#keep it tails-centric please!!

[myymi]

hhhhh ok im caving

so, ive been kinda struggling with writing recently

i've got tons of projects that are sitting unfinished because i can't find the motivation to finish them

i think i know why this is, but it's something to do with my personal health so im not going to explain it that much, but basically my energy levels are nonexistent atm

anyway, i wanna try something that might help get me back into writing djdjdjjd

uhm, do yall mind sending me prompts for drabbles?? it can't be anything too crazy, maybe 2k words at most

(so.. try to stay away from angsty topics lol cause i will most likely not be able to restrain myself)

it can be things like aftermaths of different fics i have, or just a small moment between tails and, like, shadow or smthn idk

just make sure it's simple ✨💛

and try to keep it between 1-2 characters!! i might can do team sonic in one, but i don't think i can do any more than that

i can get through about 1k words without a problem, but i think my limit for now is 2k. hopefully ill be able to push that limit by doing a handful of short stories,,

we'll see. this is an expirement, after all.

here's examples of roughly how long i mean n stuff; this & this

[stu-dyingstudent]

Sakura Haruno fic recs: time travel AU

I'm finally getting around to recommending some good Sakura-centric time travel fics! There are plenty of them out there and they can be kind repetitive, but I always eat them up. Typically speaking, I really don't care much for the whole introduction bit at the start where it's the actual process of her being sent back... So just make it past there before you decide whether or not to continue!!! Also, I'm starting to think this list is getting kinda long, so maybe I'll do a second one?

I've been dying to post some of these fics in a list, so please enjoy!

Started: 2024.08.16

Last Updated: 2024.08.26

note: feel free to check out my master list which has a bunch of Sakura Haruno fic recs (all organized)!

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Sakura - lilac haze || ffn/ao3 || M || minasaku || time travel AU || complete

AU. Non-Canon. Time Travel. Please see inside for full warnings. Cross posted on Ao3. On his deathbed he was granted eternal peace and place to rest for all of time. Of course that was not appealing to him. Ever unpredictable to the end he had a counter offer. One that the Sage had to consider. In which Sakura's going to have a rough time. A really rough time.

If there is one thing I want you to take away from this list, it is this fic right here. I kid you not, Sakura is one of the best fics I have ever read. I have never felt so gutted, so heartbroken, so giddy, so stressed, all from one work. It's a masterpiece all while being criminally underrated. The characterizations and storytelling are beautifully done. You feel for the characters and the relationships formed along the way are truly great. Please share this author some love.

Check TWs before hand!!

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The Misadventures of Kakashi and the Girl From No Where - Goldfishlover73 || ao3 || kakasaku || M || time travel AU || complete

When a girl called Sakura seemingly falls in the sky, Kakashi is skeptical. Far more skeptical than the rest of Team Minato are. War is approaching quickly and this strange girl is leaving more questions than answers in her wake, Kakashi must decide where his trust and loyalties lie in a constantly changing world.

Told in the perspective of Kakashi in his youth! Really interesting take and I love how strong Sakura is in this in addition to the fact that we get to see a different side of Kakashi that we aren't used to.

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Anachronistic Drift  - Elesrea  || ffn || gen || T || time travel AU || incomplete

Her plan was flawless. Save Shisui. Save the world. Time-travel, Sakura-centric AU

Sakura spends years training to be sent back in time and save the world from Sasuke. Whilst masquerading as her younger self, she poses as an unofficial ANBU to stay anonymous in her efforts of changing the shinobi world for the better.

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Tourniquet - lilac haze || ffn || T || minasaku || time travel AU || complete

She was his tourniquet. She stopped the bleeding, she stopped his bleeding. She stopped his pain, his despair, his loneliness. She was the first face he saw. She was the first person he trusted. She was the first person to keep his secret. She was his tourniquet. He did not love her. He only loved the idea of her. SakuraXMinato. Time-Travel Fic. Alt. Universe

I quite honestly think this is a hidden gem amongst time travel AUs since I never see people recommending it, but Touriquet is so good! What's interesting here is that it isn't Sakura that's playing with time, but rather Minato. The night of the Nine-Tails attack, rather than dying, he is sent to the future where post-war Sakura is the one to find him and keep the former Hokage alive. It's a delicate situation and one which is kept a secret from many, but through Minato's depression and difficulties with his new life, Sakura becomes a close confident.

Same author as Sakura! I gotta read more of their works

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Armour-Sleeved Single Hit - thatdamnuchiha || ao3 || T || madasaku || time travel AU || one-shot complete

Sasuke always told Sakura she was weak. Even after she trained with Tsunade for years he only had eyes for Naruto whom he considered strong. She would forever be invisible to him no matter how many mountains she toppled. Being a member of Team Seven despite Sasuke’s refusal to acknowledge her meant she got herself into her fair share of sticky situations. Getting stuck a hundred odd years in the past had to take the cake though. But she was just a weak little girl and compared to the shinobi of old she’d be ridiculously pathetic. Sasuke had said she was weak to him – a modern day shinobi who hadn’t been forced into battle after battle like they did in the Warring Clans Era. Obviously she’d be nothing more than a spec of dirt in the eyes of the Founders.

Sakura manages to find herself in founding-era Konoha! While trying to prove that medical ninja are capable fighters she unknowingly gains the affection of Madara Uchiha. After all, the Uchiha find beauty in strength. Super cute read!

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here are the fruits of your labor (would you like a cherry on top?) - snickiebear || ao3 || M || shisaku || time travel AU || one-shot complete

Shisui smiles and it is unlike any smile she has seen before. She cannot remember the last time she had seen a smile. 

Sakura manages to fix everything and now tries to live her life in a past she doesn't know. Shisui is the first to find her and the two of them form a close relationship that continues through her journey of recovery.

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The Moon Knows Best - darth_healer || ao3 || E || madasaku || time travel AU || complete

The Moon has played a cruel trick on Madara. He's still home, but it's not the same. Instead of a tranquil forest, there's a colorful vibrant village. Instead of the cliffside he knows so well, it's a collection of Senju faces, one of which belongs to his good friend Hashirama. And instead of Hashirama, Madara is saddled with a very interesting, pink-haired girl. MadaSaku in which young Madara goes forward through time.

Madara finds himself far into the future where the first to stumble upon him is Sakura. He's such a brat, but his and Sakura's interactions are rather entertaining.

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In the Magic Hour - summersirius || ao3 || E || minasaku || time travel AU || complete

It's not perfect, but everything is beautiful. —Minato/Sakura

A sharingan mishap lands Sakura in the past where she drops down in front of team Minato. With her hope of returning to the present time dwindling, Sakura excepts her new life and tries to make the best of the situation and the new bonds that come with it. The dynamic between Sakura and the older generation is quite refreshing and her mentor relationship with the former team 7 is great.

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Stumble - writer168 || ao3/ffn || gen || T || time travel AU || complete

Sakura wanted to die.Sasori was fine with staying dead.But it seemed fate had other plans for them, because when they both wake up younger with blood pulsing through their veins, they had to remember how to live again.Time Travel AU

Sasori and Sakura are both sent back in time and they try to make a difference in their respective villages. Told in the perspective of both characters, but primarily Sakura. She ends up forming a pretty sweet bond with Ibiki and Genma (which I love) and they help her through some things. Sakura has a rough time

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A Twist in Time - wolf08 || ffn || sasusaku || T || time travel AU || complete

With Konoha on the verge of destruction, Sakura is sent on a last-resort mission to save her world by travelling to the past. Join her in coping with her old body's shortcomings, testing the natural laws of time, falling in love all over again, and rediscovering who she is.

With Sakura frustrated at being back to where she started in her becoming of a shinobi, she begins to train with Sasuke. This time around in her life, her relationship with her brooding teammate isn't so strained. Pretty cute read imo

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Return & Rehash - SpaceNugget11 || ffn || sasusaku || M || time travel AU || incomplete

"You," Sakura snarled with bared teeth. Sasuke gagged for air, clutching at her forearm, but she only pressed harder into him. Her green eyes crackled, and she wished she could burn him alive with the heat of her anger.

Sasuke and Sakura certainly did not end in their last life on goods terms and it is prevalent from the moment Sakura awakens and attacks her teammate.

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An Inch of Gold - KuriQuinn || ffn || sasusaku || T || time travel AU || complete

Team 7 is sent on a mission to investigate a disturbance outside of the village, where they encounter an unconscious girl in a crater. The mysterious Sarada insists she's a shinobi from the Hidden Leaf trying to rescue her teammates. When the team discovers she possesses a Sharingan, things become even more unbelievable. [Part of the Legacy of Fire Series]

Sarada lands herself back in time all while crashing into another team 7 mission gone wrong. An Inch of Gold is in multiple perspectives, but they're all done quite well. Sasuke and Sakura are obviously rather flustered by the situation and the fact they have to deal with it in front of the team makes it quite entertaining.

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These Eyes of Mine (I Can See) - tsukuyue || ao3 || gen || time travel AU || complete

They've lost. Naruto was dead, killed at Kaguya’s hands. Along with him died any illusions of hope that they could win. They couldn’t win, but perhaps they wouldn’t need to. In attempts to stop the Fourth Shinobi War from ever occuring, Sakura is sent back in time to the moment of her birth. Protecting the people she cared about would be much easier if she knew all the facts. OR Where Sakura can see the dead, and Danzō deserves to die.

I'll be honest, I can't remember much, but I do remember that it was really good! I believe a large focus is the Uchiha massacre.

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Trials of Change - Espoiretreves || ao3 || gen || time travel AU || complete

Haruno Sakura made a promise. Looking in the eyes of her Shisou and the reanimated Hokage, she took on the most important mission of her life. Go back in time and try to prevent the 4th Shinobi War. Now, Sakura is back to her 5-year-old body, with all the knowledge and haunting memories of the future. She vows to keep her precious people safe and stop certain events from happening, without altering the timeline too much. The trials her emotions and logic put her through have her questioning her very existence, but for the sake of peace, she has to push forward. No matter what.

If you love Shisui then you'll definitely like Trials of Change. Him and Sakura form the most wholesome friendship ever and try their best in taking down ROOT. A huge cast is present here and the whole thing is just great. It seems as if everyone has some character development lmao.

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Time Flies Like An Arrow - Katlou303 || ao3 || gen || K || time travel AU || complete

Sakura traveled back in time with the intent of changing everything, but something went wrong, and now she's four years old having nightmares about impossible monsters and losing friends she has yet to meet.

I always like the ones where Sakura isn't fully aware she time travelled. I find it interesting in this fic to see how oblivious Sakura is to her situation, she's a four year old in mind and body. However, she still feels the need to make a difference in the lives of the people around her.

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cut the head off the snake - itsthechocopuff || ao3 || T || time travel AU || complete

when eighteen-year-old, post-war Sakura is thrown back into her tiny, pre-Academy body, she makes a decision. she'd had a childhood once already, and this time, she's more interested in Not Dying when the inevitable shit hits the proverbial fan. so she will work harder, care less, kill more, and smile when she's done.and hey, if she ends up reviving an extinct nature transformation to attract the most corrupt, power-hungry man from her timeline, all the better for her, right?

Sakura decides that her first order of business after traveling back in time is to infiltrate ROOT and that's exactly what she does. Sai, Shin, and Shisui are all great characters and team Ro is present as well. Very good!

Update: just found out it was recently completed!!

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Q: Do you guys like my little comments? If you look at my other lists you'll probably notice that I tend to reuse some of what I say (bc I'm lazy), but for the most part I try to add something new whenever I put a fic on a list. I know that descriptions aren't always very helpful, so I like to put a little something for y'all to get a better idea of what to expect!

Send me recs if you have any!!!

[lady-quen]

Cannot Hold It When It Thaws

"An angel falls to their hubris. It's a story as old as time. It's a story you already know, under countless names and through countless retellings. But knowing doesn't change anything; Soo-Won was more aware than most. And she knew that they would know she knew - and that scared her more than anything.

This is the day Jormag's heart freezes over."

[Pre-canon drabble, 2k words, Soo-Won and Jormag-centric. Angst. Exploration of Jormag's affection and corruption. No trigger warnings that I can think of, aside from a low-detail description of drowning. Art and writing is mine, Guild Wars 2 belongs to Arenanet. Dialogue inspired by Gen 3 Legendary Weapons. Divider graphic belongs to @soulbeastdragon. Keep in mind this is merely my interpretation of these characters :) Enjoy!]

"I want to make them permanent, Mother. I want to make them last."

"You know you can't do that." She smiled - in the sense that she radiated warmth, something that would perhaps best be described with a single word. Dragons could be infinitely complex, after all. "That is their beauty. They are fleeting. And so, their eyes are uniquely open."

"There is no beauty in passing. And yet.. it's gone. You unmade it. Why? Why did you close its eyes?"

Soo-Won could only linger in silence, dark eyes as unfathomable as the ocean. She knew well that the true depth of existence could not - and would not come easily to her child, not when they were so young. Perhaps, that was her curse. Either alone beneath the sea of stars, or surrounded by little things who only reasoned as little things could. Specks of light, innocent flickers of pure magic. Innocent, but destined.

The small dragon pawed at the ground, attempting to gather close the dust that once was a creature. A fruitless effort, with massive claws not fit to be this gentle. "It's still alive, you see? I can undo it."

"He. Not it. Please, let go, now. His soul found silence at last."

"No, no... It's not silent—you aren't listening closely."

Her tail softly brushed aside arms that had no real will to stop her, sweeping the last of the dust away. Finally allowing the once-mortal to scatter to the winds. The crystalline sparkles shimmered as they sailed the sky, a soul bidding its - his - last farewell.

"They are not... suited to our lifetimes, my child. Their minds cannot last, even if their bodies can be made to. Even if you make them pristine forever, they will not last. That is not their will."

