#ml x D&d

[winxanity-ii]

⌜I Love, Robot | Chapter 01 Chapter 01 | origins⌟

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You were once a child who knew nothing of struggle or scarcity. Life on the upper decks of the Weyland-Yutani starship felt like a dream. The air was clean, filtered to perfection, and your every need was met without a second thought.

Your parents were brilliant, their minds always buzzing with the latest programming codes and technologies. They were among the best, head honchos of the engineering department, and their talents kept them in high demand.

You, their prodigy, were a happy child, blissfully unaware of the harsh realities below.

But ignorance, as you would learn, could only shield you for so long.

As you grew, you became aware of your intelligence, a budding brilliance that mirrored your parents'. They often boasted about how you could write basic code before you could write your own name. Yet, with brilliance came curiosity, and with curiosity came questions—questions about the world outside your pristine bubble.

You remember a time when your family didn't have to worry about the smog suffocating their very lives. You could run through the gardens, feeling the warmth of artificial sunlight on your skin, never once thinking about what lay beyond the walls. But everything changed when your parents began to speak out.

They'd seen the reports, heard the stories from the miners, and it disturbed them. They became voices of dissent, advocating for those on the lower decks, the ones who toiled away in the filth and grime of the mines, who could barely breathe through the toxic fumes.

Their activism was a risk—a risk that cost them dearly. Accused of inciting unrest and defying company orders, your family was demoted, stripped of all privileges, and sent to the Weyland-Yutani mining colony, Jackson Star.

It was a far cry from the life you knew. Gone were the days of endless blue skies and breathable air. Now, you were surrounded by a world of gray, with the stench of sulfur and smoke clinging to your clothes and filling your lungs.

The fall from grace was swift and brutal. The once-respected engineers became just another pair of hands in the mines, their skills deemed useless in this new, harsh reality.

You watched as the light slowly faded from their eyes, their spirits crushed under the weight of their circumstances. Your father, once so proud and strong, became a shadow of his former self, and your mother, who always had a kind word, grew silent and withdrawn.

And then came the sickness.

The smog that choked the colony was more than just an irritant—it was poison. Day by day, it sapped the life from your parents, their health deteriorating before your eyes. You did everything you could to help, scavenging for medicine, trading anything you had of value, but it was never enough.

You remember those final days vividly. Your mother's labored breathing, the way your father’s hands shook as he tried to comfort her. They were wasting away, and there was nothing you could do but watch. One evening, as the dim light of the colony's artificial sun began to fade, your father called you over. His voice was weak, barely more than a whisper.

"Y/N..." he croaked, his hand trembling as it reached up to cup your face. You leaned in closer, tears blurring your vision as you tried to hold onto every word, every moment.

"Hold on to what's important to you," he rasped, his eyes searching yours, filled with a depth of sorrow and love you'd never seen before. "Never let go... no matter what."

You nodded, a sob caught in your throat, and clutched his hand tightly, feeling the frailty of his grip. "I promise, Dad..." you whispered, your voice breaking. "I won't let go."

He gave you a small, pained smile, his thumb brushing a tear from your cheek. "Good... that's good..." His voice trailed off, and you watched as his eyes slowly closed, his hand slipping from your face, leaving a chill that seemed to seep into your very bones.

You sat there, holding onto him, as the weight of his words settled into your heart. The air was heavy with silence, broken only by the faint, distant sounds of the mining equipment outside.

You felt a hollowness festering inside your 12 year old body, a void that seemed to swallow everything. Your world had crumbled, and all you had left were his final words echoing in your mind.

In that moment, something inside you hardened. The innocence of your childhood was gone, replaced by a steely resolve. You would survive, no matter what. You would hold on to what was important. You would never let go.

☆

☆

After your parents died, you found yourself alone and lost, wandering the vast expanse of the mining colony. Without any clear direction or place to call home, you eventually took to the scrapyards, using what little you had—a keen mind and nimble fingers.

Every day, for the next 3 years, you sifted through the piles of discarded machinery and broken parts, looking for anything of value. You used your skills, the ones your parents had taught you, to piece together whatever you could: small trinkets, makeshift tools, anything that might fetch a few credits in trade.

You built yourself a makeshift hovel in the middle of the junkyard, hidden from sight by towering heaps of scrap. It wasn't much, but it was yours—a sanctuary in the middle of chaos. The days were long and hard, but the work kept your mind busy, away from thoughts of loss and the life you once had.

One day, while rummaging through a particularly dense pile of debris, you stumbled upon something unusual. It was an android, half-buried under a mass of metal beams and broken equipment. Its face was scratched and dirt-streaked, revealing a complex mesh of synthetic skin and exposed circuits beneath.

The android had a human-like appearance, with dark skin that was scuffed and cracked from years of neglect. Its eyes, though lifeless, seemed almost too real, capturing an uncanny valley between human and machine.

The android's limbs were twisted at odd angles, with wires protruding like exposed veins, and its clothing—a faded, grey jumpsuit—was torn and stained with oil and grime. Despite its rough exterior and the damage it had suffered, there was something about it that drew you in. Perhaps it was the way its expression, frozen in a state of calm observation, hinted at a life once filled with purpose.

You spent hours digging it out, piece by piece, until you could drag it back to your hovel. Even in its broken state, you could see the remnants of advanced engineering—smooth, precise joints that suggested strength and agility, and a flexible, durable frame designed to withstand the harshest environments.

You marveled at the craftsmanship, recognizing some of the programming patterns from your parents' work, and wondered what stories this android could tell if it could still speak.

For days, you tinkered with the android, trying to bring it back to life. You knew a bit about androids from watching your parents work, but this was beyond anything you had attempted before. Still, you were determined. You worked late into the night, using any spare parts you could find, trying to restore its power core, to no avail.

As time passed, you continued to scavenge for more parts, your father's words echoing in your mind: "Never let go... no matter what." Bit by bit, the android slowly began to look more presentable, but even then, it wasn't enough.

Until one day, it was.

You were digging through a pile of freshly brought scraps when you spotted it: a small, seemingly insignificant power regulator bulb. It was the kind of part that, while easy to overlook, was a crucial part to getting an android's systems up and running.

The bulb had been haphazardly tossed a few feet ahead of you by a group of scavengers, its glass exterior glinting faintly under the dim overhead lights.

Your heart raced, your mind running thousands of miles a minute. Zoning in on the piece, you slowly stood up, casually making your way toward it. You knew better than to rush; showing any sign of interest could draw unwanted attention. In this place, the second someone realized you wanted something, they would place a price and drive it up, child or not.

Desperate times called for desperate measures.

You were just a few feet away when it happened. A man, covered head to toe in soot and wearing a worn miner's jumpsuit, trudged over with a small wicker basket. His shoulders sagged as if he carried the weight of the world, his face etched with deep lines of exhaustion. He reached down and picked up the bulb, turning it over in his hands.

You held your breath, praying he would dismiss it as junk and toss it aside. But instead, he placed it carefully into his basket with a few other scraps.

For a moment, your world seemed to collapse. That part was your key to finally completing the android, the culmination of all your hard work. Your father’s words surged back to you, steadying your resolve: "Never let go."

Determined not to lose this opportunity, you put your plan into motion; the distant hum of machinery a constant reminder of what was at stake.

You'd become an expert at blending into the background, a necessary survival skill your parents had once joked about, saying you could disappear in plain sight.

As you trailed the man, you kept to the shadows, watching his every move while he searched for more useful scraps. He finally set the basket down to dig through a pile of metal parts.

Seeing your chance, you moved in. Almost soundlessly, you walked over on the tips of your toes. The man glanced your way but then returned to his task, not seeing you as a threat. You slouched slightly to appear even less noticeable and then made your move.

Heart rattling in your chest, you crept closer. Instinct took over, and before you knew it, you’d swiped the bulb from the basket and slipped it into your pocket with practiced ease.

You turned to leave, adrenaline pumping through your veins, but the man was quicker than you anticipated. His hand clamped down on your shoulder—firm, but not unkind.

"Hey," he said, his voice calm but commanding. "Now what are you planning to do with that?"

You froze, certain you were about to be dragged off and punished. But there was something in his eyes, a curiosity that made you pause. "I... I need it to fix something," you mumbled, not meeting his gaze.

"Fix what?" he pressed, crouching down to your level. You could see now that his face wasn't unkind—worn, but not harsh. "Show me."

Swallowing hard, you decided to take a chance. Maybe it was the way he spoke, or maybe it was the loneliness that gnawed at you every day, but you found yourself leading him back to your hovel.

It was a small space carved out among the towering heaps of discarded metal and machinery. The majority of the space is filled with scraps and trinkets you've collected, tools scattered around like fallen leaves.

On the left, a table was piled high with what appeared to be completed gadgets and tech—your attempts at salvaging something useful from the wreckage. The man paused at the entrance, taking a moment to absorb the chaotic arrangement of your makeshift workshop.

His eyes roamed over the space, and before he could ask where you managed to gather all this, something else caught his attention. Among the chaos, there was one object that stood out—a small, pristine picture tablet sitting on a shelf. It showcased a beautiful family of three: a gorgeous woman, a handsome man, and a young child who bore a striking resemblance to you.

He would have brushed it off as just another trinket, but he recognized the faces in the photograph. It was hard not to on Jackson Star. The infamous Tallings family—once high-ranking members of Weyland-Yutani, who fell from grace after daring to speak out about the harsh realities of life in the colonies.

Suddenly, everything about your hovel started to make sense to him. Rumors had circulated for years about what happened to the Tallings' child, the prodigy. Many believed the child had died from sickness, just another casualty of the harsh conditions on Jackson Star or some other far-off base.

Seeing you here, in the flesh, was a surreal revelation. The man was snapped out of his thoughts as you moved further into the surprisingly deep hovel, heading towards a large tarp in the back corner.

With a determined look, you pulled it back to reveal the broken android underneath, its once smooth features now marred by scratches and dents.

The man let out a low whistle. "Well, I'll be damned," he murmured. "You found yourself an android. And you've been working on it all by yourself?"

You nodded, suddenly feeling very small under his gaze. "I don't really know what I'm doing outside the coding," you admitted quietly. "I just… I thought maybe I could fix him."

The man looked at you for a long moment, then at the android. "I think I might be able to help with that," he said finally. "Name's Marcus. And this here is a rare find, kid. N-D-255's were one of Weyland-Yutani's first artificial people. You've got a good eye."

Hope flickered in your chest. "So, you'll help me?"

He smiled. "On one condition. You let me take you back with me when we're done. Can't have a kid like you out here alone."

You hesitated, glancing around your makeshift home. It wasn't much, but it was all you had known for a while now. Still, the thought of a real home, of not being alone... "Okay," you whispered. "Deal."

☆

☆

Over the next few weeks, you and Marcus worked together to bring the android back online. It wasn't easy, and there were many late nights where you doubted it would ever work, but Marcus was patient and kind, always encouraging you to keep trying.

You grew to trust him, even look up to him.

As you carefully lifted the flash drive-shaped device, which Marcus called the "Reboot Key," he stood beside you, his hand resting gently on your shoulder. "Alright, kid," he began, his voice calm and steady, "this is the moment of truth. Remember, it's okay if things don't go as planned the first time. Sometimes, you have to go back to the drawing board. What's important is that you keep trying, alright?"

You nodded, a mix of excitement and nerves bubbling inside you. You were standing above the android's head, both of your faces level with one another.

The android had a gentle, almost puppy-like expression on its face, its synthetic features designed to seem approachable and non-threatening. Its lips, though motionless now, had a subtle pout, giving it an almost childlike innocence.

You couldn't help but feel a pang of empathy for this machine that seemed so lifelike, yet so fragile in its current state.

"Okay, here we go," Marcus said softly, guiding your hand toward the side of the android's neck. "You need to insert the Reboot Key right here, in this small port. Make sure it's aligned properly, then give it a twist."

With a deep breath, you carefully inserted the device into the port. Your hands were steady, but you could feel your heart racing in your chest.

As you twisted the device, a small spasm shot through the android's body, its limbs twitching for a moment. You gasped and pulled back slightly, but Marcus squeezed your shoulder reassuringly.

"Just a momentary glitch," he said. "Let's see if it worked."

A second later, the android's eyes flickered to life. They were dark and deep, with a subtle glow that made them seem almost alive.

For a moment, those eyes zeroed in on you, and you felt a strange connection, as if the machine could see right through you. Slowly, you backed away, moving to stand next to Marcus as the android sat up.

It felt like an eternity as the android continued to stare at you, its gaze unblinking and intense.

Then, it blinked, its expression softening as it turned its head to look at Marcus before shifting its attention back to you. "N-D-255, Weyland-Yutani synthetic human with mining and guard functions."

You felt a surge of joy like you hadn't felt in so long. Your body trembled with excitement as you stepped forward, a smile spreading across your face. "What is your name?" you asked, your voice barely a whisper.

The synthetic's lips seemed to fall into an even deeper pout, and its head tilted slightly to the side, almost cutely. "I...I don't know."

You fidgeted awkwardly before turning to Marcus. "What should we do?"

Marcus looked as if he were holding back a grin, finding the entire situation funny. "I dunno kid, how about you name him? I mean, you did find him after all."

"N...Name him?" You began to suddenly feel self-conscious as you turned back around only to have the android staring intently at you. You glanced back over at Marcus, who gave you an encouraging nod, a warm smile on his face. "Uh… how about… Andy?" you suggested hesitantly.

The moment the name left your lips, you wanted to punch yourself. Andy? Really? What did it even stand for—android? How original… But as you looked back at the synthetic, you saw its lips curl into a slight smile, its head nodding in acceptance.

"Designation accepted: Andy," the android replied, its small. "Thank you for giving me a name."

With a happy squeal, you turn and throw your arms around Marcus in a rare moment of unguarded happiness. "We did it!" you exclaimed. "We really did it!"

Marcus chuckled, ruffling your hair. "Yeah, we did. And you know what? I think it's time I took you home."

True to his word, Marcus introduced you to his wife and daughter, Rain. She was about your age, a few years younger—three, to be exact. When you first met her, you were about fifteen, and she was twelve.

From the moment you arrived at her home, Rain was like a shadow, sticking to you like glue. She had a fiery spirit and a boundless curiosity that quickly became apparent.

Despite the age difference, she admired your resourcefulness and determination, and the two of you formed a bond that was hard to break.

Over the next few months, Rain was your constant companion. She'd be there every time you and Marcus worked on Andy, eagerly watching as you updated and built upon the android. Her eyes would light up with every new piece of tech you explained, her enthusiasm infectious.

Whenever you went diving for scraps in the junkyard, Rain would tag along, insisting on helping you find whatever parts you needed, her small hands surprisingly adept at sorting through the debris.

