#that’s actually how he got more comfortable around Amy is when they started looking at baby books and seeing past photos

[nympippi]

Necromancer Finney AU: You said that Bruce has the worst memory issues out of the ghost boys. With that in mind, what was his reaction to his parents and sister greeting him for the first time?

When Bruce was first brought home he immediately knew who his mother was, he didn’t know her exact name but he knew it was her based on the vague memories he had of her. But when it came to the man beside her it was muddier, he knew the man was significant but didn’t know if he was his dad, or an uncle, but with his mother seeing his confusion she told him that the man was his father.

With his mother and father, Bruce had memories of them granted they were muddy and were hard to place but ultimately they were still familiar people to him.

His sister Amy however, he had little to no recollection of his youngest sister. He had to relearn things about her and has to slowly remember what it was like being an older brother. Granted he has a lot of trouble remembering her name, he does try and understand word association like A is for Amy.

[im-so-normal-iswear]

HELLO!

May I request a Yandere Sonic, Shadow and Silver (seperate) with a fem reader where comes from a different reality where they are fictional and somehow the hedgehogs became attached and obsessed with reader, reader is very much aware of their behavior and is also one of the reasons why she wants to go home to her own reality fast.

Sending loves to youu!!🫶🏻🤍

A/n: poll on, so now I'm putting images, I couldn't find any good ones

Yandere triple s x reader

Sonic:

At first, you couldnct believe it, you were in Sonics world.

The rolling green hills, the endless loops, the vibrant colors of the world, it was surreal. And meeting Sonic? That was the best part.

He was exactly like you imagined. Charismatic, funny, energetic. You geeked out about meeting him, and he was amused by how much you already knew about him. Sonic took an immediate liking to you, eager to show you around and let you experience the world firsthand.

The first few days were a dream come true. Running through Green Hill Zone, meeting Tails, going toe-to-toe with Eggman (it was actually more like watching Sonic handle it while you stood on the sidelines). Everything felt like a perfect adventure, straight out of a game.

Then, things started getting... off.

It began subtly. Sonic insisted on staying close to you all the time. You figured it was just him being protective. After all, you were just a human, and this world was full of dangers. But the more time passed, the more suffocating it became.

He started pulling you away from the others, cutting conversations short when you were with Tails or Amy. At first, he made excuses, "Hey, let’s get outta here! I've got something way cooler to show ya!" but you quickly realized he was isolating you.you started getting weird dreams.

You dreamed of your real home, your reality, the place you desperately wanted to return to. But every time you woke up, Sonic was already there, sitting beside you with an unreadable expression.

"Another bad dream?" he asked, his voice casual.

When you admitted what it was about, his expression darkened.

"You really wanna go back, huh?" He leaned closer, his smile strained. "I don't get it. You've got me here. What's better than that?"

The moment you realized something was deeply wrong was when you tried asking Tails about ways to return home.

Sonic snapped.

One second, he was his usual self, the next, he had grabbed your wrist, his grip too tight.

"Why do you keep talking about that?" His voice wavered, his usual confident tone slipping into something more desperate. "Aren't you happy here? With me?"

You tried to reason with him, but his grip only tightened. His eyes, usually bright and full of life, had a wildness to them.

"You belong here now" he murmured, more to himself than to you.

From then on, he never left your side. Your freedom was a distant memory. Anytime you tried sneaking off to talk to Tails, Sonic was there. If you attempted to run, he caught you within seconds, always smiling, always acting like it was a game.

"Aw, c'mon, Y/N, you know you can't outrun me."

Every time you tried to bring up leaving, his mood shifted. His smiles became forced, his voice strained.

"Look." he eventually said one night, his voice eerily soft as he trapped you in his arms. "I don't care what reality you came from. This is where you stay."

No matter how fast you tried to run, Sonic would always be faster.

And he wasn't letting you go.

Shadow:

Unlike Sonic, Shadow wasn't immediately friendly.

He kept his distance when you first arrived in the world, observing you with narrowed, calculating eyes. He didn't trust you, not at first. You were an anomaly, something that shouldn't exist in his reality.

But as time passed, Shadow became curious about you. How did you know so much about him? Why did you seem so comfortable around him when most people feared him?

You intrigued him.

Slowly, he started spending more time around you. He was never openly affectionate, but he showed his care in small ways, keeping you close when woth others, ensuring you never strayed too far, glaring at anyone who got too friendly with you.

And then, one day, you mentioned wanting to go home.

Shadow froze.

"You want to leave?" His voice was cold, unreadable.

You explained everything, the fact that he and his world were fictional in your reality, that you had a life to return to. You expected him to be logical about it.

Instead, his expression darkened.

"No."

You turned back to him. "...No?"

Shadow stepped closer, his eyes burning into yours.

"You belong here. With me."

It wasn't a request. It was a statement.

That was when your nightmare truly began.

Shadow started following you everywhere, wether you were aware or not. Always watching, always near. If you ever tried to leave his sight, he'd appear within seconds, his expression always unreadable.

He sabotaged any attempt you made to leave. If you tried to seek help from Tails or Eggman, their machines mysteriously malfunctioned. If you ran, Shadow found you instantly, his Chaos Control ensuring you never got far.

He never hurt you, but his presence was suffocating. Every conversation ended the same way.

"You can't leave."

There was no reasoning with him.

Shadow wasn't keeping you here out of malice.

He was keeping you here because, to him, you were the only thing left worth protecting.

Even if it meant stealing your freedom.

Silver:

Silver was the sweetest at first.

He was kind, gentle, and eager to help you. When you arrived in his world, he was fascinated, your knowledge, your personality, your very existence intrigued him.

And for a while, everything was perfect.

Silver went out of his way to make you comfortable, ensuring you had everything you needed. He was protective, but not overbearing, at least, not at first.

But then, you mentioned going home.

Silver's expression fell, his ears flattening. "What...? You want to leave?"

You tried to explain, but his hands trembled as he grasped your shoulders.

"You can't leave." His voice wavered, his usual optimism crumbling. "I need you here."

From that moment on, Silver changed.

He became more desperate, always clinging to you one way or another, never being more than three feet from you.

Whenever you tried to argue, he just shook his head, pleading. "Please don't talk like that. I love you, Y/N."

He would do anything to keep you.

And if that meant trapping you in his world forever...

Then so be it.

[0vergrowngraveyard]

The day had started pretty average all things considered.

Eggman had decided to attack yet another poor, defenseless village but at this point, that was pretty common (as depressing as it was to admit).

