#i need a new game so that i can be normal about it

[thetadispatcher]

"If I had been, it would've been damage that can heal on it's own." Dan was thankful androids were able to heal certain damage on their own, it made things a lot easier as they wouldn't have to get every little bump or scratch professionally repaired.

Brent was already busy putting the new computers to work, taking over printing the custom parts from Zlatko's old laptops. Once he was sure the computers could handle the task without supervision, he took the old laptops to the spare parts room to be recycled at a later time.

Vincent smiled slightly and nodded in response before setting the wolf next to him, clearly happy that the other android had approved of his work. He picked his tools back up to get started on the next animal, just to keep his hands busy as Dan had warned him to leave his broken ear alone multiple times now. And Vincent wasn't about to risk another warning, he knew Dan would never get violent with him, but the light slap on his hand was still enough to dissuade him. It wasn't the soft whack that he had an issue with, it was the sound being so close to his ear he didn't like.

The large android from before was at a table with Nines, and a few other military and police androids playing a card game. They would claim what the card was as they set it face down on the pile, the other androids took a moment to calculate if they had been truthful or not. One of the police androids called the other out, so they had to flip the two cards over to prove the android had lied about the cards matching what the card of the current round was.

The military android gave a quick glare to the police one as he picked up the gun like tool near him, he held it to his LED and pulled the trigger. The tool made a quick beep before the android went limp, dropping the tool as he slumped in his seat. "Damn it." He laughed, clearly he wasn't actually upset he'd been called out.

"Ey, corpses don't talk." The police one laughed back, as the large android set the tool back on the table so no one would trip on it.

The androids still playing paused and turned to look at Bishop. "Joining or watching?" The large one asked, the limp one shifted his eyes to look as well now that his view wasn't blocked.

The limp military one looked like a much healthier version of Strohmeier, and he didn't seem to have a problem with Bishop's presence.

"Maybe, I never actually looked into the claim." Dan had a feeling the claim was just Peter trying to deny he'd handed him a busted controller.

Sixty made an excited noise as his movements grew slightly less coordinated, which Dan didn't comment on as he knew it was just Sixty loosing basic motor function from getting too worked up.

He quickly left the room, making sure he was still being followed as he lead the way to a room on the first floor. He opened the door to the already lite room, revealing shelves of toys and knitted clothing that Vincent had carefully organized. He glanced at Willow before turning his attention back to the room, quickly making his way over to to the larger plush toys in the corner to pick up a dog one. Sixty didn't seem to care that Strasky had tagged along out of curiosity, the man had just been interested in knowing just how much Vincent had made for him to need an entire room to store it in.

"We do have other animal androids... Well, some don't look like normal animals, those are the ones Peter made in his spare time... Just because he could, or he wanted to see if it was possible." Dan explained as he glanced at Rook and BeeBee, his LED flashed yellow as he called the other animals to the room quietly, so he wouldn't wake up Peter. He'd rather the human stay asleep so his body could heal, even if Peter would rather be awake and working on something.

A Bulbasaur waddled into the room followed by a much odder creature that looked to be made of glass. "Those are two of the things he's made so far." Dan motioned to the androids as they marched up to him. He carefully handed off Peter to Daniel, who had to use both his hands to hold the human's weight.

Dan motioned for the other PL600 to take the human away, knowing Daniel could handle Peter if he woke up, and if he couldn't Daniel would alert him to the human's emotional distress. Daniel nodded then left to take Peter to his room, knowing he'd have to stay with him so he stayed asleep which he was fine with. He liked the feeling of being needed by someone else, and Peter had enough stuff he could entertain himself with.

Dan looked at the glass like creature first, knowing it would require an explanation as the Bulbasaur was a lot more widely recognized. "This is something Peter saw in a video, they called it a Prince and I guess the challenge of making an android that looked like glass intrigued him." The six legged creature looked up at the PL600 as the Bulbasaur waddled over to BeeBee, the two started making noises at each other like they were talking.

"No, I'm not picking you up." Dan folded his arms, he knew exactly what the creature wanted and he wasn't about to give in. It stared at him for a few more moments then walked away to climb onto BeeBee, standing on the polar bear's back as it watched Rook, now more interested in the new human then getting Dan to cave to it's desire.

"I feel Peter could find a way to make the most absurd things real, whether it be because he likes the fact it annoys me, or just for the challenge of figuring out how to make it work." He explained as he gesture to the two androids.

Willow gave a polite nod, "I'm glad you weren’t damaged."

She doubted any damage would have been permanent, but it would certainly be upsetting for Dan's fellow androids, the loopy human over there and Strasky as well to see. Indeed, she was more than glad they had dodged that crisis.

With the systems up and running, and with Strasky being successfully distracted, the job would be done in a reasonable time. All that was left to do now was ensure that the Bishops would behave and that Rook was equally entertained for the duration.

The android one was doing well enough staying with Vincent. He crouched down to examine the crochet wolf when it was presented to him and gave a solemn nod once he was done. "That's satisfactory."

Which, Willow assumed, was a compliment by his standards.

Agent Bishop, on the other hand, figured he should accept the offer and go check out the game, if anything in the hope of the military androids being more worth copying, or fighting. It could be either, really.

With him gone from the room, Rook visibly relaxed, giving Strasky a brief look to make sure he was fine too, before looking at Dan. "But the exposed wire really helps it breathe! Trust me, I'm an engineer."

"I'm glad his outbursts are as amusing as they sound to all of you." Willow said, before nodding at Sixty as an invitation to lead the way.

[thewertsearch]

UU: i know yoU coUld never fUlly appreciate what this actUally meant, bUt i took mUch care to sync Up these conversations with yoU on the same day that i begin playing as well. UU: that way, we can joUrney throUgh oUr sessions together and compare notes! :u

That might not mean much to Jane, but I remember how hard it was for Karkat to stay linear with John. UU's lucky they're not using Trollian, is all I'm saying.

GG: I guess I should just start believing all of this now, huh? Rather than learning it to be true later and feeling the fool for all my curmudgeonly skepticism?

Well, I don't know. You kind of have a point, actually.

Like - yeah, John and co. certainly took Sburb's mechanics in stride. None of them were particularly surprised when their new video game started to affect the real world - probably because they've been dealing with Scott Pilgrim video game mechanics for their entire lives.

This is normal to them, and it should be normal for Jane, too.

But, when you think about it, it's not really Sburb's mechanics that Jane is skeptical about. She's not doubting the existence of, say, alchemy - it's the big picture stuff, like time travel, alternate dimensions, and meeting her friends in the Medium that she finds hard to believe. To her, that's a completely different kind of supernatural to her hammerspace inventory. The former isn't even really supernatural, to her - it's just life.

She might live in a video game world, but she's never been shown a time machine before. Why would she believe in it?

GG: So what do I know! Consarn it, maybe you are an alien girl from Uranus, and together we are about to play a game which determines the fate of existence. Sign me up! UU: oh, hee hee! bUt i never claimed to be from that planet, which is only in the far reaches of yoUr solar system. UU: in fact i am from mUch farther away. a different Universe altogether.

Well, she’s at least not in another Earth session, then. Damn it, I was holding out hope that she was FedoraFreak's server player.

Also, using your handle to falsely imply you're from Uranus, while not outright stating it, is a 'not technically lying' maneuver that would make Doc Scratch proud. Just saying.

UU: remember what i said aboUt the need for patience. UU: patience with yoUr friends. UU: patience for yoUr growth as a hero of life.

Well, I guess that confirms it - we're getting a different set of Aspects, this time around.

Also, our party finally has a healer. Thank fuck.

Oh hello, poppop. His friendly face is there to greet you every time you open your chest.

Apparently his goofy lil' wave is a universal constant.

[portraitofalinkonfyre]

Screenward Bound

Pairing: Twilight x Reader

Warning(s): Eventual smut and mild yandere behavior

Notes: Written for my 200 Follower Event!

Main Masterlist | Fic Masterlist | Next Chapter

You weren't quite sure what compelled you to visit the garage sale on the corner of 4th and Shirestone.

The lot was small and the yellow house inhabiting it was large, leaving very little space for the several tables of stuff in the miniscule front yard, meaning they spilled out onto the bordering sidewalk like an invasion of dusty books and even dustier boxes, which was probably what drew you to the sale in the first place.

"Do you have any Uncle Kracker?" You half-heartedly asked the old lady running the operation, idly thumbing through the CDs.

"Uncle who?" She raised a brow.

"Nevermind," you sighed, giving her a short once over before returning to your unenthusiastic perusal. You lived a few blocks away, tucked in the corner of a nearby cul-de-sac, but living alone was boring and your wallet had been crying to be drained after recovering from your car being in the shop for a few weeks. Besides, it wasn't like you couldn't drop a few dollars to pick up a half-decent CD for the radio, especially since people had a habit of dumping their unwanted shit on the side of the road.

With a huff, you flicked through the last row of CDs, all artists that you were either too old or too young to like. Sure, the Pat Benatar one was calling your name, but you already had a few of her songs on other CDs.

Just as you were about to go home and watch a couple hundred reruns of Family Feud while eating enough ice cream to make your doctor cringe, your eye caught another table, this one filled with an assortment of video games. You weren't the biggest gamer, but you had enough of a collection to put any normal ten-year-old to shame.

"You've got games?" You asked, moving past the one-armed mannequin to assess the selection.

"Do I ever," the old woman shook her head, sending a few snow-swept whisps of hair flying from the confines of her satin headband. "They belonged to my son, but the little rat couldn't keep it that way when he moved out."

You managed a sympathetic chuckle, pulling your coat a bit tighter around yourself. There was a chill in the air, despite it being sunny outside. Your fingers felt a bit numb as you flicked through the cases. Final Fantasy, Digimon, Mario Kart...

You paused as your gaze passed over a very familiar title.

"Woah, Twilight Princess?" You lifted the case, marveling at the find. It was a bit dusty, and the cover art looked like it had seen better, less faded days, but it was nonetheless a great discovery. You had always wanted to play it until school got in the way, but now...

"Oh, yeah," the old woman leaned in a bit too close for comfort, tapping a knobby finger on the plastic. You could smell her flowery perfume and the lingering scent of coffee grounds as she spoke. "This was one of my son's favorites... too bad he could never get it to cooperate."

"How so?" You asked, taking a step to the right to create a bit of distance.

She shrugged. "It worked great at first, but the controls were always a bit glitchy for his tastes. He said it was like something else was trying to take control," her tone turned conspiratorial, faded blue eyes glinting in the sunlight. "but I think he was just making excuses to get a new controller for Christmas."

This time, you laughed loudly. "Yeah, they'll do that," you glanced at the game and back at her. "How much? I've got a ten in my wallet, but I can get more if needed."

The old woman waved a hand, dismissing your words with a smile. "That won't be necessary, I should be paying you for taking this junk off my hands. Take it for free."

You opened your mouth to protest, but she sent you a stern glare and you didn't have the courage to square up with someone who didn't have any personal space awareness and looked like she could break your back over her knee. 'Thank you," you ducked your head respectfully, slipping the game into your bag and beginning the trek home. The sun was beginning to set, and you didn't want to get caught in the dark. You waved, calling over your shoulder: "Have a nice day. Stay warm!"

The woman waved back. "You too, dear! Don't let the bedbugs bite!"

You chuckled, boots crunching on the pavement as you set an easy pace, one hand slipping into your bag to feel over the faded plastic surface of your new game.

If there was any truth to the old lady's words about the game being glitchy, it didn't show.

