#like she really had to put all parts of herself back together to survive

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

there are so many references to how utterly broken by [redacted] she was in the events leading up to what unfolds on TTPD that I genuinely don't understand how some people don't understand how completely devastated and exhausted she was until she snapped idk

[cherry-pop-elf]

Kiss It Better

Curly (mouthwashing) x reader

AN: No one asked for this but CURLY DESERVED BETTER-!

Sum: You were taking care of Curly, your partner, when you just had to ask him a question that was burning you as much alive as the cockpit burned him. Did he actually crash the ship?

Warnings: 18+, gore, medical situations, Jimmy, violence, just mouthwashing in general, ablism, lots of medical stuff (from someone that knows way to much about medical shit because of being in and out of the hospital all her life)

“Morning honey.” You would force yourself to smile. You had to. You had to for him. To give him hope like he always gave you. To be a little bit of real sunshine through the day. Just wanted to take care of him. Give Anya some kind of break.

A wheeze was your greeting.

Wasn’t like it was his fault. He couldn’t really speak right now. You wondered if he would ever speak again. You would miss his voice but it’s worth it for him to live. He will live, you knew he would. You would make sure of it.

“Let’s have a look at you.” You would grab the clipboard that Anya left for you and took a look over. The small little list to help you understand how to care for his issues. When to wash him, what time his medications were, whatever routine was needed for that day. Was your Bible so to speak. You followed it to the last ink splotch.

“Your bandages don’t look to need to be changed yet, your IV bag needs to be changed, I’ll check your catheter, and yada yada yada. Wanna try and swallow today? Maybe if you can swallow some water I can grind up the pain pills into powder for you. Wanna try?”

He gave two distinct blinks for yes.

“Wonderful. Let me do this routine, so you can mentally prepare.” You would explain, as you went to slip on the latex gloves. Didn’t want to risk transferring some kind of infection. He’s already fighting for his life as it is. No need to make it harder.

You would first change out his IV bag, since he needed to stay as hydrated and fed nutrients as possible, before working on the awkward catheter. Luckily Anya made it very easy to use. She had opted for a condom catheter since she didn’t want to put himself at anymore risk to infections, and pain, as possible. Seemed the trauma made it rather impossible to control his bowls anyway so it worked out. All you had to do was drain the bag, wash it, and reattach it to the side of the table. Wasn’t like he was going to be moving around much anyway.

“So Daisuke was showing me his gameboy. Teaching me about how the lore works and all that. I really had no idea what he was talking about, but it’s better than Swansea snoring.” You laughed, and did your best to keep yourself peppy. To help Curly feel somewhat involved with society. To not just be trapped in the med bay alone. Daisuke and Swansea would visit, and Anya did what she could medically, but sometimes you just need someone to talk to.

“Think it’s a rouge like game. That’s nice. Helps keep you entertained with wanting to break through more and more dungeons in one session.” You rambled, before reattaching the bag. Had you sigh in relief to see you didn’t mess up the chord. Some urine had already started to fill the bag. Must have been triggered by the new IV. Good good. Everything was correct.

“You ready?” You asked, as this was always the hardest part. Getting medication in him. Anya would do her best but you couldn’t blame her for struggling. It’s such a mental tax to try and take care of someone but it results in more pain. You were willing to take that burden. You were his partner after all. You felt it’s only fair you take care of him. Gave Anya some breathing room to actually care for herself. She deserved to take care of herself to.

With two clear blinks you would get to work.

You would slip your hand under his back, and forced him to sit up. He groaned in pain, and tried his best to keep his head upright, as you two tried to work together. To survive this. To try and fight through.

“You are doing so well.” You reassured, as your brought the water bottle up to his open mouth. He was able to let his head hang back, and did what he could to open his throat. Was awkward, but he managed to do it. He took a proper swallow of water. You could hardly hide your excitement.

“You did it! Oh my god you did it!” You couldn’t help but kiss his cheek. It hurt, of course, but he very much felt it was worth it. He had his own pride in being able to do some kind of basic human function again.

You would lay him back down, and was quick to grind up medication to put in the water bottle. You couldn’t wait to tell Anya his progress. You were positive the rest of the crew would be happy to hear the progress.

Well…..Most of the crew.

You used your anger towards Jimmy to help you grind the pain killers into powder. Oh how you hated him. You knew deep down he was responsible for the crash. You knew he was. You weren’t sure why he would be, but you just knew that Curly would never. If he had to, for whatever reason, he would have come on to the intercom to inform everyone to prepare for a crash. He would have done something. Anything.

What purpose would there be in crashing the ship?

Jimmy was his copilot. He would be the only other person to have access to the cockpit. He had to have been involved somehow. There had to have been something going on. You just knew it.

You just wish you had proof.

You sighed, as you would shake up the powder in the bottle. Made sure it was fully dissolved to avoid any issues with it going down his throat.

You just couldn’t understand.

Why would Jimmy crash the ship?

You would return back to curly, and do the same routine again. Slow, and small, drips into his throat. Would take a while, and would make your arm beg for death, but this would make life easier for Curly. That’s all that mattered. A arm cramp is worth it to help Curly survive.

“Curly…..Since you are more lucid now I….I just gotta ask something.”

The way his eye darted towards you said he knew what you were going to ask. Knew that it’ll be asked. He knew, and he couldn’t help but try and look towards the door. As if afraid someone would walk in.

That had you very concerned.

“…..Jimmy crashed the ship, didn’t he?” You whispered. Tried to be as hush as possible, in case someone did overhear. Was just the slow drips of the water into his dry mouth, and you.

One blink.

Two blinks.

“I fucking knew it.” You gritted your teeth, as you felt stupid to ever even have the slightest doubt that any possible reality there would be that Curly would do such a thing.

“I wish I could ask you why. Do…Do you know why?” You had to ask. You just needed to know. Know if Jimmy was as dangerous as you thought.

One blink.

T-

“How’s the captain doing?”

You would turn your head sharply, and saw Jimmy. Just standing there. God you were terrified how long he had been there. Did he hear what you asked? Didn’t seem so. Jimmy was a very aggressive person. He snapped at the slightest tone shift. If he heard you ask a question like that you wouldn’t be talking now.

“He’s….Alive.” You were caught rather off guard. You didn’t know what to say. You were scared of him. You had to be brave, though. You had a better chance at defending yourself. Curly couldn’t.

You would hear his heavy foot steps come closer, and out right feel his body heat against yours. Just looking over your shoulder. Was like this burning shadow over you. Made you feel like you’ll be squashed like a bug.

“Has he been able to talk yet?”

That’s a weird question to ask. Why not ask how he’s feeling, what progress he’s made, how his vitals are. Why is him talking on the front of his mind?

Because Curly knew something he shouldn’t.

“No. I think he’s lost his voice for good. I don’t think he’s ever going to speak again.” You lied, as you finished the test of the bottle. Returned your partner back on the table, and spun around. Nose to chest to the man. Had you terrified, but you must be brave. For Curly.

“Damn. Rough for him. No more barking orders, huh?” Jimmy tried to joke, but you could only give an awkward laugh at. Mostly to keep from pissing him off.

If he’s willing to crash a ship what else is he willing to do?

“Did you need something?” You managed to force out, as you grabbed the clipboard. Just trying to find an excuse to not look directly at Jimmy. To have a motive as to why you would stay in the med bay longer than most. Just anything to get Jimmy to leave you two alone.

“Hey, I give a shit to about him. Is it criminal to care about my friend?” He snapped at you, and it made you grab your clipboard tighter. You swore he seemed to smirk at seeing you so startled. Like he got off to the idea that he got the captains sweetheart scared.

That he’s the new boss.

“Never said that. You are the co pilot and new captain. You-“ “Pilot now. As if he’s ever going to steer a ship again. Not even a wheelchair with those stumps.” He snorted, as you wanted to smack him across the face.

“Yes….As the new Pilot and Captain I would figure you would be swamped in work. Like finding a way for us to contact help. Kinda the biggest priority after Curly. Anya and I are busy with him. You, Daisuke, and Swansea can handle the rest.”

You noticed how he seemed to roll his eyes about Anya. As if he couldn’t care less about the woman. Made you curious on what kind of beef he would have with her. She’s Anya! Who hated her?

“Yeah. Guess you are right there.” He muttered, as if it was never on his mind. Never an option that they could escape. Oh how you were getting chills.

“Keep on trucken then. Take care of our Captain Cripple. His ass needs all the help his stumpy limbs can get.” He would give him a once over, before looking at you. You made sure to keep your eyes to the clipboard instead. All you did was nod in acknowledgment, before he left.

“What are we going to do, Curly?” You sighed, as you would just lay next to him in defeat. What can you do? You had no idea. Curly was always such a good captain. Made you regret never paying more attention to how he worked the cock pit. Maybe if you did you could be more useful.

As you were full of worry and regret, Curly would weakly try and turn his head. Naked teeth were against his cheek. A attempt to kiss your cheek the best he could.

You smiled at the gesture, and made sure to be careful with snuggling your face into his shoulder.

“I’ve got you, and you got me. We can do this. I know it.” You reassured you both, as you closed your eyes. There to wait until his pain medication kicked in, so he could sleep.

As you relaxed, you couldn’t help but swear something was strange about his breathing.

It was like….He was saying words.

You would focus as hard as you could on your ears, as he would drift in and out of his buzzed state. Fighting to stay awake, but sleep coming for him.

“A….a…n…ya…..Kn….ows……”

Part 2

[notsorryiml8]

He only had them for 6-7 months??

Looking at a timeline and watching the Land of Waves and Chuunin exams again (how far we've made it so far with the niece and nephew) and just realized how short of a timeframe Part I really is, that in Part I, Kakashi only had Team 7 for 6-7 months before it all went downhill/Sasuke left!!! I don't know why that blows my mind. SIX -SEVEN MONTHS! By the end of Part I to Shippuden and time spent with sensei/mentors, it's like:

Iruka/The Academy : 5 yrs

Kakashi : 6-7 months (months,people, months)

Jiraiya/Tsunade/Orochimaru : 2 - 2.5 years

When looking at it like this, I really think people/fans expected WAY too much out of Kakashi. He started with the traumatized-youth-of-the-year team and had only MONTHS to work with them and from the ground up. Subtract the time he was gone on missions, in the hospital and/or comatose (looking at you Itachi) and that gets knocked down to maybe 4-5 months. He spent less time with them than any other sensei and did a remarkable job for what he was given. I think all of this to say, give the man some grace. That was wild.

When all was said and done, what he did for this little rag-tag team of traumatized feral orphans + Sakura was more than amazing. SIX MONTHS, people, six months. Well, maybe seven, but still...let that sink in. I think people fail to acknowledge this when they call him a "bad sensei-" can't believe people are still doing that years later(!). Let any of the other jonin sensei do what he did in six months and with the team he was given - any of y'all try working with traumatized prepubescents and see how long it takes for them to work together?? I do every.single.day. They're all about survival and living in that trauma mind. Trust? What's that? Teamwork? Nope, gotta look out for me. Then you go and put them on a team with Captain Trauma, himself. Smart move Lord 3rd, smart move. Yeah, yeah, yeah I get it, only other Sharingan, control 9-tails, son of your sensei, blah blah blah. Poor Sakura, btw. Poor little thing didn't know what she had gotten herself into.

I dunno, I just don't think people ever see it from this perspective - that he literally only had them for months. Guy's team - already had a year together. Asuma's team - InoShikaCho were predestined wombmates. Kurenai's team - they were well-adjusted (Shino's the most laid-back person you'd ever find; just give Kiba a puppy; and who can ever get mad at Hinata, well, other than her family).

Traversing other corners of the interwebs and didn't realize just how much Kakashi hate dislike scorn "non-like" there is out there even now. It's wild. All this to say, just showing Kakashi-sensei some love. ❤️ and respect.

[the-upside-down-umbrella]

The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived

Part 2

Five Hargreeves x Fem!Reader

Summary: After finding out about the seven years Lila and Five spent together, reader walks in to a diner in between all time and space and finds exactly what she didn’t know she was looking for

A/N: This part is really short but I’m now planning on making it 3 parts ❤️ but you guys have been so patient and awesome

Part 1 PART 2 Part 3

Booth Five blinked her home. She let go of his hand, staring at the front door of her apartment in dread.

It seemed silly to care this much about something so trivial when the fate of the world was literally hanging in the balance.

“He lives here too?” He asked, stepping up so that they were side by side.

“Yes.”

“He’s not home or else I’d be feeling the side effects of paradox psychosis,” Booth Five explained, “You’re safe to go in if you’re worried about seeing him.”

She wondered if he was still in the subway, looking for her.

When she didn’t answer, he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, turning her gently to face him, “Hey, I can stay if you need me to. I’ll risk it.”

She gave him a small, tired smile just as her phone began to chime over and over, texts messages catching up now that she was back in the correct timeline.

Pulling it from her coat pocket, she watched as a couple dozen messages from Diego, Luther, Klaus and Allison popped up.

“I actually need to go,” she said, reading all of the urgent, worried texts on her screen, “It looks like things are coming to a head around here.”

“As they usually do,” Booth Five sighed, “I hate leaving you like this. I want to fix it.”

“Five, this timeline is not your responsibility,” she reminded him, “I know you want to help me, but I think having two Five’s in one timeline is asking for trouble that we can’t really afford right now.”

“I know.”

He looked at her so tenderly, so heartbrokenly, that she could not stop herself from throwing her arms around him. It caught him by surprise because he stumbled back a bit before steadying himself again and wrapping his arms around her in return.

“I wish I could keep you,” he whispered in to her ear, his breath warm against her skin, sending a shudder down her spine.

She sunk in to him, willing herself not to cry again. She was so tired of crying.

“If I survive all of this, come back and find me,” she told him, “you know where I live.”

He was feeling bold now, her close proximity pushing him to do something he had been dying to do from the moment she stepped in to the deli.

“Can I kiss you?” He asked, “Please?”