She was determined to learn from you, often mimicking your actions and hanging on your every word. There was something about her unwavering trust in you that felt both reassuring and heavy—a reminder of the role you’d inadvertently taken on, not just as a friend, but as a protector and mentor.

You found yourself growing fond of her fierce spirit and relentless curiosity, her presence becoming a bright spot in the otherwise grim surroundings of the colony.

As the weeks turned into months, the two of you became a team, navigating the scrapyards and working on Andy together. With every shared adventure, every quiet conversation under the stars, your bond deepened, forging a bond that would stand the test of time and adversity.

It was then you realized: you'd do anything to protect her.

☆

☆

One late night, Marcus came home from the mines, exhausted from a long day's work. The house was dark and quiet, with only the soft sounds of his wife sleeping in the next room. He expected to find both you and Rain asleep as well, but instead, he saw a dim light flickering from the corner of the workshop.

As he stepped closer, he spotted you hunched over one of Andy's arm panels, a single candle casting long shadows around you. Rain was fast asleep in a chair next to you, which you had padded with some old blankets to make a makeshift bed. She looked peaceful, her small body curled up and her face relaxed in sleep.

The android, still in a state of disrepair, stared intently at you as you worked, its dark eyes reflecting the soft glow of the candle. You were rambling softly to Andy, explaining what you were doing and why each piece was important, almost as if teaching him as you went along.

Your concentration was so deep that you didn't notice Marcus until the sound of his heavy boots on the floor pulled you back to reality.

Looking up, your face broke into a warm grin. "Hi, Marc. Can I get you something?" you asked, quickly putting Andy into sleep mode to not startle him.

Marcus just smiled and shook his head, walking over to where you sat. He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Rain's forehead before settling into a chair next to you.

He didn't need to ask why you were still up; he already knew the answer. This wasn't the first time he had found you working late into the night, lost in your thoughts and projects.

The two of you sat in peaceful silence as you continued upgrading Andy's arm, the only sound being the soft clicks of your tools and Rain's gentle breathing.

After a while, you broke the silence, your voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you for everything, Marcus," you said, still focused on your work to avoid looking at him directly. "Really, I mean it."

Marcus chuckled softly. "You thank me nearly every month, Y/N. There's nothing to thank me for."

You sighed, a small smile tugging at your lips. "I know," you replied. Your gaze shifted to Rain, who was still sound asleep beside you. "But truly, if you hadn't found me and taken me in, I don't know what I would've done…"

Marcus nudged you gently, his voice soft but firm. "You'd have done what you've always done—survive," he said, gesturing to the various trinkets and gadgets you'd built and sold over the months to help support the family. "You've got that spirit in you, Y/N."

You waved his words away, a bittersweet smile on your face. "I know that, but eventually, I think I would have lost the fight, ya' know?" Your eyes lingered on Rain as you spoke. "Life isn't really worth living if you don't have something—or someone—to live for."

The room fell silent again, but this time it was different. Marcus looked at you with a newfound respect, seeing not just the lanky teen he'd taken in months ago, but a young person who had grown and matured in ways he hadn't quite realized.

You were more than just a survivor; you were becoming someone with purpose.

"I'd like to code Andy with a specific directive," you said suddenly, breaking the quiet. "To always ensure Rain is safe…"

Marcus started to object, suggesting that both of you should be Andy's priority, but you cut him off gently but firmly. "If there's ever a situation where one of us needs saving, I want it to be her. No point in having a synthetic get confused by probabilities or choices. I know what I'd do—I'd always choose her. No matter the chances of success."

Marcus sighed, understanding your resolve. He knew that even if he wanted things otherwise, you would probably find a way to change it behind his back. With a resigned nod, he agreed. "Alright, we'll do it tomorrow," he said softly, standing up. He leaned down and kissed your forehead, a gesture of quiet affection, before carefully lifting the still-sleeping Rain into his arms with a small grunt.

As he turned to leave the room with Rain in his arms, you watched them go, a sense of determination settling over you. You knew then, more than ever, that you would protect her at all costs.

A/N: hi guys, this was a sort of deep dive into the backstory of Y/N and the growing bond with Rain, so others chapters won't be as long. see you guys next update; don;t mind the typos, etc..... AHHH I couldnt help myself, i fear I've fallen in love with a synthetic being 😩🫶🏾 Andy, my love~

[grandlinedreams]

hiii i hope you’re having a great day/night!!

may i request a not really physically affectionate reader with zoro law or ace coming to them drunk being really excited and kissing&leaving lipstick marks all over their faces. it could be a hc type thing or whatever you like if you’re not comfortable w that!

also I absolutely love your writing ♥︎♥︎♥︎

hi there!! I hope that you're having a wonderful day/night too bb!! absolutely you can! This is my first attempt at a reaction type of post so I hope that this is to your liking!! and thank-you so much!!

[heads up!: mention of alcohol consumption, being drunk, tw for vomiting in Ace's]

Zoro ㅡ Alcohol is his forte, not yours. It isn't that you're opposed entirely to the idea of drinking, just that you're not as accustomed to it as he is ㅡ and as such, your tolerance for it (especially the stronger stuff) is not the strongest.

"Having fun?" He asks, amused by the flush of pink that's spread across your cheeks and bridge of your nose, the glossy, unfocused quality of your gaze. It'd been a playful challenge from Usopp that even he has higher tolerance than you and now the sharp-shooter is sprawled out a few feet away, fast asleep.

You nod enthusiastically, giggling when Zoro reaches to stop the unsteady bob with his hand. "Man, you're absolutely trashed," he comments. "We need to get you some water before you end up regretting this. Come on."

He reaches for your hand to help you up, steadying the way you sway before leading you towards the kitchen. You're still giggling when he guides you into a seat and retrieves a glass of water for you, pushing it towards you.

"Just how much did you have to drink, anyways?" He asks, reaching to thumb at your cheek affectionately ㅡ and watches you lean into it rather than pulling away. Affection is also far from something you normally indulge in very often, and he can't deny that it's nice to see this side of you.

"Not much," you answer at last, foggy mind finally registering Zoro's question, studying him for a moment. "C'mere." You add the forward curl of your hand to emphasize your words, pouting when he laughs. "I said c'mere!"

"Will you drink that water if I do?" Your head bobbles in a clumsy nod again and he leans forward to comply with your wish, only to blink as you lurch forward to press your lips to his cheek. They're cool and a little sticky, smelling of whatever alcohol you've drank ㅡ but you're on a determined self-imposed mission of peppering his face with kisses. It's a little silly with the way you add a verbal "mwah!" at the end of each one, but it still makes Zoro's own cheeks flush all the same.

"All done," you report when you finally sit back, satisfied with the little marks you've left across his skin, and you reach for the glass of water to drink it, as you'd promised. Zoro is silent for several moments. You won't remember this, he's almost certain ㅡ but now all he can think about is how cute you are when you drink.

ㅡ

Law ㅡ "I think that's enough for tonight." Nimble fingers pluck the half-finished glass of alcohol from your grip, ignoring your pout as he hands it off to Clione, who gladly downs it.

"Spoil-sport," you huff, and Law raises an eyebrow. It's not every day that he gets to witness you acting more like a child than adult, and he'll admit that the way you sulk is amusing.

"You'll thank me in the morning." He reaches for your wrist and gently tugs you up, relying on the fact that the others are in varying stages of inebriation to cover for him being so forward with you in front of the others.

He's already had a drink or two, though he stopped when Ikkaku pointed out that you'd been roped into a drinking game with some of the others. Guiding you to the bathroom, he leans in the doorway to watch you sway as you reluctantly ready yourself for bed, studying your own reddened cheeks in the mirror.

"I could've finished my drink," you tell him petulantly, and he watches you struggle to climb into bed. Another reason he's grateful that no one else will remember much about this evening ㅡ he doesn't need them knowing that it's been months since you last slept in the crew bunkhouse.

"I'm sure you could've, but I'm doing myself a favor when I'm the one who's going to have to look after you when you end up with a hangover." Hat tossed gently to the side, he moves to slip into bed beside you and frowns warily when he finds you eyeing him. "What is it? You're not going to throw up right now, are you?"

You shake your head and lean up, your lips on his cheek before he can ask what you're up to. Slow and a little clumsy, each kiss you press is intentional ㅡ his jaw, his cheeks, the bridge of his nose, his forehead ㅡ and you giggle when you pull away to admire your handiwork. "Now you can't be grumpy," you tell him.

Your own perchance for physical affection is usually on par with his, but it's clear that however many drinks you've had have pushed aside your own personal boundaries.

"Aww, you're blushing!" You crow, and he scowls at the fit of giggles that follows. You're lucky that he loves you, and you're lucky that you're cute.

"Whatever," he grouses, reaching to cover your eyes with a hand. "Go to sleep. And don't puke in my bed, got it?"

ㅡ

Ace ㅡ "See? I told you this was a bad idea."

"Shut up," you groan, venom absent from your tone for the way you're forced to stop walking in order to halt the vicious spin of your head. "I don't drink much, you know that."

"I do," Ace agrees, "which is why I'm telling you it was a bad idea." He pauses, head tilting in thought. "Not gonna lie, it was hot to watch you drink them under the table, though. Who knew you had it in you, huh?"

He waits for you to answer and when you don't, he turns to find you half-way into an alley, emptying the contents of your stomach as quietly as you can. That kind of thing doesn't disgust Ace, however, and he hurries to rub your back until the shuddering heave of your body has stopped. "Feel better?"

"Much," you rasp, fumbling for the strap of your canteen and chugging from it greedily. Ace waits until you're satisfied that you've rinsed your mouth clean before he loops his arm around your waist and continues guiding you back towards the Moby Dick. "Still think I'm hot?"

"Absolutely, babe." Ace's answer is swift and as honest as it always is, which makes your heart do something funny as you turn to look at his side-profile. It doesn't take long for him to notice, his expression somewhere between confusion and concern as you come to a stop. "What is it? Gonna get sick again?"

You shake your head. "No, I just really want to kiss you right now." There's the answering spark of fire from Ace's fingers in response, though you take advantage of his momentary fluster to cup his face between your hands and promptly pepper his face with kisses.

Clustered over his freckles, the tip of his nose, eyebrows and even his eyelids, it's several long moments before you pull away. "There," you say, and Ace wonders if you're sober enough to realize his face has gone roughly the temperature of the sun from your burst of affection. "Come on, I wanna go to bed."

Ace lets you pull him along, still dazed by the lingering warmth of your lips on his skin. He goes to bed without washing his face, eager to soak in this side of you that's far less reserved with your affection ㅡ and when the men of his division point out in the morning that he has your lipstick dotted across his face, all he does is grin.

[winxanity-ii]

⌜I Love, Robot | Chapter 03 Chapter 03 | engage protocol⌟

╰ ⌞🇨‌🇭‌🇦‌🇵‌🇹‌🇪‌🇷‌ 🇮‌🇳‌🇩‌🇪‌🇽‌⌝

❘ prev. chapter ❘༻✦༺❘ next chapter ❘

The weight of the day's work hung heavy on your mind as you made your way home through the dimly lit streets of Jackson Star. Your fingers were sore from another day of cracking codes, navigating the shadows of the colony's network, but today had been different. Today, you stumbled upon a series of emails from Weyland-Yutani's upper officials. The contents were infuriating: thousands of contracts for colonies on Jackson Star were being forcibly extended.

"Damn those slimy, bastards," you muttered under your breath, your stomach twisting with the thought of Rain being one of those trapped by the company's greed.

You hoped she wasn't among the unfortunate souls shackled to this hellhole for longer. But deep down, you knew she likely was.

Just as you rounded a corner, a commotion up ahead pulled you from your thoughts. A group of children huddled around something—or someone—on the ground. They shouted insults, voices filled with mockery and disdain, their taunts echoing off the metal walls.

"Synthetic freak!" "Wey-Yu trash!"

Pushing through the crowd, you saw the target of their cruel taunts convulsing on the ground: it was Andy.

Without thinking, you sprinted forward. Your heart clenched as you shouted at the kids to back off. "Aye! Stop! Leave him alone, now!" your voice cut through the din like a sharp knife. The kids scattered, startled by your sudden appearance and the fierce anger in your eyes.

Just as you reached Andy, Rain burst out of a nearby building, her face pale with panic. "Andy! Oh gods, Andy!" She dropped to her knees. Andy's body twitched erratically, a thin line of foam trickling from his lips, his eyes rolled back and unseeing.

Rain cradled his head in her lap, her hands frantically searching for her reboot key.

"Rain, you have to turn him on his side. Quick!"

Rain, her hands trembling, tried to follow your instructions, but her movements were frantic. Without hesitation, you knelt beside her, your own panic rising.

"I can't find it—I can't find the reboot key! Fuck!"

"Shit, shit, shit," you muttered under your breath, helping Rain turn Andy onto his side to prevent any further damage. Your hands moved on autopilot, reaching down to your shoe. You pulled a small reboot key from a hidden hollow in the sole and thrust it into Rain's hand. "Here," you said, gently guiding Andy's head to the side to prepare him for the reboot.

The kids' slurs echoed in your mind, and anger simmered beneath your calm exterior. You knew this kind of prejudice existed, but seeing it directed at Andy—a being you'd come to see as more than just a machine—ignited a fire within you.

Rain's hands trembled as she inserted the drive into the small port on Andy's neck and twisted it. The change was immediate. Andy's body tensed, his convulsions stopping abruptly.

You could feel your heart pounding in your chest, your hand instinctively clenching around Andy's twitching one. Then, his eyes fluttered open, the familiar soft glow returning as his systems rebooted.

"Y/N," he said, blinking up at you. "Why did the scarecrow get an award? Because he was outstanding in his field."

A shaky laugh escaped Rain's lips, and you couldn't help but chuckle too, relief flooding through you both. You exchanged a look with Rain, and she smiled weakly, brushing the hair from her face.

"Andy, your jokes are terrible," she muttered affectionately.

Together, the three of you stood, Andy's arm draped over your shoulders as the three of you made your way toward the living area. Rain brushed dirt from his clothes, her touch gentle but firm. "What are you doing home so early, anyway?"

You shrugged, trying to keep your tone light. "It was a slow day," you replied. The lie felt bitter on your tongue, but your mind was still on the emails you'd seen earlier. "Have you checked on the status of your contract yet?"

Rain's expression shifted, a shadow passing over her face. "Yeah," she admitted quietly, the weight of the truth settling between you. "They extended it. Not that I expected anything different. Weyland never sticks to their promises."

A silence fell over you both, thick with frustration and unspoken worry. You nudged her gently, offering a small smile. "How about I buy you a treat before your shift starts? A little something to lift your spirits?"

Rain returned your smile with a grateful nod. "I'd like that."