It was a peaceful little spot. The village was pretty small and had its own little beach a few miles away. Why the doctor had decided to attack this place out of any village on Mobius was beyond Sonic but hey, why question the bad doctor’s plans when he can just wreck them?

Which is exactly what he and his team, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy, were doing. Knuckles had decided to get off his island and pay everyone a visit for once in his life so when word got out about Eggman’s attack, Sonic had to bring him along.

Y’know, just for some fun.

The gang had managed to drive Eggman’s attention away from the village and solely onto them. Sonic, Knuckles, and Amy took care of the badniks on the ground while Tails handled a few of the larger flying ones in the Tornado.

At this point, they were just fighting on the beach. It wasn’t ideal for the hedgehog, but it was away from the village at least, and that’s all that mattered. He could begrudgingly sacrifice a bit of comfort in order to keep the people safe.

Didn’t mean he wouldn’t audibly complain about it though.

“Why’d you have to choose a beach to fight at, Eggy? D’you know how hard it is to get good traction on sand?” He charge up a homing attack and shot through three buzzbombers, “Actually, now that I think about it, you probably wouldn’t!”

“Aren’t you the one who led us over here?” Knuckles asked, punching a hole straight through a badnik and tossing it into another one which exploded on impact.

“Maybe, but Eggman’s the one who attacked the village so it’s ultimately his fault!” Sonic responded. Knuckles couldn’t argue with that.

Amy slammed her hammer into the ground, a shockwave taking out at least six of the robots. “Is it just me, or are there a lot more badniks?”

Sonic paused and looked around.

Yeah, there were definitely more than usual, but it was nothing they couldn’t handle!

He pulled up his communicator, “Yo Tails! How’s it going up there?” He asked his brother. The Tornado was flying over the ocean, keeping a lot of the flying badniks away from the ground fight.

“Not too bad!” He pulled on the yoke, driving the plane upwards as two bots crashed into each other. “What about down there?”

“Easy peasy!” He pulled his hand away to spindash through a bot before continuing, “Though it doesn’t exactly reach lemon squeezy criteria.” He held back a snort as he heard the kit groan.

“You sound stupid, I hope you know that.” the fox said.

“I second that,” Knuckles added, “though I’m not entirely sure what this fight being simple has to do with peas or lemons.”

This time, Sonic did laugh, to which Amy spoke up about, “Leave him alone, Sonic. It’s just a saying, Knuckles!��

“Once again, your figures of speech make little sense. Why do they all involve food items?”

Sonic opened his mouth to quip back at the echidna when an explosion rang out, echoed in the communicator.

“As much as I’d love to participate in explaining Mobian phrases to Knuckles, things are getting a little dicey up here! I’ll talk later!” Tails said, performing some tricky maneuvering around a few bots as they exploded.

The Tornado had been getting further and further away from the shore.

“Alright bud! Be careful!” Sonic said, taking notice of how far the biplane had suddenly gotten.

“You too, guys!”

“Don’t know the meaning of the word, lil’ bro!” The hedgehog responded as he lowered his communicator, bringing his attention back to the fight at hand. He could almost hear the kit lecturing him about his hypocrisy from the biplane.

The fight on the ground went on for about 10 more minutes. The three had started making a game out of it. Who could throw/smack Sonic into the most badniks in a row? Amy ended up winning when she sent him flying through five badniks in a row croquette style. Her reward was bragging rights, of course.

As Sonic was recovering from being tossed around like a ball for the past few minutes, he decided to have a chat with the old doctor.

“Ayo, doc! You’ve been a little quiet!” He yelled out, “Is this a defeat silence or a disappointed silence or-“

“Quiet rodent. I’m waiting for the finale.” The doctor said, pressing a few buttons on his control panel and muttering something under his breath.

Sonic laughed as Knuckles and Amy walked up behind him, the former keeping his eyes on the Tornado as it was still fighting off a few of the bots.

Were they getting more aggressive?

“Finale? You mean when I knock you on your butt and—!”

(It all happened so fast.)

There was an explosion, a big explosion. It was loud enough to echo through the entire area (or had it just been amplified in his mind?).

He didn’t register Knuckles cry out and bolt towards the shoreline. He didn’t register Amy pulling up her communicator and screaming at the person on the other end to respond. He didn’t even register Eggman’s triumphant laugh as he said words the hedgehog couldn’t hear.

The world moved in slow motion as he turned his head towards the water just in time to see the flaming body of the Tornado crash into the ocean, sinking to its depths.

Time froze. The world around him muted. He stared at the spot the biplane had crashed.

(It happened too fast. Everything just needed to slow down.)

He couldn’t breathe. A suffocating sense of dread blindsided him, smothering him alive and he didn't have the strength to fight back. His heartbeat pounded in his ear and his legs itched to run.

To run away from the entire scene. To run and not look back because maybe, just maybe, if he didn’t look back, that would mean it never happened. That everything was fine. They would go back to the workshop later and bicker and have movie nights and play fights. They’d complain about one another’s habits and laugh together.

He’d lecture the kit about his sleep schedule (or lack thereof) and drag him to his bed. He’d tuck him in and the kit would later wander into his room after having a nightmare and the two brothers would snuggle up together, fighting off the bad dreams that tormented the little fox in his sleep.

That would all happen. It would. It had to.

It had to because if it didn’t, that would mean Tails was really…

Tails was…

(He just needed the world to slow down. Just this once. He wasn’t ready to catch up yet.)

He didn’t realize he had walked waist deep into the ocean with Amy having to hold him back. Knuckles had tried to swim to the wreckage but soon realized it was a fruitless endeavor.

The crash had been too far out.

There was no way to get to Tails.

All Sonic could do was stare out across the body of water he feared so intensely. It was a fear that was ingrained in him.

The ocean didn’t care about who or what was in its depths. If it wanted to keep you there, it would, and there wasn’t much you could do about it. Especially someone like him who sank instead of floated.

The dark depths were always out for him, wrapping its hands around him and tugging him further and further down whenever the opportunity made itself known. It was like the ocean was determined to make itself his final resting place. It joyfully filled his lungs with water and never allowed him up for air.

There was one person he could rely on to get to him before the water did. One person he knew that could fight off the thing keeping him down.

But that one person had just had his small body grabbed and dragged under by whatever malevolent force lived in those waters. Never to resurface.

It was as if the ocean was laughing at him. Annoyingly tapping at his waist with waves as if to say, “Hey, look what I just did. Did you see that?”

Of course he saw, how could he have missed it?

How could he miss the sight of the biplane he took with him from Christmas Island, the plane that allowed him to meet the kit in the first place, crashing in a flaming wreck and sinking to the bottom of the ocean, taking his little brother along with it?

