#its not their canon design as i only got some clues as to what they look like so i took a bunch of liberties and i hope my friend likes it!

[whispering-kavka]

i am allergic to saving my stuff as pngs so enjoy this low quality screenshot of two awesome vengeful priests

[enteringdullsville]

I got bored so I made a thing. Modern Nick AU featuring a handful of the child protagonists, a chibified SpongeBob being their chaperone? A summer camp setting, perhaps? With everyone save for Danny, Jenny, and Dora having their ages fudged to be closer?

Sure, why not? From left to right:

Sanjay Patel

He may or may not have snuck Craig into his cabin, and Craig may or may not have started charging people for “sage advice from the talking snake”

Sanjay’s a relatively good kid but kind of a hellion. Manny spends much of his early life in a moral dilemma. Having them be partners seemed like a logical decision

His bowling pin head was really hard to adapt to my usual style without utterly mangling his face, but I think I did alright

Manny Rivera

He’s wearing the boots and scarf from his El Tigre costume

Bessie thinks he’s the coolest thing, but his and Danny’s egos clash almost immediately

This presumably takes place after he’s settled on heroism, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a troublemaker

April O’Neil

She’s quite possibly the only person getting any actual work done in camp

She’s ostensibly the least insane person in the group, but she’s prone to egging on the others’ antics and starting bets on how much things will escalate

Her age has been dropped a couple of years, so she’s often with Lincoln foiling Dora’s whole escape artist routine

Tommy Pickles

Still on his filmmaker career from All Grown Up! He has a lot of footage of a lot of things in a lot of places

Normally mild mannered and agreeable, but being given “strict orders” instantly makes his good mood vanish

His mind tends to wander when he’s bored, and it has no regard for its curfew

Lincoln Loud

He’s a weeb canonically, so he’s been given a vaguely animesque appearance

Whatever camp this takes place at, I can guarantee at least one of his sisters had been there prior. Since most of the characters here are the Everyman type, Linc’s cunning and trickster attributes are played up a bit

Has no regard for the fourth wall. Tommy has no clue what he’s on about and thinks he’s insane

Aang (Just Aang)

Whether or not he can bend is based purely on what’s funniest at the moment, especially since he and Dib make it impossible for this to be canon compliant

He’s definitely living in an AU with a less horrific backstory. Less responsibilities, less issues

Wouldn’t hurt a fly, but he’d definitely give a wasp a warning shot if it was being a jerk

Danny Fenton

Danny, and only Danny, is actually a little older here. He and Jenny are the counselors. Lucky them.

Doesn’t even bother with the secret identity since Bob’s the only one dense enough to not connect the dots

Being able to turn invisible is really helpful when Dib has questions he doesn’t feel like answering

Jimmy Neutron

There he is, officer. That one’s the ringleader

Aang’s existence is a constant source of frustration for him since he can’t come up with a scientific explanation for all…that

He’s right off the heels of Nicktoons Unite and is wondering when and why SB became so serious

SpongeBob SquarePants

The only adult we see at the camp for some reason, and the only nonhuman besides Jenny

I messed up his scaling, he was supposed to be small enough to fit in someone’s hand, hence his overly simplified design. That’s the height he is in-universe

Ironically and disproportionately strong. Not Jenny’s level, but about as strong as he is in Unite…without being adjusted for size. In other words, he can easily pick up and throw the campers like rag dolls

Jenny Wakeman

The only nonhuman kid at camp, as well as the oldest/youngest at 16/5

She’s the one thing stopping land bears from tearing the camp apart

She’s justifiably a little wary since she’s not exactly nature proof, but all the kids think she’s the coolest thing

Timmy Turner

A closer look at him reveals three familiar looking trinkets shaped like a wand, wings, and a floaty crowny thing

He doesn’t need magic, anyway. He’ll make everything possibly go wrong his own way

He and Bessie butt heads almost immediately; Timmy’s fine with one hypercompetent overachieving Girl Scout in his life, but he does not need another

Ginger Foutley

Usually found with fellow artsy types Rudy and Lincoln

Riddled with anxieties and restless leg syndrome. She comes of as brooding, but she’s just introspective

Since April’s a menace, she’s the actual least insane camper

Eliza Thornberry

It took her a bit to realize SpongeBob could actually talk to begin with and that everyone else didn’t have the same power as her. In fact, there’s a non-zero chance there are a bunch of animals from assorted Nick shows that are screaming in the background constantly and it’s messing with her head

I gave her just the one braid to make her distinct from the other Elizabeth in the cast

She slips in and out of her father’s mannerisms. SMASHING!

Rudy Tabootie

Mysteriously disappears to parts unknown it’stheChalkZone every now and then when he needs to blow off some steam

I find it funny how stylized I made everyone else while Rudy’s just slightly taller

SpongeBob sees a lot of himself in the kid. Rudy doesn’t know how to feel about that

Dora Marquez

Y’know, I added her as a joke, and she immediately became my favorite

She’s the youngest kid at her canon age of seven, so she’s coddled by everyone else. She HATES it, given that she’s been adventuring on her own for the longest time, so she’s a lot more cynical than usual. Easily the biggest departure from the norm

Constantly tries to escape supervision in favor of wandering the wilderness, but the talking cheese won’t let her

Arnold Shortman

He doesn’t know how he ended up as the “cool guy”, but he’s not gonna fight it

Appears detached and aloof, but he’s more likely just dissociating

Always seems to know what he’s doing to the point of parody. As smart as he is, I must reiterate he’s just improvising

Dib Membrane

Eliza, Rudy, and especially Timmy aren’t too keen on hanging around him for very obvious reasons

The fact he’s with people who are reasonably sane this time around means he’s in much better spirits. Lincoln’s probably his best friend at the camp, although Dib’s still a loner

He and Jimmy always run the risk of killing each other if they talk for more than two minutes at a time due to differing views on magic

Bessie Higgenbottom

The kid most likely to actually listen to the inane drivel that comes out of SpongeBob’s mouth

Since she’s still working on the whole Mighty Bee thing, she’s all over Manny, Danny, and Janny

There are very few campers that aren’t at least a little intimidated by her

There were a few other characters I wanted to add like Nate Wright (Big Nate), Annie Bramley (It’s Pony), Mikey Munroe (Bunsen is a Beast), but I scrapped them for space.

I elected to only use one character per series, causing me to drop Korra, Sheen Estevez, Ronnie Anne Santiago, and Hazel Wells for being spinoff characters (especially since Sheen and Ronnie Anne were around before getting their own shows). It also forced me to remove Fanboy and Chum Chum from my initial plan entirely.

I additionally wanted to keep SB as the only organic nonhuman character due to the inherent absurdity of having him as the sole adult figure, which is why Dib and April represent their series rather than Zim or a Ninja Turtle and why I chose not to use Harvey Beaks.

[vypridae]

You seem to be the only one making brokerdoll (thanks for the ship name btw) content, and I wanted to know if you have any more headcannon s, or just general thoughts on the ship. I'm starved for content

okay a. you are so welcome for the ship name i shit you not i spent like ten minutes just being like WHAT DO I CALL THEM because i couldn't figure out a word that would go well with "doll" (as velvette's ship names tend to have in them)

ANYWAY!! HEADCANONS !! i had a post uuuh here (that took me so much longer to find than it should have) of some hcs but here are some more!! (if this took forever to get out i apologize my brain is working at 2 wpm rn and sometimes thinking of hcs is hard)

after they started dating, carmilla starts buying velvette clothes she sees that she thinks velvette will love

spoiler alert: every single piece she buys for vel is exactly her style

i like to imagine carmilla is pleasantly rich, even in comparison to the other overlords, because her weapons and parts and whatnot just sell super well

so she gets so much money to spoil velvette with and she UTILIZES it

velvette's love language i imagine is acts of service or getting gifts (she knows they love her when they get her stuff) and carmilla's is gift giving, which neither of them seemed to realize until velvette literally squealed in joy when carmilla bought her a jewellery set she'd been wanting for FOREVER

also since singing is apparently just a canon thing in the hazbin universe, i cannot for the life of me stop imagining pre-relationship velvette sneaking vox's camera footage from inside carmilla's bunker(?) (of which he got velvette, conveniently, to put there after the overlord meeting) onto her phone just to listen to carmilla sing over and over and over again.

vox and val HAVE walked into her room to see her with her phone sitting on her dresser, watching the same footage of carmilla singing out for love for the 138147985th time

(they don't question it because lets be real they have their obsessions too)

post-relationship, velvette probably posts a bunch of fake online drama about her and carmilla because she thinks its funny to see people being like OMG??? WHAT NO WAY

carmilla is like "cariño why are you posting that we broke up. again." and velvette is like "just for funsies, babe <3"

velvette probably ends up showing carmilla how to use social media because let's be so fr she probably has no clue

velvette loves running her fingers through carmilla's hair and probably has just as much fun actually doing it up as carmilla has with velvette's

painting nails ?? carmilla paints velvette's and paints little white swirl designs over the black polish and velvette draws cute little pink hearts on carmilla's

(yes, they do both get questioned about it)

velvette probably wanted to start a friends w/ benefits (or enemies with benefits) relationship with carmilla but she knew for a fact carmilla would deny INSTANTLY

ok look they aren't married but matching rings ... carmilla wears hers as a necklace and velvette shows off her ring (that she keeps saying is "marriage proposal material" when its not) to literally everyone forever

possessive carmilla? only slightly. she glares daggers and probably throws said daggers at anyone who tries anything to velvette

pre-relationship velvette pining she progressively started sitting closer and closer to carmilla during meetings until she was in the chair next to her like zestial is during ep 3

(she lies out her ass and says it's "so i can annoy her easier, obviously" but she's just gay)

(carmilla starts noticing when velvette starts arriving to meetings earlier rather than later so she can get the seat she wants)

also velvette probably ended up convincing staticmoth to stay away from overlord meetings specifically so they can't tease her for being head over heels in hate-love with carmilla when she's in the same vicinity as her (of which they agree with because its more time for them to do What Ever The Fuck Their Gay Asses Do)

(also vox has cameras set up at the meeting room)

(guess who gets teased to heaven and back by two (2) overlords when she gets home)

(they both know the struggles of a weird obsession with another demon, they know how to poke and prod at velvette until she admits her gayness to them)

they probably ended up convincing her to confess tbh

(which doesnt happen for Several Years, probably)

either that, or carmilla finds a letter on her chair in the meeting room signed "~V" and opens it and it just says "we should be homos" or something stupid like that AJHAKASHJ

firm hc that velvette cannot confess for her fucking life . she doesnt like being vulnerable

lucky for her, carmilla 100% sends back a letter thats signed with "C. Carmine" and says "We can date, if that's what you mean by "being homos"" or something HAHAHASGFJ

[thestrangelyalwaysconfused]

I HAVE LIKE AN AU/HEADCANON THINGY

So I see everyone making like Tad Strange like this

Instead of his canon design? welp, I did some thinking and I have like an AU/Headcanon thingy:

So my AU/headcanon was that Tad wasn’t Bill’s brother (like the old theories)

Tad Strange was Bill’s only friend and when Bill talked about the stars/the third dimension although he had no clue wtf he was talking about but still, Tad believed every word

The two were inseparable! Until the incident of Euclydia’s destruction…

While Bill was blanked out, Tad manages to escape but some of the blue flames catches onto his eye on fire and he had to rip it out to avoid the same fate as everyone else.

Eventually due to the absolute horror and disbelief of seeing his home dimension, Euclydia, destroyed. Tad thought Bill did this on purpose as like a way to get revenge for making fun of his singular eye/ability to see the third dimension so Tad fled the scene as quickly as possibly to find somewhere to hide away for now

Eventually after a LOOONNNGGG time of exploration of the multiverse (And I mean a long time),

Tad found Earth and almost immediately became interested in its people as he settled down in Gravity Falls

Tad decided to avoid being spotted by anyone that he should lie low for now, he wasn’t too sure how Humans would react to him but Tad couldn’t help himself but to become interested in them, spying on them, studying their language, and essentially exploring in every possible way to see what their lives were like

Why?

So he could blend into human society

(through his travels of the multiverse, he discovered that he now has godlike powers like Bill expect he actually figured out a way to get out of the mindscape)

And that’s when the Human Form Tad Strange came into Town, he didn’t talk to anybody much as to not draw attention to himself

But eventually the society of the blind eye got ahold of Tad and memory wiped him just caused him to forget everything about his past himself which caused him to become the Tad we all know who loves bread and canonically has a crush on the woodpecker dude

(proof that only really backs up my headcanon/AU thing)

Although after the events of Weirdmageddon, Tad is starting to remember who he was, who Bill was, and what happened to everyone…

Anyways that’s all for the AU/Headcanon Thingy, don’t want to spoil too much already lol

[thatguywhodoesstuff]

Kinger, Queenie, & My Thoughts

I may be a bit late to the party, but after mulling it over for a while, I’ve got some thoughts on Kinger (who is my favorite of the cast) that I want to share:

-Now, the consensus is that Kinger and Queenie were romantically involved and served as one another’s support systems before Queenie Abstracted, which had a major role in Kinger’s decent into madness. I like to think that even after getting stuck in the circus, the two for the most part stayed rational (at least on a surface level) for a while before the stress of everything started wearing down on them. The two more than likely desired to stay strong for the other and tried to for a time, before tragedy inevitably struck. With this in consideration, I found myself with two distinct thoughts: was Queenie the first in a long line of losses that Kinger experienced that slowly drove him closer and closer to the edge or was her Abstracting the straw that broke the camel’s back, sending Kinger into a breakdown that had been culminating since he entered the circus? Either way you look at it, Kinger had to suffer tremendously before and especially after he lost his lover, the only thing keeping him from crossing the threshold into complete insanity and Abstraction more than likely being a promise he had made to her a long time ago. One that just keeps getting more difficult to keep as he soldiers on in a timeless digital world he has no meaningful control over. This would also play into their chess motif rather well, given that, while the queen is no longer in play, the king still is, and the trapped humans may have some hope of a better existence, even if there isn’t a chance of them truly being free.

-Another thought (or maybe it’s a head canon?) I had was that mentioning Queenie’s name can temporarily snap Kinger out of his detached mental state, making him more lucid and less high strung, but at the same time far more somber and depressed, before he inevitably returns to “normal”, either from his madness inevitably reasserting itself or Kinger actively trying to occupy his mind and bury painful memories of comparatively happier times that have long since passed. Building off of this, I think it would be interesting and rather sad if speaking ill of Queenie would have similar mind clearing effects, but at the same time also sending Kinger into a fit of manic rage. She may not have been perfect, let alone a great person, but Kinger would rather be damned than let anyone badmouth the woman he loved. I mean, just imagine the normally detached and skittish Kinger blowing up at the other humans, and possibly even intimidating them.

-Given that Kinger has been in the circus the longest, it isn’t unreasonable to assume that he may have a better understanding of its machinations, even if it is only comparatively so. This is backed up, if only slightly so, considering how eloquently he explains the sensation of eating in the VR world of the circus, it could be a subtle clue that, despite his poor mental state, Kinger understands how things work on a deeper level then the others. This could lead to some interesting plot points and progression, as the others could occasionally look to him for insight, which would typically be rather hit or miss. Overall, it would be really neat to have a character who is both completely checked out mentally, but at the same time the most aware of what all is going on, even if it isn’t readily apparent or even conscious on their part.

-I know that Kinger and Queenie always had uneven/askew eyes as part of their avatars, but I’ve always liked the idea of them having even eyes, with Kinger’s eyes becoming progressively more unaligned as his mind deteriorated. This isn’t me trying to badmouth Gooseworx’s style (which I think is phenomenal and better then anything I could ever manage artistically) or Kinger’s design, it’s just a long-standing thought/idea I’ve had in the back of my mind since he was revealed.

-Does anyone else get serious Ice King/Simon Petrikov and Betty vibes regarding Kinger and Queenie, or is it just me?

