#it'd be so fun to visit this again in the future!

[huffle-dork]

Swap Beyond the Crystalverse Chapter 15: Outer Space AU

Co-written with @crystalninjaphoenix Read Swapboys | Read Crystal’s AUs

Other Multiverse Stories: SITCV | SATCV | GITHV

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Glitching feels electric and tingling under the skin, making the others feel a bit jittery afterwards. But it was probably a big boost to Anti. They reappear in an awkward sort of place, a small alcove with a door behind them. In front of them is Layer Four of the Zypso Station. It looks a lot like the previous layer Bro was on, with the tall buildings and the walkways and railways. But there are fewer bright signs here, and fewer booths set up on the side for small street vendors. The buildings are in a slightly different style of architecture, more utilitarian, though they do at least have fun colored lights along the edges. Through these towering structures, the tallest building can be seen. The IRIS building.

Alt shakes himself off as they appear- and then his jaw drops as he sees Layer Four, “holy shit…!” 

Bro grins, “pretty cool isn’t it?” He then squints at the IRIS building and looks towards Anti, “Why’d you make us appear so far away, dude?”

"This layer is covered in camera systems," Anti explains. "Even more so than Layer Three, where commerce takes place. This is one of the few spots where they are blind." 

"Don't worry, we should be able to take a railcar there really fast," Chase says. He looks around. "There." He points. There's a sign hanging on a nearby wall, with a drawing of a rectangular trolley-car-like object, and then an arrow. There were a lot of those on the last layer too, though they were often overshadowed by the other signs. "That direction." 

"Let's hurry, then," Marvin says. 

Bro blinks then shrugs, grinning. “Okay sweet! Get to take some future transportation!” 

Alt blinks and takes out his phone to nod at Anti with a smile. “Thanks, dude.”

Alt's phone lets out a squawk of white noise. "I'll help with the cameras as much as I can," Anti says from the phone.

"Not a problem." Anti gives a thumbs up on the screen. 

The rest of the group leads the way, doing their best to look casual about it. Anti lingered in the back, head turning around. His expression is still that neutral one, but the rest of his body language says that he's nervous, on guard. 

They reach a railway and find a platform that looks a lot like a train platform back home. The design is smoother, with rounded edges and a lot of silver and white, but it's still clear what it is. Chase walks up to a kiosk and taps around on its touchscreen, purchasing tickets. He almost swipes his card, but then hesitates and pays in cash instead, sliding some of those square metal pieces into a gap that looks perfectly fit for them. 

"Looks like we're just in time," Jackie says, reading the train arrival times on a hanging sign. "One's coming in literally one minute." 

"Okay, everyone, get your hands stamped," Chase says. There's a cylindrical device coming out the side of the kiosk, a small red light coming from the bottom. As Chase puts the back of his hand into the light--it's perfectly positioned to be at hand level--the red light scans his hand and a small stamp appears in black, that same trolley logo from the signs directing them here. 

“Oooh neat! Very streamlined!” Bro says excitedly as he goes to put his hand under the stamp. Alt looks hesitant but he goes to let himself be stamped too.

The mark just appears, without any sort of feeling that it did. The others get stamped as well. The ink sticks to Jackie and Anti's metal hands just fine, as well as Marvin's furry one. 

Almost as soon as they're all done, the railcar approaches, heading down the rail without much sound at all, only a slight hsss as it approaches. "Now approaching: Blue Line Railcars," says a robotic voice. The railcar is sleek and rounded. Its cabin is made of metal, but the rest of it is all glass--or at the very least some see-through material--showing benches and handrails inside. A door slides open on the side.

“Oohh it’s so quiet!!” Bro whispers as he hurries after the others. Alt also looks impressed- and tries to keep his glitches down as he eyes the people around.

The railcar is mildly crowded. This is Alt's first time seeing other aliens besides Schneep and Marvin. He spots a couple who seem to be the same reptilian species as Schneep--kritzeins--and a handful that are hovering in midair, insectile wings buzzing. There's one that looks like a pile of green slime with two lighter-green eyes. And a few scattered about who are really tall and have big eyes and pinkish hair.

Alt stares wide eyed at the aliens but tries to keep his composure. Thank god for his mask… even though he doesn’t like crowds he sticks close to Bro’s side. Bro chuckles and pats Alt’s shoulder.

Luckily, they don't have to stay in the railcar for long. The thing is really fast, even as it stops at three locations on the way. The IRIS building gets closer and closer... Until it looms overhead. The railcar stops at the end of its line, at the base of the IRIS building. 

There's a big empty square around this area, decorated with curving, alien plants in planters. Crowds mill about. Anti did say that this area was a tourist attraction. Pretty much all the remaining passengers get out of the railcar here. Others wait on the platform to get on.

Alt shrinks in more, “god there’s so many people…” 

“Tourist attraction-“ Bro mumbles and starts to shuffle out with the crowd, holding onto Alt’s hand.

"Not a fan of crowds either," Marvin whispers. 

JJ tilts his head. "Is that a felorr thing?" 

"No. Just a me thing." 

“Maybe I’m a felorr in another life,” Alt mumbles. 

They make their way towards the building. There's a low fence surrounding it, waist-high and made of metal. There are a couple locations where the fence is broken up by an archway. People are filing through those arches to get into the building. 

"Scanners," Anti says, nodding towards them. "If something strange appears as they scan, they start beeping." 

"What's an example of something strange?" Jackie asks. "Weaponry or strange devices. Or, in a more extreme example, a robotic being."

Alt looks at the scanners, humming in thought, “… I might be able to disable the scanners from here… but I don’t think I can do it discreetly…. I might need to be able to touch them.”

Anti nods slowly. "Discreet would be better." 

"What if... you go through first, and you touch the scanner as you do?" Jackie suggests. "That should keep it disabled for the rest of us."

“Oh! Good idea- I’m not hiding anything…” Alt mumbles. He takes a deep breath then starts to walk through the scanners. He briefly touches the arch wall and sends a discreet jolt of electricity as he passes through.

The interior of the gateway is lined with blue lights. As Alt sends electricity through it, the lights suddenly go out. The others quickly hurry through--Anti and JJ first, then the four others. A few other tourists manage to slip through as well. There's a short path leading up to a set of sliding glass double doors. 

As they walk along it, Schneep asks, "Any new, ah... information?"

Alt looks back at Schneep then checks the tracker by holding it in his pocket, out of sight. “Lemme see…” Bro tries to scan around for any sign of trouble.The tracker tells him that it's on the twentieth floor. 

Alt looks to Schneep, “It’s somewhere on the 20th floor.”

They head into the IRIS building. Everything in here is sleek whites and silvers, and there are holograms hovering in midair with information plaques about the history of IRIS, of the building, of Zypso Station. In the center is a big, rotating hologram of the IRIS logo. There seem to be a couple doors into this room, but most of them have signs that say "Staff" on them in varying languages. The one that doesn't reads "Stairs." There is also a set of elevator doors, which there seems to be a line for.

Bro looks at the elevator line and groans, “does that mean we gotta go up 20 flights of stairs??”

"Uh... I think the stairs only go up to floor ten or so?" Chase says. "So... no." 

"Sam is reminding me of the diagram earlier," Anti reports. "There are thirty floors in the building. Thirty-one, if the roof counts. Sixteen through thirty are closed to the public. The visitor stairs go up to floor fifteen." 

"Either way, we'll have to find some other way," Jackie mutters. "We could try to get through one of these Staff doors. Or we could... go up the stairs? See if there's a way from there? Or uh... wait in line for the elevator to see if there's a way from the roof? I mean, we could also take the elevator to floor fifteen, I think... still means we'd have to wait a lot."

“If we can find another blind spot- I can try to glitch us up there,” Alt says quietly, “they cause a flash of green light so… I can’t just do it now on my own and not be discovered.”

Alt's phone glitches. "I think there are blind spots on the staircase landings," Anti reports from the screen. "You just need to get to one that's absent of people." 

Schneep sighs. "Climbing the stairs it is, then."

Bro sighs too, “Alright gents- stairs it is.” He heads towards them, grumbling, “you’d think the future would have abolished stairs by now…!” 

Alt rolls his eyes with a chuckle and follows after him.

"Stairs are good for your health!" Schneep says defensively. 

"Doesn't mean they don't suck," Marvin says. "I'm surprised they don't have more elevators." 

Turns out, there are regular stairs and also an escalator running parallel to them as they spiral up. At each landing, the escalator becomes a moving walkway, seamlessly merging into the ground so that the escalator rider doesn't even have to step to transition to the walkway.

Bro blinks in surprise at the escalator, “oohh woah! Neat!” Bro climbs onto it. 

Alt laughs, following him, “you’re complaining a lot for a superhero who can probably climb these stairs faster than all of us.” 

“I can fly dude- you think I actually take the stairs? Fuck those things man!”

"I'm surprised that more are not flying, actually," Schneep says, looking around. There are a couple aliens with wings on the escalator, mostly smaller insectoid ones and those draconic-looking fellows. 

"I suppose it would not be worth the energy?" 

Bro hums, “Yeah- it can be kinda tiring sometimes. I like doing it as much as I can though.” He shrugs. 

Jackie leans closer to Alt and mutters, "Where are the blind spots?" 

"Always in the left corners, looks like," Anti reports from the phone. "You just need to wait for a landing empty of people." 

More and more people get off as the stairs go higher. Apparently the more fun exhibits are lower in the building.

“Left corners… okay-“ Alt mumbles, eyeing the crowds of people as they get thinner and thinner.

Looks like the landing for floor fourteen is empty of people. There are more on floor fifteen though--maybe people curious about what's on the highest possible story. 

"I don't think it will get better than this," Chase mutters, and steps off the escalator. 

"Just need to wait for a moment when no one is in sight," Anti adds, also stepping off. 

Alt nods and steps off, anxiously playing with his necklace. 

Bro hops off and hums, “Wonder what’s in all these floors that everyone goes to see-“

"There was a directory on the ground floor," Marvin recalls. "They're a lot of exhibits. Mostly old inventions and belongings to historical figures. The place is basically a museum." 

"Oh, I remember there was this one floor that was a recreation of old office buildings, that was so interesting," Chase says. 

“Ohhh damn that's kinda cool-“ Bro hums. 

“I never thought office buildings would be a museum exhibit someday,” Alt chuckles. 

"You'll want to huddle up really close," Anti says from the phone. "The blind spot is small." 

"We're about to look really suspicious," Jackie comments.

Alt goes to squeeze the best he can into the corner.

It's more than a little awkward as everyone presses into the corner. Fortunately, it's not long before a moment comes when the stairs are free of people. "Now!" Anti says, and everyone quickly links up. 

Alt quickly closes his eyes and tries to focus on getting to the 20th floor.

They disappear in a flash of light and reappear in the middle of a white hallway, the light reflecting off its walls so bright that it's almost blinding. Everything in this hallway is that same color--though there isn't much in this hallway at all. Just white sliding doors, white plaques with the names of rooms, and... the one thing that isn't the white color. Some sort of... metal mannequin with a blank, featureless head. It stands next to one of the doors, completely still.

Bro blinks at the mannequin and points, “…don’t like that thing-“ he whispers. 

“Chase, focus-“ Alt hisses as he checks the tracker again.The tracker tells them that the piece is in the Large Testing Room. 

Alt pales a bit, “…it’s in a testing room,” he mumbles. 

As Alt looks up from the tracker, his gaze lands on the mannequin again. And... that's strange, isn't it? For a moment, he thought he was looking at Anti. But that doesn't make sense.... does it? Now that he's looking closer, Anti's metal body is... a lot like the mannequin's. Except for the head, of course, but everything else... it's eerily similar to Anti's design.He blinks and then slowly looks between Anti and the mannequin. “…Anti… that- that mannequin…”

"It's a robot," Anti says quickly. "Don't worry about it. It cannot do anything without orders." Anti has trouble with expressions. He'd only been programmed with so many. So it's hard to tell how he's feeling. But it seems like he's deliberately not looking towards the robot. 

"A... testing room, I see," Schneep says haltingly, noticing the same thing Alt did. "Ah... maybe there are... directions that way?" 

"Let's just start looking," Jackie says. "Uhhh... I don't see directions, so let's just go this way." He turns in the opposite direction of the robot and heads down the hallway, forcing the others to follow.

Alt spares one last look at the mannequin before following. “It says it’s in the large one- maybe there’s only one of those.” Alt suggests. 

“…it seems strangely empty up here,” Bro comments under his breath.

Just as Bro says that, someone turns a corner up ahead, appearing suddenly. It's a human woman with dark skin and frizzy hair pulled back by a headband. She's wearing a white coat. "Oh!" She sees the group and stops walking. "Um... sorry, I think you've got lost. This area is closed to the public."

Bro freezes and Alt elbows him with a murderous expression. Bro grins nervously, “Oh uh yeah! Must have gotten really lost! What… floor is this??”

"This is the twentieth floor." The woman laughs a bit nervously. "Um... here, let's get you all back to where you were heading. This way." She walks past the group, indicating they should follow her. 

"Uh... we can find our way back where we came from," Jackie says quickly. "You're probably really busy. We'd hate to interrupt you."

“Yeah don’t worry!” Bro waves his hand, “hate to give you more work for a bunch of tourists!” 

As Bro talks, Alt looks around at the rooms and tries to inch farther ahead.

The woman frowns. "I really shouldn't leave you all alone in here..." 

"It will be fine," Schneep says. "It is not like we can get in any of these doors. They probably need keys, yes?" 

"Well, yeah, I suppose so." The woman still looks reluctant. "But you might get lost." 

"We're capable of retracing our steps, you know," Jackie laughs. 

 “Such a shame no one can come up here though! I bet you could tell us a lot of really interesting things!!” Bro laughs.

"Well, uh, not really," the woman says, laughing awkwardly. "It's all boring really..." 

As the others distract her, Alt sneaks around the woman and peers around the corner she'd come from. There's a large set of sliding double-doors down the corridor. Those seem important.

Alt doesn’t hesitate- he glitches down the hall and then tries to go through the doors.

Alt's glitching is accompanied by a flash of light, and she frowns and turns towards it. "What was--hey!" 

Unlike the doors in the bunker, these doors don't open as Alt gets close. But the plaque next to this set of double doors reads "Large Testing Room." This is the right place.

Bro’s stomach drops and he tries to grab the lady, “Hey no maybe we need directions after all!” 

Alt immediately goes to glitch through the doors, going as fast as possible.

"Whoa, hey, no grabbing!" She shakes her arm free, turning back to Bro with wide eyes. "I-I can call security!" 

Bro let’s go, holding up his hands, “sorry! …that’s usually okay on my … planet?” He says nervously. 

Her eyes dart to the translator in Bro's ear. "Well... you get one warning. Now please, let me show you the way out." 

“Alright sure-“ Bro says, eyes darting back to the door. 

Alt glitches through the door easily, ending up in a large room, made of the same white material as the hallway. There are a handful of people in white coats--all human except for one kritzein. They're all gathered around some sort of instrument in the center of the room, dangling from the ceiling and reaching down towards a circular platform in the center. It's hard to know what the instrument is, but it looks kind of like GLaDoS from portal but without the face. 

"Hey! How did you get in here?!" One of the scientists demands.

Alt ignores the scientists and checks the tracker, eyes darting around the room.The tracker tells him it's on the circular platform in the center. 

“Fucking- of course it is,” Alt grumbles. 

"We're going to call security!" Another one of the scientists shouts.

Then, Alt glitches towards the platform and tries to grab whatever is on it.The scientists all cry out in surprise as he suddenly glitches over. The item on the platform is a long, L-shaped bit of metal with a tiny microchip on the corner. As Alt scoops it up, one of the scientists reaches into their pocket-- And yellow alarm lights start flashing in both the Testing Room and the hallway. 

"Intruder Alert. Intruder Alert." 

Alt quickly puts it in his pocket then curses and glitches back out into the hallway.

"Shit!" Anti curses outside. "The plan was to be subtle!" 

The woman blinks at his voice. "...wait a second. Are you--Septic?" She glances around. "Y-you're all with him, aren't you?!" Then she turns and runs down the hallway away from them. 

“I’m not sure Alt had a choice!” Bro says to Anti. Then, he blinks at the woman’s reaction. “Woah-“ 

"I'm sure there were other ways!" Chase shouts. 

“Link up!!” Alt shouts as he sprints down the hall towards the others.

As Alt appears, the others rush towards him, reaching out-- But then, behind them, the robot from the hallway appears, raising an arm. Part of its arm slides out and out shoot several blue bolts of light.

One of the bolts hits Chase and he immediately stiffens up, then goes limp, falling to the floor. Another hits Anti, and while he doesn't stop moving like Chase did, the blue light turns into electricity that crackles along his body, causing spasms.

Bro’s eyes widen as the robot starts to shoot and quickly ducks out of the way, rolling across the ground. 

Alt gets hit and stiffens up, a reaction halfway between Chase’s and Anti’s as his muscles lock up but also crackle with electricity that has him crying out in pain and spasming. He soon enough falls limp too. 

“Alt!” Bro cries out.

Schneep helps Chase up--or tries to, at least. He's gone completely boneless, eyes wide above the mask hiding his face. Jackie hurries over and the two of them support Chase between them. 

