#shrink ray me but just a little bit

[ismildlyamused]

I had a wonderful time visiting my great aunt and uncle, but I don't think they realized that I'm a monster

[princessbrunette]

daddy!johnb should have known there was a meltdown inbound from puppy!reader when she was being irritable with everyone. pup was always a ray of sunshine.

you’d been snappy with him towards the end of your day spent running about with the pogues, and when pulled up on it — your boyfriend pulling you to the back of the group walking back to the twinkie, a hand firmly on your lower back, as he mutters a low “hey, clip the attitude okay? this isn’t you.” you only responded with an agitated whine. maybe that’s when he should have checked in.

you explode in the twinkie not twenty minutes later after some more tsking from your boyfriend, pushing him away suddenly and raising your voice in the back of the car where he sat with you, luckily letting pope drive the crew home this time. “theres too much noise and i’m cold and wet and tired!” you erupt, shoving at him in the backseat, loud enough to earn an awkward side eye from kiara in the seat directly infront.

“alright, okay, hey — look at me.” the older boy croons, gripping you until you still in his grasp, letting out a few agitated sobs into his chest. he sighs, eyes all soft and sad that you’d probably feel guilty about if you saw. reluctantly, you claw your way out to look up at him urgently, like you were desperate for some answers. he melts.

meanwhile, sensing your little meltdown in the backseat the group get a little quieter out of respect— jj turning the radio up just a little bit to create a wall between the chatter and the two of you. you relax just a little bit in his grip.

“no need to freak out on me, okay?” his eyes are wide and yours are teary, breathing all heavy. he notices, placing a warm palm on your chest. “first of all, we’re gonna breathe.”

you follow his instructions — in and out, until your breathing pattern is somewhat regulated. he doesn’t take his eyes off you the whole time, john b was good like that. eye contact was his forte.

“okay, next problem. hit me.” he shrugs one shoulder and you shrink a little. “use your words, sweetheart. daddy’s listening, i just wanna help.”

“my clothes are wet.” you verbalise and he nods proudly before holding up a finger and lurching over the backseat to reach for one of his spare shirts he keeps in there for his days spent on the road. showing you, he then pulls it over your head and helps you take off your damp blue crop top beneath, tossing it into the back. he unclips your bikini top too, throwing it with the shirt whilst maintaining your dignity.

you sit, slumped and sleepy — looking a lot more comfortable and he guides your cheek with his finger to look at him once more.

“hey, what else?” he urges and you blink. before you can respond, you yawn. “okay.” he nods.

pulling you onto his lap in the backseat, john b stretches out as best as he could— rubbing your back up and down and leaning his lips down to your ear.

“so we got roughly… one hour left of this journey? i want you to take a nap. right here, bubba.” he holds you tightly, and you can’t help let out a few relieved sniffles— the long day having caught up to you big time. he was so attentive, it made you wonder what you did to deserve it. “i know sweet girl. everybody has days like these, okay?”

“even you daddy?” you rasp tiredly.

“oh yeah. especially me. big time.” he jests, before rocking you lightly to sleep in the quiet van.

[nhlclover]

TREACHEROUS LUKE HUGHES

pairing: luke hughes x fem!reader

summary: this slope is treacherous, this path is reckless. this slope is treacherous and you like it.

warnings: loosely based on 'treacherous' by taylor swift, childhood friends to lovers, heated make out, luke & reader being awkward a little bit, appearances from jack, quinn, mark, and ethan

word count: 5.06k

notes: literally the longest thing i've ever written omg but i hope you guys enjoy!!

The summer sun blazed down on the lake house, casting bright rays onto the water and the worn-down wooden dock, where you and Luke sat side by side, your fingers inches apart but never touching. The shimmering lake stretched out before you, a mirror reflecting the clear blue sky and the occasional ripple from a passing boat. It was the familiar scene of your summers, but this summer felt different — more charged, more intense.

You and Luke had always been inseparable since childhood. The backyard games, the bike races down the hill, the late-night chats under the stars—those moments had forged a bond that felt unbreakable. But beneath the surface of that easy camaraderie, there had always been something more—a secret, unspoken longing that neither of you had dared to voice. As you both grew older, the simple crushes you had harboured blossomed into something more profound, but you both chose to keep those feelings hidden, afraid of ruining the one relationship that had always been your rock.

This summer, as you and Luke reunited at the lake house, the tension between you was palpable. The familiar comfort of your shared experiences was now tinged with a new, almost unbearable intensity. Every look you exchanged seemed to linger longer than usual, every touch felt more significant. The boundary between friendship and something more had become increasingly blurred, and it was becoming harder to ignore.

One morning, as you were in the kitchen making breakfast, Luke appeared in the doorway. His presence was as familiar as the morning sun, but today, there was something different in his eyes—an earnestness that made your heart race.

“Hey, wanna go on a boat ride with me?” he asked, his voice casual but with an undertone that you couldn’t quite place.

You glanced up from your toast, meeting his gaze. “Yeah, sure,” you replied, a slight smile tugging at your lips as you finished buttering your piece of toast. “Quinn and Jack coming?”

“No, no,” he said shaking his head, a small smile tugging on his lips. “Just me ‘n you.”

The simplicity of his offer was almost too loaded to process. You could feel the heat of the sun on your skin and the way the space between you seemed to shrink. You nodded, feeling a mix of excitement and nervous anticipation.

“Y-yeah sounds good,” you say. “Just let me finish breakfast and then I’ll go get ready.”

“Of course, take your time,” Luke said, his eyes lingering on you for a moment longer before he turned and left the kitchen. You finished your breakfast in a daze, your mind racing with thoughts about the boat ride.

After breakfast, you quickly changed into your swimsuit, grabbing a hoodie from the pile of clothing that accumulated on the armchair in the corner of your room. You examined it quickly, realizing it was one of Luke’s Michigan hoodies that you had borrowed earlier in the week during a bonfire.

You found Luke waiting at the dock, the boat bobbing gently in the water. “Ready?” he asked, his voice steady as he helped you onto the boat.

“Yeah,” you replied, settling into one of the seats. The boat ride started out in comfortable silence, the only sounds being the hum of the engine and the lapping of water against the hull. As the boat moved further out onto the lake, Luke kept glancing at you, his eyes flicking from the water to your face as if he were trying to gauge your mood.

It wasn’t until you approached the tiny, rocky island, that you realized where Luke was taking you. It was the small island you’d found when just after Luke had gotten his boater’s licence. It had become your own little private oasis that the two of you would visit just to relax, using the privacy of the space to talk about whatever had been bothering you or whatever was on your mind.

Luke put the boat in neutral, allowing it to slowly float up to the rocky shore. He hopped out, steadying it before the bottom would scrape, then turned to you. "Hand me the anchor."

You obliged, tossing the towels to him first, then reaching for the small anchor. As you handed it over, Luke teased, “Not too heavy for you?”

You rolled your eyes behind your shades. “It’s like 13 pounds, Luke. Fuck off.”

He snorted, taking it from your hands and lodging it on a nearby rock. “Here, take my hand so you don’t fall on your face.” Luke said, extending his hand to help you down onto the shore.

You rolled your eyes at his comment, though Luke couldn’t see that behind your shades. You grabbed his hand, feeling the heat of the sun still clinging to his skin. As you hopped down, your foot slipped on the wet surface, and for a split second, you thought you were about to fall face-first into the water.

But Luke’s grip tightened, his other hand reaching out to catch you by the waist, steadying you before you could stumble any further. “Don’t worry, I got you,” he murmured, his voice soft, yet steady.

Your heart skipped a beat, and as you stood there for a moment, pressed against him, you could feel the tension thick between you. “Thanks,” you breathed out, stepping back once you found your balance, though the warmth of his hand lingered.

You moved to the towels Luke had tossed onto the sun-warmed rocks moments ago, straightening one out and lying on it, putting your arm over your eyes. Luke lingered by the boat a moment longer, watching you, his heart still pounding. He took a deep breath and sat beside you, staring out at the water, wondering how much longer he could pretend nothing had changed.

You sat in silence, the birds cawing in the air and the splashing water providing a nice background noise. Luke glanced over at your body lying just a foot away from him, your tanned skin glistening under the beating Michigan sun. Luke couldn’t take his eyes off of you. He felt dirty for staring at you like this; staring at your chest that was just barely covered by a teal bikini, rising and falling rhythmically as you breathed. Your stack of gold necklaces rested on your clavicle and Luke couldn’t fight off the thoughts about marking your collarbone with lovebites.

“I missed this,” you said suddenly, Luke snapping his head forward to focus on the water that lapped steadily against the shore.

He swallowed hard, trying to shake the heat that consumed him — not just from the sun, but from the way his mind was racing. “Missed what?”

“This,” you replied with a soft smile, lifting a hand to gesture around. “The lake, the sun, the quiet… just being here. It feels like nothing else matters for a while, you know?”

Luke let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He dared to glance over at you again, this time his eyes landing on your head — your eyes were still covered by your arm, but he had the perfect view of your plump lips, as well as the way the sunlight caught in your hair, making it shine like it was woven with gold.

Luke shifted uncomfortably, forcing his eyes to the water once again, trying to ignore the fire burning inside him. He wanted to say something — anything — to break the silence, but his mind was a mess, tangled with everything he’d been holding back for so long.

“I get that,” he finally managed, his voice quiet. “Feels like… everything else just disappears out here.”

You nodded, still lying back with your arm draped over your eyes. “Yeah, exactly. No distractions. Just us.”

The simplicity of your words hit him harder than he expected. “Just us.” Luke bit the inside of his cheek, knowing full well how dangerous those two words felt right now. He was suddenly acutely aware of how close you were — the soft rise and fall of your chest, the small space between your bodies.

You sat up, stretching your arms over your head, the movement catching Luke’s attention again. You glanced at him, your eyes hidden behind sunglasses but the tension was palpable. “You okay?”

Luke nodded a little too quickly. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m good.”

“You sure?” You tilted your head, watching him curiously.

Luke’s eyes involuntarily traced your face, landing on your lips a moment longer. Your breath hitched, the air between you charged with something unspoken but very real. “Yeah… really good.”

And just like that, the distance between you vanished.

It happened fast, almost like you both decided at the same moment. One second you were staring at him, heart racing, and the next his lips were on yours, the kiss electric and urgent. You didn’t know who moved first, and you didn’t care.

All the years of restraint, of not crossing the line, melted away as your lips moved together. Your hands found Luke’s curls, tugging on them slightly which elicited a groan from him. You moved onto his lap, no longer oblivious to the physical toll you had taken on Luke. His hands hesitated at first, but then they slid down your sides, his touch searing. He traced down your ribcage, onto your waist, then finally settled on your ass.

The kiss deepened, both of you getting lost in the moment as the years of pent-up tension finally released in waves. You tugged on his roots, causing him to squeeze your ass tightly, a low grumbling coming from his throat. Your fingers untangled from his brown locks, tracing down Luke’s shoulders and onto his torso, feeling the curves of his abs under your fingertips. Luke shivered beneath you despite the burning sun that shone down.

You finally pulled back, the both of you gasping for air, your chests rising and falling rapidly. Your gaze dropped to his slightly swollen lips, then to his bare chest glistening in the sunlight. The intensity of the moment suddenly caught up to you — his hands still gripping your ass, his body warm and hard beneath yours. You realized the position you were in, straddling him, looking dishevelled as one of your bikini straps had slipped down your shoulder, exposing a deep tan line.

Luke’s eyes followed the movement, his pupils blown wide as he swallowed hard. The weight of everything you two had held back over the years came crashing down on him. His grip on your waist loosened, his hands hovering as he was unsure of what to do next. You felt the tension in the air shift, both of you realizing you’d crossed a line that you couldn’t un-cross, no matter how badly the two of you have wanted to all along.

“Oh, God,” you whispered, your eyes wide as you pulled back slightly. “What did we just do?”

Luke ran a hand through his hair, looking as freaked out as you felt. His cheeks were flushed, though you couldn’t tell if it was from the kiss or the heat. “I don’t know. I—” He looked down, then back at you. “Does this change everything?”

“I don’t know,” you admitted, your mind racing with all the implications of what just happened. “I…we should head back.”

You swung your leg back over Luke, standing up and quickly walking back towards the boat. You grabbed your hoodie and threw it on despite the heat, feeling like you needed to cover yourself, needing something to hide behind. Luke sat there for a moment longer, his heart pounding in his chest as he watched you retreat. He ran his hands over his face, trying to make sense of what happened, but the feeling of your body pressed against his lingered too heavily. His mind was a mess of excitement and confusion, with lingering sentiments of regret as he couldn’t help but feel that everything was screwed now. Luke stood up quickly, jogging to catch up to you, but the air between you was thick and awkward now.

The boat ride back to the lake house was silent, and the roar of the motor made it easy for neither of them to face the reality of the situation. You sat in the front hold, knees tucked to your chest, staring out at the water as it splashed against the sides of the boat, stray droplets hitting your skin. Luke sat in the driver's seat, gripping the wheel a little too tightly, sneaking glances at you every few seconds.

As the lake house came into view, you stood up quickly, ready to jump out as soon as you were close enough to the dock. Your heart was still racing, no longer from excitement, but from the overwhelming sense of reality that had come crashing down. All the unspoken tension, all the nights you spent wondering if this would ever happen, it had—too fast, too soon. You didn’t know how to face it, how to face Luke.

The second the boat docked, you jumped out onto the wooden pier, barely pausing to steady yourself. You grabbed the rope, helping Luke quickly tie up the boat, before starting up the dock towards the house.

Luke hopped out, following you closely. “Wait, can we talk for a sec?” he called after you, his voice shaky, filled with desperation.

But you were already halfway to the house, your footsteps quickening. “I…I need a minute, Luke,” you replied without turning around, feeling your chest tighten with the weight of everything.

Luke stood there for a moment, watching you disappear inside. His shoulders slumped in defeat as he ran a hand through his hair again, frustrated with himself. He knew that something had changed between you before this but now this was something that was going to be impossible to ignore.

Inside the house, you hurried up the stairs to your room, closing the door softly behind you before sinking onto the edge of the bed. Your heart was still pounding, not from the brisk walk you’d just done to escape Luke, but instead as you replayed the kiss in your head — how natural it had felt, how long you had waited for it, and yet how terrifying it was now that it had happened. You buried your face in your hands, trying to slow the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside you.

As the sun set over the lake, the tension between you and Luke didn’t go unnoticed by the others at dinner. You didn’t sit in your normal spots next to each other, instead sitting at opposite ends of the table, avoiding eye contact, and only speaking when necessary. You kept in conversation with Mark, bringing up just about anything you could think of to avoid interacting with Luke. The energy felt heavy, and no one could ignore how different things seemed between you two.

After dinner, it didn’t take long for the others in the house to confront you and Luke about what had happened that afternoon. Luke found himself outside on the back porch with Quinn and Jack, while you were cornered inside playing pool with Mark and Ethan.