TLDR, these old chess pieces basically have a whole chunk of my brain dedicated to them. Comments, Likes, and Reblogs are all appreciated and I really want to know what others think.

[casp1an-sea]

Cassander “Cas” Armyn My Spidersona

(the second one is what Ey looks like in Eir universe. Scroll all the way down to see more outfits and character designs)

Age: 18

Gender: Transmasc

Height: 5’1.75”

Pronouns: He/Him/Ey/Em

—————————————————————————

none of these are completely 100% accurate to how I view them in my head because I am always changing his character and universe

———————————————————————— Universe: 131313

best described as an abstract art piece that is alive. Gravity shifts changing up to down and down to up. like in the art piece “Relativity”. It’s almost like a normal city, but the gravity shifts cause it to look like skyscrapers are jutting out at random angles, or even just floating in the sky. (kind of think mirror dimension from Doctor Strange) color, ships and changes as if it’s a separate being creating, a black-and-white inky world with the floating colored shapes. some are small while some are big covering home buildings but they never stay in one place or stay the same shape or size for long. The color of this universe is almost alive. (Similar to the color in “Sith” the first episode of season, two of Star Wars visions) for example, touching an object, would push the color of the object away as the color of your hand displaces it. The color that comes off with your hand when you touch things is unique to every person. And it seems like it has a mind of its own, making constantly shifting works of art around you. Technology is about the same as our universe but the animals and foliage is otherworldly and everything has a painterly feel and the “line art” is always sketchy and smudgy similar to my own. The grass is purple and liquids float.

Canon Events:

Spider bite

Close person death

Commander death

—————————————————————————

Extra:

Has been Spider-Man for roughly 4 years, in the Spider Society for 2

Movement signature: Uses alot of elements of acrobatics and gymnastics so tends to do complex jumps and flips. Enjoys falling as long as possible before catching Emself.

Goes by both his first and last name

Flaps hands when nervous or excited

Has Eczema and psoriasis

His color is bright orange 

Produces web naturally so doesn’t need web shooters but in order to continually produce silk he does eat it

Has fangs but has no clue what they do as he has no desire to bite anything 

Can see extremely long distances and also see in UV color spectrum 

Carries a spiky shield on his back resembling a yellow kite spider (can also use it as a weapon by attaching a web to it so he can throw it and pull it back) (I swear I made this up before I got obsessed with Captain America)

Shoulder panels lift up on the suit and can shoot out small needles, inspired by the tarantula; they act similar to whistling birds from Star Wars, however they just knock people out rather than exploding

Suit is decorated in paint markings to resemble real life spiders; like most art in the universe they shift and change

Has heat receptors over the eyes on the suit

—————————————————————————

Backstory: In Cassander’s  universe Alchemax was a company that closed down years ago. Casander grew up with his parents and younger sister in brooklyn. They always had a strained relationship. When Cassander way 15 Ey moved into Peter Parker’s house where he was living with his aunt and uncle so that he could attend Peter’s school. Cassander was best friends with Peter and later Harry Osborn. Peter was often bullied at school and wanted nothing more than to be popular. He used his friendship with Harry as an In to the popular kid cliche but they really only ever teased him and Cassander often had to deal with the aftermath. Cassander never hung around Harry at school much because Harry was still friends with the popular kids like Ned Leeds and Flash Thompson. While Harry did try to get his popular friends not to pick on Peter they often gave him too much slack which is something he and Cassander argued over a lot. One day the  popular kids told Peter that if he wanted to join their click he had to do an initiation ceremony. He had to stay the night in the abandoned alchemex building. Cassander tried to tell Peter that this was just to make him look stupid and asked him not to do it because it was dangerous but  Peter refused. Cassander tried to get a hold of Harry but he wouldn’t answer so instead Cassander decided that he had to go in as well and make sure Peter stayed safe. That was the night Cassander was bitten after brushing the spider off of peter. They also stumbled upon a laboratory Norman Osborn had been using to make the green goblin serum, but saw nothing because of green fog that filled the room. Peter got cut on some glass So Cassander talked him into leaving. When they exited Harry had arrived. The next day Cassander discovered Eir spider abilities. That night Cassander snuck out and decided to return To Alchemax alone to try and find the spider. Instead He had his first encounter with a Green goblin. Cassander decided he would forget about his powers and try to live normally. Harry stopped hanging out with Ned and him and Cassander got together. The next Peter looked a little strange and was acting weird.  Throughout the week peter began to act stranger and stranger. Finally one night Cassander realized he was acting like a green goblin and assumed the cut had become infected. Cassander revealed this to Peter, revealing Eir spider powers in the process. Peter wanted to return to Alchemax but Cassander said no. The next day Harry asked Cassander to go out and eat dinner with his Dad (Norman aka green goblin). Harry ended up running out of that dinner cause his dad is a bitch. Little did Cassander know he was going to Alchemax because he had stayed after Cassander and petter had left the other night and discovered his dads lab. Norman asked Cassander to stay in the desert. He reluctantly agreed but things got tense and. Norman started acting strange, violent even, Cassandee ran away in fear accidentally stumbling upon Norman’s green goblin mask. He rushed home to tell Peter but when he got home Peter wasn’t there Cassander knew that he  had gone back to Alchemax. It was too late he had been killed by green goblin, Who Cas did not know was not Norman this time but Harry. Peter's death inspired Cassander to become Spider-Man. As spider man he often worked alongside police captain Gwen Stacy until she was ultimately killed when Cassander couldn’t save her. Norman Osborn as green goblin accidentally killed himself in a fight with spider-man who hid Norman was green goblin for Harry’s sake. Harry believed spiderman had killed him. infected by the goblin serum became mad hunting down spider man. The two ultimately found out each other's identities and it was revealed that Harry killed Peter not Norman. They’re relationship is on an indefinite break, but they haven’t technically broken up, it’s complicated. —————————————————————————

Other Cassander Outfits, I was too lazy to edit the pajamas

—————————————————————————

Harold “Harry” Osborn “Green Goblin”

Unlabeled gender, He/They

—————————————————————————

Peter Parker

Male He/Him

—————————————————————————

DR. Chuwi Quispe Mamani

(This universe’s Dr. Strange)

Agender They/Them

————————————————————Aaron Davis

—————————————————————————

@xen-blank, @thehollowwriter, @l7k-a, @ferris-the-wheel, @keii-starz

@krenenbaker @elenauaurs @the-banana-0verlord @edith-is-a-cat @dove-da-birb

@theosb0rnway @fizzydreamz @ravenwing0110

@diabollicallyangelic @xentari94 @tomatette

@dragonflies-draw-flame @sunshinechildskywalker @silly-little-goober-core

[furbygoblinxiv]

Part one of a mini Scum Villain design series I've been doing between work and assignments recently, mainly on the demons and their looks and fashion. First up: Luo Binghe's extended family. I've included some sketches and notes in that main picture, but I'll include some thoughts beneath the read more for if anyone is interested. Just keep in mind these are all head canons based on. my brain. and get a bit over explained and in depth (to the tune of 1k words) (in theory these is a read more here but uhhh rip):

Also keep in mind idk the official fashion names for stuff so I call things belts, robes, pants, ect even when that may not be the official term. if you know the official terms or even have guides or references I can use then please hmu and I will love you forever. Anyways:

Since TLJ ruled the southern kingdom and MBJ ruled the north, I've primarily divided the demon variants to be based around the directions. For most demons, I've got them in "clans" that really just denote what color fabric their belt is and what the design/color of the crest featured on most of them is. I imagine those sorts of simple visual signifiers make it easier for demons, especially lower class ones who may be unable to read, to identify friend or foe at a glance. I also wanted to have the demons wearing jewelry much more prominently than the humans do. As in like, the human fashion sense trends towards sensible, refined, and modest, and the demon fashion sense tends towards ostentatious, lax and boastful, though that ofc doesn't apply to everyone. This sorta stuff gets more relevant later for the designs of demons like Six Balls and Meng Mo.

For these lads (sans Binghe), they're southern demon based, as shown by the little cat demon design at the bottom right. Completely arbitrarily and just for the fun of it, I've got their primary clothing choices as being warm color fabrics paired with gold as a metal, form fitting tops with exposed stomachs, and baggy pants. Looser lighter fabrics allow for more flexibility for animalistic features or and body transformations that may happen. They're also typically in open toed shoes for similar reasons. Only Zhuzhi in this lineup has mini little horns, but I've also assigned each region a general horn shape (so edged and jagged for the north, spiral for the south, straight for the east and curved and wavy for the west). The only thing Binghe adopts from any demon style is the exposed chest, cloth on the belt, colors, and the demon mark.

I like giving the demons openly animalistic and beast like features, like colored skin, horns, fur/feathers/scales, claws, three fingers, ect, which again comes into play for the later demon designs I'm gonna post. For heavenly demons, however, since they're ancient fallen deities, I wanted them to skew more towards a human appearance. So while they have more vibrant skin and eyes, or sharper ears and fingers, they wouldn't have to put too much effort into a disguise or glamour to come off as a human.

Anyways, onto actually explaining what's happening in the pictures:

TLJ is attempting to appropriate human fashion choices, but has no idea what the line is. Like, he's aware they wear more fabric than demons, and have sleeves that fully cover their arms, but has no clue what pieces pair together and what fashion choices are clearly demon related that would get him recognized immediately. Like "what do you mean human's don't wear their clan crests everywhere? well how else do they define their enemies?!" Su Xiyan, meanwhile, is dressed in Huan Hua clothing. I wanted to make them distinct visually from Cang Qiong, so currently I have CQ having each peak have its own colors of robes (patterns and such denoting ranking), with each peak generally having a similar look and all of them (sans peak lords) wearing identical belts and boots, with the only variations being colors. Meanwhile, I have Huan Hua having everyone in the same gold silver white uniforms, with ranking denoted by accent colors and accessories they choose to wear. Like, if she was more self absorbed here, Su Xiyan could have worn a longer robe and a cape over that uniform but just chose not to. I like the idea of them wanting all their people to look the same, like an army or a hivemind.

Going to the bottom there: TLJ's Sister and ZZL's mother...what a figure. Like what was up with her. Like TLJ saying "if i had a mother like that I'd want to forget her too" like is that in reference to the abandonment or to her being a piece of work? Also, how on earth did the little sister of Mr "I'm so powerful a multi sect ambush of the top cultivators was only enough to imprison me" TLJ just casually died?? Like can heavenly demons even do that??? I love making up wild conspiracies about her based on nothing. She faked her death. She didn't die, she ascended to godhood as the god of deadbeat parents, or perhaps snake lovers. She dropped her mortal body to enter the dream realm like Meng Mo did and that's how she told TLJ her wish for ZZL. Wild. Oh also my other wild conspiracy is that she had more than one kid and thus there are a bunch of unclaimed half heavenly demons running around. Banging a snake man and ditching the kid?? Ain't no way that's her first time. Anyways.

My only comments on Zhuzhi are that I wanted to make him look like a little guy. And I hope I succeeded. Oh and also that his cheeks, nose, forehead, shoulder, hands, and feet are darker bc thats a cluster of harder scales he retains even in a humanoid form. Anyways.

Onto bingqiu: I've seen some art of Binghe in that white robe on top of his darker ones and had the thought that it'd be nice if that was the Qing Jing inner disciple robe, so I leaned into that. Their robes (as also shown on the little Ning Yingying next to him) are like a shorter color swapped version of the peak lord robes, and they're wearing similar belt and hair crowns. I think Binghe would wanna wear them partially to show off his disciple status and partially to wear the colors of his husband (like with the upper eyeliner), though he still has demon traits and fashions showing. I gave TLJ and LBH heterochromia since I wanted it to be immediately obvious to anyone who looked at them that yeah, they have the same eyes. Binghe's everything else is just slight adjustments of SXY, like the nose and the fluffy hair. Meanwhile, I've got SQQ in mainly his peak lord robes, with a few exceptions: The tassel on the closed fan he's holding is the same as Binghe's earring, he's wearing red eyeliner, and part of his hair crown is red. Also he's embarrassed about the pda (h*lding h*nds in public), that nervous expression isn't bc he was forced to do anything he doesn't want to.

Anyways to wrap up this one thousand word brain ramble, I have a lot of thoughts on world building for fleshing things out, and part two of this will be focused on Mobei Jun, thanks for reading

[rascalentertainments]

Okay first of all I’d like to apologize for not sending this in sooner, because I went to finally clear all the tabs from my computer and realized I??? Didn’t press the “ask” button to actually submit these questions??? But here they are, late but I hope they still work!

(If you’ve answered some of these before, feel free to skip them)

What were the symptoms of Asha’s father’s death?

Was Sakina pessimistic after her husband’s death as well?

Will Asha’s wish be turned into a wish orb?

Asha is 18 in this rewrite, so if she stayed in Rosas, would she give up her wish?

Did Sakina give up her wish? Or did she refuse?

What about Sabino?

Does Valentino have a separate design, or are you sticking with the concept art you showed?

What wish gets destroyed for Star to realize that Rosas is actually kind of fucked up?

Are you changing around the order of any songs?

How old are the seven teens in this rewrite?

How is Star’s stand-off with Amaya different than one with Magnifico?

Who taught Amaya magic?

They created wish magic, you say? Do they know that taking a wish robs people of their drive?

When did Amaya adopt Sabor?

Would Sabor ever warm up to Magnifico?

If the traitor isn’t who we think it is, then it’s probably not Simon. Can you give us any clues?

Sneak peak!

No Star before has ever changed into a human before? Why is Star the first?

How old is Star if he hasn’t got a name for himself yet?

Are you adding anyone new other than Flazino?

Bazeema x Safi, you say? Are you thinking of any other ships?

Will you be making a poster for Wish Granted?

How are you showing the songs in your rewrite?

Is anyone dying in your rewrite?

Would you consider this more of a rewrite or an AU? Like, could this be a Disney movie, or more of taking the concepts and turning it into your own thing?

Hope you enjoy!

OH MY GOD, THERE'S SO MANY QUESTIONS, SAPH! 😂 Let's get started!

Similar to Simon, he started to feel more lethargic as years went on, but he usually powered through it like Sabino. However, something else took his life, which lead to the rest of the family fleeing Rosas. That's a gonna,be a big reveal on what happens to him!

At first she was, but Sabino convinced her not become bitter, because it would set a bad example for Asha growing up. Unfortunately it happened anyway, but not because of an influence. So Sakina does the best she can for the family and Hamlet by making clothes for others that need it. Its the closest she can get to her dream.

Both yes and no. 😆 Asha does indeed have a wish and Magnifico does try to take it from Asha as a bargaining chip. However, he's gonna find out that he can't exactly do that. "wink wink"

If it meant her family would be safe, then she begrudgingly would. She would want to find a way to get her own wish back along with everyone else's and now be on a time limit because she could start feeling the symptoms at any given time.

Sakina originally did, but she regretted it after she found out what happened to her husband. She's glad that they ran away before Asha was old enough to give her's away.

Same for Sabino. He had the wish since was a boy and thought the king was finally going to grant it, only to find out years later he had no intention of doing so.

Valentino does have a separate design! He has a similar outfit and horns like the piece of concept art I used, but his face and fur color will be different. Canon!Valentino's face is unsettling...

Flazino's wish gets destroyed, along with a woman who's implied to also know about the Hamlet. Star ends up finding the wishes at one point, and he can feel their joy, hope and dreams. So once those two wishes were crushed, he felt the pain they felt. It reminded him of feeling so alone in space. That's when he fully understands Mags is a monster that must be stopped.

Not really. Its easier for me, lol. The most extra I'm doing is putting "A Wish Worth Making" near the end to close out the movie. And "Knowing What I Know Now" will be used after the traitor is revealed and that same traitor will end up joining the rebellion instead. There MAYBE a villain song added though! (Not TITTIG, I can't save that one)

They're all about nearly year apart from each other, since they looked different ages in the movie. So in order, Simon and Dhalia are 18, Dario and Hal are 17, Safi and Bazeema are 16, and Gabo is 15.