The robot continues to shoot. JJ starts pushing the others around the corner, blocking its aim. A bolt skims him as he does so, causing him to stiffen, but he doesn't go limp like Chase and Alt did. But there are more robots showing up, identical to the first one, raising their arms in a similar way. 

Bro rushes to Alt and scoops him up and Alt is just as boneless as Chase is- eyes wide and hands twitching with electricity. “Shit shit shit shit!!” Bro curses quietly as he backs up, holding Alt to his chest. He’s desperately looks around for some kind of idea- if there was a window maybe they could all- break out?? But it’s the 20th floor- the others might not survive!

"Attention intruders," a voice says over an intercom. Feminine-sounding with a slight British accents. "Our security bots are quite persistent. If you do not wish to be stunned, surrender the IRIS property you have and give yourselves up. We will escort you from the building."

Bro looks up at the voice and then growls, “The thing we took was ours anyways! So f-fuck off!”

"Our scans are reporting a bot that is IRIS property with you," the woman's voice says calmly. "Regardless of modifications you have made, it was built from IRIS technology and therefore must be returned for reprog--" Anti's head suddenly snaps up. 

"I am not a robot!" he shouts. "I am not a robot!" He punches the wall, causing a crack, and the woman's voice cuts off. 

JJ looks around wildly. He rushes to the nearest door. It doesn't open, of course. "Bro, your belt!" he says, typing quickly. "Hurry!" 

His belt? Right! The devices!

Bro jumps at Anti’s anger, backing up and looking stunned. His attention is quickly turned back to JJ though as he scrambles to grab the deactivator and hands it to JJ.

JJ takes the hacker. It's a bit like a gun, if instead of a barrel it had a large bit of rectangular metal. He presses the flat part against the door and pulls the trigger mechanism. After a second, during which the robots get closer, the door slides open. He rushes in the room and gestures for the others to follow. The room beyond is filled with shelves full of boxes, some clear, some metal. As soon as everyone is inside Marvin hits a button on the inside, closing it. 

"That won't delay them for long," Jackie says. "Wh-what do we do? Do we need to check Alt and Chase over?" 

"Th-the stun will we-wear off in a few--few minutes," Anti says, his voice glitching slightly.

Bro hurries in and tries to shake Alt but Alt still doesn’t respond. Bro looks to Anti with wide scared eyes, “W-We don’t have a few minutes! Is there any way to speed it up?? Or c-cure this?! Something!!”

"I d-d-do not know of one," Anti says. "My--my call with Sam was dropped when the st-stun hit me. I can--cannot ask them." 

"Great, now we've closed ourselves into some supply room and they're going to get us at any moment!" Jackie's head darts around. "Um--is there an air vent or something?" 

Marvin points at a spot above a set of shelves. There's a square grate up there. "I don't know if you all could fit in there though."

“Damnit!” Bro curses, blinking back frustrated tears. “I-If Alt wasn’t hit we’d probably be back in the b-base by now! I-I can’t fly all of us out of here-“ He’s trying not to panic.

"Okay, okay." Jackie is trying to take deep breaths. "We--we have to try the vent, it's the only way out of here." 

Anti backs into the corner of the room, crouching down and putting his hands over his head. His expression is stuck on fear as his irises flicker. "I can--I c-cannot get stuck here," he says in a quiet voice. "I cannot--there is s-so much more to do--I cannot leave S-Sam--they cannot c-continue his work on th-their own--"

Bro seems to shake out of his panic by hearing Anti’s. He takes a shaky breath then tries to sit Alt up against the wall. Then, he looks for heavy things he can start to push against the doors. “We’re not gonna let them get you Anti-“ he says, determination bright in his eyes. “…w-we just need to stall until Alt recovers. You guys try to get into the vent-“ 

"I do not think I can climb up there," Schneep says, looking at the vent. 

"We can use the shelves as a ladder, we just need to get the stuff off," Marvin says, starting to move the boxes off the shelves. 

Anti watches him do this. Then he takes a deep breath--or, well, imitates taking a deep breath--and stands up, walking over to help move the items. The heaviest things in the room are the shelves and the boxes. And wouldn't you know? Some of the shelves have ball-like things on their feet, like wheels. There are also small switches near each sphere, with the words "locked" and "unlocked" written on them. They're currently in the "locked" position.

Bro hums as he sees this and unlocks them, going to move the heaviest feeling ones in front of the door and locking them back in place. “…I-if they try to break through- I can probably hold them back… super strength, you know?” He laughs nervously.

"IIIII don't think you mentioned the super strength earlier, actually," Jackie says.

“Oh- well… yeah!! I got that and super Speed- flying… can sometimes shoot some electricity but Alt is wayyy better at that.” Bro says, pushing more stuff in the way. 

Chase, lying on Schneep's shoulder, mumbles something indecipherable. 

"Uh--that's cool, though!" Jackie continues. Once the shelves are clear, 

Marvin quickly scrambles up to the vent and pulls at the vent. "JJ, will that unlocking thing work on this?" 

JJ frowns. "It disrupts electronic locks. Do you think that has one?" 

"...not suuuuure."

Bro looks back at Marvin and then hovers a bit to look, “…want me to try?” He asks. “Maybe I can pry it open.”

Marvin nods. "Might as well." He climbs back down so Bro can have access. Bro curls his fingers around the vent and tries to pry it open, bracing his feet against the wall for better leverage. 

"Attention intruders," the intercom turns on again, the same feminine voice speaking. "This will be your final appeal to surrender. If you do not surrender now, we will have to use force to reclaim our property and have you vacate the premises."

Brolooks up at the announcement then looks back at Anti, “H-How much longer do you think they’ll be stunned??”

"Average amount of time to recover from a stun bolt is five minutes," Anti says. "It has been about two." 

Chase groans. His fingers twitch a little. "'m... f'nn..." 

"If you are saying you're fine, you most certainly are not," Schneep says. 

Alt’s arm twitches a bit and he tries to move, “mm- ngh…” but nothing is responding. Even though he feels himself panicking and his heart pounding so hard against his chest. 

The vent really seems to be stuck on there, but little by little, it gives way, until it suddenly pops off. “I got it!” Bro exclaims as he gets the vent open. “Marvin you wanna give it a try?”

Marvin nods and quickly climbs up the shelves again. He slips into the air vent easily, tail waving and feet kicking until he disappears out of sight. "No room to turn around," he reports. "And I don't think the bulkier ones of you will be comfortable. But it will probably work for an emergency. I think it slopes instead of drops." 

“Okay… hopefully we won’t have to use it…” Bro mumbles as he nervously looks towards the door. 

The intercom turns on again. "Attention intruders. You have not surrendered, and thus, we will begin using force. We waive all responsibility for any injuries you gain while resisting."

Alt grunts as he tries to get himself to move again- but all that moves is his fingers. He makes a frustrated noise. 

Bro glares up at the ceiling and flips it off, “Fuck off ya IRIS pricks!!”

Marvin scrambles back out of the vent backwards. But he slips on the edge of the shelf and tumbles down with flailing limbs and a loud "MRRAAH!" He lands on the floor and quickly gets to his feet, brushing himself off and looking around embarrassed. 

Jackie bursts into laughter. "What the fuck? I thought felorrs always landed on their feet, comp!" 

"I'm not literally a cat," Marvin mutters. "Cats don't even land on their feet."

Bro jumps in surprise then blinks in confusion, “What?!! Cats landing on their feet isn’t true?!” Alt makes an exasperated noise.

"Yeah, what?" Jackie says. 

Marvin sighs. "Do you really think any animal can defy gravity like that so expertly?" 

"Where does the rumor come from, then?" Jackie says in rebuttal. 

"I believe it's because Terran cats are quite flexible and were often--but not always--seen correcting themselves in midair," Anti says.

“I swear Glitches always lands on her feet…” Bro mumbles, crossing his arms. 

“Nnnnr-“ Alt grunts. 

“…are you okay though, Marv?” Bro asks.

"Yes, are you okay?" JJ asks as well. 

"I'm fine, more surprising than anything," Marvin says. "Even if I don't always land on my feet, I can recover fast." 

The relatively light-hearted moment is interrupted by a banging on the door to the room. It then slides open--but thankfully whatever's on the other side is blocked by the shelves. 

"Surrender," says a robotic voice. 

Bro startles then curses, “Damn future doors! I forgot it could just slide open!” He holds out his arm protectively and steps in front of the others. “Take cover guys!” He quickly looks around for something he can use as a shield.

"Cover?! Where?!" Schneep asks, eyes darting around. 

"Here, we'll move some of the shelves!" Jackie hurries over and pushes a shelf away from the wall, sliding into the space behind it. 

Schneep hesitates, then gently puts Chase down and moves over, helping to move the shelf. JJ joins them as well, and together the three of them manage to get a couple shelves away from the wall. Marvin scrambles back up the shelves and into the vent again. There's not much that can be a shield. But some of these boxes are big, maybe their lids could work? 

Anti stares at the door intently. Waiting. "They will push the shelves over," he says in a quiet voice. "Then they will fire directly ahead of them. Get out of the line of fire." He moves to the left of the door, pressing against the wall and picking up a smaller box, gripping it so tightly in his hands that the metal warps slightly. 

Bro grabs a lid off a large metal box and holds it. He then blinks at Anti in confusion. “H-How do you-?” He doesn’t question this for long though. He ducks out of the way to the right. 

Though… Alt is still stuck up against the wall in front of the door, staring at the robots with wide scared eyes.

"Shit!" Jackie curses from behind the shelf. "Alt and Chase--!" 

"They were already stunned, we can protect them," Anti says. "Now get--" 

The shelves tip forward and the robots fire their stun bolts into the room. They were aiming at chest-height for the average person, so luckily the bolts don't hit Chase or Alt sitting on the floor. Chase flinches and manages to slowly move an arm, grasping vaguely at the floor to try and pull himself out of the way. Alt vaguely glitches around his shoulder and hands but it’s not enough to do anything. He tries to move his feet or legs- something! 

The robots start walking into the room-- And Anti yells out, smashing one in the head with the box. Bro quickly follows Anti’s lead and sends a super charged punch right into another robot’s head. 

Bro's punch goes straight into the robot's jaw area, sending its head snapping to the side with the sound of something snapping. Anti's blow manages to dent the head of the bot he attacked. Both of them fall backwards into the two bots behind them, knocking them over. 

But then the second pair of bots get up again and aim their stun bolts again. Anti swings for a second time. Bro yells and sends another punch. This time, he smacks the robot in the shoulder and manages to push its aim off course, but it doesn't break like the last one. "Aim for joints or the head!" Anti shouts, bringing the box down on the other bot's arm and disrupting its aim in the same way. 

Chase's head slowly turns to Alt and he tries to pull himself towards him.

Alt jerkily looks at Chase, his hands starting to grip better and sparking with some of his magic. …he’s been able to dismantle stuff by just barely moving before- maybe he can do that now. He looks towards one of the robots and twitches his head to the side as his eyes flash bright blue-green, trying to take apart its stun gun.

The one Bro hit raises its stun arm again, aiming directly at him—but instead there's a flicker of blue-green lightning as it doesn't fire. Not exactly collapsing like Alt wanted, but momentarily jamming it.

Bro nods and his eyes widen as he recognizes the sight of the magic. He grins then grabs the robot by the arm- on its joint- and then tries to flip it to crush it against the ground. The robot flies through the air, landing hard on the ground. Something snaps again and it goes limp. Bro whoops and gives the downed robot the finger, “Yeah take that, bitch!” He quickly moves to try to take out another one.

Alt’s eyes widen too and he slowly squeezes his hand in determination. He flares open his eyes to try to jam or take apart more of the guns.

Anti can't help but wince—he can't help but see himself in these bots—and almost misses another bot running forward to take the fallen one's place, aiming its stun arm. But then... its arm falls apart, pieces falling to the ground. Anti looks back, expression shifting to surprise, and then a smile. Alt also seems surprised. But he smiles a bit at Anti- but slowly. Anti grips his box weapon tightly and smacks it to the side. 

"Alt..." Chase manages to say. "Wh'n... c'n y... gl'sh?" He's asking 'when can you glitch?'

Alt turns to Chase and grunts, squeezing and releasing his hand with a lot of effort, “ne’d t’b… a-ab’l t’m’ve..!” ‘Need to be able to move’. His hand glitches a bit- but not to the degree he was able to earlier.

"...sucks," Chase says. Alt lets out a choked chuckle. 

If there's one good thing about this situation, it's that the doorway forms a bit of a bottleneck, only allowing two robots at a time to get through. Anti grabs one as it passes through, wrestling it to the ground.

Bro misses as the robot moves- making him strike its torso. He growls a bit then tries to kick the robot back into the others.The robot staggers backwards from the unexpected super strength of Bro's kick, falling into the others outside and knocking them down in turn. 

“Yeah! Strike!!” Bro laughs as he jumps up and punches the air.

"Nice!" Jackie shouts, leaning around the shelf to watch. JJ grabs him and pulls him back. 

Meanwhile, Anti manages to take out the bot he'd been fighting on the ground. These things were ordered to swarm in and subdue the group. They're not good at thinking beyond that goal. Not with their actions being limited by the priority of the orders. 

Even so— "They will keep coming," Anti says. "IRIS has many of these models. Even the ones not designed for combat will be thrown at us."

“We can handle them,” Bro says cockily, adjusting his hat. “Just until Alt can glitch. You doin’ okay, baby bro?” 

“M’ f’nn!” Alt tries to call. Feeling is slowly, slowly coming back. Still… there’s gotta be more he can do. His eyes wander to the door button. …if he destroyed it- could it keep the door shut? He narrows his eyes then jerks his head to the side- trying to short circuit it before the next wave of robots recover.

Two more robots surge into the room. Anti smacks one in the head. Bro throws another powered punch to the other’s head. 

That green lightning flickers around the door button... but nothing happens. "...you?" Chase whispers. "K-keep... try'n...!"

Alt grits his teeth and tries to push more power out, magic sparking around him a bit more. He tries to short circuit the door again. Green lightning sparks around the door button, and for a second, he feels connected to it. He somehow knows that if he short circuits the door it will stay in the state it's in, so he manages to trigger the close state before the short circuit fully goes through. 

Shortly after, Anti and Bro knock down the two bots they were fighting, denting their featureless heads in the process.

Bro pants as he backs away from the last robot he downed and looks at the door shutting. He grins back at Alt, “Hey!! Good idea dude!! Hopefully that’ll keep the rest of them out!” 

Alt attempts to smile.

Jackie leans out from behind the shelf again. “That. Was. So. COOL!” He says, grinning. “I mean—it was scary and life-threatening but it was cool! Man, I bet I could have helped. With these metal fists of mine.” 

Bro grins wide, “Maybe bro! But fighting is hard if you’re not used to it!” 

Jackie, Schneep, and JJ all come out from behind the shelf. Marvin also appears, carefully backing out of the vent and making sure that he has secure footing this time. 

“How are you both feeling, Chase, Alt?” JJ asks. 

Chase tries to sit up. He fails, but he manages to get about halfway before he falls back, groaning. “Sucks.” 

“Right, I should’ve expected that,” JJ says, embarrassed.

Bro knocks a friendly fist against Anti’s shoulder, “you did great dude!” 

Alt also tries to pull himself up, glitching a bit but soon slips back down with a groan. “Hate… this…” he grumbles.

“Stunning is very inconvenient,” Anti agrees. “But it is painless and leaves no side effects after it wears off, so it is the preferred way of subduing someone in most places in the galaxy.” 

“How do you know all that?” Marvin asks. “You’re a ro—an android!” 

“That doesn’t mean I cannot read and learn,” Anti says. “And it doesn’t mean I don’t know something similar.” His eyes dart down to the disabled robots for a moment. 

“…because you… ah..” Schneep hesitates. “You are…?” He trails off.

Bro furrows his eyebrows and looks down, and it dawns on him. “…because you’re like these guys…!” He looks back at Anti with wide eyes, “…did you like- go rogue? Like a deviant in that… one robot game-? Detroit… something- …wait that’s like ancient now-“ 

“Chase…!” Alt groans in exasperation.

"Detroit: Become Human, developed by Quantic Dream, released in 2018." Anti shakes his head, puhing away the robotic response. "It is not exactly like that. I was..." He hesitates. For a moment, that same fear expression crosses his face. Then he makes a sighing sound. "IRIS likely already knows all this. And I suppose I owe an explanation--to Alt and JJ, at least." He folds his arms, leaning against the wall, not looking directly at anyone. "I was... repurposed." 

"By the human who lived with you and Sam?" JJ asks. 

Anti looks at him in surprise. "How do you know that?" 

"You have a room in your bunker with a bed and facilities for a human," JJ says. "But neither you or Sam need that. They were there before you found me. It's not hard to put together." 

Anti laughs, then looks down again. "There was... a man named Jack," he continues in a soft voice. "He broke into an IRIS facility and took one of their robots. One that had been fully built and programmed, but not activated. He would feel bad about deleting any memories. He took it home, and switched out some parts--notably the head--and reworked the programming using the IRIS protocols as a base. Keeping simple code that allows for movement and language formation and such, but taking out other code, such as the orders protocol, and... adding a lot, lot more to it. That was... how I was made." He pauses. "In the early days, I was... there was conflict. I thought I was an experiment, or a servant. I didn't want to be either of those things. But that's not what Jack intended. He asked me what I wanted. He... always asked me what I wanted."