“Yes,” she breathed, “Yes, please do.”

There was no time to contemplate the absolute fuckery that was kissing the timeline counterpart of the man who broke her heart. She didn’t care what the repercussions would be, she just wanted to feel him.

He did not immediately go in for her lips the way she thought he would. He took his time, his lips brushing first across her temple, then down the planes of her cheekbones, to the tip of her nose and back up to her forehead. Wherever she granted access, he took, savoring the feel of her.

When she finally could take no more, impatience winning over, she grabbed him by the lapels of his coat and brought his lips down to hers. He returned the kiss with fervor, his hands cupping either side of her face, bringing her flush against his chest.

There was no mistaking that this was not her Five. There was no languid domesticity behind this kiss. He kissed her like a man starved, who had no idea when his next meal would be.

She was breathless when they pulled away, but he did not let go of her just yet.

Pressing his forehead against hers, he whispered, “I love you. Every version of you, in every timeline. I love you.”

“I love you,” she replied, her lips finding his once more; a soft, lingering kiss, “I love you so much, Five. I’m sorry that we weren’t able to find our happy ending in your timeline, but thank you for being here for me in mine.”

It was with great difficulty that he finally let her go, taking a few steps back so that he could actually find the strength to leave her there. His eyes wandered over her, as if he was trying to memorize every single detail about her, about this moment.

“Be careful,” he warned, “Please, be careful, love.”

“I will.” She assured him, but the words tasted sour on her tongue. Every blip of the future she could see was dark and desolate.

She watched him blink away and she stumbled back a few steps, sinking down to sit on the stoop behind her. She needed just a moment to collect herself before meeting the family. Before seeing her Five again. Before facing yet another apocalypse.

Part 3

[devoted-horror]

giving the new survivor hatch.

a/n: this is my first time writing for dbd in general, so!! i hope i do this game justice bc i play it every day lol

includes: the huntress, the trickster, the ghostface, the artist, the cannibal.

warnings: not proofread, typical dbd stuff like blood, mentions of murder, things like that, gn reader, love at first sight but only if u tilt ur head and squint really hard, inconsistent length, im going to be so delusional over jiwoon im sorry, i can't speak russian or korean so i just used a bunch of translators sorry if i got smth wrong, inaccurate behavior of dbd crows but relatively accurate behavior of irl crows i think, scream reference in danny's part bc i had to, reader injury in jiwoon and danny's parts, written over the course of a few months so sorry if the pacing is weird.

THE HUNTRESS

Anna has been in the fog long enough that every face of everyone she's ever killed has started to merge together into one. She doesn't know their names, and hardly ever reacts whenever she encounters a new survivor.

Mercy is not something she shows during trials. She is a hunter, and anyone who crosses her path, be it man or animal, is her prey. Nothing in the wild is merciful.

And you were nothing more than another person for her to hunt, prey for her to kill. And trust me, she was going to kill you.

Or, at least, she was.

And then you dropped a pallet on her. Now, normally, Anna would get very angry when this happens. Her prey is fighting back, and though it gives her a thrill, it's annoying. And for a brief moment, she did feel angry the moment the pallet hit her.

But then you were apologizing, a look of genuine guilt on your expression. You even asked if she was bleeding. Your survival instincts were lacking, clearly, but Anna found that to be... oddly endearing??

She felt a surge of protectiveness spark within her, something she had never felt during her time here. It was a familiar feeling, yet one so foreign at the same time.

But how could she not feel such a way when you were staring up at her, clearly scared that she was going to hurt you yet brave enough to stand in front of her and apologize for something that, by all means, you should have done.

Anna just stares you down for a long moment, having an internal struggle with herself on what she should do with you. Ultimately, her need to protect overruled her need to hunt, because after breaking the pallet between the two of you, she made a gesture for you to follow her.

And, not wanting to die, you did.

She took you to a shack, something you've heard other survivors refer to as the killer shack. The only reason you knew this is because you were told to stay away from it unless you wanted to get put in the basement.

She just pointed to one of the corners of the building, and looked over at you, "Оставайся здесь." And you didn't immediately understand her, though you were quick to pick up on what she was telling you. It seemed as if she wanted you to stay here.

Your safest bet on surviving was doing what she said, so you just nod and awkwardly place yourself in the corner she had been pointing at. She doesn't spare you another glance as she leaves you alone.

You're not sure how long you stayed there. You could hear the other survivors screams though, and you felt sick to your stomach at the sound of them being hooked and sacrificed to the Entity. They probably won't be too happy about this the next time you see them...

It was only when you were the last one standing that Anna came back to retrieve you. She found you exactly where she had left you, and even though you couldn't see her face due to the rabbit mask, she seemed rather pleased that you had actually listened to her.

If she had it her way, Anna would keep you by her side. Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that. The Entity would probably force the trial to end if you didn't either escape or die.

She begrudgingly brought you to hatch, the black mist pouring from it, silently promising safety if you jumped into it. You stared at it, confused about what it was, and that protectiveness she was feeling only seemed to grow stronger when you looked up at her for an explanation. The only explanation she offered was a slight gesture to you, and then the hatch.

"Иди, кролик." She says, lightly pushing you to the hatch and watching as you hesitantly decide to trust her, jumping into the hatch and leaving her alone as the fog comes and places her back in the Red Forest.

If she's lucky, she'll be in a trial with you again soon.

THE TRICKSTER

He'll immediately recognize you to be new. He prides himself in recognizing every survivor he's encountered, either by their face or by the sound of their screams. Mostly their screams.

And he certainly didn't recognize the scream he heard when one of his throwing knives ricocheted and hit you while he was chasing down another one of the newer survivors; Sable. It was a small, startled scream, nothing worth his attention, but it was new. That was enough to make this trial more exciting, and he found himself keeping his eyes peeled for you.

Which... was a lot easier than he expected it to be, because you just kept running right into him. Seriously. Did you not pay attention to your surroundings? Do you think he's a survivor?? Do you not see the bloodied fucking bat he's holding???

He's not sure if he's annoyed or amused by this. Partially both, to be honest. It's amusing to see you relax for a split second after bumping into him, not recognizing him to be the killer immediately. It's annoying because he'd like to hear you scream, please and thank you.

Jiwoon doesn't necessarily target you during the trial. To be honest, he's trying to weed out the other survivors before focusing his attention on you.

He wanted to take his time with you, to see what sounds he could pull out of you before the Entity forced the trial to end. Just the sound of you gasping whenever you bump into him has his mind racing.

This was honestly enough to keep him motivated throughout the entire trial, a certain bloodlust sparking in him. He relished the sound of everyone else's screams, but they weren't appealing to him right now.

He needed the other survivors out of the way. He needed you alone. And when he finally got rid of the last pesky survivor, the fun began.

And when he corners you in killer shack, he really didn't plan on being merciful. He wanted to hear you scream, and then he wanted to kill you, really. That was his plan.

The only way you'd get out of this alive is if you beg, honestly. And I mean beg. On your knees, crying, pleading, offering something in return for your survival. That sort of begging.

You were new and shiny in comparison to all of the other survivors, and maybe it's because he's a sadistic bastard, but he really does adore the sight of you on your knees, crying as he absently nicks your skin with one of his throwing knives.

This is where Jiwoon feels a bit torn, truth be told. He's never been a patient man, so he wants to get as many screams out of you as he can before the Entity forced the trial to end. But at the same time, he knew he'd see you again in a future trial, sooner or later.

It wouldn't hurt to prolong his time with you, would it?

The entire time he's pondering this, he's dragging the blade across your skin, relishing in the sweet sounds of your gasps and whimpers, and you stutter out a desperate 'please'.

Ultimately, Jiwoon decides to be nice, just this once. He'll mutter a quiet, "짜증나..." before hoisting you over his shoulder and carrying you off.

You struggled, obviously, assuming he was ending your misery and taking you to a hook. He didn't really mind much, having an iron grasp on you that kept you from wiggling free.

He dropped you right next to the hatch once he found it, finding your small pained sound to be adorable as you look at your salvation with a confused expression. But before you can crawl into it and escape, he's grabbing you by the back of your shirt and pulling you back a bit.

For a moment, you think he's going to kill you, and you squeeze your eyes shut, expecting pain. But nothing comes. You feel him tuck something in your shirt, and he lightly pats your cheek, cooing a bit at your terror before he lets you go and leaves you alone.

And when you're back at the campfire, you find a photo of Jiwoon neatly folded and tucked into your shirt, signed with his autograph.

He'll have an encore the next time he sees you, and you can only hope you don't find yourself in a trial with him again any time soon.

THE GHOSTFACE

Would actually never give you hatch under normal circumstances. He's here to kill, so kill he shall. He treated you the same as any other survivor when he first saw you, though it wasn't until he was in chase with you that he realized how interesting you were.

For one, you were... surprisingly good at looping him?? For a newbie, he was rather impressed. That's not enough to get him to let you live, but it's definitely a start.

No, his interest is only truly piqued when you start quoting horror movies during chase.

Honestly, if he didn't know any better, he'd think you to be flirting with him. A person after his heart, truly.

It was only when he had you cornered that you really caught his attention. You weren't scared, and it intrigued him as much as it annoyed him.

He was just itching to dig his knife into you and take a photo of your lifeless corpse once he was finished. But even with your life at risk, you showed no fear.

Hell, you even mocked him.

"No, please don't kill me, Mr. Ghostface, I wanna be in the sequel."

Sure, you weren't the first survivor to mock him, and you certainly won't be the last, but he found you interesting.

Oh, he needed to kill you. He needed your photo in his collection, it would be his favorite.

But he thought it would be more fun to humor you. Danny was a patient man. This isn't the first time he's drawn out a kill.

You were honestly surprised that he had left you alone. You didn't think that would actually work, and you were... a bit concerned, actually. None of the other killers you had ended up in a trial with during your short time here has entertained you the way Danny has, and you're not sure if you should be scared or not.

And, much to your very hesitant relief, you didn't see him for the rest of the trial. You knew he was watching you though. Every once in a while, you just felt... you're not quite sure how to describe it, but it almost felt as if you were being hunted.

You'd see him from the corner of your eye though. Never for long, just quick flashes of his screaming mask. Honestly, you felt less scared when he was actively trying to murder you.

That's how the rest of the trial went for you, at least. Until eventually, you were the only one left standing. You may be new, but the other survivors had given you the rundown of what to do if you were the last one standing before the trial had started.

You had to find hatch. Which was... easier said than done, truthfully. Especially since you weren't sure where the fuck Danny was. There's no way he was letting you go, right? He's probably saving you for last, right?

Whenever you so much as caught a glimpse of something moving, you were scurrying in the other direction.

This is pretty much Danny's way of giving you hatch. There's no way he'd give it to you directly, not yet.

You had honestly thought you had found it all by yourself until you were fucking stabbed, the flash of a camera in your face blinding you.

Truth be told, Danny did plan on killing you. He had wanted to give you a false sense of hope. But your stupid little smile when you saw hatch got to him, okay? So he'll settle for this for now.

"You owe me."

And he doesn't even spare you a glance as he pushes you into the hatch's mist, his gaze intently focused on the photo of you he had just taken.

Unfortunately for you, you've caught his attention.

THE ARTIST

Carmina is one of the more merciful killers you may come across, so she'd be fairly likely to give a new survivor hatch depending on how the trial has gone and whether or not she's consumed by anger.

She only realizes that you're new to the fog when her crows surround you and you don't try shooing them away. When she finds you, you're actually... rather content having a murder of crows surrounding you.

Very very confused. She'll probably just stare at you for a hot second as you go about the trial without a single care for the crows swarming around you. Even the crows are confused.

You distract her long enough with your antics that a good chunk of the gens pop, and she had to force herself to leave you be in order to focus on hunting the other survivors.

She'll ignore you for the entire trial after she leaves you be. Her crows can keep watch for her.

So for the rest of the trial she's only vaguely aware of your location, occasionally stopping once in a while to determine whether or not her crows were still with you. They were.

Even the other survivors seemed confused by your behavior.

On the rare occasion that she bumped into you during the trial, it was always when another survivor was nearby trying to tell you how to get rid of the crows.

You never even tried to shoo away the crows throughout the entire trial, and at some point, they stopped swarming around you. They didn't go away, no. You, somehow, managed to tame Carmina's crows with little trinkets that you found littered across the place.

Honestly, the crows seemed to like you enough that even if Carmina told them to hurt you, they probably wouldn't listen to her. It's hard to believe that you were a new survivor with how calm you were about everything happening.

It's probably that calm nature, coupled with your ability to calm her crows, that solidified in her mind that you were the only one who would make it out alive.

And with a newfound determination, Carmina sacrificed the other three survivors with no issues, and she could hear hatch opening not too far away from her.

With the help of her crows, Carmina was able to easily bring you to hatch, and she could only tilt her head to the side and make a small, croaking sound as you smiled and thanked both her and her crows before jumping into the hatch.

This is one of the many moments Carmina laments no longer being able to create art. She'd love to immortalize the image of you smiling at her, surrounded by her crows.

THE CANNIBAL

Bubba is honestly torn when he spots you, because you look so afraid, cowering in fear at every little sound and struggling to repair a generator like the others had told you to. He understands your fear because it's something he's very familiar with.

And while he has a job to do, not wanting to disappoint the Entity, he can't help but find it hard to hurt you. No matter how hard it was, Bubba had no choice.

But when he approached you, you didn't run. Sure, you let out a startled shout, the generator blowing up in your face as you stared up at him like a scared animal, quietly begging him not to hurt you.

But you didn't run.

How could he hurt you when you weren't running from him? Everyone always ran. But not you. You weren't running from him, and he didn't know what to do about that.

Bubba's trouble was so very evident. He's always been an expressive person, so it wasn't hard to tell that this was stressing him out. His free hand kept clenching and unclenching his apron, and he kept making small noises in the back of his throat.