While Star's stand off with Mags is more about their power differences and how they few wishes/humans, Amaya knows how to get into Star's head. Amaya basically tells him he can't be human, ever. She's very good at using her words amps weapons when she doesn't have magic, so her other tactic is to convince Star even if he stays on Earth, he could never be good enough for Asha, always being viewed as something inhuman. (Think of that scene from Shrek 2 with the Fairy Godmother) It REALLY gets to him and starts to question himself of what he even is anymore.

Much like Magnifico, she was self taught! And by combing their magic, they grew in power!

Absolutely, that benefits them in fact. If the wisher loses drive, they lose motive to do anything else, including having any desire to stop them and their plans.

Back when the couple was traveling the world and before they reached Rosas. When they arrived in the country, Amaya found him alone in the forest as a cub and took him. He was a lost animal that needed to be raised and grow into a beautiful yet dangerous animal like he was meant to be.

.....A little bit, when Sabor is actually thanked for finding the true traitor and he gets to eat Mouse!Star, he does start to see he's not all bad.

You're right, its actually a different character, BUT I CAN'T GIVE SPOILERS! I want to, honestly cause its such a big part I'm excited to show! The hint is its another teen, so that leaves 6 other suspects. OR it could be somebody from the Hamlet! 😯

Here's one from Chapter 5:

18. No other star nomad has had a desire to visit Earth. They enjoy it as a tourist attraction and not much else. Star is the first one that we know of that has had the desire to actually GO to Earth. Him and his cousins, lol.

19. He turned 18 a month before the story starts, but he's never really decided on a name. There's just so Mich variety to choose from that he's indecisive.😂

20. Aside from giving the Rosas citizens and Hamlet people some personalities, the cast stays the same. That way it won't feel over crowded.

21. Possibly Flazino x Dhalia. Though it might end up being one-sided. It could change though! 😉

22. YES!!!! I WANT TO SO BADLY!! It will most likely be for when the story us half way through and with Chapter 5 still being written, we're only 1/3 in. But I already have ideas for one! 😁

23. I'll make a separate postings for them featuring the rewritten lyrics, instrumental backgrounds and possibly some art! 😉 Each song will help the story along, just like the first three did! The one I'm really trying hard to remake is "Knowing What I Know Now" cause it was the closest to sounding the best.

24. Now that's a secret! 🤐

25. A bit of both! Its basically how I would've written a Disney movie, so its leans towards more rewrite.

Wow, thanks so much for these MANY great questions, @wings-of-sapphire!! Sorry it took me so long, it was a lot to answer this time! I appreciate you writing these out though! 😁 (I'll tag your other channel just in case @signed-sapphire)

[akirameta84]

Akechi being Rivulet definitely works! And can also act as Aiura both desperately wanting to help Saiki, and get some vengeance for Saiki via having Akechi be built specifically for ripping out Kuusuke's Rarefaction Cell, whether he consents to it or not. And maybe she included a secondary purpose afterwards. One geared towards giving Saiki a companion after the Rarefaction Cell transplant happens.

Aren could be the Spearmaster Scug, but his creation was completely different. Like, Saiki could've created him as a desperate attempt to communicate with Kuusuke and get him to stop draining all the water, even if it's probably too late, via acting as his messenger because Kuusuke wasn't listening to all other methods of communication. And when that didn't work, he finally gave up and had Aren send out his final message. The ability to tap into the Iterator network could've been a side effect of Saiki's attempt to figure out why this is happening bleeding into Aren's creation process, and by the time he switched focus from investigator to messenger, it was already coded into the genome. ...and I'm adding angst via throwing out the idea of Aren sticking around Saiki's collapsed Super Structure until things have both cooled down enough, and there is an opening even there, so that he can finally reunite with his creator.

Mera as the Artificer. Her siblings and mother were killed by the Scavengers, so she decided to go a little crazy. ...yes if there was a way for her to have learned what happened to Saiki due to Kuusuke's actions she wouldn't be happy with him whatsoever. But for a while she had no way of learning and by the time she can learn she's living on top of Kuusuke's Super Structure taking care of some Slug Pups she found because it's safe from the rain so she probably won't learn about it until way later on.

Hairo is a less chonky Gourmand, but that's only because of his energy because otherwise he still cooks to keep up with the amount of energy he burns just by existing. Anyways he just got a bit lost scouting, met Saiki once, surprisingly without Nendou or Aren nearby, helped him out with a lizard, left, met Nendou and Aren individually and helped them hunt a bit, then met Kuusuke, got him to open the gate, then left. But he still visits on the occasion. Not at all realizing the two loner slug cats and the other Iterator know each other until Teruhashi arrived and helped them.

Speaking of, Teruhashi, she's the Survivor. She was swept away, and is now desperately trying to survive. She met Aren who chucked some food at her then left, and later Nendou who guided her to Saiki, alongside Saiki, Toritsuka, and Aiura's Overseers. Which she trusts because they've helped her so far. Anyways she ends up getting the necessary Neurons for Saiki because Nendou and Aren are too busy guarding him from the wildlife to go, and despite his body language it's obvious Saiki is nice via how he didn't hesitate to absent mindedly pet all the Scugs around him. ...when she meets Kuusuke the dislike on her side is great and Kuusuke is trying very hard to ignore her reasoning for grabbing his neurons, instead acting like she isn't grabbing them.

Kaidou is the Monk. He was a member of the colony Teruhashi was from and after a bit decided to go after her. He's fucking terrified the entire time, somehow ended up meeting Kuusuke before meeting literally anyone else, and had to be guided by Kuusuke to Saiki, and as a result Saiki's group of Scugs. Including Teruhashi. Saiki is just extremely confused on how they know each other.

Now then, as for the Monk... I honestly have no clue the Monk could be the same Slug Cat for all I know the little guy is wack like that.

yes. very much yes. i have 2 rain world aus now it seems lmfao, a scug one where its an isekai and everyone is a scug, and this one, where they replace the canon cast <3

akechi was definitely designed to also be a companion after he did his job. hes sleek and fast but strong, as aiurs didnt know how hard stealing a rarefaction cell from a mostly functioning iterator would be.

rain world kinda implies that rivulet was a purposed organism (being so unique + already having the mark), so in this au its just the actual truth

you did Monk twice but i think you meant Saint can just be the same crazy fella, and i agree haha

spearmaster aren is perfect. kuusuke hsd closed all communication networks so a messenger was needed, and kusuo was still functional enough to make one. and hes there as a companion too <3

mera, as the most feral character, works well as the most feral scug lol. those scavengers didnt stand a chance.

everyone who wasnt a purposed organism has to got through kuusuke to get the mark of communication, since the other closest iterstor cant exactly do that. so them winding up there makes sense lol

ty for the ask i agree with everything so so so much <3 love getting these even if i apologize for a lackluster response because honestly all i have is agreement ahdb

[talesofsonicasura]

To Become Maddening

(Remade without poll so I can edit.)

I figured why not have my first Trollhunters AU be angst with a side of hurt/comfort involving a certain Jim Lake Jr. Whether this has half Troll or full Troll Jim (my own design, not Wizards) is up in the air.

It begins when on our future Trollhunters tenth birthday, a normally happy event turned sour as he found a strange stone in his backyard. A very magical one cause the moment he touches it, Jim disappears within a flash of red light. Where did he go? An alternate universe specifically Madness Combat's Nevada.

(I'll be filling the blanks whenever necessary. Madness Combat is a Newground series made by Krinkels and is VERY violent. You don't have watch the series to understand the AU as I'll keep things about it vague. The characters are a species called Grunts or Crosslings. Defining traits are: clay like skin, facial features hidden by a cross similar in appearance to what's used to sketch faces and floating hands.)

Maddening universe where the sky is blood red, the undead walk the earth, and reality itself is broken. A kill or be killed environment Jim is forced to adapt to. Luckily he isn't alone for long as the kid meets another displaced human by the name of Marin. She runs the Skyfall Organization, a rescue team with her right hand MAG Consternation alongside trusty MAG Fluffy Grunt Buck and takes him under her wing.

Jim is taught how to not only survive but thrive in this apocalyptic environment than just rescue responder training. He returns to Arcadia Oaks at the age of 13 albeit quite traumatized. During Jim's disappearance, Barbara may have started dating Stricklander and Toby stumbles upon Trollmarket earlier than in canon.

The latter occurs because he was searching for any possible clues to his best friend's disappearance. Jim's partner in crime accidentally stumbles upon Kanijar, who finds the stone responsible for the disappearance, and follows him back. It didn't take long for a certain Krubera to find Toby in Trollmarket.

Now Team Trollhunters is in the prototype phase as a result of these change in events. He wants to find Jim and if that means the possible of danger the Troll world brings then so be it. Toby is Kanijar's "chair guy", filling the Trollhunter about any events using a drone or RC car. He thinks the whole Trollhunters working alone thing is dumb and is slowly chipping away at that mindset.

You never underestimate a determined kid especially one who would go to the ends of the Earth for his friend. Kanijar is the type who wouldn't have a kid be left unprotected upon discovering the existence of Trolls. Especially as Toby's determination could lead to someone like Bular finding him.

Our wingman's tenacity definitely caused changes for the Trollmarket residents. Draal is like a teasing old brother when it comes to Toby, a courtesy later extended to Jim. He also helps Blinky with any research so our loveable sassy boi has some knowledge in magic too.

Anyway, both are relieved that Jim is back but quickly notice the scars, equipment and WEAPONS he gotten during his stay. Marin didn't want to leave the boy defensively so taught him how to use guns, knives alongside her favorite (stolen) weapon: the Dragon Sword.

(It's Jim, a child Jim. The guy would definitely try to use equipment without proper training so Marin's hands were tied. She rather not have the kid hurt himself or become zombie chow trying to be a hero.) He does keep the stuff from Nevada like the Dragon Sword but the guns; a Sig P365 semi automatic handgun, Desert Eagle 11911 Commander, and a 50 Beowulf rifle to be precise, are locked up until his 20th birthday.

I'm debating whether to give Jim serious facial damage. Not the subtle stuff either. Like Jonah Hex(left) scarring where his teeth is visible or worse a prosthetic lower jaw like Antipathy Hank(right). Maybe a mix of both. As for how he got it, let's just say Nevada has its own devil. Someone who doesn't like Marin and got no qualms hurting a young child.

It does open up a chance for more bonding but also Barbara getting dragged into the Trollhunter business early as well. Rescue responders do need a medic when shit hits the fan and lives are on the line.

Jim finds out about Trollmarket as his time in Nevada allows him to spot even the smallest signs of suspicious behavior. He follows Toby when his best friend goes to tell Blinky about Jim's return. You can imagine the entire Trollmarket's shock when they see an extensively scarred child, especially one who seen the horrors of battle.

Jim tells about his experience in the apocalyptic Nevada and suggests a rescue/emergency system to be implemented. He has an obvious huge distaste for not only the Trollhunter working alone nonsense too but the major lack of contingencies. Marin practically drilled the consequences to such actions in his head.

Now Jim isn't going to be the Trollhunter as these early precautions keep Kanijar from dying like in canon. Although the troll might get discharged from such duty and Draal taking his place due to severe injuries in the future. (Plus I want to take a shot at writing him.) Our human trio of heroes still get directly involved when canon events start.

Strickler is very hesitant to go against Jim and his resolve to free Gunmar been severely cracked. How? Well, Jim has a group photo of him with his fellow rescuers in the Skyfall Organization. Something that Strickler finds when it drops outta the boy's bag. Barbara later sees it too.

Jim only tells the concealed Changeling about his experiences in Nevada, nothing else. The kind of stuff that leaves the man awestruck. In Strickler's opinion, the place sounds worse than the Darklands as reality is literally tearing apart, yet it has one thing the lost Troll world would never have: hope. An actual Pandora's Box that opened up future possibilities he hadn't realize until now.

Just because Jim isn't going to be the Trollhunter doesn't mean certain canon events won't happen. He still acquires the Eclipse armor and most likey becomes a half troll or full troll albeit a different reason. If he has the prosthetic lower jaw then it'll alter to fit his new form. Will Marin, Consternation and Buck appear? I'm split down the middle for that but if so then it's around mid second season or start of the third.

That's all I have for now! Until next time folks, I'll see you back at Arcadia! Have this little track that sums up the aura of this AU, Dawn of the Red Sun by MonoCronic.

[zeta-in-de-walls]

Fanfic: Tommy introduces Phil to Shroud!

Hey guys, I have had the urge to do some writing recently. Unfortunately, I’ve discovered I am only passionate about writing conversations between Phil and Tommy. Eh, whatever. This one takes place on the DSMP. Theoretically canon compliant.

Comments + feedback appreciated. ❤

Wordcount: 1041 words

-

Phil wondered quite what he had done to deserve random visits from Tommy of all people at the most unwelcome hours. Did he have some way of discerning when would be a bad time and make it a point to come over? Or was this just some innate talent?

Naturally, Phil had just decided to get into designing a rather complex dome involving several different hues of coloured glass that required an attention to detail to get all the lighting to be just right. It would require the utmost concentration. Therefore, it was the perfect time for an annoying teenager to drop in and start distracting him.

“Phil! What’s up big man?” TommyInnit said loudly, jumping right into his lair, trampling over some flowers and throwing a bucket of water on the ground to catch his fall. 

It took all of Phil’s considerable patience not to tell him to just go away. And only because he knew it wouldn’t work anyway. Tommy would probably just get upset. And you did not want to deal with an unhappy Tommy. He woud get under your skin in an entirely different way.

“Hey mate,” Phil said instead, keeping his voice as carefully neutral as possible. “Need something?”

“No - though I did borrow some of your stone! I can’t find where you put the rest of it actually. Has anyone ever told you, your stuff is really annoying to access?” Tommy said cheerfully.

“That’s deliberate, Tommy. To make sure no one can steal it,” Phil replied, sighing to himself as he looked away from the unfinished glass flooring.

 “But Phil! You forgot one important flaw which means its harder for us to access! I probably broke your storage system just finding the hidden box! Honestly, that’s got to be really annoying.”

Tommy was exaggerating, Phil knew. He was grinning cheekily which meant he knew exactly what he was doing no matter how innocent he sounded. But then again, Tommy would happily cause trouble, somehow knowing just how far to push it without being too destructive. It was easier to let him get away with it. (And maybe some of his antics were just a bit amusing.)

“Mate, you could just ask first?” Phil replied, approaching the boy to see if he could detect any damage.

“But you’d probably just forget Phil. I know what you’re like, you’d see a random piece of andesinite and get distracted. Or you’d just say no,” Tommy said, with his usual nonsensical logic.

Then he saw the creature on Tommy’s back. He flinched, switching to high alert.

“Wha- Tommy get back!” Phil said, grabbing a sword.

Tommy blinked at him in confusion, completely oblivious to the danger.

It was a... giant spider? It’s long legs were clinging to Tommy’s shoulders like some sort of monstrous backpack.

And then Tommy smirked, eyes alight. “Oh, haven’t you met Shroud? He’s my pet spider!” 

Phil watched in awed horror, sword still held limply in hand, as Tommy reached round, patting the creature, encouraging it to rest its head on Tommy’s shoulder where he could more easily coo at it. 

“Tommy that’s a hostile mod. Don’t pet it! They eat children,” Phil warned, not sure how to respond to this. When did Tommy become his responsibility?

“I’m not a child, Phil! Shroud’s nice. See, he likes being cuddled,” Tommy said, grinning like this was some sort of practical joke.

“Uh-” Phil had as little clue as ever how to get through to this strange kid. “Wait, is it wearing socks?” 

Indeed, at the end of its long, hairy legs, were little blue bits of fabric. It was absolutely absurd on the red-eyed mob. It was almost- no it was not cute at all.  What was Tommy thinking? Not that Phil should ever try to comprehend his mind.

