#still not fully happy with this one but i never liked backgrounds anyway so who cares

[bluebird-ascended]

i wasnt kidding when i said we were back

[kneworder]

some of you guys weren't raised on heroes (2005) and it shows

[woso-dreamzzz]

Siblings

Hardersson x Child!Reader

Part of The Big Adventures Universe

Summary: There's a baby at your house

You're all waiting around for Pernille's friend when you ask.

He's meant to be dropping off his baby because of some emergency with his wife's mum. It had all been so unexpected but as the only one in the friend group who had hands-on experience with a baby before, Pernille was happy to volunteer.

He's assured her that it would only be for a few hours anyway while they sorted things out so she didn't worry much.

You're sitting at the coffee table with a sandwich for lunch as a show Magda's watching plays aimlessly in the background.

"Momma," You say suddenly," Why have you got a sister?"

The question is completely out of nowhere and a little amusing at how bluntly you say it.

Pernille laughs. "Well, your grandparents wanted more than just one child so they had me and Louise."

You think for a moment. "And that's why Morsa has a sister too?"

"Yes, princesse, that's why Morsa has a sister too."

That stumps you a little bit and the doorbell rings before you can ask any more questions.

Momma's friend comes running in, thanking her profusely before handing her the baby boy in a carrier. He leaves out the door as quickly as he came.

Momma coos over the baby and you come over to investigate.

He's kind of ugly, with wispy blonde hair on top of his head. His face is all wrinkly and strange. His expression scrunches up when he sees you and you decide that you don't like him.

Momma and Morsa seem to though and you don't like that much either.

This baby takes up a lot of their time.

You don't fully understand what's so interesting about him as you sit at the table and colour. You wonder, briefly, if this is Momma and Morsa practising.

They both have siblings. You wonder if they need to practice with this new baby because they forgot how to look after one now that you've a big girl.

The thought of another little girl (or boy) in the house makes your stomach feel all knotty and you can't quite work out why.

"Momma," You say, tugging on her shirt," Up!"

Pernille picks you up instantly but frowns. You haven't asked to be picked up like that for a while now. You hadn't done that in months and the last time was only because you had a little cough and wanted a cuddle at training.

You bump your head against her shoulder and wrap your arms around her next, squeezing as tightly as you can.

Pernille's frown deepens and she tests your temperature with the back of her hand.

There's nothing out of the ordinary.

"Are you feeling alright, princesse?"

You don't answer, just rest your head back on her shoulder. It's a little difficult to help Magda take care of the baby with you surgically attached. You refuse to be put down.

If Pernille even gives a second of attention to her friend's child, you whine and tug at her, wanting all of her attention on you all the time.

You ignore the baby completely even as Magda tries to introduce you. You don't want to look at his stupid wrinkly face nor let him play with your toys.

You don't want him being held by your Morsa either but you can't be in two places at once and being held by Morsa means that Momma's arms are open for the boy to sit in and you don't want that either.

"No, Momma," You say when she tries to put you down.

"I have to go to the toilet, princesse," Momma says," I can't hold you while I do that."

You accept that as true but you trail her to the toilet and get her to pick you up immediately after she's done so she can't pick up the baby.

It's a long day for you, constantly making sure that your mothers remember that they still have you and should pay you some attention. You get given a brief respite when the baby goes to sleep and wedge yourself firmly between Momma and Morsa on the sofa.

You kind of want a nap too but you don't want to waste this time when their attentions are on you so you just sit, holding their hands in silence.

You've never been more happy in your life to see that baby go home with Momma's friend from earlier.

"What was up with you today, huh?" Morsa asks as she and Momma tuck you into bed that night.

You pull a face. "There was a baby."

"There was. Did that upset you?"

You shake your head. "I'm a big girl. I don't get upset."

Momma laughs as she perches on the other side of your bed. "Big girls can get upset too. Big girl just explain why they're feeling upset."

You're a big girl so you're going to do that. "Were you practicing with Momma's friend's baby?"

"Practicing for what?"

"For when I get a sibling like your two have," You say," Do I have to have a sibling?"

Morsa's brows draw together. "Do you want one? A sibling?"

You shake your head and pout. "Just want you and Momma."

"Are you sure?" Morsa prods," A sibling can be fun to grow up with. You get to have someone to play with all the time."

"I play with Jessie and Niamh all the time," You reply," Don't need a little brother or sister."

Momma laughs as she gives you a goodnight kiss. "I think," She says," That our family is already the perfect size."

[savemefromanepicoftimewasted]

Pose For Me

Task Force 141, Alejandro, Rudy & Reader John "Soap" MacTavish X Reader

Price and Ghost had seen the way the two of you watched one another, chuckling to themselves at how smitten Soap was after only a few hours. They all knew better than to pursue anything when on duty, never ended well anyway.

a/n:thank you so much for all the love on my Price fic! this one is an idea I bounced off @gaylemonshark and honestly you can all thank them for this warnings:none except for Soap being a major simp

It had been Laswell’s idea, a way to help raise money for charity and what better way than a “sexy” calendar. Price had damn near doubled over with laughter, they wanted him and his team to pose for a calendar? And not think it was an outrageous idea at all? Doubtful. There was no way in hell any of them would be willing to do something so ridiculous.

“I’ll do it, sounds fun.” Soap was the first one to agree, damn near vibrating in his seat with excitement.

It didn’t take long for Gaz to agree, followed by Alejandro, Rudy, and then Ghost. Once Price knew that Ghost was willing to pose, eck, for the photos he couldn’t disagree. How hard could it be? They’d be told what to do the entire time anyway, surely it would go smoothly and then they could relax for a little while longer. That included getting on a plane and flying back to the US, why couldn’t they go somewhere closer? Price wasn’t going to argue, it meant a few days off from working and right now he wanted to sleep.

“Don’t flirt with the photographer please.” Laswell had her eyes locked on Soap, who merely raised his hands with an innocent shrug.

“That’s exactly what he’s going to do.” Gaz snickered when Soap glared over at him, this was going to be a long day.

“Boys, please.” Laswell pinched the bridge of her nose, waiting for you to arrive.

Price had been scoping out the area like normal, even if the average person would think he was strange for doing so. It was a habit he’d been unable to break for years, and this day was going to be no different. The double doors opening across the room caught everyone’s attention, Laswell was thankful she’d stripped them of their guns at that point.

“Hey! Sorry I’m so late, I had to run back home for my bag.” You dropped your stuff onto the closest table and began to pull everything out.

The lights had already been set up, as well as the backdrops to help speed things along so you wouldn’t have to waste anymore time. Luckily the first round of photos would be more safe, they’d be wearing their fatigues and posing on a large gothic chair. The chair design hadn’t been your idea at first, but after some convincing you decided to use it. As you were laying out your equipment all eyes were suddenly on Soap who was nearly drooling over you.

“Down boy.” Ghost smirked under his mask as Soap righted himself, clearing his throat as his cheeks flushed a pretty pink.

Once you had gotten the camera set up for the still shots you took a step back to look at your models for the day. You quickly introduced yourself to help ease any tension in the room, though you were sure they’d gotten a full background check beforehand.

“Alright, we’re going to start with some simple poses and then move on to some other fun ones.” You were excited, given the fact that all the men in front of you were insanely attractive.

“I’ll go first, show these boys how it’s done.” Alejandro was confident, striding over to the chair and relaxing effortlessly.

You giggled to yourself and started to snap a few photos, giving him different positions and poses until you were satisfied with what you had. Gaz was all too happy to rush over next, introducing himself in front of the camera before posing. He was clearly a natural at modeling, something you were a little surprised by. Then again most people were more comfortable when they were fully clothed. Gaz gave a cheeky salute when you sent him away, winking playfully.

“Next victim please.” You straightened your back for a few seconds, groaning as your spine cracked loudly.

Rudy was a little more nervous, poses stiff and uncomfortable until you helped ease him into something that looked more natural. It was normal for people to not like being photographed, but he wanted to help people and that warmed your heart. Towards the end of his shoot he seemed to truly open up, a bright smile on his face lighting up the room.

“Thank you!” Rudy walked off to meet with the wardrobe, unaware of what they had in store.

“Alrighty, whose next.” You were beyond grateful the men weren’t giving you a hard time, most male models were worse than the women.

The man that walked over sent a chill down your spine, the mask covering his face left everything to the imagination. His eyes were sharp, an emotion you couldn’t quite decipher.

“Wow, you’re really tall.” You could faintly make out his brow rising beneath the mask, as if he was confused by your statement.

“Comes with the territory.” He plopped down into the chair, the legs groaning beneath his weight.

You simply shrugged and began taking photos, keeping your gaze on the giant of a man in front of you. He was even more of a natural than Alejandro which kind of shocked you. Having a group be so photogenic was nice for a change. Then again, how were they going to react to the next phase?

“Thank you! You’re all set.” You couldn’t keep the smile off your face, mainly to hide the nerves that were bubbling up inside.

He didn’t say a word as he walked off, following one of the assistants to “prepare” for the next set of photos. Your eyes locked on the next man, he looked proud of himself as he walked over to you.

“Pleasure to meet you, thank you for making my men feel more comfortable.” Ahh, so this was clearly their Captain.

“Just doing my job sir.” You nodded at him, waiting until he was ready before snapping the first photo.

He, like Rudy, was a little stiff at first before finding a rhythm that seemed to work best. He seemed more than happy to keep taking photos, cracking a few jokes to make you laugh. It worked surprisingly well, keeping you more calm until you felt you had enough pictures. You shooed him off, not wanting to waste any time since you only had the studio for that day. And then there was only one person left, and damn was he a cutie.

“Aye there, ‘m Soap.” He was smiling like a fool, nearly falling onto his face as he tripped over his own feet.

“Nice to meet you.” You couldn’t help but giggle when he blushed, hiding his face for a brief second before composing himself.

So far he was your favorite to photograph, from the way he smiled to the way he seemed to exude sunshine. You couldn’t help the way your face flushed, he was such a charmer and he’d barely even spoken a sentence to you. Damnit, why did you have to get the cute ones that were never single?

“Thank you Soap, you’re free to go for now.” You set the camera down, taking out the memory card to slide into your laptop.

He was hesitant to leave, watching you with close eyes before heading off to where the rest of his team had gone. Alejandro had been more than ready to strip off his shirt and get oiled up, going out of his way to help Rudy build up the confidence. The men knew they had the physical attributes most men, and women, fawned over. But modeling it felt a little more personal in his eyes. Ghost had begrudgingly taken off his coat and shirt, taking the bottle from the assistant and lathering his skin quickly. Price raised a brow at him but kept all thoughts to himself to spare the other man’s feelings.

“Hey, are you guys almost ready to go?” You popped your head inside, brain short circuiting as you took everyone in.

They’d told you what the day entailed, but seeing it in person was a completely different story. You’d figured some of them would have scars, being in the military came with baggage you’d never begin to understand, but seeing six men oiled up and looking like snacks? You were amazed you were even still standing.

“Lass, could you uhh, help me please?” Soap was holding out the bottle to you, a sheepish grin on his face.

“Umm..yeah, of course.” You took the bottle without giving yourself time to second guess your actions, pouring a generous amount into your palm.

He turned so his back was to you, shoulders relaxed as he let you go to town. His skin was softer than you’d been expecting, the muscles beneath were damn near rock hard. How the hell were you supposed to focus after this?!

“You’re all set.” You dropped your hands to your sides, voice breathy as your head tilted back to look up at him.

“Thank you lass.” His smile was enough to melt the polar ice caps, jesus you were done for.

“Mmm, if you boys don’t mind I’m going to clean my hands and get ready for the next shoot.” In reality you needed to not only clean your hands, but clear your mind so you could focus.

Price and Ghost had seen the way the two of you watched one another, chuckling to themselves at how smitten Soap was after only a few hours. They all knew better than to pursue anything when on duty, never ended well anyway.

“Let’s go boys.” Price led them back out to the area, noticing the small subtle changes.

The lighting had been dimmed, giving everyone a more somber vibe. The order had been the same as before, each one posing in different ways until you were satisfied. Ghost’s photos, while a little darker, had an edge that set him apart from everyone else. Soap had used his body to his advantage, flexing and stretching to highlight the best parts of himself. You’d nearly dropped the camera when he sat down in the chair, legs spread wide open.

“Look at you, soaking up all the attention.” Gaz snickered, watching the way you were nearly fumbling everything trying to stay calm.

“‘S what I do best.” Soap smirked over at the other man, giving you the perfect opportunity to capture the best photo of him.

You were thankful to send the boys off once more, letting them know there would be plenty of towels to help get rid of any excess body oil. Price had mumbled that it was going to be stuck in his chest hair for the next few weeks. You felt bad, somewhat, but there was only one more photo to take before you’d be done for the end of the day. In a way you were a little sad to be sending them away, they were some of your best models, in both looks and attitude.

“Alright boys, one more and then you can all leave and complain about the girl that made you oil up for photos.” Laswell knew they wouldn’t hold it against you, but watching them complain was sometimes fun.

You had them all line up, cracking a joke that made everyone laugh as you took the photo. It was simplistic and perfect. Most people would complain they looked terrible whenever someone took a candid shot, but this showed the true side of these men. Even Ghost, the man you were definitely afraid of, was grinning.

“Thank you guys so much for coming today, when I have the photos edited I’ll send them to you for final approval before sending them off to be printed.” You’d be spending the next few weeks at minimum looking over these photos. Everything had to be perfect.

Soap wrung his hands together, slightly nervous as he watched you begin to pack up your gear carefully. Should he make a fool of himself and ask you out to dinner since they’d be around for a few more days, or should he cut his losses and let you go. Ghost subtly, if you could call it that, shoved him towards where you were standing. He turned to glare at the other man, brushing nonexistent lint off his shirt before walking over to your side.

“Hey, umm, I was wonderin’ if you’d be interested in goin’ to dinner with me?” Soap was nervous, something he couldn’t shake no matter what.

“Oh! I umm…Yes, that would be lovely.” You were shocked to say the least, not expecting this stunning man to ask you on a date.

“Great! Here.” He pulled his phone out from his pocket and shocked it into your hands.

You smiled and typed your number into his phone, sending yourself a text so that you’d have his number as well. Normally you were very against going out with any models you worked with, especially someone in the military. You mainly hoped this wouldn’t blow up in your face if it happened to go badly. It’s only one date, how bad could it be?

______

“You nervous?” Price knew that Soap was damn near shitting himself, even if the other man wouldn’t admit it.

“Not at all, everything’s fine.” He’d changed outfits twice, and lost his phone four times.

It was funny to watch the normally composed Soap practically run himself ragged over a woman he just met, but it also worried Price. What if she ended up breaking his heart before the end of the night? He’d be a mess the rest of the time they were on leave, and nothing was worse than an upset Soap.

“You might wanna head out, time’s a tickin’.” Ghost had been the one to mention the time, sending Soap into a frenzy as he ran out of the hotel.

You’d been dropped off by the uber less than two minutes before he was walking over to you, a bright smile on his face.

“Hey, hope you weren’t waiting long.” Johnny was more nervous now, heart rate kicking up at the sight of you.

“Not at all, just got here actually.” You brushed down the skirt of your dress.

“Shall we?” He held out his arm, laying his hand overtop of yours when you wrapped your fingers around his bicep.

The walk to the restaurant was short, and you were thankful you’d worn your more comfortable heels. Even with the slight boost in your height he still towered over you, and that was definitely doing something for you.

“What is your name exactly? Unless you’d like me to call you by your codename for the rest of the night.” The words sounded much more insidious than you’d intended, but the night was still young.

“Johnny.” He sounded much more confident saying his name than he had the entire day, it was cute.

The restaurant was quiet when you arrived, the hostess leading you two to a secluded table towards the back. He pulled out your chair, making sure he had a clear view of everyone else in case something were to happen. Even when he wanted to shut off his brain and enjoy the moment it wasn’t easy. Nothing would happen, he was sure of it.

“Thank you, for coming out with me tonight.” Though he felt embarrassed to admit it, he hadn’t been on a date in quite a long time.

“Thank you for asking me out to dinner.” You smiled at him, resting your hand over top of his on the table.

Johnny would never admit how badly his palms were sweating, the way his heart kicked into high gear. Now he was no blushing virgin, but there was something different about you that he was drawn to.

The night was what both of you would consider perfect, from the food, to the conversation that never seemed to dull down. You were both laughing at corny jokes, and even sharing food as if you’d done this a thousand times before. You didn’t want the night to end, ready to throw caution to the wind and invite him back up to your apartment. Unfortunately you knew that would be a bad idea, realistically he’d go back to base and you wouldn’t see him for a while.

Johnny refused to let you pay, let alone put down a tip, for the bill, claiming that he’d been the one to ask you out. It was a courteous gesture and you could feel your resolve slipping more and more with each second. He waited outside the restaurant with you until your uber arrived, wanting to make sure you at least got home safe.

“Don’t be a stranger, though I can’t promise I’ll be able to reply often.” He didn’t want to lie and say he’d be talking to you all the time, it wasn’t true.

“As long as you stay safe, that’s all that matters to me.” You turned to face him as the car pulled up beside you.

He cupped your cheek gently, pressing his lips against yours softly. You wound your arms around his neck, pulling him flush to your body as your lips moved in tandem with his. He wanted to keep kissing you forever, never letting the moment end. However he knew you had to get home and work on editing the new photos.

“Text me when you get home, alright?” Johnny was the first to pull away, leaving you breathless.

You could only nod, opening the car door and slipping into the backseat. Johnny watched you leave, a sad smile on his face. He wasn’t sure when he’d get to see you again, but he’ll be damned if it wasn’t soon enough.

_______

They were out on a mission when the photos were sent to Laswell for approval, she promised not to look at any of them until everyone was safe. It was burning a hole in her pocket, both excited and nervous to see what had been chosen as the “perfect” shot. There were minor injuries, which was to be expected, but overall everyone came back alive.

“Hello boys, I have some presents for you.” She laid the manilla folder on the table in front of them.

Everyone reached for the folder at once, stopping when Laswell pressed her hand overtop of it to prevent anyone from grabbing it.

“Now, you better behave and not make any remarks about your photos. Got it?” Laswell wouldn’t deal with the team pissing each other off.

“Yes ma’am.” They spoke in unison, which to anyone else would’ve been unnerving.

Laswell was used to it.

She took out both photos for everyone, handing them face down so they could look at them and inspect without someone else being nosy. Ghost was a little nervous to see what he looked like, he hadn’t been paid a lot of compliments in his day. The photo in front of him, while he was still fully clothed, was, in lack of a better term, gorgeous. The light reflected off his mask so effortlessly, giving the illusion of a lightness he didn’t think he had. The second photo, which he’d come to call his “skin” photo, had him taking a second glance. Was that truly him? The lighting was subtle enough to hide the scars that riddled his body, skin glistening.

“Well shit, I’d say she picked some damn good photos.” Laswell was impressed to say the least, the photos would definitely sell a lot of calendars.

“Gotta admit, she caught our good sides.” Gaz was proud of how he looked, he was tempted to ask if he could use it on his dating profile.

“Now I want to make sure you’re all comfortable with these before I give anyone the go ahead.” Laswell wasn’t going to do anything without their permission.

Everyone was in agreement that the photos could be used, there was no harm in what they were doing and everyone’s identities were protected. Soap was still staring down at his, a small smile on his face.

“What’s got you so giddy?” Ghost leaned over to get a better look, eyes widening when he realized that you’d snuck in something a little more special for him.

“Just a little gift.” Soap pulled the photos closer to himself, keeping them out of everyone’s view.

“I’ll give her a call tonight and give her the go ahead. Thank you boys.” Laswell nodded before leaving, giving the boys enough time to speak up if they weren’t comfortable.

The room fell silent, save for the sound of photos shuffling and breathing as the men took in the photos more.

“Safe to say she did amazing, don’t think I’ve looked this good in a while.” Price knew he was attractive, but seeing this side of him felt even better.

“I agree, but I have to make a phone call, I’ll be back later.” Soap pushed his chair away from the table, leaving the two photos behind as he slid a smaller polaroid into his wallet.

It was no secret to any of them that the two of you were going steady, being forced to listen to the Scotsman blabber about how amazing you were. The phone calls were few and far between, mainly because of his profession. He wanted to take you on another date, show you how better of a boyfriend he could be. It just took time, and you were willing to wait as long as it took.

[multi-lefaiye]

HANNAH & ABDIEL BACKSTORY DUMP POST

i've wanted to write this for a while tbh- anyway! backstory on eden's parents, hannah and abdiel linnaeus.

tagging the eden linnaeus fanclub and other people i think would be interested: @skitzo-kero @anexor @chaieyestea @invaderskoodge @vacantgodling

@void-botanist @drawnecromancy @moonflowerrss @paradoxspir1t @albatris

@corvus-rose @astral-runic

--

content warnings: discussions of child abuse, child neglect/abandonment, parental death, terminal illness, misogyny, and ableism. (probably not as much on that last one, but i think the vibes are there.)

also i'll be using she/her in reference to eden in this post because this is wayyy before he had any gender realizations. just remember eden is A Man.

-

i don't have recent art of hannah, so i'll just use screencaps of when i made her and abdiel in bg3 as a reference. hannah on the left, abdiel on the right.

FOR BACKGROUND: abdiel is the only son of a drow scholar named noa of house linnaeus, following an intimate encounter with an incubus in her early 20s. noa never wanted a child, much less a son, but she was far too prideful and stubborn to give him up or abort the unborn fetus. so, she had a son, and she loathed him. from a very young age, noa made it clear to abdiel that she never wanted him, and that it was his responsibility to fix the mistake he'd made by being born.

she pumped that kid FULL of self worth issues right away.

hannah, by contrast, was raised by two loving tiefling parents--her father jeriah, and her mother ansel. their life together wasn't perfect, sure, but it was happy. both of her parents were spellcasters, and they were both renowned on some level for their craft. and so, from a rather young age, there was an unspoken expectation that hannah would follow suit.

HOW THEY MET: hannah and abdiel met at fantasy-wizard-college, when hannah was 20 and abdiel was 35. hannah was in the middle of her undergrad studies as a cleric, and abdiel was in the middle of his doctoral program as a wizard. abdiel didn't actually start college until his late 20s because noa would not allow him to, pressuring him to stay and take care of her as she got older. he hated his mother, but he was also terrified of losing her, as he felt no one else would have him. eventually, though, he left her behind, desperate to escape his abuser and start his life elsewhere. and that included attending college to study magic.

college was... rough for abdiel. he was significantly older than his peers and felt both uncomfortable and deeply alienated around them, especially many of the women on campus who reminded him of his mother. that combined with his total lack of self worth made it hard for him to talk to people, hard to make any *friends.* so, he was alone, and he was fine... until, one day, he hit a breaking point and broke down in a hidden corner of the main meal hall, bawling into his hands.

then, hannah found him. she was genuinely worried and approached him, asking if she could sit next to him. he tensed and asked her what she'd do if he said no, and she said that if he said no she'd leave. but, well, he seemed like he might need a friend, so she wanted to ask. he was quiet for a while after that, still shaking.

eventually, he timidly told her she could sit with him, so she did so, and she kept him company until he fully calmed down. afterwards, she started talking to him, and slowly he began opening up to her, feeling more reassured by the minute by how sweet and genuine she was, without pressuring him to do the same.

soon, he started really engaging with her, too, and by the end he was actually smiling. and hannah took that as a victory above all else--being able to see this sad, anxious man smile. (she told him that he has a nice smile, and he laughed, visibly flustered by the compliment.)

after that day, hannah started seeking him out and talking to him more, and he always seemed to visibly relax around her. basically, hannah appointed herself as abdiel's best friend, and he accepted wholeheartedly. she quickly became one of the only people he felt truly safe around, and he latched onto her as a result. she encouraged him to open up more and talk to other people, too, and as he did, he finally began to truly *flourish.*

with hannah's support, abdiel began slowly making more friends and developing more of a reputation with his classmates as an outgoing, intelligent, charismatic guy. finally, he felt like he belonged at university, like people wanted him around. hannah was his favorite, ofc, but he relished the attention.

and he returned the favor tenfold, supporting hannah in every way he could and bragging about her to anyone who would listen. he was a wife guy well before they even started dating. though she was already very confident, sweet, and intelligent, one thing she really struggled with was taking care of *herself* rather than other people, hence why she approached a terrified abdiel to comfort him in the first place.

abdiel encouraged hannah to consider herself more, praising her for her altruism while also telling her to value herself. he was terrified that the world would take advantage of her brilliant, beautiful, benevolent soul, and he wanted to protect her and protect that selflessness. besides his classwork and research, abdiel spent much of his free time with her, soaking up her attention and, in his mind, protecting her from people who wouldn't appreciate her.

abdiel eventually realized he was attracted to hannah in a way he'd never been with anyone before. and he *panicked*. he believed that he should be grateful for what he had with hannah, should be lucky to count her as his friend, and he shouldn't dare wish for anything else. so he kept his mouth shut for nearly a year after he realized it.

then, when hannah was 22 and abdiel was 37, hannah's father jeriah died. and she just... *broke* down.

abdiel held her throughout the night she got the news, his heart breaking with every heaving sob she let out into his chest. sure, he'd seen plenty of people cry, but none hurt as much as hannah did. he'd never seen her so devastated, and he vowed to himself that he'd do everything in his power to make sure she never cried like that again.

(later, hannah explained to abdiel that her dad had been sick for a long time--her family has a history of illness going back generations, and he'd been dealing with it for some time. however, she'd hoped against hope that the latest treatments he'd been receiving would work... this is what directly inspired abdiel to go into medicine, changing course to work towards, maybe, a cure for the illness in hannah's family. all of abdiel's contributions to medical science trace back to her.)

a few weeks after her dad's death, hannah actually made the first move and kissed abdiel. immediately, she panicked and pulled away, babbling apologies and telling him that it's okay if he doesn't like her that way, and she doesn't want to make things *weird*, but she really really likes him and he's her best friend in the world, and- (abdiel gently cut her off by cupping her cheek and leaning in to press their lips together again, once he remembered how to move again after his brain short-circuited a little.)

they started dating a day later, after sitting down and talking through their feelings. abdiel already knew he loved hannah, and he was so relieved to finally be able to express it. as far as he was concerned, she was the center of his universe, and he damn near worshipped that woman. hannah, meanwhile, was a bit more hesitant to call it love at first, but she definitely adored him.

(fun little side-note, but hannah's mother ansel definitely did not approve of abdiel at all. she thought hannah could do better, and she was wary of hannah dating an older man. at least, until one day when abdiel sat down with her and earnestly told her how much he loves her daughter. he'd never do anything to hurt hannah, *ever*, and he needed her to know that. ansel didn't have to believe him, but he wanted her to know he meant it, and ge'd prove it. finally, she relented.)

they dated for a couple years, and shortly after they both graduated they moved to a small fishing village named encerough, near where hannah grew up. by this point, abdiel was making a lot of headway in his research into healing magic as a wizard, and he was developing quite a reputation in his field... however, as much as he was enjoying his developing renown, he didn't have much interest in living in a bustling city with his colleagues.

he liked the idea of a quiet life with hannah in the country. especially once hannah got pregnant, at which point they decided to get married. (abdiel definitely prepared a whole elaborate proposal and pulled out , but hannah beat him to it and proposed after she told him she was pregnant. he immediately pulled her into his arms and kissed her so fast she nearly fell over <3 these two were so immensely Smitten™️)

then, when hannah was 24 and abdiel was 39, she had their first child: a tiny purple tiefling named eden. abdiel held her hand the whole time as she was giving birth, encouraging her and refusing to leave her side. and, afterwards, while she was recovering, he sat with her and smiled, just... watching her with so much love and adoration. he had a family, all his own, and he loved them more than anything.

but, of course... that's where the troubles started. abdiel loved hannah, and he loved eden by extension, but he struggled to connect with his baby the same way he connected with his wife. he looked at eden and felt nothing, and he had no desire to interact with or care for the baby. more than that, having a *daughter* was terrifying to abdiel. he knew logically that a baby couldn't hurt him, but hannah *was* still the only woman he ever felt safe around.

hannah was understanding and reassured him that his daughter knew he loved her, and he was relieved. as long as hannah didn't think less of him, that was all that mattered to him. and so, abdiel made little to no effort to care for or show eden any attention, noticably shrinking away from her and passing her off to her mother.

making things worse, around this time, hannah started developing symptoms of an illness very similar to her father's. nothing too bad at first, but she began to have less energy, her joints began to ache, and she began to struggle to get out of bed. abdiel noticed right away and was *terrified*, throwing himself further into his research to find a cure for hannah before her illness could progress. not that he really discussed this with her--he didn't want to worry her or make her think she was going to die. because she wasn't. he wouldn't let that happen.

of course, the time came where they had to talk about it regardless, and hannah was... resigned. she'd always figured this might happen, but not this soon. but she told abdiel that it's okay. she's not dead yet, and she has plenty of time left with him and their baby girl. she appreciated him trying to help, but she was just happy to spend her life, however much she had left, with the most amazing man in the world, and the beautiful child he'd given her. (abdiel silently promised that he'd make sure she had a happy life. and she wasn't going to die. *she wasnt.*)

fast forward a bit, and hannah and abdiel had their second child: a son named michael. abdiel once again struggled to connect with their baby, but this time he tried. he earnestly tried to be there for both of their kids, even if he mainly cared about them as extensions of his love for hannah. (it was easier with michael, though--perhaps having a son was easier to process.)

still, hannah was proud of him for trying either way, and she told him as such. in between his research into her disease and finding a cure, he spent as much time with his family as he could, especially hannah (though he at least would acknowledge his kids). but... hannah was still getting worse, and abdiel was *terrified.*

they began having more and more talks about what might happen, which grew more and more tense, more and more serious, as they both realized hannah wasn't getting better, and abdiel wasn't any closer to a cure. he wasn't going to stop trying, though. *goddammit*, he wasn't going to stop.

then, around eden's sixth birthday, hannah collapsed and had a violent coughing fit, struggling to breathe as she seized on the floor and eden watched helplessly, terrified for her mother. (abdiel paid the child no mind--he just ran to hannah's side to help her.)

she was ultimately okay, having just strained herself a bit too much while cooking, but abdiel fucking *panicked.* he realized that he wouldn't be able to find a cure to save her in time if he stayed in encerough--he'd have to travel to one of the cities, where he'd have many more resources at his disposal.

it took a week or so for him to get preparations in order, during which time he didn't tell hannah anything, up until the night before he left. when he did, it was presented in a way that boded no arguments: abdiel would be leaving to find a cure, and she would stay *here* and take care of herself (and the kids). he'd be back soon, and she would be okay. abdiel was taking control of a situation where he felt helpless, making decisions for both of them without thinking about what she wanted.

hannah didn't react well. she was upset that he hadn't told her his plans, and she ended up just. telling him point blank that he wasn't going to be able to *cure her.* this was it! she always knew she would die young, and she'd rather her husband *stay* with her and enjoy the time she has left rather than leaving her alone with the vague promise of returning someday to fix her when she *didn't want to be fixed.*

abdiel didn't react well either, and this just... spiraled into a huge argument, which ended with them both in tears (but moreso hannah--abdiel always did have a tendency to shut down emotionally when they disagreed with each other, refusing to listen to what she was saying).

(baby eden also witnessed this argument, not that she ever told either of them about it.)

the next morning, they talked again, calmer this time. and hannah asked abdiel to stay. please. and he told her that he couldn't. if there was even a *tiny* hope that he could save her, he had to take it. because he loved her.

she was clearly devastated to hear that, but she nodded and said okay. but she told him to come back soon, and he told her he would--*after* he'd found a way to save her. and later that day, he was gone.

he never did come home, of course. he sent hannah letters when he could, but not all of them were delivered in a timely manner. without hannah there to balance him out, he lost himself in an obsessive spiral of trying to find a cure, trying to *fix* her, and he easily lost track of the time.

hannah telling him that he hadn't cured her and wasn't going to be able to... well, it hit a nerve, and he was determined to prove her wrong as much as he was determined to save her. he was angry with hannah, not that he'd ever call it that. (and, as a sidenote, it's during this time that abdiel developed most of his fame and renown as a wizard--even though he was no closer to curing hannah's disease, he was behind a lot of major advancements in medical technology in this era.)

when asked, abdiel would tell people he was married, but he rarely went into detail. and he certainly never mentioned his children. no one needed to know about his personal life, not until he'd fixed the problem and saved the love of his life.

and then, nearly six years later, abdiel received word that hannah was dead. and he was *devastated*. he locked himself in his study and completely broke down, drinking himself into a stupor and smashing a bunch of his equipment, and then the numbness fully settled in. he'd failed. and she was gone.

he didn't go to her funeral. he didn't want to face their neighbors, their *children*, knowing he'd failed his hannah and she was gone. and, fuck, their children surely hated him by now, didn't they? after all, he hadn't saved their mother. he'd hate him, too.

so, he stayed away, and he stopped sending letters. he withdrew from his family entirely, and once he was able, he threw himself back into his research, the only thing he had left. if he wasn't going to be able to have the life and family he'd wanted, then he'd at least have his work.

he did try to move on from hannah, but it never really went past the occasional one-night stand. as far as he's concerned, hannah's the only person he ever really cared for, and that's not going to change. there's no one else like her, and there never will be again. and like i *joke* bout him comparing his one-night stands to hannah, but he definitely did that. because no one compares to her.

(and on hannah's end--she never stopped loving or missing abdiel, and she had no interest in moving on from him. she held out hope he would come back, because he told her he would. he'd never broken a promise to her before that, and though she still believed his quest to cure her was fruitless... she knew, if anyone could find a way, it'd be him.)

[reallyverybored]

Matching his crazy — (6) Jealousy || [Jang Han-seok x reader]

<part 5>

You worked until three in the morning, not getting any closer to the end of unread emails as they just kept pouring in. But Han-seok had enough of you not being in bed with him, so he came out of the bedroom to take the laptop away from you, even putting your phone on the coffee table so it wouldn’t wake you up. Despite being tired, you didn’t want to finish it yet, but he was persistent, so he just picked you up and carried you to bed.

In the morning he woke you up by placing kisses on the back of your head and neck, then shifted in bed to have access to your lips. You returned his kiss, your body reacting automatically despite still being half-asleep, but when you turned to face him, he pulled away with a smile then kissed your forehead.

“You were up late, I’ll let you go back to sleep,” he told you as he swept a strand of hair behind your ear. “Just wanted to remind you of our lunch. At noon. I’ll text you the address.” Nodding, you buried your head back into the pillow and wrapped an arm around his body. “Hey, I have to get ready for work,” he said with a short laugh before peeling your arm off of himself.

A disappointed groan left your lips, but you didn’t object. He could tell you would be asleep in a minute or two again, so he got out of bed and went to take a shower. Though he wished he could stay to spend more time with you, he couldn’t do that. As long as he played his role at Wusang, he couldn’t let himself get to work late. For now he had to be the goofy intern, the one who was eager to learn from all of those big-shot lawyers. With Cha-young gone, though, he wondered how things would go from now on.

After taking a cold shower, he stood in the spacious walk-in closet and looked down at his watches, trying to decide which one to wear today, but then his eyes fell on the smaller, more delicate watch on the side. It was yours, the one he had given you as a gift a few years ago, the very same you gave him because you assumed it would end up being a trophy one way or another anyway. But he would never hurt you, and he didn’t think you would ever give him a reason to do that.

The two of you were perfect together, he knew that, and you were the only person in the world he actually cared about. Being away from you after the break-up, after he had been such an idiot to sleep with a woman he barely knew just to mess with the man she was with, was the hardest thing he ever went through.

He missed you every day, he tried to call you, he sent you countless messages, but you ignored him, and at one point you even blocked him on social media. Until this day he had no idea why you had decided to pick up the phone right when he needed you, but he was glad you did. It just meant you were supposed to be together, that fate or whatever was working in the background wanted him to get you back in his life.

Once he drank a cup of coffee and was ready to leave, he went back to the bedroom to give you one last kiss. He couldn’t leave without saying goodbye. In the current situation his attachment to you was a liability, he knew that. But he wasn’t about to give you up, he just had to find a way to get what he wanted with you on his side.

The day went by, and in a blink of an eye Han-seok found himself in the small restaurant he chose to meet you for lunch. He glanced down at his watch and noted that you were late. It wasn’t like you, you were known for being punctual. Letting out a sigh, he pulled out his phone from his pocket and dialed your number, but just as it told him the line was busy, his eyes finally fell on you.

You were gorgeous in the royal blue dress you wore, and he couldn’t help but smile at the sight. He stood up to greet you, happy to let everyone know you were coming to meet him, but you were on the phone and your attention wasn’t fully on him. When you got within earshot, though, you quickly ended the call you were in, then wrapped your arms around his body. He wondered who you were talking to, after all it was late night back in the States.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked you as you both sat down.

Nodding, you reached for the water bottle and poured yourself a glass. “But I hated that you left me there like that.”

“I thought you were half-asleep,” Han-seok noted with a smirk. You gave him a pointed look over your glass. “Anyway,” he spoke up again, changing the subject. “Today we will celebrate. They made me a partner at Wusang.”

You carefully put down the glass and watched him with a curious look on your face. “Why? I thought you didn’t want to be in the spotlight,” you told him with your head sweetly tilted to the side.

He reached out to take your hand, his thumb drawing circles into your skin. He wanted to trust you, he truly did, but until he figured out who you were talking to on the phone when you arrived, he couldn’t think straight. Jealousy was clouding his mind despite his brain constantly reminding him that you were loyal to him.

He explained his plan to you, although he kept certain details to himself. Details like still looking for Cha-young to get information he might use against them. He knew you would overreact and assume he would make the same mistake again. You didn’t seem to care that she wasn’t interested in him, and honestly, he had no idea how he else should have told you there was nothing to worry about.

When he finished, you leaned back in your chair and took a good look at him. “You thought of everything,” you noted.

“As usual,” was all he said in response. For long seconds he watched you in silence, wondering what to say. The thought of you talking to someone else was still bothering him, so he took a deep breath and braced himself for your possible reaction. “By the way, who were you talking to when you got here? It’s pretty late back home, isn’t it?” he asked as casually as he could.

“A friend of mine,” you replied with a shrug, refusing to elaborate.

After all those years together, he knew your body language. The way you looked away after answering meant you weren’t really interested in keeping this conversation going. He wondered if you just avoided the topic or just had enough of him for the time being. He felt offended by the thought of you not wanting to be in his company, but since he wasn’t sure if that was the case, he didn’t say anything.

“I should probably go back to the office,” Han-seok said eventually, even though he didn’t move. He didn’t want to leave you, mostly because he didn’t trust you right now.

But you seemed relaxed, as if you weren’t keeping any secrets from him. “I’ll go back to your place and work a little. Hopefully I won’t have to pull another all-nighter.”

After he nodded with a forced smile, both of you stood up and he pulled you into a hug that was probably unnecessarily tight considering you quickly tried to push him away. So he let go, coming to the conclusion that playing nice was his best option for now.

The next days passed in a kind of tension that could hardly be described. With each passing day he became more sure that you were hiding something from him, but he didn’t know what it was, and he didn’t think you would tell him anytime soon, even if he asked.

So he wasn’t expecting to be welcomed by you throwing a bunch of photos in front of him in the living room, all of them having him and Cha-young on them.

“Care to explain?” you asked with a sweet smile.

There it was, the jealous side of you he hadn’t seen since you arrived. “I need to keep an eye on her and her friend.”

“I thought I made myself clear back when I got here. I had a bad feeling and look at what the private investigator found.”

Han-seok nodded, but he didn’t say anything. He wanted to know what was going on in that gorgeous head of yours. You had said you would hurt Cha-young if he kept playing his game, he remembered, but he wasn’t sure if you would follow through in a country where you had no connections apart from him.

You let out a sigh as you stood up and stood in front of him. “But I’ve been thinking. It would be unfair of me to punish her when you’re the one chasing her,” you said surprisingly calmly with a cold edge to your voice. “Now, I’ve already packed my suitcase, and I guess my taxi is waiting outside. If you’ll excuse me,” you began, but instead of finishing the sentence, you just walked by him and pulled out your suitcase from behind the couch.

“You can’t be serious. You can’t leave me,” he told you sternly, having a hard time keeping his emotions under control. When you let out a carefree laugh and began to head towards the door, he walked up to you and grabbed your arm to yank you back. “You can’t leave me,” he repeated slowly.

He was already frustrated because of being beaten in court on the first day, and now you were making things worse by leaving. There was no way he would let that happen. Not after he finally got you back. He had fucked up once and lost you, he wasn’t about to go through that again.

“Watch me,” you hissed as you pulled your arm away and turned to walk out of the house.

“And where are you going?”

“Home.”

No. No, no, no, you couldn’t go home, not yet. “Remember how you asked me to trust you when you talk to other men?” he asked, making you come to an abrupt halt with this question. “I’m asking you the same thing. I wouldn’t cheat on you again, you need to believe me.”

Letting out a loud, almost theatrical sigh, you turned around to look at him. “I still need space,” you replied. “Just for a couple of days.”

“But only for a few days and you stay in the country,” Han-seok said with a finger pointed at you. For a few seconds you thought about this, then you nodded. “Good. Promise you’ll answer the phone when I call you. I need to know you’re okay, I need to hear your voice.”

“Sure. Goodnight,” you said then left the house.

Once you got into the taxi, you asked the driver to start driving in any direction while you made a call. You tried to work yourself up, bringing out the tears and making your voice sound like you’ve been crying for a while now. By the time the person you called picked up, you were a mess.

“I’m sorry for disturbing you this late, but we got into a fight and I can’t stay with him. I–I could go to a hotel, but I don’t want to be alone after what happened. Would it be too much to ask to let me stay at your place tonight? Just one night, I’ll leave tomorrow,” you begged.

“No, it’s okay, I’ll text you the address,” the voice at the other end of the line assured you.

With a wide smile on your lips, you told the driver the address then put away the phone and looked out the window. It was a good start. Your dear boyfriend will soon learn that two can play this game.

[angel-of-the-moons]

A Rose Under The Moon

Moon Knight System (Marc/Steven/Jake) x Fem!Reader

TW/CW: None mostly. Goldfish slander, some minor injuries resulting from clumsiness, mentions of events from the show. Layla is here! We stan a healthy, happy divorced couple in this house >=\

A/N: There will be multiple chapters like these in this series, mostly dialogue and filler to help facilitate plot.

Taglist: @shirukitsune @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction @bad4amficideas

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Chapter 4:

Old, Unhappy, Far-Off Things

"You guys can't keep doing this." Layla said over the phone.

"I know, I know." Marc sighed, running his hands through his hair. He haphazardly sprinkled some fish flakes into the tank to feed the ever chubby goldfish; looking at the glass to see Steven's reflection staring back at him, a frown creasing his features.

(Marc, you're going to make 'em pop!) Steven scolded.

"Well, how am I supposed to know how much to feed three goldfish?" Marc groaned.

"Steven told you the fish were gonna explode, eh?" Layla laughed softly.

"Yeah. Almost exactly that. I swear, I've never met a man who needs an emotional support fish." He replied, holding the phone between his shoulder and ear, screwing the lid back onto the tiny container of nasty-smelling flakes.

(How dare you! Gus and his friends are members of this family! You're going to hurt their feelings!) Steven said, absolutely aghast at Marc's summary of how the little aquatic creatures fit into their lives.

(The other two don't even have names yet, hermanito.) Jake finally piped in, coming to co-front to see what all the fuss was about.

"But seriously, Marc. You have to take it easy. Just tell Khonshu to shove off and ignore his bony ass for a few days!" Layla sighed. Though they weren't married or intimate anymore, Layla still cared deeply for "her boys"; even Jake, to a point. Even if she didn't fully trust him, he was a part of Marc and Steven. Part of their system. She knew Jake was the protector. She knew that he was only violent when he absolutely had to be.

Or when Khonshu sent him after fresh targets. She still didn't like that.

"You think I haven't tried that?" Marc flopped onto the sofa, his hand resting over his face as he sighed.

"He's a god, Layla. It's not so easy to just say no."

"Taweret doesn't seem to have a problem with boundaries." She pointed out.

"Because Taweret is a big softie, Layla. She literally mothers you." Marc retorted with a grunt.

"Well… she is the goddess of motherhood. One of them, anyway." Layla conceded.

"And Khonshu is the god of being a tall, harping asshole who refuses to let me rest." Marc leaned back, closing his eyes as the leather on the sofa softly groaned under his weight.

"You think we like working for him, still? We don't. We need the suit, and people need to be kept safe..."

"Have you considered just… giving it all up? Telling Khonshu you're done? Just hang up the cape?" Layla hummed.

Marc could feel Steven and Jake fade into the background of the headspace, leaving him alone to his conversation with Layla, not enjoying the current topic at all. And it would be smarter to prevent a possible argument between Jake and Marc, right now. They had enough headaches.

"I already tried that, remember? Khonshu just used Jake before we knew he was here and had him kill Harrow."

"Right…"

"And besides…" Marc said, conspiratorially. "...I think he already has his sights set on another person to be a Moon Knight. And I don't know who it is, but I know he's going to hold it over my head. Steven, Jake and I would rather be dead than let some poor, innocent person see the shit we have."

"Shit."

"Yeah."

"Okay… You obviously need a mental health break. Anyplace in particular you can go to get away from everything?"

"Well… there is one place. A little shop Steven found that's nearby." Marc replied.

"Is it a bookstore?" Layla laughed.

"Yeah. Yeah, it is." Marc chuckled. "Some woman runs it. American, if you can believe that. Apparently the store was her aunt's or something and she inherited it from her when she died. Steven's built a bit of a rapport with her. Me too. Kinda. She also sells stuff like coffee, tea, snacks… kind of like a one-person cafe."

"She runs it alone?"

"Yeah, impressive actually. But, it's not always safe, I saw that the other day." Marc nodeed.

"Oh? What happened?" Layla asked, wholly invested now. They had a friend? She likely didn't know about their DID, but Marc, and by that extension Steven, and possibly Jake having friends was a win in Layla's book.

"Some abusive drunk ran in after his girlfriend. Apparently she hid his girlfriend in her flat upstairs when she came in covered with bruises and freaking out." Marc said, smiling a bit at remembering your tenacity and urge to protect somebody you didn't even know. Even Jake respected you after that. And Jake respects very few people.

But it proves you were a protector, like he was. Not to the same extent, but close.

"Sounds like a good person."

"She seems like one. I just hope she doesn't get herself into trouble with anymore–ah!" Marc hissed, dropping the phone and waving his hand in the air as pain whipped through his fingertips.

"Shit!" He cursed, picking up the phone again with his other hand. He glared at the red marks appearing in his palm.

"Marc? Are you okay? What happened?" Layla asked, her voice just a hair above worried.

"Yeah, just my fucking hands again. Last week it was my shins." He grunted.

"So either you're getting old," Layla teased. "Or a certain someone hurt themselves again."

"Yeah, just wish they'd quit it. It's really inconvenient."

"That's a bit hypocritical, don't you think?"

"What?" Marc asked, his brow furrowing as he watched the burning red marks blossom on his skin. Pretty, almost, if you were into that sort of messed-up body art.

"Marc, please don't tell me you haven't considered that every time you got hurt, your soulmate felt those pains, too?" Layla deadpanned with a sigh, most likely pinching the bridge of her nose. He could picture it now. She was probably pacing in the kitchen of her flat in Cairo; the sun illuminating her figure, making her curls glow in an amber light, highlighting her jaw as she frowned.

But the thought she triggered in his mind sent a stone dropping into his gullet. Had he really not considered that? He thought that maybe, being Moon Knight would… would dull the pains, or maybe negate them entirely. Or… was he just stupid and didn't put them into consideration?

If they can feel his pain, and he can feel theirs... what about when he…

But sometimes it felt redundant to think about and worry for someone he never met, but at the same time…

"Fuck." Marc hissed, wiping at his face.

"Oh, my gods! You haven't been careful at all have you?" Layla gasped.

"I…"

"Marc! You and the other two need to get it together and take it easy. You think you don't understand things? Imagine how your soulmate feels. They're probably going about their normal daily routines and feel it when you get shot! Oh gods, what about when we were in Egypt and you got impaled?" Layla murmured. "Gods, I almost forgot about… what about when you died? I don't even want to imagine what they felt."

Marc dropped back into the cushions staring blankly at the ceiling. She voiced the very thing he himself was hesitant to mention.

"I… I forgot about that, too." Marc said, his voice almost flat.

"I imagine they must have been confused when their mark reappeared."

"Fuck…" Marc groaned, feeling exhaustion suddenly creep into his body. But then, he jerked, gripping the back of his head. "Damn it!"

"Another pain?" Layla mused.

"God–yeah. Right in the back of my head." Marc grunted.

"Yikes. Your soulmate must not be having a good day." Layla chuckled.

"Whoever they are, they're accident-prone as all hell!" He grumbled, pouting as he rubbed the fresh sore spot.

"Pot callin' kettle, Maaaarc." Layla sang softly over the phone.

"Yeah, yeah. You sound like Steven."

"Good."

"Ugh, please don't say that." Marc said, a smirk cracking his mask of discomfort. "He's already nagging me."

"Okay, okay…" Layla quieted for a moment. "Hey, Marc?"

"Yeah?"

"I might take a trip to London. Maybe if I'm there, Taweret and I can run interference for you to give you a break." Layla suggested.

"Layla… You don't–"

"Already looking at plane tickets." She interrupted.

"Of course you are." Marc smiled. That was one of the things he loved about Layla when they first met. He was drawn to her. Her snark, her determination…

"Yeah. I'll pack a bag and hop the flight that leaves in a few hours."

"Wow, okay." Marc said, his eyes widening. "You're serious about this?"

"Who else is going to babysit you three and get Khonshu off your back if me and the Hippo Mama don't?" Layla jabbed playfully.

"Oh my god, you do not call her that." Marc snorted, shaking his head.

"She thinks it's a cute nickname. And she agrees with my plan, so…"

"Oh great. You two gonna just harp me and remind me to take my vitamins, too?"

"I mean, if we have to…"

"Ugh. You're impossible."

"But that's why everyone loves me!" Layla laughed.

"Sure, sure. And Layla?" Marc asked, looking at the mark on his wrist, a soft fond look in his eyes. It was blooming today, the rose.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"No problem, Marc. Go hang at that bookstore and get a coffee or something, yeah?"

🌒🌒🌒🌒🌒🌒🌒🌒🌒🌒

You hurried up the stairs and rushed to your oven, frantically cursing with each step as you hauled yourself up the stairs and into your flat.

You practically ripped the oven door open, coughing as smoke filled your nostrils as the burned pastries greeted you.

"Damn it!" You whine, slipping your oven mitt on and grabbing the small pan with one hand.

Your phone started ringing and you spun on your heels to glare at the offending object secured to the wall.

"Oh, shut up, you–"

You felt the pan tip when you turned, the blackened treats threatening to fall to the floor, and without thinking you reached out with you other, unprotected hand and gripped it, before making a sharp yelp and throwing the pan onto the counter with a loud bang, blowing air over your burning and blistering hand.

"Shit, shit, shit!" You hiss, turning to your sink and hitting the tap for some cold water. The stinging subsided, if only minutely.

The phone rang incessantly again.

You dropped your shoulders and rolled your eyes with a groan, and pulled away from the soothing coldness of your tap.

But, of course, as your natural "luck" would have it… You trailed water onto your floor, and slipped into it, cracking the back of your head on the tile. Not hard enough to knock you out, no, but it was just enough to hurt, and leave a rather nasty bump.

So. There you lay, flat on your back, water still flushing into the drain of your sink, smoke detector now going off, and your house telephone ringing impertinently.

"I didn't do anything! Why're you guys always giving me the short end of the stick?" You shout at nothing in particular; maybe whatever gods could hear your lamentations and rueful words.

For extra effect, you flipped the bird with your uninjured hand.

Yeah.

Fate was a funny thing, all right.

Chapter 5: Link

[void-chara]

My gift for the @technoblade-gift-exchange !! i was assigned to @simplepotatofarmer who asked for dsmp rivals duo. i hope you like it Loyal!

rambling about headcanons, designs, and my process and stuff under the readmore, because i wanna talk about it but dont want the post to be super long !!

i had originally planned to not have a background and then at the last second i decided to speedrun drawing one in a few hours so um. quality difference but its fine. also unrelated but im pretty sure everything about how i draw animals and anthros makes it very obvious i used to be in the warrior cats fandom lol. anyway onto the designs!!

the gold on techno is scars from the totem at the execution, which i think is a pretty common thing for techno designs. he isnt supposed to be a piglin, but rather similar species of anthropomorphic pig. also his mane and tail fluff are naturally brown but he dyes them pink ^_^ so cool !! um. i maaayyy have forgotten the crown until i was way too far into the piece to add it. haha. oops. pretend its missing because. uuh. hes in a casual outfit. "but he still has the cape" yeah its comfy. "but dream has a mask thats not casual" dream is dream he does Not relax fully ever. see entirely intentional i would never make a mistake.

dream is an original shapeshifter species i came up with because i couldnt decide what i wanted him to be. i havent decided on a name for the species yet but i plan to make almost every solid-color or nearly solid color mcyt into this species. theyre mostly involuntary/unconscious shapeshifters. so like they change slowly over weeks or months to adapt to their surroundings, with little conscious control. basically i wanted him to be like five different things so i shoved them together lol, rabbit ears but in a pattern that looks like an axolotl, a cool tail, TOE BEANS tho you cant see them. this was actually the first time ive ever had a dream design im happy with so thats really nice.

i um. i made full use of my time lol, i spent a bit over a week on the lineart, another week on the coloring, and maybe a week and a half on rendering. unless i suddenly became shit at math(which is possible) that adds up to roughly the amount of time i had to work on it. im really proud of myself actually since i usually take a while to do art, and i wasnt sure i would be able to make something id be happy with in this amount of time. but i did! woah!! this was my first time participating in a fandom gift exchange and it was so fun, and also helped motivate me to draw more instead of getting distracted like i usually do (classic adhd moment) lol. anyway super cool!!

Loyal if u decided to read all this for some reason then again i really hope u like it!! u are so cool and i really love ur rivals duo opinions and creations so i hope u like this! i know theres been shit happening lately, i hope ur doing ok!!

[ccycloneblogging]

I keep forgetting to ask my questions now is the present I guess-

Well 1, love your work! This AU is so cute and full of potential trauma it makes my mind flow with ideas... one of them being REALLY trauma heavy that has me in a vice grip rn...

So anyways- your post where you showed how in your AU catnap removed dogdays legs... were the murders of the hour in the same way? Because I just- Imagining Catnap dropping an anvil on some poor soul and them getting crushed slowly after the initial impact while catnap watches in apathy- has not left my mind. It's just Saw death traps at that point.

And about the whole "Going back to the cartoon" thing catnap wanted... would that not be suicide? A fully fledged, free thinking being going back to being with a world bound by a script and it's existence only continues if it's makers wish for it seem like killing yourself with extra steps. Again- this Au has so much Trauma potential I just HMMMMMMMMMMM-

And Oc's... well who do you want to hear about? I got a few lying around... well only 2 poppy playtime ones at the moment (and like one is kinda hard coded for another AU)... not to mention all the ones I have not drawn up yet that lie within my mind.

I would not mind another reason for William posting- but I'll let you choose!

Thanks, man! :D

You have no idea how much I've had to edit the scripts and drawings I make for the blog, because I go too dark too quickly for this toon AU.

I'm gonna go on a long ramble. Bear with me.

Like - there's this one script I still need to rewrite. But the premise is that Angel and DogDay are in Home Sweet Home, striking up a conversation - though Angel is injured.

Angel: ...Do you ever just... Stop? *[Angel eyes DD, as DD is in the process of sniffing like an actual dog, walking along the walls]* DD: What do you mean? *[He pauses to look at them, his tail wagging]* Angel: This. *[They gesture to his whole self, which causes him to finally fall on to the ground with a yip]* Angel: We're being hunted by a monster, close to death, and you're acting all... *Looney*. DD: That's what I do, Angel. I was brought here to make people feel happy. Safe. *[His tail begins to wag again as he makes his way to Angel]* Angel: Great. *[Unamused]* At least we'll die laughing. DD: You know, laughter is stronger than you'd think. *[A little "Uh-huh" from Angel.]* No matter how bad things get, you just have to laugh! Even if you feel like you've lost all hope, unsure about tomorrow... Not knowing what you did wrong, wondering how the world collapsed around you... *[DD grabs on to an ear, his smile turning more upsetting. The background getting darker. Maybe emphasize some of the in game model]* DD: Knowing that deep down, it's your fault for their deaths and already missing your chains because you deserve them --- *[He immediately switches back, sunshine and smiles]* DD: A laugh can chase away the gloom! Angel: *[Disturbed]* ...You want to talk about it, Pup?

So, they're all thoroughly traumatized, that's for sure!

I plan on drawing a comic that takes place during the Hour Of Joy, but yes. CatNap has killed some humans with falling anvils, endless pits, trapping them in repeating hallways until they go insane. Humans cannot survive the same punishment a toon takes, you know. >u>

But you know, he's not entirely heartless. Just angy. A poor lil meow meow

Oh, it's just CatNap being unable to cope, being ripped out of his comfort zone and never being able to adjust with the horrible things going on in Playcare. Though the Critters in this AU are not the same as the In-Game Bigger Bodies, there's still been human experiments. CatNap would much rather take scripts and limited freedom over what he was given... You are right though. That is one of the themes I wanted to try and hit with him. Especially if I follow through with an ending of Angel adopting the Critters. Then the aftermath of the trauma can really sink in.

My man, pal, friend.

I love OCs. The floor is yours. Send 'em in!

[blueesnow]

Mikaze Ai Voicelines Translation from Event Log

-All of this voicelines are from the Event Log (with both Mini Event and Talk section) on each of the Idol page. If you want to collect all of the other talk voicelines, you have to touch the background of the room (or rather anything other than the boys themselves) because touching them will only just trigger their skinship voicelines.

-If you ever see a blank one on the list, it's probably because I still haven't triggered and collected them or I just don't have their cards. I hope you can wait for the update until I finally collect them, or if any of you already have them it would be helpful if you could send me the SS of the missing voiceline so I could fill in the list 🙏

-Also the translations might not be fully accurate since I'm not that fluent on jp/en, so if i ever made a mistake do correct me🙏

Mini Event:

Tokiya's Birthday Celebration (Ai) Year 1: Ai: Happy Birthday, Tokiya. Although you always look serious but sometimes you also have a childish side as well, I think it's good though. Tokiya: Is that so…? But if Mikaze-san said so, then I'm sure it's a compliment, isn't it. Thank you very much. Reiji's Birthday Celebration (Ai) Year 1: Ai: Since it's your birthday, why don't you show a bit of your maturity? Anyway, congratulations Reiji. Reiji: Ai-Ai, thank you~! Don't get burned while looking at the grown-up Rei-chan, okay☆ Ah, don't ignore me!

Talk:

Talk Morning Topic: If you still haven't woke up yet, shall I be the one who manage your private time? Fufu, I'm just kidding. Talk Afternoon Topic: During the interview, they asked me on how do you approach someone that you like. Since they might be asking lots of question I went ahead and answered it but, what about you? Talk Evening Topic: Shall I go and make you a herbal tea? It smells really good and it'll help you to relax too. Talk Night Topic: Maybe I should try to practice singing a lullaby too. It'd be helpful to expand my singing range and it'd also be perfect to do it on the times when you can't fall asleep. Talk Summer Topic: I want to create a summer like memories with you…will you go with me? Of course you can leave all the planning to me.

Talk 1: I don't mind being relied on. If there's anything that you'd like to know, you can go ahead and ask me. Talk 2: Can you tell me your definition of what you think "cool?" looks like? Why you ask, I'm just a bit interested in it, that's all. Talk 3: I'm so happy to hear that everyone's listening to my song. You could say I'm also looking forward to it too. Talk 4: I think it's better to have a solid set schedule. If you move on time, there would be less waste and it'll be much more efficient. Talk 5: I guess you could say that the memories that I've accumulated during both of my private and work time are like my treasures. I cherish each and every one of them deep in my heart. Talk 6: There are still so many things that I don't know about everyone from QUARTET NIGHT. They're always full of surprises so you'll never get bored of them. Talk 7: The good thing about QUARTET NIGHT is the fact that we don't interfere with each other too much. It's so that we won't be too dependent on each other. Talk 8: To me, singing is just the same thing as being alive. It's something that's natural and essential. Talk 9: No matter what kind of performance it is, I'll always do it perfectly. Because I think that's how I show my sincerity to the people who come and watch me. Talk 10: After the recording of the show, I was given a commemorative group photo of the cast members. Seeing them somehow made me reliving those memories again, so I guess it wasn't that bad at all.

Talk 11: There was happened to be a mechanical trouble at work, but I'm relieved that I managed to help out. It's my specialty after all. Talk 12: I sometimes find a rare flower too even in the city centre. Seeing them bloom so strongly made me want to take a picture of it. Talk 13: I often get praised for being calm and reliable. I guess you could say that's one of my good points. Talk 14: While I was researching something, I happened to come across a passionate-filled review about my song. As I thought seeing that really made me happy. Talk 15: During the previous photoshoot, there was a mistake in regarding the size of Ranmaru's costume. Both the sleeves and hem of it were too short it made such an interesting sight. Talk 16: I usually spend my day off at home. Sometimes I try to make plans for a mountain climbing and it's quite fun. Talk 17: Looks like a new content has been added to the online game. I can't wait to play it soon. Talk 18: I was surprised when I saw Reiji quieter than usual on the site. It looks like he's in the middle of the game where you can't speak anything but in English. Talk 19: Observing people means that I could utilize what I have noticed from them and apply it to myself. That's why it's interesting. Talk 20: If only there could be a machine that can understand people's feelings…I'm sure people can't help but had thoughts of that before. Besides it would be much more efficient if there were.

Talk 21: Even during break time, I never forget to go collecting and analyzing data. There might be a chance when I can use it on my next job after all. Talk 22: Live performance is the place where I realize just how much I want to be liked by everyone. That's why I don't want to make even the slightest mistake. Talk 23: According to the data that I have, there's a high possibility that I'll be able to meet you again tomorrow. Is it okay for me to have expectation? Talk 24: A new week is about to begin. Let's make sure to plan things out properly and carefully. You can do it, can't you? I believe in you. Talk 25: I guess the bags that I own are mostly backpacks. They're easy to carry heavy things around and, more than anything, they're convenient because they keep both of my hands free. Talk 26: There's something that I want to confirm with you… Hm? Normally you'd always respond right away… How unusual. (when you ignore him) Talk 27: Hmm, now I'm more than curious to try and check just how far along you'd notice. Let's poke her around a little bit more. (when you ignore him) Talk 28: Hm, are you already done with your work now? Since you're so concentrated on it… No, it's not like I'm sulking or anything. (after you're done ignoring him) Talk 29: …I guess you finally noticed after how many long I've been staring at you huh. Looks like I manage to collect an interesting data. (after you're done ignoring him)

About Otoya: Otoya's not afraid of anything at all huh. I often saw him approaching his co-stars and talking to them. About Masato: Masato's sewing skills are amazing. It feels as if he can make everything. Maybe I should try to make something with my own hands too. About Natsuki: I always tell Natsuki each time I found something that he might likes. Like a cute goods or something. About Tokiya: Having a discussion with Tokiya is interesting. Since he's so knowledgeable, we can talk about lot of things from many different angles. About Ren: Ren also plays an online game, and I think our tastes are pretty similar. Though we both have a different playstyle. About Syo: When I go shopping with Syo, he tends to recommend me things that I'd never choose myself. But after that they ended up suits me well. About Cecil: Although Cecil is usually calm, he often panics in front of a fish. He's honest even when it comes to things he's not good at. About Reiji: Whenever there is a trouble happening, Reiji always rephrases it around in an optimistic way. In a way that part of him always help us out. About Ranmaru: He always try to repay anything that he borrowed, no matter how small it is. Ranmaru's sense of duty is one of his good points. About Camus: Out of all the members of the group, Camus is probably the one that I get along well with. He's a very well-informed person and that's why he's interesting.

Skinship 1: It's not that I hate it but… did you forgot that I'm supposed to be your Senpai? (touching head) Skinship 2: Shall I pat your head as well? You don't mind if I do it two times more than you did, right? (touching head) Skinship 3: Wait… what's wrong all of a sudden? Skinship 4: What kind of psychology is it behind poking my cheek? Skinship 5: That's quite a strange hobby you have. Are you the type who's more interested in upper arms? (touching arms) Skinship 6: I'm your Senpai after all, so you can always rely on me. Skinship 7: Hey… I'd be in a trouble if you did something irregular out of sudden. Skinship 8: Even if you didn't do that, I'd still listen to your story. Skinship 9: My opinions? Not in particular. Skinship 10: Next time it's your turn to get tickled. I'd like to collect a data for that. Skinship 11: Well then, I'm going to have to pay that back more or less the same amount of times than what you did to me.

Approach 1: As much as I'm having fun watching you, it seems like the data that I have is not enough. You'll surely help me out, won't you? Approach 2: I wonder why did you become so red like that just because I got closer to you, hm? I hope you can tell me the reason of it. Intimacy lvl-up 1: I don't mind spending time with you. It also feels like I gained new emotions from that too. Intimacy lvl-up 2: Huh, I didn't know you could make that kind of face too. Of course that only happens when you're with me, right? Intimacy Limit Release: I received your feelings. (Your) Birthday Celebration 1: Ai: You seem to be in a pretty good mood today. Somehow your face seems like you're waiting for me to say something to you. Ai: …Just kdding, there's no way I would forget about it. Happy birthday. I've been meaning to tell you that. Ai: I want to spend time with you for as long as I can for today. This is also one of your Senpai's order, I won't ever let you say no, okay?

This one is not listed, but here's a voiceline if you're trying to leave him:

Are you going somewhere now? I just need a few more minutes of your time. Can't I?

Bonus Voicelines from URs/SRs:

"Letter of Journey" Mikaze Ai Talk 1: There are so many things that I want to tell and show you. I want to walk through the same time as you. "Letter of Journey" Mikaze Ai Talk 2: The music that you gave always taught me of something that's important and dear to me. I'll never forget to always give out my thanks to you. "Be Elegant!" Mikaze Ai Talk 1: I'm happy to hear you talk about the thoughts that you put into that song. I'm also the first one who heard about it too, right. "Be Stylish!" Mikaze Ai Talk 1: Both of your reactions and mine were a little different than what I had expected. But somehow it left such a pleasant feeling in my heart. "Lavender king" Mikaze Ai Talk 1: Fighting for the sake of peace, huh. I wonder if Ai also had someone important that he wanted to protect as well. Just like how you are to me, for example.

[navy-leader]

Mildly losing my mind so im gonna talk about my AvA AU, Heaven's Underpass

Its essentially just a demon/angel au with some minor worldbuilding and slight altering of the already existing narrative (and lots of shipping...). It is by far Not comprehensive and merely done for fun so inconsistencies abound, sacrificed for self-indulgence

I made this AU before AvA6 came out and structured the initial timeline with what we had at the time so it branches off into different alternates ever since then

Anyways the story for the most part follows the actual AvA series with the added addition of them being some sort of divine or infernal entity. Chose started off as and angel but once Chosen was captured and enslaved by noogai he burnt off his wings and became a demon. Then AvA3 rolls around, another angel was created and tasked to take down Chosen, Dark. Though after Dark was defeated and accepted Chosen's hand in partnership her divinity slowly drained out of her as she becomes a fallen angel/demon, though she doesnt fully become one until AvA5.

Then comes The Second Coming, a deity that rivaled the power of the animator but was raised amongst mortals (The Color Gang) so they never found out of their divine nature until much later. Also Green was a guardian angel watching over RBY until he got his wings stolen by a demon and became mortal like them, aint all that bad though cause now they can actually get to know eachother! He still has that protective and caring nature from his time as a guardian and extends it towards Second when they came into the picture.

Purple intermission! Cause theyre the only other character outside of the AvA series that i put much thought into. Shes a demon who had stolen an angel's wings (wink) to reach some form of divinity. I havent really thought of her background all that much but i did entertain the idea that her parents are demons but them being a mix of angel and demon but leaning more into demon sounds more interesting and i feel adds a bit more to their character. I also had the thought that King was a mortal who had made a deal with the devil to achieve his goals, that demon being Purple. He has a lot of moral dilemmas just like canon Purple but made worse because of the everything 👍

Moving on, AvA5 happens and Second awakens their divine powers (though temporarily) and Dark gets blasted into the stratosphere and becomes a proper demon, but shes not dead! Somewhere down the line she met Purple in her weakened state and they bond over their moral dilemmas like good trauma bonding buddies should do, and Purple takes care of her as she recovers

Meanwhile something appears on the desktop as the color gang head home from the events of AvA5 and find,,, a demon hollowhead? They seem confused and absolutely terrified of the mouse cursor that belongs to the animator and attempts to attack it but was soon held down by the color gang and calmed down. After a brief introduction they find out this demon's name is victim. And then this essentially follows the AU i had for if victim came back, made before AvA6 came out. I discussed it in this post here.

Anyways Second and vic and Chosen get crazy gay with eachother in the end and Purple pulls up to the desktop with Dark in tow like "hi guys meet my girlfriend!" and Dark and Chosen look at eachother like "Shit. Thats my ex." but in the end they talk it out and agreed they should see other people and yayy happy times

And then AvA6 came out and uhh crushed everyone's headcanons and i couldnt be happier!!! And then i havent really figured out what to do with the AU timeline wise and im just having fun slapping wings and horns onto these sticks and bringing out the themes inside the story to be more visual and etc etc

Anyways goodnight

[justkending]

Finding Memories. Chapter 1.

Summary: Waking up with little to no memory of her past, and being saved by a group of individuals who call themselves heroes, sends a long time captive for a whirlwind trying to find some form of grounding in this world she quickly learns runs on chaos. But she’s not the only one trying to figure out her forgotten backstory. Bucky Barnes, along with the other Avengers, can’t help but sense that there is a lot more to the whole situation than a diagnosis of amnesia. Her background slowly starts to come forward in pieces of her past and hidden information discovered. Who is she? And why was she in the room they were meant to destroy? 

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader 

Word Count: 2400+

TW: Torture, cussing, and blood. 

A/N: Ok! First off, Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday's lovlies! I'm so excited to share this new series with and also very excited to see what comes of it:) I hope you all are safe, warm, and having some sort of fun during this time of the year. Whether that be by yourself or with friends and family, all ways are just fine and dandy! Anyway, here is my Christmas gift to you! I plan on posting a chapter every other day so I can give myself some time to write in between! Love love love you all! xoxoxo

Chapter 1:

Bucky asked one of the assistants to bring a change of clothes for their Jane Doe.

So far, they did a few more checkups on her, making sure she was ok to be released within the next hour, and Bucky stayed close by.

He seemed to be the only one she had a sense of ease around, as he was the only familiar face in her new environment. They didn't have much outside of that keeping her from completely freaking out.

Though, she seemed more relaxed now that she had been taken care of properly and wasn't in immediate danger like she was used to.

"Thanks, Stark," he replied through the phone before hitting the end and turning back to the girl. "You have a place to stay here if you want," he smiled softly as she fidgeted with the plastic medical bracelet that hung loose on her wrist.

She nodded in response and continued to monitor her surroundings while anxiously picking at the laminated name, Jane Doe, they had put on her.

"Natasha, one of my teammates who helped us find you on that mission; said she's happy to help you get anything you need. We have an extra room down the hall from her and she's already got you set up with all the necessities you'll need until we get you back on your feet," he explained as he watched her zone in on the beeping coming from the monitor still hooked up to her blood pressure. "If you need anything outside of that, just let me know and I'll see what I can do."

She never gave any indication that she acknowledged him this time, but he knew that look on her face. The reality of the situation was setting in and it was harsh drowning waves of flashbacks.

She didn't know her name. She didn't really know where she was. Who knew how long she was at that torturous facility? And they knew nothing besides the little bits of intel they had recovered from the database which they were still trying to hack.

Sometimes you just have to shut down fully to even start to comprehend a piece of it.

"I know this is a lot," he started really soft and carefully as he crouched in front of her making himself smaller to her. "It's a long process of piecing things back together and coming to terms with all that happened and how. But from experience, I can promise you there is a way out of that dark tunnel that feels like it's closing in on you."

She looked at him, eyes still harboring a sense of anxiety, but more so horror at the memories she knew would resurface now that she had to process them.

And she had to process them. That was the only way she knew she could move on from this situation and figure out what the hell happened to her.

Breaking her eye contact from him, she adjusted on the edge of the hospital bed and straightened the hand-me-down sweatshirt she was given for the time being.

"How much longer do I have to stay here?" she asked. Her voice was still raspy, but with time and lots of hydration, she was slowly regaining it.

Bucky was happy she wasn't completely mute. She had a strength in her that he knew would pull through with time. It was all a matter of how much time though.

