#samau

[saltymongoose]

ok i have a request: phobos with a shy player who hides behind him to avoid talking to people. extra bonus points if they also tend to get overstimulated and will just hang out in his office because they know nobody will disturb them

Of course! Here you go Anon, Happy New Year! <3

Phobos' Reaction to a Shy!Player

(TW: Yandere, Obsessive Behavior, Referenced Violence)

The moment you first show some signs of extreme shyness, Phobos’ concern is obvious. The sight of you ducking behind him when two of his agents passed by made him wonder if they'd committed the sin of scaring you in some way.

He’ll ask you about it in a soft manner, ever polite and gentlemanly. “Have my men done anything to make you wary, Your Grace? I assure you, I’ll punish them appropriately for their transgression, whatever it might be."

(Perhaps he was a little too convinced that they did something. But the Director couldn’t stand for anyone or anything making you too scared to be there at the Nexus’ headquarters, too scared to be near him. Plus, he couldn’t stand it if these nobodies made his organization look bad to you. Not when all of this was for your favor.)

You wave your hands and try to assuage his concern, explaining that you were just a bit overwhelmed by others’ attention and that his personnel weren’t at fault for anything. (Luckily for them.) The Director merely hummed in response, but you could tell he was put at ease by the way his hand fell from the pommel of the sword at his side.

After that, however, Phobos learns to appreciate your shyness each time it rears its head. The way it causes you to go to him for comfort is something he can’t help but adore, not only because it serves him with that attention from you he so craves, but also because it shows just how much you trust him.

Really, it’s enough to make him swoon. Witnessing his God showing so much faith in him and his capabilities, seeing how you go to him and him alone for comfort—it's far more than any simple vessel of yours could hope for.

Phobos will do his best to ensure that you never regret your choice, and he’ll be infinitely welcoming and understanding whenever you feel the need to escape from others’ attention.

He’ll place himself between you and anyone else who enters your vicinity, acting as a barrier should you not want to spend your time mingling with his lessers. (Besides, he really doesn’t think that they deserve an inkling of your attention anyway, even if they are his underlings.)

If you do decide to socialize, he’ll try to keep you close regardless. He figures it would be best to do so in case anyone tries to get too comfortable around you or dares to upset you.

Needless to say, the workers of the Nexus Core are never truly at ease whenever they’re around you; it’s impossible to be. Not when their Director is leering in their direction like he’s a second away from violently lunging at them. And they honestly believe Phobos enjoys the discomfort they feel around him. (And they’d be right.)

On the off chance that Phobos cannot accompany you, he’ll have one of his officers do it instead (likely a Tower Guard or another one of his more powerful units). They’ll be under strict orders concerning their treatment of you, of course.

Phobos absolutely loves it when you hide away in his office to get some proper peace and quiet. Just being able to look up from his work and see you lazing about on the seat closest to his or reading a book he’s gifted you makes him feel all the more warm in your presence. Perhaps it’s the joy of being in your sphere, or simply the gratefulness he has that you chose him and his place as your getaway, but the butterflies in his chest can’t seem to die down when you’re so close.

He’ll encourage you to stay more often and for longer each time you drop by. Phobos will also use a myriad of reasons to try to convince you if you hesitate; whether it be his need for your tactical knowledge or him “accidentally” ordering someone to bring your favorite snacks/drink to his office before you even entered. Either way, you’ll find yourself having some obligation to spend more time with him. Not like you mind it that much; Phobos is surprisingly good company (to you, at least), and it stops you from having to mingle with others when you don’t wish to.

Overall, Phobos is surprisingly soft and doting when faced with your shyness - even affectionate (and clingy) at times. However, that's to be expected; it's a side only you could ever bring out of him, after all. For the Director of the Nexus Core, treating you any different would be a crime worthy of the worst consequences imaginable.

[wisteriasymphony]

A little something based on @dreamer-in-a-far-away-land 's post about a self-aware miraculous au! :) I think it'd only be natural that, if they figured this out, our lovely duo would try and find a way around it....

The knowledge that Marinette was Ladybug was something that, by design... Adrien had no reaction to. He hadn't been given a reaction yet, so he thought. The event hadn't yet been written. ...The Epicurean paradox states that, given the presence of evil, either God is not all-powerful or all-good: Though he now believes whatever pulls the strings must be neither, the fact that him and Marinette have kept such a profane secret for this long is testament enough that God's watch is finite.