“Oh yeah! Sometimes Shoud can get a little moody. Mostly when it’s nighttime and he sometimes tries to kill me a little. It’s a bit annoying so I gave him socks which keeps him from scratching me!”

“You gave him socks to stop him from attacking you,” Phil repeated numbly.

He was both full of questions and without words. 

“Yep, he sometimes still tries to bite me but don’t worry, he’s not poisonous. The rest of the time he keeps me great company. I love him,” Tommy said merrily like there was nothing wrong at all with any of that.

“Tommy that thing is not your friend, its dangerous. You should let me kill it!” Phil said, brandishing his sword. 

Tommy’s eyes widened in alarm. “NO! Don’t hurt him. He’s really nice. He’s a friend spider! Look him in the eyes, Phil. He’s good.”

And Tommy was backing away now, his earlier relaxed posture replaced with a defensive stance and despite his keen words, there was a steely look in his eyes. Damn, he was really going to fight him on this?

Of course Tommy had grown attached to a monster of all things. Why was no one watching out for this kid?

“Tommy, I’m trying to help you. Befriending hostile mobs isn’t good for you. Think about this rationally,” Phil said, keeping his voice calm and soothing. Tommy needed to learn how to take care of himself. 

“Oh shut up, you don’t understand, I need Shroud,” Tommy growled back, and there was a sudden bitterness in his voice.

“C’mon Tommy. A friend wouldn’t hurt you.”

“All friends hurt you Phil. That’s what it is to care. Not that you’d understand! You kill the people you care about!”

Phil froze. Taken aback by the sheer venom in his voice and exactly what he was implying. 

And Tommy was already leaving. Hurrying away with the spider still on his back like it was a part of him. 

Phil didn’t run after him. The boy was not his responsibility. He was just some stranger who bothered him sometimes and sometimes gave off worrying signals. Just some kid starving for attention and was finding it in some spider of all things.

He shouldn’t care about him. Like Tommy said, caring meant letting them hurt you. He was gone now, leaving him in peace at last. Probably wouldn’t be back in a long time.

So why did he feel strangely bereft?

[anemo-writes]

hello travelers! again, thank you for putting up with my inactivity, it’s been hard to write lately haha. anyways, i thought this would be something fun to post and for everyone to enjoy, whether you celebrate Valentine’s Day or not :) (note: this will probably be more fanon than canon so please bear with me, i’ll make it as canon as it can be :’) i also kept this pretty short, so hopefully that’s okay too,, and sorry for this being late haha—i wrote this very late at night so don’t mind any typos you find please)

much love,

~ anemo-chan <3

(The Playable) Genshin Impact Characters on Valentine’s Day (Romantically)

super romantic; gifts you a bouquet of flowers and takes you out to eat at a fancy restaurant/cooks for you.

Diluc

He is nervous. He’s never paid close attention to the countless amount of people who have lined outside the tavern to ask him to be their Valentine, only to be rejected. There was absolutely no way that he would turn to Kaeya for advice, so unfortunately this was something he would have to figure out for himself. He figures that it wouldn’t hurt to go traditional, so that’s what he does; he buys a large bouquet of roses (which he had to get from Donna, seeing that at the hours that he ended work were very late and Flora’s shop was not open at the time—yeah, that was not fun) and presents himself outside your doorway, to which he invites you to join him for a late dinner—which he makes!

Lisa

She leaves a letter on top of your nightstand, paired along with a singular rose. The letter states for you to meet her outside of Good Hunter, where you find her sitting at a table with a candle dimly-lighting up the surroundings. She greets you with a warm smile, gesturing for you to sit down—the two of you enjoy a candle-lit dinner as well as bolognese she specially requested for Sara to make for the two of you to enjoy together why does this remind me so much of Lady and the Tramp,,

Tartaglia

Oh boy. It’s always a fun time spending a holiday with him, seeing that it could go two ways; one, he would be too busy to celebrate it with you on the day of, and he would take you out the day after, or two—have a store’s entire line of merchandise presented to you outside your doorstep, in which a very, very smiley Tartaglia hidden within the pile (after all, he was the best present!) After you’re done moving all of the gifts into your house (it took up the space of your entire living room), he tells you to cover your eyes and follow him. He takes you to one of the most well-known restaurants in Liyue (which currently doesn’t have a name because it is very late here!), and insists that you order whatever you want, and however much you want.

Zhongli

Over the years, he’s witnessed many, many couples celebrate this holiday and every year he’s wished to do the same. He finds the perfect opportunity to do so when Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and boy does he plan it out for the two of you. He’s even made sure to have his wallet on him at all times—it would be extremely rude for you to have to pay if he happened to forget his wallet. He makes sure to stop by to pick up a bouquet of flowers, as well as a bottle of perfume (not in a bad way, just to clarify) from Ying’er’s shop that he recalled you liked. He makes sure to pick you up early from your work place to make sure you made it to your appointment on time; after all, being late to an appointment was similar to breaking a contract, no?

surprises you with homemade sweets.

Fischl

Oh, she is so nervous—of course, she doesn’t show this. The entire week, she spent researching recipes to create a special batch of chocolate-dipped strawberries just for you—she even sent Oz to the nearby farms to “borrow” the freshest strawberries for the treat (the farmers were too scared to confront the talking bird who “borrowed” their strawberries, so luckily they got away with it). She dips them in a purple-colored chocolate (because what other color would she use, really?) and drizzles on a dark-chocolate syrup to top it off. She’s too shy to actually give it to you herself though, so she has Oz drop it off for her.

Ganyu

Even though she’s quite busy, she’s somehow found time to whip up a special batch of chocolate just for you! She shapes them into Glaze Lilies (which she found quite hard, which is why there are so few of them) and presents them to you in a neatly-sealed box. She’s quite modest when your eyes widen and tell her it’s the best chocolate you have ever eaten, claiming that she only followed a recipe, when she really made it from scratch.

Keqing

Like Ganyu, you have no idea how she finds time to create a perfect array of chocolates, which she made herself! However, with her tightly-packed schedule, she has to drop it off at your house in advance, to which you accept happily. She tried to decorate them with designs of cartoon-versions of your faces, but they’re a bit...messy. Nonetheless, they’re tasty, and to her relief, you enjoy them.

Mona

Somehow, she’s managed to scrape up enough mora to buy you a necklace; yes, a necklace, and a real one at that—none of that fake, costume jewelry stuff! She even added a pendant shaped like star, just so you could be reminded of her whenever you fiddled with it or even glanced at it. She’s quite flustered when she gives it to you, ignoring the way you ask how she managed to save this much mora to be able to buy something like this, changing the subject on how you should never-ever take it off (because it looks great on you.)

Noelle

One word: pancakes. (Have you seen the ones she makes for her special dishes? They’re frigging amazing) As a dutiful maid should, she wakes up especially early to prepare a homemade breakfast just for you, to which she serves to you just as your wake up in bed. The fluffy stack of pancakes are decorated with fruits cut up in heart-shapes, as well the words, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Y/N”, written neatly with chocolate syrup—it’s quite a sight to see, to be honest, and utterly delicious. Lucky you!

Xiangling

The day before, she tells you to meet her at the restaurant around noon. When you arrive, the restaurant is adorned with Valentine decorations, as well as a terrifying amount of food; she insists that she only made it for you, so you better eat up! Before she can show you the other dishes, the restaurant is suddenly filled with a strong, bitter smell—something burning. With a yelp, she runs into the kitchen, coming out a few minutes later with a tray of half-scorched cupcakes, their Gouba-shapes adorned with...a lot of burn marks. Oh well, it’s the thought that counts, doesn’t it?

buys/makes a present for you.

Albedo

Without your knowledge, Albedo has been creating a collection of artworks throughout all the time you had spent together. The pieces include portraits of you, portraits of you and him (sucrose helped with this), as well as just random sketches of the little things that remind him of you, such as the bare, snowy-white terrain where the two of you first met, as well as its flora and fauna. If you request it, he’ll even make the painting come alive (literally), and the two of you run to Sucrose’s dwelling, who is very shocked to see the pair of you running from a Frosted Lawachurl when she peered out her window to see if she could pinpoint the sounds of distant screaming.

Amber

Is there anything better than a matching set of wind gliders? Not only that—they were homemade! She spent the last couple of weeks putting together a pair of gliders for the two of you, customizing them to your tastes (which she nailed!) She quite literally drags you to the nearest hill to test them out, and the two of you end up challenging each other on who can get back to the Knights of Farvonius Headquarters the fastest—spoiler alert: she did.

Barbara

Oh, she would make the cutest card for you—the envelope is decorated with cute stickers (some of them even had her face on it; there’s nothing like promoting merchandise, am i right? jkjks) She also pairs it off with a box of chocolates that she bought from Sara—however, what she didn’t know was that in the box was a special-edition spicy chocolate truffle. With your luck, that was the first one you chose—and boy, were you met a surprise (it was so bad that you were begging Barbara to use her Vision on you, which she refused of course). Fun times.

Chongyun

He’s real sweet. After his expeditions and commissions, he opens the freezer (yes he keeps them in there, don’t judge him) to an array of ice sculptures, shapes varying from flowers, hearts, and such—although it’s quite the simple gift, he’s put a lot of effort into them, even putting in the extra effort to cast a spell to make sure they would not melt; it’s all worth though, when he sees the absolutely giddy expression on your face, and the look of pure awe as you pick one up and study it closely, admiring all of the details and work that’s he put in.

Ningguang

She sends out informants to find out what you like, whether it be something that your gaze settled on for too long or something you’ve mentioned while talking to her—on the day of, you open your door to a mountain of gifts, with Ningguang herself peering out from behind it with a calm smile and a wave (which was the opposite of your reaction, because who has that much mora to purchase all of these gifts?!?)

Razor

He doesn’t have a clue on what the holiday until Lisa asks him if he’s planned something for the two of you during one of his lessons. When he shakes his head no, Lisa suggests that he make you something, to which he sets out on an adventure to do, looking for flowers and flower stems to weave into a pair of matching bracelets—they’re not the prettiest, but he is pretty proud of it; after all, it was his first time making something like that. He’s quite nervous to present it to you, afraid that you might not like it, but all feelings of worry melt away when you slide it on with a huge smile on your face, insisting that he wears his too.

Sucrose

At first, she considers gifting you a present that she created herself; of course, with her work being alchemy, she isn’t sure if that would be the safest option, despite being talented herself. And so, she resorts to buying a present for you—she is very picky with the present though, insisting that it should be perfect since she could not make one herself. She even consults Albedo when selecting some of the presents (he doesn’t help her unfortunately; he believes that she should figure it out herself haha). Like Razor, she’s quite nervous to give it to you, but lets out a huge sigh of relief as you thank her happily for the gift, wiping a bead of sweat from across her forehead (sucrose bby anything you give us would be perfect,,)

whisks you away somewhere sentimental, where the two of you can enjoy a special date.

Beidou

It’s ungodly early in the morning when Beidou presents herself in front of your doorstep, announcing that you’ll be joining her and the crew on a special ride. She tugs you along beside her until you reach the harbor, where you are met with the sight of her ship adorned with streamers and banners, varying between shades of pink and red. Onboard, there is a table filled with goodies the crew collected and made, and boy do they look delicious. The group sets out to sea, and you take your place next to the captain, who even lets you steer the boat (momentarily, at least.)

Bennett

He takes you to meet his dads; yes, yes—he knows that it’s not the most romantic thing to do on a day dedicated to lovers, but he figures it’s just as important. Besides, they’ve been asking about you for quite a while—they even set up a small party within the Adventurer’s Guild, with the help of Bennett, of course. You spend the day listening to their old adventuring stories, as well as bits from Bennett’s childhood (poor boy is flustered from all the information his dads are spilling, but he’s still happy either way; after all, he’s with the most important people to him.)

Kaeya

He quite literally kidnaps you; one second you’re walking in the streets of Mondstadt on your way to work when suddenly someone grabs you by the waist and pulls you into an alley way (that sounds so creepy but i swear he means it in a good way). He only chuckles and shields himself with his arms as you punch him lightly, retorting that he scared you. He doesn’t care that the two of you have an overwhelming amount of work to do—after all, Valentine’s Day only comes once a year, right? Surprisingly, he doesn’t take you the tavern, but instead...Dawn Winery! Diluc received quite the surprise when he is met with the two of you standing outside his gates, with Kaeya requesting a wine/grape juice taste-testing. Yeah...you guys didn’t get any of that, but you did manage to snag a couple of grapes on your way out! Good for you!

Venti

You wake up in your bed, opening your eyes to see a very-smiley Venti laying beside you, chin propped up against his hand as he watches you yawn sleepily as you force yourself out of bed. You’re then presented with a handpicked-bouquet of Ceceilias, the freshest of the bunch, if he may add. You barely have time to thank him before he hoists you up in his arms and out of your dwelling, gliding over the city of Mondstadt as he whisks you away to Starsnatch Cliff, where he’s prepared a special performance just for you (and no, you don’t need to pay.)

Xingqiu

While he’s not the most romantic, he does have a clue on what people look for on Valentine’s Day; after all, that’s what cheesy-romance novels were for, right? Unbeknownst to you, he takes you on a date very similar to the one the main characters in his favorite novels partook in—and you don’t find out until you catch him peeking into the pages while you weren’t (you were) looking. Again, it’s the thought that counts—

doesn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Jean

Sadly, she probably forgets about the holiday. She’s too busy holed-up in her office to notice the couples gathered up in the courtyard, sharing moments with their lover. It’s not until she walks out to take a breather that she notices the commotion—she immediately calls you over, apologizing frantically. Of course, to this you respond that’s it’s okay, but that you would much rather her take the rest of the day off to spend time together, to which she reluctantly agrees.

Xiao

“I do not have time to celebrate silly human traditions like that.” He would say as you bound up to him, exclaiming that it’s Valentine’s Day, the day where you can give sweets to your loved ones, and asking if he had someone special in mind to spend it with. He’s irked when your gaze falters and the grip on the object you’re hiding behind your back tightens—he only grows more irked as you mutter to yourself how you’ll give the chocolates you made to someone else. He scoffs loudly, avoiding your gaze as he lays out his hand in front of you to accept the chocolates (just because he doesn’t celebrate the holiday doesn’t mean he can’t get jealous!)

[fangirlovestuff]

More Than Meets The Eye - Steve Rogers x reader

a/n - hey lovely people!! this one is for @s1utforfictionalcharacters​, who asked for a Steve x reader enemies to lovers a while ago. thank you so much for bearing with me and being patient, and i hope you enjoy!!<3

Summary: Between figuring out what was the Tesseract doing at a Hydra base and if it even is the Tesseract, you need to navigate your relationaship with one annoying, broody Captain. Honestly, you might prefer the Hydra thing. 

this isn’t set in the mcu timeline, but takes inspiration from a few mcu movies. it’s not canon compliant and everyone’s alive:)

Word Count: 7k

Warnings: lowkey angst and some tension, maybe a curse word or two? tell me if i missed anything!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Rogers!" you heard Tony's voice over the comms, "Where the hell are you?"

"Babysitting," you heard Steve's irritated voice, not only over the comms but also behind you, right before you saw him dashing past you to punch the Hydra agent you were fighting square in the jaw.

"Well, get America's ass over here, now," Tony grunted, clearly mid-fight himself, "we need backup."

"Go!" you yelled at him, spinning to take out another agent that was coming up behind Steve, "I got this!"

"You sure?" he asked, his tone sarcastically degrading, jumping while kicking two agents simultaneously. Showoff.

"Yes," you resisted the urge to roll your eyes, "I can handle them, go help the others!"

"Alright," he grunted as he pushed off another agent before running back in the direction he came from, towards the rest of the team.

"Cap, you coming or what?" Natasha spoke on the comms, calmer than Tony, but it was obvious she's just as in need of backup as he was.

"Coming!" Steve replied, before it went relatively quiet.

You finished up disarming the rest of the agents in your wing of the building. No one was calling for you on the comms yet, so you decided to make another round in the perimeter, make sure you didn't miss anything.