Quinn and Jack watched as their little brother swirled his glass over and over, the sound of the liquid sloshing and the crickets chirping being the only sounds around them. Quinn leaned back in his chair, studying his brother carefully. His bottom lip was bright red from how hard Luke had been chewing on it, his eyes unfocused on the glass in his hand. Luke, uncharacteristically, hadn’t said anything in about 10 minutes. Normally he’d find a way to get his two cents in during every conversation, but his silence was overwhelming

“Alright, what’s going on? You and y/n have been acting weird all evening.” Quinn finally asked, honestly a bit weirded out by his brother’s behaviour.

Jack chimed in, less tactful than Quinn. “Yeah, man, did something happen on the boat? You’ve both been all… tense since you came back.”

Luke snapped his eyes off his cup, and onto his brothers whose eyes were burrowing into him. He hesitated, running a hand through his messy curls, his heart still racing from earlier. He couldn’t seem to get it to slow down. “I, uh… I made a move.” Luke admitted quietly. “I kissed her, I mean… We, uh, kissed.”

Quinn raised an eyebrow, glancing at Jack, who smiled and nodded in approval at his brother. “Finally,” he grinned. “So… was it everything you’ve ever hoped for? Did it live up to your fantasies that you’ve been dreaming of since you were fifteen?”

Luke knew Jack was poking fun at him, but as he replayed the kiss in his head, he realized it was. “It was… intense,” Luke said, choosing his words carefully. “We were chatting and then I just kissed her. Her lips… it felt like there was nothing around us when I kissed her. But…”

Luke trailed off, sinking back into his chair as the events that immediately followed replayed in his head.

“But what?” Jack probed.

Luke sighed, feeling the weight of his doubts. “After we pulled apart, I freaked out. All I could think was that I’d just ruined everything between us. I like her a lot… but I didn’t think she felt the same. And… and now I’m worried our friendship is done.”

Quinn let out a little sigh, a small smile tugging on his lips at his little brother. “Look, if it came to that point, that the two of you got close enough to make out, then it means she probably feels the same way,” Quinn said, leaning forward in his chair. “You’re not going to ruin what you two have. I promise that your friendship is strong enough to survive this.”

Jack, more relaxed, shrugged. "Yeah, you clearly like each other. Just talk to her."

Inside, the sound of pool balls clacking loudly filled the air, and no conversation was exchanged between the three of them. Mark and Ethan exchanged silent looks that were traced with unspoken words, urging the other to break the ice and ask you about what had transpired on the boat. Finally, Ethan gave in to Mark’s coaxing stares.

“So uh,” Ethan started, drawing your eyes onto him. “You gonna tell us what the fuck happened on the boat?”

Your fingers stilled on the pool cue, hesitating as you glanced between him and Mark, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Your heart thudded uncomfortably in your chest. Mark and Ethan’s eyes bore into you, expecting answers you didn’t even have for yourself. The tension from earlier had followed you inside, wrapping around your chest like a vice.

You straightened up, brushing a hand through your hair as you tried to collect your thoughts. “I… I kissed him,” you admitted, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over you. “Or maybe he kissed me. I don’t know… it just happened.” You let out a sigh, biting your bottom lip.

Mark raised an eyebrow, nodding slowly. “Okay, you kissed, big fucking whoop,” he said, taking a step forward. “Explain to me, then, why are you both acting like someone just died?”

Ethan snorted, leaning his cue against the table. "Yeah, seriously. It’s not like anyone’s surprised. You’ve had this thing between you for… what? Years?"

But to you, it felt like something had. Not a person, but something sacred between you and Luke—something that had been built carefully over years of knowing one another. You had always skirted the edges of something more, but you’d never let yourselves tip over. Until today. And now everything felt fragile like the ground beneath your feet was unstable.

“It’s not that simple. Luke and I… I mean we’ve always been friends. We never crossed that line, even when it felt like we were close. And now… I don’t know. I feel like I messed it all up.”

Ethan scoffed. “Messed it up? You didn’t mess anything up. You guys finally did something that everyone’s been telling you to do for ages. Hell, it’s about time.”

Mark chimed in, his tone a bit more understanding. “Listen, I know it’s scary now that you think your friendship’s changed, but from what I’ve seen, I don’t think anything’s ruined. I think this is something you’ve both wanted for a while. You’ve always liked each other, even if you both pretended not to.”

You looked down, fingers tapping nervously against the side of the pool table. “What if he doesn’t feel the same way?” you whispered, voicing the fear that had been gnawing at you since the moment you left the boat. “I mean, I… I basically jumped on him. What if I made things awkward for him?”

Mark rolled his eyes, walking over to stand beside you. “Trust me, if Luke had a problem with it, he would’ve said something by now. You didn’t force anything. From what it sounds like, he was just as into it as you were.”

Ethan nodded in agreement. “Exactly. Don’t overthink it. He’s probably freaking out just as much as you are. Just talk to him.”

You sighed, knowing deep down that they were right, but the anxiety still clawed at your insides. “I don’t want to ruin our friendship,” you admitted quietly. “We’ve been close for so long… if this messes things up, I don’t know how I’ll deal with it.”

Ethan couldn’t help but roll his eyes. No matter how many times they reassured you that your friendship wouldn’t be ruined, it was clear that your anxieties were getting the best of you. “You won’t ruin anything. I’ve seen how Luke looks at you. That guy is all in, even if he doesn’t realize it yet.”

You pulled your bottom lip between your teeth, nibbling on it anxiously. As their words sunk in, you couldn’t help but glance toward the back door, where you knew Luke was with his brothers. The thought of confronting him, of actually talking about what had happened, still terrified you. But deep down, you knew it was the only way to move forward.

Mark and Ethan’s advice echoed in your mind: Talk to him. It was scary, but you couldn’t deny the spark that had ignited between you and Luke. Maybe, just maybe, there was something more waiting for you both on the other side of this conversation.

After the conversation wound down, you couldn't help but feel the lingering tension between you and Luke. Even though Mark and Ethan’s reassurances helped ease some of your worries, the knot of uncertainty in your chest remained. It gnawed at you, the same question echoing over and over in your mind: What if this changes everything?

As the house settled into its quiet evening rhythm and the sounds of conversations faded into the background, your thoughts were still consumed by that kiss — how everything had felt so right in the moment, yet so terrifying in its aftermath. You and Luke had always danced around the possibility of something more, but now that it had finally happened, the reality of it weighed heavy on you.

Later that night, sleep refused to come, your mind running wild with the events of the day. You lay there in the quiet of your room, replaying the kiss over and over again. Every brush of Luke’s lips against yours, every touch of his hands, the way his breath had quickened as he held you close. The intensity of it all made your heart race, but so did the fear that followed.

You glanced at the clock: it was well past midnight, but sleep was the last thing on your mind. Instead, your thoughts turned to the advice Mark and Ethan had given you. Talk to him, they said. But what if talking only made things worse? What if everything fell apart? Yet, despite the fear gnawing at you, one truth remained clear: you couldn’t ignore this. You couldn’t pretend the kiss hadn’t happened or that it hadn’t meant anything. You needed to talk to Luke.

Taking a deep breath, you pushed back the covers and swung your legs over the edge of the bed, your heart pounding as you quietly made your way to the door. The moment you turned the handle and pulled it open, you froze.

Luke stood there, his hand raised as if he was about to knock, his blue eyes wide in surprise. “Oh!” you gasped.

“I was just coming to talk to you,” he said, his voice soft and uncertain. “Can I come in?”

You nodded, stepping aside to let him in. The air between you felt heavy with anticipation, and as Luke entered, the awkward tension that had been present all evening seemed to follow. You both sat on the edge of the bed, keeping a small but noticeable distance between each other. The silence was deafening as you each tried to find the right words to start.

“So…” you started, breaking the tension. “About earlier.”

“Yeah,” Luke muttered, glancing at you before looking down again. “That was… intense.”

You let out a small laugh, though it was more out of nerves than humour. “Yeah. It was.”

Luke rubbed the back of his neck, looking like he was struggling to find the right words. “I’m sorry I freaked out. I didn’t mean for it to… you know, get weird.”

You shook your head quickly. “No, it wasn’t just you. I was freaking out too. I mean, we’ve been friends for so long, and I didn’t know if this would… ruin that.”

Luke’s eyes finally met yours, and there was something vulnerable in his gaze. “I thought the same thing. But… I think we’re making this more complicated than it needs to be.”

You fought a smile that was grappling to show, needing to hear Luke say it. “What do you mean?”

Luke swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. “I want us to be more than friends. I’ve wanted it for a long time, but I didn’t think you felt the same. But after today…” He trailed off, his words hanging in the air.

“I do,” you whispered. “I’ve felt the same way for a while. I just didn’t know how to say it.”

Relief washed over Luke’s face, and a small smile tugged at his lips. A matching smile formed on your lips as you thought for a moment. “How do we move forward? Like… as more than friends,” you asked.

“I think we just stay the same,” Luke shrugged. “Except now I can call you my girlfriend, and I can kiss you, and we can have sex.”

You laughed, feeling some of the tension melt away. “Is that all?”

“Yeah,” Luke replied with a grin, leaning closer. “Is that okay with you?”

Your breath hitched as the space between you shrank. “Yeah. It’s more than okay.”

Without another word, Luke leaned in, and this time, when your lips met, there was no hesitation. All the years of restraint, of not crossing the line, melted away as your hands found his curls, tugging them gently. A low groan escaped him as you moved into his lap, feeling the heat between you intensify. His hands slid down your body, resting on your waist before moving lower, gripping you as he pulled you closer. You could feel every inch of him beneath you, the warmth of his skin against yours. The world outside faded away, and all that mattered was the two of you, finally letting go of everything you’d been holding back.

The weight of the uncertainty that had been sitting between you all evening lifted, replaced by a dizzying sense of relief and excitement. Luke's hands gripped your hips firmly, grounding you in the moment. You could feel his heartbeat against your chest, fast and erratic, matching the wild rhythm of your own. The connection between you had always been there, simmering beneath the surface, but now it was tangible, electric, and you couldn’t get enough of it.

Luke’s lips moved against yours with a sense of urgency, wanting to taste every bit of you. His hands slid up your sides, fingers brushing your skin under your shirt, leaving goosebumps in their wake. You let out a soft sigh against his lips.

Pulling back slightly, you caught your breath as you both took a moment to come back to reality. Luke’s hands stayed on your waist, his thumbs gently brushing your skin, as if he didn’t want to let go.

“I can’t believe we waited this long,” Luke whispered, his breath warm against your lips.

You laughed softly, reaching up to his curls and gently running a hand through them. “I know, it feels kind of crazy, right?”

He chuckled, a low sound that sent a pleasant shiver down your spine. “We’re idiots. Could’ve saved ourselves a lot of trouble.”

You smiled, scanning his eyes. There was something different in them now—no more hesitation, no more uncertainty. Just Luke, as you had always known him, but also something more. “Better late than never, though,” you teased softly.

Luke's hands moved up to cup your face, his thumbs brushing gently across your cheeks. “You know, I meant what I said earlier,” he whispered. “I’ve wanted this for a long time. I just didn’t think you’d ever want me like that.”

You blinked, feeling your heart squeeze at his vulnerability. “Luke, I’ve always wanted you,” you admitted quietly, your voice shaking just slightly. “I just… I was scared.”

His gaze softened, and he leaned forward to press a soft kiss to your forehead. “I get it. I was scared too. But I’m not scared anymore.”

You smiled, feeling a rush of warmth flood your chest at his words. “Me either,” you whispered, brushing your fingers through his curls. “I’m not scared anymore.”

The moment cooled down, and you both slipped into a comfortable silence, basking in the newfound closeness. You moved up the bed and under the covers, wrapping yourselves in each other’s arms. The steady rise and fall of Luke’s chest and the soft sound of crickets outside lulled you into a sense of peace. With his hand gently tracing up and down your side, you nodded off, feeling the weight of all the years and uncertainty melt away, leaving only the warmth of the present.

[midnight-mourning]

Christmas Spirit

❄️❄️Midnight's DCA December Day 12❄️❄️

woof, now we're REAL behind chat, apologies was busy but also like, feeling unwell, but here we are! hope you enjoy :)

Prompt: christmas request! Reader doesn't care for christmas since their relationship with their family isnt great and nearly ever christmas since they moved out included multiple fights or screaming matches; they just want to have a positive association with christmas and don't mind working on a holiday at their crazy but chill job with their favorite animatronic coworkers. And these fellow coworkers intend to make sure this christmas is a postive one even if theres silly mishaps here and there.

Word Count: 2048

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When you realized the date this morning, to say your heart sunk into your chest was an understatement. Sure, maybe it was a bit dramatic to go from chipper and ready for the day, to dragging your feet out the door, but to be fair, this wasn't exactly your favorite time of year. So, you think you had a little bit of a pass. 

Though, as you slam open the door to the Daycare just a tad too harshly, spooking Sun whilst he was mid-decorating, you cringe. Maybe not too much of a pass. 

He shakes it off, however, bounding over to you as happily as ever. "Good morning Sunshine! And how are we today?"

You decide to brush off your mistake. Based on the current state of things, he's very excited about the coming holiday, and you'd hate to ruin that for him. 

"I'm doing well, Sunny. And what about you? The place looks great!" You motion to how already, the Daycare is already well on its way to being totally decorated. It's impressive, to say the least. You left less than 24 hours ago, though he probably has a lot more time on his hands than you. 

He puts a hand to his faceplate, waving the other bashfully. "Oh, we're just getting started! Would you like to help?"

"Ah, I don't want to um, get in your way at all." Not to mention even the idea of touching a decoration makes you want to fling it across the room. Despite how ridiculous a notion that is. You shake your head. "I'll just get stuff set up for the day as usual!"

Sun hesitates a moment, rays shrinking. "Oh, okay then! Well, if you change your mind, just let me know! Always happy to have your touch with these things."

You're too distracted by your own discomfort to acknowledge the compliment. Instead only offering a quick nod and a smile as you march over to the craft station and start preparing. 

You'd hope that would be the end of things, but you weren't so lucky. All throughout the day, both sides of the Attendant seem to be ever curious about your thoughts on different holiday plans they have, asking your opinion on this or that. Whether they realize it or not, you can feel your weariness about the topic growing worse, and paitence wearing thin. 

It was only a matter of time before you cracked, and it happens at probably the worst moment to do so; puppet time. 

Sun decided to put on a Christmas themed show—of course—and had all but insisted for your help. Again, not wanting to cause issues, you agree. However, it's easier said than done. 

"—And we all just enjoy the holidays so much, don't we friend?" Sun asks, ever in character with his hand puppet.

You chuckle, awkward. "We sure do!"

"What's your favorite part of the season?" His little character does a spin on the mini stage. "Mine is making cookies, oh oh! And playing out in the snow, and wrapping presents for my friends!"

For some reason the question—which should have been expected—throws you for a loop. "Oh, well, I don't really have anything in particular. But I'd love to hear more about your favorite activities!"

"Oh come on, everyone has something that's their favorite." He presses, unintentionally pushing your buttons. 

At that moment all you can think about is all the years of arguing, fights, yelling. Family members bickering about things that don't matter, and yet, won't talk to each other for weeks afterward because of some minor slip of the tongue. Feelings of being isolated, alone, and utterly miserable creep in. 

You can't help the words that slip out then. "Well, some of us don't like Christmas very much at all!" You say, voice over the top with fake cheer.