He doesn't want to disappoint the Entity, he doesn't. But he's not sure if he can hurt someone who's not running from him. You aren't running! He really likes that! The only people who never ran when he was around were his family!

The nail in the coffin is when you, even despite your fear, took a chance and set down the toolbox you were holding. You... you gave him a gift. Not one that he could use, but a gift nonetheless.

There was literally no way he could hurt you now the guilt would eat him alive. So, he just opts to leave you be to instead focus on the other survivors. He wouldn't feel guilty hurting them.

The entire trial, Bubba focuses all of his attention on getting rid of the other survivors. If he sees you, he gets all nervous and can't even look at you for long without babbling incoherently before scurrying away.

Some of the other survivors may pick up on Bubba's strange avoidment of you, and may even use that to their advantage by running by you in chase because Bubba just... he can't hurt you, I'm sorry.

He's swinging his chainsaw, and then suddenly Kate is running by you and he's coming to a full stop out of fear of accidentally hurting you.

It really stresses him out, and even though you're still scared of him, and even though he's supposed to be killing you, you can't help but feel bad. So whenever the other survivors got a little too close when Bubba was chasing them, you always made sure to stay out of his way.

It's okay to be a bad teammate because it's Bubba.

Jokes aside, Bubba takes his job as a killer very seriously. He may avoid hurting you, but he makes quick work of the other survivors.

And when hatch opened right next to Bubba after killing the third survivor, he took it as a sign from the Entity that he was meant to give it to you. Why else would it open next to him?

Bubba was ever the gentleman when he brought you to hatch, guiding you to it carefully and making sure you didn't trip on any debris littered across the area.

He even scared off a few judgmental crows! He knew how off-putting it was to have them watching you all the time, especially when you're new in the fog.

And when you quietly thank him, smiling at him as if he weren't a killer, Bubba was just over the moon.

It's been so long since he's had someone to protect. The fog is a scary place to be but he'll do his best to make it a happy place whenever you two are in a trial together.

Оставайся здесь. - Stay here. Иди, кролик. - Go, rabbit. 짜증나. - How annoying.

[rose-pearls]

Could I request something for Clarisse? Where she get's with reader and her father ends up telling her she's weak in her dream. The next day she trains until she passes out and reader finds her and nurses her back to health. Then just some good ol hurt and comfort! Thanks!!

Hi! Thank you for your request, here it is!! I hope you like it! Ares is an asshole here but I am thinking of making a story where he is a good father! My requests are open! If you would like to join a taglist just send me a message!

Main Masterlist: @avada-kedavra-bitch-187, @nyx2021, @thestarspangledcaptain, @kmc1989 (open)

Percy Jackson Masterlist: @niktwazny303 (open)

Clarisse La Rue Masterlist: @abbersreads, @peanutbelley (open)

It had been a hard week; the red team had lost at capture the flag and everything seemed to be getting on her nerves. The only good thing had been you, trying to sooth her and calm her down when it all became too much. She should’ve known that sooner or later a nightmare would come back.

It wasn’t as if she didn’t have any, every demigod has nightmares, but she hadn’t had one about her father ever since she had gotten with you. It was as if you had managed to heal that part of her with showing her how much you loved her. That night you had to help one of your younger half-siblings so you couldn’t come and sleep at the Ares cabin, but she had told you that it was fine, that she would survive a night without you. How wrong she was.

The forest had been quiet in her dream, no one there, but just as she was walking further ahead, she heard a twig snap. She turned around, expecting to find a monster of some sort but she only came face to face with her father. Deep down she could admit to herself that seeing him was even worse than any kind of monster she could have seen.

“Father?”, she whispers, as if she wanted to make sure that it was him. The sneer on his face makes her realize that it is him and she can’t help but make herself small under his harsh stare.

“What are you doing with that girl?”, the words are unkind, as they have always been, she doesn’t remember a conversation were his voice was soft.

“What do you mean?”, she can’t help but ask, wondering what he means.

“Don’t play stupid with me little girl,” the tone makes it clear that the conversation won’t be a pleasant one.

“Sorry, sir,” she says and Ares nods slowly before coming closer to her, making her curl herself more.

“The Demeter girl, that you have been spending all your time with,” he says after a moment, a clear disgust in his voice when he speaks about you and for a moment, she thinks of defending you, but she knows that the consequences would be harsh.

“We are just spending time together father,” she says, trying not to reveal too much of your relationship, she doesn’t want him to be able to take it away from her.

“You should put an end to it, it just weakens you,” she has to swallow down the urge to tell him you are so much more than just ‘it’, but she manages.

“It won’t, I promise you,” she says but Ares lets out a cold laugh at her words.

“Really? Then how come you lost at Capture the Flag and your idiot of a brother managed to beat you at single combat?”, Ares says, coming closer to her with a dark look in his eyes. She knows she hadn’t been as focused as before but she didn’t think her father was watching her so much. She didn’t know if she should be happy that he had been watching her and giving her attention or feeling sick at the fact that he was watching her every move to catch her making a mistake.

“Don’t make me regret announcing that you are my favorite. I don’t want a weak daughter to represent me. Is that clear?”, the words are harsh, just like they had always been, and she can only nod in response.

“Yes father,” she says, and he nods at her answer.

“Good, better prove that to me,” he tells her before he disappears from her dream, and she wakes up in cold sweat. 

Her shirt is clinging to her back from the sweat that had formed during the nightmare, and it takes her a moment to come back to reality. Her breathing is ragged, and she tries to calm herself down but the words of her father ring through her head.

‘Weak’

She couldn’t let him believe that she was weak, she needed to show him that she could be better than her brother and that she deserved to be his favorite. She just needed to train as hard as she could and then she could beat her brother and the blue team at Capture the Flag. Maybe then her father would be proud of her.

No one notices her leaving, she manages to change into her sport gear before going to the training ground. There is no one and she lets out a sigh of relief as she takes her spear in her hands before turning to look at the dummy with determination. 

She doesn’t know how long she stands there, hitting the dummy as if it had hurt her personally, maybe imagining her dad as the dummy made her even more aggressive. It made the other campers avoid the training ground, thinking that it was better to leave Clarisse alone when she was in a bad mood. 

“Clarisse?”, she hears you say, and she realizes that the sun has come up now, the rays of sunshine beating down her back as she turns to look at you. You look worried, a frown between your eyebrows as you look at her.

“Are you alright?”, you ask her, your tone careful, as if you don’t want to scare her with the question but she just nods.

“I am, I just need to train a bit more,” she says, and she is ready to turn back to the dummy before your voice breaks the silence.

“Don’t you want to eat some lunch?”, the question surprises her, not the fact that you are asking her to eat lunch but the fact that it is already lunch. She still had so much to do to be perfect and she couldn’t lose any time.

“I’m alright, I’m not really hungry but go without me,” she tells you and although you still looked worried you simply nod before coming closer to her.

“Fine, but do I get a kiss before I go?”, she can’t refuse you that, she has never been able to and as she brings you into a kiss, she enjoys the few seconds of you being close to her. As she pulls back, she sees you pouting as she doesn’t deepen the kiss, but she just smiles and pats your ass.

“I’ll see you later princess,” she says, and you let out a defeated sigh before nodding and leaving her to her training.

The rest of the afternoon is spent training but as the sun starts to fade into a sunset, she starts to feel dizzy. She tells herself it’s the lack of water but as she tries to take a step towards her water bottle, she suddenly feels her head turning. Before she knows it, she hears you screaming her name, and everything turns black.

--

There is something cold against her forehead and she tries to get away from it, but a voice shushes her, trying to calm her down.

Her eyes flutter open, and she sees you sitting on the bed next to her, your eyes are bloodshot but there is a relieved smile on your lips.

“Hey, you. How are you feeling?”, you ask softly as you brush a curl away from her forehead.

“Tired, and I have a huge headache,” she whispers, and you nod slowly.

“What happened?”, she asks after a few seconds and a sigh leaves your lips.

“I went to find you to get you to come eat something but before I could reach you, you had fallen on the ground,” your hand is trembling as you brush her curls, and she can see the wetness in your eyes.

“You scared me so much Clarisse,” you whisper, and she feels like someone has punched her, she tries to get up to reassure you that she is alright but as her head begins to feel even heavier you push her down again.

“You need to rest, two days and eat and drink enough,” there is that stern tone in your voice that you usually only use for your younger siblings, and she can only lay back and listen to you.

“Yes ma’am,” she says, trying to lift up the mood but you shake your head.

“Why did you push yourself that hard? You never do that,” she swallows hard at the question, as much as she didn’t want to say it, she knew you wouldn’t let it go.

“I saw my father in a dream, and he told me I needed to do better and stop being weak,” she says, so softly that she isn’t sure if you heard her but as you shake your head in disbelief, she knows you did.

“That asshole, I really want to beat him up right now,” she can’t help but be surprised at the words and the anger in them. You were never one to be angry, always trying to see the positive side and calming her down.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea princess, he is the God of war after all,” she says but she still looks at you in adoration, the way you look ready to get out of there and fight her father makes her weirdly emotional.

“Well, a twelve-year-old Percy beat him so why couldn’t I do it?”, you say with a smirk and Clarisse can’t help but snort at your words.

“I’ll have to teach you a few things before that,” she says, and you nod in agreement.

“But first, resting,” you whisper, and she can only nod in agreement, enjoying the familiar silence between the both of you.

“You aren’t weak Clarisse; you know that right? You are one of the strongest fighters here and if your father can’t see that then he is the biggest idiot on earth. Never let anyone tell you that you aren’t strong enough, you are perfect as you are,” a tear rolls down her cheek at your words and you brush it away with a sad smile, love and adoration shining through your eyes. 

“If you ever doubt yourself or you just need someone to talk to you, you can always come to me. I will always be your biggest supporter,” Clarisse can’t reach your lips but as she squeezes your hand you seem to understand what she wants and you kiss her softly, as if she was something precious.

“I love you,” she whispers, and your smile widens at her words.

“I love you too, so much,” Clarisse can only kiss you again, trying to tell you everything she feels through the kiss.

She doesn’t know that you have already asked a now thirteen-year-old Percy to have your back next time you see Ares, to teach the God of War a lesson. And that the boy had happily agreed, already ready to go to Mount Olympus and fight him right there and then with Annabeth by his side. She didn’t realize just yet how many people cared for her, but with time she would.

[tinyundercover]

pepper & felix

part fifteen

teehee

MASTERPOST word count: 3.2k

Panic coursed through Basil’s body, overwhelmingly cold. She gasped for breath, inching back into the redhead’s curled fingers, heart pounding against her chest. 

“What on earth….” The female human leaned closer, drawing a startled noise from Basil. The human’s dark eyes shifted from curiosity to concern. “What is this? What are you?”

“Bree, holy shit,” the redhead whispered suddenly, hand twitching. “Tiny people. Alice and Felix were talking about tiny people.”

“Oh.” The girl gasped. “Oh.”

At those words, Basil straightened up, gaze dancing. Her hook was clutched within her hands, useless. In a desperate attempt for survival, could she toss herself off of this human’s hand and land on the couch?

She yelped in surprise when the redhead moved to sit down on the couch, hitting her with a wave of vertigo. Next to him, the female human sat down as well, tilting her head as she observed Basil’s demeanor.

“She looks scared,” she said thoughtfully, eyebrows pinching together. Addressing Basil directly, she asked gently, “Can you talk? Do you speak English?”

Under the gaze of two humans, one of which had her in a palm, Basil wasn’t sure that she’d be able to get a word out at all. Trembling, her gaze flickered, and she nodded.

Felix had been kind. Maybe these two humans would be kind as well.

At Basil’s confirmation, the two humans straightened up, murmuring in surprise. The boy didn’t miss a beat to ask, “What are you?”

The room was beginning to sway from Basil’s onslaught of terror, and feeling quite numb, she forced herself to speak. “Can you… can you put— me down?”

Both humans had to lean in to hear her, sending panic spiraling through Basil’s core, but to her immense relief, they didn’t seem angry at her request. Appearing confused, and a bit sheepish, the redhead leaned forward and lowered his hand to the coffee table.

Basil had never been more relieved. Heart thudding, she all but lunged off of his hand, stumbling over the surface of the table for much longer than necessary. Hugging herself, she kept her gaze low. She couldn’t bring herself to look up at the humans just yet, terrified to even imagine what they might look like from this lower vantage point. 

“There, that’s better.” The feminine voice above was gentle, so unlike Alice’s. Basil’s fear slowly began to shift to confusion, struggling to make sense of the situation. “Are you okay?”

Basil’s heart continued to pound. She slowly lifted her gaze, wincing at the uncomfortable sight of two humans peering down at her, elbows on their knees. Fixing her gaze on the female human, she forced out, “I’m— okay.”

She was okay. She was on the brink of tears, terrified out of her mind, but she supposed that she really was unharmed in the presence of two enormous humans.

The humans shared a glance, hesitating, urgency flickering behind their eyes. After struggling with her words for a moment, the female human addressed Basil again, voice unimaginably soft. “We’re not gonna hurt you,” she assured. “My name is Breanna. This is Owen. If you don’t mind me asking, ah— what are you?”

“Are you some kind of fairy or something?” The redhead added, squinting. 

Basil took a deep breath. She had known these questions would be coming, but that hadn’t prepared her to answer. Her stomach hurt, her heart was threatening to pound out of her chest, and all she wanted to do was get into the walls and hide forever.

She had a feeling that she wouldn’t be able to leave that easy, however. Alice sure didn’t want the borrowers leaving before they answered her questions properly, and even then she had chosen to trap them in a jar.

“I– I’m not trying to bother anyone,” Basil stammered, mind racing as she tried to assemble a good enough answer without revealing too much about her species. “I’m not a human, and– and I’m not a fairy, either, I– I– I just keep to myself. That’s it.”

Owen’s eyebrows raised, while Breanna tilted her head thoughtfully, brown gaze searching. Basil shuffled her feet.

“A tiny person,” Breanna murmured, mainly to herself and Owen. Her face sharpened, curious. “Do you, ah– do you know a Felix or Alice, by any chance?”