God knows captain know-it-all is gonna be on your ass about it if that's the case. And honestly, you have more than enough of that as is.

As you were walking down the hallway, you noticed a strange, glowing light coming from under the doors. Upon finding it was unlocked, you opened it to reveal a room that was entirely filled with the same blueish light you had seen, and it was all coming from a desk in the middle of it.

Approaching slowly and letting your eyes time to adjust, you got closer and closer, realizing the shiny object was a peculiar blue cube. A cube you knew well, perhaps even too well.

"Guys, if you're done over there, you might wanna come to my wing. There's something you're gonna want to see."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Okay, we have to keep looking, maybe they left some blueprints or anything that can indicate how they were planning on using it," Steve commanded, "or already have."

"Wait," you said before everyone split up to follow his orders, "as important as the why they got it is, I think the first question we should be asking is how the hell they got it. I thought it was locked away in the Asgard safe?" you looked at Bruce, who out of all of you had the most contact with Thor.

"It was, the last time I checked," he frowned. "I'll see if I can contact Thor, see if he knows anything."

"You do that," Tony interjected, "the rest of you, follow Cap's order while he and I have a little chat. Shall we Rogers?" he pulled a frowning Steve aside, while you all split up to try and find any information you could salvage.

In your search, you ran into Natasha. As you were both scouring the same desk for clues, working together like a well-oiled machine, you asked, "what did Tony want from Cap?"

"Probably to ask him where the hell was he when we needed his backup," she said matter-of-factly. "Or, you know, where the heck he was. We all know Steve's proper like that," she smiled, and you let out a chuckle at her words.

"Well, that’s good," you remarked, "since he really should've been there for you guys. I don't know what was that all about," you scrunched up your nose. "Nothing here," you added, closing the drawer you were looking through.

"Yeah, here too," Natasha closed her own drawer, "let's go."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that day, you were all having dinner together as you went over some papers the others found at the Hydra base. Since you were already in the same place, you split the takeout, taking caution not to spill any of it.

"Cap," you asked, seeing the saltshaker was too far for you to reach, "Can you pass me th-" your words were abruptly cut by him planting it in your hand, going back to whatever it is he was reading.

"Thanks," you muttered, going back to your paperwork as well.

This might be the place to mention that pretty much ever since you joined the team, Steve exhibited a certain… coldness to you. Arrogance, indifference, call it what you want – from day one, Steve Rogers made sure you knew he was better than you.

And considering he was literally Captain America, it's not like you thought you were ever better than him in the first place.

You blended in with the rest of the team seamlessly, fighting and training among them. I mean sure, there were jokes about you being "the new kid", but it was just that – jokes. No one, or at least no one but Steve, seemed to view you as inferior.

You still fought well together, it was your job. Hell, he just passed you the salt before you even finished asking for it. Being attuned to each other's actions and attitude in that way made it all the more obvious how much he seemed to covet his leadership position, his place of dominance.

It got on your nerves. So. Much.

You see, if he were like that to everyone else on the team, so be it. But the absolute majority of it was directed towards you – the new girl. And it was clear that's all he ever saw you as. A girl.

Even that salt thing – he handed it over so impatiently, so suddenly, like one would handle an irritating child.

You had hoped he'd get over it at some point, but so far, that didn't seem to be the case. Well, you're not planning on going anywhere, so you'll both have to get over yourselves at some point.

"Hey!" Steve snapped his fingers in front of your eyes, shaking you from your reverie. "C'mon, listen up. Tony found something."

Oh well, that "some point" is probably not today.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So, Hydra wanted to use this," Natasha gestured at the Tesseract, "To power up a weapon they've designed?"

"That's the gist of it," Tony confirmed. "But from the looks of it, this thing is a lot more powerful than it seems. They planned on powering up a whole armored aircraft, plus all of their rifles using this cube. If that's possible, and by the looks of it, it very well might be, it's a lot stronger than you'd think."

"Wait, what do you mean their rifles as well?" you asked, your brows furrowing, "like, split this thing into pieces?"

"No, it looks like they were planning to project its power somehow, like…" Tony trailed off, struggling to explain.

"Like… Bluetooth?" you suggested.

"Yeah," tony snickered, "pretty much."

"Okay, but they didn't do that yet, right? We stopped them?" you looked around to the rest of your teammates before looking back at Tony.

"Seems like we did," Steve answered instead. "Bruce, any update on how they managed to get it?"

"Didn't hear anything back yet," the man in question shook his head, "I'll try again."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Bruce ended up getting an answer from Thor, telling him to come to Asgard, you immediately volunteered to go with him. It was partially because you've never actually been there, and you were very curious as to why Thor would ask Bruce to come.

But also, you could use a break from a certain Captain.

You tried to ask Bucky and Sam what his deal with you was, several times, but they just shrugged and gave you vague, unhelpful answers. You even considered trying to convince Wanda to just tell you what he thinks about you, but you didn't want to give him the satisfaction of bothering you so much that you'd stoop that low.

So lately, you've been just trying to avoid him, which usually worked just fine, since it's not like he was that adamant about being around you either. That is, until you said you'd go with Bruce.

"No way," he immediately objected.

"Why?" you asked, "Bruce might need some backup, and I'd like to visit Asgard. Win-win."

"We need you here, going over the papers."

"C'mon Cap, I think we both know I do better out there in the field than I do with all the blueprints. Tony's way better with that, he's the only one who does it anyway."

"So what, you're just gonna go on a field trip?" he sneered.

"No, I'm going to look out for my friend and teammate." It took everything in you to keep your voice level.

"That's nice. Cause it would be a shame if Banner had to watch your back while you went on vacation."

You scoffed. "Where did you even get that idea? I said I was gonna give Banner backup. That's the first thing I said, cause that's the most important thing. End of story."

"Fine." Steve shrugged.

"Fine?"

"Yeah, if Banner's willing to take you with him, go."

"Good," you nodded.

"Great."

Somewhat awkwardly, you shuffled out of the room to tell Bruce to count you in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Natasha was the one to send both you and Bruce off to Asgard, the rest being otherwise occupied.

"Be safe," she told the both of you, holding each of your shoulders with one of her hands, before stepping away.

"We will," Bruce promised and you nodded, and just in time the Bifrost came down, taking the both of you where you needed to get.

Thor was the one to greet you, taking you both in for a warm hug before his face became serious.

"I didn't call you all the way here for nothing," he said, "come with me to the palace."

As you were on your way, he explained. "When you told me you encountered the Tesseract in Midgard, I immediately checked in our vault. Sure enough, there's still a Tesseract there."

"A Tesseract? I thought there was just the one," you frowned.

"We did too," Thor replied, "which is why I wanted you both to come see it for yourselves. Maybe you'd be able to point out some differences."

Getting to the palace, you wasted no time going down to the vault. And there it was – the Tesseract.

"How…" you trailed off. It looked completely identical to the one you had found on earth, the same blue tinted glint lighting up its surroundings.

"That's what I was hoping you might have an answer for," Thor sighed, his brows furrowing. "You said the one you encountered was previously in the possession of a group called… Chimera?"

"Hydra," Bruce corrected him. "And yes, we found it in one of their bases."

"Is it possible that the one we found was a fake?" you asked, lifting your eyes from the Tesseract. "Or maybe this one is the fake? Is there a way to know?"

"The only way to know is to try and use them," Bruce sighed, "but trying to wield the power of an infinity stone can be dangerous and destructive to the one who tries. It's something we should try and avoid."

"Okay," you thought, "can't we try and take this one to earth? See if maybe Tony could run some tests on them both, find us a lead as to which one's the real one?"

"That sounds like a good idea," Bruce agreed, "or at least the best one we've got. Can we take it?"

"Of course. I trust you to guard it," he looked at Bruce fondly.

"Thank you," Bruce's eyes and smile are sincere as he shakes Thor's hand.

You pick up the Tesseract tentatively, putting it in your bag and looking back up at Bruce, whose handshake with Thor was still lingering. You hated to interrupt, but you two needed to go back to earth to fill your friends in if you wanted to solve this mystery.

"Shall we?" you asked, somewhat softly.

"Yeah," Bruce shook his head slightly, "Let's go."

You trailed behind Bruce and Thor as you made your way back to the Bifrost, thinking it over.

If the Tesseract you found on earth was the fake, then why would Hydra have a fake? And if the one that was currently in your bag was the fake, then why would they just leave the real one lying around while the Avengers stormed their base? And at any case, how did they manage to make such an accurate replica?

"Thank you, Thor," you said sincerely once you reached the end of the Bifrost. "We're going to figure this out."

"I know you will," he said, and touched your shoulder affectionately.

You said your goodbyes, and then, you and Bruce started to make the journey home, until suddenly you felt a force push you out of the Bifrost, and before you knew it you landed on dirt, rolling a few times, Bruce landing a few feet away from you.

Hurriedly getting up, you helped Bruce to his feet as well, before the two of you looked around to find yourself in the middle of what seemed to be a desert, but it was like nothing you've seen before.

The sand was orange, red, much darker than it was in deserts you've been to. You and Bruce landed in some sort of valley, surrounded by large dunes of the dark sand, creating a perfect circle around you.

"Have any idea where we are?" you asked, trying to keep your cool, "Or how we got here?"

"I-"

His words were cut off by the sound of a gun cocking behind you. Instinctively, you crouched down and spun around, sending your leg out, taking the man down with a kick to his ankles.

But it wasn't enough. Before you could fully get back up, you and Bruce were already surrounded by agents, and the fight quickly escalated into a hand-to-hand one, having to take on multiple agents at a time. At some point, Bruce hulked out, but even then, you were still fighting them all simultaneously.

You barely managed to take in the glint of a knife from the corner of your eye before the felt the sharp sting of it on your ribs, your hand automatically going to hold the wound. The man started running in the other direction, which was when you realized you weren't the objective of this attack.

Your bag was.

"Bruce!" you yelled, trying to get his attention, as you started trying to run after the agent.

But before Bruce could even notice you, a deep rumble sounded through the air, the prominent crackling of thunder. You turned around just in time to see Thor coming down from the sky, Mjolnir clad tightly in his fist, sending bolts of lightning at your enemies.

You turned back and tried to keep running, but you couldn't do it fast enough, the wound in your ribcage still bleeding, and soon, the agent disappeared from sight.

You were panting when the battle died down, a mere few minutes after Thor's arrival. You didn't turn around, even as you sensed Bruce and Thor approaching you from behind.

"I lost it," you said, still unable to meet their eyes.

"They took it," Bruce said gently. "Now, let me take a look at that wound."

Well, you thought, that's not how Steve's going to see it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You lost it?" Steve asked, his disbelief clear. His eyes were trained on you, a frown on his face.

"She got hurt trying to protect it, Steve," Bruce answered before you could. "We'll get it back."

Steve's eyes didn't waver from yours, even as Bruce spoke.

"I'm sorry," you said, your voice coming out smaller than you wanted to. You cleared your throat, continuing stronger, "I did everything I could."

"I told you, you shouldn't have gone out there," he sighed, frustrated.

"Really, Cap?" you asked, "is this the time for 'I told you so's? for a hundred-year-old that's really fucking childish," you said through your teeth.

"Watch it," he snapped, "next time, maybe if you listen to me you won't get hurt."

"If I'm that bad of a soldier, Captain," you spat out, "am I not dispensable to you? Why do you even care if I get hurt? I bet it would've been just the same to you if I died but you still had the Tesseract."

Your words rendered him speechless, and you turned to walk towards the med bay. Bruce offered you his arm, but the look you sent him made it very obvious you weren't interested in company.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The wound healed well. You and Steve were… civil, to say the best.

You'd admit your words that day you were back from Asgard were harsh. You'd even admit that to his face, if he'd change his attitude towards you. Which he didn't, so really, maybe he deserved to hear them.

Anyways, a few days after the Asgard thing, the wound was fine, and you had an idea.

"Hey," you asked Tony, who happened to be next to you at the moment, "what if we go ask Strange?"

"What?" he looked up from the robot he was currently tinkering with.

"What if we went to Strange to ask him about the Tesseract?" you repeated, "he'd probably know more than us about this stuff."

Tony wasted no time in calling a team meeting, in which you told the others your idea about reaching out to Strange.

"That's a really good idea," Steve said.

Taken aback, you opened your mouth to speak, but before you could, he continued, "I'm coming with you."

Yep, it was way too good to be true.

"Why?" you asked, frowning. "I thought Tony would come, since he's already had a run-in with him before."

"Yes, but I think we can agree he's not the most diplomatic person out there," Steve smirked.

"I'm right here," Tony remarked dryly.

Steve paid him no mind and continued, "And besides, he's pretty much the only one except Bruce that knows enough to figure out Hydra's blueprints, and we still need all hands on deck in that front.  So, I'm coming with you," he finished in a tone that left no room for argument.

You considered objecting anyways, but knew whatever you'd say would sound childish and tactless, so you simply nodded at him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Since the Sanctum Dr. Strange usually resided in was in New York, there was no need for Steve and you to take the Quinjet, but you did take a car from Tony's collection, which Steve drove. The car ride was filled with quite the uncomfortable silence, but at least it was better than arguing, right?

Small victories.

When Steve parked the car about a block away from the Sanctum, you both got out swiftly, blending right in with your civilian clothes, and making your way to the doorstep.

There, Steve knocked on the door hesitantly. You both listened, but there was no answer. You held onto the handle and managed to open the unlocked door easily. You exchanged a look with Steve, both of you on high alert, and entered through the door, Steve closing it behind you.

You both silently stood in the threshold, contemplating your next move. Eventually, you took a tentative step forward, and just then a red object whipped right in front of your eyes, making you stumble backwards, right into Steve. You quickly turned around to apologize, but before you noticed it the red fabric was wrapped tightly around your arms, holding them tight against your torso. Steve was in a similar predicament, and since the cape wasn’t that long, you two were left tied face to face and extremely close to each other.

You tried to wiggle out of the fabric's hold, but it was almost like it tightened with your every move, adjusting itself accordingly. You struggled against it, trying to move even the slightest bit, but it wouldn't budge. You sighed, looking up at Steve.

Oh my god, he was way closer than you'd realized. His wide frame towering over you, you swallowed dryly before you whispered, "What now?"

Before he could answer, the sound of footsteps carried through the halls, and soon enough, Dr. Stephen Strange was descending down the stairs of the New York Sanctum to greet you.

"Hello," he said, his face indifferent, "I wasn't expecting you."

"Well, we weren't expected to get so… tied up, so that makes three of us," Steve remarked, prompting you to chuckle.

"Hello, Dr. Strange," you introduced yourself to him, "the Captain and I were wondering if you could help us with some… Tesseract trouble."

"Sounds awful," he smirked slightly. "Follow me," he started going up the stairs again and you exchanged a look with Steve. "Oh right," he gestured with his hand, and the red fabric detangled itself from the two of you, and turned out to be a cloak as it wrapped around Strange's shoulders. "I almost forgot," the man chuckled, "Now come on."

You and Steve exchanged another look as you rubbed your arm where the cloak dug into it a little, before following Strange up the stairs and into the library, where he offered you two chairs to sit in before sitting down in front of you. In the air. He was sitting down while floating.

Still less weird than the cloak, in your opinion.

"So," he started, "what, uh, Tesseract trouble are you having, exactly?"

Steve and you took turns explaining the situation to him, from finding a Tesseract in a Hydra base to losing the one that was previously in Asgard. Steve, to your relief and wonder, said nothing about it being your fault, but just said it wasn't in your possession anymore.

"So," you summed up, "we were wondering if you knew how anyone could manage to replicate the Tesseract this well, and how can we tell which one's the fake one. Without using them, of course."

"Well, those are great questions. I don't know of another way to determine if an infinity stone is indeed real besides taking the risk and trying to use it, so I can't help you with that. But as for the fake, I believe opening the Tesseracts will provide a good enough answer. You see, the Tesseract isn't that hard to fake. Might be a little expensive, sure, but some lights and plastic and you're set, and from what I understand Hydra isn't exactly struggling financially. But," he sighed, "you can’t fake an infinity stone. For most people, once you'll come in direct contact with it, you'll feel its power, and also its destructive properties."