He looks around, the streetlamps glowing with an orange light that reveals no shadows. This far out into the city, there are no doors and there are no windows. Streets end (or begin?) in perfectly straight lines, and he's stood in places where his feet can reach the sky below them. To step off the ledge is to fall for longer than he has ever lived. It's a boring suicide, and so he quit the habit.

"You have the ring?" Marinette asks him. To ease her anxious mind, she never wears her pigtails at night ("What do you think would look more like... 'me'?" she's asked him, as Ladybug, many nights before. He never knew the answer.). She hopes it's harder to recognize her that way.

Adrien nods, taking the hexagonal box out of his back pocket. The engraved lid of the wooden box is merely a trick of the light, as when Adrien passes his hands over its surface it is the same uncanny smooth as everything he's ever felt.

He licks his bottom lip, feeling a cold against his face that isn't there. "You have the earrings?"

Marinette takes out the same exact box from her jacket pocket, thumbs brushing up against the box's sides. She's so clever, infinitely clever, and yet it's always on the brink of trying something that she gets a chilling anxiety that transforms her into another person entirely. Adrien couldn't say whether this is or is not the 'real her', because that would mean deciding a 'real him'. He wants to believe that the girl he fell in love with, through act of God or otherwise, will keep that bravery and cleverness.

They swap boxes silently, exchanging wishes of good luck through their gazes. Adrien turns away to get home before sunrise, confident in the plan, before Marinette's hand pulls him back.

"Wait!" she whispers. "...I still have the earrings."

Adrien flips upon the box he knows for a fact Marinette just traded him, and sees his own miraculous inside.

They stop for a moment, and the silence around the outskirts of the city that once gave them comfort has now become haunting.

Marinette's brows are furrowed, but she insists they try again. The boxes are traded once more, then opened: Marinette has the earrings. Adrien has the ring.

"We can't... We can't give them up... I thought that wasn't written, it's... No, we've traded them before, there's no way..."

Marinette drops her box, fingers raking through her hair as she hyperventilates. Not bringing the Ladybug to a fight—Impossible. Permanently handing over the miracle box to Alya—Impossible. Luka is gone because of things she told him, Chloe is gone because of things she told her, and the more times she tries and tries and tries leads to people "moving" or "catching flights" or just not telling her why they leave entirely. Marinette can't even reach Socqueline anymore, and the number she spent her first year in middle school memorizing now only leads to static on the other end of the phone. There's nothing to do about it, nothing at all!

"Marinette, it's okay," Adrien spoke calmly, bending down to pick up the earrings-box. "We just need to keep trying. I believe in you."

For a moment, two rings of the Black Cat Miraculous are in Adrien's hands.

...Adrien neglects to tell her this, fearing it would only worry her further. Juggling both boxes in one palm, Adrien takes Marinette's hand in his, interlocking their fingers.

"I know y... I know we're going to find a way out of this, Ladybug. We have to."

"We don't even know what we're fighting, Adrien!"

"Tomorrow, don't use your lucky charm. Don't do anything that your gut tells you to," he says. "If anyone has a chance at surviving that, it's you."

"...And what are you going to do?"

Adrien smiles, handing her one of the boxes. "Tomorrow, I'm just going to follow you, like I always have," he assures her. "We'll figure it out from there."

[cheschesterpossum]

Fuck it, madcom x TFA crossover

Also here's Player as a treat

(didn't know which alt mode to give them so..)

[eagle-eyes-sideblog]

That Medical Anomaly

Summary

An AU where the reader is the subject of a secretive experiment that leaves them the perfect Player... among other things.

Possible triggering themes for this AU/story include medical trauma, descriptions of chronic illness, ableism, depression, and death. If I've handled anything insensitively, please let me know.

A more 'formal' introduction, along with rambling about my thought process, under the cut.

Self Aware MadCom belongs to @saltymongoose. The concept is really interesting to me, even aside from the xreader stuff (although it's definitely also that lmao). So I thought I might explore that a bit with a concept that's already been floating around my head for a bit. The world that the reader is from is deliberately left a bit vague, but it's sort of magical realism. Most relevant to this AU: there are things like doctors and computers existing alongside curses and other magical ailments.

Also, this doesn't really include much MadCom or SAMAU... Well, no interactions with the characters, anyways. It's mostly just an introduction to my ideas for this AU, so it describes more of what your life was like beforehand and how you found the series. Do also note that I've never played either M:PN game, so there might be some inaccuracies.