Bro’s safe softens, “… Jack helped make you into a person. Not just a machine…” he smiles. “I think he did a great job too.” 

Alt tries to sit up more, looking at Anti. “…where’s… Jack…?”

Anti pauses, and his expression becomes sad. "He's disappeared. It's likely that he's either been arrested or... died. But Sam doesn't want to think about that possibility. In either case... he asked us that if anything ever happened to him, that the two of us continue his plan." 

Alt looks sad too, eyebrows knitting together in worry.

Suddenly, Schneep gasps. "You--was Jack--was he Se--" Then he stops himself. "R-right, there are probably cameras watching us." 

"I can only assume what you assumed," Anti says. "But... yes."

Bro looks between the two of them in confusion. “…you’ll have to catch us up when we get out of here I guess…”

"Right, I actually forgot you guys weren't from here for a second," Jackie says. "Uh--I think we brought him up at the table in the restaurant? Before your screen assistant friend appeared." 

Bro scrambles his brain, “Ohhh! …I’m not sure I get it but I think I remember-“

"Alt wouldn't know, though," Marvin points out. Seems like all the guys have come to the same realization as Schneep. 

Chase tries getting up again. He manages to hold himself up for a bit this time before collapsing. 

Alt tries to pull himself up too, glitches collecting around him- and he manages to glitch to his feet. Then he braces himself against the wall for a second before his arm gives out and he falls too. 

“J-Jesus!” Bro exclaims and comes over to help the two of them. “Don’t push yourselves too hard guys- I think we’re safe for now!”

"'s fine," Chase grunts.

 Schneep hurries over as well, giving them both a cursory examination. "Can either of you move your legs? That will be the important part." 

Chase tries, jerking one leg into the air. 

"Even if they can move it, doesn't mean they can support their weight." Anti walks over to the door, tilting his head to listen through it. "I hear no movement outside. I suppose they know their doors are quite sturdy and are not going to bother to brute force it down."

Alt also tries to move his leg, but it’s shaky and jerky in its movement. 

Bro sighs in relief, “Okay… so we have time again- how much longer till the stunning wears off do you think?”

"Perhaps about two more minutes," Anti says. "It varies depending on species and body weight." 

"I don't think they'd be able to get in here in two minutes," Marvin says slowly. 

"Yeah, big organization like this?" Jackie nods. "They're probably debating what to do."

“Hate… waiting…” Alt mutters. Bro pats his shoulder. The hero looks back towards the door and hums, “…I wonder if… they’re more worried about the TRVLR piece or… getting Anti back. …maybe both. Technically… the TRVLR was made by IRIS- just… from another universe.” He shudders, “…I hope they didn’t get too much info from it..”

JJ raises his eyebrows. "The IRIS from another universe was able to make a multiverse travel device? But ours hasn't?" 

"I wouldn't be surprised if they tried," Anti says. "But such a device would likely take a great deal of power."

“To be fair- we found ours in an abandoned lot. It was defective but we found out Alt’s magic is enough to work it. We thought it was just cuz of his electricity…but it’s cuz he’s also a Glitch.” Bro says, “which… I kinda get but also don’t. Somehow… Alt broke through some barrier of our world and… that’s how he can glitch and do this kinda stuff, apparently.” 

Alt’s body glitches a bit in place as he nods.

Anti tilts his head. "Interesting. Very interesting." 

"Do you think something like that could happen in our world?" Jackie wonders. 

"Maybe!" Marvin says, eyes dilating wide. "Well--we don't have magic here--or not magic like you all do. But I do think there's something more to the world. Maybe that could be called magic."

“Magic… is… a-anywhere-“ Alt says quietly. 

“But we’ve met glitches in several other places! Ones that didn’t have magic too I think- so it’s totally possible!” Bro says, “But I’m one of those people that believes anything is possible sooo”

"Hell yeah, anything is possible!" Jackie says excitedly. 

"Well." Schneep's brows lower as he looks thoughtful. "I would not say anything is possible. If your planet has a blue sky, it will not suddenly become, for example, green." 

"Killjoy," Chase comments.

Bro bursts into giggles. “I dunno man- I’ve seen some pretty impossible things. …this place is definitely one of them.” He smiles.

Schneep blinks. "Well if it happened then it is clearly possible--" 

"Schneep. Think about it." Jackie says, grinning a bit. "Look at yourself and remember they've never seen other planets." 

He looks down at his hands with their scales and claws. "...ah."

Chase laughs a little. Alt and Bro laugh too. Chasetries to sit up again. His head lolls but he's able to keep his balance.

Alt sees Chase able to get up and shakily tries himself. Bro helps to support him. Alt grits his teeth then shakily reaches out his hand. “I-I… think I can- glitch!”

"You can?!" Marvin's eyes widen. "W-well then we should probably get out of here then!" 

Anti puts his head near the door again. "I can hear movement outside there. It is probably for the best." 

Jackie grabs onto Chase and Alt. "Okay, let's link up to try!"

Alt nods and closes his eyes once everyone is linked up. It takes a second- like a program loading. Magic and glitches zing and zip around Alt as he struggles to get his glitches to work. Then finally, they manage to glitch out of the closet and zip back down to Anti’s base.

It's a big jump, but they make it, landing in the middle of the intersection beneath the exit. 

Chase yelps in surprise and starts to topple over, but Schneep quickly catches him. 

Alt’s eyes roll up a bit from the jump and starts to topple but Bro is quick to catch him. Alt mumbles incoherently, pressing up against him. 

Sam flies out of a room at the end, some sort of long metal pole wrapped in their tail, the end crackling with electricity--then they drop it and the electricity goes out. "It's you!" they type. "You're back!" Then they fly over to Anti, bumping against him and wrapping their tail around his arm in a big hug. He looks surprised, then smiles.

Bro blinks at Sam’s reaction then smiles at Anti too, “Aww! They missed you!”

Sam pulls away again. "I was so worried when our call got cut off! Are you okay? Is everyone okay?" 

"We are all fine," Anti says. "Relatively. Chase and Alt were stunned but they should be recovering."

"Are you okay, Alt?" Schneep asks worriedly. "Do you need something?" He glances at Bro. "That did not happen the last times we teleported." 

"It's probably the stun bolt," Marvin suggests. 

“I think it was just a big jump when he’s still recovering- so… can’t reach all his magic and it drained what he got back.” Bro says, lightly tapping Alt’s face to keep him awake. 

Alt blinks blearily out, “‘m fine- mmmm good…” he mumbles. He half collapses against Bro, the adrenaline from being trapped wearing off now that he knows eveyone is safe.

JJ looks at him worriedly. "Let's get him to lay down," he says, and walks back towards his room. 

"What about Chase?" Marvin asks. 

"I'm fine," Chase says, raising a hand. "I'm... getting there. Alt just... used magic. More important."

Bro nods and goes to scoop Alt up. The younger Brody tries to protest but doesn’t get far- Bro follows after JJ.

Back in the room, JJ presses a hand against a metal section of the wall and part of the wooden paneling slides up, revealing a bed in an alcove. The blankets and pillows are a pale, cheery yellow. "Sorry it's not made," JJ says, despite the bed looking pretty 'made' already. 

Bro chuckles, “Don’t sweat it, bro.” 

JJ blinks. "Don't sweat it? What a strange expression." 

“Huh? …I guess it is kinda weird-“ Bro laughs, setting down Alt on the bed and Alt sighs, showing his exhaustion. Hopefully once all the stunning effects go away he’ll get his energy back. He hadn’t even use much magic…Bro sits down to him on the bed. 

The others file in. Schneep puts Chase in one of the chairs at the table and he slumps forward. 

"Do you all need anything?" Sam asks. "We have an old medkit." 

"I think everyone is fine, besides the stunning," Schneep says. 

"So..." Jackie looks at Sam and Anti. "You guys knew Septic, huh?" 

Sam's eye widens. They spin on Anti. "You told them?!" 

"There were a lot of those IRIS bots, they noticed the similarities," Anti says. "I told them about Jack, but they figured out who he was on their own."

Bro blinks out at the others, “Oh yeah what’s the deal with that? Jack was… Septic? I thought that was Anti!”

"I suppose technically, Septic is all three of us," Sam says thoughtfully. "But Jack is the face." 

Anti picks up the holo projector. His eyes become loading circles for a moment. "Uploading." And then they stop. Anti presses a couple buttons and the holo projector flips on, projecting a video into midair. It's of that same man Jackie had shown Bro a video of. The man with one mechanical green eye and metal plates on his face. 

"Are we rolling?" he says, messing with his hair. 

"Rolling," Anti's voice comes from out of sight. 

"Great. Why do we say that, anyway? You ever wondered?" 

"Perhaps it is linked to film rolls." 

"Ah, right." The man shakes his head. "Okay, from the top." 

Anti pauses the video. His sad expression is back. 

Alt and Bro watch the hologram with wide eyes. Bro looks back at Anti and his expression turns sympathetic. “…you really miss him, huh?”

Anti nods. 

"We both do," Sam says. "It's... strange how he disappeared. He went out, and never came back, and we haven't heard anything about him since. You would think the Station Security would announce if they arrested him."

“Hmm.. yeah… you guys- mentioned a plan of his, right?” Bro asks, “What was that? I know you said Septic was like… an anarchist?”

"Yeah, he disrupts a lot of stuff on the station," Jackie agrees. 

"He disrutps things that are run by IRIS," Anti states. "Which is quite a lot, given how the Zypso Station was built by them. But he always said that the Station could run on its own, without depending on them." He pauses. "The goal was always to cause enough chaos to force them out." 

"Um..." Marvin raises his hand. "I understand why you'd have a personal flyer to shoot with IRIS, but... they seem alright otherwise?" 

"They run the station well enough, I suppose," Anti acknowledges. "But that is not all they do. Jack was convinced for years that there was something behind their mask. And he was right. Even if they are not actively malicious, they are, at the very least, very negligent and willing to bend rules."

Bro’s expression darkens, “Just from what we saw today- IRIS is bad news. They were willing to forcibly reprogram Anti- something they saw themselves has sentience and emotions. That’s… that’s evil. But… we have our own bias with them.” 

Alt shakily sits up and nods, “…in other worlds… IRIS has kidnapped our friends… t-treated people like experiments… if we had g-gotten caught… they might have d-done the same to us.”

"...well. That doesn't speak well to their character," Schneep says slowly. 

"They would not even do a good job at reprogramming," Anti says quietly. Sam pats his shoulder with their tail. 

"We... all live on... the station, though," Chase says slowly. "That's... is that... bad?" 

"It is not the station that is the problem," Anti says. "There are plenty of businesses here that could sustain the place." He nods at Bro and Alt. "From the information Jack has discovered, there's a chance that might have happened." 

Jackie shivers. "You guys should probably get out of here soon, then."

“Probably…” Bro sighs, but he looks out at the others, knitting his eyebrows in worry. “…will you all be okay? I hate to leave if we just got you all into… deep shit. Just for helping us…”

"They didn't see our faces," Marvin says. "We'll... probably be fine. There are a lot of humans, kritzeins, and felorrs on the station." 

"If worst comes to worst, you can stay with us," Sam says. "We can expand the bunker. I've been thinking about doing that for a while, actually." 

"Heh. Thanks." Jackie grins. 

"The masks should have scrubbed your appearance details from most camera systems, including what species and gender you are," Anti says. "You will simply appear as spot of white noise."

Bro sighs in relief, “That’s good then…” He looks down at Alt. “Well, lil bro? …you ready to head to the next one?” 

Alt tries to shake himself out, flexing his hands and shaking off the numbness. “I… I think so…?”

Alt's phone turns on. "Actually, there isn't a next one," Anti says. "Not really. We have all the parts together. Now we just have to head back to the world where you first got the TRVLR, since they're likely the most well-equipped to repair it--" 

"Is̢ t̡h̕at ̀s͟o?" The familiar voice echoes from every corner of the room.

Alt and Bro both freeze- their faces going pale. 

“No-“ Alt whispers in fear. 

XD Bro springs to his feet, “Anti! Sam! Get the others out of here! Now!” He shouts with authority.

Anti and Sam immediately spring into action. Anti grabs Chase, still slightly stunned, and pulls him out, while Sam flies around and starts pushing the others out. 

"Are you going to be okay?!" Jackie shouts, resisting being pushed. 

"I-if we don't see you again--goodbye!" Marvin says. 

"It was nice to meet you!" JJ gives one last smile before grabbing Jackie and pulling him out. 

“We’ll… we’ll be okay-“ Bro tries to smile at them reassuringly but there’s that tension in his body- he’s scared. Alt tries to look back at them and smile but his falls short as his eyes snap to the locked door and the red Anti.

As soon as they're all gone, the door shuts, and a light by its doorway turns red--locking it. An image forms in front of it as several of the light squares go out. It's that same red Anti who had been stalking them the whole time, his smile wide beneath static-filled eyes. "My business isn't with them, anyway," his voice says, though his mouth doesn't move.

Bro gets into a fighting stance and bares his teeth at Anti. “If you think we’re just gonna hand you over the pieces, bitch, you’re wrong! You might as well just give up!” 

Alt backs up, holding the bag and the newest piece still inside his hoodie pocket. He tries not to show how much his heart is pounding- how much his hands are shaking.

His laugh echoes throughout the room. "You're not going to? Well, alright." Suddenly his image is right in front of them--two, one for each. "Let me ask you two a question. Or, maybe let me ask you three a question. Why... why haven't I been able to delete anything?"

Alt staggers back but Bro stands firm, glaring down the image of him. Alt’s eyes glow as he growls, “You don’t have enough power- no body does. You’ve been chasing a false goal this whole time!”

"Nobody does? No... no, that can't be right. These worlds are infinite." His voice lowers. "Do you know what it means? To see infinity? To see infinite pain? Do you know what it means to be a copy of a copy of a copy?...no, you don't. None of you understand." 

Alt glares more at the red Anti and bares his teeth. “Even if that’s your pain… it’s not enough to destroy infinite lives…!”

There's a bit of static, and suddenly, Alt is not alone. Someone is next to him--it's Anti, the same Anti who's been with them the whole time. Out of the phone and glaring at this red other version of him. "It's you who doesn't understand anything. You're the one who thinks you can destroy infinity." 

Alt blinks and looks back at Anti before nodding at him and looking back. 

“Listen, Anti-“ Bro tries to say, “If you’re… feeling jealous or angry… this isn’t the way to go about it! Revenge hurts everyone- but especially yourself! You don’t have to do this…” he says sympathetically. This guy… he’s evil but.., deep down he’s still Anti right? Somewhere… there has to be a part in there that’s like his brother. 

Anti stares at Bro with wide static eyes. He blinks. And then he laughs. "Like I said. None of you understand. 

“C’mon man-!” Bro tries to say, reaching out. 

“Chase what are you-?!” Alt shouts. 

“Hey... lơo͞k d̀o̢w̛n͡." 

The ground beneath them is tearing open, a crack forming in the fabric of the world, a black rift. Suddenly, there is no support beneath their feet.

The brothers gasp as they look down and before Alt can even think of glitching- they both scream and fall straight into the rift.

Anti looks at them and dives down, slipping back into Alt's phone before they disappear into the space between worlds. 

The other Anti, the red Anti, grins. "There must be someone who can do it," he says to himself. "We have to go back far. Where it all started." And then his image disappears as he also goes through.

[kneelingshadowsalome]

König is, obviously, a big little freak. Do you think he'd feel flattered/lovestruck if a cute girl stalked and was obsessed with him or would he be weirded out? I think the first: for once he gets pussy and love without having to do anything. Also it'd be kinda funny if he didn't even notice his little admirer at first cause she doesn't register as a threat and he's too busy being broody and depressed cause he's so alone (while reader is in her apartment fantasizing about their future kids and drawing little hearts on a pic of him)

Ohhh yes. König being oblivious af, thinks this is simply a joke.

It started out in school: cute little postcards that had bunnies or kittens or flowers or hearts on them, delivered to him by his mom who was smirking about how her boy had a secret admirer. There was nothing fancy scribbled on the other side, just soft, silly messages like: "I like you!" or "Your cute" or "Luv u ♡", and König saved them all.

…Until he showed the postcards to the wrong “friends”, who only made fun of them. One of the boys told him they sent those cards to him as a joke because no girl could ever want him, and König believed them. Allowed himself one, maybe two tears in solitude before he threw those cards away.

What was odd, though, was that the cards still kept coming. He always threw them in the trash, and at some point while growing up, they stopped arriving. No cats or hearts or cute mice illustrations for him anymore, just loads of video games and internet and a growing interest in war history and gym.

He didn’t think much of it after the age of 17, just went to the army to make a man out of himself. Got laid for the first time, got bullied some more, grew some muscle and grew some balls. Got kicked out of sniper training, his one and only dream, and went back home to brood for a few weeks.

That’s when he received the letter.

A 5 page love letter, written in beautiful, whimsical handwriting, smelling of something so angelic that it drove even the eternal stench of gunpowder and rust and military storage away.

König gets plunged into a whole world of soft feminine attention without even asking to, the letter now placed on his old desk that’s too small for him to sit at anymore. The fragrant sheets of paper are filled with confessions of adoration and love and… it would be a little bit creepy, were he a man who fancied so-called normal women.

