#i just keep chipping away at it and i have so much info

[elixirfromthestars]

Tulip

Pairing: Biker!Bucky x Florist!Reader

Summary: On a night when the past weighs heavy on Bucky, fate brings him to you.

Word Count: 2.7k

Warning(s): established nickname -> tulip / fluff / mentions of grief

a/n: After seeing how much people loved Biker Bucky in Usual I decided to share more of their story with you all 💕 This is going to be a bigger collection of fics, so I will have an official taglist for it and there's more info on that here. That taglist in this fic is not related to the tags on here. The tags on here were for just for fun!! Hope you enjoy!! Likes, comments, & reblogs are much appreciated!! ♡♡♡

next in their story ♡ // the whole collection ♡

It was one of those nights where Bucky was irritated without reason. His face was etched into an intimidating scowl as he looked at nothing in particular in his bar. The laughter was too loud, the clinking of glasses irked his eardrums like nails on a chalkboard, and his heart felt heavy. Almost as if one of the men in his bar were pressing down on it with their heavy boot. 

Bucky was getting tired of this. Of having these moments where his body thrummed with discomfort and his fingers found the familiar grooves in the wooden table he sat at—etching the oak with erratic lines until his nails were chipped and uneven. He could already hear the shit Sam would say as soon as he saw the added marks. 

Bucky was getting restless—reluctantly so.

“Hey, Buck, one of the—���

“‘m goin’ out for a ride.”

As soon as Steve came over to give Bucky an update on the business, Bucky stood up from the table and dismissed himself. Steve held back a sigh, his lips forming a tight line as his best friend blew him off. He didn’t take it personally, at least not tonight. More than anything Steve was worried for Bucky. It was never easy seeing him fall into this state once a year. 

Bucky always got like this around the anniversary of his father’s death. 

Steve and the rest of the crew exchanged wary glances as Bucky pushed through the bar in a rush. His hands at his sides flexed as he sought out the comfort of his bike. He took out his leather gloves from his jacket—dark and weathered from years of wear—and slipped them on before mounting his Harley. It thundered to life underneath him, the deep rumble easing the tension in his shoulders. 

He pulled out of his parking space, the blacked-out engine chrome gleaming under the streetlights. Bucky had no set destination, just a familiar path he had taken hundreds of times while on patrol. One that transgressed the entirety of the small town he lived in. 

The small town he and his gang protected. 

Bucky twisted the throttle, the Harley's roar echoing through the quiet streets as if warning the town of his presence. He drove down the roads at a steady speed, letting the breeze brush through his hair like a soothing balm. Hoping the night and his Harley would take away the hollow ache in his chest. 

He couldn’t keep thinking of his dad. Not right now. There was too much going on in his life. 

Bucky wouldn’t allow himself to be swept by the bittersweet memories. There were dozens of problems at the bar he needed to solve, rival gangs were stirring up trouble in neighboring towns so his people depended on him now more than ever, and his Ma and Becca relied on him as the sole provider.

Giving himself a moment to grieve—to feel—was a luxury he couldn’t afford. 

After a full loop around the town, Bucky decided to survey the downtown area once again. It was nearing ten at night and the majority of the businesses were closed, and yet he was still adamant about getting a good last look before he returned to the bar. 

He witnessed the usual: Yori and his son closing up their family-owned restaurant for the night, Mr. and Mrs. Fury bickering on their walk home, the savory aroma of Stark’s Pizzeria wafting through the air as he drove by, and a stack of wooden crates dancing in mid-air. 

Hold up. 

Wait a minute.

What?

Bucky had to do a double and then a triple take to make sure his eyes weren’t tricking him. He hadn’t had an ounce of alcohol tonight, and yet he began to gaslight himself into thinking maybe he had. 

That was until you appeared from behind the wooden crates. Huffing out in annoyance and setting them down on the bed of an old pickup truck. Glaring at them as if the fury behind your eyes would suddenly make them ten pounds lighter. 

Bucky stared at you from afar perplexed and yet with a ghost of a smile on his face. He had never seen you in town before, meaning you must have moved here not too long ago. A faint memory of Sam telling him a new shop owner was coming into town crosses his mind, but Bucky couldn’t remember all the details.

With a multitude of other things on his mind, he hadn’t been paying attention at the time. 

The Harley’s rumble softens until it comes to a still as Bucky parks it on the street opposite you. He sits on it for a moment watching you, searching his brain for the finer details of what Sam had mentioned, but nothing comes to him. He’s left to find out more about you in the here and now. 

Bucky suddenly catches the determined expression on your face as you go to pick up three of the wooden crates again. His eyes widen and before he even registers what he’s doing he swings off his bike and jogs over to you.

“Here let me help,” Bucky doesn’t ask or wait for a response as he easily takes the crates from your arms, lifting them as if they weighed nothing. You watch him in startled awe, wondering where this incredibly strong stranger had come from. Hand on your heart to calm yourself down from the sudden intrusion on your solitude. 

“Oh! Um…you really don’t have to—” 

“‘m already carrying ‘em, dollface. Jus’ tell me where to put ‘em.”

Bucky’s voice was calm and collected, but on the inside he wanted to ask you what the hell were in these crates. He’s used to carrying heavy boxes of supplies for his bar, but even then he’d use a hand truck to haul everything in. To think you were trying to carry all of this by yourself…he didn’t know whether to be impressed by your determination or laugh at your stubbornness. 

The wooden crates obstructed your view of each other—and he’d never admit it—but they covered enough of his eye sight to where he had to tilt his head to watch his step.

“Here, let me guide you,” you placed a tentative hand on his arm, trying to ignore the way his bicep flexed under it. There was fragile cargo in those crates and you needed to make sure they got into your shop safe and sound. Bucky showed no signs of rejecting your guidance. 

You carefully led him inside, sliding away any obstacles from his path with your feet. You were still adding the last touches to the decor so there were tools, supplies, and different sized cardboard boxes scattered across the floor. You were able to direct him to a spot in front of the main counter where he could put the crates down—the one area clear of anything.

He placed them down gently before turning to face you. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words got stuck in his throat the moment his eyes met yours. Your pretty irises glimmered with sincere appreciation coupled with a soft smile that caused an unfamiliar warmth to spread through his chest. He couldn’t remember the last time someone looked at him like that. His brain has gone fuzzy, words evading him. Almost like a part of him that had been dormant for far too long was yearning for him to not break this gentle moment with you.  

You on the other hand were enchanted by the color of his eyes. A rich blue you tried to pinpoint through the catalog of flowers in your mind. Could the color be matched to a morning glory? A harvestbell? A brunnera? Forget-me-nots? Delphiniums? Hydrangeas?

The longer you thought the more you concluded no flower seemed close enough to the particular shade of blue that was looking right at you.  

“Thank you,” your voice was far too quiet for your liking when you broke the silence. You brought Bucky back to the present, yet not from the trance you had him in. He was particularly invested in the curve of your lips when you spoke and the way your eyes held his like you had known him all your life. 

Bucky cleared his throat, propping his arm on the counter in a nonchalant manner, “Not a problem—looked like you could use the help.” He topped his cool reply with a casual shrug and smirk that made it seem like he did this all the time. 

“Was it that obvious?”

“For a second there I thought those things would crush you.” 

Your sheepishness melts away into a laugh. The sound leaving your lips before you could stop it. You imagine what you must have looked like struggling with those heavy crates. The mental image of it is enough to fill you with mortified mirth. 

Your laugh elicits a soft chuckle from him—the first proper laugh he’s had in about a week or two. 

“‘m gonna go get the rest for ya…” he pushes himself off from the counter, but his voice trails off by the end when he realizes he never asked for your name. A heartbeat passes and with one quick lookover your frame a nickname falls effortlessly from his lips. 

“Tulip.”

Your heart does a little flip in your chest. You know exactly why he called you that. You were wearing denim overalls self embroidered with a multitude of small tulips adorning it in a range of colors. As if that weren’t enough tulips, you had two small pink tulip hair clips on either side of your head, pinning your hair away from your face. 

“I-It’s Y/n, actually.”

“Pretty thing like you—Tulip suits ya.” 

The nickname already had your heart fluttering, but the wink that followed his compliment had you weak in the knees. This man was handsome—deadly handsome. You had sworn off men for a whole year and counting—and now this man presented himself into your life tempting you to throw that oath away until it was nonexistent. 

“Thank you, but you really don’t have to help with the rest um…”

“Bucky. The name's Bucky. And I don’t have to, but I want to, so don’t worry ‘bout it, Tulip.”

With an emphasis on the nickname he’s chosen for you, he makes a smooth exit, the smirk never leaving his face as he saunters back and forth from the pickup truck and carries in crate after crate for you. You distract yourself with miscellaneous tasks around your shop. Yet, your eyes drift to his form here and there greedily taking in his display of strength. 

Unbeknownst to you, Bucky notices, and every time he does he unknowingly straightens up his posture. Trying to make it seem as though the crates were as light as a feather.

When’s he’s all done—after ten crates in total—you’re behind the main counter, arranging a small basket of goods as he approaches you. 

“That’s all of ‘em. Mind me askin’ what’s in ‘em?” Bucky motions over to the crates at his feet with a nod of his head. You present him with a basket of sweet spreads encased in decorated mason jars—the covers all distinctly patterned with different florals. 

“They’re my homemade jams and honeys. As a thank you for helping me carry all those crates in here, I’m giving you one of each,” you hand him the basket and his features soften. His fingers hovering over the rim of the basket like he doesn’t believe he deserved such kindness.  

“Tulip, ya really don’t have to thank me for helpin’.” 

“I don’t have to, but I want to, so don’t worry about it, Bucky.”

When you echo his words from earlier and use them on him he lets out a breath of a laugh, a grin of disbelief on his face. He didn’t expect that. Having his words used against him in a good way.

He was used to the opposite of that.

You were something else and Bucky liked that. He liked that a lot. Especially the way you said his name, it sounded sweeter falling from your lips. As if his name were made out of the same sugary sweetness the goods in the basket were. It caused a stutter within his chest he wasn’t used to. 

No one’s ever given Bucky butterflies this quickly–or maybe ever like this in his life.

For the next twenty minutes you both dove into small talk to get to know each other better. It started off as a pretext of a friendly conversation between two business owners, but it quickly became something more. You confirmed Bucky’s assumptions about you being a florist when you chatted away about your shop. Your outfit and the floral mosaic that decorated one of the walls—the one you told him your aunt had hand painted—was enough for him to put the pieces together. You learned that Bucky owned a bar a few blocks down, one that he ran with his childhood friends. He had served the military with a lot of them and even knew some of them since he was a young boy.

As if the leather jacket, the leather gloves, and the motorcycle parked outside wasn’t enough to tell you—he clearly was a biker. You knew as much when he had this passionate look in his eyes as he went on and on about him and his bestfriend Steve fixing up motorcycles since their high school years. He saw the same passion in your eyes when you told him the story of how your aunt had awakened your love for gardening. The very catalyst of events that led you to move into town and end up on this night here with him.

Both of you offered a part of yourselves in that conversation. An exchange that might seem small to others, but that to the both of you meant so much more. For you both had closed a part of yourselves off for quite some time. 

For entirely different reasons, but with a similar outcome nonetheless.

“Let’s make a deal. I get to keep callin’ ya Tulip and you can call me for help anytime ya need it,” Bucky offers this after you explain to him that your aunt had only been visiting you and left a few days ago. Leaving you to finish up the preparations for the grand opening of your shop in a few days time.

“Tempting offer…” you start, pretending to think about it and hiding your delight at the thought. In reality, you could use the help, and seeing more of Bucky was an added bonus that was hard to refuse. You wanted to get to know him better—you couldn’t deny that—and this seemed like a perfect place to start. 

Plus who were you kidding, you enjoyed being called Tulip. 

“Alright deal,” your smile matches his when you agree. Bucky was in the same boat as you. Not knowing where this could go, not dwelling on what the future may hold, but certain that he wanted to spend more time with you. 

Reluctantly, Bucky pulled away from the counter,“Well I gotta hit the road, the guys’ll be wonderin’ where I’ve been.” The vibrations in his pocket from his phone notifications told him as much. 

You hid your disappointment behind a grateful expression,“Of course. I won’t keep you any longer. Thanks again for the help, Bucky. Let me know what you think of the spreads!” 

Bucky grabbed a hold of the basket of sweets, and slowly walked backwards towards the exit as he wanted to keep his eyes on you for as long as he could. Every fiber of his being fighting to stay.

“Anytime, Tulip—and I’ll let ya know. Have a good night.”

“You too, Bucky. Drive safe!”

Bucky walked back to his Harley smiling like a teenager with a crush. His every step feeling lighter than earlier in the night. Whether he recognized it or not that day, it was all because of you. There was just something about you that was refreshing to Bucky, like the morning air after a night of heavy rain. The first rays of sunlight after a cold winter’s night. The cool breeze that brings you back to life on a hot summer’s day. 

That was you. 

You were the morning air, the sunlight, and the cool breeze. 

He didn’t know it yet, but in due time he would. 

In due time, you would be his Tulip. 

tagging some lovelies who asked to be tagged & others who seemed eager to read more ♡ ♡ ♡

@fanfictionreaderfan @nicksolemnlyswears @tilltheendofthelinebuckaroo @princessjellyfishlove @thewritergremlin-rae

(these tags were only for this fic and not for the full collection, so if you'd like to be tagged for the full thing let me know!!)

[bandgie]

The Move-In | Ep. 1

MASTERLIST | KINK: THROATFUCKING

🗝 Cheap rent seems great until you're discovering bugs, dirty water, and learning about the strange disappearances that seem to take place at the apartments. Whatever, at least you have the bed to break into it.

5.1k words

warnings! MDNI18+, fem!reader, PIV, no protection, creampie, facefucking/throatfucking, tit play, cum play, cum swapping, 3some, 'daddy' use, slight asphyxiation, reader called bitch a few times, kinda long sowwy

notes! so yayyy this is the first fic of the halloween event! there's gonna be world-building and info dumping in this ep, so it's gonna be a little long. thank you <3

Why the owners decided to paint it pink is a mystery. The color doesn’t match the surroundings in the slightest. Flowers and grass seem to brown and the air has a permanent chill that makes you snuggle into your sweater. But the sky, which you’re so used to seeing bright and blue, is a depressing gray.

As the car pulls into the driveway, you can see the paint chipping. Your nose scrunches as though you’ve smelled something foul. “This house is…old.”

“It’s not a house.” Chan puts the car in park. “They’re apartments. But yeah, the owner said it’s almost 200 years old.”

Changbin squirms in the passenger seat. You can see his eyes darting from the house to the dead plants from the review window. “Fuck. There’s gotta be ghosts in there.”

Despite the goosebumps you get from the thought, you laugh. “Maybe they were keeping the house warm for us.”

Chan snickers at Changbin’s cries. He kills the engine and unlocks the doors while Changbin’s worries die in the wind. You’re still giggling when you get out, hoping the uneasiness will wither away soon. But as you stand before the apartments, small and cold, you feel…powerless.

Almost like something much larger lurks between the floorboards.

You didn’t even hear Chan’s footsteps. The crunch of the dead leaves goes unheard before he finally says, “Creepy as shit, huh?”

He laughs when you jump. The dimples on his cheeks deepen, “Are you really that freaked out?”

Lying isn’t even possible. You can feel your heart thudding in your chest and your cheeks heat up from the burst of adrenaline Chan caused you. “Living in an apartment that looks like it’ll collapse any second on a haunted hill? I think that would scare anyone.”

“You really believe that haunted bullshit?”

“It’s not bullshit.” You narrow your eyes at him. “Those people really did go missing. No bodies, no signs of force, nothing. Just, poof, into thin air. Like they never existed.”

“Yah! Stop it!” Changbin covers his ears. He still hasn’t left the car’s side. “I don’t wanna hear it again!”

You turn and give him an apologetic look, “Sorry.” But Chan is already groaning. “You told him?”

“I didn’t think he’d get that scared.” You put your hands up in defense, but truthfully, you knew. Seeing Changbin’s wide eyes and fearful babbling would make Chan’s reprimands worth it.

“Changbin is scared of everything! He didn’t wanna move here after seeing the pictures. Just the pictures.” Despite his huffing, Chan can’t hide his grin. “You know he’s gonna want to sleep in your bed tonight, right?”

You raise an eyebrow. Living with two men who happen to be your best friends, that’s more than a common occurrence. “Someone sounds jealous.”

Chan pokes his tongue through his cheek, a gesture he does when he’s flustered and excited. He shrugs, “No comment.”