The three of you made your way back towards the colony and just as you neared your building, you spotted a familiar figure leaning against the wall. Tyler, Rain's ex-boyfriend, straightened up when he saw you approach.

"Hey, Y/N. Long time no see," he said grinning slightly.

Rain perked up at the sight of him, a small smile touching her lips.

You had mixed feelings about Tyler. He wasn't a bad guy, just... complicated. He and Rain had gotten together not long after her parents died, and for a while, he had been a source of comfort for her. But the relationship had ended quickly and simply, a clean break.

Maybe it was Rain's unwavering loyalty to Andy that Tyler couldn't quite get past, or maybe it was something else. Either way, you had never been particularly close to him, nor had any real reason to dislike him.

You narrowed your eyes at Tyler, not bothering to hide your annoyance. "What do you want, Tyler?"

Tyler managed a small smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes. "Well, hello to you too, Y/N." When you didn't respond, he sighed, his demeanor turning serious. "Listen, Rain, Y/N... I need to talk to you both. It's important."

A sense of unease crept up your spine, your instincts screaming that something was off. "What's going on, Tyler?"

He glanced around nervously, his gaze flickering to the shadows as if expecting to be overheard. When he met your eyes again, there was a pleading desperation in his expression. "Can we talk somewhere private? All three of us... it's about something big."

You exchanged a glance with Rain, her eyes silently begging you to agree. Despite the knot of worry tightening in your stomach, you found yourself nodding. "Alright, let's talk."

Tyler led you three to a dusty, outdated hauler parked at the edge of the colony—a Corbelan IV, by the looks of it. As you climbed aboard, the familiar scent of oil and dust filled your nostrils, bringing back memories of long nights spent tinkering with machinery and patching up broken tech.

"Andy!" Tyler shouted behind you three as you climbed up the machinery. "Got a new joke for me?"

"Why was the street sweeper fired?" Andy immediately asked, his voice taking on that familiar, overly sincere tone that always preceded one of his jokes.

"Why?"

"Because he swept dirt," Andy replied, the punchline delivered with such seriousness that it took a moment for the joke to land.

You couldn't help the small groan that escaped your lips, while Rain rolled her eyes with a playful smile. "Please don't encourage him," you muttered under your breath, though you couldn't quite hide the fondness in your voice.

Despite everything, Andy's attempts at humor had a way of lightening the mood, even in the darkest of times.

At the top of the hauler, a small head of brunette hair poked out; it was Tyler's sister, Kay.

The girl stepped forward, her expression softening as she looked at Rain. "Come inside, Rain. We're down here," she said gently. There was a certain urgency in her voice, though she tried to mask it with warmth. "It's been so long since we've all been together like this."

Rain hesitated, her eyes flicking between you, Andy.

You knew this was hard for her—these people had once been her closest friends, practically family. But things had changed since then, and you could see the conflict written all over her face. The tension between wanting to reconnect with them and the reality of the dangerous situation they were proposing.

Seeing her reluctance, Kay reached out and took Rain's hand. "Please, Rain. I've missed you," she said, her voice laced with genuine emotion. "And... so has my brother."

Rain's resolve wavered as she looked over her shoulder at Tyler, who stood by, his eyes silently pleading with her. It was clear that he was banking on their shared history, on the connection they'd once had, to sway her.

You shifted uneasily in front of Andy, watching the exchange with a growing sense of dread. The thought of Rain getting involved in something so risky made your stomach churn. But Rain, ever the one to see the good in people, gave Kay's hand a squeeze and nodded. "Alright," she agreed softly, "let's talk inside."

You followed them into the cramped, dimly lit interior of the hauler, your nerves on edge. The space was cluttered with old tech, discarded equipment, and makeshift seating.

It was clear that this wasn't just a casual gathering—they had been planning something big, something that would require all of their combined skills and resources.

Inside, the rest of Tyler's small group of friends waited: Bjorn, Kay and Tyler's cousin, whose cocky smirk set your teeth on edge; and Navarro, Bjorn's adopted sister, who was quietly checking the contents of a backpack.

You recognized them from the times Rain had still been dating Tyler. They'd been a tight-knit group, often seen together at colony gatherings or in the mess hall.

You knew who they were, had even spoken a bit more to Navarro after finding out about her pilot skills. She had a quiet strength about her, a no-nonsense attitude that you could respect. Conversations with her were always direct, focused on ships and flying techniques, and you appreciated that mutual understanding, that unspoken recognition of each other's abilities.

But out of all of them, Bjorn was the worst. Not just because of his constant, unwelcome attempts to flirt with you or the way he seemed to think every conversation was an opportunity to win you over with his cocky grin and irritating charm.

No, it was more than that. It was his blatant hatred and dislike for synthetics that really got under your skin. He made no effort to hide his disdain for Andy, his sneers and snide remarks always simmering with contempt whenever he talked about "scrap metal" or "Wey-Yu trash."

You could never figure out why. His hatred seemed personal, like it was rooted in something deeper than the usual wariness people felt towards synthetics. It was as if Bjorn had some buried grudge, something that made him despise Andy and others like him with a passion that was almost disturbing.

You had thought about asking him once, trying to understand where this deep-seated animosity came from, but you decided against it. There was no point in digging into whatever bitterness lay in Bjorn's past, especially when it meant more hostility towards Andy.

Bjorn's attitude was a constant reminder of the prejudice that lingered on Jackson Star, a colony already weighed down by so many injustices. The way he treated Andy infuriated you, igniting a protective fire inside you that you tried to keep in check. Because to you, Andy was more than just a synthetic. He was family.

Navarro was the first to greet Rain as she entered, her usual aloof demeanor softened by a genuine smile. "It's good you came, Rain," she said, pulling Rain into a brief, awkward hug. "We've all missed you around here."

Bjorn, leaning against the far wall with his usual smug grin, added, "I heard about your father. It hurts me." His tone was casual, almost dismissive, as if discussing something far less significant. It made your blood boil—how could he be so flippant about something that had torn Rain apart?

But Rain, ever composed, simply nodded, though you could see the pain flicker in her eyes. "Thanks, Bjorn," she replied quietly, her voice tight with emotion.

As you stepped into the cramped, dimly lit interior of the hauler, Navarro's eyes brightened when she saw you, and she immediately walked over. "Hey! Did you hear about the new gravity dampeners they're testing on the Pleroma class ships?" she asked, a hint of excitement growing in her voice. "Supposedly, they've reduced the spin drift by thirty percent. Imagine what we could do with those on a hauler like this!"

Before you could answer, Bjorn sauntered over with that familiar grin plastered on his face. "Y/N~" he purred, drawing out your name, "you've been a stranger lately. Why haven't you come around more often?" His tone was light, teasing, but you could hear the underlying note of something else—interest, maybe even desire.

You gave him a blunt response, keeping your expression neutral. "Because Rain and Tyler aren't together anymore, and I have no reason to."

A brief, awkward silence settled over the room as your words hung in the air. Bjorn chuckled, clearly unfazed by your bluntness, and leaned casually against the wall next to you. "Well," he said, his grin never faltering, tone dripping with false charm, "we could always fix that by hooking up, don't you think?"

You felt a surge of irritation rise within you, ready to curse him out or tell him exactly what you thought of his suggestion. But before you could say anything, Andy, who had been standing quietly beside you, suddenly spoke up. "Why did the pirate bring a hook to the party? Because he thought it was a 'hook'-up event!"

The joke was terrible, but it broke the tension, pulling a few chuckles from Navarro and even Tyler. Bjorn's scowl deepened, and he pushed away from the wall, moving back across the room, clearly irritated. You couldn't help but feel a small sense of satisfaction seeing him knocked off his game.

Tyler, sensing the need to steer things back on track, stepped forward with a more serious expression. "Alright, enough messing around," he said, his voice steady and focused. "Rain, Y/N… there's something you need to see." He glanced between the two of you, making sure he had your attention. "This isn't just a reckless idea—we've found something, something that could change everything."

You narrowed your eyes at him, wary of where this was headed. "Show us," you said, keeping your voice steady.

Tyler led you deeper into the hauler, toward a small screen embedded in the wall. He pressed a few buttons, and the screen flickered to life, displaying a map of the surrounding space. A blip on the screen indicated a large object drifting in orbit.

"Last night," Tyler began, "we were loading the last Tesotek when the freighter intercepted a signal from this." He pointed to the blip on the screen. "It's a Weyland-Yutani ship, discarded and abandoned, just drifting above us. It's due to crash into the planet's rings in about 36 hours."

You scoffed, already suspecting where this was going. "An abandoned Weyland ship?" you guessed, your voice dripping with skepticism. "What use is an old, worn hunk of metal?"

Tyler's expression remained serious as he continued, "The manifest for the station shows it has multiple cryostasis chambers. If we can salvage them before the ship crashes, we could use them to make the long journey to Yvaga III."

"Oh, don't write it off too soon, Y/N. Who knows, that scrap, piece of junk might come in handy." Bjorn smirked at you before his gazed flickered to Andy with a mocking glint in his eyes. "No different than him, I suppose," he sneered.

Your temper flared instantly. "What's your fucking point, Bjorn?" you snapped, cutting through the tension with your impatience. You were done with the games, done with the veiled insults.

Tyler stepped in, trying to steer the conversation back on track. "Why sit here and wait for travel permits that we'll never get? The freighter can get us to Yvaga, but it takes nine years to reach the planet, and we'd have to sleep in cryosleep."

Rain frowned, her expression filled with doubt. "And you think this derelict ship might have functional cryosleep chambers?"

Kay nodded, her hand resting protectively on her belly. "The hyperlink shows that the ship still has capsules left. We could use them to get to Yvaga, to start over somewhere better."

You crossed your arms, skepticism etched deep into your face. "So, you want to empty a Weyland-Yutani ship of heavily banned equipment? Do you realize how insane that sounds?"

"Of course we do," Bjorn laughed, his eyes gleaming with a manic excitement. "So, will you help us?"

Rain, her tone cautious, asked, "What do you need us for?"

Tyler turned his focus to Andy. "Andy. We need Andy. He's synthetic and can interface with MU-TH-UR 9000—the ship's onboard computer system. He can get us in and out without any fuss."

Rain's concern was immediate. "But what if you get caught? If Weyland finds out, you'll never get a travel permit."

Bjorn scoffed, impatience clear in his voice. "Look, Rain, you two don't have to go, alright? We just need to borrow Andy."

Rain's protective instinct flared. "My brother isn't going up there alone," she declared, standing firm beside Andy.

"He's not your brother," Bjorn shot back dismissively, a sneer in his voice. "He's a defective Wey-Yu scrap your father found in the dump. Wake up, love."

That was the last straw. You stepped forward, fully done with Bjorn's shit, your voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "Shut your fucking mouth, Bjorn," you snapped. "You don't get to talk about Andy like that. I'm sick of your damn attitude. For a bastard that needs help, you sure run your mouth a lot."

You grabbed Andy's hand, feeling a surge of protectiveness, and nudged Rain toward the door. It was clear you were ready to leave.

Tyler sighed, turning to his cousin. "Bjorn, c'mon..."

Bjorn raised his hands in mock surrender, a condescending grin on his face. "What? I didn't say anything..."

"Wait, Rain!" Tyler reached out, gently grabbing Rain's arm to stop her. "My cousin may be a fool, but he's right about one thing."

Rain turned to look at Tyler, her expression conflicted but still listening. You could see her loyalty pulling her in different directions, her resolve weakening under the weight of what Tyler was saying.

Tyler pressed on, his voice filled with urgency. "You have to wake up, Rain. The company gives us nothing, and you know it. We have to take it."

You could feel Rain's hesitation, the tension in her shoulders as she considered Tyler’s words. Her past with him and the others still held sway, the memories of better times, of a time when things weren’t so complicated.

"Rain," Tyler said softly, his voice almost breaking, "I just don't want to end up like our parents. Do you?"

His words hung heavy in the air, the weight of them pressing down on everyone in the room. Rain's eyes dropped to the floor, her breath shaky. You saw the pain of loss and fear reflected in her eyes—the fear of a future that might hold nothing but more suffering.

"Is your plan as simple as you make it sound?" Rain finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Tyler nodded earnestly. "You won't even have to get out of Corbelan. I promise. Just help us get Andy onboard, and he can handle the rest. What do you say?"

The room fell silent as Rain weighed her options. You stayed close to her, your hand still wrapped around Andy's, ready to back her up no matter what she decided.

You knew this was a pivotal moment, one that would set the course for all of you, and you could only hope that whatever choice she made would be the right one.

☆

☆

A bitter taste of anxiety filled your mouth as the cargo ship beneath you began to rumble, the vibration resonating through your bones. The hauler Corbelan IV shuddered as it powered up, the engine's growl echoing in the confined space.

The sound was a constant, thrumming reminder of the risks ahead, of the dangerous path Rain had chosen.

Navarro sat at the controls, her fingers deftly gliding over the panel, flipping switches and pressing buttons with practiced precision as she fired up the systems.

Her expression was one of intense focus, eyes glued to the readouts and screens that flashed with data. "I'm firing her up. Batteries are online," she called out, a mixture of concentration and excitement in her voice.

To her left, Kay was curled up with her head leaning against the wall, her eyes half-closed, a hand resting protectively on her belly.

Tyler was seated next to Rain by the window, his gaze fixed outside at the expanse of space, a slight furrow in his brow, adding onto the tension on his face.

Your seat was beside Andy, who sat quietly, his face a serene mask despite the chaos around him. "Dee, you know you can back out of this anytime, right?" you whispered, searching his synthetic eyes for any sign of doubt or hesitation. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

Andy turned his head slightly to face you, his expression neutral yet somehow comforting. "My directive is clear: to do what's best for Rain," he replied calmly. "If this mission will help make that possible, then that's what I will do."

You nodded, trying to hide the concern gnawing at your insides. "Just... be careful," you said softly, knowing it might be pointless but needing to say it anyway.

Your heart heavy with worry but also filled with a strange sense of pride. Andy wasn't just a machine to you—he was family. And like any family member, he was stepping up to help in a time of need, even if it meant facing unknown dangers.

From the corner of your eye, you caught Bjorn standing cockily, his straps keeping him upright as the ship tilted slightly. He pulled out a cigarette, a grin plastered on his face as he lit it up, the flame from the lighter stretching unnaturally high in the low-pressure cabin.

The sight made your stomach churn—Bjorn always did have a way of ignoring common sense.

"For fuck's sake, put that shit out, Bjorn," you snapped, your tone sharp. "We're in a sealed environment, dumbass."

Bjorn just smirked, taking a slow drag before putting the cigarette out on the metal wall. "Relax, Y/N," he drawled. "Just trying to take the edge off."

