#i want to see him in an office depot | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

yanban-san · 1 year ago

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Oh, the boys would have such a reaction to seeing their darling without their tokens! The depot agents would definitely catch darling on the way into work and try to keep them and the bosses apart, but it's only a matter of time. And of course, all this hullabaloo over the feather and scale would only spur darling's new concerns further

Lord help those cultists if the twins ever find out who planted these ideas in the first place. Not even Arceus could save them

Putting it under a cut because long, also I did no proof reading T vT [Tags: Reader x Submas, SFW]

Oh, Certainly.

You can go back to Gear Station, setting aside the lovely scale Ingo gifted you- And the feather Emmet (unwittingly) bestowed upon you- And don your work uniform, heading into the station-

If something was trying to mark you- To bless you? To do- Something-

Well, you weren't going to let it. And you certainly weren't going to let whatever this "mystery" of the Subway was manipulate your coworkers or your bosses into… doing… things… for it? Your thoughts were racing through your head. There wasn't much for you to go on- And you certainly did not want to talk to that weird "psychic group" that hung around outside Gear Station any longer-

"You've been marked, young one."

Your heart sank every time you recalled those words. A cold chill running down your spine. You wanted to deny it as mad ramblings of mad people- But-

You had… good luck. You had very strange good luck. You had impossibly good luck. Certain people acted strangely around you- And to what end? Always your benefit- And- What of everything else that had happened? You, losing your job, suddenly finding yourself working for a train company- It wasn't something you had ever seen yourself doing, and certainly not long term, right? And yet- Here you were. Everything seemed to have lead you to Gear Station.

As though they were being manipulated by something- And you wanted nothing to do with any potential ghosts- Monsters- Pokemon? Whatever it was- Whatever the "mystery" was-

Nothing. You wanted nothing to do with it.

"Miss! You're a little late today," Jackie noted as you came into one of the back offices. "Anything bothering you today?"

Oh, sweet Jackie. He was always so polite- Everyone was.

Everyone was.

Oh dear.

"I'm doing okay," You lied. "I uh- Actually, you know what? Jackie, I have a question."

Your supervisor tilted his head. "Oh? What's up?"

"I- Have you- " What were you supposed to ask? Hey, are you being manipulated by some kind of something-or-other to be excessively nice to me? Is a demon controlling you? Have you seen any monstrous, non-pokemon entities prowling the subway that demanded you treat me perfectly?

Jackie adjusted his hat. "You can always ask me anything at all, Miss. I'm here for you and the all the rest of the Depot Agents, you know." One of his pokemon approached him- A Lilligant. He pet her head,

"Well, it's a little strange," You started off. "I don't suppose you've… run into those psychics that hang around Nimbasa City, have you? The ones who're usually around Gear Station?"

Jackie's face fell, a look of annoyance as his mouth scrunched up. "I've seen them, yea. A lot of them have been flat out banned from Gear Station, though. They've harassed employees, they've harassed the bosses, they've harassed customers- " He cut himself off, turning his attention back to you. "Why? Have they been bothering you?"

"Oh no, it's not that- I mean, I did get stopped by someone yesterday when I was walking, but- Well- What do you think about- What it is they say? About the er- Mystery-thing- in the subway?"

Jackie shrugged, sighing. "Oh, it's probably a load of nonsense- And besides, if there is anything in the tunnels, it's probably just a pokemon- Nothing you need to worry about, of course."

"What if it's not a pokemon, though?"

"I'm sorry?"

"I think- I think there might really be something- Down in the tunnels."

Oh fucking hell, Jackie thought. "A-And why would that be?"

"D'you know that scale Ingo found? The one he gave to me?"

Yes, yes I know it very well. "A little bit, why?" And come to think of it, why were you not wearing it-

"…I think it might be from our resident 'mystery'."

"Oh! Perhaps? I thought it was just a scale from an oddly-colored Haxorus." Jackie's hand pat aggressively on his Lilligant's head. "Come to think of it, isn't it usually in your pocket? You didn't lose it, did you?"

You shook your head. "Nope, I just… I think it might be better to leave it at home for a little bit, you know? It was stretching out my uniform's pocket, too."

Oh dear. "Gear Station isn't so particular about their uniforms, Miss. If it did get stretched, you get new uniforms every six months anyway, so…"

And come to think of it, the feather was missing from your cap. Jackie's blood ran cold. How was he to bring that up, too-

"…So, you think the scale came from… Something in the tunnels?"

You nodded. "…I think the feather I put in my cap may've also come from… It, too." Oh, well that answered that question.

Jackie sighed. "Well, if there is anything down there, I'm sure we'll find it- But in all my- Time working here, I've never seen anything out of the ordinary down there…"

"D'you think Ingo and Emmet would have any insight?"

"Into this? I doubt-"

"Insight into what?"

You don't know how you missed the clicking of Emmet's heels- Was he intentionally being quiet-? It took one turn of your head to notice your brilliantly white-coated boss hovering over your shoulder. Smiling brighter than the sun shone- and- Ominously.

"Oh- Emmet, Sir! Good morning-" You nearly jumped, but held yourself together- Your fright coming out as excitement.

"Good morning." He answered. His eyes scanned over you. "Something's different." His hand went to his mouth, and he answered his own question before you could even open your mouth. "Ah. The feather. Did you lose it? I hope not. It was verrry cute on your cap."

"Oh, I just- Left it at home today," You explained quickly. Why? Emmet didn't need to know-

"Aw. …Hmm. You're also missing that thing you kept in your pocket."

"The scale Ingo gave me?"

"That was it."

Emmet's posture changed. Why, he wanted to ask. He did not like this change. Maybe you only forgot them. That must've been it. That had to be it.

"Yeah… I thought it was… uh, unprofessional to hold onto trinkets while I work-"

Liar. Emmet thought. Why would you lie to him? You didn't lie about leaving them at home- But you were certainly lying now.

"But uh, the other thing-"

Oh?

"Emmet, Sir… Has there ever been… any… rumors… of- Strange… Pokemon, living in the subway tunnels?"

You looked up at your inscrutable boss cautiously. Emmet's eyes rolled as he thought about it for a moment- "Hmm. Someone's been reading some haunting stories, haven't they?" He smirked, eyes squinting. "There are a lot of people who like to use the subway tunnels as a backdrop for their scary stories. There's no odd pokemon down there. Just looots of verry cute joltiks!"

He patted your cap. "So don't put too much stock in those stories you hear, okay?"

"It- It wasn't a story, Sir-"

"I do miss that pretty feather in your cap though- You should put it back in."

Wait a moment. You felt your breath hitch.

"The feather?"

"Mmhmm! It is a verry pretty feather, you know?" Emmet's eyes narrowed. "I thought you liked it quite a bit too."

"Oh, I do-" And you paused.

Was Emmet- No, certainly he couldn't be-

Being… Controlled, could he? By whatever thing stalked you-

You considered your boss for a moment.

Emmet smiled. "So you'll put it back? Wonderful! It is verrry charming, is it not?"

"Huh?"

"The feather."

You recalled it.

"…I suppose." Was Emmet being controlled by the- By the thing that plagued you? "There was something I always… found off about it, though."

And in the silence that followed, you could have heard your blood running through your veins.

"…What's wrong with it?"

The tone of Emmet's voice sent a shiver down your spine- The color drained from Jackie's face- And yet you wouldn't have noticed the latter, deciding to try and find out for yourself-

Was Emmet being manipulated? And your current feelings turned to- Well, yes, it certainly did seem that way.

"It just… feels off, you know? Like yes, it's wonderfully soft and shimmery, but… I can't help but feel like… it's not a real feather, or something. Like it's…" What to say- Something- Something to tell the thing that followed you that you wanted nothing to do with it?

"…fake?"

The Subway Boss stared at you, cocking his head curiously. You felt nervous- Where had Jackie gone, you wondered? Your supervisor was suddenly absent from the office-

"I see. Well, I must get going."

Emmet's smile never left his face. But his heart and mind burned. You watched him turn tail and pace away, always so perfectly postured. Well, no use waiting around here, you thought, and off you went to

Emmet burned. Not with anger, no, certainly not, but something indescribable. An emotion, certainly, that was driving him madder and madder by the second, the more he thought about it. Fake? His feathers? Fake? Himself? And not only that, but you had the audacity to believe silly little rumors or stupid stories over his own words?

Liar. Liar. Liar.

Almost like a self-soothing mantra. You must be lying, surely, little mortal.

You wouldn't hurt them like this.

You're destined to love them. To be with them forever- To be theirs, forever-

Emmet would have to have a chat with his brother about this.

But the other Subway Boss was already finding you as well.

To Ingo, it was odd- You had clocked in, but-

He couldn't feel the warmth of your heart against that lonesome little scale he gave you. Surely you hadn't lost it? No matter- He could always happen upon another, saying it was from a hydreigon or similar-

"Ah, there you are, Miss."

He watched as you darted out of another hallway- Laden with blueprints and answering something on your walkie-talkie.

Ingo was not one to demand attention. He was reserved- Refined. He studied human mannerisms and etiquette- Such things were meaningless drivel, easily learned and retained- Service workers kept their arms behind their backs, or at their sides, their backs straight, feet oh-so-far apart-and-not-a-millimetre-more- Head perfectly held up but not too high- Shoulders back, and a bow to ladies as he held the door for them- Refined movements with not a step too widely taken. There were a million more rules, and subtle cues he had learned- And he would've learned a million more if he had to. Nonsense, all of it- The pompous drivel that humans inflicted on themselves, though, mannerisms and etiquette were something he and his brother were subjected to in any dealings with mortals or other things, no matter the age or era. And while Emmet was certainly the more impatient of the two-

Ingo was reserved. Nobori knew that, come what may, his desires would be his- He was never an impatient being, because, no matter what, all things came to an end, eventually. All things. No matter how many thousands of eons he must wait. And so, he knew, you would eventually end up in his arms.

And yet, for all his refinement- For all his patience-

Your mere presence tested every part of his perfectly crafted facade. If you confessed your undying affection to him at any moment, it would not be soon enough- Oh, to finally hold you in his arms- Oh, to finally revel in your embrace-

Oh, to finally receive your love and adoration, your affection, openly and freely- To be free himself to be as jealous and possessive as he desired- There was a reason he wished to cloak you in shadows, and keep you away from prying eyes- There were no eyes fit to behold you to him- No light fair enough to catch your countenance (Except, perhaps, Kudari's)- No gift too great to give you- If only, if only, you would turn your eyes up to him in love.

And you did love them, even if you didn't know it yet. Ingo was certain. You were wrapped around his fingers, and trapped within his net. He loved you dearly- And elder demons who dwell beyond time and space, moving with the ebb and flow of ancient forces so vast and unknowable and ancient and imperceptible were not used to feeling such a base emotion as love-

And it had consumed him, entirely. At first, he would've been content to steal you away- He would've been content to force your love from your heart, binding you to him until you couldn't tell where the shadows began and you ended-

But not now.

Love was a bit like a drug- A drug that didn't seem to wear off. And oh, how he became enslaved to his adoration of you- No, merely kidnapping you- That was the sort of thing a beast would do. And Nobori was far cleverer than a mere human.

No no, you would be his. You would seek him out on your own, and soon you wouldn't wish to leave him-

After all, he had watched you for so long from your shadows. You sighed and complained of your boss and your work at your old job- No more. No matter where you applied or wanted to go, the brothers knew you would be happiest by their side- Not working among strangers who would treat you like common filth, so your resumes were tattered and torn apart in shadows- Or a recruiter conveniently forgot to call you. And no matter what work you wanted-

Gear Station had need of your skills. Gear Station had dire need of your skills. Gear Station had dire need of you.

And everything seemed to be going so well- From the first nervous moment you stepped into their office for an interview, to how well you took to the training, the joy on your face from working among them- Of course you were happy. You would be nothing less among them.

So when you drew the precious scale of his out of your pocket, and placed it on some counter last night- He was not worried. You usually did that. But when he failed to feel your hand come morning, or the tender beat of your heart and the rise of your lungs as he had grown so fond of-

The elder deity was unnerved. He hadn't realized how much he had found himself yearning for the feeling- And without it, it left a hollow, ill feeling in him. He thought seeing you would fix it- But looking at your nervous face, the way you clung to yourself like a frightened minccino-

"Whatever is the matter, Agent-?" Ingo asked-

Leering down at you, a cruel look in his dark eyes- Or at least, that's how it looked to you.

"Ah, Ingo, Sir…" You trailed off. You hadn't wanted to run into him. "Nothing much, I'm… supposed to do a tunnel inspection? So, I'll get goin-"

"No no, I meant- You look rather worried. Is something bothering you? You can always come to me or Emmet if you have any concerns, you know-"

You shook your head. "No no, nothing like that- I er, uh, I'm just- I guess I'm feeling a little off today,"

*How were you to explain-

"…Your cap seems… Ah- Did you leave that feather at home today?" Ingo broached. He had noticed the lack of scale in your pocket, as well. But the scale was far more hidden in your uniform than the feather- And it was some mortal manner to not stare at someone's chest and inspect their breast pockets for any objects they may or may not contain, was it not?

Oh please no, not Ingo too- You thought, feeling more and more desperate. Why? What was the significance of that stupid feather and scale? Why? They might come from the thing- But why?

"Er, yes, I left them at home, I don't- I don't think it's good for me to wear the- it, to work, you know?"

"I saw no issue with it, and I'm certain Emmet didn't eith-"

"I saw issue with it."

And once again, silence. Ingo looked down at you, silver eyes unnaturally bright against the harsh shadows cast from the brim of his hat-

It made him look mad. Deranged.

And with trepid movement, you took a small step backwards. Perhaps it was paranoia, perhaps it was fear- Perhaps you were imagining things, yes, that had to be it-

"…There was an issue? With it?"

"Yes. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get to my work. I… I was a little late this morning."

And you brushed past him without another word, leaving him dumbfounded. A chill swept through the hallway, and Ingo watched your figure vanish down another turn towards the subway tunnels.

…Had you just rejected his gift to you? His lovely brother's gift to you? What issue was there with their scale and feather? Did that mean you took issue with them?

The elder God was certain he-they- had you ensnared. Under his claws, his gaze, wrapped in his shadows- You were bound to be his mate, bound to be his, entirely, entirely his-

"Brother."

Ingo turned his eyes- Emmet. Who had been watching you as well, vanish behind the tunnel door. And peaking out behind him, was Depot Agent Jackie.

"I'-I'm certain it's nothing big, Emmet, Sir! And Ingo, Sir, er- Don't worry, if you- If you leave this to us Agents, I'm certain we can figure out what changed their mind-"

"You better." Emmet snapped, not taking his eyes off where you turned. Jackie saluted, and without another word, ran away to carry out his bosses' orders. Emmet bit his lip.

"Brother, she said there was something wrong with my feather."

Ingo's brow furrowed. "Wrong? Whatever could they mean?"