Sun seems to take the hint then and thankfully, recovers the show from there. You're a bit embarrassed to need the save. You didn't think you'd lose your composure over a silly puppet show, but apparently, you were wrong. 

It's when you're packing things up to get ready for naptime that Sun broaches the topic once more.

"You, you don't like Christmas, Starshine?" Sun asks, voice soft. 

You take a deep breath, then shake your head. "I, no, not really. No." You see Sun's rays shrink, and put your puppet-free hand up. "But it's okay! Really don't let me bum you out any. I'm sorry I lost my cool for a moment there. It won't, won't happen again."

Before you can speak on it any further, you turn away, heading to start getting naptime mats out and such. Had you not, you would have seen Sun's hand reaching out for you, concern and care clearly evident on his features. 

After that little incident, neither Attendant talks to you about the holiday in detail again. You still discuss activities as usual, but they don't ask specifics of you anymore. You're relieved, but you do feel bad. You hope to make it up to them by having an easy day of work on Christmas itself. 

Get some organization done, clean up some things that you've been putting off, that kind of thing. Hell, maybe you'll even tolerate some holiday music while you work too. 

When you walk inside bright and early on Christmas morning however, Sun nearly jumps out of his skin upon seeing you. At least, you think he would have if he did have skin, that is. 

"Sunbeam! Wha—what are you doing here today?" He rushes over to you. 

You smile and start taking off your coat. "I work today, Sun. Obviously."

After removing your hat and scarf, you grab your apron, brushing it off once or twice before clapping. "So, I was thinking we tackle the craft closet first and foremost, and then go from there with all our usual stuff, that sound good?"

When he doesn't answer you turn, only to jump when you realize he's right behind you, rays flicking side to side. He takes hold of your shoulders and bends to your level. 

"Starshine."

"Sun." You nod. 

His grip tightens for a moment, then loosens. He narrows his eyes. "We, are not. Working. On. Christmas."

"Well I'm already here—"

He shakes his head, picking you up suddenly. "Nope. Absolutely not. I won't allow it. If you're going to be here then we're going to make this right."

"Hey! Put me down! Where are you even taking me?" You kick your legs in vein, now slightly annoyed. Before you thought he was just joking, but now you realize he's dead serious. 

You get your answer when he sets you down in a bean bag. Taking a moment to snatch up a blanket with one hand and untie your apron with the other. Before you can blink, the blanket is laid across you, you have several Christmas themed stuffed animals surrounding you, there's a set of antlers on your head, along with a coloring book in your lap. 

Sun nods once down at you, hands on his hips. "Now, you get started on that and I'll get you some hot coco. Okay?"

"What, but—"

But he's already off again, "Don't move~ I'll be just a moment!"

Deciding that you're better off to indulge for a little bit, as opposed to outright protesting, you do as he asks. And, while not your favorite thing in the world, sitting and coloring in the peace of the Daycare, holiday music playing softly around you, is nice. 

Sun's gone for longer than you would have expected. Especially for just a cup of premade hot chocolate. But, when he eventually returns you do take the time to thank him for the quick break, that you appreciate the thought, and that you're ready to actually get started for the day. 

Surprisingly—suspiciously—he agrees. 

You won't admit to longing for the warmth of the cozy nest you leave as you stand, but the longing isn't allowed to last for long. Sun's hand is tightly wound with yours as he leads you out of the Daycare and towards the theater. 

You take a sip of your drink, confused but still following. "Um, did you want to start with the theater's supply closet then?"

"Friend, when I said no work on Christmas, I wasn't kidding." He stops just short of the entrance, energy now becoming more antsy. 

He lets go of your hand and you frown. "I told you it's alright, Sunny. I don't mind, honestly."

"I know! We know, but,"—he shakes his head—"We want to, change that. Make it up to you! If, you'll let us?"

He's looking to you now. You're hesitant, of course you are, but you can at least hear him out. "Sure, bud."

"If you don't like it, that's okay too! We just, wanted to try." He turns slightly and starts to open the door.

You open your mouth to respond but are instead taken aback by how pretty the theater looks. There's warm lights strung across the ceiling, decorations of red and green that sparkle. A medium sized tree with decorations laying nearby sits near the middle of the room. Snowflakes in all intricate patterns litter the space. There's a video of a yule log playing on the screen, and music softly twinkles around you. 

While not as intense as the Daycare in terms of the level of Christmas-vibes, there's something more, comforting, about it. Something maybe a bit more familiar, that unlocks a memory you'd left behind back when you were much smaller. 

"When did you find the time for all of this?" You ask quietly. You'd been in here just yesterday and it looked nothing like this. 

Sun comes up behind you, hand on your shoulder. "Just now. We just thought that maybe something a bit more relaxed, but still festive, could be fun for you? We can decorate the tree, or, or watch movies, or dance. Whatever you would like, honestly. Whatever you want." 

"Whatever I want?" You look up to him, almost unable to speak.

He looks down to you and after a pause, wraps his arms around you with a nod. "No one should be sad during the holidays, Star. And it's, it's not our business why but, well, we just want to try and change that for a little bit. To try and make you a little happier."

The tears well up before you can stop them. 

Sun starts panicking. "Oh! Don't cry. It's okay, we can just go back to the Daycare—"

"No, no it's okay, really." You sniff. Your reaches up to his faceplate, halting his fretting. "They're happy tears. I'm very grateful. And emotional."

He relaxes into your touch, but his tone is still concerned. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah I,"—you shake your head—"You know what? Let me just show you."

Without thinking further, you raise your other hand and pull his faceplate down to your lips. You release him again after a moment, giggling. 

Sun's rays click, then—"Just to be sure, Moon would also like you to show him."

This causes you to laugh outright, and soon enough you're in the naptime attendant's arms instead. 

You spend the rest of your day in higher spirits than you would have otherwise expected for the holiday. The attendant takes turns doing the various activities they planned with you. And maybe it's only because it's with them, or because of the new relationship you've found yourself in, but you find it all to be so much more bearable than before. More than bearable really, enjoyable. Truly and completely, enjoyable. For the first time in a long time. 

"What are you thinking of, Star?" Moon asks as the two of you dance across the room. 

You shake your head, smiling. "Just about how much I appreciate the two of you, is all."

"Just appreciate?"

You scoff. "I think you know by now it's more than that. Don't even think of trying to scam me out of more kisses."

He snickers in response. 

Just the music for a moment. 

"Thank you, guys. It means a lot."

Moon bends you for a dip, leaning in. "Merry Christmas, Starlight."

"Merry Christmas, Moon."

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Thank you for the request @pip-plz!! Was fun to take this and make something wholesome, esp as someone who hasn't always had a fun holiday experience myself, hope I did it some justice!

Masterpost link

Tag list (if you would like added, see this post for more info):

@scarletcowboy @beemyhuneybee @fishm0ther @deviouscrackers @elsajoyagent8

@luckyyyduckyyy @zenkaiankoku @jogimote @local-shrub @amarynthian-chronicles

@robinette-green @everlightreader @sinister-sincerely @starredeclipse @dangerva

@juukai @crystalmagpie447 @mothgutz236 @lizyxml

[kaneaken]

hi!! i read your recent freminet fic and i LOVED IT. if i could, maybe i please request a freminet x gn!reader drabble (preferably romantic) where they meet at the aquarium? thank you!!

author's note; hiya, nonnie >< always love a cute little drabble, so I'm happy to do your request! I wrote the drabble as if it were a date. I hope that's alright with you :D

content notes; gn!reader (per request), pretty in reference to reader, slight lyney shenanigans ft. lynette, drabble

"Where are you heading, Freminet?" Lyney asks as he notices Freminet, stuffing his bus pass into his bag. Freminet stiffens slightly before turning back to face Lyney.

"It's nothing important..." Freminet mumbles, gripping the strap of his bag. He's avoiding eye contact. It definitely was important.

"Mind if we come with then?" Lyney proposes to which he hears Lynette shift in her seat. She gives him a look as if to ask: 'When did I become part of this?'

"No! I mean, um... I wanna go by myself," Freminet quickly retorts. He shrinks back a bit, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I need to go... before I miss the bus. I'll call when I'm coming home," He says quickly, rushing out the door.

It's quiet for a bit after the door shuts.

"Lyney, stop."

"Stop what, dear sister? I'm not doing anything."

"We're not following Freminet. He said he wanted to go alone."

"Well, who's to say we didn't just happen to end up in the same place as him on complete accident?"

"You're buying me dessert after this."

Freminet fidgets with his plush as he waits by the aquarium's entrance. Despite only standing around for a few minutes, he already felt like an eternity passed. What if you changed your mind? No, he had to think positively, like Lyney tells him to. No jumping to conclusions.

"Freminet!" He jumps slightly as he hears his name. He looks up, spotting you rushing over. You looked pretty. Really pretty.

"Were you waiting long?" You ask as you stop in front of him. "Sorry... the bus got delayed. You know how traffic is on the weekend."

"It's okay," Freminet mumbles. "Wasn't waiting long..." How does he tell you he thinks you're pretty? Does he just say it? Does he have to lead up to it?

"Let's head in, yeah? I heard the displays are amazing here!"

"Yeah, let's go."

The displays were as beautiful as you said. The moon jellies, starfishes, clown fishes, rays. Freminet found himself being amazed by them. He had gone to multiple aquariums before, but he continued to be a star-struck child each time. His favorite part was, and always will be, the touch pool.

You're a bit scared when you two walk into the touch pool. He notices you being hesitant to dip your fingers in the water to touch the starfish.

"Is something the matter?" Freminet asks, taking his fingers out of the water.

"Ah, it's nothing," You mumble as you continue to hover your fingers over the water's surface.

"Lynette, do you wanna touch the starfish?"

"It's slimy..."

"We can do it together... don't be scared, okay? It's a friend, like Pers..."

Freminet reaches his hand over to yours. "It's okay. We can do it together, if that'll make you more comfortable..."

"... yeah, that would make me feel better."

Freminet nods, placing his hand on top of yours. He carefully guides your hand to the top of the starfish. You flinch a bit at the sensation at first, but you keep your fingers steady.

"Wow... it's a little weird but definitely cool!" You chuckle, running your fingers on the bumps of the starfish. "And really pretty..."

Pretty. The starfish is pretty. Freminet believes all sea creatures are pretty. However, he thinks you're prettier than any sea creature he's seen.

"Freminet's all grown up... going on dates, making moves. I'm so proud!" Lyney exclaims, practically crying into his sister's shoulder.

"You're too loud, Lyney. They're going to hear you," Lynette comments, poking at his head. She pushes him to hide into the gift shop as she notices Freminet turn his head slightly.

"Would you quit your fake sniffling?" Lynette mutters, pushing her brother's head off her shoulders.

"Just yesterday, he was asking me how to ask someone out! Look at him now!"

"Yeah, I got it. You're proud."

"Not just proud! Estatic!"

"Shush, they're coming over," Lynette whispers, ducking into a hoodie rack and pulling Lyney along with her.

"... you really do know a lot about the sea, Freminet!"

"Yeah... I do deep sea diving as a hobby, so..."

"Wow! Deep sea diving? That's amazing!"

"Really...? You think so?"

"For sure!"

As Lynette hears their voices become more distant, she carefully pokes her head out. She does a quick scan before stepping out of the rack.

"Let's head back. There's not much more for us to do," Lynette says.

"I can think of one more thing," Lyney interjects, holding up a small plush. He slips it on top of a shelf nearby.

"What's the point of doing that?"

"Oh, dear sister, you'll see!"

"Cute..." You mumble, looking up at the penguin plush perched on the shelf.

"Do you like it?" Freminet asks, looking up at the plush.

"It's pretty cute..." Your eyes leave the plush and land on the keychain hanging from Freminet's bag. "Oh, it looks just like the one on your bag!"

Freminet looks down at his bag, nodding to himself. "It does..."

You smile, reaching up to grab the plush. "We can match!" You chuckle to yourself, skipping over to the cashier.

"Match..." Freminet mumbles, staring at your retreating figure. "Matching..."

Like partners? Romantic partners? Freminet stands still, his face blooming red. Matching with you?

"Something the matter?" You ask as you return to a blushing Freminet.

"Oh, n-no... I'm okay..."

"You sure?"

"Yeah..."

Matching... he liked that.

[selineram3421]

📹

You're Off-key

Part 5

Part 4

Reader X Gravity Falls

Warning ⚠

⚠ everyone is aged up, Italics= thoughts, food mention-breakfast food and spaghetti, weapons, blood mention, interrogation-polygraph test ⚠

"I wouldn't have a serious conversation before breakfast but this is a topic that must be discussed.", Ford says as you and Dipper follow behind him to the kitchen.

You were freaking out, pulling out a chair to sit down at the table and then getting a breakfast plate.

At the moment it felt like the walls were closing in on you. The room was shrinking, the light over the kitchen table started to make the room feel more like an interrogation room. Maybe it was because you were freaking out but Stan began to stare at you down, as if you robbed him of all of his money.

"It seems that our guest here has had a run in with Bill.", the older nerd twin says. "We need to check the statue in the woods and make sure to set up barriers around the shack."

What do I do? WHAT DO I DO!? You try to pick up a utensil but with your hand shaking so much, you end up dropping it.

All the talking around you sounds muddled, like its underwater.

"You ok?", Mabel asks and places a hand on your shoulder.

"To be honest? No.", you laugh and rub your hand over your face, only to clutch the side of your head. "I've been trying to keep it together this whole time but I have no idea what to do. Ever since getting here, I've been worrying about my best friend."

Dipper gets into your view. "Your best friend?"

You sigh and rest your hands on the table.

"I'll tell you guys everything that happened.", you frown as you glare down at the yellow table top. "And where I actually come from."

The room was quiet for a few seconds.

"Is it bad that I'm excited for their story time?", Mabel suddenly whispers to her brother.

"Mabel! Now is not the time!", he whisper shouts.

You laugh at that and feel yourself calm down a little. Steeling up your nerves, you turn to look at the older set of twins.

"Brass knuckles and some kind of ray gun, on the table.", you say with a stern face. "I'm not asking again."

The two look at you in surprise, a little unsure as they place the weapons on the table. "How did you know we had these on our person?", Ford asks as he lets go of the ray gun.

"The way I know Mabel has a grappling hook.", you say and point to the said twin. "She'll at least apologize to me before shooting at my head.", you shrug.

"Are you psychic?", she asks with sparkling eyes.

"No, I'm not.", you wave off that idea. "Golf club.", you point at Dipper.

The said twin slowly lowers the golf club and it clatters onto the floor.

"But it would be really cool if I was. You know how many lotteries I could win? There was one time that I almost won the lotto with just guessing.", you say.

Stan sits a little closer at that. "Go on.."

"We're getting off topic.", Ford says and crosses his arms. "Tell us everything."

"Right.", you sit up a bit straighter and clasp your hands together. "What do you all know about the multiverse or different dimensions?"

You can see the two nerdy twins get interested.

"I've traveled multiple dimensions.", Ford says.

"How many more are there?", Dipper asks you and pulls out his personal journal, clicking a pen.

"A bunch.", is all you say on that. "The one I come from is..more secluded. I'm able to see into worlds of different dimensions but can't interact with them. It's kind of like watching t.v. in a way.", you explain.