Navarro's voice cut through the tension, clear and commanding. "Hydro, please. Comm panel," she called out, glancing back to check if everyone was secured.

"Ground spoilers," someone called out.

"Activated," Navarro confirmed, her hands moving over the controls with practiced ease as the ship prepared for takeoff.

The ship's cabin was filled with the sounds of various systems coming online, a mix of beeping, whirring, and the occasional hiss of steam or hydraulic fluid. "Now comes the pressure," Navarro noted, focusing on the controls as she maneuvered the ship.

The ship shuddered again, and you felt the engines roar to life beneath you, thrusting you back into your seat. Your breath caught in your throat as the hauler broke free from the artificial gravity of Jackson Star and launched into the black void of space.

"Are you okay, Y/N?" Andy asks, his voice steady, cutting through the growing noise.

You nod, gripping the armrest tighter. "Yeah," you reply, though you're not entirely sure. "Yeah, I'm fine, Dee."

The minutes ticked by like hours as the ship continued to climb, the view outside the window shifting from the dark, soot-filled skies of the colony to the endless expanse of the cosmos.

The stars outside the window seemed to shimmer and shift as you broke through the upper atmosphere.

You see Rain's eyes widen as the first glimpse of stars becomes visible, a glimmer of hope in her gaze.

"Take a good look at the view," Bjorn chimed in. "Because we will never come back."

Tyler leaned closer to Rain, concern evident on his face. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

Rain nodded, though her eyes betrayed a flicker of doubt. "I'm fine," she replied, more to convince herself than anyone else.

Bjorn laughed as he looked at everyone's serious faces, a harsh, mocking sound. "Now, isn't this a good idea?"

The distant sun casted a warm, golden glow across the metal of the hauler, its light diffusing gently as it mingled with the faint glimmers of distant galaxies.

Rain's eyes were glued to the viewport, her face illuminated by the distant glow of the sun. "Is that...?"

"Yes," Tyler confirmed, following her gaze. "That's our sun."

You watched as a soft smile spread across Rain's face, her eyes filled with a mixture of awe and longing. "Yvaga had to have the most beautiful sunsets," she murmured. "I have seen them... in dreams. I look forward to seeing them with you."

Tyler nodded, a smile tugging at his lips. "Cryosleep is said to feel like a drunken night. So when we wake up at Yvaga tomorrow, it will be with a hangover."

Navarro's voice came through again, this time softer, more reverent. "There she is," she whispered, her gaze focused on the distant object looming ahead. "Our destination."

You leaned forward, peering out the window as the silhouette of the derelict spacecraft came into view. It was massive, a sprawling structure drifting silently through space. "That's not a ship," you muttered, more to yourself than anyone else.

Bjorn, still standing, scoffed. "No, it's not," he agreed. "Looks like a scrapped space station."

"Seems that it's divided into two parts—Romulus and Remus." Navarro corrected, adjusting the trajectory slightly to match the station's roll. "Huh, wonder what's in there."

Your heart pounded as the realization sank in. This wasn't just an abandoned ship. This was something far more complex, something that might be filled with more than just the cryostasis chambers you needed.

A part of you wondered what else Weyland-Yutani might have left behind, and the thought sent a shiver down your spine.

Navarro's hands flew over the controls, adjusting their course to avoid the oncoming debris. "Everyone hold on," she ordered, her voice steady but strained. "This is gonna be a bumpy ride."

You glanced at Andy, his expression calm and focused, and felt a small flicker of reassurance. He was ready, and so were you. Whatever came next, you would face it together.

The cargo ship thrummed beneath you as it adjusted its course, the tension in the cabin thick enough to cut with a knife. You closed your eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath to steady yourself.

When you opened them again, the station loomed closer, a dark silhouette against the stars, and you knew there was no turning back now.

A/N: lololo, i just can't get this lil fic out of my head. by the pace i'm going, i'll end up writing the whole damn movie out 🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️ anywho hope i didnt bore you all, tried to make it different instead of just plastering y/n into the story with no changes, lolol, i even trie to add a lil synthetic prejudice 💀 oohh can't wait to get to the part wheree we learn about bjorns hate for synthetics

Tag List: @dreamsarenicer

[grandlinedreams]

what about ace waking in the night with you sobbing quietly in his arms, still trying to deal with the fact that he is here, with you, despite the marine ford incident? idk but just the idea of being so emotionally overwhelmed after seeing your partner almost die, and then him trying to comfort you warms my heart <33

PLEASE yes i can I was in my ace feelings today :')

[Heads up!: mention of Marineford, hurt/comfort]

"Thank-you for loving me."

You wake with a sharp inhale, cheeks wet and lips parted around a silent scream of Ace's name. It takes a long moment for you to register where you are, the room dark save for the spill of moonlight through the window.

You're not alone, either ㅡ there's a familiar set of arms wound around your waist, anchoring you to a body that always runs far warmer than your own.

Ace.

You stare at his face, relaxed in sleep ㅡ unaware that you've been woken from another nightmare about his death. A death narrowly avoided ㅡ you trace unbroken skin, shuddering at what could have been. He'd gotten lucky. He's here, alive, safe.

And yet you can't stop crying. You try to stay quiet, keep the shuddering hiccups soft ㅡ but either you're louder than you think or Ace isn't sleeping as well as he says he does, because he stirs.

"That nightmare again?" He asks softly, heart aching at the shine of tears on your cheeks, wondering how long you've been awake. You nod, reaching up to scrub at your eyes.

"I'm sorry," you mumble, voice wobbling. "I woke you up."

"Shh," Ace soothes, moving to tuck you further against him, humming as you cling to him. "It's okay. You're okay, I've got you."

Ace lets you cry. He hates it, hates that you're hurting like this ㅡ but he lets you cry until you have nothing left, rubbing your back as you shudder.

"It was just a bad dream, okay?" He kisses your shoulder, murmuring against your skin. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

"You don't know that," you protest weakly, even as you cling to him as tight as you can.

"No," Ace admits softly, adjusting enough to kiss your cheek, then your temple. "But we'll take it day by day, okay? We can do that."

You pull away enough to look at him properly, and his heart twinges at how tired you look. "I'm scared, Ace."

"Me too." He kisses your forehead. "We can be scared together." His lips ghost along the bridge of your nose. "But as I said, we take it day by day, step by step. Let's start by getting some sleep, okay?"

"Okay." Your voice is soft, a barely there whisper. But it's still an answer, and Ace rewards you with a proper kiss, soft and slow. "What if I have that nightmare again?"

"Then I'll be here to help you feel better," Ace answers, cuddling you him, bodies slotted together like puzzle pieces. "I'll be here for as long as I can, for as long as you want me."

[littleinkling64]

I just need you to understand that peak Jasonette in my "Tailor" universe (or just in general) for me is doing things they hate for literally no one but their partner. like.

Jason: No I'm never going to therapy and that's final. Nettie: Hey I'm going to therapy. If you came too we could be zombie buddies. :) Jason: Jason: Fine. I guess. Nettie: :D

Or

Nettie: I despise reading so much it's a miracle I got through most of high school. Jason: Hey have you read Austen yet? You should read Austen. Nettie: Nettie: ...do you have a copy? Jason: :)

[ablizmal]

in another life,,,,,,,, L would’ve really loved,,,,,,,,,,

to have been the twilight kinnie to my pinkie pie kinnie, send tweet—

[thehoneydee]

R&D Chapter 2

Read on AO3

Adjusting to his new reality is difficult for Rhys.

He knows logically that returning to his home dimension isn’t a good idea. They can’t return to their old life without raising questions; they’re missing years of major cultural events and technological development, and everyone they know knew most likely believes them to be dead. But just because they understand the reasoning behind their staying - their own reasoning too-, doesn’t mean he doesn’t desperately wish to go home.

The worst part about the whole situation isn’t the loss of his entire world, but rather how much Rhys grieves over a life and a home they’ve never actually felt all that attached to. He hated his shitty apartment and worse job, avoided his family at every opportunity, and rarely found the energy to spend time with friends.

Yet their chest aches with the thought of never being able to see their family again. With the knowledge of old friendships that had already been drifting beyond repair staying forever out of reach, the gap between them now insurmountable, unable to be mended. With the loss of an environment they’d grown comfortable in -despite its frequent and extremely frustrating downfalls.

The knowledge that none of those things would be waiting for him even if he decided to throw caution to the wind and jump through that damned portal causes the ache in their chest to swallow them whole, leaving them to drift aimlessly through the void held within his ribcage.

His WaynePhone™ 4 buzzes aggressively in his pocket, the Ghostbusters theme signaling Danny, and Rhys lets the song play out until the buzzing stops.

Work is good. Work is safe. Work is so completely overwhelmingly busy that Rhys has no time to drift in their grief. The unrelenting indifference of metal and wires and paperwork and meetings are comfortable, acting as an anchor to the here and now, giving him no time or space to think of his failure. Of his loss.

Their skin doesn’t sit right over the bones of his prison, with the void under their ribs threatening to swallow that too.

But right now, grease and polish is smeared over the shell of their body, and it makes them feel slightly less fragile, less like a puppet feigning humanity.

Blue paper crinkles within his hands, white lines constructing something that could be real, something that Rhys could help make real. They release the drawing and stand, making their way toward the supply room. Just because he isn’t real right now doesn’t mean he can’t help something else be real.

Lost within themself, they don’t see the concerned glances his coworkers give him.

Lucius watches him through the glass wall of his office, a worried frown tugging at his lips.

Metal has a particular smell to it, one that most would find themselves unable to describe despite being able to recognize it easily. Heat is similar in that it has a unique scent, yet it is only truly noticeable when something is actively being burned.

The heat of summer is marked by hot dust and melting tar. The heat of a fire recognized by the smoke and sweetness of wood as it burns into carbon. And the heat of cooked meat identified by the savory tenderness undercut with the faint lingering smell of blood.

Fried electronics have a particularly strange scent, one that is quite difficult to put into words yet is so unmistakable. Heated metal, burning copper, and -even more difficult to describe- singed fiberglass.

Rhys feels a migraine coming on. What with his terrible sleep schedule and worse diet, their body isn’t exactly at it’s best -especially since they haven’t been taking the pain meds their doctor prescribed for the definitely dislocated rib he got upon his arrival to this universe, and the smell is just too much for his body to handle without consequences. (Pain medication leaves them feeling sluggish and disoriented, so they’d decided to just deal with it until it finishes healing.)

The offending smell of ‘Complications™’ is overstimulating, filling the lab with its overbearing presence and making it harder to think. A gutted, slightly smoking WaynePhone™ 5 sits on the workbench in front of Rhys, taunting them with its partially melted circuit board. (They absolutely loathe the stupid product naming PR chooses and vastly prefer Agnes’ rejected suggestion of The Antaeus, but alas.) Rhys stares blankly at the charred hunk of technology in front of him, wondering how the actual hell it got to be in this condition.

For a phone that’s supposed to be nearly indestructible, it shouldn’t be able to burn a hole in the center of its circuit board over a simple test call. The casing and screen are completely undamaged, leaving Rhys with just the entire internal system to figure out how to fix.

It could be worse.

The code definitely needs looking into, but the main issue is that the phone sustained physical damage. The whole point of The Antaeus is that it is going to be practically immune to earthly damage. Meta powers and alien tech are too OP and unpredictable to create a feasible resistance to them on such a small and hopefully reasonably priced bit of equipment.

The body of the phone has proven to be immune to the elements and capable of withstanding extreme force, able to stop a bullet with only cosmetic scuff marks on the casing. Yet, the circuit board starts burning at temperatures above 950°F. Obviously, this is because the internal fans aren’t effective, at least not in the way that the heating coils are in extreme cold.

In order for the phone to withstand emergency situations such as house fires, the circuit board needs to be able to handle temperatures up to 1500°F without sustaining damage so that anyone trapped in the building can reach emergency services.

The reason this particular phone has a hole in it is because the wiring started sparking during the test call, releasing more heat than the circuit board could handle, heat that got trapped within the casing, effectively melting the fiberglass of the circuit board.

The lab still reeks from ’Complications™’, and Rhys is struggling to think past the smell. They feel like the solution to this problem is practically staring them in the face, but they can’t seem to organize their thoughts well enough to figure it out.

He stands, stretching the stiffness from his back, and grabs their thermos. Fresh coffee and maybe some sunlight will probably help his migraine, or at the very least it’s an excuse to get out of the choking smell of failure.

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee follows Rhys as he opens the door to the balcony adjacent to the cafeteria. The humid midsummer air rushes to greet him, making their hair feel heavy and leaving their skin slightly tacky. It’s quieter outside the building, despite the constant background of car engines, police sirens, and the occasional gunshot. The air is dense, full of smog and seawater, a vague feeling of death imbued in it. He brought it up to Danny after their first visit to the city. Apparently it’s something only the dead can truly sense beyond just ‘bad vibes’, and through his exposure to the large amounts of ectoplasm in the Realms, Rhys tangentially falls under the dead umbrella.

He misses Danny. Tuck and Technus too -even if the old ghost is kind of annoying.

He’s trying not to think about Danny. Thinking about Danny means thinking about the portal and the fact that they can’t actually go home anymore and the fact that they were stupid enough to think they might be able to anyway and how much it hurts that they got the portal to work at all only to have it taunt them with its unfeeling swirl of orange and cyan and-

And there they go, spiraling over nothing again.

He takes in a shaky breath, forcing themself to focus on the slight warmth of the thermos in their hand, the smell of salt in the air. Exhaling, he makes his way to their favorite spot on the balcony: a small bench hidden from view of the doors by a large potted baby tears plant -a name that makes him chuckle every time he remembers it. They make their way just past the hanging planter and stop short, finding an unexpected visit to his spot -it doesn’t belong to them, why are they being so possessive?

Lucius notices them before they can bolt, and wordlessly gestures for him to sit down. Feeling off balance from the bizarreness of meeting someone outside of their normal setting, Rhys hesitates a moment, shifting on his feet before managing to tamp down his anxiety, finally sitting on Lou’s right. It feels strange, being around the man outside of the department, sitting next to him without a desk to separate them.

They fidget with their thermos for a moment, twisting the lid on and off to give themself something to do, anything to fill the awkward silence. His fidgeting is silent and Lou still hasn’t said anything, and staring at their hands isn’t helping to make them feel less uncomfortable. They look up, studying the shape of their neighboring building where the balcony handrail frames it. The sky -dark and perpetually clouded as it is- is reflected in its windows, the lone figure of a pigeon flying across its surface, making its way up the side of WE, past the highest floor Rhys has ever been on. The bird makes it past what the glass can reflect and Rhys imagines that it’s going all the way to the top, that it has a nest atop one of the gargoyles that watches over the city.