"I don't know."

"And- My scale- She took that off, too."

"Yes, she did that too."

"And your feather!"

"Yes. And my feather."

Ingo grabbed at his sleeves. This didn't… make any sense. You had said you loved his scale- You fawned over and adored the feather you'd found-

So why. What had changed? Why did you now shy away, why were you so uncomfortable around them? Why did you dislike their gifts now-? Ingo scratched at his back. An unusual cold spot had manifested- A feeling he wasn't aware he could feel- Where his scale had used to be.

Emmet threw back his head, hair ruffling up like feathers- "If darling refuses us…" And began walking towards the door you disappeared down-

"They won't," Ingo reassured.

"They will not. One way or another."

Ingo glanced at his brother out of the corner of his eye, following him. "…Do you have anything in mind to remedy this situation, brother?"

Emmet pondered a moment. "Would Miss Elesa be able to get it out of them, the reason, you think?"

"I don't know. They seem… Suspicious, don't they?"

"Nonsense! Elesa can figure it out."

And Elesa would have her day quite rudely interrupted by an incessant call from her X-Transceiver- Unendingly ringing, until she threw it off in annoyance- Probably something to do with those two, she thought. The last thing she needed- More headaches, more pestering- And she'd probably have to pester you, too. Perhaps if she ignored it, she wouldn't have to deal with it, she hoped.

Until Emmet breaks into her gym, doe-eyed and asking so sweetly for her help once more. Certainly, you trust Elesa, right? You won't find her suspicious.

#Ingo x Reader #Emmet x Reader #Eldritch Submas #monster au #demon au #seth.asks #seth.anon #ingo/reader #emmet/reader #eldritch au

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leggerefiore · 7 months ago

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More funny and cute parenting scenarios! How about the kids finding their parents clothes and walking around the house pretending to be their parents! (Said parents watch in amusement)

Arceus forbid Volo’s kid finds his hair gel

I kinda did a little spin on this...

Ingo finally closed the laptop as he rested his eyes for a moment. Work truly never ended some days despite being out of the office. He got up for a moment to go get a drink of water and returned soon after. But, there was something amiss. The laptop was open again while tiny hands tried to type. Erin stood on his knees to reach the computer while a familiar coat was almost like a wrap around him. A black cap sat on his head just off kilter and leaning forward. A badly tied tie was much too long around the neck of the baggy shirt that came to his bent knees. He also spied much too large shoes on his feet.

Ingo cleared his throat. Erin jumped back in a panic, previously stern and frowning face not overwrought with fear. Ticking his tongue, he walked over to pick the small boy up. Eyes momentarily glanced at the screen to assess what damage his son had done. Nothing, really, just a misspelt attempt at addressing “Unkle Emet” for a “brake.” A chuckle came from him unconsciously. Spelling was a bit of an issue, but his ease at taking to maths was a bit scary.

“… I'm – I'm a Subway Boss,” Erin cried, “I was doing work!”

“Hmm, is that so?” Ingo fought back the smile that wanted spread across his lips, “My, that document isn't going to Emmet. It's going to a Depot Agent. Are you certain you know what you are doing?”

Erin looked flustered. His shoes dangled off his feet. Ingo could not be upset at the little guy. He instead let him sit in his lap while he worked. The Subway Mini Boss was more than happy there.

Emmet grumbled when Ingo handed him the wrong piece again. They had decided to build a model train together again on a rare shared day off, yet it seemed the older twin's heart simply was not in it. Both of them opted for a break and headed to the kitchen to grab some snacks. Maybe hunger was clouding their judgement. However, when they returned, they found a scene unravelling. The model pieces were all over the floor as two oddly dressed kids had taken over the floor. Much too big hats and coats were worn, while even larger shoes seemed to make them trip. The white shirts were more like dresses on them rather than their true purpose. Emmet stood stiffly.

Inka and Emma went deathly quiet with big eyes at the sight of their father and uncle in the room. Model pieces were strewn about from an apparent attempt to finish it. The instruction booklet was in the older twin girl's hand, even. She tried to hide it behind her. Emmet sighed and stepped forth. Picking up Inka, who was dressed in his uniform, and passing her to Ingo, then Emma, who wore Ingo's own, into his own.

“See! It was all wrong, Emma,” Inka shook in Ingo's arms, “I was named after Uncle Ingo, so I should have been in uniform and reading the paper thingy!”

“I'm the older twin,” Emma argued back, hanging limp like a feline in Emmet's hold, “Therefore I am like Ingo more. Plus, I frown like him! You smile like papa!”

Ingo and Emmet locked eyes for a moment. This felt like their own memories from youth. In the end, they both let the little girls help build. Their tiny hands came in very hand in the end. (All the while, Inka kept begging to wear Ingo's uniform instead, to not avail.)

Cyrus sat down his tablet on the end table. Standing up, he stretched and left the room for a moment to go stand out on the veranda. Fresh air seemed to reinvigorate his mind from the stupor that document processing lulled him into. Yet, he noticed an oddity when he headed back in to finish his work. Spiky hair was the first thing her noticed, alongside tiny hands tapping away on the lock screen of his tablet. Cyllene sat on the couch wearing a baggy grey vest with a family emblem on the chest. An even baggies long sleeved shirt was more like a dress on her smaller form. His grey slip-ons were also dangling on her feet.

Cyrus treaded over to her. She froze and nearly dropped the tablet. He caught it with ease and sat it back down, noting she had managed to actually unlock it. That would be addressed at a later point. Her actions bewildered his mind. Her use of too much hair gel quickly became apparent as he picked her up. It was still wet. His hand went to gently soothe her hair back down into its usual style. She just leaned into his touch.

“May I ask what all this is?” he spoke quietly, not to sure how to approach this situation.

“I am training to take over Team Galactic,” she replied simply, “… I was going to message Saturn to open Minecraft when I got to the office.”

Cyrus genuinely hated the chuckle that left him at her words. Her innocence was truly something he could help but adore. He informed that he was not going to the office today, and she pouted. It seemed all the attention his grunts and commanders gave her were deeply enjoyed.

A yawn left Volo as he headed back in from the garden. Cogita had insisted his repentance for his actions be earned through hard work. Her kindness was bewildering at times, but he supposed his current situation was not one she would decline. Their closeness was something silently understood between both parties. He stepped inside to a sight. On his bed stood his daughter, dressed in a much too big top and saddles that could only be slid to stay on her feet. Her hair was styled back in a manner that made his stomach twist.

“Strike him down,” her tiny voice came out, and he narrowly dodged the attack of her Gible.

“… Just… What are you doing, Astrea?” he walked over to pick her up and set her back on the ground before she fell off and hurt herself. She pouted up at him, barely reaching his knee in height.

“I'm being scary-dad!” she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, “Mistress Cogita said you did this to them!” He shook his head. Was the old woman really telling her about what he had done to her other parent? He swallowed. Astrea was much too young to even understand what that meant in seriousness, but he did not like being reminded of his failure and actions. He petted her head and offered to take her for a walk if she changed clothing. She agreed.

#ingo.ima #emmet.ima #cyrus.ima #volo.ima

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brewed-pangolin · 1 year ago

Text

Mindful Arrangement

Here's a thought.

Soap is a flowers kinda guy...

Okay. Let me explain...

18+ MDNI Implied Sexual Themes

Soap is a smart man. He understands the significance and subtle undertones of certain bouquets. And not just the usual roses equals loves cliché. He knows those nuances can go deeper. More meaningful. More intimate.

And he'll send them at the most random and impromptu times. Never planned. He likes knowing he'll catch you off guard in your most candid of moments.

Even while on missions halfway around the globe. If he's got fifteen minutes, he's swiping through Flowers.com to see what arrangement catches his eye. Prices be damned, SAS has an unending budget.

And when he's home on leave, never let this man go anywhere alone. Doesn't matter if it's to the grocery store, Home Depot, Lowes, Costco, Walmart, the fucking post office. He'll come back with a truck load of full blooming perennials (because annuals will only last a year, and his love for you is eternal). And yes, he bought matching pots and planters because he's just that passionate about it.

But I digress...

So here's the goods. What they mean to him and what he's trying to tell you.

Roses

It may be cliché, but it's a universal sign that he loves you. But more than that, he sends these most often when he's on missions for one very specific reason. He's pining for you.

Perhaps he was on a recon mission, walked by a pastry shop and caught the sweet scent of vanilla and chocolate. And we all know how powerful the sense of smell is on repressed memories. He was then immediately thrusted into your kitchen where you were blissfully making your next confectionary experiment. Splotches of flour dusted on your cheek, quietly humming your favorite tune as you spin around to grab the vanilla extract from the cupboard.

Lilies

The lily symbolizes a lot, depending on their color, arrangement and combinations. But for Soap, it's all about his heart. And he will most often send these to you at work when he's on leave, because it's his way of saying he's thinking of you.

Some men send texts. Others send cards or write little post-it notes. Soap sends a bouquet of stargazer lilies. It's a simple arrangement, half a dozen with no accompaniments. But he knows the implications will be very impactful. Because he's going to be on your mind all day.

Edible Arrangement

I know what you're thinking. Chocolate covered strawberries. He's hungry. And your sweet pussy is the only thing he wants to feast on tonight. And as appetizing as that may be, it's not what his intentions are.

He will only send these when he's home, for this is your first indication that he's taking you out to dinner. And not some typical chain or easy dive in. No, he's going all out.

Expect a dress already picked out for you when you get home. And no, he's not telling you where you're going. That's half the surprise. And those chocolate strawberries are dessert, to be fully enjoyed from the platter of your exposed stomach.

Orchid

This is Soap's pièce de résistance. The crème de la crème. He makes a point to send these primarily when he's on his way home, for the orchids' significance is very particular. It's sex. (Seriously. Look at it. If you can't see it, you're blind)

He won't send this to your workplace, knowing how flustered and albeit ridiculously horny you'll get with just your first glance. He'll only send this to your home, and within two days of his arrival, because he wants you to fester in unrelenting neediness. He won't text. He won't call. He becomes the world's most thoughtful fucking tease while you have to somehow keep your mind off the fact your hormones are in overdrive and your pussy will be nothing short of Niagara Falls when he finally bursts through your door.

And he's thirsty, he's well equipped to manage that relentless flow. And ready to thrust himself into your cove the second his duffle bag hits the floor.

I know it's not Super Soap Sunday, but I'm tagging the Soap Squad nonetheless. It's been almost seven months since I wrote anything, and it feels so good to finally be back.

@deadbranch @punishmepunisher @sofasoap @d3athtr4psworld @macravishedbymactavish @jynxmirage

If you'd like to be added to the list, please let me know.

Much love 💛

#mindful arrangements #Super Soap Wednesday?#soap squad #soap squad 🧼#hes a flowers man i tell ya #johnny soap mactavish #john soap mactavish #soap mactavish #john mactavish #cod fanfic #call of duty #cod #call of duty modern warfare

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mercurygray · 7 months ago

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Hiiii Merc 💜

Everything ok? Hope you're feeling better!

I saw your prompt list and I just couldn't resist... How would you feel about either nr 72 (mischief managed) or nr 74 (are you challenging me?)

For, you guessed it, my girl Fred? (I have to stay loyal to my girl)

If not, no worries 💜

Thank you 😍

- your Fred Friend

The three of them definitely looked like trouble.

Fred looked up from the table she was wiping down to see Ken Lemmons at the door of the Aero Club, his two smallest assistants in tow.

"Morning, Fred," Ken said with a smile. "Mind if we come in?"

"Oh, I'm not sure I can let these two hooligans in here," Fred added with pretend seriousness, looking down at Billy and Sammy, who was carrying a cardboard box. "Since they're not actually members of the US Armed Forces."

"Not even if we brought you a present?" Sammy asked, gesturing with the box he was holding.

"Billy and Sammy found something out at the hardstand and thought you'd like to have it," Ken explained. "I thought it'd be better if they brought it to ya in person."

Fred pretended to consider it, keeping in mind that all three of them, including Ken, looked like they were up to something. It was not outside the realm of possibility for the contents of the box to be a live frog - or a cow pie. "Well, I do like presents. Depends if it's a good one."

"We brought you a spark plug!" Billy said with a grin, obviously very pleased with his joke.

Fred's eyebrows went clear up into her hair, trying not to appear uncharitable. (Six year old boys were a tough bunch when you didn't like their jokes.) "Oh, well then. Can't say I've gotten one of those recently. Where is it?" But just as she said that, the box in Sammy's arms meowed, and one tiny black paw batted its way out of the lid. A spark plug, huh? Fred carefully opened up the box, trying not to get swiped, and came face to face with a tiny scrap of a black kitten, eyes peering querulously up from the cardboard. It yowled inquisitively and tried to stand up on its back legs to get out, not quite strong enough to make the jump yet.

"Goodness me. Where on earth did you find him?"

Sammy spoke up immediately. "We were helping Ken with the engine and he needed a spanner -"

"A wrench," Billy corrected over his friend, looking at Ken for confirmation that he'd used the right word. Ken nodded, but Sammy had kept right on going.

"-And there was a noise in the boxes of spare parts! So we named him Spark Plug!"

"He scratched me," Billy added, showing the still-red scratch on his good hand. "But I don't think he meant it."

"I think he might have gotten away from his mother and crawled in where it was warm," Ken offered, by way of actual context. "Needs a little bit of looking after, but I thought he might help with your mice."

Helen came round the corner with the bookkeeping ledgers, heading for the back office from the supply room. "What's this? Presents for Fred and not for me?"

"I think he's for all of us, Helen." Fred collected the box from Sammy and tipped it to show Helen. The kitten batted at the box again. "This is Spark Plug."

"Oh, goodness, isn't he a darling," Helen said, reaching in with one finger to pet his small velvet head. "Hello, you. Are you hungry, precious? Did those boys give you a silly name?"

"Can we help feed him?" Billy asked, obviously with an eye to the main chance of getting into the kitchen and closer to whatever today's treats were likely to bed.

"Before we do anything he's going to go outside and get a bath, and while we're doing that you're going to go with Ken to the ammunition depot and find us a tray of sand," Helen announced. "He needs a place to do his business. If we're going to start with cats I want them to know what the expectations are."

"Well, come on, you heard Miss Helen," Ken said, a hand on both their small shoulders. "Let's go find some sand."

Their mischief now mostly managed, the two boys took off at a run towards Ken's Jeep, their handler taking his sweet time behind them so he could drive over to the depot. Trouble, Fred repeated to herself with a grin, still holding the box. Inside, Spark Plug made another swipe at the cardboard. "Are we keeping you out of trouble or getting you into it, buddy?"

The cat only yowled again, and Fred, for her part, agreed.

#asked and answered #Anonymous #i have written a thing #mercurygraypresents #tds cinematic universe #masters of the air OC #masters of the air x oc #freda torvaldsen

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gemmahale · 10 days ago

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Gemma's NaClYoHo 2024

I had too much free time on my hands this morning and I wanted a repository for all the posts I make beyond just scrolling the hashtag #Gemma's NaClYoHo.