After booting your ancient Wii-U up, you plugged the game in without hesitation, grinning when it started up with nary a twitch. The title screen looked exactly as it should have, a very familiar song emanating from your dusty speakers. It was perfect, and you almost felt bad taking it for free.

Until you tried to select 'new game' and the screen stalled, fizzling back to the menu as if you hadn't done anything at all. "What the hell?" you muttered, attempting the action once more, only to be booted back to the title screen for the second time. "Oh my god, are you serious?"

You weren't really mad, because your expectations hadn't been that high, but you hadn't expected problems before you even began playing. The 'start' button glimmered promisingly, and you reluctantly selected it.

The screen flashed, and the game started. You gaped, nearly dropping the controller in surprise. "Oh, hell yeah," you grinned, mood lifting slightly at the progress. You had already seen several gameplays, so starting later didn't bother you as much as it should have. "Now we're talking."

Link was distinctly aware of the moment his world inexplicably shifted, falling into the soft hands of another. It was as if they were meant to hold his life in their palms, smooth fingertips caressing the edges of his pixelated consciousness, shrouded by colors and numbers and a thin sheen of fantastical insanity.

There was a voice, lighter than the one of his previous guide: the gamer without sense. Link was forgiving, it was practically in his nature, but he could only take so many instances of the kind of crass, harsh language that man had employed, especially when he addressed the dreaded "chat"--whatever evil that was.

"Let's get classic," the voice spoke, tone heavy with excitement, and the world reformed before his very eyes, swirling with the familiar colors and textures that he remembered, though they seemed... brighter, somehow. It was a new start, Link realized. A new play at the game. A new life to destroy. To shape.

Ordon Spring was exactly as he remembered; a clear, rippling pool, fed by the gentle waterfall in the back of the spring, flanked by thick, verdant brush and preceded by a wonderful, sandy bank. Home, he thought.

"I hope the old lady wasn't right," said the voice, sounding a bit mournful as it caressed the tip of his pointed ear. "I'd hate to have to get rid of you... I've been looking for you for ages."

Link felt his body stiffen, the belts crisscrossing his chest feeling more suffocating that normal. You must have heard about his 'resistance' towards the previous owner, who quite deserved it after attempting to make him toss the village dogs off of various high places and herd the children into frankly dangerous areas. Hylia, he hoped you weren't like that. He didn't think he could handle that again.

"Alright, let's go save a princess," your cheer hung heavy in his mind, and Link allowed himself a small, pixelated smile.

He could work with this.

Dear lord I'm so glad this is finally out! It fought me tooth and nail, but I hope it's still up to standard <33

[wooshofficial]

I’ve been ruminating on this last garages album for a bit, and wondering why I haven’t been sad.

For anyone unaware: The Garages released the last album of the “we are the garages” series, titled We’ve Been The Garages, as our last album before the release of Expansion and the simmering shutdown of the band as we knew it.

I had a huge hand in this album. I wrote two songs for it—one old, one new—and helped on two others. I helped with tracklisting. I put a lot of emotion + energy + work into this, and now that it’s out, I’m left with this feeling of pride and joy.

But from reactions here on tumblr and by friends, it’s clear that feeling just pride is a singularity. A lot of people are grieving the terminal loss of the band and at large, the shocking, sudden loss of Blaseball, the game that started it all. People are left with a hole where it used to be, and it is making them rightfully very sad. I’ve gone through these same experiences with them, so I should be sad, right? Hell, I’m a part of the band that’s ending- I should be distraught. I should be grieving, it feels like.

But I’m not. I can’t find it within myself to be sad about this release, nor can I be sad about the loss of Blaseball, nor that I have to do other things now. This is because of two reasons, one of which is more important than the other:

I’ve always been terrible at handling grief in a healthy or normal way (unimportant)

I have a very different mindset about this particular ending.

For me, this album isn’t a death. This is a graduation.

I’ve known for a long time that Blaseball was finite. It was born of an era that existed only because it had to, and once that era was over, so was the game. TGB put it best when they shut it down- it was unsustainable now that the pandemic had been societally declared over. Blaseball was built in the absence of a thing that was now back, and no one could dedicate their full time to it anymore now that they weren’t locked in their houses indefinitely. When I heard the news, I had a flash of anger on how it ended, but it was quickly replaced by a resolute feeling of knowing this was going to happen eventually. It was always going to end, and it’s a shame that it did so in this way, but it had to. I wasn’t sad about it.

And with the death of Blaseball came the death of the thing that had been the Garages’ muse for so long. How long could a thing last without life support, especially when we, the people behind the band, were subject to the same situation of being needed somewhere else? The Garages’ end was going to follow Blaseball’s eventually, even if it took nearly two years to do so. I knew this and understood this deeply.

I also knew that the end of the band wasn’t going to suddenly kill the bonds I had made with my bandmates, people I have the honor to call friends, best friends and colleagues. None of us were suddenly going to drop dead (knock on wood, you bitches better survive), we were just going to stand there after the lights went out and say “now what?”. There was always going to be an end, but there was also always going to be an after.

A graduation is not a funeral. You can grieve the fact that it’s over, but really, you are meant to reflect on the wonderful (or horrible) things that have occurred in the time since you’ve started. Take all the good and the bad and the deeply complex and turn it into fuel for the new you’re about to step into. Understand just how far you’ve gotten since that initial point, and maybe see how far you can go.

I graduated high school in June 2022, about 10 months into my being a part of the band. They were among the first people I told I was going to college and that I had just thrown my cap. It rained that day, and the venue was outdoors, and I had food poisoning, but when I threw that cap, I wasn’t upset at any of that. I wasn’t upset that high school was over (for a plethora of reasons), nor was I sad that I was going into a new part of my life. I was actually thinking about my graduation cap itself, and how hard I had worked on it the night before, painstakingly painting it and making sure it was perfect. I was so happy that I had done the damn thing, and it had gotten a moment to glimmer in the air, even if a little smeared due to the rain. I walked out of there that day so proud of myself for making it through and making that cap.

And almost ironically, the words I had painted were “I’ll figure it out eventually”. I didn’t know entirely what I was going to do after high school besides go to college, or what I wanted to get a job in, I just knew that there was going to be something there. I knew that I would keep going. All I had to say was “now what?”, because this was an end, yes, but there was always going to be an after.

I don’t know what the band will become after we release the last of our stored works. We have some ideas. We don’t know what our legacy will look like in a year, or five, or ten, or fifty. We don’t know what’s coming for us, but we’ll figure it out eventually. There’s always an after, and we will make it ours.

And I’m not sad about that.

[midnight--sadness]

had an idea—early 2010 games, like 2012/2013. gi-hun is VERY newly postpartum and looking for ways to make any money for his baby. in-ho doesn’t really give a shit about anything and is just looking for a semi-honorable way to die bc of the death of his last mate or some other circumstance.

I think it would actually be really interesting for in-ho’s character especially, because we know he’s very sensitive to things like pregnancy and children. I think it would be sick to see how he would react to postpartum stuff, especially considering he never actually got to live through it. The development of him going borderline suicidal to “I have to protect you, no matter what.” wondering how he would react to gi-hun’s postpartum heavy bleeding, difficulty walking/being physically active, etc.

I had this really vivid idea of gi-hun being insistent he can’t let his milk dry up, because if they do vote to get out and he leaves with nothing, he won’t be able to afford formula. Idk just. The thought of gi-hun in the bathroom w in-ho rubbing his back/holding his hand while he has to waste everything into the toilet or paper towels because the pressure gets to be too painful. (I thought abt in-ho “assisting”, i says horny-ly, but i think it would take away from the narrative)

so basically it would leave in-ho w/ very difficult decisions like

a) gotta kill a shitton of people to make sure everyone votes out so gi-hun can get away

b) kill a lot of people to ensure him winning, at the expense of his own life (which is worst case scenario for him, bc he LOVES milky bbygirl and wants to stay with him/care for him on the outside)

c) idk some other scenarios I haven’t thought of. asking to hear other perspectives/thoughts

note: gi-hun’s baby wouldn’t be in-ho’s, would be some jackass alpha’s who abandoned him w/ it because he was in debt or couldn’t accept responsibility. Another motivator for in-hun, he’s got a vendetta against the mf for essentially forcing baby mama gi-hun into dying to save his own baby—basically same thing that happened to in-ho’s wife different flavor

ooohhhhh i love this!!

i'm assuming that gihun's baby would be gayeong.

in this case, maybe inho signed up for the games but before he could actually be picked up and taken to the island, his wife and child both died. and now he kinda has to go to the games anyway since he cant pull out (lol), maybe even to repay the money that he was given by that unknown criminal.

so there they are, an alpha grieving his mate and child and a newly postpartum omega.... the possiblities are so delicious!!

i like to think that the first game is always red light, green light because it eliminates a large ammount of players (kind of like the cornucopia bloodbath in the hunger games). so, inho is there, considering not even making his way across the field when gihun's scent reaches him. he smells sweet, like honey and milk, clearly a new mother and inho's alpha instincts immediately put him on alert. maybe he is especially sensitive since his body was preparing to be a father and he needed to immediately pick up the scent of his new pup (or whatever idk). and he sees how gihun is moving, hand clasped to his belly, still sore from birth and thinks "i need to protect him".

gihun basically becomes the reason inho actually tries to survive the games. taking care of him calms inho down, makes him "docile" in a sense, and even when gihun is stressed and on the verge of a breakdown bc it isnt normal for omegas to be separated from their babies so soon after birth, inho helps him relax, telling him that he will do anything to get gihun to see his baby again and gihun, our sweet girl, says that inho has to get out alive as well so he can meet gayeong.

inho has no issues with killing other players if necessary, doing anything to ensure gihun leaves during the next vote. but as the money piles up people get greedier and not even their lives are worth much....

if they stay for most of the games, i can see inho helping gihun with his milk is a more traditional way, since breastfeeding helps the uterus contract and lowers general pains and aches in the body. it would kinda relax inho as well, since helping this omega would make his alpha hindebrain feel proud to be useful.

when they get out, both richer than ever, gihun introduces inho to gayeong (who had been staying with his mother). gihun and inho bond and inho becomes gayeong's new father and like two years later he gets gihun pregnant with twins 🫶🫶

[promiscuousg1rl]

Desperate Measures — Rafe Cameron 01

Series Masterlist

Warnings: violence, homicide, sexual language, stalking, mental illness

The sound of heeled footsteps are crisp on the wet cement, echoing throughout the empty quad. Stella’s jacket is zipped up to her chin, her hands shoved deep into the too-little pockets seeking warmth from the chilly night air. Her eyes dart around the darkened campus for any other signs of life aside from her own. 

“Jesse, you’re so lucky the sex is good.” She mutters to herself as she quickens her pace. 

Late night booty-calls across campus had apparently become Stella’s new normal and as much as she wanted to complain, she had to admit that her “sneaky-link” always made the hike worth it in the end. The circumstances of their relationship alone gave her a thrill. 

She smiles to herself, thinking about what awaits her just a few minutes away. She originally felt bad in the beginning. In terms of girl code she was committing the ultimate sin but just a she told her when it first started, this was college. They were young. No one needed to be tied down, let alone to one person. So while the guilt still lingers, Stella can’t find it in herself to let it  change her mind. 

It was too late for that anyway. 

Bzzrt! Bzzrt! 

Stella jumps, letting out a loud yelp when she feels her phone vibrating in the back pocket of her skin tight jeans. Shaking her read, she reaches back to retrieve the phone; a neon pink Dolce & Gabbana phone case he bought her a few months ago. 