He looks at Lou.

The man looks more relaxed than they’ve ever seen him, suit jacket folded over the arm of the bench, sleeves rolled partway up his arms, glasses resting atop his graying hair while a cigarette dangles from his lips. They don’t think the Lucius that sits next to them is the same Lou they’ve gotten to know as an employee. This Lou is somehow younger and more real, a human and not just a job description.

“I didn’t know you smoke.”

The words come as a surprise to Rhys, he hadn’t realized he was going to talk until after the statement had already fallen past their lips.

Lou huffs a laugh, the sound dry and humorless, and he looks almost sad for a moment. “I don’t -or at least I didn’t.” He isn’t really smoking, the cigarette hangs there, caught in the fingers by his mouth, burning away without the man making any real attempt to breathe it in. The comforting smell of peach flavored Black & Mild hangs in the air. Rhys doesn’t know how they managed to miss it until now, not when it’s so achingly familiar. Their brother smoked those whenever he was too broke for Marlboros, although they were usually out of peach, so he’d have to just get originals.

“I quit, years ago, when I had my daughter.” Pride is written all over his face, his eyes just gleaming with clear affection toward his child. “I decided that no matter how hard it was, I wouldn’t put her health at risk over my own bad habits.”

Lou sighs, holding the cigarette over an ashtray Rhys just noticed balanced on the man’s left leg. He drags his free hand over his face, suddenly looking far more tired than they’ve ever seen him. They let the man compose his thoughts, the silence something almost comfortable now.

“Lately,” Lou drops his hand, turning his face to look up at the balcony above them, brown eyes studying every detail of their concrete ‘ceiling’, “There’s been so much to do, all the time, and I just haven’t felt like I can get enough air.” A deep breath and he closes his eyes, opening them again a moment later and shifting to look at that same building Rhys was staring at just minutes ago. “Nicotine makes me feel like I can breathe again, and I know that’s just the addiction talking. I know that it’s a terrible coping mechanism and I definitely don’t want to pick the habit up again, especially since I’ve managed the last 28 years without it, but I just-” He swallows and takes another deep breath.

“It’s just all been a bit too much lately.”

The statement hangs in the air between them, heavy and probably more than the man meant to share, but too late to take back. Rhys understands, far more than Lou will ever know, a crushed pack of menthols sitting on Ember’s coffee table. The void in his chest feels quiet right now, less all-consuming, and they decide to share part of themself in return.

“I can’t go back.” They stare at their hands, deciding that it’s easier if he doesn’t actually look at Lou. “Home, I mean. Too much time and whatnot.” The void feels bigger now, yet somehow lighter. Talking about it makes it feel painfully real, and he’d prefer not to acknowledge it at all, but hiding from something doesn’t actually stop it from being able to hurt you, so they suck it up and continue. “I didn’t leave anyone behind, not really, and there wasn’t even much of anything to go back to anyway, but it feels like someone ripped out my heart and threw it through that stupid portal.”

He doesn’t feel like crying, rather he kind of feels like laughing, but they do neither, choosing to focus on the twisting and untwisting of the cap on their thermos instead. “I have a bad habit of choosing to ignore my own needs when I’m upset, or even outright self-sabotaging. It’s easier to just throw myself into a task instead of letting myself feel, I delude myself into thinking that the problem will just fix itself if I pretend it away, but I know it’s not going to work, definitely not this time.”

They look up from their hands, meeting Lou’s gaze, and give him a small sad smile. “How ‘bout you give me, eh…a week or two, and I’ll see if I can come up with a way to lessen your workload, and in return, you have lunch with me twice a week so I can use you as a rubber ducky?”

A look of bewilderment overtakes the man’s face. “A rubber ducky?!”

“Yeah,” Rhys laughs, “like programmers?” Lou’s expression remains impassive and Rhys realizes with a small amount of glee that he gets to explain the concept to his boss. “Well, programmers often have trouble with like tiny bits of their code, so they tend to find it easier to just walk through the code with someone else until they can find it. So they keep these rubber ducks at their desks so they can talk at them, and when they find the problem it usually is kind of upsetting, so they can then throw the duck as a harmless way to blow off steam! Don’t worry, I won’t throw you.”

Lou laughs, a real genuine laugh, and holds out his hand.

“You’ve got yourself a deal.”

They end up walking together back to the lab, impulsively taking the stairs, and Rhys has an idea. The main idea behind The Antaeus is to give the average person a lifeline, something to help them get help faster whenever they (eventually) end up getting caught up in a rogue/villain attack. The parameters for the phone’s cold tolerance were centered around Mr. Freeze and Captain Cold’s tech. Tech that Wayne Enterprises has analyzed.

“Hey Lou?”

The man raises an eyebrow and gestures for him to continue.

“Do you know where I could find a breakdown of how Dr. Fries’ freeze gun works?”

This time he stops, causing Rhys to stumble in their haste to do the same, and he turns to properly look them in the eyes. A moment passes as the man scrutinizes his expressions, and he slumps in something that seems like defeat.

“I’ll find you a copy of the blueprints,” he starts, voice heavy with resignation, pinching the bridge of his nose and pushing his glasses up as a result, “but only if you promise not to do anything nefarious with that information.”

Rhys makes a show of weighing the idea, humming as if in disagreement before bursting into laughter at Lou’s expression of terror. “Yeah, no, that’s completely reasonable.”

Anxiety rolls in his stomach as he stands outside the door. Their talk with Lou was only three days ago, but it helped them realize a few things. One of them being that if they’re going to stay in this world, they need to start putting down roots. Real things to tie them down aside from a job he got that was explicitly meant to be temporary.

Steeling himself, he opens the door, walking into the living room. Ember is on the couch, tuning her guitar, and for a moment Rhys almost backs out.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

“Hey Em?” God, they hate how small they sound. It’s so much easier to deal with his anxiety by adopting that cocky confidence they’ve been using as a shield, but she would see right through it in a second and get all concerned in that weird ‘I definitely don’t actually care, no siree’ type of attitude and then this whole thing would be even harder than it already is. And…, there he goes, spiraling again. Fun.

“I’d like to talk to you about something.” Their heart pounds in their chest and they’re feeling kind of nauseous, but this is something they need to do. Why can’t they just suck it up? Why does this have to be so stupidly hard?

Ember gently sets the purple and blue guitar off to the side, giving Rhys her full attention -something he kind of really doesn’t want actually. “What’s up Green Bean?” Her voice is tinged with genuine care and oh god they can’t do this, why does she have to care? Keeping the panic internal and shoving down their roiling nerves, they force themself to just get it over with.

“I really appreciate you letting me stay with you during this whole mess and I absolutely adore you, but I’m going to be here long term, and it wouldn’t be fair to you to have to put up with me all the time, and it’ll probably be good for me to stop relying on others all the time, and, like, I’m really gonna miss being here, I’ll especially miss hanging out with you, but, like, I think I need to get my own place and try to actually settle in, you know?” And it would be rad if he didn’t immediately fuck up and start rambling.

Too many beats pass in silence, Rhys’ fidgeting going from mostly unnoticeable shifting to outright wringing their hands, Ember blinking blankly at them. “Ooookay, I’m going to ignore the absolute mess that was and cut to the chase.” He somehow manages to tense even more at her statement.

“You’re saying you decided to get your own place and move out, right?” He nods silently, fixing his eyes to the shag carpet under their feet. “That’s okay bro, no worries.” They whip their head up to look at her, making themself a bit dizzy with the whiplash. “You need your own space, especially since you’re sticking around, and I can’t exactly expect you to want to stay with me forever. Besides,” she grins, ”you promise to visit me still, right?”

He lunges over the coffee table, ambushing her with a hug, and nods vigorously. “Definitely,” he says, voice heavy and tight with emotion as she wraps her arms just as tight around theirs, “I swear.”

[winxanity-ii]

⌜I Love, Robot | Chapter 04 Chapter 04 | locked in⌟

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Silence filled the hauler, broken only by the rhythmic beeping of the system monitors. Rain and Kay, left to their own devices, sat quietly; Navarro remained focused on manning the controls, her fingers gliding over the panel with expert precision.

Your eyes, however, were glued to the monitor displaying the live feed from Tyler's headset. Every pixel flickered with tension as you watched the three figures standing in the narrow chamber that connected the hauler to the derelict space station.

Tyler and Bjorn, both clad in bulky space jumpsuits with oxygen masks and gloves, were preparing for the transition. The suits clung to their bodies, designed to protect them from the frigid vacuum outside.

Only Andy, with his synthetic skin, stood without such gear, his face expressionless as always, though you could sense an undercurrent of anticipation in his movements.

Tyler extended a pair of thermal gloves toward Bjorn. "Put this on," he instructed, his voice calm but firm.

Bjorn, examining the gloves with a mixture of disdain and necessity, quips, "Why? Planning to freeze my nuts off?"

"So your nuts don't freeze," Tyler retorts with a slight smirk, trying to lighten the mood despite the gravity of their situation.

Bjorn chuckled, his voice crackling through the feed, a low, mocking sound. "You think too much about my dates, Tyler," his eyes twinkling with mischief behind the mask.

"Just shut up and put the damn gloves on," Tyler muttered, turning to hand another set to Andy. "Andy, here," he added, more gently this time.

Andy took the gloves, his movements deliberate but slightly awkward as he struggled to fit them over his synthetic hands. The fabric was tight, designed for human fingers, not his more refined construction. You could see the effort it took for him to maneuver his fingers into place.

Bjorn glanced over, his lips curling into a sneer. "Hey, stop fiddling and put that shit on already," he barked, impatience lacing his tone. His words cut through the air, harsh and dismissive.

Tyler shot Bjorn a warning look. "Now, leave him alone. Andy, don't worry about him. He's an idiot," he reassured, his tone softer, almost paternal. "Hatch ahead. I'll connect," he continued, shifting focus back to the task at hand.

Bjorn, still grumbling, adjusted his mask. "It's cold as fuck in there," he muttered, rubbing his gloved hands together. "What is it?"

"A temp scanner," Tyler replied, checking a handheld device clipped to his suit. "It'll lead us to the capsules. The compression is tolerable, but there's too little oxygen to breathe."

Bjorn nodded, his eyes narrowing as he glanced around the chamber. "Andy, you're up. Show us what you're good at."

With the hatch to the station just before them, Andy stepped forward to the control panel by the door. His synthetic finger found its way to the scanner integrated into the panel. He stuck it inside, interfacing seamlessly with the station's security protocols.

The light on the scanner flickered from red to green, accompanied by the soft click of locks disengaging. The door hissed as it began to slide open, granting them entry to the station.

Tyler gave Andy an encouraging nod. "That's right, Andy. Well done."

Bjorn, couldn't help but snort, rolling his eyes. "Congrats, you're not a virgin anymore," he jeered, a sly grin tugging at his lips. "Come on."

Andy, unfazed by the comment, moved forward with calculated precision, ready to perform his duties. You watched him closely, feeling a mixture of pride and apprehension.

Despite the tension and the biting remarks from Bjorn, Andy remained focused, his synthetic composure unshaken.

As the three of them boarded the derelict Romulus, the air felt heavy with anticipation and the faint hum of dormant machinery.

The station was dimly lit, its narrow corridors stretching into darkness. The flickering emergency lights cast an eerie glow, and the low hum of the station's failing systems filled the silence.

Every step echoed hollowly, a reminder of how empty and abandoned this place truly was.

They moved cautiously, navigating the winding halls. Suddenly, the artificial gravity gave out, sending them all into a momentary weightlessness.

The station's interior was now chaotic mix of floating debris—tools, chairs, crates, and other loose objects drifted aimlessly in the zero-gravity environment, casting long, eerie shadows under the dim emergency lights.

The air felt thick with disuse, each breath carrying the metallic tang of stale, recycled air.

Tyler braced himself against the wall, his grip tight and focused. Around him, wrenches and screwdrivers, once confined to toolkits, now spun lazily in mid-air, bouncing off the walls and each other in slow motion. An old chair drifted past, its legs barely brushing against Tyler's shoulder as he maneuvered to avoid it.

Bjorn, however, wasn't as lucky. He reached out to grab hold of a support beam but missed, his fingers slipping on its cold metal surface. His body drifted upward, twisting awkwardly as he collided with a floating crate. "Fuck..." he muttered, a grimace forming on his face as he felt his stomach churn from the sudden lack of gravity. "There is no gravity here. I can feel it in my stomach."

Tyler glanced over his shoulder, his brow furrowed. "What was that?"

Andy's voice came through clearly, unbothered by the disorienting conditions. "The gravity generators. The control starts at intervals. So the whole place doesn't explode."

Tyler nodded, absorbing the information while carefully avoiding a drifting toolbox that floated between them. "We continue straight ahead, then," he directed, gesturing towards the corridor that lay ahead, partially obscured by more floating debris.

Tyler turned his head slightly toward Andy, his expression softening with concern. "Andy, are you okay?"

"Yes," Andy replied, his tone unwavering. "I have located the capsules." Andy's gaze remained fixed on the scanner in his hand, his synthetic eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. "According to the scanner, the capsules should be in there," he announced, pointing toward a heavy metal door at the end of the corridor, past a cluster of slowly spinning wrenches and bolts.

Just as they continued through the corridor, the artificial gravity suddenly kicked back on with a heavy jolt. Everything that had been floating in mid-air—tools, chairs, crates—plummeted to the ground with a series of loud crashes.

Bjorn fell hard, landing awkwardly on his back with a sharp thud; the breath knocked out of him. A metal wrench narrowly missed his head, clattering noisily next to him.

"Damn it!" Bjorn cursed, pain evident in his voice as he lay sprawled on the cold, hard floor. "I think I've leathered the arsehole," he groaned, wincing as he tried to sit up. "Shit, those control launches are no joke."

Tyler, still gripping a rail tightly to keep his balance, glanced over at Bjorn with a mix of frustration and concern. "You alright?" he called out, trying to maintain focus despite the chaos around them.

Bjorn grunted in response, rubbing his lower back. "Yeah, yeah, just peachy," he muttered sarcastically, clearly irritated by the sudden drop.

Andy, who had managed to brace himself against the wall just in time, turned his attention to Bjorn. "Bjorn, are you okay?" he asked, his voice calm but with a hint of synthetic concern.

Bjorn waved him off, though the annoyance was clear in his tone. "I'm fine," he snapped. "Just keep doing what you're doing. I'll manage."

Tyler moved quickly to check the status of the station's systems. "SYSTEM STARTUP MOTHER 9000," he read aloud from the flickering console nearby, which was partially covered in debris from the gravity shift. "Thank God there is still current in the old story," he added, his tone both relieved and cautious.