What is NaClYoHo? National Clean Your House month. Spearheaded by @copperbadge, the intent is to do something for your household - chores, tasks, even life-related things like calling for appointments - every day of the month of November.

In Sam's words:

The goal of "NaClYoHo" is not actually to end up with a clean home; it's to spend the month of November addressing what you’d like to change about your living space.

For Kallen and I, a lot of this is going to be the maintenance tasks we've put off around the house. Being full time employed (me) and self-employed and disabled (him), a lot of things have been pushed off to "later." And later has become now.

There will be routine tasks sprinkled in here too (laundry, dishes, gathering trash, etc). We're making a wish list of things to purchase to improve spaces (shelves, bins, etc.) and will add those in as budget allows.

We're listening to the podcast Victoria's Lift while we do things. (Unless it's too loud, in which case...tbd.) I'm excited, because it's just enough spoop to keep me intrigued but not enough to wig me out. The podcast's description:

Part Twilight Zone but wholly unique, Victoria's Lift is an ongoing audio drama featuring a mysterious girl who guides visitors to their transformations. A dark place whose original luster is now lost to time, the unlikely, old Victorian building sits overlooked by most on the edge of Pittsburgh. Originally built as a luxury residence for some of the city’s most well to do residents, it now serves a different purpose. Within its dilapidated walls sits Victoria's Lift. Step inside and ride it to the floor chosen for your transformation.

But I'd really like to see:

Appliance maintenance performed

The garage I park my car in sorted

The kitchen functional and organized

The depot (Kallen's shop) functional - front half minimum

The storage space/laundry room downstairs better organized

My future office cleared and ready for furniture

Kallen's office reorganized

Kallen's printer room (idk what we're calling this room; it's half storage half 3D printer stuff) sorted

General house pick-up (this is mostly on me, the yarnie lol)

My yarn all catalogued and sorted (this one's an ambitious one)

The Daily Posts!

Day 1 - No post, rest (we didn't get home until after 8pm and were exhausted) Day 2 - laundry, dishwasher, trash, picking up Day 3 - Rest (I got my vaxxes and I went down like a rock) Day 4 - Laundry Day 5 - Bust. Day 6 - Emotional resting Day 7 - Waiting Day 8 - Grief Day 9 - Shopping Day 10 - Shelf building in laundry room Day 11 - Veteran's Day Day 12 - All day seminar Day 13 - Incoming

#Gemma Gets Organized #Gemma Masterlist #gemma's naclyoho #naclyoho #naclyoho 2024

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little-0tter · 1 year ago

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Caregiver Headcanons:

▫️Emmet & Ingo▪️

▫️ Emmet:

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▫️ Works well with older or more energetic littles. He loves running around with them and playing games (as long as they are safe!)

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▫️ He'll still work with younger littles. He adores watching over them and guiding them around work with him

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▫️ Kinda strict, but it's so you stay safe! Depite that, he WILL fold for puppy eyes

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▫️ Tries to have a schedule set for you depending on how old you feel that day, but it often ends up going off the rails

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▫️ LOVES taking you around the subways with him, especially when he's working on the battle subway

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▫️ He loves seeing you watching him battle against trainers!! It gives him some extra motivation to win!

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▫️ Let's you wear his coat + cap every now and again (and might even commission you a uniform of your own!!)

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▫️ Always has snacks and water on hand, just in case you get hungry or thirsty!

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▫️ Always leaves at least one of his Pokémon with you at all times, especially when you're feeling really little

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▫️ If things are a bit too hectic or crazy in Gear Station, he'll have you stay in his office with some toys, colorbooks, and will have a Depot Agent watch over you until he's done/free

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▫️ On his days off, he'll take you around Nimbasa City, taking you to a few shops here and there, and maybe a bakery at the end for a nice treat

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▫️ When at home, you better be ready for cuddles! Emmett is a MAJOR cuddle bug (and his Pokémon will join in too!)

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▫️ LOVES playing games, no matter the type! Pretend, dress up, hide and seek, puzzles, board games, all of them!!!

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▫️ Gives you nicknames based on Pokemon, "little joktik" being among the most common.

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▫️ Great at storytelling, especially when it's a nap time or bedtime story!

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⚝─────────────────────⚝

▴

▪️ Ingo:

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▪️ Works best with younger littles, babies, or littles who don't have a lot of energy (I feel like he'd be a bit more nervous with high-energy littles)

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▪️ He'd still work with older or more energetic littles, but he'd be a bit more watchful than he would normally be

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▪️ The stricter of the brothers, but will also fold to puppy eyes

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▪️ He tries his best to keep a schedule for you, like nap time, snack time, play time (if you're not at Gear Station), etc. And for the most part, he manages to stick with it!

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▪️ HE WILL CARRY YOU, YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO ASK. He's more likely to just scoop you up without you having to ask or motion for it

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▪️ Will give you a tour of the offices and subway tracks in Gear Station every time

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▪️ Will keep you on the sidelines of all his battles, ready with healing items for afterwards! He spends a good amount of time teaching you about pokemon care when you're little

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▪️ He will also let you wear his cap and coat. Sometimes you don't even need to ask, he'll just put his cap on your head!

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▪️ His pockets are always full of snacks and water

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▪️ Don't tell anyone, but he also keeps a little plushie on hand for you, even when big!

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▪️ He tends to leave his Crustle or Chandelure with you when he's busy (and his Crustle will let you ride him!)

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▪️ Even if things in the Gear Station get really bad, he'll want to keep you close. He would be devastated if you managed to get lost or separated from him in a bad time

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▪️ Days off with him are normally spent at home, just relaxing

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▪️ He LOVES baking with littles. He will drop everything to bake with you (even if it's pretend)

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▪️ Is great at playing physical games with littles, like hide and seek, drawing games, guessing games, etc

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▪️ Somehow, he's a bigger cuddle bug than Emmett! He will wrap himself around you completely somehow, and his Pokémon will be laying around you

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▪️ Isn't too big on nicknames, but will call you things like "baby," "little one," "tiny," or anything you ask him to call you!

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▪️ Great at reading books, especially when it comes to voices!

▴▿▴▿▴▿▴▿▴▿▴▿▴▿▴▿▴▿▴▿▴▿▴▿▴▿▴▿▴▿▴▿▴▿▴▿▴▿▴▿▴▿

First actual post done!! Requests are open :3

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casualsnickers · 5 months ago

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Month of Emmet Quick Write #16

Prompt #16: Hat

Back together at last! It's the day Ingo and Emmet are both due to feature on the Multi Line at the same time (with new pokémon to boot). And to celebrate Emmet returning to the station after a much-needed vacation, a few tag-alongs decide to show up and keep him company. One's made of acrylic, though.

Read the whole thing below the cut.

“Bossman! Your coffee has arrived!”

Emmet looked up from his stack of paperwork as both Cameron and Ramses eased their way into his shared office, the two men waltzing up to his desk saddled with bags and drink carriers. “Coffee? For me?” Emmet asked sarcastically. “Oh, you shouldn’t have!”

“We really shouldn’t have. The price has gone up a whole dollar,” Ramses grunted. “Costed me a pretty poké just to get coffee for all the joes on shift. Oh, and apparently, the heating element in the coffee shop was broken so I had them make you cold brew instead, boss. No espresso. No additives.” Ramses then plucked up a clear plastic cup and delicately set it down on the desk, rattling the ice around in the cup. “Bitter and strong, just the way you like it for some reason. Here’s your concrete juice, boss.”

“Oh, that’s a new one,” Cameron commented, stealing his own drink from a drink carrier. “I thought we agreed to call it wet tar. Liquid death. Ye olden sludge- “

Emmet took an experimental sip of the almost black mixture in the cup, not quite sure how to feel about the icy temperature or the strange smoothness of the drink. The flavor of the brew was spot on, though. He took another sip, leaning back in his chair. “Concrete juice is funnier, though. Sounds like poison.”

Ramses smirked. “See? You gotta switch it up, Cam.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Says the guy that only ever orders tea from a coffee shop,” Cameron retorted, taking a muffin from one of the other bags on the desk.

“Listen here. The chai that the shop sells is amazing. Don’t you ever shit on my tea.”

“Whatever, old man.”

“Take you and your overly-sweet, tooth-rotting frappuccino out of here, Cam.”

“You’re just mad your tea has barely any flavor.”

“Stop arguing.” Emmet waved the two depot agents out of his office, immediately going back to his schedule, albeit with his mood brightened by his coffee. It wasn’t his favorite but it was quite good.

Within the hour, Emmet’s break would be over. He was due to board the Multi Line with Ingo and show him the ropes for how it worked and to Emmet’s excitement, they would get to battle in tandem. And to Emmet’s further excitement, both he and Ingo would be battling with new pokémon, something both Cameron and Cloud had been chomping at the bit to see.

The door to the office clicked open, Ingo striding in as he set down his coat on his desk. “Emmet! Good morning!” his brother called, his eyes crinkled in an easy smile.

“Good morning, Ingo!” Emmet grinned. “You seem awfully chipper today. How were the morning lines? Pleasant?”

“They were quite nice, indeed,” Ingo commented, readjusting his shirt and tie as he moved over to the private pc within their office. “Many of the commuters have been very kind and welcoming to me ever since I reappeared at this station. I have received quite a few welcome back presents.” And as if to prove his point, the moment Ingo finished up by the pc and opened his locker, a massive bag fell out and onto the floor. “...Egads.”

Emmet peered over at his brother’s locker, sighting quite a few things. Cards, pens, books, and even a few plush dolls. No foodstuffs.

“Oh! And I have something for you!”

Emmet blinked. “For me? What is it?”

Ingo fixed his hair in the locker mirror before walking over to his brother, holding out a clenched hand. “A commuter wanted me to give this to you on account of allegedly being too afraid to do so themself. Might you know anything about why that might be?”

Emmet shook his head. “I am the scary twin. You should know this by now.”

Regardless, Ingo shook his head and opened his palm revealing-

“A shiny Joltik charm?!” Emmet immediately snatched up the item, finding out that the tiny accessory was a pin in disguise. “For me? Aww, you shouldn’t have! This is fantastic!”

“The commuter in question was adamant that you would like it. I am happy to see that they were certainly on the right track. If I happen to see them again, I will inform them that their intuition was correct.”

Emmet had a better idea. He picked up his hat from where it sat on the coat rack by the door and carefully affixed the Joltik charm to the top of his hat like a badge of honor. “There! Now, it is obvious that I received it. That way, if I happen to be near the passenger who gifted me with the charm, they will know that I liked their present.”

Ingo smiled. “Very well! But it’s nearing the end of the hour and we must be off toward the Multi platform.”

“Are you excited?” Emmet asked, rising from his chair. “This is going to be the first time we’ve battled side-by-side since you arrived home. You’re sure you’re ready?”

“Positively! I have been waiting earnestly to realign my tracks with yours and battle beside you once again.” Ingo threw his coat back on and straightened out his brand-new cap, checking the line of pokéballs at his side. “Words cannot describe how… uncanny it was not having you to battle alongside so long ago. But! Now we are both coupled together again! Do you think the passengers will be excited that we will once again be a two-car train?”

“Positively! Ingo, all of the challenger spots for the Multi Line have been booked out for an entire month. Or have you just not noticed?”

“I haven’t.” Ingo then shook his head and walked over to Emmet, handing him his coat. “Enough chit-chat. Let us be off, Emmet! We shouldn’t disappoint our challengers by delaying any further.”

“Fine, fine. Right behind you, Ingo!”

As Emmet snagged his hat off of the coat stand, he felt something wiggle around under his cap, tiny poking sensations nestling under his cap. “Hmm?” He then took off his cap, his eyes widening. “Oh! My hat is infested with Joltiks!”

“Woe, the plague be upon ye,” Ingo quoted without missing a beat. He then paused, reaching under his own cap to retrieve a plump Joltik that had tried to nest in his hair. “If only I could hide Litwicks in my own cap.”

“You could if you tried!” Emmet pointed out. “But then you’d have candle wax in your hair.”

“My hat would burst into flames, Emmet. That’s the other important thing.”

“All I’m hearing are excuses.”

#pokemon #pkmn #pokémon #submas #ingo and emmet #subway boss kudari #subway master kudari #subway master emmet #subway boss emmet #subway boss ingo #subway master ingo #nobori #kudari #monthofemmet2024 #monthofemmet

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employee052 · 4 months ago

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HELLO IVE HAD MANY A BRAINBLAST FOR THE TSPxDBH AU AND IM GONNA MAKE THIS A SEPERATE POST FROM THE FIRST ONE

[IF U WANT CONTEXT TO THIS AU HERES THE FIRST POST]

This is V, The Explorer who finds Virgil's body in the office ruins just a few years after Humanity has gotten their freedom.

Some more AU spitballing:

His name is V because of Stanley's Wife. She probably has heard a lot about this android at his office and how this android has taken care of Stanley while dealing with the intense pressures at the office, so she knows that they are a friend to Stanley of some sort. (Highlighting her bc i'll mention her again later)

So when V is born, she names the baby Vi. (Stanley probably didnt know about V at all. Perhaps his wife was going to bring up the news to him when he got home one day. Only for him to never come back.) She wouldn't remember Virgil's name fully though, so she names him V.

Since the game is essentially a VR world for Stanley, everything inside is probably a mix of things taken from Virgil or Stanleys memories. Only due to the decay on Virgil's body and Stanley's forgotten memories, they're half of the whole picture, but taken at face value on their own. Hence the endless sprawling office, non-sensical catwalks and locations, etc.

Like... maybe the Curator is the voice of Virgil's developers, or the Amanda of this universe. But with the decay coupled with the office terminating his service, cutting Cyberlife's systems off from him, all he remembers is the voice talking to him in a white void and reimagines her in a museum.

Maybe the bucket comes from Stanley's vague memory of going to Home Depot to buy a bucket and finding one really good one in the entire store.

Etc. Etc.

Back to V, however, I bring this up because this is the reason why i colour picked V's hair colour from Mariella specifically.

Since Mariella in the game is the only other person with a model that's human in form, maybe Stanley remembers her face but just doesn't remember who it is. Which is why in this AU im thinking Mariella would be Stanley's wife. He just doesn't remember that her face is his wife, since his "wife" in the apartment ending is a mannequin.

(Ignore the fact that Virgil/The Narrator would go on to say "Who would want to commit their life to you" and that he may have some jealousy to this said wife in the first place. /lh /silly)

Maybe The Narrator saw Stanley's memory of this woman's face, and used it in the game since he remembered it so vividly. But since neither remember it was Stanley's wife's face, it was used for the Insanity ending.

Having V as Stanley's son gave me this idea that once The Narrator leaves the office with him to go live out the rest of his days at the local town of survivors, he ends up becoming close to him as well.