He goes to the attic, searching his old cardboard boxes for the postcards to compare the handwriting, but can’t find none, remembering that yeah… he threw all of them away, didn’t he? The handwriting wouldn’t match anyway, that much he can remember, but then again it was a kid who wrote to him back then. Now, his admirer is a grown woman who apparently got back on her obsession train once he visited his childhood home after years of living abroad.

The hair on his shins, arms and at the back of his neck shoots up as he realizes some woman has a crush on him, some cute girl has been watching him since day one. Those postcards weren’t a joke, so she must have gone to the same school as him… She might be the daughter of some of their neighbors, living right next to him even now.

König goes door to door in search of her, but only wrinkly elders arrive to tell him that no, they never had a daughter or granddaughter or if they had, they have long since moved out to some big city.

He goes through the letter once again but finds no clues to who she is or where she lives. It’s just pages and pages of flattery about how he’s still the man of her dreams and so much more. How he’s even cuter now that he looks like someone pissed in his cereal. She wonders if he’s built the same everywhere, and if he is, then she should say her evening prayers… Too many impure thoughts going through her head already, why does he have to be so handsome?

König is in hell, as always, desperately trying to look for his admirer when he goes out to take the trash. Visions of some girl touching herself at the thoughts of him pester him from sunrise to sunset, and he has to take a cold shower every morning simply because one wank doesn’t seem to be enough to tame the big fellow downstairs.

He hugs his pillow and dreams of his girl, someone sweet to wrap his arms around and to protect. He fantasizes of someone cute waiting for him, someone he could surprise every time he gets home, someone adorable to eat out until they sob and squirm. Until he gets the stench of death out of his mouth…

A message arrives on his phone from an unknown number, and at first he thinks it’s spam.

But when he opens the message, he’s met with two perfect bare breasts. So fucking cute, especially when they’re accompanied by a set of fingertips grazing her soft skin; König even notices she has red nail polish on. So adorably, incredibly cute…

There comes a text that says: “I thought of sending you another postcard, big boy… But perhaps you don't care for kittens anymore. Hopefully this will do? ❤️”

There’s no face reveal, just tits and a cute female hand laid out there before him. Just a text that confirms that she’s the one. Typing a quick reply, he sends it to the unknown number: “This will more than just do 😳❤️❤️❤️”

Without thinking, like, at all, he pulls out his already hard cock and takes a hurried picture of it with a trembling hand. He usually knows better than to send a dick pic to a girl, especially after exchanging less than two sentences with them. But hey, she started this. The least he can do is give her something to pray about (and for)..

So he sends that horrid picture of his ugly cock to his cute mystery girl before she can even type a reply to the first message, and asks: “Are we praying tonight, my lady?”

[m1d-45]

welcome to teyvat !

before you begin your journey, here’s my original take on the logistics of sagau, as well as an update after some more information from fontaine. while not essential, here are my thoughts on how nations worship.

if there’s anything in particular you’d like to see in the future, please send in your request to my ask box.

1k event m.list

(host to: aether, alhaitham, bennett, collei, cyno, diluc, dottore, kaeya, kaveh, kazuha, keqing, nahida, razor, tighnari, venti, wanderer, xiao, xingqiu)

warnings [⏵] : yandere / heavy cultish || obsessive

genre [title] : angst || fluff || hurt/comfort

traveller from afar — aether

‘I'm saying that I'm having a lot of fun traveling with you… It'd be nice if we could just go on like this forever.’

⏵ a new tomorrow

—⏵ my love, my god

twilight sword — dainslef

‘No, it’s just… I’m still waiting for my drink.’

⏵ will you promise that i'll see you again?

mondstadt

ah, the city of freedom. a wise choice as a first stop, to best wind up for what’s to come. a calm atmosphere and a soothing wind across your shoulders… truly, the only thing better is the wine.

choose the winds of anemo ?

(host to: albedo, diluc, venti)

liyue

the land of contracts… perhaps it’s a fitting choice, to visit the land so recently abandoned. the realm of illuminated beasts and host of history… unless it’s the music you prefer?

choose the stone of geo ?

(host to: baizhu, ga ming, xiao, zhongli)

inazuma

eternity… a false ideal, one impossible to chase, but i must commend ei’s determination if nothing else. all her effort, and the only thing permanent is its beauty.

choose the spark of electro ?

(host to: ayato, heizou, kazuha, thoma)

sumeru

hmph. the akademiya still runs rampant, and the desert is still a wash of ruin. i can’t promise much about here, except a few familiar faces. care to visit your friends?

choose the root of dendro ?

(host to: alhaitham, tighnari, wanderer)

fontaine

a nation submerged in water, surrounded by mirages at every turn. perhaps we could go see an opera, or catch a magic show… or have a cup of tea and catch up. what do you say?

choose the court of hydro ?

(host to: neuvillette, wriothesley)

natlan

…hm? ah, my apologies, but it looks like this destination isn’t available for travel just yet. thank you for your patience!

choose the ember of pyro?

snezhnaya

the land of ice and love, led by the lady of contradictions. have you found comfort in the snow?

choose the frost of cryo ?

(host to: il dottore, regrator, tartaglia)

series!

⏵ dearly beloved — complete trilogy

8.7k — being hunted across half of teyvat wasn’t exactly on your bucket list. but if he’s the one you keep seeing… maybe it’s worth it.

—⏵ on broken bones

—⏵ death, rebirth, new life

—⏵ the scottish play

⏵ abiogenesis — complete duology

10k — after being abandoned, albedo didn’t have the brightest hope for his future. travelling to mondstadt, he finds the closest thing to ‘purpose.’

—⏵ from soil…

—⏵ …was birthed chalk

⏵ secret contributions — complete trilogy

8.2k — false faith has forced you to flee to inazuma, barely surviving the trip. thankfully, the kamisatos are here to help.

—⏵ small miracles

—⏵ hidden blessings

—⏵ silent conclusions

⏵ spoken across stars — episodic

2.7k — voicelines characters would have in sagau.

—⏵ kaeya, diluc, thoma ft. noelle + candace

—⏵ kazuha, wanderer ft. tighnari + baizhu

—⏵ zhongli, ayato, heizou ft. xinqiu + chongyun

—⏵ lyney, lynette, freminet ft. arlecchino + navia

⏵ sanctity — incomplete

1.5k+ — to be shielded by the one you love.

—⏵ the eye of the beholder (zhongli)

miscellaneous / multiple

⏵ in excess (ft. zhongli + xiao)

⏵ new hopes (ft. the arataki gang)

⏵ emotions (ft. mondstat)

⏵ the young (ft. your main!)

—⏵ still too young (ft… a lot of ppl)

⏵ plagued (ft. diluc + kaeya)

⏵ reverse isekai drabble (ft. your main!)

⏵ slapfight (ft. a lot of people-)

⏵ mea maxima culpa (ft. zhongli + barbara)

⏵ in the stars (ft mona + your main!)

⏵ replacement (ft. kaeya + venti + albedo + xiao)

⏵ discretion advised (ft. mondstat)

⏵ warmth (ft. every pyro character as of 3.4)

⏵ a soft place to land (ft. zhongli + kaeya + diluc + alhaitham + tighnari)

⏵ constellations (ft. barbara + thoma + heizou + collei + kujou sara + sucrose + candace +ganyu)

⏵ connection (ft. diluc + kaeya + kazuha + albedo + kaveh)

⏵ your shield, a sword (ft. thoma + tighnari + zhongli + alhaitham + cyno + albedo)

⏵ divine favor (ft. yae miko + itto + kazuha + kaeya + chongyun + noelle)

⏵ dead leaves (ft. ..people)

—⏵ new sprouts (ft. chongyun)

⏵ the rule of threes (ft. albedo + his brother)

⏵ darling, my dear (ft. diluc + tighnari + childe + xiao + kazuha)

⏵ sandy refuge (ft. nahida + wanderer)

⏵ dancing soldiers (ft. aether)

⏵ a break in routine (ft. alhaitham + kaveh + sethos)

⏵ snapshot (ft. tighnari + neuvillette

please report any missing entries or misleading content as soon as possible !

thank you for reading !

[ohmyeyesmyeyes]

what happened in switzerland?

mick schumacher x singer!f!reader

fc: gracie abrams bc i have no self control

britishvogue posted...

liked by ynofficial, alexachung and 231,926 others

britishvogue: Singer y/n l/n recently attended a music festival in Australia after her break from social media and the public eye. In an interview conducted by a fan, she explained how she was excited to see what the future has in store and is looking forward to releasing new music after an inspiring trip to Switzerland this Winter.

view all comments

fan1: FINALLY MOTHER HAS RETURNED

fan2: get this woman a grammy immediately

fan3: pls she's so cute 😭

fan4: at this point i genuinely think i'm in love with her

fan5: this is amazing and all but i'm wondering why switzerland?

fan6: switzerland is actually very beautiful so it makes sense that she was inspired when she visited

fan7: fr like switzerland in the winter???? cold but GORGEOUS

liked by alyahcs, alexachung and 791,193 others

ynofficial: i feel like it'd be weird to ignore the fact that i kind of went offline for about a year and a half (and i only just found out that virtually nobody had seen me either) so i'm letting you guys know that i'm alive, well, happy, and writing again - and i'm so excited to announce that a new single, 'happy endings', will be released at midnight tonight!

also, have some (2) pictures from the last 18 months, photographed in my new happy place 🥰

view all comments

fan8: YOU LOOK SO HAPPY IM SO EXCITED

fan9: happy endings will either destroy my mental health or leave me a sobbing mess on the bathroom floor (wrong, it'll do both)

fan10: switzerland is officially on my bucket list of countries to visit

ynofficial: good girl👍👍👍👍

fan10: imdead 🧎🧎

fan11: i'm 🫶 so 🫶 proud 🫶 of 🫶 you 🫶

ynofficial: STOP YOU'RE MAKING ME BLUSH

georgerussell63: looking forward to hearing it!

liked by ynofficial

mickschumacher has posted to their story...

liked by mclaren, lissiemackintosh and 360,184 others

mercedesamgf1: it's official: the boys are all in their 'happy endings' eras! 🥳

view all comments

fan12: came for the driving update, left knowing we can stan the merc boys

fan13: AS THEY BLOODY WELL SHOULD BE

fan14: idk bout you but mick is cheesing a little too hard at that question 😏

fan15: i thought that too, but he probably just has a little crush, bless his soul 🥰

fan16: i wasn't convinced but after i saw lewis likes her music, i listened to her recent single and omg it's actually incredible

fan17: is this the same y/n that mick posted about the other day?

fan18: yes!

liked by ynofficial, phildunster and 483,188 others

mercedesamgf1: familiar faces in the garage. fabioquatararo, tomholland2013 and ynofficial are attending the race on behalf of us (by popular demand 😉)

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fan19: i hope the drivers begged them to invite ynofficial 😞

mercedesamgf1: who says they didn't? 🤔

fan20: I BET IT WAS MICK

fan21: GIVE ME A TOM AND Y/N INTERACTION I'M BEGGING YOU

fan22: tom??? fabio is a literal motogp wc 😭

fan23: scraping for crumbs of y/n rn GIVE US EVERYTHING YOU HAVE

mercedesamgf1: 🫡

liked by estebanocon, connor_swindells and 519,312 others

ynofficial: thank you mercedesamgf1, this weekend has been INSANE!!! also, a massive shout out to mickschumacher for being the best tour guide 😁

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fan24: ok panic over *mops up forehead* 😌

fan25: aw i was kinda hoping they were dating, they'd be cute together 🥲

fan26: this^

fan27: the way they both looked like they were having fun 😊

fan28: PLS HIS FACE IT'S TOO CUTE AHHSDJF

fan29: omg she did a hot lap BABE WHO WAS THE DRIVER

ynofficial: mickshumacher!

fan30: oh. my. god.

mercedesamgf1: content coming soon 😉

fan31: i'm dying someone send helllllpppppp

fan32: why am i fighting the urge to squeal after that merc comment

fan33: no bc same that emoji defo implies something

mickshumacher: had an awesome time with you this weekend ☺️

liked by ynofficial

fan34: shooting his shot

fan35: yk what, i'd probably do the same

liked by landonorris, stephbohrer and 591,374 others

mickschumacher: austria 😁

view all comments

fan36: hmm yeah they're probably dating let's be honest

fan37: but he was only her tour guide and it's kind of natural that he'd get photos of her, esp considering she was invited as a merc guest?

fan38: true but when has mick ever done that before?

fan37: i'm just saying, the last thing we want to do is assume things bc there's a perfectly reasonable excuse as to why they've been spending time together

fan39: FUCKING BROAD SHOULDERS 🫠🫠

fan40: i just know y/n took that 😭

fan41: kay but all those photos are just so cute

fan42: right???

callum_ilott: 🤨

liked by danielricciardo, kaitlyndever and 691,320 others

ynofficial: my new album 'STAYING AT SEB'S' is out next week and i'm so excited for you all to finally hear it!

view all comments

fan43: seb's? as in seb vettel's farm?

fan44: just how did you draw that conclusion????

fan43: bc she could be dating mick and seb owns a farm in switzerland and i'm pretty sure she knows daniel ricciardo through her manager who knows seb vettel. it's far-fetched but it's not impossible

fan45: if this is right...🤯

fan46: OMG I'M SO EXCITED I JUST SHIT MYSELF IN COSTCO

fan47: i'm gonna listen to this because i'm a massive fan of baby goats

ynofficial: omg i love that for you

fan48: is it a happy album or soul-crushingly depressing

ynofficial: 🤷

fan49: WHAT DOES THAT MEAN GIRLIE 💀

charles_leclerc: no bc i'm so excited

fan50: charles lmao

ynofficial: 🫶

liked by ynofficial, sebastianvettel and 691,186 others

mickshumacher: happy two years, sweetheart 💗 there's never been a day i haven't been in complete awe of your existence; i love and appreciate you everyday

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fan51: oh. em. acca. gee.

fan52: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

fan53: I SHIP IT. I SHIP IT SO HARD

fan54: babe calm down, they've sailed already

fan55: i'm crying pls the way she looks at him HAS ME BLUSHING

georgerussell63: congrats to the happy couple!

estebanocon: about time our dts gossip session came to light 🤣

danielricciardo: fucking finally 😁

lewishamilton: 💜

fan56: the support from the drivers is melting meeeee

liked by mercedesamgf1, laurawoodsy and 712,001 others

ynofficial: happy 2 years to my favourite person, the love of my life, the most adorable human being ever created, and my best friend. it's been a blast so far and i'm loving every second of it 🥰

view all comments

fan57: can i ask if mick is the inspiration for 'happy endings'?

ynofficial: he's actually the inspiration for the whole album

fan58: he's so golden retriever

sebastianvettel: i can confirm this is true

danielricciardo: hello??? seb??? look at my texts

fan59: ok he's hot

fan60: THE MOTORBIKE AND THE ARMS 😭🥵

fan61: she's out here creating thirst traps of her bf

fan62: honestly if he looked like mick, i think i would too

fan63: WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY 'STAYING AT SEB'S'??????

ynofficial: SEB VETTEL

charles_leclerc: 😲

estebanocon: 😲

lewishamilton: 😲

danielricciardo: 😲

landonorris: 😲

ynofficial: kay wtf

[fiorella-a]

A secret to be kept

Streamer! Aged up! Future! Kenma x Reader

Concept:

-While playing a horror game full of jumpscares, he blurted out something– and that something was supposed to be a surprise for you.

Info:

-Gn! Reader

-Fluff

-Some cussing here and there

•Kodzuken is online

•Kodzuken's stream will start in 1 minute!

•Kodzuken is now live, click to join!

"Hello Everyone. Good evening, afternoon or morning to each of you here. Today we are playing a game called?"

"The hunt!" You say excitedly, "Me and Kenma are in a call because I'm currently visiting a friend."

Kenma smiles at the camera while nodding at your words.

Chat:

:LMAO THOUGHT U KICKED THEM OUT 😭😠

:Heard that's a scary game

:Start! Start! Start! ✊✊✊

Kenma pauses while reading the chat, "alright Calm down and let's play the game, Y/n do you wanna read the game's information?"

"This game is in beta and is currently being observed for issues or bugs, please leave your reviews on what should be changed or whatnot.

Warning: this game will contain jumpscares out of nowhere. For those with weak hearts, please exit the game immediately.

You and your friends (recommended to play in multiplayer) decided to go camping out in Icho Woods, that's famous for it's haunted stories. Finding out there is no such thing as Icho Woods, you are now stuck in the middle of nowhere and desperately surviving. But hey! At least the haunted stories are true, though.

The game is fictional, anything that references in real life is pure coincedence."

After reading, you breathe in and out, "that was breathtaking. Now let's go on, shall we?"

Kenma nods his head before replying to you, "let's go."

Chat

:GOODLUCK YA'LL

:Hi! One of the developers here, hope you enjoy it :)

:NO WAY

:GET THE SCREENSHOTS YA'LL

:Blessing to be in this stream fr 😩

:(2)

"Okayyy we spawned in" you say in a surprised tone

"One of the creators of the game is here. I recommend adding a short cutscene of how we got here." Kenma looks at the camera and smiles politely.

Chat:

:The smile‼️‼️

:We're working on it! We're also planning on adding more lives for the players.

