#so i think i'm slightly worse here xD

[honorhearted]

Penelope's snort was unexpected, though not unwelcome, seeing how it brought out a certain sparkle to her eyes. Unable to help it, Benjamin mirrored her smirk, folding his hands behind his back as he prodded, "You're not an admirer of Miss Cressida, I take it? Not that I can blame you... Were I to be a child in school again, I imagine my school chums would call her 'Miss Cowturd' or 'Miss Cowpen' -- rather befitting names, seeing how her behavior is on par with the barnyard sort."

All right, perhaps now he really was being cruel, but he'd noted how Penelope seemed so unabashedly delighted by his jest, and he was nothing if not one to please.

He smirked. "Not that I fared much better, of course. I was known as 'Benny Boremadge' during my formative years...among other things I'd rather not repeat in mixed company."

Keeping his hands clasped behind his back, Benjamin nodded at a couple as they passed, only to perk up at his companion's unexpected admission. "Oh... You write?" he asked, his eyes shining with intrigue. "I, myself, am a great devourer of words. I love reading, though I wouldn't ever try my hand at writing...not beyond a few dreadful poems here and there." He grinned. "They truly are terrible, so I'd ask that you not inquire further. However, I will say that my fondness for poetry has earned me the reputation of being the perfect matchmaker." The corner of his mouth quirk upward. "And by that, I mean if you give me a week or two, I can usually match a person with their perfect poem. Gregory was rather pleased with his."

Penelope's horror over his punishment was understandable. Waving a hand, Benjamin was quick to reassure, "If it lessens the severity in your eyes, they were small bottles, and not completely full. My father entertains quite often, so I was lucky in that regard. I only had to drink about a bottle's worth of whiskey...maybe less."

He listened quietly while she spoke of her own familial injustice, slight amusement curling around his mouth since he, too, was quite familiar with sibling antics. "As bothersome as it is, you'll miss that someday," Benjamin softly said. His smile dimmed and he lowered his eyes. "Trust me on that. There's no greater joy in this world than family, and I'd given anything to..." Trailing off, he shrugged. "Well, I wouldn't give anything to have my brother frame me for jewelry theft, but the statement still stands."

Wither and die... Penelope's words were so tragic, so final, that Benjamin stopped people-gazing and returned his focus to her profile, raking his eyes over her with newfound interest. "If you don't believe yourself capable of cultivating, then why are you surrounded by people who love you?" he challenged. "The Bridgertons, for example...I know I haven't been under their employ for long, but I know they adore you. Perhaps one of the sons..." Flinching from his potential overstep, he shrugged and forced a smile. "Well, it's just that you're quite pretty, Miss Featherington, and you're also smart and very engaging. I don't imagine that's escaped everyone's notice."

"As I said, I am thoroughly unfit for guard duties." Although she offered a smile in return, Pen couldn't quite tell if he was being genuine or simply offering her a sliver of pity. In the end, it didn't matter. Anything that took her mind off of the party for even a split moment was a welcomed reprieve. Especially when the distraction was in the form of such a pleasant stranger.

At the mention of one of her greatest enemies, though, Pen can't suppress the snorty snigger that slips past her lips and she moves to embarrassingly shield her mouth with her hand. Cressida had certainly mastered the art of malevolence, but she clearly wasn't as repellant as the Featherington girl seemed to be. The haughty blonde was flocked by a gaggle of young ladies, all high in their instep. Although Penelope despised the blonde, she could not deny that Cressida knew how to play the game. She wore her chin high and wielded her faux charm like a battle axe, almost effortlessly cutting down anyone in her path. Pen had been on the sharp end of her blade more than once, and had, in turn, grown a grand distaste for the Cowper girl. Even if they had far more in common than either of them cared to admit, the rift between them was rigid and unwavering.

"I know what that's like. Not being able to speak freely. It's why I enjoy writing. On paper, I am free to say anything I like." Normally, she would not be so quick to divulge her pastimes to a stranger, especially a handsome young man at a ball. Her mother would indubitably kick up a breeze about her daughter's indecorous hobbies which would only prove to sour her chances with anyone.

"Two more bottles?" She let out an audible gasp. "How did you manage to not die?" Her own parents had strange ways of enacting punishments, surely, but they would never go that far. Would they? Or at least they'd never had to. Pen, herself, had never been the type to indulge in alcohol and certainly not in the way men did. The only type of rebellious behavior she took part in were the handful of times she'd slipped into her father's study to borrow some books. Thankfully, her father had always been too preoccupied with other endeavors to notice the empty spaces on his shelves.

"There was one time when I was younger that my sister, Prudence," The redhead gently jutted out her chin in the direction of her sisters. The two older Featherington girls lingered in one of the other corners of the room, chattering away. "She stole a pair of earrings from my mother's boudoir. When she was questioned about it, she told our Mama that I'd taken it."

The idea was as ridiculous as it was unseemly and how her parents thought she'd be capable of such a thing had baffled her at the time. Nowadays, though, she had learned to mimic her sisters' sneaky behaviors, and even seemed to perfect them while the other girls still got caught red handed from time to time.

"I was banished to my room for nearly a sennight before it was found in Prudence's wardrobe, placed there by her unfortunate maid who had found them buried in a pile of laundry. Suffice to say, their accusations were hardly taken seriously after that."

At the time, Penelope had been furious. It was cruel and unfair to be punished for something she hadn't done. Looking back on it now, though, it wasn't the worst thing in the world. Emptying one's stomach in front of the entire congregation sounded much, much worse.

His willingness to continue with the metaphor was comforting. It was rare that Pen ever spoke her mind, and rarely in simple terms. She was a writer at heart and she found it hard to avoid metaphors when speaking her mind. The fact that Benjamin was no repelled by it made her feel seen, made her feel understood.

“Still, sometimes a bloom is not tended to properly and has nothing to do but wither and die.” His perspective was admirable, though some might call it naïve. But Penelope appreciated the kindness behind his words nevertheless. Ignoring the growing warmth in her cheeks, she shakes her head, trying to free her mind of the deep-rooted pessimism. “But perhaps I simply do not possess a green thumb.”

[funeralprocession]

#7; Kichi's birthday <3 (This one starts off a little emo/sentimental; it wasn't exactly what I'd planned when I started writing but... Y'know, whatever XD!! It isn't explicit but I'm not sure if it qualifies as suggestive; it's a little bit passed suggestive, I think)

(Disclaimer: All the V3 characters are adults to me, even the short and/or annoying people)

Nagito wasn't sure where Kichi had gone and the time he spent by himself was… Excruciating? It was a novel and hideous sensation.

His life never mattered to him before… It was different back then. He could never start off on the right foot with new people, he'd always say or do something to ruin it all without even trying… It was familiar. It was fine. He took up insulting himself as a way to save everyone's time. They wouldn't be staying, he knew that already, no one ever did.

Nagito crossed his arms over his chest as he waited. He wasn't sure what he was waiting for, but he had nothing better to do; he never did.

It was better for them - everyone else, of course. Everything and everyone Nagito cared about met some type of horrific fate, and it was his fault. He didn't want those things to happen, but they'd happen regardless of the way he felt. He couldn't afford to care about anyone, and it was better for them if they didn't care about him. That was just life, and it was fine.

Nagito was blindsided by… 'Them', his feelings, feelings he didn't realize he had and he wished he could extinguish them. They first became obvious that day when Kichi was chattering about ancient Egyptian burials. It was a day like any other - it wasn't the first time Kichi just happened to initiate a conversation centered around something that was near and dear to Nagito's own heart… That was when it happened for the first time - realizing it was going to end at some point, remembering how everyone he loved-- It would be his fault. He couldn't stand it, but he also couldn't stand the idea of being apart from him. He hated that the most; he was being so selfish but he couldn't stop, couldn't even reign it in.

Back when it was just him, every new person he'd encountered would run away before he could get attached to them, he didn't know what he was missing. It'd been too long since anyone had held him close and made him feel like he mattered to them, he wasn't a burden, he wasn't off-putting or any number of other things… He forgot how that felt. He grew accustomed to the cold, he'd been there for so long.

This was worse. He couldn't remember how it felt before, whether it was this precise thing? Or if it was some variation of it… But this was the greatest unkindness he'd ever experienced, he was certain, because now he knew what he would be missing when it ended. When people would abandon him or avoid him, it was tolerable before, since that was just every day life… But now he knew what he'd be losing. And it would be his fault when it happened, like it was every other time before--

"Hiya," A familiar voice chirped, "Why's it so dark in here? You got a migraine or something?" "You should leave," Nagito chuckled, his voice cracking slightly, avoiding looking Kichi in the eye. "Huh? What's wrong, Nagito? Are you actually feeling bad?" "I'm ok. You should leave for your own sake." Kichi furrowed his brow and closed the door behind himself, crossing the room as quickly as possible (while attempting to preserve his dignity, despite the sudden onset of nervousness).

"What's going on with you, Nagito?" Kichi asserted but kept his tone gentle, lifting Nagito's chin but unable to force him to make eye contact. Nagito didn't answer, tightening his arms crossed over his chest. There wasn't really a way to explain it - not a good one. Not without confessing to how every person Nagito cared about would meet a horrible end, and how it was always because of him--

Kichi firmly but gently uncrossed Nagito's arms and plonked down onto his lap. "You know what day it is, riiiight~?" "Yes," Nagito smiled very faintly, feeling his eyes stinging again. Not that he was tempted, but he couldn't bring himself to be unkind to Kichi. He was the first one - the only one he could remember, anyway - that treated him like he mattered, talked to him like he was a person instead of a freak or a mistake. "Happy birthday. Master."

"What's your cake preferences?" Kichi began, "Like… Flavours, shapes, layers… Whatever, what's your favourites?" "I don't really like sweets, sorry," Nagito responded quietly, "You should get what you want instead." "Hey!" Kichi huffed, "You don't like sweets but you told me you wanted to play the Pocky game? Isn't that what you said? Were you lying to me, Nagito?"

"Not lying," Nagito answered after a short silence, "That's a special exception." "Good!" Kichi grinned deviously, "Because I'm getting a box of Pocky and somebody is gonna be playing with me, whether he wants to or not." "You're gonna force me to play the Pocky game with you?" Nagito chuckled, finally making eye contact with the boy perched on his lap. "If it comes to that, yeah," Kichi answered resolutely with a cheeky smirk, "Now what's your cake preferences?" "Master--" "Yeah, yeah," Kichi groaned, "You don't like sweets, but you still have to have opinions! I wanna hear 'em!" "You're telling me you don't have opinions of your own about this?" Nagito asked ominously, the sick feeling that had taken up residence in his stomach slowly relinquishing its hold. "Nah, I do," Kichi grinned, "I just wanna see if your opinions line up with mine. I value your input, you know?" The slight smile he'd been wearing disappeared from Nagito's face; Kichi shrank back. "What? What did I say?"

"No one's ever valued my input before," Nagito admitted after a considerable silence. That was an understatement and he knew it, but it was better to leave it there. "Yeah, well, people are dumb and boring. Don't you know that?" Kichi complained, "Of course they don't want your feedback, because they're boring! They're just going to do what they want anyway!" Nagito smiled faintly and Kichi grinned, wrapping Nagito's arms around himself. "Cake preferences, let's hear 'em!"

Nagito had spent so many months with Kichi, getting used to having someone who wouldn't permit him to degrade himself, never left him alone for too long… He hated that he got used to it, but he hated it more that he knew he wouldn't be able to let go. He didn't know when it would end, but he also didn't want to know. He'd never dreaded anything so much in his life.

"Uh… Does it have to be homemade… Or just in general?" "I am not making a cake myself," Kichi cackled, "And I'm not letting you make one because you can't cook worth a damn." "True," Nagito chuckled and shrugged passively. "Seriously, how do you blow up a motor in a blender? I didn't even know those things had motors to blow up? Plus the smell, ugh!" Kichi lamented dramatically, "It was stuck to like, everything?" Nagito laughed, interlocking his fingers on the small of Kichi's back, "Sorry… I hope you learned a valuable lesson." "I did," Kichi responded slyly, "I'm never letting you operate any appliances after that; I'm not in a hurry to have my hair smelling like burned-up motor for several days again."

"I kinda liked it," Nagito mumbled with another small shrug. "All the more reason not to let you near any appliances," Kichi asserted playfully, "You're going to blow them up on purpose now that you know you like the stink they make when you destroy them!" "I mean I liked how your hair smelled," Nagito admitted with a timid smile, "I guess I always do, though." Kichi blinked, "Huh? What are you saying?" "…I dunno."

"Nagito," Kichi asserted, keeping his tone firm but kind, "Do you have feelings for me or something?" Nagito dropped his chin to his chest and glanced away guiltily. "Hey. Either answer me, or tell me about your cake preferences. Or tell me why you were feeling bad when I first got here, any of those." "How I feel doesn't matter--" "Yes it does!" Kichi argued, finally getting serious, "You can't help it, I know that, but it matters to me. You're fascinating, you know?" Nagito glanced back over, still keeping his chin down but meeting Kichi's eye; Kichi smiled adorably and tilted his head. "You are," Kichi continued, "I can't stand being away from you. I like that you've never really tried pushing me away. Even though I know you were expecting me to leave at some point, I'm not going anywhere. I wanna live in your ribcage." "Huh?" "It's true," Kichi cackled raucously, "I never felt this way before, and it's just frustrating, but not in a completely bad way." Nagito unclasped his hands from behind Kichi; Kichi furrowed his brow. "What? Was that too much? Sorry, it's how I feel," Kichi shrugged nonchalantly, "I'm a lot to deal with. Whatever, I'm used to it."

Nagito could tell that Kichi wasn't lying, based on his reaction immediately after - if he'd been lying, he wouldn't have gotten defensive that way.

He felt like they were similar since the day they'd met - it seemed obvious, but Nagito doubted his own perception most of the time so he might have been mistaken… But he felt it almost immediately. The moment Kichi lectured him about his self-hatred, he knew something was "wrong" - that they were similar, they had to be. Kichi must have noticed it too--

Nagito suddenly pulled Kichi into a kiss, one he enthusiastically reciprocated after an instant of stunned shock. They'd kissed before, they'd fooled around before, but Nagito couldn't be sure if it meant anything, obviously - Kichi had claimed ownership over him, he might have just been using him for his own amusement. That made sense, at least.

"Ha," Kichi panted breathily and pulled back, pushing Nagito away a little as well, "Wish I'd gone and gotten a stupid cake before I got here." Nagito chuckled, "That's what you're thinking about right now? I mean, not that I blame you--" "No, you wavy-haired bastard!" Kichi cackled, taking one of Nagito's hands and rubbing himself between his legs with it, "I don't wanna leave the fucking room now! And it's all your fault!" "Sorry," Nagito chuckled, leaning back in and initiating another kiss, which Kichi eagerly participated in, still rubbing himself with Nagito's hand.

- - -

[beevean]

For the hot takes: on the topic of Lost World, what do you think of Tails' writing there? (I recently replayed the 3DS version and did not have a good time XD) I myself am of the opinion that his anger towards Sonic in Frozen Factory comes a bit out of nowhere. It's right after the scene wherein Sonic teams up with Eggman, and Tails expresses zero issue then. Besides, Sonic tells him he makes a good joke about Eggman asking "sooooooo nicely", and Sonic indicates he's not happy with this. So for Tails to be pissed the very cutscene after is a bit unfitting imo. But then at the same time, there is a scene later in the game wherein Tails nearly gets hurt by the Cubot-Crabmeat he made and Sonic scolds him for that. So while I get that could be a cause of concern for Tails that Sonic doesn't trust him, I simultaneously feel that Sonic never actually indicates as such; especially since that confrontation comes before Sonic scolds Tails. He says at the end he'll never doubt Tails again, but like... did he ever? What do you think? ^-^

I'm one of the three people in the world who enjoys LW's story, and that includes the idea of Tails giving in to his insecurities :P

But rewatching the cutscenes years later, yeah, it's odd to see Tails in Tropical Coast laughing with Sonic at his proposal to team up with Eggman, only to see him snap in serious anger the level after. It's not unfeasible that he let his thoughts fester off screen, so the more he thought about it the worse he felt... but that borders on the verge of doing the writers' job for them :P

I can be charitable and say that, since everything stems from Tails' insecurities, the fact that Sonic vocally protests about having to work with Eggman doesn't really factor in his breakdown. Actually, it might make it worse. So he knows that asking Eggman for help is a bad idea... but he still would rather do it than completely trust Tails? He still trusts Eggman that he's the only one who can shut down the machine?

Pontaff wrote Tails as someone who doesn't want to follow Sonic's shadow mindlessly. I always took the impression that they wanted to make him feel slightly older, like a pre-teen: still young, still caring a lot about Sonic, but growing up and not afraid of questioning him. You can see shades of this in Colors, where Tails pokes fun at Sonic "talking to dead robots", and the two get into some playful ribbing near the end where Sonic jokingly asks what Tails did during the whole adventure and Tails equally sarcastically points out that he was the reason they even understood the Wisps' plight. I know some people don't like this because it feels too meanspirited, but personally, I liked this direction because it felt like natural chemistry - naturally, there is zero indication that the two don't love each other any less, as the three major games penned by Pontaff have at least a scene where Sonic readily protects/goes to save Tails (man I love how uncharacteristically pissed he gets at the Zeti for this <3).

So, going back to LW, this is why I personally never questioned the idea of Tails briefly doubting Sonic. He might genuinely believe he was in the wrong, for once. It's one thing to allow Eggman to help in a situation like on the ARK where it was a matter of hours between life and death, but here? Trusting Eggman on the word? Why would Sonic do this? Why is he refusing to listen to him, like with the Conch that caused this whole mess in the first place? And ofc, this sentiment isn't helped by Sonic scolding Tails for "trying to help". See, even with the choppy development of Tails' anger, there's a good story here!

I do, however, take umbrage with the very ending, where Sonic is the only one to apologize for doubting Tails. That's just not true. Tails should have been the one apologizing for letting his insecurities getting the better of him! Sonic was just working with the information they had. This is really the only part I fault the story for.

Anyway, thank you for coming to my annual "Lost World's story is not that bad and it did a pretty good job analyzing Sonic's and Tails' flaws + this Eggman is unironically peak, and I don't understand why this game of all games made everyone act like Pontaff pissed on their wives" apology post :P

[knoepfl]

Can you do L Lawliet with an extremely intelligent (like so intelligent, she's like the smartest sentient being on the planet, but L doesn't know that) fem! reader and L goes to her apartment, which is filled from top to bottom with books of all kinds and L asks her to prove how smart she is, to which she responds by stating some of her observations, such as his age, his blood sugar levels and even his exact IQ level and she even starts speaking in complete unison and eventually predicting what he says and thinks, and L, completely shocked by this, asks her for her help, to which she already knows about and tells him she's not interested as she doesn't get involved with people anymore as she's afraid she'll turn into a Machiavellian mastermind and become worse than Kira as she states that "Absolute Power corrupts absolutely. All that power in my brain. Can't let loose. I'm a glass cannon. Can't let my brain allow me to turn into a sociopathic monster."

Ofc!!! It was a bit hard to write someone smart for I am not smart but I hope I did it alright XD

The Glass Cannon

Characters:

L Lawliet: The enigmatic and brilliant detective, driven to solve the Kira case.

You (Fem!Reader): A reclusive intellectual, the smartest sentient being alive, who fears the destructive potential of her own mind.

Trigger Warnings:

Mentions of mental health struggles (self-isolation, fear of corruption).

Themes of power, morality, and ethical dilemmas.

Psychological tension and manipulation.

Allusions to sociopathy and violence (in context of the Kira case).

Masterlist

Words: 1157

---

L Lawliet rarely felt out of his depth, but stepping into your apartment was like stepping into another world. The space was an intricate maze of bookshelves packed to bursting, the walls almost buckling under the sheer weight of bound knowledge. Books littered every surface—thick leather-bound tomes, paperbacks, journals with illegible titles in languages long forgotten. Even the floor wasn’t spared; piles of books and notes formed precarious towers that left only narrow walkways.

You were already seated, perched in a plain wooden chair, a stark contrast to the chaos around you. Your posture was perfect, hands folded in your lap, a faint smile tugging at your lips as you watched him observe the room. L’s gaze flicked to you, sharp and calculating.

“This is… impressive,” he said, his tone as neutral as always. “But I didn’t come here to admire your library.”

You didn’t respond immediately. Instead, you leaned forward slightly, resting your chin on your hand. “And what did you come here for, Mr. Lawliet?”

L didn’t flinch at the use of his name, though he hadn’t introduced himself. Instead, he moved to sit across from you, settling into a slouch in the oversized armchair you had cleared for him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sugar cube, popping it into his mouth before speaking.

“They say you’re brilliant,” he began, watching for your reaction. “But brilliance without demonstration is merely conjecture. I want proof.”

Your smile widened just enough to be noticeable. “You want me to prove I’m as smart as they claim. Fair enough.”

L nodded. “Go on, then.”

---

You straightened in your chair, brushing a stray strand of hair from your face. “Where should I start? Perhaps with the basics. You’re twenty-four years old, though you present yourself as older through calculated eccentricity. The slouching, the dark circles under your eyes, the obsessive sugar consumption—they’re all designed to give the impression of someone perpetually overworked and overburdened. And you are, but not to the degree you’d like others to believe.”

L blinked, the faintest flicker of surprise crossing his face. “Interesting,” he said, voice measured. “Go on.”

You continued, your tone steady, almost clinical. “Your sugar consumption is remarkable, yet your blood sugar levels remain within acceptable limits. This suggests a high metabolic efficiency paired with genetic predisposition for rapid glucose processing. Likely a result of continuous mental stimulation—you don’t allow your brain to rest, and the sugar compensates for the energy expenditure. As for your IQ…”

You paused, tapping your fingers lightly against the arm of your chair. L’s gaze sharpened, intrigued.

“184,” you said finally. “Give or take a point.”

This time, L’s hand froze mid-reach for another sugar cube. His dark eyes narrowed. “And how, exactly, did you arrive at that conclusion?”

“Simple deduction,” you replied, your voice cool. “Your pattern of reasoning, the speed at which you process information, your ability to hold multiple trains of thought simultaneously—it all points to a genius-level intellect. And before you ask,” you added, raising a hand as he opened his mouth, “yes, I knew you’d ask that question. And no, I’m not reading your mind.”

---

For a moment, L said nothing, his mind racing to piece together the puzzle you presented. Then, cautiously, he asked, “If you’re not reading my mind, how do you—”

“Predict your thoughts?” you finished in perfect unison with him. “I’ve studied people, Mr. Lawliet. Their patterns, their speech, their behavior. Most people are painfully predictable, even you. Your genius doesn’t make you immune to patterns; it just makes them more complex. But complexity is still manageable if you know where to look.”

L leaned back in his chair, his thumb pressed against his lip as he studied you. You were speaking in perfect synchrony with his thoughts now, predicting not only what he would say but how he would say it. It was unsettling, even for someone like him.

“You’re not just brilliant,” he said finally. “You’re extraordinary.”

You inclined your head slightly, acknowledging the compliment without letting it land. “Perhaps. But brilliance is a double-edged sword, Mr. Lawliet. You’ll understand that soon enough.”

---

“You must know why I’m here,” L said, cutting to the chase. “The Kira case. Your intellect could be invaluable in catching him.”

You sighed, leaning back in your chair for the first time. Your eyes flicked to the books surrounding you, as though they were a fortress protecting you from the outside world. “Of course I know why you’re here. And my answer is no.”

L raised an eyebrow. “No? You haven’t even heard my proposal.”

“I don’t need to,” you replied calmly. “The answer remains the same. I don’t get involved with people anymore, Mr. Lawliet. It’s safer that way.”

“For whom?”

“For everyone,” you said quietly. “You’ve heard the saying, haven’t you? ‘Absolute power corrupts absolutely.’ My mind is a weapon, and I don’t trust myself to wield it responsibly. I know what I’m capable of, Mr. Lawliet. If I let myself get involved—if I unleash the full extent of my intelligence—I could become something far worse than Kira. A sociopathic mastermind with no limits.”

L’s gaze darkened, his voice losing some of its usual neutrality. “And you think isolating yourself is the answer? Hiding your mind away like some dangerous artifact?”

“Yes,” you said simply. “I’m a glass cannon, Mr. Lawliet. Fragile, but capable of immense destruction. If I let myself slip, even once, I could become the very thing you’re fighting against. And I can’t let that happen.”

---

For the first time in a long time, L felt outmaneuvered. He prided himself on his ability to understand people, to manipulate and outthink them. But you were different. You had outplayed him in a game he didn’t even realize he was playing.

He leaned forward, his tone uncharacteristically urgent. “But what if your brilliance is the only thing that can stop Kira? What if your isolation allows him to continue killing?”

You didn’t flinch under his gaze, your expression calm. “Kira will be stopped, with or without my help. The world doesn’t need me, Mr. Lawliet. It never has. My involvement would be a liability, not an asset.”

“And you’re content with that?”

You hesitated, your gaze dropping to your hands. “Content? No. But I’ve made my peace with it.”

For a moment, the two of you sat in silence, the weight of your words hanging heavily in the room. Finally, L stood, slipping his hands into his pockets. “Thank you for your time,” he said, his voice quiet. “You’ve given me much to think about.”

You didn’t respond as he left, the door clicking shut behind him. Alone again, you glanced at the books surrounding you, your fortress of knowledge. You had built it to protect yourself from the world—and the world from you.

And though you would never admit it, a small part of you wondered if you had made the right choice.

[edgeray]

Ray! 🍅 anon again here xD

Was hanging around twitter and saw @arlecock (yes, wtf is that name) wondering what happens during Arle’s periods (I mean. Valid concern?) she’s probably so used to going on and functioning with them.

Indulgent yes but any Thoughts? I personally do want to spoil her with a massage and warm hugs and cuddling her if she ever had any cramps! (Okay this is just an excuse to spoil her but still) Though I would feel like Arle would be one of the ones who is so used to pain period cramps don’t really faze her anymore…

(Or when there’s a long established relationship post canon and Arle also uses it as an excused to get babied)

Lullabying Arle to sleep… hehehhehehehehehehehehehhehehehe.

She deserves it.

Hi 🍅 anon! I'm not going to be using this as a request since you're only asking for my thoughts, I'll just keep it to kind of a ramble lol.

first of all, arlecock is a valid af (and real af) user, have you seen the users on tiktok? lmfao, there's way worse on there. slightly irrelevant, but i saw a tiktok video of a literal arlecchino pride flag at a pride parade. what would that even be called? arlesexual?

anyways

arle powers through periods like nothing, regardless of how painful her cramps are. she has so many better things to worry about and concern her than whatever her body decides to do once a month (her curse hurts way worse anyways, cramps are incomparable.) I'd imagine she also uses her pyro vision to help relieve her cramps. i doubt many people can tell the difference between when she's on/off her period, except maybe you and her children. She's a bit more snippy, a bit more impatient, but besides that she doesn't really give off any signs of when she's on her period, and if it doesn't bother her, then she feels like there's no need to tell you.

however, you do you tracking them, mostly be noticing when your guys' shared bathroom's feminine products have been depleting. of course, cuddling arle is a given. she loves to cuddle with you and she will most definetely fall asleep to your pretty voice humming/singing to her as you stroke her hair.

to me, arle also seems like the type of person to secretly have a sweet tooth. i don't know why, but she strikes me as those type of people. you'll also buy her lots of dark chocolate candy to also help. you also make her a warm bath before she comes home, and that's where you usually massage her. y'know what's another thing that helps with cramps? sex.

I don't think think I need to say more about that.

but yeah, those are just this silly axolotl's thoughts <3

this may not be... super accurate in terms of what you should do for cramps, considering that I'm very fortunate to not have cramps during my periods.

[illprotectyou-hearteyes]

4, 14, 20 for my mi asks!! ✅

Thank you for asking!! :D

4. What is your all time favorite mi scene?

Ah, the hardest question XD I'm incapable of that kind of commitment, but one I adore and that isn't discussed as much as some of my other favorites: in Dead Reckoning when Luther, Benji, and Ilsa find Ethan in Rome, and the looks the four of them exchange in the van.

It's just. There's a whole four-way conversation in those looks. "I ordered you to stay away" "so? we always come anyway, you knew we would" "I knew. I adore you, and I am so afraid." <-except even that oversimplifies the nuances, and leaves out the slightly different nuances with Ilsa.

And. There's a whole essay about the relationship dynamics and themes particular to DR in that conversation that they don't even have. About how deeply Ethan, Benji, and Luther know each other, how fundimental and unquestioned their mutual adoration and loyalty has become. How despite Ethan's frantic efforts, Ilsa has become one of them in shared values and loyalty, and inherited the joys and dangers of that choice. About how Ethan running doesn't and never will protect them, will only add to their fear and uncertainty as they charge into the same dangers after him. And they're so fucking tired, and they'll play out the scene again next time, anyway. It's cycles ingrained to the point of redundancy, and it's the love which Kittridge's voicover in DR will claim condemns the cycles to remain unbroken, and which Luther in FR will finally reframe as their redemption.

And ... that's me trying to be brief about it 😅

14. Do you have any mi headcanons?

A few FR specific ones:

Ethan and Benji don't retire, but after a (probably long and agonizing) transition, Grace Paris and Degas (+ a field tech) take over the brunt of the Team Hunt field work, with Ethan and Benji providing office-based tech support and advice (and occasionally—often enough to annoy the younglings—charging into the field with them). In the meantime, they run interference with Kittridge and any other pissed-off authorities so their wards can focus on the world-exploding problems without also fighting supposed allies the whole way.

This is kind of like Brandt running interference with Hunley in Rogue Nation, but Ethan and Benji are pure chaos agents about it. All the pent-up energy and invention they're not using in the field is spent here. Kittridge (who can spot their fingerprints every time, and can never prove it) dreams of the days when all he had to deal with was an upset Ethan. Turns out an Ethan who's having fun with it is so much worse.

Briggs doesn't join the IMF, but he sticks his oar in and stirs the IMF pot whenever things heat up for the field team. At first this is mostly for Degas' sake, but while this is always a motive, he and Ethan also bond over mutual respect for the other's ability to cause mayhem.

20. In which mi movie do you think Tom Cruise's hair looked the best?

I've been partial to the Fallout hair for a while, but I kinda loved the Dead Reckoning hair? Tentatively going with that for now, although we'll see where that opinion lands once I've had time for all the impressions to process and settle.

[qiutls]

TNGDH 017

In fact the owner of the flower has been decided from the beginning, so there was no need to deliberate. I'll give it to you, okay? Since you helped me attend the banquet as exchange for it. After all I'm a law-abiding citizen of Korea, I don't break my promises.

"Here, Your Highness."

The entrance fee for this banquet.

I gave Belial the white flower with a bitter face. Still, he is indeed a prince, if he didn't get a single flower, it would be quite embarrassing.

"I'm giving it to you as I promised."

Belial glanced at me with soft eyes and smiled slightly with his eyes bent like crescent moons. It seemed like a graceful gaze that would melt anyone who was looked at.

"Thank you."

Hey, don't act too moved. Why are you so touched? It's not like it was a surprise gift.

Belial cut the stem of the flower short and inserted it onbliquely in the front pocket of his coat. I was wondering why despite his flashy clothes, he didn't wear a corsage, now I see why. This bastard planned this from the start.

"Receiving the symbol of respect from a subject of the Blake estate sure feels quite refreshing."

Belial turned his head slightly towards Kyle and asked,

"Don't you think so?"

He seemed to be quite excited to have an opportunity to be condescending. What are you a kid? Are you actually going to brag about a flower?

Kyle on the other hand didn't that much interested in his gloating and replied bluntly,

"Congratulations."

It was a tone that didn't seem congratulatory at all. His red eyes turned to look at me berating my actions.

What? What was I supposed to do? You already have a lot of white flowers from the citizens of the duchy. Look at your basket filled to the brim. So please spare this one flower, okay?

"What are you going to do with that one?"

Kyle pointed towards me, to be exact, he pointed at the red flower sitting in my hand.

I stood still and continued to grasp the red flower, while everyone else was giving it to others, asking for a dance.

Sen said this flower symbolizes love. But I don't have anyone I 'love' right now. Even as the human Bae Soohyun, I had built a Great Wall around me, rejecting any possible affection.

"I'm not giving it to anyone."

I said flatly.

Why are you asking? I'm not giving it to you. I'm not giving it to others as well. This is mine.

To make matters worse, Belial also anticipated my next actions. Apparently, Sen gave both flowers to him.

I already gave you one, and you still want more? You two brothers have no conscience! Are you toddlers? Stop competing for a flower! 

"....."

I really didn't want to give it to anyone, but how am I supposed to reject both the grand duke and the prince.

Can't you guys just pretend not to know? Let's just skip this, get rid of those competitive gazes. I sighed deeply, then put the stem in my mouth.

I am not giving it away! It's mine!

"Euf yeu reely weant it, then teuk it."

*he's biting the flower stem so he can't talk properly XD  'If you really want it, then take it.'*

...Well, I think the pronounciation was fine.

Even if I said it like that, it was understandable right? I turned my head away after seeing the glances from the crown. Get lost! Go and keep dancing, why are you looking this way.

"Pff- hahaha!"

Belial burst into laughter.

"Everything you do is really so strange, I didn't know there was such an interesting person in the North."

Kyle's eyes suddenly brightened, then he stepped in between me and Belial as if to block him, and offered me a red flower.

....Wait, what? Why are you giving that to me?

"Can I have your first dance of the day?"

Wait a minute!

"The music will start soon, will you accompany me for a dance?"

Stop!

Hey! This isn't right! Why are you asking me to dance out of all the people here. I can't even answer you properly because I'm biting a flower!

Kyle grabbed me by the arm, not even waiting for my reply. Before I knew it we were on the dance floor, and receiving strange looks from everyone.

...That's right, isn't it weird if the Duke of Blake, chose some unidentified man as his dance partner.

I'm doomed.

"I- I heuv never deunced befeur."

I've never danced before! Let me go, you punk.

Of course, there was no way he could have understood.

"Wheuy deu yeu weunt to deunce with me!"

Why do you want to dance me with me? There's a lot to choose from!

This time seems like Kyle understoon perfectly even though I said it with clenched teeth.

"Why do I want to dance with you? Because out of all the people here, you were the only one who...."

Kyle leaned down and whispered in my ear.

"What was it that you said? My companion?"

Fuck. This damn situation is...

I wanted to refute his statement but the flowers were in the way. When I moved my hand to remove it, he grasped my arm and put it on his waist. My other hand was also trapped in his as he lead me to dance.

Soon, at the sound of the music, we along with the other people in the dance floor began to spin like dolls in a music box. 

We moved with the cheerful waltz beat... And I kept stepping on Kyle's feet. I can't help it, I've never dance before. This kind of fast paced beat is sure to break my legs.

Stomp.

I stepped on his foot again, this time it was much harder than before, but Kyle didn't seem to be in pain. Well what else can he do, except endure.

"Why did you say that back then?"

"....."

Because I was confessing that I was your pet! Your pet hamster! This mouth of mine is the problem. Ah! Why did you say that Bae Soohyun.

This time I stepped on his foot on purpose, as payback.

"Come to think of it, you look strangely like someone I know?"

Suddenly Kyle lifted me slightly and let my feet step on his. We continued dancing like this. Well, more like he continued, since he was the only one moving.

'Am I not heavy?'

Anyways, thanks to this, I felt more comfortable. Now all I have to do is stick to him and not worry about following the beat.

Of course, the distance between us bothered me a bit. His bangs often brushed against my forehead and it made my heart feel itchy.

By the way, what do you mean I look like someone? Everywhere you look, all the face you'd see are westerners, where could you have found a face that resembles an Asian like me?

'... Don't tell me, you think I resemble your hamster?'

Ey, that's impossible, it's a different species. Hm, I guess there's really someone in the Blake estate who looks like me.

"Isn't that statement quite brazen of you?"

...Oh, you sly man. You're really fiendish.

Kyle said in a low tone,

"So, what do you think?"

His voice was cold and intimidating. I felt extreme pressure and my body was trembling as if my whole body's blood was being drained out.

I shrank reflexively.

N-no, but there's really nothing to say. I was originally going to ask if you thought I looked like your pet hamster, but now I don't think I can.

And this damn flower. This damn flower is my enemy. I'm glad I didn't drool on my shoes. That's right don't talk to me, or else I might drool on your shoes too.

"I think yeur just jeuking."

I think your just joking.

Right? It should be. Don't pry into me anymore, lest you get an idea.

"That's right, I was kidding."

Kyle's eyes narrowed, I didn't know if he was smiling or threatening.

"I guess it's time I take the flower now."

His head got closer and at that moment, I forgot I was on the dance floor. When his face filled my entire vision, I couldn't even hear the music the was originally loud.

It felt like we were the only ones who existed in the world at that moment.

"....."

Kyle seemed to move slowly. His face came close enough for us to touch foreheads and his eyelashes fanned my cheeks. He tilted his head slightly and took the red flower that had been in my mouth, our posture looked as if we were kissing.

"This... What..."

I closed my eyes and felt our noses touch. Soon, I opened my eyes and realized I lost the flower. What the hell?

Before I could argue, he pushed me away slightly and spun me around. While I was turning around to the sound of the violin, he broke the stem of the flower and placed it on his front pocket, just like what Belial did earlier.

Kyle did the job skillfully with just one lap of turn, grasped my hand and pulled me back in again. As soon as my body tilted, I stumbled and stepped on his foot again. He's such a great dancer, meanwhile I...

"What are you going to do if a rumour spreads that the Grand Duke of the North is into men?"

It seems like the north will be thrown into chaos as soon as word gets out.

Kyle answered my question blankly as if it was a small matter.

"I can afford to not have children nor a family, unlike some people."

"But aren't you the lord?"

"The North does not rely on lineage to choose it's leaders. Only the strongest can rule here."

"Ah right..."

I answered awkwardly. Let's just keep quiet.

"What's your name?"

"It's... Shu."

I said half-heartedly and looked away for fear that he might discover something.

The first song came to an end, and the crowd seemed to be a bit more active, looking for partners for the next dance. From the gap, I saw Belial and Sen move toward the dance floor.

'Hey System, how much time do I have left?'

[ "Summon" will end in approximately 10 minutes. ]

"....What?!"

10 minutes? That's not enough!

[ Would you like to buy an item from the 'Nut Shop'? ( •̀ .̫ •́ )✧ ]

There's no choice, the chandelier incident still hasn't been prevented. I sighed deeply and bought what I saw earlier.

[ Long-lasting Acorn cookie, consumes 1% miracle value, purchasing this item grants an extension of 1 hour for the skill "Summon." ]

A small snack came straight into my pocket.

"It really looks like an acorn."

I unwrapped the package and put it in my mouth without hesitation. 

....Tastes like acorns, but a bit bland.

"Well, I guess dancing to one song would be fine. As I told you, I'm not a good dancer."

"Don't worry, it's fine. I'll lead."

Belial bent down and offered out his arm for Sen to hold. The two of them seemed to be going to the dance floor this time.

'... Don't.'

My anxious gaze flew to the chandelier.

'You can't dance there.'

There's really no choice in this damned life, I thought as I reached out to Kyle.

"Please dance with me one more time, Your Highness."

Punk, let's do one more round.

t/n: i might not be able to post tomorrow since i'll be away the whole day, so here's an early update ! :D

[ijwrff]

Bro i NEED a Part 3 for that yandere Jackieboy man x villain Reader

PLEASE I'M BEGGING YOU🛐😭

Your wish is granted <3 I apologize in advance XD

I got a good few requests sent in, so I'll be closing requests very soon! Make sure to send something in if you haven't already! I appreciate y'all and the requests so much so thank you for being so kind and supportive <3

Tag List: @thattiredanimator1t0mblr @jacksepticeye-simp

Word Count: 1,379

That absolute bastard…what the hell makes him think he was gonna get away with this? What kind of “hero” was he to do something most villains wouldn’t even dream of. I mean seriously, kidnapping someone? How ironic does this situation get?

He had been keeping you here for over two weeks. You yelled at him, thrashed in your restraints and even spat at him. He didn’t care. He just smiled, and promised to bring you food or even…help you go to the bathroom. It was like he didn’t trust you alone for even a second and honestly? Probably the smart move. If you were able to, you’d kick his damn teeth in for even suggesting you’d be happier if you believed in him. 

It was grating on your pride, being holed up in some abandoned building. He wanted you to see exactly where he was going. Those cameras he placed in your apartment were always on the monitor in front of you. He’d go and grab your things, but it was pointless if he wouldn’t even untie you to be able to use them. Even worse, he had access to cameras all over the city. But that was going to be his downfall. 

You could see exactly where he was. You knew these streets, and it gave you a good idea how far he was, and how quickly he traveled from place to place. His confidence would get him killed, and if you were lucky, it’d be at your hands. If he thought he could keep the city’s most dangerous villain in restraints with visible access to the cameras without any fear of what could happen…he severely underestimated you. You’ve gotten out of worse situations than this, and there was no way you’d let him be the first to keep you dormant. 

You were getting out, and you were getting out soon. No matter the cost. 

“I’m going to the bank! I wanna make sure to get enough money out to get you into a real room…I feel bad for just leaving you here in a chair most of the day.” Jackie pouted, and crossed his arms as he looked at you apologetically. “Your room is almost done, but I need to do a couple more things in it first. I’ll be back in an hour or two! Don’t worry, I’ll be sure you know where I’m going. I’d feel awful if you thought I was seeing a girl or something.” He blushed slightly, but shook his head and smiled. “I’ll be back before you know it!” 

It made you scoff, but you knew you had to put your plan into action. You hated everything you were about to say and do, but forced yourself to give him a small smile. “Okay…be safe.” The sweetness in your voice made you internally gag, but it was something that had to be done. If he thought you were warming up to him, then escape will be significantly easier. If you could just convince him you cared about him, he’d be more relaxed and easy to win over. 

He looked shocked, his jaw dropping before he gave a wide smile with a blush creeping onto his cheeks. “Okay! I will, promise!” He stepped closer, cradling your cheeks in his hands. “I’ll come back for you, don’t worry.” The tone was sickening, and sounded like it came straight out of some cheesy romcom. That was a far different genre than the life you’ve been living…it was hard not to look as repulsed as you felt. 

You didn’t trust your voice, and instead gave him a happy smile. It seemed to be enough for him, and he walked out. That was when the plan really began. Pretending not to despise him, to actually enjoy his presence. He had mentioned a room for you, and knowing him it would be difficult to get out of it. But it was a start. Soon you’d have more range of motion than in and out of a chair a few times a day. It made you smirk. That fucking idiot. 

The next week went by, faking smiles and acting shy. You wanted to throw him across the room and out a glass window where he’d fall thirty stories, but for now you had to be patient. He had mentioned your room being finished tonight. He’d have to walk you somewhere else in the building, or even to a different location, which gave you a window of opportunity to blindside him and make your escape. He had gotten far more enthusiastic, talking about his day like you were a married couple. 

It was repulsive in every way possible. He was certifiably insane, and it pissed you off beyond belief. But he’d lose this fight, even though you were having to play it as a long game. You had to admit, the restraints were good. There wasn’t much wiggle room, but it wasn’t tight enough to cause damage or be uncomfortable…no matter how you thrashed around. 

As soon as he returned, you gave him a small smile. “Hi…welcome back, I missed you. Is my room ready?” It was still curt, and to the point, but with a small shred of sweetness. It was really all you managed to muster without it sounding unbelievable. 

Jackie practically skipped up to you, and leaned down so your eyes were even. He held his hands behind his back and tilted his head as he grinned wide at you. “Yup! We’ll have to start heading there now! Don’t worry, I can lead you there!” He giggled, but suddenly his face fell and he looked more serious. He straightened up, his eyes nearly pleading. “But…first…” 

He looked at the ground, kicking his foot once before looking back up at you. “Do you…finally love me yet?” His voice was almost a whisper, and he went completely silent while he waited for you to answer. It seemed like an innocent question, but given the current circumstances, it was far from so. He held his breath, and looked at you with eyes that reminded you of a child trying to beg their parents for candy without pulling any punches. Sort of like a guilt trip. 

Your jaw dropped slightly, not expecting the question at all. You quickly closed your mouth, and gave him the most genuine looking smile you could. “I…didn’t want to say it just yet. I…wanted to make it special.” You took a deep breath, simultaneously gathering the courage to lie, and make it believable. “I do…I do love you, Jackie.” The words were laced with all of the sweetness you could put into it, and looked at him with a wide grin and adoring eyes. 

His smile was far wider than yours, and he rushed up to you to pull you into a hug. Now wasn’t the time to thrash and make your escape. You had to wait until he at least untied your legs. If you could kick him down, you could easily find something to cut open the ropes around your wrists. So instead you leaned your head closer to him, as if to nuzzle him. 

You felt tears hitting your shoulder as he cried silently. “I’m so happy…I’m so happy to hear you say it. I’ve loved you for so long, it’s all I’ve ever wanted to hear.” A small sob escaped his lips, and you felt him squeeze you tighter. His hands rubbed your back, and it was quiet for several moments as he took in several deep breaths. 

“I wanted to hear that for so long…” He laughed, but the air seemed to shift. Something was wrong. You felt a small prick in the side of your neck, and his laugh turned monotone. You were shocked at the change, and immediately started to feel dizzy. Before you could yell at him, he finished what he wanted to say. 

“Even though I know you’re lying.” He pulled back as he spoke, and you saw a sorrowed expression on his face. “You’ll believe it soon though. I know you will. You’ll be safe wi…” His words trailed off as you passed out, one thought running through your mind. One sentence that had never rang more true than in this moment. 

I’m so screwed…

[mocacheezy]

Moca watches: Fox's Peter Pan and the Pirates - Ep. 16: Hook's Mother's Picture

These are such pretty clouds.

Rooster makes a statue of himself. Great craftsmanship.

I don't know exactly how old Michael is, but that he already forgot his mother… Ouch.

"I suppose she is in some way." yea, given she is the only girl in Neverland not constantly 100% fixated on only Peter.

And damn, she is also a wonderful sculptor. I need to make a post praising Wendy Darling, she is amazing, sweet, talented. If I ever wanted to have children, had a daughter, I'd want her to be just like her - curious when provided with options of learning and creativity and acquiring skill.

"They're slightly like a bedtime story. Not real at all." Slightly what you're thinking of is a perfect mother and I don't blame you if yours wasn't even a good and caring one.

I do wonder about mothers of each Lost Boy. I might dive too deep into this but, technically speaking, headcanons about the behaviour and mannerisms they have could be linked to the parenting of each lost boy.

I also wonder if Wendy will ever mention a father, and if so, what the Lost Boys will have to say about that.

What in the fuck was this reaction Peter? I am just baffled at the TWINKLE TING sound effect.

This is the face of OH NO, ROOSTER MISCHIEF IN MAKING.

STARKEY STOP THAT YOU'LL LOSE YOUR FINGERNAIL OR WORSE

Cookson. That's disgusting.

Mason mending the sails while they are strung is really cool to see. Especially since the fabric isn't exactly thin, so he might just be patching small surface tears before they can become a bigger issue. It is very impressive to me still.

Honey, other people also have moms.

"Molesting CLOUDS?" I am WHEEZING, gosh he hates these kids.

I am losing my fucking mind over him insulting Smee. He is so eloquent Smee thinks it is a compliment.

Though to be honest, I do wonder how dumb or dim-witted Smee actually is, because he could also be feigning some of it. I'm putting my rating at him being 65% dim and 35% smart-but-faking-it dimness.

WHY. ARE. YOU. PRETTY. This. is. unfair. Thank you animators, a million thank yous

Is it Peter making that racket? Because he woke up Robert, now Cookson- NO IT'S TOMY! :D

Short Tom you good birdie, good job, GOOD JOB pretty Polly!

Mullins saves the day for the boys. Also, if there are no transcripts for the episodes online, I will listen to every episode a million times to write down what these pirates are saying. I didn't understand anything Cookson said just now.

"Dem parrots know, you know?" Mullins being superstitious is my favourite defining trait of his. And the two of them taking Short Tom's squaking seriously makes me so glad. Tom is a crewmate, and an extra eye.

Cookson being a painter is something I've GOT to see.

Honey why are you yelling?

Babe *incooherent scribbles* the BOW.

"AT YOUR SERVICE." WHY IS HE CULTURED,

WHY I ASK

*replaying the scene to get good screenshots*

WHY ARE YOU THIS PRETTY?!!!

HUBBY!!!

HUBBY

How, DARE you.

I am not normal about this man.

I am not normal about this man.

Wendy is having NONE of this!

"FEATHERS! Give me feathers!" XD

Slightly & Nibs are such lil assholes X)

A face only a mother could love? ❌ A face only a son could love? ✅

Little shit just likes to return to Hook's stomping grounds.

Tomy is asleep :3

I love that Wendy didn't react in the same way everyone else had.

I swear the amount of abuse this painting has been through should've destroyed it completely.

He. He is. He's-

I AM. HUSBAND?? HUSBAND??? He's just!!! He's just!!! HE!!!

(translation; he climbed aboard his ship yet again, using his hook. And the sea is low, the tide is low, so he's climbing more than he would otherwise and oh my Goth Hook, honey- *insert incooherent scribbles here*)

Honey, baby, sweetie, darling, your temper is kept in check purely by the fact your crew is small, and the amount of climbing you just did.

That's it, new headcanon; this man doesn't just scale the side of his ship because he's impatient, he also does it because he would've flogged his crew until their bones were bare, just like he threatened Mullins.

"I. Beg. your. Pardon?"

Honey, honey, honey, I am clasping my hands and breathing deeply, because your men have a reason to act like this, but those ARE your quarters, your one place of moderate reprieve, and the way you will not stand for denial of your entry is

DOING THINGS TO ME.

Honey. Honeyyyy 😭

Husband, baby, sweetiepie, he looks like a sad pug.

He loves his mother so much, that the portrait height is in such a way that he is at eye level/looking slightly up where her eyes would be. [EDIT: Might be animation error]

"How dare you lie you-"

get hatted kiddo.

"I will NOT!" I love how firm she is.

"Peter will rescue me." … you could tell the truth now.

He looks like he's pleading. He is pleading. He called Peter a "fair boy".

The fact it isn't the picture makes this hurt so much more.

"Release the wench." foul language towards a little lady… oh my poor gentleman.

Baby boy babyyy

He is so sad, he is grieving all over again, he turned to music, he is almost crying, I-

Smee. I don't blame you, but Smee. You are dead. (were it not for plot reasons you would be dead)

I have my doubts that painting could be saved.

It was rolled up and gripped tightly multiple times,

it got caught on a tree branch,

was stabbed on the top with a sword and flung out the window,

landed in the sea paint down,

got torn off from where it was hung (still wet),

remained on the wooden floor, paint down, wet,

got stretched, then balled up, thrown out,

Landed in the sea again, paint side down again

... Now I know this is for comedic effect, but that picture? Gone. Done. Unless Hook can paint well enough with what might as well be his non-dominant hand, Mummy truly is gone.

[sugarywishes]

Apologies for the flood of questions all of a sudden, I promise this is the last for now. XD I am curious though, given what you have mentioned before, but what do you think would have happened if the Afton Kids has lived? You did mention that Elizabeth was turning against Evan for his preferential treatment, so I'm curious as to how far it would go, and if you have any other headcannons for the future in that case.

Also, no worries! I love answering questions people have about my characters or AUs, it gets my creative juices flowing! Answers below as usual.

I assume by your question you could be talking about a universe where the bite *didn't* occur (as for an AU where the bite did happen and Evan lived, it's a WIP AU idea I might develop soon but I'm not too sure yet.)

Evan already dealt with enough bullying from his old school and from his brother but also getting hated by his own twin? He was already depressed in his life but this would've made him even more miserable. It's not like his mom would comfort him at all. So of course he would fully submit to the one person in his life who was nice to him, William 😔 (I mean, more so than he did before)

And because he only interacts positively with William, it makes Lizzie and Mike more spiteful towards him, which increases their animosity towards him too. (I guess he should be thankful he doesn't attend school anymore, Lizzie would've probably joined his bullies in tormenting him too ☹️☹️) (Elizabeth, your father does not care about you girl! Don't take it out on your brother you deserve better 😭😭)

I feel like since Mike already does enough in the 'scaring/traumatizing my brother' category (who knows if he physically harms Evan too, I don't think he beats him up or anything lmao but pushes or shoves are more in his line of bullying), Lizzie would be generally cruel to him in a typical girl way

(I know that sounds kinda off putting, but I know for a fact that boys and girls tend to bully differently than each other, boys usually are physically aggressive while girls usually do verbal abuse or subtle physical harm i guess idk) So think more in lines of insults, social exclusion (so he can't interact with Charlie, who has a neutral relationship with him and is the only other person who at least treats him respectfully besides Henry who also doesn't interact w/ him), and at worse like push him around or pinch him or something. I'm slightly basing this off my own childhood but we're not here for that we're here for FNAF!

I think she (like Mike) would also disrespect his things, so as I said in the Lizzie post where she breaks her dolls and toys, she'd probably break into his room and destroy his stuff too. (This is why therapy for children is helpful !! Dear lord !!)

So as for when time goes by, I have two alternate ways this could go. Either William divorces Clara later on and takes Evan with him, disappear from the public eye and basically hides him away for his 'safety and comfort' (wow, now he truly will be like Rapunzel and Quasi!) OR the family stays together, and Evan is subjected to further abuse until Mike runs away from home at 18. To which then Evan will also run away at 18 after dealing with Elizabeth's abuse, William's *subtle* abuse and Clara's neglect for *years*. Lizzie still stays at home, and basically the entire family never talks to eachother ever again. Uh, depressing I know. I'm still working out ideas though so who knows!

(Uh, also reminder that most of the FNAF characters in my interpretation are not good people at the start. They have things happen to them that eventually start their paths to redemption, so I guess it functions like A Christmas Carol logic??)

[vasyandii]

Hellooo!!! I have a question for the two goobers: Would Nak/Kreuger rather go to a museum (weither it be art, historical, etc) or a zoo (Or something simular like an aquarium or a butterfly garden)?

Does KruegerNak prefer Museums or the Zoo?

Howdy Mishap! I'm personally a fan of both so it got me thinking a bit! Here's them at my visit to the modern art museum last year :) Thanks so much for the ask! 💞💞💞

I feel like neither but both at the same time xD. Each place is catered to their specific interests. But they both have things they enjoy about each trip :3

My headcanon, half of Krueger's family (Dad side) are part of "higher society" + being naturally artistic, he enjoys museums, contemporary art, etc.

Nak is still technically considered "New Money" because of Naga, plus how she was raised, she really doesn't see anything cool in art museums or museums in general. She's willing to go with him because it's something he enjoys, and she likes walking beside him as he explains each piece. She really enjoys how smart he is when he wants to be.

Nak likes animals so zoos, aquariums, etc. are enjoyable for her, she likes pointing at the ones that she thinks look like him, and there are slightly less restrictions in there unlike the museum (Don't touch the paintings, don't stand too close, etc.)

Since Krueger is rather indifferent about most animals, that feeling naturally transfers over to zoos. He'll find other ways to entertain himself there by taking pictures of the plants or being the Map Man. He'll go to the zoo or aquarium with Nak because he likes seeing her happy and excited :D (Sorry if it doesn't make sense)

Their Interaction at an Art Museum usually goes like this...

Who's Afraid of Red, Yellow and Blue III - Barnett Newman

"It's..red."

"And.."

"And blue."

"Can you see the yellow?"

"I think..? It blends in with the red."

"The paint is so fine that it morphs into the canvas."

"Uh huh... I could probably do that."

"You couldn't, someone tried."

"Did they?"

"Mhmm. Someone slashed the canvas, the restorer thought it'd be easy to fix, it came out worse and people got mad."

"How'd it come out worse?."

"Glad you asked"

(He then goes on a looong tangent, she listens of course)

And the zoo..

"Se, Look, look! he's drinking water!"

"Yea, Want to see something cool?"

"Yeah?"

He takes a sip from a bottle of water, promptly closing the cap, proud of himself with a grin.

"Swoon."

"You know I can throw you in there."

"Yes."

"Want me to?"

"Maybe. But I wanted to take you to see the big cats."

"...I'll throw you later."

(after a while, she finds him a shady area to rest a bit, she knows he's a bit tired from walking around so much)

"Did you get any good photos?"

"Of you or the animals?"

"Both."

"..Most of what's in here are plants."

"That's good too."

[funeralprocession]

#10; I wrote this one before bed last night (I try not to write too late since concentration is pretty difficult even in the best circumstances) but I don't think there are too many mistakes? Ones I wouldn't have made at any other time, anyway XD!! (Suggestive but not overt)

Just a reminder that they're both adults in my heart and in my hc <3 [Also, Kichi's in his PJs (his red and orange-striped undies and Nagito's shirt); I didn't really have a place to insert it when I realized I'd forgotten to mention, so I'll mention it now]

"We should get something we can do in here," Kichi asserted rather forcefully, as if there wasn't a conversation to be had - the decision had been made. "Such as?"

Kichi was styling Nagito's hair again while he was sitting in between Kichi's knees. It ended up becoming less awkward at some point (less awkward for Nagito - Kichi had never seen any problem with any part of it.)

"I dunno," Kichi frowned, "I'm leaning toward checking that stupid supermarket thing for a game console or something? But I know that would be a dumb thing to do." "They might have something over there," Nagito shrugged, blotting off some water droplets that had dripped onto Kichi's thighs. "Not that it would be pointless to look, I mean I would basically be setting myself up to get beaten at every game that requires any luck at all," Kichi cackled, "Stop acting like you don't know what I'm talking about!" Nagito chuckled, "Sorry. We should probably leave the room occasionally, anyway." "Meh, whatever."

In actuality, Kichi was enjoying the increased suspense, paranoia, and intrigue that his proximity to Nagito afforded him. He didn't have to do anything at all - he didn't need to design any machinations, drop hints, sew discontent and steer the unwitting pawns toward any nefarious devices-- Simply being preoccupied with Nagito was terrifying to them - which was hilarious. He didn't need to constantly observe, weigh possibilities, check for opportunities… The downside was that he was unaware of things that went on outside, but he wasn't particularly concerned about that. He had control without needing to take it by force; he may not have had their respect, but he had their terror (which was incredibly funny to him.) Nagito was not at all what he was expecting, based on the things he'd heard. He still didn't understand what was so awful about the guy - he was weird, but Kichi considered that to be a positive thing. Nagito couldn't be boring if he was weird. Boring would be infinitely worse.

"Are you gonna let me do you next?" "WHAT?" Kichi demanded immediately, startling right out of his slightly-distracted amusement, "What are you talking about?!" "Your hair," Nagito chuckled, an odd, delighted rasp in his voice, "What did you think I was talking about? Master." "You shut up," Kichi cackled, closing his knees around Nagito's ribs and squeezing very lightly, "I'm gettin' sick of you, y'know." "Are you?" Nagito smiled faintly and finally glanced up. "Totally," Kichi grinned and released the grip he'd had on Nagito's ribcage, "Hard to assert my dominance over a lucky bastard like you." "I wouldn't think you'd need to try so hard to dominate me. Master," Nagito goaded slyly, "That's kind of pathetic, don't you think?" "Shut up!" Kichi cackled again, "You're getting on my nerves!"

Despite the dramatic, playful argument, Kichi was incredibly careful while styling Nagito's hair, just as he had been before. Nagito's shoulders were no longer tensed at all, which was obviously a triumph for Kichi. He was totally winning at being a… Whatever he was, 'person who had a servant'. None of the others had servants, so he was already winning in that regard; it wasn't like that was a close contest.

"It's already annoying enough that you keep getting me excited on accident," Kichi continued, keeping up his fake vexation. "Ok." "What? Just 'ok'?" Kichi huffed, "That's all you're gonna say for yourself?" "Yeah," Nagito shrugged and received another playful rib-squeeze in response. "Damn you!" "What am I supposed to say?" Nagito's tone was once again tinged in very slight antagonism, "It wasn't an accident. I'm a little hurt you thought it was all unintentional. Master." "Huh?" Kichi blinked and pulled his hands away for a moment, lifting Nagito's chin with his right index finger, "What did you say?" "I dunno," Nagito shrugged, "Was it something important?" "I'm not joking," Kichi kept his tone reasonable but firm, "You were doing that stuff to me on purpose?" "Yes. Sorry." "Don't apologize for that," Kichi huffed, regaining control and pretending to be bothered again, "I would have been more mad if you just happened to do that stuff on accident, you know. This is fine… I guess." "I don't understand..."

There wasn't a good way to explain it - Kichi had hoped that Nagito was doing it all intentionally, that he wasn't just messing around… Kichi didn't want to be wrong, misreading things - again.

"Whatever, so you figured out my weakness, who cares," Kichi complained nonchalantly, "Not like you can take me down for very long with that stuff." "True," Nagito smiled faintly again, clasping his hands together as Kichi carefully resumed tending to his hair.

It was a lot easier to manage since he'd gotten all of the tangles out, and got Nagito to stop using bodywash on his hair. It was stripping out the oils and making his hair dry and damaged. It was a tough sell at one point - back before Kichi had insisted on basically moving in with him, he couldn't exactly force him to stop using the wrong cleanser… However, once he weaseled his way in, he replaced Nagito's bodywash with nicer things - not that cheap, nasty stuff he'd been using when taking care of himself didn't matter.

"You smell nice," Kichi chirped, "Is that the stuff I got you?" "Yeah," Nagito smiled faintly, "It's a little strong--" "It's FINE, Nagito!" Kichi asserted, leaving no room for debate, "I wanna be able to find you easily! That garbage you were using before? The scent wore off in like, what? 10 minutes? Meanwhile, I wanna be able to find you by scent alone." "That's a little scary," Nagito chuckled. "What, you think I'm not serious?" Kichi continued on, trying his hardest not to smile, "You think I'm just gonna let you get away from me?" Nagito shrugged without commenting further, without looking up; that response set Kichi on edge, but only slightly.

"Hey, talk to me," Kichi spoke up after a moment, "What's going on with you, Nagito?" "I guess I assumed you'd get bored at some point, and…"

Nagito had stopped speaking but it was clear where he'd been headed - he was words away from insulting himself again. He still wouldn't really talk about what happened before, but it was pretty clear it wasn't a joke.

"Can I tell you something?" Kichi set the comb aside, having finished the unnecessarily drawn-out task of styling Nagito's hair.

It obviously didn't need to take anywhere near that long, except Kichi was enjoying it. He was deliberately taking his time just as he had every time before.

"Nobody takes me seriously. Ever," Kichi grumbled, "You're the first one. It's annoying… Not you, I mean… Y'know… Whatever." "You wouldn't be here if you weren't the top-ranked in your skill, though," Nagito furrowed his brow slightly.

Kichi glanced away, very tempted to roll his eyes, but not wishing to send the wrong message at that time - he was not mad at Nagito.

"That's unacceptable," Nagito's voice was strangely stern, "I could understand nobody taking someone like me seriously, but you belong as much as they do." "Y-yeah," Kichi agreed nervously, unsure of what he was agreeing with at that moment, but choosing to do so anyway. "I was honoured when you took an interest in me," Nagito admitted, "Especially since you'd managed to do such a thorough job at covering your tracks - not that it's a surprise I was unable to find anything about you or your organization."

The odd, subtle antagonistic undertone had returned - Kichi could definitely hear it. Would Nagito finally call him out on a lie?

"I'm sure you could have found a more suitable servant than myself if you truly wanted to." Nagito's voice was downright chilling - there was no mistaking it. He'd always had a very peculiar, deliberate way of enunciating, but it seemed more - sinister? Calculated? - than it ever had before.

"You're scaring me," Kichi whined, unsure of how much of that statement was a lie to snap Nagito out of the odd turn he'd taken. "Sorry," The corners of Nagito's mouth curled up slightly again and his features softened, "I just would understand if you changed your mind, I guess."

That was not what he was saying or driving toward, Kichi was certain of it. None of those things sounded like he would eventually arrive at 'I would understand if you changed your mind and decided to get close to someone else instead.' It was the most uncertain Kichi had ever felt with anyone in his life - he'd never been able to fully figure Nagito out, which was equal parts intriguing and annoying… But that odd behaviour was the most confounding yet--

Before he knew it, Nagito was lying flat on his back on the floor, Kichi initiating a passionate, near-feral kiss. "M-master," Nagito attempted reach passed Kichi, who was sitting straddle on Nagito's hips, "Can… Can I… Uh…" "Did you need something~?" Kichi tilted his head and smiled adorably, intercepting both of Nagito's hands, pinning them to the floor by his wrists. "Pretty sure… Uh…" Nagito stammered, the darkness within his voice only a moment ago had disappeared completely, "Pretty sure my towel fell off… I'm not wearing underwear... Again..." "Neeheehee! What am I gonna do with you~?" Kichi leaned back in and offered another kiss, a gentler one that time; Nagito chuckled breathily and reciprocated as Kichi released his wrists, entwining their fingers together instead.

Kichi had never felt that way before - he knew Nagito was fascinating, almost annoyingly so, but that shift in his behaviour was the most intriguing thing he'd ever seen. He might have just witnessed the source of Nagito's odd reputation - he wasn't just 'weird', he was even more interesting than Kichi realized.

- - -

I had no idea how I was going to make this about Kichi stealing Nagito's jacket so I just gave up XD!!! Maybe some other time~

[blackjackkent]

OK, back to the Lighthouse to tell everyone what happened.

For some reason, Emmrich decided that it would be a good idea to not tell anyone in the Veilguard except Harding that he was about to turn into a skeleton. Frankly, this seems like the sort of thing we should have been warning people about way in advance, but you do you, Emmrich.

(Also why only Harding? Could they not get Ali Hillis to record this scene or something? She's the only one who doesn't talk here, even though she's definitely present. Perplexing.)

"Thank you for coming, everyone!" Emmrich announces very seriously to the rest of the team gathered around the dining table. "Please bear with me. This will be rather difficult to explain. I may appear the same as always, as I stand before you, but I've recently undergone a ritual that--"

"I thought you'd have a skull face," Taash cuts in abruptly. They're staring intently at Emmrich from head to foot. "Like a skeleton."

"It must be his glamour!" Bellara says excitedly. "It's really something, professor! I can't sense you're a lich at all!"

(A/N: Hahaha. XD )

"I--" Emmrich sputters, losing his train of thought completely as he stares around the table. "How-- but who told you?!"

"That tall Watcher in the cloak mentioned it," Davrin drawls.

"Vorgoth? Oh, that chatterbox." Emmrich sighs heavily.

"So the lich stuff is true," Neve says. Unlike the others, she sounds neither excited nor amused; one of her eyebrows quirks up a touch warily. "And you crossed that line?"

Helena winces. This conversation is definitely not going the way Emmrich planned; she may have some smoothing over to do. I knew we should have warned them in advance. "It's been a long day," she says hastily. "If you already know about the lich stuff, maybe we should talk later."

"That's it?" Davrin asks dryly. "He's not going to give us anything?"

Emmrich stiffens. "You needn't speak about me as if I'm not here."

"Just tell me you'll keep your skin on," Lucanis says with a guarded smirk.

"That's not how it--" Emmrich begins.

"I should take notes!" Bellara puts in enthusiastically.

Helena can sense Emmrich's rising tension and automatically puts a hand out to try and interrupt the spiraling conversation. "Look, why don't we just start from the beginn--"

WHAM.

Helena (and everyone else) jumps, as Emmrich makes a frustrated noise and slams his staff down into the flagstones. A burst of white-green light flashbangs out across the table, and when Helena's vision clears she sees Emmrich's lich form towering over them all, staring blankly from behind those pale eyes.

"Are you satisfied?" he snaps. "Yes, I have entered lichdom! And I am not an abomination or a demon or a disconsolate spirit! I have become something more, and yet I am still fully possessed of myself!"

A startled silence falls. Lucanis has fallen half out of his chair, and Davrin is halfway onto his feet-- but slowly everyone relaxes. Taash is the first to finally speak; they crack a faint grin and take a sip of the mug of ale in front of them. "So you *are* a skeleton. Got it," they say nonchalantly.

Emmrich dips his head forward in a slightly sardonic bow.

Helena looks around the table cautiously. Everyone still seems more than a little unnerved - but there's no sign of active hostility. She offers them a cautious grin. "I'm not packing up Emmrich's fifteen-thousand books and skulls," she says dryly. "So--"

"Thank you, Rook," Emmrich says quietly. "But please allow me."

He pauses for a moment, gathering himself, then looks around the table. "I'd like to think some of us have become friends," he says soberly. "I value that more than you might know. But I am changed, and I would never cause you distress by staying where I'm no longer welcomed."

Silence again, for a little while. Again - and somewhat surprisingly, given their past clashes - it's Taash who speaks first.

"No weirder'n you were before," they grunt.

"I've seen worse with the Wardens," Davrin agrees with a shrug.

"You all... really?" Emmrich says, sounding rather befuddled by this unconditional acceptance.

Helena grins, thoroughly relieved. "I think you'll be fine," she says lightly - and then her grin widens, because she can already see Bellara sitting up again excitedly.

"Okay, now - question time!"

-----

Hooray! Thus ends Emmrich's arc! (Minus his final scene we'll get to later.)

Woohoo!

[frostedsketches]

I'm not planning on going into full detail over the rest of the Mane Six like I did for Twilight, despite this, I think the Mane Six ships in the Hopes'nDreamsVerse deserve a bit more light and attention. There are some ships that are a bit unconventional and therefore need a little bit of explaning to be believable. I mean c'mon? When do you ever see Soarin and Rarity shipped, or Applejack and Double Diamond, or even Twilight and Star Tracker? ( I already did a thing on them, so go search it out of you're interested! )

So to curb your curiosity and disbelief, I will be explaining these ships, right here, right now.

Alright, well, Pinkie Pie X Cheese Sandwich and Fluttershy X Discord are pretty self-explanatory and don't have much to explain in terms of how they ended up together. The story of Rainbow X Thunderlane and Rarity X Soarin, is a bit more of a complicated discussion, given that it's more widely known for the husband's in these two ships to be swapped, and so you would probably think they would be. Well, I'm going to tell you why they aren't. . .

( Note: I LOVE Soarin X Rainbow and am partial to Rarity X Thunderlane, however they didn't work with the next gen characters I at the time had ideas for and wanted to design. Also Hopes'nDreamsVerse didn't used to be my main and I had never planned for it to be, but things change. My only regret really is that some of the ships I personally prefer didn't get to be a part of the main Next Gen that I strictly think happened after the show, so I can only save those for alternates, but really I'm fine with in the end )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Being Wonderbolts together, it's natural that ponies within the fleet would form close friendships and sometimes even have romantic feelings bloom. Well that's exactly what happened between Rainbow Dash and Soarin, and Thunderlane and Cloud Chaser.

Rainbow and Soarin became fast friends, and even then, though she'd never admit it, Rainbow had quickly developed a bit of a crush that went slightly beyond her general fascination and hero complex towards the Wonderbolts as a whole, in fact she had always found Soarin to be kind of cute out of the stallions in the fleet.

Thunderlane and Cloud Chaser had already been friends before joining the Wonderbolts, and working together in such close proximity only escaladed their bond into something more. By the time Season 9 ended, in fact the evening after Queen Twilight's Coronation, Thunderlane proposed and the two pegasi got engaged. Only four months later were they married.

Rainbow and Soarin found romance and became in item around the time that Fluttercord and CheesePie were taking off, and though they were together for months and genuinely loved each other, in the end things took a turn for the worse. And that simply was their differing ideas for the future. Rainbow was perfectly content being his girlfriend and working on and rising up in her career, while he had always known that if he were to date he'd want it to be a permanent thing and to escalate, to eventually be something more, be something more to her and have something more WITH her. This is where the argument began, which eventually caused them to break up, though it left them both sore for awhile.

Meanwhile, Double Diamond, Party Favor, and Night Glider often liked to visit Ponyville to see their friend, and in PF's case, sister, Sugarbelle. Them being on the farm so often left room for Applejack to get to know them, and get to know Double Diamond in particular. Party Favor, once he met Miss Cheerilie, often took time to hang out with her in Ponyville while Double Diamond became interested in life on the farm and often snuck away to watch Applejack do her work — though he was genuinely interested in the work itself, he also loved to watch her work in particular, let's just say he has a thing for buff ladies XD.

Friendship and eventually feelings blossomed over the course of months and though they eventually became a couple, they being such good friends and keeping their romance out of topic to others, never really mentioned to anyone else their relationship until someone poking around eventually found out and spilled the beans to everyone.

Eventually when Rainbow decided to move on and stop showing how it still affected her, Rarity, single and by now thinking she'd always be so, took it upon herself to be match maker for her friends instead, and started sending her on blind dates, that is until the day Rainbow finally put her hoof down and told her she wasn't ready yet, that she was still bothered by her breakup and needed a bit more time, when she finally came clean about that, Rarity apologized and ceased. Double Diamond and Applejack are engaged at this point, Pinkie and Cheese are newly married and Fluttershy and Discord have just found out really early on that miraculously they're expecting a foal.

The night of the Grand Galloping Gala came. Rainbow Dash ran into Thunderlane and Cloud Chaser and hung out with them when they weren't performing. Rarity however, after the Wonderbolts show was done, stumbled upon Soarin keeping to himself and conversation struck between them, both getting along well, Soarin opened up about the breakup with Rainbow and Rarity offered some insight on Rainbow's side of the story, they ended up talking until the Gala ended and they both said their goodbyes, walking away strangely with warm, fuzzy feelings in their chests and fond wandering thoughts of each other for the next few days.

Fluttershy and Discord attended the Gala, but were forced to teleport back home when Fluttershy started feeling terribly ill and faint. Later that night Fluttershy miscarries the undeveloped embryo, and though it was so early that it wasn't even living yet, Fluttershy mourned greatly for what had almost been.

Thunderlane and Cloud Chaser's daughter Tornado Racer is born and while Cloud Chaser is on maternity leave, Thunderlane finds himself running into Rainbow more and more at work, and though at first it's all innocent and friendly, both ponies know they've walked into a mess when they start feeling things they shouldn't and Thunderlane's feelings for Cloud Chaser begin to dwindle due to less time with her and more and more arguments and disagreements at home, Cloud Chaser has always had a few red flags that never got resolved and they shine through more than ever these days, so you see it's not only his feelings for Rainbow that are contributing to their falling out.

After a particularly bad fight leaving both ponies with severely damaged feelings, Thunderlane comes to realize he doesn't feel right with Cloud Chaser and comes to realize his feelings for Rainbow are intensifying as she's been a good listening ear and comforting figure to him after fights with his wife.

Though he loves his daughter and has a bad feeling about what would happen if he were to leave her, he needs to get these feelings into words, soon confessing to Rainbow who feels the same way, but despite her feelings she gets mad at him, telling him firmly that if he really wants to act on these feelings, he has to choose, either forget about her and be a faithful husband to Cloud Chaser or get a divorce to avoid being a cheater.

Thunderlane didn't come to work for a few days after that, but when he finally did, he informed Rainbow he had made up his mind; he had told Cloud Chaser how he had moved on and wanted a divorce. Rainbow felt extremely guilty, thinking it's her fault for ruining Thunderlane's prior relationship, but ultimately knows that things were never really harmonious between them and it might've happened even without her muddying the circumstances.

They were married only a few months after the divorce was finalized, Thunderlane never talked of kids to her so she trusts he won't pressure her to have them instead of focusing on her career. He knows that's not what she wants and he doesn't trust that he'd be a good dad after leaving Tornado, the thought of it hurts too much and makes him feel even more guilty.

Cloud Chaser of course does not take this kindly, though she was half of the reason it ended this way, she refuses to believe that she was part of the problem and harbors feelings of abandonment and resentment, she blames Rainbow primarily, a belief and hatred she passed down to Tornado Racer, who's childhood is destroyed by this, though after a few years Thunderlane hears of his ex's spiral and tries his best to gain custody of his daughter, Tornado wants nothing to do with him, Cloud Chaser won't let him take her and after years he ultimately loses the battle. Tornado does have solace with her Aunt Flitter who takes care of her when Cloud Chaser is unable, but of course it's not enough to make how her life is going completely 'okay' and doesn't stop her from being messed up in adulthood.

By this time Soarin and Rarity have started seeing each other and eventually become a couple. Applejack and Double Diamond are married though ponies still wonder how their so chill and non-romantic in public ( they're very affectionate when it's just them, don't get me wrong here ). Rainbow and Soarin, now both with new partners that they love more than anyone, rekindle their previous friendship which spreads between both couples, so all four become good friends, all hurt feelings healed.

Sometime between the birth of Fluttershy's foal and Pinkie's twins, and the birth of Applejack's foal a year later, Soarin proposes to Rarity and Twilight and Star Tracker become great friends, soon to be married as I will soon explain, and soon couples are married not long after each other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So there you have the summerized story of how these couples came to be! Hoping to have more out soon, so stay tuned! Now go out and Idk. . . keep being 20% cooler then the poor souls who haven't found joy in MLP :D

[rwfanficrw]

Getting the Signature

Sayako's first appearance.

So Cye isn't "legal" yet in the eyes of Japan. (Don't ask him, you'll just piss him off. He's like 2 years away. I was searching legal age or something for insurance for all of this and it said 20 yrs? so I ran with it. Yes I dug into legal documents because I became curious for real. XD). But because of this he can't just have procedures done without parental approval. Or so I made it. SO. Sayako has to get their mother to sign something and it just goes down hill from there.

(I read something like it about it or something but then I just made it worse and made it fit for me. I highly doubt it works like this.)

"Sayako, any word? The doctor really needs to get that bloodwork done tomorrow." Sage explained as he moved about the small apartment kitchen making dinner. He sighs as he chops the vegetables up scooping them into the big pot on the stove. "Cye needs to get this done."

"I haven't heard anything from my mother. I was hoping no new was good news." She groans frustrated. "I'll go visit her myself. How is he today?"

"About "normal"." The blonde glanced over his shoulder at hearing Rowen call Cye's name followed by a heavy thunk. "…I think he just fainted again, hang on." He wipes his hands on his apron then hurries into the other room, phone still against his ear. "Rowen? Is everything ok?"

Rowen looks up as he eases their unconscious friend to the ground leaning him back against the wall. He pants giving a thumbs up, "A-As okay as it can be."

"Sage? Is he okay!?"

He tilts his head, "..is that Say?"

"Sayako, it's okay. He just fainted. Rowen caught him before he hit the ground." Sage explained as he kneels down beside the two of them. "No, he's still out I'm afraid."

"I'm going to head to my mothers house now. It'll take me 20 minutes to get there. If she says no to this I don't know where else to go." She sighs heavily into the phone. Sage can hear the jingling of keys and wallet. "Since he's not legal in Japan yet, he has to have two guardians sign for tests like these."

"I know… go try. I'll see what I can find out. My family helps run a few hospitals. There has to be a way to get a patient help when their loved ones refuse."

"Thank you. I-I'll call later. Hopefully I can talk to him when I do." She asks hopefully before hanging up.

Sage hangs up on his end before standing back up. "I don't know Rowen… we're running out of options here."

"Runnin' out of options for what? We can't just stop here. Cye needs help. This is his fifth time fainting in an hour. AN HOUR."

"F-Fifth?"

"Yeah. The one before this one he didn't feel weird or anythin' and just went down on me. This time he was able to tell me he felt woozy." Rowen explains shrugging. "Each time I feel like we're gettin' somewhere, we go backwards."

"What can we do if his mother won't sign off on it? Since she's still alive, she has to do it."

Rowen sits back, one of his hands holding Cye's head up by his forehead, "I dunno…. Wait. There is something we can do. I don't know what it's called here. When I was a kid, in America, my parents weren't really in the picture. I was raised by two nice cops and their families… he had to get a special kind of guardianship to make sure I was taken care of. Someone else in his family would need to be there on top of Sayako to approve it."

"Are you sure?"

"I mean, Sage, I was 8. But I remember a lot of conversations about it.. Now that I'm older, I think it's used for kids whose parents don't really care about them, ya now?"

"I hate to say it but Cye's mother is getting pretty close." Sage sighs shaking as his head. "I need to go back and finish dinner. Can you take care of the rest?"

"Yeah, we should be fine." A groan is heard as the other wakes up moving slightly. Strata smiles as Torrent starts to move. "There we go. Welcome back, buddy."

*~*

Sayako knocks on the door repeatedly, "Mother, open the door! I know you're there. You can't ignore me forever." She groaned loudly frustrated with it all. Why would she just sign the damn papers?

At getting no response she undoes her purse and finds her key. A small ceramic fish dangled off it, Cye had made it for her years ago. She pulls the door to the side opening it, "I'm coming in." She shouts as she steps inside kicking her pumps off.

She stops seeing a blinking light by the phone. "Are you kidding me?" There were 21 missed calls and messages that her mother had yet to listen too.

She looks around the two main rooms in the traditional Japanese home not finding anything. It was hot in here, almost hotter than the air outside. She reaches into her pocket pulling out a hair tie before pulling her red hair back into a ponytail. "Damn it, mother.." She mutters to herself as she walks over to the one of the larger rooms and pulls the side door all the way open to let the summer air in. She bends down and turns on one of the fans as well before heading deeper into the house.

"Mom?" She calls again, her frustration starting to turn to worry. "Don't tell me she's down at the kiln again."

She checks the masterbed room on the first floor finding it empty as well. After opening up the side wall she makes her way down to the kitchen.

She stopped at the main sitting room and made her way over to her father's picture. She knelt down in front of it, lighting the candles on either side giving him her respects. "Papa, give me strength to handle her crazy. She's lost her mind again and this time it's over Cye."

She started to explain more when she heard a some liquid splashing. She stands up and hurries into the kitchen. The light was on but no one was there. On the stove was a boiling over tea kettle. She hurries over picking up a towel and pulls the lid off so it can stop bubbling them moves it off the burner turning it off.

She turned and saw her mother's work shoes were gone.

She was at the kiln.

She sighs and steps into a pair of her brothers worn rainboots by the side of the back door before hurrying down the worn pathway that lead to their kiln where they made their clay pots. "Mother?" She calls out.

"Oh Sayako, you decided to visit. I didn't hear you."

"Really? You didn't hear me?" She pants leaning against the doorway. "And why is the house so hot? You know you have to air it out during the summer!"

"Well you know how weak I am. Those doors are just too heavy for me." The woman says not lifting her eyes from the piece she was making.

"Too weak to slide open doors but strong enough to do this?"

"That's no way to speak to your sick mother."

Sayako rolls her eyes, "Yes mother, I apologize."

"To what do I owe the visit of my daughter tonight?" The older woman finally lifts her gaze, her hands moving the clay as they had done numerous times over the past decades. She didn't need to watch what she was doing, she knew it by heart. "Are you finally here to have dinner with me?"

"I visit every Monday and Friday. I was just here yesterday. We had dinner, remember?"

"Oh yes.. Forgive me. My memory isn't what it used to be."

Sayako's eyes darkened, "Quit the BS, mom. Have you checked your fax machine? I sent some papers over. And what of your phone and the numerous messages I left? This isn't a joke! Cye needs more blood work, he can't wait any longer."

"I don't know what's gotten into that boy. When he lived at home he never went to the doctor this much." She shakes her head sadly. "I knew living away from home was bad for his health."

"So you haven't even looked at it."

"What is it now? He's always needing something signed. He was never this dramatic when he lived at home." Their mother sits back and gently picks up the cup she had made carrying it over and setting it beside the others she had made that night.

"You think he's doing this to be dramatic? Mom, he's SICK. He's trying to figure out what's wrong with him. The doctors are leaning towards what you have."

The woman shakes her head getting to her feet. She leans on a decorative cane limping past her daughter.

"Why are you shaking your head? Don't tell me you're still in denial?"

"My youngest child is not a female. He was born a male. Men can not have POTS. It's a blood pressure disorder that targets females only."

"Mother, that's not true!" Sayako calls frustrated as she follows her back down the path towards the house. "Why are you doing this?! Why are you hurting him like this? Is it because he couldn't save Papa?"

The other turned around growling angerily, "Your father would be ashamed of what he's turned into."

"W-What he's turned into!? Mom he saved the world, TWICE. What more do you want from him!? He does all he can to please you and to help you around here and all you do is berate him until he leaves."

"He hasn't visited in well over a year."

"There are two very good reasons for that. First, I won't let him visit you unless I'm there as well. Second, he's sick! He can't travel right now."

"If he's so sick how is he getting to the doctor?"

"Two of his close friends are living with him currently: Sage and Rowen. They are helping him until he can figure out what's going on." She explained. "I told you this a month ago."

"I see. He can't even care for himself. Pathetic."

Sayako heaves a heavy sigh realizing she's not going to get anywhere. "Sign the papers." She stomps down the hallway to the fax machine and back to her. She slams them onto the table along with a pen. "Just sign them. Then we'll leave you alone."

"I'm just not sure if this is in his best interest."

She was seeing red. Her blood pressure was rising. She shook her head taking a few deep breaths. She needed to do this for her little brother. She had to grin and bear it.

"Mother, this is in his best interest. They need to do bloodwork, so they can figure out what's wrong with him. He's fainting several times a day and if Sage and Rowen weren't there, he could have seriously injured himself by now. Please. Sign the papers."

"And what of these "friends", are you sure they are polite enough? Good for him? What if they are causing it? Not to mention, I haven't seen him for myself. What if he's faking it."

Something snapped inside of Sayako as she twirled around, her green eyes on fire. She dropped the proper japanese house wife and spoke in her english voice. Her accent heavy.

"You're not getting near Cye while I have a say, you hear me? The last thing he needs is you nagging him and putting him down over every bloody little thing. His friends are the best thing he has right now." She bends down in front the other woman's gaze pushing the paper towards her. "Sign. It. Or I won't visit for dinner until you do."

"Sayako, how dare you say such a -"

"Sign. It."

The older woman scoffed insulted as she quickly scratched out her name with the pen before pushing the paper towards her glaring. "I thought I bred that awful accent and attidude out of you."

Sayako took the papers stacking them and checking that they were correct before she looks up grinning evily, "You can't breed something out of me that YOU gave me, mother. You forget, you're from England. Father is from Japan. You're not better than any of us so drop the high and mighty act.

She then turns on her heels and pulls out a cell phone from her pocket book. Her mother watched horrified, "Where did you get such a thing?!"

"___ gave it to me. It's so we can keep in touch while he's out at sea and for things like this." She dials the number on the phone before holding it on her ear heading towards the front door. "Sage? Yeah, I got it. Finally. I'm going to bring them over myself. It'll be a few hours. Is that okay?" She stops pulling her pumps on before she sighs, "Yeah.. I'm fine. I just… I need to see my brother for myself."

"Sayako, don't you run out on me! I need your help!"

She ignores her mother's voice as she walks out of the house to the car that was waiting on the side of the road. She didn't look back as she drove off.

*~*

Rowen startles awake at hearing a knock on the door. He sits up slightly looking around for Sage. Cye was curled up against him and he didn't want to wake him. "Sage?"

The blonde was probably back in the bedroom putting some clothes up.

He sighs looking down at the smaller one who looked content for once. "COME IN. IT'S OPEN!"

He heard the door open and turns to see who it is. His eyes widen as Cye's sister comes in, "Sayako? What are you?"

She looked to be frustrated and half angry as she stepped out of her shoes making her way to the sitting room. Her red hair and green eyes were identical to her brother's but she was taller and had more of their father (according to Cye) on her features. While Cye looked more european, she looked more Japanese. 

"A-Are you ok? I'm sorry, I couldn't answer the door… h-he's finally comfortable and sleeping." He stumbled over himself, his body always confused when he saw her.

She takes a deep breath before looking down to where the bearer of Strata was sitting. Beside him on the sofa was her little brother curled up on his side hugging a well worn stuffed whale. She sighs before walking over and kneeling in front of them. She reaches out gently placing her head on his head smiling, "….he still sleeps with Suki."

"Suki..? Oh, yeah the whale… he won't out right ask for it but when he feels crappy, he'll take it." The other explained.

Her hand moved from her brother's hair down his cheek, "I-I'm sorry Cye that mother is such a… such a…" She couldn't bring herself to say it out loud. "Rowen, there has to be another way to do this. I-I can't keep doing this. The things she says about him, like he's not her son….I can't take it anymore."

"S-Sayako.."

She stops and lowers her gaze watching her brother wake up. She wipes her eyes forcing the best smile she could, "Hey there!"

"What are you… are you doing here?"

She was unable to respond at first, a shiver runs through her, her brother's usually bright green eyes were dull and unfocused. They were only made worse by the dark circles under his eyes and his pale flushed skin. He was still her brother but only a shell of his usual self. He'd lost so much weight and looked almost lifeless.

She was scared. 

She swallows her fear and forces another smile before reaching out to ruffle his hair gently, "I figured I'd come visit my favoritest brother ever and see how he was doing."

"I-I'm your only brother.." He sits up unsteadily wavering a bit. He hunches over, his hands going to his eyes.

"Cye? You ok?" Rowen asks worried.

"Just dizzy…"

"I got mom to sign the papers, so you can get these tests done, ok?"

"You what?" He startles slightly as arms wrap around him into a hug. He feels her face bury itself into his shoulder, her own shoulders shaking. He reaches up and hugs her back as best he can, "S-Say.. Are you ok?"

"I-I'm alright…" She pulls back slightly. "Just really worried about you. Are you eating?"

"Kind of." Rowen responds. "Unforuatnely most of what he eats comes back up. We're still trying to find food that he can keep down."

"W-What..?"

"Yeah. Sage has been working tiredlessly trying to find some good recipes. Right Cye?" He glances down and watches as Cye goes limp falling into his sister. They both fall back onto the ground. "Oh geez! H-Hang on! I've got him."

"No." She whispers hugging her brother to her chest. She shifts slightly before supporting his head on her shoulder. "I-I've got him. I-It's ok little brother.. You're going to be okay." A few tears started to roll down her cheeks as she held him unable to look Rowen in the eyes. "We're not giving up on you, Cye. So you can't give into …whatever this is, you hear me?"

Rowen kneels beside her and smiles sadly, "He'll be okay. He just fainted. Sadly, this is his new normal. Just have to let him come back." He sighs. "I'm sorry you had to hear your mother say those things just to get a signature."

"S-She can say what she wants about me but when she starts putting him down and telling herself lies that she believes… it's just…" She shakes her head hugging him tighter. "I can't bear it. His entire life, he's done nothing but try to please her and be the best son he could. He was the apple of her eye until our father passed away…" Her eyes darken as she bites her lip sniffling. "…t-then it all changed. He could do nothing right. Just his existence made her mad. The way she treated him a-and what she said to him… he never once shouted back at her. I used to hate him for that. I hated how calm he always was, always smiling, always taking it in and never giving it back… now I know he knew there was nothing he could say o-or do to make her love him again."

The other sits down nodding as the other breaks down. He's unsure how to help. Then he smiles, "Sage is calling his uncle. In fact that maybe what he's doing right now. His uncle owns one of the largest hospitals in Japan. If anyone knows how to get around this legal mess with your mom, he will."

Inside he was livid. He had no idea it was THAT bad at home. He had to keep a straight face though, it would do no good to freak out with her. He reaches forward and feels Cye's pulse sighing with relief, "He'll be waking up soon. Here, if ya don't mind, I'll take him and we'll sit him up, see if that helps any."

"…how do you do this?" She starts relucantly handing her brother off to him. She watches as he's gently sat up agaisnt the couch and his head held up by Rowen's hand. "I-I couldn't bear to see him go through this so many times."

"You just learn to live with it. It's not easy. It scares me each time it happens b-but as long as I'm there when he wakes up, he won't be as scared and he won't panic."

"He's lucky he has such good friends."

This time his grins, "We try." He shifts his gaze to the youngest warrior at hearing a groggy moan. "Welcome back, buddy. You were out for awhile. Just take your time comin' back. Sayako is here. She came to drop off some papers. You fainted on her."

Sayako swallows her nerves and crawls over sitting in front of her brother. She smiles getting into his field of vision. "I just came to make sure you were ok."

"…Say…" Cye looks around groggily as his living room starts to come into focus. He turns and sees Rowen smiling down at them then finally his sister's face appearing in his vision.  "I-I'm sorry… I-I don't remember-"

"No, don't be sorry, Cye. It's okay." She reassures him holding his hands.

"Did someone offer you something to eat o-or a drink…?"

She blinks then smiles laughing. She wipes a tear away relaxing.

"W-What? It's not that funny…i-its bloody rude. Rowen did you not ask her?"

She leans forward and hugs him giggling. "No, it's ok. I don't need a drink. I declined his offer." She lied hoping to get Rowen out of trouble, he was just starting at the two of them a bit dumbfounded. "I just came to visit and make sure you're doing alright."

She pulls back looking him over forcing another smile.

He tilts his head seeing through her lies, "What are you really doing here?" He looks down and sees her bag, their house key was nearly falling out of it, the fish charm he had made her dangling heavily on the side threatening to fall onto the floor. "You went back home."

Her eyes glance over to where his eyes are looking and sees the key. "…I had too. Sage and Rowen were telling me you need some blood work done as soon as possible. Mom wouldn't sign the papers, so, I went over there to force her."

"F-Force her? She…She still doesn't believe me does she?"

Sayako looks to Rowen sadly before looking to her brother shaking her head, "I'm sorry, Cye… s-she's adament that you don't have it."

"…oh." He hung his head trying not feel anything from it. He knew this. He didn't expect anything different and yet it still hurt. He startles feeling a hand on his head and lifts his gaze to see Rowen.

"You ok, buddy?"

"What? …oh. Yes, of course." He forces a smile but is unable to hide the hurt in his voice. "Thank you for going over there and getting it signed. O-Only two years left then….then it won't matter anymore."

Sayako gives Rowen a look that said what Cye wasn't. It was really hurting him inside. She leans forward and hugs him gently. "Any time, little brother."

"Sayako?"

Everyone looked up to see Sage coming out of the bedroom a pad of paper in his hands. She smiles and gets to her feet walking over to him, "Nice to finally meet you! I've met Rowen a few times."

"Like wise."

Sayako bowed in front of him, "T-Thank you for taking care of my brother. Both of you."

"Woah.. No need for that…we're his friends. Of course we're going to help." He looks past her seeing Cye was wavering again. "Cye, are you ok?"

"…yes.. Just tired."

"Can you use Halo?" Rowen asks curiously. "I'm wondering if I just need to put him to bed. He's been fainting a lot and then falling asleep, it's a never ending cycle."

"No. I'm alright. Sayako is here a-and I don't need to go to bed."

Sage walks over and kneels in front of the youngest warrior watching worried as the tired green eyes come and go out of focus every few seconds. He closes his eyes and concentrates, he and Cye both glowing green.

Sayako watches wide eyed, "W-What the.."

"You're exhausted, Cye. It would be best if you went to bed. I'm afraid no amount of food or drink will help anymore tonight and your fainting spells will become more frequent the longer you wait." The blonde explains smiling sadly. "You would do better if you went on and crashed."

"Don't worry, Cye. I won't stay much longer. You need to go rest." She walks over and sees the well worn stuffed whale on the couch. She picks it up remembering what Rowen said. "H-Here, you can take Suki and go curl up."

She expected to get a resounding no. After all a grown man didn't sleep with a stuffed well, especially one who saved the world or something like that, he would say.

This time her heart sank a bit as he wordlessly took the stuffed animal hugging it to his side.

Rowen sees the look in her eyes and smiles down at Cye, "Come on. Let's get you to your feet. I'll go help ya get dressed. You can say good night to your sister then we'll get the bed all warm and comfy."

Cye nods sighing as he gives in. Sage wasn't lying. He was exhausted. It was hard to keep his eyes open as it was.

"Sage, you wanna give us a hand? Stay back Say. Let us get him up." Rowen explained as he helped Cye get to his knees. He kept both hands on the smaller waist as Sage walked over and pulled Cye up slowly by his arms. "Breathe through your nose, Cye. Slowly. Slowly.."

Sage concentrates watching the youngest warrior's face for any clues that they had moved too fast. "That's it." He staggers slightly catching the other's weight completely as he stumbled. "Deep breath, Cye. You can do it. Remember what the doctor said? Take it slow."

Sayako didn't realize she was holding her breath until her brother made it to his feet and she exhaled. She sees his favorite hoodie laying on the back fo the couch and goes to pick it up, "Here. You can wear this tonight. It's your favorite." She smiles relieved as he takes it.

"Will you be alright, though? I-I mean if I leave you with these two?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I-It's just not proper to leave ones sister with two men."

"I can handle myself Cye and I doubt they will hit on a married woman. I expect that out of Kento, not Sage and Rowen." She winks getting a laugh from her younger brother.

"Oh alright, you've got a point."

"Besides, I think Rowen's heart is already taken. He's fallen hard too."

"Hey what?" Rowen blinks confused as Sage bursts out laughing. Cye didn't get it either.

Sayako walks over and hugs her brother one last time, "You take care of yourself alright? I'm going to try and call once a day. I want an update. Listen to Rowen and Sage and let them help. We'll figure this out somehow."

Cye hugs her before she pulls away. He feels Rowen wrap an arm around his shoulders and start to walk him to the bedroom. "B-Be safe getting back home."

"I will, don't worry!" She watches him go down the hallway then looks to Sage smiling nervously. "H-He's really not okay is he?"

Sage sighs heavily unsure what to say. He had learned within the past year to not just come out and say things and to let people down gently… but he didn't know if he could do that this time.

"You don't have to lie to me."

"No. No, he's not. Believe it or not though, he's better than he was." He leads her back into the sitting room and motions for her to sit on the couch. He then sits in a chair across from her.

They sit quietly for a few minutes before he glances over smirking, "And yes, Rowen's heart is already taken and yes, he's fallen hard. I don't think he's realized it yet."

She blinks before laughing softly, "I could tell. The way he was looking at my brother. Do you think Cye…"

"Oh definitely. Though, like Rowen, he doesn't realize it yet."

"Funny. I always thought he'd get together with Kento." She trails off moving uncomfortably in her seat. "Sage, do you mind if I go make myself some tea?"

"Actually, I'd love it if you would. Cye usually has a cup before bed and I'm sure he'd love for you to fix it."

She looks over at him, a genuine happy smile crossing her tired features. "I would love too! I can see you've written something down..did you hear anything useful from your Uncle? Rowen was telling me, he helps run a large hospital?" She gets up and leads him into the small kitchen.

"I did. I want to wait for Rowen but if he's up for it, there is a way. Are you on good terms with either of your grandparents?"

"Our father's parents are the two we see more often than not. They live here in Japan. My mother's live in the UK." She explains as she sets the kettle on the stove before she goes through the teacups finding her brother's favorite. She pulls it down smiling, "He got this his last visit to the UK. He was so excited that the cup was the same blue as Torrent and it had the British Flag on it…." She turns to look at Sage. "I do have a good relationship with my grandmother. My Grandfather died when I was a child. Why?"

"She will need to help with this process in the place of your mother."

"She can't leave her home. She's unable to walk very well and needs help. Coming to the city would be impossible and-"

"You and Rowen would go to her to complete this process." Sage interjects sitting down in one of the chairs at the small table. He crosses his arms leaning back as he looks up in thought. "She would basically be saying that Rowen would be a medical guardian of some sort that could sign the papers using the family name until Cye was old enough to do it himself."

"I-Is it that easy?"

"Technically yes. Once the process was approved and completed, it would just be you and Rowen signing the forms and approving what ever is needed. He couldn't approve something without you of course but your mother would be out of the equation."

She turns around, "Would he do it?"

"Rowen you mean?"

"Yes. Would Rowen be willing to take on this responisiblity?"

"I can't see him saying no. He will do anything to make sure Cye is taken care of."

"Then let's do it." She pours the water into the teacup over the teabag and watches it steep. Her hand picks up the string and pushes it into the water a few times before she lets it sit. "Anything to make this easier on Cye and myself."

She leans onto the counter hanging her head as she exhales, "A-And anything to prevent my mother from mukking everything up in the process. She can do what she wants on the side b-but this time, I don't want her getting near my brother. He has enough to worry about without her cutting him down. I-Is there a way we can prevent her from talking to him?"

"That would technically be a restraining order."

"Without having to get legal about it?" She asked hopefully.

"We can work together and keep her away from him but legally we can put together a paper for his medical file that she's not allowed near him or to see any medical information."

"I like both those options." She digs through the cabinets before finding the sugar and starts to put a few spoonfuls into the tea. "Does he have any milk?"

"Yes, I'll get it for you." Sage gets to his feet and walks over to the refridgetaor. He pulls it out handing it to her. "Here. Once your done, take it on back. I'll be shocked if he's asleep yet. The vertigo and nausea get really bad when he lays down, sadly."

*~*

"Easy does it." Rowen helps the smaller warrior sit down on the edge of the bed. "You did good. You only passed out once while getting dressed this time." He expected some sort of response from that but instead he got silence. He sighs worried, "Are you ok?"

The other didn’t lift his head and only shrugged slightly, "I'm o-ok as I can be. I caused a fight between my mother and my sister all because my body can't behave a-and I'm fainting for some reason…" He attempts to button his pajama shirt but his hands are shaking too badly to complete the task. He groans frustrated, "I-I bloody hate this!! I can't even dress myself now. I fainted on my sister earlier as well…this is just an awful disaster." He hangs his head again, "…s-she doesn't even believe me….m-my own mother… w-why would I fake something like t-this…w-what have I done t-to.." His hands go up to his face as his shoulders shake.

Rowen reaches out and pulls him into a hug, "Y-You didn't do anything, buddy. I don't know why she's doing this to you but it ain't right. You aren't faking this and your sister didn't start the fight. She finished it and got what we needed." He feels the other try to bury himself deeper into the embrace. "It's okay, Cye. I won't let her hurt you again. I promise. No one deserves to be treated like that, no one, but especially you. You're safe here with me. We'll figure out a way to do all of this without her, ok? I think Sage figured somethin' out so don't give up on us yet."

"…w-why have you both upended your lives f-for me…?"

"Because we're your friends, Cye. We care about you. Hell we're closer than friends at this point, more like family. We survived the end of the world together, twice. I'm not leavin' ya now. If fainting is all we have to deal with, then we got this." He jokes slightly trying to get a smile out of the other. He pulls him back and reaches out wiping some tears away and pushing the red hair behind his ears. "Has to be easier than fightin' Kayura or Saberstryke, am I right?"

"…maybe.."

"And that White Armor? We used to pass out for a day after we called that thing…one of your faintin' spells is nothing compared to that or worse, Kento after taco night."

This got a small smile.

"We've got this, buddy. I meant it when I said that I'm not leaving your side. I'll be here throughout it all, so will Sage. We're going to figure this out one way or another." He gently turns the pale face up to look at him, his thumb wiping a few tears away. He places a quick kiss on his forehead pulling him into another hug. "It's going to be okay. I promise. Whatever it is, we'll go through it together."

Sayako stands in the doorway listening, the teacup in her hands. She smiles as best she can knocking on the door with her foot, "And don't forget me! You're most amazing older sister."

"S-Sayako."

She noticed that Cye didn't exactly pull away and that Rowen was quickly buttoning her brotehr's pajama shirt. "I brought you some tea. Sage that you usually have a cup before bed."

"I do. Thank you." He reaches out to take it, his hands trembling.

"Hang on, let Rowen help. You're hands are too shakey to hold it by yourself. No need to burn yourself." She smiles as she slowly hands it off to Rowen. "And don't come at me saying of course you can drink your own tea. I never said you couldn't."

Cye flushed embarrassed at being called out.

"Let Rowen help you drink it then I want you to relax." She walks around his room picking up some of the dirty clothes.

"Say, you don't have to-"

"Let me help. You and Sage do so much, I can at least collect dirty clothes." She stops in mid step and watches carefully as her brother drinks the tea. Sage had talked her into putting a light sedative into it. She had been worried about the taste but her brother was showing no sign of tasting anything weird. "Besides, my brother as always has a disaster in his room." She jokes as she carries what few clothes were on the floor out to the laundry room.

"I most certainly do not."

"Mmhmm, look at all of these shirts."

"Two. There are two shirts."

Rowen sits back holding the tea cup grinning as the two of them go at each other. He was relieved to see Cye was sounding more normal and less upset than before.

"And a pair of pants… and a pair of sweat pants."

"Oh alright, so I have a few laying around." He sips at the tea not putting up a fight as Rowen helps him drink it. His body was starting to feel heavier, sleepier… it wasn't a fainting spell that he could tell. He looked down at the tea, it was over half gone… he had managed to drink nearly a full cup of tea. A first in several months.

She stops and watches then nods to Rowen. "Cye? You ok?"

"Just…tired…." He blinks his eyes a few times before realizing what happened. "Y-You didn't…"

"Sage said it was either the sedative or using Halo. So I tried the sedative first."

"It will help, buddy. You might not wake up as many times." Rowen offered putting the tea cup down on the nightstand. "Come on, lets lay you down then we can get Sayako on the road back home."

They didn't bother to tell Cye it was just 8pm. She watches as Rowen helps her brother lay down and get comfortable before she excuses herself to give them some alone time. She takes the empty cup back into the kitchen setting it by the sink, "He drank it, all of it."

"By hmself?"

"Not really, Rowen helped. He did sound normal for a little bit, he was even joking with me." She smiles, "Then he got mad when he found out I drugged him."

*~*

"Y-You'll be back once you make sure she's safe?" Cye asks groggily as he lays back unable to fight the sedative in his system. His hand was holding Rowen's tightly as his eyes grew heavy.

"Of course. I'll join ya in bed tonight and you'll have someone to hug if the vertigo gets too bad. Just like always." The other responded smiling as he tucks the covers around the smaller body. "Just rest, buddy. I'll be back."

[iamfruitie]

Caution and Care Pt. 1

Welcome to a prequel series to the dantimadmare horned!omegaverse that we can all thank @bookwormscififan for convincing me to write XD

I'm not sure how long this will be, but I just couldn't stop thinking about how Dark, Anti, and Mad became mates before Mare joined

There will very likely be some spice because I am weak

Summary: Anti and Mad are omegas that were kicked out of their home pack and left to fend for themselves on the streets to the point that they're starving, sick, and huddled together in an ally, praying for the rain to stop and that the night won't be too cold. Dark, an alpha running a business that one wouldn't call the most legal, finds Anti and Mad in the ally and convinces them to come to his Manor to heal. Little did the three know how close they would become.

Lost and Found

Dark looked like any other intimidating alpha at first glance. Tall stature, broad shoulders, and horns almost pitch black. He dressed in a suit that cost more than the gold watch he was glancing at, checking the time as he headed for his car. The phone he returned to his ear was the same black as his horns, and so was the umbrella he held. The rain had calmed since earlier that morning, but there was still a steady drizzle. The gray clouds above made it hard to see the setting sun’s colors, showing it would get dark soon.

“I parked a few blocks away. I’ll be there soon. There are some new…” Dark’s voice trailed off when he thought he heard a whimper down the ally beside him. “I have to go.” He hung up the call and waited to see if that sound had happened. It was only a few seconds before there was another whimper. The whimper was a pain-filled one, with some heavy coughs following. 

Dark couldn’t stop his feet from heading down the ally, something telling him that whoever was coughing and whimpering needed help. 

“Hello?” Dark called and watched as something moved beside the dumpster, where more coughing stemmed from. “Hello?” He called again as he neared the dumpster. “Oh.” 

“Go away!” An omega hissed at Dark. The omega was soaked from the rain, gaunt in the face like he hadn’t eaten in weeks, but he was using his slightly larger body to cover another omega who looked worse off. The smaller omega was trembling, curled up, and his body convulsed with each cough. 

“You guys need to get out of the rain.” Dark held his umbrella away from himself and over the omegas, getting another hiss. 

“I said go away! I know how you alphas are. You can fuck off!” 

“My name’s Dark.” Dark kept a soft, calm tone. He could tell the omega was scared, and based on what he just said, he couldn’t blame him. “Can I at least help you get back home?”

“We don’t have one.” The omega tried to keep his own harsh tone, but it broke a little at that admission. 

“I have a Manor, a large building with endless spare rooms. I have a doctor who can help you two get better. We have warm water and fresh food.” Dark could see how each thing he said made the omega look down at the other, swallowing thickly as the smaller omega started coughing again. “You can leave at any time. Just let me at least help you get back on your feet.”

“Why?” The omega asked in almost a whisper. “Why are you offering this? What are you expecting in return?” That look in the omega’s eyes told Dark so many things. 

“Because you two don’t deserve to die out here, and I don’t expect anything.” Dark could tell the omega didn’t fully believe him, but he nodded. 

“Okay.” The omega started moving, body shaking lightly as he slowly stood up. “Mad, we’re moving.” He spoke to the other omega, trying to pick him up. 

“Anti?” The smaller omega’s voice was hoarse.

“I can help.” Dark started reaching over, pulling his hands back when the omega, Anti, hissed at him, stopping short of biting him. 

“Don’t touch him.” Anti was clearly using what little strength his body had left to stand with the other omega, with Mad. 

“I’m not going to hurt you, I promise. My car’s a block away. I don’t think you can get that far on your own.” Dark tucked his umbrella away under his armpit, uncaring of getting himself wetter and wanting both hands to help the omegas. 

“I got it.” Anti wrapped Mad’s arm across his shoulders and managed a few steps before his legs buckled, and he fell to his knees.

“Please, let me help.” Dark waited as Anti seemed to be swallowing his pride. 

“Fine.” Anti tried getting back up and stiffened at Dark’s hands on himself and Mad. He tightened his hold on Mad as Dark practically carried both of them out of the ally and down the sidewalk. Dark didn’t like how light the two felt. How long were they out here on their own?

“Here we go.” Dark opened the back door to his car and guided the two in. After ensuring they were in and sitting, he went to his trunk, popped it open, and pulled out the spare towels he kept back there. Dark placed the folded towels on Anti’s lap. “Just to help give you a head start drying off.” He explained before closing the door and getting into the driver’s seat. 

Dark adjusted his rearview mirror to check on Anti and Mad. Anti was drying off Mad the best he could before wrapping one of the towels around his shoulders. He used another like a blanket on himself and wrapped his arms around Mad, a hint of a soothing purr coming from him as he and Mad curled up against each other. 

Dark could also get a better look at their faces. Anti had a cut on the side of his neck, an old one that seemed to be beginning to heal, and he noticed that a horn was broken, a chunk of the tip missing. His eyes were soft blue, and his short hair was the same dark brown as his horns. Mad had freckles covering his whole face, eyes a deep hazel, and his short, wavey hair and horns were a lighter brown than Anti’s. He didn’t seem to have any visible wounds, but who knows what he’s seen.

Dark felt a strange warmth in his chest, assuming it was caused by being able to tell that the two omegas had been through a lot. Dark has had his fair share of hell, and perhaps he had a strong desire to help since he understood all too well. He turned the heat up and turned on the seat warmers before he drove off for the Manor. 

x~x~x

“There you are, Dark. How was that-” Wilford, an alpha even larger than Dark with dyed pink hair and horns painted with light blue swirls, had his question stop when he saw Dark walking into the Manor with two soaking wet omegas. JJ, his omega mate with silver chains and sapphires wrapped around his horns, made a worried squeak at the scene. “What happened? Are they okay?” Wilford went over to help and stepped away, hands up in the air, when he got hissed at by Anti. It only took JJ a second to catch on.

“Wilford, go start a hot bath in a spare room. Dark, let’s get them to that room, and then you go get Edward.” JJ’s voice sounded strained as if speaking was painful, but he was talking casually, showing that it was just how his voice came out. “Go.” He shooed Wilford away with his hands. Wilford nodded and jogged off. “Don’t worry, we’ll get you out of those wet clothes and warmed up soon enough.” JJ gently placed a hand on Anti’s shoulder, and Dark was shocked that Anti allowed it. However, that shock lasted for only a second. JJ was an omega, likely seeming much safer than Wilford or himself since they were alphas. “What are your names?” JJ asked as the four of them walked.

“I’m Anti, and this is Mad,” Anti answered. 

“I’m JJ, and that big goof you saw earlier is my mate Wilford.” 

“Big goof?” Anti repeated with a little chuckle. 

“Most of the alphas that work here are.” JJ gestured with his head toward Dark and got another chuckle from Anti. Dark felt himself relaxing as Anti and Mad did the same. 

“Water is warm and filling up the tub,” Wilford said as the others entered the room. 

“Good, good, now you two go. This is for omegas only.” JJ placed his hands on Dark and Wilford’s backs, walking them out of the room. 

“Are you sure you can-”

“I will call if I need help. Go get Edward and make some food for them..” JJ stopped Dark’s question and closed the door. “Let’s get you two cleaned up, shall we?” 

“I can take care of us if you don’t want to,” Anti said, clearly still too weak to walk much on his own, let alone bring Mad with him.  

“Oh, nonsense; if I didn’t want to help. I would have gone off.” JJ clicked his tongue and returned to helping Mad and Anti walk, guiding them to the bathroom. Just the steam in the air alone felt so good to Mad and Anti, the warmth so calm and inviting. “When was the last time you two ate?” He asked as he helped get the wet clothing off of Mad while Anti undressed, hands shaking but moving with determination. 

“Too long,” Mad answered softly, hugging himself when his body was bare. 

“We’ll get you nice and full as well. I bet a home-cooked meal will help you even more.” JJ guided Mad into the tub, and Anti climbed in with him, using the wall as leverage. A groan escaped both of their lips as they sat down in the water. Mad took a deep inhale and started coughing harshly. “Oh dear, we’ll have Edward look into that cough.” 

“He doesn’t have a fever. I don’t know what’s causing it.” Anti said. 

“Maybe a bug or something. Edward’s a talented doctor and will get you two good as new as quickly as possible.” JJ grabbed a cleaning rag and dunked it into the water. He took one of the soaps, squirted it on the rag, and cleaned Mad’s back. 

“I’m shocked you’re not asking how Dark found us.” Anti let himself sink a little more into the water. 

“Dark’s found most of us on the streets. I assumed you’re likely the same, and if I’m wrong, then it’s none of my concern unless you wish to tell me.” JJ softly smiled when Mad began to purr. 

“Is this just a big home for abandoned people or something? Does he have a bunch of omegas hidden away here?” 

“I was actually the only omega before you two arrived. Everyone else here are alphas. The business kind of calls for that.”

“Business?” 

“Now, that’s something I’m not allowed to explain without Dark’s permission. But I promise you’re not in any danger.” JJ handed Mad the rag and let him try cleaning the rest of himself, mostly only needing his arms aside from his hair. He got a new rag, repeated the prepping process, and moved to Anti’s side of the tub. 

“That doesn’t make me feel better,” Anti muttered, turning and letting JJ clean his back off. It had been so long since he’d gotten cleaned by a fellow omega or even just clean in general, and it internally hugged that need within him. 

“It’s complicated,” JJ said. 

“Is this shampoo?” Mad asked, grabbing one of the bottles from the side of the tub. He got a nod from JJ and then started using his hands to wet his hair.

“Sounds like the stuff you’re doing is illegal.” Anti hummed and had his comment confirmed when JJ didn’t respond. “Strangely enough, that makes me feel better.” 

“How?” JJ asked, working on cleaning Anti’s shoulders and pausing at the sight of the wound on his neck. He tried to ignore the broken horn, but the wound made it stick out even more. JJ wanted to ask what happened and what caused this. Horns were a massive pride point for anyone, so bringing up a horn’s damage was taboo, and that kept those questions sealed away.

“Come here, Mad.” Anti beckoned Mad over to him with his hands. He took the shampoo and poured some into his hands before scrubbing it into Mad’s hair. Mad relaxed against Anti and started purring right away. “And it’s because if you’re telling the truth about being the only omega and you only smell of your mate, then what’s happening here doesn’t involve hurting omegas.” 

“Smart man.” JJ softly chuckled, being as gentle as possible with wetting Anti’s hair and scrubbing some shampoo into it as well. 

“That’s Mad. He’s the smart one of us.” Anti leaned into the touch. 

“If he’s the smart one, I’m a little concerned about just how intelligent he is.” 

“You should be.” 

“Hello?” A voice spoke from the bedroom door. 

“That’s Edward,” JJ explained, rinsing his hands off in the water before getting up. “Give me a moment, and I’ll help you two get out of the tub. There’s some spare clothing in the bedroom, and I’ll see what I can find to fit you.” Anit just nodded to show that he understood. JJ stepped out of the bathroom and closed the door. 

“Are we staying here, Anti?” Mad asked. 

“For a bit. They promised food and a doctor’s going to check on you. If things look too dodgy, we’ll sneak out.” Anti started using his hands to cup some water and began rinsing Mad’s hair.

“I hope it’s nice here. I miss being in a home.” Mad sighed.

“I know. And sleeping on a soft, clean bed sounds so good.” Anti checked that all of the soap was gone from Mad’s hair before hugging him, resting his head on his shoulder, and having his soapy hair facing away from Mad’s neck. “Maybe we’ll get lucky, and we can live here. But I’ll need to figure out these alphas first.” 

“I think we’ll be okay here.” 

“You’re already sounding better by just taking a bath. Hopefully, that doctor of theirs is a good one.” 

“Yeah.” Mad’s voice trailed off, showing that what little energy burst he had gotten had worn off. 

“I’ll bite them if they’re not.” Anti’s threat got Mad to giggle. 

“It’s me,” JJ said before walking back into the bathroom, holding some clothing in his hands. “They have some food cooking for you to eat after a quick look over by Edward. Let’s finish your hair and get you both dried off and dressed.” He sat the clothing down on the toilet and started rinsing the soap from Anti’s hair. 

“What all is this Edward wanting to do?” Anti asked.

“Temperature, weight, make sure you don’t have any infections. He’ll probably want a closer look at your neck and horn.” JJ wasn’t shocked when Anti placed a hand over the broken part of his horn.

“It’s fine,” Anti muttered.

“It’s better to be safe than sorry. I’ll stay in the room if you’d like.” JJ stood up and helped Mad to his feet, getting him out of the tub and wrapping a towel around him. 

“Please,” Mad said softly, hugging himself with the towel, enjoying how soft and fluffy it was. 

“Are you okay with that?” JJ asked Anti, helping him from the tub next and wrapping a towel around him, too. 

“If Mad is, then I am.” Anti stated, trying to sound neutral, but JJ could tell he was also thankful for the offer. 

“I’m not sure how well these will fit you, but they’re clean and dry.” JJ helped both of them get dressed, having caught on to Anti’s protection of Mad, and got him dressed first. “Not too bad,” JJ said after Mad and Anti had the clothing on. He had grabbed the same size for both of them, and it was a little big on Anti, making it a little bigger than that on Mad. “Are you ready? Edward’s likely already set up in the room for you two.” JJ waited as Mad took Anti’s hand and squeezed it. 

“We’re ready,” Anti said with a nod. 

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