Dipper is writing away in his journal and nodding along.

"Your universe is a cartoon show. It came out around 2012 and well, I watched how the twins spent their summer in Gravity Falls."

"WHAT!?", Mabel screeches and slams her hands on the kitchen table. "You saw everything!?"

"NO! No.", you wave your hands. "Though I did want to see that race with the space lizard, the one in the snow I think.", you look up in thought before looking back to the family. "Still really curious about that one."

"Why keep quiet about it? Why not tell us?", Dipper suddenly asks.

You raise an eye brow with a "really?' face.

"Imagine if I walked in here, bloody faced and all, suddenly treating everyone like best friends and talking about Bill?", you say and point at all of them. "You'd for sure hit me over the head first and ask questions later."

"What do you think is stopping us right now?", Stan leans over to say.

"Nothing.", you respond. "I'm here with a mild concussion, hoping you guys don't harm me, and honestly wanting to finish breakfast.", you gesture to the plates of food on the table. "I'll let you know everything that you ask for, and.."

You sigh and look down at the table again.

"Tell you about my dream last night."

"Dream? What happened?", Ford asks. "Did Bill visit you?"

Before you could respond, Mabel puts a fork in your hand.

"Let's eat, yeah?", she smiles. "I'm in the mood for pancakes."

⯅

You're hooked up to a lie detector machine on the game table, curtsy of the two older twins, and Dipper holds the camcorder.

It kinda felt like it was too much, but with the triangle being Ford's evil crazy ex, you could understand why they would go to such lengths. Mabel even took out the tape recorder and pressed the record button.

"Today is June-", the twin in the cassette sweater starts with a chipper voice. "As you know, we got a new friend we met in the woods but turns out they have some secrets and they decided to share with the whole family today!", she then goes on about what happened earlier.

"Mabel, we need to record them talking. Not you.", her twin says.

"Oh, right.", she says and puts the recorder on the table.

Dipper starts recording and asks you basic interrogation questions. Like your name, birthday, and today's date.

"I have agreed to do this for the safety of myself and well..everyone here.", you say. "Ahem.", you clear your throat. "I'm from a different dimension and Gravity Falls is a cartoon show back in my universe. The show ended a while ago but recently the fandom has been active due to a book put out by the creator called: The Book of Bill."

"Didn't we lock that up?", Mabel asks.

"I was one of many who got the book and read through its pages. After reading it and checking out the website, my best friend and I set out on a road trip that inspired the show. We went to multiple tourist locations and to the original "Mystery Shack" areas.", you said. "Of course, there's Confusion Hill and The Oregon Vortex, not entirely sure which one is the original, original. Ya know?", you shrug. "The last location was to Bill's statue."

"Bill's statue is in your universe?", Dipper asks.

"Oh, yeah. A bunch of fans went to find it once the creator showed a picture of it on the internet.", you explained. "It's in California now.", then you continued. "Anyway, I bought spaghetti before we stopped at the statue because I read somewhere in the book that it was a way to summon Bill, I did it as a joke."

"Was the spaghetti good?", Mabel asks.

"We are talking to someone from a different dimension, and you ask if the spaghetti was good?", Dipper says.

"What? I'm curious!", his twin defends herself.

"The spaghetti was really good.", you confirm. "I set up the spaghetti like the book instructed and my best friend tried to take a picture of me shaking hands with Bill and well..the crazy triangle showed up and said he had been waiting for an eternity to meet me.", you gesture to everything. "Then after he dropped me into a hole, I ended up here in Gravity Falls, with a concussion."

"How long were you in the woods for?", Ford asks, reading the scribbles on the paper from the lie detector.

"I'm honestly not sure?", you confess. "I kept waking up and passing out. I think I showed up around noon or a little after. And then I think one of the twins bumped into me and I passed out again."

"That's true. It was Dipper's fault.", Mabel says.

"I wasn't looking where I was going, ok!?", he defends.

"No hard feelings.", you say. "I was too zoned out to pay attention to what was in front of me."

"How do we know that you're not working with the triangle right now?", Stan asks.

"Oh, good question.", you say. "Last night I had a dream in my mind space and Bill showed up asking how you, the Pines family, were doing.", you say and try to remember everything in the dream. "He tried to make a deal with me, I laughed in his face and told him no, then he got mad at me cuz I said..something."

The family glanced at each other before looking back at you to continue.

"And then he tried to tear me apart but I woke up before he could.", you finished. "The end."

"Wow, that was interesting.", Mabel says and stops the tape recorder.

"Were they telling the truth Ford?", Stan asks.

The two nerdy twins look over the polygraph test.

Being somewhat of a nerd yourself, you look at the papers as well. "Sometimes these tests can be wrong since it mostly measures heart rate, blood pressure, and other little stuff.", you explain. "The trick is to stay calm."

"If you knew how to pass the test, how do we know you weren't lying?", Dipper questions.

"Well, I could have lied about anything but I didn't. I already kinda lied earlier when I asked who Bill was.", you say. "Remember? Twenty percent lie rate."

"Hmm...", Mabel hums and then smiles. "You know what this means? Another quiz!", she cheers. "We can quiz them about ourselves! If they know stuff from the "show" like they said, then we'll know if they are lying!"

"Mabel, I don't know how we feel about confirming secrets about ourselves to some random person.", Dipper says. "No offense? I think?"

"No worries, I would also feel weird about sharing things about myself to a random person.", you nod.

Ford and Stan step away to talk about everything that happened within the last hour, while Mabel starts her questionnaire.

The older twins come back and nod.

"Mabel, do your worst.", Stan says.

"Way ahead of you!", she says and rushes off to get, what you assume, is glitter.

You sit there and then remember that you could just re-tell the episodes.

"I could just, you know, tell you what I know about the show?", you say.

"We'll do both.", Dipper says and stops the camcorder.

This might take a while...

*slurps spaghetti pasta* Oh, yeah. It's all coming together.

~Seline, the person.

Part 6

Taglist@

@diffidentphantom @sleep-7372 @boredwithlifeatthispoint @mspurpl3 @gxstiess @lynkolnevans @fries11 @paastaboi @the-monochrome-jester @staygold162 @geckodarla @klwrites @alias-sam @eddwardtheseventhspacewizard @agreatcheesecakestudentstuff @dinsfire24 @+?

GF List🏞 | YO-🎹

[intheshadowsbehindyou]

Specifically the support team with a tall fem! Reader! (To be detailed like 6'0ft and over 6'0 if in heels)

Just admit you people have mommy issues. I cannot take this ask seriously lord please help me.

Tall Fem!reader with the TF2 Support mercs

Warning: mildly NSFW. why are you doing this to me. I’m a gay cis dude irl

Sniper:

- Fucking short circuits. Think brock levels of simping from pokemon. Maybe not outwardly but on the inside he’s promising you the world. Wishes to be your little step tool. Every time you play rough with him he becomes a submissive little shit. Goes “oowwww :(((“ when he’d otherwise not. Other Mercs are outstanded on how fast you humbled him. Regardless of your relationship with him he’ll ask you if you could be his mother figure because his current mother is.. Well I mean she’s dead. This is entirely non-sexual.

- 50 points if goth girl and 100 points if trans girl. He’s into men and nonbinary folk too but whenever it’s a girl, it’s always mommy? sorry. mommy? sorry. mommy? sorry.

- Gets oddly soft with you and nobody else. Becomes clingy and desperate for your attention to the extent of protecting you on the battlefield and overall showing off with his shots. Becomes more awkward than he usually would. Stumbles over his words and panics when speaking to you. You find it cute.

————————————————————————-

Medic:

- “Ah! Yes! the new person. Hello little fräulein!” He immediately turned around and waved to greet you the first time… Before slowly realizing your head was higher than his shoulders and trailed his eyes upward. Meeting your gaze with awkward silence. He had bent down suspecting an innocent, small and adorable woman and so had to immediately stand up and straighten his posture. A majority of girls from his village were abhorrently short.

- “Ah… I see…” He turns away and fixes his glasses. Going back to whatever the hell math he was jotting on his chalkboard. You could vaguely make out it was some sort of failsafe for in case the medigun failed to deploy charge. You were more intrigued over the fact you were taller than this man. You leaned over his head to check your height— Which made him nervous of course.

- “Must you be so nosey? Hah! Relax. It’s not a shrink ray or anything!” He joked. You didn’t know if you should be offended by that or that or not. “Of course, mind you, I do know how to make that. But I don’t have the time nor resources sadly. Then again, everybody must be shrunken to you.” Medic then proceeds to suppress his mild attraction to you; instead opting to tear you to shreds with his sick roasts about your height. Wow, somebody’s insecure.

——————————————————————-

Spy:

- BARK BARK BARK WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF!!!!! Heterosexual beams primed. Neurons activated. Eyes bulge out of head awooga awooooga

- ONE single glance of you is all it takes and his seduction skills become second nature. The next day you find roses on the end table next to your bed. With a letter, written in flawless english incursive about meeting you on the roof of the base after sunset. The letter even had hints of his sweet smelling cologne on it. Talk about overkill.

- Well you see him there and he’s there, leaning against the railing with his suit unbuttoned. His tie hanging loose on his neck and treating himself to a glass of wine. “Ah, pardon me mademoiselle, I’m afraid the deserts of this country are a bit.. Harsh on me sometimes.” You have never seen such a cheesy display in your entire life. There’s even a picnic table there with candles and dinner. You almost wanted to dropkick him because of how disgustingly sweet this was. Yuck.

[farfromstrange]

Do No Harm

CHAPTER TWO: Imposter Syndrome

Masterlist | Series Masterlist

Pairing: Matt Murdock x F!Reader

Summary: You've been trying your hardest to focus on your work, but there is something else that is bothering you. Claire decides to give you a call and check up on you. It seems like both of you are keeping secrets of your own, and then there is this handsome lawyer who refuses to leave your mind after he quite literally burst your little bubble of solitude...

Warnings for this chapter: Slight angst, mentions of domestic violence, Reader's POV, use of reader's fake name

Word Count: 4.3k

A/n: It took me a few tries to finish this chapter because I couldn't, for the life of me, settle on a plot, but I think I've got it figured out now. I didn't do the classic "this scene from another POV", I switched it up a bit, so what happened in chapter one isn't repeated word for word. I think it flows better like this. I hope you guys like it, and thank you for your support so far! I really appreciate it.

Read Chapter 2: Imposter Syndrome on AO3.

The human body holds up to six liters of blood. Without saline or a blood transfusion, losing more than two liters can be fatal—and every drop lost after that decreases your chance of survival. A paper cut won’t kill you, but a gunshot wound might. It’s a simple equation that doesn’t require a medical degree to solve. 

If the human body experiences trauma though, everything is on the line. A nicked vessel or artery can lead to a bloodbath. Trauma to any of the major organs can lead to internal bleeding and cause the body to suffer fatal consequences. You could lose too much blood too fast, or the blood could travel to your brain, and you could herniate. 

Depending on the place of injury, trauma can lead to a large number of complications that are therefore a threat to life. But it’s not just blood that the human body needs to survive; oxygen is another vital player in the game against time. Without it, the brain dies, and if the brain is dead, there is nothing anyone can do to bring you back.

Many things could kill a human being, and many complications could occur in a split second, and that makes trauma an unpredictable event. 

Your fingers instantly stop moving over the keys of your computer when the black phone on your desk starts screaming. At first, your eyes switch to your phone, but you have any non-emergent calls silenced. That explains it. 

You flinch. You suddenly become painfully aware of the city’s lights shining on you from behind, the blue light of your laptop illuminating your face and causing your pupils to shrink, and the bulb in your desk lamp that is flickering every so often, reminding you that you need to switch it sometime soon. 

You pinch the bridge of your nose, then press the acceptance button. You answer the phone. “This is Doctor Clarke at Metro General,” you say. “How can I help you?”

“Jesus,” the familiar voice reaches your ears, and you let out an almost annoyed sigh. “You sound like hell,” Claire answers. 

“And you don’t sound sick,” you retort. 

You aren’t sure what to make of her sudden mystery illness, or why she didn’t tell you and you had to find out from the hospital administrator who was losing it over the fact that her favorite nurse called out sick that morning. 

The phone goes silent for a short moment before she says, “It’s complicated.”

“Hey, we all need sick days sometimes,” you shrug. “Just took us all by surprise, is all.”

“Are you trying to turn this around on me so we won’t have to talk about you?”

Your lips part in a dry chuckle. “Is this about me?” you ask, even though you know very well that it is. You’re the one trying to deflect.

“You silenced your phone.”

With another sigh, you push the stack of papers you’ve been working on aside and take the next folder from the pile. “I’m fine.” You hold the X-ray picture up to the light, squinting your eyes. “Just... splendid, yeah. You want me to do a psych eval? Urine sample? My social security number?”

You can physically hear her roll her eyes at your comment. “Can’t I just be worried about you without you taking it like a personal attack?”

It’s a loaded, rhetorical question asked in a tone that you are more than familiar with. It is a train wreck waiting to happen, but Claire is your friend—a very caring friend, too—and she hardly ever lets loose when she wants to know something. 

She knows you better than anyone, after all. She knows everything, even the parts you swore to never talk about again—parts you swore you would take to the grave. 

That is the purpose of a new life, isn’t it? Forgetting the past ever happened, then moving on? If that could actually heal trauma, life would be so much easier. Unfortunately, denial tends to make the wounds bleed faster. You will die faster if you keep it all bottled up, but it’s easier said than done when it comes to reality. Sometimes, denial is the only luxury you can afford for yourself, even if it slowly kills you. 

You have seen your fair share of traumatic injuries pass in and out of the emergency room over the years. Not just physically but mentally as well. There is only a small margin of error in an even smaller time frame in which traumatic injuries can be treated without lifelong consequences. The scars though, they remain forever. 

“Look,” Claire continues softly, “I’m worried about you. I know you hate talking about yourself, but every once in a while, I have to make sure you’re alright and not... falling apart or something.”

You swallow thickly, the lump slowly starting to hurt your esophagus. “Why would I be falling apart?” you question, but your voice no longer has the same level of conviction in it. 

Feigned confidence doesn’t go a very long way, you’ve noticed. You can’t stand your ground when you don’t believe in where you’re standing. 

“A little birdy told me you had a bad day. That’s why.”

In the halls of a hospital—any hospital—word travels faster than lightning. You roll your eyes, but you don’t know what to say. She isn’t wrong. You did have a bad day. Your blood is still boiling. Everything in you feels a hundred pounds heavier. You may not be falling apart because there is not much of a foundation left to fall apart, but the feeling is eerily similar. 

You used to be a beloved surgeon at a prestigious hospital for all five years of your residency, but with each year that passed, what had once been just a spark turned into gigantic flames that slowly began torching your skin. They burned your flesh and dragged it down to your fragile bones. Your body went into shock over the years. You became septic. And it almost killed you, too. 

Your heart froze in place before it miserably cracked. It didn’t take long before the inferno took over every last crevice of your life. It burnt out everything that was remotely good for you. You were so dependent on something—someone—that was slowly poisoning you. 

