#i really dabble in all sorts of stuff

[for-my-mind-to-run-around-free]

I just attempted digital painting for the first time in my life. I have gained respect for the fanartists out there on another level. That shit takes time and effort more than anyone can imagine. 

[steviewashere]

I want to write something sort of meta, hear me out on it. Sorry, if this hits too close to home. The idea came to me and I needed to get it out of my system. And...would you look at that, another half-written fic.

Steve ends up getting really into Star Wars after Dustin shows him to it. Like, so much that he gets himself involved with conventions, cosplay, collecting anything and everything he can. He's involved in a fandom space. Learns the world of fan fiction. And let's say that maybe, during his time figuring out where he wants to go with life, he picks up writing fanfic as a hobby.

It encourages him to get an English degree. Encourages him to lean more into that hobby, but then expanding upon it to write original short stories and small novels that go published. But he holds strong to Star Wars and fandom and finding his spot cemented in it. He's been a fan for...nearly forty years at this point (set in 2024, ugh I know).

And maybe he dabbles in online spaces here and there. He ignores the insufferable adults in the Star Wars fandom (the "um, actually..." guys, btw). Indulges the effort of typing out his handwritten fan fiction, ones he used to bring and pass around at conventions, ones he'd let Eddie read with a shy look in his eyes. And he posts them online, has a Tumblr account, maybe does a few short things on Twitter, definitely is on AO3 (albeit newer, having never attempted online fan work before).

But then...then he gets his first little bit of hate. Vicious, gross comments on his work. Sometimes in private messages. Even publicly, once, on Twitter. It irks him. He holds strong, he does. But then it gets worse and worse and somehow, worse. Younger people claiming he's too old, others claiming that he can't write for certain characters because they're out of his age range, that he can't ship certain people, he can't say that a character would do this or that, that Star Wars is media for a younger audience (despite being somebody who saw it "back in the day"). But that he...That he's not supposed to be there.

And that last little comment sticks with him for a long time. It makes his effort and his attention and his love for writing fanworks falter. He stops. Thinks about the characters he loves, of Leia and Han or even Luke and Han or Lando and Han (listen he loves writing Han). But then he wonders if it's even worth it, to indulge this interest anymore. Yeah, maybe he's older than the source material. Sure, maybe he was introduced to it a little later than most, but that doesn't mean he doesn't love it. Yet, his attention towards Star Wars completely falls away.

He stops watching it. His DVDs going dusty and unused. Starts putting away all his action figures, because what if he posts a photo one day and somebody sees them and claims that that's not for him and���

Then, he goes completely offline from fandom. Even if he still gets the emails from users who actually enjoy his stuff, ignoring them completely. Focuses on using the internet for work. For his novels, for the little stories he actually gets paid to write. But his work just isn't the same. The passion, despite being an original story and original source material, is completely dwindled.

His hobby has been stripped from him. His interest has been knocked straight out of his hands. And he just...moves on.

Even if it hurts to go down into the basement of he and Eddie's home, eyes catching on the see-through bins of original action figures, Lego sets, comic books. Even if it makes something strangle in his chest when he opens up the browser on his phone and it immediately opens to a new ship he'd been getting into: Din Djarin/Luke Skywalker—because he finally picked up The Mandalorian, because he was finally talked into watching it when he had the free time.

And then it all bursts over when Eddie finally approaches him about it, when they're enjoying a night-in, sitting around lazily on their sofa.

"There's a convention coming into town," he comments, "supposedly, Hayden Christensen is going to be there. We should go, try and meet him."

Steve just grunts in response.

"Oh-kay...or we could just stay home and watch the movie?" Eddie suggests. "Been a while since I've seen Darth on screen, telling Luke about"—

"I don't want to," Steve cuts in quietly, "isn't really my thing anymore."

Silence then follows. For a beat. Then two. A third.

"Not your thing?" Eddie asks him incredulously. "Not too long ago you were raving all about that new show that's coming out! That you saw they were doing lightsaber whips and you were excited to see how they worked! What do you mean it's 'not your thing'?"

Steve shrugs. "Grew out of it or whatever. Got more important things to focus on now." He sniffs, trying to keep himself held together, grumpy and firm in his decision.

Eddie's stare drills into the side of his face. Scalding, just like that lava was in Revenge of The Sith. "Baby," he speaks softly, "did something happen? You haven't even...you don't read your beautiful little stories to me anymore. In fact, now that I think about it, I haven't even seen your lightsabers around here. What's goin' on?"

He fiddles with the hem of his shirt. A ratty plain white t-shirt that he wears now when he's lounging around the house. It used to be one with the Millennium Falcon on it, but that's tucked down far in his dresser. Not for him anymore.

"Steve," Eddie presses, "did something happen?"

His stare stays down at his lap, still fiddling with his shirt. Fingers flexing unfamiliarly in the strings, unlike the loose ones on his Star Wars shirts. "I just"—Steve heaves a deep sigh—"it's time I grow up. It's...not for me anymore. Too old for it now, I guess."

"You guess or you know? Because nobody's too old for anything. Unless, y'know, you're like eighty-nine and in terrible health and trying to hike Everest, then..."

Despite everything, Steve finds himself chuckling. A giddy little sound here and gone in a breath. He shrugs again, albeit smaller this time. Crumbling within himself. Quietly, honestly, he admits, "People were being mean to me about it online. About my writing. That I'm doing it wrong, that I—that I'm too old for it. That I don't belong because of my age." He finally brings himself to look at Eddie, blearily because his eyes are aching and wet. "I got to thinking and I...maybe I've just been too caught up in my own bliss to realize that those people are right. They're right and I shouldn't be into kids stuff anymore."

Eddie makes a soft, sad cooing noise in the back of his throat. "Oh, baby," he breathes. "Baby, those people don't know a single damn thing about your love. But...but I do. I know that you've seen every single Star Wars movie more times than I've probably eaten in my entire life. And what about all those Halloween costumes over the years? I didn't dress up like Leia for nothing, Mr. Solo."

Steve scoffs wetly. Goes to protest, but—

"And...and that handshake! The one with Dustin? You guys have had that for nearly forty fucking years! So, why bother indulging any of these...these hardasses on the internet? Did they sit next to you on the sofa as you fucking curled yourself like a shrimp and wrote every little intricate detail of a kiss between Luke and Han? Have they read your work while you blushed all shy, while you tucked your hair behind your ear and asked for the most earnest of feedback, to make sure you spelt things correctly or put a comma in the right place? These people, did they get to see you blossom and grow like a fucking bushel of roses over your hobby?

"Because I know I did. And even though you were nervous about your words on the paper, you still came to me. You still wrote and wrote and wrote until I had to bully you into breaks, just so you wouldn't ruin your poor wrists. If they had even an ounce of the passion that you do, they could write their own stories. They can make their own endings and make the characters the way they imagine them.

"They choose, instead, to—what—make fun of you because you have a space to express yourself? Because you found passion and turned it into something so beautiful, even I—a dungeon master, someone supposed to be amazing at storytelling—can't put into words? You found a way to do that, Steve. And you do that with kindness. You do it for free, mind you. If their only passion sits within sending you vitriol over people who aren't even remotely close to real, then they're the ones who don't belong.

"If I've learned anything, fandom is a space to share and bounce off each other's words. It's community and it's belonging and it's sharing what you love because you just love it. Fandom isn't bullying. Bullying is just bullying, Steve.

"And everything you've ever done in your life, in regards to fandom and outside of it, is so much better than hate. You may be a nerd or...or a little bit overzealous or whatever, but at least you aren't hateful. I think being hateful, that's worse—don't you think?"

Steve can only stare in response, fast tears down his cheeks, hands shaking in his shirt. Mind reeling. Because, yes, Eddie's right. And he maybe should've talked about it initially, but the hurt festered and festered and tangled and grew until he was nothing but an unhealed scab. And Eddie, he's the antiseptic to his uncovered cuts—the ones deep on his heart, where all his love is—even for things considered mundane, like movies, like TV shows.

"Steve," Eddie carefully murmurs, wrapping Steve's hands with his own, "you don't have to do something right to love it. You don't have to be a certain way to be happy. If Star Wars made you happy, then why give it up?"

He sniffles and chokes back on a sob. Because, again—damnit—Eddie's right. "I miss it," he admits quietly, "all I've done is miss it."

Eddie gives him a small smile. Something achingly soft that reaches deep within Steve. "Then open your arms and welcome it back, baby," he whispers, "even if you can't be online anymore, do it for yourself."

"I...I want to try it again, I'm just...scared. What if people hate it all over again? What if they're just nasty to me and shut me down and push me to the side and"—

"But what if they love it? What if your readers have missed you just as much?"

"You think?" he meekly asks.

Eddie's eyes widen and his eyebrows shoot up his forehead. "I know, actually. Your emails keep coming in on the computer's desktop because I keep forgetting to log you out. And, baby, you would not believe how many people have been eager for updates, for your return." His thumbs work into the backs of Steve's hands, warm and sure. "And, if it helps, maybe I can moderate your comments before you look at 'em? I'll read them to myself and if they're mean, I'll delete them."

Steve blows out a breathy little chuckle. "You'll just get mad at them," he gently teases. "But that doesn't sound too bad. Maybe I should try again. Not yet, though. I'm not ready."

"That's okay," Eddie assures, "take things slow. Maybe we start with watching the movies again? Getting your lightsabers back on display?"

"Can we go to the convention, too?"

"We can do whatever you want, Stevie."

For the first time in a long while, Steve finds himself smiling. "I love you," he whispers.

"I know."

[a-substantial-trash-pile]

Studio TV Solutions presents Half Life VR but the AI are Self-Aware (2020) [not a real movie]. A movie with a totally improv’d script starring a moltey crew who are sure to give you a rip-roarin’ good time!

anyway hi new au just dropped. i’m calling it HLVRAIM. it’s HLVRAI but it’s a blockbuster movie and the science team are played by actors. i have many thought on backstories n stuff that i will stick under a “read more” here otherwise this post will be hella long on people’s dashes. 👇👍 pls care about this i thought so hard and much

Half Life VR but the AI are Self-Aware was put out by Studio TV Solutions in 2020 and destroyed the box office with how fun it was and how well the cast played off one another. The cast was given a general outline for the script with the goal for it to be mostly improv.

Gordon Freeman: Mannie Flores (Dominican American, age 28, he/him) - Popular Youtuber/Twitch streamer (“Radi0Mann”). Got offered the role in HLVRAI thanks to the creative things he’s done in his Youtube/Twitch career. This is his first “official” acting gig. He was pretty starstruck at first, but then as he got to know everyone, he realized they’re all a bunch of dorks (affectionate). - Started off as a gaming channel, but then started branching off into various creative endeavors as he got more popular. He still plays games too though. - One of the things Mannie did in his internet career that hit the mainstream was when he wrote, directed, starred in, and filmed his own movie in just 2 weeks because he failed a bet with his audience. Except the movie was actually really good and funny and heartfelt (i want to say it was about “a man who got left behind on earth after everyone else was raptured because god literally forgot about him”, but i think the concept might’ve been done already). - Met Benji through HLVRAI. They hit it off and now they’re dating. They tried to keep it secret for a while but Mannie had a slip-up during a stream that sort of blew it out of the water.

Benrey: Benji Song (Japanese/Chinese, age 30, he/they) - Started off as a film sound designer in the industry, then through a series of silly willy little events—possibly even shenanigans—got roped into a role in a passion indie film that became wildly acclaimed and flung him into the spotlight. Been an actor ever since, but isn’t the most proactive in taking jobs much to their agent’s annoyance. People never know where he’ll pop up next. Sometimes Benji will sneak in sound designer work behind their agent’s back. - Honestly likes background work more because everyone’s got these expectations of them as an actor that they feel pressured to meet. But he’s also afraid of disappointing people. He’s working on it. - Met their partner Mannie through HLVRAI. Totally was a fan of his streams/videos beforehand though. When they mention that, Mannie gets flustered. - Does music as a hobby. Electronic stuff mostly—enjoys mashing together all sorts of sounds and trying to make them work. After HLVRAI, Mannie’s streams gets cool new music that’s made by somebody going by “johnwicklover1994.” wink

Harold Coomer: Hau’oli “Hau” Kaleo-Kirchhoff (Hawaiian/Samoan, age 66, he/him) - Old musician who’s supposed to be retired but once in a while will release a song or even do a concert (but nothing crazy). - Hau’oli is pronounced [hh-ow-oh-lee], but he also goes by “Hau” for the haoles’ sake. :) Kaleo is [kah-leh-oh]. also Hau’oli sounds a little bit like the name Holly so that’s a fun coincidence i didn’t realize until later. - Most of his music is chill island tunes but he has been known to dabble in rock and jazz. - Married to Mose (been together for 30 years and counting).

Bubby: Mose Kaleo-Kirchhoff (German, age 69 [nice], xe/him) - Veteran actor—been in the acting industry for a long time. One of his more well-known roles was in a popular sci-fi series. - Married to Hau’oli (they got married the moment it was legal). - i went with a name that started with “M” cuz when Gordon first asks Bubby for his name, xe’s like, “mmm Bubby.” and i headcanon it’s because Mose was about to say xir own name and had to swerve last minute and the thing his brain resorted to was Bubby lol.

Tommy Coolatta: Luis Tanglao (Filipino, age 37, he/they) - Child star who dropped out of the industry when he hit his teens and then came back years later as a comedian. He has material about how fucked up being a child star was. Will only take acting roles if it interests them. - They don’t care about how the public/media sees him. He’ll speak his mind and call out BS when he sees it. Interviewing them can be a war zone. - Hosts a popular podcast with some buds they discuss things like video games, their lives, news, etc. Just shooting the shit. - Sunkist is their actual dog and she modeled for the png photo that was used. Her name is actually Biko. She is a very good girl. <3

Darnold Pepper: Sage Haven (African American, age 40, he/her/they) - Famous cooking show host who gets offered roles in movies. Got popular by how unconventional her meals and cooking methods are and how funny he is. - Has had multiple food/cooking/baking shows over the years. Every competition-based one they’ve had focused more on good vibes, fun, and encouraging one another rather than drama. One show involved people competing to see who could make the best full course meal with the catch being they could only cook everything in a microwave. Many microwaves perished. - Changed their name to Sage Haven during their transition. They chose it because it reflects his passion and also is a play on the phrase “safe haven”, which is what she wants to be to others. - He has an adoptive daughter named Kit. She helped them think up bits and jokes. She also had to help explain what Half-Life was.

haven’t gotten to gman and forzen’s actors yet unfortunately. thinking gman’s actor could be a talk show host? because that would be funny. anyway thanks for humoring me on my shenanigans. bye

[sparrowlucero]

Hello sorry I am being shy and anon but do you have any advice for someone who wants to get into Doctor Who again after briefly dabbling (and enjoying it very much) in like the early, early 2010s? I know this is mostly your art blog but you were the only person I could think of to ask you're like the Doctor Who authority of blogs I follow

Oh yeah of course! People can be really confusing about this so I'll try not to be.