“I…” Basil’s voice wobbled. “I do.”

How much should she tell them? How much did they already know about her?

Breanna and Owen both sucked in a breath, startled. They turned to each other, seeming to communicate without speaking, breaths stuttering as they tried to find words. Basil couldn’t suppress the wave of guilt that washed over her, as if it was her fault that their friends had kept a secret from them.

They don’t just deserve to know about borrowers, just because Felix is their friend, Basil reminded herself. Alice sure didn’t.

“What’s your name?” Owen asked, brow furrowed.

She hesitated, wobbling on her feet, then finally found it within herself to respond, “Basil.”

“Basil,” Owen echoed. The sound of her own name in a human’s mouth made her twitch uneasily. “How do you know Alice and Felix?”

Basil’s increased stress at the continued interrogation must have shown on her face, because before she could answer, Breanna placed a large hand on the coffee table. It was far too close to Basil, and Basil jerked away with a gasp before she processed that it was supposed to be a comforting gesture. Features softening, Breanna spoke. “It’s okay. I know this must be a lot for you. Just take a deep breath.”

A strange feeling settled into Basil’s chest as she glanced between them. She did as she was told, drawing in a breath, the pounding of her heart beginning to subside.

“I’m gonna text Felix and Alice, alright?” Breanna continued, pulling out her phone. “Just–”

“No!”

Basil’s heartbeat skyrocketed all over again, watching as the humans jerked in surprise. Breanna’s hand froze, halfway drawing her phone from her pocket. “What?”

“Don’t tell Alice about me,” Basil said in a rush, eyes wide, “just Felix. Tell Felix.”

The humans both paused, contemplative. A nervous expression flitted over Breanna’s face, glancing at Owen, whose features had sharpened. They both seemed afraid to respond, their own imaginations for what could have occurred with Alice running wild.

“You know that Felix lives here, right?” Owen suggested finally. “Would it make you feel better if we all go visit him?”

Truthfully, Basil would feel better if she went to visit Pepper, but she wasn’t going to tell these humans that her brother lived in Felix’s apartment, too. She wanted to beg to be left alone so that she could make her way to Pepper and Felix’s apartment herself, but it would take hours for her, while it would only take less than a minute for these humans to walk down the hall there.

Oh, god. I can’t believe I’m really doing this.

“Yeah.” Basil nodded weakly. Even if she couldn’t get to Pepper right away, Felix would be sure to help her, somehow, right? 

Of course, going to Felix’s meant that she would have to put herself in one of these humans’ hands.

At Basil’s confirmation, Owen nodded, reaching towards her. “Alright, then–”

The enormous hand reaching towards her made Basil’s instincts go haywire, and with a panicked noise she stumbled back. “Wait. Wait.”

Shockingly enough, Owen actually paused, his long fingers hovering above the surface of the table. Basil was frozen, staring at the hand.

When she glanced up at Owen and Breanna, they were frowning, concern etched into their features. 

“I’m just picking you up so we can go to Felix’s,” Owen explained, uncertain. His hand twitched.

The breath finally reentered Basil’s body, and she shuddered, bringing a hand to her chest. “Just— just be careful,” she pleaded, a flush crossing her face. “This is a lot for me.” She gestured widely to emphasize her point, feeling slightly self-conscious.

Immediately, the two enormous gazes flickered over her small, shaky form, taking in just how delicate she was. Realization dawned on Owen’s face, and before Basil knew it, his hand had moved next to her, palm facing up, waiting patiently.

“Is this better?” His voice softened. Basil could have cried.

It wasn’t the first time she had willingly stepped into a human’s hand, and although this hand was a bit more intimidating than Felix’s, Basil was proud of herself for not faltering. Her boots wobbled on the thick skin of Owen’s palm.

“Okay,” she confirmed, heart racing. “Let’s go.”

–

Felix had not been prepared to open his front door to the sight of Basil perched in Owen’s palm.

His hand nearly slipped on the doorknob, jerking back in surprise. He couldn’t stop the wave of panic that coursed through him, suddenly terrified that more of his friends had decided to start kidnapping borrowers against their will, and he instinctively reached a hand forward. “Woah, woah– what’s happening?”

Owen’s brow was furrowed, his gaze focused down on Basil, as if he was trying incredibly hard to keep his hand steady. Breanna hovered nearby, nervous gaze fluttering between the borrower and Felix. 

“Hey,” Breanna said awkwardly. “Can we come in?”

Felix’s terror for Basil gradually faded over the next few minutes, as his friends explained what had happened. By some miracle, they seemed to have stumbled upon Basil by accident, and had brought her to Felix’s with the inkling that he might be able to help. Felix didn’t fully relax until Basil was on the kitchen counter, reluctantly expressing her agreement.

Despite her anxious fidgeting and choppy breaths, Basil seemed relatively unhurt. Felix was immensely thankful that Owen and Breanna had been aware of their strength compared to the borrower, something Felix had come to understand weeks ago. Once the strange introductions between them were complete, Breanna and Owen immediately began to interrogate Felix, but he ignored them, focusing back on Basil.

The female borrower was lingering on the counter, watching them, shifting on her feet. The shaky, high-strung movements reminded Felix a bit too much of how Pepper had acted this morning. It seemed that both of them needed a break from humans.

“You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to,” Felix told her gently, causing her to snap her gaze up. “Maybe you should rest.”

His own words brought an uncomfortable feeling into his chest. He prayed Basil understood that he wasn’t trying to be demeaning or patronizing, or that he felt he needed to give her permission to do things; he truly just wanted her to feel better.

Gratefully, Basil only sent him a small smile, shoulders slumping in relief. She bid an awkward farewell to the humans before vanishing behind the toaster with a little too much gusto, no doubt rushing to Pepper’s place to fill him in. 

“Okay– what the hell,” Owen finally demanded, dragging a hand through his red hair. Now that the humans were alone, he and Breanna seemed much more comfortable to straighten up and raise their voices. Felix appreciated their subtle efforts to appear non-threatening to Basil. “What the actual hell?”

“She lives here? She lives in the walls?” Breanna asked, aghast.

“Are there more tiny people?”

“This is what you and Alice were fighting about last night, isn’t it?”

Felix threw his hands up, quietly cutting their questions off. Both of his friends had moved closer, shock stricken over their features, needy for answers. He couldn’t really blame them.

“Okay, okay.” He was exhausted, hungover, and thoroughly overwhelmed. With a heavy breath he lowered his hands, steering his friends towards his couch. “It’s a lot to explain.”

–

Pepper wouldn’t exactly say that he had a good day.

He had started off his day in what he thought to be the worst way possible: out in the open, trapped under a human’s hand. It had taken a few seconds for him to register that it was only Felix, and that he wasn’t in danger, but the initial terror had been difficult to shake. 

His morning had been spent helping Felix treat his hangover. There wasn’t much the borrower could actually do for him on his own, but he hoped that his moral support had been enough to lift Felix’s spirits. All the while he had been wracked with memories of being grabbed into a clumsy, drunk hand; the same hand he had been finding comfort and safety in recently.

Throughout the course of the afternoon he had been given bad news and good news; the bad news was that Breanna and Owen now knew about them… the good news, on the other hand, was that Breanna and Owen were surprisingly accepting of the strange little people that lived in Felix’s walls. They had even promised wholeheartedly to keep them a secret, even if they seemed to be a little perplexed by the whole situation. 

Now, late in the evening, Pepper sunk into his hammock, Basil curled up beside him, both of them exhausted by the events of the day. The room was dimly lit and incredibly quiet. 

“I almost forgot,” Pepper suddenly mumbled into the silence. “I told Felix I’d talk to him.”

Basil’s eyes were closed, hugging a pillow, but she hummed to indicate that she was awake and listening. “Use your soulmate link, then,” she yawned.

Pepper stared at the ceiling. A few months ago, he had planted a glow-in-the-dark star above his hammock, but it was starting to peel off. Chewing his lip, he responded, “No, I need to talk to him in person, I think.”

“Hm… why?”

Heart twisting, Pepper sat up. “I… I slept with him last night.”

Immediately, Basil shot up, blinking rapidly at him. As she sputtered in shock, Pepper flushed scarlet.

“No, no– not like that,” he explained haphazardly, blushing harder as Basil burst into laughter. He shoved her impatiently. “I just fell asleep on his bed. That’s it.”

He neglected some of the major details, such as the fact that Felix had been incredibly drunk. The specifics of the story could wait.

Basil raised her eyebrows, amusement still dancing behind her eyes. “So, what, you took a nap with your boyfriend and now you’re embarrassed?”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Pepper said hotly, turning away. “I don’t– I don’t really know what we are.”

A soft expression crossed Basil’s face at that, while Pepper had been expecting more teasing. His sister gently bumped his shoulder with her knuckles, earning a surprised noise from Pepper. “Go talk to him,” Basil murmured, sinking back into the hammock.

Thirty minutes later, Pepper found himself standing on Felix’s nightstand, wracked with uncertainty. Felix had gone to bed earlier than Pepper had expected, clearly exhausted from his terrible hangover and the day’s stressful events.

Felix slept on his side, facing Pepper. The hill of his shoulder was visible in the dim lighting, trailing down to his enormous hand resting directly in front of his chest, drawing in long, heavy breaths. His face, half obscured by his pillow, finally had no traces of stress or tension. It brought a warm feeling into Pepper’s heart to see Felix so relaxed.

Pepper suddenly felt weird, standing on Felix’s nightstand and staring at him while he slept. He wrung his hands, gaze dancing, briefly wondering if he should just go home and try again tomorrow.

But… he really didn’t want to trek all the way home just yet. At least, not until he did what he came here for.

Feeling silly, Pepper cleared his throat. “F–Felix?”

The massive form stirred, but didn’t respond. Pepper tried again, taking a step closer, heart racing. “Er– Felix?”

The bed creaked as Felix shifted. A blue eye flickered open, adjusting for a moment before focusing on Pepper, half-lidded. On instinct, the borrower stepped back, heart fluttering.

Felix released a sleepy exhale, turning his head slightly. “Pepper?”

“Hey.” Pepper released the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, suddenly grateful that Felix hadn’t reacted negatively to being woken up. 

“It’s late,” Felix murmured, gaze flickering towards the alarm clock behind Pepper. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. Everything’s okay. I just wanted to talk to you.” Pepper stepped towards the edge of the nightstand, evaluating the gap between it and the bed. Sucking a sharp breath, Pepper leapt over the gap and onto Felix’s mattress, stumbling on the plush surface and tossing his hands out for balance. When he glanced up, Felix was watching him curiously, silenced by the sudden close proximity between them.

“Thanks for handling the situation with Owen and Breanna,” Pepper commented, placing his hands on Felix’s pillow and hoisting himself up. When he finally squirmed into a seated position, he was only a few inches away from Felix, who had sunk further away into the pillow as if he was afraid of the borrower, a positively silly thought. “I… I still can’t believe they caught Basil.”

“Is she okay?” Felix asked quietly, lashes fluttering. Pepper felt the light breeze of his voice.

“Yeah. She was a little shaken up, but Owen and Breanna seem like decent people… How much did you tell them, anyways?”

Felix drew his bottom lip between his teeth, taking a moment to recall. After a few seconds he shifted until he was laying on his back, gazing at the ceiling. Pepper did the same.

“They already figured out some of it on their own. They know that there are more of you than just Basil, and that you live in the walls of this building, but that’s basically it.”

“Do they know that we’re soulmates?”

“No.”

“…Maybe you should tell them.”

Pepper felt the pillow shift under him as Felix turned his head, blue eyes inquisitive. “You think so?”

Pepper spared him a glance. “I mean, it can’t be a secret forever, can it?”

A comfortable silence fell over them at that, as Felix peered back up at the ceiling, considering. Once Pepper decided that the soft whirr of the air conditioning was too quiet for him, he sat up, turning fully towards Felix.

“I know that this can’t be easy,” Pepper stated calmly. Felix blinked. “I don’t know if we’re the first pair of human-borrower soulmates to ever exist, but it definitely puts more pressure on you than it does for me. You have a life outside of the apartment— friends, school— and I’m sorry that you have to balance me along with it.”

At Felix’s surprised silence, Pepper continued, leaning closer. “I feel like I’ve put so much responsibility on you since I met you. Our size difference means that you have to always be so careful, and never make mistakes, and that’s a lot to ask of you. So… thank you, for everything you’ve done for me.”

Felix flushed as he took in Pepper’s words, unable to pull his gaze away from him. “What are you talking about?” He asked, barely breathing with the borrower so close to his face. “You’re not just some burden. I care about you.”

Pepper observed him for a moment, heart fluttering. Felix’s cheeks were tinged with pink, so close to the borrower, and he felt the strange need to reach his hand out towards him.

Filled with a sudden resolve, Pepper sat up, moving closer to Felix. He paused, taking a moment to appreciate the way Felix froze completely before he leaned forward and placed a small kiss on the tip of Felix’s nose. When he pulled back, Felix had gone scarlet.

Pepper’s heart warmed. He stepped back, holding back a laugh at how Felix released the breath he had been holding. 

“You should go to sleep,” he murmured. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

-------

TAGLIST: @smallsday @compact-katrina @satethesatelite @taters169 @entomolog-t @gtzel @gt-newbie @da3dm @clumsiergiantess @vee-normous @fee-hunter @torakan @mabelisthebatman @andithewhumper @mothsintherain @violetlight

tumblr lovessss to not tag people properly so i'm sorry if you are one of those people </3

[jenctrl]

4 - Anxious (stomach ache)

“Put your phone away.” 

Y/n hummed at the grumble from Minji, still busy with her phone though until her sleeve was tugged and the phone grabbed out of her hold. She sighed and jutted her lower lip, tilting her head to look up at Minji, who turned off the device. 

“They were worried because I just disappeared.” She explained, letting her head fall back onto her girlfriend's shoulder as she was wrapped in a warm embrace. It was comforting, cosy, and one she could long for, it was enough to come back to when Minji held her with love and care. 