All that being said... enjoy!

~~~

You, along with several others, were the subject of an experiment when you were a teenager. It was so secretive, you were never even given the details of why it had been conducted. That, or you had forgotten, given that one of the major side effects of the experiment was memory loss.

The experiment itself was something about deliberately letting specific kinds of contagions into the subject's body. You knew a few of them were fungal, and many were magical in some way, although they were different for every experiment.

Apparently if they chose the right infections for the right subject and 'balanced' them properly with the individual's immune system... they would stabilize. This led to the subject gaining supernatural abilities based on whatever magical infections they had.

Of course, most of the subjects weren't so lucky. The various infections would usually just take their courses; often the combinations would very quickly kill the subject. Those that survived were left with permanent problems ranging from aphasia to compromised immune systems to seizures.

You were their star subject, the one better off than all the rest. The staff made sure to remind you of that every time you complained about anything. "Be grateful," they told you. "At least you can still speak. At least you're still recovering. At least you're still alive." They never said it out loud, but you heard the implication. All of this is only happening because of us.

Bullshit. You were only 'better off' because of sheer dumb luck. Had they succeeded? Maybe. But their idea of success didn't even take you into account.

And their idea of success still left you with problems. Yes, you have sharper senses now, and you can draw energy from more than just food. But you're face-blind, and your hands and feet are numb, and you sometimes hurt so badly that you can't walk.

Not to mention how unethical the experiment itself was. They didn't even study people who already had these conditions; they deliberately induced them. Hell, one of your roommates was six years old! Why they let her participate still bothered you today.

...But it wasn't all bad. You cherished the friends you'd made there, even if you'd lost contact with most of them.

Not just your fellow patients, either. Most of the staff were... annoying at the very least. But a few seemed to actually have your best interests in mind. For example, your favorite nurse, Max, recommended an animated series that might help take your mind off of things when you were in the depths of depression.

You very quickly fell in love with Madness Combat. The simple graphics, where characters were denoted by outfit and style rather than facial features, seemed perfect for you. You grew to adore Hank, Deimos, Sanford, Tricky, and every other character, getting invested in their fights even when nothing else made you happy.

And the episodes were just plain fun to watch. Even when you had issues with your memory, the fight scenes interested you more than enough to make up for it. The community, too, seemed to welcome you, and you came to cherish the friends you made there.

Not only that, but you found a little game on Newgrounds. Although your numb hands made it hard to play, it really did capture the things that made you adore Madcom to begin with. Your favorite nurse approved too; after all, it was an exercise in hand-eye coordination!

Naturally, you were beyond thrilled when Project Nexus came out. By that point, you'd already left the facility. And your memory had recovered enough to get well and truly obsessed with the lore.

You smiled, picking the Tourist difficulty and sitting back to watch the intro cinematic. This was going to be fun.

(Unbeknownst to you, it would also be much, much more than you bargained for.)

[amunisence]

Nevada isn't Big Enough for the Two of Us

Rogue Player AU: Chapter 1.4

Check out saltymongoose (SAMAU) and dallyfae (Purgatory Mode - New Player AU): what my AU is based on and inspirations! Story is on an indefinite hiatus.

<<First Next>>

You look up at Doc in confusion, "Hired? For what?"

"Mercenary work. You'll go on missions with Hank and the others."

"But..."

"You just healed Christoff faster than I examined him. If we're going to put up a fight against Player- er- the other Player, we need abilities like yours."

After seeing the damage the other Player accidentally did to Christoff, you understand Doc's desire to have you join SQ.

"You're right," you say after some deliberation.

"Good. We're on the same page then." Doc saunters over to his desk. "I have a looooot of paperwork to revise, so I would appreciate some solitude," he says as he starts sifting through papers. You nod and start heading towards the door.

"Wait," Doc interjects before you leave, "Sanford and Deimos have a mission soon. You should join them, so you know what to expect."

"Oh, sure!"

"Hank, go take the Player to them."

You stiffen up as you glance over at Hank, who blankly stares at Doc. Despite not knowing Hank personally for very long, you had a feeling he wasn't very fond of you. Hank catches you staring, startling you, but he doesn't say anything and exits the office. While looking back at you, he nods his head in the direction Sanford and Deimos went and walks ahead.