So first, the majority of doctor who episodes are self contained stories that you could just watch and understand perfectly without any further context. even when there is some overarching context it's usually written in a way that's either pretty easy to glean and/or just doesn't impact your understanding of the story. 99% of the episodes don't even care if you know the premise and are just like "what if some people were on a spaceship and the devil was there? wouldn't that be fucked up or what??". Don't feel like you have to binge a 60 years long show to watch it. Some standalone episodes I think are fun if you (or anyone else) just want to check out one or two:

The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances (A supposed-to-be-dead boy in a gas mask haunts a young woman in world war 2)

Blink (A woman gets wrapped up in a mystery involving statues that make people disappear. This one is especially good if you flat out know nothing about the show. Has some really great time travel stuff.)

A Christmas Carol (A christmas carol pastiche (of course) where the doctor tries to rewrite the past of a cruel man who's going to let a lot of people die. very sad and sweet. I love the "wintery planet with sky fish" setting of this one)

Vincent and the Doctor (The famous Vincent Van Gogh Episode™)

The Rings of Akhatan (A pretty lowkey little adventure story about an alien festival. has supreme autumn vibes)

Flatline (A species from a 2 dimensional world tries to break into our 3 dimensional one. really fun special effects)

Midnight (A tour bus breaks down on a diamond planet where nothing can survive. Something knocks at the door.)

Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead (The Doctor and friend go to a library that covers an entire planet and finds that everyone has disappeared. Has a lot of really great, interesting concepts baked into it that I won't spoil)

It Takes You Away (A girl is left alone in a cabin in the woods when her dad disappears through the mirror. Has a famously goofy ending that I really love)

73 Yards (A character is steps on a fairy circle and is followed by an old woman who always stands exactly 73 yards away)

The Devil's Chord (This doesn't really have, you know, a plot, but it does have jinkx monsoon as an evil music god)

Boom (The doctor steps on a landmine on an alien planet and cannot move)

Wild Blue Yonder (A two hander where the Doctor and co are trapped on a dilapidated spaceship at the edge of the universe. really atmospheric with some fun/strange visuals.)

That being said, it does add a lot to watch it in order; there's a lot of plot twists, character dynamics, and general payoff you get if you marathon it. I would personally recommend starting with either the first episode of the 2005 show ("Rose") or the first episode of the 2010 season ("The Eleventh Hour") and just watching in order from there. I think you could also start with "The Snowmen", "The Pilot", or "The Woman Who Fell To Earth" if you wanted, but the first two (especially rose) are the better jumping on points.

some other little notes of advice I don't often see people mention:

it's stupid sometimes just roll with it

once in a while the show sort of "reboots" with different writers, actors, directors, and a new tone. it's much more like watching several small shows than one long show, so don't be too put off by the length!

IMPORTANT: pretty much all streaming services will separate holiday/anniversary specials from the show proper and you have to deliberately search them up on the same service to find them. It's really necessary to be aware of this because many of these specials are the first or last episodes for characters/whole eras of the show and are genuinely unskippable. I strongly recommend looking up a list of the episodes and checking it after finales just to make sure you don't skip anything on accident.

there's two spin offs (Torchwood, a more adult (read: gay sex) show about a mysterious agency that solves sci fi crimes, and the Sarah Jane Adventures, a pretty good monster of the week kids show) that ran concurrently with season 1-4. You don't have to watch them to understand anything happening in doctor who, but sometimes they cross over with the show in fun ways, Ex. the first season finale of Torchwood continues directly into season 3 of Doctor Who. My friend and I got a kick out of watching them at the same time so maybe you will too. (either way I recommend watching "Children of Earth", the torchwood miniseries, if you want to see a weird dark sci fi show about the government making contact with aliens. It's a bit like arrival (2016) if it was way nastier.)

alternatively, you can inject fast acting brain poison into yourself with this

anyways I hope this all reads as, you know, more approachable than the way dudes on quora recommend this show:

[sweetbans29]

Frustrated - CC

Pairing: Caitlin Clark x Reader

Summary: Caitlin is frustrated and you save the day HC (based on THIS request)

Warnings: just fluff

Word Count: 1.8k

Sweetbans Masterlist

AN: I am not a gamer but your girl tried.

Caitlin met you in one of her classes - the two of you were partnered up for a project that had to do with marketing strategies. Your topic was video games and how they are marketed differently than other products. You had talked to one another here and there throughout your time at Iowa since you shared a major but nothing more than the simple 'Hi' or 'Did you get this part of the notes?'.

Partnering up with Caitlin was harder than you had expected considering her schedule but you made it work. Since the project was the whole semester long and would all culminate into your final project, you both made it a priority to meet up regularly to work on it. This included working around Caitlin's basketball schedule and your work schedule.

Due to both of your schedules, you ended up meeting up at the oddest times. Typically it was a late study night back at one of your apartments or the occasional weekend afternoon if you weren't working. But in all reality, neither of you wanted to be doing any sort of schoolwork on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.

As the project progressed, so did your friendship with the school's star athlete. There would be times that you had planned to meet up to work on the project and ended up getting takeout and talking.

"You know I have never been a fan of partner work for class but you have made it bearable," you say as you take a bite of your food. "Thank you?" She asks confused but is followed by a laugh. "You're welcome," you say now also laughing. "Hey will all this talk about games and stuff, do you play?" She asks looking over at you. You bob your head around, "I dabble. I don't really play much anymore but grew up with brothers who were always gaming." "Well you should try sometime," Caitlin says taking a bite. "I don't have any sort of console," you say passing her a napkin. "You can always play here," she says knowing that she is widening the scope of your interactions. Up to this point, you would really only consider her your marketing partner but her asking you to do something more than the project projects you two in to the friend zone. "That would be cool," you say with a smile. You could use more friends on campus.

Over the course of the semester, in addition to working on your project, you found yourself over at Caitlin's apartment gaming. It mostly consisted of you watching her play games and keeping her company. Not that you ever minded. You would chill on her bed and watch her play.

Watching her play consisted of you typically watching her for the first few minutes and then picking up the book you brought to read. Caitlin never minded and really just enjoyed your company. She always played with one of her ears uncovered from her headset to hear your little remarks.

"Those flowers look like weeds my grandma would have me pick from her garden when I was little," you say, book in hand but looking at the screen in front of her. "Really?" Cait asked. "That's random." "You asked," you say as you look back down towards your book. "I didn't ask," she says turning to face you now. "You did, you asked when you invited me over to watch you game," you say with a smile. She rolls her eyes and turns back to the monitor. A few minutes pass before Caitlin is pulled out of the game by you but this time not by a comment. She sees you put your book down and make your way out of her room. "Where are you going?" She yells after you but doesn't leave her spot. "Don't worry about it," you say. Cait knows you weren't leaving because your book was still propped open on her bed and if there is anything she has learned about you it's that you don't go anywhere without it. You come back 30 minutes later with a plate in your hand. Caitlin perks up knowing the smell of what's on it before you even enter the room. "Cookies?" She asks. "Cookies," you say as you sit on the corner of her bed and offer the plate to her. She goes to take the plate and you swat her hand. "Not the whole plate, just take one, you say biting into the one in your hand. She grabs one and it is gone in two bites. "Mmmm chocolate chip, my favorite," she says and turns back to her game.

Little to your knowledge, Caitlin was getting quite comfortable with your presence. She would invite you over just to have you present. You never minded. You enjoyed her company as well. It was easy - the two of you never needed to entertain each other when you were together.

Little to her knowledge, you sort of fibbed a little when you told her you dabbled in gaming before. You did much more than dabble. You would dominate your brothers which caused them to never want to play with you. Gaming just came naturally to you. Your instinct and reaction were something that couldn't be taught.

All of this leads to a turning point in Caitlin's knowledge of you as well as her feelings.

Caitlin groans yet again as she tosses her controller and removes her headset. "What's up CC?" You ask, not looking up from your book. "So stupid," she says and flops down on her bed next to you. You look up and see the screen she is on. You have been there before - your brothers had gotten the game over the summer and played it nonstop, all the way through. "Mind if I try?" You ask. "Good luck," she says sarcastically. When you grab the controller and give it a go - Caitlin knows you have been holding out on her when you didn't ask what buttons mean what and what the goal is for where her character is at in the game. She sits back and watches you, jaw-dropping as watches you navigate the side quest she was so adamant about completing. When you complete it on the first go, Caitlin is in awe. She pushes you over and presses you into the bed, shaking you. "Where did that come from???" She yells both in excitement and confusion. "Cait, you are crushing me," you say as the girl over you continues to press all the air in your lungs out of you. "You have been lying to me!" She is still shaking you. "Caitlin Clark!" You yell with every ounce of breath you have left. She finally lets up on you but sits on her knees next to you. "Why haven't you been playing with me?" She asks as she lets you sit up. "Cause when I play - people end up getting frustrated with me and never want to play with me," you say. "I don't believe it, we are playing together right now," Caitlin says as she gets up and grabs a second controller.

Caitlin very quickly learns why no one likes to play with you. You don't mess up. It takes her about a week to realize she misses the days when you would come over and read while she plays.

One night in particular, Cait reaches a breaking point.

The night is a little different than the others as you have brought a book and decided to read while CC plays. As you are reading you hear Cait groan in frustration - multiple times. "What Cait," you say not also annoying because her sighing and groaning now interrupting your reading. She doesn't say anything as she is lying face down next to you with her face in her hands. You see the screen and grab her controller. You seamlessly make your way through another scene, getting it on the first try. Caitlin whips her head around when she hears the sound of the level begin complete. "Unbelievable," Caitlin says frustrated. "CC," you say as you watch her move from her laying position to a sitting one and cross her arms. "Oh come on, CC," you say and she just pouts. Whenever she gets frustrated, she acts like a toddler. You thought it was adorable but never made that known since the two of you had always just been friends. You begin to poke at her sides, pinching them and causing her to squirm. A smile peaks on your face as you keep poking at her. Caitlin's arms now are unfolded trying to stick to her sides to diminish the surface area you have access to. When you begin to tickle her full-on - you can see her fighting a smile as her hands come up to try to grab yours to get you to stop. "I surrender!" Caitlin yells trying to get you to stop, which you do. You didn't realize you had moved to straddle her and are now sitting on her while Cait's hands hold yours on her stomach. Caitlin sits up a little, her hands leaving yours and holding your waist to make sure you don't move off of her when she sits up. You don't know what to feel - your heart is racing and you don't know if that is from just trying to tickle the girl you are on or because of your growing feelings. Caitlin is looking at your lips and you can't help but lick your bottom lip. This causes Cait to lean in. "Don't move," she whispers as she brings her lips to meet yours. Her hands are firm on your hips as your hands come to wrap around her neck. Once you begin to kiss her back, she pulls you closer to her and kisses you in a manner that is much more than friendly. You pull away, both of you panting. Your head is spinning. "Caitlin," you say and she leans her forehead against yours. "Yes?" She asks one of her hands coming to cup your face, brushing her thumb along your cheek. "Caitlin," you say with a sigh. She smiles and pulls you in for another kiss.

From then on, the two of you decided that you could not game together and that Caitlin would only call on you to help her when she really needed it. Which she never liked to admit but loves watching you dominate.

The two of you end up having to catch up on your project as the semester comes to an end. It is annoying but you both end up having to put a few Saturdays into it. When you finally present your project a weight is lifted off of your shoulders because you no longer have to be Cait's marketing partner and could just be her girlfriend.

AN: Strayed a little from the request but I hope it makes sense. Let me know what you think. And as always, thank you for your love and support 🤍

[feroluce]

So I've already seen this one pointed out, but in the new CG, Boothill's older human form doesn't really match what people thought it should. Of course it could just be neglect on Hoyo's part like I've seen speculated, but personally? With the other lore we got from this patch, combined with some of the stuff we already had, I'd love to think there is a possibility that is way, WAY more fun.

(fun for me and all the other whump enjoyers, anyway, RIP Boothill fjkasjkdj)

In Boothill's lc, we see him in the middle of his surgery where he threw away his flesh and bone body for steel and cybernetics. We know it was The Big Surgery and not just like some sort of tune up or modification because of the description attached to the lc:

Which is where a lot of the dissonance comes in, because in this lc, Boothill's hair is much, much longer than in the cg.

And as someone who also has super long hair, I can tell you that it would take like. Multiple years to grow it out to this length.

There's also the fact that these cybernetic arms don't even match, the lc is the one that looks like our Boothill does now. And there's no reason for Boothill's shirt to be ripped up and in tatters like that; it even states he takes off his clothes before the lc surgery. If it were a matter of Hoyo needing to censor nudity, there were plenty of other methods they could have used that would make more sense, like a hospital gown, a blanket, surgical partition, etc

When will I get to see Boothill with all his scars, Hoyo, when, quit cockblocking me!!! OTL

But there was also another piece of new lore this patch that hit me like a fuckin' brick- the fact that Boothill was tortured by the IPC.

He just drops this out of nowhere! Just says it and then moves right along!! BABY, PLEASE. I WANNA KNOW MORE SO GODDAMN BAD.

But anyway as Hydrachea pointed out to me, this means the torture definitely had to happen before the lc surgery, because being whipped with a belt soaked in saltwater (fucking OUCH) wouldn't work on someone with metal skin.

So, we know that the IPC did, at some point, capture Boothill. And this is reaching further back to previous patches, but we also know from the Luminary Wardance event in 2.5 that the IPC also dabbles in cybernetic arms, because of the one they foisted on Luka.

The model there is a new one they're debuting, but we see in a flashback sequence that the IPC has been part of the cybernetics game for at least 700-800 years, because they also manipulated Igor into getting one too, and this could have only happened before the Eternal Freeze on Jarilo-VI.