"So the only way to know if an infinity stone is real is to risk touching it?" Steve asked.

"As far as I know of, yes," Strange nodded.

"Thank you," you said, "for your help. We sure get back to the compound, but we'll let you know if there are any big developments."

When Steve and you got back to the compound, everyone was already waiting for you, and you told them what Strange told you. Together, you all went to open the tesseract you had found in the Hydra base.

"Be careful not to touch what's inside," you warned, and Tony put of his Iron Man arm before breaking the side of the glowing cube, opening it to find…

A bunch of wires and lightbulbs. They didn't even try to make it look like an infinity stone.

"Well, the one in Asgard could've also been a fake," Natasha shrugged. "This doesn't really tell us anything. C'mon guys, we'll continue the search tomorrow," she touched your shoulder comfortingly before slipping away.

You were about to do the same when you saw Steve fidgeting with his sleeve, around where the cloak was wrapped around him. You walked up to him.

"You okay?" you asked, expecting him to brush you off.

"Yeah, I just think this cape held on a little too strong," he chuckled, removing his hand to reveal a stain on the fabric of his right suit sleeve, on you knew all too well was blood.

"Oh my god," you frowned. "C'mon, I'll help you clean it up," you gestured towards the med bay.

The walk there was brief and silent, and when you got there, you told Steve to sit down before ripping his sleeve enough to see the shallow wound.

"You don't have to do this," Steve said, as you looked for some gauze pad and wet it with water.

"I know," you said, "but since I'm the reason we needed to go there in the first place, I am doing this."

"You know it's not your fault, right? You couldn’t have known he'd have a magical cape that ties up people."

"That's not what I was talking about," you mumbled, before cleaning the wound gently.

Steve sighed. "I guess I do owe you an apology for the Asgard thing. I acted like a jerk. I'm sorry."

"No, you were right," you chuckled bitterly, "it's my fault we lost what might've been the real space stone to Hydra. You were just the only one willing to admit that."

"Well, I hope you know what you said about me then wasn't true. I care. You know, if you get hurt. And I wouldn't want anyone to die so I can have anything."

"I know," you said dryly, "you're too perfect for that."

You finished cleaning the wound and started bandaging it.

"That's not- god, I really do have a way with words, don't I? you probably hate me by now."

"I don't hate you, Steve," you looked up from his arm to his eyes, and he smiled at you. "Relax, it doesn't mean I like you all that much either," you smirked, prompting him to laugh.

"Yeah, that's fair, I guess. Thank you," he gestured to his now bandaged arm.

"Sure," you sent a small smile his way before walking away.

Maybe Steve Rogers wasn't that bad after all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, scratch that, Steve Rogers was the worst.

The conversation actually started out civil. Nice, even.

"Hey, Cap," you started, "do you know if Bruce found anything on the wiring in the fake Tesseract yet?"

"Nope," he turned to face you.

"Oh. Well, thanks," you smiled, "I'll just…" you gestured at the exit, but he stopped you.

"Wait. Actually, I wanted to talk to you. Can you…" he gestured at the empty chair in front of him, and you sat down.

"About the whole Tesseract thing," he started, "I think you should consider sitting this one out."

"What?" you frowned.

"I just…" he sighed, "I think it might be better if you sat this one out."

"Steve, I found the Tesseract in the first place," you said, getting angrier by the second, "I'm not backing down from this."

"You found the fake Tesseract," he corrected, "and lost what might have been the real one."

"I thought you said it wasn't on me."

"It's not, but still."

"I don't get it, a few days ago you were telling me it wasn't my fault and now you're benching me because of it?"

"I just… you're clearly very invested in this-"

"Which is why I deserve to stay on this mission," you cut him off, fighting to keep your voice level.

"Which is why I think you should sit it out," he ignored you, "because you don't need to get yourself hurt for this."

"I'm an Avenger just like you," you snapped, "you might get hurt as well. So might everyone else. I don't get why I'm any different."

"I told you, because you're too emotionally invested," he insisted, his tone rising.

"Oh, you're benching me cause I'm 'emotional'? really? That's your excuse?"

"That's not an excuse, I-"

"No, tell me, Steve, what's your problem with me? Just spit it out, clearly you have one. What have I done to you to make you hate me?" you were yelling now, exasperated at his flawed logic.

"I don't hate you."

"That's all you have to say?" you scoffed. "You know what? If you're letting whatever your problem is with me to get in the way of the mission, maybe you're the emotional one."

The charged atmosphere was interrupted by Natasha's frame showing up in the doorway.

"Hey guys," she started, before looking between the two of you. "Is this a bad time?" she waited a second before shrugging, "Doesn't matter. There are sightings of suspicious activity midtown, we think it can be Hydra. We gotta move, be down in five," she stated, before walking down the hallway, leaving Steve and you alone once more.

"I-" he started.

"Let's go," you said at the same time, before simply turning away to go and suit up. You had a battle to win, no matter what he thought.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

"So," Tony started once you were all on the Quinjet, "Here's what we know – Hydra is probably in the possession of the real Tesseract, since we just got word of people seeing a big aircraft over midtown. My guess, they wanted to test the new weapons out before using them on a larger scale," he said, "which is why it would be the best thing to stop them now."

You split up into groups, Tony, Wanda and Sam going after the aircraft, Bucky and Steve go one way on the ground, you and Natasha the other. Thanking every god you knew you weren't paired up with Steve, you and Natasha ran and turned into a large square, starting to point people away from the steady stream of Hydra agents that was coming your way.

You and Natasha were both fighting off the agents together, most of the civilians already cleared from the area, when suddenly, they just… stopped, all in unison.

"Avengers," a voice with a heavy accent boomed through the air, presumably from the aircraft, magnified by speakers, "I know what you're here for," the voice chuckled. "Come and get it."

All at once, the Hydra agents in front of you pulled out something from their bags, or the pockets of their jackets, and it took you a second to realize what it is – exact replicas of the Tesseract. Dozens of them, maybe even hundreds.

You looked over at Natasha, who was just as exasperated as you were. "We gotta break these things," she said, and you nodded in understanding, charging at the men and women with renewed energy.

Because this was your chance to fix what you broke, to make things right. To show Steve you're better than your mistakes.

That was the mantra that was going in your head, as you smashed Tesseract after Tesseract, even as you found nothing but wires, you kept repeating it – fix what you broke.

Slowly but surely, you and Natasha tackled and defeated more and more agents, moving closer towards where they were coming from – the aircraft, that was lowering more and more, sending out more agents, in a wave that seemed never ending.

Expect when you got closer, you noticed that there was a staircase going down from it. A staircase that at the top of stood a small an in old fashioned army clothes, holding, how not, a small, glowing cube in his hand.

Your vision zeroed in on him. You had a target.

Barely stopping to disarm the other agents, you quickly made your way through the crowd of agents surrounding you, until you were right at the bottom of the staircase. You looked up to see the man still standing on top, smiling at the chaos unraveling at his feet.

You decided to take advantage of the fact he hasn't seen you yet, and climbed the staircase from the bottom side, hanging on to creases and bumps, to keep the advantage. When you got to the top, you tried to swing yourself over the rails. You would've fallen down if a hand wouldn't have reached out, catching your arm and throwing you back on the staircase, right side up.

"Ah, the new kid," the man snickered above you, "I've heard about you. Were you really the one they sent here?"

"No one sent me," you hissed as you got up. "Now hand over the stone and it'll be much more pleasant for you."

"So much spite," he laughed, "but alas, I don't think I will, sweetheart."

"Whatever you say," you delivered a poignant kick to his knee, "sweetheart."

You tried to punch him, but this time he was quicker, avoiding your blow and landing one of his own on your shoulder. You shrugged it off and continued to try and pry the stone from his hands. The struggle was drawing attention, and Natasha yelled at you to watch out just in time before a Hydra agent from down there shot at you, only missing narrowly.

You continued to fight the man, who was stronger than he let on, considering he was fending you off with only one hand, but you also had getting shot to worry about, which was in his favor.

At last, you managed to knock the Tesseract out of his hand, and it fell to the ground in a shattering sound. Out of the broken pieces, there were no wires to be seen, only a stone.

Bingo.

You heard Steve shout something at you from far down, but you weren't paying attention, instead diving for the stone, grasping it in your hand, along with some shards of glass that cut you, but you couldn't care less, because this was it.

Fix what you broke.

You concentrated with all your might of the stone, its power almost physically throbbing in your hand, along with the excruciating pain, but you didn't care.

Fix what you broke.

Your breathing became labored, the pain near insufferable when you finally did it – opened a portal. You didn't know where it led, but the important thing is, it wasn't here. You threw the stone away with all the power you had left in you, praying it would reach so far you'd never see it again.

Fix. What. You. Broke.

Just in time, the portal closed, and you sighed gratefully. The pain was starting to take over now, your mind dancing on the edge of consciousness when you heard voices coming towards you. You wanted to tell them you were fine, but you found yourself falling to the ground, registering the pain of the fall before everything went black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When you woke up, your first thought was that the light's too bright. It felt almost like a hangover, but way worse, and

"I didn't even drink anything," you said, before breaking into a dry cough.

In a second, Steve was there by your side with a glass of water, holding it to your mouth. You took some small sips until you calmed down enough to remember that while no, you didn't drink anything, you did wield the power of an infinity stone, which means it's a miracle you're even alive.

So really, you should be thankful all you ended up with is an awful hangover. Of sorts. A magical hangover.

"Are you okay?" Steve asked, breaking you from your reverie, and making you meet his gaze with yours.

"As much as I can be," you replied, your gaze falling to the blanket that was laid on you. "how long was I out?"

"About 18 hours," he said solemnly, "we didn't… we weren't sure if you'd wake up," he admitted, his voice dropping below a whisper by the end.

"Can't get rid of me that easily," you joked. Despite everything Steve put you through, for some reason you couldn't stand to see him this devastated.

"No, don't-" he sighed, "no one wants to get rid of you. Least of all me. Hell, thinking I'd lost you and it was my fault… hurt more than I could imagine."

"It wouldn't have been your fault, if I, you know," you shrugged, "that was my choice. I had to fix what I broke."

"No, you didn't," he insisted, his eyes snapping up to meet yours once more, "because you didn't break anything. None of this was your fault, and yet you fixed it, alone. You risked wielding the power of an infinity stone to keep earth safe, alone. You shouldn't have been alone."

"It worked out just fine. Besides, what difference would it have made, one more injured person?"

"If I was quick enough… I don't believe the stone could've taken both of us down."

"Us?" you smirked, "I didn't know we were an 'us'. But it's fine, I can deal with that, I guess," you shrugged, and Steve chuckled. You couldn't tell if you were imagining it, but it looked like the slightest of blushes was sprinkled on his cheeks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

As a part of getting you back to normal, you started training again, moderately at first. But as you regained your strength, your training was almost as intense as it was before. Or maybe, even more intense.

You see, before that, you weren't training with Steve.

Since you didn't really get off to a good start, you'd always train with the others – Nat, Wanda, Sam… other non-super-soldier humans with a very human self-discipline, meaning that you could take breaks and chat in between reps.

Alas, those days were far behind you. I mean, not that far, that's just kind of dramatic, but you get it; you trained with Steve way more often and it was a nightmare.

You didn't know what standards Steve held for his other friends, but if he's like that with everyone then maybe it was better off not being his friend.

"What was that?" Steve asked, his eyes not moving from the timer, which looked comically small in his large hands.

"I said," you repeated between labored breaths and fast push-ups, "if you're like this with all your friends maybe I was better off not being one."

"Who said you are?" he shot back with a smirk, "and… time!"

You collapsed on the training room mattress, letting out a deep breath. "how much was that?"

"98 pushups in one minute," he stated, "not bad."

"Okay, Mr. captain super soldier," you breathed. "You know, maybe I should go back to doing these with Sam. A human being with normal people achievements," you sighed, faux-dreamily.

"I thought you wanted to get better?" Steve chuckled, extending his hand out to help you off the mattress.

"I'll tell him you said that," you smirked and took his hand, letting him help you up. Your touch lingered for the briefest of moments before you let go of his hand.

"Be my guest," Steve shot back, before taking a couple of sparring staffs off the wall, handing you one. An unusual technique in battle, but you found that practicing them with Steve provided a decent challenge to you both, since you were better with it than he was.

With both of you getting into a fighting stance, you started the match by dashing forward, trying to land one on his shoulder, but he quickly spun to the side, accompanied by a move of his staff that, fortunately for you, was a bit poorly aimed, thus only hit you in the arm.

You continued this back and forth for the next few minutes, one graceful move answered by a steady block from the other side, almost like a delicate dance. After a while, you felt yourself getting a little tired, and knew if you didn't end it now, he'd win.

And well, you just can't give him that kind of satisfaction.

You quickly planted your staff on the ground, using the momentum to jump up and wrap your legs around his neck, using your weight to push him down onto the mattress. You'll have to thank Natasha for that move.

His staff fell from his hand as he hit the floor, and you used your advantage to pin his arms above his head, making sure to lean enough of your weight on his torso so he couldn't move. You were both panting from the exertion of the fight, and you could feel a bead of sweat traveling down your back.  

He smirked up at you. "Did Nat teach you that one?"

"Maybe," you raised your eyebrow in amusement. "But I executed it to perfection."

"You sure?" he asked, and before you could answer he broke free from your grasp, flipping the both of you so your torso was pinned below him, catching your arms the same way you did to him moments ago.

Breathing heavily, your tongue darted out to wet your lips. "Well, maybe not perfection," you murmured, "but I'd say I did pretty well. You're in nice shape for a hundred-year-old," you slowly grinned up at him.

"Just nice?" he mock pouted, not moving from his position above you.

"Yeah," you smirked, "from what I've seen."

"Well, maybe you've seen nothing yet," he suggested with a quirk of his eyebrow, his head lowering even closer to yours.

"Maybe," you said softly, standing your ground. His eyes were boring into yours, you could hear the shallow sound of his breath, feel it even.

Closing the distance between you was almost more impulse than an actual aware decision. Your lips met his soft ones, his momentum pushing you back against the mattress, your head hitting it with a soft thud you paid no mind to. One of his hands left yours, coming to cup your cheek as his tongue hesitantly entered your mouth, continuing eagerly when you let out a hum of approval, one of your hand sneaking around his neck and tangling in the hair on the nape of his neck, pulling slightly.

When you finally parted, your breaths were once again labored, but for an entirely different reason now.

"Okay, maybe you are in good shape," you rasped, shrugging as well as you could.

He chuckled before his eyes met yours. "You don't hate me," he stated incredulously.

"I already told you I didn't. I take it back, maybe old age is getting to you," you giggled.

He groaned lightly, making your laughter grow stronger.

Okay, so Steve Rogers wasn't the worst. Final verdict.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

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[hrokkall]

Could I please be informed more about these delightful kitty cats? No clue about anything warrior cat related but that won't stop me from gushing over the designs and lore >:) <3

Absolutely!

If you’re looking to learn about warrior cats this… probably isn’t the place for that. Considering I’m combing through the core aspects of canon and tossing what I don’t like in the same way a ferret drags interesting pieces of paper under the couch… there’s only so much that aligns with the series proper.

Having said that, I am keeping the four-clan territory system that the core series has, albeit with my own twist. More on those below. (I’m putting this under the cut just because it got a little very long, but here’s the basic layout!)

The basics of what a clan is remain the same as Warriors canon: the long and short is that it’s a clowder of cats with organized leadership. In canon proper the clans operate under “The Warrior Code”, but it’s ridiculously strict and doesn’t fit within the universe I want to built up here, so instead the “Code” is replaced with common goddamn sense. Don’t kill if it’s unnecessary. Don’t over hunt the area. Try not to trespass on cat equivalent of private property. Kitty war crimes are out of the question. Don’t throw babies in the river. Y’know. Stuff like that. (Yes, all of these have been broken multitudinous times in the warriors universe. It’s wild).