You ran for months. You moved from State to State, you changed your name and your whole identity twice. You tried everything to get away, but your demons kept haunting you. The distance between you and your old life grew bigger until eventually, you reached the other side of the country, hundreds of miles from the hell you escaped from. There was nothing left in your past to exist for, so you became someone else. You lost yourself and gained a stranger’s identity in return. Someone who wasn’t scarred from a battle that she almost fully lost. 

You thought it would be easy to pretend to be someone else, someone without the same wounds that have been inflicted on you, but that turned out to be the wrong thing to believe. 

Claire’s voice rings out again. “What’s going on with you, Liv?” she asks.

You’re not really present at the moment, but this time, you hear her. 

You shake your head. “Nothing.” It’s a blatant lie, but it rolls over your tongue so easily, you are tempted to believe it yourself before your friend even can.

“You keep zoning out,” she says. “You’re not helping your case.”

“It’s been a long day, that’s all. What’s going on with you?” 

Her lips part in a soft exhale. You hit the nail right on the head. “Nothing’s going on with me. I just had to take a sick day. Migraines, you know? I get them sometimes.” 

You don’t buy it. Her voice sounds strained, but more like she is forcing herself to sound sicker than she is. Not that you are allowed to judge, it simply strikes you as odd, considering that she isn’t usually like this, and it makes you wonder what else she is keeping from you. 

A pregnant pause follows. “I heard about the girl,” Claire says then, changing the subject. You’re both way too good at that. You’re hypocrites.

“Annie,” you cut her off. “Her name’s—was Annie.”

You keep replaying it over and over in your mind. From the moment you received the page to the ER to the little girl landing on your operating table, you retrace all of your steps. You rethink every decision you made, every uttered order, every cut, and every stitch. Every time you do, you come up empty.  

Annie was six years old. She got hit by an oncoming car. It was a gruesome sight, but you kept telling yourself that it could have been worse. She was stabilizing when you took her to the operating room. All the tests suggested that controlling the damage could buy some valuable time for the specialists to do their jobs. In your mind, the path was clear to a full recovery. 

Everything you did to save her life ended up doing absolutely nothing. 

It elicited a feeling that you are more than used to—inadequacy. You know that it is utterly selfish to think that way; this isn’t even about you. The feeling wraps like a noose around your heart, but you can’t allow yourself to make this about you. You’re not that type of person. 

Claire takes your silence as an answer. “I logged into the hospital server and took a look at the X-rays,” she says. “That aortic tear was irreparable, as much for you as it would’ve been for the world’s best cardiothoracic surgeon. This wasn’t your fault.”

Your throat tightens. “You don’t know that,” you argue. “I could have caught it earlier. I could’ve… I could’ve done something.”

“No, Liv, you couldn’t have. But I think you know that.”

You search the depths of your mind for the right words to say, but you come up with none. “Who blabbed, anyway?” you ask.

In this case, though, the question is, who didn’t? Everyone must have heard about Annie by now, and the people around you care too much. It was bound to reach Claire’s ears eventually. You just didn’t think it would happen so soon.

Claire holds off on her answer for a moment. “Doesn’t matter,” she answers. It’s the kindest choice. “What matters is that you can’t beat yourself up for something that wasn’t your fault.” Her voice suggests that she’s smiling.

“I…I’m fine,” you lie.

“I know you’re not.” 

“You’re the one who called in sick but clearly isn’t. You don’t see me bugging you about it.” 

That shuts her up for a moment. “This isn’t about me,” Claire tries to talk herself out of it, but you see right through her.

“Are you sure?” you ask. 

“I—” She sighs. “I promise you, if there was something going on, I’d tell you.”

You should return the sentiment. You should tell her what you’re really thinking, but you’re mute. When it comes to your own feelings, all words in the English dictionary elude you.

Still, the feeling that Claire is lying to you keeps eating away at you. She has no reason to. Or maybe she has, but it’s none of your business. You’re curious, maybe a little worried, but you can’t expect her to tell you every little thing about her life and then refuse to do the same because you can’t possibly ask for help with something you don’t even understand yourself. 

You’re miserable enough as it is. You would rather suffer through it alone than bother her with your chronic overthinking and the fear of failure. 

“I’m still cat-sitting for Jenny,” she breaks you out of your thoughts. 

You chuckle slightly. “But you’re allergic to cats,” you say.

“I know, but…” She stops herself. “The point is, I still have an almost full bottle of white wine in the fridge and there’s this deliciously cheap pizza place around the corner. Their breadsticks are to die for, trust me. You could come over after your shift and we could look after that stupid cat together. Maybe. Just until we both feel better.”

Until you both feel better. You feel like it would take more than wine and pizza to make you feel better. 

You need to sulk. You need to marinate in your misery. That way, you can suck it up and be better next time. Everything else seems like too much of a waste of time.  

You shatter what little hope she had about you agreeing to her offer like a full wine glass on a white cloth, sure to leave stains. Your hand momentarily motions toward the stack of paperwork, but then you remember that she can’t see over the phone. “I wish I could,” you say, “but I have to finish my surgical reports by tomorrow.”

Claire nods slowly. “Are you sure it’s the paperwork?”

“I promise.”

She accepts defeat. She can’t change your mind. You’re stubborn, determined, and a pain in the ass most of the time. She still loves you, but she has long given up on forcing you out of your shell. 

Sometimes, which is more often than not, you prefer to be miserable because you have no idea how to be anything else.

“Well, I tried. So… at least call me if you need anything,” she says.

You offer her a smile, but it doesn’t quite reach your eyes. You’re tired. Your heart is pounding from all the caffeine and the frustration of the unknown. You have paperwork. As long as you have paperwork, you’re occupied. It’s as good a reason to avoid talking about anything that could be considered even remotely personal. 

“Thank you, Claire. For everything,” your voice is barely above a whisper. “Take care of yourself. I’ll talk to you later.”

You hate that you’re like this, but you can’t change who you are now or what all those years of suffering have made out of you. You can’t change the fact that underneath Olivia Clarke, it is not who you are. And it will never be who you are because her identity is a fraud.

You may have escaped the worst time of your life and traded it for a fresh start, but that doesn’t take away the paralyzing fear that still sits deep in your bones, making it impossible for you to sleep at night. It may be a fresh start to a new life, but the slate is far from clean. There are bloodstains that you can’t get out. Stains that will haunt you forever. 

Every day and every night that you spend at the hospital, you’re reminded of the terrible past that threatens to overshadow your future whenever you set foot outside. Your name may be Olivia Clarke, but that will never be your real name, no matter how badly you try to pretend it to be. And on some days, it breaks you just a little more when you fail at the one thing you have always excelled at. The one thing you have dedicated your life to. To do something good, to be worth something, and to prove the cruel monsters in your mind wrong about their assessment of you. 

You don’t want to be a coward. You don’t want to be weak. You don’t want to be dependent on anything or anyone ever again. You forgot how to be happy. You became someone you’re not because the person you used to be was broken by someone she thought she could trust. 

He took everything from you, and he took all that you are. Olivia was never taken advantage of. 

Claire saved your life. She knows the truth, but facts aren’t enough. She’s your only support system, the only one who knows who you truly are, deep down, and yet she knows nothing at all. 

Long after you’ve hung up the phone, you start wandering the halls of Metro General. You haven’t quite figured out what you’re looking for yet. You want to be alone. You want to be not needed. You want to exist somewhere that isn’t here. And you don’t want to be found, just for a little while. 

When you get settled on an empty bed in one of internal medicine’s abandoned hallways that had to be emptied after severe budget cuts affected the hospital, the tears start pouring out without warning. You barely manage to stifle the sobs that slip past your lips. You hate crying. You used to believe that it was a sign of weakness, but tears have become as much of a partner in crime to you as the pain has. 

It’s not as easy as it used to be to hold all of those treacherous feelings in—feelings you don’t even understand yourself—and that makes you hate yourself enough to cry even harder. Because you try, try, and you try even harder as you give all of yourself over and over again to be someone you never thought you would turn into, and still, you find yourself failing more times than you could possibly count. 

Your life ended when you met the man who ruined you; ever since then, you have only been a shell of the person you used to be, and there is seemingly nothing you can do about it other than accept that Olivia Clarke is who you are now, and she is all you can be. 

You didn’t expect another lonely soul in need of an escape to find his way to your little haven. This hallway isn’t even on the hospital map anymore, but he still somehow found his way here. 

Your eyes switch to his cane, the red glasses, and the way he so awkwardly carries himself when he seems to realize that he, in fact, isn’t alone. You know that feeling of instant disappointment all too well, and he just caught you crying, which only makes matters worse. 

After the initial awkwardness has dissipated and you get to talking, you take a moment to appreciate him. His name is Matthew. He is a defense attorney. He is unlike any man you’ve ever met before. You’re cautious when it comes to new people, but there is something almost calm about him. He’s funny, charming, and he’s respectful. He made you feel comfortable from the start.

There is a mystery surrounding him. You know all about mysteries. They draw you in. They make you feel less alone in a way. He is the biggest one you have encountered so far. 

People tend to consider you an enigma, too. Most of them are wary of you because you barely share anything about yourself. You’re still learning, even after two years, to be someone new. You’re constantly reinventing yourself because all you were before is gone now. You lost yourself in the fire. So, most people you meet don’t talk much when they do; you’ve gotten used to having only one friend. It keeps your identity safe, as guarded as you are. It’s the safest bet for everyone involved—or everyone not involved. 

Matthew is different. He seems genuinely curious, but he doesn’t pry. And that makes you open yourself up to him, even if it is just your body language. He’s sitting right next to you, his calm voice like a gentle symphony in your ear. He serenades you every time he speaks. That is a dangerous quality. He’s an attractive man, and you can’t keep your eyes off of him. You can’t stop listening. He’s like a work of art—a damaged work of art.

The man before you is broken and bruised. That’s what makes him so mysterious. The hesitation you showed when he introduced himself, indirectly asking for a piece of you in return, shows when you ask about his injuries. 

You have seen all kinds of injuries, including those on a blind man who fell down the stairs. Matthew doesn’t fit the profile, and that only makes him more mysterious and therefore more interesting to you. 

You have to stop yourself before you ask too many questions. You don’t want to push him away, but you also can’t draw him in. You can be nice, but that is as far as you are willing to go. You hold your walls so high that no one can break through them, no matter how fascinating or attractive they are. 

Matthew is a dangerous man because he makes you feel things that you have long told yourself never to feel again. But it’s hard when he makes it so easy to like him. 

You patch him up. It’s not just professional courtesy; he seems like he desperately needs someone to look after him. You are being nice to him, that is all. You keep telling yourself the same thing. 

You’re still disappointed when you get paged to the emergency room and you have to leave him behind. The chances that you will see him again are low, and they shrink to zero when you return to the hallway four hours later and find it dark and empty again. The plastic packaging of the bandages you used on him is still lying around, but that is all that is left of him. All you have is a memory of a very unexpected encounter that will probably never occur again. 

But maybe that isn’t such a bad thing, after all. At least like this, you can’t make the mistake of falling for a guy claiming to be nice. At least like this, you can keep your fragile and already broken heart safe from enduring the same kind of pain ever again. 

You pass the nurse’s station in the emergency room on your way out. Dropping the chart of your last patient on the counter, you wish everyone a good night. 

“Liv, before you leave–” One of the senior nurses stops you dead in your tracks, “Someone left a card for you,” she says.

You turn around, frowning at her. “A card?” you ask. “Who did?”

Her lips curl into a mischievous smile. “Handsome fella. And he had good manners.”

Your mind reels. There are only a handful of people that would fit that description. Every time someone leaves something behind for you, your first response is to panic. Your blood pressure spikes. You can feel your heart beating up to your throat and your vision blurs. You’re not a fan of the suspense or knowing grins, and it’s obvious. 

The nurse’s smile fades and she rummages through the stack of papers next to the computer. “He only knew your first name and his blindness made it a bit harder to figure out who he was talking about, but thankfully we only have one excellent trauma surgeon named Olivia,” she says, her eyes still twinkling. She can’t help it. 

You let out an audible exhale. Your body relaxes. Your heart rate slows down. You can finally see her clearly again, and she slides the card across the counter for you to take. You want to apologize for the hostility, but her face tells you that she understands. 

The next time your heart starts beating faster, it isn’t out of panic. You look down at the names on the card and the distinctive number on the back, and your brain releases a sudden rush of dopamine. It’s late, you’re tired, but somehow this little gesture puts a surprising smile on your face. 

You shouldn’t be as excited as you are. Your plan for this evening has been tossed far out of the window in an instant.

“So,” the nurse asks, “who is he? A patient? A friend?” She wiggles her eyebrows. “A guy from Hinge?”

You shake your head. “Just… a guy I met,” you answer. 

If he were an official patient, this would be highly unethical and you would have to toss his number into the nearest trash can.

The blood has permanently settled into your cheeks. You’re not usually the kind of person who blushes. It’s infuriating.

With a chuckle, she leans over. “Well, either way, the guy was smoking. Said you should give him a call. I hope for your sake that you do.”

You keep twisting and turning the card. “What else did he say?”

“Not much. Just said that I should give this to you and that you should call him if you want. You must’ve made quite the impression.”

Your teeth dig into your bottom lip. You would’ve never suspected this. You are essentially still a stranger to him, and he still left you his number. He wants you to call him.

It makes no sense, and yet it flatters you like nothing has in quite a while. 

You let out a soft sigh before stuffing the card into the pocket of your coat. Looking up, you meet the nurse’s curious eyes. 

Your mind is taking its time to process your thoughts and the feelings connected to your thoughts. 

She chuckles at the bewildered look in your eyes. You must look like a fool. “Where does one meet a specimen like that anyway, if you don’t mind me asking?” she says. “‘Cause I desperately need me one of those.” 

A beat of silence follows. Then, you wet your lips and answer, “Abandoned hallways. Way more effective than Hinge, apparently.”

The subtle joke makes her laugh. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

You put in the effort to fake a smile with your nod. “Well, thank you,” you say. “You guys have a good shift. If you need anything, page me.” 

“Will do,” she says. The other nurses nod. Of course, they listened in on your conversation. 

With another small wave in their general direction, you make your way outside into the cool night air. You retrieve the business card from your coat, your eyes roaming over the names carefully printed on it, and the Braille that has been added for obvious reasons. 

Nelson & Murdock. Attorneys at law. 

From what he told you, this is probably the only somewhat expensive thing he and his partner afforded for a semi-successful marketing plan for their practice. It almost makes you chuckle.

Matt Murdock is a very fascinating man, though as you stare at the card and the number on the back you can’t help but feel a slight hint of unease bubble up in your chest, and you ask yourself, what did you get yourself into?

Tag List: @shiorimakibawrites @allllium @siampie @auroraslibrary @roseallisonparker @abucketofweird @thatonegamefish @capylore @kniselle @sumo-b98 @peachstarliight @danzer8705 @kakamixo @littlehappyperson

[zankydraws]

IT IS FINALLY FINISHED. It took me a long time to draw this but I'm happy with the result and I really hope you all like it ^^

I have never drawn something this big before so I know there's probably loads of mistakes and stuff but I tried my best ;w;

click read more for highlights and my ramblings lol

Scooter looks a bit goofy but ehh, his clotes are hard for me to draw okay. MJ was very fun to draw as always, same with El Cool P.. my love my husband

Boom Fuzz was really hard to draw due to me not planning things out and not doing proper sketches lmao but he looks Good Enough now. At least M.O.G. looks nice 😎

D.Invaders got hit with a shrinking ray because I didn't know what to do with him lol so he's just a little baby machine now :D also KC Glow with freckles. Very important. My friend suggested I give Blue GT different eye colors and I loved the idea

Swingy experiencing The Horrors.