It's almost a miracle in a sense, considering that The Narrator wasn't sure he could trust humanity again after his time back in the office.

But over time, they get close, and The Narrator let's his guard down.

Cyberlife Androids have that feature where they can analyze things with their tongue, right?

When they end up having their first kiss, it would take some time for things to get working much less the Narrator be willing to even kiss someone, his HUD starts studying V's DNA.

As he's kissing him, he sees his systems say that its a 47.5% match to Stanley's.

And if you're wondering how the Narrator has Stanley's DNA. He has a function for CPR. And I am 100% sure that he would've tried to save Stanley using it.

The Narrator wouldn't be upset about it in the slightest however. If anything he finds the situation funny in a sense. That the person he ends up loving is also the descendant of the man he loved first.

If he tells this to V however, he goes silent at the realization. Especially since he never remembered having a Father.

Maybe this could lead to him going to his mother, who's now elderly, and the look of shock on his face when he sees an elderly Mariella look back at him, and the voice similar to the one he used in the Parable.

Maybe she tells the story about her husbands disappearance, and maybe The Narrator tells her about Stanley's fate.

Maybe he tells her about the Parable, about how he desperately tried to keep him alive, only to realize that he was gone and moved on. But he still has whatever's left of him in his mind. Living happily in the newly reformed VR space that has him living out his happiest days and in peace.

Maybe with this, The Narrator and Mariella begin to recount stories about Stanley, with V listening in about his father that he never remembered.

And maybe, they all grow closer, and finally move on.

#artswin #tsp au #tspdbh #tsp dbh bsp #the stanley parable detroit become human blue sky portal #tsp narrator #tsp stanley #cw death mention #these are all the ideas i have for now

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pfhwrittes · 4 months ago

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hey p this is nobody you know but do you have thoughts about depot mouse seeing something they shouldn't have seen? 😇

hello friend! (who i definitely don't know, no siree) i waffled over this and my search results are now full of dubiously legal activities that i definitely haven't ever seen in practice, not even once mr/ms/mx GCHQ person checking online traffic. (i also got distracted by portakabin set ups, but that's a separate issue.) and then my brain spat this out for the tradieverse.

does it answer the prompt? eh, vaguely. but i hope you'll be pleased with it.

tags/tw: non-sexual semi-nudity, russian pet names (pchelka = little bee, myshka = mouse, milaya = darling/sweetie/dearest), light angst at the end, and a very brief mention of choking.

author's note: barely skimmed for typos and bad grammar as always and a patented (by @/391780) abrupt ending because i couldn't figure out how to end it and it was getting away from me.

at this point, you're certain nikolai thinks it's funny to have you running around after him. flitting from your office to the driver's "lounge" (another portakabin, this time outfitted with a row of lockers, a sagging sofa, a table and set of scattered chairs, and a small kitchenette area), you yank open the door and your waspish comments die on your tongue.

nikolai is leaning against the counter of the kitchenette. in his pants. in just his pants.

unbidden your eyes skate over his broad shoulders, down over a glimmering gold chain that is nestled in thick, dark hair that spreads wildly over his chest to a soft stomach, to land on the tightest pair of black briefs you've ever seen.

"hello, myshka." nik's voice snaps you out of your staring and you feel heat flooding your cheeks as you tear your gaze away from his... underwear to meet his amused brown eyes.

"i, um, i was looking for you." you absolutely do not let your eyes drop below his neck as nik redistributes his weight as he laughs.

"and now you have found me." nik grins, a flash of surprisingly white teeth considering the amount of black tea and cigarettes he imbibes.

"yes, i wanted to - sorry, but why exactly are you in your pants?" you blurt out.

nik shrugs his broad shoulders and you drag your gaze up to look just past his left ear where a damp lock of black hair curls lazily.

"my clothes are wet." he says simply, like that explains everything. it probably does, knowing the very little you do know about nik.

there's a beat of silence where nik continues to grin and you ignore the way your neck and face are blazing with heat.

"right." you clear your throat uncomfortably. "anyway, i need your receipts."

"it's no problem, i've already handed them to farah." nik waves your words off with a lazy flap of his hand.

"yes, it is a problem! you can't just hand your receipts off to the head of the company, nikolai!" you huff irritably and nikolai interrupts you with a loud boisterous laugh.

"ah, pchelka." he sighs fondly, "always so busy running around, you miss what's right in front of your nose."

that brings you up short and you scowl furiously at him. of course he would think that, all he has to worry about to getting from the depot to the job site and back again. he isn't having to chase wayward drivers around for scraps of paper, or answering the phone to a disgruntled jonathan price when he can't get hold of nikolai, or answering emails with the subject line "how much 4 hardcore??" that you hope to god have come from a bot and not some sad, lonely weirdo thinking that a haulage company offers pornography.

the grin on nik's face flickers slightly and you see his eyes are no longer amused, but soft, almost apologetic.

"sweetness, i'm sorry. i didn't mean to imply-"

"it's fine." you interrupt him, your tone has gone flat and professional despite the way frustration burns at your lungs, urging you to unload all of your irritation on the man. "i'll just go ask farah for the receipts."

nik takes a step towards you.

"milaya -"

"no, really nik." you turn away to push at the door, "thank you for your help as always." you shove open the door and stomp across the dirt to the office you share with farah, leaving nik behind you in his underpants.

(later in the afternoon, after you had emailed farah to send you copies of nikolai's receipts, you lean back in your chair and refuse to let your mind drift back to the glittering gold chain resting on nik's collarbone.

and if you do, it's only because you're thinking about wrapping it around your fist to strangle the insufferable man with it, honest. )

#tradie!141 #nikolai #nikolai x reader #i've realised i mention portakabins a lot in this universe but they truly are the backbone to most work sites #blessed portakabins where i can sit my weary bones on an uncomfortable chair and drink my coffee in relative peace #and eavesdrop on the gossip 👀#anyway i hope you enjoy this!#tw choking #<- just in case #there's no smut in this - i'm using the banner as a blanket statement that i don't want minors interacting with my blog/writing!

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yanban-san · 2 years ago

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Binging the Eldritch Submas for that sweet sweet fluff with a dash of nervousness and not-quite-understanding-but-eager-to-learn-about-humanity monster content. 👌👌👌 That's the good stuff right there.

It's been said and written many times before that the twins tend to leak their true forms when flustered/in love/~spicy times~ happen, but could the same also be said when they're angered? Not annoyance or impatience, or "Gods not this twat again", but actual, unbridled pissed off anger.

Scenarios abound because brainrot real.

Emmet happens across a small group of onlookers while doing his rounds, curious to what caused the gathering. Lo and behold, Darling is there, dealing with a rude patron. He goes in to take care of it, but gets a front row seat to a sucker punch at Darling. He can feel his form starting to split as he not-so-gently shoves the attacker back towards the other Depot Agents, barely holding it together as he gives orders. When they leave and the gathering is ushered on their ways, he briskly leaves to the employee only areas, away from humanity's sight. Darling follows in concern, knowing that Emmets is barely held together with only force and will, and finds him cracking out of his human shape. Both travel to his office away from prying eyes, where Darling thankfully manages to convince him to not kill/erase the attacker or to not cause grevious harm, and comforts him with care and reaffirmations.

Ingo and Darling are in the tunnels for safety checks and maintinence, Darling on lights while Ingo's on the tracks. The light to their left's alright, the second one just started, when rapidly approaching footsteps catch their ears. Darling looks down in time to see a trio of troublemakers approaching before their ladder gives way with a shove. The world is alight with pain and stars in the air when they collide with the railing. When the world is clear again, they hear retreating footsteps and screams fading to the distance, and can feel the darkness surrounding them. Ingo's form is cracking, threatening to swallow the tunnel (perhaps beyond) with the little that's already out. Darling pushes up off the track, and Ingo is instantly next to them, focusing on them with the troublemakers pushed out of mind. His upper face is stuck in shadows with a few too many silver eyes, and is hugged all the same. Legs having turned to jelly, Darling is swept up by Ingo and carried down the tunnel. Reaffirmations carry down the tunnel softly as the pair travel down.

Put it under spoiler tag 'cause is long ^^

Emmet didn't bother walking, in truth. He took a step forward, and his destination became a far closer than a single mortal stride ever would take him.

An unruly passenger. Someone whose heart was overtaken by anger, over what? A train running late? A missing pass? What silly things to be so upset over.

They would have far more pressing concerns soon enough.

"…and FUCK you!"

"Please, Sir, I'm just following procedure- We can replace your pass, but I need to see your I.D-"

Oh?

The sound of your voice surprised and alarmed him- Weren't you on break?

And the way that mortal spoke to you-

"Out of my way." Emmet demanded, briskly moving towards the sound of your voice and across the clusters of customers and would-be passengers in front of him.

All that mattered was you-

"For the last fucking time, I ain't showing you shit-"

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave, sir. You're causing a disturbance-"

"Like hell I am! I'll cause as much of a disturbance as I want!"

You sighed heavily, trying your best to maintain your composure. Though to be fair- Would Emmet and Ingo even punish you if you didn't? Given how they treated you now, and especially now that you knew- Or well, sort of knew- What they were, they'd probably think it very endearing-

"…All because YOU won't do your fucking job!"

You shook your head, looking around, and barely paying attention to the insults being hurled at you- Few customers were watching, and fewer still were even in the area. You'd already called Gear Station Security, and all that was left was to wait the few minutes it would take for them to arrive. One way or another, this man wouldn't be getting a free pass, or even another ride on the train. How unfortunate. Not.

And then you heard a familiar clicking of heels. Not like the any of your coworkers walked, but a strange rhythmic, distinctive clicking- Of a man who was more like a oricorio then any human.

But who really wasn't a human at all, was he?

"Oh, Emme-!" You shouted, gesturing for him to come over- Anyone to deal with this slimeball- But your words faltered, looking at the glint of venomous ire in his eyes.

"Fucking pay attention-!"

And out of the corner of your eye, you saw the man approach- And specifically you saw his fist.

And closed your eyes, turning your head away in anticipation of the blow- That connected with your face, but far lighter than you'd thought he'd strike-

"What the- fucking-"

"Oh my. Someone isn't following proper safety procedures."

You turned to see not your attacker, but Emmet- Standing between you and the customer, holding their fist in his own hand-

Crack.

"Fucking- OW!"

The man winced, and Emmet kicked his legs out from under him- Still holding his clenched hand.

"Shut up." He continued, his voice as icy and dead as seemingly possible-

"Who the fuck-"

"I said. Shut up." Emmet repeated.

The man opened his mouth to speak- And nothing came out. His frame trembling, his eyes wide-

"Sir!"

"We're so sorry, we were responding-"

Your coworkers- And two security guards- Stopped when they saw you, lying on the ground with a slowly blooming bruise on your cheek- And their awe-inspiring Lord and Master holding down the worm had injured you.

"Em-Emmet-"

Emmet's attention lingered on the man a moment more before he shoved him backwards- Falling down to your side.

"My poor love-" "Are you alright?"

"It's- It's just a bruise, it'll heal-" You spoke carefully. If you made too light of it, they wouldn't pay attention to your words- If you made it too serious, they wouldn't be as merciful as you were trying to train them to be.

His smile was pained as his silver eyes scrutinized the blemish on your face. His hand caressed the corner of your face, squishing your cheek and making you wince. His eyes narrowed.

"You've been hurt." He remarked. Yes, you wanted to say, but that doesn't mean you need to erase this guy-

You pushed his hand away, making him flinch. "I'm fine, Emmet." You retorted. He opened his mouth to protest, but decided against it, turning his attention to the Depot Agents behind you.

"Ramses. Remove this man. He is not allowed in Gear Station. Or any station for that matter. Ever again. You three. Assist him."

Ramses nodded, and the rest of the depot agents followed his orders- And Emmet picked you up, dusting you off.

"You alright?" Ramses asked. He may not have been a particular kind Agent, but he wasn't apathetic, either- And the bruise on your cheek was turning an awful shade of reddish-brown, and rather quickly.

"I- I'm really okay, that was just a bit of a shock, really."

Emmet grabbed your shoulder tighter. His mouth split open again, but no voice came out.

"Emmet." You warned, noticing the dangerously bright glint in his slit-like pupils. His gaze turned back to you.

"Daaarling…" he pouted. "Fine. You need medical attention. Come with me."

"Wait-"

But he would not listen to your protests, and in a flurry of movement you were in the back hallways of Gear Station being lead away with your beloved, most likely towards a med station or something-

"Emmet," You began, trying to get his attention.

He kept walking, drumming his free hand against his lips- His mouth wordlessly opening and closing.

"Emmet-"

His stare intensified down the hallway, his pace picking up as he muttered to himself in a voice quite unlike the voice of Station Master Emmet. "He shouldn't be ali-"

"EMMET!" You raised your own voice, grabbing his arm with your free hand.

Emmet stopped walking, looking at you out of the corner of his eye.

"…Yes?" He finally answered.

"I- …I'm okay. You already banned the guy from Gear Station, you don't need to do anything else." You explained. "I'm okay."

His grip on your hand tightened.

"But that man hurt you."

You sighed. "Y-Yes he did, but that doesn't mean he deserves death."

Emmet's head tilted away from you. "He deserves worse-"

You shook your head, squeezing his hand back. "No, he really doesn't."

You continued on. "You don't need to react so strongly, Emmet- Yes, that guy did something bad, but- He's going to suffer enough being banned from the Subway, don't you think? Look at me."

He shook his head.

"Emmet… Please look at me."

"…No."

You looked down at his hand. One, two, three… Four, five, six- Seven- fingers? Clothed like the glove, but different.

"I don't mind what you look like." You offered. "You have extra fingers on your hand right now, you know."

He tried to pull his hand away. You held on. "All that means to me is I have more hand to hold. And I'm not letting go."

You squeezed it harder. "You were really cool back there, you know."

His body relaxed. Oh?

"It was thanks to you that this bruise wasn't worse. And it was super cool how you leapt out to save me. And how you grabbed his hand. And you shut him up just by intimidating him."

The face of your beloved began turning towards you.

"I'm so glad to have such a wonderfully strong boss who works so hard to protect me."

You leaned against him. "And I'm very glad you listened to me,"

"So won't you please look at me?"

Emmet turned his face to you- His smile pursed, his eyes- Cracking. Like dried up, ancient plaster, revealing a shadowy shape underneath- His mouth came open a little bit, the maw darkened within- His sideburns giving way to feathers and fur and silky-shimmering-ribbons of white and silver. His pupils were slits, glowing with the smallest hint of light- Yet still bright enough to make the lights of the hall seem dim and dull in comparison. You grabbed his cheek, holding his face in front of you.

"L-Love," He stuttered out, as you rubbed the corners of his cracked face.

