#that was meant for piling up things but like

[maddascanbe-blog]

The Department of Unearthly Inhabitation

"Ma'am we understand if you don't want to maintain the property, but if you don't sell it soon, it will be repossessed." Cross told the irritating young lady.

"That castle been in my family for generations!" She insisted. This was false. It was bought by the previous owner's parents as extra storage and was maintained by their son while he attended university.

Looker was fully aware of this fact, as well as the fact that this young irritant had refused to pay the remaining staff. They left, and now no one was handling the property in question.

"You can't just steal my inheritance!" The Lady shouted at them.

Cross sighed. "Ma'am, it's not us who would be repossessed it. You can either make sure someone is living there now, or you'll have a non-living tenant soon enough. Then you'd have to find some Mage to chase whatever it is out!"

With it becoming clear that there was no getting through to this woman, Looker marked 'Would not accept assistance' on the form, and both walked back to their truck.

"I take it things went poorly?" Carrey asked from her position in the drivers seat.

"Shut up." Cross snapped, already at his wits end.

Looker took up the passenger seat, and they started driving.

"Where to?" Carrey asked as they approached a crossroads.

Looker flipped open a leather bound book. "We're meant to investigate the Vastly estate. They think something has moved into the property. Someone went missing 7, so it got bumped up on priority."

As it turns out, things had only worsened.

"We don't understand!" Lord Vastly insisted. "We're very careful, even the farthest reached of the property we keep in top form! There are wards against Fair-folk in the woods and fields to prevent circles from forming. But now two of our staff have vanished without a trace!"

Looker put up a hand, "What path are these people taking? Tell me exactly."

They rode the rest of the way with Cross, bemoaning the incoming heache of paperwork they were sure to meet when they made it back to the office.

At the edge of a forested area, they stopped the truck, and Carrey hopped out.

The second her feet touched the soil, she held up a hand to alert the other two.

"Smell that?" She asked.

"No." Cross said plainly. "You know we can't smell things like you, so fill us in."

Carrey took a deep breath. "Smells like rot."

Cross and Looker exchanged glances.

"Perhaps this day might be interesting after all." Looker suggested.

This wasn't bartering with the Fae to get two wayward souls back.

Carrey grabbed a long iron wire from the back of the truck and made a ring around the truck.

Looker took a few seeds from his pocket and pressed them into the ground. Hypericum bloomed after a moment.

Cross was pulling on his jacket and tossed a bag to his teammates.

"Go, record, call the hunters if need be." He told them sternly as they saundered over to the woods.

"Displaced earth." Carrey announced, pointing past Cross and to the left of the group.

"Smell that, did you?" Cross teased, he adjusted the weight on his back.

True to her word, there was a large mound of dirt piled up on two sides of a hole. As they approached, the other smell she'd mentioned, the rot, became clearer, too.

Looker placed a hand to the earth. "Recent. There's something down there, something that just now was let out."

"I'll get the rope." Carrey turned on her heel and headed back to the van, but Cross was too impatient to wait.

He flicked on his flashlight and jumped down into the pit. "Hello! Department of Unearthly Inhabitation! If there is anyone living or non, please announce your presence!"

They heard silence. Cross's flashlight landed on a decomposing newly dead wearing the employee uniform of the property.

"Looker!" Cross called up, "get down here. We've got a body."

Looker's boots hit the floor as he joined his boss. He pulled on a glove and carefully pried open the corpses mouth. Then, I placed a coin inside.

"That'll keep 'em quiet until we can move them." He assures Cross who was still scanning the cavern.

"Looker-" He said again. Showing another two bodies. One had another uniform, but the other was only bone.

Stepping forward again, Cross's flashlight revealed more and more bodies. All of them were reduced to skeletons and in some places were broken.

"Someone's digging up a Pottersfeild…" Looker realized.

"Yeah." Cross began to move back to the entrance. "Carrey! Pull us up!"

"One second!!" Came the slightly far off reply.

"Cross-" Looker pressed a hand to the floor. "Somethings been moving in here, recently."

His boss did not look happy to hear that. "Carrey! Now!"

"I'm hurrying!" She shouted.

The rustle of bone met Cross' ears as he turned to the darkness around them.

"Cross-" Looker said again.

"I know." The man spat.

"Cross!"

"I Know!"

Bones and earth wre pulling together. Not one body, dozens of bodies, recently unearthed.

An unmarked mass grave that some idiot had decided to dig up!

The rope Carrey had retrieved fell down and Cross shoved Looker to it as the mass opened dozens of shattered jaws and screamed an unholy sound at them.

Cross retrieved a long wide balde from his back. Golden runes came alight along the blade.

The Department of Unearthly Inhabitation could hardly leave their employees unprepared, could they?

Two universal constants of high fantasy living:

If something falls into ruin a necromancer will move in 100% of the time

There is a critical mass of gold that will summon a dragon. If you keep accurate records and stay below it you’ll be fine

[bidisasterevankinard]

I'm coming for you

For @louscurls bc they said let's crush this Jeep. I did

“Text him text him text him,” that is all Tommy can hear around him because Lucy almost screams it in his ear and all the team, who are on the shift, eat their pizza and repeat this with her between chewing.

“I won’t text him,” Tommy says loud enough so everyone hears him. “It won’t make both of us any good.”

“You don’t know it,” says Milton.

“It might be that you both actually have something to tell each other. At least I’m sure Buckley has,” Lucy says, nodding on his phone, “but if you actually think it's a bad idea then gimme your phone. I’ll block him so you won’t look at your phone like a kicked puppy,” she tries to take his phone, but he is quicker to get it to his other hand. 

“No, no one blocks him either.”

“THEN TEXT HIM,” the chorus of voices makes him jump in his seat. 

“I won’t te…” his phone starts ringing, “OH FUCK! IT’S EVAN! WHAT SHOULD I DO?”

“ANSWER HIM!”

Tommy wants to say no. Again, finding the way to play it won’t give him or Evan really good to start again. But the truth is his weak man and he misses Evan like crazy. He answers the call right before it can disconnect.

“Go for Kinard,” he ignores everyone's rolled eyes, trying to stop his heart from beating too fast when all he hears is Evan’s strange breathing and sounds like some is screaming and moaning in the background. “Evan?”

“H-hi, Tommy,” the voice is weak. Too weak for Tommy’s liking. 

“Evan? What’s wrong, where are you?” 

Everyone comes closer to him, with faces that make Tommy want to puke.

“C-car accident. Someone T-boned me and then several cars got into me from different sides,” weak voice answers him. “I don’t think you meant this by being my last, but hey, look you were wrong. First and last are the same.”

“Evan, what is your location and how do you feel? And why do you call me and not dispatch.”

“Some-someone already called. Heard it. Wanted to call or text you all week. Why did you s-stopp bubbling me? I-I wanted you to text me. B-baked so many things because of you.”

Tommy listens as well as he can when he begs someone to call dispatch and find out where a massive pile up happened. 

“I love you so much Tom-my why was I not enough? I just wanted to be enough for you,” Tommy’s heart stops when he hears it and he feels the tears on his face. 

“I love you too, baby, that’s why I need you to tell me where you are, please Evan,” he hears only breathing on the line, “Evan? Evan! Please talk to me.”

“I have the address,” Lucy screams, pointing towards the helicopters.

Tommy runs, hoping Evan still can hear him, at least while he still can listen to his breath on the line, he will believe it, “I’m coming for you, Evan.”