It's never stated just how old Boothill is, or how long ago the genocide on Aeragan-Epharshel took place.

But I doubt it was more than 700-800 years ago.

I really don't think Boothill is that old, or has been doing this for that long. So he definitely would have been captured at a point that the IPC was manufacturing cybernetic arms, and had a known history of amputating perfectly healthy patients to use them.

I wonder if all their test subjects were willing.

(This part is entirely unnecessary for the new cg showing Boothill being a forced lab rat as part of the IPC torturing him. But it is a fun, delightful, bloodily gruesome twist of the knife nonetheless.

Boothill was also betrayed by his own brothers-in-arms on Aeragan-Epharshel. For the IPC. Just saying.)

[astrologanize]

◉ pick a card : how you can make the best of your 2024

*please take a moment to take a deep breath and choose the image you are !most! drawn towards*

----------for pile 1 ⊹

there is a search for substance in your life, you want something real, something meaningful, and you're not doing anything to create it for yourself. you're secretly, or not so secretly, hoping and wishing and expecting for things to somehow fall into place one day. you keep yourself open to the universe, you keep yourself open to interpretation, and you are so open that you are structureless! how can the universe deliver whatever you're desiring when you don't know what that is? or even who you are!

unfortunately the key to it all isn't going to fall into your lap - you must sort through the emotional gunk that's residing within your inner tank and decipher what it is you want to be, what your values are, what matters to you, so that you can hand-pick the life that you want by having these standards in place. it's easier to take risks and to change your life once you have assurance in yourself and this can only happen when you know what you are vs what you aren't, what you like vs what you don't, etc.

gotta work hard to play hard too! "ugh i just want to travel and have a good time" okay but where are the funds coming from? do you know how to budget? do you know how to set up a trip? do you know how to procure the necessary steps in order to make the shit you want happen? to make the best of your 2024 you need to sort through your gunk and get choosier about your life; in doing so you're going to find your connections with others changing, you're going to understand where you've been lacking integrity, where you have been naive, what's worth adjusting for, what you need to attend to more, and once you have the framework built for yourself you're going to see how exciting life can be. no more waiting for life!

----------for pile 2 ⊹

so i see y'all like to throw everything at the wall until something sticks perchance...well, i mean, i guess you're trying at least? though that is better than doing nothing at all, how about you scale back and look at the big picture? you do all these things but where do they get you? i'm not seeing forward movement amongst all this movement i'm just seeing energy bouncing around in a box not going anywhere. perhaps all this stuff you do is to distract you from things you don't want to deal with. it's giving this meme

crazily enough, it is often true that less really is more (though in today's society that sentiment is going extinct and needs to be revived). try to stop dabbling in everything - a jack of all trades is a master to none. what activities/hobbies would you like to be an expert at? is there a craft you could or would want to monetize? what is it that you're avoiding in your life with these multitudes of distractions? give yourself a breather so that you can see the big picture clearer. you'll come to understand the value in setting healthy boundaries for yourself, knowing when to extend and when to just relax. sometimes it is okay to hold off and hold back because maybe there is something that needs to be dealt with first, maybe more time is needed, maybe something is just not worth the effort for now

----------for pile 3 ⊹

looking at the image for this pile gave me such a heavy, wistful feeling. why do you insist on fighting the universe so bad, hm?

are you in a job that sucks? seek something better! are you in a relationship that feels like a chore? love yourself! lean elsewhere! are you majoring in something that makes you miserable? is it worth that? i'm seeing that you need to learn how to trust the universe and follow a new, less traveled path that may be daunting with its uncertainty but you never know what could happen...that is both the best and worst thing about life.

thus far you have been traveling down the same path, you are very involved with this life that you have been trying to make work but i don't know if it's working, do you?

i'm hearing "give yourself a try" by the 1975!

you're learning allllll about the possibilities of life this year and why you should not in fact settle for what you are too afraid to leave. your heart is yours to follow

----------for pile 4 ⊹

oh, y'all take things to heart in an unhealthy way and are perpetually dissatisfied as a result. i imagine someone who gets in their feels over something minor that someone said in passing and instead of asking for clarification or reasoning with themselves, they act all woe is me and curl up in their room with the misbelief that nothing and no one gets them.

emotions can be deeply felt and i wouldn't say feelings can be liars per se but feelings can mislead us if we read too much into them. plus, when we focus too heavily on our own feelings we become engrossed in them to the point of self-defeating self-absorption. you have got to learn how to take things less personally, your lesson for this year is to learn how to socialize...how to mingle...how to have acquaintances...how to have a conversation and drop it afterwards instead of reading into every little thing and finding what's wrong with it. learning how to be embrace the more positive qualities of aquarius basically.

you have some misguidings to work through, there is illusory amuck due to you making mountains out of molehills - the melodrama is doing nothing good for you i'm afraid, tumblr girlies do love some tragedy and a feeling-dump post but for now...let's free ourselves i beg. it's not that deep, it's not that serious, get a grip and let it go. get off the internet, limit social media, touch grass, find some people to converse with even if its small talk at a checkout, somethin, otherwise you can continue to wallow i guess.

----------for pile 5 ⊹

nah...this pile gave me such a bad headache because...you're....whew......there's some narcissistic tendencies here i'm afraid. even if you think you're an angel sweetheart birthed from mary the unicorn, i assure you that you can in fact be a nothing short of domineering. there is a diva energy, there is a my way or the highway energy, there is an i'm upset so everyone is going to know energy, there is some area in your life where you are a tyrant.

there is a dire need to learn to take a step back, gather yourself, and consider others before unleashing your control and bulldozing your way through situations. you shall be forced to learn how to chill tf out this year and i claim that for you tbh because giving me a headache from your energy is WILD.

you need to examine your connections and make sure you're being receptive towards others. do you feel like you're a true friend to them? do you think you're supportive? do you hear them out? do you know what they're going through? do you know how they feel? do you attend to them in the ways they want and need? do you know what those wants and needs are?

make sure you're not being demanding and setting unreasonable expectations, especially for others. also look within yourself and make sure you're not overcompensating for any insecurities you may possess by having power trips. care about being a friend this year, play the supporting role and balance yourself out

----------for pile 6 ⊹

you're going in circles in your head and your heart, babes. eventually you just gotta rip off the bandaid and make a decision and let the chips fall where they may.

you're waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay in your head, you have all these thoughts and ideas, you have all these feelings and sentiments, you have all these things in mind that you want to set up for yourself, and there's so much that you're overloading yourself....there's no way to process all of it at once so nothing is getting done.

make decisions, find answers, get a grip on your feelings, and try to make sure you're not so in your head that you're putting up a guard around yourself. not everything is black & white or a matter of life or death, you're looking at it too extremely! lighten up and just do.

get a cool haircut, get some new accessories, try new boba, talk to your crush, life is meant to be lived!

[emersonfreepress]

help i'm alive

So! Long time, no see. 2023 was a whole goddamn lot lol

I don't have a demo update to share yet, but that's because I had to scrap nearly everything I managed to write during a very, very, very bad stint of writer's block last year. I hadn't even realized it had been a block like that until I went over my work so far last month and realized it was bad -- like, trust me; a slog to read that didn't even sound like me. It's been extremely frustrating but I've finally broken free of that and it's been easy and actually fun to write again for the first time in actual years. I just hate giving updates that have no actual news in them. And I really had nothing to share other than: I deleted thousands of words and feel so much better now 😅

Anyway, little about my demo plans have changed: I'm still putting out the Chapter 3 demos in Choicescript/on Dashingdon and then will be going dark to move things over to Twine. Where I am in the process right now is... feeling like 35% done with the overhauled version of this chapter and 50% done for the next demo update.

As far as asks, I'm... not really sure what to do?? I believe I've read them all (I love you guys), but so much time has passed since getting most of them that I'm not sure if it's, like... still pertinent??? To go back and answer them?? I suppose some of them like character asks could be, but all the nice messages of support -- that feels weird since I've practically ghosted this blog since August! Idk. Y'all tell me what to do with 'em and I'll do it. Maybe I should make a poll.

Uh... that's really all there is to say regarding the game! I've added some personal stuff after the cut, but if you're done here: Thanks for reading and sticking around. It means the world, for real.

So what has occupied my time all this time? Doctor, therapy, money, and friends. And improv! But especially the first two. There was a lot of non-writing related stuff fucking up my ability to focus and write, so hopefully with my mind and body both feeling a lot better, I can get back to being present and active with the game. I didn't realize how physically unwell I was until last year and it's been like... life-long issues I've been treating. It turns out it's not normal to feel exhausted enough to sleep at any given time, at all times, for your whole life! wow!!

I also uninstalled Tumblr from my phone back in February, so you could say I'm sort of generally focused on offline life. (And what an interesting coincidence that my writer's block dissipated shortly after that...) I also just moved!! The last two weekends have been so expensive and stressful -_- But I can't even compare the old place to the new. We're basically paying the same price for idek how much more space. The cats are so happy; which means the house humans get to be happy.

My schedule is finally freed up from constant medical shit (there was a 3-month stretch this winter with multiple doctor appointments literally every fucking week 🙃🙃🙃). My mental health is doing a lot better -- literally incomparably better compared to where I was this time last year. There's live comedy now (which I dabble in, to be clear lol), but I've finally found myself able to like... balance it all. The physical and creative energy that goes into it all, anyway. The lovely thing about improv is that you kinda just show up and do your thing -- it doesn't cut into my writing time so much as it costs energy. Unless I end up in this comedy debate show thing next month, which I am very excited to give up writing time for

So like... Life is life-ing and I'm just vibing. Or something? I'll be around.

Thank you all again so much for your interest, support, patience, and readership <3

[nyarlathotep-thecrawlingchaos]

I have a little bit of an interesting question! I know you stated you like writing horror and NSFW, or at least you do not mind dabbling in them, so I'm curious to your opinion:

(Please, very important onto this, keep in mind that, when I ask about 'Yandere', while yes, I mean this lovesick, obsessed character who goes to kidnapping/harming others/threatening/killing etc extremes to get the object of their affection/obsession, there's many yandere types. I PERSONALLY like only a handful of them because I am very careful with TW (I do not like toxic relationships where the 'darling' is deprived of privacy, is mistreated, forced to do things, has hands laid on them, has their emotional well being messed up by demeaning words, etc, and I do not enjoy abuse depictions of the trope either, so I cherry-pick a lot (due to personal trauma). Yanderes are often portrayed as straight up abusive when they needn't be, there's delusional ones, lucid ones who do not want to feel the way they do, others who rather give themselves to the object of obsession/affection and would rather hurt themselves than ever upset them, others who lean more towards manipulation, etc.). I say this because TW are important and while this is 'just a question in a blog' I want to inform you that there is NO EXPECTATION for you to write abuse, toxicity or anything of the sort. While being WELL AWARE that yandere relationships WILL be unhealthy in nature, it is that kind of 'unhealthy possessive' vibe you can enjoy IN FICTION, and should NEVER allow in real life. Take care of yourselves ❤️)

Obviously, none of the characters are canonically yandere, but do you have any opinions on who could fit the bill? And how/what way/what category they'd fit into?

Please ignore this if it makes you uncomfortable in any way and even if you simply respond without any headcanons/just a little ramble, remember to put TW so people who blacklist yandere stuff or feel trigger by any of it continue having a safe space here! Love your blog and what you do! Keep up the amazing work, and congratulations on such endless artistic talent!!

I haven't done a whole lot with the Yandere trope. I have one unpublished fan fiction for another fandom entirely that involves a yandere character in an antagonistic role. I don't tend to romanticize it because of how problematic it can be.

So needless to say, ⚠️ trigger warnings ⚠️ ahead for this topic, some more than others (lookin' at you, Doffy).

I feel like Sanji could fit the bill of being the lucid, regretful yandere. He knows that his obsession with you could be problematic, but he just can't help it. He gets insecure and jealous easily, and may be inclined to threaten any other men that happen to get to close to his beloved, platonically or romantically. He wants you completely to himself. Would be apologetic about his behavior and feel sincerely guilty for it, but just unable to keep himself from doing so. He also feels his behavior is protecting you in a way from being taken advantage of, and that's the only justification he can make for it—even to himself.

Mihawk, while his confidence and ego mean he's not really the jealous type, would still be a worthy candidate. He wants you aware that you are his in every sense of the word. You, your love, your mind, your body, all belong to him. No one else. He may very well be violent about it, though not toward you—just toward anyone who dares challenge his ownership over you. Toward his lover, he would be particularly doting and gentle, treating you like a fragile and priceless work of art. He would be incredibly disinclined to allow you to go anywhere without him; and if he finds out anyone else is attempting to court your affections or, heaven forbid, hurt you, then their days are going to be numbered.

Next would be Crocodile. Getting more ⚠️triggery⚠️ here. Prime candidate for a possessive yandere. Even if he doesn't have much time for you, you're still his property. He'll expect you to have time for him, to adhere to his schedule and his whims. He'll have a list of rules that you have to follow—no speaking with other men without him present, no going out in public without him or a guard that he has personally assigned to you; this is as much for the sake of keeping you safe as it is to ensure that you don't do anything he would disapprove of. In exchange, he'll shower you with lavish gifts, and treat you like a princess when he is with you...but if you break the rules, there will be consequences.

And lastly, and by far the most triggery, Doflamingo. Congratulations, you've caught the attention of an absolutely sadistic and manipulative yandere! He values total control over all aspects of your life. But he's going to make you think you have some freedom at first. He'll pout a little if you want to go somewhere without him, but he'll allow it...on the surface, at least. Then he'll hire some thug or other criminal deviant to scare you right back into his arms, whether with idle threats or physical force. He'll make you feel like he's your only source of safety and comfort. Make you defend him to your concerned friends and family of your own volition, until you have absolutely no one left but him to turn to. He'll justify it by saying it absolutely is for your own safety, and he sincerely believes that to be true; even if he wasn't hiring people to frighten you, there's still every chance that you could be hurt or enticed to leave if you stray too far from his side, and he can't allow that. Whether he views you as a lover or just a plaything, no one else is allowed to touch you but him.

[lovelyinconsistentices]

°˖➴ 𝙷𝙴𝙰𝙳𝙲𝙰𝙽���𝙾𝙽𝚂 ⋆· ༘ *

‧₊˚ ꩜彡┆𝚂𝚄𝙼𝙼𝙰𝚁𝚈 .ᐟ

What it's like to date Young Neil, so basically dating headcannons for what I think it would be like dating him!