Reluctantly, you follow the intimidating grunt. The taps of your shoes following the thuds of his boots. Amidst the uncomfortable silence, thoughts about the car ride from earlier flood your mind. As well as Hank's reaction when you mentioned the other Player.

"Hank?" you blurt out, "I'm sorry about what I said. In the car I mean." You pause for his reaction--your heart nervously thumping with anticipation, but he forges on without a word.

"I um... I think we started off on the wrong foot." Hank stops short. You cease movement almost directly behind him. Without moving the rest of his body, he looks back at you.

"Quiet."

Before you can apologize further, Hank quickly moves on and leaves you behind. Deciding it would be best to just leave him alone, you silently follow. Soon enough Hank points out a door and plants himself across from it. As Hank leans against the wall and crosses his arms, you knock on the door. You can hear two people talking from behind the door, presumably Sanford and Deimos. The talking grows closer.

"Look, Ford, I'm sorry for blowing up. I'll go ahead and get the door."

The door opens to reveal Deimos who blankly stares at you once you're in sight.

"Give me a moment," he calmly says before closing the door.

"SANFOOORD. The IMPOSTOR is here."

<<First Next>>

[krystalkitdemi]

Manifest player concept sheet

Based on @saltymongoose​‘s au  @chesterpossum884​ look, I drew Mani. May be a bit overdesigned from my usual style. :) @cosmica-galaxy​ :)

[freakz-scars]

Madness Combat Self Aware Au: HiveMind.

The Beginning.

You're apart of a hivemind from another world looking to take over new lands. You happened to be the exceptional one of that specific hivemind

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

Author note: Hello, this is my first time writing for Madness Combat! please give criticism.

---

You've stared around the many versions of you, all staring at their manipulative god. You didn't know why that specific person seeks familiar but you knew they were someone important in your life, you just can't put your finger on who that specific person is. You began staring at your "God", you all called her "Dear Goddess" strangely enough. Why didn't they have different words like "Almighty goddess"? It was all fuzzy.

"Hello! Erm, I happened to spot a world where we could all live there! We just have to battle our way to get a home!"

Strange, a battle for a place to live? That was suspicious. You didn't know why she scared you alot, but you referred to her as dear friend because she always called you a friend..now that you're thinking, you always have gaps between your memory yet she always refer to you as dear friend. What kind of control she had over you?! this was scaring you.

"Friend? What's the landmark name?"

You spoke out, questioning her as she smiled gently at you. Almost sinister like..it terrifies you to the bone.

"Ah..I heard from its original inhabitants that it's called Nevada! I want you to scout there for me dear [NAME], can you do that please?"

You nodded immediately, you just have to play by her rules and you'll be okay..right? All the sudden you felt tired..very tired, you didn't wanna fall asleep right here! But you can't help it--

---

You were laying on the ground of a rocky landscape, you didn't know what happened or what exactly where you were..all you could remember was scout the land by your dear "friend"..You could do that and so you gotten up and wandered the lands. It was a peaceful walk in its red sky, it calms you.

All you didn't know is that this mission would change your life.

[wisteriasymphony]

I've thrown my ring into The Siene more times than I can count. Getting there is the easy part—I've found where the walls don't fit to perfect corners, where books with no pages and basketballs with no weight can be stacked to reach the matterless ceilings. The nighttime gives me enough secrecy, though it is not a gaze I know that I hide myself from. It's something omnipresent, a god that does not always pull my strings.

Is this a blessing, or a curse?

Plagg begs me to stop, but I won't. Part of me still believes he is powerful, and that he could go off on his own if I just pushed him enough. The ring doesn't skip across the water, merely passing through the surface like a veil—no ripples, no sound. Plagg says the falling can take years, centuries.

But he's always back on my hand when I wake up.

--

Main character, main character... It's something I would've never considered myself, but it makes too much sense. Is that what makes me the best Ladybug ever? Is that why I've been told... everything?

I want to think I'm more than that. I really want to think that I earned these things. I'm Ladybug because I'm good and I'm smart and I'm kind, not because there wasn't any competition.

I used to think it was normal that I didn't sleep. Sleep was just an inside joke that people passed around, like... Well, I can't think of a comparison, haha. But the idea just sounded silly: People could just stop doing things... all because they felt like it?

I can see the holes drilled into my walls now. I can see where the sky isn't real.

