now seemed manageable, almost enjoyable, in the quiet of his office. the absence of your disruptive energy had brought a sense of peace he hadn't realised he craved so deeply. he chuckled to himself, thinking about the relief that had washed over the entire division, a collective exhale from him and the rest of his staff alike. for a moment, he dared to hope that this tranquillity might last a little longer than two weeks, savouring the respite from the perpetual storm that you always came with. 

as though thinking of your absence had summoned the topic to be brought up, there had been a knock on his door which was swiftly followed by the entrance of one of his higher ups.

he glared, unimpressed at the sight of the rolled up parchment in his hand.

"thought i told you not to bring anything till the morning?"

"sorry, sir," he responded, sounding stressed. it was the same tone he used whenever you were mentioned. commandant shadis sat up straight, brows furrowed, cheeks hollowed. "but this is urgent, sir."

he waved a hand, a silent demand of 'come inside'. he did, rushing to place the parchment on his desk, hurriedly leaving before the commandant could order him to bring him some tea leaves. that captain levi was right, tea was rather stress relieving. or perhaps that was just your absence.

he looked down at the rolled up parchment, wary of the string used to roll it. the emblem told him enough, it was sent from the northern division of the 104th cadet corps.

commandant shadis held his breath, eyes hurriedly darting to the calendar hung on his wall. surely he hadn't been behind on time? surely he still had another week before your inevitable return? he hadn't been mistaken, had he?

he let out a long sigh of relief at the date. no, he had been correct. tomorrow would only be your eighth day. he still had another week of paradise before you would storm in like the devil you are and ruin it. he glanced down at the rolled up parchment, undoing the string. then, this had to be a weekly update of your behaviour, then?

he chuckled to himself, leaning back in his chair and preparing himself. hearing another commandant deal with you would be interesting, for he had been living on cloud nine for so long, he almost forgot what it was like to have you here to ruin it all for him. 

ah, this will be fun, he thought to himself, unrolling the parchment.

only to find half the page empty.

he furrowed his brows at the note.

GET HER AWAY FROM HERE.

he sat up, alarmed. 

he turned the page over, searching for some context, but there was none.

commandant shadis had no idea what those five words meant, but he knew very well that this was no mistake. this was definitely addressed to him, and the letter was definitely talking about you.

and really, despite his best efforts on trying to find alternative meanings, he knew it really meant one thing.

"OH SHAAAADIIIIIISSSSSS!"

that voice... 

it sounded too real. 

definitely not inside his head the first day of your absence. 

his stomach dropped to his lower region, as far down as it could possibly go. 

his eyes widened. 

he stood up abruptly, his chair falling backwards with a loud crash! he paid it no mind. he had bigger, badder issues to deal with.

he shut his blinds, locked his windows and his door. 

this couldn't be... you had one more week... you weren't supposed to be here... there was no way...

he must've been hearing things, because the next words sung just outside his door in a voice that was uncannily the exact same as yours had said, with a playful, mocking tune:

"guess who's baaaack?"

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・

notes: she's such an icon, i forgot how fun it is to write about her LMFAO

previous chapter :)

next chapter :)

taglist (send an ask or a comment to be added): (i might've missed someone for the taglist, just remind me again and you'll be added! apologies for the inconvenience!)

@inkthgoat @loki1230 @leviackermanst @laccey @awesomeness1679 @wandavengerberg @marumxy @thatonegirlwholoveseverything @raginginferno267 @fairiesthrum @sugacor3

if you enjoyed my writing, i'd really appreciate it if you tipped me — tumblr no longer has the tip function, so maybe here in my tip jar :)

all characters belong to hajime isayama, except for y/n and malakai, who i've inserted into the story myself

[an-au-blog]

Omg!

Really loved the idea of East blue asylum. I have a few questions about it! (If you are willing to hear me out of thought about it, haha) First. Is Sabo really dead or is something like in the Canon where Luffy (and Ace before whatever happened to him) thought he was, but he actually wasn't? (A part of me would love the latter, but the first scenario is also very plausible). Second, I'm wondering about the other East blue villains? We know about Arlong, but the rest? (This isn't me asking about Buggy, of course not, haha)

(Thought I have an idea about the clown also related with Shanks because Shuggy: He was previously interned right after Roger's death, and with help he was able to recover. Maybe that was the reason Shanks recommended the place to intern Luffy in first place, giving him his straw hat and assuring him they've seen each other again once he fully recovered, making a parallelism with the Canon. Now the clown (like Franky) is a volunteer that helps whenever he could and Luffy loves to bicker with him because of his funny reaction about his red nose.)

Anyway! You can take it or not! He could also be a patient, I think that could work too!

Thanks for sharing the idea!

Oh! I'm happy you liked it!

Sabo is considered dead in this au, and just like in the series, both Luffy and Ace had a hard time coping with it and could "see him" from time to time. Losing a second brother down the line was what made him snap. And although I kept Ace's death like in canon, I moved it around a bit to make it the reason to trigger Luffy's disorders. And the series starts when he comes into the hospital.

In reality, Sabo isn't really dead. He almost died in a house fire but by the time they rescued him he had hit his head and gotten temporary amnesia. He grew up trying to remember who he was and by the time he did, he felt like he abandoned his brothers and felt like he couldn't barge back into their lives. Luffy was going to become a firefighter because of what happened to Sabo and Ace was volunteering for safety patrols. They had entire lives that he was no longer part of, but he just couldn't resist going to the funeral. Good thing he managed to outrun his brother.

(for people with no context: here)

Technically, keeping Sabo dead would make more sense in the real world, but I think it'd be more interesting and a bit more sad if he wasn't and Luffy kept seeing him. The first time he saw him was a bit before Ace's death. He told his big brother but he just went "I know, I sometimes see him as well... Like a mirage of the kid we used to love," but Luffy's just like "No, I saw him as an adult! He was real!" And it was a bit concerning but they decided, oh well, he's been a bit of an odd child anyway. But then Ace died and Luffy ruined the funeral because he was supposedly chacing his other brother. It was bad enough that he went in a state of shock for a full three days, but this was too much... Everyone keeps telling him that they're both dead. Accidents happen. But he refuses to believe it and slowly starts creating this makeshift world to fit the trauma of losing his family.

It got worse when he found out he got admitted into a facility. I believe he goes to visit him later on under a fake name, but tells him that he can't tell anyone he's alive. He said it mainly because he knew they'd probably think he was losing progress and double his pills.

As for the rest of the villains (Buggy)... The marines are just guards who won't let him leave - or in Luffy's eyes, suppressing his freedom. (Except for Garp, he's just his grandpa and he's in the military in real life as well. He comes to visit his grandson whenever he can but it's very painful for him.) Axehand Morgan is just an asshole guard who got fired for abusive behavior. His son had the same internship that Koby did and they both left after a while but would come back after some time later.

For captain Kuro, I think he'd just be one of Usopp's lies. Maybe he was an ex of Kaya's (before Usopp came along) who used her for her money and he told this big story about how he tried to kill everyone and how he saved the day and was all heroic for Kaya and sent him running for the hills. Luffy liked it so much that he put his own little spin on it and added himself to the story.