✎ᝰ.┆𝙶𝙴𝙽𝚁𝙴 .ᐟ

Headcannons, fluff.

‧₊˚ ꩜彡┆𝙿𝙰𝙸𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙶 .ᐟ

Young Neil X Gender-neutral reader.

✎ᝰ.┆𝚂𝙾𝙽𝙶 𝙸𝙽𝚂𝙿𝙾 .ᐟ

i won't run by Keanu Bicol.

⸙ I feel like the first thing to start with is that Young Neil would definitely like someone who would listen to his rambling, questions he has or even theories. He definitely talks a lot during dates, having unusual or fun facts that might not even be factually correct. It's part of his charm really.

⸙ For dates he is the type to choose more simpler things for when he plans them, he's not one for extravagant things but he doesn't dislike it either. After all the only important thing is being with you, he doesn't care what kinda date it is as long as he gets to spend his time with you. It could be something as simple as hanging out in his room, chatting and relaxing together while he plays video games.

Or maybe the two of you playing something together, I'm sure he'd even enjoy board games. When it comes to planning dates he's definitely still thoughtful about such, he just keeps it simple but sweet. Stuff like theatre dates, picnics, going to the arcade, eating out or even just relaxing at home would be main things I could see with him.

⸙ While it may not seem like he's paying attention at times or is lost in his thoughts, I feel like he keep notes of things when he is listening to you talk or stuff he see's when it comes to you. He probably writes stuff down in his notebook or keeps it on little sticky notes after spending time with you, something like favorite foods, games, or places.

⸙ Speaking of Sticky notes I feel like this fits him the most, you and him definitely use sticky notes as like a love language sorta thing. He probably keeps all the one's he gets in a little box or something, one of his most prized possession. Sticky notes from him usually contain random or cute doodles, unusual questions and fun facts or things he learned that he wanted to share, and lastly random pick up lines he saw on the Internet. They're probably really cheesy and he definitely writes little notes under the pick up line about how they make no sense.

⸙ He loves kisses most definitely, especially when they catch him off guard. He could be accidentally rambling after being asked a question and you'd then lean in to peck him on the lips, startling him at first before his expression changed into one of awe. He also really loves more subtle or small kisses as well, specifically ones against his knuckles. Examples being you taking ahold of his hand and bringing his knuckles to your lips, pressing short kisses against them. I just feel like that's so cute and he'd find it really adoring!

⸙ If you're one to use face masks, paint your nails, wear make up or things of the sort. He'd definitely let you do such things for him, main reasons being because he's curious about certain things, finds it cute and lastly it means he gets to spend more time with you doing something that makes you happy. So basically doing facemasks together, him letting you paint his nails or his make-up. I also feel like he'd be interested in learning certain things to help you sometimes, especially when it comes to your hair. Like what products you use, how you do your hair, and other things of the sort so maybe he could help you take care of your hair when staying the night.

⸙ This is just like the last headcannon, but with hobbies and stuff you like. I could see Young Neil dabbling into things you like so you guys can hangout doing stuff that you love or enjoy since you definitely have dates where you hangout with Neil doing things he loves, like playing video games or watching his favorite movies! He'd most likely try to learn fun facts or things about stuff you love, like for favorite bands, artists, sports or anything of the sort. Then he'd share them with you when you're spending your time together, I feel like something like that is really thoughtful.

⸙ If you were to move in with Young Neil and get a pet together, he'd most definitely get some type of reptile. I feel like a bearded dragon but I also think he'd really like snakes, he'd take one look at a breed of snake then point at it and say "I want that one." Most definitely has a lot of knowledge on reptiles that he shares with you at the shop so expect a lot of little fun facts, if you have a fear of snakes he opts for something else like the bearded dragon. You also would most likely get another pet, some type of favorite animal of yours or if you already have a pet then you're welcoming another one now of Neil's choice.

⸙ Matching bracelets, specifically ones the both of you made for eachother. He's always wearing the one you made for him, if it's very colorful, bright, or pastel it definitely sticks out in contrast to his clothing. Whenever he see's that your wearing the one he made for you, he gets all happy. Smiling as he takes a hold of your hand that contains the bracelet and just squeezes it, keeping it subtle.

⸙ This man absolutely loves dinosaurs, robots, space and aliens, or overall anything that's sci-fi. A big chemistry lover as well, a lot of his notes on the sticky pads most definitely contain something of the sort. Cute little doodles of dinosaurs with a fact he wants to tell you, as well as something sweet but still pretty subtle.

⸙ TV dates, I feel like they would be so fun with him. He definitely picks out stuff like the Jurassic park films, back to the future, or Star Trek. OH OMG ALSO E.T. He likes stuff that are kinda old but good, during watching movies or things of the sort he'd state little facts or things he knows. Maybe comment on his favorite scenes or question certain stuff, sometimes earning him a shh. But if it were me I'd tell him what I thought of what he said after shushing him, I feel like something like that would make him love you more or make the night even better for him.

⸙ He definitely points you out whenever you're hanging out with friends and stuff, something like "There's/That's my (Girlfriend, boyfriend, lover!)" While pointing at you when you arrive or when he's talking about you with someone new or who may not know you.

⸙ Makes playlists for the two of you, so you both having something to listen to together or whenever you're busy and not with each other. Speaking of that I feel like he'd get a camera just to take videos of you, of course at first he's not very good at it but slowly he gets better with time. Keeping all of them on tape as memories and things he loves about you.

⸙ Absolutely would love to share his clothes with you, or no more specifically wants to share them with you. Seeing you in his puffy jacket, one of his shirts or an article of clothing that's his, is everything to him as he finds it adorable and remembers that your his significant other making him feel lucky. He probably blurts out questions, asking you what made you decide to date him or things of the sort. Which earns him a chuckle and some comment of reassurance that's sweet, or playful which I'm sure would give him a little confidence boost or just make him quite happy. Probably responds with "Oh, yeah." And then there's the widest smile on his face.

⸙ When talking about you with friends he will ramble about your favorite things, what he loves about you, and how cute or awesome he thinks you are. Most definitely has earned a "Shut up." from Kim because she's heard him say the same things on repeat from listening to him talk about you whenever you're brought up or he gets a chance to. She'll maybe make a comment about how smitten he is or how she gets he's in love with you after, rolling her eyes but giving a small smile.

⸙ Has a whole drawer full of things you left, he thinks you'd enjoy or stuff he got for you for when you stay over. If you have long hair and use hair ties that often get lost, I could see him wearing them or hanging them from something. For when he wears them, you could probably see him rearranging them on his wrists and moving them to avoid it leaving marks or digging more into his skin. Sometimes he'll ask you if you need a hair tie and then pulls one you had lost off his wrist.

⸙ I'll end it with cuddling and hugs, his favorite position and how he likes to hug you. I feel like when cuddling he likes to wrap his arms around you from the back, or he likes laying against you with you running your fingers through his hair, or omg having his head in your lap as he plays on his DS. As for hugs, he most likely wraps his arms around your waist and places his head on yours if you're shorter than him. If you're taller then he may press his head against yours if he can, or buries his face in the crook of your neck while hugging you tight. His hugs are definitely pretty long as well, him savoring the moment basically.

[ladycrocy]

Part 2

Halloween inpired Mihawk AU

Mihawk X afabReader

Summary: The mysterious man continues to have his way with you in your dreams. Though this time, he has an audience.

Content Warning: DubCon, Forced Orgasm, Exhibitionism

AO3

Part 1 , Part 2

Word count: 709

After another late night cigarette, you went back inside. Slowly shutting the screen door and leaning your head on it. So many nights of sleeplessness. The strange wet dreams that frightened and aroused you were now all you thought about. Your body began to drift to slumber as you leaned against the cold balcony window. That's when you felt his hands begin to run up the sides of your body. Sliding up your shirt so that your bare breasts pressed against the cool glass. You let out a breath that fogged the window just a bit before receding.

This city street looked strange in your dream state. All shapes and twinkling lights, with shadows of people, hundreds of people walking the side walks. Though you didn't care much in your daze. All you cared about was the feeling of his hands running back down your sides. His thumbs slip into the lining of your panties and trail around to press into your inner hips. This caused you back to the arch and pressed your plump ass against his already throbbing member. With a swift movement, he grabbed your panties and ripped them off. Discarding them to the arm of the couch. He then slid his shaft in between your legs, allowing your slick lips to coat him with your sweet nectar.

You could feel his hot breath on the back of your neck as his tongue then slithered up between your shoulder blades. Though it didn't stop there. His tongue extended further than any human, around your neck, following the line of your jaw, gently teasing your lips as he forced them apart. Your lips didn't fight him and allowed the entry of his elongated tentacle like tongue. It tasted sweet like a fine wine that was even now intoxicating you. It slid in and out of your mouth, reaching down your throat. Your muffled moans now filled the apartment.

The tip of his member now pressed firmly at your entrance teased you. Not going further than the tip, your hips rocked as they begged for penetration. Your body was his, and there was no denying it. His one hand slid down the front of you until it reached your sweet spot. Softly circling the clit with his fingers, only causing your body to melt and shiver to his touch. You were at your limit. Days of edging every night with him in your dreams caused your orgasm to force itself out of you. You squirt all over your window for all the passerby to see. He retracted his tongue from your mouth, and you gasped for air. You could hear his deep chuckle in his throat as he spoke. "I love showing off what is mine, and it seems you like to be watched.~" Your eyes shot open at those words, and you saw the hundreds of shadows glaring up at you with glowing eyes. They had all witnessed you.

That shock woke you up immediately. You were on the floor, leaning against the window. When you pulled away, however, there was a familiar liquid on your cheek. Had that really happened? Did you really squirt on the window while people watched?! You scoffed at the idea and stood up. Your chuckle faded quickly when you realized you weren't wearing any panties. Slowly, you turned around to find them ripped and on the arm of the couch. Your heart pounded and raced. What the fuck was happening to you?

You decided to call out of work and invite over an old friend that dabbled in this sort of spiritual stuff. You didn't know much, but anything that could help would be more than welcome at this point. Your friend agreed to come over right away. After changing into some non torn clothes, you stood on your balcony with cigarette in hand. You chuckled a bit as you thought, 'Well, I always hoped to meet the man of my dreams. I just didn't know it would be quite so literal.' Then, as if your thoughts were being heard, someone replied. That same raspy voice made your hair stand on end, as you could feel his lips gently grazing your ear as he spoke, "That's right, I am your man~"

Banner creator

[kanencrow]

I love the way you write Lucy!!!!! Can I please request a fluff (with slight angst) found family platonic fic with Lucy where they meet in the wasteland and build a sibling-like bond?

Bond Over Blood - Lucy Maclean | Headcanon

Summary: What would a sibling-like relationship with Lucy Maclean look like after the two of you find each other on the surface?

Warnings: Swearing, Blood, Descriptions of Violence, Suturing Wounds, Talks of Death, Reader is Lowkey Kinda Awkward (same bro).

A/N: Awe hey, thanks Jamie! Sorry this one took so long to come out, but I hope you enjoy it! Definitely wrote this one following the original plot of the show, so spoilers incoming!

Word Count: 10000+

You met Lucy after getting into a physical altercation with a few Brotherhood of Steel soldiers, who seemed like they wanted nothing more than to lay their hands on anyone they could find. You just so happened to be one of those people, unfortunately, after you got nosy and fixed a loose wire in one of those suits of armor that they hid within for the sake of making themselves feel more powerful. You dabbled a bit in electronics, so you knew your way around anything that sparked or required some sort of technology in order for it to run, but instead of them being appreciative of what you did, they pummeled you, which left you unconscious and carrying some long-standing wounds.

Maybe you also killed one of them, and that was why they knocked you out, but that’s besides the point – you were just defending yourself. Really, the fact of the matter was that they hurt you, and you woke up in a world of pain that you had no choice but to live with until it decided to dissipate into nothing. So, your first few days of your road to recovery were spent wandering the barren wasteland that you grew up in, and by the time you were starting to develop an irreversible hatred towards the Brotherhood of Steel and everything they stood for, you simultaneously found a Super-Duper Mart in the middle of the desert. 

It made you feel like you were hallucinating, almost.

Like you were seeing a mirage. 

But, low and behold, the building was there, caked in sand and looking as dilapidated as every other landmark or point of interest you saw on the surface. And within that grocery store, you found Lucy, but not before stepping over – what you thought was – a dead body of a ghoul who clearly wanted to be a cowboy, considering the hat that laid beside him, and the fact that he was wearing a trench coat that had seen better days. But honestly, with the way he was wheezing and on the ground, unmoving, you thought he was turning feral, so you just stepped over him and continued forth. 

Traversing through the seemingly abandoned building proved to be pretty… eventful.

The thumping of your boots against the floor added on as an ambient resonation, and the way they echoed throughout the air only seemed to signify the lack of life that resided within. You continued walking, even then, intent on finding something that you could stuff into the backpack that hung over your shoulders. All it carried inside was a box of medical supplies, a large bottle of purified water that you bought off of a merchant, a bag of Rad-Away, and five stimpacks that you – thankfully – hadn’t used yet. 

Obviously, you were packed a little light. 

After a while of walking, you eventually turned a corner and ambled down an aisle that consisted of freezers. Surprisingly, the lights were on, as though power still existed due to the function of a generator, and your curiosity only seemed to increase in response. At the same time, you felt a hint of trepidation hit you like a needle, and you tightened your grip on the pistol in your hands, as you lifted it up slightly, raring to shoot something if you needed to. 

You had enough experience to know that anything could have been lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce when you least expected it to. There had been countless close calls that scraped by in your time of life, and so you knew better than to assume that places were completely empty of life. And, by the time you made it to the end of the hallway that was lined with the cold boxes, you were happy to have made the mental note, when you looked to your left, and abruptly slowed down to a halt, as you spotted the form of a woman in blue, who didn’t notice your presence while she tugged off a dead person's boot with a quiet grunt that managed to echo throughout the vicinity. 

Well, okay, you weren’t expecting that.

Your lips faintly parted, and you made the executive decision to slowly walk towards her. You noticed the number ‘33’ on the back of her blue suit, and it wasn’t difficult to figure out that she was a vault dweller… unless she stole the outfit off of one. She rose up to her full height and clumsily shoved the boot onto her foot, and you continued to sneak towards her, as you tilted your head to the side and watched her curiously. You wondered how she had lost her original shoe in the first place, but you mainly wondered why someone from a vault would be roaming the upper world. 