Pictured, in order from left to right, top to bottom: Rustclan, Wildclan, Sageclan, Fogclan.

Above just being little groups of cats, however, the clans have both geographical and cultural differences. As mentioned before, the territories are in Canada (British Columbia specifically), so the lay of the land reflects that. Quick research says the landscape would be similar to the boreal cordillera ecozone… which is basically just a conifer forest with some rivers running through it.

Wildclan

Wildclan, also known as “The Wildwoods” is the largest territory of the four, and not for the over-protectiveness of the residents—the undergrowth is simply too difficult to navigate through for those who don’t know the terrain well. A river runs through the westernmost portion, creating a pseudo-“bog” surrounding it. Additionally, it’s the only of the four clans without any twoleg architecture within. Larchstar’s warriors are as fearsome as the feral beasts of the thicket; best to keep a distance unless given clearance by the forest itself.

Landmarks:

The Heartwood: The clan’s meeting place. It’s the hollow shell of a gargantuan tree that refuses to die in spite of its lack of core. Larchstar speaks from the lower boughs and sleeps within the heart itself. Clan camp surrounds this tree, with dens constructed of sticks, foliage, and the occasional rodent hide.

Moongaze Lake: More of a pond than a lake, it’s the perfect place to catch fish away from the territory border streams or—per its namesake—gaze up at the moon without its light being obscured by the dense conifers. Very handy to ensure the clans aren’t late to the Full-Moon meetings.

Huntinghills: Less of an individual landmark and more of a sub-biome, the northeast of Wildclan’s territory is a lot hillier than the rest. The only thing of note this far (aside from being phenomenal hunting ground) is the presence of an eagle’s nest on the outskirts. It’s been long since abandoned, but the tree threatens to break beneath its weight. “The Snow Line” as presented in the game is technically no man’s land—it’s to the VERY back of the Woodlands and no one dares venture too deep lest their bodies become buried beneath the snow. Having said that, the entire forest is chilly enough to get snowfall.

Goldenrock/Slitherstones: A cluster of boulders filled with flecks of something that must be valuable! It’s home to snakes, sure, but... alright, the clans will just admire this one from afar.

The Backbrush: A small thicket that feels out-of-place with the rest of the territory. Despite the other clans’ claims otherwise, this is the one spot in the entirety of Wildclan territory that never sees sunlight, even in the winter when the larch trees shed their needles or on the summer solstice when the sun’s rays threaten to blind the unwary. Only the bravest of birds nest here, but even they refuse to sing. The ground is soft, but no Wildclan cat dares dig.

Fogclan

Though more sparsely forested than its northern counterpart, Fogclan—also known as “The Fogbound Court”—is no less grand. At their core, they are a group of outcasts, but are no worse the wear for it. Don’t let their appearances fool you, Poppystar’s warriors are many; some of the most loyal in the forest. Even if her own motives are transparent as the mist-blanketed forest in which she resides, the multitude of her ranks cannot be denied.

Landmarks:

The Mausoleum: Exactly what it says on the tin. The walls are cracked in more places than not, the wilted bouquets have long since returned to the earth, and most of the epitaphs are worn to the point of illegibility (not that it would matter—the clan cats can’t read). While it technically doubles as the leader’s den, it otherwise remains empty most of the time. The only time cats other than Poppystar are permitted inside are for naming ceremonies and for those who have been injured. The clan camp is set up to the west of the building, with den walls formed from hollowed-out bushes and ground-down tree stumps fitted with branches to keep out the rain.

The Well: Adjacent to the mausoleum, it’s original use is a little bit of a mystery. The crank doesn’t turn anymore and the bucket has been rusted in place. Kits sometimes dare each other to inch close to the edge in a game of chicken. Thankfully, it’s not nearly as deep as it looks; the bottom has long since filled halfway up with mud. Any warrior with decent enough climbing ability can easily pull an unruly kitten out of the muck that lies below.

Boneburrow: The grave above it has been completely reduced to rubble, the grave now home to a North American badger nestled within the rib cage. Cats are advised to stay away, but they are ultimately harmless, if a bit morbid. Seemingly, they’ve existed long before the clans became what they are today, and will likely exist long after—best not to distract them from their work. It’s not like they freely give advice without payment anyway… (This burrow extends to beneath the mausoleum in a secret room with a dirt-packed floor as well if one can stand the closeness of the walls and the fact that long-dead roots that reach far too deep writhe as if they were living serpents… but it would be best to not let everyone know that).

Sharpclaw Grove: A barren circle of long-dead trees that perfectly reach towards the full moon like a warrior’s grasping talons. It’s a wonderful place to meditate or otherwise reflect on clan life…if you can stand the fact that there is no nearby chirp or chatter to answer the drum of your own heartbeat.

The Flowerfields: In stark contrast to the dreary atmosphere of the rest of the territory, the Flowerfields add a pop of much needed color to Fogclan’s grounds. After all, the improperly cut bouquets had to take root somewhere—some of the flowers here aren’t native to British Columbia, but the cats don’t seem to know (or care). The prey on the outskirts of the Flowerfields is plentiful due to some of the plants being food source for them, giving plenty of opportunities for the clan cats to eat (provided they don’t get too greedy).

Sageclan

Sageclan, “The Sages of the Conifer Copse” (or simply “The Sages”) is a bit of an odd duck among odd ducks. The ground was considerably more similar to “wetland” than the others, but has begun to warp into something much less likely to get tangled in one’s fur as of recent--an element evident in the dried-up reeds at the territory’s outskirts that no longer have the proper wetland to thrive. To put them simply, Miststar’s warriors are much the same as their environment: unpredictable... that is, to all except their leader, who guides them with an eerie knack of foresight. At very least, Miststar seems content to keep to himself... no territory spats have been raised by Miststar yet, and it should stay that way. ...Y’know. Double meaning of sage—“sage” as in the plant, and “sage” as in a wizard... I’m so funny.

Landmarks:

The Spire: A rickety twoleg watchtower that has somehow managed to avoid being completely consumed by the peat. The lowest floor is occupied by elders and the wounded, the middle by actively nursing queens/their kits, and the highest by the leader himself. Meetings are held at the base. The clan camp is only a few coyote-lengths away, dens with walls made of hard-packed earth that the sun has dried into shimmering mudstone.

Lifeblood Weir: A particularly large tributary in the middle of the territory wherein a multitude of little rivers meet. Larger fish must pass through here to get through Sageclan territory, making it a fantastic fishing spot for any who are so inclined. The Sages at one point constructed a “dam” to keep the fish there for longer, but it has since been destroyed for reasons Miststar will not reveal, remaining in name only.

Mire’s Maw: Formerly a flat of dry land, this was discovered to, in fact, be a cavernous sinkhole by Newtpaw on his hunting assessment (who, much to Miststar’s disappointment, did not catch the magpie he was assigned and therefore had to complete another moon of apprenticeship). That should, by all logical reason, explain why all the uncovered caves are devoid of life; they would not thrive beneath unstable ground. But Miststar seems to sense otherwise. Miststar is—by his own orders—the only one to crawl within the labyrinth… barring Newtpuddle, who sneaks in anyway. It’s incredible how dark a cave can get after only a few strides beneath the surface...

Paw of Echodust: A cluster of boulders in the northern portion of the territory that, when viewed from the top of the Spire, appear to be the pads of a paw. Whether the cat whose moniker was used actually existed or is merely legend remains unknown.

Rustclan

Rustclan, or “The Rustthorn Outskirts” was formerly the smallest territory of the four. The “main” area adjacent to the Talkingstones is a dried-up section of bog that bleeds over from the peat of Sageclan and the dense forests of Wildclan. As of recently, Sparkstar has more than doubled their active territory by expanding into the nearby (abandoned) scrapyard, his warriors claiming that it had “slain” the monsters that resided there (a misnomer it did not bother correcting them on). His clannmates respect him immensely as a result... even if his behavior... no need to put this formally, this is a tumblr post. He’s kind of a dick. His warriors are as scrappy as the junk they reside in, but they’re certainly clever, as much as it pains certain other leaders to admit. At very least, Sparkstar has the decency to make his goals clear-cut... until his disappearance, that is.

Landmarks:

The Bastion (known to the other clans as the “Monster’s Hide”), a particularly large truck bed that P03 talks from (the “Leader’s den” is behind the wheel, as he crawls in through one of the broken windows). As with the other clans’ major landmarks, meetings take place here. The clan camp surrounds it, cats either sleeping inside of smaller cars with broken windows or within dens made of branches and discarded metal.

Chime Tree: A deciduous tree that sprouts in the middle of the scrapyard, multitudinous bottles tied to its boughs by twolegs in what can only be assumed to be some sort of abandoned art project. When the wind picks up, it rushes through the broken glass and makes the entire thing hum in a cacophony of clattering glass. The Rustclan cats find it peaceful, but nine times out of ten anyone else visiting the territory would vehemently disagree.

The Killing Bush/Rattling Bush: A snake’s nest on the territory that kits are told to largely steer clear of, a habit that oftentimes stays engrained into full-fledged warriors as well. In reality, it’s mostly harmless: the snake is not a rattlesnake as the clan assumes, but rather a bull snake.

The Old Camp: Located much closer to the river, this is exactly what it says on the tin. They’ve been empty for many moons now, and as such have begun to fall apart. If nothing else, though, they provide a more secure home for prey in the winter: a semi-reliable food source if the moles that take refuge in the scrapyard decide to hibernate early.

???: A twoleg relic on the outskirts of the silverthorn fence (though no Rustclan cat could dream of having the core strength to move it). It’s halfway stuck in the riverbed, has webs of cracks scattered across its face, and has been covered by high-tide more than once. Yet it still flickers and shows as if full of coordinated fireflies. (Not that it could be. Not even the fish dare approach it. It must be something else... right?) (It remains unnamed. Only Sparkstar knows of its existence, and he resolves to keep it that way.)

Neutral Territory

Of course, not everything is claimed by the clan cats. These areas are considered neutral, or otherwise belonging to something/someone else that the clans can’t (or shouldn’t) have claim over.

Luke’s Den: Plot-conveniently close to the outskirts of Rustclan and Wildclan, it’s a little house where Luke and his twoleg reside. It’s a thirty minute drive to the nearest civilization, yes, but the property was cheap and the views are phenomenal... if you can ignore the rumors that the junkyard is haunted. And that the house might also be haunted. (…Hey, Luke’s twoleg has lived in far worse shitholes before. A couple of ghost stories aren’t going to turn him away from a good deal.)

The Talkingstones: Surrounded by a shallow river on all sides, the Talkingstones serve as a meeting place for the four clans every full moon. The only actual resident is a loner named Rebecha… but quite frankly, she doesn’t seem to want anything to do with the clans. She maintains the meeting grounds, she gets to stay. Easy as that. That way, she only has to listen to the leaders’ egotistical bullshit once a month while still raking in the protection the clans provide. It’s a win-win!

Rootrot Cavern: Between the territories of Wildclan and Fogclan lies another pseudo-island. It’s minuscule in comparison to the territories, but the cave system beneath is so vast and sprawling that you’d hardly take notice (miraculously, it has never once flooded, even when the rain comes down in buckets). It’s supposedly empty—no one can live off of only frogs and the air is so choked with spores it’s well-nigh impossible to breathe—but everyone knows of the cat(s?) that lives there. Rumors change from tongue to tongue: maybe there’s only one, perhaps two, perhaps somewhere in-between. Only one thing remains constant: they can heal you of any ailment, no matter how terminal. However, you will never come back the same… ...Probably best to keep visitations to this place to a minimum. Even if the cat(s) never shows their face(s), its only other purpose is to gaze into What Lies Beneath in the pool at the cave’s heart. This, too, should only be reserved for the most dire of circumstances. The living do not belong there, and the Beneath makes that policy very clear.

[robiinjason]

Hiii, do you have any recs for Robin Jason comics? I'd love to read more about him but I have no clue where to start. Love your art btw it's all adorable <3

Sure thing!!! And omg thank you 🥺🥺 your art is super cute too!!

If I were to rec One Thing as a starting point for Robin Jason, Batman #408-#429 covers Jason’s main run as Robin and his death arc and is the main essential reading I’d recommend. It’s fairly short and a good place to start imo! 

Among others, it includes his post-crisis origin and first outing as Robin, his first meeting with Dick, the Garzonas incident, and his death and its immediate aftermath in the Death in the Family arc. 

While Jason’s time as Robin in post crisis is fairly short and not as hard to get through as other characters with longer runs, i know Reading Comics Hard so I’ll make a shorter list first, with more recs under the cut!

Batman #408-#409 (Jason's origin)

Batman #410-#411 (his first outing as Robin)

Batman #413 (smart boy Jason)

Batman #415 (more good Jason moments)

Batman #416 (his and Dick's first meeting, also Dick and Bruce argue)

Batman Annual #12 (has a solo Jason story set at his school)

Detective Comics #569-#570 (Jason gets to kick the Joker's butt)

Detective Comics #571 (the Scarecrow kidnaps Jason)

Detective Comics #573 (this one’s just cute)

Superman Annual #11 (Bruce, Jason and Wonder Woman visit Superman on his birthday and stuff happens)

Blue Devil #19 (Jason is pen pals with Kid Devil)

Batman: the Cult (a 4-issue pretty dark miniseries where Bruce is kidnapped and brainwashed by a cult. Some great Jason moments)

Batman #424-#425 (The Garzonas storyline, or when Jason may or may not have pushed somebody off a building. Trigger warnings for sexual assault and suicide)

Batman #426-#429 (A Death in The Family, or Jason’s death arc)

I’ll be referencing this Jason reading list, since it’s what I followed when I started reading. It can be checked for a more comprehensive list of his appearances too, since I’m not aiming for a full list! (though I might edit it to include more stuff eventually.)

First things first, Jason got rebooted once during his time as Robin; he was originally a circus kid like Dick in pre-crisis (before the reboot), and later in post-crisis got his more well-known origin as the orphan who stole the tires off the batmobile. I’ll be focusing on post-crisis Robin Jason since I’m still reading his pre-crisis run, but the list I linked has more info on that if you’re interested!

Batman and Robin-focused 

Stories centered on the Dynamic Duo!

Batman #408-#429 - Jason’s post-crisis run as Robin, as mentioned above! The last four issues are the Death in the Family arc. The Batman: Second Chances trade collects a good chunk of these (#408-#416), plus Batman Annual #11 and a couple stories from before Jason’s post-crisis origin.

Detective Comics #568-#582 - Jason’s Robin run in Detective Comics! It’s a fun read and Alan Davis’ art style is very cute imo. (Jason isn’t around from #575 to #578 due to getting hurt in #573)

Batman Annual #10-#12 - More Batman and Robin stories. #12 has a Jason solo story set at his school! 

Batman: the Cult - a 4-issue miniseries where Bruce is kidnapped and brainwashed by a cult. A pretty dark story and one of the last ones from before his death. Jason has some great moments in it!

Dc Retroactive: Batman - The 80s - Story from 2011 written by Mike Barr, who wrote Jason’s 80s Robin stories in Detective Comics!

Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spetacular - One of the stories, More Time, is about Jason and Bruce and goes between the past (with Jason as Robin) and the present (with Jason as Red Hood). Short and very sweet!

Crossovers/Teamups

In which Jason meets or teams up with other characters, with or without Batman!

Blue Devil #19 - Jason is pen pals with Eddie Bloomberg/Kid Devil and teams up with him! 

Action Comics #556 + #594 - Jason meets Superman!

Superman Annual #11 - For The Man Who Has Everything, or where Jason goes with Bruce to Superman’s birthday, first meets Wonder Woman, and Stuff Happens. (Jason gets to be the hero!) 