:AYO THE DEVELOPERS ARE SO NICE

A crawl was heard along with the sound of cracking bones. "What the hell was that? If i could be an emoji, it'd be the crying one" You say as you laugh nervously

Kenma chuckles at you, "No need to be af– THE FUCK?" Kenma swears as he gets killed.

Chat:

:We're working on that bug! If you stay at the spawn too long it'll kill you, promise we're working on it.

:Developers sweating nervously 💀

:LMAO STOP IT 😭

"Okay, I got killed too, yay!" You say still clearly nervous.

"Alright, follow me, love. I see a shed over there" Kenma says as he goes in first before your character follows along.

"We won't get killed here, right?" Kenma says jokingly

Chat:

:Nope! ☺️

:IMAGINE IF THE ROOF BREAKS AND THEY DIE

Kenma smiles at the chats.

"There's a battery here, i think it's for a light? A car? I'm not sure." You say to Kenma and at the chat.

"Oh, is that all?" "Yeah" "Alright, let's go out."

As Kenma opens the door at the shed, the monster was lurking around and spotted them. Giving them a thrill-chase. The monster climbs onto a tree before finally ending them.

"FUCK WILL YOU MARRY ME"

"HUH?!"

Chat:

:AYO KENMA?

:As developers, we didn't expect to help in a marriage.

:BRO IS DOWN BAD

:📷📸

Kenma coughs as he realizes what he said "Let's exit the game."

"Sure, sure." You agreed and followed along with him.

Once you both left the game, Kenma spoke again "Once you get home from your trip, we can talk about what I said" He says as he turns off his camera at the stream.

"Alrighty, Love."

"I'll end the stream now, don't worry, we'll leave in a review afterwards. Goodbye, chat"

"Babye, everyone!" You say with excitement.

Chat:

:*Gets onto knees* will u marry me bb? LMAO

:STOP MAKING FUN OF HIM, HE'S CLEARLY FLUSTERED YA'LL

:Bye for the two of you <33

:Looking forward to the reviews! Thank you and enjoy your happy life ❤️

:BYE BYE KENMA & BYEBYE Y/N!

•Stream ended 13 seconds ago

•Kenma is offline

[pyromegalomaniac]

Hiiii! Would it be cool if you could make a Wally x reader? I would greatly appreciate so much :)

Have a great day uwu

Thanks so much doubledaredevil! Since you didn't give me any prompts to go off of I'll just do a ficlet of Wally and the reader going to get a sundae at Howdy's!! Enjoy!!

(♡˙︶˙♡)

Wally x Reader Ficlet🍎🍨

☆°•☆°•☆°•☆

It'd been getting warmer and warmer every day, and in a month or two the sidewalk would be almost too hot to touch. I held Wally's hand as we walked together down the street, passing the houses of our friends.

"Boy, it's been heating up lately, eh Wally?" I asked.

"You can say that again, y/n. Maybe we should find some way to cool off?"

I thought for a moment. Since we were already headed in that general direction I suggested...

"How about we go see if Howdy's has anything we could cool off with? Maybe some fun paper fans or something?"

"Ooh, great idea. And unless we get a visit from a cloud friend to cover the sun, we'll have to go inside anyway," said Wally, looking up and shielding his eyes.

"Nothing but brilliant blue as far as the eye can see," he sighed. "It kinda makes me wish I had some paint with that color."

We turned the corner and walked into the bugdega, the little bell jingling.

"Maybe we can draw with sidewalk chalk some time," I said. "I bet you'd be good at that. I'd love to see what you'd make."

Howdy waved to us with one of his four arms, greeting his customers with a pleasant smile.

"Well hey there! What can I get for you, Wally and y/n? Rubber bands? Candy? Some other snack-a-roos?"

"We'd like something to help us cool off, Howdy. You got anything that could help us with that?"

"Why, I've got just the thing, y/n! I'll whip up a tasty frozen treat for you and your boyfriend to enjoy!" Said Howdy, clasping a pair of hands together, while the other pair started messing around behind the counter, bringing up a glass that could only be used for...

"A sundae! What a great idea!" Exlaimed Wally, looking at me in excitement. I grinned back at him.

We sat down at a little table by the window, and Howdy brought us a vanilla sundae with hot fudge. I ate with the spoon, and Wally would go from staring at the ice cream to staring at me.

It was a wonderful treat, and it was made even better that I got to share it with the one and only Wally Darling.

He really was the most.

☆°•☆°•☆°•☆

Sorry if this got kinda long, I think I got sidetracked in the intro... oh well! Again, thanks for requesting this, and I look forward to doing more of these in the future!!

ヽ(>∀<☆)ノ

[crushedsweets]

I know you spoke about how things would "end" for Toby and Nat if O/S ever came together again, but what about Nina and Kate? I figure things would be hard for Kate seeing as she's been there for like a decade.🤔 maybe they will move to NYC idk

did you reference nyc cuz u remembered that one ask... if yes that made me smile. also u guys asking for these sort of 'good' endings remind me of Laundry & Taxes so u guys should go read it..

anyway, it is probably the hardest for kate. she has an 8th grade education, only shreds of humanity, blood on her hands, and no clue where her family is. she can't remember a single address or phone number.

just maybe, and this is difficult for me to imagine, nina could convince her to call a police department. she's been a missing person, not a wanted criminal - her family and friends all assumed she was kidnapped and killed long ago. so maybe she could go in, tell the police her name, have them search a database or two, figure SOMETHING out. go back to her dad. . .make up some story, claim amnesia of the last decade. use this a chance to get her GED and a job. but that's such an unlikely path for kate, i rlly struggle to imagine it...

so, like toby, she'd probably stick around that farm. work with toby.

i could see her asking BEN for one last bit of help, see if he could somehow go through whatever database that could get her SSN and whatnot, so she could get a job on her own . . without having to go home. maybe i should have BEN just create/steal one for Toby... regardless, she'd try to get some sort of stable footing. i could only see her working pretty physical jobs, not customer service or anything like that. maybe a job at a morgue... graveyard shifts and the sort... fitting for her.

in this circumstance, kate would try to stay with toby as long as he'd let her. but if he's with clocky, things would be pretty cramped, and get tense. so maybe she'd go live with jack for a long while... quiet, peaceful, familiar.

if nina and kate were together(or getting there), then i think . .

nina would beg kate to move in with her, stay full time at the apartment. it'd be hard at first, only to get even more difficult. they'd start arguing, kate would leave for days. not because she's angry with nina, but she's scared that if kate cant keep her emotions in check, the O/S syndrome will set right back in and make kate a danger.

but then she'd come back in the middle of the night, climbing into bed with an exhausted nina, pretending nothing bad happened. and then nina would wake up and she'd have to ask why kate left and kate would be like ? isnt it obvious. we were arguing. and ninas like BUT THATS NOT THE POINT and they'd get overwhelmed and have to deal with it again. cuz ninas not letting kate go. and kate doesn't wanna go.

once kate starts getting paychecks, she's terrible at saving. immediately blows it on nina, as thanks for all nina's done. buying her dresses, jewelry, ordering meals, skincare, spending hours going thru the magazines nina has around. nina would ask her to save a bit more, and she would listen, and then realize it's probably more helpful to buy things like groceries, pay bills, etc. but money doesn't hold much meaning to her, she never attributed her terrible life to a lack of money, so she's still quick to throw it away to make nina happy . . but nina would start sitting her down and being like STOP WASTING UR MONEY!!!! . oddly enough kate finds comfort in being told what to do. feels like guidance, in a way? especially because she KNOWS nina does it with love. not so kate does what she wants

and eventually, they'd be able to save to move. regrettably, not to NYC, because that's too expensive for either of them. but somewhere nice... a quiet neighborhood, preferably only a 20-ish minute drive from any fun attraction nina wants to visit. i could see them agreeing on somewhere near a beach(though that'd be far in the future cuz expensive..). the forest was so suffocating to kate, so the openness of the ocean would be a good change of pace

i think kate just wants to lay on a bed with blankets fresh out the dryer.

[kepler-station]

౨ৎ.𖥔˚ korra — asking asami for help with pursuing asami's best friend hcs

— 𝜗𝜚 or asami being korra's wingwoman.

— i got so taken aback when i realized that i was writing "how reader feels abt korra pursuing her as asami's best friend knowing korra is asami's ex-girlfriend" so i had to delete half of the first draft to make this hehe, but i'm happy w/ it now 🫶🏻

— IM SO SORRY BUT HALF OF THE FIRST HCS ARE JUST HCS ABOUT BEING ASAMI'S BESTIE, I GOT CARRIED AWAY BUT I LIKE IT TOO MUCHH ㅠㅠ

𔓕 ⸝⸝ ꒱ sumi radio ; dumb dumb by jeon somi

ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚ heads up ! — now, because it's hard to make x reader content for characters who are canonically in a relationship esp. if they're happy with their canon lover, korra and asami broke up on good terms in my au where the korra x reader hcs take place. they def still happened, but they broke up and stayed good friends.

— you were asami's best friend, sticking by asami's side since her childhood. you were there for asami from day one — you were there when asami first found her passion for engineering, you were there for her when her mother was killed, and you saw asami train with the best self-defense teachers.

— you were there when she started pursuing mako, were there when she got with korra, and were there when they broke up.

— you were always there for asami, and asami was always there for you. you balanced eachother out perfectly, and you were able to be yourself with her. she's even taken you out to 'platonic dinner' multiple times! and you're the person she goes to when she wants to try a new restaurant (after her lover, ofc... there's a reason why lovers are also called one's "significant other").

— asami trained you in similar self-defense attacks and techniques that she was taught, not only in fear of losing you, but also it introduced another way you two can bond! perhaps you were curious and wanted to learn to when you would watch asami train, perhaps asami almost lost you one time and wanted to train you in fear of nearly seeing you get ripped away from her again.

— you joined korra's team some time after asami did. she noticed how you and her weren't able to hang out as much since she joined korra's team, so she invited you to tag along sometimes, which turned into you being a vital part of the team!

— whether you're an intellect who contributes via strategy planning, a chi-blocker who helps by allowing the others to use chi-blocking to render bender opponents useless for a good minute or two,a social butterfly who introduces fun into the missions by lightening up the mood during a time when the team is too serious when they can have a little fun for a bit, or an introvert who's just there because asami's there, you introduce something new into the team that they later find out, they can no longer function without (you're like the sokka of the team).

— being a vital part of the team, everyone warms up to you quickly and praise and adore you for whatever new thing you introduce into the team, esp. korra, who often praises you for it. she warms up to you faster than the others, and commends you for your achievements more.

— the others see it as korra just being reaaally eager to be friends with you. esp. after she and asami got together, she'd obviously want to get along with asami's friends and get their approval for dating their friend (because idk abt you but it gets really tricky to be with someone when their friends don't approve of, esp. if they're the type of friends to try to convince them to break up, not from experience). but when asami introduced you two formally when korra visited you two's workplace (yes, you work maybe part-time at future industries directly under asami), something just clicked between you and korra.

— you two never really interacted with one another outside of having to for missions. seeing that korra was dating your best friend, you saw fit that it'd be suitable to back off from trying to be friendly towards korra in fear of having conflict stemming from miscommunication with asami (but knowing asami, she'd probably be fine with you two talking as friends, so long as you're being honest with her about wanting to be friends).

— and so, you two never really talked and whenever you did outside of needing to for missions, it often dismissed itself quickly due to being fairly new and unfamiliar with one another outside of knowing that you are asami's best friend, and that she was asami's girlfriend. it was certainly nice to talk to korra, but it was somewhat awkward and most of it consisted of trying to get to know one another and talking about current events that have just happened. most of the time though, korra would approach you to ask for things like "what would asami like?", "would asami like this?", "what are things that asami would like?", or "i'm taking asami on a date, can you help me make sure that she would like it?".

— (please note that by now korra and asami have already broken up) now focusing on the actual topic at hand, asami was a little taken aback when korra confessed to liking her best friend, and asked for tips on how to pursue her and make her love her (korra). it had only been a few weeks since asami and korra had broken up, so it spawned some misinterpretations that korra only broke up with asami to get with you, but that was quickly disputed by a very taken aback korra.

— being the supportive best friend asami is, after getting over the initial shock and miscommunication, asami was supportive of it and is willing to be korra's wingwoman! she gave korra the best tips and was 100% going to set you and korra up... after she made sure you were comfortable with going on a date with korra, knowing she's your lifelong bestie's ex-girlfriend.

— so after she made sure you were over the hurdle of feeling strange and weird about talking to someone who once had feelings for your best friend, she started subtly urging and implying that you spend more time with korra (without cutting out you two's bestie hang outs, ofc!), and even pushing korra to make moves on you like asking you out to dinner or even just having a conversation with eye contact.

— she also starts giving korra a gentle nudge in the right direction when it comes to korra practicing how she should pursue you, or even just straight up saying it. asami gives korra the best of the best tips for how she should go about courting you, after all she has known you for literally her entire life !

— on your side, asami started making up excuses for their friends so that korra can have some time with you. if you want company while you train, she's more than happy to invite korra to tag along while she watches and helps you train, and if she's unavailable, she'll just offer another option that's she says is "arguably better than [friend you considering inviting over for company]", korra ! moreover, if you wanna be trained in a different style (perhaps you found a weak spot in your own style of self-defense in a fightz or perhaps you're just bored... up to you, really), asami is quick to offer korra !

— and just like that, you and korra grew closer than you expected. korra couldn't be happier and more thankful when she finally confessed to you (again, with a little push, convincing and setting up from your wingwoman asami), and later when you two get together.

— you and korra will need to thank asami later. but don't worry, asami feels no need to receive thanks and will support you two with undying support ! your best friend will always be on your side, and will support you until the end of time !

[runnning-outof-time]

Home for the Holidays | Tommy Shelby x Reader

Request: no - part of my Countdown to Christmas Event

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x reader

Summary: In which Tommy finds out that (Y/N) - a.k.a the one who got away, happens to be visiting Birmingham for the holidays, and he hopes that she won’t get away this time.

Warnings: usage of one (1) ‘f-word’

Word Count: 1111

A/N: day 2 going strong…11 days left! This was a fun one to write, and I couldn’t stop myself from using that gif…utter perfection!! Enjoy! :)

Let me know if you’d like to be tagged in future stories similar to this one!

(Y/N) stepped off the train and onto the station's platform. She tugged her scarf closer to her body and breathed in the familiar smell of the factory smoke. She never thought that it'd feel good to come back to Birmingham, but here she was...the excitement bubbling up inside of her.

She'd decided to make the trek home for the holidays after caving into her parents' incessant pestering. She couldn't lie that she was a bit excited to be back in her old stomping grounds of Small Heath though.

After collecting her suitcase, she managed to get a cab that would take her to her childhood home.

——

"You hear that (Y/N)'s back in town?" John came into the snug with a question as he sat down in his normal spot.

"(Y/N) (Y/L/N)?" Arthur asked, as if he needed to weed the people who had (Y/N) down.

"Who else do we know that's named (Y/N)?" John called him out on his dumb question, his one eyebrow raised, "of course it's her," he added, shaking his head slightly.

"You hear that, Tom?" Arthur then turned to his other brother, "maybe you can finally make a go of it with her," he said with a grin on his face.

"Nah she's probably got some big city boyfriend now," John chimed in, sporting a similar grin to Arthur's.

"Still'd be worth a shot, wouldn't it, Tommy?" Arthur looked over to Tommy again.

"Tommy?" John asked when he realized that he hadn't responded, "you hearin' us, Tommy?"

"What?!" Tommy finally snapped, a scowl on his face as he looked at the two men across the table, "what the fuck do you want from me, eh?!"

"We were just talking about how (Y/N)'s back in town..." John trailed off, sounding more subdued than he was before.

"And your point is?" he asked them, his eyebrows raised, "exactly. She wants nothing from me, so just drop it," he told him, dismissing the topic then, his sour look still present.

John and Arthur shared a glance after hearing the outburst, and they silently decided that it would be best for all of them if they don't bring it up anymore.

——

A few days later, Tommy was walking down the street he swore that he wouldn't step foot on again. It held too many memories for him...too many that he didn't want to come to terms with. But now it seemed that the person who was a part of those memories was home, so he needed to go and try to make things right.

He took a deep breath as he stopped at her door, pausing for a moment to gather his wits before he knocked on it three times.

"Thomas Shelby?" (Y/N)'s mother was surprised to see him standing in front of her.

"Hello, Mrs. (Y/L/N)," he greeted her, looking past her into the house then, "is (Y/N) home?" he decided to get right to the point.

"She is," the older woman answered with a smile, "home for the holidays."

"Would I be able to talk to her?" Tommy asked, hoping that it'd be allowed.

"Of course. Let me get her," Mrs. (Y/L/N) didn't waste another moment, turning to go and get her daughter. She didn't have to go far though.

"Tommy?" (Y/N) questioned from the opening of the hallway, her eyes wide as she tried to figure out whether the man standing in the doorway was actually there or if he was just a dream.

"(Y/N)," Tommy was shocked that she was now standing only a few feet from him, "it's...it's good to see you again."

"Likewise," (Y/N) responded, smiling slightly. She then looked at her mother, who got the idea and left the two to have some privacy. "I came home to visit my parents," she then told him as she came closer to the door.

"I heard," Tommy nodded, "would you let me take you out tonight?" he came right out and asked her then.