"Shh. You've done good, Emmet." You remarked, gently tracing the edge of the visible feathers- They were soft, and cool and warm and perfect to touch. Your hand shivered as you brushed them, and he closed his eyes gently and slowly, watching you the whole time.

"You did good. Thank you."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

"Stay close to me," Ingo ordered. You nodded quietly and cautiously, and Ingo's arm went around your shoulders, pulling you close to him.

"We don't know what exactly is down here- You wanted to see what it might be?"

"…Yes." You nodded again, looking up at the Subway Boss. Despite the darkness, his silver eyes shone brighter than the light around you. It was frightening- The tunnels of the Subway were dark, twisting- And ever-shifting and ever-turning. Ever since you learnt the truth of your bosses, you'd learned the truth of Gear Station too- And how the tunnels were constently the subject of attacks from… Other things.

And your curiosity got the better of you.

You wanted to see these Other things, if you could. Besides, if Ingo and Emmet were as powerful as they said they were, resassuring you that you would never be hurt by those Other Things- Would it be such a problem if you wanted to encounter one? Especially with them to protect you.

Ingo wrapped his arm around you, even tighter. "I won't let you go."

You hugged him back.

The two of you walked carefully in the dark tunnels- Your footsteps clicking, yet not echoing- The light illuminating the edges of the tunnels seemed dimmed, somehow- Offset by the brightness of the fire-lights of Ingo's dear chandelure, floating around the two of you in contentment as it moved back and forth around the tunnel.

You stayed mostly silent, listening carefully as you approached the strange sound, echoing down the halls of the Subway Tunnel. It only grew louder and louder, a horrible screechy-groaning-grinding sound that reverberated in your ears and left them ringing. Ingo grabbed you harder, stepping forward- His silver eyes blinked slowly under the brim of his hat, less like a blink and more as though he were paying attention to something-

"Ah." He remarked- And you turned your head up to him, tilting your head curiously. "A T-junction is stuck, it seems. …I don't believe it's anything… Supernatural, my dear."

"You can tell all that, just from closing your eyes a second?" You asked, raising an eyebrow.

"…I can tell you anything I like about these tunnels, my Love." He drummed his hand along your shoulder, making you shiver. "Here, let us deal with that racket, first. It must hurt your ears."

You nodded, and the two of you approached the problem area, rounding the corner to see the T-junction beam bent out of shape, and several of the tunnel lights humming and flickering-

"Hmm." Ingo noted. "I'll handle the rail. Will you take a look at the lights?" You nodded in response, already rolling up your sleeves. The lights didn't seem to be out, but were certainly behaving strangely- No doubt due to some Joltiks having themselves a feast, you guessed.

Ingo hopped down over the railing of the maintenance trail and you settled in front of the circuit box for the lights, and- Yup, chewed through, frayed wires. Nothing a little electrical tape, and a few replacement wires, wouldn't fix, you were certain. You couldn't help but turn to Ingo while you taped some of the exposed bits up- Ever curious as to what he was doing. He looked down at the bent, twisted rail, grinding against itself, and suddenly it was engulfed in shadows- And a loud clunk and bang later, the shadows unraveled, and the rail was- Fine. Better than fine- It looked brand new.

You were about to ask him what exactly he'd done, when suddenly you heard a shuffling in the darkness of the tunnel- And you turned your head to see a large, heavy thing rapidly moving towards you- Falling on top of you. A ladder. What was a ladder doing here?

Ingo heard your yelp in surprise, and you flinched, unable to move.

"Holy shit-" "Bolt!" "Go!"

The impact never came.

"Are you alright?"

You opened your eyes nervously- The ladder that had been threatening to squish you like a wurmple was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Ingo was holding you. Tightly.

"A monster-!" "Holy fucking shit-"

You craned your neck to see the shadows of- Teens. Of course. Bolting their way up an access ladder back into a street above the tunnel, where sunlight poured down- But was blocked by a shadowy shape, reaching out into the rays, almost looking like they pulled at the light- Covering the walls and undulating like a living mass of darkness- Which is what it was, wasn't it?

"Darling?"

You turned your head to look at Ingo again- A shadowy figure dripping with darkness, with silver lights of eyes looking down at your figure. You felt the cold, smooth tentacles wrapping around your skin and cradling you tightly.

"I-I- I think I'm okay," You breathed heavily, feeling your heart beginning to settle from the shock. The shadowy figure picked you up, cradling you tightly against his chest-

"Y-You're a lot larger like this," You remarked. "All the better to protect you, my Dear." He purred back. "I would hate to think about what might have happened had you been injured…"

"Thank- Thank you, Ingo."

Your boss-turned-Sweetheart-turned-inhuman-monster cuddled you tighter. "Let us return to the safety of Gear Station… I would feel better if you were there, especially to recover…"

And off he went, carrying you- Settling back into a more human form, silvery-eyes looking at you from out of the darkness, closing the moment you made eye contact with them. "You're cute like this."

Ingo stopped for a second, the eyes shutting around him as the ones on his face widened. "W-What? What do you mean?"

"Your eyes. They're pretty. Like starlight. And your shadows, they're very comforting-" And you craned your neck, kissing him on the cheek-

"But not as comforting as having such a protective sweetheart like you around, Ingo."

"I- I-"

You almost giggled at how flustered he sounded, stuttering out words as his fingers dug into your sides where he carried you- And other hands grabbed, holding you tightly.

"That- That is, it would be- Expected, I would think-"

"Expected or not, thank you for protecting me, Love."

He took a deep breath. "Of course, My love." He gripped you even tighter- Almost painfully so. "Be a little cautious with your words," He breathed out, his voice strangely calm. "I have quite little patience when it comes to being so tormented by your affections, My dear."

You could feel a blush spreading across your face- And if there was any light left in the tunnels, you would've been able to see that Ingo had much the same across his own human features.

#Eldritch AU #Demon AU #Ingo X Reader #Emmet X Reader #Ingo/Reader #Emmet/Reader #Eldritch Submas #Submas #monster au #Seth.anon #Seth.asks

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barry-j-blupjeans · 1 year ago

Text

TAZ NC Day 9: Your Job AU

@taznovembercelebration

Look. Look. The chances of running into someone else who knew magic were very, very small. Lup understood that. Magic, while great, tended to be isolating. She was incredibly lucky to have Taako. Lup couldn't imagine what it was like to grow up not knowing what was wrong with you— maybe not ever knowing there wasn't anything wrong with you. If it hadn't been for their tía, Lup wasn't sure if she would have ever accepted that part of herself.

Yes, magic was rare. Yes, it wasn't typically used in public.

And yes, she was ninety-nine percent sure that this Office Depot employee was magic.

It was just— okay maybe Lup was biased in her belief that you had to be a little magic to be able to work retail. Like, there was no way anyone was getting through that shit with no magic whatsoever. But Lup had been here for exactly ten minutes while Magnus went around looking for a new desk and there was definitely some kind of magic here.

The employee at the print counter had been doing nothing but sorting paper since she got here. Maybe it was a slow day, because while Lup wasn't sure what the print center did, it was probably more than just sorting papers. But this guy had been at it for ten minutes straight, easily separating different types of paper (which all looked the same!) into several different piles. It was getting ridiculous at this point. He was barely even looking at the paper while he did this. There had to be some kind of tomfuckery going on.

Lup looked over her shoulder. There was a lady further into the store browsing through different file folders and she could barely see the top of Magnus's head over the shelves, looking at the desk displays in the back. With the coast clear, she made her way over to the print counter, leaning up against it. The employee had ducked under the counter a second ago, a stack of paper in his hands.

When he rose back up, he jumped slightly upon seeing her and said,

"Oh shi—" He coughed, cutting himself off. His name tag was shiny and had a skull sticker (?) attached to it. It read, Barry and then, on the line below it, I love printing banners! "How, uh— how can I help you?"

"Do you really love printing banners?" Lup asked, instead of the magic-related words she wanted to say.

Barry's eyebrows raised a little. "Love it," he said. Lup gave him a look. "Yeah, nah. I— banners suck. Unless you want to get a banner—?"

"I'm good," Lup said, not knowing what she would even use a banner for right now. "I was just— I came with my friend to look at desks but that's super fuckin' boring—" Barry nodded. "— so I've just kinda been walking around."

If Barry had seen here crouching behind the boxes of paper and staring at her, he didn't say anything.

"And then I was wondering what, uh— what kinda paper options you have. Forrrrr. Printing. On papers."

Lup was so good at this. Barry's lips quirked up into a little smile.

"Depends on what you're wanting to print," he said.

"Forms? No. Photo…graphs. Photographs."

"Well," Barry said, wisely choosing to not question the mess that Lup had just made with her mouth. "Usually for photographs, we've got, uhm— glossier options? Hang on." He ducked back under the counter and returned a second later with two pieces of very shiny paper. "Eight point," he said, handing her one. "Ten point." He handed her the other.

These were the same paper. These were a hundred percent the same paper. If Lup had doubted her reasoning before, she knew now. Either this guy was fucking with her or he had wizardly magics to tell them apart.

"What's, uh, what's the difference?"

"This one's thicker," Barry said, pointing to the ten point.

It wasn't. It really wasn't. Lup weighed them in her hands. There had to be some kinda spell to tell the difference, right? Or maybe this guy was just magically attuned to paper? That was probably a thing that happened. Probably. Like Merle's thing with plants.

Actually, Lup really, really hoped it wasn't like Merle's thing with plants.

"It's hard to tell," Barry said comfortingly in Lup's silence.

"I can tell," Lup said, like a liar. She had to let this guy know she was in on the secret somehow. But he didn't seem to pick up on it. Or, if he did, it was hidden behind the customer service mask. This was getting her nowhere. But she couldn't just straight up ask this guy if he had magic. That'd be weird.

"So, uh, do you have a prefe—"

"Are you magic," Lup interrupted.

"Am I… magic?" Barry repeated.

Lup looked over her shoulder, toward the desk displays. Magnus was currently with another employee, showing them a picture of something on his phone. Probably his dogs. Or his office, if he had managed to stay on track. Lup looked back to Barry and set the papers down. She held out her hand and summoned a flame.

"Ah." Lup wasn't good at reading people, but there was something in Barry's expression that made her think he understood. Or maybe it was the customer service mask again. "That is— that's a fire hazard, ma'am."

#taz november celebration #taz nc #lup #barry bluejeans #taz #taz balance #inspired by the several customers who have asked me if I'm magic just for being able to tell apart paper types #which i get. like. i know a Normal person usually cannot tell the difference between 65 and 110 cardstock but #it Is my job to know and feel the difference sldfksfd #this was fun !#ise cube writing #mine #retail employees can have a lil magic. as a treat.

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leggerefiore · 1 year ago

Note

May I ask for ye old misunderstanding trope of reader being somewhat afraid of Ingo and thinking he actively despises them because he just always looks … like that?

I love myself some art where Ingo just has a downturned mouth, but I LIVE for the fanartist that make him look just completly intense and extremly angry all the time. I would just love something with reader insert realizing hes actually a sweetheart despite his absolutely intimidating glare.

cw: fluff, short

▲▽▲▽▲

He was a busy man.

A busy, busy man with a stern face to match. His lips were always frozen into a harsh pout and his eyes narrowed into something like a glare.

Every time you seemed to encounter him, he looked as if he had just left an annoying conversation with someone he certainly didn't like. Not to mention his stuff body language and quick strides, letting him move through the area as quickly as possible. You flinched as he approached you, an assistant brought on board due to their administrative work overload. Ingo gazed at you with his stern expression. What was he going to do?

“… Ah, are those the incident report documents?” His tone was polite, if not a bit too loud, “Thank you. I was just coking to retrieve them.” You politely handed the sheets over to the man, who's firm expression remained unchanged. It felt like an odd confliction. Angry face, yet kind manner of speaking.

You felt faint still.

It was another few days before you encountered him so personally again.

You had ended up staying late to ensure that there would not be a backlog of paperwork to finish tomorrow. Another yawn left you as you drank a sip of your beverage, hoping it would give you the energy to finish everything. It was then that the twins' office door opened a door and out stepped Ingo, his coat laying off his arm as he gazed around the area reserved for Depot Agent desks.

His stern expression landed on you. You watched as he tensed up and used his fast stride to approach you, eyes zeroing in on what must have been your soul. Would you start yelling at you and berating you? It was nerve-racking. A soft hand was laid on your desk as he cleared his throat. “It has become quite late, no?” The usual loudness was there, but a certain gentleness was in his words, “I'd feel uncomfortable leaving you here alone. Want to walk out with me?”

Your heart raced, but for different reasons.

You decided to broach it.

Stepping toward the older twin sitting at his desk scribbling away at documents, you approached him. His head carefully came up, eyes harsh and frown even deeper than usual. It almost made you want to turn away and run. You would not.

“... You're really kind, you know,” you tell him easily, “Thank you for being so nice to me.” You place a take-out coffee from one of your favourite cafés in Nimbasa before him. Ingo gazes blankly for a moment before his eyes shift into something much gentler and sweet.

“No, thank you,” he turned up to you with an odd smile playing at his lips, “This is a favourite shop of mine. How did you know?” You wanted to gasp.

“It's actually my favourite,” you reply eagerly, “We should go there together sometime!”

Ingo eagerly nodded and quickly gazed over your schedules in the system to see when you'd both have some time off at the same time.

It seemed you had a date.

#ingo x reader #ingo/reader #pokemon x reader #pokemon ingo x reader #pokemon ingo/reader

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vertumnanaturalis · 3 months ago

Text

so uh. arts not been arting for me the last few months, lots of complicated issues at play with that, but my exo brainrot is unending and I've taken to designing npcs in the sims when I feel the design need but art is shrimply not happening. These ones are of varying degrees of canon-ness and importance, pretty frequently picked at random or because I previously made a family member or partner of theirs.

I tried to group them together by family or age or work relation but god does Tumblr not like large images so forgive me for the spam. I'll add names/pronouns/relevant ages under them; Strato-side kids closest to Sol's age will have 3 designs, each while Strato-side teenagers between Tammy and Kom's ages will have 2 each.

Under the cut if you dare (warning! Spoilers mentioned & extremely image heavy)

Also uh. you will notice that a few of these people aren't on the current npc list or don't match with it's info. Long story short its getting some refining and that included some new kids and other changes that required a lot of pulling things out from the roots. one of those things playing into why arts not been arting while.