[sheep-from-rad]

Hi! Sorry if this is weird or anything, this is my first time sending an ask lol

But I just finished reading your writing about the singer/influencer reader and omfg I love your brain. Like imagine the reader did a cover of/wrote like spit in my face by ThxSoMch or Cigarette Ahegao by Penelope Scott (love her sm btw-) cause just imagine the GUILTTT

Imagine the Batfam listening to their music and just hearing the bitterness in their voice as they sing “Screwing everything up, doing everything wrong, In my defence I wasn’t supposed to be around this long, so” HGDECANZZKNFBVD

Anyway, I love your writing and I hope you have an absolutely amazing week! Take care of yourself too- drink water, eat some food and try to get some sleep ml <3

Nah anon you're cool. I love reading asks. ALSO credits to Luludelulusramblings, they made the originally made Influencer reader. Batfam belongs to DC as usual. Singer reader post: here

You know, in the Art History year 1901-1904, Picasso started the Blue Period where he only painted in the shades of Blue. It started due to the death of his friend, later his financial struggles, and of course the current state of the society. Blue Period art was so good but so doleful and depressing that no one wants to hang it in their house. Singer! Reader started their career covering mainstream songs, band songs, maybe even vocaloid. 

Their blue period started months before they planned to leave the manor. It was a simple cover of MARINA’s ‘Are you satisfied?’ A lot of burnt out overachievers ate that cover, even Tim himself. The song is basically the reader questioning the Wayne last name. Sure it was a goldmine to others but to them it’s a ticket to misery. One song cover turned into many song covers, enough to make a long playlist to play at 3 a.m. when you’re about to have a breakdown. 

The whole playlist? Batfam avoids it because it reminds them of the times they could have been giving you love but they didn’t BUT at the same time they can’t really avoid it. It became like those guilty pleasures playlist. Damian loves and hates reader’s ‘The Family Jewels’ cover because it reminds him of the fact that he and the reader are basically on the same boat. They were just children who needed attention and love. He got that attention and love immediately because of the whole league of assassins backstory. He won’t admit it but the weight of the role weighs like tonnes of iron on his shoulders. 

Jason, Bruce and Cigarette Ahegao will roll together so much. That man has twice the amount of trauma Bruce had and his coping mechanism sucks. All the aggressiveness was just a coping mechanism, underneath he’s a man with conflicted feelings and those years of being dead and suddenly being resurrected didn’t help. Let’s face it Bruce is a tired man who lives a double life. He's a man who dresses up like as a bat making sure the city is safe but he can't cover all grounds. The neglect on reader was unintentional but neglect is neglect.

Dick with reader’s cover of ‘Stressed out’ by Twenty one pilots, no explanation needed. ‘This is me trying’ by Taylor Swift with Cassandra, Stephanie, and Tim. Cassandra and Stephanie being raised by villains and Tim being an overachiever to have his parent’s attention. His parents being always away and realizing he basically did the same thing to the reader by making them feel invisible. 

Double guilt if they left the playlist on autoplay and ‘Daddy issues’ plays. Any version but I think the original fits the bill. Reader ends their blue period with a cover of Mother Mother’s ‘Burning Pile’ basically saying ‘Yeah fuck it, it’s over. I’m burning it, I’m leaving it, I’m closing the chapter’. But to the Batfamily, it meant renewal and turning a new leaf, an invitation to make things better.

[onelonelyghost0]

FR, so much of body horror is just disability things. Like I grew up with creepypasta, with YouTube horror. Did it do everything right? No! But it did a lot better than what I see often.

Body horror is too many limbs, too many eyes, bodies mashed together in a pile, something that continues to regrow no matter how hard you kill it, at least it is to me. Stop saying Tourette’s is body horror (one thing creepypasta did get wrong sadly, idk if it was meant as body horror but I’ve seen it posted and I don’t like it) and start making me see edlrich gods

Scars? Not body horror. Limb differences? Not body horror. Facial differences? Not body horror. Feeding tubes, colostomy bags, etc? Not body horror. Movement disorders? Not body horror. Visibly disabled people just existing is not horror.

[brujamala-aka-gigi]

self growth pick a pile tarot reading

˚｡☁️𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒔 .˚⊹₊ 🐇

During times like these where things move too fast and everything feels overly chaotic, it becomes clear that we all need our time to rest and to enjoy ourselves in the company of others. Loneliness is usually enjoyable when it's a choice, but sometimes it might not be the case. This reading is meant as encouragement for you to value what you bring to others and know what could be given to you. I understand how hard it is sometimes to have the time and energy to put into socializing, but hopefully there's something in here that makes you glad you put the effort on it.

{ plushie's found in @hauntedtoybox 's blog } {dividers by @cafekitsune & @kyejiz }

pile one pile two pile three

.‧͙˚ *༓ scroll down for the readings ⋆ִ ‧͙⁺˚

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masterpost ✶ pac readings ✶ ko-fi page

⋆bookings for personal readings are open ཐིཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺

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૮꒰ • 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 •꒱ა ♡

KING OF WANDS

I think this card is really calling you out for not trusting your journey to prosperity. It seems to me that you doubt yourself due to not being traditionally successful or not having an easy to see abundance in your life. You are not entirely sure on why people rely on you so much, or what it is that they are drawn to. The warmth and the comfort others make you feel, the safety and the contempt, and the inspiration they give you, is a reflection of what you are naturally putting out in the word. It might not be intentional from you, but plenty of people are impressed by your virtues. Your creativity and your motivation are pretty contagious, people are drawn to you because your energy attracts abundance beyond material gains. A passionate individual like you, shines the most when it's possible to be mindful of others’ needs and expectations without making them the main reason why you are what you are. People look up to you in the same way you look up to them, so be careful when putting someone or something on a pedestal, idealization takes too much away from the humane beauty of individuals and their creations. Respect comes before admiration.

૮꒰ • 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨 •꒱ა ♡

TEN OF DISKS

This is a really nice “sharing is caring” type of vibe. Generosity and solidarity are really important values to look for in any space. You are naturally altruistic and you want everyone to feel as comfortable and cared for as you feel. It's key that you can enjoy belonging to places where there's a sense of order that's not oppressive, but instead feels natural and coherent to preserve balance and unity. You need to be surrounded by people who share similar ambitions, values, ideals and short term objectives with you, as this is how you form the deepest connections and how you find confidence to build a life filled with contempt. Don't be afraid to ask for help, even if you are usually the one helping out others. It's very likely you are underestimating how equally altruistic and caring others are willing to be with you. And also, don't fall for unhealthy competitive behaviors affecting your energy. Everyone has their own merit, and nobody that's worth your time will try to force you into hierarchical dynamics. Embrace equity and cherish it as a source of power, this is the best way to ensure you and your loved ones are capable of experiencing success and fulfillment without it being overly demanding in a negative way.

૮꒰ • 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 •꒱ა ♡

STRENGTH

At this point in time it is necessary for you to surround yourself with people who understand your struggles and are willing to stand with you whenever you are facing adversities. Empathy and understanding are always valued, but you are in need of places where you can feel supported beyond emotional matters, you also need to nurture your ability to take action and grow alongside individuals wanting to better themselves. You might feel misunderstood from time to time, maybe your journey towards peace of mind and contempt being underestimated. I promise you there are places and people who share your struggles and also share your objectives, and there's also people who can comprehend the depths of your process. There's nothing wrong with wanting or needing support outside the spaces you already belong to as long as you value the effort from those who don't quite get it yet. Sometimes shared experiences are key for developing connections that feel nurturing, and sometimes they are not. I think it would be really positive for you to share your development process in places where everyone is on the same page or close enough. You have a lot to learn, but also a lot to teach.

masterpost ✶ pac readings ✶ personal readings

✶ ko-fi page ✶

⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆ available for personal readings ⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺

[girlz4jaem]

OUR PATHS | 11. dubs in the chat (wc: 1k) cw: mentions of cheating

JAEMIN arrived at your room within five minutes of your request, carrying a handful of your favorite snacks and the little comfort items he’d used with you the last time a storm had kept you up. as he took off his slippers, settled in, and began prepping a quick late-night meal using the dinky hotel kettle, you couldn’t help but feel your heart melt the tiniest bit. not only had he taken you up on your offer to come by, but he’d also remembered exactly what you needed on nights like this.