The waters laughed at him.

They bragged about how they were the ones holding the kit instead of him. That their hands were running throughout the fox’s soft, golden fur, surrounding him in his final moments.

They teased him about how he’d never be able to hold him again. His hands itched with the feeling of his kit’s fur beneath them. He wanted to find him, to rescue him from his captor. Even if he was taking his final breaths, he wanted them to be in the arms of someone the fox trusted more than life itself. To tell his kid how much he loves him and how much he meant to all of them. That he would be missed.

But the kit was alone.

And that’s exactly how the ocean wanted it.

…

Knuckles didn’t know how much time had passed and frankly, he didn’t care.

He didn’t want to think about it because if the kit hadn’t gone quickly in the initial explosion, then the alternative would’ve taken time. Minutes he could’ve spent swimming to get to him. He should’ve been able to get to him. He was an incredibly fast swimmer, he should’ve been able to get out there.

As the seconds went by, the already cavernous pit in his stomach grew tenfold. He tried not to think about the fox kit who was alone in the cockpit of his beloved biplane, possibly conscious and just waiting for his time to come.

He didn’t want to think about the youngest — one of his first friends, someone he had grown to consider to be a younger brother just as the hedgehog had — in that scenario. It wasn’t right, not after all the kit had done for them.

He had managed to pull Sonic a little closer to the shore. The blue hedgehog had fallen to his knees, no longer being able to carry the weight of what just happened. It was haunting, the way he just stared at the horizon. Never in his life did he think he’d see the hedgehog in such a state of despair and defeat.

Then again, he never even began to imagine something like this happening. Not to Tails.

He pried his eyes off of the grief stricken big brother and looked beside him.

Amy wasn’t doing much better, her head was in her knees, fist clenched and body tense as she cried. She was sobbing her heart out. He could only imagine the thoughts going through her mind.

He looked at the sand in front of him and closed his eyes out of respect for the kit, a few tears he didn’t even know had formed slipped down his cheek. His mind flashed with memories of the fox kit, from the one of him first arriving to Angel Island with his hyperactive yet silent blue brother all the way to the call just a few moments ago.

It wasn’t right, they (Sonic) had just been teasing the echidna about his lack of knowledge for common Mobians phrases. How could this have happened? Why did this happen? Why was there no heads up or warning? It was all so sudden and they didn’t even have time to process anything.

Knuckles knew it was foolish to question why people died, he was the last of his kind for crying out loud, he should be used to this.

Except he wasn’t. The kid may not have been an echidna, but he was still part of his tribe. His family. They all were.

And their tribe had just lost their youngest. Their little golden ball of sunshine. The kid who could brighten an entire area with his laughter and knock someone’s ego down several pegs at the same time. The kid he for the longest time just assumed was magical because of how skillful he was with machines, creating their communicators out of seemingly nothing just so they could stay in contact with each other. He created incredible defensive mechanisms and weapons just to keep people safe. He was only 8 years old.

He had done so much for them, and this was how they repaid him? How the world repaid him?

How dishonorable.

[dreamcubed]

back to black | regulus black x reader

song; back to black [amy winehouse] pairing; regulus black x fem!gryffindor!half-blood!reader genre; s2l, angst, hurt comfort word count; 6,3k timeline; marauders' era warnings; swearing, implied child abuse, discrimination (of muggles and muggle-borns), references to war, references to death(s) summary; autumn was your favourite season of all time, and not even your lack of mother or friendships could ruin it for you. but, maybe a brooding boy in your year could

this took me fucking forever but here it is!! and a merry christmas to all who celebrate <33

masterlist

"you went back to what you knew."

————————————

Back to black.

Well, technically, as the first time you had only had black hair for a matter of hours before your mother scolded you for dyeing it and made you change it back. But, she was dead now, and you were about to enter the year of OWL exams at Hogwarts, so a change was well overdue.

You gazed down at your black-stained hands: the muggle way of hair dyeing had been the most spiteful way to do it. After all, your mother hated anything muggle, even though she was merely half-blood herself. Part of you suspected it was because your father was a muggle and broke her heart, but you would never be able to confirm that, since you knew nothing about the man.

With a sigh, you glanced into the mirror and observed the wet black mess on your head. It was certainly going to stain your forehead and neck.

"Fuckin' Azkaban," you murmured, noticing the stains all over the sink and floor. Maybe you should have just done it the magic way.

Well, the stains were nothing a little magic couldn't fix: you didn't care that you weren't seventeen yet, after all.

***

Quite honestly, you adored the fact that school started in Autumn, your absolute favourite season. Nothing hit the spot like a Jack O'Lantern spice latte, fresh from the kitchens of Hogwarts. You had discovered the secret entrance to it a few years back, and come by to make requests frequently.

You tightly held the warm drink as you hurried back to the Gryffindor common room before curfew hit, where no friends were waiting for you. You had always felt out of place in the red house, and had never successfully made a friend in it, let alone the other houses. They all had their distinctive groups, while you were simply an outcast. Nonetheless, you did love how Autumnal the Gryffindor colour scheme was.

Ignoring everyone who was still downstairs, you headed up to the dormitories, where you sat down on your bed and chewed on your lip for a few moments. You weren't sure what to do with yourself.

***

Regulus Black was the quiet and brooding boy in your potions, defence against the dark arts, transfiguration - and actually every class apart from divination. That didn't surprise you, as even though you had never spoken to him, he didn't strike you as a particularly spiritual man. All you really knew about him was that his older brother, the renowned Sirius Black, was in your house - and they did not get along.

He was the only person who you shared so many classes with, and that was the solitary reason that you had noticed him. Well, that and his strikingly powerful presence.

You wondered if he realised you shared so many classes together.

Probably not, though. To make up for your lack of friendships, you intensely observed the people around you, trying to pretend as if you knew them and could predict how a conversation would go with them. It was a fun game for someone so deprived as yourself, even more so when you somehow ended up in conversation with someone and got to find out how accurate in your predictions you were.

But you also loved when you were completely wrong about a person.

"A new hair colour, I see, Miss L/N," Professor McGonagall said to you as you entered the first transfiguration lesson of the year.

You nodded, "Felt I needed a change."

The witch gave you a pitiful look that made you sick to your stomach: you hated the fact that people felt the need to tread on egg shells around you because of your mother's death. You weren't upset about it - you hated the woman.

"Black suits you," she said simply, the very same second Regulus Black entered the room.

He looked up, clearly thinking his name had been called.

"Not you, Mr Black," McGonagall waved her hand dismissively, "I was referring to Miss L/N's new hair colour."