Anywho;

Arroyo - he/him - ages 12 / 16 / 19 - The younger son of the Stratospheric's original Chief Steward, a future member of expeditions, a convienient and accidental scape goat for people to reason away Dys's crush on an unseen pretty boy, though they don't actually have any strong opinions on one another

Simplicity "Plic"/"Lis" - she/her - ages 12 / 16 / 19 - Lazy girl born and raised in the creche, supposedly she helps out in the depot, she might "date" Nomi down the line (but by date I mean "we say we're dating but I think we might just be hanging out because neither of us know what to want or expect from a romantic relationship", there's no hard feelings after it ends) if Nomi doesn't end up with Rex or Sol

Peregrine "Penny" - she/her - ages 11 / 15 / 18 - A perfectly nice girl, but fades away in the crowd, she likes to tease the other kids a little too much, one of the passionate romances referenced in the endings where Cal doesn't settle down with Sol Tammy or Anemone, it is not a pretty breakup

Evanescence "Evan" - he/him - ages 11 / 15 / 18 - The spoiled only child of two older parents, a prolific momma's boy in childhood but a heartthrob with a bad reputation later down the line, another one of those passionate romances mentioned in Cal's ending text, with his being the last before Cal settles down with the farmer from the Heliopause

Philosophy "Sully" - they/them - ages 10 / 14 / 17 - The only child of a single father who works in engineering, loves a good game of sportsball but has no interest in the rest of what the garrison offers, the middle of Cal's three passionate romances and the only one to end on good terms

Opulence "Opal" - she/her - ages 14 / 19 - Friendly and absentminded, she can never resist a good piece of gossip, she dreams of starting Vertumna's first offical news source, her oldest child is born about a year after Echinacea (and Sol might even deliver him!)

Vertex "Tex" - he/him - ages 14 / 19 - The older son of the ship's original Chief Steward, a punk who likes to get dangerous with the wildlife and a tendancy to take things too far

Tempest "Pem" - she/her & they/them - ages 13 / 18 - Rebellious older girl whos behaviors only gotten worse since losing a father during the Stratospheric's crash, rude and obnoxious to the adults but always has a soysweet on hand for the kids

Chrysocolla - they/them - ages 13 / 18 - creche-born kid and resident class clown, the smart kid who doesn't put in the effort after seeing the younger geniuses around them, takes a painfully long time to confess to their best friend

Coriander "Cory" - he/him - ages 13 / 18 - Quiet and plain-looking boy who helps out in the kitchens, he struggles to stand out next to his sisters, feeling like the lesser triplet for not being identical

Scallopini "Pina" - she/her - ages 13 / 18 - A cheerful girl who both has more energy than the rest of her family combined while still remaining total chillax, started dying her hair blue so people could tell her and her sister apart

Amaretto "Ame" - she/her - ages 13 / 18 - A meek but passionate girl, she feels like she was born in her sisters contrast, struggles to find her sense of self when the most unique thing about her is that she's got nothing unique at all

Falchion "Kion" - he/him - ages 13 / 18 - Teenager who seems desperate to find his place in life, often making dangerous mistakes in the process

[Left] Hyacinth "Cici" - she/her - age 17 - A young sniper from the Heliopause, the future Chief of Security in timelines where Sol and Anemone are not and Vace hasn't handled his issues yet

[Right] Lunation "Luna" - she/her - age 19 - Previously the Heliopause's current doctor-in-training, a catastrophic brain injury during the crash has drastically changed her life and put her on indefinate medical leave

[Far Left] Champagne "Champ" - he/him - age 9 - a young boy who starts out eager to grow up and become a soldier, but might find a different calling in life with help [Middle Left] Schnapps - he/him - age 40 - A cook from the Helio who takes the culture shock better than most, has a weekly card game with Nomi's dad [Middle] Crocus "Cro" - she/her - 38 - A cook from the Heliopause who prays in secret that her children do not die child soldiers [Middle right] Affogato "Affie" - she/her - age 13 - One of the teenage soldiers who follows Vace around, she's desperate to impress the older kids and will cruelly treat others like stepping stones to do so [Far Right] Meringue "Meri" - she/her - age 6 - The last child born on the Heliopause, she's destined to become a doctor when she grows up, she first gained an interest in medicine during gene therapy like Tangent

[Left] Harpsicord "Harrie" - They/them - 51 - An actual rocket scientist that ensured the rocketship got to Vertumna, Saga's doting wife and Evan's adoring Mada

[Right] Sagacious "Saga" - She/her - 46 - A sweet and loving auntie from geoponics who remains painfully oblivious to most well-known gossip, her casual tendancy to spoil and coddle her son drives Flulu up a wall

[Far left] Hibiscus "Hibi" - she/her - 35 - One of the surveyors in charge of rescues and it's acting emt, a control subject born from the same series of augment tests as Tonin, she's suited more to space than the planet the same way he is, Vertumna terrifies her daily and she fears for the futures of her teenage triplets

[Center left] Rumination "Rumi" - he/him - 46 - A talented guitar player who enjoys lying to children and is in a committed relationship with the bit, works in rescues with Hibi, holds the technical title of "Former Chief Surveyor" as he was the presumed next-in-line when Imbroglio abbruptly retired a decade prior, although he only held it long enough to laugh himself sick and walk out the door, he's the sole reason Utopia's accent is like that

[Center right] Paprika "Prika" - she/her - 37 - Mechanic in charge of expeditions equiptment and transports, has a hair trigger temper with certain subjects and a habit of spraying offending teenagers with the hose, the irony of her student/trainee Thicket being the biological-via-donation child of her partner and later her own biological-via-donation child joining expeditions are both frequent source of jokes for awhile

[Far right] Brassica "Braz" - she/her - 39 - One of the construction workers who had trained for that job specifically, has a lot of pratice mediating problems that her partner's anger issues cause, got on the ship by pretending to be in a relationship with a friend and convieniently "breaking up" once it was clear they were never going to form a family unit

[Far left] Revolutionary "Lulu" - she/her - age 28 - primarily a geoponics farmer, an on and off member of the greater geoponics area wlw polycule, in a queer platonic relationship with Blip

[Middle left] Sorbet - she/her & they/them - age 27 - a steward who primarily works in the kitchens, another on and off member of the greater geoponics area wlw polycule; she was the egg donor and surrogate for Benji (the young doggy boy npc)

[Center left] Habitation "Hab" - he/him - age 26 - one of the ships dedicated creche parents; part of a closed chain polycule of 4 people (no overlap with the greater geoponics area wlw polycule); loves his job but resents ship administration for passing him and his family unit over during the last round of children born in space, yet making him feel pressured into agreeing to surrogate one of the other children

[Center right] Oblivion "Blip" - he/him - age 26 - an engineer in space but shoved into more general work after landing; loves his best friend but her polycule stories scare him a little, you will never see his entire face, but if you did he could easily pass as Dys & Tang's relative despite not being related at all, the fourth youngest person to leave on the Stratospheric

[Middle right] Optimism "Tim" - he/him - age 26 - stuck to janitor duty in space but also shoved into other jobs after landing, one of the few people guaranteed to live to Sol's 20th birthday, the third youngest person to leave on the Stratospheric

[Far right] Jubilation "Jubee" - she/her - age 26 - same deal as Blip; she was the surrogate for the last child born in space (Enigma, the girl with the rainbow hair), and is still recovering physically and emotionally when the game starts; her twin sister Jamboree died before she left, but only one of them was ever going to be picked for the ship, she can't remember her sister's face anymore; the second youngest member of gen 2 after Utopia

[Far left] Coralline "Cora" - she/her - age 28 - the ships fourth dedicated creche parent on paper, she's frequently pulled to help on the farms after landing, a consistant member of the greater geoponics area wlw polycule

[Center left] Pyromania "Sparky" - she/her & they/them - 29 - Originally just a part time security officer, her soldier duties quickly begin outweighing her cultivator ones, she started dying her hair like that when she found out the meaning of her name and keeps it another month every time someone calls it tacky, it's been 12 years; another consistant member of the greater geoponics area wlw polycule

[Center right] Curarine "Curie" - she/her & they/them - 32 - A pharmacology researcher doomed by the narrative, the youngest person on the Stratospheric chosen for her skills rather than genetic diversity, she quickly disapointed Instance with her undriven personality, another consistant member of the greater geoponics area wlw polycule

[Far right] Unity "Nita" - she/her - age 31 - The only one here who exclusively works in geoponics, she was four seperate farming wlw until the latest revamp forced me to compress her down into one, the last consistant member of the greater geoponics area wlw polycule

[Left] Mangosteen "Maggie" - she/her - age 30 - Maggie's death when the Strato lands is unavoidable (as her infant twins Whimsy and Praline fill the role of "orphans from the wormhole crash" during babysitting), once a frequent member of the greater geoponics area wlw polycule but had been avoiding the dating scene after a really messy & very public breakup of her throuple with Yuzu and Cinnamon, she was a creche parent and a hydroponics farmer on the ship

[Right] Yuzu - any pronouns - age 31 - Yuzu doesn't 100% use the term wlw but does work in geoponics and either is currently or has previously been dating the same overlapping circle (though they've also been avoiding dating, but mostly because the rest of the polycule "doesn't want to pick sides"), they avoid Maggie's children like the plague

and that would be it for tonight lads, it is now night'o'clock and my hands are starting to hurt, I think I got all the right info down but if not I'll fix it tomorrow or whenever I notice theres a problem. If you've gotten this far I hope you've had fun looking at some of my little guys

#i was a teenage exocolonist #iwatex #npc catalog #rambling #technically. i guess.#recently made myself a sheet and out of 232ish characters over a third of them have some level of design now #which is insane to me. can't imagine how that number looks to other people #also no. these are not all of the sims designs I've done. but they are all the ones cropped and compiled nicely. so.#the last few days have been a sims binge fest #my family had to put down one of our cats a few days ago and its been hard even though it was the right thing to do and I knew it was comin #so mixing an ultra familiar game like sims and my hyperfixation story has been soothing #I'm gonna go to bed now I don't wanna think about how long I spent on this post

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fandom-imagination-ss · 5 months ago

Text

Imagine: Clark over hears you gossiping over Superman at work 😳 ***warning Mature conversation********

it was painfully boring at work today. you did your Daily upbeat post for the mail. and the online accounts. you Specialized in Happy posts. it helped that you were suppose to Only write Happy posts. and uplifting things. on the website you posted three happy posts about a cat that is a Co manager at a home depot who works Very hard to make sure the place is rodent free and how the cat is no stranger to bribes. Another Post that you needed to get Special permission by Lois Lane who was the "Superman expert" to post.. which was just Superman was caught helping a kid get it's ball back when the kid kicked it up in a tree. and then how the Kid and Superman did a foot race to see who was faster. and Little Thomas Hilga was the fastes boy alive.

Lois has always been so Protective over whatever was said about Superman. in the beginning you didn't understand her need to protect the man of steel. But after discovering the truth of Who was Superman. it was clear why!

you use to babysit the twins when they lived in the city. and they went out for date night. Or they went on mini trips. So when they asked you come over to their farm for a week to watch the boys. since Jonathan was in trouble and they didn't feel comfortable to leave him alone. you happily agreed. and well- Clark flew back home to scream at Jordan for something he did. and you saw Clark.. Clark didn't even have a good excuse to why he was Flying.. But after sitting you down explaining who he was. the Only thing you could come up with was that you couldn't understand why he bothers with he's truck. he could just simply Fly everywhere.

that was months ago. and Now today, you messaged Clark asking for permission and he's Now ex Wife Lois. the week getaway was apparently their "fix your marriage "holiday which ended with Lois confessing she's hating Smallville, and she wanted to go back doing dangerous assignments.. and She has been doing more dangerous assignments, but she still was still incharge of Superman. Mainly for another year before she will decline writing for him. they didn't want to break it off. with superman and Lois right after the divioice so people didn't notice.

But Since work was doen for the day, or well you could probably search for more positivity posts to post other today or tomorrow but why overwork yourself? it was a Hot Friday afternoon, an Hour before you could leave. and it was so boring and quiet in the work room that no one was really working.

"My God looks at that ass!" you turned seeing your deskmate who worked beside you on her desk. was staring at a close up photo of Superman's Ass. on her screen. you laughed softly, "Why you looking at his ass?"

Cassandra didn't turn her face from the screen as she spoke, "I just want to bite it.. Lois is so lucky to have his rumpus ass to herself. Im sure he's happy that her and Clark broke up- if they ever stopped their. fun.. that is."

Rolling your e/c, you felt like they almost rolled out of your eyes socket with how badly you rolled them. ''Oh Please! Superman is a true gent... he wouldn't be hooking up with Lois on the side. while she was married." it helped that he wouldn't be a sidepiece. but she didn't need to know that as Cassandra scrolled the screen from his butt to up his frame to his face.

"you know- he probably has a super tongue." she grinned at that, Cassandra is the Core reason why the last several Hr meetings about work place conduct About he appropriate work chat.. and talking about if Superman had a "Super tongue" was Not work safe conversation.

you knew it.. you also Knew who Superman was. but you looked at Clark faces and were Stunned with How stupid the entire world is that we didn't recognized that the hotty in the office was Superman... who wasn't IN the office. right now.

"Clearly has Super attractiveness." Cassandra rolled her eyes, 'that isn't a superpower! but Super tongue is!"

you turned to her as you spoke, "Super Tongue isn't a Super power! what? does Superman Do with a Super tongue? Confuse the crooks with a tongue twister?"

"or give them the best orgasm with he's tongue"

you gasped covering your mouth as Cassandra leaned back on her chair probably imagining it. you couldn't lie.. the imagine popped in your mind of Superman doing that to you. No doubt in your mind.. Clark Was amazing in the bedroom. but of course you couldn't comment. you were litterally friends with Clark. and thinking of him in that way was. 1) incredibly inappropriate 2) made you feel uneasy Now talking about how amazing his technique is in the bedroom.3) friends dont' talk about how amazing you imagine Clark is in bed.

"you know-.. Im not in the mood for another sexual harassment meeting.. " you shifted away trying to retreat back to your computer. but Cassandra spoke, "God could you imagine oif he was Seflish and lazy in the sack? how disappointing.. probably does the Leo DiCaprio thing and just lays there."

"No way, I've seen walking a old lady across the street.. Superman is probably the sort who makes sure he's partner si completely satisficed before worrying about his own needs." you didn't mean to comment you Should of just nodded in agreement with Cassandra and changed the conversation to a dog you were going to post tomorrow. but you didn't think- it just came out. and Just as Clark walked in completely Stunned at your statement as you truned to Cassandra as you spoke, "So Im posting a dog video tomorrow. of a saint gently pulling his owner off the sofa and stealing the sofa for himself.. you want to see the video?"

"Nah- i hate your fluff pieces.. Hey.. after work- lets go othat new bar. and find you someone to completely satisfice you eever need." Cassandra was married, She doesn't touch but she does Love getting some guy to get her free drinks and trying to set you up. with some random guy for the night.

"as fun as a random hook up is- Call me old fashion but I rather sleep with someone i have a emotional attachment with."

Cassandra looked around the room seeing Clark was back at his desk as She spoke, 'well- Clark is free.. or Tony but trust me.. ive rode that horse before.. Not much to write about.."

"you do know- if the men talked like this.. so openly it woudl be us calling them fifthly Pigs.. and HR woudl be Up thier butts in a heartbeat."