Her mind immediately tells her that its him; always so concerned for her safety. It makes the smile on her face grow five times bigger and she answers it without even looking at the screen. 

“Are you so horny you can’t wait five minutes?” She teases into the phone.

“What can I say, just the sight of you is turning me on.”

Stella’s steps falter and she pulls her phone from her ear to look at the screen. Her brows furrow in confusion. “Hey you sound weird, is something up with your phone?”

“It’s just a part of the game baby.” 

She laughs into the phone. “A game? I thought you hated role playing in sex?”

“I wanted to try something new.” His own chuckle is raspy. “You up for it?”

Stella shakes her head. “You know I’m up for anything, it’s why we go together so well.” 

Jesse hums on the other side of the phone. “Always sounding like such an easy slut.”

“Just for you,” Stella smirks. “So what’s the game?” 

“A chase.”

Stella raises a brow, eyes dart around the drenched quad, checking for any signs of someone lingering in the dark corners of the cluster of building. 

“You wanna chase me?”

“Come on,” he drawls. “Doesn’t the idea of me hunting you down turn you on? Not knowing where I am and what I’ll do to you when I catch you?”

“And what will you do if you catch me?” Stella snickers. 

“Well that’s a surprise of course.”

“Baby,” Stella playfully whines. “Don’t I get even a teeny tiny hint?” 

“Let’s see how well you play the game first.”

The familiar beeps after his words signal that he’s hung up on her, making her scoff. But the message that appears at the top of her screen makes the smile etch back on to her lips. 

JESSE: START RUNNING!

Stella sprang into action, taking off in the best run she could manage while in heels. 

Her long strawberry blonde curls whip around as she glances behind her, looking to see if Jesse was somehow gaining on her. 

When she gets to the exterior corridor on the other side of the campus, she slows down to a stop. 

Once again her phone starts to vibrate, making her huff. 

“I didn’t sign up for a cardio session Jesse.” She says when she picks up the call. 

“But aren’t you having fun?” 

“Are you?” She questions breathlessly. 

“I think we should…kick things up a notch.” 

“How?” 

He snickers. “You’ll see.”

The echo of heavy footsteps causes her to whip around, expecting to see Jesse waiting for her at the end of the corridor with his signature smirk on his face. 

“Jesse?” She asks loudly, pulling the phone from her ear and hanging it up. 

 Dressed in a black cloth-like hooded robe and black boots, the person nods their mask-covered head. It’s white and rubbery, with wide black drooping eyes and an elongated mouth. 

“A costume, really?” Stella giggles. “Is this supposed to be a play out of your horror movie fantasy,” 

“Am I your final girl?”

He nods his head again, staring dead at her as he lifts his gloved hand which holds a long hunting knife. 

“Should I scream then, beg you not to hurt me?” She grins at him. “Maybe offer you my body in exchange for my life?” 

This time he doesn’t answer her, not verbally and not in any kind of head gestures either. Instead he begins to stalk forward, head titled to the side in what Stella can only describe as a creepy killer kind of way. 

Continuing the game, Stella starts to stumble backwards in feigned fear. “Please don’t hurt me Mr. Ghost-face, I promise to make it worth your while.” 

Jesse’s pace quickens and before she knows it one of his gloved hands is around her throat, making her bite her lip. 

“You were right Jess, this is a turn on,” she giggles deliriously. “You’d never be able to do this with her huh?” 

When the grip around her neck tightens, she takes that as her cue to go on. 

“I always told you how hot this would be,” her eyes drooping at the pressure on her throat. “How sneaking around like this was so much better if you didn’t break up with her.” 

Jesse suddenly yanks her closer to him, their chests meeting. Stella can feel his cold breath through the fabric of the gaping mouth. 

“She can’t take how fucking sick you are, she can’t handle it like I can,” she drones on. “It’s why you love me and not her right? She’s nothing.”

It happens too quick for her to even process. The hot flash of pain that rips through her is the only thing she can recognize right now. Her tear-filled eyes widen as they stare into the bottomless pit the mask has for eyes. 

“Jesse…wha-what?” 

The next stabs are just as quick, straight into her gut. The sharp pain-filled gasp is the only reaction she has the luxury of having before feels a strong grip wrap around her hair, yanking her head back.

“Hel-help,” She thinks she shouts but the plea is more of pained whisper if anything. Suddenly her body is thrown into the brick wall, knocking the wind straight out of her. 

Screaming in pain, Stella turns around and hunches over, pressing her hands against the wounds in her stomach.

“Please,” she gurgles out, turning around to stumble out of reach. “Please help me!” 

Blood smears from her hands to the wall as she falls onto the bricks seeking support.  

A sudden sharp swipe at her back has her screaming, the eight-inch knife leaving a burning sensation in its wake. Falling to the floor Stella flips herself onto her back, revealing her blood covered torso. 

“No no no, please no!” Her desperate pleas are slurred as she crab walks from the towering frame of her attacker. Snot runs down her nose and to her lips. 

And just as she goes to make another scream for someone—anyone to save her, the person who she now knows will be her killer presses the knife hard into her throat and slits it. 

....................

The last you expect to happen on a college campus is a gruesome murder. 

Sure you’ll see something on the news about a tragedy happening at a school out of state or across the country but there’s a part of you that always thinks it could never happen at your school or in your town. But of course life has a fucked up sense of humor and for some reason the universe or God or whoever decides to show you that bad things can happen to anyone. 

Stella Evans, your best friend and roommate was dead—slaughtered. Some psycho decided to attack her on her way home last night and according to the student that stumbled upon her body, there’s no way the death was quick or painless. 

And as you sit on the small couch of your shared dorm, your brain runs a mile a minute wondering who did it and why. 

“Do you have any idea why she was out on campus so late?” The suit-wearing detective asks from in front of you, pen and pad in hand. 

“No,” you sniff, swiping a trembling finger under your nose. “I mean, she uh, she told me she’d be at the library studying but that was earlier in the afternoon.”

The man nods, scribbling something down quickly. “Was she seeing anyone, a boyfriend or girlfriend?” 

Sighing, you think about when you two were at the gym a few days ago. 

The two of you were side by side on neighboring treadmills, going an easy pace. With your hands at your waist, you turn to Stella who is looking down at her phone with a smirk. 

“Okay who is that and what are they saying that has you cheesing at your phone all hard?” 

Stella looks up at you, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Just a friend.” 

Staring her down, you watch as she types out a response to this “friend” before she leans over and puts it in the cup holder of the machine. 

“A friend,” you repeat. “Do I know this friend?”

“Nope,” Stella hums. “He’s a new guy.”

“What, you got bored of Topper already?” You tease, narrowing your eyes at her. 

“Yup,” Stella runs a hand through her high ponytail. “Serious upgrade too.”

Blinking, you look up at the man who is studying  you closely and shrug. “She told me she was talking to someone but I’m pretty sure it was casual. Stella didn’t really do relationships.” 

“You know a name?”

“No, she was pretty stitch lipped about him to be honest.” 

The detective hums, writing more down in his old-school note bad that makes you think about the old Law & Order episodes you used to binge watch with Stella. 

“Is there anything else you can—”

“Baby!” 

You’re out of your seat with an alarming quickness. Soon as he bursts through the front door you practically throw yourself into his arms—Rafe’s.

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t get to you sooner, I was at practice.” He talks into your hairline as he holds you tightly. “Are you okay?” 

“She’s gone, Rafe.” You whimper, burying your face into his chest. 

Rafe kisses your hair softly. “Oh baby, I’m so sorry.” 

The detective, forgotten in the middle of your living room, clears his throat. 

“Oh, uh, I’m so sorry sir.” You apologize, your neck getting hot. “This is Rafe, my best friend. Rafe, this is Detective Simmons.” 

Rafe meets the man’s stare head-on and offers him his hand. “Rafe Cameron.”

The detective nods, accepting Rafe’s handshake with a firm grip. “You knew the victim as well?�� 

The victim. The words make you shudder. Before today, that wasn’t a word used to describe Stella. You didn’t know her as anyone’s victim, she was your best friend, alive and well. Planning the outfit she wanted to wear to the next frat party you were going to. Now she was nothing but a corpse, a lifeless decaying body that was going to be talked about for months or even years. A victim of murder, gossip, and what you know will be outrageous conspiracy theories. 

“Yes sir, she was a friend.” 

“And did you see her at any point last night?” The burly man narrows his eyes at Rafe. 

He’s doing his job, You remind yourself. But you still can’t help but tighten your arms around Rafe’s waist when the question is asked. He wasn’t a suspect, he’d never be a suspect so the inquiry was a waste of time. 

“Not last night no, but we did have a class together yesterday. ‘Was the last time I saw her.”

Detective Simmons nods, looking back and forth between the two of you. “Miss y/n, I know this might not be what you want to hear but I strongly suggest you find somewhere else to stay for the time being. Although it’s unknown if this was a targeted attack we also can’t rule anything out.” 

You nod. You probably would’ve planned to leave even if he didn’t mention it. Staying here alone, without Stella is not something you think you can go through with. 

“I’m going to leave my card with you,” He gives you a sympathetic smile as he hands you the small business card. “Please call me if you remember anything out of the ordinary.”

“I will.” You take the small cardboard between your fingers, looking down at the phone numbers listed. 

“You guys be safe.” 

As he turns to head for the door you call out his name making him pause with a hand on the door knob. 

“If the guy that did this is like, some crazy serial killer, do you actually think there’s a chance he’ll come back here?”

Rafe’s arm tightens around your shoulder while the other grips your hand. 

“We can’t know for sure Miss y/n, but like I said, it’ll be safer if you find a friend to stay with and more importantly, stay vigilant when you’re out in public. Try not be by yourself for too long.” 

“I’ll be with you y/n,” Rafe says softly into your ear. “I’ll keep you safe.” 

Looking up at him you give your best attempt at a smile before diverting your eyes back to the detective. 

“Thank you.” 

With one last nod at the two of you, Simmons is out the door with Rafe locking it behind him. 

“Pack your bag, you’re staying with me until this shit blows over.” 

“Rafe,” you scoff. “I am not spending who knows how long with you and your frat brothers. I’ll figure something else out.” 

Rafe glares at you, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “I’m sorry, do you have a better option? An equally as safe option?”

“Austyn has an apartment off campus, I can stay with her for a few weeks.” 

“Again, I said a safe option, y/n.” 

You roll your eyes. “Her building has a security guards, I’ll be fine.” 

“Oh yeah because rent-a-cops are the most top notch security details in the world.” 

“Will you—” 

Three hard frantic knocks cut you off from the argument you were planning to start. 

You go to open it until Rafe gives you a stern look, stopping you in your tracks. Stalking to the door, he eases it open a few inches before scoffing. 

“Figures.” He shakes his head, reluctantly opening it the rest of the way. 

Bursting through the threshold, bumping Rafe’s hard shoulder on his way in, is your boyfriend. His jet black hair dripping water onto his crewneck as he quickens his pace to you. 

“Babe,” he takes your face in hands. “I just heard.” 

“Just heard?” Rafe snickers. “It’s been all over campus since five a.m. this morning, where the fuck have you been?” 

“Sleeping in, if that’s okay with you Cameron, I was up until three cramming for Chem.” He glares at your best friend. 

“Like that’ll do you much good.” 

“Rafe—”

“You know what, fuck off Cameron. Why are you even here?” 

“I don’t know if the roids you’re on are giving you short term memory loss but her friend just died. And unlike you I wanted to be here for her.”