"You still don't wait, do you, Tommy Shelby?" (Y/N) asked with a slight giggle. He was just as she remembered him.

"Not when it comes to things such as this," he tipped his head, the slightest smirk on his lips, "what do you say?"

(Y/N) pursed her lips as she thought about what he'd proposed. After a few moments, she gave her response, "what do you have in mind?" she asked him, unable to contain her smile much longer. Tommy grinned just hearing her response.

—

"I'm surprised that they put new lights in along here," (Y/N) said as she and Tommy walked hand in hand along the river that flowed through town.

"I may have had a hand in it," Tommy responded, keeping his eyes fixed on the road ahead of him.

"You did this?" (Y/N) stopped in her tracks, looking over at Tommy with surprised eyes.

"It wasn't safe here. You said so yourself. I needed to do something about that," he told her, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"I admire your desire to make this place better," she said then, a genuine smile on her face, "I've seen the changes from the second that I stepped..."

"You should stay this time," he cut into her statement, blurting out what had been on his mind from the second he heard that she was back.

"What?" she asked him, surprised laced into her tone.

"Stay here...stay in Small Heath. Don't go back to London. Stay here and be with me, (Y/N)," he elaborated on his original statement. (Y/N) looked down at the ground, hoping that doing so would conceal her smile. “Hey…” Tommy started off after a few silent moments had passed. He reached out and gently touched her chin, hoping that she’d lift her eyes to his again, “I’m sorry if I overstepped, I…”

“I guess I should tell you that I’m moving back,” she told him, looking up again so that he could see her smile.

“Back here?” he asked for clarification, disbelief in his voice.

“Yes. I’m not just home for the holidays…I’m home for good this time, Tommy,” she told him, her smile growing.

Instead of verbally responding, Tommy reached out and took hold of her cheeks so that he could meet his lips with hers in a passionate kiss; something he’d been wanting to do for three years now. “I’m happy you’re home,” he whispered against her lips after he’d pulled away.

“Me too,” (Y/N) responded, her smile back as she kissed him again.

———

Tagged: @mgcllovdrms @the-anxious-youth @cloudofdisney @look-at-the-soul @elenavampire21 @peaky-cillian @mrsalwayswrite @julkaamazing @evita-shelby @lilyrachelcassidy @notyour-valentine @shelbydelrey @december16-1991 @onlydeadcells @peakyswritings @just-a-blackhole @watercolorskyy @strayrockette @peakyduchesss @alexxavicry @captivatedbycillianmurphy @yummycastiel @dark-academia-slut @tommystargirl @stevie75 @lyarr24 @signorellisantichrist @zablife @anotherblinder @midnightmagpiemama @cillmequick @rangerelik @lovemissyhoneybee @dandelionprints @letal-y-poetica @raincoffeeandfandoms @itscheybaby @gypsy-girl-08 @lora21

MASTERLIST

Countdown to Christmas MASTERLIST

———

Divider by @/firefly-graphics

[hecatesbroom]

For the ask game! Numbers 3, 25 (especially from a fashion POV!), and 30/31 as a double feature :)

Hii!! Thank you! You made me very happy with the opportunity to ramble about question number 25 haha.

What was the last song you listened to?

Technically, the intro song to The Golden Girls because I watched an episode yesterday before bed haha.

Other than that, I genuinely can't remember -- it's been a while since I listened to music! We recently got a piano and I've been listening to a a lot less music as a result, because I've been making it myself instead :) (very very simple tunes, but hey, it's still fun!)

What’s your favorite decade? (from a fashion POV)

OH this is hard!! I think if I were to pick just one, it'd be the 1970s -- but that's because it allows me to cheat & sort of include two of my other favourite decades (the 1900s and 1940s) in the process, because a lot of 70s fashion was inspired by those :) (and I have a weakness for pointy collars, what can I say?)

Idk, what I love about the 70s is how many contradictions there are? On one hand you have sleek a-line skirts and fitted blouses. On the other you have frills and ruffles, (slight) bishop sleeves and flowy maxi dresses, and those opposites (and the combination of them) are just really fun to me! (I also grew up on a lot of 70s media so honestly, I think it's also partly nostalgia haha)

But I think my favourite fashion decade is actually the 1940s. I love the silhouette, which is still somewhat reminiscent of the elegance of the 1930s, but a little harder in a way. Slightly more practical in its skirt lengths (for obvious reasons), a little more masculine in its shape (which is a fascinating trend you see more often in fashion history, during big wars. Fashion during the 1910s actually turned a little more masculine in shape as well, at the time of WWI!).

I'll stop here because I could go on forever, but yeah!! The 1970s because it's a cheat move to include 2 of my other favourite decades (and it's a lot easier to find 70s clothes to wear myself!) and the 1940s because... well, I just like 40s fashion haha

What are you looking forward to in the near future? & What are you looking forward to in the distant future?

In the very near future, I'm looking forward to visit my grandma for her birthday today :)

Honestly I don't tend to look more than a year or so into the future (and even that's a stretch at the moment haha) but I'm really looking forward to finishing school in 2,5 months!! It was only a year, but oh boy, was it a year. I'm mostly really excited to have more energy to be myself again, if that makes sense? I'll be able to do some more research for my writing projects (I've got a small stack of books waiting for me already), go thrift shopping, and see my friends again!! And my brain will also (hopefully) start function normally again lol. I'm really looking forward to being able to think at my natural speed again haha.

[smolwritingchick]

How would Jennie’s friends react when she has a match at wrestlemania? 

I just want to answer this ask before going back to working on the Bangtan Gal chapter while this answer is fresh in my head!! Again I haven't forgotten about the other asks. It's a lot so I put a keep reading banner because all this popped in my head while I was at Mania week.

OK, her friends are going to be shocked when she tells them that she is working with WWE.

"Oh so you doing SIDE MISSIONS, now while the boys are gone?" her friends would tease her.

They're so used to her being a singer and dancer and even acting that it would never cross them that she'd get in the ring. And, ironically, she is doing this while the boys are enlisted lol. It's like she's going wild and checking things off her bucket list while holding it down for BTS. They'll be excited af and can't wait to see everything she is doing for WWE. They will be attending Mania and rooting for her as well. Being backstage to take photos and film for support while watching in the crowd. Even those who do not attend Mania will post about her while watching her on TV.

I do want Jennie to start learning how to wrestle for fun in the story and let it be a new hobby. Also regarding her and Jin doing wrestling matches together for Bangtan Bombs, those two will start learning the basics of wrestling so they can be safe for performing the moves as they take it more seriously. But Jennie would want to learn more and she'll occasionally drop fun videos of her running the ropes and etc.

My ideas can be so crazy but I want to write it all. I want Jennie to totally be involved in Wrestlemania 40. It's in her hometown, she gotta go. She'll reunite with John Cena and so on. (She will meet him in a future chapter). And as big as BTS is now, Triple H would want her involved. She also would be a big fan of wrestling as well.

Although black wrestlers such as Bianca Belair, Jade, and Naomi are already in a storyline for Mania, I decided not to have Jen involved with them (She'll meet them and hang with them.). For the wrestler Jen will work with for Mania, I'd love for her to be involved with Chelsea Green, who would also be one of her favorite wrestlers to watch on TV. Chelsea's character on TV is like a Karin, so it'd be hilarious to write how Jennie and Chelsea will clash.

The ideas I've been thinking of would start months before Mania. Jennie would start attending more WWE shows while BTS is enlisted and at one point she'd sit in the front row with friends. Chelsea would be annoyed with her presence since Jen is a big name in the industry due to being a member of BTS and all the attention is on Jennie when WWE shows her on TV to shout her out like they do when other celebs attend WWE shows.

I see Chelsea talking trash to her after a match and throwing a drink in Jennie's face which would piss Miss Bangtan off. I see it shocking people and the internet would go crazy as Chelsea will complain on Twitter about Jennie and want her "banned" from WWE Events.

Also before all of this, Jennie will remind ARMY to not attack anyone from WWE online because of what will be happening and that she is excited to be involved in wrestling. Also ARMY who are wrestling fans would of course educate nonwrestling Armies on what wrestling is all about and on WWE. So, things will be fine. With the K-pop and BTS fans being curious and supportive of Jennie, it'd bring in a lot of viewers for sure to see what Jen will do next on WWE TV.

The following week, Jen will attend the front row again and go at it with Chelsea, getting payback by smacking her in the face and Chelsea yelling for security to take Jennie away.

Then the following weeks will be those two going at it as she attends more events and even has some backstage moments and in ring promos.

With Chelsea's obnoxious character, I also see her clashing with Jennie on social media and threatening to sue and etc. I even want Chelsea to try to visit Big Hit Entertainment in Seoul and crash one of Jennie's dance practices as those two would get into a physical (choreographed and scripted for WWE) altercation. Those two would pop up on each other out of nowhere and I even see Chelsea crashing one of Jennie's streams.

I'll hook it up for sure. But all this drama will lead to her challenging Jennie to a one on one match on Night 2 of Wrestlemania 40.

Also, Jennie would get involved in being a part of the media to promote Wrestlemania and attend WWE World which took place to do meet and greets. Since ARMY crashes sites when it comes to BTS tickets, Jen would work with WWE to make sure her meet and greets are safe and fair. She'd get announced to attend WWE World for all 4 days and will have her meet and greet in a different part of the Philadelphia Convention Center for safety and crowd control. The ticketing process would be strict. It will be a separate link from the other wrestlers' meet and greets and only one ticket per person. There will be photo op sessions which can have up to 6 people in the photo and also a fansign session. It will be limited to 50 people per day regarding the fan sign and 100 tickets for the photo ops per day.

She'll even sell her own merch there too which will be at the WWE Superstore. It'll have her own section with her merch as well. Exclusive, limited edition Jennie themed Wrestlemania merch. Best believe ARMY would try to camp or get there early af to get first dibs. I see wrestling fans being surprised at the DRAW Jennie has and would be curious to learn more about who she is and about BTS.

I see wrestling fans who are not familiar with BTS or K-Pop asking, "Who the hell is Jennie? And why does a singer have to take a spot on the WrestleMania card? That's not fair," and blah blah blah. The Internet wrestling community can be annoying af but Jen will prove haters wrong with her in ring performance, wrestling knowledge, and have such respect for the business. And people will see that she takes it seriously.

She'll be called one of the celebs that is good in the ring just like Bad Bunny and Logan Paul.

Although by 2024 she'll be well advanced in her wrestling skills, she'd start from the beginning to learn WWE's way of training because they have a whole structure of how they do things and she will train almost every day of the week to prepare for the match and to give one of her favorite wrestlers a great match. Logan Paul will also be one of Jennie's inspirations and she will even train with him and other WWE trainers to make sure everything is ok. She'll totally do some videos with Logan as well and be a part of his podcast, Impaulsive.

OK! I think that's it! Bye! :)

[mebemilena]

Not like we have a date with destiny

You met Layla online and her visits to your store became more regular.

---

A/N:

it's been YEARS i don't post anything, just silently reading fanficion around. Gotta relearn how to use Tumblr again. I waited one year to watch Moonknight, always wait for the hype to pass because i know i get hyped too and my poor mind can't really take that. I absolutely loved Layla, that's a fact.

as usual, i'm just trying to exercise my english writing skills. I feel like this was a part of a bigger piece but I can't really develop much. Thank you for reading though. Life's been a bit difficult at times. Lots of anxiety and fear of the future. I wanted to get something light.

i'm starting a series, that's why Sersi is mentioned.

my AO3 link if you'd like to see.

-

You met Layla online. She sent a message to the store you worked at looking for a specific book. You attended her on the phone and she went to the bookstore shortly after, paying in cash.

"You're a lifesaver.", she thanked you.

Soon, her visits to the store became more regular. Layla would take her time to read the back of the covers or arrive with a specific request. You became friends over illustrated books though, specially the ones about ancient culture. You told her about your beliefs and about your own culture, finding it amazing when she shared her own story. There was no denying you had a great connection.

"We should go out for drinks.", Layla invited you. "We only meet when you're working or when I need something work related." she'd insist.

It was true. You had never met in other circumstances and knew very little about each other outside duty, except a few things you could notice by yourself. Layla was an interesting woman, she was gentle and polite. Maybe not very social but very friendly anyway. It wasn't hard to slowly fall for her but of course you decided to keep a safe distance. If she didn't like you like that by any chance, you were not up to spoil the friendship you were developing.

"Let's do it tonight then? It's Friday, tomorrow's my Saturday off", you agreed. Was it too soon?

Layla seemed to think for a moment. Almost like she didn't believe it had been so easy. All she had to do was ask. Simple like that. "Okay.", a smile ghosted her lips and she shook her head, as if getting rid of intrusive thoughts. "It's gonna be fun."

Around 6:30pm, when you had closed the store, Layla appeared by the door. She was supposed to text you her location and you'd meet here but she had other plans. "I thought it'd be nice for us to walk there, it's not far from here.", she explained.

Layla was uncaractheristicaly nervous. She was watching her feet as you walked to the bar and you could sense the thick atmosphere. Was she nervous?

"So, i think we could grab something to eat first.", She finally looked at you. "You know, so that we won't get drunk too fast."

You agreed, as easy as it sounds, and suggested a small cantina you liked. You had some pizza and decided to just try their wine, not wanting to leave the cozy place. You drank and ate and talked for hours, leaving only because the owner came talking to you saying it was time for them to close.

Layla walked you home, the cold air sobering you up way too fast. Your night couldn't end better, though you thought that maybe it could. If Layla kissed you goodnight.

You stood by your doorway and bent goodbye and Layla kissed your cheek when you hugged. It happened a few time after that. You went out for drinks or food, hanging out together for log walks, cultural programs and sometimes to watch movies at each other's place.

You were talking about your romantic life when you mentioned the last mess you got involved in. "She was nice and all. Really. We'd go to the museu, to natural parks. We had fun together, i thought we were fine. But then her ex came along and she just disappeared.", you told her, realizing that it didn't really hurt anymore.

Layla listened to you, giving the attention you deserved. There was a hint of something in her eyes and she smiled. "Just like we do? You seem to have a type.", she said, playfull.

You chocked on your drink.

Layla laughed at your antics and gave you a napkin. She kept looking at you, a smile never leaving her face. "I mean, you said she was a Historian, that she worked with museology, and i'm an archeologist. We both like going out for drinks and trying new food, we're both into ancient culture...", she explained.

Your jaw dropped, you were speechless. Layla looked into your eyes and took a big gulp of her wine before dropping the bomb. "We both have a close relationship with our exes, she told you. "I mean, i just got divorced.", her eyes inspected you for the smallest of reactions.

You felt your heart falling on the floor. If she had just gotten a divorce it meant she probably wasn't ready for any romantic bullshit. Part of you was okay with that, because you liked her a lot and were willing to accept what she had to give you. Another aspect she had in common with Sersi.

The other part of you was catching the bitter taste of rejection.

Layla was waiting for you to say something, you knew that. But there were no words for you to use. She seemed to understand the hint and started talking again. "We are friends though. Kinda.", she cleaned her throat. "We work together sometimes.", she explained and noticed you were still silent, which made Layla start to panic. Was it the wrong time? The wrong words?

She took a deep breath. "I don't know where this is going but i'd love for it to continue.", she smiled, almost shy at herself. You nodded and approached her side of the couch way too slowly , kissing the tip of her nose.

Layla relaxed and smiled larger. She placed her hands on your cheeks before kissing you on the lips.

---

[stargazer-sims]

Journal Entry #59

Journal Entry #58 // STORY INDEX

Victor

We’ve been having an amazing summer.

Yeah, I know we’ve been neglecting our journal again, but in a way I feel like maybe we’re outgrowing it. We’ve been chronicling our life this way for over a year, and so much has changed for us in that time. So much has changed about us as well. We’re not the same people we were a year ago, and that’s a good thing.

I started this journal for fun because I wanted to do some travelling that wasn’t connected to a snowboarding competition, and I thought it'd be cool to document my adventures. I did get to go to Sulani, but in hindsight, now I see how unrealistic it was to think I’d be jetting frivolously all around the globe.

But, starting the journal wasn’t a wasted effort by any means. Looking back on it, it’s a reminder of how far Yuri and I have come, what we’ve learned and how we’ve grown as individuals and as a couple. I love us, and I'm proud of the progress we’ve made together.

It’s been interesting to share a part of our story with everyone, but I feel like we’re moving into a different stage of our life now. I don't know if we'll keep recording our journey like this in the future. We'll see.

Anyway, we're still doing it for now, so let me pick up where I left off back in June.

After Mom and Julian's wedding, Yuri and I had a few days together before he and his family returned to Japan. I had a great time showing them around, and I think Mr. and Mrs. Okamoto fell in love with Willow Creek a little bit, because they said they wanted to come back for a longer visit in the near future. Yuki's favourite thing was actually the amusement park in nearby Newcrest, and her parents really seemed to enjoy the scenic walking trails and the farmers market.

Before they left, Mr. Okamoto asked me if I'd like to stay with them when I returned to Mt. Komorebi instead of moving back into Uncle Kaz's house for what might end up being only a couple of months. My knee-jerk reaction was to say no, but I'm glad I managed to keep that to myself. The offer did make a lot of sense, after all. If Yuri and I both stayed with his parents, we wouldn't have to pay rent on top of our mortgage payment for the haunted house, and we could pack up the rest of our stuff so we'd be ready to leave whenever we reasonably could. I just didn't know how I'd feel, being in such close proximity to my in-laws for an extended period of time.