For the first time ever, you were pretty sure, Regulus Black looked in your direction and made eye contact with you. His cold grey eyes pierced through you, as if he suddenly knew every secret about you - which he didn't, you had read about legilimency and it didn't feel like that. Just as quickly as he looked at you, he looked away again, and took a seat at the back of the classroom.

You felt a shiver run up your spine - an itching, chilly sensation, that made you feel positively thrilled.

"Everyone, please take your seats," McGonagall said as the class filled up.

You looked around, noticing a few empty spots, but most prominently the space next to Regulus Black at the back of the room. Your feet were taking you towards it before your mind could kick into action, and even though you were convinced that he was glaring at you, you kept your eyes trained on to the professor as you sat down.

"This year in transfiguration, we will cover..."

McGonagall's voice faded into background noise as you became hyper aware of the boy's presence next you, whilst simultaneously doing everything in your power to make it seem like your attention was not on him but instead the lesson.

What had become of you?

***

Smudged eyeliner and a maroon knitted jumper, cold peppermint tea and torn parchment; your mind felt frantic yet empty, gazing out the window of the Gryffindor common room. Starless nights and rain against glass, blazing fire and crackling flames; you couldn't see anything outside, so you couldn't quite piece together why your eyes remained fixed on the blackness.

A sigh pushed through your lips, picking up the tea to take a sip - only for it to go down reluctantly, due to its chilly temperature. Had it really been that long since you zoned out?

Another sigh escaped you as you rose to your feet. You were the only person who remained in the Gryffindor common room, so you estimated that it was at least midnight. Definitely way too late to venture into the rest of the castle: if you cared about punishment, that was.

Pulling out your wand from your dark-washed jeans, you pushed open the portrait of the Fat Lady and muttered a soft, "Lumos," into the corridor. You anticipated the scream of the painted woman asking where you were headed at such an hour, but at the lack of you turned around and saw that she was presently vacated from her usual spot. Hopefully she would have returned by the time you got back.

You knew the way to the kitchens like the back of your hand, but you rarely took it so late, way past curfew. You were, of course, cautious. It would be insane not to be in an enchanted castle such as Hogwarts, which also happened to be haunted.

Your gut sensed another presence before any of your typical five senses did: lurching as it indicated that you were not alone. You quickly whispered, "Nox," and ducked into an alcove, focusing all your energy into your sense of hearing. Delicate - very delicate - footsteps. So faint you almost thought that you were hallucinating.

They stopped right by you, and you heard a soft breath.

Why did it sound so achingly familiar, yet not like any professor's?

"Who's there?"

Regulus Black.

You stepped out from the alcove and into the light of his wand, crossing your arms in the process. Regulus took one look at you and sighed.

"What do you want, Gryffindor?"

"I have a name," you muttered, "And I would like to think you know it."

He raised an eyebrow at you, and you scowled.

"I want nothing from you, Black, I merely thought you were a teacher."

He seemed to mull over your words for a few seconds, ultimately deciding that there was no way it was anything but the truth before saying, "Very well."

The question itched on your tongue. "What are you doing?"

In the dimmed light, you could only just make out the way he pressed his tongue into his cheek, a bit more aggressively than you would hope for.

"That's none of your concern."

You narrowed your eyes, "I'm pretty sure the last time someone said that, a girl ended up dead in the toilets."

"You-" Regulus cut himself off at the sound of loud, purposeful footsteps echoing down the hallway. He muttered, "Shit," before dimming his wand light and pulling you back into the alcove with him.

You held your breath as the footsteps increased in volume, almost unaware of your hand pressed against Regulus' abdomen, and his arm wrapped around your waist.

"Are you sure he was headed this way, Mrs Norris?" the unfortunate voice of Filch asked, followed by a scratchy meow.

You pursed your lips as the footsteps got quieter, only letting yourself breathe once there was complete silence again. Still, you and Regulus remained in position for a few more seconds.

"I think the coast is clear," you murmured.

"Hm? Oh, yeah," Regulus replied distractedly, slipping out of the alcove and letting his arm drop from your waist. You hadn't noticed the warmth that much, but you definitely noticed the lack of it.

"Guess Filch is on to you," you said, to fill the silence more than anything else - which was weird, as you had never been bothered by lack of conversation before.

"Bastard," Regulus replied. Maybe it wasn't a reply, but an unrelated yet relevant comment.

You lit your wand again, and turned to continue on your journey, "I'm going to the kitchens, in case you were wondering," you had hoped it would prompt him to admit to his activities, but he simply remained silent, "You can come if you want."

You had no explanation for adding that last part.

It was obvious that Regulus' first instinct had been to say no, but he must have come to the conclusion that there was really nowhere else to go while Filch was headed off on a rampage towards his original destination. So, he sighed instead, and began trailing behind you towards the fruit bowl portrait.

"Peppermint tea, Miss L/N?" the house elf nearest to you asked after you entered the magnificent kitchens, which were remarkably similar to the Great Hall.

"Actually, I think I'll take a hot chocolate, thank you," you replied, sitting down at the end of one of the four long tables. It was too late for your preferred latte, after all.

"And you, Mr Black?" another house elf asked.

It was evident that Regulus was startled that the creature knew his name, "Americano. Black, no sugar."

You weren't surprised at his request.

"Do you have a house elf?" you asked, as you knew that the Black family was pure-blooded and wealthy.

He gave a curt nod, which you took as a hint that he wasn't interested in conversation. Luckily, the house elves quickly whipped up the hot drinks and placed them in two forest green mugs in front of you.

To your surprise, he asked a question.

"How do you know about this place?"

You shrugged, "I followed the Marauders here one night."

Regulus drew back, and you realised then what a mistake mentioning the infamous quartet was: Sirius Black was clearly a sour topic.

Regardless, you still mumbled, "I think they knew I was there."

He chuckled dryly, "Probably."

"How are you gonna sleep?" you changed the subject, gesturing towards his steaming coffee.

"I won't."

You didn't press that matter further, either. But it was then that you noticed the dark circles under his eyes, sallow and zombie-like. Yet they suited him, enhanced his eery yet attractive looks, which was probably why you hadn't registered them before. They didn't appear out of place.

"Why don't you have a red mug?" Regulus asked, taking you by surprise. He was gazing at the wall display of mugs, sorted into the four house colours.

"Miss L/N doesn't like the red mugs," a house elf piped up, placing a tray of cookies in between the two of you.

"But it's your house colour."

You sipped slowly on your hot chocolate, stewing over the words you could potentially say. "I... don't like being a Gryffindor. I've never felt like I belonged."