you both ate the instant ramen he brought over, the two of you sitting on the edge of your bed. the silence between you felt heavy, like there were words piling up but no clear path forward. yet, the ramen was almost too good for midnight, and in its own way, it helped ease the tension. it was hard to admit, even to yourself, but this was exactly what you needed. his quiet, steady presence and his little gestures of thoughtfulness, even after all this time, still made a difference.

after a few moments, you noticed jaemin watching you as you finished your last bites, a pensive look in his eyes. suddenly, he spoke, his voice almost catching, as if the words were slipping out against his own will. “i’m sorry. and i’m sorry it took me so long to say it.”

your eyes widened slightly, not expecting the conversation to start like this—or even tonight at all. you tried to brush it off, hoping to avoid the inevitable heartache that you knew this talk would bring. “is this what you’ve been meaning to say the past few days? you already apologized, no?”

jaemin shook his head softly, his gaze still fixed on you. “y/n, you know that’s different... why do you keep trying to push me away?”

you took a deep breath, focusing on the ground, summoning the strength to finally open this door back up. “you really broke my heart, do you know that?”

his voice was quiet but determined. “let me be the one to put it back together, y/n, please. i really am sorry for everything. i’m sorry i didn’t get to show you how much you meant to me when i had the chance.”

a beat of silence passed, and you took a shaky breath. “do you even want to tell me why you left? because you never did. you left without saying goodbye, and that fucking sucked. i wish you would’ve at least broken up with me in person.”

jaemin’s shoulders tensed as he processed your words, his face contorted with regret. “i know. and, god, i am incredibly sorry. i know this is all still confusing and frustrating for you, but you have to know i never stopped loving you. i still love you. i just... i needed to figure things out about myself.” he paused, as if bracing himself, then continued. “a couple of days before i sent that text, i ran into my ex on a work trip.” he laughed bitterly. “it seems like I’m always running into my exes…”

he continued on,”i don’t know if you remember, because i barely mentioned her when we were together, but we were together for a long time, and she cheated on me. our relationship was messy and toxic, and she left me with a lot of trust issues and self-doubt.”

jaemin’s voice faltered briefly, but he continued. “when i saw her, i found out she’d actually signed up for the work event on purpose, just to give me ‘closure.’ but instead of helping, it brought back everything. it was like i was reliving all of it—how we ended, how messed up that relationship was. it made me realize that i hadn’t really dealt with any of it, and that i’d brought all that baggage into what we had. i needed to work through it, but i thought that would hurt you more than just ending it.”

he looked up at you, his eyes pleading. “how could i love you properly if i hated myself so much?”

your voice was barely a whisper. “but why didn’t you just tell me all of that, jaemin? i didn’t want perfect. i wanted you.”

“i know,” he replied, the weight of his guilt clear in his expression. “i shouldn’t have just left without even attempting to have a conversation. but after what she put me through, i didn’t want to put you through the same thing. i didn’t want you to feel like you had to deal with my issues for me. and, knowing you… you would’ve done just that. you would’ve sacrificed your needs and happiness for me, and i’d been in that exact position before. it always ends badly.”

the room fell silent as his words hung in the air. finally, jaemin continued, his voice softer. “i regretted it as soon as i sent that message, though. i tried to reach out, to fix things, but you blocked me on everything. i even tried to see you in person, but… ryujin told me to stay away.”

you let out a small, humorless laugh, shaking your head. “oh god… ryujin… of course.”

he hesitated on his next words, but ultimately pushed through it. “i know it’s not enough to make up for what i did. i know it’s not going to change how much i hurt you. but i need you to know that i really am here, and i’ll do whatever it takes to earn your trust again.”

your eyes locked onto his, the vulnerability in them matching your own. “you hurt me, jaemin. and i don’t know how long it’s going to take for me to get past that.”

he nodded, his gaze dropping. “i get it. and if you want me to back off, i will. but if there’s even a small part of you that wants to give this another try, then… let me prove that i’ve changed.”

after a long moment, you finally whispered, “i’ll forgive you, jaemin.” you lowered your voice even more, “i-i still love you too.” jaemin perked up at that note. “but i need you to really show me that you mean it. prove to me that you love me the way you say you do.”

his eyes softened with a glimmer of hope. “i will. whatever it takes.”

the storm outside continued, but somehow, you felt a little more grounded.

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NOTES | omfg sorry friends i've been so busy but mayhaps this hella long and long awaited chapter is worth it!!!! TAGLIST (open!) | @polarisjisung @tommina @luvv4bby @222low @luluvhs @spideykeyring @dudekiss3r @sunghoonsgfreal @jeonghansshitester @injunnie-lemon @eternallyhyucks @njmluvr @n0hyuck @junviadinho @hyunnies-world @hahaechans @p4tyaraujo @baeseungcheolie @untilthesunrises @lotties-readings @mango-bear @angelicaleex @jungaji @luvvhaechan @lionzyon @y4wnjunz @luvandletter @applejaem @pikibell @keeryverse @botchedbrat @mystverse @t-102 @skzfairies @andyprkmyluv @gomdoleemyson

bold = couldn't tag

[oshinohoshi]

Oshi no Ko chapter 166 thoughts - the end of all things

So uh... the only positive thing I can say here besides the beautiful Ai art is that I felt sad reading the page where Miyako was hugging Ruby. Everything else left me completely empty

This chapter is either:

A) A self-aware ending meant to show that life is suffering and the idol industry will suck out your soul if you let it

B) Outsourced to someone who skimmed OnK for 30 seconds on Wikipedia before putting pen to paper

It has to be A, right? You can't tell me that the same author wrote both of these pages without the right being ironic

But I don't think so because big brained Akane is the one clumsily narrating this crappy montage masquerading as a real ending

Aqua died for nothing. His sister is now a soulless cog in the idol machine

Ruby is mimicking Ai's speech - "Lies are an outstanding kind of love... We pile on the lies and no matter how hard things get, we sing and act happy onstage. It's a fun job!" But she forgot the rest of it: "Only, I'd like the 'being happy' part to be real. Nobody notices, but we have hearts and lives of our own. Happiness as a mother. Happiness as an idol. Normally you'd have to pick one, but I want both. Ai Hoshino is a greedy girl"

Ai wasn't only a misunderstood girl who worked hard to please her fans. That was a big part of her story but she also broke the rules to create her own family, her own happiness

Ruby, on the other hand, seems to have no real desires anymore, she's just following a path she believes her mother and Aqua paved for her. Never mind that Aqua only wanted it in the end because she wanted it and Ai just wanted her kids to be happy

You can tell that Akasaka is patting himself on the back for making a cyclical narrative where Ruby becomes Ai 2.0 by being commodified, scrutinized, and idolized like Ai was

But it's such a flimsy parallel when it comes to the theme of lies because lying to hide your grief =/= "lies are love" which was the only way Ai knew how to frame her genuine desire to love

And Ai's "I love you" to her kids was true whereas Ruby has swallowed her own lie that being an idol is fun even when you're just doing it to outrun your pain

What this chapter showed us is that the meaning of Ruby's life is to be Ruby of B Komachi and she was put on Earth to sing pop songs. Because that's what Ai did, right? If I remember correctly, her final words were "I'm so glad I got to be an idol #blessed"

My God was the Dome concert soulless. Miyako and Ichigo crying happy tears is a punch to the gut. Doesn't Miyako know her daughter is still hurting?

The last scene is so fucking depressing

Ruby, are you okay? Blink twice if you still remember your life outside the idol industry!