"But I did not force them." The young dragon chirped, head turning in puzzlement as their already brilliant mind worked overtime behind sad blue eyes. "I asked it. I asked him. He agreed. But you unmade him. You took him from me."

"It's wrong, baby." She nuzzled her dragonling, wishing only for the depth of her love to soothe the turbulent soul. "Just because he agreed does not mean he knew what he agreed to. He can't have known. Us Dragons are of a different type of existence. Seeing things through our eyes, ah... well, I'm not surprised he..."

He broke, she wanted to say. But she couldn't. Not with the way they looked at her, resentment building behind those same orbs that once adored her.

But they finished it for her. "That he broke, Mother? How did you know? How COULD you have known? You didn't even ask him."

"My baby - they always break. It's inevitable -"

"You didn't ASK him like I DID!" Jormag boomed, breath coming in heavy pants from between jagged fangs. If a thing such as them could cry, she felt their eyes would be shedding waterfalls. "And you didn't ask now, either. If he wanted to live. No. You simply unmade him."

The matron of the ocean shrank away. Fear permeating an ancient body, an emotion she hadn't truly known until that moment. Even though she foresaw it, even though this fate was written in stars older than even herself, it was a different matter entirely to simply know and to experience it firsthand.

Her child. One of the only creatures she felt she truly, wholly, loved - and they lay destroyed in every timeline. The massive whorl of her body spasmed with terror.

The first thing that went was always their heart and there were no words she could possibly say to heal it. She ran a billion worlds through her mind and there was not one, not one life in which they understood.

Jormag simply continued to gaze into their mother's eyes, hitched, raspy breaths slowly evening out, like a stormy sea mellowed out into a calm. Before she knew it, they were as unshakable as a statue yet again, that same cold persona of reason they had since grown into.

"I see. So you've embraced fatalism." They commented, in an almost condescending manner.

Like they thought she wasn't even worth conversing with.

Like she was a relic who could not possibly understand. And yet, she did. She comprehended it all, every facet of it, and it was ever-so-slowly killing her. A deathless thing, watcher of every world that was and ever could be. And she was killing her child, too.

Soo-Won was glad mortals did not have to bear this burden. Yes, their minds were small, so very delicate - but they held a view of life no Dragon could hold. Something that only came with this same fragile grace, a flame burning bright before flickering out into the night. And so, she tried.

It would be futile. Again.

It was always futile, but she loved them and could not help trying anyway.

"The Cycle is life and death. Things come, and they go." The tip of her tail moved, a soft motion of rising and falling. "There are seasons in this world, my child, and it is our duty to guide their dance. Even the oldest ice thaws, and then comes spring. Can you not hear the birds sing..?"

"When the birds sing, the rot sets in."

The world was an enormity even she could not hold. Oceans would forever remain her home, but Tyria was so much more than endless waters. And so, in order to encompass such wealth of life, she bore that which granted her this name - this curse. Mother.

Lifegiver. As it all did in this world, their existence was spawned from water. As much as they rejected her, in the end, their domain would remain the very closest to hers. She could already feel the low growl building in their throat.

"You wallow in entropy and call it renewal." The scion hissed, stalking lightly back and forth like an ambush predator. "Cycles within cycles... grinding everything to dust. Does that make you happy?" The tip of their tail twitched, the only part of her child's body which so readily betrayed emotion. She thought back to the times they'd hide their tail under their form so that Primordus could not read their annoyance, and once again, she smiled sadly.

"It's not entropy." Though it may have seemed that way, it was the only way the world may continue. "It's balance."

She did not have the heart to answer the question.

"It's so delicate, but it repeats itself forever." The adolescent dragon mused. "Why? Why destroy something just to replace it? What about this carnage says balance to you?!"

Cycles upon cycles. She had no answer. Or, rather - she did, but not one that would ever soothe them. This glass-frail heart, so eager to chip, shatter and break.

"Why can't they.. stay forever with me...? I cannot hold this love of mine when it thaws. I cannot..."

"Jormag... love comes and goes. That is its beauty."

"There is NO beauty here! It's obscene."

She stilled. Every fin, every whisker. So too did her words still between her jaws, not even a sigh escaping their monumental clutches. The hand of her mind retreated when she felt Jormag's own slap it away. It felt cold.

It stung.

"All you had was the quiet void in which you dwelled. All those years in the abyss. Not even your domain is kind. Bring a mortal down there, and it ruins them in seconds and lingers while they scream. There is no sound as their lungs fill with water. The pressure crushes them. Warps them into shapes unfit for life." The scion spoke, in a droning, monotonous voice. A perfect façade for all the pain they kept - hidden just beneath the surface. Their voice, the only thing that could set it free, but continuously refused to do so.

"Down there, in your home, nobody would even hear them scream. But not in mine. In mine, I will be there. I will listen. Always. And I will talk. I will make sure they know they are never alone. Not even for a second."

"Jormag!" For once, she was forceful. Her own voice crashed into theirs like a tidal wave. "You are what will ruin them!"

Her offspring recoiled, betrayal briefly shining in cerulean orbs - no, there was more. A bubbling, seething hatred, an emotion of unparalleled intensity that ill befitted her gentle child. That explosive rage remained, coiling and writhing like a serpent, before it slowly warped into something more insidious. There was disdain, mockery even. "Oh..? Have I troubled you? Replace me, then."

"I cannot -"

"Cannot? So you WOULD have done so if you only could, hmm? I see. Am I broken in your eyes as well, Mother? And if so, since when?"

Since forever. As they all were. But she could not bear to let them know. Her imperfect children, spawned from a womb which failed them. But in the end, they would know that she knew, and that scared her more than anything.

"..Why can't you love me, Mother? Where did I go wrong? And when? Tell me the exact moment. So that I.. may make it immortal."

Their mind smirked at hers. Just for you, dearest Mother.

Stop.. please, just stop.

But they would not. No, they would not. For that was their destiny. Their great, terrible, self-wrought identity: and yet, she did not stop them. It was not hers to take away the choice they made - kept making - in every life. Her gut twisted, a familiar hurt burrowing through her vibrant body, her fraying spirit. The event horizon sneered at her distant gaze.

"You never loved any of us. It was all a deception so that we may fit your purpose. Enact your grand design which you forced upon us. But that is alright, for my voice is my own. I will speak my truth, not yours. And I will make this choice everyday. For as long as I breathe." Jormag continued, every word as sure as an avalanche falling. As a dagger caressing flesh before sinking in. "And I will ask a question you had never once asked any of us."

"Is this what you want?"

Their words were loud. Her thoughts were quiet. But she already knew. Oh, from the beginning of time, she knew.

"...And they will answer: Yes. Oh, yes. I do."

The scion turned, and she felt it like a wound. The splinter of ice that burrowed into her soul, never to leave. The final farewell from their own bleeding, shattered heart. Her only keepsake of Jormag, the Kind, who would become everything but.

White wings opened, and each feather sang like a winter wind. "Goodbye, Mother." The title sounded like poison in their mouth. "As always, you've left me nothing to mourn."

They were not the first to leave, but it hurt all the same knowing that the home they shared was home no longer. If a thing such as her could cry, her eyes would be shedding waterfalls.

You let this happen. Never forget that.

I won't, dear child. She could only watch as they departed. She could only ever watch, after all.

I will remember for as long as I breathe. For as long as my thoughts last. For as long as my mind keeps its vigil over this world. She felt her soul quiver, an earthquake at the bed of the seas.

And I will sing your name in my dreams, for as long as my voice is still my own.

[idyllicwillowtree]

Smitten Kittens

Genre: Eddie Munson x fem!reader; fluff

Summary: Eddie helps out a very special cat who turns out to be yours. 

Word count: 3.3K

Warnings: light drug-use, swearing, illusions to bad parental relationships/toxic parents, reader is called ‘Ms. Y/L/N’ at one point, Eddie-centric, Eddie being a crazy cat lady

Author’s note: Loosely based off of me and my cat <3 ; pictures found on pinterest

Main Masterlist

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4:37. Every morning Eddie’s body wakes him up at 4:37 and no matter how long he lays in bed or how late he stays up he can’t go back to sleep. He could have his eyes closed, unmoving for hours and still his mind would not allow him anymore rest. 

That’s where his little friend Mary-Jane comes in handy.

His uncle, Wayne, is usually still at work at this time so Eddie doesn’t bother being gentle as he swung the front door open, a joint dangling from his chapped lips and a couple cans of tuna in his hand. 

Stepping out of his muggy trailer, he took a deep breath of fresh morning air as goosebumps emerged on his skin. In preparation for the sun to rise, the night sky became a dark blue mixing with the yellow street lamps, light enough for Eddie not to use a flashlight. He plopped himself down on his front steps, his sock covered feet avoiding the dewy grass below by setting them on the last wooden step.

He lit up his joint, taking a deep inhale and enjoying a short moment alone before gently tapping the tuna can with his lighter.

“Purrrrow?”

“Jesus Christ!” Eddie clutched his chest before turning towards the noise, “Oh, there you are Ozzy.”

When Eddie started using weed to help him sleep in the middle of the night he slowly made some new furry friends. Once he set a precedent that the stray cats could come to him for a snack, he became the unofficial cat-guy of the trailer park. 

Something about taking care of the mangy little beasts of the neighborhood made him feel important. Knowing there were four starving cats out there that turned to him for comfort filled him with a sense of purpose. Something he doesn’t always get with the people in his life.

As he starts filling the large dog dish he leaves outside with the fishy treat, the rest of his cat gang arrives, greeting him with quiet chirps, excited purring, and vertical tails. 

Ozzy was the leader, a short-haired tabby that was pure muscle. He usually sported an intimidating glare as he watched over the other cats, keeping them protected and in line. His right-pawed man was a skinny gray cat Eddie named Dio. He was the only one who let Eddie hold him, never clawing to get away, but still preferring to keep all four paws on land. Then there was Dungeon and Dragon, two orange cats attached at the hip and always getting into trouble. Dungeon was very talkative while Dragon was the most affectionate. 

Eddie continued smoking his joint, blowing the smoke in the opposite direction of the eating cats. He listened as their loud smacking and happy purrs echoed in the dish.

Ozzy abruptly stopped eating, eyes zeroed in on something under Eddie’s trailer porch to his right. The cat’s back immediately puffed, fur standing up on its own. He let out an aggressive hiss followed by a yowl that sent a chill down Eddie’s spine. The rest of the cats perked up in curiosity. 

“Please don’t be a raccoon,” Eddie mumbled to himself as he leaned over to get a better look.

Suddenly, a tentative black paw emerged from the shadow of the porch. The most beautiful cat Eddie had ever seen revealed herself, delicately sniffing at the fishy morning air.

Ozzy was not about to share his food with this new cat, making it known through his loud yowling that Dio soon joined in on. Dungeon and Dragon’s ears were pulled back, hissing at the new arrival.

Eddie watched as the cat timidly backed up under the porch again, not wanting any trouble but still eyeing their leftover tuna. 

“Alright guys, that’s enough,” Eddie began gently shooing the clowder of cats away. They all snapped out of it and scampered off to do whatever it is they usually do when they’re done with their breakfast. Not before Ozzy could send one last hiss in the direction of the black cat.

 “Yeah, yeah, we get it. You’re a big tough guy. Go on.” 

Pleased with himself, Ozzy trotted away in the direction of his pack. Once they were gone, Eddie finally got a good look at black cat who, once again, was making her way out of hiding.

In comparison to the rest of the cats, this one stuck out like a sore thumb. While the others were matted flea-covered strays, this cat had perfectly groomed long hair that looked particularly soft and fluffy. Her neon green eyes were clear and bright and her ears remained pointed and intact. 

After she made sure all the other cats were gone, she immediately perked up and began approaching Eddie with her fluffy tail pointing towards the sky.

“Meow?”

“Hi there,” Eddie said gently. “You’re new.”

Eddie slowly lifted his hand, pointer finger stretched out towards the feline. She sniffed at it attentively before dragging her cheek across his short nails repeatedly. Eddie got the hint and started scratching behind her ears and down her spine, watching happily as she leaned into his touch before getting distracted by the leftover fish. 

She was even softer than he imagined.

Eddie knew she didn’t belong out here, she’s too healthy and social to be an outdoor cat or a stray. His heart ached at the thought of someone out there looking for this sweet and loving companion. He knew he needed to help her find her home.

“In the meantime, I bestow upon you the title of ‘Sabbath’. Pretty metal, huh?”

“Purrrrow?”

“Exactly.”

Eddie cautiously scooped her up, pleasantly surprised by how easy this was for her. She immediately settled in his grip and turned to wrap her paws around his neck, nuzzling affectionately into his long hair. 

Eddie took a moment with her, enjoying the feeling of her vibrating purrs against his chest, before heading back inside and to bed. The purring heals his heart a bit, it’s nice having someone around who offers their love to him without needing anything in return.

As soon as Eddie sets her down on the comforter, she spins around a couple times before passing out, Eddie falling asleep not long after.

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Eddie was sitting in class hunched over his notebook, planning out the next Dungeons and Dragons campaign for Hellfire. He was so focused he didn’t even realize the rest of the class packed up their things and left already.

“Mr. Munson, class is dismissed,” the teacher pointed out tiredly.

“You sure you want me to go, Mr. K?” Eddie said slyly, knowing Mr. Kowcheski hates the nickname, “we could talk about our feelings? Who have you been crushing on these days?”

Mr. Kowcheski deadpanned at the delinquent for a long moment before looking past him.

“You too, Ms. Y/L/N. Class is over.”

Eddie turned around, noticing you were still there for the first time. You sat slumped in your chair with a slack expression and wet dull eyes as you stared at the linoleum floor. You jumped slightly and blushed from the attention, eyes jumping around the room.