"I don't like Gryffindors."

You scoffed, "Never would've guessed."

He raised an eyebrow.

"All Slytherins hate us."

"Yeah, because you're Dumbledore's favourite."

You shrugged.

"That and you allow mudbloods."

You paused in your movements, "So do Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, yet you don't go on a rampage against them."

"Point taken."

The school hot chocolate was delicious, you decided, and you should really have it more.

"What's your blood status?"

You shrugged, "Half-blood."

"I'm-"

"Pure-blood, I know," you sighed, "Even if the Black family weren't a so-called noble house, I would've guessed from your comments earlier."

He stared at you: a piercing, icy glare that almost made a shiver run up your spine. Almost.

"Do you really enjoy leading such a hateful life?"

His mouth parted, before he carefully swallowed and avoided eye contact, "It's not about hatred, it's about what's right."

"And what's right is abusing muggle-borns, even though they were born wizards and witches just like us?"

Regulus said nothing.

"I think that you need to stop taking Mummy and Daddy's word for what it is," you said mockingly, "You have your own brain, form your own opinions with it."

You watched his jaw clench.

"With that, I will bid you adieu," you said, picking up your hot chocolate and a few cookies, "See you tomorrow."

He didn't say goodbye to you as you left, and you didn't wait for him to.

***

Regulus watched you as you entered transfiguration the next day: you felt it before you saw his eyes glued on to you. You ignored his attentions, still sitting next to him but making no effort to engage in conversation. He made no effort either, eventually peeling his eyes away from you when McGonagall arrived to begin the lesson.

In fact, no words were exchanged between the two of you until the very end of the hour.

"I think you're wrong," he muttered.

You looked down at your parchment, furrowing your eyebrows at the answer that you were pretty sure was correct. "It's not animagi?"

"Not about that," he clarified, "About mudbloods."

You exhaled sharply through your nose.

"They aren't worthy."

"You're insufferable," you said quietly, "The existence of muggle-borns doesn't affect you, leave them alone."

"It affects the culture of wizards and witches, which affects me."

"Maybe the culture needs changing," you spat back, "Godric knows you do."

Regulus didn't reply, and you made no further attempt to talk to him.

Not for the rest of your time at Hogwarts.

***

APPROXIMATELY THREE YEARS LATER: 1979.

***

"I can't seem to face up to the facts..." you sung quietly along to the song as you gazed into the mirror of your bathroom.

"I'm tense and nervous and I can't relax..." it was playing from your record player in your bedroom, just through the open door to your right. Your graduation gift (to yourself) had been a record player, a very pleasant addition to the house that you had inherited from your mother. Especially as she hated all muggle items.

"I can't sleep 'cause my bed's on fire..." It was only three bedrooms, the third being so small it could hardly fit a twin bed in, but the master bedroom was decently sized and had an en suite. And, officially being the master of the house, that bedroom was now yours.

"Don't touch me, I'm a real live wire..." You were dyeing your hair black for the third time in your life.

After dyeing it before fifth year, you had maintained the roots up until Christmas before you went back to your natural colour, and had remained that way up until now. But, you decided that you wanted your raven locks back, and so had stopped by a muggle pharmacy for some black hair dye. There was something therapeutic in doing it manually.

"Psycho killer, qu'est-ce que c'est?" you continued to mumble, finishing up the touches of your hair, just when you heard a heavy knock on your door.

You stilled: nobody came knocking on your door. Your solitary existence remained very solitary.

Grabbing your wand off the counter, you moved into your bedroom and delicately removed the needle from the vinyl, before silently padding downstairs. You crept up to the maroon door and peered through the peephole, fully prepared to yell "stupefy" should you require.

It was the last person you expected - and considering you expected no one, that really said something.

Despite recognising the individual, you were hesitant to open the door, as you knew that said person was a renowned death eater: one of the Dark Lord's loyal followers.

"L/N, please, I know you're there," he croaked, his voice ragged and scratched.

Against your better judgement, you opened the door, only to catch sight of his ripped clothes and dripping wounds. There were bags under his eyes and his hair was longer and messy, and you had absolutely no idea what to do.

"Please, I didn't know where else to go."

You sighed, lowering your wand and stepping back to open the door wide. Godric knows that you would go to hell for helping a death eater like this.

"What happened to you?" you murmured, leading him through to your small galley kitchen. You dug through your cupboards until you found your first aid kit, and then grabbed a flannel and ran it under the hot tap.

Regulus watched you silently.

"Take off your clothes," you muttered, then added, "Except your underwear."

He obliged, and your breath hitched at the gory visuals in front of you.

"Fuckin' Azkaban."

You began cleaning him up, applying a healing potion as you went.

"I should've listened to you."

"Hm?"

"What you said about mud- muggle-borns," his eyes crinkled together, "You-Know-Who- he's... he's..."

"Batshit?" you raised an eyebrow, noting how Regulus avoided his name.

A scratched chuckle came out his throat, "Yeah."

"Did you challenge him to a duel or something?" you asked as you paused your care of him to fetch a glass of water for his throat.

"I'd be dead if I'd done that - no, I've been trying to find his Horcruxes."

"His what?"

Regulus gulped down all of the water before he replied. "There's a reason he's so fearless."

And then came his explanation and story, of how he found out about Voldemort's secret of immortality after realising that he was in the wrong, and had begun hunting down the pieces of his soul in order to destroy him for good. That led on to his explanation of how he ended up in the state he was currently in.

"The locket," he explained, "I went with Kreacher - my house elf - to this cave. I had to drink water that dehydrates you to get to the locket, and the only other water around was in this lake kind of thing. But, of course, it wasn't a normal lake. It was full of inferni."

You mindlessly continued tending to his wounds as you took all of this in.

"They started clawing at me and dragging me in - so I ordered Kreacher to leave with the locket, thinking I wouldn't survive," his voice faltered as he relived the memory, "I don't even know how I did - it's all a blur. But I couldn't go back home, or anywhere I normally go. You-Know-Who knows by now."

"So you came here?" you finally spoke.

"I- yes."

"Even though we hardly know each other."

He stared at you with darkened sorrow in his eyes, and you realised that this was far from the Regulus you knew in Hogwarts.

You sighed, pulling away from him as you finished up with the last of the injuries.

"You're the first person that came to mind," he murmured.

Your eyes flicked to the snake twisting on Regulus' wrist, the permanent sign of devotion to the Dark Lord.

"He's trying to reach me," he muttered, "Is your house well protected?"

You shook your head, "There's no reason they'd come here."