The sound of a running engine makes you two turn. Changbin jumps and hurries to your side, clutching onto your arm as if you have half the muscles he does. You three spot the trucking climbing the driveway within seconds.

“The movers are here.” Chan takes a few steps forward. “Bin, let's help them unload, yeah?”

He groans. Changbin lays his head on your shoulder and looks up at you prettily, batting his eyelashes. “You gonna be okay without me?”

You giggle. “I should be asking you that. Go get to work big boy. I’ll explore the house.”

“The apartment.”

“The apartment.” You repeat, glancing at Chan to roll your eyes. “Same shit. Have fun.”

They say a small ‘you too’ and walk to the now parked truck, backs turned. You spin on your heel, giving a long look to The Pink Palace in front. The house looms over as if daring you to enter alone. The best response you can come up with is to squint, turn your chin up, and think, I’m not scared.

But goosebumps arise when the floorboards creak and the door hinges squeak with laughter. You remind yourself more than once that living here will save your wallet. Looking for a job straight out of college is nearly impossible. You were lucky enough to live with Chan and Changbin, but they were struggling themselves as upcoming music producers.

It seemed like a no-brainer to move out of the city and get someplace cheap. When Chan found the perfect place, you heard alarms go off hearing the low price.

And of course, you had to do some of your own research.

Five men in the span of 50 years were reported missing while living here. Not just runaways or kidnapped, but gone. All their belongings were left, no footsteps or doors were found unlocked, and the owner coincidently decided to close off the top and bottom levels of the apartments.

Exactly where the missing people once lived.

Maybe they were still there. Still here. Their bodies becoming nothing more than skin-on-bones for the mice to feast upon.

Or what if they escaped, but lived in the walls? Old and wrinkled men who could never be a part of civilization again. What if you woke up in the middle of the night and looked through the crack of your closet to see-

Stop. Stopstopstop. You’re freaking yourself out. You can’t even focus on the obnoxiously large rooms and spiraling staircase with your thoughts turning horrid. It’d be better to do something productive while your roommates and the movers unload.

You pull your phone out and open the notes app, quickly creating an empty note and titling it ‘Windows and Doors.’

-

“Okay, so there’s a total of 21 windows in this apartment alone. Isn’t that insane?”

Chan hums, nodding mindlessly while helping Changbin move the fridge inside. Changbin doesn’t even respond. His focus is on making sure his clammy hands don't let the appliance slip.

“I mean they look cool. But damn, someone could be peeking in at any time. We need to buy curtains.”

The veins on your friend’s neck look like they might burst. Chan lets out a drawled moan when the refrigerator gently sets on the floor. He huffs and groans, turning up to the ceiling in an attempt to catch his breath. Changbin doesn’t look any better. He leans on the fridge and pants.

“My arms are dead.”

“Oh shit. Did you guys need help?” It dawns on you that yapping is the last thing they want to hear. The sun is nearly down now and despite the boxers being scattered, at least everything is inside the apartment.

Changbin shakes his head. “No, this is the last of it. We don’t want your pretty hands getting dirty.”

You roll your eyes, a small grin on your lips. “Whatever. I’ll help unpack tomorrow.”

“Sounds good.” Chan dusts his hands on his pants. “But uh, 20 windows?”

“Twenty-one. And 14 doors. There’s a tiny one in the living room, but it doesn’t open. So technically it’s 13.” You recall the crawl space covered by wallpaper. It was barely big enough for you to fit in, but it piqued your interest anyway. “It needs a key.”

Chan nods, but the distant look in his eyes tells you he isn’t listening. Instead, he looks around aimlessly. “I could have sworn I put my water bottle somewhere.”

“Ah,” Changbin snaps his fingers. “I put it in the cupboards. Hang on.” He walks to the center of the kitchen, pulling the cabinets and frames open until he finds what he needs. But when his head cocks to the side and his lips purse, you think it’s something else.

“Yah, didn’t you say you needed a key or something?” 

He tosses a long, black object in the air for you to catch, which you surprisingly do. Changbin keeps rummages for the water bottle as you inspect the key.

It’s heavier than you expected, pure metal you think. The handle, though, is what catches your attention most. A black button acts as the bow, four dots in the shape of a diamond.

“Thanks, man.” Chan’s voice brings you to attention. He nods to you, “Is that the key you were talking about?”

You watch as he downs the drink. Chan’s throat bobs with each gulp, sweat dripping down his neck that disappears under the black material of his shirt. He hands the bottle to Changbin who does the same thing, the only difference being that droplets miss his mouth and a pink tongue swipes the water from his wet lips.

When was the last time you three boned?

“Y-yeah. I think so, I mean. Only one way to find out.”

The men follow you to the living room, lunging over boxers and planning how to set up the room while you ignore the painting of the sad boy and his fallen ice cream above the fireplace. The artwork doesn’t sit right with you.

When you bend down to get leveled with the blocked door, Changbin whistles. “Nice ass.”

Your face heats up and Chan laughs at your playful scowl. Changbin’s lips are turned upside down and as endearing as he looks, you’re the one to sour his mood.

“When I open this door, I hope the monster on the other side eats you first.”

Now it’s your turn to laugh when his gleeful expression turns worried. His anxious rambling only increases when you shove the key through the wallpaper. You turn it until you hear a certain click. Prying it open is easy enough, but you’re disappointed to see brownish-red filling your vision.

“Bricks? That’s it?”

Changbin visibly sighs in relief. He looks at Chan who seems somewhat disappointed. Still, it’s nothing compared to you who was exploring the house for what seemed like hours.

“They probably boarded it up once they sectioned off the house. It must have led to the lower level.” Chan reasons. “It’s better this way. There might be mice down there or something.”

Changbin swears. “Now you guys are fucking with me on purpose. How do you want me to sleep in a place that’s haunted and has mice?”

You fully expect Chan to laugh or shrug him off, but he groans with annoyance. “Shit. I totally forgot about the bed frames. We’re gonna have to sleep on mattresses before we can set them up.”

His irritation rolls off in waves. You can only imagine how he feels, taking the responsibility to find a place to live, and when he does, all his roommates do is complain. Then, driving to the outskirts of a dull town and unloading for hours only to sleep on the floor.

You stand, looping your arm around his waist and Changbin’s. “It’s okay! We can have a sleepover tonight. Let’s stress about it in the morning.”

Chan gives you an appreciative smile, wrapping his arm around your torso just like Changbin is doing now. They always feel like they complete you. Their warmth, their hands, their tender gaze - it’s all a part of you now.

You pull from their grip when their hands start roaming and run down the hall for the stairs. You take your shirt off in haste to leave it on the bottom step. “Race ‘ya to the room!”

-

Maybe it would have been better if you knew what room you were going to, but the one furthest down the hall called to you. You could hear the boys ruffling downstairs, thuds and bumps told you they were not far behind.

And when you found the room, a built-in closet on the left and a window seat in the center, you mentally called dibs. A bare mattress was in the middle and you unclasped the last article of clothing to toss it on the floor.

There was barely enough time to lay on the bed when they burst through the door. Changbin came into view first, his pupils blown and lips wet like he was drooling the entire time he ran.

“Ha! I won!”

“He cheated!” Chan points an accusatory finger at his rival. “He pushed me into the wall!”

Their banter should make you laugh, but you’re distracted to see them completely naked. They must have copied you and thrown their clothes around the house during the chase. Changbin’s pecs are full and flushed, his tummy soft and expanding with each heavy inhale and playful shout. Chan’s ears are tinted with pink to match his broad chest. Deep lines etch into his stomach with every laugh and exhale.

But their cocks, one thicker and the other longer, both dribble at the tip.

Just the sight of them makes your cunt clench. You unashamedly widen your legs and use a thumb to slide against your folds. “Well…I didn’t say anything about not cheating.” The men stop their bickering when they catch you. All attention zooms in on how your digit flicks your clit, dipping lower to gather the leaks of arousal to smear across.

“So I guess we have a winner.”

Changbin nearly trips over his own feet getting to you. The eagerness in his eyes and the swelling of his cock, they’re all proof that it has been a long time since you three played.

Rather than diving into your pussy like he normally would, Changbin nearly touches his nose with yours. His eyes bat innocently, gleam hopefully, and his tongue swipes over his bottom lip. Ah. You know what he’s asking for.

“You can be rough, baby. I won’t break.”

The real wonder is what he’ll be rough with. Changbin is all too excited when climbs onto the mattress and beckons Chan over. You feel sturdy fingers dig into your side, and although you have no idea what Changbin wants to play with, Chan seems to know.

He holds you while Changbin rests his back against the wall, his toes wiggling with anticipation. You can already see his cock leaking and pooling pre-cum on his pubes. Salvia gathers in your mouth and you swallow thickly.

You hope it’s what you’re thinking.

Chan doesn’t have to move you too much to get your mouth hovering over Changbin’s cock. You’re already aching to feel it in your throat that he doesn’t have to push you down. The only thing he has to do is bunch your hair into his fist to make sure no strands get in your way. 

A pretty vein runs along the side of Changbin’s cock that you follow with your tongue. You follow it to his tip, gently wrapping around it with your soft lips and hollowing your cheeks to suck. You can taste the sweat from earlier in the day when you swirl your tongue. His natural musk makes your mouth salivate more as if you aren’t already slobbering.

You’re used to him giving you time to adjust. The thickness always makes the sides of your mouth stretch. Though it feels almost uncomfortable, you can’t help but like the drool that leaks from your mouth every time you widen your jaw.

Another inch makes its way past your lips before Chan’s hand in your hair tightens and shoves you down.

Changbin’s tip presses against your throat, the salty taste much more prominent. His hair touches your nose and before you even think about how it tickles, Chan pulls you up just before it slips out to bring you back down again.

“Ohhh. Like that! Just like that. Binnie likes it.” He sounds adorable. Like you aren’t getting your throat fucked with someone else controlling the pace.

Chan doesn’t ease up at all. Maybe it’s Changbin’s moans and babbling praises that egg him on, but the pressure on your scalp turns into pleasure. The yanks and tugs go straight to your core. Chan must be able to see how your cunt starts to drool, but he doesn’t say a peep.

You have to lay your tongue flat on your bottom teeth so they don't accidentally graze Changbin. You’re trying your best to keep your jaw loose while managing to suck, but the need for air burns your chest.

“Harder. Suck me harder, baby.”

But you can’t. You’re trying to ignore the way your head fuzzies from lack of oxygen and darkness surrounds your sight, but you can only manage for so long. Your nails dig into Changbin’s thighs painfully instead.

He nods quickly. “Up.”

Chan pulls you from his cock fully. A string of saliva keeps you connected, but your coughs and gasps break it easily. Tears blur your vision and a few slip out, but Changbin is already wiping them.

“Too much?” Chan sounds cold. “We just started.”

“I just,” you blink rapidly. “I just need a second.”

But Changbin doesn’t nod understandingly. He doesn’t even give you a sympathetic pout like he always does. He looks to Chan who gently guides you back down, using his free hand to arch your back and raise your hips in the air.

You’ve taken enough breaths. Changbin slips his thumb between your mouth and pulls your jaw open. You obey immediately, sucking on his digit so Chan can get on his knees and find his place behind you.

“You won’t break.” His fingers lead you to his cock again and Chan makes sure to keep a good grip on your hair. “Binnie will be careful, hm? Just open your mouth for me.”

How can you not when the sight of Changbin’s twitching cock is right in front of you? How could you possibly attempt to be quiet when Chan teases his cock between your folds. The head slides from your hole to your clit. The shape of his tip makes you twitch every time it rubs over your nerves. 

“God, you’re so wet.” Chan’s eyes lock on your cunt and the pucker of your ass. “Nasty bitch, huh? Getting all wet from choking on dick.”

And you’re about to gush again when Changbin slides his cock between your lips. Now it’s him who keeps your hair from your face while Chan bobs your head. With how quickly he makes you swallow Changbin, he doesn’t need to rock his hips for friction. Your ass bounces back every time your head comes up only to slide back down.

Changbin whines. He can’t help but buck his hips until you gag. “S-see? You can do it. Making Binnie feel so good.”

You remember to suck this time. Chan slows your head so he can line up his cock, grabbing the shaft and pushing through.

He’s usually good at multitasking, but slipping into your walls for the first time in a while has him stopping your head altogether. Chan moans, pulling out slightly before going in a few more inches. The stretch makes your eyes unfocus and your tongue goes slack from the pressure.

“Fuuuck.” His groans send shivers down your skin and Changbin’s thighs. “I missed this pussy.”

They move harmoniously opposite. One goes in while the other goes out, forcing you to be full in either hole. Rocking forward makes you gag on Changbin’s cock while rocking back makes you clench around Chan’s. You think they might start fighting over who you should squeeze more and how you should bounce between the two, but they quickly find a resolution. 

“Ah! Fuck her harder, Channie! I’mma cum if she keeps sucking me like this.”

He replies with a grunt. Chan’s fingers leave your bruised ass to rest on either side of Changbin’s legs. He leans over you, forcing your ass even higher with his tip pressing into your cervix.

You squeal with a mouth full of cock.

“Yes! Perfect! Fuck her, fuck her, fuck her…”

“If I fuck her any harder, I’ll cum.” But Chan pounds his hips roughly anyway. Now there truly is no escape from them. Your nose is digging into Changbin’s tummy and Chan is mounting you like an animal.

It feels like they’ll never let you leave.

Had Changbin’s cock been longer, you would be needing air every few seconds. You’re more than thankful for his short cock now so that the only thing you worry about is how much drool you feel leaking off your chin and how sore the corners of your lips will be after.

Still, being stretched is a small price to pay to be filled.

The sounds of sex echo in the empty room. Your pussy gushes every time Chan thrusts and your gargle each time Changbin manages to lift your head.

Not that he can anymore. He’s perfectly content with your convulsing throat and harsh sucks. His thick fingers keep your hair pulled back so he can see how pretty your tears look. But when you look up at him with your waterline red and wet, his eyes roll back.

“Oh my god. Keep looking at me. Fuck yes! ‘m so sorry baby. You look so pretty crying and Channie’s fucking you so good and-” His eyes cross. His cock pulses once, twice in your mouth before it spurts.

It’s like your entire body glitches. There’s no escaping how his cum shoots down your throat and you wetly cough. Your hands squeeze his thighs in silent pleas, but Changbin’s eyes are closed and his head throws back. His hips slightly thrust to ride out his high.

Chan is the one who gives you freedom. He quickly straightens himself and yanks you by the hair upwards. It's not strings of spit that keep you bound to Changbin like before, but cum. Even with your sobs and moans, the threads refuse to break. The ones that surprisingly do slap onto your breasts messily.

On your knees with Chan, you lean your head back on his shoulder. He still has a fistful of your hair, but he uses the grip on your waist to keep fucking into you.

“So pretty,” he mumbles. You laugh weakly because you know he must be lying. Your lips are fat and bruised, soaked in white arousal with tears streaming down your face. Yet, Chan leans to plant a kiss anyway.

It’s just as nasty as you’d expect. It’s teeth. It’s tongue. It’s spit. You have no choice but to share Changbin’s cum when he shoves his tongue down your throat. The kiss makes you lose your breath, but it doesn’t feel suffocating. Chan trails his hand from your hip to your clit and you whimper in his mouth.

“Aww,” Changbin pouts somewhere in the distance. “Binnie wants some too.”

You reach around Chan to grab onto his ass. The softness and firmness makes it the perfect leverage for you to hold onto while he drives in.

Changbin crawls on his knees. The mattress dips and though you can’t see, you assume he’s waiting for Chan to pass your lips to him. But you’re proven wrong when you feel a mouth latch onto your nipple. The heat of his tongue makes your clit jolt in Chan’s fingers, and Chan doesn’t stop you from looking down at your chest.

His curls are out of control. Changbin’s hair shines in the moonlight beautifully. His head dips lower so he can swipe his dripping cum into his mouth, moving it to your peaked breasts so he can play with it there. 

With your most sensitive parts being touched, it’s hard not to feel warmth pooling in your belly. Your chest burns with pleasure. The scratchy moans and mewls that leave your lips tell the men that you’re close.

“Oh, fuck yeah. Keep squeezing my dick like that.” Chan leans back just enough to thrust deeper. Your breasts jiggle in Changbin’s mouth, but he manages to keep his pretty lips wrapped around your nipple. “I’ll cum in your pussy, just how you want it.”

You know he won’t last much longer, but neither will you. Chan has been fucking you earnestly for what feels like forever. You imagine his cum would keep you full for days with how long he’s been holding out.