Andy moved to the control panel, his fingers deftly navigating the interface, bringing the systems back online. "Watch out," he warned, his voice steady amidst the chaos. "Here comes one more purge." He gave them a moment to prepare before the gravity purged again.

They all braced themselves, grabbing onto fixtures and railings as the station's gravity generators fluctuated once more. The objects around them, previously scattered on the floor, began floating in the air once more.

Andy flipped a switch, and a low hum filled the room as the station's systems came fully back to life. Once again, all the floating objects clattered to the floor, the gravity stabilized.

"Good job, Andy," Tyler said, his voice filled with gratitude. "Let's get to those capsules and get the hell out of here."

Bjorn, still rubbing his sore back, muttered under his breath but nodded in agreement. With a determined look, they pressed onward, deeper into the station, knowing the mission was far from over.

Shortly after, the three of them reached the cryo-chamber room. The metal doors groaned open, revealing a series of pods lined up against the wall, illuminated by the dim emergency lights.

Tyler immediately moved to the control panel, his fingers flying over the keys as he checked the status of each chamber.

Bjorn stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he took in the sight. "Damn it! Well, let's see here," he muttered, clearly agitated.

Tyler squinted at the screen, frowning. "YEARS: 3.20," he read aloud, his tone flat.

Bjorn's head whipped around, confusion turning quickly to frustration. "Shit. What's wrong?"

Tyler's face was grim as he explained, "The capsules do not have enough fuel. There is enough for three years of hibernation."

Andy, standing close by, quickly calculated the implications. "It takes appoximately nine years to reach Yvaga," he pointed out in his usual calm, matter-of-fact tone.

Bjorn, his face twisted in irritation, threw his hands up in exasperation. "I know that. Fuck! I knew it. I fucking knew it. This shit was for nothing!"

Tyler turned to him sharply, his expression determined. "No, we're not giving up now. Yvaga is the closest system. What do you want us to do? Now shut the hell up."

Andy, still focused on the scanner in his hand, spoke up. "There seems to be a cryo-depot somewhere. There must be fuel."

Tyler nodded, his mind racing. "Navarro, I'm disconnecting the EEV. You can pick it up while we get cryo-fuel. Held," he spoke into his intercom, his voice steady despite the tension.

Navarro's voice crackled through the intercom, calm and composed, "Heard."

As the Corbelan maneuvered to pick up the ejected cryo-chambers, back on the ship, Kay suddenly rushed to the toilet, her face pale. Rain quickly moved to help her, guiding her into a nearby bunk as Kay began to retch. The noise caught your attention, but you remained at a distance, watching quietly.

In the bunk, Rain leaned closer to Kay, her voice soft and concerned. "...You're pregnant?" you overheard her whisper, her tone a mix of surprise and concern.

Kay nodded, a wide smile spreading across her face. "Yeah," she replied softly, a hint of excitement in her voice. Rain's face lit up with a supportive smile, and the two exchanged a quiet laugh.

From where you stood, you caught Kay's eye for a moment. Her smile faltered slightly, an awkward tension settling in the air between you. You returned a small nod, trying to convey understanding, but Kay quickly looked away, turning her focus back to Rain with a nervous giggle.

Out of everyone in Rain's old friend group, Kay had always been the most distant with you, a fact that had always puzzled you. You never quite understood why, but it had always left a lingering discomfort in your interactions with her.

Deciding to give them space, you turned your attention back to the three men on the station, tuning into their ongoing conversation through the intercom.

Bjorn's gruff voice came through first, laced with skepticism. "What is all that military piss for?" he asked, glaring at Tyler.

"It's effective."

Bjorn snorted derisively, unconvinced. "Is it?"

Tyler's lips twitched into a half-smile. "And cool."

Bjorn rolled his eyes, unimpressed. "You sound dumb," he shot back, his tone dripping with disdain.

As they continued walking, Bjorn, distracted by his annoyance, nearly missed a deep hole in the floor. He stumbled, teetering dangerously on the edge.

Without hesitation, Andy reached out and grabbed Bjorn's arm, pulling him back just in time.

Despite being saved from a potentially deadly fall, Bjorn's anger flared even hotter. He stormed up to Andy, getting uncomfortably close to his face, his eyes burning with a mix of rage and frustration. He jabbed a finger into Andy's chest, his voice low and menacing. "What's your fucking problem, clown?" he snarled, glaring at Andy with open hostility.

Andy, ever calm, replied, "Sorry," his voice soft, almost apologetic despite the aggressive confrontation.

Tyler quickly intervened. "Relax, guys," he said, trying to keep the peace.

But Bjorn wasn't done. He shoved Andy harder, his anger barely contained. "Next time I'll smash you in," he threatened, his voice dripping with contempt. He then turned to Tyler, his expression dark and demanding. "Keep that fucking piece of Synth-trash away from me."

Tyler nodded slightly, a flicker of concern crossing his face as he glanced between the two of them. He knew they needed to keep moving, but the tension was clearly getting to everyone. "Let's just focus on finding that fuel," he said, trying to steer the conversation back to the mission at hand. "Navarro, airlock 5-B is our exit once we find the cryogenic fuel."

Your teeth gritted in your mouth as you listened to everything unfolding over the hauler's intercom. The hostility in Bjorn's voice, the constant antagonism—it made your skin crawl.

You tried to focus on the task at hand, tinkering with the Reboot Key, but it was hard to ignore the rising tension.

Navarro took a moment to walk over to you, leaning against the console with a curious glance at your tinkering. "What are you working on there?" she asked, her voice carrying a casual interest.

You shrugged slightly, trying to keep your focus on the task at hand. "Just making sure I'm ready for anything," you replied, not wanting to delve too deeply into the details.

Navarro nodded, her eyes trailing back to the screen momentarily. "It's good to be prepared," she said thoughtfully. After a pause, she added, "Hey, I'm sorry about Bjorn's actions earlier. He can be... intense, but he's got his reasons."

Overhearing this, Rain snorted. "Yeah, right," she muttered, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "I'll bite. What's his deal with Andy? Why is he so angry with him?" she asked, her gaze shifting between Navarro and the monitor displaying the men's location.

Navarro glanced over at Rain, her expression tight with a mix of sympathy and understanding. "Because of the thing with his mother a cycle ago," she said softly.

Rain furrowed her brows, clearly puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Kay, still pale but feeling a bit better, spoke up softly from her spot in the back. "There was a gas leak in the mines. The synthetic supervisor overhead the entire operation gave the order to close them while Bjorn's mother was down there."

"But... Synthetics—they cannot harm people," Rain countered, her voice wavering slightly as she tried to make sense of the story.

"Well, it sacrificed three miners to save half a dozen."

Rain's face twisted in a grimace. "How gruesome," she muttered under her breath. She saw Kay get up suddenly and rush to the back, clearly feeling unwell again.

Rain stood to follow, concern etched across her features, while you stayed seated, still fidgeting with the tiny components in your hands, counting down the minutes until this whole ordeal could be over.

A chill ran down your spine as you listened to Kay's explanation, triggering a long-buried memory from one of your past hacking jobs.

You recalled retrieving files that exposed a chilling directive: in moments of crisis, Weyland's synthetics were programmed to prioritize the company's assets over human lives, all under the guise of logical probability.

Even back then, the discovery had left you feeling sick, a stark reminder of the company's cold, calculating nature.

While you could understand why Bjorn harbored such deep hatred for synthetics, knowing this didn't change your opinion of him. He was still an asshole, his anger misdirected at those who were just following their programming—much like the workers following orders.

If anything, you thought, his anger should be aimed at the Weyland officials who made those ruthless directives, not at every synthetic he came across. His blind rage only perpetuated the cycle of resentment and pain, when the true culprits remained hidden in their ivory towers, untouched by the consequences of their decisions.

You tightened your grip on the Reboot Key, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on you. The sooner they found that cryo-fuel and got out of there, the better.

"Welcome to the space station Renaissance. Weyland-Yutani's Center for Research and Development whose efforts are to improve the human role in space."

Bjorn's response to the artificial voice crackled through the intercom, his tone tinged with discomfort. "This place gives me goosebumps," he muttered, a shiver running through his voice.

Andy, ever the peacemaker, tried to inject some humor into the situation. "Have you heard the one about the bowler who only has one ball? It always takes cones. Did you get it?" he offered, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Please turn yourself off," Bjorn snapped back, irritation clear in his voice.

"You said you were nervous, so I tried—"

"You know what? I'm looking forward to getting into a capsule and never seeing your ass again," Bjorn interrupted sharply, his voice harsh and cutting.

"See you at Yvaga then."

"You are not going to Yvaga." You were taken aback by Bjorn's revelation.

Tyler's voice intervened, a note of warning in his tone. "Bjorn, stop."

But Bjorn was relentless. Turning to face Andy with a manic grin, he sneered, "Didn't Rain tell you? The system is anti-Weyland-Yutani, so fake people are prohibited."

Andy's reply was measured, his voice steady despite the insult. "I prefer the term 'artificial person.'"

You felt a surge of confusion and concern, unable to believe Bjorn's claim that Andy wouldn't be allowed into Yvaga. It didn't make sense; why would they exclude Andy?

As you processed Bjorn's words, your thoughts were abruptly pulled back to just a few hours earlier, which now seemed to carry even more weight given the current tension.

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The next half an hour in the room felt like a slow crawl through tension, thick enough to cut with a knife. You stood by the door with Andy at your side, ready to leave at any moment. Across the room, Rain and Tyler spoke in hushed tones, their conversation drowned out by the hum of the machinery around you.

Every now and then, Rain would glance your way, her expression a mixture of uncertainty and determination.

You straightened up as Rain finally pulled away from Tyler and started walking toward you. For a brief moment, you felt a flicker of hope—maybe she’d seen the flaws in this whole plan, the danger and the reckless gamble it represented. But instead of heading for the door, she stopped in front of you, her eyes searching yours.

"Can I talk to you privately?" she asked softly. Her tone wasn't commanding but pleading, and despite the frustration and worry bubbling inside you, you gave in.

With a small nod, you followed her down to the transport area, Andy trailing just a step behind. The enclosed space below was quieter, the hum of the engines muted but still present—a constant reminder of the colony around you.

"I'm not sure about any of this, Rain," you started, the words tumbling out in a rush, but she cut you off gently.

"I know," she said, her voice soft but steady. "But what if they're right? What if we can actually get out of here?" Her question hung in the air between you—a heavy, unspoken challenge.

You fell silent, unable to meet her gaze for a moment. Because deep down, you knew she was right. There was no telling if what Tyler and his group had found would actually be the escape they all needed.

But what if it was?

What if this was the chance to finally leave this hellhole behind, to find freedom and a future that wasn’t dictated by Weyland-Yutani's greed?

You looked into Rain's hopeful eyes, and your mind spun with images of a possible future if you walked away now—Rain wasting away, trapped here like so many others you had cared for.

You couldn't subject her to that. Not when there was a chance, however slim, to change it.

A loud, harsh sigh escaped your lips as you turned, rubbing a hand down your face. The weight of your decision pressed down on you, but there wasn’t much choice, not really. "Fine. Fine... fine."

Rain let out a small, happy shriek, throwing herself into your arms. She wrapped you up in her lithe embrace, her joy so palpable it was almost infectious. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," she repeated, her voice a breathless rush of gratitude.

You couldn't help but smile, hugging her back, though the smile quickly faded into a serious line as you pulled away. "Okay, but how exactly is this supposed to go down?"

Rain's excitement didn't falter as she launched into an explanation, her words tumbling over one another in her eagerness. "Tyler and Navarro think there are at least half a dozen, maybe even ten, cryo-pods on board the ship, judging by the size of the aircraft. The plan is simple: Andy helps us gain access to the ship, then he, Tyler, and Bjorn find the pods, release them, and Navarro grabs them with the hauler. Then, bam! The six of us float peacefully away in cryo-sleep for the next nine years until we reach Yvaga."

You listened, taking it all in. Sure, it sounded simple enough on the surface. But your mind couldn’t help conjuring up all the setbacks and issues that could arise—the things that could make the entire mission fall apart.

But instead of voicing your doubts, you decided to give it a chance. Rain's hope was too bright, too desperate to extinguish with your own pessimism.

Still, one concern gnawed at you—something that hadn't been addressed. "What about Andy?"

Rain blinked, taken aback for a moment by your question. But then she answered, her voice steady, "Since Andy is synthetic, he won't need to be placed in a cryo-pod. He'll oversee everything; make sure we don't run into any issues during the journey."

You nodded slowly, her reasoning making sense.

Andy didn't need sleep; he didn't need to worry about the passage of time in the same way you all did.

And if there was anyone you trusted to watch over things, it was him.

Looking over Rain's shoulder, your eyes met Andy's. He stood there, his synthetic gaze soft, head tilted slightly as if saying without words, 'What's best for Rain.'

A small smile crept onto your lips at the sight of him. Without a second thought, you reached out a hand, and he immediately came over, his grip firm yet gentle.

You pulled him into a small hug, and together, you and Andy surrounded Rain, her small frame nestled between the two of you. You held on tight, feeling the warmth of Rain’s body against yours and the steady, reassuring presence of Andy beside you.

Yes, you thought, holding them both close, What's best for Rain.

Snapping back to the present, you shook your head slightly, memory burning away like charred earth now that you knew the truth.

Feeling a mix of anger and urgency, you rushed over to the monitor, your hands trembling slightly as you watched Bjorn continue his verbal assault. His words cut through the tense air, exacerbating the frustration building up inside you.

Bjorn's voice was harsh, filled with disdain as he continued to antagonize Andy. "Andy, listen. Rain can go to jail if she takes you. And if you stay at Jackson, you will be eventually scrapped by the company. Are you in? I need you on board to protect the capsules. To protect Y/N's capsule, remember? She's coming too..."

Andy, his voice steady yet tinged with uncertainty, replied, "But when we get there..."

Bjorn interrupted with a cold sneer, "Scrap. Farewell and bon voyage."

Tyler, looking exasperated and visibly stressed, rubbed his face. "Are you done?" he interjected, his tone weary.

Bjorn shrugged with a cackle, "I'm just saying it like it is."

Andy's response came softly, reflecting his unwavering loyalty, "It's okay. If it's what's best for Rain, it's what's best for me."

As Bjorn clapped Andy hard on the shoulder, walking past him with a patronizing air, he said, "You're a nice guy, Andy. We will miss you. And don't worry, I'll look out for Y/N, for you, yeah?"

You stood there, watching the scene unfold on the monitor, your emotions a whirlwind of frustration and concern.

Unable to contain the growing sense of betrayal, you turned to stare at Rain. Your steps toward her were tentative, each one heavier than the last as you noticed her pale face, her eyes watering slightly as her mouth opened and closed without forming words.

"Rain..." you could only whisper softly, the disappointment heavy in your voice.