As for Buggy, I honestly didn't really think about it. But if I had to, I initially thought he could be a patient, but I didn't like that, so I thought "Maybe a guard", but that wasn't fitting either. But I think I got it! What would make a kid believe someone is a rival, become an ally, back to annoying kinda rivals and so on and so forth? Well I think one of his favorite uncle's exes would do just fine.

Outside of Luffy's world, Shanks and Garp have a normal relationship of tough love, the only thing Garp blames him for is spoiling Luffy and Ace too much. The boys have lived with Shanks for a long time and had seen a lot of his love life. His first love - Buggy, who was a part-time clown for kids' parties. Makino - who was Luffy's favorite because she would cook him tasty food, unlike Shanks who only ordered takeout. Mihawk - the cool goth, who was neurodivergent, (so is Luffy) so there was a kind of unspoken bond there. And then Buggy again.

In my mind, Shanks ran back to him after Ace's death for comfort. Buggy, now grown with a real job and no longer a part-time clown, stayed in Luffy's mind the evil clown who loved money and that's why he broke Shanks's heart. (Or that's how he saw it...)

...

But then I read yours as well and I liked it! I like the idea of him getting help after Roger's death. I think that maybe him or a parental figure were afraid that he was too emotional and could potentially get depressed. So he went to see a psychiatrist and they decided it's best to take him in for a little while, just to make sure he handles grief in a healthy way that wouldn't be harmful to himself or people around him. Maybe that's why he broke up with Shanks. But he was too embarrassed to tell him that he had such a hard time handling death, so he lied about it. He lied and made up a different reason to leave.

And now that I think about it, this - him knowing how hard loss can be, could be the reason why he was so willing to welcome Shanks again. Because he's been there and he knows that it hurts less if there's someone next to you and he wants to be next to Shanks.

Thanks for the ask! I'd love answering any other additional questions if you or anyone has :))

[popculturebuffet]

Pirate Month III Finale: Garfield's Halloween Adventure (Here Comes Garfield) (Patreon Review for Emma Fici)

Arrr me hearties and welcome to the FINAL instalment of Pirate Month. I gotta say this may be our best yet: while I had my doubts going in from the weirdness of the wiggles to the heights of pirates 2 this has been a lot of fun and reminded me of the possiblity of this.

Speaking of which we're ending on a high as we return to Here Comes Garfield my look at garfield's career in specials and film. We'll be taking another break next month, like muppet maddness emma's allowed me to be flexible, but rest assured i'm having a lot of fun with these and while I consdiered doing Garfield In Paradise as I wanted some summer fun.. I ultimately couldn't deny what fit here best. Don't worry we have just the right treat for halloween though.. after all halloween's all about putting on another face.. and garfield's had 9.. or shall we say 13.

On that tease for next time, let's talk about the special before us. Garfield's Halloween Adventure is his fourth special, and i'd say one of the most remembered. While Garfield's other holiday specials have failed to catch a ton of attention outside garfield fans and those who grew up with it, Halloween Adventure seems to get talked about more.

It's easy to see why: Halloween Adventure is the best of the three. Christmas is awesome and I talked about why last month, having a ton of heart and a clear perosnal bent from Jim Davis, and Thanksgiving... sure does exist. But Halloween both perfectly fits the season and garfield all at once: it's got all the coziness of halloween from trying on costumes to carving pumpkins to the eerie yet fun atmosphere of trick or treating.. and all teh scares with a few smaller ones spread about, nothing too severe.. and then a spooky enough final act that comes out of nowhere and just.. works. While garfield woudl take a genuine stabs at horror later with a segment in the 9 lives book and a week of strips where he wakes up to find the house long abandoned and john and odie long gone, this is more just some fun. As Davis himself said, it's more a regular garfield story with some scares at the end for four year olds. IT's a fun, breezy specail I can't wait to break down.

We open on a crisp and cozy halloween morning around 5am as we get the debut of a legend: On the TV Binky the Clown wakes Garfield for exercises.

Binky is one of the best garfield recurring characters, played by John's va Thom Huge. While he started here he'd quickly become a key part of garfield and friends when it aried, showing up regularly, having tons of fan support and even making it into the strip

I was also shocked to find when looking him up on the garfield wiki he has his own burger chain binky burger, which seems to show up more than he does

It's also amazing how much of the guy was down from the start: his hammy personality, catchphrase of "HEYYYYYY KIIIIIDDDS", antagonism of Garfield and general obnoxious hostility. Despite not being physically present you can tell WHY Garfield hates this guy most of the time and why Davis and co brought him back for Garfield and Friends. He hasn't been properly brought back since, likely because Thom Huge retired though he did make cameos on products in the garfield movie. He feels like a protypical Krusty the Clown: children's tv host, merchandises himself to hell, has run ins with the main characters but firmly existed before him. I think the creators just had similar childhoods growing up with tv clowns and took them in diffrent directions: Krusty is enthusastic on screen burnt out and kinda sleazzy off while Binky is ALWAYS on, just as much of a dick as krusty but that kind of manic. As seen above in the strip even when he's being a dick it's clear he takes his craft VERY seriously.

So Binky making fat jokes, calling people who don't exercise worthless and generally being the clown prince of dickheads is both deeply entertaning and causes Garfield to change the channel... only to change it back when Binky mentions candy. Garfield's reminded it's halloween and wnats to be in shape to get candy dosen't he.

We launch into our standard Lou Rawls opening number and as usual it's a lot of fun. This is the Night is a fun song about going out to trick or treat. The man never failed to make his song the best minute of the special. And he's got another later lucky us.

So Garfield does what he does best.. harasses john, scaring him so he ends up wearing a pumpkin on his head as is his lot in life. I do like how this special really leans into one of my faviorite aspects: Garfield is more than anything John's spoiled son. The age varies, usually he's a bratty teen but here he comes off more like a big kid, and that sponebobian flexiblity really works for the character. Garfile dhas a blankie and flights of fantasy btu generally just vegges out and spends all johns money. He can be a kid or a teen depending on what joke works better and his status as a cat means which one dosen't firmly matter.

Anyways garfield decides to get candy candy candy, and soon runs into odie who scares him using the same pumpkin what ended up on john. Naturally he dosen't find it amusing. I hadn't noticed before but the first half of this special is a nice slow burn: for the first 2/3 it's just normal garfield stuff but on HALLOWEEN, and the holiday fits him well: it's all about spooky stuff, which he's been shown to love when it's not real as garfield watching late night double features is a recurring thing in the strip, and excess, which is his whole deal.

So to get more of that candy candy candy, Garfield enlists odie, who true to form is too stupid to know wha thalloween is so garfield says dogs help cats get candy candy candy. And just to go ahead and tackle it, Garfile'ds regular increasingly manic shouts of CANDY CANDY CANDY are amazing and a testiament to Lorenzo music's talent

Speaking of testiaments to Lorenzo music's talents, the next musical number, of three is what should I be and it's one of only TWO times Garfield sings in the all 12 specials. And Lorenzo makes a meal of it it's a fun song about how he could be whatever he wants from a "an astronaut a robot a king or a clown or a alien creature going out on the town" with some nicely spooky image of garfield as a vampire bat or a big black halloween cat. It's a fun jaunty number and cute as hell.