New Teen Titans V2 (1984) #18-#31 - Jason joins the Teen Titans for a while! It’s fun to see him in a team and his characterization here is really good imo. (this is the span of issues he appears in but he isn’t in all of them)

Legends (six-part miniseries) - A DC crossover event! Jason has short but great appearances (the time where he breaks his leg, but wants to get up and help anyway).

Nightwing Year One #101-#106 - A rewrite of Dick's Nightwing origin with occasional Jason appearances until #106, which is a retelling of their first meeting where they work together to rescue Alfred. While I have Issues with the characterization of Jason in this, it has some cute moments and I’d be remiss to not include the story that introduces Dick’s nickname of “Little Wing” for Jason.

After his Death

Stuff dealing with the aftermath of Jason’s death and the impact it left on others. (Some of the stuff here is just listed for a single page or panel rather than a full story about Jason)

Batman #430-#432 + #496 - Bruce in the aftermath of Jason’s death. 

Batman Annual #13 - Jason appears in a flashback.

The New Titans #55 - Dick and the Titans find out about Jason’s death, and Dick confronts Bruce about it.

Batman: Year Three + A Lonely Place of Dying - While these focus on Dick and Tim respectively, they’re set after Jason’s death and show how Bruce is dealing with it. Year Three is in Batman #436-#439 and A Lonely Place of Dying (Tim’s origin story) is in Batman #440/New Titans #60/Batman #441/New Titans #61/Batman #442, also included in reprints of Death in the Family.

Detective Comics #618 - Has a nice little moment of Tim looking up to Jason.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #100 - The issue is mainly a Dick origin story, but in the end there’s a sweet and sad story about Jason’s beginning and ending as Robin.

Nightwing Secret Files and Origins - On the first story, Taking Wing, Jason appears to Dick as a dream/hallucination while the latter is having a near-death experience and accompanies him through various of Dick’s memories.

Joker: Last Laugh #6 - The one time when, upon believing Tim was killed and being taunted with Jason’s death, Dick kills the Joker. (the full thing is a six-issue miniseries)

Nightwing (1996) #63 - The aftermath of Dick killing the Joker (though he was revived), but I’m mainly including this for the one panel that shows a picture of Dick and Jason on what seems to be a ski trip.

Batman: Gotham Knights #34 - At the end there’s a story called “The Delusions of Alfred Pennyworth” about Jason’s ghost and Alfred.

Batman: Gotham Knights #43-#45 - Has a flashback to a Barbara and Jason teamup and a recap of Jason’s death as a social worker looks into it and investigates Bruce’s family.

Detective Comics #790 - Bruce talks to Cass about Jason on the day of Jason’s birthday.

Robin V4 #85 - The story itself is about the Joker reflecting on the Robins and Jason only appears briefly, but I think it’s worthwile to include as it’s one of the few times where the involvement of Jason’s mother in his death is acknowledged after Death in the Family. (Also there’s a panel where Jason kicks the joker on the crotch)

Green Arrow V3 (2001) #7 - The one panel where Jason is shown swinging around in heaven :)

Alternate Universes/Other Media

Some stuff that doesn’t fit anywhere else/isn’t quite comics/isn’t really canon, but I think is neat and wanted to include!

Letters - letters from readers sent during when Jason was Robin and after his death. They can be interesting to look through to get a sense of how he was seen by readers at the time (there’s even an eulogy by a clergyman!). The ones I’ve seen can be found in this tag, and this post links to a few too (as well as some other info regarding Jason and the vote that led to his death).

The Batman Files - A book that contains several files over various topics and characters across Batman’s history. Among other things, it has Jason’s death certificate. (mainly including this because early on I spent a while trying to find out how old he was when he died)

Tiny Titans #23, #29, #33, #39, #45, #47 - An adorable alternate universe comic in a kid-friendly setting! Jason’s design in it is very cute.

Batman The Brave and the Bold #13 - Jason and Robins from other points in time team up to save Batman!

Teen Titans Go! season 6, episode 17 (Egg Hunt) - He doesn’t actually appear, but Jason is namedropped and said to be Batman’s favorite Robin.

Batman And The New Robin (unmade cartoon) - An unproduced animated TV series from the late 80s that would have starred Bruce as Batman and Jason as Robin! Unfortunately the project was abandoned and the show was never made, but the full series bible is available to read in its entirety and a link to it can be found here! There’s a page on it on the Lost Media Wiki as well.

[palbabor-writes]

I know you said you only might accept pregnancy requests depending on what it is so I wanted to try 😅 how about shigaraki and reader break up while she’s unknowingly pregnant with his child and he bumps into said child years later and connects the dots that it’s his? If you don’t like it feel free to ignore this request 😊

I liked this nonnie.

I am terrified that by saying that I’m going to be inundated with pregnancy HC’s, lol. But, this request I really leaned into. Plus, it’s more about a kid than a pregnancy. 

So, thank you for asking and letting me slip out of my comfort zone. It’s always good to do that every once in awhile and this ask was a great reminder of that.

It’s a bit melancholic, but I think it fits with Tomura, at least, in my mind.

Now, this is not in canon. This is not like, pre-war arc, or post-war arc. If anything, it’s more of an AU. I’d put Tomura in his late 20s to early 30s.  

warnings: none really, just some sweet, sweet interactions and mild angst 

Hestia Hestia, in Greek religion, is the goddess of the hearth, a daughter of Cronus and Rhea, and one of the 12 Olympian deities. When the gods Apollo and Poseidon became suitors for her hand, she swore to remain a maiden forever, and Zeus, the king of the gods, bestowed upon her the honor of presiding over all sacrifices. 

The shouting noise of children set his teeth on edge.

Toga had insisted that the bus stop by the school was the best place for the information exchange.

They won’t look for you there, she’d assured him. It’s like hiding in plain sight. Yeah, it’s patrolled, but it’s only an old security guard who does the rounds. Besides, he’s retired from the police force, she qualified, and was more like a lazy cat than an attentive scent hound.  

It’s the best place, really.

So, Shigaraki had made the long trek across Tokyo.

He kept to the shadows as he weaved his way through back alleys and streets. Although the dominance of the League had waned some over the years, he was still a wanted criminal, responsible for countless death and threats on hero society.

He was still the King of his slice of the underworld.

Besides, he reassured himself as he loitered by the bench under the bus stop, he could trust Toga.

She had improved in leaps and bounds as she came of age; deadlier, sleeker, more attuned to the ebbs and flows of the world around her. She wasn’t that girl who chattered about blood anymore.

Oh, she still held a strange fascination with the fluid. But she had more control over those impulses that drove her. If she said it was the best place, well, who was he to argue? Toga had been with him from the beginning, a vital ally. Hell, at this point she was close to being a friend.

Shigaraki is still musing when the ball taps its way to his feet.

It clatters against the pavement; the rubber shuttling it along the loose rocks and leaves. Unthinkingly, Shigaraki lifts his shoe to balance against its unbound movement, stilling its lulling bounces.

Must be from that schoolyard, he thinks, his red eyes flashing up at the low chain-link fence that separates the school grounds from the busy street.

There’s no child dashing their way to retrieve it, so he lets his gaze slip from the teeming masses of giggling youngsters. It’s a pretty blue. The ball looks new. Hardly a scuffed and battered thing.

He keeps it under his sole, toying with it, rolling it meditatively as he slips back into his thoughts.

“Hey! That’s mine!”

It’s a small voice that calls to him and he turns his head back to the fence, looking for the source.

It’s a girl.

She’s leaning against the metal, her hands clutching into the links, cocking her head inquisitively at him.

Her nose wrinkles at his silence, and she shouts another demand.

“Mister, that’s my ball. Toss it back.”

“Aren’t you supposed to say please?” Shigaraki taunts, his lips lifting in a quick grin. He’s not sure why he’s bothering to engage with this kid, but something about her plucky attitude resonates with him.

She leans away from the fence, that scowl deepening on her soft features.

“Aren’t grown ups not supposed to steal things?”

He laughs at her snark. He can’t help it. Oh, this kid’s fun.

Carefully slipping the ball into his hands, he moves closer to the fence. He can see her a little better now.

She’s still got that deep frown on her face and her dark hair is gleaming in the afternoon sun, some strands catching the light, reflecting a deep, auburn, hue. He’s just about to chuck the ball to her when he catches sight of her eyes.

They’re red.

Not that red eyes are unusual. There are plenty of people milling around Tokyo with them. But hers are different.

No, these eyes are like looking into a mirror for Shigaraki. They flint and glare with the same sheen as his own. It’s a prefect reflection.

His feet suddenly feel heavy, leaden, and he can’t lift his arms. Who is this child? Why does she-

“Ok, ok, mister. Can I please have my ball back? You’re still stealing it if you don’t, so I’m not apologizing for that. I might... if you give it back to me, cuz’ it’s my ball, not yours. And, stealing makes you a thief.”

She’s rolling those uncanny irises at his stiff form, and a huffing sigh escapes her small mouth.

“What’s your name?” Shigaraki asks, hands trembling over the rubber of the ball.

“Not supposed to tell that to strangers, mister.”

He smiles again, bemused. Well, he thinks begrudgingly, she’s a clever little thing. Whoever she is.

A sharp bell echoes across the yard and she turns her head at the sound, her dark hair tumbling around her shoulders.

“Here,” Shigaraki relents, gently flipping the ball over the fence, bouncing it to her feet.

“Thanks,” she murmurs, quickly snatching up her prize. Those red eyes of hers meet his own, and he can feel a low shiver echo up his spine. What’s up with this reaction? It almost feels visceral, like some sort of otherworldly pull on him.

“Sorry I called you a thief,” she apologizes, quickly bowing her head, ducking those eerie eyes from view.

He’s not sure what to say, so he continues to watch her. She doesn’t seem perturbed by this, opting to giggle at him as her little head lifts.

“You’re weird,” she assess, a smile finally spreading over her lips, her cheeks rounding and softening. 

Tch, she’s rude, but she’s also cute, Shigaraki thinks, snorting at her frankness.

She turns, dashing away from him, her dark hair flowing around her back as she goes.

Shigaraki shakes his head, trying to dislodge those lingering questions that keep floating to the back of his mind.

He’ll never see her again, he reasons, wandering back to the bus stop. Trying to tamp down the urge to look for her again, to pinpoint her from the other giggling and shouting children on the playground.

But he did see her again.

He comes back to the stop a few weeks later.

There’s no information pickup this time. There’s no real reason for him to even be on this side of town.

He just can’t get her out of his mind.

This little kid had shaken something within his psyche. He kept dreaming about her. Well, not her, really. No, there was someone else haunting his dreams.

He hasn’t thought about you in years.

But now? Now, he can’t get you out of his head. He even feels like he can feel you some nights, warm against his side. He sulks in the memories of the familiar touches that the two of you shared, the love that you’d pressed into him, so, so long ago.

He saw the girl in those moments. Resting in your arms as you looked up, your eyes bright against her dark head. The girl would laugh and run to him, those reflective red eyes shining with mirth. 

It was fucking strange.

He both hated, and loved, the repetitive nature of these illusions. They made him feel safe and warm, but they also chilled him to his very bones. It was unsettling.

Unsure what else to do, he’d back come to the bus stop.

It’s early afternoon. Close to the time he’d visited it before. He waits on the lonely bench, his hands pressed together and that strange tremble races through his veins.

This is stupid, he thinks, his eyes lowering from the sea of kids, all twisting and turning in a heap as they play. It’s an impossibility, really. The chances of that girl losing her ball again is minuscule. There’s no way he can call to her either. It’s a waste. He shouldn’t even be here.

He’s standing to leave, when that small voice reaches him.

“Oh! You’re back.”

His head whips around, his long white hair glowing against the sunlight.

There she is.

She’s gripping the fence again, and she’s staring right at him.

Shigaraki smiles. It’s a gentle lift and he can feel his heart tapping a rough tattoo against his ribs. He steps toward her, kneeling when he gets close, careful to not overstep his bounds.

He’s not wanting to startle her.

No, he’s wanting to talk with her. Maybe she’ll drop some kinda clue why he’s so drawn to her. Or maybe she’ll morph into any other child again. Plain, uninteresting. Slipping from that odd ghost that she’s become to his subconscious. 

He hopes it’s the latter. But part of him also longs for it to be the former.

She’ll hop to the fence around 3:15.

She looks for him now, used to the routine of his presence.

He told her to call him Tomura, and the name falling from her lips made his heart ache.

Tomura stopped by on Fridays. Careful to not stay too long, to not draw too much attention to himself.

At first, he’d sneak her little trinkets. 

A little plastic toy of his, one that he had since he was a kid. She’d squealed with delight and clutched it to her. He’d grinned at that, remembering how he’d once held onto the thick plastic himself. 

Once, he’d just plucked a nearby flower as he walked to the school, presenting it to her outreached grasp. He’d watched proudly as she tucked it behind her ear, the color glossy beside her hair.

She’s still a sassy little thing. But she’s softened a little, too. Her voice losing that early, untrusting, edge.

He didn’t ask her much. Sometimes they both just sat in silence as she sketched designs into the dirt. Sometimes he would listen to her chatter about her day. Her classmates, her teacher. Once, she’d even pressed something over the fence to him.

It was a drawing.

He’s not sure if it really was all that well done, or if it’s just his heavy bias toward her. But he loves the mix of color and lines. He’d asked who the people were.

One was her friend, Kenji. One was her teacher. One was him.

He’d pinned it to the wall in his room. Displaying it, flaunting the gift. He looked at it every morning, admiring her work.

He’s late one day, and she scolds him, her small arms draping over the fence.

“I didn’t think you were going to come,” she chatters, her red eyes lingering against his, the two colors casting back the same hue.

“Was running behind,” Tomura replies, leaning against the low concrete barrier, resting his back against the fence.

Her little hands reach for his hair, playing with the pearlescent tendrils, weaving some into knots and braids. 

He doesn’t mind.

“Hey, Tomura,” she says, working a tiny hairband into her creation, her voice curious.

“Hmm,” he hums, careful to not shift his head, not wanting to disrupt her hard work.

“You didn’t ask my name again. At least… not after that one day.”

“Do you want me to ask?” He queries, his pulse lifting.

He’d wanted to ask her again, but he didn’t want to startle her, to shatter these innocences that they shared.

“It’s Beryl,” she answers. She says it confidently, and he turns to face her.

She grins at him, wiggling one loose tooth playfully at his serious expression, trying to tug a laugh from him.

“Beryl?” he repeats, unable to keep that awed hush from his raspy tones. It’s a pretty name. It suits her, really. But it’s strange. It’s not Japanese. 

You hadn’t been Japanese. 

“That’s a good name,” he assures her. “But, it’s not… you don’t hear that name very often.”

“Yeah,” Beryl concedes, her vermillion eyes roving over his face. “My mom’s not from here.”

His nostrils flare at that.

He hasn’t asked her about her mother. He’s unsure if it’s a general disinterest on his part, or trepidation. He fears it’s the latter.

Gulping, he tilts his head at her, feeling that soft braid she’s plaited into his hair shifting.

“Who’s your mother?”

“Who is she? She’s my mom, silly.”

“No,” he pauses, ignoring that creeping tremor that’s working its way to the top of his skull, his skin prickling and cooling. “I mean…what’s her name?”

“Oh! Her name is-”

“Beryl! Beryl, it’s time to come inside.” A teacher is calling for her. 

Tomura startles away, drifting to his feet and pacing quickly back to the bus stop. He can’t help the snarl that etches its way across his lips. He’d been so close. So fucking close…

He chances a glance back at the fence and catches sight of Beryl. She’s dashing across the playground, her dark hair waving in the sun.

Japan is about to slip into summer. School will come to a close, moving into a long break. He won’t see her again for almost a month.

His heart sinks at that realization and he grits his teeth. Slipping his hands into his dark trench coat, he steps across the street, away from the bus stop, away from the little girl that’s feeling more and more like his own.

Edit: oh hey. so, i couldn’t stfu about this and created a sequel: Materfamilias 

hahaha & part iii