She peeked up and met Minji’s eyes as they lay on the soft bed. The sound from the TV wasn’t anything they paid attention to, Y/n couldn’t focus on these things when she was with Minji. Her mind was too busy with anecdotes of everything her girlfriend did for her, how she cared for her, held her and everything in between.

“They will survive without you.” 

Y/n smiled and ran her hand over Minji’s hoodie-covered stomach. Her fingers traced patterns, softly, getting lost in her thoughts. Her eyes trailed away from her girlfriends whose hand came up to leave tender touches along Y/n’s temple, running across her cheek and over the pulsing vein on her neck before she cradled her face and caressed her cheek with her thumb. 

“And you won’t?” She questioned, moving her head to lay it where the beating of Minji’s heart echoed. It always sounded promising, a beating heart, it let her know that Minji was there with her. She liked how warm Minji’s body was, how warm her touch was as she closed her eyes and felt her body relax, forgetting all the tension she had been carrying these few weeks. 

“I really won’t, I barely made it through those two weeks without you.” 

“Okay,” it made her smile and dwell on those words. There was no one else Y/n wanted to matter to as much as she wanted to matter to Minji. The girl who held her was her whole world and she didn’t need much in that world to get through the rough roads it was made of and the dreams that always seemed to crumble. 

One always stood tall without budging; it was the dream of being loved and being able to love. Whichever she desired the most was a mystery because Y/n did both intensely and passionately, where she poured every drop of blood she had for someone else. 

She tried to get lost in Minji’s heartbeat, the fingers that gently caressed her skin under her clothes, the comforting words. There seemed to be a problem with getting lost when her mind was always on alert. 

No matter how comforting it felt, Y/n was always anxious in Minji’s arms, in her presence, whenever they were together her stomach would twist and start to ache. It made her feel sick and she wondered if she was the only one. It wasn’t because of Minji though. 

Her girlfriend wasn’t the problem. Y/n’s mind was, and no matter how much she tried to convince herself otherwise, it never worked. From the second they saw each other, Y/n started dreading the moment they would say goodbye. Although she never wanted to leave, she felt afraid whenever they had to part ways. 

She would never tell the girl who was holding her that she teared up and felt like throwing up whenever the door closed behind her. That her knees would go weak and her fingers would tremble. It probably wasn’t normal to depend so much on one person, but she didn’t control it. 

It could be because she hated being alone or it could be the uncertainty of what tomorrow held or because she wanted to be loved. Not being able to know what came next made Y/n feel nauseous, she hated that familiar feeling of always being afraid of the unpredictable.

She never managed to enjoy the moment as she got too occupied thinking about when they would say goodbye. Y/n couldn’t stay in the present, she was always anticipating the future, trying her best to go over every possibility as she knew how uncertain everything was. She had to stay ready for the worst. 

The worst in this scenario was having to leave because no time with Minji felt like it was enough. The wish to make time stand still or at least slow down, for time to be nothing but a mere concept with no existence.

The girl closed her eyes, trying to forget everything and just dwell on the feeling of Minji caressing every ridge on her body. Her touch was tender, it was loving, and there was care and thought in each touch by her girlfriend, it left a burning sensation inside Y/n. One she was afraid of, it felt too good. 

Y/n didn’t think she deserved this type of pure love. It felt too good to be true, it was so different to what she was used to. It all kept twisting in her stomach, making her anxious because what if Minji realised she was wasting her love on someone like Y/n? Maybe she made Minji feel sick.

“You look so pretty.” Y/n hummed at the words, a smile gracing her lips as her arms wrapped around Minji’s shoulders. She got pulled closer by the arms that were around her waist as she was straddling the girl’s lap. 

“You’re always so nice to me.” She mumbled and used one hand to fix the few loose strands of hair that had fallen in the way of Minji’s face. The other’s lips were quick to make contact with her fingers as she kissed Y/n’s hand, planting small kisses before making the girl yelp and quickly withdraw her hand after she bit her finger.

Minji smiled a stupid grin at what she did and tightly wrapped her arms around Y/n’s waist when the girl tried to push her away, it made a light laugh escape Y/n’s lips. Her body moulded against Minji’s whose breath tickled her skin as she hid her face in the crook of Y/n’s neck. 

She couldn’t remember the last time she felt fine; well, she could. The last time Y/n felt fine was before Minji left her behind and she understood that it was work, but the distance between them always felt bigger than it had to be. 

Y/n felt like Minji was holding her at arm's length for so many reasons, excluding the obvious reason that she was a secret and had to keep it. That was something she stayed fine with for Minji’s sake; she’d do anything for Minji. She didn’t like breaking promises. However, she couldn’t understand why Minji was pushing her away after each time she let her in first. 

It still satisfied Y/n’s needs, she assumed, whenever she loved her, no matter in what way. Whether a text saying she did or seeing her and making time for her, even a simple kiss made Y/n feel loved. Y/n took it all as long as she knew that Minji loved her. She could as well have gotten nothing, she could as well not be loved by Minji. 

Her fingers tangled in the girl’s hair as she started to scatter kisses over her neck, kissing up and making shivers of pleasure run over Y/n’s body. The higher she got the louder she would kiss until she pressed a long and overdramatic kiss to Y/n’s cheek, making the girl laugh and pull back. 

Minji tilted her head, the big smile on her face falling into a more adoring one as her eyes were soft on Y/n. “It’s the truth though and you deserve nothing but nice.”

She moved her hands over to Minji’s face, cupping right under her jaw with thumbs caressing along her cheekbones. Y/n could spend the rest of her life just listening to Minji’s sweet words while getting lost in her tender touch, it felt serene, like everything Y/n had ever wished for; to be loved and to be able to give back.

Slowly, she leaned in a little closer just as Minji did, their noses touched and the idol brushed hers against Y/n’s. They caught each other’s eyes and Y/n felt anxious, but there was reassurance in the other pair of brown eyes, they had a grip on her heart, one she had a hard time escaping. It was probably obvious. 

Minji probably knew her better than Y/n would like to admit to. 

She watched her reflection in the brown eyes, they reflected her so flawlessly in the moment that it didn’t feel real. It wasn’t possible to be flawless, but at times Minji made it seem like everything was perfect as they closed the gap between them with their heads tilted and lips meeting. 

It was slow, Y/n’s nails gently scratched along Minji’s jaw. Her body and mind succumbed so easily to her girlfriend. She had waited to be close to Minji again, she wouldn’t tell her that though, she wouldn’t want to burden Minji with longing. She preferred being there for her instead of asking for anything back. Y/n sighed, feeling warm all over after turning blue for the past weeks.

“Say what you want–instead of trying to flatter me,” she mumbled between the kiss they shared, having trouble pulling away. Minji let out a breath at that, pulling away the tiniest bit to get a quick look at Y/n whose eyes were already on hers. 

It wasn’t long until her lips were back on Y/n’s though, scattering kisses on the girl’s skin as her lips softly moved along her jaw and cheek. “Wanna know what I want?” She breathed out, burying her head in the crook of Y/n’s neck as her hands rubbed at her lower back. The breath that hit her skin made her somewhat squirm as it tickled yet made her pull in closer.

“Yeah?” 

“I wanna continue watching Evangelion.” 

“Noo–” Y/n whined and clung onto her girlfriend when she tried to move her out of her lap, stopping her from grabbing the remote. “Focus on me instead.” She tried and Minji laughed at the way Y/n tried to overpower her and she gave in, letting her girlfriend tackle her onto the mattress. 

“I’ve been focusing on you for the past few hours.” Y/n was aware that they were playing around, that they were joking and it did feel light, but the truth always lingered at the back of her head. A few hours was usually what they got together and she wasn’t one to complain, but it wasn’t often. Sometimes it felt like she pictured Minji more than she saw her. 

“You’re acting as if I haven’t made you watch Evangelion at least five times with me already.” Minji rolled her eyes as she was held down by her shoulders where Y/n held her palms planted. She reached a hand up, running her fingers through Y/n’s hair and holding it back from tickling her face. Eyes admiring the girl on top of her and it was the type of closeness Y/n always craved.

“Shouldn’t have shown it to me, it’s too good.” 

“I know I have good taste, but watch me instead.” She watched how the girl under her put on a smug smile. 

“Considering you’re with me, I would say that you do.” 

“You’re so full of yourself.”

The latter hummed and guided Y/n’s face closer to hers until their lips met in a short kiss. “As if you didn’t just tell me to watch you,” Minji argued, mumbling against the girl’s lips and as Y/n parted her lips to get in another quip, the vibrating of a phone cut them off. It was Minji’s phone and her hold on Y/n disappeared; the girl felt cold and her stomach dropped at what she knew was next.

Minji sat up as Y/n moved off of her while chewing on the inside of her cheek, biting down, gnawing on her lower lip, and doing everything to stop herself from falling into the melancholy. She hated how heavy it felt on her chest as she stared at the sheets while Minji was on the phone. Y/n could cry, but she wouldn’t, she already felt like a burden most of the time to her girlfriend. 

She didn’t want to be needier than she already was.

However, the prickling at her nose always made it hard and she took a deep breath, rapidly blinking her eyes as she reached for her phone to occupy herself with something. It was difficult because all thoughts about Minji were always overbearing and at times she couldn’t think about anything else except her. 

“They’re on their way back,” the idol didn’t seem to struggle the way Y/n did, not with how easily those words that meant ‘leave’ left her mouth. 

Y/n wanted to bring it up again, but it always ended the same way whenever she suggested that they would at least let their close friends know about them. She settled on making it easier than it already was for Minji though as she looked up with a small smile and gave a nod, waiting for the pain in her throat to go away before she spoke.

‘Two hours, you got two whole hours when you could have gotten none after not seeing her for so long.’

‘It doesn’t matter if you would quit everything for her. You won’t get the same back.’

‘Be grateful for what you have and get because you get more than you deserve most of the time.’

She hated how self-aware she was and how contrasting her thoughts could get, but she quickly got up on her feet. Y/n wasn’t one to lay on the ground and whine for too long. She was taught better than to bother someone for too long. 

“How will you get back?” Minji asked as Y/n hadn’t said anything since she got up from her bed. She watched her girlfriend gather her things and give a shrug.

“Cab.” It came as a mumble.

“Let me send you money for it.”

“Minji, it’s fine, I have money,” Y/n argued, her tone coming off a bit harsher than intended, but she got defensive whenever she felt the slightest bit vulnerable; she was scared. There was no need for more salt in the wound; to show care whenever Y/n doubted that Minji did care. 

“Okay, but I wanted you to come, so I want to pay for it–” Minji stopped as Y/n turned around with a small frown. “You’re my girlfriend, let me pay for your trip back at least.” She didn’t feel like her girlfriend at times. She didn’t need the whole world to know, but it felt so wrong to be Minji’s secret. It destroyed her.

It ate at her day after day and made her feel sick, Y/n could never turn to anyone, the only person she could turn to was barely there because her girlfriend was busy. At times it felt like she was in a cage, waiting for Minji to just check on her. It wasn’t right, but she would do anything for Minji. 

“Yeah.” She agreed and pouted as she watched Minji reach for her phone again, her eyes glancing between the screen and Y/n.

“Won’t you get cold in that?” She questioned, paying attention to how Y/n was only in a thin top and it was getting late and the weather was cooler by now.

“I’m just heading down and into the cab.” Y/n replied as her gaze was on her phone to order the said cab, getting the notification from Minji. It was nothing new to have Minji send her money or give her material things despite never asking for it. 

It was too familiar to Y/n. Did Minji see it as some type of compensation? Maybe it was genuine and not out of guilt and Y/n was the bad person for not appreciating Minji more. Usually Y/n felt like a terrible person because of how things looked, how she looked at them and the problem seemed to lay in her and not their relationship. 

“All the more why you should wear a hoodie.” The latter said as she tossed her phone aside with a frown and stood up. Y/n watched the taller girl who was about to pass by her to get to her closet and she grabbed hold of Minji’s sleeve, stopping her. 

“I’ve been keeping this hoodie from everyone.” Minji whined and Y/n jutted her lower lip as she looked up at her through her lashes. All she craved was Minji’s warmth and comfort in the end. Her girlfriend groaned and grabbed the hem of the black hoodie.

“I love you.”

“I love you, a lot.” 

Y/n could still feel Minji’s lips linger on hers after the door closed behind her and those feelings came back, always leaving the place with a sick stomach, an anxious feeling and the thought of being nothing but a terrible person. Despite the awareness and these feelings, it was still always worth running back no matter what. 

masterlist | next

a/n: any type of feedback is really appreciated even smth short like 'it's good or bad' it's hard to improve etc otherwise :D

taglist! - @yxlis @pandafuriosa60 @sixflame438 @drvirgus @baelabong @idkwhatim-doinghere101 @dollydigital @yncoreee @multiliker @yoontoonwhs @dreamingst99 @1luvkarina @gayforalll @gtfoiydlyj @celestialsequels @starstruckgoateepuppy @yeetaberry127 @kimminjiissosjdirbidnsjje @onlyhyunjin @awkwardtoafault @jisooftme

[savannahsdeath]

a part4 of -this- ❈ dealer!ellie x reader / ending

warnings: none??

"i have a flight to europe. i'm leaving everything and going to bieszczady." your father said, stroking the humid glass full of a cold drink. "my plane leaves tonight."

you nodded. "the faster, the better."

"but i can't blame her," he continued, "she just wanted to survive, though..."

"don't defend her." you shook your head. "she's a traitor."

⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠄⠂☆

you mechanically and mindlessly drank a glass of water, as your mind processed the events and emotions that have occurred. the coldness of the liquid filled your mouth, a comforting feeling against the heat of the emotions growing within you. you stared out into the kitchen, feeling dazed and aimless as the memories came flooding back. your memory of this moment was clear, sharp and vivid in your mind. it felt like a part of you disconnected from your body, frozen in space and time.

you heard a soft knock at the door, its subtle sound contrasting the intense thoughts churning within you. the sudden noise knocked you out from the daze you've been in, your mind suddenly thrown into a state of alertness. your body has been on autopilot for who knows how long, the mundane actions from the last few days becoming distant. the knock at the door acted as a beacon in the dark, drawing you back to reality. the sound pulled you out of the memories and back into the present, as you moved towards the door to answer.

you could predict who's on the other side, really.

ellie.

every feature of her face was recognizable, but your view of her was through a veil of confusion and anger. your eyes narrowed in distrust as you took in this unexpected turn of events. she seemed concerned for you, but you couldn't shake off the feeling that there is some ulterior motive hidden behind her friendly demeanor. there was a hint of lingering attachment. part of you felt like you should turn her away on the spot, while another part of you still craved her presence — there was still some leftover affection.

suddenly, you found yourself pulled into the embrace of ellie's kiss and your emotions were thrown into turmoil once again. her hands brushed the side of your face as she pressed herself closer. the feeling of her lips on yours was a rush of pure pleasure, the intensity of the act jolting you and awakening the lingering affection you felt for her. despite all the pain and anger you felt towards her, you couldn't help but be swept away by the heat of the moment. a weak "ngh—" left your throat. as the kiss deepened, you were flooded with the memories of your time together, the highs and the lows all crashing in on you at once. your body decided to respond automatically, your lips kissing back.

you hopelessly clenched your fist and hit the crook of her neck, though you didn't put any strength to the move, moreover you had to fight your own arousal. ellie didn't pull away, instead her grip on you tightened and she began to lead you deeper into the house. you could feel her body pressing against yours, the heat of her lips still upon you.

you broke the kiss but your face was still as near to hers as possible. "i wanna kill you—"

"i'm yours." she pressed her forehead to yours. "you never broke up with me, y'know that?"

you took a deep breath and she could feel you exhaling. "i can fix that."

"there's no need to" she hummed, taking your hand and interlinking your fingers. "everything's fine."

through the corner of your eyes you saw the clock, which in big, red lines showed the numbers: 10:47 pm. your father's plane must already leave.

was it really that easy?

or was it just a fake happy end?

✧˖°

the bieszczady was bcs my friend forced me to write that ahxusb so hi fellow polish hoes <333 at the end i want to thank everyone who supported this lil drabble series🩷 i skipped the whole talking stage cuz its written out of boredom and nothing serious but im still glad you decided to read it !! mwah mwah

taglist: @bellaramslover @gold-dustwomxn @loverg1rlll @juliluvsu @timmy-27 @marianeski @kuromicoree @inf3ct3dd @mikellie @elliewilliamsonlygirlfriend @syrenada @drunkzuko @florencepughismybae @weridcattty @kanksaint @villainousbear @coff1nn @emst4rr @thehungrygayterpillar-blog @skylerwhitwyo @macaroni676 @cupid1ink @xen222 @onlinelesbo @crxmxnzl-c0rpzes @elliew-illiamsmissingfingers @mochiivqi @lilylynne11 @sevvenspit @williamsblogxx @707bnnyy @poopypeen @agajahan @kali-1014 @lullsss @corpsebridenightamare @planetloverr @lil-elliesgf @littlegingerperson

[pokidot]

HALLOWEEN PARTY 😣 with anyone idk Mandela scara and yn dress up silly, yn outfit so low budget no one can tell who or what they’re dressed as 🤓

OMG!!!!!! 😄 THANK YOU SAUR MUCH NI

“Just stomp your feet, and clap your hands,” Venti slurred on his words, swaying back and forth to the music as he clapped his hands together on cue in his own drunken rhythm, “C’mon everybody, it’s the hamster dance! Dibidi di dibi do do…”

“Maybe I’ve gone insane and this is the last semblance of sanity.” Aether muttered, half to himself.

The ghost club's Halloween party was held in the dimly lit basement of the old building on campus, ironically enough. But the eerie charm of it was perfect considering everybody wanted a cheap thrill. Faded brick walls lining up with the ill-assorted, weathered posters from previous meetings in here of some obscure club loomed over. The lights they painted with highlighters flickering in the glow of cheap looking orange and purple fairy lights.

Every now and then, there would be a shadow that would tango across, thanks to this ancient disco ball that would creak as it spun, broken pieces of light across the space. Decorations were even funnier, because nobody had the money to get them except Kuni (and they had too much pride to ask him).

Plastic skeletons, some with missing limbs, this old Freddy Krueger mannequin from 1997, and worn rickety tables filled with party food and a punch bowl that was probably laced.

In one corner, the mini fog machine Heizou brought with him sputtered every now and then. It sent sporadic clouds that mixed with the scent of incense wafting from the air, insisted by him to "enhance spiritual ambience". But because of how dusty the area already was, it didn't really do anything to cleanse and everyone opted to coughing anyway.

The costumes were equally as awful; Venti was a very biblically accurate King Julian, complete with a makeshift crown and painted-on stripes, Xiao cut holes into a sheet and went as a ghost, Kazuha went as Little Red Riding Hood, alternatively Heizou went as the Big Bad Wolf...? Aether came as a vampire, and Hu Tao came as herself! She was scary enough.

There was low-budget charm when Kuni, who was dressed at Ghostface, came in with you...a misfit among misfits. "You guys need to do your part and drive them next time, I'm tired of them fucking with my radio."

"I wanted to play spooky music! Is that a crime?!" You put a hand on your chest in an offended manner, your costume so haphazardly thrown together that you pieced together whatever odds and end you found.

He sighed, tone laced with a weary patience that somehow managed to carry a warmth. "There's a difference between spooky music, and playing Crazy Frog on blast while I'm trying to drive through an uncontrolled intersection."

"Crazy Frog is spooky if you have a 101 degree fever and chug Nyquil," You shot back, crossing your arms in faux conviction. "You have no idea what I've been through to survive that niche."

"I'm sure." Kuni gave a resigned snort, muttering something smart under his breath as he turned his gaze to the others. "This party looks like shit, but this is exactly what I expect from you lot."

"Excuse you!" Aether gasped, he mock-scandalized as he adjusted his vampire cape, trying to salvage some dignity. "We were actually on a budget, so unless you're willing to get down on your knees and start begging for forgiveness, I'd keep your wits to yourself!"

Kuni's eyes gleamed with hints of snark. "And you thought that something that looks like a kid's birthday party where all the parents are divorced and on bad terms was the vibe you wanted to give off?"

"Well, when you put it that way, it sounds like you want to be the only single dad." Heizou grinned, but his eyes held a more teasing leer. "Too bad, that's my role here."

Kazuha's eyebrows raised. "And who are the kids? The rest of us?"

You narrowed your eyes, your lips curling into a smirk. "He won't be a single dad for long with how bad I'm seducing him with my costume right now. Look at him. Can't even stay off of me."

"Can't stay off you..?" Kuni echoed dryly, his eyes moving to your shoddy costume as he pursed his lips, trying to make out something in his head. A single brow arching behind the mask. "Who are you even supposed to be?"

"Tinker Bell, obviously!"

The entire room went quiet, the basement inhaling the collective silence at every head turned, eyes blinking in a blend of restrained words. Hu Tao's mouth dropped at your response. "...But avant-garde, right?"

"That was my last guess." Xiao said.

Your big smile dropped, and you threw your hands up, adopting a comically dramatic attitude. "Guys, I have a WAND. Who else has a wand with green clothes on?!"

"Smells a lot like Slytherin." Heizou whispered, squinting.

The green top that didn't match the skirt, the DIY wings held together by duct tape, vaguely sparkly sneakers you decided were close enough to fairy shoes. You looked accomplished standing there in your glory, "I'm pushing boundaries. Redefining what Tinker Bell is, anybody can be the Big Bell, even me!"

Venti started crying immediately, tears welling in his eyes. "Amazing!" He shouted. "A true artist in the rough! A groundbreaking interpretation! We need to ship you off to art school, you don't even need this shoddy college!" He raised an invisible bottle in his hand that was confiscated by Kazuha about 13 minutes ago.

"Finally, someone who APPRECIATES a good costume. I don't see any of you actually trying to look original, so I'm not intimidated."

"You look like Tinker Bell stranded at a yard sale." Kuni deadpanned, voice oozing with playful skepticism.

You flashed a mildly displeased scowl at the witticism, but even though you knew they were being half-hearted and didn't really care that much, YOU WERE STILL granted the name 'Budget Bell' the entire night. They refused to call you by your actual name. And since that Halloween party, it became a running joke and a strange point of ego...the legend that you were.

Safe to say, you knew the exact people you were going to sacrifice to the Lochness Monster once you find him.

[almightyhamslice]

Queen Bouncelia redesign!! I might sound like a broken record here but I feel like the bros rlly missed a lot of potential with her! She presents herself as a kind angel of a character, but she's the Naughty Ones' mother and she was a part of Sir Dadadoo's conspiracy-- she was aware of his plan and was ok with raising her children to be an army. I think that's so interesting but she's just a plain good guy who dies in the game!!! not fair. Maybe someday we'll find out she's not rlly dead n we'll understand what her deal is?

My AU differs from canon in that Bouncelia was actually a fully active mascot in the resort, allowed to interact with the public in two character greeting areas: an extravagant castle and a trampoline park. She was very popular with young girls back in her prime. She was a very charismatic person and had a sense of warmth and comfort to her that many of the other mascots lacked.

She and Sir Dadadoo were always somewhat warm towards each other, they'd meet during evenings, between the end of Bouncelia's shift and the beginning of the resort's curfew, when Dadadoo would be active. They'd spend most of their nights together. He would often muse to her about his plans of escaping the resort and going out into the real world, and she was enthralled. Soon enough, she began scheming with him and working out a proper plan. Sir Dadadoo figured they'd need an army, so he invited Syringeon to help him create his own "subcases" (or rather, mutants). After lots of trial and error, it was decided that Bouncelia and Dadadoo should create the mutants with a combination of both their DNA, and so Bouncelia agreed. Though they were initially both very clinical about the creation of the Naughty Ones, Bouncelia grew attached to them and doted on them. They were a family after all, in a strange kind of way.

Of course, everything went wrong when Bouncelia and Syringeon were caught. Management realized Dadadoo was the mastermind and would be unreasonable and unpersuadable, so they sought to target his cohorts in hopes they'd all gang up on him (under the threat of their lives). So, they did, though Bouncelia begged and pleaded management to spare his life and the lives of their children. Management heeded her request, but in a very twisted way. Syringeon was ordered to sedate Sir Dadadoo and the naughty ones, and seal them inside Queen Bouncelia's pouch using givanium entrapment, stitching and fusing her pouch shut. The hope was that the Naughty Ones and Dadadoo would slowly suffocate and starve, but the Naughty Ones were desperate to survive and began to cannibalize each other like fetal tiger sharks do (please don't look that up if you're squeamish!).

Queen Bouncelia couldn't be allowed to know that this was meant to slowly kill her family members, so was put on a heavy dosage of sedatives while the resort was still active. The function was twofold-- the drugs clouded her mind so she wouldn't realize what danger they were in, and they kept her from jumping around and potentially ripping her pouch open by mistake. Bittergiggle, her most trusted friend, was tasked with delivering her medicine every day; however, they never knew what the true purpose of the drugs were.

Post attempted rebellion, Bouncelia still tries to keep a kind and warm demeanor, but everything is so scrambled now. Thanks to the steady supply of intense sedative drugs, she always feels half asleep and half awake, finding difficulty in telling dreams from reality. Not so much a perpetual hallucination (though she is likely prone to hallucinating as well), moreso thinking on a completely new and almost alien plane. Things she says make sense through word associations in her head, but are nearly indecipherable to outsiders other than Bittergiggle.

I love her so much. I'm going to cry if she's literally just dead in canon n the skeletons in her closet were like, accidental lol. I had lots of fun designing her especially her mask n cape! Also I really don't think the scepter is magic I'm sorry that's just jumping the shark for me lol.

[alexihollis]

The Orphans pt 2

part one

Mercy never wanted to be leader. She never asked to be leader, she never even wanted to be in a gang, but-

Well. Shit happens and all that. But now, here she was, painfully out of her depth as she stared at the hopeful faces of girls who never knew a kind word in their life. Trying to scrape together business and smooth over the relationships Sully tried to set on fire.

Fortunately, most of Sully's attempts were in vain with many of their associates doing a double-take when Mercy explained the situation. One even flat out laughed and said: "I thought you'd been the leader, girlie."

Then seemed to regret that comment when Mercy made it quite clear that they would not be running the same level of business for the pathetic cut Sully accepted. But he seemed to still respect her and happy enough to do said business by the time Mercy left.

Bringing Emily home from the hospital, though? Being able to show her to a room all her own and give her the key to the lock Harley (previously Penelope, now Harley after her motorcycle and damn pleased with her new name) installed on her door? It was the moments like those that made it all worth it.

"This is yours, if you want it," Mercy had said while Emily hobbled around the room they had put together for her. The curtains Stitch sewed for her with all the pink fabric they could scrape together. The rug they found in the attic that was shaggy and soft. All those pictures Emily loved taking tacked carefully to the wall above her bed. When Emily looked at her, confused by her words, Mercy was holding a green vest out to her.

Emily blinked, shocked. "Colors?"

Mercy nodded. "If you-"

Emily moved as fast as one still on crutches could. "Oh, my God. Oh, my God! This is awesome!"

"You don't have to-" And then Mercy found herself tackled by the small teenager, so that said enough.

Her goal for her Orphans was simple, though: survive. Do business, keep the turf, and keep their people, that was it. They did not need to expand, they did not need to mess with other gangs, Mercy wasn't even too keen on recruitment that Harley kept suggesting.

So why the fuck did the Riffs and the Warriors keep patrolling her damn southern border?