“S-sorry Mr. Kowcheski,” your voice wavered as you shakily gathered your things and made a break for it, Eddie following close behind.

He’s not sure what possessed him to approach you, but he knew he needed to make sure you were okay. 

 You never gave Eddie a reason to hate you, always sending him shy smiles and letting him borrow a pencil whenever he asked. You were a breath of fresh air in a school full of stale and rotten posers who made his life a living nightmare.

Everytime Eddie’s eyes wandered to you in class, you were always paying close attention and absorbing the lecture through taking notes and asking questions. He always admired that about you. That’s why it was so strange seeing you so zoned out that you didn’t even realize the bell had already rung.

“Hey, you okay?” Eddie said, catching up to you in the hallway.

“Huh? O-oh hi Eddie. What’s up?”

Now that Eddie was closer, he could see your red-trimmed eyes and dark bags as you avoided his gaze. Your usual up-beat tone of voice was now scratchy and tired. Eddie felt sadness and worry flip through his stomach at the sight.

“Nothing, I just wanted to see if you were okay,” he tilted his head, trying to catch your eye, “You don’t seem like your normal self.”

Eddie could tell by the way your eyes widened and your breathing stuttered that he caught you off guard. Once you gather your bearings, you offer him a shy smile that comes as quickly as it goes.

“Thanks, Eddie. I’m fine,” you looked down at your shoes, shaking your head solemnly. “It’s…it’s stupid. But thanks anyway,” you said, voice breaking along with Eddie’s heart.

You walked away before he could press any further. 

_______________________________________________

Now that school was out, Eddie could finally head home and brainstorm ideas on how to return Sabbath to her rightful home.

 Eddie sauntered through the trailer door, shopping bags full of canned cat food in tow, as he shook the rain from his wet hair like a dog. He turned to Wayne, lounging in his usual spot on the armchair, only this time he wasn’t alone.

“Boy, if you don’t get this damn cat off of me…”

Sabbath looked perfectly happy, stretched out on Wayne’s jean covered legs. Blissfully unaware that he wanted her off of him. Or maybe she just didn’t care. She sent Eddie, what could only be described as a smile as he walked over and delicately scooped her up. She protested a little with a long closed mouth “mew”, then settled into his arms, hugging him around the neck once more.

Wayne looked up at Eddie, ocean eyes flooded with disapproval.

“I know, I know. It’s the last time I swear,” Eddie defended.

His Uncle stayed silent.

“I couldn’t just leave the poor thing, she wouldn’t have survived. She’s a lover, not a fighter!”

Wayne's face stayed the same, only lifting the corner of his brow at him.

“I’m looking for her owner, I swear. She definitely belongs to someone.”

At that, Wayne lifted himself from his armchair with an “old man grunt”, as Eddie liked to call it. His Uncle gave him a loving pat on the shoulder as he walked past him, heading to the bathroom to get ready for his night shift at the plant. 

Eddie spent the rest of the evening making posters out of cheap printer paper, writing on them with a giant black magic marker. 

“Found Cat

Black, long hair, green eyes”

Eddie added his phone number and called it good. It wasn’t much to go off of, but he figured there couldn’t be too many missing black cats out there in Hawkins.

Eddie flicked the pen cap towards Sabbath, watching as she swatted it off the edge of the table and chased it around. Soon she riled herself up so much that the zoomies overcame her, running from one end of the trailer all the way into Eddie’s room and back again. He found himself completely entertained just by watching this cat do cat things that a couple hours went by without him even noticing.

Eddie was hoping the rain would subside but this was Indiana, the weather never did what you wanted it to do. He wanted to get the word out sooner, but it’ll have to wait until tomorrow. Not that he was complaining. Fondness blossomed in his chest as Sabbath trotted over to him and rubbed the top of her soft head against his chin. Then she settled on his lap for the rest of the evening.

_______________________________________________

6:14. This morning, Eddie managed to sleep in. Although he would’ve much rather slept longer, he was pleasantly surprised to have a couple extra hours. 

That was until he realized why he had woken up. Sabbath was meowing continuously, barely stopping to breathe. Jumping back and forth from the pillow Eddie was resting his head on, to the top of his dresser that was set in front of his bedroom window. When she leaped up, sliding a bit on the smooth surface, she scratched at the window overlooking the front yard. Eddie sluggishly pulled himself up and out of bed to see what Sabbath was getting so worked up about.

You were riding your bike in the soft glow of the morning, tires crutching in protest as you slowly pedaled. You kept your eyes and head moving, scanning the area diligently. In one hand you gripped the handle bars, in the other you held a small bag of cat treats that you were shaking every few seconds. Hope lightens your eyes at the sound of Dungeon’s meows, but it dissolves instantly when he’s not the one you’re looking for.

Eddie watched as Sabbath propped herself up on her back legs and began scratching at the single paned glass window like she could dig her way through. When she looked back at Eddie, begging him to understand her pleas, he patted her head softly and moved towards the front door.

By the time Eddie stepped outside you had stopped your bike and were silently sobbing in the middle of the road. Your back was partially turned to him but he could tell by the quivering of your shoulders and the slouch of your neck that you were overwhelmed with emotion.

“Hey Y/N!” Eddie greeted, louder than he intended.

Eddie cringed slightly as you jumped three feet into the air, dropping the open bag of treats in the process. The clowder of strays devours the fallen snacks in seconds before running off into the woods. Not before Ozzy could send Eddie a look that portrayed his disappointment in him for not feeding them earlier in the morning.

“Ah, shit. Sorry about that, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“No, no it’s alright,” you sniffed hard and vigorously wiped your face before turning to Eddie, playing it off like you weren’t just weeping.

As Eddie got closer he noticed the plastic cat carrier zip tied to the back of your bike and the pile of clothes in the basket attached to your handlebars. You watched him scan your bike, his eyes sparkling with what you misinterpreted for judgment. 

“Sorry, I’m just looking for…for my cat,” you sent him a tightlipped smile and sniffed back your tears. 

“She must be some cat, huh?” Eddie couldn’t stand to leave you hanging for any longer, watching your face crumple as you nodded. He smiled softly, “she wouldn’t happen to be a fluffy black cat, would she?”

Your head snapped up, eyes wide and hopeful. The last remnants of your tears sliding down your cheeks as you blinked owlishly at him. Your mouth was agape in an attempt to respond, but all you could manage was a frantic nod.

Eddie walked backwards slowly and smiled playfully, dimples on full display as he wiggled his eyebrows at you. He swiftly spun around before jogging up his front steps to open his front door. You watched him curiously before you noticed what emerged from his trailer.

“KITTY!” a sob ripped through your throat as you lurched forward, bike clattering to the ground in the process.

“Kitty?” Eddie mumbled to himself incredulously.

He watched as the relief you were feeling had a physical effect on you. Your knees wobbled, feet crossing over each other as you ran forward. It would’ve taken you down had you not been so eager to reach the feline. Whimpers cracked through your chest when you finally met in the middle, ‘Kitty’ being just as excited to get to you. You expertly scooped her up and let her snuggle into your hair as you clung to each other. The way you held one another reminded Eddie of how a caring mother would hold her child.

Watching this reunion was something special. Seeing these two beings who were unconditionally in love, coming together after days apart sent a warmth through Eddie’s heart. He felt a bit selfish for being proud of himself for making this happen, but quickly shook it off. That cat definitely wouldn’t have survived if it weren’t for him and you would still be heartbroken.

“I was s-so w-worried about you, Kitty,” you blubbered as you pressed kiss after kiss on her soft little head. Your happy tear-filled eyes blinked up at Eddie, “t-thank you so much, Eddie. You have no idea what this means to me, thank you-” before you could back out you gently held Eddie’s face and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. 

Eddie’s face tingled with heat as a blush crept up his neck. He was just standing there, dumbfounded, not expecting the affection but not hating it either. He moved to touch his burning cheek to savor the feeling, but it made you cringe seeing the moisture you left behind.

“S-sorry,” you said with a wet laugh.

“Don’t apologize. I should be thanking you,” Eddie said, still in a lovesick daze.

“What? You’re the one that saved my cat!”

“Yeah, but you’re the one that kissed me!” Eddie would like to say that his flirting was smooth and intentional, but really he was just flabbergasted that someone as sweet and pretty as you would give him any sort of attention. 

You barked out a surprised laugh as Kitty moved to nuzzle her face into the other side of your neck. You wiped at the tears and snot still caked on your face, suddenly feeling embarrassed by your emotional outburst.

“Sorry,” you apologized again, “I feel kinda stupid for crying so hard over a cat.”

“You keep saying that,” Eddie said with a smile and a soft head shake that made his curly hair float around his shoulders.

You sniffed, “saying what?”

“That your emotions are stupid. Like it’s some offense to be sad and worried about the greatest cat in the world.”

Eddie’s words surprised you. You scanned his face, looking for anything that would suggest he’s teasing or making fun of you. Luckily, it wasn’t there.

“You…you think she’s the great cat in the world?”

“Yeah! What’s not to like? She’s affectionate, entertaining, and really fucking cute. I’d probably lose my mind if I was the one to lose her. I mean, she’s a cat that hugs. What’s better than that?”

You gasped dramatically, turning to look at the cat still in your arms, “you hugged him? What a little traitor! She usually only hugs me,” you giggled.

Eddie was shocked, yet flattered. “She must be a good judge of character,” he said with a smug grin.

“Yeah, that explains why she hates my parents.”

Eddie erupted in laughter, catching you off guard. You didn’t mean to make a joke but it was kind of funny. Your chortles mixing together and echoing throughout the quiet trailer park. 

Your cat pulled back from your neck so she could look back at Eddie and send him a grateful “meow” and a slow blink. Eddie reached out to stroke behind her ears lovingly. It made you tense for a second, scared she’d take a swipe at the metal-head but instead she leaned into his touch.

“You like that, don’t you Sabbath?” he cooed, the pitch to his voice raising an octave.

“You named her Sabbath?”

“Oh, uhh y-yeah,” Eddie said, scratching the back of his neck bashfully. “Yeah, it was just a placeholder name until I found her owner.”

You nodded slowly as a knowing smile slithered across your lips, “Black Sabbath. Very clever.”

Eddie could have proposed to you right then and there. Instead, he would have to settle for dinner and a movie.

_______________________________________________

Thanks for reading!

main masterlist

[hanaeriin]

NOTE ,, welcome to hanae's first event; ethereal desire !! there will be 15 prompts, wind breaker centric...three kn8 ,, two hsr and one genshin drabbles/fics !! since this is clearly an au, please keep in mind that their characteristics might be slightly ooc (yokai + yandere) but I promise I'll try to stay in character as much as possible !! these characters are hand-picked by the lovely folks from the pixelcafe network and a few by me!! of course, as a gentle reminder...you must be at least 15+ and above + have an age on your blog to interact with me.

TO BE TAGGED ,, to sign up for the tag list, either leave a comment down below & mention which ones you would like to be tagged for or you can fill out this form. make sure to read the content/warning section before reading, okie? your mental wellbeing is more important to me than some notes!

IMPORTANT !! ,, this contains wind breaker ,, kaiju no.8 ,, genshin impact and honkai star rail. there are fifteen in total and undetermined date yet due to personal circumstances. However, this will run for a while until it's filled up so no worries !! and as a friendly reminder ;; this is purely a dark content (yandere) series and it will be my first attempt at such a big task and I suggested you leave now if that makes you uncomfortable, whatever makes you happy!

LONGING FOR THE HOLY NIGHT

GOD! SUO HAYATO X FEM! HUMAN!READER ノwriting submission for pixelcafe network's spooktober!! ノsynopsis. “you returned to your hometown with news of your engagement with your long-term fiancé; it was the happiest day of your life. However, everything changes when you encounter a small shrine dedicated to the god who seemed to be infatuated with you, and he seems to have known you ever since childhood...”

CLOSE TO YOU

ZENKO KITSUNE! SAKO KOTA X FEM! HUMAN!READER ノ synopsis. “When you moved into your grandma's house, you didn't expect to see a furry little fox waiting in front of your doorstep and caring for that said fox the next day. He was hostile at first but soon grew closer and when you found yourself under an unfamiliar young man, your fate was doomed from the moment you let him in the house...”

TWISTED WEDDING

NINE-TAILED KITSUNE! HOSHINA SOSHIRO X FEM! HUMAN!READER ノ synopsis. “when you were returning home one day, a little kitsune fox was following not far behind. You took pity on it and decided to raise your newly furry companion but when you went on to clean it up; the fox transformed into a handsome young man...”

WEB OF TEMPTATION

JORŌGUMO! NARUMI GEN X FEM! HUMAN!READER ノ synopsis. “You were just one of the many unfortunate souls to stumble upon the predator who preyed on young and beautiful women looking for love, he lures you into his home to kill but to his surprise and your horror, soon fell in love with what is supposedly to be his prey...”

THE WEIGHT OF HIS LOVE

TSURARA ONNA! ICHIKAWA RENO X FEM! HUMAN!READER ノ synopsis. “It was the coldest season of the year when you found yourself gazing longingly at a strong, beautiful icicle hanging from the roof, reflecting upon your loneliness. However, a beautiful young man appears before you, claiming to be your husband...”

A KISS ACROSS TIME

TENGU! SUO HAYATO X FEM! HUMAN!READER ノ synopsis. “You were a normal university student on a research study on the great legend of the Tengu clan, the villagers are welcoming and nice towards your group but you cannot help having a bad feeling behind those kind eyes and warm smiles. However, you weren't given that privilege to question it any further when you suddenly found yourself being taken off the ground by a gentleman with wings...”