I can't sleep because they watch me. They always watch the main character. They say it's what I deserve.

--

I don't know where I am, but it is not New York.

Imagine if the whole cast of Miraculous Ladybug became aware they where in a show due to one of the bad writing decisions.

Think of the existential dread you could get from that!

Chloe realising that she can't be good no matter how hard she tries because of this invisible force.

Zoe having an identity crisis over her very existence.

Marinette wondering if her love of Adrien is reap or not. Her trying to trust Chat Noir only to get stoped by the entity.

Adrien realising he's a prisoner in more ways then one, forced to remain oblivious to his father's wrong doings.

And so on and so forth!

[lulzyrobot]

I've been on a metroid kick lately, so I had to draw one of my first favourite characters ever. Samus gets to have a cool phazon scar cuz I say so.

God I wanna draw so much more.

[saltymongoose]

ohh my goodness. i've been waiting to send these until requests were open bc i wanted to hear ur thoughts.

might be a little silly, but consider: matching outfits. player gathers clothing materials!! and coordinates outfits one day on missions!!!! even makes props!!! hijinks ensue. idk if this had already been disscussed before, but thank you for your time and consideration, ily. you are so cool <<3333!!!!!!! everything you make is so scrumptious!!!!! <33

Omg, thank you, this is so nice of you!!! :D ❤❤❤❤ I love this art so much, you have no idea - the way you portray the boys here fits so well (as always lol). And the memes too omg!! I can't even put it into words to be honest with you, these are just excellent. I do feel slightly bad for that random grunt though, something tells me they'll be sleeping with one eye open after seeing that lmao.

(Also, thank you so much for the compliments too of course, you're far too kind. (˶⸃ ⴰ⸃˶)♡ I could say the same to you btw; your art is always just *chef's kiss* perfection.)

Anyhow, I've actually thought a bit about this scenario before, but this just inspired me, so I wrote some short hcs for you. Hope you like them! <3:

The Player Matches Outfits with Them ft. The Main 3 + 2BDamned

(TW: Yandere, Obsessive Behavior)

- [2BDAMNED] -

2BDamned knew that you had been working on a little project - one that you tried to keep as secret as possible. He was curious, but not enough to encroach on whatever boundary you set regarding it. All he knew from your rather lackadaisical explanation was that he'd be very surprised when he saw. And, well, he was.

The first conscious thought in 2BDamned's head is the question of how you've managed to make a mask that looks so similar to his without borrowing the original. It's really spot on; the seams are in the exact same place, and even if yours has to have been configured differently to fit your more human facial features, the silhouette is exactly the same.

(In the end, he concludes that you simply must've studied his appearance for a while to truly replicate his mask, which makes him feel almost giddy in a way he might've deemed embarrassing before meeting you. But now he's just overcome with happiness that you were obviously interested enough in him to do this.)

He openly praises your skill in sewing, knowing that grunt clothing is ordinarily much too large for you. And you'd notice how the fondness he holds for you seeps into the words, his gaze lingering on you in a way that left you feeling warm.

If you could see underneath his own mask, you'd be able to see the smile he was unable to bite back as well, and the flush that he'd try to will away otherwise. And while he is incredibly impressed (and happy) at what you've managed to put together, he will mention that you could also borrow his actual things once in a while, if you feel so inclined. He just happens to think one of his own jackets might suit you too.

(Of course, he doesn't miss the chance to lean real close to adjust your mask as he says this either, just to fluster you even more. You really have no idea how cute you are, especially looking like this.)

- [DEIMOS] -

A full minute of unintelligible sputtering leaves Deimos' lips the moment he sees your new outfit, and you laugh at the way his face goes bright red. When you said you had a surprise, this was one of the last things he expected.

Luckily for him, he's able to quickly gather his composure, and his excited ramblings turn into smooth flirts that'll leave you blushing instead of him. Expect all sorts of comments about how cute you looked dressed up like him, and praises about how you look even better in his fit than he does.

He insists on taking a ton of pictures together, and you can bet he keeps his favorite in his wallet. (It's one of your faces smushed together as you both grin at the camera, making a heart with your hands.)

He considers this a total power-couple thing; matching shirts are so low-effort compared to this, if anything it shows you perfect you are together. Although there is one thing he'd help you change from your original DIY version of his outfit - those sheet-metal dog tags you made can't compare to the real thing in his opinion, so why don't you just use one of his instead?