From what you knew, they had everything down underground, to the point where you were envious of their lifestyle. To willfully roam around the wasteland seemed like a stupid idea, but you digressed. You were far too focused on the array of dead bodies that lined the floor to truly ponder it, anyway. Ghouls and two humans, with only one standing. It was an odd sight, and one that made you intentionally clear your throat, with the intention of catching the mysterious woman’s attention. 

You weren’t surprised when she jumped in reaction to the sound you made, and when she turned around, you were met with wide eyes and a face that had been kissed by the sun. You couldn’t see perfectly, with how far she was from you and how your optic nerve had been damaged from your previous incident, but from what you could gather, she seemed no worse for wear. You paused for a moment, as if to gauge what she was wanting to do in response to your presence, and you were immensely surprised, when she let out a seemingly relieved exhale at the sight of you. 

“Oh, thank goodness,” she muttered, as you continued to hold your pistol tightly between your palms. You stared at her oddly, like she had two heads, but she was ignorant to your apprehension, when she stepped forward to try and lessen the distance. However, before she could get very far, you lifted your gun up and pointed it at her, which forced her to come to halt, as she raised her hands up quickly and parted her lips to yell out, “Please, don’t shoot!” 

The intention you portrayed wasn’t one you were genuinely going to go through with, but only you knew that. You couldn’t have been too sure about people’s intentions, and so you slowly walked towards her, as your eyes watched her, like that of a hawk. You were silent, not feeling the need to speak, and a part of you wanted to keep it that way, just to add onto the mysterium, as you flickered your pupils across her body to scrutinize her. Her black hair was in a ponytail, with her shorter bangs framing her face – she was pretty, you couldn’t deny it, even with the remnants of crimson that dotted across her features like violent stars.

The white tank top that peeked out from the unzipped part of her blue suit had splatters of blood on it, too, and the left bicep of her outfit was torn, as if she had been cut there… or shot. Clearly, she had been through it – you weren’t an idiot. But still, you felt the need to take the precaution, before you eventually faltered in your hesitancy, and lowered your weapon to holster it back into the waistband of your pants. 

At your sudden change in demeanor, the vault dweller visibly relaxed, and her arms dropped down from their raised position. In that moment, you noticed the discolored index finger that she had, and you mindlessly eyed it with curiosity, before she was speaking up, and forcing you to look back towards her again. “U-Uh, hi,” she greeted you, as though she were being interviewed, and you were the one who decided if she was going to be hired or not. “Thank you… for not shooting me.” 

She slowly walked towards you when you didn’t respond immediately after her words, and you shifted in your stance uncomfortably, as her eyes studied you, instead of the other way around. Of course, her focus lingered on your face, more than anything, and your jaw clenched tightly in turn when her expression softened. You half-expected her to point it out, but she didn’t, and only shifted her subtle frown into a small smile, as she tried to portray warmth and friendliness, which felt entirely unwarranted and unfamiliar. “I’m Lucy.” 

You stared at the woman named Lucy for a long, silent moment, with nothing other than your bruised features to showcase your emotions. You were certain you looked absolutely dreadful, with the way her eyes continued to flit across your face, and although you wanted to snap at her, there was a hint of genuine concern behind the action, while you gazed at her mutely. And honestly, that was all you could do, because you weren’t sure what to say, if you were being honest with yourself. 

Should you have introduced yourself back? Reached a hand out for her to shake, with a smile to truly butter her up? What were formalities nowadays that didn’t consist of not shooting someone? All you were able to do in the end of your mental battle was swallow the lump of dryness in your throat, before you nodded at her gently and pressed your lips together, giving her the simplest greeting you could muster. “Hi.” 

Her expression immediately shifted into one of brightness, when she grinned softly at you, showing off her teeth, which were whiter than most dwellers of the surface. They cared more about survival than basic hygiene, which wasn’t something you could have related to, ever. “Hi,” she suddenly cooed out, as if she were talking to a scared animal. It wasn’t far off from how you had been feeling the past few days, but you shockingly weren’t as fearful now, in comparison to moments earlier. Maybe it was her natural charm, or the fact that she didn’t want to beat the shit out of you. 

Either way, her behavior was welcomed, and you felt the corners of your lips quirk up in reaction to her kindness, which caused her to step closer to you, the moment she spotted your comfortability. “I take it you’re not a part of this… whatever this is?” she questioned you, as she glanced away from you to look around the vicinity of the grocery mart. You shook your head in reply when her attention fell back onto you, and she relaxed even more – if that was possible – as she nodded. “Okay… good.” 

When you didn’t reply, and instead moved your eyes down to the ripped hole on Lucy’s left bicep, you faintly quirked your lip, before you lifted your hand up and lazily gestured towards her arm. “You’re hurt,” you uttered, as if she herself hadn’t known of her own injury, and in response, she immediately glanced down to her arm and clicked her tongue, nodding her head in agreement to your statement. You knew it was obvious – that she probably was already aware, but you didn’t know what else to say other than that, which seemed to work more in your favor than anything else, when you shifted in your spot once more and fidgeted with your fingers. “I can help… with your arm,” you stated simply, with a quiet voice that she wouldn’t have heard, if the grocery store wasn’t so quiet. 

“Oh,” Lucy hummed softly, as her lips parted in subtle shock towards your bluntness. She looked at you thoughtfully for a moment, before she glanced down at her wound again and lifted a palm up to set it over the hole in her suit, wincing faintly, “I mean – can you?” she asked, as if the question was one that was going to inconvenience you. However, you immediately nodded your head, holding back from creasing your brow, due to the painful wounds that sat across your face. 

Even then, she appreciated your willingness, not caring about your micro-expressions like you did, and when she chuckled softly in relief, you stepped past her and walked towards the sofas, which caused her to immediately turn around and follow you, as she quickened her pace slightly, just to make it to your side again. “T-Thank you, by the way,” she called gently, “it’s… been a rough week.” 

That was something you could relate with her on. 

“You and me both,” you mumbled, as you let out a humorless scoff and shrugged off your backpack. You swung it around and tossed it onto the sofa with a lack of care, as Lucy came up beside you and slowly settled down on the cushion. It didn’t take long for her to lift her chin and stare up at you shortly after, but you were none the wiser, as you continued standing and unzipped your bag. 

You sifted through the confines of the practically empty sack, which allowed you to easily find your purified water bottle, as well as the medical kit that you – luckily – hadn’t had stolen from you yet. You set the two items off to the side without much more than a simple glance, and the vault dweller continued to gaze at you with internalized curiosity, as you gripped the top strap of your carryall and dropped it on the floor, in front of the couch. It made a quiet thump in turn, but you ignored the sound entirely, while you sat down on the plush surface and pulled your supplies into your lap. 

There was a particular coordination to how you moved, Lucy noticed. You were precise and careful – and quiet – and it only urged her on to try and make conversation. “So… what’s your name?” You reminded her of her brother Norm: silent and observant. Though, you didn’t really look anything like him, she thought. You carried an aura of distrust and aloofness that made her want to pick you apart – in a good way, but she had no idea on how she could have done that without making it seem as though she were interrogating you. 

Especially in regards to the question that she wanted to ask, after you introduced yourself. She wasn’t ignorant to your face and the way it looked. How around your right eye was swollen and the whites of it were red due to popped blood vessels that were entirely benign. The rest of your face was just as bruised, and you carried a small gash, as well as numerous cuts on it, which only furthered her wonder on what you had been up to, before you encountered her. 

Still, even with her heavy curiosity, she gave you all the time in the world to answer, as you unclipped the medical box and opened it up to expose the numerous supplies within it. “Y/n,” you eventually replied, keeping your verbiage simple and short, while you kept your eyes entirely focused on the assortment of items that sat on your thighs. 

You immediately spotted what you were looking for – a needle and a thread, as well as peroxide to help disinfect the cut, and when you grabbed them, you set the white kit to the side and scooted closer to her, as you lifted your head and turned it towards her to finally meet her irises. “My name is Y/n,” you repeated quietly, assuming that she hadn’t heard you the first time, when she immediately lifted her brow and shifted her features into an expression of sudden understanding. 

“Oh,” Lucy stated, “Y/n” She nodded her head, as her eyebrows furrowed in thought, and she stared at you as though you were something immensely interesting. “That’s a nice name,” she admitted, before giving you a small smile. “I like it… it suits you.” The softness in her green eyes was apparent, and you found yourself unconsciously shying away from her kindness, when you flickered your pupils down to stare at her bicep and blindly uncapped the hydrogen peroxide that you had mindlessly pulled into your lap. 

She was awfully earnest, with the way you could feel her staring at you, even after you sheepishly avoided her gaze and focused on sewing up the wound on her arm. Her personality was a complete one-eighty from what you had dealt with when it came to the people you met throughout your time on the surface. You didn’t know how to react to her genuineness, and she seemed to gather that, while you poured the transparent liquid onto a cotton ball and tensed your jaw awkwardly, not knowing how to continue the conversation. 

Naturally, she took the reins, as she allowed you to slip your hand underneath her arm and angle it up slightly, just so that you had a better view of her gash. Your touch was gentle – overly careful, and she couldn’t help the small smile that creeped up onto her lips, as she watched you tentatively dab away the blood that surrounded it. You treated her delicately. It was a welcomed contrast to how she had been treated for the past week, and with the way your features were bruised and battered, it wasn’t difficult to understand that you might have needed some much desired tenderness and care. 

Though the fact that you were more focused on her, rather than the wellbeing of yourself, said a lot. A part of her wanted to pipe up and ask you to accompany her on the journey she had set herself on, but she had a feeling that would have been too abrupt, too soon. Especially for someone like you. Someone who seemed easily dissuaded, like that of a wounded, scared wolf. Your demeanor only encouraged her to speak up, but she made an intentional effort to keep her voice soft, so as to not mess up your precise movements. 

“So, what brings you around here?” Lucy asked, as she tilted her head to the side and glanced down to gaze at your fingers. They worked to dab more of the peroxide into the actual wound, and with how gentle you were being, it didn’t hurt. It made her heart swell, and all that did was put into perspective how much she missed the helpful souls that didn’t want to kidnap her or kill her... or torture her. 

“Do you… live close?” Her additional question seemed to snap you out of your concentrated state, which forced you to lift your eyes away from her injury and meet her own gaze. The blood-red white of your right iris really made you look terrible, and as much as she wanted to do the same for you as you were doing for her, she resisted from reaching out and checking you over, knowing that would have been weird or unwelcome. Especially from a stranger. 

“I don’t live anywhere,” you admitted quietly, keeping your eyes connected with her own for a moment longer, before you eventually shifted your focus back down to your lap, and grabbed a threaded needle to suture her gash. While you raised your hand back up and lined up the first point you were going to stick the slim metal piece into, you parted your lips slightly and added on, just to try and keep her attention away from what you were about to do. You had a feeling it wasn’t going to work as well as you hoped, but you made the effort anyway, as you pushed into her skin and spoke at the same time. 

“I came from Filly after an… encounter… and just so happened to stumble across this place,” you explained, while she grunted softly and winced at your action. The pin-prick pain that seemed to bloom throughout her gash was enough to make her squirm, but she tried to stay as still as possible, while she listened to your words with genuine interest. “I didn’t expect to find anyone inside, though.” 

Lucy bit her lower lips as the thin thread attached to the needle dragged through the small hole it created, slowly closing up the bottom of the wound. All the while, the memory of the man that brought her to the grocery store filled her mind, and she couldn’t help but spring onto your earlier statement, even while she winced at your tendful actions to her injury. “Did you see a… someone, before you walked in?” she questioned, wondering if that ghoul still lingered around the store, mindlessly waiting for whatever it was he requested in exchange for her. 

The same feeling of bitterness filled her chest at the reminder of him, and when she turned her head to gauge your reaction, you nodded in reply to her inquiry, which forced a disgruntled scoff to slip from her mouth, while you pushed the needle back into her skin, causing her to flinch subtly. “You know, that… that creature… he brought me here,” she clarified, providing you with information that managed to allow you to mentally put two and two together. “He did not treat me very courteously.” 

“Really?” you replied, attempting to flit your attention towards two things at once, as you progressed higher up the length of her gash. You glanced up momentarily to meet her eyes, and when she nodded her head, you faintly furrowed your brow and quirked your lip thoughtfully, “He was on the ground when I walked inside of the mart,” you admitted softly, before you flickered your focus back down towards your task at hand. In the back of your mind, you couldn’t help but feel a little guilty for not having done anything in that moment, but he was a ghoul, you thought. 

You were never able to tell when they were shifting into a feral one or not, and you definitely didn’t want to be on the receiving end of their aggression, if the former possibility actually came true. “He was still alive… just struggling to breathe, it seemed.” Maybe it was a good thing you didn’t do anything to aid him, however, considering what you were being told by the vault dweller. You trusted her, far more than a decaying, tough-skinned, radiated human. 

“He was not nice,” Lucy stated, nodding her head, as if she agreed with your decision, “when I pointed out that he wasn’t following the Golden Rule, he put a leash around my neck and he made me drink from puddle water that I’m pretty sure was just some kind of animal pee.” Your features flinched without you even realizing, and you winced when a subtle throb coursed through your nose in turn. You immediately stopped your movements on her arm, and she seemed to take notice of your action, when she looked at you and met your eyes. 

You internally took a moment to let the pain you felt pass, and she eventually continued when you only portrayed that you were fully listening to what she had to say. “And I thought I was here to be a sex slave, but – turns out – this-this robot wanted to harvest my organs instead, and I-I don’t know which one is worse!” Her exclamation caused her voice to raise in pitch, still underlined with the raspiness that it naturally exuded, and as much as you didn’t want to, you found yourself growing concerned in response to all of the information she gave you. 

“You drank radiated water,” you stated, as you gazed at her intently, “that’s not good.” You glanced back down towards her halfway sewn gash, and when you continued threading the needle through her skin, she let out a quiet groan, as she stared at you quizzically in response to your words. You could feel her eyes burning into your head, and without much convincing, you expounded, as you licked your lips and parted them to speak transparently. “Up in the wasteland, it’s purified water, or nothing,” you told her, as you nodded towards the large bottle of liquid that sat between the two of you. 