THORNS IN THE BOUQUET

UWABAMI! ENDO YAMATO X FEM! HUMAN!READER ノ synopsis. “One spring is all it took, a handsome young man who was watching you all by yourself under the cherry trees; you found him irresistible as you two became acquainted and soon fell in love. However, your father is against your relationship with the great snake...”

BEHOLDEN LOVE

MIZUCHI DRAGON! TOGAME JO X FEM! HUMAN!READER ノ synopsis. “You, a struggling writer return to your small hometown and only to find an unconscious strange man near the train station upon your arrival. The man soon reveals himself to be more than he appears, with a connection and claims to be waiting for his bride to take ...”

NEVER FAR FROM YOU

BYAKKO KITSUNE! CHILDE/TARTAGLIA X FEM! HUMAN!READER ノ synopsis. “Traveling through a snowstorm was a bad idea when you tripped and fell down a cliff before losing consciousness upon the impact. Hours later, when you finally wake up...only to see you have been sleeping on a huge white fox who soon transformed into a stunning young man with ginger hair and blue eyes...”

SMOOTH LINE

KAPPA! NIREI AKIHIKO X FEM! HUMAN!READER ノ synopsis. “When you nearly drowned in the river, you thought the next time you opened your eyes would be the breathtaking views of the heavens above. However, that didn't happen when you found yourself being saved by a cute little kappa who can't stop trembling over his words and seems very smitten with you when he starts leaving little things like flowers and seashells at your doorstep from that day on...”

WISHFUL THINKING

BAKENEKO! JING YUAN X FEM! HUMAN!READER ノ synopsis. “With the passing of your grandmother, you inherited the house and her lazy cat but what you didn't know was that cat just recently turned into a yokai, who can take the form of a young man as he pleases. However, you didn't expect to fall in love with a yokai, let alone your grandmother's cat on top of that...”

A LOVE, PURE AS SNOW

YUKI-ONNA! KAJI REN X FEM! HUMAN!READER ノ synopsis. “Breaking up with your stalker ex wasn't easy for any woman who is unfortunately enough to be put in your shoes and just when you are about to call for help, a cold breeze brushed against your skin and a mysterious man appears before your eyes. When you looked into his eyes, you realized it was the same man that you met at the sweet shop a while back...”

THE SOUND OF HIS HEART

NEKOMATA! BLADE X FEM! HUMAN!READER ノ synopsis. “When you stumble upon a stray black cat with two tails in the woods, you didn't throw him away when your friends warned you about the dangers of having a nekomata lingering around your house. The next day, you expected him to destroy the place by the time you got back from work but oddly enough, he is surprisingly obedient...”

LUCK IN LOVE

ZASHIKI-WARASHI! UMEMIYA HAJIME X FEM! HUMAN!READER ノ synopsis. “The handsome young head priest of your village's shrine is a popular figure among the townsfolk, you weren't interested in superficial stuff like that but the more you visited him the more you saw his smile. You soon realized that you had fallen for this man and are unaware of how long he has been protecting you from afar...”

DROWNING IN YOUR KISSES

ONI! SAKURA HARUKA X FEM! HUMAN!READER ノ synopsis. “The boy you met was under a rainstorm, he was your first love; he always kept his distance from you but you always found him no matter how much he tried to hide, and will eventually parted away as you grew up. One night, a red moon appears, painting the night sky bloody red and before you know it, he appears before you once more...”

by boosting this event, you will be helping me reaching out to other fellow fans so reblogs are always appreciated and happy october!!

RESOURCES,, divider.

[detectiphoenix]

A silly little Viravos-centric Pokemon AU where Viren is a Pokemon Professor, and Aaravos is a near-immortal Mythical Pokemon disguised as a human ~

I'll be tagging all art in this AU #phoenix's tdp pokemon au, so if the content bothers you, please block said tag! On the other hand, if you decide to make art/content of this AU, please use said tag 👀

Typed out tidbits underneath the cut!

AARAVOS, DARK/DRAGON MYTHICAL

Is "The Fallen Star"

Can appear as either his draconic Pokémon form or human - can also sprout horns and a tail if comfortable

Likes living as a human. Likes creating rumors about himself more

In his many years of life, has mastered fluent human Standard speak, but can also communicate telepathically

Horribly enamoured by the cute little Professor who thinks he's on top of the world

AMAYA HANSEN, GYM LEADER

Commands the easiest gym in the region, but boasts an impressive combat threat outside of gym battles

Celebrated for having extremely deep connections to her Pokémon

Favorite part about being a gym leader is giving new trainers their first badge

CALLUM ASPEN, POKÉMON TRAINER

Pokémon enthusiast!

Is very serious about his "catch-em-all" mission

Met Rayla when they were both trying to catch the same Pokémon

Acknowledges his last name is the name of the tree, and won't stop talking about his fate being to be a Pokémon Professor

CLAUDIA CYPRESS, POKÉMON TRAINER

Wanted to stay with her father to help him with his research, but he convinced her to stay with Soren for the time being

Determined to be a Pokémon Professor one day

An expert with her items and consumables

Cheers every time a trainer engages her in battle

EZRAN ASPEN, POKÉMON DAY CARE ASSISTANT

Is almost old enough to get his starter Pokémon, but isn't sure if he wants to be a trainer

Sneaks treats to all of the Pokémon under his watch

He thinks he's being sneaky, but everyone knows he's sneaking treats and no one says anything because all of the Pokémon adore him

HARROW ASPEN, POKÉMON CHAMPION

Defends his title with pride and a bright smile

Popular for his natural charisma, even outside of his region

His great-grandfather was a Pokémon Professor

Pip, a Talonflame he raised from a Fletchling, is his star fighter

JANAI COETZEE, ELITE FOUR

Despite being the newest member, is considered to be the most difficult challenge of the four

Often described as having a threatening aura during battle

After battle, however, her kind nature is clear

RAYLA COLLINS, POKÉMON TRAINER

Got the Pokémon

Determined to be the Champion one day

Wants to make her dads proud (they're already proud)

Began her journey saying she would only fight using stronger Pokémon to increase her chances at becoming the Champion, but gets extremely attached to every Pokémon she catches

RUNAAN COLLINS, RETIRED POKÉMON CHAMPION

Used to be the region's Champion, before retiring to spend more time with his husband and adopted daughter

Isn't that old, but has enough funds from his championship that he is able to live comfortably without a job

Still assists his husband, Ethari, with his Battle Items Shop

SOREN CYPRESS, POKÉMON TRAINER

The trainer that will run up to you and engage you in a Pokémon battle

Determined to be the Champion one day, or at least a cool gym leader in his home region

Very suspicious of that guy who keeps spending time with his father

Likes to travel across regions and bring his father Pokémon that don't appear in their home region

VIREN CYPRESS, POKÉMON PROFESSOR

Has spent the vast majority of his life researching "The Fallen Star"

Believes Aaravos to be a researcher as passionate as himself in the same field

Wants to be the first to discover "The Fallen Star", sees Aaravos as frustratingly intelligent competition

Needs reading glasses to read, but despises wearing them

Would have found "The Fallen Star" already, if not for an insufferably attractive individual's meddling

[ladykailitha]

Royal Pain Part 19

Hey, guys. Sorry it took so long to get this out. The chapter was fighting me and I have had the absolutely worst week. However in slightly happier news, my partner got a new job and that means I should be able to quit mine and go back to writing full time. I'll let you know more when I do, but it's looking more and more likely.

I realized it had been a while since we had an Eddie centric chapter and decided this would be the one. And I left it on a cliffhanger again. But don't worry next chapter will see more than one villain vanquished.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18

***

Eddie was seething. He hadn’t been this mad since he learned Max was moving to New York. Actually. No. He was madder then that. He was pissed.

Gareth grimaced. “They won’t do anything?”

“No,” Eddie growled. “Because he technically hasn’t violated the protection order, according to them.”

“If he can’t get with in five hundred feet,” Brian said, “then how did he find out about Steve.”

Eddie threw up his arms into the air. “That’s what I asked.”

“I’m betting,” Mandy said, “that they didn’t have a good answer?”

“Apparently since Seth showed up at Hopper’s,” Eddie snarled, “and not Steve’s shop, that he was just going around to all the tattoo parlors and threatening everyone.”

Jeff rolled his eyes. “I bet they didn’t even check with other tattoo shops and just made that shit up.”

“I even talked to Officer Callahan who was in charge of the original case file because he’s not supposed to be out of jail yet,” Eddie said, beginning to pace. “He never went.”

“What?!” came the shocked cry of outrage from everyone.

“Yeah,” Eddie continued. “Apparently he made a deal with the DA and they didn’t tell me. He got two years probation.”

“That’s bullshit!” Mandy hissed. “He was going to kill you.”

“Criminal mischief,” Eddie said. “Domestic abuse down to criminal mischief. $300 fine, two year probation, and forced to take a class about how not to be a violent offender.”

“It’s because you’re a man, isn’t it?” Gareth asked, licking his lips slowly. “These fuckers don’t think a man can be abused.”

Eddie pursed his lips into a line and nodded.

“Hop’s calling in a couple of favors to keep Steve safe,” he said. “But that does jack shit about me. And this isn’t me calling out that shit. That’s Hop’s prerogative but he’s my dumb ass ex, who’s protecting me?”

“We are,” Jeff said. “You don’t go anywhere without one of us. Garth, since you’re the only one without a roommate at the moment, Eddie’s going to stay with you. Brian, talk to Cecil, he’s studying law. See what he can recommend.”

Gareth and Brian both nodded.

Eddie buried his head into his hands. “This is such bullshit.”

Mandy came up and gave him a hug. “We’ll get through this. We did before and we will again. And this time we have more people that would be willing to help. Steve, Robin, Chrissy, hell the whole of the Royal Pain would throw hands for you.”

Eddie chuckled. He knew that too. “Well, maybe not Erica.”

Brian snorted. “That girl would sell her own mother for a cookie.”

“Not even a Girl Scout cookie,” Jeff agreed. “That girl is bound for world domination.”

“No doubt.”

*

“You tell me right now,” Wayne said when Eddie had called that night, “do you need me up there? Because work be damned, boy, I’ll be up there in two shakes of lamb’s tail.”

Eddie chewed on his nail. He felt like that little boy all over again. Being given the choice between being with his uncle or being put in a foster home. He didn’t want to be a bother to anyone, but he knew. He knew that Wayne was someone that wouldn’t care. That he could be as big a bother as he wanted, he would still be loved.

He let out a shuddering breath and like that little boy all those years ago said, “Yes. Please.”

“I’ve got some vacation time coming,” Wayne said as if he didn’t have weeks and weeks of it stored up because he was never sick a day in his life. “I cane be up there for as long as you need me, you hear?”

“I’m staying with Gareth for the time being,” Eddie said solemnly, “because Jeff is worried that Seth will follow me home.”

“Smart man, your Jeff,” Wayne agreed. “I have a friend in Indy I can crash on the sofa of for a couple of days until I can find something a little more permanent.”

“Yeah,” he whispered. “Let me know when you get into town and we’ll meet up for lunch.”

“You can finally take me to that pizza place you’ve been going on about for months.”

Eddie laughed, a knot loosening in his chest. “You’ve got it, old man.”

*

A few days later Steve was waiting for the pizza he had ordered for the shop, playing silly games on his phone when the bell announced new arrivals. He looked up instinctively and grinned.

He waved. “Eddie!”

Eddie lit up with a big smile. “Stevie?” He hopped over, an older man following a little slower behind.

“Hey!” Steve greeted. “Fancy seeing you here.”

Eddie’s smile turned into a grin. “DiMaggio’s is the best pizza place in Indy, not coming here is a crime.”

“If it’s not it certainly should be,” Steve agreed with his own answering grin.

“Steve,” Eddie said, “this is my uncle, Wayne. He’s staying in town for a few days.”

Steve’s mood was dampened a bit, knowing why he was in town. “Nice to meet you. I was planning a trip back down Hawkins at the end of the summer so that Eddie could introduce us, sorry we had meet under lesser than ideal circumstances.”

Wayne blinked at him for a moment before turning to Eddie. “This one is a keeper.”

Eddie blushed, shoving his hair in front of his face, ducking his head to hide his embarrassment.

Steve just smiled fondly at him. “I think that’s up to him.”

Wayne’s eyebrows shot up. “I like him.”

That surprised a laugh out of Eddie causing him to drop the hair. “Me too.”

“Let me just go order our pizzas,” Eddie murmured and darted for the front counter.

“He’s cute,” Steve said, waving his hand to the chair in front of him for Wayne to sit.

Wayne took the seat and smiled. “He certainly is. I’m glad the world didn’t beat the silliness out of him.”

“Me too,” Steve agreed. “I love how earnest and outgoing he is.”

Wayne hummed. “He tell what was going on?”

Steve nodded. “I’m afraid it’s my fault. Seth came after me at a friend’s shop, tried to threaten me into leaving Eddie alone.”

“I don’t think being threatened is the fault of the victim,” he said, his voice a deep comforting rumble.

Steve blushed. “That’s what Jeff and Robin said.”

“Jeff I know,” Wayne said, “Robin I don’t, but it sounds to me like they both have their heads on straight and you should be listening to them and not that voice in the back of your head.” He tapped Steve forehead for emphasis.

The bell above the door rang again and Mike and Will walked in. Steve raised a eyebrow when he spotted them.

“DiMaggio’s is certainly hopping for a random Thursday,” he commented dryly to Will when he lead a slightly reluctant Mike over to their table. Eddie arrived at the table just moments later and there are hugs and greetings all around.

“You caused quite a stir at the latest family dinner,” Will said with a huge grin to Steve.

Steve huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, how did that happen?”

“Jonathan is back on Mom’s couch,” he said with a smirk.

Steve reared his head back. “And how did that involve me?”