"Y/N... I... I-I can explain, please let me explain—"

"No," you cut her off sharply, turning away and rubbing your eyes with your finger to hide the tears welling up in them. "I don't want to hear it, please just stop. I-I—" You had to take a shuddering breath, stopping just a foot before her, "Just... it doesn't matter. Not right now."

With that, you turned your back to her completely, your heart breaking further as you caught the devastated look on Andy's face from the corner of your eye. He seemed clueless, as if unsure what Bjorn’s words truly meant.

Navarro's voice cut through the tense air, disbelief evident in her tone as she asked Rain, "Y/N didn't know??"

Your head snapped back, eyes blazing with anger and hurt. "Me?" you spat bitterly, "Forget about me knowing; why didn't Andy know?"

Your question was directed sharply at Rain, demanding an answer.

Rain ran a hand through her hair, her hands trembling. "He... I didn't bother to tell him," she finally said, looking off to the side, her voice filled with guilt.

Before you could respond to Rain's admission, Kay stood up with a nasty snarl curling her lips. "Rain doesn't have to feel bad about anything. Why should she risk her life for Andy? He's not even alive! It's not gonna matter to him whether he's kept here rotting on this floating rock or scrapped for spare pieces! He. Is. Not. Real!" Her voice escalated with each word, breathing coming out in sharp pants as she finished her long-winded spat.

The hauler was plunged into complete silence following her outburst.

You turned to look at Rain, hoping she would say something—anything—to defend the situation or at least to soften the harshness of Kay's words. But Rain just looked off to the side, her expression unreadable, her silence more telling than any words could have been.

You watched as all three women—Rain, Kay, and Navarro—stood next to one another, their proximity seeming to wordlessly state their solidarity on the issue.

Inside, you could feel the seething anger and fury burning, but you knew lashing out wouldn't help. "Fine," you said curtly, your voice calm but ice-cold. "Andy and I will finish helping you all with this mission, but after it's complete, you don't have to worry yourselves with figuring out what to do with him..."

Rain's face crumbled in heartbreak, her eyes widening as she already knew where you were going with this. "Y/N, please don't. I need—"

"Because he and I will be returning to Jackson Star," you interrupted, turning your back on the group, done with the entire conversation.

As you walked back towards the monitor, Kay let out a sharp, scornful laugh. "I'm not sure what Bjorn sees in you when you're clearly a synth-lover. Rather stay behind and die on this dying planet with a machine instead of heading into a new beginning with your remaining family."

You only spared the girl an uncaring, bored look over your shoulder. "I don't care. He's family, and you don't leave family behind."

With that, you walked back into the captain’s bridge, plopping yourself back next to the monitor, shutting out the bitter words and focusing on what truly mattered—completing the mission and safeguarding Andy.

A/N: heheh hopes you guys enjoyed the update. if a few lines don't match from the movie, know i changed a few things up to fit the fic. other than that: THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR SUPPORTING THIS! The engagement i've been recieveing is so amazing, still cant get over that people want/like to read the trash my mind spit out😩 yall make me wanna write everyday frfr ❤️❤️ see you next update...

Tag List: @dreamsarenicer sadslasher13 ravenswife

[grandlinedreams]

Ace really wants to kiss you. 

He’s wanted to for a while today, but he swears that there are forces at work against him – every time he manages to find you, you’re busy. First it was finishing up a report (you’re more diligent about those, he’ll be the first to admit that), then it was helping in the kitchen, then helping Marco with something – never staying still for too long, flitting from one task to the next. Normally Ace admires how willing you are to lend a hand to anyone who needs it – but right now he needs you, and you’re ignoring him. (Not really, but playing the victim makes him feel a little better.)

So he settles for sulking until he drifts into one of his many afternoon naps, figuring that if nothing else, you’ll come find him when you’re (finally) not busy. He’s right, because when he finally rouses, his head is in your lap and one of your hands is busy stroking through his hair, the other propping open a book for you to read. 

Noticing his movement, you glance down at him. “Finally awake?”

“Kind of,” he yawns. “Ready to stop ignoring me?”

You resist the urge to roll your eyes at his dramatics. “I have not been ignoring you, you just have horrible timing to want attention from me.” 

Ace stares back, cheeks puffing in defiance. “Same thing.” He reaches up, tugging at a stray lock of hair. “Don’t you love me?” 

Despite his tone, there’s an undercurrent of uncertainty that longs for reassurance – that you aren’t tired of him, that he won’t push his limits too far and push you away.

Your expression softens. “Of course I do,” you answer, sending his heart stuttering in his chest. It’s moments like these that make him wonder if he really deserves you, with the way you look at him – like he alone hung the stars for you. “What did you need earlier? Must’ve been important.”

You’re teasing him – if it’d been of real, true importance, he’d have made sure that you were told, regardless of company or current task. But it’s still important, and he grins, tugging at your hair again. “Oh yeah, super important.”

You huff a soft laugh, setting your book aside. “Care to tell me now?”

“Nah.” His tone is lower, eyes flicking to the soft plush of your lips as he rolls over and pushes up, leaning so that you’re the one forced to lean back until you’re beneath him. “I’d rather show you.” 

You look so pretty like this, cheeks pink as you stare up at him, your own gaze flicking to his lips and back. “Don’t stare at me like that,” you protest, and he snickers.

“I’m not staring, I’m admiring,” he says, lowering himself so that he’s just a hair’s breadth from your face with his own, the tip of his nose brushing yours. “There’s a difference, you know.”

This time you do roll your eyes, the action ruined by the traitorous darkening of your cheeks and it sends his heartbeat stuttering in his chest before he remembers exactly what he’s been wanting to do for the better part of the day. He leans down as your head tips up expectantly, eyes sliding shut –

Only for your forehead to collide roughly with his as there’s the sharp rap of knuckles on the door, followed by a call of your name. Hand now clapped to your forehead, you fight to keep your voice from sounding pained. “Yeah?”

“When you’ve got a minute, Pops wants to talk to you, yoi.” 

“Got it,” you answer, “be out in a minute.”

If he weren’t also trying to nurse the blow to his forehead, Ace would tell Marco what to relay to Pops in lieu of your presence – but he keeps his mouth shut and listens to footsteps fade before he lowers his hand from his forehead and watches you do the same. 

“How bad is it?” you ask, and his eyes flick to survey the damage. 

“You might have a bruise,” he tells you as he reaches to rub at the red mark gently. “Is mine the same?” You nod, and he sighs. “Gonna have to come up with an excuse for it.” He hesitates, then moves to get off of you. “Guess you’ve gotta go.”

“Hold it.” You reach up, hand snagging at the back of his neck to pull him back down. “You were going to show me what you wanted earlier.”

“But Pops–”

You huff, rolling your eyes. “Ace, do you want to kiss me or not?” He does, very much so – and when he nods, you raise an eyebrow in prompting. “Well?”

He grins, eyes wildfire bright. “As you wish.”

And after a day full of distractions, Ace finally gets to kiss you.

[lizhi-art]

the ml to spy x family pipeline is real

[selineram3421]

Lovesick Alastor Headcanon

Alastor X Reader

Warnings ⚠

⚠ deer man is possessive/obsessive over you, hides it somewhat, very yandere coded but doesn't force you to do anything you don't like, suggestive/implied, hint at cannibalism, blood, ☺🔪 ⚠

This goes for almost all versions of the Reader. Child reader/platonic relationships excluded.

He's had his eye on you for a while now. Of course you didn't know since he always kept his composure.

You were a jewel among rocks to him.

Will do anything to make you fall in love with him. Not make but persuade.

Uses Vox as a dummy whenever he can to make himself look good.

Waits for you to approach him.

And when you do he's the happiest demon in Hell.

He likes when you wear red. Especially if you are covered in blood.

Its not yours, no. He'd never let that happen.

Literally crazy about you.

He doesn't do PDA but behind closed doors is a different story.

Alastor is a gentleman! He won't do anything unless you ask him to. Kisses, cuddles, hand holding, biting-

*cough*

Depending on what you like of course.

Only spills your blood with your permission. Fully consensual.

Likes holding you close or having you nearby. It calms him down when he's upset or too peppy.

When you are at the hotel, he likes whisking you away to his office for kisses.

Buys you jewelry, food, clothes. A lot of gifts that are in his colors. Maybe one thing you'll wear everyday with a microphone on it.

Everyone knows to STAY AWAY.

Of course Vox is an idiot and tries to woo you but fails miserably.

"You know how much I adore you my dearest.", Alastor caresses your face. "Jusqu'à la fin des temps ou jusqu'à ce qu'il n'y ait plus que nous." (Until the end of time, or until it's just us.)

Makes sure you're content and well taken care of.

Of course there are times when he does too much and you get upset.

"Alastor, please let me do this for myself.", you'll say with a pout.

"Forgive me my darling.", he kisses the top of your head. "You know I like taking care of you, but as you wish."

He shows off his demon form because he knows you like it.

Teases you about it later in your shared hotel room, until you're hiding your blushing face.

"I thought you liked my radio dial eyes?", he leans closer, purposefully turning them into radio dials. "￦as ¡ wr¤Ω&?", he asks, static more noticeable in his voice.

"D-don't!", you'll stutter and shiver, peeking through your fingers.

His smile widens and he'll continue transforming. "What's the matter my love?", he chuckles as he looms over you. "Trouble holding back?"

Falls in love all over again when you get pissed at someone.

Watches as you tear up said demon and cheers for you. "Save me a piece or two darling!"

Man worships and adores you.

No one will ever see you make the Radio Demon blush, but you don't mind. That's only for you to see.

He's yours after all.

Thank you to @the-friend-lol for making me the gif.

~Seline, the person.

Taglist@

@ducky-died-inside @scary-noodlesblog @c4rved-pumpk1n @stolas-thebirb @naelys-the-aster @biromanticboba @kiraisastay @pooplyface1423 @lbcreations-blog @+?

ML for Alastor🎙

[etanow]

MASTER POST

The Experimental Monster Laboratory, or Monster Labs, is a TADC AU where the cast is in the physical world! Sorta..

C&A Research Facilities is one of the cornerstones of the science and medical worlds! They do everything; funding research, manufacturing equipment, and research into the known and unknown in an effort to understand everything. To the public, that is.

They experiment heavily in everything, from hiring literal Gods on earth to manage the more ..sensitive divisions; mixing machine and magic, technology and the supernatural, genetic experimentation, you name it, they’ve probably done it! The world outside may not know anything of the advancements they’re researching but there is little C&A Labs won’t allow in the name of progress in understanding and cataloging everything in their universe. Our story takes place in one of the more private residencies deep in C&A, belonging to Caine; a minor God with mysterious origins, unknown limitations, and boundless enthusiasm for learning everything he can about his little science friends.

╰┈➤ Content

╚═ Unnamed fic (Coming soon...) ╚═ Bubble can cook?? .

╰┈➤ Asks

╚═ Does Pomni act like a zombie? ╚═ Is Zooble's Demon Snake Leg happy? ╚═ Gangle is in a Situation.png ╚═ Gangle's temperament ╚═ Has Ragatha ever shocked anyone? ╚═ Gangle love RAAAH ╚═ Do Caine and Ragatha fight over Pomni? ╚═ Why did Gangle summon a demon? ╚═ Why does Pomni wear a bell collar? ╚═ Kinger's eye ╚═ What if there was a baby crying? ╚═ Death trauma [Gangle and Pomni] ╚═ Kinger has ONE hobby outside of Bugs ╚═ Is Zooble protective of Gangle? ╚═ What happens when you touch Pomni's brain? ╚═ JAX DATED SOMEONE?? ╚═ What does Jax do? .

╰┈➤ References

╚═ Intro Cards ╚═ Height Chart Lineup ╚═ Zooble Demon Snake Leg Intro Card /j ╚═ Queenie ╚═ Gummigoo ╚═ The Sun Room ╚═ Logo .

╰┈➤ Arts

╚═ First ML AU Post ╚═ Second, exploring outfits ╚═ Design sketches part 2 ╚═ Pomni + flower language ╚═ Showtime + Ragapom doodles ╚═ Jax not practicing lab safety ╚═ Abstragedy cuddles ╚═ Raga doodle ╚═ Ragapom doodle ╚═ Jax and Meadowsweet ╚═ Pomni staring out a fake window.png ╚═ [Gives pomni flowers] ╚═ more doodles ig

.

╰┈➤ Misc.

╚═ Caine Lemon Rant [Animatic] ╚═ Zodiac signs?? ╚═ Caine gets called a Tumblr Sexyman and cries ╚═ Bubble Looksmaxxing ╚═ Jax wants to take ketamine with you (Romantically) ╚═ Caine eats a lemon [Animatic] ╚═ BUNNYSUITSSS ╚═ Magma doodles ╚═ Magma doodles part 2

.

╰┈➤ Pomniverse

╚═ Wonderland and Zombni are friends :D

.

╰┈➤ Boundaries / Q&A

╚═ Any story plans? I'm not sure yet, currently writing a fic and several comics on the way.

╚═ Any boundaries? None, so go crazy! I am OK with gore, NSFW, angst, violence, etc, just be sure it is tagged/TW'd appropriately as not everyone is OK with that content. I'd also like to see please LOL

╚═ Can we create fanart/fics/content? Can we dub or fancam? Yes of course!! Please tag me, I'd love to see all of it! I'm tracking the tag #TADC Monster Labs AU for other's content

╚═ Is NSFW allowed? Yes, both art and fic, so long as it's marked appropriately I'd very much love to see!

╚═ Can I ship the characters, self-ships, or OC x Canon? Yes, ship away! Just be aware the only au-canon ships are Caine/Pomni, Ragatha/Pomni, Gangle/Zooble, and PAST Ragatha/Jax.

╚═ Can we make OCs? Go on ahead! Here is a PSD file for the blank template and the PNG can be found here.

╚═ Who are you?

✦✧ Hi I'm Audi! 26, she/they. Full-time office worker, I do art in my free time. ✦ My current interests are TADC, RWBY, Looney Tunes, and Trolls. ✧ I draw using a custom PC, a Huion Kamvas 16 (2.5K), and Adobe Photoshop. Currently learning to use Procreate. ✦ I do not RP and this isn't an ask blog, asks interacting directly with characters will probably not be answered. ✧ Asks are not guaranteed to be answered, sorry if yours isn't but please don't spam/send multiple times! ✦ Commissions and requests are not open at this time, thank you. ✧ My main tumblr is Audi-art. My Twitter is Hammerspaced.

[slvtforfiction]

Can we get a Soft Dom!Johnnie smut?? It’s cool if not tho <3

“Johnnie,love.”

☆ Yesss!!