"Alma said within the next hour if you're still ok, we can go ahead and get you moved. They want to make sure you aren't going to have a reaction to any of the antibiotics they gave you," he replied.

For some reason, she wanted to laugh at that thought. Antibiotics would be water compared to the things she had injected into her in the past. There were going to be no side effects and she knew that.

At that moment, her stomach reminded the two that she hadn't had solid food for the whole time she was there. Who knows how long it had been before then too?

"How about I talk to Alma about an early check out and then we get you something to eat?" he asked, smirking as she self-consciously placed her hand on her stomach. "What's something you like?"

He was hoping the simple question would spark something, but if anything it caused her to give a confused look. Then it slowly saddened as she realized she didn't know what she liked.

"How about I pick a favorite of mine and we see how you feel?" he asked, standing up and placing his hands on his hips.

"Ok," she nodded.

"Ok," he confirmed. "I'm going to go talk to Alma and we'll go from there."

__________________

Figuring it was best to not go out in public just yet, he made do with the ingredients that Stark thankfully kept stocked in the shared Avenger's kitchen.

He showed her where her room was for the time being and introduced her to Nat who helped her get situated and accustomed to the new place.

After a quick shower and a fresh pair of clothes that weren't scrub pants and a sweatshirt some agent had taken from lost and found, she looked like a new person.

The circles under her eyes were still dark and semi-sunken from malnourishment that would take more than just a few days of saline and antibiotics to heal. However, the Y/E/C color in her eyes was shining differently given the newfound security she was being introduced to. Her face no longer held marks of dirt and residue from the explosion and he could see her complexion with more details.

Her Y/H/C hair was washed and he noticed a hint of waves to it as it dried, now that it had been properly cleaned and taken care of.

She came and sat at the island bar, reserved and keeping a high sense of awareness of her unfamiliar and new environment. So far it had proved to be safe, but she never had known a time when she didn't have to watch her back constantly.

"Not sure how you feel about pancakes for dinner, but I know it's a go-to comfort food for me and a few other people I know," he commented, setting a plate of the hot breakfast food in front of her.

He had brought out all the works not knowing what she liked and didn't.

Fresh-cut fruit was in one bowl, nuts and granola in another, chocolate chips and chocolate syrup placed on the other side, and of course butter and syrup ready to be picked if wanted.

"I'm not sure if you eat meat, but I can make some bacon or sausage," he offered as he watched her eyes take in the buffet of toppings. "Or eggs..." he added, not sure what she was thinking.

"What do you usually do?" she asked, looking up at him.

He hadn't expected that question, but he looked at the toppings and thought about it.

"I guess a good amount of butter and some syrup is a classic," he leaned against the other side of the island. "I eat a little more than the average person, so I usually add a protein in there somewhere."

"I'll do that then," she replied. "I'm really not sure what I like." She mumbled the last part, and Bucky could hear a hint of frustration in it.

Maybe the excess amount of choices wasn't the best idea, but he had hoped to spark a memory from it.

"Well, consider it a fresh start. Now you have the freedom to experience things and see for yourself what you like and dislike," he said with hope in his tone.

For the first time, he saw a glimpse of a smile turn at the corner of her mouth. It was a nice look on her.

The two sat and ate breakfast for dinner and he coaxed her to try a little bit of it all just to see what she thought.

She realized she liked chocolate. Quickly after learning that, she had added an excessive amount of chocolate syrup to the remainder of her pancakes and began adding different fruits to them as well. Chocolate and strawberries became her favorite combination, though who could blame her?

He chuckled as she discovered her sweet tooth and knew from personal experience just how euphoric such a simple choice can make someone who has been controlled all their known life feel.

Then slowly she became more relaxed and started asking Bucky questions.

"I heard someone call you Sergeant," she noted, swirling a strawberry that was on her fork through the leftover chocolate on her plate. "Are you in the army?"

"I was," he answered, wadding up his napkin and throwing it on his empty plate. "Not anymore, technically."

"Technically?"

"I'm a part of a smaller group now. But saving people and going on missions to take down some really shitty people is still part of the job," he nodded.

"Does your group have a name?" she asked.

"Hmm mmm," he hummed, turning his body back to her. "The Avengers."

He paused wondering if that name would ring any bells. But her face was blank as if the infamous name had never once crossed her path.

She hummed to herself and placed her dirty silverware on top of the cleaned-off plate.

"Who are you all Avenging?" she asked.

"Depends on the day," he chuckled at the wording of her question. "Here. I'll take those," he reached over, taking the plates and stacking them before moving to do the dishes.

"Thank you for that," she nodded appreciatively at his actions. "Thank you for everything really. I-I don't know what would have happened to me if you all weren't there to..." She didn't finish her thought.

He could tell the topic of that day was a sensitive one, but he was happy that he could be a decent memory in a fucked up situation.

"It's what we do," he replied.

She looked up and that small little smile was back for a fleeting second before she was hit with the trauma that came with the memory.

"Listen, I'd like to call you something else besides Jane Doe. Any chance there's a name you remember that you think could be yours?" he asked, trying to redirect her thought process.

"Right," she said softly, her eyebrows furrowing as she thought hard about it. He could see the recall working through her eyes as she tried to pull it from memories she had most likely tried to erase. "I'm not sure," she finally said, somewhat defeated.

"That's ok. How about you sleep on it and hopefully it'll come back to you. If not, it's just another thing you get to choose," he smirked.

She nodded before a yawn came over her. Her eyes drooped at the motion as her body begged for rest.

"We should call it a night. You've had a long enough day and I think it would be good for your body to get a well-deserved break." He put the last dish away and moved around the corner. "I'll walk you back to your room. This place can be a maze the first couple days here."

She yawned again and turned in the stool and hopped off to the ground in a quiet and careful manner. She was quite a bit shorter than him and it was the first time he noticed. Every time before, she had been in bed or slouched into his side running away from an explosion.

"Um," she hesitated, pausing just steps outside her door. He stopped in his step ahead of her and turned to her. "What do I do if I need help or someone to-," she stopped and he knew where she was going with it.

Someone to protect her.

"Do you want me to show you where my room is in case you need to find me?" he asked, and she looked past his shoulder down the long corridor of random doors. Then she nodded. "See that door on the other side of the hall?" He pointed directly to the other side just two doors down from her. "My door is unlocked most of the time and I'll be in there. Feel free to knock if you need anything."

His look was comforting to her as it held a promise that he would be at her beck and call until they found out more information.

She nodded once again in affirmation and turned to the knob and twisted it open to her room.

Bucky walked to his room but stopped just outside waiting for her to completely disappear behind the door before carrying on with his night.

As she began to shut the door, he turned into his but was stopped at the sound of his name.

"Bucky," she said as a statement. He turned his attention to her. "Thank you. I know I've said it already, but I really do respect all that you've done for me this far."

"It's part of my job," he replied and a part of him wanted to punch himself in the face right there.

A look of surprise passed over her expression as she began deducting that this was just a job to him. Though it had started that way, Bucky had found a form of sentiment to this girl and her background.

It was still part of his job, but he quickly learned that he was a little more attached to this whole case than he planned to be. It was too close to home for him to just be another job. He knew the pain, the trauma, and the sense of constantly having to learn trust with each passing day.

You can't fully do that with someone who sees you as a job.

By the time he had processed how his comment would have come off to her, she was already behind the door giving a quick nod and disappearing.

He shut his eyes in frustration and annoyance at himself. One step forward, two steps back.

He'd find a way to make it up to her and show her this was more personal to him than he was leading it on to be. That kind of connection is the first step in building trust and helping someone like her get out of the hole she's known for too long.

He debated on going and knocking on the door and explaining that second, but he needed rest and so did she. They weren't going to make any progress on exhaustion and weak bodies.

If you would like to be tagged in this upcoming series, please comment on this chapter! Thank you:)

Finding Memories Taglist: (some would not let me tag. so if you see your name but didn’t get the notification, double check if your blog allows tags:)

@tinkerbelle67 @a-beaverhausen @caruhleener

Marvel Tags:

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[wings-of-waffles]

I really hope you don't mind this ask, but I saw your post about being a Farsight fan, and as one Farsight fan to another, what do you think about her? There's not much consensus amongst us Farsight fans on her character, if the fanfictions are anything to go by, so I would love to hear your take on her.

I don't mind at all! Always happy to lose my mind over everybody's favourite barely present background character.

As for my thoughts about Farsight, I sure do have thoughts about her! Like, practically an essay's worth of thoughts about her. Too many words.

Extrapolating from what is actually canon, she's definitely a kind dragon in my eyes. She's just not very good at it. Like, she means well, but she often comes off wrong. She can seem overbearing or pitying at times, or performative at others, regardless of what she actually means. She pulls it off sometimes, of course, and she never means to come off like that, she just kind of does.

She was one of the kindest, most caring dragons on the whole of the NightWing volcanic death island. That didn't go too well for her. Instead of detaching from the present hellscape like everybody else did, Farsight felt the need to do pretty much the opposite. However, this meant she took bad things happening very hard.

Based on what we do know about her in canon, it's not that hard to assume she didn't do too well after Starflight's egg is taken. Which is very fair, considering her child was essentially kidnapped. I imagine her as ending up depressed and isolated in her grief, and ending up in the spiral of doubting herself/feeling guilty for her grief because 1) her dragonet wasn't dead and 2) it was for the good of the tribe, apparently. You know, the not good thought to be thinking of "well my suffering is less than other people's suffering, so I don't deserve to feel about it!". Poor girl.

Anyways, based on what we know from a few passing lines from Fierceteeth's winglet (practically the holy grail of Farsight lore lol), the young Fierceteeth ended up feeling neglected after Starflight's egg was taken. She was a child, not fully able to understand what was going on, and didn't take it well. At all. As she got older, and began to understand and/or figure out what was going on, she found it easier, less painful, to brush it off. After all, it's simpler than the incredibly complicated mess that the whole thing was-- sure, it wasn't Farsight's fault that this happened and she responded so poorly, but at the same time, she still ended up neglecting her present dragonet.

That's the ultimate tragedy of Farsight to me-- she was a kind person, who loved and cared for the world, and in the end, it's what killed her. Her compassion drove her to defend an innocent SeaWing, and that's what got her killed. Maybe, somewhere else, for somebody else, it would have worked out. But for Farsight, she never got the chance for things to go her way. It's incredibly unfair, just like the circumstances she was hatched into and continued to. You see, this is the kind of extrapolation that makes me all emotional over a background character.

Anyways, circling back to Fierceteeth in the form of relatonship speculation!! You see, my speculation regarding Fierceteeth's father isn't just that he died, but that he left Farsight rather traumatically and then died. This is part of why Farsight and Fierceteeth had such a strained relationship, with the whole mess that happened before she hatched making Fierceteeth incidentally associated with conflict. Farsight feels very bad about it, and she tries to be better than that, but it still puts some strain there that's worsened with everything else. Again, she tries, but it never quite goes right.

Also her and Mastermind I am more than willing to talk about! Despite being very, very different they got along remarkably well. Opposites attract sort of thing. Their flaws were just very contrasted in a way, I guess covering each other's bases? Like, Farsight is overempathetic and Mastermind is underempathetic, they're both oblivious but in differing ways, etc.. They would have been friends for a while (like, since their equivalent late teens) before entering a romantic relationship. They were very close during hard times, and although things had been slowly spiralling for a while, Farsight dying would have pushed Mastermind over the edge a little bit.

And then there's Secretkeeper. Oh god, where do I start with Secretkeeper? For one, they definitely had something going on at some point, but it was never horrifically official or well stated. They were friends since childhood, and although they got along well at first, things slowly went downhill over the years.

I think that, although Farsight was willing to forgive her at first, the conversation that took place between Secretkeeper and Farsight in the Moon Rising prologue was the beginning of the end. It dug up Farsight's feelings of invalidation about her grief, which put her in a bad place mentally. In addition, it pissed off Mastermind, who is mutual enemies with Secretkeeper, and it made their truce of 'not fighting so the dragon we both love and care about isn't upset' a hell of a lot harder to keep up. By the time Farsight died, she and Secretkeeper were barely on speaking terms.

Wow! That's depressing! Anyways, random fun stuff. She definitely would have been bi. In my eyes, she was purple and orange with curly fur. Like a sunset, or the early night sky. She was more than a little silly, as all good characters are. She was the kind of friend who pushed you into do fun things when you would've have initiated them without her.

That took more than an hour to write, I should stop now, so yeah! My thoughts on Farsight! Hopefully somewhat coherent! Sorry if I accidentally offended you with, like, a cardinal sin of Farsight characterisation.

[laismoura-art]

The gameplay reveal left me in despair. They just can't. They can't just violently murder Subscorp and on fucking pride month. Please say sike right now Ed Boon, this is not funny. I have been shipping those two since I was a child and saw them for the first time.

I'm already on copium pretending those two are their children.

But you know what!! Now I'm gonna ship them even harder!!!!

(I also love your story 'Be my king' not a lot of people write about the Snow Blind movie)

Ok, ok, first I gotta say I was a bit confused with this ask, and then I went to watch the trailer and check the SubScorp tag, and I'm--

And to be fair, that was quida hilarious!😅

Anyways before I say anything, let's calm down and take a deep, deep breath!

Let's go in *inhale*

And out *exhale*

And now let me do some damage control to Mr. Boon.

"They are brothers now."

He most definitely meant brothers in arms. They wouldn't just go ahead and make these characters actual blood related siblings. For obvious reasons: 🇯🇵🇨🇳

Also, I watched and rewatched the new trailerS and a couple things got my attention!

In the first trailer, Liu Kang said: You can face each other like sworn enemies or united as brothers.

The bit "sworn enemies" that plays a big hint to their old dynamic. The Shirai Ryu and the Lin Kuei were beyond "bitter rivals" they were sworn enemies, with a historical and cultural war going on!

So it's very much clear the characters from different/opposite backgrounds, raised to hate each other, are still there.

Which makes this whole, actual siblings very unlikely. (Breathe people!)

Another important bit from the first trailer is Lui Kang explaining how, in his timeline, they all "chose peace"

So Kitana and Millena are together as sisters. And SubScorp is in some sort of peaceful pact (such as the previous games)

But now there's this trailer and we get to see more of Kitana and Millena's new dynamic and they are not fully at peace, Millena doesn't trust Kitana even Kitana saying she just wants to help!

For me, it felt like this timeline pushes enemies to seek a peaceful pact but that doesn't come with ease, they still have issues to overcome.

So SubScorp are two members of sworn enemy clans, they are bothers in arms, and they have to fight for each other as such, they have to leave hundreds of years of historical and cultural baggage behind and work together to help Lord Liu Kang.

They have to fight like brothers, even though they aren't, they must. That's how they keep peace in this timeline.

Another thing I found in the second trailer:

Noticed the different outfits? The first one brand new matching with Hanzo’s and the second one looking classic-like?

You can argue these are just different outfits, but I'm pretty sure Sub is the only one in the whole trailer who displays a different outfit, Hanzo himself never changes.

So I think you caught my drift already, right?

Kuai is baby, he knows from other lives how to form a bond with Hanzo, how to be his ally, how to stand by him and watch his back!

Bi-Han, on the other hand... what if Bi-Han is part of their challenge to keep the peace between their clans, what if, like Millena, Bi-Han is sceptical and distrustful? What if he puts their dynamic on the edge? What if he can't accept Hanzo as his brother(-in-law) in arms? And that's their personal struggle in this timeline they gotta solve?

So, what you think?

Edit: forgot to mention, I'm so glad you liked Be My King! Makes me so happy to see Snowblind being appreciated!💙💛💙💛

[shoujomangathoughts]

Character Corner - Oushi (A Sign of Affection)

Okay so here's a series I'm introducing (cheesy name and all) for when I'd like to talk about a specific character instead of a series on a whole.

For some background context, I'd seen hype around this manga and then again when the anime was announced and started airing, but at first wasn't in the mood for some saccharine romance. However, I was recently in the mood and gave it a shot, and I enjoyed it (enough to read all the way to the current chapter lol). Anyway, previous to this I knew a few things about the series, one of which was that a certain character (Oushi) had a quite an online hate-train. And now that I've consumed the series up to its current point... I can't say I fully understand.

Now Oushi is definitely a character who is designed to rub the audience the wrong way; he's brash and kind of an ass toward Yuki, but people make it seem like he does such terrible things to her that he's an irredeemable person.

One of the main reasons people dislike him is the fact that he comes off a bit ableist, and while I can't say I fully disagree, I also don't think he's intentionally doing this (later chapters especially make me believe this). Yes he's a bit misguided and the fact that Yuki isn't the fragile, helpless person he seems to believe she is at times is actually something that makes him insecure. In his mind, he's the person who reached out to her by learning sign language and by being relatively close to her throughout the years, which is why when Itsuomi so quickly commits to learning sign he feels threatened (especially true when he drunkenly mutters he doesn't want Itsuomi to come into "their world"). But honestly he never does anything that terrible to Yuki unless I'm forgetting something. When it comes to his view on trying to protect her, there's a more recent chapter that shows he was present when Yuki was humiliated and mocked for her voice sounding "weird" and he saw how hurt she was and noticed that she stopped using her voice after. He directly sees how someone with a disability is put down for it (mind you he says her voice was never strange to him and he seemed to admire her for earnestly trying), which I think is the root of him feeling like he wants to protect her. Throw that in the mix with his growing affection for her and his personality being that of someone who isn't aware of how to express their honest feelings, and you're on the track to get where he currently is.

I actually think because of this he's a good foil to Itsuomi. Itsuomi was raised abroad and has learned the beauty of communication and tasted the triumph of being understood despite language barriers, and between that and his love of language, he's a lot quicker to adapt and be both intrigued and inspired by someone like Yuki. Oushi on the other hand hasn't had this experience and has seen Yuki's disability be used by others as a means to hurt her, hence why they act so differently. Now I'm not saying Oushi's behavior is entirely correct, but to me it's pretty easy to see why he acts how he does. I also think it's worth mentioning that Oushi himself thinks about how he interacts with Yuki and realizes that he hasn't come across well. He's still growing as a person up to the latest chapter and gradually becoming more self aware.

I also think it's important to see how Yuki herself views Oushi. She labels him childish and thinks of him as being somewhat rude (she calls his signing 'thorny'), but she also talks about how nice she thinks he is. In a series that goes over the fact that expressions are vital to understanding someone, she hardly has a bad thing to say about Oushi. Yes she was a bit uncomfortable when he was near once, but at that point she'd suspected his feelings for her and she was in a happy relationship. She even tells him that she was grateful to have someone like him reach out to her because it helped her. She seems to think of him almost like an overbearing brother, he picks on her sure, but I can't think of him doing anything overly cruel or saying anything that really cut her deep.

I'm not sure I totally understand the hate I see for his character to be honest. The biggest reason is that he may be "ableist", but to be honest the way he treats Yuki is the way I think many people would treat someone with a disability because someone who doesn't have an impairment of a sense wouldn't entirely understand the experience of someone who does. He doesn't really make fun of her for it, more so he tries to limit her (and while he says things, he never really stops her or takes any action). As he's watched her make friends, get a boyfriend, and do things like any other college student, I think he's realized the point of view he was looking at her from was a bit misinformed. I don't know, maybe I missed something, but I think some may have missed the point of his character, especially with how heavily he contrasts Itsuomi, who is mostly perfectly adaptable and understanding. I don't know if it's the shipping of Oushi with Yuki that people don't like (for the record, it's not like I want Oushi and Yuki to date), but I think his character works well in the context of the series. Much of his behavior otherwise seems pretty standard of characters who are jealous (and honestly, like many second male leads).

I wrote this pretty quickly so feel free to disagree or let me know if I overlooked something that makes one of my points feel off, but I just wanted to give my thoughts since I saw some discourse about this character. I know it's more of a slice of life series but I really thought going into this series that he'd be quite the villain and I didn't see his character that way at all. Thanks for reading and hopefully the new format is okay! Sometimes I want to talk about a certain character despite not feeling like I have any real conversation to add about a series at large, hence why I made 'character corner'.

[theminecraftbee]

Yeah, I knew it was unlikely for anyone to partner with a spirit from the start like Grian does, in fact my first idea for this was "episode where xB gets possessed by the spirit of Hiding or something and plot twist the episode doesn't end with him defeated, the monster is invisible by definition and after its conflict is done it can't be caught, plot twist xB stays like that for the rest of the season peacefully somehow, I guess that could mean somehow being a full magical girl who's just undetectable instead of having a transformation sequence, this could also power up his ability so Scar eventually forgets he even has that guy to look out for..." and then I couldn't think of any situation where a character whose whole plot point is staying hidden would do anything to cause the heroes to notice it enough for an episode to happen anyway, and then I imagined that first burst of all of them escaping, off to do various chaotic things, and then the one that's based on some concept that's naturally peaceful and quiet all along just calmly floats along until it finds someone who's used to being quiet and would be happy to be rid of what little attention he does get, so I thought it would be funny if the two just met and instantly agreed fully or however partnership works, like before the monster attacks have happened enough that xB even knows about them, you know?

That plus the "mysterious helper who may or may not know all the secrets but either way ends up not being a threat" trope and the "unremarkable background character with an inexplicably dedicated fandom" trope, it would work just as well to have him start appearing at any time but it feels funnier/more fulfilling to be able to look at this imaginary anime and have at least one frame of every single episode where he's visible!

oh hmmm that's actually a fun one. and to be fair, i think xb would be... rather happy to slip into the background, honestly. sure, this is all... a lot more than he'd prefer to deal with. but watching scar's crew deal with it has given him SOME idea of how to handle the fact he still has a spirit around, and being able to be invisible sometimes... it's useful. it's useful!

i think maybe he shows up in the background of some support group episodes afterwards and if you aren't paying attention it's hard to realize what's happening.

however i'm honestly still not sure how early in the plot we can have a spirit partnership here? i think maybe. xb is an early possession victim (maybe one of the first ones blackbird interferes with?) but the spirit escapes. xb sort of just slips away without letting anyone help him quietly because he manages to get unpossessed but he just KNOWS people are gonna be weird about the fact the spirit escaped. plus, he has unlocked a little more of his magical potential now. he can just... make himself disappear. he doesn't know why. it's not a partnership, so much as a potential he already had that, like a few other members of the plot (bdubs being out big example), due to a combination "wishing star getting closer" and "spirit possession", he can do even more.

and it's... nice. sometimes it isn't nice - he basically can't go out to eat unless he's with someone else, the waitstaff will forget he's there, and actually for anything he needs to be remembered for it's kind of a pain, but in a lot of life he just... slides in the background now. and if he really, really wants to be noticed he can mostly turn it off? but eh, he's an introvert anyway, as long as his small circle of friends still talks to him, he's fine. keralis and hypno and beef haven't forgotten he exists yet.

(hypno nearly forgets once. it makes xb's hair stand on end. he puts more effort into his side of the friendship with him for months afterwards. hypno's bemused. "you never texted back so quick before. what's gotten into you - monsters making you remember your mortality?" and it's... easier than the actual answer to go with that. hypno says xb should go to the support group again. xb doesn't say: they won't remember i'm there too if i don't make an effort to talk the whole time.)

its later in the plot, after... i had a timeline somewhere, but i think at LEAST after bdubs joins the squad and DEFINITELY after the "the magical girl crew fights the military" incident. it's then that the spirit of hiding reappears, and, drawn once again to xb's magic, despite the fact he's arguably more resistant to possession now, turns up where xb is.

and like... look. xb really, really doesn't want to get possessed again. because as nice as fading into the background is, he just... he doesn't want...

and they find themselves at an impasse.

xb gets this guy, is the thing. compared to other spirits, this guy doesn't do that much. it just... makes it easy to forget itself. to forget other people. and there's a horror in that, too, but there's also... xb can relate. before all of this started, he would have thought he'd be content to be entirely forgotten as well. it's just, the brief moment when someone he was close to had no recognition in his eyes -

"hey," xb says to the spirit that does not want to leave but that he doesn't want to let possess him. "hey. change of plans. how about we make a deal? i think there's something we can both offer to each other."

two days later, he slips into keralis's door and, once he finds the man, quietly sobs. he never says why. afterwards, he goes back to almost-normal. almost. if you aren't one of his friends, at least. his friends are... concerned. he's up to something.

xb assures them: he won't interfere that much. not his style. also, if he WERE to get noticed, he's pretty sure he might get dissected or something? so. much better to just... adjust from the background when he can.

he's sure it'll turn out fine.