Jesse scoffs, pulling you closer to him as he scowls at Rafe. “Well I’m here so she obviously doesn’t need you anymore.” 

“You—” Rafe’s eyebrows are drawn together and you immediately spot that look in his eye. 

Stepping between them before Rafe can approach, you hold your hand out. “Will you two please have your dick measuring contest when I’m not grieving?” 

His blue eyes flicker from your face down to the hand that’s being held by Jesse’s. “I can stay if you need me to.” 

“No, go.” You sigh shaking your head. “I’ll call you later.” 

His jaw clenches as he shakes his head firmly. “No, I’ll come by later to check on you.” 

He doesn’t spare Jesse another glance, stalking toward the door and slamming it behind him. 

Screwing your eyes shut, you pull yourself from Jesse’s grip. 

“Why do you always do that?” The tone of his voice alone lets you know that an argument is brewing. 

“Do what?” 

“Let him feel like he’s got the upper hand. He forces himself into your space and you allow it, every single time.”  

“Jesse please.”

“No. He’s acting like your boyfriend and you never correct him.”

“He’s just overprotective.” You shrug. “He’s always been like that.”

He looks at you like you’re stupid. He always does whenever you find yourself defending Rafe like you are now. But it’s not like you’re lying. That was Rafe; protective of you from the moment you met. Taking you under his wing is what he called it at the time. Making sure you didn’t fall in with the wrong crowd or get taken advantage of. You appreciated it then and you still do now. 

And if you were being honest, you were growing tired of constantly having this conversation with Jesse all the time. 

“So? I’m your boyfriend. He should step back.” 

“It’s just natural.”  You scoff. “He can’t turn it on and off like you’re expecting him to. Again, it’s just how he is!”

“I can’t believe you’re defending him.”

“I can’t believe you’re starting an argument right now!” Your hackles raise. You hate it, arguing over something so trivial and minuscule when someone who meant a lot to you is dead. You didn’t want to be in defense mode right now. You wanted—needed comfort, to be held and told that everything was going to be okay. You wanted him to make you feel safe. 

Like Rafe does.

But he just keeps going on and on, making you wish it was him that left instead. 

“I’m trying to get you to open your eyes. Rafe is insane!” He yells, making you flinch.  “For all we know he could be the one who killed Stella.”

“Don’t say that!” You shove him in his chest. 

“Why not?” He’s so…nonchalant in the way he asks. Like he truly sees nothing wrong with pinning something so heinous on your closest friend. 

You shake your head in disbelief. “You can’t just accuse someone without evidence.”

“You want evidence? Rafe fucking hated her. We all knew it.” 

“What? No. They were friends. Yeah they argued sometimes but it was never serious.”

He even called himself her friend. 

“Him always calling her slut was never serious?” Jesse rolls his eyes. “Man he has you brainwashed.” He spits the sentence out at you with an expression of disgust. 

“Maybe you should leave too.” You snap through gritted teeth, your arms crossed over your chest tightly.

He steps toward you, making an attempt to slid his hands around your waist. 

“Y/N come on…”

“Get out. I’m heading to Austyn’s.” You back away from him, turning your body to the side. 

“I can take you.” He tries again, putting his hands on your shoulders. 

“I don’t want to be near you right now. Leave.” You say as you shove him away before pointing to the door. 

The soft apologetic look he sported only seconds ago warps into something irked, his nostrils flaring as he exhales sharply. “Unbelievable.”

Shouldering past you, he heads out the door, mumbling something you can’t make out under his breath. 

....................

Storming into the precinct, the man looks around with furrowed brows. “I’m looking for whoever is working on the Keaton University murder!” 

Clad in a white button-down and slacks, a tall bald man strides up to him. “I’m detective Simmons. How can I help yo—”

“I know who the killer is.” 

Detective Simmons’ forehead wrinkles.  “And you’re sure about this?”

“Positive.” He meets the detective’s stare head on, head held high and shoulders back.

“And your name?”

“Jesse Holloway.”

....................

Quickly grabbing his car keys from atop of his nightstand, Rafe strides out of his bedroom and down the stairs. 

It’s only been a few hours since he left you and he’s been on edge ever since. 

She obviously doesn’t need you anymore. His agitation grows just thinking about the way Jesse’s arms were around you as you said those works. Of course you need him, you’ll always need him. He was here before Jesse and he would be here when he was gone. 

Which would be soon enough. He’s been a thorn in his side for too long and he can’t take much more of it. He never thought you would pick someone like Jesse—his own frat brother at that. But somehow Jesse managed to sink his claws into you; spouted some fake romantic bullshit that you were quick to eat up. 

You should’ve been smart enough to not fall for that line of shit. 

Just as he reaches the last step, three hard knocks sound from the other side of the door. 

Raking a frustrated hand through his hair, Rafe stalks to the door and swings it open. 

“Rafe Cameron?”

It takes a second, but as he continues to stare at the man the recognition hits him hard.  

The badge didn’t stick out to him then. He barely even glanced at it while he was in your dorm. But now, as he and a uniform cop crowd the porch it takes everything in him not to focus on it. 

The scene reminds him of back home and he almost wants to laugh as he thinks about Deputy Shoupe. A pussy is what he called him when they’d show up on his doorstep three-to-four cops deep, treating him like some high-profile killer. 

Detective Simmons though, his confidence was obvious. He truly believed he was making some ground-breaking progress by doing this and that it what really stands out to Rafe. 

“Detective,” He drawls. “Can I help you with something?” 

By the twitch of his right eye Rafe can tell the indifference bothers him. Maybe he was expecting him to panic and run. Or argue that whatever idiot it was that sent him here was lying. 

Instead, his confidence matches the detective’s, mocking him almost. But like Rafe expects, Detective Simmons isn’t deterred in the slightest. Irritated? Absolutely. He’s not too thrown off though and Rafe kind of respects him for it. 

“I’m going to need you to put your hands behind your back.”  A single pair of cuffs are pulled from the detective’s waist. 

“What the fuck—” Before Rafe can even get register what’s happening his wrist is being gripped tightly and he’s practically yanked roughly across the threshold of his front door. 

“Rafe Cameron you are under arrest for the murder of Stella Evans. You have a right to remain silent, anything you say will be held against you in the court of law.”

lol let’s try this again! if anyone would like to be tagged, please let me know!

[myreallovelymind]

First time being tied up with rope

The day started like a lovely normal date. We went for brunch. We chatted, we shared about our lives and we laughed. We have a stroll along the river, go to a few shops and wonder back to his. It was such a lovely afternoon.

We got back to his flat and put TV on. My legs were on top of his just relaxing. We put a British show which is really funny and that you wanted to pay attention to. He just starts stroking my legs softly. He opens my legs, put his palm there and tells me he just wants to feel. This man spends the next 45 minutes teasing me above my tights. Gently rubbing my clit. Tapping on it. I forgot how much I love a slow tease. I can feel my underwear and tights get soaked. I can focus on the TV up to a point where I end up just switching off.

He spoons me as we kiss. Hard. Deep, strong, horny kisses, full of need. Fuck. I need his cock. I can feel his hard cock at my entrance but there’s many layer between. I need him in me. He gets up to get a condom and tells me to take my tights off. He comes back. I straddle him. I’m so wet and so apprently, really tight (thanks to edging woo). He feels incredible. He tells me to lean back and take his whole cock like a good girl. Fuck. I kinda space out. I feel like long foreplay makes my brain mushy, turns it off and I just run on this primal need for sex. He removes my dress and I had my nice strappy bra and my black thong. This man keeps telling me how hot I look and how good I feel. I get all shy when he says it but it does feel great.

I’m too loud, as usual. I geniuly don’t mean to be loud. He asks me to be quiet but I then focus so hard on that, that I stop focusing on bouncing. So he gags me with a lovely red ball gag. I oddly feel so pretty with it on. I think its partly because he thinks I’m hot with it on but also, I love it. I love trying to kiss him with the ball gag. I love getting close to his chest. I feel so submissive with it on. So small. I’m edging on his cock.

He tells me to get on my knees on the sofa.

He fucks me doggy and my brain is off. He calls me a fuck toy and I need that. He grabs my hips and fucks me hard. He then grabs my hair and… wow. I arch my back, put my head back and I just feel. I feel all the sensations in my body. I hear his moans, I feel the pressure on my scalp, I feel my pussy getting pounded, I feel my thighs jiggle and I feel the need to cry. Good cry. Happy cry. Overwhelmed by all the amazing sensation cry. He asks me if I want him to cum and I say yes through the ball gag. He cums just before tears stream down my face and I collapse. I stay bent over the sofa, gagged and breathing. He comes behind me and strokes my body. I love it.

We start watching the football. I remove my bra so I’m now in his t-shirt with new underwear and socks. We cuddle and he very much enjoys the post cumming head space. We order ramen as we watch the NFL games. We kiss and we get horny again. I ask him if he can tie me up. He says of course. He says he’s going to be mean. He ties my thighs so when I pull on my foot, it tightens around my thigh and when the other foot moves, it tightens around my pussy. The sensation is something I didn’t realise I needed. I immediately knew I wanted more and that I didn’t want it to end. My hands are also tied behind my back. I didn’t quite realise how much I loved it until he touched my pussy and it’s wet. Clearly I like it, a lot.

He gets my clit sucker toy and moves the mirror so I can see myself. Shit. He had sent me a meme about something similar earlier in the day and here I am. He gets behind me and starts to use my toy on me. Finding the clit is tricky but with some good non verbal communication, it’s exactly where it’s supposed to me. I’m almost immediately on the edge. I’m trying to hold. It’s hard. He is holding me so I put my head on his shoulder. He puts his hand over my mouth and nose. Fuck. I love it. He tells me to look at myself. I hate it. I look up and fuck. I can only focus on him and me. He looks so hot behind me and I look so submissive. I’m shaking and he stops the toy. I breath. He puts it back on. I start to shake. He tells me to look up again. I do. Now he has his hand around my throat and I can’t look away. This is me but it doesnt feel like me. I’m never felt so hot? I squirm trying to get away to not cum. I nod my head side to side and he stops.

He makes me turn around when it’s hard to move. I always feel so dumb but I guess that’s part of the humiliation. He tells me I’m going to make him cum before dinner arrives. I’m on my knees, and I’m tasting him. He tastes so good. I love his moans and the way he holds my head. I always forget how much I enjoy oral. He sits down on the sofa and I keep going. It’s getting hard especially without my hands. Every time I move, I face plant on him which is fun. Food arrives before I make him cum but he puts the food down and sits back down. No cumming, no food. I put his cock in my mouth and start giving him head. He gets close and cums in my mouth. Yummy. I can get used to that.

He uncuffs me but my legs are still tied. We eat the ramen and we both feel sleepy. He goes for a nap and comes back 30 minutes later. He comes for a cuddle. My hands are cuffed together but he tightens them because I have small wrists so I can easily escape. That’s when I know I’m getting fucked again. We kiss, hard. I really love the change in kissing. It’s cool how you can tell which move we are depending on the kiss. Slow and soft: post sex. Slow and hard: normal. Faster and hard: pre sex.