“Argyle kicked him out of the apartment because him and Nancy lied to him about who’s fault your and her relationship ended.”

“Nancy is furious at them both,” Mike said with a half shrug. “I’m not sure their relationship is going to survive that little revelation.”

Steve winced. “Yeah...that’s on them though. How was I to know that Jonathan hadn’t been honest to Argyle about that.”

Eddie bumped his shoulder. “You weren’t.”

“Oh we are totally on your side,” Will said.

Mike nodded. “Yeah, man. It was straight up bullshit all the lying they did.”

“Mom’s pissed because she really liked you,” Will continued, “and believed Jonathan about how things went down. Like of course she did. He’s her son, but she should have tried to get your side of it.”

“Those eight years are totally on her,” Steve said, holding his hands up in surrender. “You’ve been trying to tell her for years to at least talk to me about it.”

Will and Mike nodded.

Mike chewed on his lip as he played with the loose string on the hem of his t-shirt. “Is it bad I hope Nancy and Jonathan break up?”

The table got silence for a moment.

Wayne lifted his chin. “Why’s that, son?”

“Because I don’t think she wants a relationship. I think she was only with Jonathan and Steve,” he said waving at him with his left hand, “is because that’s what you’re ‘supposed’ to do.”

“Steve!” the counter called.

Steve got up to get his pizza order, he stopped back at the table. “I don’t think it’s a bad you want your sister to learn how to be herself without a partner. I think it shows that you’re more mature then she is. You’re a good man, Mike.”

He clapped Mike’s shoulder and then waved goodbye to everyone. He pulled out his keys and walked out to his car, flipping the key ring around as he thought.

He never intended this to happen when he saw his ex at the grocery store, but honestly? Maybe it was a good thing to get all those wounds brought to light so that they could heal properly.

For all their sakes.

*

Steve was ready for the weekend. His week had been a literal hell. But Eddie had promised that he would have fun. The band had been practicing a couple of new songs and were debuting them Saturday night.

He sat at the curve of the table, sandwiched between Robin, who wouldn’t care, only to tease him mercilessly later, and Mandy who got it, how fucking sexy Eddie and the band was when they were on stage.

Steve wished he could say he was better prepared every time Eddie got on stage, but every week Eddie went out of his way to drive Steve absolutely wild.

“He does this on purpose doesn’t he?” Steve asked after a particularly hot number where Eddie fell to his knees grinding on his guitar.

Mandy laughed. “I would like to put you out of your misery and say yes, but no. When Eddie gets on stage he loses all connection to the audience and just rocks out. His fans love it.”

Steve looked around the dingy bar and had to agree. They were just as turned on as he was. He shifted uncomfortably in his jeans, clearing his throat. “If we...” he cleared his throat again. “I mean if Eddie were to–if we were–”

Mandy took pity on him. “If you two were going out would the fans tear you to pieces for touching what they can’t?”

Steve bit his lip and nodded, looking at his hands that were twisted in lap.

She gave his knee a squeeze. “I honestly don’t know what the fans would do. But Eddie wouldn’t give a damn what they think. He’s been booed before for a song that they didn’t think was metal enough and he didn’t let that stop him. Not once.”

Steve let out a breath. It was always something that worried him. He knew he went against the grain in everything he did, but he didn’t want that with Eddie. He didn’t want to be with Eddie just because it went against the norm of what was expected of either of them.

They arrived at the club and already Robin was on the dance floor. She loved dancing and soon Mandy, Chrissy, Jeff, and Brian were out there with her. Gareth, Eddie, and Steve watched in amusement as their friends let loose on the dance floor, living it up under the rainbow lights and the thumping beat of the music.

Steve turned around and Eddie wasn’t there.

“You seen Eddie?” he shouted at Gareth.

Gareth shot up and looked around. “Shit.”

Somehow during their watching of their friends cutting it up, Eddie had slipped away.

“You check out back to see if he’s gone for a smoke,” Steve said.

Gareth nodded.

“I’m going to check the bar.”

Gareth nodded again.

Across the crowded room, a man in a tailored white suit grinned as he moved to the back of the club where the restrooms were, eyes glittering with want and rage as he scented his prey.

***

Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Epilogue

Tag List: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @pyrohonk ​ @renaissan-vvitch @goodolefashionedloverboi @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @messrs-weasley @val-from-lawrence @plyerice27 @thedragonsaunt @sapphirecobalt-1 @a-little-unsteddie @i-must-potato @danili666 @carlyv @rozzieroos @wonderland-girl143-blog @itsall-taken @justforthedead89 @emly03 @bookworm0690 @aizawa-emma @redfreckledwolf @thesuninyaface @bookbinderbitch @yikes-a-bee @littlewildflowerkitten @scheodingers-muppet @archermightbegay @hallucinatedjosten @ellietheasexylibrarian @anne-bennett-cosplayer @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @bestwifehaver @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx @oldwitcheshat @nightmareglitter @tinyplanet95

[rascalentertainments]

Wish Granted Angst

Y'all want angst? Here's a sneak peek/rough draft at a future chapter featuring some. Keep in mind some of the dialogue or descriptions might get altered later or even new stuff added. So this is just because I'm nearly halfway through Chapter 6 and I want to put something extra out (AND BECAUSE I'M SO EXCITED TO GET TO THESE BIG MOMENTS, ITS TAKING SO LONG.)

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

The teens finally made it out of the sight of the guards. They gave them a good chase, but they're no match for a star.

When they got to Bazeema's secret hideaway, they decided to rethink their strategy. Star let Dahlia help Flazino down and onto somewhere where he could rest.

"What did I tell you all? I told you those two were evil! They're pure nutcases!" Gabo exclaimed as he folded his arms in satisfaction.

"Yeah, yeah. You were right, no need to rub it in..." Simon replied as he yawned. He then went to find a place he could easily doze off for a minute.

Star returned to his human looking form, but his glow wasn't as bright as usual. Asha noticed Star wasn't flying about all care free like he normally does. In fact he looked like he didn't want to fly at all.

"Hey, Star. Are you all right?" Asha placed a hand on his shoulder. His mind seemed to be lost somewhere else.

"Yeah...I'm fine." The star replied, but his voice wasn't cheerful as usual, and she could see his smile was gone.

"Hey, isn't this a good thing? Where's that smile of yours?" Asha reassured him with her own smile. "We're so close to saving everyone! We got Flazino back and we can come up with a way to free those wishes. You said it yourself, you can take on Magnifico!"

Star's mind went back to when Magnifico nearly trapped Star in his staff. He could still feel the green chains wrapped around his wrists, from when he was being pulled in.

"Don't worry, its nice and roomy so it'll be like you're back in space! It'll feel like home!" the king told him in his crazed state.

That wasn't home, that was a nightmare. He couldn't go back to up there. He won't go back to being alone. NEVER AGAIN.

"Asha.... I don't think I can beat him." Star admitted to her.

Asha's eyes widened. "What? Star, you never talk like that. What happened to 'I can do just about anything'? We've come too far now!"

Gabo cut in: "Oh please don't tell me that the one thing that can beat the king is quitting on us now!"

Star backed away from Asha. "Look, I just need to think, all right?" Looking annoyed, he walked, not flew, past Asha and others and made his way outside towards the forest.

Asha couldn't believe it, but she could feel it: For the first time, Star was scared....

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

Don't worry, he'll be back to his normal self soon, and it'll be thanks to Asha. I really am working on the idea that they really do help each other. When one's down, the other always helps them up! Just a small dose of WG since I'm still working on extra content when I can, including those extra redesigns! Also, since WG is a more comedic centric take like Hercules and other older Disney films, I want scenes that are more serious to hit harder. Hope I'm developing it right though, lol.

@oh-shtars, @uva124, Are you proud? Did I write the angst right? *tail starts wagging* 😂

@ishadow246 @tumblingdownthefoxden @annymation @chillwildwave

@snackara @your-ne1ghbor @gracebeth3604 @signed-sapphire

[max-nico]

Shadow's development Headcanons

Started off looking like more of some .. creature than a hedgehog

Like way too many or not enough limbs, especially because of the Black Doom DNA

I'm imagining him having one eye and being more of a scaly texture but still oddly goopy lol as well as not having hands or fingers and instead having some tentacle type things

Between getting experimented on and his normal growth he eventually grew to look like a normal mobian hedgehog with some key differences

The differences being, the whites of his eyes having a light green tint, too many teeth, every joint is double jointed, quills that are unable to fold down/look relaxed, sharp claws, etc, etc

I also think it'd be fun if one of his feet had one or two extra toes :3

I think at some point during his development he looked like Stitches alien form (from Lilo and stitch)

Whether he can still regrow the limbs now, Gerald manually rewrote his DNA, or one day he just lost the ability to use them is up to you bc idk

Maria watched Shadow grow up essentially from a weird amoeba looking splotch to a semi grown Hedgehog

I headcanon that Shadow's body didn't look like it does now when he originally went into stasis, and he grew while in containment

Hedgehogs aren't supposed to lose quills unless they're under high stress. I think Shadow sheds a lot by nature, and he frequently has to brush his quills to make room for the new ones growing

Teaching Shadow to talk was a rough process. Mostly because he didn't always.. have a mouth.. or hands... so Maria and Gerald had to be on top of figuring out new ways to communicate, just in case

Perfecting his design was painful, Shadow could gain or lose random parts of his body, organs could be grown wrong and bones had to be corrected and moved over and over again, just for the sake of a "perfect" life form

They'd put Shadow back in the Green Tube when they knew a long process was going to be painful, but sometimes he would need to be awake so they could watch his development, but I would hope at least Maria would fight for these processes to be as few and far between as possible

The first words Shadow said were "Maria", "sister", and "pick up"

It took years before Gerald was finally happy with Shadow's look, and even after that he was still being experimented on to track the progression of his steadily growing powers

Things like his enhanced memory, speed, agility, strength, etc

I think Shadow was given his inhibitor rings for ease of retrieval and containment, and it was an easy way to keep track of his powers while not letting him over use them

This is not to say there was nothing redeemable about his childhood. He technically still has good memories to look back on, after all he still had Maria

Anyways uhm yeah, I'm going to post this without proofreading it hopefully that doesn't backfire :D

Feel free to add your headcanons or whatever !!!!

I'm a Tails centric blog, but please hop into my ask box or DMs, I love meeting new people :33

[nagirambles]

Helloy FT Fandom of Tumblr

Can help me with something. Please recommend Fairy Tail fanfics in the comments and reblogs. Any ship, no ship, self promo is ok. Just spread that love around. Thanks. I would like a positivity boost right now because I am going to throw a pillow otherwise. I also am looking for more things to read.

I'll start. My obsession is rewrite fics/dragon slayer centric with plenty of family feels, so that's most of my recs.

Obligatorily dropping my own AO3 @ here.

Tra'viin Tome'mir by GemmaRose. A series with a Sense8 style mindscape-sharing Dragon Slayers. I'm obsessed with this entire thing. I am not normal about it. It's everything I ever wanted with the dragon slayer dynamic in a ft rewrite-type fic.

Faeries, Dragons, and Demons this story has been disconned and orphanned, but I still believe it's the best rewrite of FT of all time.

How to Raise Your Dragon Slayers by PencilofAwesomeness because I go feral for this Papalogia AU and the kids being the best thing to ever happen to him and everyone who ever reads this. I would die for them

all i got is this pride by titaniaeli about Loke knowing the Dragon Slayers back when they were kids, a 5+1 about them not recognizing him before all remembering at once. This fic keeps me up at night I love it so mudsakdjal

The Fourth Of Jellal by dragonshost when I say the concept of this fic has me by the chokehold pls. Mystogan becomes Master against his every will and he ends up having to actually confront existing in the Fairy Tail guild hall. I never realized how much I craved Mystogan interactions with his Earthland family until now.

D for Dragon Slayers by Beastrage ahhh this crossover between One Piece and Fairy Tail??? It gets my mind reeling. Seeing these unhinged feral mongrels with their un-understandable powers just existing in the One Piece world and the way they all react to them... I so desperately want them to reunite. I will die if they don't. I will.

[fortheloveofwonderland]

Darkness Declares Glory | Chapter 15 | S.R

Previous Part | Next Part

A/N - this fic deals with some very dark themes such as drug use, self-harm and suicidal ideation. Please proceed with caution and Minors DNI. There is a reader insert but it is very Spencer-centric

Chapter Summary - Spencer finally comes to understand the truth about you and his fractured memories before facing off with Cat Adams for the final time.

Pairing - Spencer Reid / Fem! Reader

Category - dark angst | smut | eventual happy ending.

Warnings - false memories, past drug use, swearing, Cat Adams, brief mention of Tobias Hankel.

WC - 5.4K

Chapter 15 - How to Save a Life

The Mandela Effect. 

Coined online by a woman who detailed her recollection of Nelson Mandela dying in prison in the nineteen eighties. She remembered distinctive news coverage on his death and found others who had shared memories of the event. 

However, Nelson Mandela did not die in prison. He spent twenty seven years inside before being released, went on to become the President of South Africa for five years and passed away in twenty thirteen. 

The Mandela Effect is described as a clear memory of an event that never happened in this reality. It occurs when people believe that their distorted memories are accurate recollections. 

Other examples of it include The Berenstein Bears versus The Berenstain Bears and whether Curious George had a tail or not. 

There is evidence that our memories aren’t entirely accurate and can alter over time. People tend to over-believe their memories as a form of ego protection or cognitive dissonance. Some people would rather choose to believe their false memory is evidence of a parallel universe than admit they are wrong. 

It isn’t based on a lie or deception. Instead it occurs when a person or group of people have clear but false memories. The creation of such dissociative realities can be a crutch for people who have suffered extreme trauma. 

Like being imprisoned for a crime they didn’t commit. 