Some of you thought my boy Memphis did something wrong but he was also experiencing The Horrors. Drawing Arashi was a challenge since I can't draw metal 😔or robots.. and I love robots..

Tfw you're just chilling and your buddy is doing some hippie shit

Most important part of the drawing. I had so much fun drawing them <3 ASAP Bee with mittens for your consideration

It's kinda hard to draw 8-Bit in a style that isn't 8bit but I think I did well, he looks pretty funny. I had lots of fun drawing Kevin, especially his hair, he's a pretty boy

I really like how Boo 9 turned out. He's a ray of sunshine. Drawing Lil Blaze was really cool too :D finally got the chance to draw the boi

bonus:

Scooter's pineapple socks

KC's wacky shoes and pants

[pearl-blue-musings]

oh, um. I was wondering if you could do this thing where the reader is Shinsou’s comfort character and stood up to him when he was being bullied and all the villain insults. I know it’s not much detail but it would be nice if you could do it! Thanks!

Oh my goodness of course anon!! I love this idea so much. I used a fem/afab reader!

Age 4

The doctor hands your mom and dad a couple pamphlets as they hold back tears. Sitting in your own chair, you kick your little legs and stare at your feet in confusion. The x-ray on the wall shows your bones. There’s nothing wrong with them, you think. And that’s the problem.

There was nothing special about you.

Your parents both had quirks so you thought you also would’ve been special like them. But you’re an anomaly. An outlier. The rest of the conversation is a bit of a blur to you. Your parents had hugged you tightly, and you know that you said that you still love them and they love you. But all that’s going through your growing brain is that you’re not normal.

That weekend, your mom takes you to a support group of quirkless or shunned quirks. Your grip on your mom’s hand is tight as she encourages you to meet some new friends. You glance around shyly, slowly realizing that no one from your daycare or school is here. You let go and trudge along, your little legs taking you to a corner with some coloring books. A boy nearby with distinguishable purple hair sits by himself, and so you proceed to sit next to him. He gives you a guarded look.

You wave and he curls in on himself. “Hi,” you start before you introduce yourself. “My mom told me to make friends here. So I said my name, what’s yours?”

The boy interlocks his fingers and swings his feet.

“Shinsou Hitoshi.”

Age 8

Lunch time was always the best part of the day. It meant you could hangout with Shinsou uninterrupted. The two of you, through the networking of your mothers, realized you live close by and began to walk to school together. The friendship was a bumpy start, but what’s a little girl to do?

“Did you watch the new ranger show last night? It was an All Might special!”

Shinsou nods next to you eagerly, his bento half eaten. His chubby cheeks are full of onigiri as he swallows. “It was so cool,” he emphasized, “but I’m still waiting for the day they talk about Eraserhead!”

You giggle and stick out your tongue. “That’s only because he’s similar to you!” You lightly tease him and keep eating your lunch. “Are you gonna be at the group meet?” You frown as he shakes his head. Since his quirk has developed he’s been avoiding the support group. Why? Does he not want to hang out anymore? They all like him there!

You’re about to respond when a group of girls come up to you and Shinsou. You recognize these girls as the popular ones in your grade with cool quirks to match. Suddenly you’ve lost your appetite. You try to close your bento box and lay down but they speak first.

“Ew,” the ring leader starts, “why is your bento box a hero? You know that you don’t have a quirk right? It should be something lame and boring- like you!” They all laugh around you, pointing and calling you a quirkless loser. You try to drown out their laughter as you shrink in on yourself.

Shinsou stands up and puts himself in between you and the girls. He extends his arms out wide to block them from you. There’s a determined anger in his eyes that many have never seen. “Why don’t you just leave her alone?”

“Because it’s easy-“

The girl stops mid sentence and walks away. That’s when it dawns on them that he had accidentally used his quirk. The other two girls stare at him and start to yell out. “You’re not supposed to use your quirk in class you freak! Undo it! We’re gonna tell the teacher!”

Shinsou blinks quickly as he looks between you and your bullies. He can feel his throat getting clogged up but he removes the brainwashing through the threat of tears. When he sits down, you place a hand on his shoulder and softly ask, “are you okay?”

He shrugs you off and lays his head down. The girls had already called the teacher and soon Shinsou was escorted out of class.

You didn’t see him for a few days.

Age 13

You were lucky to have been in the same class as Shinsou throughout middle school. It was a relief to have someone you know as opposed to having to introduce yourself as the quirkless girl. It was so rare to not have a quirk that you only talked with Shinsou, and some boy online who also was born without one.

It was lonely, but you still did your best to be a normal middle school girl.

You got the trendiest clothes, kept up your grades, stayed out of drama, performed well in sports clubs and music clubs, and best of all you stayed friends with Shinsou Hitoshi. Although your growth was more positive, Shinsou had grown colder. He tried not to be seen around you, would keep to himself more as you began to flourish, and started getting bullied more and more. He tried to keep it from you, knowing you have your own struggles. You didn’t want to press it, and so you kept your emotions about the whole thing to a light simmer.

When different hero high schools began to come to the schools, tension began to rise. Sure, he had a couple of other friends, but the two of you had always maintained a special bond. After the recruit from UA left, most of the chatter was about what they’ll do with their quirks and what kind of hero they’ll become.

“I’m gonna apply to UA.”

Several heads in the classroom turned toward Shinsou, all of them with similar expressions. The first to speak was the “jock” of the class. He walks over to his desk and grabs a hold of the sides. The way Shinsou’s back tenses tugs at your heart as you start to struggle with what to do.

“You? Be a hero? Get real! You have a brainwashing quirk. Only villains do that, and UA doesn’t produce world class villains.” The class around him laughs as Shinsou stares at him blankly. Your jaw drops and you grab at the hem of your skirt. Hitoshi had mentioned the villain thing before but seeing it in person is more cruel than you can take. The rest of the class laughs and jostle him, saying he’s better off applying for a villain academy.

The taunting gets worse and you can’t take it anymore. You aggressively push up and out of your seat. You position yourself between the jock and Shinsou’s desk, arms stretched out wide. Your eyebrows are furrowed as you stare at the bully. “Leave him alone,” you demand. “He’s done nothing to you. Any of you! Anyone can be a hero!”

Another boy comes up next to the jock and stares you down with a smirk. “Oh look, the quirkless loser is standing up for him. Let me guess, he brainwashed you into being his friend?”

“No,” you quickly reply, “but it seems like you’ve been brainwashed into thinking your outfit is decent.”

Your arms start to shake from exhaustion as they stay extended. Your classmates laugh at your insult and it seems the whole thing is forgotten. When they step away, you finally put your hands down and walk back to your desk. Normally, you would have spoken with him but he couldn’t see you cry. Shinsou looks over his shoulder in attempts to get your attention, but doesn’t succeed. As the teacher returns, you ask to be excused for the restroom where you cried into your arms there. Even after all this time, you’re still an outcast.

A few minutes pass and you finally leave the bathroom. As you walk outside, you’re greeted by your long time friend. You pat your eyes quickly and croak out, “Toshi! What are you doing here?”

He smiles gently at you and gives you a warm yet quick hug. “I’m here to walk you back to class. I was worried… and I wanted to thank you. For you know standing up to them.”

You nod and walk with him. Your heartbeat calms down as you walk close together side by side. You take a deep breath as the classroom door approaches.

“I think you’re going to be a great hero.”

[fadelbison]

Ray's mother, music and the barriers to his heart that Sand must overcome

TW: discussion of suicide This is building upon the shorter meta I wrote here about the Micro song that plays during Ray's suicide scene. The parallels between Ray's arc in falling for Sand and Mew are so overt that I was completely overlooking the person that Sand is really up against in Ray's wounded heart and who, I believe Mew is ultimately a proxy for - his dead mother. I go into a little bit about how Sand's affection for Ray can sometimes read as familial here and I think it's quite readily noticeable how Ray acts very childlike around Sand with his puppy dog eyes and constant wheedling. One thing I do want to note is that Ray doesn't particularly come off as childlike in any of his other interactions either with his friends or in his conversation with P'Yo except for perhaps that first night when he got drunk and told his friends how much he loved them and during the suicide scene when he cries wrapped up in Mew's arms, distraught by how his mother never loved him. I think Ray is the epitome of someone with a deeply wounded inner child and the only way he can ask for love is as a child, somewhat helplessly and appealing to people's caretaker/protective nature. The parent child relationship between Sand and Ray comes up a few times through the episodes. The earliest explicit acknowledgement as far as I can tell is here at the end of episode 2:

There's another explicit nod as to how their dynamic is set up within Sand performing acts of service for Ray in Ep 3:

Sand says he has been Ray's driver, drinking buddy, shrink and chef. Three of those things - driving him around, cooking for him and providing him emotional support are not just familial activities but activities you would normally do for a young child. Sand pointedly leaves out that they've had sex from this list of services. And yes, that's because Sand doesn't view sex as a service and if it was just this then it would be hard to make the point that I'm trying to make which is that Sand needs to fulfill that parental attachment need that Ray craves; give him that type of no strings, unselfish kind of love before he will ever be able to gain Ray's trust enough to be able to build a romantic relationship with him. So how is the show making this point? That Sand is replacing not just Mew but Ray's dead mother in his heart? Well, let's start with the two things that Ray's mother has left him with: 1) music and 2) her alcoholism. Ray's friends were all very surprised when Ray volunteers to arrange the music for the party. While that was more about Ray's lack of interest in taking responsibility (His now in restrospect gut wrenching 'I'm only good for spending money' line from Ep1 like ouch) but it also indicates that none of them really know or connect with Ray over his music. How can they?

Music is such a deeply personal part of him, that's where he keeps the love he holds for his mother; the love that is entirely grief - painful in its vastness, beautiful in its consistency. And the first thing Sand tells him to do is be grateful for it - her good taste in music. The second thing? Is to show him how to enjoy it:

The fact that he's taking his hand and Ray is half resisting it, the silliness of the gesture more than the touch itself but he's undeniably enjoying himself - It reads to me like the awkward, stilted movements of a childperson who doesn't know how to move their limbs when they're first being taught how to do something. And when you realize that the song that Ray plays for Sand in ep2 is the same one that is playing when he's taken the pills - the positive associations that Sand is making with Micro in Ray's life suddenly becomes monumental. This happens twice more in the show. Once, in the car when Sand ditches his date to drive them to Ray's house where they engage in a delightful flirtation around it, Ray singing badly while Sand eats it up complains about it

And again, at the night of the party when Ray tells Sand to play Micro for him and Sand like the simp that he is serenades him with it:

But their connection over music doesn't stop at teaching Ray to cherish and honor his past - and unknowingly the pains that are attached to it. No, Sand goes further to expand it, help Ray find a space for himself in music, carve a corner of it that isn't only pain, isn't only that moment of seeing his mother laid flat on that floor with a whiskey glass inches from her fingers.

When music is such an integral part of Ray's personality how else does one interpret this scene other than Sand telling Ray to move on, when Sand plays Selina and Sirinya for him because finding new music he likes is Sand's happiness how else do I interpret it as anything other than Sand teaching Ray how to be happy? What am I supposed to do but pull out my own hair when they're connecting over music, looking at each other like this:

And Sand will do it AGAIN - as the ep5 preview suggests - take Ray's hand and teach him how to enjoy contemporary music while Ray makes his awkward, adorable face where he's having fun in spite of himself. And the sheer amount of joy that Sand gets in seeing Ray like this is just - they're so insufferable:

But perhaps the most surprising (and delightful!) of all is this:

Ray taking his headphone off, interrupting this magical moment of being with Sand and the music, telling him he wants to be close to nature and drink beer - for the very first time Ray desires alcohol not as a means to destroy himself but as a vehicle of peace and of connection and I haven't been well since seeing it and understanding what it means. In many ways, Ray's mother is such a tragic character. I know nothing of this woman other than the three seconds I have seen of her dead and the frightful way she has driven her son to follow in her footsteps, to feel so unloved and unwanted. And yet she named him Ray Pakorn (pakorn meaning sun) - a ray of sunshine. Perhaps even, her ray of sunshine.

How can I truly believe that she never loved him?

I know Ray tells Mew that she never held him but he loves her so dearly, wants to be with her so desperately, she permeates every moment of his life so thoroughly that the loneliness she left behind isn't a gaping emptiness but the festering carcass of a love so profound and full to bursting that Ray keeps trying to give it away, keeps trying to love his friends, keeps trying to save them and aches in the way that he finds no recipient for it.

People wonder what Sand sees in Ray, why he would fall for him. But Ray is a creature made entirely of love, soft still in the way he lets it rule his life, innocent in the way that he asks for it, precious in the way that he gives it away - How can Sand be anything but desperately in love with him?

[sinner-sunflower]

A HH Lucifer-centric AU 17/?

PART 1, PART 2, PART 3, PART 4, PART 5, PART 6, PART 7, PART 8, PART 9, PART 10, PART 11, PART 12, PART 13, PART 14, PART 15, PART 16, PART 18, PART 19, PART 20, PART 21, PART 22

Back in business, y'all!

It finally arrived on this part. I'm excited what you all think of this development.

The italics at the end are flashbacks Lucifer is having on that particularly familiar convo.

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

Lucifer didn't know what he expected to see beyond the entrance to the tree. He had assumed it would be like the outside- plastered with evil and decay and suffocation. Hell, he expected that he would die the second he steps inside because he may be the King of Hell but this is a being as old, possibly older, than his Father.

He didn't expect this though.

Cotton clouds walking along the vibrant blue skies like a herd of sheep. Towering trees, adorned with leaves as shining like the finest emerald, dance gracefully in the soft breeze. There's crystal-clear waters acting like a mirror for the heavens, tranquil movements reflecting the azure sky above. Animals, predator and prey are frolicking without a care in the world as if the circle of life simply does not exist.

And at the heart of it all, in the place where time stands still, lies an apple tree. The clouds make way for the sun above to shine its golden rays, helping Lucifer's brain solidify where he is.

There is no way.

Lucifer: Eden?

The Sin of Pride hears humming behind the tree. He moves closer to inspect and gets his second shock of the day. He chokes up a little.

Lucifer: Lily?

It was Lilith? That can't be right. The woman smiles at him but it doesn't look like Lilith. Her smile was always warm, serene, and full of life- this was not his ex-wife and wow, did that thought just made him start to lose it.