Eventually, and the reason why we're here, Garfield settles on pirates. His pillaging John's Lasanga is both predictable and shocking of him to not you know, have some ready. IT's late enough in the characters history he should just accept this is his fate to feed a cat Lasanga and move on with his life.

So with that our heroes head out into the night, and garfield threatens a woman who only gives him one.. and she takes it seriously as garfield won't murder over much, not worth the effort but he will murder anyone in his way of food Jon included. He once strangeled the guy for not getting up to feed him

And that was year one garfield. I'm suprised John's neck isn't in a brace forevermore from that.

So after getting plenty of candy we get our final musical number, as Lou Rawls sings for garfield that the one thing he's not is a scardy cat, my faviorite song of the special. I love his smooth vocals and the sheer weirdness of this section as every trick or treater garfield unmasks, trying to prove to odie it's just kayfabe bro is some sort of monster. I mean come on guys when else are they going to get out and party, get candy or go to an I hate my ex party. Let em have their fun.

So with that Garfield has a scheme as he notices another neighborhood across the river and a small boat and being a pirate decides to set sail. This goes as poorly as you'd expect as they soon get lost.

This is where the last act kicks in and it's a doozy: okay so for the last act the pirate stuff ramps up and it's why I couldnt' resisit including it. while Garfiled wearing a pirate costume is frankly enough to fit pirate month, Wiggles having about 5 minutes of pirate nonsense sure did, it's this last part that made it essential. It's an act dripping with atmosphere gorgeous animation and one creepy old man.

So garfield knocks on a house and decides when he dosen't get an answer to sneak in at night and wreck up the place. Instead turns out there's a person there an old man lit only by fire light alone in a creepy old mansion. Garfield's reactoin is an understandable

But the old man tells them to stay. He's played by tv and film vet C Lindsay Workman who just had a perfectly deep booming voice.

It's here he regails us with a tale: 100 years ago some pirates hid their gold swearing everyone to secrecy.. including a lowly cabin boy

Yup. They vowed to come back in 100 years to get back their gold. And tonight's that night. Garfield decides wisely to RUN RUN BITCH RUN USE ODIE AS A SHIELD RUN but our dynamic duo find the old man stole their boat and now there's a ghost in this home, and it's not better than being a alone. Since this house is haunted and that's not the way tehyw ant it garfield hides but gets found out in a quick gag. The ghosts.. look amazing using rotoscoping to give them this nice pale blue look as they search for their gold. It's a fun tense sequence as our heroes barely escape jumping for it and taking it to the river, dipping in the water.. only for Garfield to realize he can't swim. Sadly he hadn't learned a crucial fact just yet he'd learn later that year.

Thankfully odie has the strength of a mack truck and lifts him. We get a genuinely touching ending too: the pirates get their gold.. and Garfield, in a move he FULLY admits is out of character and casues him some pain... gives Odie his fair share of their candy, as the old man left it behind.. either after the pirates murdered him or he retreated back into the depths of hell.. or into a hosting gig s he's later shown hosting a pirate movie marathon.

And so with that button Pirate Month ends and so does this special. Halloween Adventure is possibly the best garfield specail, only slightly behind babes and bullets, a fun heartfelt and breezy thrill ride that gets halloween and garfield just right while throwing one small bit of heart in at the end that works. IT's funny, spooky and good stuff

Ranking wise...

Next Time: With this gone and september off what will we do for the actual halloween? Well as I hinted when you've got 9 lives you've got nine ways to loose as we look at BOTH major versions of garfield's nine lives: the original book and it's special adaptation.

[lostfirefly]

In my midnight confessions, when I say all the things that I want to (Bedtime Story Series, Ch. 1)

Welcome to a new series (sorry not sorry) about Buggy and Catherine. This will be a short series of stories in the format of fairy tales that will be dedicated to Catherine's past. English is not my native language, errors may occur. As always, feel free to share your thoughts :)

Masterlist is here

Description: Catherine shares her backstory with Buggy.

Warnings: Egyptiiiiiaaaaan nights, sadness, broken heart, mention of dead parents, I hope "1000 and 1 nights" vibes (@fanaticsnail, thnx!).

Words: 3320

Buggy x OC from my “You’ve Got the Same Dream as Me” series.

Taglist: @gingernut1314, @operationroots, @hey-august, @yujo-nishimura, @emmiebugz-blog, @mydearlybeloathed , @cyberkittenduck

The title is taken from "Midnight Confession" by The Grass Roots.

✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

“Why doesn't he want to come to Loguetown?”

“I don't know, Jules. Every time I ask him to come with me, his face changes and he avoids answering. I don't want to pressure him.” Catherine sighed heavily and took a sip of wine. 

“Maybe he killed someone and is afraid to come?” Jules giggled, taking a bite of pizza. 

“What are you saying? You know, sometimes you talk about Buggy in a tone that makes me uncomfortable.” Catherine narrowed her eyes. 

“I'm sorry! I know you're head over heels in love, but I'm worried about you. I don't know, maybe because I don't know him well.” Jules shrugged. “I only talked to him when we spent the night at his place after the desert adventure, and even then he was reluctant to talk because he was busy looking at you.” Jules giggled and smiled mischievously. “God, I still remember you running out of the airport squealing. But, Cathie, even though you call me all the time, send me pictures, I still worry about you. You’re my sister.” 

Catherine laughed. “God, Jules, you remind me of our father right now.”

“Oh, yeah! He'd probably conduct a whole investigation to make sure that his beloved little Catherine was not harmed.” Jules laughed. “I can see that picture. He walks into the living room with a pen and a notepad with ducks and says: Evelyn, our daughter started seeing someone, not just anyone, but he's a clown it seems. I have to find out who he is because we trust him with our Cathie.” 

“And mom says to him, Dylan, stop it and put your notebook in a drawer and better read the newspaper. Our daughter is not going out with a complete idiot.” Catherine laughed and took a photo of them together with Buggy from the shelf. 

Jules put her hand on the table and rested her fist on her cheek. “Yeah, and then mom sits Buggy down to eat her carrot cake, and dad brings two bottles of beer. One for himself, one for your boyfriend. Dad sits down in his chair, crosses his arms, and stares at Buggy, barely blinking. Your clown is embarrassed and doesn't know how to act.”

“Hah, yeah. I think our parents would love him.” She turned the photo to the camera, trying to smile. “Look how cute he is.” Catherine put the photo aside and took a sip. “At least mom and dad had time to see your Ethan. He went on picnics with us, came to dinners. They got to know him. ” Catherine's tears flowed. “But they didn't get to see my Buggy. I'm so sad they'll never meet him, Jules. But you know.. I told them about him when I went to visit them at the cemetery on my last visit to Loguetown. Yeah, I told them about.. You know.. How.. I told them that I’m happy and safe now. I always tell them this so they don't worry.” Catherine wiped her wet eyes. 

“Cath…” Jules reached out to the laptop screen.

“I mis–” Catherine heard a noise in the hallway. “Quiet, I think Buggy is back. Wait!” She listened to the sounds. “Hmm.. No, I imagined it.” Catherine quickly wiped her tears. “I don't want him to see me crying.” 