I told Mr. Okamoto I'd think about it and get back to him, and he seemed satisfied with that.

Grandpa Michael also hung around in Willow Creek for a while after the wedding. I said he could stay with me, but he declined, claiming the house would be too crowded with all Yuri's family members staying there too. I found that a little odd at first, until I discovered that he somehow managed to hook up with someone at the wedding and got invited to stay in her guest room for a few nights.

"She's a younger woman, and she’s hot," he told me confidentially. "Her name's Juliet. How about that?"

"Uh... how much younger are we talking?" I asked.

"She's sixty-six."

"Don't you think you're moving kinda fast? Like, sleeping over at her place after you literally just met her?"

"Listen," Grandpa Michael said. "At my age, you gotta move fast so you don't miss the good opportunities."

He's seventy-three. If he was in a contest for old people who move fast, he'd probably win a medal.

Still, he deserves to find happiness and have fun. It’s been seven years since my grandma passed away, and I’m pretty sure he’ll never stop loving her, but seven years is a long time to be alone if you’re used to being with somebody. If he feels like he's ready to get back into the dating scene, who am I to tell him not to?

When I met the aforementioned Juliet a couple days later, I totally understood the attraction. Although ‘hot’ wasn’t exactly the first word that sprang to mind, I could definitely see why Grandpa Michael would think so. She was elegant and confidently attractive in the way women are when they embrace aging with grace instead of engaging in a useless battle with it. I could easily imagine her being a knockout in her younger days. When she was my age, I bet she turned every head in every room she stepped into.

Beyond my initial impression of Juliet Picard, I was startled to realize I recognized her. She was the woman who'd been in charge of all the flowers for the wedding. Turns out she owns a florist shop called Hearts and Flowers, which happens to be down the street from Mom and Julian's clinic. Coincidentally, the flower shop also occupies the same building as the flat where Davian St-Jean, a friend of mine from high school, lives.

I used to say Willow Creek was the most boring place on Earth, that nothing ever happens there, but that's when I was viewing it through the eyes of a guy who thought events didn't have much meaning unless they were big and exciting and important to everyone. I was wrong about that. Sometimes the most seemingly insignificant thing carries the most weight.

A lot happens in Willow Creek. It's a town of connections, of opportunities small and large, the sort of place where a chance interaction could change the course of somebody's life in ways they might never have been able to imagine.

I mean, I was in Willow Creek when I met Yuri. Sitting alone in my sparsely -furnished unit at the Sage Estates apartment complex, scrolling through a forum for snowboarding enthusiasts, I had no idea I was going to see a photo of this impossibly cute Japanese boy doing a silly pose with his board. My impulsivity made me message him, and his curiosity made him message back. Prior to that day, if anyone had suggested I would meet my soulmate through a random encounter on the internet, I think I would've laughed out loud.

But now? Don't tell me stuff doesn't happen in Willow Creek. Dreams are born there, and nobody will ever convince me to change my mind about that again.

The day after Yuri and his family headed home, Grandpa Michael and I departed for Brindleton Bay. He returned his rented car, and then Juliet met us for breakfast and dropped us off at the bus station afterwards.

"I'll be back," he told her as we were about to board the bus, and I swear it was totally dramatic, like something out of a movie. He was dead serious, though, so I had to do my best not to laugh.

"I'll be looking forward to it," she said.

I reached into my bag and pulled out the keys to the house. "Here," I said, handing them to my grandpa. "Consider my place your place until Yuri and I come back. Feel free to use it any time."

He grinned at me, and for a split second I could've sworn I saw the face of a man half his age. "Thanks. I'm sure I'll enjoy that heated swimming pool, and your fabulous kitchen. I'll make myself at home."

"Go for it," I said. "Just don't use the red mug, and don't sleep in the basement bedroom."

Juliet raised an eyebrow. "What an odd thing to say."

"It's only odd if you don't know about the ghost," I told her.

"The ghost?"

"Victor's house is haunted," Grandpa Michael said cheerfully. "Cool, don't you think?"

"Really?" Juilet looked intrigued. "Well, I can't wait to see that."

"Victor, I presume I'm allowed to have houseguests?"

"Go for it," I said. "Far be it from me to cramp your style."

He winked at Juliet. "Heated swimming pool."

"Oh, lord..." she responded, but she was laughing. "I think I'll have to keep him, Victor. I wouldn't want to unleash him on anyone else."

"Consider me kept." Grandpa Michael put the keys into his own bag, and then gave me a thumbs up. "Just let me know when you're coming back. I'll make sure I'm there, so you can get in."

"Don't worry," I said. "Mom has the other set of keys. We'll be able to get in. I'll let her know you'll be coming and going, though. We don't want her to think somebody's trying to break into the place."

"Imagine explaining that to the police," he said, and the look on his face implied he'd very much enjoy stirring up a little trouble like that.

Mom says I'm just like Grandpa Michael. She's probably not wrong. Aside from sharing an almost obsessive passion for snow sports and being international competitors — he was a world champion slalom skiier back in the day — we have the same love for food, the same enjoyment of being with other people, the same sense of humour and, I think it's safe to say, the same impulse control issues.

I love him. I mean, I love my other grandparents too, but I think I have a deeper bond with Grandpa Michael than with the others. We get each other on a fundamental level.

We had a blast during the week I spent in Brindleton Bay with him. We passed a lot of our time at the local fitness center, and every morning we had tea and breakfast with his friends at a café in town. His friends are awesome, for the record. After the first day, I kind of forgot I was hanging out with guys in their seventies. One afternoon, we all played golf together, and on another day we went deep-sea fishing with one of the friends who owns a boat.

When we weren't socializing, we managed to get loads of yard work done, and we did plenty of cooking. Oh man... the cooking. It was so nice not to have to worry about ingredients and portion sizes and making sure everything had the right balance of protein and carbs. We cooked whatever we felt like having, and trust me, we had a lot of it. I'm pretty sure I've never eaten so much in a week in my entire life. With my belly full, I slept like a dead man every night, and it was absolutely satisfying.

On the evening before my flight back to Japan, Grandpa Michael and I were sitting on his back doorstep, drinking some fruit juice and staring out at the ocean. If I thought sunsets over the lake in Granite Falls were beautiful, let me tell you they've got nothing on sunsets over the ocean. The last time I'd seen anything like that, I'd been in Sulani, but somehow this was better. It wasn't that the sunset itself was any more gorgeous, but because I was seeing it with someone I care about and who I know cares about me.

"It's been a long time since I got to sit here and enjoy this with another person," my grandfather said, as if he were reading my thoughts.

"I'm glad I get to watch it with you."

"Me too," he said. "I hope you'll come back here more often, once you're all settled into your new home. Bring your husband too. He seems like a sweet little fellow."

I laughed at that, thinking about how Yuri would respond to being referred to as 'a sweet little fellow'. He'd probably love it, and I could picture him blushing.

"I will," I promised. "But I guess you'll be coming to Willow Creek more often now too, won’t you? So we'll have extra chances to see each other."

"Hmm..." Grandpa Michael leaned back in his chair and stretched his long legs out in front of him. "I never thought I'd find someone I wanted to be with after your grandmother. I didn't think I'd ever want to love anyone that way again, honestly, but I might have changed my mind."

"You think love at first sight is a thing?"

"No," he said. "You never want to say 'love' too quickly, but it's okay to think about it, and I've got a good feeling."

I smiled. "I'm really glad you met Juliet."

"So am I. She made me remember that being alive and living life aren't the same thing," he said. "You know, it's easy to give up on living when you feel like you've lost your reason to live. But, I think we forget that we've got more than one reason. There's more to live for than that one person or thing we lost."

I thought about Yuri. He'd been at his lowest point this past winter, and for a while I'd really been afraid that he'd given up on wanting to be alive, not just on living. Nothing I said or did seemed to matter, and it was scaring me more than anything else ever had. But then, just when I was wondering what would become of him, of us and the future we’d planned, his reminder to live came from the most unlikely source; his father.

If somebody asked me to guess who'd save Yuri in the end, I never would’ve predicted it’d be his dad. Their relationship was practically non-existent up until this year.

It’d taken some pretty horrible events to make them take the first tiny steps toward fixing their broken trust, but all the pain and suffering was worth it if Yuri and his dad learned how to communicate with each other. They’ve both found hope and renewed determination to make the most out of their time in the world, and I’m thankful.

Since March, their relationship has grown by leaps and bounds, and it's been truly amazing to observe. Yuri is happier than I've ever known him to be. He's looking forward, rather than being stuck in a bubble of self-pity and going nowhere. Even the smallest things seem to bring him joy now, and I can't even begin to describe how full my heart is over that.

I want this to last. I want him to be happy forever, and I don't even care if I'm not the catalyst. Seeing him happy makes me happy. The reason for it doesn't matter, as long as he's thriving.

Of course, I'm enough of a realist to get that it's not always going to be sunshine and strawberry milkshakes. Yuri's chronic illness will never go away, so it's inevitable that he'll have bad days or weeks. Plus, we're doubtless going to have to deal with difficult stuff that's completely unrelated to Yuri's health.

That having been said, I'm of the opinion that happiness is a state of being. Like, even if we're not constantly cheerful and we're navigating scary or unpleasant situations, we can still be happy. There's always something to be grateful for, always one more reason to keep on living, and that's what I want for Yuri. My wish for him is that he'll finally understand happiness is something he can choose for himself, and even if everything around him is dark and bitter, he can still find his own metaphorical sunshine and strawberry milkshakes on the inside.

When I shared that with Grandpa Michael, he told me he was proud of me and said I should be proud of myself too.

"You've grown up a lot since you've been away," he commented.

"Thanks. I've had a lot of people helping me."

"Other people can only get you so far. You have to want to do it."

"I don't know if I wanted to," I confessed. "Being an adult is hard. Part of me wishes I could just stay a kid forever, Know what I mean?"

"Believe it or not, I do," he said. "But you know what they say. You don't have to stop playing just because you're growing up."

With that in mind, I've made it my mission to get in as much playtime as possible this summer and to bring as many people along with me on my adventures as I can.

I made up my mind to stay with my in-laws when I got back to Mt. Komorebi, and I have no regrets. Yuri and I have been filling our days with all kinds of activities from long walks on the mountain trails, to visiting local museums and galleries, to picnic lunches by the lake near his parents' house. I returned in time for the Festival of Snow, and the whole family went to it together. We were out all day, and it was even more fun than last year.

A few weeks ago, Yuri and I took a weekend trip to Kyoto for shopping, sightseeing, and a classical music concert. Yuri convinced me to go back to the spa we went to on the day before we got married, and afterwards we bought dango from a street vendor and ate it in the little park where we had our wedding pictures taken.

We've been spending time with our friends as well, and it probably goes without saying that Sakura and I are training on the mountain as much as we’re reasonably able to. Last week, Yuri told me that he thought he was finally feeling strong enough to get back on his board, so I called Sakura and asked her if we could skip training for the day so I could take Yuri snowboarding. She sounded only too glad to oblige, and said she might come out to join us, if Yuri didn't mind. He said he didn't, so Sakura met us at the intermediate slope, and the three of us had one of the most wonderful mornings I've had in a long time.

Yuri was exhausted by the time we were done, but even more importantly, he was hungry. He practically begged me to take him to a local ramen house for his favourite meal of the moment, kake udon. That's a kind of mild noodle soup that can be served with different toppings like tofu, sliced fish or shrimp tempura. Yuri likes it with scallions and fish. He somehow talked me into buying him strawberry daifuku as well, and then he didn't even share them with me. Like... the nerve! When it became clear I wasn't going to get even a bite of one of his, I had to order my own. I pretended to protest, but I was secretly thrilled, if you really want to know.

Yuri's been doing so good with his eating that Dr. Kasongo thinks she might be able to remove his feeding tube by the end of the year. He officially finished the first phase of his nutrition rehabilitation therapy in mid-July, so that means no more food intelligence classes and no more weekly visits with the nutritionist and psychologist.

He's happy about not having to meet with the psychologist every single week, but he's nervous about not seeing the nutritionist as regularly. She's been like a safety net for him, I think. He had to be accountable to her, and now he's worried that he's not going to be able to do it without her encouraging, reminding, and occasionally scolding him about his food intake and eating choices. He's supposed to continue with his daily food diary, and at this point he's supposed to start planning his own weekly menu or at least contributing to the planning of a family menu. He has a short consultation with the nutritionist every two weeks, usually ten or fifteen minutes by video call, so he can go over his food diary and meal plans with her. It's nothing like his previous hour-long weekly in-person sessions, and he's stressed.

Everyone in the family is cheering him on, though. We all know he can do it.

His current goal is to go sixty consecutive days without a single tube feeding. That, and his general overall health, are the criteria for having the tube removed. He looked like he was about to panic when the doctor told him that, and on the way home from his appointment he cried while telling me he didn't think he was ready to go sixty days in a row.

"It's okay," I said. "If you're not ready yet, that's not a bad thing. Just do the best you can."

"But, I'll be delaying our move even more if I can't do this," he said.

"No, you won't. We've got the date for your first appointment with Dr. Kim now, don't forget. We can move any time between now and then, and if you still have your tube when we move, I'm sure Dr. Kim can take it out just as easily as Dr. Kasongo could."

As a matter of fact, he'd received the email from Dr. Kim, the gastroenterologist at Willow Creek Regional Hospital, just the day before we last saw Dr. Kasongo. Yuri's initial appointment with Dr. Kim is scheduled for the twenty-second of October. While I wanted to leave Japan before autumn, I had to acknowledge there really was no rush, and if we didn't get to Willow Creek until mid-October, that would still be fine.

When we got back to Yuri's parents' house, we told them all about how it'd gone with Dr. Kasongo. Mr. and Mrs. Okamoto agreed that it was okay if Yuri didn't think he was ready to commit to the sixty-day home stretch yet, but they also said they were confident in his ability.

Yuki, who had overheard part of the conversation, later offered the helpful suggestion of making a sticker chart. "So every day you go without formula, you get to put a sticker on it, and at the end, you get a big reward!"

I thought she meant the 'big reward' was having his tube taken out, but Yuki had something else in mind. She conspired with her mother to create the most fantastic sticker chart I've ever seen. They drew it on poster board, and blocked it with six rows of ten squares each. Every tenth square had 'reward' written on it, and the sixtieth square boldly proclaimed 'BIG REWARD!!!' in alternating yellow and pink letters, Yuri's favourite colours. They bought an assortment of stickers for him to use on it, including ones with pink ice cream, seashells, glittery rainbow stars, cute baby animals, and — to his obvious delight — sparkly musical instruments, including violins.

"Look at this, Yuri. We have a plan," his mother said, as she went about hanging the chart on the wall in the kitchen. "Whenever you're ready to start counting your sixty days, let me know, and I'll give you the stickers."

To my surprise, it was less than a week later when he told her he was ready to begin.

Today is the ninth of August. We're on day eight of the first ten days today, and the full sixty days will bring us up to the first of October. We’ll be sure to keep you informed about how it’s going, but so far, so good.

We're tentatively planning our move for the middle of September, and I'm cautiously optimistic. Everyone who's watching this, please wish us luck.

There are people who say luck isn't really a thing, and that we can only get ahead by persistence and hard work, but I think it's a combination of the two. Like, I think it's true that our own efforts and our determination to succeed is the real driving force, but who would ever say no to a serendipitous stroke of luck? Even the hardest worker needs a helping hand now and then, and I'm not too proud to accept a well-meant wish for good fortune and success.

[vampylily]

In honour of manifesting international dates for tourdust 2024 (2ourdust 2 furious), here is Joe's phone interview with a publication in Korea about their upcoming performance in 2013 for Pentaport Rock Festival. (source.)

[T/N: May contain errors, I am not a professional by any means.]

Q: This is your second visit to Korea after your visit in 2009. How do you feel?

Joe: I had a good time on the first visit, so I’m looking forward to it. It was a shame I didn’t get to look around as much as I wanted because the schedule was short. One of my close friends was raised in Korea and has family there, so I’ve always wanted to visit Korea. 

Q: Any memorable moments from your last visit to Korea? 

Joe: It wasn’t as foreign because I grew up in an area with a lot of Korean people. When we were traveling Seoul from the airport, we crossed a really long bridge and that was impressive. I remember thinking it was cool as we were driving across the bridge. Also, Koreans are very friendly. 

Q: “Save Rock and Roll” was No.1 on the Billboard album chart. Did you expect it? 

Joe: I didn’t expect it at all. Because it was the album we released after a few years of hiatus, I was expecting a small, fan-centered reaction. It came to a surprise to all of us that so many people were interested in us. 

Q: We know you guys are making a series of music videos. The plot development is getting intriguing,can you give us a hint about the ending? 

Joe: There’s going to be surprising plot twists. Each episode reveals new storylines, but I don’t want to spoil the fun (by giving hints about the ending.) What I can say is that while questions will be answered one by one, there will be questions left unanswered at the end even after watching all the videos. It’ll be left up to the interpretation and the imagination of the viewer. Unlike “Lost,”  most plot questions will be answered. 

Q: This album has been a commercial success, but it is also being well received by the music critics. What were you focused on when you were making this album? 