The first time Stitch reported on them hanging about, Mercy shrugged it off. The Warriors even crossed that one time, with one of the most infamous enforcers in the city and Cleon's number two, who freaked out more gangs than fucking Masai with the way she looked at you and you just knew she had a thousand different ways to neutralize any threat you posed. It scared the shit out of Mercy bringing her into the dining room, she just prayed none of the Warriors noticed any of the hidden entrances into the backspaces they actually lived in.

It was funny. If Mercy had met Swan in any other situation, maybe it would have been different. She was exactly the kind of woman that Mercy would have-

It didn't matter. It wasn't different.

The second time Stitch and her scouts came back, Mercy got a bit concerned.

Then it was the third. Fourth.

By the fifth time, Mercy was getting annoyed and planted herself at the boundary, smoking in an alleyway and waiting for them to show up.

It was just the one, this time. The number two. Swan. Mercy wasn't dumb enough to believe that, though, knew that the Riffs probably had scouts hidden about, the little ghosts.

Still. It was interesting.

She flicked her cigarette away and stepped out of the alley. "Fancy meeting you here."

Swan didn't say anything, but her eyes flicked down. Then up. Mercy stood her ground, a few feet away, but in front of Swan. Maybe technically not in Orphans territory and maybe Harley did not, in fact, know that she was doing this, but whatever.

"Cyrus finds you interesting," Swan said.

Mercy shifted her weight to her other foot. "Really."

"Yeah," Swan shrugged. Shoved her hands in the pockets of her jacket. "Don't have too many women Warlords."

"She's got Cleon," Mercy said. Obviously, fucking obviously Mercy, what the hell was that?

Swan just raised an eyebrow. Then, sighed, "You got a diner or something around here we can chat?"

"Chat about what?" Mercy asked.

"Joining up," came a deep voice from behind Mercy which made her jump and whirl around and- Jesus fucking Christ, okay, there was Masai. Mercy's hand clutched the knife in her pocket, but she knew better than to pull a knife on a Riff.

"Dude," Swan deadpanned, tone ever so slightly disapproving, from behind Mercy as Mercy's heart fought to go back down to a normal rhythm.

"Sorry," Masai actually did look genuinely sorry. Even took a step back from Mercy. Then, looked around, "You really don't have anyone else out here?"

This would be the part where Mercy would lie. Say she did. But...considering no one jumped out to defend her that would either make it look like her crew didn't give a shit about her or were cowards, and she wasn't going to insult them by letting Masai think either.

"...not exactly," Mercy said instead.

She wasn't sure what she expected, but she certainly found herself taken aback when Masai simply nodded. "Bold."

...yeah...okay...

Mercy found herself looking to Swan who just seemed tired of the man. When Swan noticed Mercy looking at her, "Diner?"

"Yeah. A couple." Mercy took a step away from Masai before turning her back and going the way Swan came. "Follow me."

Mel's was good enough. A bit of a dive, but it meant less people and they served pancakes 24/7. Mercy liked pancakes.

She sat on one side of the booth, sitting close to the edge and grabbing one of the menus tucked to the side, ignoring Swan and Masai until they got the hint and sat side-by-side on the other bench. It was amusing, the way they stood there for a minute, neither wanting to sit by the window. Surprisingly, Masai was the one who ended up in that spot, Swan seated directly across from Mercy.

"So," Masai grabbed a menu. "What's good here?"

"Everything." Fuck off.

"Hm." Masai seemed unimpressed, but did not push farther.

Swan said nothing, perusing the menu herself.

Sara came by not long after. She was one of the older waitresses, with her hair white and curly in that way only managed with wash and sets. Her old, faded blue waitressing uniform was always ironed, apron always bleached white, not a stain in sight. Apparently, Sara's roommate, a similarly aged woman named Ethel, was very particular about the laundry, as Sara always laughed. Mercy met Ethel a few times - whenever she got bored, you could find her sitting on a barstool with her glasses that made her eyes look giant, reading a large-print book, while Sara complained about how much coffee Ethel managed to consume in one sitting.

"These friends of yours, sweetheart?" Sara asked.

Sara was not from the city, though she never said more than that, just that she grew up somewhere else. Mercy thought somewhere down south, maybe, but Sara said that it was a lifetime ago and Mercy respected that well enough. After all, Sara never asked Mercy where she was from or asked too much about the colors on her back.

Of course, it would have been beneficial for Sara to not call Mercy 'sweetheart' in front of Swan and Masai, but...no one was perfect.

"Friendly enough," Mercy smiled, moving her coffee cup closer to Sara to pour.

The other two did the same.

"You two ready to place your orders?" Sara asked.

"Toast's fine," Swan muttered. At Sara's raised eyebrow, "Please."

"Butter or jam?" Sara asked.

"...jam?" Swan's voice tilted up a bit, but Sara nodded.

"And you, young man?"

"Bacon egg and cheese, on a bagel, please," Masai even managed a smile. It looked pained.

"Hm." Sara's eyes narrowed slightly.

Then, because it was Sara, when she turned to go, "You've certainly brought worse around, sweetheart."

And off she went.

Maybe not Mel's next time. Not if Mercy wanted to keep any form of street cred.

"So, they know you here?" Swan asked.

"Maybe," Mercy said through only slightly gritted teeth.

"She didn't take your order." And the weirdest thing? Swan smiled when she said it, almost like she found the whole thing amusing or something.

"Anyway!" Mercy clapped her hands, more than ready to move on. "You wanted to talk about something?"

Namely why you keep patrolling my turf when one of you is from Coney Island. Hell, the Riffs don't even butt up that far into the Bronx, for fuck's sake, though the alliance did complicate matters like territory lines.

"We wanted to talk about you joining up," Masai said.

Ah. Right. He did say something about that while scaring the absolute shit out of her.

Mercy pursed her lips. "Hm. Kind of like being an Orphan, actually."

"Not like that," Swan corrected. "Joining up with the alliance."

Huh. Interesting.

"We didn't receive an invite last time," Mercy said.

"You weren't Warlord last time," Swan retorted.

Fair enough. As much as Sully bitched about it, he wouldn't have gone anyway. He didn't have enough to gain from an alliance like that and a lot more to lose. All the weaker gangs did. How long could an alliance like that last before the gang lines within blurred? Before Cyrus started ordering your crew around and suddenly you weren't Warlord anymore?

"We can handle ourselves," Mercy said.

"And you think the Warriors can't?" Swan scoffed.

Mercy narrowed her eyes. "I think that this alliance has gained a strong crew a lot of powerful friends. The Warriors were all alone before this. Cleon and Cochise didn't make it easy on themselves when they split off from the Destroyers."

Neither Masai nor Swan said anything for a moment.

Masai let out a low, long whistle through his teeth, eyebrows raised as he sat back in the booth. "Damn. That's some ancient history there. You're what? Twenty? Twenty-one? No way you were running around back then."

Yeah, Mercy wasn't falling for that. She stayed silent.

"It's a peace treaty," Swan said. "That's all it really is. No one gets a say in how you run your crew. Don't get a say in your business, none of that shit. You aren't looking to expand your turf anyway, you aren't recruiting, you have nothing to lose."

And damn was that tempting.

"What do I have to gain, then?" Mercy shrugged. "I haven't been challenged. No one's stressing my borders except you. Why bother?"

"No one's stressing your borders because Cyrus has made it clear to leave the Orphans alone," Swan said. "You really think no one would try? No one even knows what kind of strength you have. If you don't join up, non-allied crews are gonna start looking at you. You've got more territory than most and good business. You've got a lot you need protected." Swan hesitated for a split-second, side-eyed Masai, and then, "And you don't have the power to keep it protected."

Mercy narrowed her eyes, "Fuck you-"

"You don't have Sully's numbers and you don't have skilled enough fighters, it's not a dig, it's the truth," Swan said.

Mercy clenched her jaw. Looked out the window. Stitch must have sent out an alarm, because Harley stood across the street, watching, with Rocky. The only two in her crew Mercy could even half-way call enforcers and, as much as Mercy cared for them, as much as she knew they would fight for her, for their crew, they were no Swan. No Ajax.

And they had a lot more people at home to protect than the Warriors did.

Fucking Sully, creating this whole damn mess and making her try and clean it up.

"Cyrus wants a conversation," Masai said. "Not a promise to join up, nothing like that, a conversation."

"On your turf," Mercy said, because Cyrus didn't leave Gramercy often.

Masai nodded.

"I get to bring people with me?" Mercy asked.

"Seven has been the standard, including yourself," Masai said. "No guns."

Seven. Hah. Mercy wouldn't even be considering this if she had six other people to bring with her.

"Cleon wouldn't have joined if she thought it would risk her territory or her crew," Swan said. She sounded sincere, too.

This woman. This woman was going to be trouble for Mercy, because Mercy nodded. "When do you want us there?"

----------

All right. Y'all got me. I'm adding to this one.

[idkmanreallywhat]

Do you think Furina can bear to watch Arlecchino act out her part in the Fatui?

Every day, wake up and see this person who she knows is kind and gentle inside pretending to be cruel and telling confounding things, painting an evil portrait of herself? Arlecchino exists through this mystification of her persona. the more people are mistaken about her, the better it suits her plans. A strategic advantage. but to Furina, after seeing every weakness Arle really has, after knowing the person behind the mask, it's different.

As an actress she understands the duty, and the commitment but after that five hundred year long torture of playing at cruelty and indifference. She can't. can't bear to watch as Arle's children cower from the strict facade the woman puts up.

Furina also felt this way though, didn't she? she was also once afraid of the intimidating Knave. Sounds silly now, with the power of hindsight in her hands. But she was. When someone's hand reaches out towards your heart in a motion prepared to tear through cloth and flesh and bone and rip it out. When someone sits in front of you after presenting you with false pleasantries of gifts, verbally cages you in. When someone looks at you like they know your soul when they aren't allowed to when you can't let them know when no one can know-

Yet Furina looks back. That cold, calculating gaze. Was it just a facade of an actress? Of course Arle gazed deep into her soul, as if trying to read it. Of course Furina recoiled for fear of being uncovered. Still she wishes she hadn't had to. All Furina wishes is to drop the pretenses, the deceits that keep everyone at arm's length. She can't bear to watch Arle twist herself every which way, and she won't bear it. With her trembling, untrained hands and with her caresses she will break the porcelain perfection and reach that flaming, molten core of Arle's very being. She will drink it in like water and strip the impersonal to reveal the truth.

If Arlecchino must act, act to preserve and survive in the cold outside world, Furina hopes that here, indoors where they are together she will be the genuine woman she so adores. Enough of acting.

[1toreyouapart]

Right Through Me

***FANFICTION THAT INVOLVES REAL PEOPLE. DON’T READ IF YOU DON’T LIKE THAT. 18+ MDNI***

Rae arrives on her former best friend’s doorstep, asking only for a place to stay while she gets back on her feet after moving across the country to escape her ex. Nick gladly opens his door to her, quickly pulling her into the fold with his friends and band mates.

Noah is just trying to survive. He wants to make it. Needs it. He has no time for anything other than the band. He’s got a point to prove. Nick’s friend challenges that and upends his entire world. She drives him crazy with her laid back, carefree ways.

Everyone can see the collision coming from a mile away, and nobody can stop it. Much less the two of them. Who will make it out in the end?

CW/TW: domestic violence, miscarriage, alcohol use, swearing, smoking, smut, more to come as story is written.

Pour Concrete On It

Noah watched as Rae loosened up. All it took was them all making her sing. Sure, she had freaked out when he put his hand over her throat, but that was to be expected. Folio had been talking about her and the relationship she was in the entire time he had known him. How Folio just knew he was beating her, and how upset Folio was when she didn’t show up to the airport to come out here with him. How Folio went off the deep end for a bit when he couldn’t get a hold of her anymore right after they came out here.

Others may not have noticed, but he had when she moved to refill Folio’s drink without a question. The way she blushed and avoided looking at anyone when Folio filled both their drinks instead. The way those bright ass eyes of hers went dark the second his hand briefly touched her throat earlier. All of that was all he needed to know why Folio’s best friend was suddenly around.

Rae was running from someone. Someone that had hurt her. His own memories of his mother being beaten surfaced, and he had to swallow it down. They were having a good time tonight. If Rae could swallow it, as he had watched her do, being a victim herself, he could do it to keep things normal for her.

Watching her now, a few shots and a few drinks in her, he could see why Folio was enthralled with her. Her real self was shining through. Gone was the shy and reserved girl who had first walked in with him. She was singing and having a blast. And she could fucking sing. He was blown away earlier. Maybe when they were all a bit more sober he would convince her to sing with him on a song.

“Cut deep like a switchblade prophet”

“It all went radioactive”

“You put the nail in the coffin”

“Now pour concrete on it!”

He watched Rae and Folio sing together, something in him tightening when Folio sang “you put the nail in the coffin” and she screamed “now pour concrete on it.” The juxtaposition of Folio singing versus her screaming so beautifully was incredible. He couldn’t help but watch the two of them and feel almost like he was witnessing a conversation he shouldn’t be a part of it. Watching her head bang. The way her hair flowed. How the two of them screamed in each others faces. It was incredible to watch. He made a note to put Folio on vocals more.

More importantly he wanted her on a song. An artist nobody had heard of because she wasn’t part of the scene. Just somebody who could sing and scream. Everyone would go nuts trying to find her. But she would have no music there for them to listen to. He could almost taste the fanbase going insane. He himself back, though. The memory of her freaking out when he had barely put his hand over her throat, totally flat, still fresh in his mind.

“Hey. Jolly?” He nodded in Jolly’s direction, not daring to take his eyes off of her. “She’s good, yeah?”

“Really good.” Jolly settled beside him, leaning in. “Feels a little like Folio’s been keeping a secret all these years.”

Noah watched her, taking a long drag off his cigarette. He wanted to agree with Jolly. He really did. But something about the way Folio had spoken of her. The way she was right now. She was definitely a talent he needed to lock down before someone else out there in California found her. But there was something about her he couldn’t put his finger on.