Anyway, we kiss hard. He undoes my cuffs and tells me to get him hard. To focus on that as he plays with me. He then tells me to bend over the side of the sofa where he placed a pillow and he got the blindfold out. He cuffs my hands behind my back, gags me, and blind folds me. He is not gentle this time. I feel a little used which I like. He goes deep and I just need to deal with it. Again, my brain goes off. I go quiet. I grunt at times but I just take in what’s happening. This feels like a place my mind wants to be to decompress. It felt like such a relief. I remembered why I love BDSM and kink. It’s not many places in my life where I can just… exist without my brain working. In this moment, it feels like I’m just serene. Which is funny because he is not gentle with me. The back and forth. He cums. I collapse. I don’t want to move. He strokes my body again and checks in because apparently I look broken but it’s the opposite. He unties my legs which have the marks on them which are beautiful. We cuddle. We finish the NFL game and we go to bed. He’s cummed three times and I haven’t even ruined a single orgasm. Dreamt.

[eclipseberrycake]

Poly! MoonBerryCake x Reader Pt. 5

AN: I cannot believe my silly lil MBC ramblings have turned into this. This is a combination of that one request mentioning the "I may be an idiot, but I'm your idiot" and another requesting Witch! Reader! I kind of took some creative liberties because this idea just like...hit me and I was like. If i dont write this rn im gonna crash out. Again, don't look too hard into the logic of this, it's a toon world :)

-> Part one

-> Part Two

-> Part Three

-> Part Four

☁ Sprout knew, intimately so, at this point that you, his loving, darling, amazing partner, could be so, so dumb it was alarming you've lasted this long.

☁ He loves you. He does. So much it hurts. But you literally are the embodiment of every chaotic impulsive thought he's sure they've all had. The only difference is that you do it.

☁ Which. Come on. Like, there has to be a learning moment. Where you turn over a new stone or rock or however that saying goes and you don't toe the line of twisted RnD's boundary, keeping them awake just to tease the twisted since they couldn't reach you. There had to be.

☁ He should've known it was too good to be true, at the beginning of the relationship, when things went too smoothly for him. Too good to be true.

☁ Truthfully, you're all little demons. He knew you were all hiding it, but to see it in person? He's getting gray leaves.

☁ Astro likes to play this game where he follows whoever's distracting, most times you, to see how close he can get to the twisted without them noticing. It drives Sprout, and even Cosmo, nuts watching it even if they know he's practically invisible to the twisteds.

☁ That does not stop him from being seen every once in a while when he gets too cocky, but he's quick to evacuate the area while you get the twisteds attention once more.

☁ Every lecture seems to go in one ear and out the other though as the very next run, unless it's a blackout, he's doing it again. (So maybe I play like this what of it-).

☁ Cosmo is normally pretty clever about how he does runs and is often the least of his worries. Unless there's a call for a bandage.

☁ From there it's like a race between him and Cosmo. Cosmo immediately drops whatever he's doing and takes off towards the source of the call. Sprout as well has to take off because sure enough, Cosmo doesn't take into account it's in the area you're distracting in, and Sprout can only watch as you realize he's in the area, panic to figure out an alternative route, get smacked by a twisted Teagan as Cosmo nearly gets bit by the Twisted Boxten.

☁ All of that for a bandage. For Cosmo who was at full health.

☁ Sprout has to step in, calling the Twisted's attention with a spare airhorn he found, giving you the chance to recover as Cosmo passes you a treat and a frantic apology, quickly leaving the area as he slaps said bandage on.

☁ The twisteds are returned to you as Sprout ducks behind a wall, trying to ease the rapid pounding of his heart. He cannot keep having the same conversations.

☁ Cosmo is unlike Astro as he shows actual remorse, immediately apologizing and saying that he wasn't thinking he just didn't want anyone else to take it, turning on the waterworks as he burrows into Sprout's scarf.

☁ You're already saying they're crocodile tears (They are) with Astro snickering at the action, but Sprout is a weak man. He falls for it every time, immediately breaking and cooing that it was just an accident and these things happen, Cosmo just needs to be more careful.

☁ And then there's a call for a med-kit the next floor and it happens ALL OVER AGAIN.

☁ So, yeah, you're all demonic gremlins and Sprout is the unfortunate victim of it. He's just as bad outside of runs though, don't worry.

☁ But you. Oh you. Are by far. The worst for his heart.

☁ He already doesn't like the fact that as a distractor, you're constantly in danger, but you know what he doesn't like more? The fact that you don't seem to take it as serious as you should.

☁ He's lost count of how many times you've run past him, shouting some sort of argument with Goob who was also distracting. How you've paused to emphasize a point and Goob's had to snatch you to save you from getting hit.

☁ Or how many times you've climbed onto a table, out of the twisted's reach but close enough to keep their attention, hands on your hips as you go on about some theory you heard about.

☁ He won't admit it, but his favorite thus far is that Dandy's actually bald and the petals are all fakes.

☁ Or the one where you claim Twisted Toodles has rabies, while Twisted Toodles snaps and snarls at your feet, clawing at the table.

☁ And when you're back in the elevator, and he's got you corner, going on and on about how idiotic of a move that was and why would you even think of doing that? You give him a grin and a cheeky smile.

☁ "I may be an idiot, but remember. I'm your idiot. FOREVER." You'd preen, cackling as he debates between throttling you or kissing you enough you're too dazed to think about running and he has to drag you behind him the next floor.

☁ Little did Sprout know that a turning point would come.

☁ He knew Dandy and you had your differences, as you were managing to get the research needed and reclaiming the other toons back to the good side while spending the minimal amount of tapes. (Not that it helped when a certain survivalist toon was on the run, but he digresses.)

☁ This time however, you were adamantly refusing to hand over any tapes and Dandy was close to crashing out. His eye was twitching as he glowered at you, you're own sneer rivaling his. "Why should I give you the tapes if I can give them to Sprout?" You'd snarl, making Dandy slam his hands on the desk.

☁ "Fine! Be that way then!" He snapped, yanking on the lever to bring him back down.

☁ "Was that really our best move?" Vee raised a brow at the closed hatch, nudging it with her foot.

☁ "Maybe we could've spared some for a stopwatch or something." Gigi added, reaching into her head to pull out a can of pop. "I don't know if his twisted form is something I'm all too excited to deal with."

☁ While Sprout agreed, he also didn't want Dandy to win. But still, Dandy's twisted form was lethal and he didn't fancy seeing your twisted form. Not after Astro had told him how even you, yourself, had feared it and what it was capable of.

☁(Guys not to spoil anything, but you'll never guess what else is in the works from that line alone lol)

☁ They hadn't seen any clones of your twisted form yet, but weren't eager to.

☁ You gave a wave of your hand dismissively. "Nah, it looks big but it really isn't that bad."

☁ None of them looked convinced.

☁ You groaned, rolling your eyes. "Fine! if he shows up. I'll make sure to stick to an area Astro and a healer can remain nearby." You pout, though between him and the other two, Sprout can tell you're a little hurt.

☁ No matter what you do, or how you distract, you're number one priority is their safety. If there's a serious twisted, you're immediately doing a one-eighty, distracting like a pro. You only goof off when their twisteds you know inside and out. To have them doubt for even a second you wouldn't give up your own sanity for them, probably stings.

☁ Frowning, he sets a hand on your shoulder, tilting your chin up with his other hand. "You got this, bud. We know you do. We just wanna be a little cautious when it comes to Dandy."

☁ And he knows you know that, making you frown a bit more before huffing. "I know."

☁ Cosmo is quick to wrap his arms around you, giving you a bright smile. "Besides, you know how much we love watching you distract anyway."

☁ Which too a degree was true. They loved seeing you in your element, thriving and shining like a shooting star.

☁ By the time Sprout is looking back, you're smothered between Astro and Cosmo, pushing away their murmurs of praise with bundles of laughter bursting from you. It makes him grin.

☁ But then the elevator stills and opens, only there's no footsteps. There's no signs of any twisteds at all actually. No commons, no passives, no mains. Just...empty. It's unsettling.

☁ With a look to each other, you and Goob are the first to step out, remaining cautious of the room around you. When you both make it into the center area, the rest slowly step out.

☁ "Is this a free floor?" Finn asks, nervously fiddling with his fingers.

☁ "Even free floors have twisteds." Vee answers, bringing her mic in front of her and tapping it. "Is this thing working?"

☁ Nothing is highlighted save for a small, wrapped up bundle near the broken elevator.

☁ Since you're faster than Goob, you slowly step forward, you're entire body tense as you spot said bundle.

☁ Astro and Sprout remain close enough they can target you if needed with Goob on standby in case the worst happens. None of them have ever seen anything like this before and have no idea what it even is.

☁ Vee, Finn and Gigi move on to finish three of the machines with the fourth primed right next to elevator, all giving the signal to go.

☁ So you do. You walk up to it and begin by kicking it slightly. It doesn't move and you move to poking it. When nothing happens, you pick it up, examining it before slowly moving to open it. By the time the beige paper wrapped around it is pulled away, you're left with a small glass bottle. It looks like a smoke bomb.

☁ Rolling your eyes, you're already whining about how a smoke bomb got you all so riled up, dropping it front of you and watching it erupt into purple smoke around your figure.

☁ In hindsight, that should've been a sign. The final machine is finished and the elevator re appears, a few scattered giggles ringing out at the fluke floor.

☁ But you aren't laughing like normal.

☁ Sprout notices immediately, glancing at Astro and Cosmo, who are already looking at him. They've noticed it too.

☁ Just as they're about to say something, the cards plop down, and you immediately vote on the Penny pincher one, turning to them with a soft, almost strained smile.

☁ "Are you...feeling okay, bud?" Sprout asks, watching as Astro rests the back of his hand on your forehead. His grimace does little reassure them.

☁ "Do you need a heal?" Cosmo pipes up next, placing a hand on Sprout's shoulder as he does. "Or a pop? Maybe you have low blood sugar."

☁ You shake your head, which seems like a bad move as you sway, Astro having to catch you as you stumbled.

☁ "Okay, I'm calling it-" Sprout's declaring as he steps towards the lever to return to the lobby before you're stopping him with a call of his name.

☁ "Sprout! No, I'm fine, just a little dizzy! It'll pass. We need the shelly research!" You had been positively adamant on getting shelly back since getting Vee, knowing she was the last main. They were sure it's because you knew Shelly and Astro were good friends and that was probably influencing your need to get it done as fast as possible.

☁ "Starlight, I'm sure it can wait." Astro adds, holding you much closer as you continue to sway. "You can barely stand upright and you have a fever. How long have you been feeling unwell?"

☁ "I was fine!" Your face scrunches as you fight for balance. "I promise. I don't know what happened!"

☁ The voting ends and everyone is immediately rewarded with the tapes. Most are handed right over to Sprout, who pockets them in case of an emergency, but there's a disturbance. He can't feel the energy of the tapes as well as Dandy, or even Pebble for that matter, but he can tell the magic within them is wavering somewhere. Looking over, he can tell where.

☁ "Bud?" He prods once more, and your head shakes again, this time taking our your legs as punishment for the movement. Astro once more catches you as Sprout demands the run be finished, Vee already at the lever, while Cosmo leaves his side to check you over.

☁ By all accounts, on the surface, you're fine. But Sprout can tell. He can feel it in the wave the magic of the tapes seems to cling to you. Looking at Astro, he can tell too.

☁ Maybe bringing you away from the tapes until...whatever this is passes is for the best, despite your refusals.

☁ The elevator is brought up and Astro scoops your form into his arms and against his chest, carrying you out and in the direction of your room.

☁ "You guys are as stubborn as mules!" You scoff out, struggling against the hold your in. "I'm fine. It was a dizzy spell! It-" You pause as you groan, curling into yourself and making Astro freeze. Sprout and Cosmo are right there, hands already buzzing with energy, yet, it's not needed.