Regulus cursed under his breath, "I'm really sorry to put you in danger, please let me put some protective charms around the place."

You gestured for him to be your guest.

"Am I-"

"Yes, you can stay," you replied. You wouldn't have let him through your door if you hadn't seen the difference in his once cold eyes.

He said nothing, but gave you a look that screamed his thanks as he left through your kitchen door.

***

"He might think you're dead, you know," you said as he came back inside, while you were in the process of laying the table. He had been outside for so long that you had washed out the hair dye from your hair, which was now wet and a bit of a mess.

He didn't reply, so you looked up at his skinny and fatigued figure.

"He probably doesn't think anyone can escape his protective measures."

"Can't take any chances," he eventually murmured, taking a seat, "Thank you for the food."

You gave a small smile, sitting down opposite him. The two of you ate in a companionable silence until Regulus finally said something.

"I won't be here long. I have to continue my search."

You scowled, "No."

He paused, arching an eyebrow, "No?"

"You're in no state to do anything, Black," you said simply, "You'd be fucking useless out there right now."

You watched as Regulus digested your words, "But I can't do nothing."

You shrugged, "You haven't done nothing. I have."

"Yes, but you don't have mistakes to make up for."

The conversation once again flattened to nothing, the odd hint of tension in the air weighing down ever so slightly.

"Why did you do it the muggle way?"

"Hm?"

"Your hair."

"Oh," your eyes widened as you thought carefully, "Mainly to spite my mother."

He tilted his head in confusion.

"She wasn't a very nice woman," you explained, "Shit mother, and she also hated anything muggle. She's dead now, but I do a lot of muggle things to remind myself I'm nothing like her."

"Did she hate muggle-borns?"

You pursed your lips, "Not really, I don't think. Depends how muggle they acted. I've always theorised that my dad was a muggle and broke her heart."

"My parents were awful," Regulus murmured, "When Sirius got sorted into Gryffindor, they gave up on him. But in a way that also made things worse for me, because I was their last chance at the perfect Black heir."

You nodded.

"That's why I resent him so much."

"Maybe one day you two can get along."

He chuckled dryly, "When muggles can do magic."

***

The once sallowed dark aura around Regulus Black had morphed since Hogwarts. It wasn't brighter, that was for sure, you would describe it as a cloudy navy blue - rainy, but not thunderous. Something about him had been replaced and changed, something hard and uncaring, now softer and sympathetic. It wasn't until you were laying in your bed that night with the wind blowing against your window did you realise exactly what it was - he had been traumatised, and thus matured.

Guilt also crept into you from your darkest corners: you had stayed out of the brewing conflict from the death eaters, even though you disagreed with their values. Your cowardice had led you to self-isolate and refuse to fight, bathing in the safety of your half-blood status. Regulus Black showing up on your doorstep was karma if nothing else.

You pulled your maroon quilt further over you and nestled your head into your pillows, trying to crush the lingering sense that your life was only just beginning.

***

The whistle from your kettle blew, filling the kitchen with steam. You let out a yawn as you entered through the archway, and almost jumped when you saw Regulus stood there with two mugs before him. Living alone had been your situation for far too long.

"Good morning," he spoke, but by the strangled way he said it, it was clear that those two words had never left his mouth before, at least not as a pair.

"Morning," you raised an eyebrow, watching as he wandlessly guided the kettle through the air to pour water.

"Milk? Sugar?" he said in question.

"Milk, two sugars."

He hummed in reply, the black shirt that you had lent him clinging to his lean figure. He was skinnier than he should be, that much was obvious, but there was still muscle definition that made your stomach swarm with butterflies. You knew that you had fancied him briefly back in Hogwarts, but you had squandered those feelings when you learned of his political views.

Now he was a changed man, and he was even more attractive than he used to be, and it felt like every butterfly you had crushed had been resurrected all at once. It was overwhelming, and yet the most satisfying experience you had been a part of since the beginning of your dull adulthood.

"Here," he handed you a golden-yellow mug, "I hope it's to your satisfaction."

"Only time will tell," you replied, moving through to the living room.

You sat in a companionable quiet for a while, sipping on your tea and soaking in the ambiance of the morning.

It was when there was almost no liquid left in your mug, and your limbs were growing fidgety, that you felt words race out your mouth before you could think about them. A rushed, perhaps crossing-the-line, statement of, "Stay for a while."

You didn't know whether you meant hours or months.

***

Regulus took a turn for the worse the next day, overcome with vicious fever-like symptoms and ugly coughing fits. The mid-war conditions that you were in made it way too risky to seek professional help, especially as Regulus was a wanted death eater. So, you had no choice but to take care of him to the best of your ability: between herbal teas, homemade soups, leftover cough medicines and cold cloths pressed to his forehead, he seemed to be slowly improving. At least, he wasn't getting worse. But his body was already weakened, so his chances were worse than an average person dealing with whatever he was.

With your hair tied and sleeves pulled up, you ran the white flannel you had been using for Regulus under the cold tap, letting out an exhausted exhale. It had been approximately sixty hours since your guest was bedridden, and you had hardly slept in that time. It was quite difficult to when he would start screaming in the middle of the night during his fever dream episodes.

The pale moonlight slipped through the gaps in your vertical slit blinds, gently illuminating the white china of your bathroom sink, and probably the bags under your eyes as well. Just as you turned off the tap, you heard more screaming from your guest bedroom, so you quickly wrung out the flannel and ran back to Regulus.

"You're okay, you're okay," you murmured, pressing the cloth to his forehead, "You're safe."

His screaming stopped, and you could've sworn his eyes were slightly opened and staring at you through the darkness. "Y/N," he mumbled.

"Yes, Regulus, it's me, Y/N."

You felt his hand grip around the wrist of your hand that held the flannel in place.

"Don't leave me."

"I'm not going anywhere," you spoke gently.

"In sickness and in health..." he muttered, making you chuckle slightly.

Not forgetting the butterflies, of course.

"Yes, Regulus, in sickness and in health."

"You're... amazing..." he sighed, drifting off again into a lax slumber, his hand falling from your wrist.

You softly stroked his cheek, "Get well soon."

***

You had lost track of the days, but you knew that many suns had set and risen by the time Regulus stumbled downstairs one morning, shirtless and still evidently delirious.

"Good morning," you said, observing the man fumbling to sit down in a chair, "Would you like a cup of tea?"

He grunted.

"Feeling better then?" you asked, moving through the archway into the kitchen and setting out two mugs on the counter.

Regulus raked his hands through his hair, grunting again.

"At least you're conscious," you said half to yourself, half to him.