“If you drink anything that isn’t purified, then you’ll need Rad-Away, or Rad-X, which allows you to become somewhat immune to the radiation of the surface.” You lifted the thin, curved metal pin and pushed it through her flesh again, making her hiss, while you continued. “Are you feeling okay? Usually when you drink radiated water, you start to feel lightheaded and nauseous,” you clarified, “they’re the two most common symptoms.” 

Lucy stared at you as though you might have been the smartest human being she had ever met, with parted lips and a subtle look of shock that lined her features. You inevitably finished sewing her gash closed shortly after your entire rundown, and as you leaned back slightly to grab a cotton roll of thin bandaging, you lifted your eyes up to meet her hazel ones, which forced her to snap out of her surprised stupor. “Oh, um… no,” she eventually replied, before she blinked and sent you a small smile, “I… I think I’m fine. I don’t feel any of the side effects you’re telling me.” 

You nodded in acknowledgement, and you ended the topic of conversation at that, as you wrapped the start of the cloth underneath her bicep, which caused your fingers to graze against her skin with a softness that made goosebumps form on her arms. You were none the wiser to the effects your touch had on her, but she was, as she swallowed the thick lump that had suddenly formed in her throat, and promptly spoke up, with the intention of ignoring whatever it was that she was feeling. “So, um… what do you have planned after all of this?” 

You coiled the bandaging around Lucy’s arm without much difficulty, and as you taped the tail end of the cloth to stay wrapped around her bicep, you let go of her entirely, before you lifted your eyes up to meet her own and shrugged. “I don’t have anything planned,” you admitted, not feeling the need to lie, as you reached down and grabbed a small rag from the medical kit, as well as the bottle of purified water that pressed against your leg. 

“Not when it comes to a destination, at least,” you added on, as you silently handed her the two items and gestured towards your face with the silent statement of ‘clean yourself up.’ With a thankful smile, she grabbed the supplies out of your grasp, while you watched her studiously and brought your hands back to your lap to fidget with your fingers. “What about you?” you questioned her, as you tilted your head to the side quizzically, “What’s a vault dweller like you doing out here in the wasteland?” 

“Oh,” Lucy uttered, as she wetted the rag you had given her with the water, and brought it up to her face to blindly wipe away the splattered dots of blood that riddled her sun-kissed features. “I’m actually looking for my dad,” she explained, which caused a glint of surprise to shine in your eyes, as they widened slightly in confusion. “A group of raiders, well, raided our vault, you see,” she told you softly, as she dabbed at her upper lip, “this woman named Lee Moldaver kidnapped my father, and I couldn’t just stand by and let her steal my dad away from me.” She shrugged her shoulders and dropped the damp cloth down to her lap, as she turned her head to look at you, “Someone had to do something, so… here I am.” 

You slowly nodded your head and pressed your lips together thoughtfully, “That’s… really admirable.” Lucy grinned at you in reply, and you felt your cheeks heat up, now that your full attention was on her. You couldn’t deny that she had a certain charm to the way she carried herself. Maybe that was natural for a vault dweller, but it was something you greatly lacked, when you shied away from her gaze again and promptly pushed yourself up to your feet. 

Immediately, her curiosity grew, and she creased her brow while she watched you close your medical box and shove it back into the confines of your bag. She still held the damp – now slightly bloody – rag in her hand, and when you reached down to grab the water bottle and dropped it back into the emptiness that was your backpack, you spoke up. “Good luck to you, Lucy.” You zipped your rucksack up, as you sent her a suppressed nod, “Stay safe out there.” 

When you gripped the strap and hoisted it onto your shoulder, you winced painfully, while Lucy internally panicked and shot up from her spot on the couch to stop you. “Well, wait!” She reached her hand out and grasped your left wrist, halting you from going anywhere, and with the way her fingers twined around your joint with a tightness that felt familiar, you immediately tensed in response, as you snapped your head towards her and stared at her warily, almost like you were afraid she was going to attack you. 

The events of what happened not even a full week ago still weighed heavily on your conscience, and although she wasn’t aware of it, she gathered your uncomfortability immediately, and suddenly let go of you, as she parted her lips and stammered to say something. “Listen, I… I know we just met and all, but… why don’t you come with me?” she asked, looking at you hopefully, as her eyebrows rose, “I could use someone who knows their way around this wasteland and… I think you’d be good company, Y/n.” 

That was the last thing you were expecting her to say, but you couldn’t ignore the way it made your stomach flutter, especially with the way she stared at you, with that same genuine softness she gave you earlier. You didn’t have anywhere you intended to go, and it wasn’t as though you had anything better to do, but nonetheless, you still hesitated to say yes, even if you wanted to deep down. You mindlessly grasped your wrist that she had grabbed, and you glanced down in thought at her proposal, while your thumb rubbed over the bone of your joint, and you bit the inside of your cheek. “I… don’t know…” you trailed off, and at your verbal uncertainty, she slowly stepped closer to you, and rested her palm on your upper arm, giving it a gentle squeeze. 

“Come on,” she uttered, looking at you pleadingly, “there’s no catch here.” Her own thumb rubbed the fabric that sat over your bicep, and although you weren’t sure, her physical touch still managed to somehow slightly sway you. It shouldn’t have, you thought, but it felt nice to experience a gentleness that you hadn’t felt in a long while. So, maybe you wanted to agree, just so you could gain more of the tender expressions she sent your way. 

Maybe you also liked the idea of being around her, because she acted as a breath of fresh air, in comparison to all of the other companions you had journeyed with in the past. Maybe it was her eyes, too, and the way she gazed into your own with a silent promise that she wasn’t going to betray your trust, or hurt you for no reason. It was as though she were looking through a window that allowed her to see your soul for what it was. It was like she just knew what had happened with you, just from a vague explanation and the apparent bruises and wounds that sat on your face. 

It was difficult, battling with your mind and attempting to decide on whether or not you should have accompanied her, but all she had done throughout the time you patched her up and spoke to her was prove to you that she was trustworthy, and didn’t have an evil bone in her body. She wasn’t a Brotherhood of Steel soldier, but a simple vault dweller, who clearly carried more morality than any of the survivors on the surface who labeled themselves a saint. And you had met a lot who did, which only managed to showcase whose brain had been consumed by radiation, and those who hadn’t. 

“Okay,” you eventually muttered, as you rubbed your thumb over the bone of your wrist again, still somewhat nervous. And when her hopeful expression shifted into one of relief at your simple agreement, you felt a weight slip off of your shoulders, while the corners of your lips quirked up faintly, and you smiled small. “I’ll come with you.”

You didn’t regret your choice to follow her, that was for sure. 

And sure, at first, you couldn’t lie and say that you weren’t somewhat distrusting, even if she had made herself seem like a decent individual who didn’t want to do you any harm. But you couldn’t really help it. Especially when you and her stumbled across a Brotherhood of Steel soldier named Maximus, who you did not like at all whatsoever. He was stuck in a power armor suit, and you tried your damndest to get her to leave him, but she said something about the Golden Rule to you, before ultimately helping the guy out.

You definitely didn’t appreciate that. 

But you lived with it, even if you loathed the Brotherhood of Steel with every fiber of your being. At least you were with Lucy, and at least you knew she wasn’t going to hurt you. You couldn’t be so sure about Maximus, so you kept your distance as much as humanly possible, even after he mentioned that he wasn’t going to harm you. However, that only went so far. Because all your past experiences made the process of instilling your trust into new people immensely difficult, so it made total sense for you to act overly uncertain towards everyone you met. 

But after traveling with Lucy for some time, you certainly started to come around. 

You still weren’t so sure about Maximus, though.

Surprisingly, he kind of understood. 

Lucy’s kind-hearted nature and big-sister mentality in the way she addressed you was something you found comfort in, so of course it became easy to trust her. Like in how she tended to your lingering wounds, not even a week after you first started roaming the surface with her. Or how she let you stay with her in her personally picked room when that whole… cult in a vault thing happened. That was after you all encountered a duo of Fiends who used rotting teeth as bullets, which – granted – you knew already, but you had never been shot by one, so that… that was pretty interesting.

Naturally, it forced you to stay at that vault for a day or so, before you, Lucy, and Maximus hightailed it out of there. Cults were certainly not your thing, or anyone’s for that matter. Definitely not when the person they worshipped was the same woman your newfound friend had been searching for. And by the time the three of you left the place, she told you about her secondary search for a severed head, which also didn’t really surprise you, considering you had taken a job once upon a time that consisted of transferring someone’s hand from point A to point B. 

Unsurprisingly, Maximus was also looking for the head.

Either way, Lucy was shocked when you simply nodded along and agreed to tag along with her on her mission. It only made her more curious about you, wanting to know all the things you’ve gotten up to on the surface, and considering the long journey the two of you had ahead of you, you didn’t find yourself hesitating to talk. For the first time, you were the one who carried the conversation, while she listened intently and with a small, interested smile on her face. Maximus was too busy scouting ahead to listen in at the time, but honestly, you preferred it like that.

“Fought a deathclaw once…” 

A sudden gasp escaped Lucy at your words, and you felt the corner of your lip curling up into an amused smirk, as you turned your head towards her and met her hazel eyes, which shined with shock and awe. “What? No way,” she disagreed, stuck in a bout of disbelief, but you could only nod, silently telling her that you were – in fact – telling the truth. It only made her let out a baffled scoff, before she creased a brow in confusion, “How are you still alive? I’ve read about deathclaws,” she stated, “and nine times out of ten, when you find one, they’re the last thing you see.” 

“Guess I’m the lucky one, then,” you replied, your tone conveying a subtle smugness to it, as you shrugged your shoulders and mindlessly lifted your hand to rest it against the handle of your gun that sat in your holster. “I can thank the fragmentation mines that I had in my pack for getting me out of that situation,” you added on, chuckling quietly, “because if I didn’t have those, that thing would’ve torn me apart.” 

“Uh, yeah,” Lucy replied, as if she were saying ‘duh’ with the tone she used. “When you said you had ‘many stories’ about your time on the surface, I was not expecting you to bring up a time you almost got mauled by a deathclaw.” 

Your close calls with deathclaws, mirelurks, or any of the other dangerous creatures that lurked on the surface weren’t the only stories you told to Lucy, either. One night, at a fire, while Maximus slept soundly on the ground, you were stuck having to recall the time you almost died due to your own gullible nature, when you were younger. At the age of fifteen, you found yourself getting into ties with a group of bandits that lacked a moral compass, much to the vault dwellers dismay. Explaining to her that you had to kill innocent people when you were nothing but a kid was a harder feat than you thought.

“Wasn’t like I wanted to do it,” you quietly admitted, as you stared down at the purified water that sat in a beer bottle that you cut in half to act as a cup. You held it tightly in your hand, twisting your wrist slightly to force the liquid to swirl around smoothly within the clear glass. You made sure to completely avoid Lucy’s stare from across the fire, and she could easily gather that, when her features faintly scrunched up in sympathy. “I was just a kid.”

“That’s…” Lucy’s voice trailed off the moment she tried to speak, and you immediately breathed in deeply, as if to brace yourself, while you lifted your chin and looked up to finally meet her eyes from across the way, “you were a kid.” That was all she could say, in the end. And then she nodded her head, before she glanced down towards her own glass of water and creased her brow. “It’s not right, but you regret it now, don’t you?” 

“Of course I do,” you mumbled, only to let out a scoff, before you snapped your focus away from her face to look away, at nothing in particular, “still can’t take it back, though.” You didn’t mean for your tone to come off as sharply as it did, but you couldn’t help your own frustration. Especially because you wanted to be seen as good, or at least, somewhat moral in the eyes of the woman you’ve been traveling with. “But I thought you should know. It’s not a pretty part of my life, but at least I’m telling you something.” 

“And the scar?” Lucy suddenly questioned, her tone careful.

You swallowed, before your eyes flickered down to the jagged scar that sat on the back of your left palm. Shaped like an ‘X’, and healing poorly in just how visible it was to the naked eye. “Well, I mean…” you paused to shrug your shoulders, “obviously, it got to a point where I didn’t want to kill innocent people anymore,” you uttered, “or be a part of their group, for that matter.” You flickered your attention back up to look at Lucy again. “They didn’t like that.” 

Lucy’s expression shifted into one of pained shock, “So they…?” You nodded your head, the action slow and precise, and when your newfound friend caught your silent response, she felt her chest tighten, while her body started moving without a second thought. Standing up from the desert floor the two of you had found yourselves resting on, her boots scuffed against the grain, and she quickly rounded around the makeshift campfire. 

“What are you–?”

You were cut off when Lucy plummeted to her knees and engulfed you in a hug that felt like an umbrella of warmth and comfort. Arms wrapped around your right shoulder, pulling your left into the middle of her chest, while her chin plopped atop the crown of your head, and she squeezed you tightly. It made you feel like you were being suffocated, but the feeling of claustrophobia and discomfort didn’t come to you, even if your face didn’t necessarily look as though you were appreciative of the sudden affection.

As the silence engulfed the two of you, you swallowed, feeling your cheeks heat up out of embarrassment at the vulnerability that seemed to take up the atmosphere, and after a few too many minutes passed, you finally cleared your throat. It was the way to convey that she could pull away, and you were thankful when she did. Although, you were expecting her to step away and walk back to where she was originally sitting, but instead, she maneuvered to linger beside you instead, as her shoulder brushed up against yours, and she nudged you lightly with her knee.

“I know you probably hated every second of that hug, but I felt like you might’ve needed one,” she mumbled, while your eyes flickered back down towards your cup of water, and you slowly lifted it up to allow yourself to take a measly sip of the fluid. “I’m sorry that happened to you, Y/n,” she added on, as you quietly listened to her, still thrown off from what had just happened, “no fifteen year old should have to go through something like that.” 

It didn’t take long for you to eventually swallow down the small sip you took, and when you dropped the cup down onto your thigh, still holding it tightly, you slowly nodded your head, before you turned your face towards her and sent her a small smile. “Thanks for that,” you softly replied, “I can’t remember the last time I got a hug from someone, so… yeah.” You let out a slightly embarrassed huff, and your focus on her was swift to avert, when you set your attention onto the fire, “You’re a good person, Lucy.” 

Lucy smiled at you gently, “So are you, Y/n.” 

That conversation in itself was the thing that defined your relationship with Lucy. It was one full of silent understanding and loyalty that neither of you intended to lose for one another. It only made navigating your journey towards Moldaver easier, and it allowed you to open up a bit more, considering you had always been a little closed off in your affections and communication. In a way, you started to become her own personal guard dog. With knowing the surface and the things that lurked throughout it, you designated yourself as the expendable one, even if she herself hated that particular label. 

So, of course, you made sure to never outwardly call yourself that.

Especially not when she was around.

Eventually, your journey with Lucy came to an end when the two of you finally managed to intercept Lee. After jumping through hoops to get a weird head from a Brotherhood of Steel soldier that had turned into a ghoul – much to your appreciation, considering your dislike towards the entire group, you and her continued on, but not before Maximus parted ways with the two of you to try and confuse his faction, considering they had been called in. It was admirable, in a way. To see him take on the responsibility of diverting his groups course for the sake of helping you and the vault dweller in completing your quest.

It made you start to hate him a little less.

Only a little, though.

Inevitably, you and Lucy found a decently fortified community, after you retreated from Maximus and the ghoul soldier who was internally freaking out about his predicament. Two old, clearly non-working cars lined the sheet-metal doors that led into Moldaver’s home, and with the catwalk sitting above the entrance, you weren’t ignorant to the people carrying weapons, waiting to strike at any given moment.

It was obvious that the head Lucy carried was the thing that kept you and her from getting a bullet to the skull. Surprisingly enough, they didn’t decide to take your weapons when they let you through the doors and escorted you and the vault dweller through a path lined by crops and towards a large, rundown building. And while you both progressed closer and closer to the point of interest, you saw children laughing and jogging around the vicinity, supposedly happy in their element, which only confused you further.  

You heard things about Lee Moldaver. How everyone was terrified of her, and that she was feared. So to say you were confused when you and Lucy finally made it into the building she resided in, and found her having breakfast with a feral ghoul across a long table, would have been a major understatement. 

But then you saw Lucy’s dad stuck in a cage, looking like he’d been sitting out in the sun for far too long, and it brought you back to the reality of the situation. 

You were on a mission to help get him back.

But everything ended up falling through, like ice breaking off from a wall and falling into water, when Lee outed the man as one of the reasons why the world is the way that it is. One of the big figures behind Vault-Tec, striving to change things but in a fucked up, non-moralistic way. And although you didn’t know the man personally, that first impression certainly didn’t encourage you to like him, and even Lucy found herself questioning things, too. Like her childhood, that she had told you all about, and who her mother was, because Moldaver had been deeply interconnected, unbeknownst to her. 

And you.

But of course you didn’t know.

“He never told you where he’s really from,” Lee stated, standing up from the seat that she had been sitting in, and taking the vial she had previously pulled out of the doctors’ head with her, “when he’s from.” She emphasized the first word to her ending explanation, and as Lucy stepped forward to slightly follow the woman, you lingered back and watched on, as you folded your arms over your chest and creased your brow curiously. “He never told your mother, either.” 

“What do you know about my mother?” Lucy questioned suddenly.

Moldaver stepped up to a whirring bench of electronics and – in your eyes – confusion. Though, you did see her set the vial into some sort of square-like container, as it emitted a blue hue onto her skin and whatever else the light could touch. “She was like you,” the woman inevitably stated, “she was kind, loving.” She paused, “Curious.” She suddenly shook her head, before she turned around to look at Lucy, “Isn’t that why you came to the surface really?” she asked, “Partly to rescue your father, but… to know why I took him?” 

Your confusion only intensified, and you found your arms slowly dropping back to your sides, just so you could settle your fingers onto the handle of the pistol nestled into your holster. “Rose was so clever. Like you,” Lee continued, all the while, as you stepped up beside Lucy and watched the older woman carefully, “Lucy, your mother discovered that something was siphoning the vault’s water away. From that one clue…” she raised a hand up to pinch her fingers together, as if to signify just how small it was, “she deduced that, maybe… civilization had returned to the surface.” 

You could already tell where the story was going, and you found yourself swallowing the thick lump that formed in your throat, before you turned your focus over to Lucy, gauging her reaction. All the while, Lee stepped away from the console she had been fiddling with, and while the vault dweller’s expression shifted into a subtle look of disconcerted understanding, Moldaver continued. “When she told her husband, he said it was a ridiculous idea, and that she should tell no one.” 

“Lucy, let’s go,” Lucy’s father suddenly started, gripping the bars of the cage, as he shook his head dismissively and glanced between both you and his daughter. “Let’s–” 

But Lee cut him off before he could try and finish convincing Lucy, who seemed far too stunned to even listen to his reason, anyway. “And that’s when she realized that her husband, the Overseer, was hiding things.” 

“Lucy, let’s go,” the supposed Overseer started up once again, and that was when Lucy’s eyes shifted away from Moldaver’s to look at him instead, “let’s get out of here.” 

“So she ran away.” It felt like whiplash, having to hear the two older individuals fighting to take control of the conversation. Lee Moldaver had spoken up again, and you found yourself breathing in deeply, as your grip tightened on your gun, and you glanced at Lucy once more. “Like you did, Lucy.” When the woman spoke again, though, you forced yourself to take your attention away from the vault dweller, settling your pupils onto the older woman once more. “And took her children. And she found this wonderful city that was everything the vaults had promised to be.” 

“She is lying!” 

All three of you found yourselves ignoring the man’s words. He tried to maintain a steadiness in his tone, and although he succeeded well enough, with a simple glance towards him, you could see the internalized panic shining in his eyes. “But then, her husband came after her.” Moldaver only continued on, recalling the memory, “And when she decided not to return home, he took the children…” her voice trailed, and while you stared at her intently, you could see the way her lips shook, as an emotion of what you could only assume was pain overtook her weathered features, “and he burned that city to the ground.” 

“Shady Sands,” you mumbled suddenly, your voice almost a whisper. However, Lee heard you, and as your lips parted faintly to showcase your shocked recollection, she nodded her head, while you consciously thought back onto the giant crater you and Lucy had come across, just before entering Vault 4. 

“She’s lying, Lucy,” the Overseer suddenly said, ignoring your realization, as his eyes focused entirely on his daughter. But Lucy kept her gaze away from the man, unshed tears shining in her eyes, as she mindlessly shuffled closer to you and swallowed thickly. 

“That’s how Vault-Tec deals with competition,” Lee stated, “just like they did two-hundred years ago.” Her fleeting words were enough to send you into a bout of shock, too. You felt your breath quietly hitch, and unconsciously, your fingers tightened around the handle of your pistol, as your eyes shot towards the ground, glaring a hole into the floor below you. The silence that overcame the four of you was enough to suffocate the atmosphere, and only after a minute, did Moldaver eventually speak up, but she was entirely focused on the vault dweller beside you.

“Lucy?” she called, which successfully gathered Lucy’s attention, when she snapped out of her internal thoughts and blankly lifted her hazel eyes up to meet Lee’s. “What you and your friend brought me is cold fusion,” she explained, “it’s limitless energy.” The Overseer shook his head and parted his lips to call his daughter’s name.

“Lucy…” 

“And we can build–” 

“She’s a murderer.” 

“Our own world.” 

The Overseer’s grip on the bars he held tightened. “Lucy, look at me.” 

“It could be a better world.” Moldaver ignored him, though, while you lifted your head to look at Lucy, who blankly stared down at her boots, “it has clean water and medicine and power–” 

The Overseer interrupted. “She invaded our home!” 

“But for everyone!” 

“Lucy!” 

“Because when Vault-Tec bought my research…”

“She killed our people…” 

“They made it proprietary, so only a trusted Vault-Tec minion can activate cold fusion.” 

“Do not listen to her.” 

You slowly reached up to graze your fingers over her bicep, and your touch was hesitant. You could tell she was slowly but surely pulling herself out of her stupor, but with the continual back and forth between Lee Moldaver and her father, you were almost positive they weren’t helping her. Not with the way her brow was creased, showcasing bafflement and discontent throughout her face. You found yourself eventually biting the bullet and reaching further out to fully wrap your hand around her arm, and when you gave it a squeeze, it seemed to jolt her out of her bout of thought. 

“All I need… is for him to give me the code.” 

Lucy’s eyes flickered to look at you, all while she turned her head in the slightest. She acted like a robot, still shocked and coming to terms with everything she heard. And it only seemed to make her dad impatient, when you heard him let out a deep groan, before he yelled.

“Lucy, look at me!” 

The sound of a metal stool being thrown against the bars of the cage he was in was enough to fully snap Lucy out of her daze, when she flinched at the sudden action and snapped her head up to look at the Overseer. There was a sudden desire of protection that came over you the moment her father reacted, and when you yourself darted your focus to him, you held her arm tighter, as if to keep her rooted in her spot, away from the man.

“Look at me.” You could see the look of desperation in her dad’s eyes, as he gripped the bars of his enclosure and panted quietly, “Lucy,” he called her name once again, but nothing else came out of his mouth. He didn’t bother trying to explain himself. Nor did he refute Moldaver’s statements. He just… stared, and it was enough to lessen Lucy’s attention span when it came to gazing at him, when she fluttered her eyes away from him to address Lee instead.

“My mother,” she said shakily, “what happened to her?” 

Lee stared at Lucy somberly, “I think you know.” 

There was a moment of contemplation, and you slowly let go of Lucy’s arm, before you dropped your hand back onto the handle of your weapon. Unfortunately, you and the vault dweller were quick to put two and two together, and while your eyes widened in realization, she found herself turning around slowly, and settling her gaze onto the feral ghoul that sat at the table filled with food. 

It was her mom.

The entire situation in that dilapidated building sent you in for a loop. From finding out that Lucy’s father was one of the men who worked for Vault-Tec, which was the organization that turned the world the way that it was, to realizing that Lee Moldaver wasn’t as bad as either of you thought. She was a part of the New California Republic, and although you’ve only ever heard stories about them, you didn’t hate them nearly as much as you did the Brotherhood of Steel. That faction of which only ended up attacking the community you found yourselves in, shortly after the Overseer was pressured into giving the code for the cold fusion vial.

All the while, Lucy’s dad attempted to convince her to let him out, manipulating her into believing that he was right for doing what he did, but you found yourself shaking your head and muttering for her to go. And she herself was far too frozen to listen to you, or her father for that matter. So, you found yourself in a predicament. Hearing explosions and gunshots outside, which only got closer and closer to where you and her were, made you start to panic, not entirely knowing what to do. 

But then Maximus came back into the fold, with a headless phantom suit of power armor leading the way into the room, while he himself held up a gun. Unfortunately, one thing led to another in the process. With Lucy’s dad urging the soldier to let him out, he did so without a second thought, which only ended in shit going awry. Because when Lucy finally snapped into reality and told the Brotherhood of Steel knight to not trust the man, you attempted to tug your weapon out of your holster to hold her father at bay, which only ended in you getting knocked out when he snuck inside of the contraption of BOS gear and whacked you in the face with his metal fist. 

You eventually woke up to a dog licking your face, though.

“You know, for a supposed ‘wasteland-born dweller,’ you do not know how to take a hit, kid.” 

Your features scrunched up in reaction to the wet feeling of a dog lapping at your cheek, and with a lazy raise of your hand, you gently swatted the animal away, which earned a soft whine from it in turn. Nonetheless, the pup trotted away, and with the sun having disappeared from the sky to allow the moon to reign down on the world, you didn’t have to squint much when you fluttered your eyes open and pushed yourself up into a sitting position. 

Your jaw was undeniably sore, and you found yourself rolling it around, as you reached a hand up to rub at it. “What the hell are you talking about?” you tiredly questioned, scrunching your eyebrows in confusion, while you eventually lifted your chin up to look at the figure that stood in front of the fire, the cowboy hat he wore shadowing his weathered features, as he gripped the leather of his belt. “Who are you?” 

“The guy you didn’t help.” 

There was a short moment of silence as you recollected everything that had happened within the past two months. And only after a minute or two, did you remember the grocery store and meeting Lucy, as well as the ghoul you had stepped over and passed by, because you thought he was going to turn feral. Naturally, your expression shifted into a look of realization, and when the man turned his head slightly to gaze down at you, you slowly nodded your head, only to completely change the subject. “Where’s Lucy?” 

Looking around, you were in the woods, probably closer to Hollywood than the desert you knew far too well. More importantly, you couldn’t find Lucy, and you felt your heart leap to your throat, as you snapped your focus back up to the man, who let out a scoff and turned his head away from you to stare at the fire again. “She’s just takin’ a bathroom break. Relax.” 

You wanted to flip him off for being so crass, but you lacked the energy to respond, when you simply glanced down in thought and swallowed down the dryness in your throat. It wasn’t long before you pressed your palm against the floor of the forest and pushed yourself up to your feet, and as your boots crunched the leaves below you, you raised to your full height and stretched your back, which caused your muscles to pop and crack from the forced movement. 

The longer you kept your eyes open, the more awake you became, which allowed you to simultaneously take in even more of your surroundings. Particularly the Belgian Malinois that sat on her hind legs and stared up at you with her deep brown eyes. It had been a while since you’d seen a dog that didn’t look mutated, and you couldn’t help the way the corners of your lips curled up into a faint smile at the sight, before you moved your attention away from the animal and scanned the rest of the forest around the three of you.

In that same moment, your eyes found themselves settling onto Lucy, when twigs and leaves crunched beneath her own boots, as she walked back towards the fire you and the ghoul man were at. “Lucy?” you suddenly called, your voice cracking, due to its lack of use. You cleared your throat immediately after, and as you stepped away from the fire to walk towards her, she snapped her head up and immediately met your gaze. 

You didn’t give her the chance to speak. Nor did you gauge her reaction, as you quickened your pace and suddenly pulled her into a tight hug, the moment you were close enough. The quiet gasp she let out was expected, but you focused more on cocooning her in an embrace full of warmth and comfort, just like she did to you all those weeks ago. 

It didn’t take long for Lucy to slowly wrap her arms around you, too, reciprocating the hug, as she buried her face into your shoulder and gripped the fabric of your shirt. “This feels familiar,” she mumbled, her voice muffled, which caused you to let out a quiet huff of amusement, as you rubbed at her back. “Thanks for this, Y/n,” she added on, and you immediately nodded your head, as you squeezed her tighter. 

“Of course,” you replied quietly, “it seemed like you needed a hug.” 

Lucy sighed heavily into your shoulder, and you could tell she was still bearing the weight of what had happened back at Moldaver’s community. “I do,” she murmured, “I really do.” 