The last two pages work really well as horror. She has a brilliant smile but you can tell that she's dead inside. She's got more merch on her table than photos. Why doesn't she have a corkboard of family photos? Although I more or less have this Ai plushie and it's pretty cute so I'll give this a pass because it's hilarious

I guess the takeaway here is to live for others and life is painful so just grin and bear it. Oh yeah, and inspire other young women to join an industry where they get to act happy and lose their humanity. Cool

I mean I get that it's supposed to be about moving on with your life even while grieving and that's a good message, sure, but Aka's insistence on using the word "lies" multiple times as if saying it makes it make sense ruins the whole thing

The most insane part is that this chapter is a wholehearted endorsement of the lies sold by the entertainment/idol industry

I haven't even said anything about anyone besides Ruby because what's the point? Aka didn't have time to do justice to any of the characters I grew to love

It's clear something went wrong with the timeline of wrapping up OnK. No artist wants to execute a final chapter like this. I'm convinced the film reel edges are Aka and Mengo's way of telling the reader, "we know this is a shitty clips show so don't @ us on Twitter about it"

But it's so much worse than that. Aka really decided to tear to shreds everything he worked so hard on for 4 years. Damn

This is my favorite manga and I'll always love that it gave me Ai, my most beloved character of all time, but this leaves an extremely bitter aftertaste. It's really hard to believe that the same person who wrote vol 1 wrote this.

OnK has been pretty important to me. Reading weekly, chatting with fans, and reaching dangerous levels of Ai brain rot has actually been a helpful distraction. TBH I've been a little too invested in it but sometimes you need escapism. So it's crazy that I'm kind of glad it's over.

But this is why fanfic, fanart, and your own headcanons exist. In another universe, this manga wrapped up beautifully and I was depressed for weeks because I couldn't look forward to it anymore. In this universe, at least we're all suffering together here at the end of all things.

And at least the little Hoshino family is still adorable. Too bad Ai is dead, Aqua is dead, and Ruby desperately needs grief counseling. But NEVER MIND. Look at Ai's smile and the twins' faces. This was the Oshi no Ko I really loved.

[lazyneonrabbitt]

Bug

In which Faelithil, Adar's mortal lover accidentally adopts a newborn uruk.

Adar's attention was drawn away from the fireplace by the sound of someone entering his home, turning and seeing his lover standing by the entryway. Upon the sight he was at her side to take what she held from her so she could rid herself of her cloak and muddy boots.

"My moon," Adar stepped back from Ithil, dropping his arms to his side and taking in the sight before him to ensure he was not seeing things.

"I thought we had discussed bringing work home? Especially this far info your pregnancy." There was didappointment in his tone.

It was true, Adar had asked to leave work at work. At most discuss it over dinner but the need to rest was one both of them had.

"Oh but Adar, he was born only this morning. His mother didn't make it and he wouldn't stop crying unless he was in my arms." She cooed at the little boy and smiled at his soft babbling. "I thought I'd do the motherlikes a favor by taking him with me." The mortal felt for the child, he was barely a day old and had no one.

Adar sighed deeply, but still a smile krept onto his face. "Dear, have tou made it clear to the others you only took him for the night?" He put emphasis on her own words. "N.. no, I don't think I did.. They didn't ask." She thought back at her leaving and the exact words spoken, but she couldn't recall with the fussing babe in her arms.

"Then, I believe you have adopted him. Intentionally or not, it is what you have done by bringing him into our home."

This time it was Ithil's turn to take a moment to take in the situation. Had she really?

"Have you named him? Out loud, I mean." A shake of her head told him no, and a quiet sigh of relief left Adar's body.

"Good, don't name him or he is yours by uruk law. He may stay for the night. Tomorrow morning we will go see the motherlikes and discuss this properly." Adar sighed once more with a smile. Of all the ways she could have misunderstood his culture, this was where she ended up.

"Come, hand him to me so you can change." His voice was as gentle as his actions of taking the child from her arms and handling him like it was second nature. The sight had her all flushed and quickly she disappeared into the bedroom.

Faelithil had seen many things in her months of living with the uruk, but the sight of Adar so gently handling a newborn was new and affected her in a way that most certainly would have led to her begging him for a child if she wasn't already carrying one.

Changing into easier sleep clothes took a while without Adar's assistance, but she managed and waddled back into the home's main area where she pauzed at the sight before her.

Adar laid played out on the furs he kept, his fingers wiggling above the babe resting on his chest and grabbing at them. But that was only part of why she had stopped dead in her tracks. She kept quiet and listened.

"You are going to give your mother such a hard time in her last weeks, I suppose I will have to stay home from now on to care for you, little bug." Adar rambled softly to the urukling on his chest, that happily Buh'd back at him.

"Yes, bug. Do you like that word? Bug."

"Buh!"

"Bug it is, then. As you wish."

Ithil had a hard time holding back the smile that started to hurt her cheeks as she made her way over to her lover and slowly but surely made her way down onto the pile of furs.

"It seems we won't be returning to the motherlikes tomorrow, are we?" Adar had sat up again to give her the space she needed and pressed a kiss to her temple.

"I believe uruk young choose their new parents, not the other way around. When he stopped crying in your arms it meant he wished to stay with you, so who am I to deny him a family." The ancient uruk in this moment showed why he was named Adar all those ages ago, and the mortal could not have wished for a better father for her children.

[skeletboi]

Intridimensional AU part 20! (So many parts 🤔)

First /// Previous /// Next

Also part 19.5 (silly extra sketch) here!

______________________________________

Ford took off his sweater vest and laid it carefully over Stan's sleeping form before returning to Fiddleford's side. They had spent the last hour speaking with the other creatures hiding out in the cave and had come up with somewhat of a plan of action, but had decided to stay here for a few hours and rest. 

Stan had easily fallen asleep, turns out being used to napping wherever and whenever you could came in handy when you accidently fall through a portal. Ford and Fiddleford on the other hand, could not so easily shut their brains off. 

“Do you need help?” Ford asked as he watched Fiddleford attempt to organize the pile of gadgets the other refugees had given them with only one hand. 

“Definitely. But not with this.” Fiddleford replied. 

“Right.” Ford said, looking away. 

Fiddleford stayed silent as he continued to mess with the gadgets, and Ford accepted the silence for all of 30 seconds before speaking up again. 

“Fiddleford, I'm so sorry.” He said quietly. 

Fiddleford put down the gadget he was holding and looked up at the rocky wall across from him. 

“I know. Ya said that already, Stanford.” He said.

“I know I did. I just need you to know that. I never meant for any of this to happen. I had no idea what Bill was really like. I still haven't wrapped my head around it.” 

“Well maybe ya shoulda told me ‘bout him sooner.” Fiddleford sighed. “But then again, ya wouldn't a listened ta me then, either.”

“Or maybe you would have erased that memory.” Ford replied, immediately regretting it as Fiddleford finally turned towards him. 

Ford expected to see anger on his face, and wouldn't have blamed him if he did, but all that he saw was sadness. 

“That's prolly true.” Fiddleford said quietly. “I don't know how to deal with any a this, and honestly I'd like to erase it all right now and never turn back, but I have a son, Stanford. A son that will die with the rest of our dimension if we don’ do somethin’.” 

“Your son…” Ford replied quietly. “I was so caught up in all of this I forgot all about him.” 

“Yeah, well I didn't. I never did. Even when I left him behind to help you.” Fiddleford said with a humorless huff of laughter. “I ain't innocent in all this, Ford.”

“Maybe not innocent, but I'm the one who believed Bill and caused this.” Ford noted

“And I coulda said no from the beginning, but I couldn't bring myself ta do it… I left my son behind second ya called me.”

“You planned on going back in barely a month, Fidds. You can't blame yourself for that.”

Fiddleford looked back at the wall across from him before replying. “I didn't come to Gravity Falls to be part a history or whatever yer always sayin’. I came to Gravity Falls because ya asked me to, Stanford.”

Ford frowned at him in question and Fiddleford glanced back over at him.

“Fer bein’ so smart, ya sure are dumb.” Fiddleford said, huffing out a laugh. “I came when ya called ‘cuz I love you, Ford. I've loved you since ya burst into our dorm room talkin’ bout math. I tried to move on and started a family ‘cus I thought I'd never hear from you again.”

Ford floundered for a second before answering. “Fidds, I'm so sorry. You must know how I lov-”

“No.” Fiddleford said, cutting him off. “Don't go sayin’ that ta me jus’ ta make me feel better. Even in college I knew yer work would always be more important to ya than me. Maybe if I had focused on my own work instead a you we wouldn't be here.” 

“You know how much I care about you, Fiddleford. Can't I love you and my research? You love me and you love your wife! Why can't a man love two things?” 

“That ain't the same. I love my wife, but not in the way I love you. The way I love you is destructive, Stanford.” 

“It doesn't have to be!” Ford practically yelled, then caught himself and lowered his voice. “Maybe destructive is what we need. I know we wouldn't be here if I had listened to you in the first place. Maybe you don't want to hear it right now, but I do love you, Fiddleford, and I'm finally ready to listen. I need you. You keep me grounded.”

Fiddleford looked at him in silence for a moment before responding. “Maybe destructive is what we need. Jus’ promise me ya ain't gonna keep more secrets from me, and I'll do the same.”

“I promise.” Ford said, then leaned in and kissed him.

“Fucking finally!” Stan said, making Ford and Fiddleford tore away from each other and look over at him. 

“I was about to knock your heads together if you didn't get over yourselves.” Stan continued, ignoring their obvious embarrassment. “Watching you two pine over each other was more painful than getting my leg cut off.”

“Stanley! I thought you were asleep!” Ford said.

“And miss all that drama? Fuck no. I'm a light sleeper. Nerd arguments wake me up.”

“I don’ know if I'd call that a ‘nerd argument’.” Fiddleford noted. 

“Well it was!” Stanley responded. “We get it. We all fucked up. We're two amputees and the stupidest genius in the galaxy hiding from god-like geometric shape in a rock floating in space! But believe me, as someone who is close personal friends with rock bottom, it could definitely be worse. At least we all fell into the portal! Imagine if it was just you two! I wouldn't have a damn clue how to bring you back. The only way to beat a three-sided triangle is by being a functioning trio. That's math!”

“That was surprisingly inspiring.” Ford responded. 

“I'm inspiring as fuck!” Stanley said defensively. “The point is I'm happy you two nerd-idiots finally got your shit together. Now I can focus on interdimensional babes instead of trying to steal Fiddleford from under you, Ford!”

Ford pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed in response.

“Prolly for the best, it was startin’ to work on me.” Fiddleford said thoughtfully. 

“It what?!” Ford asked, nonplussed. 

“I told ya he was charmin’, didn't I? Yer lucky I've loved you so much longer, Stanford.” Fiddleford said with a laugh as Ford glared at Stan. “Speakin’ of you bein’ charmin’, take this.” Fiddleford continued, handing Stan a watch-like gadget. “It's a translator. I'm thinkin’ you'll be the best at talkin’ to different people until I can get the supplies, and an arm, ta make two more.”

“Well it ain't a Rolex, but it'll have to do.” Stan said, putting it on his wrist. “But you two should actually get some sleep. We don't know when we'll be able to next. Just no fucking where I can hear it.” 

“Goddammit, Stanley. Maybe you shouldn't be the one with the translator.” Ford said as Stan laughed. 

“I think that's ‘xactly why he needs it. Quick thinkin’ to come up with those terrible jokes.” Fiddleford laughed. “But he's also right, we should be gettin' some sleep. We got a long journey ahead.”

________________________

I try to make Fiddleford's accent more dramatic when he's stressed, but I'm not sure if that translates well? Whatever.

Next will be a comic, which may take me a bit of time to finish because I started my new job and it's like an hour and a half commute one way. So I spend 3 hours of my day driving, and 8.5 hours at work. Which means I am home not often. 🤷🏻

[weapon-xox]

Poolverine writing idea, if you're still taking in ideas!! (It has a bit of angst, but it becomes fluff towards the end hehe) Basically Logan and Wade share a room in his apartment(since it's cramped and all), they're both asleep in the same bed. Logan suddenly has a really bad nightmare(possibly about his past) and kind of stabs Wade on the side with his claws in his sleep. When he wakes up, he does so in a panic when he realizes the blood on the bed and his claws in Wade. For a split second, he forgets about Wade's healing factor and starts to panic and profusely apologize, but Wade just takes his hands in his and starts to reassure him that he's alright, he's not going anywhere, and that he didn't do anything wrong, it's okay.😞😞

thank you for the request!

Logans nightmares are always the same, sometimes the hazy images and distorted voices of those who stood above and watched as he lay awake, pumped full of adamantium while scientists, doctors and government officials laughed and drank over his suffering, spoke of the ways he'd be used as their weapon, how they'd wipe his memory and use him for their own sick gains.

Weapon X they had called him, and while they claimed he was a failed experiment, before he'd killed most of the room, Logan felt he was to blame for every man, woman and child who'd been used after him in any attempt to replicate what would otherwise had been a successful weapon. In a way, that hurt him worse than the adamantium had, the needles that pricked his skin, made his heart stop.

The poster boy for a perfect weapon gone wrong.

Othertimes, and more frequently, his dreams were of the X-Men. His family, who he had walked away from, found piled up like wood, their blood like a fire. These dreams were hazy as well, but far too clear for his liking, no head injury other than trauma to wipe his memories of that night. He'd shoved his own claws through his head on some occasions, fresh after the massacre, but they didn't prove to work as well as a good old fashioned bullet to the head. It helped, a little, but he could still remember and he really didn't want to remember.

Except it was his fault, and it was selfish to try to forget about his X-Men, about what had happened, about what he had done in the aftermath... A victim of his own uncontrollable rage, although Logan would never dare look at it that way. He deserved these dreams, to remember, and nothing could change that.

What woke Logan up this time was a soft, quiet groan. His eyes flew open, the room dark other than the gentle embrace of the moon through cracked blinds. Logan was panting, thick body hair soaked and clinging to his equally as damp skin. Half propped on his side, eyes still tired and wet from sleep and his nightmare, Logan could hear a voice - it felt distant, but close, a soft chant of his name and soon a hand on his wrist, far too kind, undeserved.

Logan looked down at that hand, at his own hand, and the moonlight was in just the right position that the first thing Logan really managed to take in was the blood soaked sheets. Eyes trailed up, his claws were sticky and wet with the same blood, and Logans heart stopped at the source.

He didn't remove the claws yet, still stunned, but looked at his victims face. There was no pain there, no anger, instead twisted only in slight discomfort but otherwise Logan was sure that expression meant worry.

And that's when he retracted the claws. That's when the string of apologies began, heavy sobs as he begged for forgiveness, desperately pushed his hands against the wounds he had made to try and stop the blood but all it managed to do was cause Wade to yelp out a little 'Oh!'

"Sorry-" Logan choked out, and although the wounds had already closed, and Wade was still breathing, Logan just wanted to die. "'m sorry. Didn't mean to-"

"Shh," Wade soothed, his voice like butter in Logans ears but no, he didn't deserve to hear it, to have Wade console him when he had been yet another victim of Logans claws just moments before. "It's okay, Peanut. Daddys here-"

"Don't-" Wade laughed softly. A laugh, that was a good sign, a sign of life. Logan was starting to wake up a little more now.

"You're right, I'm sorry. No time for jokes, huh? Wolvies going through some big, bad feelings," Wade purred in his ear, a hand on Logans head, scratching at all the right places that Logan couldn't help but to lean into his palm.

"It's okay, Lo. I'm here, and look- I'm safe! These bad boys tried to heal while you were still inside of me, not in the sexy way-" Wade looks to the camera and mouths not today, at least, then looks back at his partner with a smile. "and no more blood. Well, not fresh, anyway. I might need to wash these sheets."

Unconvinced, Logan lifted Wades shirt, squinting through his lashes to avoid fully seeing the damage, but... Wade was right. There was no sign of a wound, no fresh blood. His breathing was even, his heart was still beating, and he was looking at Logan with love in his eyes and the Wolverine wanted to run away.

Maybe Wade had sensed that, because the second that Logan even shifted the hand in his hair grasped at his strands, tugged with just enough force that Logan has no choice but to look at Wade, whose expression turned dark.

"Don't you dare run from this, Logan. I won't let you, actually, but I know you're thinking about it." Logan whines, deflates a little bit, and Wades face is soft again. "Oh peanut."

Wade takes his hands, smooths over his bloodied knuckles, massages his thumb between the still unsheathed claws that hadn't gone back in yet. He's able to coax them back inside of Logan, allowing him to relax enough to want to put them away, and chased the claws and the quickly healing gashes with kisses and quiet words of encouragement.

"There we go, princess. Look at you, so good to me, for me. Whose my good boy? Huh?" Wade could only laugh when Logans eyes narrowed. "See? I'm okay. A little thing called regenerative healing, does that ring a bell?" Logan thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Yeah, I... Sometimes I forget. Not used to it, I suppose. Sorry, bub." Wade shook his head.

"It happens."

"It's gotten people killed-"

"But not me."

Logan went silent, because Wade was right. Not him. Never him, because while Logan felt his own regeneration was some sick kind of joke, it was a blessing on Wade (not the circumstances of how he got them, of course).

Wade was okay. He was here, he was breathing, laughing, smiling. Logan wanted to pinch himself, figure out if he was still dreaming, if Wade was about to drop dead at any given minute-

but he hadn't, and he wouldn't, and Wade was kissing him and it was very real. Logan melted, fisting into Wades ruined sleep shirt, chests pressed together. They stayed like that for a long while, breathing each others air rather than kissing, Wade muttering over and over about how he was safe, needed Logan to know he was safe, and that he still loved him so fucking much.

Logan didn't say it back, he was no good with words, but Wade could feel it when Logan would lean into him more, would breathe in his scent. He knew Logan loved him by the way he'd stare at him across the table at breakfast as he ate or drew pictures, how Logan was the one to make him the big pile of pancakes topped with fresh fruits and syrups, whipped cream and a chocolate drizzle. Just how Wade liked.

Logan loved him in the way he'd take care of Wade, how he'd bathe him, hold him, watch as he'd throw a huge tantrum all because his mess had been shuffled around slightly and now he can't find the thing he needs, but the love in Logans eyes never wavered for a second.

And, oh god, did he ever love him with his body.

Logan had his ways of showing it, too scared to say those three little words because everytime he does, someone dies, and Wades been cursed to live forever but with Logans luck, saying I love you would break that curse, and the next time Logan stabs him in his sleep he won't be so lucky.

So, Logan loved him, Wade knew this much, so when Logan would take out his nightmares on his scarred body, how could Wade possibly be mad? He just couldn't. He could never rid Logan of his nightmares, the mutant had them every time he closed his eyes for any length of time longer than a blink, but he could just be there for Logan, hold him, tell him it was okay and that nothing Logan could ever do would hurt him. Nothing physically, at least.

Logan doesn't say I love you, but as they both start to finally drift off to get a few more hours of sleep, and maybe Wade was dreaming now, but he could've sworn he heard the small voice of a frightened sounding Wolverine whisper back, "love you too", and Wade spent the rest of his night watching Logan sleep, ready to protect him from his next nightmare...

But it never came.

[lvnleah]

Idk if it’s related to my childhood and losing a teddy but every time I read Beth/viv/roo and twix is mentioned, I get stressed that Rory is going to lose it.

Would you write a part where twix is lost and Rory is inconsolable for 24/48 hours and then it turns out that Winnie the club dog had just taken twix and hidden it in her bed or something wholesome and Rory is so relieved. Beth and Viv go through all the motions of trying to find a replacement and once they get twix back they organise someone to make a duplicate in case they lose it again

Rory looses Twix.

thank you so much for this request! i feel like this might happen to Roo more than once 🙈

You happily skipped ahead in front of Beth and Viv as you all made your way into the training ground. Your small backpack bounced with each step, and you could hardly contain your excitement. 

Today was a gym day, but you didn’t mind because it meant you would get to see your best friend, Buddy. You’d both been inseparable ever since you had met at the BBQ, at any given chance the two of you were together. 

You said hello to a few staff in the reception area before making your way to the changing rooms with Beth and Viv. They changed into their training kits and you left your backpack in Beth’s cubby but not before taking Twix out. 

As soon as you stepped inside the gym, your eyes lit up when you spotted Monkey sitting on the floor with Buddy, already surrounded by colourful Lego pieces. Monkey waved you over.

“Roo! We’re building a tower. Wanna join?” Monkey called out. “I’m supposed to be training but oh well!”

Beth and Viv smiled at each other, watching as you sprinted towards Monkey and Buddy. You barely noticed Beth leaning down to kiss the top of your head, too focused on the Lego pile before you.

“Go on, we’ll be back soon,” Beth said before they headed off to start their workout. You were already settling down between Monkey and Buddy, ready to dive into the building.

Monkey was just as excited as you and Buddy about the Lego. Buddy, sitting right beside you, was all smiles as the two of you began creating your masterpiece.

“Let’s make a Lego castle!” Buddy suggested, her eyes wide with excitement.

You grinned, already reaching for the pieces you needed. The three of you worked together, laughing and chatting. Monkey kept things fun, making up silly stories about the Lego figures, sending you and Buddy into fits of giggles.

After a while, Beth came over, “You three ready for some lunch?”

Monkey jumped up and nodded, “Who’s ready for cake? There’s some in the canteen!”

You and Buddy’s heads snapped up, eyes wide. “Cake!” you both yelled, scrambling to your feet.

“It’s in the canteen! Let’s go!” Monkey shouted before sprinting down the hallway. 

With no time to waste, you and Buddy bolted after her, leaving behind the Lego castle in your cake-fueled excitement. In your rush, you didn’t even notice that you had dropped Twix on the gym floor.

The canteen was lively with chatter as you, Buddy, Monkey, Beth, and Viv all sat down to enjoy lunch. Leah had joined as well, making sure Buddy was settled with her sandwich before turning to Beth and Viv.

“I heard we’re getting cake afterwards?” Leah asked, raising an eyebrow as she shot a playful look at Monkey, who was grinning across the table.

Monkey, eyes wide with mock innocence, shrugged. “Who, me? I didn’t tell them anything about cake. Nope! Don’t know what you’re on about!”

You giggled too, already halfway through your sandwich as you kept an eye on the dessert table where the cake sat, waiting to be devoured.

But halfway through lunch, a sudden thought hit you. You froze, your fork halfway to your mouth, and gasped audibly. 

“Twix!” you cried, eyes wide with panic as you looked around the table, searching for your beloved bunny. “Mummy, Mamma! I forgot Twix!”

Beth and Viv shared a knowing look. They knew how important Twix was to you, and they could tell by your tearful eyes that this was serious.

Beth leaned in, her voice gentle but serious. “Where did you last see him, Ror?”

Tears welled up in your eyes as you tried to remember. “I-I had him when we came in… I think I left him when we went for cake,” you stammered, your bottom lip quivering.

Beth and Viv both stood up immediately, knowing how upset you were. “Alright, let’s go back and find him,” Viv said softly, taking your hand as you started sniffling, on the verge of tears. “We’ll get him, okay? Don’t worry.”

Your tears started to come quicker and quicker as you made your way back. Viv scooped you up and you buried your head into her shoulder, her hand ran up and down your back comfortingly. 

You searched every corner, but Twix was nowhere to be found. Your quiet sniffles turned into full-blown sobs, convinced that Twix was gone forever.

Viv wrapped her arms around you as you cried. “It’s okay, mijn meisje, we’ll find him,” she said soothingly, but you were too heartbroken to believe it.

The afternoon turned into a whirlwind of searching. Viv, carrying you on her hip, led the way as Beth and a few of the staff combed through every inch of the gym. Some of the team helped too, peeking under mats and gym equipment, but nothing. No Twix. You clung tighter to Viv, your little body trembling with each hiccup of a sob.

“It’s alright, Roo,” Beth whispered, “We’ll find him. We promise.”

Viv and Beth sat down on the bench, you were perched on Viv’s lap cuddled into her chest as you hiccuped. Little sniffles left your body, followed by hiccups and a few stray tears. You’d now been looking for an hour and the hope of finding Twix was slipping away for you. 

“Still no luck?” Leah asked as she came into the gym, Buddy by her side as Monkey followed behind them. 

Beth shook her head, “Nope, searched every corner and still can’t find the bloody teddy! I’ve got no clue where he is.”

Leah turned around and raised her eyebrows with her hands on her hips, “Monkey? You sure you and Kyra don’t know where he is? Haven’t hid him have you?”

“Accusations! False accusations!"

"So you didn't take him?"

“No of course not! I'm not some kind of monster who takes kids' toys-- what do you take me for?"

Monkey quickly held her hands up in defence. “I swear, Leah, I didn’t take Twix!”

Kyra, who had just wandered over, overheard the conversation and gave Monkey a suspicious side-eye. “What’s this about you stealing toys?”

Monkey pouted. “You know me better than that!”

Leah sighed and then grinned. “Alright, alright, I believe you. But checking Win’s bed isn’t a bad idea. She’s taken a few of Buddy’s teddys a couple of times.”

Viv, still holding you close, looked at Beth, and they both nodded. “Worth a shot.”

With you sniffling against Viv, she and Beth started to make their way to the corner of the office where Win had her little bed set up. 

As soon as you approached, Win’s tail wagged as she started to get excited. Viv knelt down, still holding you, and gently moved away from Win’s blankets. At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

But then, out of the corner of Beth’s eye, she spotted something poking out from beneath Win’s bed—something familiar and fluffy. She reached down and pulled out Twix, slightly squashed but otherwise perfectly fine.

“Look what I found!” Beth grinned, holding up the beloved bunny for you to see.

Your teary eyes lit up instantly, and without thinking, you wriggled out of Viv’s arms and lunged for Twix, hugging him tightly. “Twix!” you cried, burying your face in the bunny’s soft fur.

Viv smiled softly, relieved that the crisis had been averted. “Told you we’d find him.”

Beth placed a kiss on your forehead. “Guess Win likes Twix just as much as you do, Roo!”

You nodded, clutching Twix tight as Viv and Beth stood up. “How about we go get that cake now?” Beth suggested, earning an immediate cheer from you. 

You all made your way back to the canteen, with Twix safely in your arms. “I found him!” You smiled, holding Twix up for everyone to see. 

Buddy’s face lit up as she clapped her hands. “Twix is back!” she exclaimed as you sat down next to her. 

Monkey leaned over the table, dramatically wiping imaginary sweat from her forehead. “Phew! Crisis averted, people.”

Leah chuckled, shaking her head at Monkey’s antics. “I told you, Win has a habit of collecting stuffed animals. You’re lucky Twix survived her little treasure box!”

Beth ruffled your hair as she and Viv sat back down. “Alright, now that Twix is safe and sound, how about we dig into that cake?”

You and Buddy practically bounced in your seats as the cake was finally served. As you savoured your cake, Twix safely perched in your lap, the chatter around the table continued. Occasionally, you’d lean over to show Twix something or offer him a pretend bite of your cake, earning smiles from Viv and Beth.

By the time lunch was over, your belly was full of cake and you were happy again. With Twix clutched tightly in your arms, you curled up on Viv’s lap, your eyelids growing heavier by the second.

“Looks like someone’s ready for a nap,” Viv murmured, stroking your hair.

Beth smiled, her voice gentle as she smiled down at you as you drifted off to sleep in Viv’s lap. “Yeah, she’s had quite the day. Cake, Lego, and a Twix rescue mission…what more could a girl go through?”

Viv’s hand kept on playing with your hair, and your little eyelids fluttered open and shut as you tried to fight falling asleep. “I think we might need to invest in a few backup Twix’s.”

Beth nodded, “Definitely, I am not going through this again!”

[hoiststowline]

the anchor

red alert x reader ao3 saw it first here!

tw: very brief mention of blood/injury //

There’s no masking such fervent disapproval, lips twitching between a frustrated frown and a concentrated, tightly pursed grimace. A lecture is for certain in the future, yet you can’t seem to tear your gaze away from his face, a guilty expression overtaking a previously calm composure. 

Red Alert isn’t fond of patching such soft skin, reminded of how you wear no armor and parade around dangerous stunts like you are. When he finds himself prodding at or holding your appendages, it's typically because you've come to him with a problem, and sometimes, you're a bit scraped up and afraid to admit it.

It’s not something that happens often, though things you find ‘minor’ are drastically understated in his mind, stretching the truth until it snaps straightaway in your face. He isn't a human medical professional, knowing the bare minimum, and that is just by your vague expertise, yet instead of seeking an organic medic or even Ratchet, it’s always an unforgiving sight to see you in the doorway with the same nonchalant smile.

Likely hiding something behind said smile, rocking gingerly from the heels of sneakers to the very tops, happy to see him nonetheless. If he’s counted correctly, this would be the fourth time you’ve tried to pull a fast one on him, and while it was a facade easy to see through, it still nerves him slightly. 

“Sorry.” It’s hoarse, likely the culprit of no use, especially due to the ongoing stalemate. Perplexity hits second, unsure why his optics flit to meet yours and then back to the wound he was attempting to treat, bypassing your peace offering. It wasn't rude, per se, you were disrupting his focus, though you wouldn't be surprised if he was forcing you to think about your actions in silence. 

Another painful minute clocks by before he ex-vents, groaning when the gauze doesn’t quite sit properly across your palm, the both of you watching it slide downward as if the knot isn't tight enough. 

“Here,” Tiny fingers nudge his insistent digits away, beginning to tie it with the uninjured hand and roping the other end between your teeth. The security director makes a noise of protest, not liking the inappropriate method of creating a solution, but he finds that you never cease to amaze him with the adaptive approach you always take.

When Red Alert discovers the splashes of dried blood nestled in your hand, a sudden jolt of concern beats within his processor, anxiety arising when he can't figure out why. 

Immediately, you rattled off about how it was insignificant and didn’t hurt, vying to keep the injury away from his view. It doesn’t take long until you’re lifted onto the vast dashboard, Red Alert digging around in his subspace for a first aid kit he keeps there for such instances.

“I just wish you’d take better care of yourself,” He finally concedes, registering he’s probably being unintentionally overbearing, compunction building in his chassis. “You have every excuse in the book, y/n, but contrary to what you might think, I do like you best in one piece.”

A warmness tickles the apples of your cheeks, trying immensely to suppress the rising butterflies that swarm at the bottom of your stomach. He likes you. A faraway mind entraps a hurricane of foolish thoughts, nearly about to giggle and kick your feet back and forth at such an offhand declaration. 

It was a silly concept, thinking that he meant it any other way than how he said it, plain and dryly. It was rather obvious that he had enough of your antics, at least for this rotation, and for you to assume he was flirting when he had piles of work to accomplish was downright ridiculous. 

And yet, you continued with the delirious scheme, struggling to wipe the warbled smile off your face. 

“Maybe it’s just an elaborate ruse to hang out with you.” Answered jokingly, perhaps uttered a moment too long after his initial statement, but you don’t get a chance to release a laugh as he shuts that down entirely.

“You can do that anytime without having to lose a digit.” The chair at the desk is yanked outwards, the mech in question all but falling into it as you still stare his way dumbly, even as he taps at random buttons at his front. “It's not a crazy ask, y/n. I don't mind that...” He catches your gaze, losing his train of thought with an instantaneous blip. 

“That what?” You try, blinking owlishly.

“What did I say?" He gravels, shoulders dipping in a defeated manner, trying to recall what he's said in the past two kliks.

You shake your head, carefully running a finger over the bandage. "Nothing. S'kind of you to offer, but I mean, I'm surprised I haven't been a bother to you enough," 

"Bother?" Red Alert scoffs, tugging away from your intense stare to dive back into his work, effortlessly scrolling through a previously discarded datapad. "That's funny. You're funny, y/n."

A sniffle escapes you, reeling in confusion before whispering a reply. "I didn't say anything funny." 

Both of you wager on the other speaking, hoping to change the subject and continue like the entire conversation prior didn’t happen. But you’re too stubborn, and Red Alert is now heavily focused on his responsibilities, not on how his processor can’t shut up about you. When you begin shimming down the top of his desk as if he clicked one button too many, a hum of concern escapes him easily. 

"And just where do you think you're going?" He pulls backward in his seat, expertly trapping you beneath a stern stare. 

You pause, confusion evident. "Uhm, home?" 

Red Alert looks at you, then to the door, then back to his screen, and then his optics land on you once more. "Why? Are you bored?" 

"What?" Shaking your head, you press onward before he can repeat the question. "No. I'm not; I figured I should let you get back to work." 

"I can multitask," Red Alert is quick to halt your actions, a servo landing just at your feet before they go over the edge of the desk. "And would you cut that out? You're not jumping off from here; you'll hurt yourself again." 

A pout appears on your lips, the temptation lingering. "Are you saying I have to stay?" And you mean it as another joke, half-serious, and to your utmost surprise, he teases back. 

"Yes, you do." Not that you'd complain, but that feeling remains in your stomach that slowly creeps into your chest, heart fluttering rapidly. "I'll drive you home in a cycle, let me wrap up some things." 

"Just so you know, I don't want to leave," You ramble, sliding backward until your spine hits the wall, able to address him better this way. "Ugh, I dunno, I seriously think I'm annoying like all the time." 

Red Alert doesn't immediately reply, but it is apparent he's knee-deep in paperwork and is choosing to divert the parley to another time. At least, you hope he isn't actively ignoring you, watching peripherally as he ex-vents softly, as if in contemplation, now typing something on the massive computer before returning to the data pad. 

"No," He answers, nose scrunching as if he was surveying his words before speaking them. "No, you are not."

Red Alert finds himself never in short supply of absolutely certifiable sentences that stumble forth from your mouth, seemingly finding never-ending ways to leave himself completely stunned, unsure of how even to dignify such a query. Most often, it's another self-jest that he always has the patience to refute, however, in this instance, he dissects something within your words, and a deflection likely would do more harm than good. You don't elaborate, a defiant silence overtaking the room once more as an obstinacy he's never known you to have stands firm. 

"Where did that come from?" He rumbles, observing how fingers wringing together timidly in your lap like you were afraid to say anything more. "That's random, even for you, y/n."

Given his profession, if there was one thing he was best at, apart from his security prowess, he was excellent at spotting a lie. He's a damn near expert when it comes to other mechs, but your roundabout ways and unspoken gestures were a bit more difficult to assess, yet ultimately, he believes he's gotten it nailed down, now watching as you try to backpedal, body tense.

"Ah, forget it. It's not important-" You start, tilting your head to the right as your eyes move downwards, hinting that you were not being honest with him. "Sorry. Yeah, I don't know where that came from either."

This is a side of you he has yet to see, partial to always smiling and happily chattering in good company, but it appears this is an answer you don't quite have the stomach to hear but have been wondering for a while. You're being reticent, obviously just having subconsciously gathered the courage to approach him about such a subject but sensing something overlaying in his response, even if it was unintentional.

"Hang on a klik," While silently processing your words, you had already attempted to change the subject, hopefully unnoticed. "We aren't glossing over that. Rewind."

At your withdrawal from the conversation, stiff shoulders jump to your ears, easily finding his abrupt tone. "Red-"

"I'm not arguing about it with you." Even without looking, you could feel his stare, a frown likely deep on his lips. Knowing he is dead serious, you sigh, the cold touch of the metal wall uncomfortable against your now deflated stance. "What do you mean by that?"

The urge to say 'By what?' is almost undeniable, but it's clear that he was extremely adamant, just because it was the two of you alone. "It was pretty straightforward, I guess."

"But the context isn't." He counters, tone dipping into something much softer, a feat you didn't know was possible. "I could understand if I said something that led you to believe that, but it isn't true."

"You didn't. Sometimes I think I am being irritating." You pause, finally meeting his gaze. "Are you sure?" 

"Positive." It's firm but gentle, careful to not lower your spirits more than they already are. 

"Thanks," It's hummed on the back end of a sob, but you do your best to suppress it and keep it to yourself.

"Anytime." A want to bring your smile back emerges, but in this instance, he thinks it's best to leave this here, at least for now. You're the farthest from irritating he's ever met, if anything, he finds himself leaning toward annoying with his constant fears and overthinking tendencies. Patience is a commodity that flows throughout your words and mannerisms, easygoing and always scouring for your company in the darkest corner of the ark, his office. 

Not many tread his way unless it's to add to the never-ending pile of datapads on his desk. It surprised him that you often sought out his solace, bringing your responsibilities or looking for a spot to talk about a previous shift you'd had at work. Hell, the only time he finds himself leaving the Ark is to take you home, and half the mechs onboard find him paranoid, vastly confused on why you tend to flock to his amity. 

He likes you. 

"I'll take you home," He stands, stretching his arms over his head. "I do believe you've mentioned before that you have work today." 

A small smile appears on your face, looking up at him expectingly. "A few more minutes?" When he hesitates, you add a single word that he can never deny. "Please?" 

"Sure." He returns the gesture, pulling the chair rearwards and settling back into it.

[lady-snow-flower]

Snow was upset the rest of the night.

She understood giving someone their space-- she'd done it enough in her life whether with friends or lovers. But giving space was always much harder when you didn't know when the space would end or if the person would even come back. That's how Snow felt. When Wolf stomped out the door, she was thrust into a state of uncertainty, left standing there holding her breath in hopes he'd come back.

The seconds piled on and he didn't.

Snow had no idea what that might mean. Once, she might have. But after the past few months with conversations that went just like this... perhaps in a way Wolf was right and part of her trust in him had been damaged. Just not because of the reasons he cited. Rather, it was the way he talked. The constant threats that he should leave, that he would leave.

Maybe this time he meant it.

She tried to reassure herself and then returned to her work tasks. They distracted her for a little but not enough and so Snow assigned herself other things to do. She helped Bones in the kitchen, pestered Gregoria in the garden as dusk fell, then remade a few beds that Demi had of course made to perfection.

She was in the library, making her to-do list for tomorrow though her mind was buzzing, when Wolf came to the door.

Snow tensed and looked up. Normally, she'd have a smile for him-- she always saved a smile for everyone. But that bruised heart of hers was too frightened this might be it. He was here to resign.

"Of course," she said, trying to ignore how her throat tightened around the words. She closed her agenda.

@wolf-innsheepsclothing

Red Alert - Snow Wolf

[siyuri]

Ef's moment of respite at the bottom of the Mariana Trench from amazing story Falling Falling Stars by @not-poignant

[athina-blaine]

yeah so it turns out when you take an unapologetic eugenicist and give him a sympathetic backstory where he's been uwu traumatized you get a lot of people unironically defending a eugenicist. yeah it's because he's hot. yeah they're saying he has girlhood rage

[ciderjacks]

argh. This comic writing is taking me way longer than usual. I keep editing things and it doesn’t feel right.