"Date," he said in a scratchy voice, locking his shiny eyes on to yours.

"What's the date?"

He nodded.

You gazed over at the calendar on your wall, only to realise you hadn't been crossing off the days like you typically did ever since Regulus had fallen ill. Sheepishly, you shrugged, "I don't know."

Regulus sighed.

"Sorry, I've hardly slept."

He shook his head, "Don't apologise, it's not your fault."

You didn't bother refuting that. "On the bright side, I know it's been a good few days. I think You-Know-Who would've found you by now if he was looking for you," you said, adding a, "Touch wood," and touching one of your wooden cabinets afterward.

Regulus seemed to ponder that for a moment, "I guess. Thank you for taking care of me."

"I didn't really have a choice," you replied, placing a mug of steamy tea in front of him, "But I'd do it again."

He smiled at you - a tired, but genuine, smile.

"I need to take a long shower, if you don't mind," you sighed, holding your own warm mug, "I feel gross."

"Yeah, you kinda look it."

You went to whack him, "You're one to talk."

He started laughing, which quickly turned into a coughing fit.

"Whoa, whoa, be careful," you said through laughter, "Your lungs can't take much right now."

"I'm fine," he said through splutters, "I swear."

"You should shower after me," you said when he had calmed down, "In the nicest possible way, you need it."

He didn't argue.

***

Rain pounding against the window seemed almost symbolic of the state of the wizarding world as it was: pathetic fallacy, if you will. But, you must admit, your cowardly approach to the war had led you to lead quite a cosy lifestyle in your little cottage, tucked up by fires with hot cups of tea.

At times, you considered joining the resistance, and fighting for what was right. Realistically, though, you couldn't contribute much. Your duelling skills had always been subpar and despite your alleged Gryffindor identity, you lacked courage. Surely the Sorting Hat had made a mistake all those years ago, back when you were a nervous eleven-year-old stood in front of an audience full of older kids.

Never the matter - the past was the past, and as you didn't possess a timeturner, it would have to remain the way it was.

"Something doesn't feel right," Regulus' voice made you jump out of your skin.

Ignoring your surprise, he sat next to you on the sofa.

"You don't think?"

"No," he shook his head. It had been a couple months since he showed up at your door, and these days he came and went from your home. He was currently in search of his brother, Sirius, who he knew to be a part of the resistance. Regulus had explained to you how even though they had never gotten along, he would be more likely to listen to anything he had to say than other resistance members, who would probably arrest him on the spot.

You had crafted a port key for him - something that you were in fact good at - to access your house without revealing your location. This had led to him frequently jump scaring you by appearing in your living room out of nowhere, especially since he never showed up at the same time.

"Any news on Sirius?"

Regulus shook his head, leaning back into the plush pillows, "He's as good at hiding as I am."

"At least you have something in common."

He chuckled dryly, "I just can't escape the feeling that something is brewing tonight."

"Bad or good?" you furrowed your eyebrows, but secretly you knew what he meant. A new paranoia had been itching at you all day.

Regulus shrugged, "Both. Neither. Who knows?"

You followed his gaze to the thundering sky through the window.

"What day is it?" he asked.

You thought for a moment, "Halloween."

A thunderous boom echoed outside.

Regulus grimaced, "I'll source a newspaper tomorrow. Need to find out if I'm just being paranoid."

It was right then at that moment, as lightning flashed in the sky and lit up the whole room, that you knew he wasn't just being paranoid. A historical moment was taking place as you spoke: tragic, yet hopeful.

You felt a head drop on to your shoulder, and looked down in surprise to see that Regulus had drifted off quite peacefully next to you. Smiling to yourself, you adjusted your position so he could lie on you, unable to stop yourself from indulging in affection that filled your starving appetite for touch. He nuzzled his head into you, making a light and happy sound.

Sighing softly, you let your eyes drift shut.

***

He was gone when you woke up, as often was the case. While he slept at yours almost every night, he was prone to getting back late and leaving early, desperately searching for his elder brother.

Therefore, it was quite a surprise to see him burst through the dining room door at eleven o'clock in the morning, while you were frying eggs.

"Y/N," he said breathlessly as he approached the kitchen archway, a rolled newspaper crushed in one of his hands.

"What?"

"He's gone," he said, and if it wasn't for the smile on his face, you would have thought he was talking about his brother.

You barely had time to put the frying pan down before he continued.

"You-Know-Who," he said, throwing the paper on your kitchen counter, "They're saying he's dead - but I don't believe that - either way he's gone."

You moved to look at the newspaper of moving images and writing.

"He killed James and Lily Potter," he explained, "They were friends of my brother, but apparently he couldn't kill their son. Their one-year-old son."

Eyebrows furrowed, you ran your finger over the front page.

"I hope to Merlin that he never returns, wherever he is."

You chuckled.

"Salazar, I'm so happy I could kiss you," he said quite suddenly, making your head snap up.

Silence lingered between the two of you as you stared at each other with widened eyes, becoming hyper aware of your breathing. Then, his lips were on yours, and while it was a chaste kiss, it was passionate and intimate.

When you parted, Regulus rested his forehead against yours and wrapped his arms around your figure, pulling you flush against him.

"I've wanted to do that for so long," he panted.

"Me too."

***

The second time you were gathered around a newspaper together was not too long later, after the arrest of Sirius Black for the murder of Peter Pettigrew and being a suspected death eater.

"At least you managed to find and talk to him before this."

Regulus sighed, "Yeah. I guess."

You said nothing.

"He was the only one who could vouch for me. I can never earn people's trust now."

"I think you'll just need to stay on the down-low."

Regulus sighed again, taking your hand into his, "Can I stay here for that long?"

You chuckled, pulling him into your embrace, "You can stay here forever."

He smiled, kissing your head.

***

APPROXIMATELY SEVENTEEN YEARS LATER: 1998.

***

"The verdict of the state versus Regulus Black is as follows..." the judge sat in the courtroom at the Ministry of Magic announced, making your breath hitch as you crossed your fingers behind your back.

You locked eyes with your long-time fiancé who was stood in the centre of the room within a mini-cell, and saw the way his Adam's apple moved in a gulp.

"Regulus Black is found guilty of serving You-Know-Who and the anti-muggle-born terrorist movement..."

You threw your hand over your mouth, tears pricking at your eyes.

"...but is hereby pardoned from punishment due to his immense aid in defeating You-Know-Who thereafter."

Never had such a large amount of air rushed out of your lungs, as your son hugged you from the side, likely not understanding the words the judge used, but understanding the look of elation on his father's face.