Also, don't think he won't take advantage of the fact that you both are the only ones with headsets. Even if yours isn't functioning (because let's be honest, finding one in working condition would be difficult), he'll fix it up quickly just so he can talk more directly to you during missions. And whenever else he wants to, to the irritation of the other three.

- [SANFORD] -

Sanford would consider his outfit to be fairly standard, but he recognized that you were emulating him the moment you slid the sunglasses on. And he couldn't stop the goofy smile from splitting his face when he realized it either, not even attempting to hide his amusement at what you've done.

(He only gets visibly happier when you 'threateningly' brandish your wire hook in his direction. You really put a lot of thought into this, didn't you?)

While Sanford has the amount of restraint in him to not openly brag about you doing this, he can't deny the rush of satisfaction he gets from seeing you in what is an unmistakable homage to him. If you look closely, you'll see him straighten up in pride whenever you come into view. (It's almost like preening, really. If he weren't so flushed, perhaps you'd think it to be more of an ego thing, but no.)

Although, he does show a little bit more concern about some aspects of your outfit. Like your boots, for example; he can't count the number of times he's gotten blisters while breaking in his own, so you should expect him to ask you if you need any plasters (or help bandaging yourself as well).

(If you decide to accept his offer, you'll find yourself questioning whether he ever officially trained as a medic before. He surely has the gentleness befitting of one, shown in how he carefully cleans your wounds and softly applies the ointment, his calloused fingers gently smoothing over the plasters on your Achilles heels afterward. Although you have the slightest suspicion that this tenderness from him is known only to you.)

Sanford will also make it part of his routine to pluck your glasses from your nose and clean them after he does his own. Afterward, he'll slowly lean in when he places them back on you to make sure he doesn't poke you in the eye. Neither of you mention that you could do it yourself, or that his decision to slide them back onto the bridge of your nose himself was highly unnecessary. Maybe he just does it to get a better look at the way you blink up at him and blush, or perhaps it's for some other reason, who's to say? Either way, you have no complaints.

- [HANK J. WIMBLETON] -

Your laughs are muffled under Hank's hands as he cups your face, tilting it up to look closely at you. His excitement at your new look is almost palpable; you can easily tell from how he's shaking and hurriedly looking over, his gaze never stopping on one spot for longer than a second. He just wants to take in everything about your new look, is all.

He'll almost insist on doing a mission with you wearing it, not only because the idea sounds fun to him (with his love of carnage and all), but also because it provides an excellent opportunity to rub in everyone else's faces that you chose to copy his outfit. Not theirs.

In a way, he also becomes just a tad more doting than usual. He busies himself with dusting you off, and adjusting your goggles and the lapels of your coat whenever another skirmish is finished. It's his way of checking you over and making sure your hard work wasn't damaged either.

(Plus, he'd hate it if this instance of you copying him was cut short because of some worthless grunts' attempts at harming you.)

You'll catch him sticking closer to you than usual too, and he does so for multiple reasons. First is that he just prefers to be near you whenever he can anyway (the warmth of your presence is one of his favorite things, and it gives ample opportunity to show off around you), but now there's also the fact that your outfit will freak out your enemies. As you can imagine, he enjoys that immensely, and what better way to improve this experience than to have his Player join him?

In a way, Hank also sees this as a sort of 'claim' you've put on yourself too. Wearing your significant other's clothing is kind of a thing with some grunts, and while he knows they aren't really his clothes, there's still some of that same sentiment there that makes him purr just a bit louder whenever he sees you in that new outfit of yours. It tells the world you're his in some way, even if not officially. So why wouldn't he be happy about that?

[wisteriasymphony]

The first night I discovered my mother in the basement, I strangled my father to death with my bare hands. There was no God that night, no conscience to stop me. He fumbled for his wedding rings, throat breaking in on itself as he tried to command me to stop, but nothing got through.

There were a million questions I wanted to ask him—Why this? Why now? Were there no other options? What about the rest of the world was so expendable that made him feel like he had a right to do any of this? Was I not worth being told? Was I not worth anything?

I could recount to you the feeling of his pulse fading to nothing between my hands like it never left me. I didn't bother actually asking, mind you. It kind of happened all at once, without really thinking.

But when I saw him walking the halls in the morning without a single bruise on his neck, I decided it was too late to ask then anyways.

Gabriel and I avoid each other now, only speak when God watches us. Say our lines, go through the motions.

Has he killed me too, and I just don't remember?

[cheschesterpossum]

Gawd damn

[eagle-eyes-sideblog]

Four's a Crowd

Summary

Mostly follows the story of SAMAU. However, this time, it's not just you that gains the attention of the Employers. Your roommates do so as well. (This piece is basically just a description of your roommates; there's not any SAMAU in this. Sorry!)

One other thing to note: Although I use 2nd person in this, the Player has sort of grown into their own character over time. Oops?

Being a streamer often kept you up late. It took a huge portion of your time, and your schedule basically revolved around your streams.

Often you were unable to do your share of the housework, so it fell on your roommates.

You were lucky, then, to have roommates who were not just okay with, but happy about your work.

In fact, they even joined in sometimes. If the game allowed, they would play with you from their own computers; otherwise, they often sat on your bed and provided commentary from off-screen.

Your community had come up with silly nicknames and backstories for all of you based on the little information that you'd revealed.

All of this had begun as a series of running jokes. Your "brand" was something like a phoenix; your screen name was Firehawk, after all, and you really did adore fire. Thus, your fans liked to draw you with the traits of a firebird.

You'd even seen some very interesting, well-written fanfiction about yourself. Even if it was a bit odd to read about your own streamer persona kissing your favorite characters or, god forbid, your roommates.

Of your friends, the first to appear, surprisingly, had been Tick—named for the antique pocketwatch he'd showed off on his first appearance. He was very busy and didn't show up often; he also had a very handsome voice, according to chat.

He wasn't much of a participant, either, preferring to sit and comment about your performance. Considering his love for math, he tended to approach things from that angle, sometimes discovering mechanics that you hadn't even noticed. Because of these traits, he was often portrayed as a mysterious and brooding timekeeper, with many secrets to hide.

(In reality, Markus was the only one of your roommates to have a traditional office job. He worked as an accountant, running the numbers for a construction company. He didn't really like the kinds of games you played; he said they were too stressful for him. You said that the way he played Stardew Valley was plenty stressful, but to him, there was a huge difference. He was also the calmest of all of you, although he was quite socially awkward, another reason why he didn't appear very much.)

Then came Rosebud, which came from the rose hair clip she wore 24/7. He was another fan favorite; sometimes you wondered if they liked him more than you. She was very charismatic, unhinged in just the right way to become adored by the masses.

He happened to be the most frequent guest on your streams, since his schedule matched so well with yours. She seemed to enjoy interacting with chat, often riling them up, much to your chagrin. Your fans seemed to think that she was a flower demon of some kind, which she delighted in.

(Honestly, you couldn't blame them for adoring him. Akemi's cheerful chaos really was infectious. Chat thought Tick was the most mysterious, but they had no idea just how strange Akemi was. She often simply... vanished into the night. Because of this, he was even more nocturnal than you—you didn't think she'd seen the sunlight in at least three years. You were also fairly certain he ran a Twitter account dedicated to you, which you decided to take as a compliment.)

Finally, there was Chroma, who had gained the nickname because of her brightly-colored, ever-changing style. Especially her colorful wigs. She'd taken to wearing outfits themed around whatever game you were playing, so she was usually the first to learn of your plans for the week.

She mostly appeared at either the very end or the very beginning of the stream. She was incredible at video games, and sometimes you even recruited her to help you out when you got stuck. She also adored insects, so she'd always try to sit in when you played insect-themed games. Chat was, naturally, head-over-heels in love with her.

(As a line cook, Josie had become excellent at dealing with pressure, even growing to enjoy it. Her attitude, both in work and in personal life, was efficient to a tee. In the past you'd associated that with insufferable perfectionists... but she was so passionate and caring that it balanced it out. She was an optimist who saw the best in people. No, not just saw—considering the stuff you knew she'd been through, she fought tooth and nail to believe that there was good in the world.)

[amunisence]

Rogue Player AU Headcanons

First of all, this is all based on Saltymongoose's Self Aware Madness: Project Nexus AU with inspiration from Dallyfae's Purgatory Mode AU. The Rogue Player AU explores the idea of *multiplayer* in Salty's AU (since there's a local/remote multiplayer option in Project Nexus).