☁ With the close proximity, he can feel the magic in the tapes get yanked, pulled into a physical manifestation. Then there's a scream. Looking over, they watch Finn scramble to get away as a donkey manifests itself in front of him. It's made out of tree bark and sticks with leaves for a mane, standing there and giving a bored bleat.

☁ You look over at it from Astro's shoulder, blinking at it and everyone's gaping face before wilting. "Okay, maybe it wasn't just a smoke bomb."

☁ There's a flurry of motion as Toodles runs towards her newly proclaimed pony, naming it Oakley of all things. Rodger is rushing, trying to pry her away while the others are trying to figure out just where Oakley came from.

☁ None of you stick around, the boys quickly bringing you to the bedroom and setting you on the bed. You look marginally better, leaning against Astro, who strokes your fur back, even as he watches Sprout pace in front of the bed. Cosmo is fiddling with his hands, standing to the side and bouncing in place as he opens his mouth over and over again, trying to find the words.

☁ Finally, the cake roll settles on, "What was that?"

☁ This stalls Sprout as he pauses, whirling on his heel to face you. "You used tape magic. How'd you do it?"

☁ You raise a brow at this, silently asking him to continue. He does so. "The only non-main who can use tape magic is Teagan. But she can't extend that to anyone or anything but herself. That's exclusive to mains. So how-" He pauses, brows furrowing. "The thing- the thing on the floor on that last floor!"

☁ It's like an epiphany. " But that-" He stalls, swallowing before shaking his head. He'd look into it further. "What are you feeling now? Better at all?"

☁ You hum for second, rolling your head as you take inventory. "A little better. Sore, but...better." You answer. "I didn't know I could do that."

☁ "Could it really be a side effect from...whatever that was?" Cosmo asks.

☁ "Hard to say. Like Sprout said, using Tape magic to influence anything but yourself is exclusive to mains." Astro frowns, taking in the information. "Which brings up an assortment of questions about your history and that object. Perhaps it's turned you into a momentary main."

☁ "I don't feel different though!" You exclaim, Sprout catching one of the hands you flung up. He pokes at your palms and fingers, finding soft pads of flesh. You yank it back. "I've always had those!" You defend.

☁ "Easy, bud, I was making sure they weren't injured." He soothes and you reluctantly let him look at them again.

☁ "Can you do it again?" Cosmo asks. "Like... It happened because you were thinking of an animal right? And that animal showed up? Can you do it again?"

☁ "I don't know if we should be testing this. We're unaware of what it needs or what it entails-" Astro quickly cuts in, but it's too late as you immediately shout out "Cat!" and like magic, a cat plops into Astro's lap.

☁ All of you stare at the thing, which is made up of whipped cream and cake, strawberries making up it's flickering ears and a blueberry for a nose. When it mews, Sprout stumbles back, tripping over himself as Cosmo screeches, poor Astro caught between being trapped by the thing and staying with you.

☁ You immediately coo at it, picking it up, and snuggling into it as it gives you a happy purr, licking your face. When you pull it away, you give your best puppy dog eyes, staring at your gaping boyfriends. "Can we keep them?"

☁ "Where did that come from?!" Sprout exclaims, hands coming up to yank at his leaves while Astro's mouth hands open, hands hovering as if unsure what to do at this point. If this was the stress he brought to Sprout's life, he owed the berry so many apologies because what.

☁ Cosmo was the first to recover before slowly crawling onto the bed, making you turn to face him with the creature. It continued purring happily, sniffing at the offered hand before nuzzling into it, prompting Cosmo to pet it. "I mean...It doesn't look dangerous."

☁ "It literally came out of nowhere." Astro gaped, watching as you transferred the cat from your arms to Cosmo's, who let it lick at his face. "That's a cat. There's a cat."

☁ Digging through his wallet, Sprout's eyes nearly bulge out of his head. "The tapes. You used my tapes-" He's not upset, not at all, but that kind of reach was really unheard of.

☁ "There's a cat." Astro repeats once more, standing as he runs two of hands through his fur. "Oh my stars, there's a cat. In our room."

☁ "Do you not like cats?" Cosmo asks, tilting his head as the...creature crawls onto his shoulder if only to jump to his head, giving soft licks to the icing on top. It makes the cake roll laugh, which you're echoing before turning to Astro. "I'm sorry. If I had known I would've chosen a different animal. We don't have to keep it I promise."

☁ Astro blinks, as if stunned by that's what you two were hung up on. "What? No. No, I don't mind cats, but starlight. My star, my sun, my galaxy," Astro takes a breath as his hands fall, save for one that rubs between his eyes. "You made a cat appear out of literal thin air. That's a...That's impossible in actuality."

☁ "Super impossible." Sprout agrees, watching the thing strut from Cosmo's head to jump onto yours. You go cross-eyed trying to look up at it, grinning as it meows at you with one paw landing on your cheek so it can lick at your head. You giggle at it before grabbing it, holding it against you as it seems to burrow into your chest. He's man enough to admit that he's jealous of the cat, sneering at it.

☁ "Well, evidently not." Cosmo snickers, using his fingers to poke at the cat's paws. Their paw pads are made of jelly beans and Sprout has to admit it's a little cute. Running a hand down his face, he groans, only to glare at Astro as he gentle runs a hand down the cat's head, getting a thankful lick in return. "Astro!"

☁ The celestial looks startled at being caught, looking at Sprout before shrugging. "You gotta admit. It's a cute little thing."

☁ "It's a she!" You add, almost unhelpfully. "You know, if you think about it, it's kind of like our child!"

☁ You make it an Olympic sport to see how fast you can get all three of them varying degrees of flustered, Sprout swears on it. He's left stammering, looking for help from Astro-who's blue screened, blinking blankly at the cat who paws at his still hand- and Cosmo- who's too busy hiding his face in a pillow.

☁ cool. Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool. This was fine. Taking a breath, Sprout urges himself to push whatever feelings that were bubbling in him at the action down, taking a soothing breath. "Bud, that's a cat." And because he couldn't help himself, he added, "Plus, we know our kid would look much cuter."

☁ You flush, just as he expected you too, hiding your face in the cat. The only thing you can come up with is, "Dandy got a dog. Why can't I have a cat?"

☁ "Because it won't stop at a cat." Sprout has to explain, thinking back to Oakley in the living room. "What if the next time it's- I don't know- a dinosaur?!"

☁ "It won't be a dinosaur." You argue back. "Maybe a friend for Custard."

☁ "We are not naming her Custard!" Sprout hisses only to groan as he realized you caught him in your trap, hearing your "a-hah!' proclaiming victory.

☁ "So we can keep her!" You cheer, even if Sprout is debating suffocating you in your sleep later. "No! We can't! Because then it's one, then two! Then we're crazy cat people!"

☁ "We would not-"

☁ "If that were the case, wouldn't we already have a dog, dinosaur and like at least two more cats?" Cosmo suddenly pops up, his cheeks still very rosy.

☁ "True, we got...her, simply by Y/N mentioning a cat and Oakley by them saying the word Mule. It hasn't happened again and I still have all of my tapes." Astro adds on, smoothing out his fur and hair, readjusting his cap. "Maybe it's worn off."

☁ "Quick, before it's too late try for a cat again!" Cosmo eagerly demands, despite both Sprout and Astro shouting 'No!' at the prospect.

☁ You ignore them, shouting out cat once more. The only reaction you get is the cat in your arms pawing at you. You slump, frowning at losing the aspect. "Dang." You sigh. "Well, at least we got you out of it."

☁ "We can't get rid of her!" Cosmo pleads, handing off your shoulder to look up at Astro and Sprout, who cast a glance at each other. "I promise I'll be more careful on runs if we keep her!" He adds quickly.

☁ "Oh! Me too!" You add, joining Cosmo in giving them the puppy dog eyes.

☁ With a heavy groan, Sprout looks at Astro, who's smiling softly at the two of you. When the celestial looks over, Sprout knows he's lost him. "...It's just one cat."

☁ Sprout groans again, looking up to the roof as if there's some being up there seeing the same bullshit he's seeing. They're probably laughing at him.

☁ "Fine! But we're not naming it Custard! And I expect you to keep your promises or I swear I'm going for that favorite Uncle award and giving Toodles a new pet." He finally relents, extending a finger to the cat, who licks it before jumping into his arms as you and Cosmo cheer. For what it was worth, that cat was pretty cute.

☁ The cat ends up being names Blueberry cake (get it get it-), Blu for short. She's a happy-go-lucky kitty who purrs and licks everyone when one of you is in the room, only to throw an absolute hissy fit when you leave. If Blue is left alone with anyone without having you, Cosmo, Sprout or Astro in sight, she refuses to let anyone touch her, hissing and swatting at anyone brave enough. The second one of you return though, she's all purrs and happy mews.

☁ She sleeps on pebble who sleeps on your bed, sorry I don't make the rules.

☁ Oakley is still around too, but stays outside where he prefers it. You obviously earned worlds greatest aunt/uncle/nibling for that, even if Rodger curses your name for it. Toodles loves it and thats the most important part.

☁ Blu also comes on runs sometimes! The first time it happens, it was an accident, but one that Sprout begrudgingly appreciates as she has an uncanny ability to sniff out tapes no matter how hidden they are.

☁ And before you ask, yes. Sprout absolutely is the dad that said he didn't want a pet and would now literally kill a man for Blu.

☁ As you said after all, she's pretty much your child :)

[leithillustration]

I’ve not done an end of year round up before, but here goes! Thank you @monbons and @iamamythologicalcreature for the tags, and @aristocratic-otter for the encouragement. Seeing everyone’s roundups has been really wholesome and enlightening. 

I often don’t give my successes much space for celebration as they tend to get drowned out by the noise of all my mental health difficulties, so this is an exercise in acknowledging the good things from 2024, as well as allowing space for the things I’ve struggled with (while trying not to sound too jaded and cynical 😅). This is a long one so everything is under the cut.

Landmarks: A few significant things

My border collie Simm turned 10

My godson turned 1

I lived with one of my best friends @hattedhedgehogfor 3 months during a time that otherwise would have been rubbish, but he made the whole summer a fun adventure

Inspired by Harry, I made a hand sewn Georgian shirt with ridiculous billowy sleeves. I’ve yet to find an occasion to wear it, but I hold out hope for 2025.

I played DragonAge for the first time (Inquisition) and was not normal about it. The above banner is my Inquisitor Dadron (named for his dad energy and likeness to Ron Swanson)

I started sharing my creative writing on Ao3 for the first time

Took more control over self care and my mental health

Achievements Unlocked: Heath Stuff

I love that some 2024 reviews share personal experiences living with health problems. It’s really validating to see that. It's so easy to forget other people struggle too, they just might not want to share that online. So before I get to the creative things I've done in 2024… watch me over share my health stuff??

Finished seeing my EMDR therapist First time in 4 years I’ve been without any kind of therapy and it’s terrifying but making me work on myself in a new way. Not sure I’m done with EMDR forever, or talking therapy, but I spent a year with a therapist I didn’t vibe with and it sort of added more issues to the pile, so I’m glad I left them.

Dumped GenderGP They replaced a load of their services (including doctors) with AI. After 2 years of treatment under them, I felt so betrayed and worthless. Thankfully I’ve still got a supply of testosterone for now.

Had a minor breakdown in July Work, house stuff, gender things and mental health all got the better of me in July. Things were incredibly bleak for a while there. Surviving is hard sometimes, but I am still here so taking that as a win.