Lucifer: W̶͇͚̫̻͂̄́̽̽͗ẖ̷̮̩̄͂͛̊̓̕͠à̵̯̪͇̝t̵̘͔̪̱̤̗̙̂ ̸̨̡̻̰̼͖̈́̀͐̒̏̕t̶̡̛̼̺̱̳̮̍͌͐͠ͅh̸̫̔͒͠͝ę̶̱̩̪̝̪̏͌͆̾̕ ̶̟̥̒́̎h̵̑̉͜ë̵̹̓l̵͉̘̗̆͑̏͝͝l̸̘̹͔̣̓́̂̚ ̸͉͖͑́̑̋ả̷̹̩̰r̸̩̖̼̔͊̽̈́̈͐̕ͅë̵̡͓ ̵̠͚̝̜̾̒̃́y̸̭͒̽̋̈́̋ȯ̸̘̈́̍̃ͅu̴̪̫͉̯͍̬̠̐̆́ ̷̞͈͒̄̔̑͐͋͝d̴̢̦͚̐̊̓̍͌õ̵̝͍͉͉͔̲͑̇̎͌͋̀į̸̥̮͔̊̾̚ṇ̴̣̬̀̈́̈́̓̎̕̚͜ǵ̵̼̖̄ ̸̹̬͍̓̑́͆̎w̶̛̲̮͓̤̩̗͕̒̌̄̆̈͝ė̴̖̏̀͆̊͑͝ạ̶̺͍̥͌̽̀̒r̸̨̞̣̖̺̱̐̃̔ͅį̸͙͔̈́͐̆ņ̵̺̟̠̏͑̒̚ḡ̵̜͛̆̒͌ ̴̧̞̮̰̦̲̇̄̽̋͆̄ͅt̵̘̓͆͗h̷̳̗̖͘ã̴̘͉̹̘̯͚͠t̵̳̂͝ ̴̨̦̭̳̒͂́͌̓͋͝f̷̢͚̀͐à̷̢̩c̷̤̝̼̞͙̮̄̾́̽̅̀͐͜ẻ̸̛͈͝?̴̮̗͎͓̥̱͑̒̈́̈́̿ͅ!̴̩͍̭͕̳̳̭̉̆

Roo: Well, I can't let you see my true form now, could I? It would likely burn your eyes where you stand. Soooo, I picked something you're... a little bit more familiar with. You like it?~

Lucifer: Y̸̦̥̥̱̞̓̌͐͜͠o̶̥͍̊̈́̋͠ü̶̢̠̩̙͎̈́ ̶̛̮͙̜͔̋͋̽̇̈́ḣ̸̫̈̓̔͂͠a̵̰̤̳̅͒̉̆̕v̵̡̖̰̺̂̂͒̎̀͑͠ḙ̸̟̥́̃̈́̄͝ ̸͎͙̳͎̖̀̍̎͜n̵̢̩̪͉͔̗͈̈́͘o̷̗̻͕̯͋̄̃͝ͅͅ ̷̞̹̥̻̤̥̋r̶̨̫̳͔̀͌̓͊͊͜i̵̧̲̪͍̻̹͍͆̍̈́g̷͚̑h̴̨͎̰̀̀́͗̿͜͝ṱ̵̠̍́͆̃̎̏!̶̢̧͉̻̺̣̬̊

Roo: And who are you to tell me what to do, fallen? You're a mere speck in my sight. Besides, didn't my sister use that other woman's face? What was her name? Eve?

Lucifer: F̶̤͍̪̭̾̑̈͊͠ù̴͈̫̚c̵͇̎́̍̽̚͠k̵̳̩̞̖̝̤̀̒͋͌̉í̶̧͚̟̠̚̚ň̸̨̘̖̳̳̆̐͗̋-̴̮́̾͒̔͆

Lucifer lunges but the fact that it is his ex-wife's face made him hesitate enough for Roo summon roots, essentially pinning him against the Tree of Knowledge.

Roo: Can't have that, dear fallen. Hmm, how can I make you behave? Perhaps this look is a bit outdated. How abouuttt...

Lilith's face was enveloped in red and black, smile morphing into an all too familiar grin. One moment he was staring at Lilith's beautiful face, now he found himself locked in a gaze with the unmistakable form of Alastor.

Roo: This is more your style now right, sire? I must say, this one looks more outdated and tacky.

Anger must still be all over his face because Roo made a pondering look. The Root of All Evil pretended to contemplate before obnoxiously letting out an excited squeal.

Roo: Oh! I got it!

Alastor shrinks, his red bob cut lengthens, turning blond from the roots. Gray skin became porcelain white with red circles appearing on the cheeks.

He's going to kill her.

Roo: Perfect, no?

He's going to kill this fucking bitch for using his daughter's face!-

He breaks free from his restraints in a flurry of rage, hand immediately grasping Roo's (NOT HIS DAUGHTER) neck. Charlie (NO IT IS NOT HER) struggles, sending the roots back to get him but his hellfire is preventing them to get closer.

Lucifer pries Roo's mouth open and began reciting an incantation- runes physically manifest themselves, entering Roo. Lucifer can feel the power of Goodie's seal flow out of him, draining him of his strength. He start coughing up blood but pushes through.

This is for Charlie. For everyone.

By the end of it, Roo is motionless and Lucifer slumps on the tree, exhausted beyond belief. He's holding his throat as golden blood drip from is mouth. Goodie didn't say it was this bad.

He tries not to look at Roo's body. She's still wearing Charlie's whole being and he doesn't want to see an almost dead version of his daughter's face.

Lucifer thought it was over until there was a chuckle. He looks on in horror as the mangled body of Roo sat up in manic laughter. His daughter's lovely smile turned more broken, so much that it's tearing her face apart.

Roo: Surprise!!!

Lucifer: What...? You're supposed to be sealed now. I was inches away. It was supposed to work!

Roo bursts into more laughter like he just said the dumbest thing ever. She looks up to the sky.

Roo: Oh man, you're really that stupid?? This ritual was never going to work and Goodie knew it! All this ancient thing does is barely prick my finger.

Lucifer: I don't understand. I- why?

Roo: Because Goodie knew what I needed and sent you to give it.

Lucifer thinks back to his first conversation with Goodie and feels this sense of dread.

Goodie: I can lend you something that shall be enough to contain her. But for this to work, I need one thing.

Lucifer: And what do you need?

Lucifer: What is it?

Beautiful Eden disappeared and now replaced with a decaying forest. The green grass turned into the red flowers from outside as they continue to excrete miasma.

Lucifer never felt so breathless.

Roo and Goodie: You

[lostgirl14480]

A Not So Common Fairy (Teaser)

Summary: you're a dark fairy from the upside-down and when you see that a gate is open, your curiosity gets the best of you.

- eddie munson x fairy!reader

Nothing remotely interesting ever happened in this dimension. It was always dark with constant storms, which I didn't mind actually. But I always hoped something would change. Maybe a ray of sun, or the budding of a flower? But no, nothing beautiful ever came to this place...

So, when I got wind that Henry Creel was opening gates to another world, I decided it was time for me to leave this place in search of something more. There was nothing tying me here, only the memories of my family...

Without a second thought, I lift my multicolored wings and set off into the air, heading straight to an open gate. The only thing left behind is a small trail of black dust, but it is quickly swept away by the winds of the never-ending storms.

......................

I emerge from the gate, and for the first time ever, I see the color green. Instead of the dark decaying plants from my dimension, this one is full of life! I stare in awe at all the green leaves on the trees, the moss growing on the ground, even the small river flowing along a path. I'm about to fly over to a particular budding flower when I hear voices coming from below me. Not trusting what the noise is from, I try shrinking myself, but for some reason, being in this dimension is limiting my magic. So instead, I perch myself on a branch just high enough to be out of sight but low enough to hear what is going on.

"We need to see If there's a gate around here, It's the only way we'll be able to find Vecna and free Max from his curse." Says one of the younger humans in the group. Vecna? Curse? Are they talking about Henry? How do they know about the gates?

Intrigued, I lean in closer from the branch I'm perched on and continue to listen to the conversation this group of humans are having.

"Dustin, have you even considered how dangerous this plan is? And Eddie is still wanted for murder, we can't just go walking around town looking for a gate!" Murder!? These humans are getting more interesting by the second.

"Steve, it's our only shot, I don't see any other options..." Dustin replies. "And besides, I think Eddie should have a say, since he's the one being chased by the whole town. So what do you say Eddie?"

The one who must be Eddie stands up and addresses the group. I take a moment to look him over, and I can't help but stare a little longer than I intended, there's just something about him that draws me in.

"I say, you're asking me to follow you into Mordor, which, if I'm totally straight with you I think is a really bad idea. But uh the Shire, the Shire is burning. So Mordor it is." I'm amazed at how brave these humans are, knowing how ruthless Henry, or I guess Vecna, can be. But I guess I have a lot to learn about this new dimension, and the humans who live here.

After agreeing on what Eddie said, the group all start to follow Dustin. Eddie trails behind, seemingly lost in thought and I take the time to admire his features. In Vecnas dimension, there really arn't any attractive males, or any human like creatures for that matter, so it's hard not to admire Eddie in this moment.

But I guess I didn't realize how intently I was looking and how much closer I was leaning over the branch to get a closer look, because all of a sudden, the branch I'm perched on cracks, and I fall a few feet before my wings are able to extend. I quickly fly up to another branch, higher up this time, and behind the trunk of the tree. But I'm sure I felt eyes on me for a split second...

"Eddie! What are you still doing back there?" Dustin calls out. The group is already a bit further along the path, but Eddie is stood at the base of the tree I'm hiding in, staring at the cracked branch.

I stay completely still, not sure If he's already seen me.

"I just, I thought I saw-" Eddie starts, but stops and shakes his head, turing back to follow the group. "Nevermind."

🖤🖤🖤

A/N: This is just a random idea that I thought of, not sure if it'll just be turned into a few imagines or if I'll make it into a story, haven't decided yet 😂 But I've been in an Eddie mood lately so there's plenty more where this came from 😁❤️‍🔥

[guardian-of-da-gay]

The Man with the Magic Hands

Read on Ao3

For Whumptober 2024 Prompt 6: Healed Wrong

tw for implied physical assault, chronic pain, medical inaccuracies

“Well, who’s first?”  Doctor Wright asked.

“Me!”  Sonic said as he zipped in front of the doctor.

Mom frowned.  “You’re never this eager to get checked out by me!”

“That’s because you don’t have magic hands,” Sonic said.

The animal chiropractor let out a nervous chuckle.  “I’m glad you have so much faith in me.”  Mom’s former classmate ran a mobile clinic, traveling around the state to offer his unique service to clients all over.  Sonic had met him before, but this would be the first time for Tails and Knuckles.

It was also their first yearly check-up and booster vaccines.  Sonic had convinced Doctor Wright to work his magic on them while they were there.  It hadn’t actually been that hard, though, because Doctor Wright thought working on brand new species was awesome.

The other two watched while Doctor Wright tested his reflexes and range of motion.  Mom offered up some of Sonic’s previous x-rays.  Then he had Sonic lay down on a little padded table and gently checked him over.

Sonic could tell Knuckles didn’t like this possibility.  Their big tough warrior didn’t like lying down around strangers just in case said strangers decided to stab him while he was vulnerable or whatever.  But that was why Sonic had suggested they watch his adjustment.  He’d definitely be more comfortable without them, just because some of the positions Doctor Wright would move him in were a little bit embarrassing.  But he knew it would make both of them (especially Knuckles) feel more comfortable when it was their turn.  And the whole point was that it was relaxing!

Doctor Wright put on a pair of garden gloves he’d gotten specifically to help Sonic without fear of accidental quill stabbing.  Then he really got to work.

Doctor Wright had a very soft voice and he explained everything he did.  Occasionally he’d tell Sonic he should do stretches or exercises or something for his knees.  Sonic nodded along, fully intending not to follow through while Mom nodded along, fully intending to enforce his suggestions.

There were a few places where Sonic’s body cracked loud enough to make Tails wince.  “Did that hurt?”  He asked.

“Not really?  It mostly just feels nice after.”

Doctor Wright turned him on his side and traced his back down to his tail.  This was definitely one of the embarrassing parts.  Doctor Wright’s soft voice narrated how he was checking the vertebrae in his tail and there was some tightness there.

He put one hand at the base of Sonic’s tail and held the end of it with the other.  One confident tug and Sonic’s tail let out a crack.

“Oof!”

“Did it hurt?”  Tails asked.

“No, just a big feeling.  Better now.”

Knuckles looked deeply skeptical.

Doctor Wright had Sonic get up and walk around afterward.  Both doctors watched him appraisingly.  Knuckles watched him like he thought Sonic was going to keel over from one million broken bones.

“Who’s next?”  Doctor Wright asked.

“Um… I’ll do it,” Tails said.

Doctor Wright looked relieved to get to take off his garden gloves.  Then Tails flew up onto the table.

“Oh,” he said.  “...How did you do that?”

“Huh?  Oh.  I just… spin my tails?”  

Doctor Wright let out a doubtful hum.

Sonic watched Tails shrink two sizes.  “Which is super awesome, right Doctor Wright?”

“I mean, yeah it’s awesome.”

Mom located Tails’ x-rays on her little work iPad and showed them to Doctor Wright.  He looked them over and smiled slowly.  “Okay, yeah.”  He looked at Tails and said more genuinely.  “That is awesome!”

Mom snorted at him.

“What?  Bones are cool.”

Tails was way better at sitting still for everything than Sonic had been the first time he’d done it.  He was nervous, but again, Doctor Wright’s soft tone calmed him.  Doctor Wright explained how he wouldn’t do anything with Tails’ tails because he didn’t know enough about his anatomy or how the tail spinning worked to trust himself to do an adjustment safely.  Instead he focused on Tails’ back and shoulders and gently urged him to take stretch breaks in between building electronic super weapons.

Finally it was Knuckles’ turn.  He did not get on the table right away, though.

“I can crack my own knuckles,” Knuckles said as he demonstrated just that.

“Well, I could crack them in different, potentially more successful ways?”  Doctor Wright tried.  “But you don’t have to do anything you don’t like.”

Mom let out a skeptical hum as she tapped around on her screen again.  “I do have x-rays for those…”

Doctor Wright looked at them a second.  His mouth formed into an ‘o’.  “Wow… You have broken just about every bone in your hands, huh?”

“It is true!”  Knuckles puffed out his chest like this was a big flex.

“And what are these…?”  He pointed to something on the screen.

“The spikes,” Mom answered.  She pointed to Knuckles’ mitts.  He held them up, confused.  “They’re part of his hand.  And they’re mobile.”  She held up her hand and made a fist. “When he flexes, they shift down.”

Knuckles subconsciously mimicked her, folding his hand into a fist.  Huh.  Sonic had never really thought of it, but the spikes did move when he did that.

“Okay,” Doctor Wright said.  “In that case, I am going to let you crack your own knuckles, Knuckles.”

He looked Knuckles up and down.  “How about your tail?  Is that how it’s… um.  It’s a unique shape?”  He looked at Mom and then at the screen she was holding.

“Sorry,” she said.  “X-rays are definitely an ‘as-needed’ thing for Knuckles.”

“X-rays are poisonous,” Knuckles said.

Mom nodded with a strained smile just for Doctor Wright.  “Also he’s just not a fan of lying down in strange places.”

“Enemies could be anywhere!”

Doctor Wright chuckled good naturedly.  “Well, there’s no enemies here!  Why don’t you try lying on this?”  He patted the cushioned table.  “It’s a lot more comfortable than an x-ray table!”