"the advantage of sleepign with HR. . he knows if he gets me in troulbe at work. he gets None at home." you shook your head chuckling, "your horrible." she chuckled as she spoke, 'and yet I didn't hear you deny Clark."

you looked up at her as you spoke, 'he's my friend. I babysit his kids!!"

"you could make him a third.." you gasped saying whay as she laughed patting your back, "God your so easy!"

she let the conversation die after that. switcing to look at a photo of the new deputy mayor who was attractive. as you spent the next hour. Hoping Clark was too busy to listen into the conversation.. that he probably heard his name. and heard you both talking about him..

After work you packed to leave seeing Clkar was taking his time he rarely comes into the office. he picked up freelance gigs onc eLois left to help pay for the farm. you got up heading to the elevator saying Night to Clark as he walked over following you to the elevator "hey."

"hey" you said uneasy.. as he spoke, "why were you and Cassandra talking about superman sexual abilities?" your cheeks burned a deep red as Clark chuckled as you explaiend how it all happened as he spoke, "Super tongue isn't a real thing." you laughed saying thats what you said. as Clark leaned lower as he spoke, "those Lois did make comments that she thought it was.." your cheeks couldn't go any redder as Clark smiled seeing you.

he couldn't deny that since he broke up with Lois the Only women who caugh his attention was you. but he always figured you were off limits since you were you.. but listening to you and Cassandra chatting about Superman sexual abilities he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like with you. Clark has only ever been with Lois you snapped Clark out of his day dream of you and him as you spoke, 'can I still come over? or did that conversation completely gross you out?"

Clark smiled weakly, "No of course not, those surprised to hear you talking like that at work." you laughed covering your mouth, "Cassandra started it! I tried to shut it down!" you both lauhged as you spoke, "you mad at me for that?"

he shook his head, 'nah, it's okay honestly those. the boys will be out. you okay with just us?"

"yea of course.. I'll bring the beer?" Clark smile dsaying okay as the elevator door opened as you walked out. Clark realized at that moment that he needed you.. and he was falling for you. he's best friend.

#Clark kent #clark kent imagine #superman #superman imagine #superman and lois imagine #superman and lois #fandom imagine

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dorminchu · 7 months ago

Text

Between Heaven and Earth: Chapter Four

Elsnir is the name I gave the Scouting Legion’s old HQ, for simplicity’s sake—there’s no direct relation to the aptly-named castle featured within the visual novel Attack on Titan: Escape from Certain Death. I've also moved and retooled a scene with Annie and Hitch from Ch02 into this one, for the sake of continuity.

Once the hole in Wall Rose was sealed, there wasn’t any time to mourn. That same evening, Private Jaeger was interned under the authority of Nile Dawk, the Commander of the Military Police Brigade. For two days after the operation, Jaeger remained in a comatose state. Until there was a clear indication of his intentions, it was best to err on the side of caution. Once Jaeger was up and talking, there'd be a tribunal.

In the meantime, the soldiers who had been present for Jaeger's transformation were called into the Garrison HQ for questioning. Those who had lost their lives were catalogued and rounded up to be immolated. The death toll was somewhere in the hundreds.

Captain Kitz Woerman of Wall Rose’s Garrison, Southern Division, refused to step into the same room as Jaeger until he was interned, but he was more than happy to join Nile in Commander Pixis's office for the interrogations. Without a consistent outlet for his nerves, he would fidget from one leg to the other. On any given occasion, he would check his pocketwatch for lack of anything better to do.

Instead, the constant, subtle click of metal opening and closing made Nile’s day just a little more aggravating. No wonder why Pixis carried around a flask full of whisky. Not for the same reasons as Nile would, if he had the luxury. He couldn't afford the label of an eccentric tactician.

The Garrison soldiers who’d detained and assisted Jaeger during the operation in Trost were unsure what to make of him. Despite the illogical notion of a human turning into a Titan, Rico Brzenska said, he’d saved a lot of lives—if not for their luck with the boulder, Wall Rose would’ve been forfeit.

The survivors of the 104th Training Corps were baffled by his transformation. Initially, Jaeger had ignored the other soldiers in favor of pursuing the Titans wandering the streets, and eventually to the larger mass of Titans that swarmed the supply depot. His method of attack wasn’t mindless—in fact, the cadets had described it as a crude form of unarmed combat, reminiscent of the techniques they’d learnt in military academy that year.

As Private Kirschtein walked out, Nile checked his own pocketwatch with a scoff. "We've been at this all morning and we're as close to an answer as when we started. There must be something we're not seeing."

Pixis took a swig from his flask. "What about Private Arlert? He's close friends with Jaeger, from what Shadis has told me."

Nile relented. "Bring him in, then."

With the oak desk between them, Private Arlert seemed smaller than he was. The haircut did him no favors. He saluted once, waiting for Pixis to address him.

"During the battle for Trost, how did Eren's Titan behave? Did you communicate with him at any point?"

"He didn't demonstrate a capcity for communication with any of the soldiers, but he didn't seem to mind us either. The first time, we were able to corral him through the streets toward the supply depot, whereupon he killed every Titan he could get his hands on. When he transformed to absorb the cannonfire, he didn't even acknowledge what he had done to me or Private Ackermann. All he wanted to know was if we were all right. And during his final transformation, after I got down to him he was able to retrieve the boulder and dam the breach. In each case it was as though he already knew what he had to do beforehand."

“According to Captain Woerman, and the other soldiers present,” Nile said, “Private Jaeger stated his intent to “kill them all” after he was pulled from the Titan’s neck.”

“Private Jaeger was referring to the Titans, sir. When he transformed in front of Captain Woerman, it was in self-defense.”

Woerman scoffed. “So he disguised his true nature from his comrades—even those were close to him.”

Private Arlert said, “Sir, I truly had no idea he could transform in the manner he did, let alone in a controlled capacity. Furthermore, the body he formed to absorb the cannon fire was incomplete. After his initial transformation, I don't think he was able to create a fully-formed Titan. Enough time had passed before he transformed to pick up the boulder.”

Woerman’s voice shook with incredulity, “But he lost control of himself during the operation. He attempted to strike Private Ackermann multiple times and injured himself. How can you explain that?”

“And Private Arlert was able to revive him,” Commander Pixis said, “whereupon Jaeger successfully retrieved the boulder and sealed off Wall Rose.” He caught Arlert's eye and gave a slight nod.

Woerman grimaced. “That’s what a Titan sympathizer would say.”

A muscle jumped in Arlert's jaw, but he held his tongue. Nile said, “Arlert, you’re dismissed.”

As Private Arlert walked towards the door, he caught Ackermann’s eyes and nodded curtly.

“Private Ackermann,” Nile said. “Do you believe Eren Jaeger is a threat to humanity?”

“No, sir. Eren saved my life and the lives of many soldiers.”

“But he struck out at you,” Woerman said, unable to contain himself any longer. “The final time he transformed, he didn’t recognize you. He attempted to crush you with his fists several times, injuring himself in the process. Why would Private Jaeger turn on one of his fellow cadets?”

Ackermann met his gaze. The scar along her eyelid stood out prominent against her softer face. “When I cut him out of the Titan the first time, he was delirious and running a fever. As long as I've known him, he’s never raised a hand against me, or Armin.”

Woerman’s nervous laugh raised an octave. “Not as a human!”

"Woerman," said Dawk, "if you cannot conduct yourself I’m going to ask you to step outside." He looked at Ackermann. “Do you have any idea what would have caused him to strike at you?”

“No, sir.”

“Has he expressed any desire to harm himself, or others?”

Ackermann adjusted the scarf around her throat and said, “Eren can be headstrong, but not to the detriment of others. He was able to follow orders when the need arose. Armin managed to get through to him. He’s not a mindless Titan.”

Even after she was dismissed, Nile was facing down another stalemate. Private Ackermann’s story didn’t contradict Arlert’s. Despite Woerman's heightened state, Nile could sympathize with his concerns. This sentimental defense of Jaeger by his peers grated on his nerves. Mankind wouldn’t survive for long in the hands of a wildcard.

Ordinary Titans weren’t capable of communication, nor carrying out complex tasks. Jaeger’s inexplicable, volatile behavior was more reminiscent of an Aberrant Titan—but so too did it suggest a capacity for free will. The convenience of his transformation couldn’t be brushed aside as a miracle, or some underground project to create super soldiers—it wouldn’t be the first time Pixis pulled a bluff out of his ass.

Nile stopped himself. Eren was a human turned Titan. Humans possessed no ownership of the Titans that saw fit to consume them. To entertain such a notion, even as a slip of the tongue, would no doubt encourage the same line of thinking as Pixis’s bluff.

A knock at the doors stirred him from thought. One of the Garrison soldiers, a sandy-haired cadet with a fresh, unremarkable face. Nile couldn't place a name.

"Grice," said Pixis with an air of familiarity, "I trust you've got good news."

“Jaeger is awake, sir,” said Grice. “Commander Erwin’s expressed an interest in questioning him before the tribunal.”

“I'll inform Private Freudenberg and Feulner,” said Nile. "Were you stationed in Trost?"

"No, sir. I was called in along with the rest of my division from Karanese, in order to assist the displaced civilians. Captain Brzenska bade me to pass along the message in her stead."

Something was off. Brzenska wasn't the type to pass along orders to a junior officer. Ever so, Jaeger was under the Military Police's jurisdiction. Grice shouldn't have the clearance to be made aware of Jaeger's location, let alone his current condition. Throughout Nile's time in the Military Police, it was common for senior officers to pawn their duties onto those below them under threats of extortion, or other perks. Grice didn't seem the type to take such an underhanded deal, but that didn't mean he was incapable.

Pixis said, "Very well. You're dismissed."

Grice inclined his head. "Sir."

As the doors shut behind him, Pixis said, “Nice lad. He was in the 103rd Training Corps, if I recall rightly. He'll make a fine Captain if he keeps up the pace, wouldn't you agree, Woerman?”

Woerman glanced fitfully at Nile. "This matter isn't Grice's concern. I expect an MP must have bribed him somehow."

"Kitz, for God's sake," Nile muttered. He already had a terrific headache.

Pixis considered his flask. Opened it, tipped it to his mouth, empty. With a small grunt he closed it and stowed it away. "The way Shadis described him in the report, and from what I’ve observed, Colt's not the type to take bribes. But you raise a good point, Kitz. I'll look into it."

"It's more than likely an MP," Nile said through his teeth. "I'll deal with it myself."

As Nile stepped out into the hall for a cigarette, he walked past a pair of cadets. "Some kind of gear malfunction," the taller boy was saying. "He told me he was going back to help Diamant, but that was the last anyone heard of him."

“A Titan must’ve got him,” said the broad-shouldered boy.

Braun and Hoover. They’d been questioned the day before. Hoover caught sight of Nile as he passed and seemed to hitch in the middle of his words. Nile gave him a curt nod. “Friend of yours?”

Braun nodded. “Marco Bodt. We didn’t expect it would be so sudden. Just a couple of days ago, he and Bertholdt were talking about where they’d go up ‘til graduation. He was looking to get into the Military Police.”

“I'm sorry to hear about your colleague.” Nile paused. "If I may ask, what branch are you considering?"

“The Garrison,” said Hoover, “at least originally. Now I’m not as sure. There’ll be an influx of applications to the available divisions. With my skillset, I wonder if I’d be better off in the Military Police Brigade or the Scouting Legion.”

Nile bit back a retort. He’d seen far too many soldiers throw their lives into the Scouting Legion with nothing left to bury. His personal feelings didn’t enter into this. And the Military Police Brigade, hell, he hadn't heard of anyone getting in from the Training Corps since he was a cadet. “You two were in the top ten?” No point in crushing their dreams. Sooner or later, they’d come to accept that it was one lesser evil over another. Nile said, “At any rate, I hope to see at least one of you in the Military Police.”

Hoover started to speak, but Braun nudged him in the ribs with a strange smile. “You and Annie would be set for life.”

Hoover brushed him off with a scowl. “You’ll have to excuse Reiner, sir. He’s been a little overeager since the success of the Trost operation.”

Nile exhaled. “Right, then, I’ll be seeing at least one of you.” As he continued down the hall, Braun was saying, “At least give yourself some time to think about it.”

⁂

The Military Police responsible for Private Jaeger's containment were happy to let someone else talk to him. Jaeger could not answer, nor could he justify in any reasonable measure, his inability to explain what had happened, or why. Accused of something he hadn't even recognized as within his capacity until this afternoon, one would assume his knee-jerk response to be anger.

Manacled, unbridled, he wouldn’t look at the guards on the other side of the bars. If their eyes met by chance, they'd flinch as if he were a dog and he’d look at his feet as if it would quell their response. The heavy door opened and closed, reverberating off the stone walls.

Private Jaeger's eyes flickered to the source of the noise. He sat erect. Standong across from him, none other than Corporal Levi Ackermann and Commander Erwin Smith of the Scouting Legion.

“How are you feeling?” Erwin asked.

Jaeger collected himself. “F-fine, sir.”

“I’d like to ask you a few questions if that's all right.” The MPs had been asking the same questions, as though he'd simply conjure the answer like a body from air. But coming from such an esteemed figure as Commander Erwin, he was willing to answer to the best of his abilities. Jaeger watched in silence as Commander Erwin pulled up the wooden stool Freudenberg had been sitting on and reposed himself. "You transformed firstly when you were in the Titan's stomach, is that correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Do you remember what you were thinking at that moment?"

"I just wanted to get out of there and find Armin." He blenched under the implication of his own words. "I can’t explain how I did it. I don’t even remember doing it—I just knew that Armin was up there. He needed me to protect him and so I did, same as Mikasa and everyone else. It was if I'd always been able to do it, not that I had forgotten how or instantly learnt to." Jaeger's attention drifted to the scowl pronounced on the Corporal's face, though his unease seemed to come from a different source. "It doesn't make sense. I should be able to explain how to do something, if I've been taught."

"Your squadmates estimate you killed around twenty Titans unassisted," the Commander said. "Do you remember any of it?"

Jaeger glanced at the manacles around his wrists. "Not as it happened, sir. Just that they had to be eradicated. I don’t remember much clearly, aside from waking up here. But I knew it had to be done, and so I did it. That's what you do, isn't it?"

His tone dulled. His eyes betrayed a glazed-over vestige of anger. It wasn't the Titan alone that frightened Woerman out of his wits.

"What we do is for the survival of humanity," the Commander said, holding Eren's gaze. "But vengeance for its own sake is not a part of our operations in the Scouting Legion. If you're as serious as you claim to be about joining, decide what it is that's driving you."

Jaeger's eyes flickered. He straightened his shoulders, bowing his head slightly. The same light in his eyes melted back into a barely-contained reverence and he said, “Thank you for the consideration, sir.”

For the duration of their conversation, the Corporal had only listened. He reached into his breast pocket and said, "We found this. Nearly lost it when Ackermann cut you free. What's it for?"