Folio hadn’t been keeping her a secret. She had kept herself hidden. And judging by how she reacted earlier he knew the exact reason why. A pitiful man had kept her hidden and silent. Kept her trapped. Some pitiful man had made her smaller than she was. The thought of it made him made him fist his hands in his lap. How anyone could make such a big voice feel so small was beyond him.

The thought of someone hurting her made him irrationally angry. She was so gentle. Even when angry. Defensive. He shouldn’t want to curb stomp someone, but for her he did. Whoever made her feel so small? He wanted to curb stomp them into oblivion.

“Do you remember how it felt each time you looked at me? The way you hated what you see?”

Her voice as she sang with all the heartbreak and anger he could imagine rang out, and he was drawn back into her. The way she sang, the emotion in her voice was breathtaking. Like she was experiencing every word on real time.

“Let me go I can’t take this…Let me leave you in pieces.”

Noah was enthralled. The way she sang. How she had stopped caring about any of them being around to hear it. She was singing with every fiber of her being. He looked over at Jolly, not bothering to hide how taken he was.

“We need her on a song, at least.”

“She’s good. Great, honestly. Untapped talent. However…” he trailed off, glancing between her and him. “Are you sure you’re appreciating the talent, or do you just want to fuck her?”

Noah sat back, watching her. Jolly could be right. She was cute. Beautiful. The way her eyes lit up every time he mentioned making music. The processes within it. How she looked at him every time he spoke, like he had the answers to everything. A similar way that she looked at Folio. Her bright eyes. The way she smiled when she found something just slightly amusing. How she was losing herself in the music right this moment.

“Maybe both. Can’t deny she’s got some pipes on her, though,” he quipped, watching intently as she sang and danced.

Maybe getting her to work on a song with him was a good idea. Or maybe it was a terrible idea. He didn’t know and wasn’t fully sure what he was thinking. All he knew was every option led to more time around her. His little enigma.

Tag: @collisionofyourkissmakesitsohard

[desultory-novice]

Apologies AU - Good Ending Drop

Hey, everyone. It was my goal to finish Apologies in tandem with the Tournament, but for health reasons, I won't be able to as I planned. Because I tied the story to the tournament and don't feel like untangling it again and making everyone wait more, I'm going to give you all the ending spoilers, as I promised I would if I became unable to finish the story.

What I'm about to describe is THE Good Ending. The True Ending I had planned out almost from the beginning!

-

In the main-verse...

Susie, who sees too much of herself in Adeleine, decides to take matters into her own hands to bring the girl's older brother back.

She takes the vial of Dark Matter Swordsman DNA that was harvested from King Dedede. Meta Knight catches up with her and argues against it. It's foolish, dangerous, and liable to be nothing but painful to all parties involved. But Susie anticipated interference and asked Zan to bodyguard her. When Zan arrives (late) to the lab, the argument has caused the vial to begin to react to all the negativity in the room. Zan recognizes its contents as Dark Matter and insists on calling Lord Hyness, who in his own quirky way, analyzes their problem and suggests that while the contents are too weak to survive on their own, a resurrection could be possible, using Void's powers to mimic a hive queen, supplying whatever creature emerges the power to survive on Popstar without burning up into ash...

-

In the tourney-verse...

White-Haired Noir is at peace with his life and has come to accept the death of his precious little sister many years ago, but...a part of him still wishes to make Adeleine happy.

Using his fairy-born dimension sight, he discovers an Alternate Noir who is 98% percent compatible with main-verse Noir. This is the Purgatory!Noir from the Re_Birthday post. And he drags this unstable, utterly clueless Noir out of this peaceful void without his permission and secretly "volunteers"  the massively confused, un-alive but un-dead teen boy for the Kirby OC Tournament.

It is White-Haired Noir that is the "good" voice on phone and in Noir's head, encouraging rationality. His goal? Get Noir some friends. Get him to face up to/open up to people about his past. And get him caring about his life enough that he wants to live...! 

White-Haired Noir has seen what the main-verse Star Allies are attempting and knows that the odds of them actually bringing "Noir" back instead of just an emotionless monster are low without a compatible "Noir Soul" (haha) to inhabit the new vessel.

Over the course of many in-tourney events, including Noir learning to have faith in the sibling bonds he built with Gooey despite being Dark Matter at the time, learning to separate himself and Adeleine as individuals instead of clinging to her to his own neglect, privately opening up to King Dedede, who put the pieces together post-possession, about some awful stuff Noir put up with for years in secret from Raquelle's father (who privately loathed Neichel AND her kids and took it out on Noir) to "pay" for Adeleine's good life...

And lastly, using the power of wishes to interrogate if THIS Noir's true wish is to die and be free, to have never been born, to have had a normal "perfect" life, or if he simply wishes for a second chance to be with those he cares about... White-Haired Noir determines that Tourney!Noir is ready and reveals his plan to him. Noir confesses to him that he really does want to live and be with his family again and offers up his stronger soul for Susie and the gang's vessel.

-

Back in the main-verse...

The experiment is a success! They have brought, well, something back. It is not quite like Dark Matter Swordsman in form, nor is it exactly a human boy. It looks a little bit like a spiky haired-Gooey.

After some tense questioning of the emotionless, memoryless, unresponsive goo, it...suddenly seems to awaken. With the voice of a deeply shaken and scared young boy, the violet-eyed blob questions the mad scientist, cultists, and masked man surrounding him... Where the hell is he? And where are his little brother and sister?

Meta Knight welcomes Noir back to the world of the living.

Later, after Noir has time to dress himself in an appropriate scarf, Adeleine and Gooey are brought in and it is a happy and tear-filled reunion all around as Noir confirms that, while this form is strange, it's not dangerous and he's not in pain. He is then re-introduced to King Dedede, whereupon it's revealed that even though Noir likes him, he's still a snarky teen punk at heart, as he sasses the king horribly. (Dedede has gained another kid, but at what cost? XD)

...And that's it.

That's the ending to Apologies I've held onto for nearly a year.

For reading through all that, here is a short comic I drew a while back of the reunited family having a snowball fight in White Wafers.

-

(Not to unnecessarily over-explain the story but because the comic is a little vague, I have to tell you that no, Noir does not ever return to human after his revival. I meant it when I wrote in several places that their parting on Shiver Star was the last time they'd see each other "...in this form." This is merely meant to depict a moment in which Adeleine, seeing her brother alive and smiling and laughing and having real fun for the first time in so long, is able to imagine his old self smiling and is at peace that her brother is finally free from the hurt and misery he bore up with for so long.)

(...And yes, he has a long, silly tongue just like Gooey. Which is why he hides all but his eyes behind the scarf. Gotta keep up that cool older brother look even as a little goo creature! While Noir can't become human - frankly, he doesn't miss having a human body, given the stuff in his adolescence and being over-stressed, underfed, under-slept and just overall sick all the time in his later teens - he does eventually acquire the ability to shift into his old "Swordsman" form for short bursts of time.)

-

(Lastly, you might wonder how I could have had this exact ending in mind from almost the beginning when so much of it is tied up in recent posts like the tourney? ...Well, originally what was going to happen to allow Noir to be properly resurrected into the Dark Matter Goo body is that the Dream Rod from Star Allies was going to appear in response to a grieving Adeleine's wishes to see her brother again, bringing Noir-as-Swordsman back. At least for a LITTLE while, as it would be revealed that with Zero dead, Noir, who was entirely composed of Dark Matter at this point, couldn't survive on Popstar. Every moment he was there, his body was burning.)

(Still, he lasts long enough to have one final talk with Adeleine that helps heal him from the torturous events of DL 3 - in which we learn a highly disappointed Zero drove Noir to the absolute breaking point, shattering his mind and his newly regained soul. Adeleine also tells Noir she has finally realized everything he did for her during their childhood and apologizes to him for not seeing it before. With dawn on the horizon, Noir asks to look over Adeleine's sketchbooks with her before the end... He dies one last time, peacefully, while Adeleine finally gets to properly mourn him.)

(Then, all the "main-verse" sections proceed to happen as stated above!)

-

(...Okay, okay. One last thing. There was also an alternate ending planned where Magolor, taking advantage of the fact that Merry Magoland was built on a nexus point, finds a way to reunite Adeleine and White-Haired Noir - still a teen in this version - using his theme park as a union point, as special birthday gift for Adeleine.)

(I was kinda fond of this one for reuniting the timelines, but it opened up a lot of questions such as, if Magolor made it so that Noir and Adeleine from two different dimensions can see each other as long as they're both in Magoland, could others from the WH Noir-verse see the main-verse this way? It invited too many questions, so that's why I scrapped that one and just let White-Haired Noir grow up instead.)

[buffyromanoff]

I dont know anything but I know I miss you

Highschool AU. Natasha Romanoff x reader

Inspired by the Taylor Swift song ''Betty'', requested by @robinandnat (hope u like it!)

Word count: 1063

Summary: School is over and so is y/n and Nat's relationship...or is it?

Warnings: Teen angst, FLUFF, happy ending

Did I make the right choice? Was it truly the best for both of us? Do I still love her? Countless questions raced through your mind, tormenting you as you tried to make sense of your actions. Tears streamed down your face as you hurried home, desperate to avoid anyone seeing you in such a pathetic state. Unfortunately, hiding seemed impossible.

Whispers filled the hallways, making it clear that you weren't very good at hiding your pain. Thank god today was the last day of school cause there was no way you could survive having everyone’s eyes on you. 

Nat was everything you could have ever asked for. She had this incredible way of caring for you, making you laugh, and being so incredibly smart. And let's not forget how she'd always lend a helping hand with your homework. She was the kind of girlfriend who had your back no matter what. But deep down, you couldn't help but feel like a piece of crap. How could you break her heart like this? You kept telling yourself it was for her own good, but the question tormented you: Was it really?

Lately you've been going through a strange phase, and despite Nat's unwavering support, you pushed her away. It's tough to be in a relationship when you don't even know yourself well enough, so, you convinced yourself she'd be better off without you.

As the weeks went by, you couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling of missing her. You'd ask your mutual friends how she was doing, desperately seeking any news. At first, she was devastated, just like you, but somehow she managed to hold it together better than you did. Your closest friends couldn't fathom why you broke it up. "You and Nat were made for eachother y/n! You totally deserve her!" they'd say trying to lift up your confidence and self esteem. Little did they know, there was a secret you never shared, not even with Nat herself. It all started when you accidentally overheard her friends gossiping about you during lunch. They all agreed that you weren't up to Nat's level, and unfortunately, those words stabbed you in the heart.

Suddenly your phone rang. It was a text message from your mutual friend Wanda:

-I was at Nat’s today helping her set everything up for tonight and y/n……….she wouldn't shut up about you -

-Tonight? What are talking about? - You texted her, but Wanda was known for her late replies.

Your day went on as usual.

Summer used to be your favorite part of the year, but they were no fun without a lover.

Trying to distract yourself, you started the daunting task of tidying up your chaotic bedroom.  This was your first real breakup and you were not handling it well.

As you were about to finish cleaning everything up, you found a  neatly wrapped package.

What was in it? You had no clue. You opened it up and now everything made sense.

NATASHA’S BIRTHDAY PARTY!.

Months ago, you had tirelessly scoured every library in town looking for an old copy of a vintage book your then-girlfriend wanted but wasn't finding anywhere. You sighed. You were saving it for her birthday. How unfortunate.

Your phone buzzed: It was Wanda, finally:

-Bday party dummy. Dont tell me you forgot :/ she really misses you btw-

‘’Fuck it’’ you muttered. And without giving it much of a thought, you put on your best outfit and hopped on your skateboard, heading straight for the party.

When you passed by her house, you couldn't breathe. The house was packed with people- her friends, including those who believed you weren't right for her. What were you doing here!? Go back! Go back!- Nervousness took over your body, causing you to trip and fall off your skateboard. And of course, people laughed.

When you stood up, you saw Nat standing on the porch of her house, looking at you.

She appeared…happy?

‘y/n…I- what are you doing here?’’ she asked, attempting to hide her smile, yet her eyes sparkled with delight.

‘Happy birthday’’ you said, handing her the gift. The sheer joy on her face made you grin like a fool as she opened it.

"Oh my god! Where—how did you find it? Thank you, y/n...I don't know what to say’’.

"You’re welcome Natty’’. Wait- did you really just call her that? Who refers to their ex with a pet name?. "Well, um, have a good night, Nat." You reached for your skateboard, ready to make your exit, but she stopped you.

‘Wait!’’. She sounded desperate. ‘’You don't have to go, it doesn't have to be like this. I know you don't like me anymore but-’’ . She sniffled. ‘I miss you....please stay?’’.

Natasha didn't hate you. Natasha missed you. SHE MISSED YOU.

Your heart was racing, everyone was watching the scene and you knew there were only 2 ways this could end: You could walk away or…

In a bold move, you dropped your skateboard and, cupping her face in your hands, you kissed her.

The wooing noises and teasing remarks from her friends were making you so embarrassed but you didn't care. Nothing mattered. No one’s thoughts did. The only thing that mattered is that you loved Nat and she loved you.

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

As the party came to an end, you found a quiet moment to sit down and have a heartfelt conversation with her.

"I'm sorry I didn't notice my friends saying those things, y/n," she expressed, clearly upset.

"What? Baby, no, it's not your fault," you reassured her, feeling the tears welling up in your eyes. "I was the one who closed off and failed to communicate what I was going through... and it led to hurting you."

"Okay, hold on, no crying on my birthday," Nat interrupted, laughing softly as she gently wiped away your tears. Leaning in, she pressed a sweet kiss against your cheek. "We're together now," she whispered, her arms wrapping you in a warm embrace. "Everything will be alright, sweetie."

You mumbled a response, your voice barely audible. "What was that, hon?"  her eyes filled with curiosity. "Did you like my present then?" You said.

She nodded with a smile spreading across her face. "Yes, but I like this one even more," she confessed, tightening her embrace.

Oh, how you’d missed her.