And because of that, you decided to hold her for a little longer in turn.

[the-real-rain-world-confessions]

I'm not really a vanilla purist I just think vanilla rain world was one of the greatest works of art to ever grace the medium of video games and has an incredible soul, while More Slugcats/Downpour is kindof like a really fun fanservice-y fanfiction thing full of neat headcanons and tells a nice story. Rivulet is very cute, I agree. I like that Moon calls them "Ruffles." Videogames can be all sorts of things, they can be a medium for self-reflection which challenges your emotions and develop your world-view through the richness of direct experience, but I also like New Super Mario Bros Wii and GTA5 and stuff. I dabble in some Project Diva Future Tone. It's very cool, and inspiring, and fun that a bunch of fans were inspired by something like Rain World and came together to make such a project as More Slugcats that can provide a lot of new stuff to play around with and explore, in all of the unique world-building that comes from the lore fans writing some headcanons and stuff, and the lighthearted fun of the artists adding goofy things like the hidden dating sim. What I'm kindof trying to say is, a lot of the people who say "downpour isn't canon" aren't actually being haters, they're just people who are actually engaging with art seriously and want to distinguish entirely different creative works from one another. And tangentially, it's also just a bit unfortunate how much a lot of the fandom absolutely loves Downpour but seemingly can't comprehend how anybody would care about Rain World before it existed. It's fine to not like vanilla, it's a pretty niche game, it's just a bit unfortunate. Especially because it's what Downpour was meant to celebrate in the first place. I'm sure a lot of its developers would be disheartened to see fans say the game was "bad" or "incomplete" before Downpour, it's the game they loved enough to dedicate years of work to.

.

[pomefioredove]

Hi! not sure if u write for content that isn't a character x reader, if not, feel free to ignore this req!

but I'd like to req some timeskip hcs for the twst charas.. like what would they be after graduation? I could totally see Riddle being a lawyer but I'm not entirely sure for the rest of the twst cast 🤔

Thank you in advance! Take all the time u need !

ohhh actually speculation/analysis is something I write a lot of! I hail from a very literary fandom and these sorts of prompts are some of my favorites to do!

I could def give my thoughts, just based on what we already know + my own headcanons

➼Deuce: Deuce, to me, is a hands-on learner type. I could see him getting really into mechanics, but... my heart says house husband. tells his kids bedtime stories about Cauldron Deuce (with... um, better morals, we'll say)

➼Ace: professional moocher hmmm Ace is kind of a wild card (pun) to me. I can see his life going in a lot of different directions depending on how the story goes

➼Riddle: definitely something prestigious. we know his parents are doctors, it's likely he'd feel pressured to follow in their footsteps, with other high-paying professions close behind (such as lawyer)

➼Cater: trophy husband(/influencer)

➼Trey: takes on the family bakery. I can see him getting settled down relatively fast compared to everyone else. he just needs a spouse whose as weird as he is

➼Leona: professional moocher (for real this time). In an ideal world he would get fed up with his family and move out, either to another palace they own (you know how it is with royalty and their real estate) or to his own place. but that freedom might get him to really apply himself to something he cares about, independent of his family. would get married if the opportunity presented itself, would NOT have kids

➼Ruggie: Leona's little buddy. Leona assured him a job after school, sooo probably not much different from what he's doing already, but paid. sends fat checks home to his grandma every month

➼Jack: whatever it is, he's committed to it. I can't see him working a dead-end job with no hopes of improving himself, so nothing too academic. the obvious answer is athletics... but he could just as likely become a sculptor. just something that he can apply himself to and continue improving in

➼Azul: businessman. he just has a thing for it. he's running multiple restaurant chains and dabbling in retail before age thirty, and always looking for more opportunities

➼Jade: Azul definitely guarantees him a job, but I think he'd be more interested in staying on land and doing field work. mycologist... or anything that really captures his interest

➼Floyd: cliché answer, he can't decide. likely bounces between working with his brother and working with Azul. may just stay within the "family business" which is implied to be. mafia?

➼Kalim: do we even know what the al-Asims do. besides be rich. well whatever it is, he's doing that. definitely gets married fast, probably has a bunch of kids already. they're just as loud and excitable as he is

➼Jamil: oh Jamil :( please please have a happy ending. I can see him really enjoying academics, especially in positions where he can publish papers and get feedback. good for his ego. may start some insane academic drama, though (nothing he can't handle)

➼Vil: actor/model. confirmed! probably waits a while to get married, he's put off his career long enough

➼Rook: the fact that he wants to go into archaeology is so cute... being an ex archeology (now religious studies) major myself I think it's just so... Rook of him to be interested in history. I would love to talk to him about the Minoans. Or the Xia dynasty. can I marry him while we're at it? he eventually settles down somewhere in the woods

➼Epel: eughhrrggg can I say farming. sorry. I'm from a family of farmers and kinda sentimental about it. the connection to the land is very real and very emotional. but he does other stuff, too

➼Idia: [cue book 6 angst]

diasomnia fam is up in the air for now considering... *gestures to all of book 7*

➼bonus rollo: judge. because it would be funny.

[meiieiri]

hii could you please write about how the jjk men's social media would look like, like what would they post, how often, what socials they would have? sorry if this is 2 specific!!

HOW THEIR INSTAGRAM PAGES WOULD LOOK LIKE [FT. JUJUTSU KAISEN]

❁—CHARACTERS: nanami kento, yuta okkotsu, gojo satoru (toji isn’t here bc the only online platform he’s on is onlyfans)

a/n: hey hey~ no worries! i love making stuff like these anyway, thanks for this btw, had a lot of fun making these. i only made ig as their socials as of rn because i don’t have twitter so i don’t rlly know how that works ໒꒰ྀིっ˕ -｡꒱ྀི১

༊*·˚ NANAMI KENTO

↬ nanami’s instagram would have really warm, vibrant tones to accentuate each and every mundane detail of his life into something that looks so euphoric and almost utopian-like which isn’t at all surprising seeing as this man has seen so much pain and suffering for a good majority of his life.

↬ i think he’d pick up photography as a hobby, maybe he’ll dabble into playing around with the settings on adobe lightroom or maybe secretly attend saturday workshops, on his way home from his bakery run, where he gets to learn all the fundamentals on photography composition. he eventually learns about instagram and he downloads the app on a whim when he gets bored at work. he appreciates the user friendly interface and gets the hang of it pretty quickly. he usually posts thrice a month, more if his schedule allows.

↬ now the thing with kento is he doesn’t usually put captions on his photos other than single emojis like: “🐱” or “🥐”. an exception to this is when he posts your birthday photos. he lovingly spares a few words for you that are minimal, at best, only containing a short birthday greeting. but hey, it’s written in pretty font, sooo~~

kento watches you from the couch situated near your home’s screen door leading to the pocket garden the two of you set up when you first moved in together. a small smile plays at his lips when you momentarily jump in surprise as your cat rubs herself against your legs finally ending your little game of hide and seek. “there you are,” you crouch down to scratch her ears. the loving scene of domesticity unfolds before him like a record tape from the nineties, complete with subdued hues of yellow and rose. “sweetheart, could you look here for a bit?” he calls as he fumbles with his phone. you look up confused and that’s when he decides to snap the picture. “hey! i wasn’t ready,” you protest. but he’s already posting the picture on his instagram with the caption: “💕”.

༊*·˚ YUTA OKKOTSU

↬ yuta has a fascination with sunsets. there’s just something so alluring and somewhat sorrowful about the last flicker of sunlight waging a war against her opponent, the night sky and her stars, to keep its dominion over the sky. yuta has always struggled with the notion of impermanence — he finds change to be downright terrifying which is why he took it upon himself to confront this fear by taking pictures of the setting sun, a form of change that is ironically as unchanging as his love for a certain someone, hehe.

↬ he normally uses his instagram as a digital journal of sorts. he’s always away owing to the many missions he’s now been assigned as a sorcerer second only to gojo satoru. he writes down entries, as much as possible, on a weekly basis to properly process the many emotions he’s felt that day.

↬ naturally, you’re always the first to view the pictures ergo press the heart button which always makes him turn a bright shade of pink despite the many years you’ve been together. AND, even though you’ve already technically seen the pictures, yuta will ALWAYS show it to you again when he gets home from work and regale you with all the amazing details about his recent trip.

yuta practically melted into your arms when he came in through the front door. “missed you,” he murmurs. you crane your head back to get a good look at him and you heave a sigh of blissful relief when you neither find a single scratch nor bruise on him. “are you alright, my love?” he asks, head tilted to the right, his eyes wide with curiosity at your silence. “yeah, fine,” you shake your head, playfully pinching his unscathed cheek earning a whistle-like chortle from the young sorcerer. “you know,” he says thoughtfully when his laughter dies down. “i never realized how beautiful the hida mountains are,” he recounts the wondrous things he’d seen and taken photos of from the sleepy lake town they took refuge in, to the mighty mountain river he and gojo had crossed on their way to the summit, to the towering willow trees with branches so ancient they could practically block out the sun, and finally to the mysterious abandoned forest shrine that only showed itself to an honored few, emerging from the haze like a ghostly apparition. he continues to ramble on for a substantial amount of time, scrolling through his phone gallery, not knowing that you’d dozed off. “2:48 AM,” the clock read. yuta sighs at your sleeping form, hearts practically swarming in his eyes. he lifts the blankets to cover your forms. “guess we’ll just have to go together someday,” he says, pecking your cheek before shifting ever so carefully to turn off the nightlight.

༊*·˚ GOJO SATORU

↬ posts low contrast pictures with low brightness because he’s cool that way. if not for the fact that he mostly shares memes, his feed actually looks pretty good, it’s subtle but appealing in many ways and it looks glorious on dark mode, it kinda reminds you of those pinterest or twitter moodboards. he knows his way around setting a moody vibe on his feed, and to think almost all of his pictures were shot on his old iphone. satoru gojo, the strongest sorcerer of his generation, much to the surprise of many, is actually quite talented. who would’ve thought?

↬ but please PLEASE someone get instagram away from this man, the world is not ready for his genius. now unlike the others, satoru uses instagram purely for fun. and yes, he posts dumb shit like they’re scripture. he got in trouble with the community once when he posted a picture of dixie (depicted above) from the teletubbies with the caption: “bake those cookies dixie”. you had to help him submit an incident report to the community moderators and a promissory note stating that he’ll never post such lewd things again. and he didn’t (thank god). for a full week, that is. he relapsed almost immediately.

↬ on the bright side, though, his followers always find it cute whenever he posts pictures of the two of you on your dates, even the ever-stoic nanami couldn’t resist the urge to smile whenever he comes across a picture of his senior having the time of his life with you. god knows how much gojo satoru deserves to love and be loved in return, even if he once thought it to be the most repulsive of curses.

gojo watches you from the other end of the table, a tipsy simper on his features when he notices your eyelids drooping, your head bobbing in your drunken stupor, your lips slightly open as your breathing evens out. “you drunk, baby?” he slurs as he polishes off the last of the yakiniku set you ordered, the oily, sweet and salty grilled meat seemingly simmering down the effect of the alcohol. you were the only ones left in the izakaya, at this point, the owner has half a mind to throw the both of you out so they could close for the night. “nooooo,” you sniffle before a tiny hiccup rips through your throat. cute, satoru stares at you with lovestruck eyes. “stop that,” you look at him through your blurred vision. “stop what?” satoru asks, his head resting on the hardwood table as his hand searches his jeans for his phone. he had to capture this moment before he blacks out. “looking at me like i’m the most beautiful girl in the room,” you scowl disapprovingly. he manages to find his iphone just before he nods off to sleep, snapping a picture of the both of you. empty plates and half-finished shot glasses are strewn about your table and the night’s festivities are perfectly captured in the frame. the two of you looked absolutely hammered — your normally tidy hair was disheveled, and his face looked like a cross between a sore thumb and a ripe tomato — but still, you looked happy. and to satoru, that’s all that really matters. “but you are, baby,” he pats you on the head before finally passing out. “you are.”

[imthepunchlord]

Ok so I was looking through old miraculous concept stuff and it really shows how much they fumbled Adrien. Apparently early drafts of Adrien wanted to be a doctor, which could have been interesting for his character when you factor in that his mother was sick before she "disappeared/died" and it's likely doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong, maybe Adrien wants to be a doctor to figure out what happened his mom was suffering from and maybe to help other people avoid that same situation.

This also sparked an idea for how Adrien's being "pefect" could have been used for this character. Maybe since Gabriel puts so much pressure on Adrien to be perfect and maintain this perfect image, Adrien has a lot of repressed anger and he has to keep in check. Also early verisons of Felix had him do boxing, maybe it's something Adrien does in secret as a way to help him vent his anger and become something he actually enjoys or maybe he could do breakdancing as a refer to the breakdance au (it's probably one of the oldest Miraculous aus and was one of the most popular)

Him being a doctor I do really like, and it seems it's an idea the fandom had picked up on early on, as the most popular ideas I saw for Adrien's future was him being a teacher, or a child therapist. Doctor or therapist is now one of the top two picks I like in what he may do in the future, as both do have merits to get the ball rolling. Though I do also like the idea of him getting into acting since he does dabble in it in canon, and he is quite a showman. And season 1 wise, yeah he did really like to dance.

From what I remember when I was watching s2 and from what I've heard and seen, it is kinda a shame he doesn't break out into dance anymore. It really added to Adrien's character as a model, as he stands so still but he himself is someone who likes to be animated and in motion, so him loving to dance and able to do so as Chat Noir just added a nice touch to Adrien. So it's a shame it seems like that aspect diminished.

Learning that Felix boxed, I am not too surprised, as boxing was/is regarded as a gentleman's sport (idk if it still counts?), and older concept Felix gave off that air of sophistication and poise.

I don't know if Adrien would box though, at least, not while he models for his father. Boxing does come with a risk of damaging your face and that would not be good for photo shoots. Felix it's unclear if he modeled at all, we don't see it, so presumably he didn't, which could allow him to box more easily.

I know Adrien did study some sort of martial arts when he was younger, though he quit. Fencing now seems to be his go to sport, I've heard some say he incorporates it into his fighting style, but I don't have enough knowledge on that to say for sure. I just know he doesn't use a staff correctly as a weapon, at least going off Rogercop.

Btw, Alya is my go to pick on who may be into boxing, and now I want to see a boxing match between her and Felix.