Sonic nearly laughed at his optimism.  Had Mom not warned him at all?

Knuckles stared at the table.  Then at Doctor Wright.  “No.”

“I bet he could do it with you just sitting?”  Mom suggested, glancing at Doctor Wright for confirmation.  He nodded along.

“That is… acceptable,” Knuckles said.  He climbed up onto the table and Sonic heard Mom breathe a sigh of relief.

Knuckles was the opposite of Tails in terms of patient compliance.  Doctor Wright tested his reflexes and he looked personally offended that his leg would move without his permission.

“And your magic will stop that from happening?”

“Ah… no.  We actually want that to happen–”

“I don’t!”

Doctor Wright chuckled a little nervously.  “He’s a hoot, isn’t he?”  He said to Mom.

“No, I’m an echidna.”

Knuckles’ appointment did not improve.  He took ‘range of motion’ as a challenge–where the challenge was Doctor Wright trying to move his limbs while Knuckles stayed rigid and immovable.  Then he was tense all over and refused to relax.  Sonic could tell by the wrinkle between Doctor Wright’s brows that he wasn’t liking what he could feel of Knuckles’ body, but Knux wouldn’t relax enough to let him make any adjustments.  Still, the Brave Little Chiropractor That Could did his best to finish his head-to-toe assessment.

The tail he came to last.

Knuckles glared over his shoulder the entire time.  Sonic was pretty sure the wrong move on the doctor’s part would get him bit.  But Doctor Wright didn’t even seem to notice.  He was way too busy examining the funny little crooks in Knuckles’ tail.  He took one side of the first bend, then the other side and gently flexed them like he would an elbow.  He did the same thing on the second crook.  It took Sonic a second to realize, but it was funny he was able to move his tail like that.  Knuckles hadn’t let him move anything else.

“Huh,” he said.

“What is it?”  Knuckles demanded.

“Your bones are cool.”

“Oh…  Thank you.”

“Thank you for letting me examine them!”  He kept messing with Knuckles’ tail as he said it.  “Your tail isn’t as tense as the rest of you but, I think I feel a point here where I can make a little adjustment.”

There was a crack.

Sonic blinked and Knuckles was off the table… And up in the corner of the wall like a freaky, red spider.

“Oh!”  Mom yelped in dismay.  Then her shoulders sagged and the resignation sunk in.  “Knuckles, the walls…”

Oof, yeah.  The walls had four holes in them where he held himself up with his spikes.

“Did that hurt?”  Doctor Wright asked, an edge of nerves to his voice.

“No!”  Knuckles answered.

“Uh uh,” Mom cut in.  “He can’t be trusted to answer that question.”

“How dare you!”

Mom just shot him a look.  “That is from learned experience!  Now get down here and show us your tail.”

Knuckles jumped down.  “It doesn’t hurt,” he said again.  He straightened and frowned, considering.  “It actually feels fine.”  He twisted around awkwardly, trying to get a good look at his tail.

His tail moved away from him.

“Woah!”  He said.

Tails sucked air through his teeth while Sonic cringed back.  His tail wasn’t supposed to move that way, right?

“Does that hurt?”  Doctor Wright asked again, a tiny bit frantic.

“No!”  This time Knuckles sounded surprised and not defensive.

His tail started to swing back and forth.  It was slow at first and then it moved faster and faster.  It was wagging.  And Knuckles was smiling.  “It hasn’t done that in years!”  He said.

Knuckles twisted harder, trying to get a better look.  He turned so much that he wound up taking a step.  Then another.  Then another.  Then he was just chasing his tail.  His tail was still doing the happy dance.  Finally Knuckles staggered to a stop.

He pointed at Doctor Wright and bellowed: “You are magic!”

“I did tell you,” Sonic laughed.

The next second Knuckles was back up on the table, tail thumping loud as a Labrador’s.  He swung his fist into Doctor Wright’s arms.  Sonic heard the doctor let out a soft little ‘oof!’.

“Do my shoulders now!”  Knuckles ordered.  “Start with this one.  This is the bad one.”

Oh.  Knuckles had a bad shoulder?  Sonic glanced at Mom, who also seemed to have caught the bitter in the sweet moment.

“Has your… tail been bothering you for a while now?”  She asked gently.

“Huh?  Oh.  An enemy pulled on it once.  Hasn’t been the same since.”  Knuckles said as he watched Doctor Wright manipulate a much looser wrist and elbow.  “It is an old injury.  I didn’t think it was worth bringing up, since it wasn’t fixable.”

“Okay.  I guess I can see how that would make sense to you.”  Her careful choice of words was not lost on Sonic.  “But… Wasn’t it hurting?  It’s part of your spine.  It had to hurt.  I can help with that.”

“It feels fine now.”

Mom’s shoulders dropped.  Sonic offered her an understanding look.  They both knew Knuckles was as stubborn as he was oblivious.  They would just have to keep working on getting him to understand the importance of communicating things like ‘your body parts are unable to move properly and hurt badly’.

“Now you’ll probably need more adjustments to keep this range of motion,” Doctor Wright said.  “Your body is used to being misaligned.  It’ll take some time and effort for it to relearn how to hold itself in a healthy way.”

He smiled gently as he spoke.  “I think I’ll work with Doctor Maddie so she can help when I’m not here.”

Mom thanked him.  Working on Knuckles’ tail would probably require him to communicate when it hurt.  Something that he’s proven less than stellar at.   But hey, it was like Doctor Weight said.  He was used to dealing with things alone.  It would take some time and effort to relearn how to rely on others.

[pinazee]

Season 3 time!

Ghosts!

And oh baby are they coming out swinging with all that juicy drama. Prepare yourselves ya’ll, im about to read way too much into things.

How come we’ve never seen Ray?? He’s henrys partner; given cop lore i would think he’d be a pretty significant person in his and probably shawns life, especially since he seems to be a voice of reason trying to get henry not to go through with arresting his son. Does he show up later? I don’t remember.

“Oo i have rights, thatll be new and fun” -i know that this line is probably just shawn being a bit dramatic but like, it cut me deep.

“This officially ends your chances of being a cop” -its just really sad that henry thinks thats whats going to make him rethink his actions. But also, i think this means Shawn was thinking of going down that path up until his mom left, because maddy even says when she left she thought he was going to be okay. Given Shawns character its kind of surprising he didn’t rebel against his dad long before that. Personally, i think shawn knew his arguments with his dad made things worse between his parents so he did what his dad wanted to keep the peace. Then when maddy left, well, there was no reason to keep the peace anymore.

Now, the henry of it all. This just makes me so sad. And i know they kind of say it’s the reason he retired later, that he regretted it, but i cant believe he ever thought this would “scare him straight,” and the way its shot certainly doesn’t seem like henry ever tried to connect with him. Like, if they wanted us to sympathize with henry later, they could have given us a shot of henry having second thoughts or even explained how Shawn was using the fact that henry was a cop to get away with breaking the law because he never thought his own dad would arrest him. They could have explained how shawns actions were becoming more and more reckless and henry didn’t know what else to do. But i think the reason they didn’t was because shawn is our protagonist and they didn’t want to muck up his character that much. I think it could’ve added some depth, personally. The way its shot though, it just makes henry look like an ass, sticking to the law unwaveringly without any remorse. (Sidenote-i can see how gus’s parents would think shawn was a bad influence)

Hes so rough with him :( (also baby lassie! Aww look at his little mustache)

I had to look up pinochet. Thats a heck of a reference.

Completely overlooked that haversham warmed his hot coco in a teapot. What an idiot (thats brilliant)

I love that each person in the show is like a dork for something. Juliet has weird football facts, carlton has westerns and guns, shawn has a few but i think favors movies, and gus has literally everything

I love the mystery of this ep! They make you think shawns solving one case (the ghost), and then you find out he is the ghost and they make you think Shawn had that one plan but then psych!turns out hes really looking for dirt the whole time. Also, shawn has to know quite a bit about business to pull that summary out of his hat. I might add it to his list of random skills.

Why would she have to clear henry for twisting his ankle? Also, now that i think about it, henry doesn’t seem the type to 1. Actually talk to a shrink or 2. Think highly enough of them to want to date one. So i have to imagine young maddy was a smoke show and he lost all sensibility.

I love that she calls him goose. Thats such a cute little nickname- that i need to know the origin of. Was this a goose and maverick thing? Was she maverick? Also, we get some more insight into shawns gifts because it implies he can remember everything hes heard thanks to his mother. So thats neat, and a cool way to show his “powers” didn’t necessarily all come from henry. Its nice to see maddy gave him something other than abandonment issues.

Ohmygod its so sad that shawn thinks his dad would sabotage him with his own mother jesus christ this family.

I wanted to end this with my thoughts on Maddy. I love that we see bits of shawns personality that came from her. He got her charisma, certain aspects of her humor, certain ways of speaking (like when carlton says, “then you wouldnt be opposed to me patting you down,” and maddy deadpan replied, “actually im very opposed to that.” It just sounded like something shawn would say). i love how the episode frames the narrative from shawns perspective too by putting maddy on a pedestal. Shes a very likable person. She takes his side when he tells her henry never told him she was coming, tells henry to buy him a phone, goes toe to toe with lassie and keenly gets him to open up.

But come on. This lady sucks.

First of all, SHAWN HASNT SEEN HIS MOM IN 3 YEARS, mind you the show says they’ve been doing Psych for about a year, so thats two years where he’s bouncing from job to job and not once did he visit her. And she was out of the country apparently and never told him she was back- why wouldn’t you let your kid know you were coming back to the country? She couldn’t shoot him an email or texted?

I would argue she is almost a worse parent by the sheer neglect alone. She gives off the impression of someone having never wanted to be a mom. she never seems to be around when shawn was little, we never see or hear of shawns mom sticking up for him against henrys teachings, and she straight up abandoned him the first chance she saw. And then on top of that, fails to communicate with him.

Lastly, I cant believe maddy (a psychologist mind you!) never talked to shawn about any of this years ago. She assumed henry would explain it all, but what part of his personality ever gave her the impression that henry could have an open and honest conversation with Shawn? And shawn says they used to talk all the time, but, like, how long ago because it seems like they haven’t had any real conversations in a long time. So its not just that she left him physically, but she also left him on his own to handle the emotional burden, because his dad certainly couldn’t talk about it. Shes the one who left shawn to pick up the pieces, not henry.

I mean its no wonder shawn struggles to form long lasting relationships.

P.S

Boneless shawn! Boneless shawn! My heart is filled with so much warm nostalgia it might burst! I remember when this first aired i laughed so goddamn much!

[awkwardgtace]

Decreased Again

hey hey not gt july, but another prompt for @gtgotcha4gaza this time it's an anonymous donor with a wordgirl story.

Dr. Two Brains has a new and improved shrink ray, one that makes Wordgirl panic a little.

Decreased Again

“Did you forget about the last time you tried this Dr. Two Brains?” Wordgirl asked as she flew up to his helicopter. Dr. Two Brains laughed as she landed. His nose twitched.

“Not at all Wordgirl!” he laughed. “This time I improved the capabilities. It will decrease your size and your powers.”

“That’s not likely to happen, Dr. Two Brains! I’ve only gotten stronger since then.”

Wordgirl dodged the rays he shot out at her. It was easy at first, but he slowly grew sporadic. It wasn’t aimed at her each time, just near her. The ones that passed close made her feel weaker. She gasped as she realized just how he might weaken her with this ray.

“Don’t tell me you’ve added-” Wordgirl was cut off as the ray hit her. It tickled, just like the last time. It changed to a foggy feeling in her mind. The words to describe it escaped her. All too familiar. Wordgirl crashed to the ground with a grunt. 

“You figured it out too late, Wordgirl,” Dr. Two Brains cackled. “I added a dash of Lexonite. Just enough to make your powers decrease as you do.”

Dr. Two Brains kept laughing, but Wordgirl started to panic. It got worse when he stepped closer. The weight of his step knocked her off her feet. She scrambled back as he laughed. The noise made her ears start to ring. Wordgirl covered them.

“Now I can keep you out of my way, Wee-girl,” he laughed. 

Dr. Two Brains’ red eyes locked on her. Suddenly her cheeks felt damp, just as his yellow gloved hand reached toward her. Wordgirl cowered away from him. She wasn’t ready to face this. Without her powers she might actually get hurt. Dr. Two Brains wouldn’t hurt her, but if Squeaky took over she’d be done for. A loud slam in front of made her start to shake.

“Wordgirl?” Dr. Two Brains said. His voice was a bit softer than before. “Did you get hurt?”

“I’ll figure out a way to incease my powers Dr. Two Brains!” she shouted. An attempt to be tough. She could be strong without her powers, she did before.

“Oh no… it did more than I planned.”

A yellow gloved hand landed next to her. Wordgirl yelped and scrambled away. Another hand landed behind her and trapped her. She squeaked as she touched it. 

“Be careful Wordgirl, you almost backed too close to the edge. You might have gotten hurt,” Dr. Two Brains said. 

Wordgirl took the chance to look behind. Dr. Two Brains had his fingers parted just enough she could see through them. If he hadn’t stopped her she might have fallen from the helicopter. That only made her shake more. Her cheeks were damp again. Her powers had to come back eventually.

“I’m sorry Wordgirl,” Dr. Two Brains whispered. 

Wordgirl yelped as his gloved hands pushed her onto his palms. She could only imagine this was the way a mouse would feel. It made the situation worse. More tears fell from her eyes. This time she saw them land on the gloves that held her. At least the hold was gentle. 

“I can’t increase your size yet,” he whispered. “My foolish henchman used the last of the parsnips on another hat.”

“Y-you’re gonna turn me back?” Wordgirl asked. It actually made her feel a bit better to hear. Even if he didn’t mean it.

“Well of course I am.” Dr. Two Brains stood up and walked away from the dangerous opening. It made Wordgirl’s stomach drop, but that wasn’t an entirely new feeling. “I’ll just keep you safe until I get my next shipment of parsnips.”

Wordgirl could feel the panic subside. A part of him was still Steven and he’d at least keep her from getting hurt too badly. She smiled a bit and tried to take in the strange perspective. Last time there was so much going on. Cheese and people to save. This time it was just her… and a Dr. Two Brains that felt a lot more like the friend she missed.

His fingers cradled her gently, almost like a hug. The whir of the helicopter was loud, but it was dulled by the hands around her. She could hear his pulse, a bit rapid. Not the way she expected when he technically won. She was at his mercy, but he was helping her. The helicopter lurched. He pulled her close to his chest. The loud pulse of his sped up.

“Be careful up there. Don’t make me take away the giant hats!” he yelled. Wordgirl laughed a bit. Dr. Two Brains looked down at her. His red eyes had worry, not something she expected to see.

“Thanks, Dr. Two Brains. Remind me to buy you some cheese once I’m back to normal,” she said. 

“Oh-I well… That’s the least you can do, Wordgirl!” She noticed the slight blush on his face. He probably hadn’t expected her to thank him. Especially when it was his ray that shrank her and took her powers. “Just… don’t be scared. You’ll be safe until I get the parsnips.”

Wordgirl fully believed him. She would wait. Luckily she also knew the grocery store was expecting some more parsnips in the next few days. She could probably convince them to give the two some. Along with a crate or two of cheese.