The key glittered, dangling on its string. Jaeger stiffened, tilting forwards despite his restraints. The Corporal held eye-contact.

"Private Ackermann believes it's important to you," the Commander said.

"My father gave it to me." Jaeger's tone dropped a few degrees. "It's crucial that I do not lose it."

"So, it's just for sentimental value?" the Corporal asked.

Jaeger seemed to chew on his words. "It's a key to the basement of my childhood home," he said. "It is important that I return there."

"For what reason?" the Commander asked.

Jaeger's eyes lowered, a crease in his brow. "He—my father told me that I needed to return there. There’s something in the basement that will allow humanity to eradicate the Titans, and retake the land beyond Wall Maria. That's all I know."

The Corporal and Commander exchanged a glance that Jaeger didn't catch. "You'll have it back after the tribunal," the Corporal said, stowing the key in the breast pocket of his jacket. "As long as you don't try anything you shouldn't."

"Thank you, sir." The boy's eyes glittered. "I-it means a lot, that you would do that for me."

The Corporal's mouth thinned. With a Titan-kill count reaching into the triple digits, he'd earned the moniker of Humanity's Strongest. Hero worship came with the territory, but coming from a kid who'd turned into a Titan, it wasn't exactly on his bucket list. As the dungeon door scraped closed behind them, the Corporal held back what he'd wanted to say from the moment Erwin began speaking to the kid. It wasn't until they were out of the catacombs that he muttered, “If Zachary clears him for service, he’s going to be a goddamned pariah among his squadmates.”

“They’ll come to see otherwise,” Erwin said. “Titans, as we know them, can’t be reasoned with. Eren has expressed no ill-will towards us or any of his comrades.”

"You don't trust him," the Corporal said.

"I believe him when he says he has no clear recollection of his actions," Erwin said. "Perhaps Hanji will have a better idea of what's ailing him."

“I thought he was going to try and tear the bars off the wall when he say that key.”

“It’s all he has left of his home,” Erwin said, in a careful tone he used whenever he was thinking several steps ahead. “But it’s curious that he mentioned his father. Even Nile couldn’t get that out of him.”

“Nile never asked about the key to begin with,” Levi muttered. “Who the hell would think to?”

⁂

After the crippling failure to retake Wall Maria, the next wave of cadets imported from the fields and overflowing halfway-houses were unprecedentely young. Sure, a handful of kids would lie about their age to get by, but that was to be expected. The 104th Training Corps weren't only young, but hardened by two years of horror. If their families hadn't been killed during the breach, they were sent to their deaths, or else succumbed to illness or famine. When they dedicated their hearts, there wasn't any hesitation or slack like the previous division.

While the instructors took great pains to make sure all the cadets were able to progress beyond simple balancing exercises and free-climbing, there were always the odd few exceptions that, by bad luck or sheer stupidity. Training accidents were infrequent, as were deaths. Cadets with minor injuries would often return to training as usual; the instructors and Garrison infirmary worked as a team to ensure the survivors were kept in good health, all for the sake of having more hands on deck.

Helga was just another nurse. She was fortunate enough to be living in Wall Rose when the news came in. She made enough money to get by, and lived within visiting distance of her mother and sisters.

Displacement from their civilian lives had denied them much room for individual expression, though there were glimpses—Private Springer was unparalleled at throwing horseshoes. Private Lenz talked little, for all of the interest in her by the other boys about her peaceful, maternal air. There was a disconnect between her reputation for generosity and the quiet, stolid girl whom Instructor Brecken described to Helga. Lenz struggled to remain in the top twenties, more content to fetch hay for her horse than speak to anyone. It was a miracle that she'd reached tenth best in the end.

Private Jaeger was no stranger to injuries. The first year of enlistment, his gear malfunctioned and he’d cracked his head—though he only came away with a minor concussion and his spirits undeterred. He’d had several sprains, a couple broken noses, between overextending himself and getting into friendly sparring matches with Private Leonhardt. Never anything that he couldn’t weather with enough rest and due diligence.

His blunt naivete resonated in the way he fought, throwing himself wholeheartedly into training exercises. By fifteen, he’d earned the nickname "Suicidal Bastard" and took it on the chin. Nothing could deter him from his stated goal of joining the Scouting Legion.

The last time Helga spoke to him, he'd wound up in the infirmary again. The other nurses said he’d been impaled on a branch about the size of his forearm. Private Jaeger was a very courageous boy—as easy as it would be to blame his zealous nature, accidents happened even to the best of soldiers. Pale-faced and clammy, he had groped clumsily at the front of his threadbare shirt, the same one he’d been wearing since he was thirteen, and pulled out a little metal key hanging from his neck. He looked her in the eyes and said, very seriously, that if he didn’t make it, Helga was to give this key to Private Ackermann.

Helga promised. What else could she do? Any hopes of him joining the Scouting Legion would be discarded—the field missions, at least, were out of the question. He could still get by as a technical instructor, they'd say, as if it would fix things. An idealistic boy such as him still had to learn that the world did not make much room for their fancies. Why should Helga make him feel worse than he already did?

In the week he was bedridden, he never complained about his injury, nor bad luck while his friends were visiting, but he’d confided in Helga about not wanting to end up back in the fields while his friends moved on.

Helga told him that a proper soldier had to think of the consequences. It wouldn't do to be so reckless. There were plenty of ways to fight for humanity that didn't revolve around the front-lines. And Jaeger didn’t argue, just set his jaw and held the thought without a word.

Then, one day, his bed was empty. Either he'd moved on, or been sent home to whatever family he had. She didn't see fit to ask. She wouldn't have the luxury of grieving when so many lives depended on her. Enough tragedies within the last decade had dulled her inclination for an immediate response. With a weight in her gut, she got right to work. She was laying out sheets for the bed he'd slept in. Instructor Shadis was barking orders. Out of habit, she glanced out the window and froze. The sheets tumbled from her hands onto the mattress. A scream clawed its way up her throat but wouldn't relinquish.

A trick of the light. Of her memory, she told herself.

Even when the nurses asked if she was feeling well. Especially when the doctor took her aside, into his office, and explained that Jaeger had been cleared for training.

Helga's breath wouldn't come back to her. She'd seen him, still, running laps, as if nothing ever happened. Just a few days ago he’d come in coughing up blood and bleeding through the sheets. There was nothing anyone could do to remedy his condition, even in the most optimistic of circumstances. At best he'd be a cripple. More likely, he wouldn't live more than a week. That was what Helga and the doctor came to an agreement on.

As it turned out, Jaeger was never officially cleared for medical discharge. When Helga made to contest this decision, Jaeger’s medical records came up missing. None of the other staff were keen to discuss the topic, and Helga couldn’t kick up a greater fuss without risking her job—by the time Private Jaeger had graduated, it was water under the bridge. When had these instructors become so willing to overlook a grievous injury? The thought of this boy winding up in a worse spot than when he’d left was not only cruel, but wholly irresponsible in the face of preserving mankind's future.

So, after hearing of Jaeger’s transformation in Trost, and the outcome of his tribunal, the situation made even less sense. It was as if the Goddess herself had thrown Helga's intentions back into her face. If Helga had done what she assumed to be right, insisted that he was unfit for military service, then Eren Jaeger would never have made it to graduation. He wouldn’t be making headlines as an icon of humanity’s strength, the new bastion of the Scouting Legion, inspiring his fellow cadets to enlist in his wake.

He’d seemed like such a brave, earnest boy. The idea of a human that could turn into a Titan was beyond all reason. What kind of nightmarish world would that be, if people could explode into monsters without their prior knowledge?

Now the Military Police were going around, trying to retrace his steps. The majority of the officers arrived on Nile Dawk's behalf. Without a commanding officer to ensure they did their jobs, the regular MPs allotted the bare amount of effort asking questions and complained to each other about wasted time. There was one officer, though, who spent a great deal of time chatting with the doctor—by the time Helga was finished tending to her latest patient, he still hadn’t left.

One of the aides tapped her arm. "He wants to speak with you."

There must be a mistake. But Helga wasn't going to make a scene. If an MP asked to speak, you went along with it. The officer bade her into the doctor’s office and shut the door behind him. He walked over to the desk, upon which a series of files had been laid out. He gestured, and said, “You recognize these names?"

Helga glanced over the files. Reiner Braun, Bertholdt Hoover, Annie Leonhardt, Eren Jaeger, and Ymir Fritz. She looked at the officer. He had a cruel, aged face, grey eyes. His hair and beard were greying, making him look older still. Most likely in his forties.

"Five cadets from the 104th Training Corps," the officer said, "were reported to have experienced discrepancies in their medical history. Only one of them is being paraded around as an icon of humanity’s future.” He smiled good-naturedly, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “The doctor told me you were one of the last to tend to Jaeger. Says he had some kind of training accident.”

Helga’s blood went cold. Her eyes darted to the doorknob. The Military Police had ways of making inconvenient details go away. She hadn't allowed herself to consider the possibility that the doctor was in over his head. By adhering to her own loyalties, she'd trapped herself within a much bigger problem. But the officer had not accused her outright of tampering with the documents. Perhaps he was willing to give her an out, as long as she played along. "I wasn't responsible for Eren Jaeger's release from the infirmary. He'd come in several times before. Given that he was able to pass the technical examination, I suppose it must've been a miracle."

"I suppose that's why his medical records have come up missing," the officer said, gauging the stutter in her composure with a slow, unfriendly smile. "Now, to me," he said, placing his body in front of the door and lowering his voice, "this whole situation reeks of bullshit. I get the feeling you have your own idea, and if you're telling me what you think I want to hear, well. Let's do us both a favor and not insult my intelligence."

Helga's heart hammered in her throat. All she could picture was her ailing mother and sister. "Please," she whispered, "don't make me do this. I have family."

The officer paused. As if flicking a switch, his demeanor lightened. “Ma'am, I’m not here to make an arrest. But I've heard second-hand from the other nurses about this situation, and I think it's worth the attention. You know how they love to talk." Helga forced herself to chuckle even though she sounded on the verge of hysteria. He took her shoulder. "For the sake of the public’s faith in their new icon, you have my word that I'll get to the bottom of this.”

“Sir—”

“Please,” the man said with a smile, “call me Kenneth.”

⁂

Life in Stohess's Military Police HQ wasn’t much to write home about. Leonhardt kept waking up expecting the sound of crickets.

Her roommate, Hitch Dreyse, was a handful. Her side of the dorm room looked as if a storm had run through it. She smelled like perfume and kept getting into trouble with her superior officers, who interpreted her talkative persona as a source of untapped vulnerability. Dreyse wasn’t an idiot, nor particularly promiscuous, despite what most of the other MPs would insist to Leonhardt. If she were truly stupid, she would have been promoted up the ranks a while ago.

The only other person who would tolerate Dreyse was Marlowe Freudenberg. He'd been in the 103rd Training Corps division, along with Grice. Leonhardt hadn't asked if they knew one another, because there wasn't a good enough excuse to, and Freudenberg was the type to follow-up on any inconsistencies in a story.

There was the occasional drunken brawl outside during the evenings, but those were easy to break up. Leonhardt was excellent at breaking up fights. Last week, she’d done some ground-work on behalf of a private client. She was so apt at interrogation, that her commanding officer pulled her aside the following afternoon and asked how she’d feel pushing papers, for a change.

I’d be happy to, sir.

Just like that, no more stress relief. Doing her job was directly antithetical to the MO of the Military Police. As if that weren’t enough, Grice’s correspondence had slowed to a standstill. No doubt he was busy, trying to blend into his role as a dutiful Garrison soldier. The last time she’d received a letter from him, she was still in the Training Corps.

But even on a good day, Dreyse was not the first person she wanted to talk to in the morning.

Hitch Dreyse sat next to her. "The food's better quality here than in military academy. It's 'cause they use beef stock instead of beans. The royal family has its own pastures, and all these high-faluting types can't bear to have anything less. So half the country is eating as usual, and half of them have to be happy with beans and potatoes. Which I suppose is a hell of a lot better than starving."

Leonhardt's mouth was dry. The taste of salt and iron lingered in the back of her throat. "That's nice."

"You look tired," Dreyse said. "Or is it just the way you look naturally?"

No matter how monosyllabic or innocuous Leonhardt kept her responses, Dreyse would initiate conversation. She was a decent source of intel, because she truly didn’t have a filter. Leonhardt held her gaze. "Does that line work on guys?"

Dreyse's eyes widened, as if she hadn't heard correctly. She cackled, drawing the attention of half the other soldiers in earshot. That wasn't the reaction Leonhardt was hoping for, but it was better than hurting the other girl's feelings. Dreyse was a magnet for interpersonal issues, so there wasn't a point in holding her nature against her. Leonhardt took a sip of coffee and scowled. They were out of sugar.

"What's so funny?" Feulner called.

"This kid's got a sense of humor," Dreyse said, clapping Leonhardt on both shoulders as if she were a human-sized doll. "'Course, they'd never know it, living with you," she intoned, as if they were the only two people in the mess hall. She was putting the brunt of her weight on her feet, sitting forward on the bench. Flipping Dreyse over the table after a week of being on her best behavior wasn't ideal, but old habits were tempting. For all her faults, Dreyse wasn't nearly as obnoxious as Braun.

"Do you and Marlowe ever talk?"

Dreyse sighed. "God, Freudenberg's too busy working to think about anything else of consequence." She side-eyed Leonhardt. "He's a real pain in the ass, though I think he means what he says about reforming this place. I bet he's the only onehere who cares half as much as you."

Leonhardt intoned, "You're a real comedian, Dreyse."

Dreyse simpered. "Come on, I'm serious. Have you ever heard of an MP who wanted to do his job? There's Commander Dawk, but he's hardly around, is he?"

Leonhardt hmphed into her coffee.

“Anyways, that's not what I wanted to tell you. I heard that Eren Jaeger's been made an honorary Scout. They’ve got him locked up someplace. I think it’s Castle Elsnir, the old Scouting Legion HQ. Over to the east of Trost." Leonhardt hummed noncommittally. “He was in your training division, wasn't he? What was he like?”

Leonhardt shrugged. “He was very interested in joining the Scouting Legion. I thought that he’d make a good captain if he didn't get himself killed first.” As she turned, Dreyse looked a little underwhelmed. “Why?”

Dreyse shrugged. “I just wondered, is all.” Leonhardt wasn't sure what to make of such a concession. A person like Dreyse didn’t do anything by half-measures. "But, God, it's a horrible idea, isn't it? A human turning into one of those things."

If the Military Police had their way, Private Jaeger would’ve been sentenced to a firing squad.

“Yeah,” said Leonhardt. “It’s like nothing I could imagine.”

#snk #aot #fanfic #fanfiction #shingeki no kyojin #attack on titan #eren jaeger #nile dawk #dot pixis #kitz woerman #armin arlert #mikasa ackermann #erwin smith #captain levi #kenny ackerman #colt grice #I said I'd write short chapters didn't I...

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