“Make sure those Egyptian mummies don’t come to get you.” Jules cleared her throat. “Don’t get me wrong, Buggy may be a good guy, and I know you love him, but are you absolutely sure you're safe with him? In every sense, Catherine. I don’t want you to get hurt again. Remember what that bastard Flynnie did to you?”

“Jules, Buggy would never say or do something like that. He loves me.” Catherine took a sip. “Come visit us, and you will change your mind about him. I know that even with all my stories about him, Buggy seems like an asshole to you. But trust me, he's a different person when we're alone. He's kind and funny. He just needs some love and car–.”

The bedroom door swung open and Buggy shuffled into the room, looking upset. 

“Fuck, you scared me!” Catherine jumped out of her chair, startled. “I almost had a heart attack.” She laughed slightly. “Hi.” Catherine reached out, pulled Buggy closer, kissed him on the cheek and saw him become red. “I heard noises in the hallway, and then silence. I thought I imagined it.” 

“No, that was me. I was hungry and went straight to the kitchen.” Buggy glanced at the laptop. “Fuck, I didn’t know you were talking.” He tried to smile. “Hi, Jules.” Buggy quickly glanced at Catherine. “Should I leave?” 

“What? No! No! Don't go anywhere. I think we should wrap it up anyway, we've been talking for two hours. Okay. Jules, I’ll call you tomorrow. I have to feed my blue-haired guzzler. Say hi to Ethan. Bye!” Catherine blew a kiss to her sister. 

“Bye, guys!”

Catherine closed the laptop, leaned her head back on the chair, and ran her knuckles down Buggy's cheek. “You look sad. Is everything okay?” She watched as he nodded silently. “You must be hungry. Come on, let's go into the kitchen, and I'll make you some mac and cheese.” Catherine jumped up from her chair, grabbed Buggy’s hand and pulled him into the kitchen. 

“Give me ten minutes and…” Catherine opened the door and her eyes widened. “Oh, my God! Buggy…” Catherine squeezed his hand and looked at the table where there was a bouquet of blue roses, a bottle of her favorite wine, Chinese food and her favorite sandalwood candles burning. “What is this?”

“Well...” Buggy scratched his head. “I thought it was a while since I set you a dinner with your favorite stupid candles. What have you turned me into, woman? A grown man arranging fucking romantic evenings.”

Catherine stared at Buggy for a long moment, blinking silently. 

“Oh, fuck! That look!” Buggy rolled his eyes and prepared for what would happen next, spreading his arms. 

Catherine squealed, jumping on him, and hugging him with her arms and legs. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!” Smack. Smack. Smack. 

“I knew this was gonna happen.” Buggy wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed Catherine’s forehead. “You're welcome, cotton candy.” 

“Love.” Smack. ​​“Love.” Smack. ​​“Love, love, love you!” Smack. Smack. Smack. “You’re my best!” Sma-a-a-a-ack.

“Stop doing this, woman!” Buggy rolled his eyes. “Do you want Chinese food or not? See? It's your favorite. Fucking noodles with shrimp and a ton of sweet sauce.” 

Catherine jumped off Buggy, clenched her fists, squeezed her eyes shut, and started squealing and stamping her feet in joy. She sat down on the chair, picked up her box, and looked at the candles. Buggy sat down next to her and poured her some wine. 

“You still look sad.” Catherine stroked his hair. “Are you worried that you came while I was chatting with Jules? I only had nice things to say about you.”

Buggy exhaled heavily.

“What happened, little bear?” Catherine took his hand and began to stroke her fingers over his palm.

“The show last night. It wasn't perfect.” He pulled his hand away and picked up his beer. 

“What are you talking about? Everything was great. I've heard great reviews for every single act. People love your shows. I love your shows. And I love you. Don’t be sad, better tell me about your day.” Catherine kissed him on the cheek and twirled her noodle around her fork. 

Buggy gestured wildly as he recounted his day, not noticing how he was stealing shrimp from Catherine's portion and how she was eating all of his nuts from his rice. Catherine laughed at his every joke and with a story about Richie chasing the caterer all over the arena. Buggy asked how her day was going, and Catherine laughed even harder, joking that she was finally getting him to take an interest in her person. Buggy was upset, of course, but Catherine quickly solved the problem with an additional portion of shrimp and a kiss on the cheek. 

“You even got me a fortune cookie. Thanks!” Catherine sipped her wine and took one cookie from the box, breaking it open. “Let's see what's in there. Oh! Look! You're about to meet the love of your life.” She set the paper aside. “Meh! You're six months late with your fortune, stupid cookie. I've already met the blue-haired love of my life.” Catherine glanced at Buggy, who became even sadder. “Are you sure you're okay?” She watched him nod. “You're tired. You've been working hard these days. Here's an idea! Let's stay in bed all day tomorrow. We'll order pizza and watch stupid shows. And for now let's get my wine and your beer, and go to the bedroom? What do you think?”

Buggy nodded, took the glasses and went to the bedroom without saying a word. Catherine followed him, quickly changed into a pair of cow pajama bottoms, pulled on his t-shirt, and climbed onto the bed to hug Buggy laying curled up in silence. 

“My Buggy Bear, why are you sad?” Catherine asked softly, stroking his back. “Is something bothering you?”

“Cathie-pie.. Who... Who was with you yesterday?” Buggy asked in a sad tone.

“Where?”

“In the hallway. In the tent. I saw.. You were chatting with a tall handsome guy near the candy machine. I walked past and saw you together.” 

Catherine thought, replaying the day before in her head. “Oh, my God! Buggy! Are you upset because of him? It was some stranger who came to the circus with his son. They asked where their seats were and what the most delicious sweets were. They wanted to buy candies. Are you jealous of the stranger?”

“I’m not jealous. I just. I don't know.” Buggy shrugged and exhaled sadly. “You were laughing loudly. And looked happy. And the cookie.. the cookie said.. Meh, forget.”

“Of course, I looked happy. Because I came to see your show and you. Do you know how happy I’m when I see you on stage? I’m so proud of you at that moment. Although I’m always proud of you, but in those moments especially. Your fangirls sigh for you, and I know that you will go home with me. That's why I looked happy.” Catherine kissed his temple. “You're so funny, my flashy fool. And don't listen to the cookie, she doesn't know what she's saying.” She kissed him on the head a few times and hugged him tighter. 

“If you want to leave, will you tell me? Or.. What if I suddenly become the one to break your heart. Will you tell me?”

Catherine exhaled. “You will not be the one to break my heart, my Buggy Bear. You know, I think you’re in a down mood today, my love. How to cheer you up? How to cheer you up. Oh! I know how to cheer you up. Do you want me to tell you a bedtime story?”

“I don't know.” Buggy turned onto his back and laid his head in her lap. “I have never been told a story.”

“What do you mean never?” Catherine rounded her eyes. “And what about that man who raised you? You told me about him. He didn't tell stories?”

“No. Nothing like that happened.”

“No, no! Is that man still alive? I want to kick his ass.” Catherine started running her fingers through Buggy’s hair. 

“Oh, I'd like to see that.” Buggy giggled. “He would be very scared watching you yell at him from the bottom of your height.”