☆ I love this ask tysm!!! ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

☆ Johnnie Guilbert X Reader ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

☆ Smut! :)

☆ Porn w/ no plot tbh ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

☆ Sorry it’s short ml ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

☆ Masterlist

☆ Hey guys! Before anything else I would ask you to request anything you want because I've lost a lot of motivation and it would really help! :D (Please look at pinned post to see if requests are open.)

☆ Creds to @cafekitsune for dividers :)

I left my apartment walking over to Johnnies and smiled as I knocked the door,he quickly opened it,happy to see me.

“What’s up love?” He asked smiling down at me, “Nothing I just wanted to cuddle and watch a movie with you?” I asked him and he smiled moving out of the way and letting me into his apartment.

Me and Johnnie were tied up in his bed watching a shitty romance movie,our legs intertwined and faces pressed together in a kiss.

Me and Johnnie had barely watched any of the movie,mainly deciding to make out instead,which I’m sure was a better option than watching whatever movie we had reluctantly put on the tv.

We both hummed into the kiss as I grind on his thigh,to which he soon ended on top of me.

He kissed down my neck softly,as I whined out for his touch. “Johnnie,love. Please.” I whispered,my hands falling down to his scalp out of pleasure.

He moved his hands down,exploring my curves before coming back up to break contact with my neck and pull down my shirt.

“This okay?” He whispered,asking for my consent, “Ofcourse.” I replied and with that he continued to explore my body,his hands eventually removing my bra as he kissed in between my breasts.

“Johnnie!” I whined out trying to find friction in any way I could,almost finding solace on his knee.

“It’s okay love,I’ll take care of you.” He said softly, whilst making his way down my body until he he reached my sweatpants,butterflies already forming in my stomach as he kissed down my stomach.

He untied my sweats and pulled them down slowly along with my panties. He took a quick lick at my clit before making his way down to my hole and back up.

“Please love.” I muttered,I didn’t know what I wanted,but I wanted some form of release.

He slipped his tongue inside of me and it felt like bliss. He kept a fast enough pace but not enough to be considered rough.

He bought his fingers up to my clit,rubbing figure of eights as I moaned louder.

He bought his tongue out,sucking at my clit as his lanky fingers stretched me out. I moaned louder as he sped up his fingers pace whilst continuing to gently suck at me.

I felt stars in my eyes as he gently pressed down on my stomach,I felt like I was about to burst.

“Johnnie,m’ close!” I moaned out in a daze, “It’s okay love let it out.” He said popping his tongue of my clit before putting it back.

I felt myself burst out and squirt down his arm as he rubbed my waist with his hand,helping me ride out my high.

I panted and whined out as he removed his fingers before he began to removed his jeans.

He licked up his arm where my cum had splattered across it and I whined out,missing his face in between my legs.

“It’s okay love.” He whispered to me,pulling me into a kiss as he rubbed his cock between my folds,gently easing himself in.

I moaned into the kiss,which had given him leeway to slip his tongue in,quickly taking dominance which I complied with.

He thrusted in and out of me gently whilst I became a moaning and over stimulated mess beneath him.

“It’s okay baby let it out.” He said as tears rolled down my cheeks from pleasure,cumming on his dick as he kept his pace.

Something about Johnnie was that he never cared if he finished,only if his partner did,something I had taken into consideration when letting him use my overstimulated cunt.

He took his hand off my waist,wiping my tears with his thumb whilst he slowed down his pace,pulling out of me.

Cum rolled down me thighs and I got off the bed,my legs wobbling as I got on my knees for him.

“Please Johnnie,come here.” I whispered as he sat on the side of the bed.

“Love you don’t have to-“ I cut him off as I popped his tip into my mouth,working my way down his length.

He moaned out and I smiled,taking the rest with my hands. He gently held the back of my head,making sure not to press down too hard.

My eyes watered again as I pressed them closed,sure that my shitty mascara had already run far down my cheeks.

I smiled around his cock feeling it twitch,knowing he was close I went faster.

He groaned out,holding my head down gently as he came inside my mouth. I smiled looking up at him from the floor as I swallowed it obediently.

“Good girl,do you want to go to sleep?” He asked softly and I smiled at him,nodding.

We curled up together in bed,watching YouTube,saying our ‘i love you’s’ before falling asleep in each others arms,his hands raking through my messy hair.

[marauroon]

Hey! I just wanted to say I absolutely love your writing! And if you’re looking for requests, I was wondering if I could get a James Potter x reader hurt/comfort fic about how he’d react when she’s sick? It’s one of my favourite tropes. ❤️

U N D E R T H E W E A T H E R — J.POTTER!

james always steps in when you’re feeling a little under the weather.

james potter x fem!reader | 1.1k | comfort | masterlist!

a/n — thank you ml <33

You woke up feeling heavy, your head swimming with an ache that made it hard to keep your eyes open.

The scratchy throat you'd noticed the night before had only worsened, and the cold air seeping in from the window made your body shiver beneath the duvet.

Every inch of you felt sluggish, weighed down by fever and fatigue. You tried to roll over, hoping to find a comfortable spot to ease the pounding in your head, but it was no use.

James was still fast asleep next to you, his hair a mess of dark curls across the pillow. He looked peaceful, so you bit back the groan of discomfort that threatened to escape. There was no point in waking him up. You could get through this on your own.

Or so you thought.

It wasn’t long before you felt a light touch on your shoulder, pulling you from your restless haze.

“Love?”

James’ voice was soft, groggy with sleep, but his hand on your arm was gentle and full of concern. You must have made a noise or shifted enough to rouse him. Blinking up at him, you saw the familiar worry creasing his brow, those hazel eyes of his studying you closely.

“You alright?” he asked, his voice still thick with sleep.

“Just feeling a bit off,” you muttered, trying to downplay the discomfort that had taken over your body. You didn’t want him worrying over you.

But James, being James, was already sitting up, his hand reaching for your forehead before you could protest. The moment his palm met your skin, you saw his expression change, his eyes widening slightly.

“Merlin, you’re burning up, Love” he said, voice sharper now, concern replacing the tired knot in his eyebrows.

He pulled his hand away, and before you could stop him, he was throwing the covers off himself and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“Didn’t want to bother you,” you admitted, your voice barely more than a whisper as another wave of chills ran through you.

James gave you a pointed look over his shoulder, haphazardly reaching for his glasses on the bedside table and sitting them crooked on his nose. “Bother me? You're *sick*, love! I’m supposed to take care of you, you know.”

You sighed, but a small smile tugged at the corner of your mouth despite how miserable you felt.

James could be a bit dramatic sometimes, but that was one of the things you loved about him. He cared with his whole heart, and when it came to you, there was no such thing as overreacting in his book.

In moments, he was fussing over you, grabbing an extra blanket from the foot of the bed and tucking it around you with tender precision, his own sleep quickly forgotten.

You watched him with half-lidded eyes, too tired to protest, but comforted by the warmth of his presence. When he stood to leave the room, you caught his wrist.

“Where are you going?” you asked, your voice hoarse.

“To make you some tea,” he said with a soft smile. “And maybe grab a few potions from the cabinet. You stay here and rest.”

You nodded, too worn out to argue, and sank back into the bed, grateful for the extra layer of warmth he'd wrapped around you.

The moment James left the room, the quietness settled over you again, but knowing he was nearby made you feel just a little bit better.

It wasn’t long before he was back, carrying a steaming mug of tea in one hand and a few bottles in the other. He set them down on the bedside table and helped you sit up, propping pillows behind your back with gentle hands.

“Here,” he said, pressing the mug into your hands, “sip this, it’s your favorite,”

You took a small sip, the warmth of the tea soothing your raw throat as you relaxed against the pillows. James sat beside you on the bed, watching you carefully as if ready to spring into action at the first sign of discomfort.

Once you’d managed to drink half the tea, he set the mug aside and handed you a small vial of Pepperup Potion. “This should help with the fever. You’ll be up and about in no time.”

You grimaced slightly at the thought of taking the potion—it always tasted a bit too sharp—but the way James was looking at you, all hopeful and worried, made it impossible to refuse.

You downed the potion like a shot, grimacing as the familiar warmth of steam filled your body, instantly clearing your sinuses and easing some of the ache in your head.

James beamed, his whole face lighting up with relief. “See? You’ll be right as rain by tomorrow.”

You managed a weak smile, but your body still felt heavy with exhaustion. The potion was helping, but you weren’t out of the woods just yet.

“I think I just need to sleep,” you murmured, sinking further into the pillows.

“Of course,” James said softly, pulling the blankets back up to your chin. “I’ll stay right here with you. Wake me if you need anything, yeah?”

He stretched out beside you, propping himself up on one elbow so he could watch over you, his hand resting lightly on your arm. The comfort of his presence, the warmth of his touch, made it easier for you to relax.

Just as you were drifting off, you felt his hand brush through your hair, soft and soothing. His voice was barely above a whisper when he spoke again.

“I love you, you know. I’d take care of you every day if I had to.” He echoed, stamping the end his sentence with his lips against your forehead.

You smiled, eyes closed, too tired to respond but knowing he could feel your gratitude in the way you leaned closer to him. Wrapped up in James’ warmth and love, the fever and aches seemed a little less unbearable.

[sashi-ya]

❀˖ KINKTOBER 23 MASTERLIST ㅤㅤㅤOct 1st - Oct 14th

ʚ 𝔦𝔪𝔭𝔬𝔯𝔱𝔞𝔫𝔱 ɞ - due to tumblr acting stupid, I was forced to split the ML in two parts. You will find the fics from days 15 to 31 on this masterlist. - the list will be updated everyday as I post the fics for each day ~ - mdni, do not copy, repost or translate without permision. - tag system as an extra tw: soft kinks 🤍 | mild kinks 💜 | hard kinks 🖤 |

ʚ 𝔪𝔞𝔰𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔩𝔦𝔰𝔱 ɞ

❀˖⁺ OCT 1. free use ⋆ roronoa zoro + f! r 💜 synopsis. you are serving the new daimyo of Ringo, Roronoa Zoro. And part of your duties are to simply allow the swordsman to use you whenever, and however he pleases.

❀˖⁺ OCT 2. god form ⋆ nika luffy + f! r 🤍 synopsis. curious, Luffy and you, decide to spice things up. Will you give your body to the Sun God Nika? will you allow him to take you to heaven?.

❀˖⁺ OCT 3. glory hole ⋆ nico robin x m! r 💜 synopsis. tired of the mundane life, Nico Robin, a successful CEO visits a different type of club to have some fun behind a wall. You, on a business mission, will visit the same club. Which surprises will you find there?.

❀˖⁺ OCT 4. threesome ⋆ kid x killer x f! r 💜 synopsis. after he cheated, your friends Kid and Killer are there to console you... in many different ways.

❀˖⁺ OCT 5. pregnancy ⋆ kyoraku shunsui x f! r 🤍 synopsis. who said pregnant women aren't sexy? to Shunsui your body has now became a beautiful temple in which he wanna kneel and pray to the Goddess you are.

❀˖⁺ OCT 6. dom/sub ⋆ hongo x f! r 💜 synopsis. while everyone thinks you are sick, you visit doctor Hongo for different reasons... an illness that gets cured by pure vitamin D.

❀˖⁺ OCT 7. stepcest ⋆ kisuke urahara x f! r 🖤 synopsis. you've been holding back for a long time now.. will you keep stopping yourself? or will you be succumbing to Kisuke's forbidden body tonight?

❀˖⁺ OCT 8. sex machine ⋆ germa brothers x gn! r 🖤 synopsis. you are used to have fun with the Germa brothers, but are you ready to play with their new toy?

❀˖⁺ OCT 9. df/bankai ⋆ byakuya kuchiki x f! r 🤍 synopsis. how would you react if a soul fell in love with you, a mortal?

❀˖⁺ OCT 10. impregnation ⋆ sabo x f! r 🤍 synopsis. keep teasing Sabo to fill you up, and you will find out what he is capable of...

❀˖⁺ OCT 11. watersports ⋆ sosuke aizen x f! r 💜 synopsis. Aizen has a lot of things to teach you and show you... will you drench yourself in knowledge... and experience?

❀˖⁺ OCT 12. dry humping ⋆ trafalgar law x gn! r 🤍 synopsis. insatiable, you want more. And because you can't wait until getting home, Law will allow you to sit on his lap while he drives...

❀˖⁺ OCT 13. public ⋆ donquixote rosinante x f! r 💜 synopsis. silence can be the best ally when you don't wanna get discover

❀˖⁺ OCT 14. leather straps/ bondage ⋆ law x f! r 💜 synopsis. please, stay quiet and still while he works... if not, Law will have to tie you down.

for the following days please visit this masterlist🌸 ˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦　　　 　˚　　　　 . ★⋆. 　　　.   　　˚　　 　　*　　 　　✦　　　.　　.　　　✦　˚ 　　　　 ˚　.˚　　　　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　 　　 　　　　 ✦

[winxanity-ii]

𝐈 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄, 𝐑𝐎𝐁𝐎𝐓 ᵃⁿᵈʸ

╰ ⌞🇳‌-🇩‌-255 "🇦‌🇳‌🇩‌🇾‌" 🇫‌🇮‌🇨‌🇸‌⌝

━━ ❝Why was the street sweeper fired? Because he swept dirt.❞

𝗜𝗡 𝗪𝗛𝗜𝗖𝗛- you're faced with the challenge of surviving the horrors of the Weyland-Yutani colony while becoming the obsession of an android whose protective directive has gone awry.

..... ... ..... ━━━━━━━☆☆━━━━━━━ ..... ... .....

. ⇘ ⇙ .

《 𝔸𝕠𝟛 𝕧𝕖𝕣. | 𝕎𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕡𝕒𝕕 𝕧𝕖𝕣. | ℚ𝕦𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕧 𝕧𝕖𝕣. 》

..... ... ..... ━━━━━━━☆☆━━━━━━━ ..... ... .....

Parts:

01 ┃𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬 - 4.0k wc

02 ┃𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲… 𝙡𝙤𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 - 3.0k wc

03 ┃𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥 - 4.5k wc

04 ┃𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 - 4.8k wc

05 ┃𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 - 4.9k wc

06 ┃𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 - 4.7k wc

⌜ 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐅𝐞𝐦!𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐱 𝐘𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞!𝐀𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐜⌟

‧͙⁺˚･༓☾　🇦‌🇱‌🇮‌🇪‌🇳‌!ᴀᴜ　☽༓･˚⁺‧͙

➢ 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞/𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ➢ 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭 ➢ 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫/𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 ➢ 𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞/𝐆𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐲(?)

**This is a short Alien: Romulus (2024) fanfic; it absolutely needs to be read in order...

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐃: August 28, 2024 𝐏𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐃: August 28, 2024 𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐃: TBD

𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕕 ℂ𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕥: [~]