#still gonna write it though

[nd-frogoblin]

the tragic irony of getting a fanfic idea stuck in your head, only to find out you got it the wrong way round by accident?

Local writers are heartbroken

[vapidink]

That feeling when you want to write fanfic but there's a pile of WIPs eyeing you accusingly.

[bluerosefox]

Drake Siblings

Have I read this prompt somewhere or was this a fever dream from my bored mind.

What if, now hear me out.

What if we bring up Dana Winters-Drake (whose confirmed to at least be alive in the DC verse but no one knows where she actually is)

What if instead of when she had a mental breakdown and getting committed to an Bludhaven clinc she wandered away before anyone noticed and by the time Tim or anyone did notice a lot of stuff started happening at once in both Gotham and Bludhaven (Steph dying, The Bludhaven crisis, etc etc)

Tim still tries to find her though but even with best resources it was like she just disappeared into the wilderness and the stress of trying to handle more and more problems get worse.

So when out of the blue, a couple of years later, he gets a call from an unknown number. On his private, only for friends and family, phone and when he answers he meet with a young girls voice on the other end.

A very young, maybe six or seven, girl who informs him about his apparently half-brother Danny Drake-Fenton. And how she loves Danny so, so, so much but knows her home is dangerous for him to be in.

Tim is stunned and before he could question her, she says Danny is Dana and Jack's baby and that her parents had adopted him years ago and put Dana's stuff that the hospital had away for him to look at when he was older but she just had to fight off their lunch from eating her brother and she knows he needs a better place to live and so she snooped around and found Dana's diary and that she had to unscramble the nonsense Dana wrote and found Tim's number with the words 'tell him about his brother Danny' hidden in it. And-

But before she could keep rambling she hears Danny screaming "JAZZY THE MILK WENT BAD AGAIN AND HISSED AT ME!"

Tim is left with silence after hearing Jazz yell to Danny to lock the fridge and step out of the kitchen as she gets the bat.

[starscream-is-my-wife]

This is part 1 of a continuation for my other post where LL Megatron gets trapped in the G1 universe, I was thinking about how someone would go insane in this cartoon world and thought "what if Megatron had someone else to accompany him" so, I gave Starscream an existential crisis

Edit: final part is out, I tagged everything as G1 x LL AU!

[mipexch]

sixnine dump

[beatcroc]

there's no way the bathroom at peppino's pizza is actually that big but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ . hey ummm anyway.... i care them...... anyway there's a lil ramble on my take on fake pep's like psyche or whatever in tags on the og post if ur into that kinda thing :y

hey! it's a series! fake peppino world tour: [noise] [noisette] [peppino]<- u are here [gustavo] [gerome] [noisette again]

[dailyloopdeloop]

DAY 71: shy

[luckyartdrawer]

^^^ Cover art for the fic that goes with this!!! vvv

*Please read the tags before reading!

vvv Summary, Clear full image, Close ups, and Yapping below! vvv

Summary:

Then someone new came along. Long after the encounters with death. Long after the obsession with words has settled in.

They had nothing to do with either of them, nor the daycare, and not even the other animatronics. Just a simple tour guide, bringing groups around place to place, with simple explanations, free goodies, and overly preppy cheer. It may have been in the job description, but they acted as if they were best friends with any animatronic they introduced – including them.

It felt wrong. It felt ugly. It felt as if the perfect smile on that face as they bestowed compliment after compliment on each tour was just that. Skin deep.

Drip

Are they as beautiful on the inside as they pretend to be on the outside?

Drip

_____________________________

A Moon centric horror story to celebrate spooky month/Halloween! Inspired by the song Bones by Will Wood and The Tapeworms. Enjoy!

⚠️ I do not condone this behavior! Check the tags before reading! This fic is heavily inspired by the song and leans into the anorexia and gruesome/literal aspects of its lyrics, if those subjects bother you please be careful as they're in this fic! ⚠️

Clean Version: (No words and No blur)

Close ups:

Yapping:

I'm very excited to post this! I've been holding onto it for a while now and I'm very proud of it! ^^

I really did want to wait until further into October to post these, but with the chance of being out of power for 2 weeks due to back to back hurricanes, I figured it's best if I post this now rather than risk being late. It's still spooky month, and plenty of people can enjoy the spooks any time! <3

I love horror stories, so hopefully this unnerves some of y'all hehe >:)

And of course it's Moon centric, I've accepted my bias at this point.

[kelocitta]

In honor of the @rw-ship-showdown I wanted to write about Artihunter as someone who jokingly slapped them together pre-downpour and still thinks they are actually very compelling. Just not in the super soft love wins kinda way (Although I get why people like that more) And the only way I know how to do that is talking too much so heres a far too long slug essay-

Obviously the slugcats don't offer a ton of characterization but theres not nothing to work with. Their stories, whether by their roles in it or the overarching themes do provide a backbone to work with. Even gameplay itself can provide a bit. (for some more than others) Hunter, to me, is ultimately a story about selflessness. The goal is to revive Moon, which is very much an act of kindness from both Hunter and NSH. But the weight of that action is much more significant for Hunter- Hunter is deeply sick. They're on the clock, and for all their skill in combat none of that will ultimately help them to survive longer than their body can hold out. Moon is a close friend of NSH but that means little Hunter- Hunter really gets next to nothing out of helping them, and ultimately pays quiet a bit spending their limited time alive fighting to deliver that neuron so that someone else can live.

To spend ones limited days on helping another, in a game that very much stresses the unwavering cruelty of the world and nature- is pretty notable. (And you could even say that Hunter being the Hardmode of Rain World adds another layer to this)

And then we have Artificer. A storyline that very much stands out to people as more… villainous (so to speak) than the other slugcats. Artificer's story covers a lot of things. Trauma, violence, revenge, etc. Revenge is a bit of a selfish desire- That need to see someone hurt as they have hurt you. A punishment that ultimately does not fix whatever harm was done- but feels good to see because you were hurt and now those responsible share that pain.

Artificer's actions are founded in that need for revenge, their pups killed for overstepping boundaries they didn't know existed. Is it not fair for them to be angry at that, to punish the scavengers for their violence with their own? Why should the scavengers ever be forgiven when they and their pups were not? And that's how you get that loop- Harm for harm over and over.

The original action has been lost in a spiral of violence for violence. And here stands Artificer- their very spirit scarred. Not just because they sought revenge, but because they never ceased trying to scratch that itch for violence as an answer. Artificer only has two paths for their story- killing the scavenger king (Someone who, really, has little to do with the original 'crime' of the scavengers, but represents an important individual to them- as did the slugpups to Artificer), locking themselves as karma one for good and spending the rest of their life chasing creatures that no longer even fight back in a warped sense of closure- or to dissolve themselves in the acids of the void sea because they're too far gone to find any real peace.

They can't meaningfully recover from that state, not alone, twisting in on themselves. Even if they halt their actions, they've been using violence as a feeble defense against their own pain- violence that no longer has any real direction or basis. Artificer gets no real closure from killing the scavenger king. All they can do is continue the cycle, or try to scrub it away. No real peace in a prison of their own making. So you have a creature, who even with a strict timer on their life- a body that will crumble to disease, spends its last bit of time on saving another. And another who was so caught up in the pain of loss that were eaten alive by their own anger, poisoned their own soul on such a deep level even self-proclaimed gods have no solution for them. What peace can they offer each other? For Hunter, its only a fleeting moment of happiness- of selfish love, before their own body fails them. A bit of indulgence in something for themself. For Artificer, its a single, comforting thread to ground them again, something tangible to protect and care about again. But thats a thread that will ultimately be snapped under the cruel indifference of the world. Hunters timer will tick down regardless of if it takes another with it. Its a tragedy- its doomed to end badly. Whatever good it offers to either of them to find each other will only provide the fleeting comfort of a band-aid that will be ripped away too early. But all that can be worth indulging in anyway, if only for the moment. It doesn't change the ending, but the ending was never going to be happy. Its can so yuri

[fatedroses]

Tank-on-Tank violence.

[aroaceleovaldez]

full on feel like pjo tv s2 is not gonna hold up so they need to drag as much attention to the series as they can by using nico as a sock puppet w tsats2

im fully expecting the show to go the way of the movies. it doesnt help Sea of Monsters is almost unanimously the least favorite book of the first series. People frequently forget it even exists or what happens in it, especially more casual fans.

Heck, just look at how little fanfare the second season has gotten so far as compared to the build up to s1. I wouldn't be surprised if s2 totally flops. It would be a little funny.

[krittec]

imagine if in season 3, Five tried to rewind to find out who killed Luther or try to save him but as his rewinds aren’t well practised so he can’t go too far, he rewinds to Sloane walking in as he’s stood near his brothers body, so his family thinks that he killed Luther.

[anonymous-dentist]

Part Five of the Catboy in the Village AU

Parts: One | Two | Three | Four

-

Before Cellbit can start any kind of investigation, he passes out from hunger. (Four days without eating will do that, he supposes...)

It's sort of just... quick. He's sitting up in bed so Roier can braid his hair, and then his head and eyes are all fuzzy, and then he's in a different bed with no Roier and with an absolutely killer migraine.

He groans and rolls onto his side and pulls his blanket over his head, because he knows that there's somebody watching him. He can feel their (her) eyes on him, and they're making him feel even more sick than he already feels.

"You're an idiot," the queen declares.

Cellbit just hisses at her. She doesn't deserve his words.

He can practically hear her eye roll. Wood creaks from next to his bed, footsteps clicking against the cold stone floor, and then a light 'creeeeak' as a cabinet is opened on the far side of the room. Grumbling from the queen- insults, mostly. Clinks and clatters as she searches for something.

Cellbit's stomach twists and groans from hunger. Gods, what he'd give to be in his kitchen right now with Roier making dinner less than an arm's length away from him. Smoke in Cellbit's lungs, flavor already burning his tongue, fresh bread from the bakery across the street in front of him as an appetizer.

"There's soup on the table next to you," the queen says.

But it isn't Roier's soup, is the thing. It's probably poisoned. Or, worse, it's gross. Not enough meat, probably. Possibly even vegan, eugh.

How would the queen react if Cellbit told her that he only eats dishes with human flesh cooked into them? Would that be enough for her to send him home?

...Probably not, considering she seemed more upset about him being bad at escaping prison than him actually being in prison in the first place. That opens a whole bag of worms in itself, because how in the world does the queen know about Alcatraz when Cellbit's own in-laws don't? How long has she been stalking him for?

"If you need something lighter, I can have the kitchens send up some bread or crackers," the queen continues.

"I'm not hungry," Cellbit grumbles.

He's gone for longer than four days without food. During the war, it wasn't until Bad picked him up and taught him what his claws and fangs were good for that Cellbit started having dinner more than once a week. When he was put in solitary confinement in prison, he wasn't given food at all, and he was in that cell for at least five days at a time.

He's gone for longer than four days, so it has to be something in the castle that has made Cellbit so weak. Maybe it's something in the air, some kind of magic the queen is employing to try and break him down. The bed sheets might be laced with sickness runes. The guards constantly following Cellbit and Roier around might be warlocks in league with whatever demon is haunting the castle.

"Right," the queen sarcastically says. "You're not hungry. You just passed out after not eating for four days for no reason."

Cellbit bristles so literally that his ears tent the blanket above his head. He grits his teeth together and, not for the first time, he wishes that he still had his claws.

"Exactly," he grits out. He flexes his fingers, pretending the air he's scratching is the queen's stupid (identical) face. "So. Leave."

"I'm good, actually," the queen lightly responds. She sounds beyond pissed off, but she also sounds as calm as can be expected of royalty. Ugh. "I'm going to order some bread for you in just a moment."

Cellbit's ear twitches. "No."

"You're an alchemist, yes? You know what happens when you take a potion on an empty stomach. This might be the healer's quarters, but I will not have you throwing up all over her floor."

Cellbit pulls a bit of his blanket over and away from one of his eyes so he can glare at the queen properly.

"I'm not going to throw up," he scoffs. Who does she think he is?

Now that he can see the queen, he's even more annoyed. More than that, though, he's confused because... why? Why is she here? What kind of warden pays this much attention to their prisoner?

She's rooting through a large wooden cupboard filled with things Cellbit recognizes from his own supplies back home: healing potions, powdered unicorn's horn, phoenix feather, faerie dust.

"When you passed out, you hit your head pretty hard on one of your bedposts," the queen explains, ignoring him entirely. "Your husband has requested that you be given something to help with your pain, and you know that you can't take that without something in your stomach. Stop being stubborn."

"I'm not being stubborn," Cellbit huffs. "And I'm not in pain. So."

He isn't lying; he feels just fine. The only thing hurting is his stomach, and that's normal with starvation. He's more than used to the feeling by now.

"So you're going to take one dose of this potion to make your husband happy."

Oh, and now she's blackmailing him with Roier's emotions. Great.

Unfortunately for the queen, Cellbit knows his husband well enough to know that, if Roier wanted him to take a potion, he would be in the room force-feeding it to him himself. He wouldn't have Cellbit's current number one worst enemy try and do it, he isn't that cruel.

...Now that Cellbit thinks of it, where is Roier?

A bolt of panic grips Cellbit around his heart and he sits up in a flash, blanket flying off of him as his entire body tenses. His ears stick up on end, straining for any sign of Roier. Nothing.

"Where is he?" Cellbit demands.

He looks around the room and sees absolutely nothing that he can use as a weapon. Great. It's fine. It's fine! He can just-

Cellbit's vision swims, and he feels himself tipping to the side and off of the bed. The queen shouts, but he can't hear whatever she says over the sound of nothingness as he loses consciousness for the second time that day.

It takes much less time for him to wake up this time. He's up and trying to get to his feet within seconds of hitting the floor, his ears flat against his head and his eyes wide with panic as he fully decides that the queen may have, in fact, killed Roier. She had Cellbit drugged and she had Roier killed and now she's going to keep Cellbit in a much worse cell and she's going to torture him until he agrees that he's her brother and-

He's shocked back to reality as a blanket is dropped over his head from above. What?

"Roier is fine," the queen gently says. She's above him now, too- on the bed, probably, why? Is she trying to smother him? "He's the one who brought you here. He and the healer went to get some ice from the kitchens. She was going to go by herself, but he wanted to make sure she wouldn't try and poison you."

What a hero. Of course Roier would worry about the ice being poisoned, he and Cellbit both know a hundred ways to poison someone. It's hard not to know how to poison people in the potion business.

...But she's lying. The queen is lying. She hasn't told Cellbit the truth once since she first barged into his store.

...But the blanket over Cellbit's head is really heavy. Was it this heavy before? No, right?

Cellbit kneads his fingers into the knees of his trousers. He twists his wedding ring around his finger. His nose twitches. His lungs hurt.

"Still works," the queen mutters. What does that mean?

A few short, yet excruciatingly-long, moments of blanket and panic later, the door to the room slams open, and a pair of beautifully-familiar boots thud towards Cellbit. A second later, the blanket is ripped off of his head, and there's Roier holding a bowl of ice and looking so handsomely concerned.

"Gatinho..." he breathes.

And then he scowls and plops onto the ground in front of Cellbit, cross-legged. He puts the bowl down on his lap, leans forward, and grabs Cellbit by the face with both hands and squishes his cheeks together.

"I fucking told you to eat!" he shouts, only halfway angry. He squishes Cellbit's cheeks harder. "And now you are on the floor. Why are you on the floor, eh?"

"He fell," the queen responds. She's still on the bed, cross-legged herself, with her chin resting against her fist. "He wanted to search for you."

Roier 'awww's once before gently shaking Cellbit's head back and forth.

"What have I told you?" he scolds. "I'll always come back for you. Even when I die, I'll just haunt you as a sexy ghost. I'm not letting any stupid queen get rid of me?"

"Hey!" the queen protests.

Cellbit smiles, though, and he reaches up to place his hands over Roier's.

"Desculpe, guapito," he says.

Roier smiles back, his anger slowly fading from his face.

"Your forehead is all purple," he tells Cellbit. "Come here..."

He takes the blanket off of the floor and wraps it around a handful of ice cubes. It's a lumpy cold mess, but it's sweet, so Cellbit doesn't complain too much as Roier softly presses the makeshift ice pack against Cellbit's forehead.

Cellbit leans into his touch, eyes fluttering shut. He bites back a happy little purr. (Not in front of the queen...!)

Someone else walks into the room, but Cellbit couldn't care less about them. They have to be the healer, but there's nothing wrong with him. Nothing he can't fix himself with the right ingredients, anyway.

He cracks an eye open and glares up at the queen, who looks... thoughtful. Uh-oh.

"I'm not taking the potion," he tells her. "I don't drink anything I don't make myself."

The queen shrugs. "That's fine, then. There's a cauldron on the other side of the room. Right, Niki?"

She looks over her shoulder, and Cellbit can just barely make out a head of pink hair. Must be 'Niki', then. The healer.

"That's right!" the healer agrees. "You can use what you want! It's all in here somewhere!"

Roier leans in close and whispers, "That's Niki. She talks a lot about empanadas."

Cellbit's stomach grumbles at the mention of food, and he groans.

"Please don't mention food right now," he sighs, voice low.

"Mmm, or I can, and you'll eat something and we can go back to our room," Roier hums. He tenderly strokes Cellbit's cheek. "I'm in the mood for empanadas right now, actually. Ah, or mixiotes... or gorditas..."

Cellbit slumps forward against Roier's shoulder, bringing the ice with him.

"Guapito, please..." he whines.

"If you're hungry, I can have any of that made for you," the queen offers.

A growl bubbles up from Cellbit's throat, but Roier covers it up with a loud, "Ah! But how do we know you won't put poison in it, hmm?"

"Because I wouldn't poison my brother or my brother-in-law? That would be ridiculous!"

"Mhmm. But how can we be sure?"

"Let Roier cook for the both of us," Cellbit says. "That way, we know for sure that it'll be safe."

A beat. And then:

"Are you being serious right now?" the queen demands. "That was why you wouldn't eat? Because your husband wasn't cooking it for you?"

Cellbit turns his head to glare up at her. "You would starve yourself, too, if you had to go from his cooking to someone else's. His food is perfect. He could be a professional, you know."

The queen looks absolutely shocked. Positively bewildered. Confused beyond all belief. Angry, too. Annoyed.

"You are. Ridiculous," she stammers out. "But... fine. Yes! You should have just asked from the beginning! Oh my gods! You should have asked!"

She continues ranting about how silly Cellbit is for not trusting her despite them literally being family, which is absolutely ridiculous because, A, they aren't family, and, B, she literally knocked him out and kidnapped him and his husband and is holding them both captive.

But Cellbit doesn't listen. Instead, he thinks. Once he's back on his feet, he can actually start investigating. And then? He and Roier can go.

His stomach grumbles again; Roier giggles and pokes at Cellbit's belly and starts listing out potential dinner options in order of Cellbit's favorites to his least favorites.

...But first, dinner.

Finally.

[fujii-draws]

Rest

Summary: As a zephyr of light wind passed the cloaked wraith. The bustling, lively sounds and sights of Treasure town are unable to capture his attention. For the Gripper Pokémon was too busy tending to a certain pup, gently resting in his arms.

[Word Count: 3731]

———————

‘Riolu, Emanation Pokémon’

‘It is a widely known fact that riolu’s have a tendency to curl up and nestle into Pokémon they fully trust. Though, a rare phenomenon, seeing as they can sense one’s intentions. You’d be lucky to have one of them even remotely tolerate you.’

…

…It’d been text from a book Dusknoir had picked up recently out of morbid curiosity, mainly as to figure out why a certain young aura pup with him had been so… needy. Suffice to say, the answer he’d gotten did not disappoint, feeling a great sense of pride, and fondness swelling deep inside his chest.

“Mmmn…”

Speaking of…

…An Aura pokémon had been slumbering peacefully on the ghost-type for the past hour or so— having curled himself into a tiny ball on Dusknoir’s scarred chest. It was a foreign feeling. Yet it endeared the specter to the riolu. The cloaked ghost could feel the small aura pup’s breathing, as well as his little heart, beating rhythmically within his small body.

Rather than picking up the boy and letting him lay on the grass… Dusknoir had kept him close. Even going as far as to take extra precautionary measures ensuring the young pup had been comfortable. The Gripper Pokémon’s giant hand reached for the Relic fragment and red scarf wrapped around his yellow neck fur—gently loosening it with his index finger and thumb. Before placing it on the soft patch of grass.

It was a strange feeling, having something barely as big as Dusknoir’s hand, peacefully dozing on him without a single hint of fear …If anything, he’d assumed his imposing stature would scare the riolu away. But seeing the pup like this… it made the ghost-type feel serene. Dare he goes far as to say a little delighted, especially when putting into consideration the circumstances around it.

Normally the riolu would be working himself a mile-a-minute, having been too anxious to rest for even a second with the dreaded ‘Time Gear thief’ on the loose. Everyone at the guild, including his own Eevee partner, had begged for the Riolu to calm down. To rest. That Grovyle would be captured in due time… yet to no avail. So to see the young, agitated Pokémon… finally having a moment of peace… It had made Dusknoir slightly protective of the Riolu, wanting to ensure that the poor, young pup got his much needed rest.

Any Treasure Town residents that had passed the two Pokémon had been met with a simple nod of acknowledgement, or finger hovering under his red and gold eye in a ‘shushing’-like motion. He’d sometimes even glare at certain Pokémon who were being obnoxiously loud. Which usually did the trick. But every single time, the ghost-type’s attention would fall back to the little pup.

“Mmn… nngh…”

Aimilios had let out a tiny yawn, before shifting to sleep on his other side. Dusknoir found himself smiling towards this small action, gently reaching his massive hand towards the riolu.

“Tired little one, aren’t you..?” Dusknoir hummed, petting his fur gently.

“..Mhm..” Aimilios unconsciously responded with his eyes closed. He yawns, before nuzzling into the ghost even further.

“I see.” Dusknoir chuckles out, responding humorfully towards the riolu’s… clearly concise response.

The sleepy aura pup used his tiny paws to hold onto Dusknoir— His equally small tail and knees curling in an admittedly endearing attempt to hide from the cold. That’d go without even mentioning the momentary twitching of his ears— all of which endeared the cloaked ghost-type even further towards the riolu.

He bellows a chuckle, continuing to pet the fighting-type with his large hand— humming to himself. Dusknoir continued to watch over the riolu fondly, securing the small fighting-type safe in his arms— offering warmth as he continued to watch him idly with a half-lidded eye. As the pup held onto Dusknoir unconsciously… he couldn't help but wonder where his trust in the ghost-type spawn from so quickly…?

Despite his positive reputation as “The Great Dusknoir '' perceiving him, aswell as saving him and Ribbons from Amp plains… he knew just how easily frightened Aimilios was. Especially considering the reputation and intimidating features ghost-types are known for… and that’s without touching upon the sizable differences compared to the pup. It played a small factor in why Aimilios evaded him and his affections in the beginning.

Dusknoir knew his hand alone was probably big enough to equal that of the riolu’s body size- it wouldn’t be difficult to snuff the life out of him with a single, bone-crushing grip— to simply be done with his mission.

And yet.

“……”

…There Aimilios was, gingerly sleeping on the ghost-type after a long, somewhat uneventful day.

_____

Just an hour ago, the Gripper Pokémon had been reading under a shaded tree, wanting to take in the world of the past as much as possible before his inevitable return to the dark, bleak future that had awaited him. It was… a nice and rare leisurely pass time for the ghost; Dusknoir wanted to savor every bit of it. Especially with the even rarer moments of free time where he could put the celebrity facade to rest. It came to a halt however, the wraith catching the slightest hint of blue in the corner of his eye.

“Hm..?”

A frozen riolu, who’d been staring at Dusknoir from afar. It was rather obvious he was trying to muster up the courage to interact with the ghost-type. With a smile, Dusknoir decided to invite the riolu over— humming with a nod.

Off in the distance, Aimilios… clearly wasn’t expecting an offer from the famous Dusknoir to come sit with him. Judging from how caught off-guard he’d been. The cloaked specter only chuckled at the riolu doing a double-take; looking both ways before pointing to himself. He’d almost yelped when he saw Dusknoir signaling him over, giving him the go to come near… It felt almost unreal to the fighting-type. Trying to hide his fear, (and excitement), Aimilios awkwardly shuffles his way towards the Great explorer.

…At first it’d been rather quiet; with Dusknoir reading and Aimilios staring up at the sky, with the occasional, unsubtle glimpse of the book the ghost-type had been reading. Dusknoir didn’t mind however, pretending to not notice the riolu’s obvious interest. Not wanting to put the riolu on the spot so suddenly.

He allowed the curious pup to peer over his shoulder, pretending to be oblivious to the riolu’s excitement. It was until Aimilios piped up with the tiniest, excited bark; pointing at one of the passages the cloaked specter had skimmed, that he finally acknowledged the riolu. Aimilios almost immediately apologized for the outburst, (almost as formally as Dusknoir, which humored the ghost-type.) but Dusknoir only raised an eyebrow, shifting the book closer to make it easier for the both of them to read.

“O-oh!-“ Aimilios stuttered. “I’m sorry Mr. Dusknoir, sir! I didn’t mean t-to—!”

“No no, by all means!” Dusknoir boisterously spoke, shaking his head. “I’d quite enjoy your company. It was beginning to get rather quiet.”

The large ghost-type smiled warmly, the wrinkles in his eye folding up. Dusknoir preferred silence— but he’d added in that last bit to ease the riolu’s nerves— curious to see more of this side of Aimilios.

The ghost patted the patch of grass, signaling Aimilios to sit near him. He awkwardly scoots over— falling strangely silent once more… but with a little reassurance and time, the aura pup had started to wag his tail, excitedly pointing from passage-to-passage with enthusiasm. Not only eagerly asking the ghost-type questions about certain things within the book, but also explaining passages to him… displaying his sharp-wit and intellect despite his younger age.

Aimilios’s brightness and eagerness to learn, mesmerized Dusknoir, to put it lightly. He’d never seen this side to the riolu before, despite hearing from Ribbons— his smaller, more louder Eevee partner, plenty of times. Which piqued Dusknoir’s interest, but he never quite got to see it.

…Not until now that is.

Dusknoir had always assumed from their first interaction that he’d done something to upset the Riolu. A miscalculation, perhaps. What he hadn’t accounted, was for the small child to pick up on some of his mannerisms. Psychoanalyzing the large revenant with terrifying accuracy. Something Aimilios stopped doing when he felt the renowned explorer staring at him for a little too long.

The cloaked revenant felt a shift in the fighting-type’s demeanor when Aimilios read his aura for the very first time; around when they conversed at the Kelceon Market, to be more specific. Going from a soft-spoken, yet starry-eyed pup… into a more uncomfortable, timid form— hiding behind his smaller partner. He saw this same, apprehensive look in the Riolu’s eye when they were on the beach. Where Dusknoir had insisted that he ‘unfortunately’ didn’t have any information to spare regarding his Eevee partner’s memory. The wraith sensed Aimilios’s sudden want to leave when he presumably absorbed the nauseating aura radiating from him.

This… admittedly somewhat saddened the large ghost-type. He didn’t understand why he seeked the small aura pup’s acquiescence the way he did. But it hurt to see the aura pup’s blood pressure spike whenever he’d gotten near. Perhaps… because of how terrified and shy Aimilios was… he reminded the battle-scarred phantom of himself when he was a meek Duskull.

Compared to his partner, who he seemed to already have wrapped around his finger, it was clear to the cloaked specter how much more patience and maintenance the riolu required. Being extra cautious and kind around the fragile pup. Making himself out to be approachable as possible as he sought out the young fighting-type. Taking priority in the riolu’s as he took him under his wing, personally training and educating the young pup. In one-on-one sessions together.

It didn’t take long for the rest of Treasure town to see the clear special treatment he’d been giving the Riolu. Ribbons were also an exception, but it was clear how much less tense and strict the Great Dusknoir had become around the Aura Pokémon.

He’d greeted other Pokémon in the township rather professionally, but when Aimilios had approached and tugged on his cloak sheepishly. It felt as if the ghost-type became an entirely different Pokémon— floating closer to the ground and extending careful hands towards the pup as he warmly greeted him.

Though the majority of his kindness had been fabricated towards the beginning…Dusknoir’s gestures slowly grew to be more genuine. It was indescribable. To see the timid riolu slowly grow more comfortable around him. Whether it’d been a small smile, or watching as the small Pokémon reached for his large hand. Curling his black mittened paw over his finger as the pup rambled on about what he was previously telling the now endeared specter. Holding his paw back with a gentle squeeze.

Aimilios looked happy merely seeing another Pokémon take him and his interests seriously. Dusknoir couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment, being able to aid in breaking the riolu out of his shell. The pup had gone on and on… to the point of tuckering himself out. Hoho…

…Eventually leading to where they were now in the present. Finding the same, reticent aura pup… sleeping comfortably on him. Dusknoir’s cloak tendrils curl around in a protective barrier at the mere sight alone. Dusknoir simply watched over Aimilios as he continued to cling onto him like a baby Komala... It was a sight the Gripper Pokémon had been taking in for the past hour.

“Nghh…”

The Gripper Pokémon observed quietly as Aimilios woke up—in the form of a little stretch whilst yawning, smacking his lips. The fighting-type rubbed his eyes open, whirling his head left and right—looking as if he’d been trying to figure out which continent he was on. Humoring the wraith quite a bit.

“This…” Aimilios groggily begins. “…isn’t the guild…”

Dusknoir’s stomach maw parted slightly, letting out a low, rumbling chuckle at the now awakening Riolu. Aimilios’s eyes drift upwards, squinting at the source of the noise… only to find himself on top of the gargantuan wraith’s chest.

“No, I do not believe it to be so either.” The gargantuan wraith lightly jokes.

“D-Dusknoir..?!” He exclaimed, staring up at the cloaked ghost-type that’d been holding him for the past hour, his tail frizzing out visibly as his ears and black appendages perked up.

“Good afternoon, Aimilios.“ Dusknoir chuckled out in a playful wit, continuing to lightly tease the young riolu.

“W-why am I here..?! Did I..?” Aimilios frantically sputtered. He nearly leapt off the dusknoir; his paws hoisting his upper body as he continued to whip his head left and right. Interrupting Dusknoir with his frenzied panic.

“…Aimilios?” Dusknoir had stopped smiling at this point, his worry increasing from the Riolu’s frantic movement. “Please, try to calm down— I don’t understand-“

“O-oh no— oh no no no—!“ Aimilios holds his paws on his face in disbelief; red pupils shrink as more and more intrusive thoughts fill the aura pup’s mind— “I didn’t mean to—!”

“Aimilios.”

…Dusknoir admittedly felt horrible, slightly raising his voice towards the panicking riolu. But it was the only way he could stop whatever train of thought Aimilios was having right in its tracks.

“Just slow down.” He cuts the terrified aura pup off, stroking his face with his huge, scarred thumb. Calming the small riolu. His words prove effective, seeing as Aimilios froze completely per Dusknoir’s request. He continues to pet the riolu, trying to calm the little one down.

“I…”

“…It’s quite alright.” He says, already have forgiven the young fighting-type— his soft smile not leaving his face. “Now… Did you rest well?”

Aimilios stares wide eyed, almost bewildered by the ghost’s question. After a couple of seconds have passed, he coyly looks away, nodding slightly with the tiniest ‘mhm.’

Another low chuckle.

“I'm glad to hear.”

Despite this, Aimilios looks away from the giant wraith, almost ashamed of his actions. Dusknoir’s expression contorts to that of slight worry.

“…What troubles you?” The large specter asks, his head slightly tilting in confusion at the riolu’s movements.

“Wh-why didn’t you wake me up…?”

“Pardon..?” Dusknoir eye widens slightly. Aimilios breaking away eye contact as he does.

“…W-With all due respect Dusknoir sir..!-“ Aimilios yelps. “Y-You could’ve just told me to leave you alone…! You didn’t have to wait that entire time just for me to w-wake up..!”

Ah.

“You looked peaceful.” Dusknoir calmly stated. “I did not intend to disturb you.”

“Wh?- Why not..!?” Aimilios shouts near the end, covering his mouth with his paws towards his outburst. The riolu now having gotten the ghost-type’s full attention, who looked down towards the young Pokemon in concern.

“Was there something you were planning to do today?” Dusknoir woes. “Forgive me, Aimilios. If I had known, I would have—

“That’s not it..!”

“Then… what is?” Dusknoir had sat up more straightly at this point; giving his full, undivided attention to the terrified riolu. The ghost-type’s expression is filled with concentration; traces of worry added into the mix.

“Excuse me for my bluntness… but… I don’t quite understand what you’re trying to tell me.”

Aimilios looks bewildered at the last part of Dusknoir’s sentence.

“I-I mean-..! You’re the Dusknoir..!” Aimilios exclaims. Gesturing to the ghost with both of his paws stretched out. “You’re the world renowned explorer of the Grass-continents..! You probably had a bunch of important work you could’ve been doing…!”

Dusknoir’s expression shifts slightly.

“…You didn’t have to wait on a nobody like me…” Aimilios pouts. “I-I would’ve gotten out of your way if you’d just told me-“

Aimilios is cut off rather abruptly by the cloaked ghost. He feels himself suddenly being cradled against the phantom’s body. His cloaking wrapped all around the grass and riolu in a protective, outer ring. Dusknoir makes quiet shushing noises in an attempt to soothe the little riolu. Aimilios feels his stress slowly evaporate the longer he’s held. The young fighting-type shuts his eyes as he sinks a little into the soft, dark-gray like flesh.

“Is that all..?”

“…”

“Aimilios.” Dusknoir began softly, yet with assuredness in his words. “You need not worry about how I spend my time. Whether it be work, job requests, or even to sign autographs.” He inhales a deep breath, before sighing melancholically. “That being said…”

The Gripper Pokémon rubs the side of his face with his large thumb in circular motions in an attempt to console the self-deprecating Riolu. He cups the riolu’s face with his large, battle-scarred palms, making certain that the young boy was looking at him when he says his next words. “I wished to spend my time with you. I wanted to be here, regardless of whatever duties I could have been attending to.”

Aimilios looks up at Dusknoir with his glassy eyes. His words getting through to him once more.

“So rest… I won’t be going anywhere, lest you request me to.”

“……” The riolu stares at the ghostly giant for quite some time. Bewildered by the sheer authenticity of his words. All while the same, soft expression never leaving his eye. Aimilios was trying to find a hint of irony or perhaps even cruel sarcasm… but all he sees is Dusknoir’s real and faux, gold eyes. Smiling softly.

“Y-You mean it…?”

“I do.”

“And…” Aimilios stutters “Y-you don’t mind…?”

Dusknoir brings the riolu closer to him.

“Not one bit.”

“………okay.” Aimilios mumbled, barely audible, but just loud enough for Dusknoir to hear. He sees Aimilios no longer fighting to keep his eyes open. Dusknoir softly smiles once more. He watches Aimilios shifting around to get more comfortable— balling both of his little paws into fists. The Riolu huddles into himself once more. Something in the riolu’s chest twinges with a warm feeling when he sees Dusknoir gathering him closer into his arms… Aimilios smiles at Dusknoir one last time— before returning to his sleep. Being held gently by the large figure watching over him.

“…Comfortable?”

A nod, Aimilios willingly allowing himself to go limp in Dusknoir’s embrace. The ghost-type feels the young riolu smiling.

“I’m glad to hear it.” A large, gentle finger reaches to move the black appendage covering Aimilios’s face. He stared fondly at the aura pup, who was now finally allowing himself to be vulnerable around Dusknoir… the ghost’s mind wanders back to the book he’d been reading. About how difficult it was to gain the trust of a Pokémon such as Aimilios, considering their built-in lie-detector in aura sensing… and how much trust he put in Dusknoir.

“…...” a slight shadow fell over the ghost’s face as more sinister, deadpan expression twisted in the specter’s eye— looking away from Aimilios.

How it pained him knowing soon that Aimilios would come to realize how foolish he’d been, trusting a deceptive Pokémon such as himself.

But for now…He’d indulge in this moment… he’ll take in the scene laying right before him. Of when Aimilios still trusted in him. He’ll carry out this meaningless delusion… just a little longer.

“Rest well…little stalwart…” Dusknoir hummed softly. Gazing at the Aura Pokémon once more with the same fondness he’d been looking at him since he’d first slept. His cloak wisps and surrounds the small fighting-type— swaying and curling in-tune with the ghost’s emotions towards Aimilios. The time for their confrontation will come, but for now…

…He’ll keep Aimilios happy.

For as much time as he has left.

…

Dusknoir stayed true to his word as he held the small riolu until sundown. Orange-pink skies were now replaced with a star-filled night overhead. A black, yet beautiful tranquility fell upon the town and its residents as the revenant took in the majestic view. Nights in the present were eons better in comparison to the empty future.

The ghost-type’s attention is promptly stolen by the young pup, sleeping gently in his arms. A small bit of warmth from the aura pokemon leaked into his chest from the time spent cradling him. Keeping the little one from freezing with insulation. But it was clear from the way Aimilios began shivering that his thin fur coat wasn’t enough to brace the elements.

“Let’s get you somewhere warm, shall we?” The cloaked revenant spoke to the unconscious aura pup, still smiling at the sight.

Dusknoir grabbed the Relic Fragment and red scarf laying on the patch soft grass. Now holding the riolu’s belongings in his fist, the revenant begins departing onwards, floating straight to Wigglytuff’s guild.

…

He was aware of the curfew set for guild members. Primed of the knowledge thanks to a certain nosy brown fox. Dusknoir really had to speak with Ribbons’ snooping activities, especially regarding her guildmates’ personal journals. The ghost-type floated stealthily by the perched bird. Sparing the aura pup from a harsh scolding that would have awaited him in the morning.

The giant specter floated silently past the other guildmates’ rooms through the narrow hallway. He noticed Aimilios grimacing in his sleep as they went by Loudred’s room. Which Dusknoir empathized with as soon as he heard the same, ear-splitting snore roaring from within. It’s no wonder the poor boy hadn’t gotten any sleep.

Upon entering Team Hope’s dormitory, Dusknoir is greeted with the sight of a slumbering Eevee. Laying flat on her back with her maw agape— drool dripping from the side of her mouth. If her hind legs twitching was any to go by— It was clear the Eevee was dreaming about… something. What that was could be anyone’s guess, Dusknoir internally chuckled to himself. Her snores, while not as loud as her purple companion, were… unnatural to say the least. Sighing heavily, the cloaked wraith hovers over Aimilios's haybed. But stops himself halfway.

Almost hesitant to let go.

Between the Riolu and his vixen partner, physical contact with the young Eevee was much, much more common. Ribbons would almost always be located somewhere around his body— mainly his ruffs. Dusknoir thoroughly enjoyed her company, despite her complete disregard for personal space.

Then there was the Riolu, who was the complete opposite.

Any attempts made at getting physically closer to the riolu were met with shy declines. Most of which, we’re always laced with a hint of fear, looking up at the ghost type before backing away slowly. Which the Gripper Pokémon understood. It was a given, afterall. Ghost-types we’re not known for their positive reputation or welcoming looks. Even if Aimilios was starstruck— he would only retreat from Dusknoir at the very last second.

So when the aura pup finally felt comfortable enough to not only climb on his stomach to better study the book he’d been skimming. But to fall asleep right on his chest…?

It felt almost sacred.

…

After moments of contemplation, the hesitant wraith gently placed the young Pokémon down. The Riolu didn’t make it any easier on the elder ghost-type, who kept clinging onto him as he tried to let go. Once detached from Aimilios, Dusknoir floats back the way he came. Not before taking one, final glance towards the sleeping pup.

[tswwwit]

There is an exhilaration to reaching a scene you've been thinking about writing for months. And a fear too, as you start to wonder 'shit I hope this turns out okay'.

[beneathsilverstars]

very possible youve done this before but…. can u come up with some hcs about how the party connects with nille? in a post canon hypothetical

(youve probably talked a lot about nille before but just!! general ideas. maybe silly ideas. anything u wanna share you havent talked about before. etc :])

Ok this is all minor spoilers for my currently unposted Nille fanfic and major spoilers for my currently unwritten post-canon fanfic but I don't care if you don't, let's go.

People usually write Nille as quite overprotective of Bonnie, and I do too, but I also write her as unsure that she's good enough to protect them! So her big reaction to meeting the party is "I failed to keep Bonnie safe, of course I failed, I was always doomed to fail. And these people succeeded!! Who am I next to the Saviors of Vaugarde??"

So she kinda feels like shit, personally. And she has no idea how to act around the party, because there's the way she acts around strangers, and there's the way she acts around people she trusts, and it is understandably bizarre for those circles to overlap. Since she can't be suspicious or friendly, and she's feeling somewhat useless, I think her instinct is to kinda just... fade back..? Which is upsetting to her in itself, which feeds back into the problems. But! Everyone is very determined to connect with her, and "we love the same kid" is a great way to bond, and Nille still has her usual Bambouche support system to help her sort out her feelings, and the party have been working on their communication skills. So they figure it out!

Her exact first impression of Siffrin probably depends a lot on how he's coping at that point post-canon, which isn't something I've decided yet... But it's some sort of strange mix of "I owe you my life" and "Wowww do you need my therapist's number" and "#Relatable /neg /pos". Siffrin meanwhile is anxious as fuck because he's not just meeting the most important person in Bonnie's life, she also has the power to break apart the family he nearly destroyed the world to keep together! So it's a little awkwardly intense on both sides.

Then once they get to know each other better, there's some emotional difficulty in how similar they are; it's hard not to compare what's worse, remembering shitty parents or not remembering any family, being alone or having to take care of a young child. So there's some pity and guilty jealousy on both sides. But also commiseration and understanding! But also they're liable to trigger each other's issues occasionally, what with Siffrin still having a rather poor handle on their own emotions and Nille disrupting the party dynamics. But they don't really hold it against each other; it would be hypocritical, and none of that matters compared to the fact that they've both nearly died for Bonnie. They like to go fishing together, sometimes Nille helps explain things that Siffrin only knows through muscle memory. And Nille does end up passing on some therapy tips!

Nille is a little star-struck by Mirabelle, who is the Chosen Savior of Vaugarde and only a couple years older than her and so heroic and nice and well-adjusted! Mirabelle is on a similar but less extreme wavelength, excited to meet Bonnie's sister who she's heard so intriguingly little about, but who must be so brave and cool! Once they get to know each other more it's kind of a confidence boost for Nille to realize that even Mirabelle has anxiety and imposter syndrome and is just some girl who found herself in the position to do something and she did her best to do it. And Mirabelle thinks Nille is just as cool as she imagined!

They end up taking some small classes together for fun at various Houses while they travel. When Mirabelle figures out that Nille isn't very good at reading, she reads books to her sometimes, and recommends her books that aren't too hard but also aren't too kiddie. One more for the girl's night book club! They have some good convos too about the balance of protecting and caring for a child vs giving them space to grow confident and independent, since Mira's parents were quite stifling; it's easier to find the acceptable middle range when you know what both failure modes look like, instead of just the one horrible extreme.

Isabeau is very friendly, and used to working with strangers and projecting an aura of safety, so he's got the chillest dynamic with Nille to start. He's the one who notices that her easy acceptance of the group was a little too easy and actually has some difficult feelings behind it. And he's been working on being braver, so he consults with his friends and then talks to Nille about it! I think it's a scary conversation but helpful in the long run, it's the start of establishing actual personal trust rather than just assumptions and idealization.

Since that precedent has been set, Isabeau becomes Nille's first choice if she needs to bring something up to the group. Doesn't hurt that he reminds her of one of the first people she met in Bambouche, too! On Isabeau's side, he likes having the opportunity to get to know someone new while he's figuring out his new self. And he's so delighted when she joins the war on puns as a whole new front: dad jokes. She wasn't even particularly into them before, she just wanted to shake up the battlefield. Nille and Isabeau also spar sometimes, because she hates how poorly she did at defending Bonnie, and Isabeau has the most formal/practical training in self-defense to pass on. (And he's the most willing to do physically-demanding activities for fun after already walking all day.)

Nille finds Odile intimidating. She's not sweet like Mira, or exuberant like Isa, or, uh, whatever the fuck Siffrin has going on. She's a full generation older than Nille and hard to read! Scary! But Bonnie adores her, and she's been making an effort to be more reassuring to Siffrin lately which shows, and Isabeau starts being more teasing-rude to Odile (the way she is to him) to prove that he can annoy her without repercussion which is really funny. So it doesn't take all too long for Nille to come down from high alert for the most part! And Odile respects Nille hardcore for raising Bonnie and takes her very seriously, which she appreciates.

Odile takes point on tutoring Bonnie, because she has some formal teaching experience and they're most likely to sit and listen for her anyway, but the others will give lessons on this or that. But Odile soon realizes from the way Nille hovers but doesn't help that she is actually further behind in schooling than Bonnie, and makes it her mission to rectify that. It's kinda rocky at first because Nille is both self-conscious of and resigned to her lack of education, but once she starts getting into it she really gets into it! This brings Odile and Nille a lot closer and Nille ends up admiring her a lot, especially as she catches hints of wild Odile lore.

Loop really likes getting to know Nille, since she never knew pre-loops Siffrin but she's still connected to their family. Not a stranger, not a copy, best of both worlds! Nille also appreciates having another person there who feels out of place in the party dynamics. She thinks Loop is funny, but also worrying, but they have enough people worried about them that she decides to goof off with them and enable them instead. Like yes it's probably bad for their mental health to make this kind of joke but it's worse to have everyone constantly analyzing their jokes' healthiness, yknow? Ironically, this (along with her newcomer status) means that Loop takes her worry more seriously and is more likely to listen to her than anyone else (except maybe Siffrin but only maybe).

Sometimes Loop gets a little too frantically irrational and it freaks Nille out because it reminds her of her and her mom's manic episodes. But she can disengage and tag someone else in, and see from afar that it all turns out okay! Loop gets some therapy tips from her too, but not necessarily the same ones as Siffrin. And they give her super shitty advice in return, in that way where it makes you realize how shitty it is and commit yourself to doing the opposite. They like to do silly things together that Nille never got the chance to do as a child and Loop doesn't remember doing, like rolling around in mud puddles and staying up all night just to watch the sunrise. Nille doesn't feel as self-conscious about acting juvenile because Loop is like a billion years old, but she also doesn't have to be in charge the way she is when playing with Bonnie! And Loop gets to make brand new memories with someone who has no old ones to compare them to!

Bonnie is super happy to see Nille for like, a day, and then they get really mad at her more often than not for like a week (because now that they're home with her it's safe to be distraught and uncooperative), and then they settle back into a more consistent dynamic. But it takes a while longer for them to be able to comfortably get any farther away from each other than maybe a room over; Bonnie confidently heads off and then suddenly comes running back, and Nille is so brave about separating and bravely panics the entire time. Oh well! The first time around it only took her a couple years to get to be okay with Bonnie being away from her, she'll figure it out again eventually!

There's no rush.