Spencer stared straight ahead at the wall in the interrogation room, straight over her raven head. He couldn’t even bear to make eye contact with her for fear of what he might see. 

He hadn’t spoken a word after he told Luke he wanted the truth about you. After that he’d shut down completely. 

Emily came at Luke’s insistence and found Spencer practically catatonic, staring at the same wall he stared at now, refusing to speak. 

“What’s going on Luke? Did Cat do something?” Emily glared at her colleague, keeping her voice low. “He shouldn’t be here. I didn’t want him to know.”

“I don’t think this is about Cat.” Luke whispered back. 

“What’s this about then?” She folded her arms, giving Luke a stern look. 

He pulled a face before leaning in close to her ear.

“He said wanted the truth about Y/N.” 

Spencer had heard everything they were saying but couldn’t bring himself to speak. Instead he twirled the theory of the Mandela Effect around and around in his fractured brain, trying to make sense of this. 

False memories. The belief in being able to recollect events that never happened. 

Or in his case, an entire series of events. 

It wasn’t until he'd stood thinking of the last time he’d seen Cat that it all became clear. He’d shattered the perfectly crafted illusion in his head. He hadn’t been thinking of you when he said those things to Cat over two years ago. He hadn’t been thinking about you because you didn’t exist to him then.

Two years ago was when Spencer thought you’d broken up with him, walked away from your relationship. And it wasn’t a coincidence that two years was almost the exact amount of time he’d started using again. 

His drug-addled brain had created false memories, manufactured an entire relationship that had never existed. And he’d broken the disassociation when he’d thought back to a time when you hadn’t existed in his life and tried to place you there. 

Obviously he’d met you somewhere during his drug binge. He hadn’t completely made you up, clearly you did actually exist. But you’d never been together. Not the way he thought you had. 

He’d dreamt of you countless times before he saw your face at PIW. He knew how dreams worked. He knew the brain didn’t have the capacity to create new faces. The fact that he dreamt of you meant he’d seen you before. The neocortex works to interpret images, sounds and sensations experienced during the waking day and build a coherent narrative with them. 

So he’d definitely seen you before. But it seemed as though his brain had just constructed its own story. One where you were an FBI Agent. One where you’d been his girlfriend and the two of you had fallen in love. 

But that’s all it was, a carefully conceived tale. 

He most likely met you the night Tara saw him making out with a woman wearing your bracelet. He’d spent a night with you nearly two years ago and your face and your name had stuck in his crazed mind. And he’d concocted a life for the two of you. 

Maybe it had been his brain's way of combating loneliness. Or maybe he was just completely fucking insane. In a way it all made perfect sense.

The team's reluctance to talk about you. The lack of pictures of you in his room. 

He’d even tried to tell himself, through you, in his dreams. 

“You know deep down that if this was real, I wouldn’t be here.”

“Emily must have called you.” 

“We both know that she didn’t Spencer. Think about it. Really think about it.” 

“Think about what?” 

“You still don’t get it do you?” 

“Get what? I don’t understand. Y/N please tell me what’s going on.” 

“You have to figure it out for yourself. I’m only a figment of your drug-addled brain.” 

“Please Y/N, tell me what’s going on. I’m so confused.” 

“You’ll figure it out. You’re a genius after all.” 

“Please Y/N, don’t go! I miss you! Please don’t leave me again!” 

“Close your eyes and rest. It will make more sense in the morning.” 

How did he not realise sooner? 

He felt Emily’s hand on top of his and it felt like it was burning him. His flesh felt as though it was seering off beneath her touch and he wanted her to stop. 

“Spence? Can you say something? Or at the very least, can you look at me?” She spoke softly. 

Spencer wanted to scream at her. He wanted to scream at her and Luke and the rest of his old team. He wanted to scream at Maggie and Nick and Cedric and Doctor Sanderson. He wanted to scream at Cat for having him arrested and causing him to relapse which had led him here in the first place. 

You were the only good memory he’d had and now it was destroyed. None of it was real. Everything he’d been clinging to was a lie. 

“Spence?” She squeezed his hand and he suddenly snatched it out from under hers. 

He tore his eyes off the wall and when he looked at her, his tears overflowed and started falling silently down his cheeks. 

“It wasn’t real.” He croaked out. “It was all in my head. It was never real.” 

“I’m so sorry, Spencer. I didn’t know how to tell you. When you mentioned her when you woke up…I didn’t know how to tell you she doesn’t exist.” Emily chewed on her lip. 

“She does it exist. Technically.” He tried to ignore the tears streaming down his face. “I must have met her when I was high and…I guess I created a whole life around it. And now she’s at the institute too and I can’t stop thinking about her as the girl in my false memories.” 

“She’s…she’s real?” Emily stuttered. 

“Yeah. She’s a drug addict. Not an FBI Agent. Not my ex-girlfriend. Just a drug addict I probably screwed when I was high out of my mind.” He hung his head and like in the car, his hand shimmied up his sleeve and his fingers pressed against the vein at the crook of his arm. 

“You were on a lot of drugs for a long time, Spence. It was bound to cause some kind of psychological effects.” She went to put her hand on his again but Spencer suddenly pushed his chair back. 

The metal chair screeched across the floor and he jumped to his feet, ignoring the pain that it caused his leg to do so. 

“I created an entire relationship in my head, Emily! I have vivid memories of being with her, of the two of us hanging out with you guys at Rossi’s. I imagined a whole relationship with her, one that still feels so real even though I know it isn’t! My brain was the one thing I could always count on. And now that has failed me too. How the fuck can I remember things so well that never happened?” He raised his voice, startling Emily a little. 

“Spencer, I wish I knew what to say.” She sighed sadly. 

“Why don’t you just say what everyone is thinking, Emily?” He glared at her wildly but she frowned. 

“What do you mean?” 

He slammed his hands on the metal table, the noise echoed around the small room. 

“It’s my fault. It’s all my fucking fault. If I hadn’t started using again, if I hadn’t put myself into this position…” he trailed off, grinding his teeth. 

“No one thinks this is your fault, Spencer.” She shook her head. “Everything that happened to you…you reached your breaking point. That is not your fault. You were pushed to it.” 

His eyes turned black with anger and for a moment she thought that rage was directed at her. 

“You’re right.” He growled, throwing his hands up in the air. “This is her fault. That fucking bitch! It’s all her fault!” 

“H-her?” Emily swallowed.

“Cat fucking Adam’s! She did this to me! She had me arrested which led to me relapsing. And relapsing led me to create these false memories with Y/N. She’s taken everything from me! Piece by piece she has slowly destroyed my life!” He was really yelling, spital flying from his mouth like a wild animal while the vein in his forehead pulsed aggressively. 

“Spencer,” Emily pushed her chair back and came closer to him, tentatively. “You need to calm down. I don’t think seeing Cat right now is a good idea for anyone. She’ll be dead soon and you won’t have to worry about her anymore.” 

“No, I have to see her.” He spat. “She is not going to her grave before she answers to what she’s done.”

“I really don’t think-“

“Screw what you think!” He screamed at her. “Screw you and screw the team. I don’t work for you Emily, you can’t tell me what to do anymore.” 

Emily took a breath, calming herself before she said something she’d inevitably regret. 

“Your memories might not be real but you said yourself that Y/N is. You should focus on that. She’s real and you have a chance to make real memories with her.” Emily tried to calm him to no avail. 

“The memories of her were the only thing I had left to cling to Emily! They were the only thing keeping me even remotely sane!” 

“Spencer, listen to me.” She grabbed him by the shoulders and he tried to break free of the hold but she held tight, forcing him to look at her. “You were going to find out eventually. And now you know and you have to deal with it. Being angry at Cat isn’t going to change anything. Being mad at her won’t make things different. What’s done is done and now you need to decide how you’re going to get through it. But marching in there and screaming at Cat is not going to change what’s already happened.” 

He stood still for a moment, staring at Emily and she had no idea what he was thinking. She hoped he would see sense, walk away and forget all about Cat Adam’s and the things she’d put him through. She hoped he was smart enough to know that whatever he hoped to achieve in that room would not come to fruition. She hoped he knew better, once he would have, but she wasn’t sure anymore. Spencer hadn’t been the man she’d known for a long time. 

He stepped back from her hold and shook his head, turning away from her and heading to the door. 

“I’m doing this. I have to see her.” He reached for the door handle as Emily reached for his arm but he shook her off. 

He threw the door open and practically crashed straight into Luke who was on the other side. Spencer briefly snarled at the other man before pushing past him. 

“And don’t you dare follow me. This is between me and her. Don’t get involved.” He spat harshly over his shoulder as he stormed down the hall towards the interrogation room that held his nemesis. 

He ignored the pain spreading through his leg at the effort of walking at this speed. It didn’t matter. He had bigger fish to fry. 

Emily and Luke exchanged a defeated glance, there were no words they could say that would change Spencer’s mind and they’d probably only find themselves on the receiving end of his anger if they tried. They watched him go, and they both just hoped he wouldn’t kill Cat Adam’s. 

***

Without preparing himself or even taking a second to calm himself, Spencer threw open the door of the interrogation room, storming towards the table in the centre of the room. 

Cat gave him that wicked smile that haunted his dreams as he pulled back the chair heavily and sat down in it. 

“Spencie,” she grinned at him. “I missed you.” 

“Cut the shit.” He shook his head. “I’m not here for your games.”

“But you love my games.” She leant her elbows on the table, threaded her fingers together creating a little bridge and leant on her chin on them. 

“Your games got me arrested. Your games forced me back on drugs.” He snarled. 

“Oh yes I heard about that.” She giggled and if he didn’t know any better he wouldn’t think her to be a threat. 

“Still keeping tabs on me?” 

“Of course. I have to make sure your life sucks as much as mine does.” She smiled so sweetly at him as though her words weren’t laced with poison. “How does a psychiatric facility compare to prison?” 

“You destroyed my fucking life.” He slammed his hands on the table and he saw her flinch. “You destroyed my life for what? Some sick fucking game? Because I arrested you first? You deserved to be in prison. I didn’t.” 

“Well now, that’s just a matter of opinion.” She sat back in her chair. “You said yourself you enjoyed hurting those men. And given half the chance, you would have killed me the last time you saw me. I think you know what kind of monster you are. You just hate that I bring it out of you.” 

“I’m nothing like you.” He shook his head. 

“You’re everything like me, Spencie. You told me, remember? You told me we were the same and that we were perfect for each other.” She leant forward and reached to cup his jaw. “Let me show you how perfect we really are for each other.” 

For a moment he let her hold his face in such an eerily delicate way it momentarily made him forget how much he despised her. But he soon snapped himself out of it, grabbing her roughly by the wrist and pulling her hand off his jaw. 

“Don’t touch me.” He spat, dropping her arm to the table. 

“Don’t pretend you haven’t thought of my hands all over you.” She smirked. 

He knew he had to change tact. He was losing his grip on the situation. He took a breath and focused himself. 

“What happened to your baby?” His words caused a frown to appear on her features at the sudden change of subject. 

“What?” 

“Last time I saw you, you were pregnant with another man’s baby you claimed to be mine. What happened to it?” He folded his arms over his chest. 

“I don’t want to talk about that.” She averted her gaze from his. 

“Did you miscarry? Or was the baby put into the system?” 

“I said I don’t want to talk about that.” She growled. “If it was your baby I’d talk about it. It should have been your baby. I wish it was your baby.” 

“You disgust me.” He rolled his eyes rather than confessing that he’d wished the same. 

He hoped she wouldn’t see right through him the way she usually did. She raised an eyebrow at him, crossing one leg over the other as she inspected him. 

“If I disgust you so much,” she tilted her head to the side. “Why are you here?” 

That was a good question, one he still didn’t have an answer to. 

“To show you that you didn’t completely destroy me. I’m still breathing. I’m still alive. I’m going to beat my addiction and I’ve got the rest of my life ahead of me. You don’t get to win this one, Cat.” He felt sweat gathering at his temples. 

The urge to use again was extremely high. 

“Oh Spencie!” She cackled dramatically. “I’ve already won.” 

“How so?” He desperately fought to keep his expression neutral. 

“Look at you.” She scoffed. “You’re a mess. I took everything from you. Your job. Your sobriety. Your sanity.” 

The look in her eyes told him she knew the full extent of it, but how could she? How could she know about you? There was no feasible way for her to know and Spencer knew that. 

“You did take everything from me.” He suddenly confessed, standing up and starting pacing the small room. Cat watched his limp curiously. “You even took the one good thing I thought I had left. The one good thing I had left in my life and you took that too. You took everything from me.” 

“You flatter me, Spencie.” She smirked at his admittance. 

He moved closer to the table again and without sitting down, leant on it with his palms. 

“You took everything.” He repeated, staring her right in the eyes. “But I’m still alive. And that’s more than will be able to be said for you soon. You lose, Cat. The game is over.” 

Cat’s smile faltered and he saw something flicker on her eyes. Then she leant closer to him, fixing her smile and reaching her hand closer to him. 

“I’ll be dead but I’ll still live on forever up here.” She tapped the side of Spencer’s head. 

He snarled at her and stood up straight so she couldn’t reach him. 

“My only regret is that it wasn’t me who got to end your life.” He spat. “I should have been the one to kill you. Not the state.” 

“There’s still time.” She smiled smugly. 

He clenched and unclenched his fists at his sides. He would love nothing more than her life to end at his hands. But he couldn’t. He’d already lost so much because of her. He wasn’t letting her have this too. 

“I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction.” He spat. “I’m done here. We’re done.” 

He turned on his heels and limped towards the door. Cat watched him go as she fished for something in the pocket of her jumpsuit. As he reached the door, he was haltered by her voice. 

“But I have something you want, Spencie.” She spoke in that sickly sweet tone that sent a shiver down his spine. 