Switched to a new NHS gender care waitlist Was 3 years into a possible 6-7 year wait for a London clinic. Now I am in year 1 of a possible 2-3 year wait for Nottingham. No idea if moving was a good call or not ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

Got on a private gender care wait list for a top surgery referral Yeah, UK trans private health care also has huge wait lists. No idea how long this one is, but I’ve been on it since August and haven’t heard anything yet

Got an ADHD diagnosis!! I am classic ADD, go figure. Had to go private for this too (who needs savings, right?) but I’m now in my 4th week of ADHD meds. It’s been A Time but it’s giving me hope (a tenuous, vulnerable thing) that maybe things won’t always be this hard.

Self Employment: Life as an illustrator in 2024

Always a mixed bag, made all the more challenging by the above health stuff, AI, and the general state of the economy, but in spite of this I have done the following:

Sold work at 6 events Norwich Queer Fest, Harrogate Airecon, UK Games Expo, Norwich Pride, Birmingham MCM, Norwich QueerFestmas. I was filled with imposter syndrome for most of these events, and I’m always very fatigued after, but I know it is good to push myself out of my comfort zone sometimes and I do enjoy meeting likeminded people and seeing people engage with my work. I had some wonderful interactions and I’m so grateful to everyone who came to say hi.

Did 2 actual IRL paintings I hadn’t painted with acrylics at all since around 2020 when I got an iPad. This year I decided to check I can still paint by hand and turns out I’m still ok at it.

Exhibited at a local gallery I also hadn’t exhibited in galleries since around 2018, so taking part in a group exhibition with my new paintings felt like a fun (and scary) opportunity this year.

Storyboarded ‘Unravelled’ graphic novella Unravelled is a horror story about knitting, written by LP Mills. Storyboarding this was a challenge since it required a level of focus I struggle to maintain, but I’m so pleased I was able to do it.  Sadly the kickstarter (that would have paid myself and Mills to fully illustrate and print it) wasn’t successful this year, but we’re holding out hope for future funding.

Illustrated ‘Football Crumpets’ play Football Crumpets is a queer audio comedy written by Lucie Isle. I made a series of character designs and spot illustrations for to advertise the Kickstarter campaign. This campaign was successful and the comedy is now in the process of being recorded by Lucie and her diverse cast of voice actors.

Experienced the worst client of my life I won’t go into detail as this broke me, I lost someone I thought was a friend, and I’ve struggled to build up confidence since. But discussing the experience with fellow creatives made me realise almost everyone has had a client from hell at one point or another. Lessons learned: Always write up a contract in advance and question anything you’re not sure about. Don’t compromise on your work boundaries for friends.

Had 3 character commissions Dramatically down from last year and I wonder how much is due to AI and no one having any money. Who knows! I love illustrating people’s OCs and Dnd characters, and the commissions I did get have been really fun. Two of them are in the banner above this section 👆

Snowbaz & Fandom Adventures

This is only the second year I’ve engaged with the lovely Snowbaz community and I am so glad I pushed myself to do it. I’ve made some wonderful friends and I’m sharing my writing publicly for the first time in years. I’ve not done much compared to most, but I’m trying to pace myself so I don’t burn out and stop enjoying it. I’m hoping to be healthier this year thanks to new meds, so with any luck I’ll be able to do a bit more than in 2024.

Snow On Ice (writer) (M, 3.8K words, chapter 1/12ish) For CORB 24 with concept and artwork by @iamamythologicalcreature is one of the first two fics I’ve ever shared on Ao3 and I’m loving every second of writing this!!

Boundless (writer) (T, 4.5K words, chapter 1/5) Also for CORB 24, this time with @cattocavo This one has taken a bit of a back seat as I’ve discovered the hard way that I can’t write two large fics at once (curse my limitations!!!) but I’m looking forward to getting back to this when I can, especially since Catto has already produced so much incredible artwork for it and it needs to be shared!!!

On Every Wall (artist) (E, 24K, chapters 2/2)written by @orange-peony for CORB 24. I love drawing these boys so much, dammit. It was so good working with Peony and seeing her story unfold based off my indulgent artwork (an edit of which is in the above banner). I wanted to draw so much more for this fic, but health and work got in the way.

Fics that have brought me comfort and joy:

I get through a lot of Ao3 fics, but wanted to give a shout out to the fics that have stayed with me long after reading them. I cannot get over the healing power of writing and how incredible it is that so many of us can find common ground in this way. 

Someone Wicked The first is @artsyunderstudy’s Someone Wicked (Snowbaz, E, Chapters). It wrecked me and then built me back up again in the best way possible. Seeing their artwork is always an inspiration too, and I have listened to their Something Wicked Playlist about a billion times. Like any well adjusted normal person, right??

Blame it on My Youth (Andreil AFTG, E, 1.5M words, Chapters 136/?) I still owe @yourficstheyglow a lengthy Ao3 comment on how much this fic has changed my life. It’s held my hand and encouraged me to look after myself better over the past 6 months in a way therapy never has. I vibed with their depiction of Neil SO HARD. His reluctance to engage with mediation and journalling is so relatable. Along with his frustration at people forever suggesting it to him, and then his irritation that it actually helps a bit. 😂 Reading about Neil shopping around for therapists, working on his communication and downloading self care apps (even though he hates it all every step of the way) has resulted in me printing out charts to help identify my emotions, making a spreadsheet of potential therapists to approach when I’m ready, journaling for the first time in yeeeears and getting a handle on my mental health in a way I never really have before. I even downloaded the stupid Finch app (after years of people suggesting it to me) because Neil did (I named by bird Neil). When I’ve felt lonely and sad, I’ve found reassurance and safety in Neil and Andrew being soft with each other, exploring their boundaries as Andrew works through his trauma from SA, stepping outside of their comfort zones, trusting each other and respecting each other’s limitations. 

Of Cats and Closed Doors (Fitzloved Rote, E, 785K words, Chapters 77/?) I’ve been dipping in and out of this fic by @tragediegh for a good 18 months now, if not longer. I am full of love for the Farseer Trilogy books and ate them up a few years ago. The Liveship Traders came next but then I got too in my head to ready the Tawny Man trilogy, since Fitz and the Fool are so dear to me I didn’t know how to handle them going through more trauma. I just want them to hug and kiss and be loved so badly!! Ellipsis provided a monumental dose of comfort and healing in this fic. It’s become my personal canon. Last year, thanks to this fic, I finally had the courage to start reading The Tawny Man trilogy. I’m on to book 2 now and although I am terrified, I know I can come back to Of Cats and Closed Doors to remind myself in Ellipsis’ universe everything turns out ok!

I think that'll do for 2024! Tags here are to say I appreciate you and thank you for chilling with me in the tumblrverse.

@youarenevertooold @iamamythologicalcreature @alexalexinii @cattocavo @that-disabled-princess

@orange-peony @cutestkilla @rimeswithpurple @larkral @best--dress

@scribble-tier @theimpossibledemon @artsyunderstudy @raenestee @thewholelemon

@nightimedreamersworld @itriednottothinkaboutit @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @angelsfalling16

@the-beard-of-edward-teach @monbons @katatsumuli

@aristocratic-otter @snowbazdaily @argumentativeantitheticalg @lovelyladzzzz @eremeldanin

[spotaus]

YAYAYA!!!!! (On pc so I'm not screenshotting it but permission to infodump has been granted and I am GOING!!!!)

Okay, so, gonna give an EXTREMELY brief overview of Ec-4o.verse because I'm not sure how much you've seen if anything, or how much I've posted about the worldbuilding- If you want you can skip this! I'll add in like a red word when I start talking specifically about Cross I think, haha!

So, Ec-4o.verse isn't a multiverse in the average sense, mainly because it's all set in one world (kinda like New Age is, no multiverse shenanigans). It's set far, far, far into the future of a normal Undertale timeline, where Monsters were able to escape True Pacifist style and re-integrate into the above world with Humans. Where it changes, is that a few hundred years later, with the use of magic, technology made a HUGE upward tik. Like, you think the industrial revolution went hard? Think that times like. 200. And it was because they started syphoning natural magic out of the environment. This, eventually, leads to the environment dying, so in order to save it, monsters all across the world agree to basically jumpstart nature by broadcasting their magic, everything they don't need to live, back into the world, and everyone would slow down on using nature magic to power things. Monsters, at this point, no longer have magic to spare for bullet patterns or summoned weapons or fancy tricks like teleportation or fire magic. Everyone turns to alternative sources, tech slows for a while, then ramps back up when nature has healed a good 50-ish years later.

By this point, people, both monsters and humans, have begun to feel the kickback from releasing the magic to the environment those years ago. Magic comes back, better and more versatile. Like a gift for choosing to do better. Only to certain people, though. So, these people work hard to find ways to better life for everyone, again through technology, without sapping all the resources and such. Yadda yadda, time skip, Ectos are one of manynew investions meant to be sustainable and logical! Ectos are basically a fancy name for robots, androids, mechanical servants, workers, performers, etc. Ectos are a big game changer, and allow an almost utopian future for monster and humans alike. (Ectos provide the niche of the oppressed, as well. Most Ectos are non-sentient, mass-produced and sharing the same basic objectives. Others were created, modified, or upgraded by Techies, monster and humans who have a higher degree of control over magic and have been trained to infuse it with technology to make things more efficient, longer lasting, or, with some luck, sentient. Alive. But no matter if they're sentient or not, Ectos are on the bottom of the food chain.)

Something, something, years pass and the continent the story takes place on begins to become overpopulated. That utopia is looking like it's in grave danger due to lack of resources and a bunch of other factors. So, the power in charge? the Unnamed Government? They decide they have a solution. The long and short of it is, bomb the big cities, bio-weapon the smaller ones, and send in Ectos to do the clean-up work. They recall any and all ectos for a 'mass update', modify them, overwrite their primary objectives and instead give them a single command. The need to hit a group quota. Once they cull a certain amount of living beings (humans/monsters), they are to shut down and wipe their data. Basically, giant massacre that leaves the government in tact (they plan to play it off as a malicious hacker infiltrating them mid-update) and only so many citizens left to deal with and rule over when it's done.

The attack... halfway happens. Most of the bombs and bioweapons get out, and the troops are deployed, and it lasts years. But. Not *enough* years to make the culling protocol. At some point? Every single piece of tech in the country powers down, completely dead, including Ectos. By this point it's an apocolyptic setting where new generations have to rise up out of the rubble and rebuild and learn to live without technology they so relied on, and with the natural world struggling to recover as well. About 5 years after the war is stopped? In comes Blue, the protagonist, and a Techie. He's trying to start up a repair shop with his brother, and can't seem to stop accidentally uncovering big mysteries and meeting all these people who survived the war who want to see him succeed in his goals. (<- In this time, Tech has started to naturally start to recover too, as the 'electricity' relies on natural magic, and natural magic is slowly powering back up too, so things like screens, cars/trucks, and Ecto are reawakening.)

Okay. Now, Cross in this au is an Ecto, so a robot! A lot of ectos like him are very realistic, with only screens or bolts to tell them apart from other monsters. Back before the war, Cross worked as a security guard style bot. I'm not sure *where* exactly, maybe some high-profile government office, but he had it pretty good. He was loyal, and was a lot more focused on neuralizing threats for his design, but because he was an internal bot, no one ever made it far enough to require his intervention.

During the process of Ectos being recalled and remodeled, Cross was one of the last to be sent, and as a sentient bot, he was given more specific commands (usually sentient Ectos were given more complex orders, most often they were told to hunt down specific targets, or lead other non-sentient ectos to make sure none of them were damaged or in disrepair and unable to work). Cross was given a specific job by the programmer who modified him: Protect The Files. Cross was kept in a government building, away from the combat and the chaos. instead, he was a stationary guard bot for a very particular room. (Cross' story intersects a lot with Error's here so I gotta get into Error a bit to explain Cross, haha!)