“Go to hell, I'm not afraid of him. And that gray-haired grandfather from the desert? Didn't he tell you any stories?”

“He’s not a gray-haired grandfather from the desert, Cathie-pie. Stop calling him that.” 

“I don’t care. What was his name? Mayli? Meh! Whatever. Every child deserves a fairy tale, Buggy. I wouldn't be surprised if that dude who raised you read fairy tales to that guy whose name is forbidden in our house.” Catherine started running her fingertips over Buggy's forehead. “No! I’ll tell you a fairy tale, and even you're almost 36 but who cares. Let's pretend your story was a little late on the way. Oh, you know, I know a good bedtime story.” She kissed his forehead, started stroking his hair and felt how Buggy snuggled closer to her. “Now close your beautiful green eyes and listen. A tale about how one girl's laughter was stolen.”

Buggy covered himself with a blanket, closed his eyes listening how Catherine began to speak in a half whisper.

“Once upon a time, in a small village, there lived a sweet girl named Everlee. She was kind, cheerful and a laugher. Everyone in the village knew and loved her. In the evenings, after university, she helped her mother in the bakery. It was the best bakery in town, there was almost never a free space. In the morning, the premises were filled with the smell of fresh bread, buns and other goodies with crispy crusts and delicious fillings inside. People on their way to work or home always come in to get a bun with hot cheese and fresh coffee or tea.”

“I can even smell the smells you're talking about, cotton candy.” Buggy felt Catherine hug him tighter. 

“Oh, yes, I can smell them too.” Smack. 

“One day, a young man named Flynnie started dropping by the bakery. He came in every evening, hoping to see Everlee. And one day, he asked her out for a walk. Everlee had been on dates before, but this date seemed special to her. She was young, and she was impressed that Flynnie came to the bakery just to see her every evening.” Catherine gently stroked Buggy's body, feeling how with every movement of her hand he became more relaxed. “Flynnie brought Everlee magical flowers that changed their color depending on the time of day. He took her for walks in the forest, where they met the most magical animals. Antelopes from under whose hooves little marshmallows appeared, birds that wove decorations from candies. Everlee loved to walk in this forest. She continued studying, to help her mother in the bakery, spend time with her family, and it seemed to her that she began to fall in love with Flynnie. One day, Everlee's family noticed that she began to laugh less. Her ringing laughter always sounded in their house, but there was less of it.”

“What? Why?” Buggy opened his eyes.

“It turned out that Flynnie was an unusual guy, he was an evil wizard who decided to steal Everlee's laughter. She did not notice it until, one day, Flynnie cast a spell on her. He said that Everlee was too cheerful, and it irritated people and especially him, and she would not laugh until she met her true love. And she would not meet her, because she would lose her cheerful character forever. He snapped his fingers and Everlee stopped laughing. The wizard locked her laughter in a cage and turned her heart into stone.”

“NO!” Buggy blushed. “Sorry. I didn't think I would say it so loudly. What happened next?” 

“My little bear is intrigued.” Smack. “Everlee's parents tried to make her laugh, but she was afraid to do it. Because of the curse, she believed that she irritated people. Everlee’s family took her to different villages to good witches, who tried to cure her with decoctions of various aromatic herbs. Nothing helped. The sorcerer continued to return to Everlee's house, trying to strengthen the spell, but her family drove him away with magic water and special amulets. They hung them on the door so that Flynnie could no longer enter their house and torture poor Everlee, who spent her days cowering in her room. Everlee had a magic mirror that she looked into every morning and didn't recognize herself. She cried and asked the mirror to help her get back to her old self, but it said it couldn't help. The mirror only said that Everlee must find her love. But how? Everlee knew that Flynnie broke her heart by casting the curse. She believed in him, she trusted him. But he turned out to be evil, who tried to take away all the good that was in her and Everlee cried during the nights a lot because of it, because Flynnie took a part of her soul and her heart. But Everlee was lucky. She had a wonderful family. Their love and support helped partially break the curse.”

“Why partially?” Buggy asked quietly, taking Catherine's hand. 

“Because the curse was strong. After six months, many good guys have tried to resolve the spell by asking Everlee out on a date. But they weren't able to make it all the way to the end. Time after time, the spell grew weaker. Everlee felt she became old self, but she was afraid to laugh for a long time, although she tried. Her family brought toys and goodies that broke the spell a little at a time. But it wasn't enough. Over time, thanks to her family, Everlee began to laugh again, but it seemed to her that it was not the same laugh as before.”

“Cotton candy…”

“Yes, my love.”

“Is Everlee okay now? Did she manage to remove the spell completely?”

“Oh, yeah. Everlee was almost completely fine. And many years after those events, Everlee went to an amazing sand country, to change her surroundings, to have some rest and look at new amazing animals. But suddenly she met the one who finally destroyed the last little traces of Flynnie's spell. She met true love, even though the villain said it would never happen. And now Everlee is happy that she can not be afraid to be herself. She laughs again as before, knowing that the love of her life will not turn her heart into stone, because he makes her laugh every day. And she's happy every day when she wakes up next to him, and she loves him very much. She knows that his love will not allow Flynnie or anyone else to cast a spell on her again. Because he protects her and will drive away any villain from his precious Everlee. Every morning Everlee wakes up and realizes that she's finally cured. The end.” Catherine kissed Buggy in his forehead. “Did you like the story?” 

Buggy looked at Catherine for a long time. He sat down on the bed, leaned his back against the headboard and Catherine immediately curled up under his armpit, feeling Buggy hold her tightly in his arms. 

“Cathie-pie…” Buggy said quietly, as gently as he could, as if afraid to disturb the fragility of the moment. “How old were you?”

“21.” 

“If we ever meet this fucking Flynnie, will you tell me it's him?” 

Catherine laughed, “What, are you going to scare him with your chop chop thing?”

“We'll see.” Buggy kissed her on the head. 

“I can already see you…” Catherine placed her hand on his chest. “What do you call it when your parts spin? Chop Chop Flannon?”

“Cannon.” 

“Sorry! You have so many of your chop chop things.” Catherine started smiling. “I even see this picture. Flynnie comes in and thinks he's dealing with a normal person, but surprise, shithead! My blue-haired hero split into pieces and kick Flynnie’s ass.” Catherine pecked Buggy on his nose. “Thank you, my silly clown.”

“For what?” 

“For breaking the curse until the end. For teaching me to laugh again, like I did before.” Catherine hugged Buggy around his waist. “I love you so, so much, my Buggy Bear.”

“I love you too, my cotton candy. And I promise I never never never hurt you.”

“I know, don't worry.” 

“And you know what? Let's go to the bakery? After your story, I wanted a bun with hot cheese.” 

[yanderes-galore]

could you do a rivalry concept for Sonic and Infinite the Jackal?

Sure! I'll see what I can do :)

Yandere! Sonic The Hedgehog vs Infinite The Jackal

Pairing: Romantic - Rivalry

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Possessive behavior, Overprotective behavior, Kidnapping, Clingy behavior, Murder implied, Forced relationship, Rivalry, Gaslighting, Manipulation, Slight sadism.

Well, we all know Sonic.

Even when overly protective as his yandere traits suggest, he does genuinely want to see you happy.

Then there's Infinite...

A jackal completely ruthless and chaotic.

He's also powered by the Phantom Ruby.

A power that completely messes with your head, ruining your sense of reality.

It's obvious these two have very different yandere behavior and goals.

Sonic wants to be your hero

Sonic wants to protect you, keep you happy, and live life alongside you.

Sure, he gets overly protective and jealous at times...

But Infinite is so much worse.

Infinite is possessive and sadistic beyond belief.

The jackal is only close to one person and that's you.

He'd kill anyone for you.

He'd burn cities for you!

All the while he loves to play with your mind for fun.

Sonic may be over affectionate to the point of unhealthy...

Yet Infinite's obsession is destructive.

The dynamic of this rivalry would be Sonic trying to protect you while Infinite tries to pry you away from the hedgehog.

Sonic's protective behavior is justified considering the situation.

He's just uncharacteristically paranoid.

Infinite strikes genuine fear in Sonic at times when he isn't being cocky.

Honestly, the first time you three met, Sonic was beaten.

How could there not be fear?

You are fully aware Infinite can level cities with his power.

Which scares you when Infinite hunts you down.

Seeing you strikes something strange in the jackal.

Eggman won't fight him if he picks you up to play with you, right?

It really isn't his place, anyways....

When he manages to get you alone, Infinite is very taunting.

He knows he can easily keep you for himself.

His life is also lonely... he thinks he can trust no one.

Despite this, he's still fixated on you.

You make him consider the warmth of an ally-

You may not consider him a friend but he considers you as his.

Friend or anything more... Infinite doesn't care.

He just wants you.

Sonic isn't going to stand for someone like Infinite toying with you.

It both amuses and annoys the jackal when Sonic makes his intentions known.

You're close with that blue idiot!?

Such a realization angers both of them.

Sonic doesn't want you to be used by Infinite.

Infinite doesn't want you close to Sonic at all.

That's what their rivalry is based on.

Good vs Evil...

That or Evil vs Lesser Evil?

They're still both suffocating.

You know for a fact that joining Infinite/Eggman would serve you only pain.

Your best bet is with the resistance.

Even if Sonic is obsessive over you, the rest of the members would protect you yet give you space.

Sonic winning would be at the end of Forces.

The world is saved and he eagerly comes up to you.

"Great, you're safe! Told you I wouldn't let that masked clown get to you."

He gives you a grin yet you feel nervous around him.

"Maybe you should stick around me for a bit... just until things cool down?"

"The war's over, Sonic-"

"Well, yeah, I know..."

He grabs onto your arm, pulling you close.

"But we can still hang out... right?"

While you're happy Infinite's gone... now you have a clingy hedgehog.

Then there's if Infinite wins...

Complete and utter chaos.

The jackal is sure to dig his claws into Sonic's hide for touching what's his.

If he wins you feel so alone.

Infinite isn't affectionate, but he'd hold you.

His grip is strong and forceful.

A threat to stay still in his arms.

He'll end up sitting on a building with you, the city subjected to his illusions and burning to the ground.

You lost...

Infinite's hold only confirms you you're in for a world of pain.

"Your place is here with me..."

He turns you to look away from the fire, forced to see him.

"Everything around you doesn't matter, you have no idea what's real."

He then holds your face, gaze on you.

"But i'm real. I'm all that should matter to you."

It's up to you to decide what's better for you.

[hey-august]

Okay I DIDNT end it with cream pies and rimshots on purpose but damn you’re onto something here.

Walking in on your captain indulging himself and you stop for a second because your mind needs a minute to make sense of what you’re seeing. Both his halves are laying prone on the bed, his pelvis lifted slightly off the bed and his legs over his shoulders,l. His face is resting on his butt.

It takes you a minute, mainly because you have seen this man in various stages of being chopped up now. He will detach his arms to brush his long hair better, has used his own chest as a pillow during a nap several times or twisted himself into impossible poses to climb the rigging of the ship faster, so it’s not like you never had to do a double take, because one can get used to a man cutting himself into little slices, but your instinct will cause you to do a double take, lest your captain is actually in a predicament he can’t get himself out of. It’s always a guessing game with Mr The Clown.

But all thoughts of him maybe having just slept weird fly completely out of the window when you see just how his face is buried between his own cheeks, when you hear the low moans like he’s savoring a delicacy and the sloppy, wet sounds that come from him basically making out with his hole. Eyes closed, brows furrowed. His hands are grabbing his ass tightly and his toes are curling.

He takes a second to rest, face down on his ass, his soft nose smooshed against his even softer cheeks. He cracks an eye open.

Things turn from confusing to weirdly sexy to absolute chaos really quickly, because as soon as he spots you he’s shrieking in horror. Picks up a knife next to his bed, realizes what it is and opting to throw the pillow at you instead. Yelling at you to “Get out!!” You fumble out an apology as you stumble backwards over your own feet, slamming the door shut behind you. Heart hammering in your chest and your face hot with embarrassment. You’re still glad you got to see it tough…

Woah woah woah, the set-up here is so damn good. I can't stop thinking about how he'd be laying there like that 🤤

You've definitely see Buggy using his ass as a pillow - hell, you've also enjoyed his plump peach pillow. But face-down was new.

You've also seen the guy get tied up in his own limbs. Align himself incorrectly. Lose track of what goes where. (You're still not sure how he made it through most of the day with toes for thumbs that one time...)

But this? This was nothing like you've seen before. It's no secret that Buggy uses his powers in all sorts of ways. He's a clever guy. And when you combine that with a bit of laziness and the right amount of horniness - well, you shouldn't have been surprised.

And yet. It was a pleasant surprise, wasn't it?

To see Buggy overcome with how well he was enjoying himself? To hear it all? And your thoughts were racing and colliding into each other. Thinking about his mouth on yours, kissing you with the same hunger he's attaking his own body with. About hearing those sinful sounds coming from his mouth between your legs. About how his toes might curl and his legs shake if it were someone else getting their fill in that valley.

Those thoughts can only get more chaotic later on when you wonder if Buggy ever finished getting off. Or was the poor guy all pent up? Balls aching, full of cum and embarrassment.

Maybe he needs a little help…

[blitzsicedcoffee]

HELLA-TOBER Ficlet: Day 4&5, Fallen Clown

Sequel to Day 1: Sins

The IMP gang slept in their cells. It was uncomfortable, cold, and they slept near one another for warmth. In the morning another imp brought their breakfast. A meager bagel sandwich with egg and meat for each of them. They all ate. None of them talked, though. Blitz taking glances at Moxxie and Moxxie turning away from him. Millie putting her hand on Loonas and giving a small smile.

Two hours after they eat, and Imp comes to collect Blitz.

"They want you on the stand", he says. Loona puts her paw on his shoulder to stop him but he grabs it and kisses it, "don't worry Loonie, I'll be right back". He hopes he's right.

The imp also collects Fizz, And Blitz looks him over to make sure he's okay, even though Ozzie probably already did so already.

"Blitz what is all this?" Fizz asks, his face in one of tired concern. Blitz sighs and rubs his face, "I guess it's about our use of the Grimoire. Stolas letting us use it illegally". Fizz thinks, "then why am I here?"

Blitz shrugs, "not sure. But it can't be good". Fizz sighs, "just don't say anything stupid".

They're lead to a stand with clear walls separating them from the rest of the court. All the sins are there, minus Lucifer, at the front with the judge. And more people who know the IMP gang in the audience. Verosika, Wally, Millie's family, and more. And on the defendent side, Stolas, who's already staring at Blitz with a sad expression.

He wants to stare back, to be reassured that everything is going to be okay. But it's not clear. And Blitz doesn't want to get his hopes up.

Satan speaks up, "Fizzarolli". The smaller imp approaches closer in their enclosure and looks towards Satan, flicking between him and Oz.

"Uh yes...your sinfulness?" He replies. Satan taps his nails on the table in front of him then looks towards Fizz.

"Is it true that you were once part of the circus ran by Cash Buckzo?" He asks. Fizz bites his lip and looks to Blitz who is also confused but nods to him.

"Uh yes...sir". Satan nods.

"And Blitz was like a brother to you?" He asks. Fizz looks to Blitz and he's looking down. Not really a brother...more. Different.

"He...it was complicated...sir", he says. Satan growls and stands up, "Answer the question, clown". Ozzie growls and puts a hand on Satan's shoulder, "don't talk to him like that". And Satan sits back down.

Fizz gives Ozzie a reassuring face then swallows, "We..had a crush on one another for a while". Now Blitz bites his lip, confused why they're asking these questions. Afraid to find out why. And afraid to look at Stolas.

Satan asks one last question of Fizzarolli, "is it true that Blitzo Buckzo, the imp next to you started the fire at the Buckzo circus?".

Fizzarolli's eyes widen but he doesn't look to Blitz. He doesn't deserve this.

"I actually never saw who started it, sir". Satan's nails stop clacking on the table and he nods.

"Very well, take him back to his cell. He will be released after this session". Blitz saw Ozzie let out a breath, and he held Fizz's hand until his arms couldn't extend anymore as he left and he let go. He felt a stone fall in his chest, as he was next.

"Stolas Goetia, to the stand", Satan calls next. Blitz blinks, what? He had guessed he'd already pled his case. Guess not.

Stolas sulks up to the stand and sits. Regal as ever as he looks on at the crowd with a frown and bags under his eyes. Blitz wishes he could hug him right now. They both need one.

"Stolas of the Ars Goetia, is it true you were given your Grimoire for the purpose of studying the stars and prophecies?" Satan asks.

"Yes that is true", Stolas replies.

Satan looks at the papers on his table, "And is it true to your knowledge that it is forbidden to lend this power to any other demon?"

He hesitates. Blitz squeezes his own hands. But he knows Stolas would never lie.

"I was never explicitly told not to by my father. If I would have known, I would have had to read the rules of rite", he says succinctly.

Satan cocks his head, "Mhmm. And have you read the rules of rite?"

Stolas hesitates again. Blitz can practically see the sweat pulling under his brow.

"No", he says. Well we're fucked because that's bullshit, Blitz thinks. That bird reads everything.

Satan laughs, "Wow. A Goetia that hasn't read the rules of rite. Would you, Stolas, stake this whole proceeding on a truth spell of that statement?"

Stolas nods, "I would, Sire". Blitz is sweating bullets. He grips the bar in front of him, wanting so badly to push through this invisible wall. You dumb bird.

Satan smiles, "Very well", he waves his hand and pulls the information out of Stolas's head like a memory in his hand and projects it onto the wall. The court sees Stolas as a teenager, no more than 16. Grabbing the rule of rites from the bookshelf. Then Paimon in the background yelling across the palace, "Stolas!!!!", it's deafening that everyone in the courtroom plugs their ears, including past Stolas.

Teenage Stolas puts the book back on the shelf, and runs to greet the yell. The memory fades and Satan says, "Hmm", to himself. He looks back to Stolas,

"and you never picked it back up, why?" He asks.

Stolas shrugs, "It was a painful memory, that day. I was hit. I did not want to relive it by touching the book that started it". Ozzie smiles then covers his mouth, trying not to show how proud he was of Stolas for sticking his ground.

Blitz's brows furrow in sympathy and he reaches out, touching the invisible wall. Just wanting to hold his bird...but now it's his turn.

Satan takes a deep breath, "Okay. Thank you Stolas. Blitzo Buckzo to the stand".

He gulps and walks to the stand behind the wall. Finally looking at Stolas to see desperation in his face, and worry. So much worry. Gee it's great to see how much people believe in him.

Satan doesn't waste any time, "Please confirm your name for the court".

Blitz hesitates, "Uh Blitz-" he glances at Ozzie mouthing the 'O' and sighs, "Blitzo Buckzo, your sin-ness".

Satan nods, "And do you know how the fire started at your circus when you were 19?"

Blitz freezes. He feels his hands starting to shake and his breath starting to dip into a panic attack. He looks around the room for solace but Stolas's face is only worry. Then he glances Verosika. She takes a deep breath and he does it with her. His mind clearing.

"It was all a blur. I was going to give Fizzarolli a letter, and then I got upset by something and turned, pushing a guy with the birthday cake. I left the tent and in a few moments there were explosions and fire...", Satan puts his hand up and he stops.

"Very well. Changing topic. Did you infiltrate Stolas Goetia 's House with the intent to steal his Grimoire?"

Blitz blinks, eyes flicking to Stolas then back to Satan, "No. I was there to reconnect with an old friend. He indulged me, and then let me borrow the book". Satan turns to Stolas, "Is this true?" The owl looks to Blitz then back to Satan, "Yes".

Satan snorts, looking to Blitz, "Stake your memories on it?"

Blitz hesitates then nods aggressively, "Yes sir".

Satan pulls the memories out of Blitz and it feels like fabric pulling on his head. He holds his head then watches as his memories of that night are pushed onto the screen from his point of view.

Him sneaking into the room. Rummaging through the bookshelf. Getting caught. Then from then on its memories of Stolas's face. Occasional glances at the book but more feathers than anything. Even while the court watched their rendezvous in the bed as both Blitz and Stolas cringed then almost laughed as they looked to one another.

Satan laughs, "Well. It seems to have been a lively rekindling".

Satan swipes the memory away and looks at his paperwork again then stands up, "I see no standing here for a trial. There is no need to bring in the rest of IMP. Especially since Blitzo Buckzo has no longer been using the Grimoire, there is no illegal activity happening. Case dismissed".

And as soon as things were horrible, they were fine. Mostly. The sins filed out of the courtroom, Ozzie giving Blitz two thumbs up and he gives him a smile back. Then before Stolas leaves Blitz yells, "Wait!"

He claws at the invisible wall then the imp behind him rolls his eyes and undoes the force field, Blitz falling on his face.

Stolas runs over and helps him up. Blitz holds onto him, looking up at him.

"Why did you do that?" He asks. Stolas smiles, "I would do anything for you, Blitz. Why did you do it?" He stutters anxiously, "c-cause same?"

They hold one another and Blitz squeezes his feathers, "Don't leave".

"I'm right here, darling", Stolas reassures.

[timdrakeinorder]

The New Titans #60: A Lonely Place of Dying Part Two (My thoughts)

Learning from last time and using a read more because dear lord that one got out of hand

(I don't really have anything to say about this panel, I just think she's pretty <3 Kori I KNOW I can do you better than Nightwing, hit me up)

I think Vic's word choice is interesting here, specifically saying he's calling 'Wayne Manor', not 'batman' or 'bruce'. I mean, it IS Alfred who picks up so maybe he just wasn't positive who'd answer the phone, but that layer of distance is interesting. He's on the lookout for one of his best friends and he finally calls 'the manor' not Dick's mentor. I haven't read enough new titans to have a lot of context for their relationship but I wonder if Vic sees Bruce as Dick's dad or his boss.

I love how they position Alfred here directly under Martha's stare. Alfred is on the verge of losing Bruce as well unless something drastically changes soon, she's always haunting the narrative, isn't she?

(I don't have much to say about this panel either, just look at her <3 The 80s comics may be messy about how they write women but GOD can they draw them! Or maybe I'm just gay and easy to impress who knows)

Tim you creepy little fucker <3. This bit DOES confuse me though, I will admit. We see Tim in his room with a copy of the photo with him and the Graysons in part one, so I really don't get WHY he'd break into Dick's apartment and tear up his stuff... just to show Dick a photograph that Tim already owns. Maybe it was just the only way they could think of for the rest of the team to learn that Dick's stalker knows both identities?

He's so sweet, how can you not love him?

The crowbar continues to haunt the narrative.

Still no full face reveal but we're getting close!

Tim's very one sided intimacy with Dick rears its head yet again. He can't immediately recognize Dick in the crowd and his first thought is that he MUST be in disguise. Keeping in mind that he still HAS NOT SEEN Dick at Haly's, he's still running on a hunch. A good hunch and he IS right in the end, but this is about a man that, to our knowledge, he only met ONCE as a three year old.

Houston, we have eyes!

Aaaaaaaaaand FULL FACE!

He looks so little here. He watched a man die AGAIN from the audience at Haly's circus and I love all the connections between this meeting and Tim's first time meeting Dick.

The! Audacity! Of! This! Boy!

I like that Tim isn't highly skilled by any means but we do learn early on that he's very fit, even before being trained, just not much more than an average physically active teenage boy. He managed to flip NIGHTWING 90% of the way to the ground, that is seriously impressive.

HE'S SO LITTLE!!!! Tim is very sure of himself and very entitled in such a 13 year old boy way. He has a very specific simple idea of how the world should be and he will leap on the first answer he sees. He sees an out of control batman, he's positive that having a robin will fix him, he hunts down Dick Grayson and expects him to jump back in the cape and boots. He sees a suspicious death that will spell out the end of a circus that's important to him, he has the bare bones of a lead based on extremely little evidence, he accuses a clown of murder. It hasn't sunken in for him yet just how complicated these situations are. Just how complicated PEOPLE are.

In his mind it's so simple and he can't understand why it isn't simple for Dick as well. Tim is accusing a dear friend of his of murder and it's like Tim doesn't realize the full scope of how serious this all is.

[masquayla-the-splendid]

Here's a fnaf headcanon I've had since forever that I think might actually be canon.

Ennard is his own character, separate from being an amalgam.

This claim brings me back to pre SL, post SL teaser era where people thought Ennard was actually this puppet master character who was only a head that moved like a spider with a few skrangly wires.

I've seen many fan interpretations on what animatronic his mask was supposed to be for, but do you ever wonder why it fits his face perfectly?

Yes, I do believe that the rest of his body was just a big metal knitting session between the Funtimes. There are some parts that are obvious from what came from who.

But his face? They couldn't have put that much detail into making his head look so unique that it doesn't line up with any of theirs.

To compare, I brought up Ballora and Funtime Foxy, as I thought they had the most resemblance.

I used a more polished version of the Help Wanted model in SFM for Ennard.

Not only that, but when making these renders, I just now realized that his right eye is shoved way further back, and has a pretty bad overbite.

(It's also really obvious how Scott models here. His head is completely made of clipping errors.)

Speaking of his eyes, he has 3 eyes of the same color. Usually it's assumed that his left eye is Funtime Freddy's, but the half closed eye, and the eye dangling below that are the same color as the left one. Ennard has one eye of each of the Funtimes, so that means Funtime Freddy's is the one that's off to the side.

Yes, there can be multiple animatronics with the same eye color.

The eye on his torso is commonly mistaken to be Ballora's, but as you can see, her eyes are tiny. Who else has pink eyes? BonBon. Who doesn't have eyes in the scooping room? BonBon.

Then where are Ballora's eyes? Somewhere in the mass of wire that you can't see. He's saving them for when he gets his skin, because they're same size as human eyes.

Okay so if that was his own head, what level of consciousness or awareness does he have?

This is where the headcanons come in.

It's unknown how he "thinks," but one can only assume he works as a hive mind.

My personal headcanon is that he has his own conscious, and was probably just chillin where Funtime Chica would've been if she wasn't rented out. Either that or the Private Room. He'd be the one that controls the body, and the rest of them are just spectating. Maybe having more of a say on what limbs move that belong to them.

The SL robots seem to have their own conscious, since Baby tells her story in her perspective, but at what stage of programming awareness comes in, I have no clue. I'd guess it would have to be at the head?? Depends on where the main computer is?

(On a side note, they must have a lot of know-how on robo physiology, because they were able to wire up their individual abilities, like the voice mimicking, to a separate body without flaw. I mean it ain't like the Funko toys that snap on, they had to like actually tie things together. How did they do that without soldering anything? Were the Funtimes programmed to be able to fix themselves, or did they have the bidybabs/minireenas snoop through all the drawers to find the blueprints for each of them?)

Then what does the "there's a little of me in every body" mean?

Could be teasing the real ending, but "every" implies multiple. Maybe there's was more done to him than just a head, and had to get dismantled for the Funtimes. I've seen that theory tossed around a few times.

HEY HEY THE BOOKS.

I can't remember which book it was, one of the Fazbear Frights I'm sure, but it described a Clown-like animatronic that has a green/yellow color scheme. He wasn't a whole robot though, he was attached to a separate attraction, and had spring for a body from the chest down. I think he had hair. I'm pretty sure it's name was like Coils or something. I thought it was Coily at first, but that's the snake from Qbert.

Edit: In Ultimate Custom Night, Scott only uses "he" when referring to Ennard. There is a completely valid reason for the use of "they" or all pronouns, considering he is literally multiple robots. Now if you're a new age Scott hater, you may chalk it up to generalizing him as whatever phobic, but this is the same guy who uses "he" AND "she" for Mangle. (Not to mention designs "boy" animatronics with blush/lisstick in 2015) Why would "He" be the only pronoun? Because it's his head. Wherever his main computer is, it's somewhere up there. This would mean that all unpossesed animatronics have their "conscious" wired to a motherboard somewhere in they noggin. They're just a piece of plastic with transistors and diodes melted to it at their core.

So you can't just attach Chica's arm to Bonnie, and have Chica control everything he does. You'd have to swap their heads. But when you got remnant infused metal, it's a bit different. Hence, Ballora would have a say in moving the arms, because they're hers.

Anyway that's my rare fnaf rambling.