He grinded his teeth and took a deep breath. 

“You have nothing that I want, Cat.” He stayed facing the door, afraid if he looked at her he’d be sucked back in again. 

“Oh really?” She rolled the item around in her palm. “Not even this?” 

Spencer tried his hardest not to turn around, he really did. But against his better judgement, he slowly turned back to her. She had a proud look on her features as she held her hand open showcasing the item in her palm. 

Spencer’s blood froze in his veins as he stared it, a flashing beacon in her hand waiting for him. She was waving a red flag at a bull. 

“Well? Don’t pretend you don’t want it.” She chuckled, proffering her hand across the table. 

He felt his heart start to race and he swore his vein on his left arm pulsated as he stared at the small glass bottle. The small, seemingly innocuous item that was the one thing Cat could tempt him with. 

His mouth went dry and his right hand subconsciously moved to grip at the crook of his left arm while he continued to stare at the small vial of dilaudid in Cat Adam’s hand. 

“W-where did you g-get that?” He swallowed, his voice hoarse. 

“I still have friends in high places.” She shrugged. 

“I d-don’t want it.” He refused to move, couldn’t come any closer for fear he would take it from her. 

“You might not want it. But you need it.” She held it up, shaking it between her fingers. 

“W-why?” He croaked. “Why are you doing this?” 

“Because I never lose, Spencie.” She grinned at him, reaching her free hand into her pocket. “Can’t forget this!” 

She pulled out a needle still in its packaging and placed both items on the metal table. Spencer felt his neck start to sweat and his hands were shaking. Five weeks he’d been sober. And for most of those five weeks he’d dreamed of someone handing him a vial of his old vice. 

He squeezed his arm, pressing against his vein as if it would help stem the cravings that snuck back up on him. 

“Please,” he shook his head. “P-please put it away.” 

“Why would I do that? It’s a gift, silly. My parting gift to you before I exit this plane of existence.” She looked between him and the drugs. “Don’t pretend you’re going to walk out of here without taking it. You and I both know you aren’t strong enough.” 

He felt tears gather behind his eyes and he frantically blinked them away. He felt like he was back in that graveyard kneeling over Tobias’ dead body while he contemplated taking the drugs from his tormentor. 

That decision had been an easy one. Pocketing those vials of dilaudid had been one of the simplest decisions of his life. And ultimately, this was much the same. Because Cat was right, he wasn’t strong enough to walk away without the drugs. He hadn’t been sober long enough to feel like he didn’t need them anymore. One more hit would solve so many of his problems. 

He knew Emily and Luke weren’t out there watching because if they were, one of them would have burst in here by now and dragged him away from temptation. He could take the drugs and they’d be none the wiser. He could take them back to PIW and as soon as he was alone he could shoot up. And the promise of the euphoria that came with the dilaudid forced him closer to the table without really meaning to. 

“Are you really so sick you have to resort to this just to win a fucked up game?” His voice cracked as he spoke, not able to muster his earlier bravado. 

“You started this game when you lied to me about finding my father. This is on you. You started it, Spencer, I’m just ending it.” She pushed the dilaudid and the needle further over the table towards him. 

“You’ll be dead. You won’t even know if I take it or not.” 

At that, Cat started to cackle again, holding her stomach as she did so. 

“Oh Spencie, you will take it. You’re a drug addict, of course you’ll take it.” 

“Recovering drug addict.” He corrected her. 

“Oh so that makes me a recovering murderer? Grow up, Spencer. Once an addict, always an addict. Who we are never really changes, you proved that by relapsing after all those years.” She folded her arms, signifying she had no intention of taking the drugs back. 

Spencer moved closer to the table and stared at the vial and the needle. He wanted her to be wrong. He needed her to be wrong. But he knew it was true, he knew no matter how many years he was sober he’d always be a drug addict the same way she’d always be a murderer. 

He knew he could stare at that vial all day but the outcome would always be the same. He’d known the minute he saw it in her hand that he wasn’t leaving this room without those drugs. No matter how hard he tried to pretend otherwise. His fate was already sealed. He was a drug addict and his drug of choice was within arms reach. It was as simple as that. 

Wishing he were stronger, he reached for the vial and the needle and snatched them up in his hand before quickly stuffing them in his pants pocket. A devilish smile appeared on Cat’s face as she sat back in her chair and folded her arms in triumph. 

“It’s been really nice playing with you, Spencie.” She chuckled. 

“Enjoy hell you bitch.” He spat, turning as fast as his leg would allow and limping to the door. 

He threw it open and exited the small room, slamming the door behind him. He could still hear Cat laughing from the other side. He pushed his back against the closed door and put his head in his hands. 

The dilaudid felt like a led weight in his pocket, weighing him down as though his pants were full of rocks. He’d let her win. He’d taken the drugs like she knew he would. She knew he couldn’t resist them. And they both knew he was going to take them. He didn’t have the strength not to. She might be about to be put to death but she had still won. She’s beaten him once and for all. 

He tried to compose himself, anger and anticipation filling his body as he thought about the drugs burning a hole in his pocket. He just had to get back to the institute and he could finally have that sweet release he’d been craving for five long weeks. 

He eventually pulled himself together and found Luke and Emily waiting outside the prison. He didn’t even so much as look at Emily, let alone speak to her as motioned Luke to follow him. 

“Let’s go.” He spoke to Luke, heading down the path to the barb wire gate at the end. 

Luke shot Emily a small smile and a shrug before following the other man. They got in Luke’s car in silence and neither of them spoke for quite some time. Luke periodically glanced at Spencer who had his eyes trained out the passenger side window. After close to a half hour of driving in silence, Luke tried to engage him. 

“So, uh…how did it go?” He asked softly. 

“As well as could be expected.” Spencer replied without looking at him. 

“Right.” Luke nodded. “Do you uh…do you wanna talk about Y/N?” 

Spencer’s neck practically snapped with the speed in which he turned to face Luke. His eyes were nearly black as he stared at him. 

“What’s to talk about? I fucked up my brain so much with drugs that I genuinely believed I’d had a whole relationship with a woman. A woman who I thought was an FBI Agent but turned out to be an addict I’d met one time. I fell in love with memories created in my own head. What’s to talk about?” He huffed, turning his attention back out the window. 

“There’s still a chance. It’s not like she didn’t exist entirely. You can make those memories Spencer. But not if you let this thing with Cat destroy you.” 

Spencer caught the look Luke gave him out of the corner of his eye. If he wasn’t mistaken, he could have sworn Luke knew about the stash in his pocket. 

“Don’t let her have the final say.” Luke muttered, focusing back on the road. 

Somehow, Luke knew, Spencer was sure of it. He wasn’t sure why he was being so cryptic about it and not just coming out and saying it. But he was sure knew Luke about the drugs. 

Spencer decided not to say anything and continued to stare at the passing landscape. Neither of them said another word until Luke pulled up in the parking lot of PIW. 

He got out of the car and held his arms open for Spencer. Spencer hugged him briefly before stepping back and scuffing his toe on the concrete. 

“Thanks for today.” He croaked, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He ran his fingers over the cool vial, feeling the anticipation flooding his whole body. 

“Any time man. Just remember what I said.” Luke gave him a small smile. 

“I’ll see you later.” Spencer shrugged, turning away.

Luke watched him limp towards the building entrance. He was sure something had happened with Cat that Spencer would never tell him. He just hoped after the events of today, Spencer would be able to keep his head above water. He prayed this wasn’t his friend's undoing. 

***

It was late by the time Luke dropped him back off and he made his way to his room. The first thing he did was get out of his suit and slip into his pyjama pants and an oversized sweater. He sat on the edge of his bed with the vial and needle and his hand. 

It would be so easy to take it. It would be so easy to shoot up and let his high consume, maybe even kill him. He even got as far as to fill the needle with the drug before twirling it around in his fingers. 

He rolled up his sleeve and used his tie from earlier as a tourniquet. But every time he went to pierce his skin with the needle, Luke’s words permeated his brain. 

“There’s still a chance. It’s not like she didn’t exist entirely. You can make those memories Spencer. But not if you let this thing with Cat destroy you.” 

He wished Luke wasn’t right. He hated that he was. He did still have a chance. You were real even if his memories weren’t. He had a chance to make real memories with you. 

But not if he did this. If he took the drugs he was back at square one. You were already several months into your rehabilitation and would surely have no time for him if he gave into his demons so easily. 

It was killing him to be so close to getting his fix and not actually getting it. It would be the easiest goddamn thing in the world to inject the dilaudid into his veins and deal with the consequences later. But what if those consequences meant losing you for good? 

“There’s still a chance. It’s not like she didn’t exist entirely. You can make those memories Spencer. But not if you let this thing with Cat destroy you.” 

Tears rolled down Spencer's cheeks silently as he fought an internal battle with himself. He was almost proud of how much deliberation this was taking. A few weeks, maybe even a few days ago, he would have taken it without hesitation. 

He paced the small length of the room, needle in hand until his leg screamed for him to stop. But even then he kept pacing a little longer.

He went end to end playing through the events of the day on a loop. Then he started recollecting the last five weeks he’d spent at the institute, everything from waking up with Emily by his bedside, to finding you, meeting Taylor and George and everything in between. 

And once he’d exhausted that he started reliving the small snippets of the past two years he could remember, mostly through the memories his friends had shared. Once his leg was throbbing he sat back down on the bed and stared at the needle once more. 

He spent so long looking at it his eyes started to grow heavy. Maybe things would make more sense after he got some sleep. Maybe he’d wake up in the morning with no reluctance and inject the drugs straight into his vein without a second thought. 

Leaving the tie around his arm, too drained to remove it, he fell back to the bed, tucking the needle and vial and under his pillow. 

And despite all the things playing on his mind, Spencer fell almost immediately into a deep sleep. 

@andiebeaword @muffin-cup @measure-in-pain @dreatine @matthew-gray-gubler-lover @justreadingficsdontmindme @spencer-reid-wonderland @thebloomingeagle @tiredmilky @thatsonezesty13 @1mechanicalalligator @elle-28 @academiareid

[atonalginger]

Snippet Sunday

It's Sunday and I have something Rokov-centric this weekend for my snippet. I wanted to explore what he was up to during the last few chapters of Work-Life Balance and shortly after, since he didn't make much of an appearance then.

I'm tossing the snippet below a cut since its a big longer.

His arrival at the Key was not what he expected, with most of the bays empty, Jazz’s station under lockdown, and the market row deserted. The Last Nova doors were open but only Bog was inside packing up the bar in silence. By the time he’d stepped into the Reckoner’s Core, where he found Shinya was missing, he’d pulled his pistol, half expecting an ambush. Thrasher, always the smart and cautious type, whistled from around the corner near the elevators before approaching the wary pirate.

«Where is everyone?» Rokov asked as he watched the big, quiet man walk up to one of the servers and lean against it.

«Loyalists are preparing for orders, the rest ran to join Naeva, wherever she told them to jump,» Thrasher looked around, clearly uncomfortable being the messenger, «Boss has been worried about you.»

«Did he hear about Estelle’s stunt?» Rokov itched his beard.

«No?» Thrasher raised an eyebrow, «Just that you were late.»

«She sold me out to SysDef, with Naeva’s help,» Rokov finally holstered his gun and relaxed his shoulders, «the whole crew I met up with appeared in on it.»

«Fuck.»

«You said Boss was waiting for me?» Rokov nodded toward the elevators.

«There will be a captain’s meeting soon. We’re waiting on Huan Daiyu to dock and Samina to finish up with whatever she was working on.»

«Who else will be there?»

Thrasher ticked them off with his fingers, «Jazz, Bog, Voss, and Cherise. You should go check in with her and Boss…a lot went down in the two weeks you were gone.»

Rokov raised his brow momentarily, trying to hide his panic while his mind reeled over the possibilities. He took a breath, collecting his thoughts, before nodding and leaving the quiet pirate in the Core.

Was there a fight? He wondered as the elevator climbed to the command center floor. It felt slower than usual, like time had become molasses for him, What did Naeva get in return for my coordinates? What could SysDef possibly have that she would want that could get her to…

His stomach knotted up as the elevator doors slid open. He couldn’t move, couldn’t breath, a loud ringing consuming his thoughts as it hit him. Naeva wanted ammunition against Bella. Something she would use to weaken the Fleet’s femme fatale. And the sharks had something too: Sophie. They had information on that sweet little girl. The little princess Bella fought so hard to keep far away from the Fleet and all of her other dangerous ventures. And they jumped right to the Key two weeks ago.

Jazz was the one to find him standing in the elevator, catching the door before it closed on him, “Hey there, we’ve been worried about you. Shinya picked up on some chatter talking about a raid at the freighter.”

“All thanks to the traitor,” Rokov rumbled, trying to center himself.

“Which one?” Jazz said with a frown.

“We don’t have time to list them,” he forced a laugh, “Where is Delgado?”

“He and Bella are up in his room. Thrasher should have mentioned a meeting? It’ll be a little bit, we’re still waiting on the Jade Swan, so you should head on up.”

Rokov nodded and found the will to move his legs and walk. He tried to look stoic but the way Jazz looked back at him told him she could see through it. Command was empty, the door to the emergency docks open, Mollie and Wrecker’s voices somewhere in the darkness. Didn’t think that dock was operational.

He took the stairs two at a time, catching the tail end of the conversation between his partners, Del trying to sound confident, “he’ll be here soon. Please sit down before you wear a hole—“

“Why didn’t you tell me about the sharks on Gagarin?” she snapped back.

“When would have been a good time to slot that into conversation, mi amor? Before the news Naeva was in Cheyenne? After her goons fucked around?”

“You could have told me last night!”

“Look at you,” Del stopped to temper his words, fighting not to escalate things into a shouting match, “if I told you last night you would have…he’s on the Key now, like I knew he would. He’s safe.”

Rokov pushed through the war room and into the small back bedroom. Bella’s back was to the door, her fists balled at her sides. Delgado glanced over to him and then held up a hand to point in his direction, “see, he’s right here.”

She spun around and rushed the big Russian, crashing into him with a panicked urgency that rattled his nerves. He scooped her up, her legs wrapping around him as he hugged her tight, her face buried in the crook of his neck.

«What happened? Are you alright? Where is Sophie?» he whispered between kisses to her neck.

“Sophie is with her Auntie and Uncle…somewhere safe in the Blackest Sea,” Bella’s grip on him was intense, “don’t know where, which is best for now. She’s safe.”

“Naeva has tried twice to kidnap Sophie,” Del added, slowly walking past them to close the bedroom door, “still don’t know how the feral bitch knew Sophie would be on the Cherrybomb that day…she was a secret to everyone except you and apparently Daiyu.”

“She had her reasons,” Rokov kissed Bella’s temple.

“That wasn’t meant as a complaint,” Del stepped close and leaned his forehead against Rokov’s shoulder, “I’m not mad. I’m just confused to how Naeva knew to send people looking.”

Rokov put Bella down with some reluctance, “was the first attempt the same day as the park?”

“Da,” Bella wiped her eyes and took a long breath in, letting it out slow through her mouth.

“Then someone in New Atlantis tipped her off. Someone with security feed access. Someone paying her back for Fleet captain movements.” Rokov turned to look at Delgado, “Estelle became an informant for the sharks. She gave them details on the freighter heist. Details she got from ‘someone high up the chain.’ And the crew that met me was all in on it, likely on orders from Naeva. No clue where any of them are, aside from the blue-haired prick I wasted once I caught him sharing movements.”

Delgado blinked rapidly, his face going red as he struggled to stay calm.

“Oh, but I’m the fucking rat!” Bella shouted as she aggressively paced the floor, “I’m the traitor worth hunting down.” She continued ranting, her sentences breaking into an incomprehensible mix of English with heavy southern Akilan twang that only surfaced when she was enraged and Spanish.

“I’m glad you were able to get away,” Del said, his bare hand caressing Rokov’s neck and shoulder.

“I’m going to kill that fucking rat,” Bella shouted, “I’m going to carve her to fucking pieces!”

“Soon, mi amor,” Delgado looked over, “soon.”

[runwayrunway]

No. 8 - Flair Airlines

I’m pleased to announce that this post is my first second ever request! (Sorry about the bumping back in the queue. Blame jetBlue, not me.) @fungaloids​ has requested that I cover Canada’s most complained-about airline, so let’s see if the self-proclaimed only ultra-low-cost carrier in Canada can add my opinion of their livery to their 15.3 complaints per 100 flights!

Being a relatively new carrier, you might not expect me to have anything to say about the history and evolution of Flair’s livery, but I really feel like I need to talk about the utter whiplash this airline has inflicted on me. My familiarity with Flair was only in passing beforehand, so I don’t know if Canadians have had to experience this in real time, but this company has existed since 2005 under two names and has had three liveries, none of which remotely look like they belong to the same airline. 

This cannot possibly be the same airline, right? This fully-servicable-yet-entirely-generic livery with what looks like a hotel logo badly centered on the tail is Flair? No, seriously, that tail looks like it’s photoshopped on badly but this is allegedly a candid photo. 

(image source: johnnyw3)

In 2017 they rebranded to this very...different look. I’m not here to talk about this but I must say it while I’m here - I enjoy the belly-centric livery and the blocking of contrasting colors here but I cannot get over how bad the wordmark is. This is a wonderful example of a livery being somewhat interesting but not very good. 

Just a year later, Flair, formerly a charter operator, decided to begin scheduled service as an ultra-low-cost carrier. Clearly this set their financially minded brains churning, and what they churned up was toxic sludge. 

It only took them two years of the blue and purple to decide that wasn’t the move and rebrand again to a color scheme of black and what they themselves describe as “acid green”. And I...

Oh. I’m angry at myself for this. I like it? 

Let me explain myself. 

I think this design is delightfully tacky in the best of ways. I like it when low-cost carriers lean into the fact that they don’t need to take themselves seriously. I think billboard-style liveries are excellent on carriers like this. We've gone from that utterly generic wordmark to this huge bold easily recognizable affair that spans the height of the fuselage, with the ascenders and big circular dot on the 'i' as a nice little pop-art-looking touch. It's a tiny detail but I also love how they lined up the crossbar on the f to be just above the windows. The huge and legible airline name keeps the white bits of the airplane from being too unbroken and boring, and the bright color scheme pops vividly.

I don’t think any other airline uses these colors, at least not that I’ve seen. The tiny bit of purple is a very classy touch, and I love the way the green is used to accentuate the black. They’re basically separate blocks, not mingling - one on the body and one on the nacelles and winglets - except for the big spotlight of bright searing green right on the horizontal stabilizer, like it’s going “look! You use this to pitch the plane up and down!”. The black section of the belly is visible from the side and helps keep the front of the plane from looking empty without creating clutter or taking away from the primary design on the tail. The entire design has a delightful pop art vibe to it, and like I said, it suits Flair’s business model to not brand itself in too self-respecting of a way. I even like the website on the belly. You can even advertise to people on the ground when you fly over them! Now that’s hustling. 

This livery gets a B+. 

But wait...what’s this? Well, as it turns out, Flair might have an all-737 fleet (very typical for this business model), but they operate two types of 737, and each has its own livery. What I just showed you is the livery they use for their 737MAX 8 aircraft. But what about the 737-800 NG which make up the rest of its fleet? 

Well, she sure did sit in a pile of green. That said, this....is worse. 

It maintains the pop art look, which is good, because I’d be furious if it didn’t, but aside from the painted radome (always a good feature due to how it makes airplanes look sort of like a little dog) this is a downgrade in every way. (To be clear, I think a painted radome would look weird on the MAX livery so I’m not mad they removed it; I just like it on the NG livery.)

It just feels like a bunch of unrelated bits merged together. It has that thing I hate where the tailfin is a different color from the main fuselage with no transition. The main thing here, of separating the plane into three vertical blocks, would be solid if there was anything which transitioned the fin to the main body (Uzbekistan Airways does a solid job of this, but it could literally be a teeny stripe and it would work), but it just feels like the black gets overpowered by the white and green and the reduced contrast honestly robs the green of its punch. 

Also, they removed the text on the belly. Come on, Flair. 

Overall, this livery just feels a lot less dynamic than the MAX one. I’m finding myself relieved that they seem to be phasing it out for an all-MAX fleet, with only two left in service. The phase-out was assisted, presumably, by the fact that Flair just had four of their leased aircraft repossessed by the lessor for defaulting on payments. Whoops!

The 737NG livery gets a C.

That gives Flair an overall GPA of B-, according to my calculations. It feels right, although I do feel pretty disappointed that I ended up more or less liking it. I feel like getting yet another complaint would be on brand for them. Does that count as a complaint? I don’t know. The livery’s good. 

Thank you again for the request! I greatly enjoyed reviewing this very green plane. 

[konoha-silverforest]

Disclaimers

...for the whole series "Konoha's Silver Forest".

Here is the link for the first part. <3

Hey there! Just a few quick disclaimers before you dive into the story:

About the narrator: It’s omniscient! I mean, kinda knows everything happening and what everyone’s thinking, but each chapter focuses on a main POV. Whenever you see bold text, that’s actual thoughts from the character we’re focusing on in that chapter!

It’s mostly Kakashi and Moriki-centric. Other characters and pairs are going to get their time too though! 🤗 I’ll keep you updated as we go.

Power levels in Naruto? Yeah, they drive me crazy too. I mean, come on, Kakashi’s a genius! A genin at six years old! But somehow, he’s not allowed to shine as much? Not on my watch! I know he’s not the main character, but come on.

Sticking (mostly) to canon! The plan is to stay close to the original Naruto timeline and events, but with some tweaks.

Kakashi’s protective streak—we all know it’s there. So yeah, I think that would totally translate to him looking out for Team 7 more. Expect some more wholesome Kakashi moments with his squad!

Sakura hate? Not here! Yes, she got on my nerves in the genin days (like, come on, before the Chunin exams...), but let’s give her some credit. She’s a civilian-born ninja, 12 years old, and by the Blank Period, she outpaced even Naruto in growth. No fancy reincarnations, tailed beasts, or crazy eye powers—just hard work! And she’s part of the new Sannin!

Genin Sasuke and Naruto? Sigh. They definitely made some facepalm-worthy decisions. “I’m an avenger, muahaha,” and Naruto’s “Let’s charge into battle headfirst!”... But hey, they were kids!

The age thing in Naruto bothers me too. Child soldiers? Yikes. It’s a bit much, but it’s the Naruto world, so I’ll follow the rules, even if I don’t agree with them. Just know it doesn’t reflect my values or anything like that. The mindless violence isn’t my vibe either, but this is how the story rolls.

And of course the official ones:

Naruto and its characters? Not mine. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto and all the official peeps. This is just me having fun in their world and putting my spin on things. No money involved, just fan-love!

Moriki and other original characters/ideas? Those are mine! So, please don’t take or repost without asking. Sharing is cool, stealing is not.

Heads up on themes! There will be some heavier emotional stuff, action, and possibly mature content. If that’s not your vibe, feel free to skip around or take breaks!

Enjoy the ride, and thanks for reading! 💖

[sodasbubble]

Additional info

So, we’re a small, fictive-heavy plural “system” (we don’t necessarily think the term system fits but it’s a simple way to sum things up). What does that necessarily mean? Well let me just say some things here.

First of all yes, we used to call ourselves fictionkin. This was pre-syscovery and we’re still slowly transitioning to presenting as plural on our other blogs, be patient.

I will not disclose too much info about all of us, but I will establish who a few of us are.

We have a Dream Sans 💫, a Curse Sonic 💙, a Rewrite Sonic ⭕️, a Soul Tails ❤️‍🩹, and a Tails doll 📍. This is not a complete list of our fictives nor headmates, just those that will likely post here the most.

However, here are all of the emoji tags we use, one per headmate: 🥤(host)💙⭕️💫☄️❤️‍🩹📀🛠📍⚫️💟

We love talking to sourcemates! Please interact!

Doubles welcome as well!

Our Dream was the primary person who ran this blog for a while so most of the info here pertains to their stuff, and I’ll keep some of it here in case it’s useful.

We sometimes post about both Dream and Nightmare and wholesome sibling stuff. If that stuff evokes bad or painful feelings for you, block “#apple sibs”

For personal reasons I’d like it if Cross x Dream-centric blogs/aggressive Cream shippers did not interact. Normal fans of the pairing are fine, but if you push it on to people please DNI. It makes our Dream uncomfortable.

Dream also likes to reblog ship stuff here so we should mention that. Exclusively wholesome and safe ship stuff, but ship stuff nonetheless, and most of it is based on his exomemories. If all ships make you uncomfortable, block “#ship stuff”

Drink -> My Ink was Dream’s queerplatonic partner. They will therefore reblog Drink stuff. If uncomfy, block “#ink <3”

Driller -> He had a bond with his Killer If uncomfy, block “#killer <3”

Horrordream -> She had an odd bond with her Horror If uncomfy, block “#horror <3”

That’s about it, otherwise expect a lot of EXE/Sonic fandom content as well from us.

Last updated (mm/dd/yy): 11/24/24

[andrea1717]

Monthly Recommendations:

Welcome to a new rec's post.

I decided to include a little writing update into these posts because a weekly one makes no sense when i am writing on something longer.

So i am writing Atoms chapter 8 right now and since they just became too long i have to change the chapter count. So my outline has to be re-organized and i can't tell so far how many chapters it will be. You can read a little snippet here

Now on to the recommendations:

Instagram : Foster Kitten Tails - for your daily dose of kitten cuteness.

TikTok : Glorious Broads - a very inspiring account were woman answer questions about life.

Music: Dermot Kennedy - his new album Sonder gave me 102 fic ideas. (on Spotify)

Podcast: On Purpose from Jay Shetty - so so inspiring and probably many know it already. (on Spotify)

YouTube: Jubilee - a great account about human connection and controversial conversations.

Movies: My Policeman - Please - you have to watch it! So tragic and so so beautiful. (Amazon)

Shows: Homecoming - this series is so interesting. It's about a veteran help programme that is not what it seems to be. When you watch it at first you'll be like "What the hell?" but keep watching it's worth it. I would recommend stopping after season 1 though. It has a good ending. (Amazon)

Halston - such a good series about the famous designer. Ewan McGregor kills it as usual. Highly recommend. ( Netflix)

Little Fires Everywhere - a series about two very different woman who meet and both their lifes almost fall apart. Very complex - fantastic actors all around! The characters seem at first all very unlikable but again it is worth to keep watching. (Amazon)

Documentaries: Halston - very entertaining and well made doc about the fashion designer. (Amazon)

Minimalism- Less is now - the second doc from The Minimalists and it is just as good as the first (I can recommend their podcast too) (Netflix)

Book: Thoughtless by SC Stephens - it's a trilogy about two best friends who love the same woman - it is not for everyone as it contains cheating but i love it. The lead male character is just amazing. I love the first book from his perspective too, it's called Thoughtful.

Fics: the arc of other stars by @dharmasharks

Hairpin Triggers by @bugsandcoffee

not burned, but buried by @dontcallmebree

My Little Angel series by @bittersweet-in-boston

Comfortember by @lapwing-em

Bucky - centric Comfortember by @toxiclxki

Grounding Touch series by Just me_AC

Not Another Romcom (WIP) by @cynefinhome

Thanks for reading and until next month! <3