In that room, was Error. Cross never knew him as anything beyond 'The Files', but Error was another sentient Ecto. one with a LOT of storage space in his frame. Error used to be a library ecto, one who worked in the catacombs and the shelves, documenting history for the fun of it, and so customers could ask him about topics and where to find files rather than looking on their own. He had an irregular amount of storage space, and so when he was brought in, he was designated one of several ectos who would act as a server for. Well. Literally any human knowledge the government wanted saved after the destruction of the mainframes in big cities. Error's movement modules were disconnected and he was flooded with information. (Unlike the others, he was allowed to keep his sentience, as his processing mainframe survived the transfer and he could still communicate with the people who asked him questions and needed information.) Ofc as more and more flowed in, Error had a hard time keeping his own memories from before, and accessing the files degraded pretty much all of his software, like the vocal synthesizer and the processing units.

All of that said? Cross was the one guarding that room. he let people in who needed in, stopped anyone who wasn't allowed, and silenced people with force if they were persistant enough. At this time, because his objective was rewired, he thought nothing of it aside it being his job. Though, there was one person who he could never quite remember, who would pass through. They were on the database, but hidden away, not in plain sight . they were allowed, though, so he let them through.

Now, when everything went down, that includes Cross. He malfunctioned and powered down right infront of the door to The Files, his blade wedged into the lock, basically sautering the door closed. (His protocols reacted to some unseen command, he doesn't know why he did that.) He's like that for several years.

Until, of course, Blue stumbles across him. By the time Blue finds Cross (and Error in turn), he's already caught up in whatever the hell is going on with this government conspiracy, but he's also just a friendly fellow. He's excited to take Cross and Error back to his shop and get them all fixed up and running, just like he'd done for Nightmare and Dream. But, he hauls Cross back first. Error is hooked up to a lot of wires, and Blue isn't sure if taking him out of them would be good for his set-up. When he repairs Cross, Cross is in a panic. His protocol to protect The Files is still there, just not in the lead anymore. He's confused, he barely remembers what he was doing for the past however many years, he doesn't know who these people are, and his internal gps is saying he's miles and miles from his secondary objective (the first one has been set back to 'Live'). It takes some effort to calm him down, and even more effort to get him to speak. Essentially, Nightmare has to pin him to sit on the workbench and actually listen to Blue explain the situation before they all get hurt.

It's only when Blue mentions wanting to repair 'the ecto all wrapped in wires' that something in Cross' protocols give him the greenlight to relax. These people align with his objectives. From there on out he has a bit of a struggle to beat the compulsions from his tampered orders, but Dream and Nightmare have experience working past those commands of their own, so they're able to help him. At least until Error is back with them at the workshop. (Cross is like the voice that Error loses sometimes. Error hates when people repair him, tamper with his files, try to access files, etc. The programmer who visited him often would tell him things then lock the information away from him, and sometimes boot out bits of his own personality files or memories to make undetected space. Error can't express it, goes nonverbal on occassions, but Cross has a weird link to him to show when he's in distress (same programmer, both of them are uncomfortable to realize they have that link initially) and Cross is able to act for him or speak to defend him.)

Now, for other silly fun facts!

Cross is small. Like, small-small. Nightmare is like 1 1/2 Cross' tall, and can lift him up like a medium-sized dog if he so desired. (Cross and Night have a good friendship in Ec-4o. Mainly because Night siphons energy from tech, and Cross finds that, ever since the mainframe alterations, he has issues regulating his energy levels. Night is willing to help him, they spend time in close proximity, find out they actually like hanging out. Also, Cross and Night are both extremely protective, like, without command protocols, so they bond over caring about their friends.

His blades are stylistic choices made by those who commissioned him initially! Most Ectos are designed with long-range fighting in mind, so lazers, guns, aoe blasts, etc. Because Cross would only encounter people inside a facility, in close quarters, he was given more effective weapons! Blades! For people, he can just stab and kill. For bots, the blades tend to install a virus (like, airdropping it) into any bot it can slice down to the wires on. The virus slowly but surely corrupts a processing system into seeing Cross (or his benefactors) as the target master rather than whoever is registered to the bot, effectively neutralizing it. This can be undone, but not often, and Cross doesn't know how.

Cross' fit is a weird amalgamation of his old uniform when he worked in the government building, and neww scraps. Error made it, I think, as a theraputic hobby. Cross rarely lets it out of his sight.

Andddd I think that's where I'll stop for now. Unlike Ichor and Pretender and a lot of other ocs, I don't have a set like... brain filifng cabinet for this guy yet (more aesthetic than story rn since I never got around to doing much writing for Ec-4o) but I hope you liked this little infodump!! If there's aything else ur curious about lemmee know? (And this is in general, most of my other blorbos have lore as well!)

after two weeks, 8 hours of work AND AN HOUR OF EXPORTING A SPEEDPAINT THE FUCK IS THIS

@spotaus he's here

461736 different versions and speedpaint below

[pitconfirm]

Time for an out of context AC pic

good evening

THANK YOU ANGEL... and he is right. I miss that weird little cat

[fromtheseventhhell]

Remember George's outline notes that had "joy of giving" and "mercy at the gate" for Arya? Mercy is crossed out and we obviously have that as her sample chapter, so what if Arya's next alias is "Joy"? Over-thinking the significance of that phrase and how it could apply to the rest of her Braavos arc🤔

[karfild]

thinking about this again.... he name d. he named it..

[vigilantesyth]

Damian wayne head cannon, bro is either over dressed or underdressed but always in style. The Wayne's tend to just pick a stugle some times as Dick, Jason ans steph and known for being in tight/short/ skimpy fits with loads of accessories and Bruce, Tim, babs, cas and Duke tend to do a...lot because why show up if it's not to show up? They are beautiful humans and they show off. Damian is from a place where everyone dressed over accessorised.

You can not convince me that the RAs don't walk around with gold/silver/broz/metal and gems apart of every fit.and everyone dose it too just they the main blood line is extra about it something about the wight helps training and you can't go around looking homeless if your a ra. So dami comes with his own gems why thank you and gets more 'anonymously'. It's also a good way to get in his good graces or earn is help or silence(this is abused by the family on 'don't tell xxxx').

So some days you see Damian in this 50 layer kimono because he favourite anime character of the week died or in botty shorts and a crop top (Both with mannny accessories) because he just felt like it.

Mind you he is still wearing heavy jewellery so people do try to rob him. But he is Damain, his rep is of a wild but beautiful dog. He dose bite he also has security detail thanks to his mother and grandfather that only do nothing if they themselves send assassin's to harm him.

He knows everyone knows. They are his old servants and nanny's he acts like it too. Alfred likes the extra help and plays card games with them. One of the mannor floors is dedicated to Damains 'guards'.

Witch leads me to another au.

The nanny's and servants help with house work alot so alf have more time with the family and the family gets to know them as well but they know the servants don't need to awnser to them and it's only because Damain likes them it happens. They are loyal af.

One time burce asked Damain why can't he act like kids his age at the time. The only kids outside of his siblings he knew was the rich brats at school.

This gose wrong fast.

As damaian has them disguise themselves in a mall area and plan for a meeting with one of his classmates who talked bad about his mother one day to come fight.

Damaian had an outing with a 'friend' that day conveniently.

So they met at the mall the kid had like 10 guards all buff and some with guns. Damaian smirked, and like a demon who won a prize, he started cackling.

Brat" why ate you laughing your surrounded "

Somebody was recording in the background BTW. There was even a crowd. When the guards surrounded him he grinned and clapped.

His guards sand up some dropping trays and lifting guns, others lifting knives. All looking at the small crowd of 11.

D: "No you are surrounded"

People in the crowd gasp as more jumps from. The 3rd floor to the 2nd floor some hand off wires with more guns by now even some coming out of the crowd with more weponds totalling to almost 300 men and women.

D"now what was it you said about my mother?being a broke, whore?"

He lifted his hands and grined eith a glint in his eyes.

"Everyone around you is an enemy shawn. You best kneel and beg before me for forgiveness before I have them wiped you off the map."

By this time the crowd was growing and it was on the news all asking who the armed people worked for.

Then they turned red in the center from Sniper aims and it becomes national news it's on NBC and BBC how some wayne kid plans to kill a classmate with 100 men and 40 snipers for being disrespectful to his mother talking about how Bruce is letting his kids use his money.

Then a chopper appears because damain is dramatic he came that way and his family *caough * Dick *caough * made it worst.

His grandfather walks out in all his glory, and it becomes known to the world as it is now world news it has the kids' parents showing up even. That Damian is a part of the Al Gulh royal family, and they came out of hiding because of the disrespect they faced in a school. The parent where bowing a grovelling to spare them. Then talia shows up in her crown princess clothes. It makes RA act even bolder because she often refuses to wear clothes he gives her. She apologized for the mess her son and father cause on international news.

The a chopper came over from the Korean royal family asking who disrespected their family.

Damnian becomes international overnight. His mother and grandfather now have Twitter, and so do the very much hidden in the plane sight empire. While the world want to know what land is, they refuse to talk about it.

And Bruce is pissed he scolds him and then some when he reaches home. Damaian said.

"You said 'why don't I act like other kids' I acted like my classmates are you happy now?"

Bruce sinks in defeat and noe has to make up a story as to hoe he and talia met and now has to fit royal meeting into Damains schedule as the korean[ he didn't know ] side of family also wants turns with him and his siblings if they wish to come. Ras is the same and nobody questions damians linage again.

And all racist comments stop in his presents, his slate wiped clean anyone who offended him where either expelled or conveniently disappeared. Gotham acts like it's an every day thing and now news reporters and other people try to dig into his life more than the other Wayne's forming sort of a protection for them because who cares I'd Jason and Tim had a gun fight in the middle of Gotham (paint gun) all of Gotham didn't care because they too also joined into to the mess.

Damain looks actually too tired to care now because too much is on his plate and he can't get work related injuries else take a leave of absence which last time made international news again, he played off the brused lip as he lost a tooth while reading a book and it fell on his face. Had to get check out infount of t.v to confirm it by at least two nations doctors. All 3 of them did and confirmed the sooth got shook out by something falling on his face. [It was jon. Jon fell on his face].

Damian also has to walk around with food testers and his school released his gardeds once to show off and his private touters [smartest people in the world] showed thier certificates from when he was a child of him being thr smartest kid they have ever thought.

It's not the end of it, Damain now basically sits and eats at galas because who has the standing to talk to him, both good and bad because everyone is watching him and he don't have to talk to them.

(I'm just building help:^

I need to stop alright one more

Sick as fuck rn )

Damains clothes become trendy and scrutinised. Because look at this, he is either over dressed or under dressed but never worse dressed and refuses to care about gender or cultural norms. Once, we wore a whole silk gown to a beach, like the after divorce, or just married a rich man type gown with the slit and everything with heavy jewellery, garter belt and that toe chain that ties up to your calves with a parasol.

(In my cannon, he looks more like talia than Bruce)

[flare-the-pyrowing]

Folks

I just obtained

My very own copy

Of Slay the Princess

I'M SO EXCITED FOR IT TO DOWNLOAD AND TO FINALLY PLAY IT FOR MYSELF AFTER A YEAR :DDDDD

[cyberpunkboytoy]

My DID-having ass is experiencing so much world-envy for the fictional country of Vaugarde I'm going to throw up