Joe: We talked about the direction we wanted to take in the future after we got together to work on the album, and everyone agreed that we wanted to show how we were progressing as a band. We decided to maintain our unique colour, but not make something similar to an existing album. 

Living as an artist is a very scary thing. We have to meet the general public’s expectations of us, but also, how can we call it art if we keep on repeating and rehashing the same style of music. I’m not saying we’re a great band, but when you look back, all the great bands have tried something new with their music. The best part about working on the new album was rediscovering our innate uniqueness. That was a difficult task. 

Q: What is your favorite song from the new album? Or a song that you would recommend to Korean fans? 

Joe: It’s been changing, but the first song I liked the most was “The Phoenix.” Listening to the finished track through the speakers was memorable. The song I’ve started to like recently is the title track “Save Rock and Roll.” It became a favorite after we started to play it live in our performances. We play the song faithfully to the original song on the album, but it feels special everytime we play it. 

If we look at all the tracks individually, the song that shows the album’s personality the most is “My Songs Knows What You Did in the Dark.” So, if I were to recommend one song, it'd be “My Songs,” or “Alone Together.” 

Q: What can Korean fans expect from this performance? Is there anything special planned? 

Joe: I think the most important point is that we’ve recharged as a band. If fans from the 2009 performance saw us again, they can expect a more energetic performance. At least, personally, I’ve started to enjoy performances more energetically after a hiatus. That’s why I’m looking forward to this performance. I look forward to the day I’ll be performing in Korea. 

Q: Any words to Korean Fans. 

Joe: I’m really excited to see you guys on stage for the festival. I saw pictures of people waiting in front of the stage without umbrellas even when it was raining. I hope it rains on the day we perform. We’re ready to show our best performances.

Photos from Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival 2013:

Translation of Pete's interview in 2009: here.

[mesanthropi]

nothing came after (oc x shua /p)

fair warnings: i have no idea how exactly their dorms work or how they're exactly situated. i'm just braining. also i'm just kinda tired!! i was writing the second bit with josh when almosgt 1am hit hhh im gonna assume that near future weiss is just gonna edit the text formatting and higt post. so no, it's not gonna be proofread whatsoever. if i butcher your fave please criticize me godbless

i thought of it and fell asleep to it methinks. shua making bead bracelets and garam making yarn bracelets. then i woke up at 4pm and started writing

choi 'river' garam, helios, you know the guy. it'd been a week since it was announced that he was on hiatus, everybody knew that. garam needed emotional support every now and then, everybody also knew that.

but nobody really knows who he'll go to next. two days earlier, woozi was approached and the two had made some joke song together. just as a break from 'all the serious stuff' (helios' words, not mine). the other day, he was texting jun about the cats he'd seen on his most recent walk, comparing the older to the stray felines. and literally a few hours ago, he'd gone to dino's room to leave him a stuffed animal that he decided not to keep; it was a buy one take one deal. and dino was one of his favorite people out of seventeen others.

... haha, seventee- anyway. that's a lot of emotional support.

(it's what i want, personally.)

now garam had been staying in his room for the time being, having gone right back after giving dino that plushie and a hug. a bit of work was being done, non-idol work at least, and it involved a bit of handcrafting and drawing a few blanks. ("... i think i did this step wrong- fuck, i need to do it again.") yeah, the guy had been at this for a few hours just because 'he could and nobody could stop him', at least from what the ravenette had said in the groupchat.

at least he'd managed to make two of these mysterious things, because that was all it took before he got up from the floor of his room, and walked out the door. there was a faint smile present on the man's face, and it stayed on his way to one of the rooms on his floor. sixth one.

garam wordlessly approached a door, hung something on the doorknob, before sticking a note next to it. and like nothing happened, he was making his way back to the room he once sat in for hours that day. there was a little hum as he did, wringing his hands or wiping them on the fabric of his pants despite the lack of things to wipe off.

"hopefully that can make up for my spotty pop-ups," murmured the guy with eyes looking down at tiled floors like it was artwork. "... i'm sure he won't mind another one to add to the collection." his thoughts were barely above a whisper, tumbling from his lips like beads out of a box. which was funny, but not where he was exactly thinking, furrowing his brows. "he likes that kind of stuff. right-"

when he stopped himself, garam found that he'd been pacing around. he also found that he'd stopped in front of the first door he'd visited. unable to help how blue-grey hues bored into the wood, the ravenette thought for a few seconds. a moment. then he knocked thrice like he always did. "shushua!" then he ran like hell to his own room and hid.

what a kid.

joshua wasn't doing much, just watching the weather pass by while music played through his phone. mans just didn't know what to exactly do today, but did know that he'd be taking it easy, enjoying the tunes with light nods to its beats. at every song with guitar, his fingers found themselves holding an invisible instrument and placing themselves on a fretboard. just a fun little thing.

then he heard the knock at the door, and the sound of garam (who he honestly thought was fucking asleep) calling his name. the blond turned his head, blinking once. and then twice as he stood up to see why the younger could be asking for him. maybe shushua would be the one to hang out with the guy, after being cooped up in his room for so long.

"... what the-?" joshua heard a door close in the distance when he poked his head out, looking around and about. it was even weirder when he saw that it was garam's damn door. "garam?" called out the older, just to see if he'd respond.

...

nothing came after.

just when he was about to go back inside, he saw a note on his door, prompting the raise of a brow. "what are you up to this time...?" because notes either meant sweet message or a wild goose chase he'd fallen victim to. so plucking it off the wood, he read through the english letters written on there with pencil.

'shushua :) i know you like bracellets bracelets but i physically can't like. handle beads bc i will lose them and i still need to get new ones for you (yes im the one who took it BUT I JUST WANTED TO TRY AND MAKE ONE. NOT LOSE BEADS) im so sorry bro. im looking for one rn as ur reading this <3

so i js mde one out of yarn. i asked my sister to help me. we can match with the rest of the guys once i finish the rest of them. sorry if i scared u lol

- the sunday night to ur sunday morning'

he blinked before looking to the doorknob. the bracelet was adjustable and had a nice strawberry color palette, which lead shua to assume that garam's was the opposite with blue instead of red. yeah, with how the note ended, they really were night and day. opposites yet clicked like puzzle pieces. unable to help the way he beamed, the bracelet was taken and put around his wrist.

the ravenette stared blankly at his ceiling, gazing at the green stars scattered across it like a sky outside. maybe one day he can ask somebody to look at the real night sky with him. lie on the grass, say that the sky looks pretty while looking at anywhere else but the stars.

then again, the stars had always been his company.

...

nothing came after.

[mlpwhatifs]

What If 1.1000 (1001 post-experiment): a finale?

~~~~~===+++{Twilight's Castle}+++===~~~~~

After many years of writing, sometimes even breathlessly nonstop at times, Twilight flipped the back cover over. It was done. One thousand chapters. It took nearly eight years to get to where she was now, but she did it. She filled the book. Hit the limit. Quills & Sofas didn't offer enough materials to bind more than a thousand chapters at a time.

Where once she'd had the problem of having nothing left to do, she now faced the opposite.

When would she ever stop doing what she did? There was still so much to write about! So many ideas, and places, and faces, and so, so much more--it frankly felt overwhelming at times.

Where was she in all of this? There was of course Storyteller Twilight, the medium through which her narration was implied, but behind it all, behind everything...

It'd always been her.

It'd always been me, the author. Through good and bad, through thick and thin. Every high, every low, every laugh, every tear.

It's always been you, the reader. Even as some have come and gone, you've been here every step of the way. Left your comments to grow into future chapters. Had fun reading.

And it's always been...

Quiet footsteps skitter up behind my door. Quiet little sniffs. A half-sneeze, followed by a whine.

I stand up from my chair and open the door. Almost immediately, an excited ball of curly white fluff hurtles in, running around my legs. He brings his toys, dropping them in front of me. Staring. Watching.

I pick up his favorite--a blue, bone-shaped toy made of soft rubber. One that'd been lovingly chewed day after day, year after year. And toss it, just a little, to the side. He perks up and turns his nose toward the toy, sniffing the air where his vision has long since faded to milky white.

He whines again, pawing at his toy. It is stuck, wedged in a place too small to fit his head. I kneel down and reach for the toy, holding it instead at face-level for him. I give him a gentle pat on the head. A scratch of his ears. Gleefully, he takes the toy and retreats, sitting in that same old spot by the shelf, chewing.

That same warm spot I thought I felt as I stepped past my bookshelf this morning.

One of the many warm spots he left behind.

When he once basked in the summer sun, migrating with the golden beams of light filtering through the windows, he always left little warm spots--warmer even than the sunlight itself--in his wake.

Where he once slumbered in the quiet nights we enjoyed, exists now only an empty bed, a small indentation the only reminder of where he once curled up with his toys.

The smoke of the incense curls to the sky.

Can you see me, boy?

Can you smell the apples we've left for you, Cody? They sit at the shrine, surrounded by your most favorite of toys, right where you can reach them. We know you like apples. You told us that you did when we found you eating the wild apples off the ground beneath the little tree in our yard.

And even if the apples aren't enough for you when you visit, there are a pile of treats for you, too.

Because of how small you were, we always broke the treats in half. One half for the morning, and another half for the evening. You know that well; it's the cycle we fell into when we had to start giving you those uncomfortable pricks to keep you alive.

Well, now, beside the apples on the plate, you can find eight whole treats. Unbroken and fresh, just for you.

I hope that wherever you are now, you can eat whatever your little puppy heart desires. No longer must you follow that strict diet that the vet gave you nearly four years ago. The diet that once upon a time, saved your life as you lay sickly and weak, undiagnosed diabetes wreaking havoc upon your tiny frame. It's why we had to give you those pricks, boy. I'm sure you'd understand.

Maybe you already had a taste of heaven when you went on vacation with us last summer. You traveled on a plane for the very first time. Tasted seafood and chicken, prepared in more ways than you might've possibly ever imagined. If we could, we would've let you have a taste of so, so much more then.

But now, as the incense burns, you can do just that. I hope that, through that photo of you, happy on the swing set in the park, you can forever smell what we cook in the kitchen. Watch every meal be prepared before your eyes, and share in the taste as we gather for dinner.

It'll be hard to not be able to call you to the table anymore if we drop something, whether it be intentional or not.

It'll be hard to not be able to feed you pieces of carrots and tomato, fresh from the counter, like we always did.

Once upon a time, thirteen years ago, you came to us, a shivering ball of fluff on a cold December's evening. You were even smaller back then, and yet you still managed to scramble up the stairs all on your own. Somehow, you grew even fluffier, a near-solid mass of curls that kept you warm in even the coldest of nights.

I'm sorry we didn't have time back then to play with you as much.

I'm sorry that for many days, you'd be out in our backyard, alone with your toys while we were at school, and our parents were at work. Or stuck indoors, with only a piece of cardboard marking where you could relieve yourself when the weather was too cold.

I'm sorry that it was only after we moved--after I began high school, after almost half of your life had gone by--that we finally had the chance to let you roam free, no longer confined to a single floor of the house and the backyard. We should've been better to you back then.

I hope that we made up for it after we moved. After the backyard no longer connected to the dreary basement, but instead to the kitchen. No longer were you stuck, waiting for someone to open the door from the unfinished basement to the bright lights of the main floor. You actually lived with us then.

And you thrived.

Before, we would let you roam after we'd returned home for the day. By then, sometimes, you were already asleep. Sometimes, you were even still outside, howling at the moon. We joked that you were a little white wolf back then, when I was in elementary school.

You stopped howling after we moved, and I'm still not quite sure why. Now, you no longer slept in the basement or the yard. You slept with us. On rugs. On carpets. On your bed. On bare flooring. On socks and your toys and your treats and in the sun and in the moon and wherever and whenever you wanted to.

I'm sorry it took so long for us to finally be able to express our love for you in full and unrestricted.

I'm sorry you could only experience that love unfettered for three years, before those nasty eye infections left you nearly blinded in both eyes. Before your diabetes developed, and led to those itchy cataracts that took almost everything else that was left.

I hope you can still run through the grass with me in my dreams. Before you became afraid of tripping on the dirt, or having your eyes become irritated along the way. When we once played hide and seek among the towering trees in the park.

I hope you still can return to those warm spots you left behind.

The incense burns low, ashes silently scattering into the pot below. Your shrine sits beside the shrine of the Ground Spirit. We hope that they can guide you on to your next life, whether it be heaven or in reincarnation.

If there is anything I could do if I were to go back in time, it would be to hug you, one last time.

On your final night with us, you slept quietly on my lap as I stroked your head. You were old and tired then, and your poor little heart was giving out.

You knew your time was near, didn't you, boy?

In your final days, you refused to eat that special diabetes food that the vet had prescribed you. You wanted only the best for yourself then--peas, carrots, and chicken. Sometimes, a little tomato or apple, as a treat.

You knew, when your slow, lumbering steps became a frenzied rush up the stairs, that your time had come.

And yet you waited for me.

There you sat, at the very top of the stairs, watching me climb after you.

You held off death itself to make sure I could be with you one last time. It was only after I joined you at the top when you stumbled off, barely holding on as you laid down one final time.

Almost precisely thirteen years after you came into my life, just as you came, you left on a cold December morning in my arms.

I know you tried hard, Cody. I know that it took every ounce of strength to keep yourself going after that climb. To gasp those precious last few breaths of air as I beat your ailing heart for you.

You don't have to be strong for us anymore.

You can rest now.

You can close your eyes now, Cody.

You're safe now. Always and forever.

And I know that you're proud of me. Of us.

On the night of your passing, you came to me in a dream, silently watching as I gave it my all to keep you with us. You watched as I tried, over and over, hoping with all my heart that I could feel yours begin to beat on its own once again.

But you knew you had to go by then. We all pushed that inevitable day back as far as we could, together. But, just as time itself cannot be stopped, so comes your mortal limits.

You can close your eyes now, boy. I know you were watching me in your final moments. Rest now, you're okay now. No more pain. No more needles. No more blindness.

I hope that we gave you the best life that we could.

I hope that wherever you are now, you're free of everything that held you back.

I hope that, as the final wisps of smoke drift away from the smoldering incense, you'll still be with us in spirit.

Thank you, Cody, for being with us.

And to you, the reader,

Thank you for reading.

Author's Note:

Well, here we are.

The final chapter.

I didn't think that it'd come to this, in all honesty. Both 1000 chapters and... well... I'm sure you already know what recent events have transpired in real life for me.

I started writing this fic when I was in 8th grade. Back then, I was horrendous at writing, and the trio of stores that'd come before What If are a testament to that notion.

When I first started writing What If, I planned for it only to work off "serious" suggestions based in canon. Something that, in my mind, would've followed the progression of the show, and ended with the finale of G4. Perhaps one chapter per episode, or something of the sort.

...That certainly didn't last very long.

Almost from the beginning, you, the readers, began to suggest increasingly deranged chapters. Somehow, we'd gone from Starlight Glimmer not holding a grudge against Twilight to breaking Fimfiction itself in increasingly creative ways. And that's beautiful.

Never had I imagined in those very first chapters of this fic that such a wild community would grow around pitching strange story ideas around the way that you all have done. Nor did I think that some of you would begin to build upon each others' ideas to construct large, multi-chapter story arcs that had their own lore and recurring characters.

It's the beauty that comes with community, I suppose.

I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to fully put into words the gratitude that I have for you all. I know that some chapters were vent-y. That a good number of those "IRL chapters" probably served far better as blog posts in hindsight, but what's done is done.

You can't change the past. You can only work to make the present and the future better, both for yourself and the ones that you love.

I know this chapter probably isn't the massive celebration that you might've expected.

It's a quiet, somber chapter, with faint echoes of how it all began, intermixed with a long, heartfelt letter that I can only hope may somehow reach my dog, Cody, wherever he is now.

I've teared up so many times now as I've written out this chapter. Every precious memory I have, from when we built you that doghouse (that you ended up using more as an outhouse) to when you once wiggled free from the yard. We thought you were lost back then, never to be seen again. But thankfully, you'd only escaped into our neighbors' yard, curious as ever to explore.

I should stop making this chapter so much about you. I know I have regrets, especially of how lonely you were before we moved.

But I hope you found happiness after we did. After we finally had the means to spend more time at home and with you.

And I hope you found peace in the end as I cradled you one last time in my arms.

It hurts. So much. But it's a pain that I'll accept.

I know this chapter isn't what you, the reader, might have wanted. It's not the chapter that I might have wanted.

But it's the chapter I needed. For this one last time in this edition of What If, I'm making this chapter about me. Or more specifically, about Cody.

In your memory, the shrine will remain.

Let the Ground Spirit know how you like to be scratched behind your ears.

And once again, to you, the reader:

Thank you for understanding. I didn't think that it would end this way, but just as life happens in the most unexpected of ways, so too can death.

I look forward to your upcoming comments, when What If starts anew.

And I hope that, somewhere out there, Cody knows that we'll remember him.

November 2010 - December 2023

We'll miss you, old boy. One last ear scratch for the road.

And to another that we've lost this year, Level Dasher.

I hope you've found yourself a new friend up there. Thank you so much for all you've done, whether it be leaving comments for chapters here, or helping me wrangle the chaos of the 500,000th story on this site, or simply being an all-around great guy.

And once again, to all of you, the readers:

I love you all.