Now onto the headcanons! Starting with the Players! (For my sake they'll be shortened to "Rogue" and "Newbie")

Rogue Player aka Player 1 used to be the normal Player we all know and love, but they became corrupted by the desire for more power and praise

Rogue's powers are amplified: anyone can be a vessel and the strings themselves can be used as a weapon

However, Rogue's powers have a very limited range... don't get too close

Now onto New Player aka Player 2 the reader insert. Auditor brought Newbie into Project Nexus in a last ditch effort to save his ass from the other Employers' wrath (and save Nevada I guess)

Unlike Rogue, Newbie has no established relationship with any of the grunts. So even though Newbie is a fan of MadCom, the first impressions are the absolute first impressions. Both for Newbie and the grunts towards each other.

Newbie is pretty much a mix of starstruck/intimidated when meeting the grunts (excluding Sheriff. Newbie was too preoccupied with Hank and Rogue to really react to Sheriff other than surprise)

Once Christoff gives Newbie the halo, it gets transformed accordingly, but the effects on their powers remains a mystery for now...

Now onto the main four + Christoff...

Unlike the others, Hank was fine with and at times delighted by Rogue's new violent tendencies. He was suspicious of Newbie's sudden appearance on a mission to pacify Rogue but didn't protest since they offered aid for that outcome.

Hank currently holds no allegiance towards Newbie aside from what's mandatory. He isn't convinced that the player Rogue once was is completely gone which tends create tension between him and grunts who think otherwise.

Sanford and Doc were the first to notice the change in Rogue's behavior. Sanford in particular noticed how eager Rogue was to fight alongside him and Deimos. Outside of missions, Rogue became more distant and less sociable. Rogue was even less receptive to the meals he cooked them.

"Did I do something wrong?" Sanford asked Rogue one day. "Of course not!" Rogue responded, "I just don't feel like myself lately." Sanford continued to worry as his beloved Player became unrecognizable.

Currently, Sanford hasn't met Newbie yet, but he is convinced that Rogue is no longer his Player. Since he believes the deep connection he had with Rogue is lost, he's more open to the idea of a new Player than Hank.

Deimos suspected there was something off when the playful banters between him and Rogue came to an end. Every so often they would shut him down, but now Rogue almost chastises him at times for his jokes.

Deimos could obviously tell there was something wrong but was afraid of wasn't sure how to approach Rogue. He talked to Sanford who corroborated Rogue's odd and worsening behavior. He assured Deimos it wasn't his fault.

Like Sanford, he hasn't met Newbie yet, but is also receptive to the idea of a new Player. Deimos feels like he lost a dear friend and would jump at any opportunity to regain the connection that rivaled him and Sanford's.

Like I said before, 2BDamned and Sanford noticed Rogue's odd behavior before the others, but Doc was the first to inquire them about it. During a check-up, Doc asked Rogue about their mental health, "I appreciate your concern 2B, but I'll be fine! Don't worry." Which of course made him more concerned. Rogue had acknowledged there was something wrong but wouldn't elaborate.

Doc continued to monitor Rogue's well-being and was disturbed by an increase in violence during missions and conflict with coworkers in SQ. He attempted to ask Rogue about this a few more times, but they began refusing to answer altogether.

Doc is more than open to the addition to a new Player. SQ needs all the help they can get. Whether he's open to developing anything more than a professional relationship with Newbie is uncertain. He still holds deep concern for Rogue and feels like he failed them.

Christoff remembers Rogue fondly from Project Nexus Classic but has not seen nor felt their presence in ages. This is why he was shocked at the news from Doc that his Player had gone rogue and aid was needed.

When he confronted Rogue, he could hardly recognize them both visually and personality-wise. Christoff thought he could save Rogue from whatever had caused this drastic change in them but was struck down by his own heroics.

Then at seemingly the last second, Newbie stops Rogue and saves the keystone fragment in Christoff's possession. It didn't take long for him to realize that Newbie was another Player. To ensure the safety of the keystone fragment, he gave it to Newbie recognizing them as Nevada's new savior.

Christoff was quick to accept Newbie as a new Player, but he still holds the desire to save Rogue and will help any way he can to make that possible.

Hopefully, I'll be able to upload Chapter 1 of the story soon since the prologue is done, and I got these headcanons done!

[krystalkitdemi]

Late merry christmas!

I know, I'm late. I was busy with a lot. :)

Also, this is an art attack on @chesterpossum884

>:) Happy mutual combat.

Also, this is Manifest player’s official art debut. 

[tribeworld]