Changbin’s teeth tug on your bud harshly. The dull pain sparks into pleasure and you whine. “Ngh! I want it, I want it. Fuck. Don’t stop. Daddy, please don’t stop.”

You feel Changbin giggling with your nipple in his mouth, but you can hardly pay a mind to it. Chan’s chest vibrating with a snarl brings your orgasm much closer. It almost hurts with how his thighs smack your ass, but he rubs your clit just right until you’re seeing stars. 

And when he cums with you, your stomach feels on fire. Chan’s cock throbs as your walls milk him. The mixture of arousals makes your cunt flood before dripping out and down his length. 

Though your legs are tired, you don’t want to move from his warmth just yet. The fluttering of your cunt should tell Chan that, but he pulls out anyway to pass you to the impatient man in front.

Changbin is like a pillow when you grasp onto him. He’s warm and sticky on your skin. You try to nuzzle into his chest but Changbin seems to have other plans. He lays you on your back and props your knees up so they can watch Chan’s cum ooze with your thighs apart.

The release drips out seconds later. The pearly white compliments your skin almost elegantly and you watch how they gape as though you’re the finest painting in the world.

“Got all that cum in you just like you wanted.” “Fuck yeah you did.” “What do you say, baby?” “What do you saaayy?”

You gleam with bashfulness. Even with your puffy clit and gaping pussy on display, your friends manage to make you burn with embarrassment.

“Thank you, daddy.” You don’t have to specify which one. They are more than happy to share the role, one being stricter while the other is only somewhat gentler and then switching. It seems they especially like this encounter, noting the dimples on Chan’s cheeks and Changbin’s cooing.

“Let’s get you cleaned up, yeah? Bin made a mess on your tits.” Chan stands to go searching for a rag, but Changbin nuzzles between your thighs. You lay your legs on his broad shoulders.

“With a shirt?” Changbin looks at you with wide eyes. “Wouldn’t you want my mouth instead?”

You would. You would do anything for his kisses, but your cunt is so sore and sensitive that you’re not sure if you would be able to feel it. “It hurts, Binnie.”

“I can kiss it better.” But Chan is already pulling him by the ear. Changbin howls in mock pain and flops against your hip instead.

“Yah! That wasn’t very nice, Daddy!” 

Chan shakes his head, but you two can see him blush. “We have a lot to unpack tomorrow. We should get some rest so we can wake up bright and early. Come on.” He tosses a random shirt to Changbin who catches it with grumbles. He gently places the cloth between your legs and wipes, trying his best to ignore how your hips buck and throat whines from sensitivity.

It’s not the best clean-up, but it’s good enough. Chan and Changbin squeeze you between them and yawn. You blink at Changbin who’s already grinning looking at you as though he’s the happiest boy alive.

“You guys think we scared the ghost with all that noise?”

Chan barks with laughter, his chest bumping your back. Changbin loses his smile and gets up to wiggle between you and Chan. “Move! I’m sleeping in the middle!”

You let him push you out of the way so he can snuggle in the center. Chan groans but wraps his arms around Changbin anyway, looking at you with annoyance and fondness.

“I hope the ghosts come after you tonight.”

-

It feels like a hangover when you wake up. Your eyes take forever to adjust in the dark room, the only light being the moon. 

Chan and Changbin are still holding each other, chest to back with their arms reaching towards you like you were the tiniest spoon. They look so endearing like this, eyes shut with snores you’re sure are the reason you woke up in the first place. You gently brush their curls from their face, faintly smiling when your head pounds again.

Water. You need water. 

The three of you are usually good with replenishing each other after an intense scene, but everyone was beyond tired from the move. So it’s you who has to stand, put on a shirt you hope isn’t the stained one, and wobble to the kitchen for a glass.

You try not to think about how scary the empty house is. How the stairs creak underneath with each step or how your own shadow frightens you. But the worst are the chills crawling up your spine. That sense that no matter how fast you walk or how concealed you are in the dark…

Something’s there. 

Quietly, you flick on the kitchen lights. You have to rummage through the moving boxes and newspaper-wrapped dishes to find a cup. 

Get water. Run upstairs. Go to sleep. You think that repeating those three steps will help lessen the fear in your bones, but a squeak from behind makes you yelp anyway.

So you were being watched.

By mice.

Fuck.

It scurries away before you have a chance to get anything more than a glimpse. All you have to follow is a white tail slithering its way to the living room. If you can find where it lives, you and the guys will have a solid chance at exterminating them right from the source.

But when it heads for the little door you opened hours ago, you curse out loud.

“Shit!”

It's your fault. You let your foolish curiosity get the better of you and now all the little tricks you played on Changbin are biting you in the ass. You feel angry and hopeless when the mouse slips through the little crevice and disappears.

The only thing you can do is prepare yourself. You kneel on the hard floor and reach a hand through the crack.

But when you open it up, it’s not mice you’re greeted with. A gust of wind dances on your face, causing your hair to flow back. The air makes you blink furiously and recoil, but you can make out the purple and blue tunnel that lengthens the more you open the door. 

To say you’re shocked would be an understatement. The bricks that once blocked the pathway have transformed into a hypnotizing passage that you can’t help but be in awe of from the sight alone.

Logically, you should be horrified. It doesn’t make sense for any of this to happen. This has to be a dream from how numb your body has gone. Your tongue feels too big for your mouth and your legs feel as though they’re jelly. Even then, you have the stupid courage to make them crawl forward.

Something tells you that you won’t be waking up anytime soon.

[naffeclipse]

Desert Light

Cryptid Sightings/Signs of Life Crossover

Commission Info

My dear friend @jackofallrabbits commissioned me for a darling little crossover of Cryptid Sightings and their fic, Signs of Life, with @maudiemoods's permission, of course. If you haven't read Signs of Life, you really should and you can find it right here! I had so much fun writing both the cryptid hunter and the scientist interacting, and both monster boys are delightful here! I hope you enjoy <3

———

At nightfall, the desert is dipped in inky blues under a starry sky spilling over the entire expansion over your head. You forget how big the desert feels without trees or mountains to cut into its horizon as if the very heavens are staring down at you with twinkling eyes. The dry ground becomes darkness littered with muted sagebrush. The road is cracked and sunbleached, rocking your dark green truck and airstream. Along the lonely stretch of road, a convenience store with fluorescent lights cuts through emptiness like an oasis of gasoline, candy bars, and potato chips.

Moon hunches low in the passenger seat. Pale eyes gaze at you through the dimness within the truck's cabin. Patches along his nightcap catch on stray starlight, winking on the stitches you sewed by hand.

“It’s late,” he rasps in a low voice.

“I know, sweetie,” you sigh and rub your eyes while keeping one hand on the wheel. “We’re almost there.”

“You’re tired.” His hand strays across the seat to rest on your leg. His cool digits jolt you gently back to alertness.

“It’s only half an hour more,” you give ruefully. “Let’s stop here. I’ll grab a soda then we’ll be on our way.”

He grumbles, vibrating his animatronic vessel with displeasure. A word against caffeine is surely on his tongue, but the jostling from pulling the truck and airstream onto the cracked pavement underneath the almost neon-white light of the gas pumps cuts him short.

The desert hosts paranormal encounters ranging from the chupacabra to aliens. The latter is why you ventured here. Without F.E.I. providing you exact intel and evidence, it’s up to you to conduct your research and discover possible sightings but what you’ve unearthed so far has been solid.

This one in particular speaks of an alien. A towering but thin, long-limbed being spotted around a motel just as remote and lonely as this convenience store. You throw the truck in park and hop out. A lone car is parked alongside the building and another is parked further away, as if trying to hide away from the lights.

Soundlessly behind you, despite the bells tied around his wrists with ribbons, Moon appears like a metallic shadow. Hopefully, the convenience store attendant isn’t against animatronics in their store. He tilts his head for a moment towards the outermost vehicle, his pale optics narrowing before he follows after you.

If he sensed a heartbeat hiding in the darkness, he would have told you.

You pull open the door with a quiet jingle announcing your entrance. A small sign, old and worn, on the checkout counter promises the attendant will be back in a few. You deflate slightly. You had hoped to ask someone in this area about the sightings.

“There’s someone here,” Moon murmurs close to your ear like a breath from a ghost.

Quiet footsteps echo back beside the fridge section of drinks, concealed by shelves of beef jerky, peanut butter cookies, and chocolate bars. Curious, you strive forward. You might still have a chance to speak to the lone employee who may be restocking the cases of beer or soda, but when you round the corner with a cool presence at your back, you stop still.

A person straightens, clutching a few water bottles to their chest, their eyes immediately landing on you, framed in glasses. You look down to the hoodie they wear: dark fabric with a green alien face; a charming, stereotypical depiction of extraterrestrials. Do they sell those here?

“I like your hoodie.” You smile. “Do you work here?”

The person immediately fixes their glasses and beams. “Thank you. It’s a bit too warm for this climate but it’s cute. No, I don’t work here. Is that an animatronic with you?”

You blink but turn back to allow Moon more of an audience with the curious stranger. He regards them with a coolness but no malice. You give a slow nod.

“This is my friend, Moon.” 

The stranger steps closer, studying him with vim and vigor before adjusting the many water bottles in their arms. Underneath their arm, tucked into their armpit is a notebook. They lift a hand towards Moon.

“What model are you?” they ask, eager. “How long have you gone without maintenance? Your wires are exposed and your endoskeleton could use a polish.”

Moon stares. A slight twitch runs through his limbs. You step back between Moon and the stranger, your pulse jumping slightly at the spew of questions—many that have no good answers. Could they be familiar with where Eclipse found their half-burned, abandoned vessel?

You introduce yourself quickly, keeping Moon behind you and out of reach of the stranger. “What’s your name?”

They slowly lower their hand, disappointed. “Ah.” They’re silent for a moment, and you can see the gears working in their mind before decidedly saying, “You can call me Doc.”

That’s funny. Surely it must be a nickname though you have no qualms with a stranger giving you whatever moniker they please, but Moon’s hand falls to your shoulder. His digits curl slightly over your collarbone, as if in warning. Right.

“Alright. Doc,” you smile.

They smile back. “Is your animatronic—”

“I’m sorry,” you say, very apologetically but firmly, “but I was hoping I could ask you a few questions about happenings in this area.”

Doc grows still, their expression guarded. You catch their eyes flickering towards the door and then landing back on you.

“What are you referring to exactly?” they ask tentatively, almost nervously.

“There have been reports of unusual occurrences in this part of Nevada.” You wish you bought your book of cryptid information with you. If they’ve seen anything, you will need to write it down. Instead, you focus on slowly bringing them into your question. If you went around asking any person if they saw aliens right off the bat, no one would take you seriously. “Have you seen anything strange or simply unexplainable?”

“UFO sightings in Nevada are very common,” they say so bluntly, it causes you to blink. They set the water bottles down on a shelf occupied with chip bags and shift the notebook closer to their chest, holding it like a shield. “Did you know that Nevada has the highest rate of UFO sightings per capita in the U.S.?”

“I did know that,” you say, impressed that they know it as well. You lean closer in your curiosity. Do they believe in cryptids? “Have you researched such things before?”

They fix their glasses and lower their hand back to their book only to lift it again and fidget. 

“Recently I have,” they admit.

A coolness radiates behind you. In the corner of your vision, Moon tilts his head. The bell on the end of his nightcap falls over his shoulder. What doesn’t he like? Surely they can’t be a rulebreaker. Moon would have reacted much less pleasantly to such a person. 

They touch their glasses again, and the frames fall slightly askew on their face. “Have you heard anything about an alien?”

You brighten with the question. At last.

“Yes. That’s why I’m here,” you hold a hand to your chest, “to locate any confirmation or evidence about an alien sighting near a motel a little ways from here. Nothing has been reported as violent, but it’s most likely an incident will occur soon unless properly dealt with.”

Their hands furl and unfurl, anxiously touching their glasses, pushing them up the bridge of their nose, and shifting. Are they alright?

“Most of the time sightings of cryptids, including aliens, are just everyday objects seen from a weird angle,” they ramble slightly. 

You pause, watching them. Are they afraid to tell you what they saw? You’ve encountered poor, terrified people who fear even speaking a word of what they’ve experienced will mark them as unstable and insane. Even worse, it might somehow lure the presence that frightened them in the first place back.

“Yes, that’s true,” you admit, but only half of the time. There have been a plethora of hoaxes, pranks, misunderstandings, and of course, misidentifications of objects that have been spun into debunking the cryptic world, but you carry the scars from a true encounter at the base of your thumb. “But have you witnessed anything you would consider to be unearthly?”

Do they know something they can’t seem to tell you about?

Doc shifts again. Their hand strays to the notebook they carry, and touch the well-worn spine. Is it as important to them as your cryptid book is to you?

“No,” they fidget a few times anxiously, “Is there anything I can do to help you with your animatronic? I am an engineer.” 

Moon twitches behind you. Their eyes immediately fall to the movement and frown.

“Are you experiencing a malfunction?” they ask, and start to reach out again. Moon clenches your shoulder tighter.

“No, no!” You hold up your hands defensively. “That’s very generous to offer, but Moon is fine, thank you.”

They frown. Unconvinced, they continue to pry around your person to stare at the cryptid possessing a vessel. You’ve never had this problem before. So many people are put off by the strange, inexplicable presence of a demonic cryptid—a sixth sense warning of danger, but Doc heeds no such deterrents.

“He is experiencing micro spasms which may be a symptom of a conduction failure in his wires or a deeper issue within his processor.” They face Moon entirely, and he stares back unblinkingly. “When was the last time you went in for routine maintenance?”

“We don’t need maintenance,” he rasps. You cover his hand as it clenches you tighter still. A coolness swells around him and you hope Doc mistakes it for the coolness of the fridges.

Confusion twists their brow. Doc parts their lips to offer a rebuttal to a clear inconsistency with their framework and the fact of the matter, but Moon twists behind you. His grip never leaves your shoulder, his fingers digging into your collarbone as the jingle of the bell at the front of the store rings.

Then the lights flicker. A sharp fade of every light bulb overhead and even the light within the fridges drops the convenience store into darkness. Your heart tumbles in your chest. You didn’t bring your crossbow or your detector. Only a knife sits strapped to your hip, hidden by your patched, green jacket. 

Your eyes flash to Doc. You take them by the arm and their expression shifts to alarm behind their glasses.

“Move,” you whisper sharply. “Stay with me and be quiet.”

“I need to leave,” they say, strangely focused, but they don’t struggle when you guide them down the row of fridges to the last column of shelves in the back of the store. They don’t understand. Something else is here. Something not of this world. You must protect them from it.

Moon follows quietly behind you, his fingers spasming as they curl like claws. His pale eyes dip into crimson, alert and vicious. 

“Not a heart,” he mutters, and you glance at him. “Something else… Something strange.”

He stands between you, and your entire body clenches. A towering being begins to prowl under the flicker lights, slipping in through the door. You used to fear your dear friend placing themselves between you and the threat, but they are far more terrifying than any cryptid you have hunted.

The sharp contrast of the fluorescent light bulbs and the sudden darkness spears a sharp ache into your eyes. Carefully, you place Doc behind you, but they offer another protest again. 

“Be quiet,” you murmur firmly, “It’s going to be okay.”

“Ah, you don’t understand.” Doc’s eyes fall past you, towards the frosty doors of the fridges. “He’s—”

A sharp scratch of nails cutting over glass causes your shoulders to hunch up and a grimace to twist your face. You free the knife from your hip. It is the only defense you have for you and Doc. You should have been prepared for the alien to strike here, so close to the original sighting site, now creeping in close to find more precious victims to devour.

Doc reaches out, past you.

“You have to let me pass,” they say calmly. “He wants me.”

You turn to look over your shoulder, confusion painting you in flickering lights.

“Who does?” you ask.

The glass scratching stops. You stiffen, reading your knife as Moon tenses. Creeping from the row of fridges, a figure straightens. Tall and spindly, but with an unnerving aura of strength to his long limbs, an alien stands before you. Deep red and galaxy-speckled skin coats him, and you catch a strange symbol on one of his hands, like the moon eclipsing the sun. A dark hoodie with an alien ship covers his lanky form poorly—not unlike Doc’s. A sharp crown of jutting adornments sits upon his head. A waving veil of starlight falls behind his skull. 

His three eyes, bright and glinting, like a predator about to bounce, immediately find the person behind you. One eye is dark. His grin splits into a wide, hungry thing with razor-sharp teeth.

“My light,” his voice is low and dangerous, “I have been waiting for you.”

Behind you, Doc looks up at the towering, otherworldly beast, but there is no fear in their eyes.

“Stay back,” you immediately brandish your knife. Moon spreads his arm, ensuring that there is no passing him without going through him.

A dark chuckle falls from the creature.

“You dare think you can keep my light from me?” He spreads his arms, four limbs of sinew and bone, claws flashing with a desire to rip flesh from a body. “I will give you one chance to let my light go.”

Moon stands tall between him, silently gauging him like a proper opponent. Is the alien taller than your sweetie in their true form? You’re afraid he is.

“No,” you breathe, “You’re not taking them.” 

A soft sound arises behind you, distress mingling with breath. Doc must be terrified of the abrupt encounter. How could they have ever known an alien would mark them as his quarry?

A snarl rips through his chest, deep and vicious. His hands grope the surrounding shelves, fitting between cookies and candy bars. His hand swipes a few basic camping supplies, spilling ropes and canisters onto the ground. He catches a stainless steel one in his lower set of hands. In effortless brutality, the alien concaves the metal before his claws pierce the container entirely, crumpling it as if it were a soda can. Your gut clenches. 

“I will paint this tasteless floor in your blood,” the extraterrestrial growls, gnashing his teeth.

In response, a sharpness erupts from the sides of Moon’s chassis. Shadowy appendages, seeping black ooze over bony limbs with hands and claws of crimson, stand at the ready. You suck in a sharp breath.

“You will not touch a hair on our heart’s head,” an abysmal sound leaves the animatronic, layered and demonic.

The alien tilts his head, eyes widening at the challenge. 

“My, my, and what are you? No matter, I will tear you apart.” He laughs again, echoing with chilling amusement. Dread hooks deep into your belly.

“Eclipse, it’s okay.” Doc moves underneath your arm. 

Your knee-jerk reaction is fierce. You catch them by the back of their hoodie, scrunching fabric in your fist to keep them tethered close to you. They stop and look back at you. When they smile, it’s heavy. Guilt touches their edges, anchored by worry. 

“Ah. I know he’s frightening, but he’s not going to hurt anyone.” They tug on their hoodie, trying to loosen your grip. “You can let me go.”

“Yes, let them go,” the alien licks a dark tongue over his teeth, “and I might spare you all.”

“What—no, he’s…” you stumble over your tongue then stop, confused. “Do you know this cryptid?”

“Ah. Alien,” they correct you. “Yes. Eclipse would like me back now, please.”

Moon glances at Doc. Confusion pulses in his crimson gaze. The end of his nightcap falls over his shoulder. 

“They’re not afraid,” he rasps. He stares down at Doc’s chest. He can sense a heartbeat, the rhythm of it, and how fast it gallops in a person’s chest.

Your lips part wordlessly. 

There was a time when you believed cryptids were only monsters. Machines capable of great destruction and horror. You never dreamed a demonic cryptid would be capable of kindness and goodness, and care so much for little ones.

Your fingers slip from the fabric. Moon allows Doc to sweep underneath his arms. Their eyes fall to their shadowy limbs, and their hands shift to their notebook. Your heart clenches, caught in the camaraderie urge to take notes of your sweetie’s true form and fearing what Doc would do with such information. F.E.I. is still out there. There are other cryptid hunters. 

But they stop themselves. Fixing their glasses, they quickly step back into the alien’s reach. You clench the knife tighter, afraid as four pairs of hands descend upon them.

“We need to leave quickly,” Doc says as the alien kneels and hunches lower to look over the human, combing for harm or mistreatment. “We’ve already made a mess and stayed here for too long.”

“This isn’t a mess. Yet,” the alien answers, his voice murmuring like a lover in the night. The threat is not lost on you as Moon growls a warning. The alien flashes a smug smile, all teeth, and arrogance before he concludes his checkup on Doc. “Let’s go, my light.”

Doc nervously looks back at you, almost as if they would look to say more, explain, or even ask you about Moon’s extra, shadowy arms. Instead, they weakly wave, like this is a goodbye they wish didn’t have to happen.

The alien lifts them into his arms as if they weighed as much as a feather.

“Wait,” you step closer. Two arms, one metallic and blue, one shadowy and crimson, stop you. He keeps you back from the otherworldly being. “Are you safe?”

The alien scowls at you. Doc only smiles softly. 

“Yes, friend.” Their eyes linger on Moon. “You’re so impressive. I would love to know more about you.”

A ripple of what you think is jealousy takes over the alien. He turns away with a flash of teeth, and steps quickly, sweeping through the store and out the door with a sharp jingle. In moments, the alien carries the small human out into the night. You stand there, stunned. 

Moon straightens. “Their heart is still steady. They feel safe with him.”

Oh.

Moon slowly faces you, two arms touching your sides and holding you close. You lean into his embrace.

“I hope they are,” you murmur. The lights stop flickering in the gas station and the stars outside shine brighter in the darkness. A car speeds away, down the desert road.

[pidgedee]

BEHOLD!! the party!

more info about this au under the cut because i love it So Much

first of all, you can read what i’ve written of this au here on ao3! it’s only backstory oneshots rn, but i do have a whole timeline plotted out that i’d love to keep chipping away at. but it’s taking me forever so here’s a little summary w some spoilers!

basically:

- tommy and wilbur meet when tommy is this twelve year old scruffy little street kid and wilbur is a traveling charlatan bard. tommy steals from him. wilbur casts hold person and goes “hey you fucker give me my goddamn wallet” and tommy goes 🤩 “ok but only if you show me how to do that” and because wilbur is easily manipulated by tommy’s charming street urchin ways, he agrees. and now they’re literal crime boys and travel together stealing and conning As Brothers <3

- tubbo was raised by a cult that believes he’s a prophesied savior, so tubbo ALSO believes he’s a prophesied savior. scott smajor is a divination wizard and part of the cult. one day some stranger wanders into the cult, realizes Oh My God This Cult Is Raising A Kidnapped Child, gets in over his head, murders a cult member (not scott smajor), and causes such a ruckus that tubbo gets kidnapped 2 electric boogaloo by a surviving cult member (this time it is scott smajor). a chaotic and bloody series of events ends with tubbo completely alone in the world and not sure where to go. luckily, there’s a certain bard-rogue duo to swoop him up and pull him into their party!

- quackity is Not a warlock no really guys seriously he’s just some guy. he’s just some guy who once accidentally wandered into a cult and murdered one of the cult members (they had it coming ok) and then sold his heart to a devil who, uh, took out the entire cult after that. we connecting the dots here? yeah. when quackity meets the rest of the gang, he and tubbo stand there spiderman meme pointing at each other but in Total Secret because neither of them are eager to reveal their backstories yet. tubbo kind of hates quackity. quackity does not know what to think of tubbo. it’s fun.

i’m cutting myself off here so i don’t ramble forever but IVE ALSO DONE SO MUCH WORLDBUILDING specifically regarding religion in this au. Ask Me About My D&D AU Pantheon

[a-twistedheartslonging]

Hiii, Harpy anon again.

I have more thoughts. Instead of making Idia a dog boy, I say we make him an insect. Mostly because there are some insects out there that just make sense for him. (Also because he kinda look like bug to me tbh)

For example, spiders. (Yes I know they aren't insects but they look insects and that's all that matters) Spiders specifically have a lot of significance in Greek mythology, so it would make sense for Idia (who is based off a Greek god) to have some kind of connection there. But also spiders tend to be solitary creatures, they don't live in groups and only come together during mating. And a lot of the time, during mating the males are killed by their female mates. Which..I feel like is why Idia would avoid Yuu like the plague. Because all he can think about near them is "Mate.Mate.Mate.Mate.MATE-" and he's scared if he tries anything he'll get killed immediately.

Now I don't know if we've talked about Ortho yet but I feel like he's a little robot bee. I know it doesn't really go with spider Idia but Robot bee Ortho would be so gosh darn cute. There was a study done on bee's that came to the conclusion that when bee's bump into eachother they make a little "Whoop" noise. IMAGINE BUMPING INTO BEE ORTHO AND HE JUST GOES "Whoop!"

AGSJSGAHSVSS

Ahem, sorry got carried away there for a sec. Bee's are also very protected of their hive and other bees in said hive, so I can't help but imagine if Yuu gets picked on Ortho immediately just pulls out the laser beams. Bee's can also smell fear. Giving bee Ortho this trait is like giving a toddler a glock and telling them to go do a crime. It is both horrifying and hilarious at the same time.

Robot Bee Boy.

BeeBot that makes cute noises when bumping into things.

So very cute. I don't have much to add to that except look at this cute bee butt.

Now...spooder Idia...

Did anyone else see Kar'niss from Baldr's Gate 3 and thought he was hella fine?

What kind of spider would he be? If he's one of the fluffy kinds I love the idea of his floof matching his hair. Would he have multiple eyes? Fangs on top of having those already pointy teethies?

Did you know an interesting thing that bee's and some spiders have in common his helping with pollinating plants?

Hmm drider's are usually big and people in general already don't like regular spiders very much. Poor Idia is just going to keep getting more reasons to not leave his room. ���Oh Jeez Jamil would prob freak out seeing him.

Man, Idia and Azul have it bad. For females of both of their kind if they don't kill you after sex cuz doing the diddly works up an appetite, they might kill males that they simply rejected...or just because they got too close.

Another thing that both male octopuses and spiders have been shown to do to lower the risk is present their possible mate with food. Azul's an amazing cook with his own restaurant and Idia has a surplus of every kind of snack/junk food you can think of so at least they have that going.

Still, I would like to think that even if that happens with their kind in that world it's not nearly as bad or quite as common. Funny though to think of Idia screeching when he sees you and tossing a few bags of gummies and chips at you.

Also....to avoid getting eaten after sex some male spiders will actually tie the female up in his web and set her free after. Do with that info what you will.

Some spiders also do a mating dance, but you have a snowball's chance in hell of seeing him do that.

Still, it's just more things that get these types of nonhuman boys thinking that you the little would be the best choice when it comes to finding a mate. AMAB? Cool. AFAB? Well, human ones don't cannibalize so it's all good....well once the guys learned that they don't.

Plus, once he gets to actually know you and see how you're the least threatening thing in the school things will be easier.

Once he's comfortable around you get to see something amazing...

That he's a snarky little shit with so much sass. He's a weird combination of having issues with self-loathing while also having an ego.

One time you tried to bite him for mouthing off and he was legit scared for a sec but once he saw those little teeth of yours couldn't even make a scratch on the exoskeleton on his arm, he gets super freaking smug, and now he's even more of a shit when teasing you.

One of the cool things is that you can legit ride him places cuz he big spooder. It's too bad it rarely if ever happens with being a shut in.

He'll still let you sit on him like that when you guys are in his room.

A cool thing he can do is climb on walls and ceilings, does it often when trying to sneak to the vending machines on campus without being seen. He has unfortunately been seen once or twice though and it scared the hell out of the poor student to see a giant freaking spider on the ceiling and almost made Idia drop his snacks.

His webs are pretty and glowy, he kind of has them around his room set up like fairy light.

Weird fact, spiders can taste with their feet.

Cute fact, some spiders will keep a frog as a pet. Frog helps keep the spider's eggs from getting eaten and the spider protects the frog from other things.

I'm kind of picturing Idia as the spider and you as the frog. You are his emotional support human that he keeps close when he has to leave his lair.

He unintentionally gives you scary dog privileges.

Imagine working your shift at Twisted McDonald and a little human comes up to you with this big-ass sharp-toothed spider dude behind them, you are scared out of your mind but then the human says "Excuse me, he asked for no pickles."

[wisteriagoesvroom]

LOL I can imagine for vampire au Lando starting to third wheel Carcar and so even though turning Franco is a complete accident he can’t feel too guilty bc he uses it as an excuse to hang around someone else, and somehow he learns more about vampirism lore through a human grad student than he’s learned in his whole life (he’s lived a long time, lots of info to absorb). Then also, if you don’t mind my ask, what do they all do for jobs/how do they get money and would Franco keep studying ?

HELP this is so cute. ok. norpinto-frando vampire au for those who aren't up to speed...

Lando starting to third wheel Carcar and so even though turning Franco is a complete accident, [Lando] can’t feel too guilty bc he uses it as an excuse to hang around someone else -> screaming cus, absolutely. random associated headcanons for this... i'll rewind a bit:

carlos is the oldest vampire, like, moorish/medieval era. he met lando while they were both at a masquerade ball in the early 1600s and smelled each other right away (carlos like wood and ink, lando like gas lamps and wet stone).

lando is an tudor era vampire. like he actually knew shakespeare and said he was one of the best viral marketers of the era

oscar was turned in the early days of the australian penal colony, he's like first or second generation white australian but he refuses to be called british. he moved in to the house because the rent was cheap and he doesn't feel the need to live extravagantly -- even though he, too, is $$ loaded $$

oscar didn't move in until about two decades ago - very short by vampire standards, to them it feels like yesterday - but carlos and oscar are basically They Were Roommates atp even though they squabble con-stant-ly

their neighbours think they are a new age-y polyam group but because the people who live opposite them are students, nobody ever hangs around longer than a year to remember them or dig deeper

so franco definitely brings a fun funky fresh dynamic

he learns more about vampirism lore through a human grad student than he’s learned in his whole life (he’s lived a long time, lots of info to absorb) -> things that baby vamp!franco teaches lando include

tiktok trends, like how to make ur teeth comically large in photos. lando finds this hilarious

how to use venmo

creating a roster on google docs for who needs to do what house chores

jailbreaking an apple watch so it doesn't read their pulses (they don't have any), but it will remind them of the moon phases and when they might be extra hungry to feed

at one point franco actually puts his academic skills to use and helps lando hunt down some of his family tree, because since lando was turned and it's been so long, he doesn't remember much about them : ( so one of franco's little gifts to lando is helping him trace his heritage

what do they all do for jobs/how do they get money and would Franco keep studying ? -> i love how practical-minded you are. um well let's say this fictional supernatural creatures' market mostly runs on barter trades and goodwill agreements. the entire house sometimes just gets lazy tbh so lando or carlos will just dig into one of the old chests of random shit and pull out an antique and go: "do we think this is worth anything?" then they take it to an antiques dealer who is also a mage (alex albon) and there is a 1 in 25 chance that the antique is actually is worth something, so that bankrolls them for another half a year or whatever.

carlos makes a lot of noise about being "an art dealer" just because he sold a goya painting to a museum once.

oscar is a man of industry, of the "newer" world (australia) etc etc so he spent the 80s and 90s learning C++ and Java and Python so he legit just codes for a living. or when he feels like it. oscar has helped launch at least a dozen startups under various pseudonyms and one of them is even a blue chip company by now. he doesn't do it for money tho. he just does it cus he likes a challenge, and otherwise fights with carlos too much. when he isn't coding he likes to tinker and fix things just for fun. like, he legit knows how to fix a boiler and stuff. his familiar is definitely a grumpy orange neighbourhood cat.

franco keeps studying!! he is such a nerd that he's like "i can totally learn everything about anything now, and i could in theory do like 20 masters degrees, and nobody can stop me"!! then lando is like, "well you might get bored of it after a while or burn out". but franco insists he will not. in fact with his enhanced neurological abilities he goes on an academic bender trying to fast forward through an entire harvard's undergrad degree's worth of material in a week, and he ends up faceplanting on his desk. and then poor lando has to go and find a fresh chicken or something to kill and revive franco 'cus franco wore himself out too fast being a bb vampire with accelerated mind powers.

franco promises never to do that again (but of course he will continue to do it once in a while, and everyone still looks after him in his lil study hangovers because he is so very nice. also he taught them how to use venmo.)

and. one time. franco is like. "i can't find this rare sonnet do you know what library i could maybe locate it in" and lando is like "wait i know that one" and pulls out an honest to god original copy that he at some point got laminated in the early 80s. and franco is like. "um i think this should be in a museum??" and lando is like "yeah but i gave them a copy of this, cus i spilled ink on the corner of this in 1603 after a really good night out" and franco is like "???? ok ????"

then lando swans off to moodily stare at the moon or some shit.

[valeovalairs]

Smiles, here’s a Legend of the Riptide Pirate AU character lore dump (slash info about them just compiled into one place)

Chip

The “Riptide Pirate”

Uses his bandana to appear alive and eternally 19, despite being undead and being an actual skeleton at this point.

You know that meme, how do you do fellow kids? That’s how I envision Chip in this AU. He desperately wants to still appear young and cool once he meets the girls and warms up to them but he is an old man in a modern world. My guy is struggling.

He is very sad.

He kept the Albatross busy and alive with people for a very long time, at least a good hundred years, until it became too painful and he stopped letting people on. That’s when he became more of a legend, when he retreated into the shadows.

He still hangs out in Zero. He tries to spend most of his time there because he wants to enjoy what time he has left with Ollie, but sometimes he’ll get restless and go off on the Albatross.

He has grey streaks in hair- because when he realized Jay and Gil had both started greying and looking older and he still looked 19, they all got really sad and he gave himself grey streaks and said, “look, we match now.” There were tears.

Ollie

He’s alive!

He is a very very old man though. Like maybe even 200ish probably (half-elf’s can exceed 180 which is probably for them what 70 is for humans).

He did travel a lot with the Riptide Pirates in his adulthood, but eventually settled in Zero.

Chip still comes to visit him and his family, who know him as “Uncle Chip”. A lot of them also traveled with the Riptide Pirates at one point or another while he still had a crew.

He has dementia:( Sometimes he’ll see Chip and ask where Gill and Ms. Jay are and it hurts Chip every single time.

Jay

Guys she’s dead, I’m sorry.

She traveled on the Albatross for decades before retiring/settling (with who, idk, but I do really like clockwork/birdbolt wives, so with Ensa maybe?)

I don’t know if she had kids (definitely not bio kids but maybe she like raised some kiddos at some point idk)

She still would join Chip and Gil occasionally on the Albatross until she physically could not anymore, and then Chip would visit her.

She died of old age.

Gillion

He’d dead, but I don’t know what happened to him.

I mean it’s Gillion Tidestrider do we really think this guy is going to live his entire possible 200 year lifespan? No. Because it’s Gillion Tidestrider. He’s going to die heroically in some way. Maybe it’s before Jay, maybe it’s after, idk. But he was too slow. That’s what happened he’s gotten older and one day he was too slow. 

Fnc? Im more leaning towards this au being one sided fnc on chips side but there is for sure a whole other kind of angst potential for fnc being an established thing in this au.

Phoebe

The Ferin!

A descendant of one of Jay Ferin’s cousins. (The Ferin’s feel like a big family too me, one with lots of cousins and twice removeds and stuff like that)

One of her parents, the not Ferin, was never too fond of the Ferins practices and so they tried to keep Phoebe distanced from them. (This included the name thing but they caved and allowed her to be called Phoebe May Ferin) And her Ferin parent agreed, despite having been in the Navy themself, that their family was a bit intense.

The family has pushed her to the point of joining the Navy academy, and her family wasn’t given much of a choice, so she was sent off.

She’s heard about the Riptide Pirate, through stories- but her favorite part is that one of his earliest companions was also a Ferin. She hears rumors that he’s still around, being spotted at various docks and Zero.

She decides to risk it and run away, looking for the Riptide Pirate. She escapes the evening the Champion is in the city as all attention will be on that. She panics when she realizes that the champion is also trying to run away.

She knows how to sail (small crafts) I feel like she’d canoe and paddle and know how to man like one of those tiny sail boats.

She has reddish hair but it’s a lot more mute than Jay’s. She also has darker eyes and a stockier build.

Class wise, she’s a fighter, I think. I’m not one hundred percent sure.

Edyn

Edyn is also still alive!

She’s “The Champion’s” grandmother

I think she never returned to the undersea, and ended up settling somewhere on the surface. She ended having kids. The Undersea found out about this, and at someone point sent some people up for them, and offered the kid (now an adult) money, status, community, as long as they returned to the undersea. All they want is for them to sire a child to be “the chosen one”, someone from the same lineage as the original. They like seed some distrust in their head and it turns into a whole argument with Edyn and they never speak again.

She hears about the Champion coming to All Port as part of some diplomacy delegation, several months before, and she really wants to see her granddaughter, get to meet her, so she ends up getting a job for the place they’re staying at as like a maid or an attendant or smth under a different name, and no one suspects anything of a sweet old lady. And they end up promoting her to serve the Champions room because a) sweet old lady b) shes a triton and a triton who has never been too the surface will probably be more comfortable around another triton.

Edyn gets to speak to Calypso and reveals first of all that she is her grandmother, and second of all that she is not actually the chosen one.

Calypso

The “Champion”!

The “Chosen One” who is not actually the chosen one! Just a person meant to replace Gillion as a religious figurehead after his “failure” she and most other people do not know this (they pushed Gillion under the rug and waited for people to forget about him before trying again)

She is a Tidestrider

Her thing is mostly the Elders trying to remain relevant in an increasing secular world.

Her training is less strict and started at a much earlier age than Gillion’s, and it followed a lot less combat and fighting and more religious and magical 

She’s literally just for ceremonially purposes, they keep harping about the prophecy and destiny but the elders all know it won’t come to pass for her. She does not.

She goes as part of a diplomacy thing to All Port and there meets Edyn. She had already been discontent with the undersea and uncertain of her place and she had thought about the possibility of leaving but Edyn finally sows the final seeds of distrust and she leaves- Edyn helping by creating a distraction and letting her slip out the window.

She realizes she has no idea of where she is going until she meets Phoebe. They put the dots together and once Phoebe understands she offers to bring Cal along with her, to join the Riptide Pirate. She follows.

She has a crown of coral that looks a lot like Gillion’s but it’s a crown that she can take on and off. It’s not real.

She has lighter hair than Gil and she has a more willowy build (she is also taller than he was)

Class wise, I thought about her being a paladin, but with there being less focus on combat and being a holy warrior, I think she’s a cleric (my heart is telling me she’s a cleric)

[pudding-parade]

Sorry, but I have to get political on all your asses, at least those of you who live in the US. It will be a one-time thing on this subject, the only thing that I will say here about the election before it happens. And yeah, I'm going to say this on a blog devoted to a stupid video game. Why? Because I know that I have younger American people who follow me here, and if y'all are like some of the younger people I've talked to in real life and online in other venues, I have concerns. So I'm going to say all this as an old-ass, progressive American. Because if I can wake up one apathetic mind out there, it will be worth it. And if you're pissed at me for making a single political post at this important juncture, then fuck off and unfollow me or send me nasty messages or whatever you want to do. I don't care. And I'm not cutting this, either.

My dear followers: Donald Trump cannot -- CANNOT -- become president again.

Late last night, Trump posted on his Truth Social account a video containing language and images reminiscent of the World War era. It was about his fantasies of what America would be like, should he win the general election in about five months. It contained suspicious imagery and phrases like "creating a unified Reich." Does that sort of language sound familiar? Especially when combined with his rhetoric about immigrants being "vermin" that "poison the blood of our country?" Ring any bells? I'm sure it does for any German folks who might read this.

Trump's post was only taken down about 12 hours later, after backlash over it, and then Trump claimed that a "low level staffer" posted it, not him. Which is either a lie OR he was lying when he said previously that only he and his campaign's communications director have or will ever have access to that account. If you want more info about this, here's a short video from Jesse Dollemore, an independent commentator:

This election isn't about liberal/progressive vs. conservative. It truly doesn't matter what your personal ideology is because this election is about saving democracy. This is about preserving your freedoms, because we won't be able to do anything about any other issue, whatever our individual ideologies and pet issues are, if our basic freedoms upon which this country was founded -- freedom of speech and to protest, freedom of (and from) religion, freedom of the press -- are chipped away until they are gone. Because that's what autocrats do. They want freedom only for themselves, and Donald Trump and his cronies and hangers-on are all autocrat wannabes.

And if you -- Yes, you, even if you're sitting in the middle of blood-red state -- don't vote for Joe Biden, you will be doing your part to hand the autocrats what they want, because a non-vote or a vote for anyone other than Biden is in fact a vote for Trump and autocracy. Similarly, you must also vote for Democrats for all other positions, local, state, and federal so that America's overt flirtation with autocracy that's been going on since at least the 1990s might finally end once and for all.

Yes, yes, I know: "But Genocide Joe!" Think about it: Do you seriously think that Trump, who licks Netanyahu's asshole because he sees him as the kind of "strong man" that Trump wants to be, is going to help Gaza? Or that he'll go against Putin and continue aid to Ukraine? Because if you think that he will do either of those things, I have several bridges I'd like to sell you. No, Trump is going to "put America first." He says it all the time, and what he means by that is that he will do nothing except whatever it takes to keep himself and his cronies in power while also isolating America by severing ties to our allies. Gaza will be given to Netanyahu just as Ukraine will be given to Putin, should Trump win, and he won't give a shit. In the end, Biden (and Harris, should she have to take over) will listen and help Gaza, maybe not as much as we'd like because the Middle East situation is complicated and there are no simple solutions, but a Biden-led government will certainly help more than another Trumpian government would. And Biden will definitely continue to aid Ukraine, because that situation isn't complicated at all.

And in the end, it's not really about Ukraine and Gaza, though they are of course important. It's about us. Should Trump get into the White House again, he will surround himself with people who want America to be a plutocratic and authoritarian autocracy, very similar to Putin's Russia. This is not hyperbole. This is fact. A vote for Trump -- either actual or de facto by fucking around with not voting or voting for a third party because you think it's a "protest" -- is a vote to end democracy, plain and simple, which might very well mean that you'll never be able to protest again another day.

How bad could Trump be, you ask? Who cares who is president? Well, have a look at Project 2025. It's a 900-page "playbook" for the next "conservative" administration. (In quotes because there is nothing "conservative" about these people, including Trump and his cronies; they are radicals.) It is nothing less than a plan to destroy the federal government, the Constitution, and the freedoms that it enshrines and protects, which means the end of democracy. They published a similar tome before Reagan was elected, and once he was in, Reagan followed through with a lot of it. I have no doubt that Trump would, too, given that his "Agenda 47" platform is basically the same. Here is an article that summarizes Project 2025 and details some of its directives. And here is an article from Time Magazine, of all things, where the writer of it interviewed Trump about his vision for America, should he win. The first line of the article is, "Donald Trump thinks he’s identified a crucial mistake of his first term: He was too nice." You can read the transcripts of the interviews, too, so you can rest assured that the interviewer isn't being hyperbolic.

It ain't good, folks. Part of this extreme-right agenda is ridiculously expanding the power of the executive branch so that it would no longer be checked and balanced by Congress and the Supreme Court, which effectively turns the presidency into a dictatorship. And if Biden does not win, at least some of this bullshit will come to pass, especially because Trump already has the Supreme Court in his pocket. And he'll be able to appoint more young, far-right lunatics to that, too, should he win.

I'll repeat that Trump CANNOT win. I'll be the first to say that, as a pretty extreme (but also pragmatic) progressive, I'm not Biden's biggest fan, for various reasons. He is way farther right than I am, though he has been far more progressive-friendly than I expected and he has gotten some very good things done. But even if he wasn't and hadn't, he will preserve democracy and because of that, I will be voting for him without hesitation. I won't even have to hold my nose. Trump and his cronies in Congress and the Supreme Court will destroy democracy if you -- Yes, YOU! -- let them. And if you let them by deciding not to vote or doing some sort of lame "protest" vote, especially if you live in that handful of states where every presidential vote matters, you will have no one to blame but yourself and others like you. People being apathetic or doing "protest" votes is what got us Trump the first time around.

For fuck's sake, do the right thing.

[artist-in-training-wheels]

Nice Nexus AU info!

Hello! Here's the info for my team, Au—Nice Nexus. I might change the name because of the information, but I'm keeping it this way! I've made images to go with it, but I'll have the regular text version under the cut! (I also color-coded the names and certain phrases, mainly because I jump through a lot of pronouns, so it helps keep the info straight!)

Nice Nexus AU

By: Artist-in-training-wheels

This kinda starts when Nexus (Moon at the time) was still grieving Solar’s death. In the episode “What if SOLAR LIVED in VRChat” he wakes up in the theatre, right? Well, we know Dark Sun is insanely good at imitating Sun- so who’s to say that he didn’t just, put a (corruption) chip in Moon that caused him to have that initial hallucination!? The one where Solar lived by Sun died. The only time Moon snapped out of the hallucination was when Monty interacted with him- someone outside the hallucination!

Now, the way I see it, the chip slowly corrupts the user, twisting their desires and morals against themselves until they snap. Once they are at their lowest point, Dark Sun is alerted and approaches the individual, much like he did in “Moon’s New Partnership in VRChat.” I also believe that Dark Sun put a similar chip into Ruin, not as extreme but still holding mild corruption (this is important).

It is also worth mentioning that the flow of time is very… weird in the pocket dimension that they reside in. Sometimes it's years ahead, sometimes it’s a few years behind, and sometimes it lines up with the timeline (the main show). So it’s hard to say how long they’ve truly been there (kinda like the time when Sun and Moon were taken away for a bit- but were actually gone for like… 3 weeks or something like that (according to the Lunar and Earth show)). 

Here’s where things divert the cannon. In my redesigns, Nexus has a wither shard on his nightcap. “For experimentation,” as explained to Dark Sun, who allowed it. However, it turns out that wither corruption can cancel out other corruption! Meaning that after some time, Nexus's sanity started to return! Obviously, he never said anything to Dark Sun, only giving Ruin a wither shard, too—again, “for experimentation.” This causes the mild corruption in Ruin to be undone- proving to Nexus that he was indeed corrupted by Dark Sun (cause at the time, he was in denial about it).

Due to his sanity returning, Nexus has a massive panic/depression spiral because of everything he did/said to his family! He knows there is borderline NOTHING he can do to fix all the damage he’s done in hopes of being a part of their family again, not that he blames them… but that doesn’t mean he won’t help where he can! So he’s made the family each their own personalized drone so that he can keep tabs on his family and find ways to help them!

He can’t do a whole lot like this, but he does little gifts here and there for everyone- a book or two for Sun about magic, some interesting/advanced blueprints (mostly of defensive items) for Moon, any and all info he can find about the astrals to Lunar, different accessories to Earth (but she has gotten a lot of different gifts- that seem to resemble apology gifts…), and Solar… well, he’s still working on Solar’s drone, but he’s already gotten a heartfelt “welcome back” gift… it was his goggles and gloves. He’s also in the process of making Dazzle and Jack’s drone, he’s just trying to figure out the best designs for them!

With that all being said, Ruin ends up being the voice of reason, ensuring that Nexus doesn’t make any sudden appearances and keeps them both under Dark Sun’s radar! He’s done it before; now he just has to make sure Nexus doesn’t get them caught. Occasionally, they’ll send the family a note or two about a possible warning (at least in regards to what Dark Sun is doing), but it isn’t often.

[weeja-bored]

Mission accomplished, i found the Chip Star X Super Mario Bros potato chips at a local Daiso!

. similar to what my friend found, there's only two flavors available, Consomme (Bowser) and Seaweed (Luigi) >w< Bowser and Luigi~ sitting on the shelf ♪ XD

. they're smaller than i thought, then again there might be a different size elsewhere

. it's kinda interesting how often Luigi is on someone's left side (viewers' right) like they're required to be arranged that way lol

. took me a moment to realize that Luigi is the Wonder version! i was just so excited to see my fav greenie (Bowser is the classic version)

. the QR code on the lid takes you to the Nintendo JP website about the SMB Wonder game, [Nintendo PH version].

. there's also free digital wallpapers / 2024 calendar if you have an acc. (i've noticed Japan seem to love wallpapers cuz it's pretty much the same formula as the recent Nintendo Magazine ft. Luigi)

. i only got the Seaweed one for now . glad there's extra packaging to separate the food cuz i sure am keeping the carton can lol . the code on the wrapper doesn't seem to work anymore, or i'm just not in Japan.

. on the back of the can there's English translation of food ingredients & allergen info. the sticker covers what was apparently a giveaway in Japan last year. another QR code is meant to give me Nintendo points but it's Japan only so 🤷

. at the bottom of the can there's like a thing you can rip open so it's easier to crush flat, if i were to throw it away that is :p . but i think that's interesting, i sure haven't seen that before.

[chimivx]

sleepovers ↠ txt

now playing ↠ love is embarrassing • olivia rodrigo

Sleepovers at Jungkooks are the best. But, what happens the night you stay after your weekend away with the boys? Not what you think.

This is not Part Two of Cruel Summer. Just a teeny little addition to Part One.

Read Cruel Summer Part One here!

Read 'Haven' and 'Taste' [hyunjin's story]

word count ↠ 3920 warnings ↠ MDNI, 18+, mentions of sex, drug use (weed), the step sibs warning applies always even though they are not, mentions of pregnancy, cursing, jungkook gets a warning for being hawt, anxiety if you squint, IF I MISSED ANYTHING PLEASE LET ME KNOW! a/n ↠ i had to. important info in here, hints, and just simply more about jungkook because i absolutely love him. thank you for being here! again, if this is not your thing, please keep scrolling. xo posted ↠ 3/21/24 ~ 9:20 p. m. est.

~ july 4th, 2011 ~

A pizza box slid onto the table, the three of you nestled in the chairs around it, knees either pulled into your chest or underneath you. Beomgyu was to your left, Taehyun to your right. Soda cans littered the wood, open bags of chips scattered about. The three of you were heavy lidded and glassy eyed, snacks were essential.

“Someone gonna keep telling me what else you guys did down in ‘Mano?” Jungkook asked, flipping the box open, the smell of the cheesy, greasy deliciousness smacking you all across the face. Mouth watering in an instant, you dove in first, ripping a slice apart.

Beomgyu, licking his lips, watched you pop the slice in your mouth and went in next. “We told you everything.” He answered his brother without much interest, his mind on filling his growling stomach. 

“I don’t think you did,” Jungkook smirked, leaning against the edge of the table, gripping the wood.

Taking another bite, the taste entirely overwhelming, the best pizza you’ve ever fucking eaten, you quirk a brow and glance at Taehyun, then Beomgyu, then Jungkook. “What have we already said?”

The eldest tried to hide his laugh, dropping his head for a moment. “Drinks, that’s about it,” he said, looking at you. His eyes were steady, holding yours with a purpose. “But something else is going on,” he looked around the table before he landed back on you, “Since y’all got here it’s been… off. What happened?”

You immediately turned to Taehyun with both eyebrows raised. His hand flew up fast, mid bite into his pizza. He wagged a finger and hummed.

“No,” he eventually mumbled. Swallowing, he shook his head. “No.”

“No?” Jungkook scanned over the three of you, curiosity eating him alive. “You guys used to tell me everything, you can totally tell me.”

Taehyun pointed a finger at Beomgyu. “He used to tell you everything.”

Following his point, Jungkook cocked his head. “Still does.” 

The fire in his eyes when he glanced back at the two of you made your heartbeat stutter. Beneath the dark chocolate, the warm, inviting, lively eyes, he was taunting you. He was taunting both of you. A smile grew on his lips, the corners perking up as he saw it work out in your brain. You couldn’t even get a gasp out.

“Yup,” Jungkook said. “So? Lemme hear it.”

You aren’t sure what would’ve happened in this moment if you weren’t fried out of your mind. Imagining two possibilities, one a freak out, and another a panic attack, you suppose either would be aimed toward Beomgyu, the boy glaring at his brother. If he wasn’t fried out of his mind he’d definitely flip his shit.

“I can’t believe you just said that,” he mumbled instead with a slow blink before he housed the rest of the pizza in his hand. Yours had dropped to the table at some point.

A laugh came from your right. A quiet, breathy laugh laced in disbelief. Taehyun, with the biggest, toothiest grin with his head in hands leaned forward onto the table, shoulders bouncing as he laughed. Now there was a spark of panic within you, a small flame igniting in your gut. Looking over at Jungkook, who watched you with a new look, one that made him seem worried, though you couldn’t tell if you were reading too much into it, you gulped painfully, your throat like sandpaper.

“What are you talking about?” Your question came out of you in a whisper, Jungkook glancing between the boys, one who didn’t seem to care, and another who found it all too hilarious. Used to being on the outside of the joke, this was one you couldn’t stand, not when it threatened the safety of the happy little world you’ve secluded yourself into.

Jungkook narrowed his eyes, his composure steady as a rock. “You know what I’m talking about.”

“How do I know what you’re talking about?” Trying to throw him off, the muscle pig who’s been smoking since he was twelve, an expert at handling his high, he started to smile.

“Save it,” he said, shaking his head. “I know it’s true and so do you,” he pushed away from the table, pointing at the boys before turning to get another soda from the fridge. “So do these two.”

Looking at them both, Beomgyu grabbing another slice of pizza, and Taehyun laying on the wood laughing quietly to himself, you sighed. “What the hell, Gyu?” 

“Don’t blame me,” he muttered, barely giving you a glance.

Jungkook spun around and came back to the table, sliding you the soda he grabbed, already opened. “Yeah, don’t blame him,” he said. “Y’all are messy when you aren’t home, you know that?”

Eyes shooting open wide, you scoffed and Taehyun lifted his head, his cheeks pink. Wearing that grin, he looked at you, then he looked at Jungkook.

“He knows,” Taehyun snickered, his voice quiet. He pointed at Jungkook, his hand merely leaving the table.

Tightening your fists where they laid over the wood, you furrowed your brows and shook your head. “No, no he doesn’t. He doesn’t.” You shot the eldest a look. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“It’s okay,” Jungkook said, taking his place back at the edge of the table, muscles buckling as he locked his elbows. Your shameless, traveling eyes ate him alive. You wondered if it was noticeable, you gawking at him, but you weren’t gawking, you were… admiring. Muscles, tattoos, a few piercings… God, he was hot. “Eyes up here,” he joked, gesturing upward. Shifting in your seat you glanced to your left, Beomgyu was already judging you with a glare. It was noticeable.

“Whatever you’re thinking, you’re wrong,” you said, clamping your arms around your body, blinking many times, moving straight past the way your cheeks flushed. 

Jungkook was quiet, for longer than you’d like. Only his eyes seemed to move, interrogating each of you, waiting for someone to crack. Taehyun, already a flustered mess, couldn’t focus on anything. Beomgyu, balls deep in another slice of pizza, wasn’t interested anymore nor concerned with the fact he’d put you in some sort of danger.

Maybe danger was extreme, but it didn’t matter. It was still bad, very, very bad.

The heat of Jungkook's stare burning a hole in your face was too much to bear. The smoke took control. “Fine, he’s my boyfriend.”

Taehyun’s giggles vanished.

“Boyfriend?” Jungkook questioned, looking at his brother.

Beomgyu stopped chewing, eyes widening ever so slightly.

“Baby,” Taehyun whispered, leaning toward you in his seat.

Jungkook nearly broke his neck. “Baby?!”

“He said he knew,” you tossed your hands at your sides. “It’s Jungkook, you know how many times he’s probably heard us fuck?!”

“Oh my god,” Beomgyu muttered.

Jungkook pushed back from the table and drug his hands through his curls. Wandering back toward the counters you heard him take a deep breath, and then another. The air in the room grew cold, a chill settling over your skin. Gulping, the look on Taehyun’s face was detrimental to your heart. His hands were stretched out, toward you, limp. The shock stung. It stung you both.

“I thought it was you two,” Jungkook finally spoke after a minute of disgustingly thick silence, motioning toward you and Beomgyu. Taehyun’s eyes found the table.

Taking a peek at Beomgyu who now watched his brother, you said, “It is,” and Jungkook’s face screwed up in confusion.

“But, you just said it’s you two,” he narrowed his eyes, taking in how Taehyun didn’t move.

Taking an audible breath, you whispered, “It is.”

A sound mimicking the shock and pure terror you were feeling fell from Jungkook’s lips that had perked up into the tiniest smile. He propped himself up against the counters and crossed his arms. You didn’t let yourself look this time.

“You’re kidding me,” he said. Taehyun turned his chin to look at him, as did Beomgyu. “The three… All three of you.” All three of you nodded. Jungkook scoffed, his shock melting into amusement. Looking from Beomgyu to Taehyun, back to Beomgyu, Jungkook pointed his finger. “Do, uh… Do you two…?”

Beomgyu ran his tongue over his lips, raising a brow. “Sometimes.” 

Taehyun dropped his head back into his hands with a heavy sigh, you couldn’t tell if out of shame or just pure embarrassment that this was a topic of conversation at the moment.

“Huh,” Jungkook nodded, drinking it all up, focused on his brother. “So it does run in the family.”

“I’m not gay,” Beomgyu spat. 

Jungkook laughed. “Oh, no, no, Gyu,” he taunted. “You can’t keep your dick in your pants, you were wrong. You are one of us.” The softest snicker came out of where Taehyun hid his face. “Besides, even if you were gay you’d think I care?” He clicked his tongue, “Grow up. Suck as many dicks as you want.” Now the three of you were laughing, Taehyun picking up his head to show off his smile. “I wanna know what y’all are,” he said, then looked at you and Taehyun. “What’s this boyfriend business? Y’all are like, step-siblings, that’s… Oh,” he paused, tilting his chin, puffing out his bottom lip toward Taehyun, “Dude, I can find you other sites…”

Taehyun cut him off with a shout and swat of his hand while you and Beomgyu giggled, Jungkook laughing along with you. Thankfully Taehyun did as well, sitting backward in his chair, tipping his head backward with a groan, his cheeks unable to stop cheesing.

“Tell me. I wanna know, too.” Jungkook was smug, shaking his shoulders back and forth with the funniest smile. He used his elbow to point at each of you. “This whole time I thought you were fuckin’ my brother and you were watching.” 

Taehyun furrowed his eyebrows. Memories of a few days prior popped into your head.

“Sometimes someone ends up watching,” Taehyun began, his smile calming down. “But, when it’s… God, this is weird to say to you… When it’s the three of us, we’re…”

“All involved…” you breathed, side eyeing him in hopes it was okay for you to step into his choppy explanation. 

Beomgyu rolled his eyes. “Jesus Christ,” he muttered, facing his brother. “He fucks her, I fuck her, I fuck him, he fucks me, we all fucking fuck.”

Jungkook's heart shaped lips had parted, his star filled eyes wide. Beomgyu’s words made you want to curl up in a literal ball and pass away. All you could do was laugh. All Taehyun could do, was laugh. Beomgyu released a heavy, audible breath and slumped backward, shaking his head.

Covering your mouth, you turned toward him. “I can’t believe you just said all of that out loud.”

“Wasn’t the first time,” he mumbled under his breath, glaring at his brother. “Happy now?”

Jungkook snapped his mouth shut. A smirk tugged at his lips as he clapped his hands together. “Amazing,” he said. “Now it makes sense. You didn’t say yes,” he mocked the twang in his brother's deep voice and studied Taehyun. “What are you, the permission giver? The leader?” He shot you and his brother a look. “Brat tamer?” Beomgyu snickered with you.

Taehyun, rubbing a hand over his chest, took a breath to calm down and stared at the table. “I’m…” he glanced up at you and your heart stopped beating. “She’s… She’s my girlfriend.” Nerves erupted in your gut, your entire body going still. Taehyun offered you a smile, one you couldn’t return.

Paralyzed, you couldn’t even look at Jungkook. Frozen, you clenched your jaw, wondering why it didn’t feel good to hear him say the words.

He was still talking to Jungkook, the two continued on, discussing who knows what about your relationship. You heard mentions of your parents not knowing, about Yeonjun not knowing, about everyone not knowing, except him.

Between your lungs tightened, your ribs constricting your breath from the inside out. Averting your stare to the table, you tried to breathe, a short gasp of air that did nothing to ease the, you think, panic? Was it panic? Chest pain, shortness of breath, you couldn’t remember all the shit that came with it.

He was so calm about it, saying the words to Jungkook. She’s my girlfriend. They were words that were rarely spoken around others, even the boy to your left.

A hand found your arm, Beomgyu’s, wrapping around your wrist. Barely turning your chin, he was looking at you, his body facing you entirely, both of his feet on the floor. “It’s okay,” his voice quiet, the other boys laughing at something Jungkook had said. “You’re okay. It’s Jungkook, it’s okay.”

He could read it all within your eyes. Everything you were feeling, everything you wanted to say. There was little to nothing he could say to you in this moment that would make you feel any better about it.

Bobbing his head, agreeing to something he decided on himself inside his head, he turned toward his brother and crossed a foot over one of his knees. “JK,” he started, cutting the boys off, probably details deep in you and Taehyun. The eldest, mid sentence, used to his brother cutting into every conversation of his, shot him a look. “Sorry,” Beomgyu’s lazy smile made an appearance, your heart somewhat holding onto it. “Info goes both ways here.”

“So do you, apparently.” Jungkook smiled after you and Taehyun laughed. He looked toward your boyfriend briefly, “You do too, Alabama.” The giggles had finally found you again, Beomgyu hitting you with his smile, happy to see you squeeze your eyes shut as his brother spoke. “What info, Gyu?”

“They didn’t know you were having a kid,” Beomgyu said. You admired the way he gazed at his brother, evident that he looked up to him more than he liked to let on. Aside from Hyunjin, Jungkook was the only older male figure in his life, holding down the life they lived with Jihyo before he moved out.

“Yeah, what is that?” Taehyun asked. “When the hell did that happen? You said she’ll be here soon?”

“It’s a girl?” You spoke up, voice tiny, all the boys pointing their gazes toward you.

Jungkook smiled, a real smile. Proud.

“It’s a girl,” he said. Thinking to himself for a moment, eyes wandering the tiled floor, he nodded. “In two months she’ll be here. I was just with Chaeyoung this weekend, she had a doctor's appointment, we got to, uh, we got to see her.” Jungkook twisted his fingers together, looking away from the three of you as his smile faded into something small.

“You’re excited,” you said, and he met your eyes. Another nod from him warmed your heart. “Is Chae excited?”

His eyes dropped back to the floor. You were about to regret your question until he opened his mouth.

“She is.” He rolled his shoulders back and sighed, sharing a look with Beomgyu. “We just have to work some things out, that’s all.”

“What stuff?” Taehyun was focused on the tattooed boy, eyes grilling him, almost seeming like he was judging him. 

Not judging, analyzing.

“Well,” Jungkook sighed again, “She only told me a month ago.” Gasping, Jungkook huffed a laugh toward you. “I know,” he raised his brows, the piercing catching the light as he tilted his chin. “She said she didn’t know how to tell me.”

“She had seven months,” you muttered. 

Taehyun shot you a quick look before he asked Jungkook, “Is that not when you guys broke up?”

Jungkook thinned his lips. “It was right when we broke up.”

The two dated for four years, Chaeyoung and Jungkook, and she was the only one out of all his girlfriends that you absolutely adored. Aside from her stunning complexion, bright eyes, and fun hair, she was a sweetheart, and funny as fuck. Jungkook was already a trip himself, put the two together and you’d all be rolling for hours on end. She was a girls girl, she kept an eye on you when you were around, and always asked you if you were okay. She was the one to teach you that doing your hair and makeup didn’t matter if you didn’t want to wear it, and taught you how to perfect a messy bun. Sleepovers at Jungkooks were your favorite when she was around, she treated you all like her little siblings, not just Beomgyu. 

“You remember when it happened?” Beomgyu snickered, one of his nails finding its way between his teeth. Leaning toward him you grabbed his wrist and threw his hand into his own lap. The look he gave you, you ignored.

“It’s not that weird,” Jungkook shrugged. “I didn’t wear a condom.” The sudden switch in his tone, from calm to literal older brother, straightened all of you out. He closed his eyes and sighed, a hand touching his forehead. “You guys are twenty, you need to be smarter. Feel like I’m talking to teenagers. You guys let anyone else in on this… this situation? Jesus, I don’t even know what the fuck to call it.”

“No.” The word loud, with emphasis, left the three of you at once.

“Okay,” Jungkook’s tone switched back to calm, collected. “Still, protect yourselves. You do not need to get sick and you do not need to be having kids.” He shared a look with his brother. “Especially you.” The boy rolled his eyes and hung his head, his fingers messing with each other. “I’m sure if you two do, your daddy will take care of it all, right Taehyun?” Jungkook’s smile made Taehyun scoff. “You take that job yet?”

“Nah,” he shook his head. “I dunno if I can do all that. Numbers, money? I can barely tell colors apart.” Beomgyu just about snorted.

It was always in the cards for Taehyun to take a position below Jin at the company he worked for, at HGF, Han Guardian Finance. A prestigious bank that’s beginning to slowly inch its way around the country. At least that’s what Jin has told you, that’s their goal, him and the CEO’s son, Han Jisung. They want the company to go worldwide, and even Joy thinks that’s too ambitious. She’s always warned Jin that his now partner, Jisung, leaned into the greedier side of the work world, of life. That he should be cautious, that Jisung would take whatever he could get, throw away whatever was needed to make more, to have more.

Joy said that. Joy.

“That’s good money, dude,” Jungkook said. “He’s giving it to you, you don’t even have to interview or nothing. He’ll probably build you your own office once you say yes. You could move out to your own place after a month of working there, you realize that?” Taehyun listened, his head nodding more and more as Jungkook spoke, advising him like he was another little brother. “It’d be stupid of you not to take it. What else are you gonna do? College?”

“Never,” Taehyun breathed. He spared you a quick glance. “What if I hate it though?”

Jungkook tried his best to not roll his eyes, a smirk playing at his lips. “I’d rather be rich and hate my job than be living paycheck to paycheck, wondering how the fuck I’m gonna raise a daughter when I can barely keep what I have now in line.”

Beomgyu wiggled in his seat, his eyes pointed down. Jungkook peered toward him without him noticing, some type of compassion, or care within his look. The eldest adored him as much as the youngest respected him. Brothers, siblings, a bond you’ve never experienced, and never will. The two of them best friends, counting on one another, helping one another, being there, the two of them literally made for the other. Two extremely different beings, having come from the same place, not the same in the slightest, but with the same blood coursing through their veins.

It was beautiful, their relationship, something you’ve been envious of since the start. When Jungkook started to date Chaeyoung, that’s the closest you’ve felt to having someone fill the role of big sister. That is, until you met Dina. Still, a piece of you wished to know what it felt like, to have a sibling. To have someone belong to you, because they share a piece of you. They understand you, because, in some way, they are you.

You turned to Jungkook, the question eating you alive from the inside out, stopping each boy where he was. “Are you gonna marry her?”

Taehyuns eyes were hot on you. Beomgyu ogled his brother.

Jungkook bit his lip, taking the silver ring into his mouth. A gentle chuckle came out of him. “If she says yes.”

Beomgyu lurched forward in his seat, this clearly being the first he’s heard of it. “What are you talking about? You told me days ago you were-”

“Nope,” Jungkook cut him off. “I was pissed, don’t take that seriously.” 

Beomgyu slumped back and groaned, folding his arms over his chest tight. “Then why say it if you don’t mean it?” 

Jungkook gave him a look that told him to brush it off while apologizing at the same time. “We’re going to see Whitney tomorrow.”

“I hate her,” Beomgyu grumbled.

Jungkook sighed. “No you don’t.” The glare he got in return was lethal. “The answer is,” he focused back on you, “I want to. I’m ready to ask her. I love her. I love our daughter already. These months of being broken up were really stupid, and immature. We’ve got some shit to sort out, but who doesn’t. I’m about to be twenty four, I can be a dad, I can be a husband.” A laugh came from Beomgyu. Jungkook returned the glare he had gotten moments prior. “Shut up.”

“No, come on, I think it’s cute you wanna play daddy,” Beomgyu smirked. “Also think it's ridiculous you’re exactly like Hyunjin, ‘cept without the addict part. I’d like to see you be a house-husband, that should be fun.”

“I think it’s great,” you said, voice quiet, watching Jungkook as he moved to give you a smile. Now Beomgyu’s eyes were hot on you too, his neck nearly snapping toward you in shock. “I love Chae, too. I miss her. And I think you’ll be a really good dad.” Considering what had happened with his own, you know there was no need to bring up how much practice he’s gotten already. How you just know he would take the example he was given, and do the exact opposite. The action he’s taken already, how he’s dove head first into it, seeming with little resentment given he’s only just found out about his child.

“Thanks,” Jungkook said. “Chaeyoung was talking about you the last time I was with her.” A smile found your lips. “She misses you, too. She hopes… She hopes you’re okay.” He let his gaze drag over the three of you. “She’s so smart.” He laughed. “She guessed this before I even realized what was happening. You three.”

“She did?” you whispered.

Jungkook nodded. “Yeah, she knows. Figured it out herself.” He popped his brows and smiled at you. “Girl intuition is crazy.”

Swallowing hard, you blinked and glanced at your lap. Taking a deep breath, you tried to ease the nerves that crept up within you. You looked at Taehyun, who was now talking with Jungkook, and tightened your jaw.

Girl intuition is crazy.

[thenightfolknetwork]

Hi there! I’m a witch who’s practice lands mostly in protection and divination. I have a friend who’s very interested in searching for and making contact with ghosts, but as they’re fairly inexperienced, and don’t really *get,* the many of the ins and outs and customs and dangers and things to look out for (and I am), i’ve agreed to help. Here’s the issue; They REALLY want to use a ouijia board. Now, for sure, ouijia boards can be used safely, harmlessly, effectively, all that. but I don’t trust my skills *that much,* and my bloodline in particular has had some pretty nasty experiences with them, which I have shared. They have respected this well so far, but they keep bringing up the idea in a wondering, ‘what if’ fashion. How do I impress upon them how dangerous a ouijia board could be if not taken seriously, and how dangerous this kind of thing in general could be if they don’t respect it properly?

For the sake of clarity, I'd like to first address a small issue of terminology. This is not to correct you, dear reader, but rather to ensure other followers are not confused on the point. While the term “Ouija board” is technically a copyrighted term owned by the toy manufacturer who makes such items, it has come to be used as a catch-all term for all manner of spirit communication boards.

I assume that, when you say your friend is insistent on using a Ouija board, you mean that they are interested in talking boards in general, not that they are showing a remarkable degree of brand loyalty to Hasbro Inc.

I'd also like to dig a little more into why talking boards can be dangerous. Speaking with the dead is not an inherently dangerous practice, but as you say, it is vital to take the matter seriously and to be mindful of the proper customs in doing so.

If you were to walk into someone else's home unannounced and start barraging them with questions, you might reasonably expect a rather hostile response. The same is true of barging into the spirit realm and demanding attention from any and all ethereal beings in the vicinity.

All too often, traditionally vital practitioners think of 'the dead' as a sort of faceless, homogenous mass, with nothing better to do with their afterlife than to answer the whims of every passing witch and warlock. It sounds as if your friend is showing some of the same unfortunate patterns in their thinking.

However, I do wonder if perhaps there is some miscommunication happening here. You say that you've explained your reticence towards this practice, and that your friend has been largely respectful. Given that, it seems possible they are not, in fact, trying to chip away at your boundaries when they indulge in these “what if” hypotheticals, but merely enjoying some harmless speculation.

The next time they say something along these lines, take the time to clarify the issue. Let them know that, when they speculate in that way, it makes you anxious about their intentions, and that you feel uncertain about how well they understand the risks involved.

If they really are just wondering, you can always let them know that you'd prefer they took such ideas to someone else. If they aren't, and are seriously considering the matter despite your protestations, re-emphasise just how uncomfortable you are with the idea, and make it clear that you will protect your boundaries – even if that means withdrawing your support for their practice altogether.

[For more creaturely advice, check out Monstrous Agonies on your podcast platform of choice, or visit monstrousproductions.org for more info]

[youvebeenlivingfictional]

Sopapillas

Winter Prompts Masterlist | Winter Prompts List

Pairing: Angel Reyes x Reader

Prompts: Crunchy/ Honey/ Bake Sale

Warnings: Cursing

Notes: Sopapillas are a deep fried dessert! More info here if you're interested.

“What the hell is happening in here?” 

You hardly look away at the sound of Angel’s question, though your eyes do dart up from the mixing bowl for just a moment. 

“I promised Izzy I’d help with the bake sale,” You answer, scraping the wooden spoon around the edge of the bowl. 

“So you turned my kitchen into a bakery?” 

“Did you expect me to find a clean rock to bake the cookies on outside?” 

“Why didn’t you go to your place?” 

“My oven is broken.” 

“What? Since when?” 

“Since, like—I don’t know, it’s been a long time. And my little countertop one is too small for how much I need to make.” 

“So what the hell is your oven doing now?” 

“I use it to store some of my shoes.” 

“You what—”

“Oh calm down, they’re in, like, storage bags. They’re not just out in the open on the racks—Can you grab me the honey?” 

“What makes you think I have any?” 

“Remember when I got groceries for here?” 

“Uh-huh.” “I bought honey. It’s up there,” You wave back toward a cabinet, “But I can’t reach it, and you don’t have a step-stool because you’re freakishly tall.” 

“Why didn’t you just climb on the counter like you usually do?” 

“I had bowls and stuff out, it would’ve been a mess.” 

“More of a mess,” Angel mutters.

“You got reaaaal high standards for someone who sleeps in his jeans—Oh!” You gasp when Angel lands a slap on your ass as he sets the honey down on the counter. You reach back, swatting at his side. 

“Thank you,” You mutter. 

“So what are you making?” 

“Mm…Chocolate chip cookies are in the oven…I’m working on the batter for mini pasteles tres leches—Stop that,” You mutter, slapping at his hand as he dips his finger into your bowl. “I know your father raised you better than that. Never stick a finger into a woman’s batter uninvited.” 

“What’s the honey for?” 

“To drizzle on the sopapillas.” 

“Ooo, goin’ all out?” 

“Apparently Padrino requested them.” “Really?” 

“Mhm.” 

“They’re a favorite of his.” 

“Like, in general?” “No. He likes mine.” 

“When the hell has he had your sopapillas?” 

“From my oven’s previous life, when it was working—before it was a shoe rack.” 

“So why have I never had your sopapillas?”

“I refer you to my previous comment about my oven.” 

Angel grunts, brow furrowing a touch as he watches you. 

“...So am I getting cut in on any’a this," He waves his fingers over the bowls and baking trays, "Or is it all for the bake sale?” 

You smile. “Well I need a taste-tester, don’t I?” 

-- 

“Holy fuck,” Angel mumbles around his mouthful. You grin, glancing back at him as you tuck the last of the freshly washed dishes into the drying rack. 

“Holy fuck good, or like holy fuck you can’t serve these?”

“You can’t serve these.” 

“What?” You frown, turning to face Angel. 

“You can’t serve these,” He insists, taking up a chocolate chip cookie. “I’m eating all of ‘em—Hey, we got any milk?” 

Your concern melts to amusement, and you roll your eyes, reaching out and opening the fridge. You pour some into a mug before you walk over to where Angel is chowing down at the little table. You set it down, and before you can get far, he hooks his arm around your middle, drawing you down into his lap. 

“Take a load off,” He soothes, “You been busy cookin’ all day.” 

“I just wanna finish cleaning up. I’m all sweaty and I wanna put my apron in the laundry."

Angel grunts, dipping the corner of the cookie into the mug of milk and holding it up for you. You chuckle, ducking your head in and hurriedly taking a bite before it can drip or crumble. You sigh as you savor the flavor, settling back against Angel’s chest. 

“Mm, you’re right,” You mumble. “I’m good.”

Angel chuckles, leaning in and pressing a kiss to your cheek. 

“So…Maybe we just keep the cookies?” 

“Nu-uh. This is your personal batch,” You wave to the plate with a few morsels on it. “Everything else is for the sale.” Angel grumbles, and you roll your eyes. “I’ll make you more later, alright? We need to restock the kitchen before I can.”

“...And you’ll make more sopasillas?” 

You snort, nodding at Angel’s nervously hedged question. 

“Yes, baby.”

"As many as I want?"

"Okay, let's not get carried away."  

Tag list: @amneris21 ; @elen-aranel ; @brandyllyn ; @massivecolorspygiant ; @blueeyesatnight

[bubblespalace]

What would the sakamaki brothers think of kianna komori

Just a little more info since in this timeline she's in the sakamaki mansion

She is mostly by Yui's side if she has nothing to do

Very quiet and obedient for her age

That doesn't mean she isn't afraid to break the rules if necessary and talk back

Very intelligent often helps her older sister with studying

Surprisingly a very independent girl

Was raised mostly by Yui do the absence of their father most of the time

Is a sister's girl if that makes sense

Odd but has a petite and weak body

But isn't it afraid to get hurt if necessary

Is often silent and wears a blank space and most of the time it barely utters a word

Often flies under the radar

Has a weird habit of staring at people she likes and knows she can trust with dilated pupils

That signal she's happy

How they react to Kianna Komori Headcannons:

Shu:

💕-Thinks of her as bothersome, like every other girl in the mansion.

💕-Probably likes how quiet she is though.

💕-I can see him finding her cute. He wants to ruin that innocence though.

💕-Overall, he wouldn't care very much.

Reiji:

💕-I have the weirdest feeling he would like her.

💕 -Probably because of her intelligence and the fact that she is on the quiet side.

💕-Imagine he will expect a lot of her though. If she brings home less than an A, expect some discipline.

💕-As long as she stays out of his way, he'll be fine with her.

Ayato:

💕- Oh my God, he would dote on her in my opinion. I headcanon he wanted a little sister to tease so he might just take advantage of having her with them!

💕- Don't expect him to be nice 24/7 though. He'll definitely use her as a bargaining chip with Yui.

💕- He would like messing with her, teasing her or holding things over her head. Or even just being plain mean sometimes to get a reaction.

💕- Although, if she insults him or does anything he doesn't like, Ayato will give her something to have a nightmare about.

Kanato:

💕- LOVES HER FASHION. Kanato would dress her up alot.

💕- Kanato would force her to have a tea party with him, she wouldn't be able to talk to Teddy though.

💕- Likes that she's quiet, he finds her almost like a doll already. And he loves that.

💕- If anything is off about her appearance, trust that he'll dive in and fix it as soon as he notices.

Laito:

💕- Wants to ruin her innocence. He probably will still make sexual remarks, but he'll also show her R rated movies. This son of a bitch.

💕- He will try to suck her blood in front of Yui a lot. Like a lot. So much that the brother gets annoyed.

💕- Honestly, keep her away from this pervert. He will only tarnish her.

💕- He thinks she's cute though. Problem is, he'll probably try to get Yui and Kianna in the same room to try some stuff that's icky...

Subaru:

💕- SECRETLY LOVES HER SO MUCH. he finds her so darling.

💕- Is super tsundere though, so he might yell a lot. He also gets her roses for her room often, although she may not know it was him.

💕- He does little small things for her all the time because he feels bad such a cinnamon roll has to deal with such monsters.

💕- Wants to get her out of the mansion as soon as possible to protect her. Sees her as a little sister (and not in the way Ayato does!!)

[lavenoon]

Accidentally Undercover - Hatchling Robin variation 

What if Dusk and Dawn are the senior star agents, and Robin is the new hire that throws them off their rhythm? Brought to you partly by my usual need to explore au variations like a kaleidoscope and partly encouraged by discord shenanigans. Slightly edited and proofread but otherwise same unpredictable ramble style as usual

This got long, and I’m very sorry but also not. Word count: 3625

Some generally applicable info on how their dynamics change in this then:

Cheerful new hire who apparently can’t take anything seriously meets the animatronic star agent (unaware there is another agent involved) and decides he’s their goal. Clocked him as instant rival and the respective boy has to wonder if this is just another part of this new hire’s secret agent fantasy. 

The boys are much harsher in this scenario - after years of working for the agency they may feel confident in their job and have solidified their status, but at the cost of the more playful aspects of their work life that they allowed themselves. Dusk in particular - Dawn is already a pretty ruthless agent, but Dusk kept that playfulness up longer. The softest they are is when with Robin (and definitely hinging on how well they get along with Robin), and in this one they didn’t have them for the longest time. They had to become sharper, harsher, because there wasn’t anyone who kept them company, and reminded them to have fun. (This being exactly what happened to Robin as senior agent, too)

So new hire Robin climbs the ranks, all while somehow not taking a singular thing seriously, not yet jaded by the harsher realities of the job and their long social isolation they went through as senior agent.

Neither star agent is impressed with the chatterbox he ends up with, but Robin is new in town and not quite as used to the isolation, so they just seek connections where they can. They’re excited for this opportunity, and want to make friends - even if the friends act like hissy strays they found on the street. They’re determined! And, surprisingly, they *can* keep up with them both, even if their ideas are sometimes crazy or over the top. The boys notice quickly that as much fun as Robin has, they’re still seriously determined to do well, shooting for approval. The happy looks they shoot the respective rival present as if to ask “did I do well? wasn’t this cool?” 

Robin does manage to chip away at the boy’s walls, slowly convincing him that there is fun to be found in this job, something they also share with their respective counterpart, shaking up the monotony they resigned themselves to, and actually make the work enjoyable again, reminding them that there is a reason they stuck with it for so long. And there’s just a special kind of pride once they start paying attention to Robin - because this Robin is starting from the bottom (of the pecking order, haha bird joke) so they aren’t going to feel threatened when Dusk/ Dawn does something cool. So when the boys do something impressive, and just steal a glance at their self declared rival to see if they saw, and then Robin just beams at them? Gushes about their technique even? Oh, oh those boys are suddenly melting <3 

There is the potential angsty route of “Dusk/Dawn’s harsh shooting down of Robin’s enthusiasm breaks Robin before they manage to break down their walls, leaving the respective rival to realize just what kind of asshole he was and scrambling to make it up to them, though Robin’s kind of hesitant to trust now”. Maybe even the ouch of “I thought we’re friends!” “We aren’t, you’re just a nuisance making my jobs harder” - something long pre-reveal, but not too early in the rivalry. Enough time to give Dusk/ Dawn something to miss but also something that will need to be resolved pre-reveal, because otherwise things get too messy.

But let’s go into the specifics:

Robin only knows Dusk (canon adjacent): Same personalities as described above, and Robin already decided they’re doing better with the sneaky break-ins and parkour. They’re so chatty, and Dusk regularly reprimands them, and is especially annoyed when the little bird seems to have taken a shine to him, showing up at his missions (something that… no one really could before, much less actually keep up with him) and for some reason trying to be his friend? Bit of a switched dynamic where Dusk is the one annoyed and kinda weirded out - what are they doing, trying to prove they’re better than him? Meanwhile in Robin’s head it’s just “oh my god he’s good at parkour hell yeah hell yeah hell yeah I wanna race him can I ask him to race with me? Is this a normal thing agents would do? Maybe we should be friends first. Challenge accepted!” 

The boys current landlord just happens to be a dick though, and they look for a different place, and Sun really likes how enthusiastic and nice Y/N is, even as spaced out from apparent tiredness as they are. They do mention their nightshift job, and that they’re kind of nocturnal, so he shrugs it off and just. doesn’t mention Moon again after they didn’t process the previous mention at all, leaving it to him to introduce himself. Maybe they even decide it’s better this way - one less point of contact/ risk to a civilian. 

Shenanigans, as we know it, except that Y/N is so desperate for a friend they also latch onto Sun even quicker than in canon, because he seems nice and approachable and they have that coworker they’re really trying to impress who just seems annoyed and brushes them off a lot ): Sun kind of struggling because he does feel for them (and thinks that coworker is a bloody idiot and missing out) but he’s much tenser about being a good agent and keeping things secret, so keeps Y/N at arms length. Robin sometimes sighs about how their neighbor really doesn’t seem to warm up to them, and maybe they should just leave him be, while Dusk just gives a non committal hum while thinking what a gd idiot would ignore this little ray of sunshine like that, really :/

Robin only knows Dawn (au au au adjacent): There is no ankle grabbing. There just isn’t one specific instance of Dawn fucking up, because he’s just allover so so much sharper, so it’s all the ankle grabbing. But Robin isn’t scared for their position, and instead is trying hard to prove to him that they’re worthy, that they can keep up with him! They crave the validation that seems so impossible to get, but there are moments where Dawn is visibly baffled and forgets to hiss out a sharp reprimand, and that surprise and the soft replies give them enough hope to keep trying. Dawn has no clue what this newbie’s deal is, but he’s worked too hard to be taken seriously just for a rookie to decide they can be just as good as he is through sheer willpower alone and to declare themself his rival. Rivals are supposed to be equals - and they aren’t. And he does feel threatened when they seem to get better and better and make less and less mistakes, gaining a certain sharpness themself while still retaining their humor through it all, before he realizes how they never try to outdo him, only to match him

Moon meanwhile finds a new place for them to live, not quite caring to socialize with the landlord, even though they seem really really determined to please. They knock for the smallest excuses, asking if there’s anything he needs, or if anything is broken. He asks to exchange numbers just so he can say he’ll text when something comes up, and they just take it as a win towards friendship. The ice breaks when he sees them one day, obviously distraught, and very much looking like they were crying. Because maybe he can’t risk socializing, but seeing them like this still just doesn’t sit right with him. They mention that their coworker was just a tad harsher than normal earlier, saying something that technically wasn’t wrong, they suppose, but it’s disheartening that no matter how hard they try to match him and to learn from him, he doesn’t let them for some reason. Like he doesn’t want them to get better, like he’s worried about them catching up - they just don’t wanna be left behind. Moon calls him an idiot right then, says only a fool wouldn’t get that. They’re much too genuine to misunderstand, surely. (After all, even he is starting to warm up to them, and he hasn’t warmed up to anyone in years. And that coworker has all the opportunity to get close to them, something he doesn’t even have, because he doesn’t want to put them at risk). 

Does check in more often then, but sometimes gets that wave of shame about how he shouldn’t, sending some mixed messages that have Robin distracted on the job. They’re quick to wave things off when called out, but Dawn is insistent and when it happens one time too many, maybe they do admit that they’re just worrying about their neighbor - maybe he’s just tolerating them, or even secretly hating them, and maybe they should just leave him be and avoid him, too. And Dawn just scoffs, saying how he can’t believe that - they’re so disgustingly nice and genuine, they’re made for the neighborly life. Offering people eggs or flour or whatever people come knocking for, offering a helping hand, what kind of neighbor wouldn’t like that? And Robin kind of snorts, confused but amused by the way he phrases all of that as hypotheticals. ���Pretty sure you have neighbors, too.” “Yes, and I don’t talk to any of them. My landlord doesn’t even know I exist.” He deadpans, and maybe enjoys just a little bit when they start laughing heartily then <3

The little consistent moments between the variations of course stick around - the stabbing, sick day, and overtime (and some more general thoughts)!

Robin getting stabbed ends a little harsher for our poor baby bird. It’s their first serious injury on the job, and their rival adding to that by freaking out over them not being careful really isn’t helping, even as he takes them back to HQ and ensures they get the medical attention they need. Going home they continue worrying however, and maybe their counterpart suggests a gift basket, because their landlord is in the hospital too - it’s certainly only polite concern in both cases, so a gift basket is totally appropriate, right? Neither goes overboard here actually - and Y/N returns home happy, positively surprised that both their kinda distant neighbor and the rival they thought might hate them got them something while they were indisposed.

Sick day would go over relatively subdued, actually - because the neighbors are just too aware of the risk of getting too involved with a civilian. They are worried, and it doesn’t help that their counterpart is worried and in denial about the little rival he totally doesn’t care about. So Sun cooks a meal in the largely unused kitchen in their place, even though it means buying spices he’ll never use up (haha unless?), and Moon simply drops by with some takeout (maybe a ridiculous variety just in case of allergies or preferences). Either only knocks on Y/N’s door, dropping off the food with some polite small talk while totally not asking if they need anything else (but eyeing them carefully just in case they notice something), and it’s Y/N who, unprompted, sighs and then smiles. Of course they’re gonna rest - they always work hard, and they’ll work hard to overcome this sickness, too (Y/N baby please you have recovery all mixed up)! They really don’t wanna come back to work and get reprimanded for taking so long to get over a simple flu, and the respective neighbor just mentally curses out the idiot coworker who wouldn’t even be worried about this genuine source of positive energy

Dusk/Dawn reprimanding them for overworking themself gains the note of the more experienced agent almost taking on the mentor role, or at least that’s what he tells himself when he just bursts into their office to send them home. They’re a little easier to convince because they never tried keeping a distance from him, though he still pulls the “wouldn’t people in your life worry if they saw you like that?” card because he can’t admit to himself that he worries, seeing them like that. It still stings when they mention their neighbor, but Dusk/Dawn is simply too deep in denial to realize that as jealousy.

Of course they talk about Robin/ Y/N to each other, too. For Robin it’s very similar to the "annoying coworker" vibes between senior agent Y/N and the respective neighbor, but switched from Y/N to their counterpart. That means they aren’t jealous of that coworker of course, so they notice when the genuine annoyance turns into begrudging acknowledgement to kinda amused sharing of antics, and then they tease the other for being such an utter fool who would get soft for the self proclaimed rival he was so annoyed by at first.

The landlord doesn't get too much attention (bc they’re generally harmless) apart from some teasing about their counterpart falling for a civilian, given that there are no stakes except "boy this landlord better never find out about me or shits about to get really awkward. thanks for taking one for the team and being the only point of contact". The teasing stays mild though, because, well…

The boys are years into social isolation, even Sun minimizes civilian contact by now. They think they're fucking martyrs. Y/N mentions another man in their life, who obviously doesn't have to make those terrible sacrifices (keeping a distance from Y/N/ Robin due to their job) and thus is entirely voluntarily putting up his nose at the greatest thing that could happen to him a really neat person (authors note: I am laughing at my own sentence) is simply a complete and utter fool and definitely wouldn't deserve them actually but it's still preposterous that he wouldn't even try to bask in that light that is Robin/ Y/N? They're gonna say the bit about how he's an idiot, but they'll be damned before they admit they're jealous. They're professionals and they do what they gotta do, simple as that

The reveal (of course also a consistency) would go a little differently - because I flipped it around and it's Robin who finds out first somehow (to be decided - maybe a simple dot connecting after finally learning of the other star agent they somehow evaded all this time, since the neighbors wouldn’t allow them close enough for pictures for way too long for this to be a compelling timeline), so it's the newbies finding out first instead of locking that onto the characters themselves 

Robin would just be completely. well. feels like being hit by a train, maybe. terrified, honestly. So not only are there two star agents, one of which they weren't aware of at all (and here they thought they were getting somewhere, becoming a good agent) but their rival actually lives next to them? Rejection sensitivity flares up because oh god, what if he does hate them, what if he'll be furious about the situation when he finds out - when both of them find out? What if they get Y/N fired somehow - they're star agents, their seniors, and they're just one kinda talented newbie, of course they'd be the one to lose their job? They keep it to themself out of fear (of everything - what they have is already so fragile in their eyes), and they’re distracted on the job. Being distracted isn’t good - and they get hurt again. The respective rival just tears into them for being reckless he thought he'd lost them again and they just break

Frantic, apologizing, crying - and Dusk/ Dawn just realizes there's something else. This isn't like the Robin they know, and their apologies are not matching the situation at all. But both soften because man, their rival is sitting there, a blubbering mess pleading with them not to hate them - so they just ask, what's this about? As gentle as they allow themselves, slowly calming down when they also realize that if whatever injury isn’t even on their mind, so overshadowed by what else is plaguing them, then it can’t be too serious anyway. They can focus on that first, and analyze how much Robin being stabbed scarred them too later

Dusk gets a still very blubbery Robin just explaining they just wanted friends, they didn't want to be alone, they didn't mean to risk their jobs or identities and they didn't mean to find out, and they're sorry and - "What do you mean, you didn't mean to find out?" Dread creeping into his tone, even more so when they quietly admit that Sun moved in with them. But they're just so obviously terrified that after a moment he just sighs, and drops his shoulders with a somewhat exasperated chuckle. Says something like of course that would happen, of course he'd get his revenge. The confusion gets them out of their panic a bit, and he elaborates cheekily how they followed him to his missions, so he followed them home. Gets a laugh out of them, and then they just cry again out of relief while he just scoots close and comforts them, explaining he’s not mad, and that it would have been a miracle for them to never find out, and that HQ never interfered so they don’t need to tell them anything, either -

Dawn gets more of a deer in the headlights, and a barely holding on Robin just insists that "Your landlord? You mentioned them before? And that they don't know about you? They know. They do know." and he's just kinda frustrated, no clue where that came from, little thief, but they don't - "They do. I do." and he freezes. Gears start turning, but he reaches out without thinking, and they just clench their eyes shut as if afraid. Start apologizing again, how they didnt mean to, they're sorry, please don't hate them - and that’s when the suave agent breaks, too. Turns out he can’t stand the thought of his little rival afraid of him after all. 

"Oh no, oh no no no - you didn't do anything wrong, we moved in with you, we didn't realize -" and despite their earlier flinch making him hesitate he reaches out again, hoping to soothe them, and then they do cling to him and just cry while he continues to whisper reassurances, how he's not mad, how this isnt their fault, how the agency would have interfered if it truly were an issue, no one's gonna lose their job as long as he has a say in it - 

And yeah, in the end it does go over a little smoother than canon reveal (though not as smooth as reverse reveal), because Sun and Moon get to skip the drawn out angst, but also it's even rougher on Robin because they don't even have their job to feel confident in, that being way too new, and the rejection sensitivity just really fucks with them in this one as they’re really not as close to any of them pre-reveal compared to canon/ reverse au

Robin does immediately get genuine reassurance once they spill, which is very very good bc if the boys had taken longer to react or, as feared, if they had reacted badly Robin would be very scared of Dusk/ Dawn. They are kinda isolated apart from those two and the touch/ genuine comfort and staying with them (and also the concern over the unspecified injury scare) is just really really soothing to them on a deeper level, so they forgive the boys more easily for the harshness from before too (and the boys do kinda warm up to them over time, too, same as senior agent Robin warms up to their rivals)

Reverse Hatchling PS: Post reveal Dawn doesn’t initially know of course that he made Y/N cry before, but Moon shared the initial conversation where he comforted them, and once Sun connects the dots he's devastated. He was so focused on himself, he didn't even care about the impact he left on them, worse yet, at the start he enjoyed "putting them back in their place". Looking back he already internally winces every time, and is glad that they don't seem to hold a grudge - but finding out he made them cry? He needs to apologize - unfortunately, he's still an idiot and only knows how to do grand gestures. Robin doesn't want that - they dont want the flowers or extravagant gifts, and they tell him so. Small voice, confused - and he's crushed. He has no clue how to fix this! He just wants to apologize, he needs to apologize, he was a complete and utter fool and he hurt them so much, and he didn't even care, and he can't do that again he needs to make sure it never happens again - and why are they crying he just said he wanted to prevent that! 

And they laugh (a little teary, yes), and say that is a whole apology? The words mean so much more to them than non specific gifts? A bouquet is just a bouquet, it doesn’t promise anything or actually shows what he’s sorry for. But they would like a hug if he's open - and boy is he. Kinda awkward, kinda thinking about the snot on his suit, but also just wow, they're so warm and they hold on so tightly, and they trust him like that, and - and oh. He’s suddenly not mad about snot anymore, and instead simply melts into the hug, holding them close for a very long time <3

[cloudjumpervalka]

really surprised i haven't posted these?

the first is a lineup of my apprentice for the arcana game in their various outfits. they have since become a big inspiration for my new book project

the second is a lineup of all my ttrpg characters over the years. more info about them below (this is so long i apologize but i love my blorbos)

Dagny - half wood elf druid. he lives alone in a swamp after running away from home. he doesn't much care for people after growing up in a toxic environment. he dedicates himself to preserving the wildlife he's found solace in. Notably has a pet seagull named Gordon and a coral snake named Alton

Beryl Frozenfire (ft. Sapphire Frozenfire) - mountain dwarf barbarian. beryl and sapphire grew up as siblings born into a wealthy mining family (all of their family is named after blue gemstones) beryl grew up more interested in fighting to protect her home while sapphire grew up interested in becoming a powerful wizard. they grew up as the best of friends but long story short, beryl accidentally kills sapphire during a raid on her family's mine. beryl leaves her family home to atone for this, only to return years later with her new traveling party against her wishes. while saving her family's mine which had fell apart after the disappearance of their two children, she finds herself now magically attached to an ax holding the angry soul of her dead sister.

Morgana Thales - dusk elf death cleric. (yes i used Mor for a like month long side campaign i dont remember the exact details but bear with me) morgana loses her wife in a raid against their village. she then makes a deal with the followers of (i dont remember the deity oops but i think?? it was Shar?) to resurrect her wife in exchange of her service

Jullian - fey eladrin bard. he plays the hurdy gurdy. he's a traveling musician that relies on his constant traveling to refrain from forming any good relationships. (and honestly i've tried playing him in two different campaigns but i just can't rp as him lmao so me leaving those campaigns early is very in character actually)

Nanjo - human... doomed superhero... "vape ghost". she was born with powers that allow her to turn her body into vapor to "teleport" (similar to reaper/moira ovw) however every time that she uses her powers, she loses a part of her physical body. she currently does not have either of her arms intact, instead she moves her hands around with clouds of vapor she forms to create "smoky arms". she does not want people to know she is essentially disintegrating for multiple reasons. but the main reason is she is a retired jpop idol. it was too hard to keep her secret on stage so she left her other two group members to be a duo. while she cannot continue performing on stage, she uses her abilities in a modified cosplay of her favorite idol to fight crime

Olive Alberich - android on the run from being disassembled. she was built as a product of a corrupt company. she was purchased by a wealthy family that used her to act as a nanny for their child. she acted essentially as the kid's sole caretaker as well as her homeschool teacher as she had infinite knowledge in her head. one day the kid asks to do a science experiment as her homework for the day, but things go wrong and results in the kid dying from a explosion/fire that burns down that wing of the mansion. this event triggers an empathy chip in olive's brain that was not meant to be installed. olive distraught in that moment can recall her years raising this kid in new light while watching her body burn. her owners after seeing olive's new attitude, call for her recall as they believe she intentionally killed their child. she believes this is unjust and is now on the run. she has since acquired a new "cool girl" look by cutting her hair, changing her wardrobe, and replacing one of her eyes. if anyone asks, she's human

the last one is cheating because its beryl again but from when i tried bringing her back for a new campaign that was abandoned quickly lol