You didn't stop Sirius from detaching from your side and running down to the cell as they unlocked it: in fact, you ran after him, eager to hold your fiancé in your arms. You watched as Regulus picked up his son and hugged him tightly, before dropping him to take you into his arms.

Pecking his lips, you beamed up at him with joyful tears streaming down your cheeks.

"We can finally get married," he said, kissing you again.

You giggled, "Hopefully before my bump gets too big."

Regulus' eyes widened as he moved his hand to your abdomen, his smile somehow growing even wider than it was before.

"I love you," he said breathlessly.

——————————————

masterlist

written; 02/10/2023 —> 20/12/2023 published; 21/12/2023 edited; —/—/——

[writingtraumaforever]

Uncontrolled Chaos: Chapter 39

Notes: I'm baaaack! I had a LOVELY vacation! Tons of fun! All up until the very last day when I got a severe sinus infection and then had to fly home with it and- NEVER fly with a sinus infection, people! It is apparently very dangerous. I had no idea. Long story short, my ears no longer are working properly, I have enough snot to fill an olympic swimming pool, and I am in a constant state of dizziness and am basically drunk. SO. Be patient with me. But I didn't want to keep you all waiting any longer than I already have. So enjoy the chapter and hopefully it makes sense despite being typed in my very drunken state of mind. If not, I'll just fix it later. Smh.

Summary: Shadow and Sonic discuss insecurities.. The Black Arms Invasion is discussed.

UC Masterpost!

Link to MY AO3!

Start:

Shadow has no idea how the heck he got here.

Everything had been going relatively well. This world’s version of Rose turned up with the green chaos emerald she had found while visiting a friend on Seaside Island which had brought them to a solid five emeralds, only in need of two more which isn’t half bad for only being at this for a couple of days.

Not to mention that Amy brought a sense of comfort and familiarity Shadow hasn’t really gotten here thus far. 

Rouge had been nice to see and have around, yes, but this version of Rouge was more standoffish with him. Wouldn’t have much to do with him— which he’s never admit bothered him as much as it actually did.

However, Amy Rose?? She was consistent in both worlds, it seems. A friendly face with a loving heart that was open to Shadow despite him being a bit more grouchy than her typical Shadow.

She had approached him immediately, hugging him and assuring him that they’d get him back home soon.

‘Oh, you poor thing! I can’t imagine how overwhelming all of this must be for you. We’ll have no fear, Amy Rose is here! And I’m here to make sure your time here is as relaxed as it possibly can be! Care for some tea to help calm your nerve??’

She was a godsend, really.

And he did in fact very much appreciate her tea. It definitely was a lot more soothing for him than the infinite amount of coffee he’s been digesting. He was starting to get jittery.

They were just sitting down to properly enjoy their tea and chat with one another about the differences of their worlds when the echidna had come running inside announcing they’d made contact with his own world.

And well.. that went to shit real quick.

It was nice at first. Wholesome. And Shadow would never admit it aloud, but he really did feel better seeing Sonic look so happy. So relieved. All wagging tail and grinning mouth and teary eyes. He was the epitome of joyous at his verbal reunion with his partner. And despite feeling a bit odd hearing his own voice speaking so softly towards the blue hedgehog, it was.. good. 

Sonic needed this..

Speaking of Sonic, his own had piped up at one point and..

It did odd things to Shadow’s stomach.

‘How’s our Shadow??’ he had asked. And while he’s been hearing that obnoxious voice plenty the past several days thanks to being close and personal with this world’s Sonic, there was something about knowing it was his world’s Sonic asking how he was doing that made it.. different.

He had spoken up, being even more thrown off by how ecstatic his own Sonic had sounded hearing from him. How relieved. He hadn’t been expecting it..

They quickly return to their typical banter, trading a few one-liners about Shadow being a grouch and Sonic being an idiot. Typical. Familiar.

He can’t help but smile to himself..

And that’s when the shit hit the fan.

Turns out Alternate Shadow hasn’t informed the team back in normal Shadow’s world about his and Alternate Sonic’s relationship.

Specifically, he hasn’t informed Sonic.

Sonic sounded shocked to say the least.

Shadow stayed quiet through most of it, arms crossed with a small frown on his muzzle as he watches this world’s Sonic become more and more worked up. His blue quills rising defensively, tail no longer wagging and instead pointing in agitation while his ears are folded back in disappointment.

All signs of a not-so-happy hedgehog.

Which makes for a not-so-happy conversation.

“You know what??? Whatever. None of this is essential anyway, so I’m just gonna go do essential things. Here’s Tails.”

Then Sonic was shoving the mic away from himself and standing from the chair with a huff, Shadow frowning and furrowing his brows at the actions that he himself deemed a bit dramatic. Especially when Sonic had been showing so much maturity and wisdom when preaching at him in the kitchen earlier about Shadow running from his identity crisis.

Talk about insecurities. The hedgehog was a hypocrite.

“Sonic-!” Amy called to try and calm him down only for him to tear out of the garage with a sonic boom in his wake and a streak of blue behind.

Amy frowns with a sigh, hugging her arms around herself as she looks in the direction he disappeared off into.

Tails takes over talking to the other world’s group, Shadow turning to face Knuckles with a glare.

“Did you have to tease him about his partner potentially cheating on him??”

“You what?!” Amy gasps, her empathy turning to fury and being directed at the red echidna now.

Knuckles holds his hands up in surrender, eyes wide as he backs away from Amy who looks on the verge of summoning her hammer.

“Wait wait wait—! I was just joking! Come on! How was I suppose to know he’d take it so seriously???”

“You know how he takes everything to heart even if he pretends not to!” Amy growls, her hands moving to her hips as she backs Knuckles into a corner. Rouge sits perched on the nose of the Tornado looking amused by this entire thing.

Shadow just sighs and rubs his fingers into his temples, closing his eyes a moment as the team continues their bickering..

Sonic will be back.

He just needs time to cool off. Think rationally.

His emotions are high right now for a variety of reasons. He simply needs some space..

He expects him to be back within an hour realizing how stupid he was being and how childish. 

But sunset came and went, and there was still no sign of the blue hedgehog late into the night.

So Shadow takes matters into his own hands.

“I’m gonna go after him,” he announces, standing from his seat on the couch and moving towards the door. It’s ridiculous how much of an effect this idiot has on him no matter what world he’s in. Always cleaning up the fool’s messes.

“Uhh- is that the best idea???” Amy asks with knitted brows, rising from her own chair now. They had both been sitting in the living room waiting up for Sonic. She’s dressed in pajamas— a red tank top and white fuzzy shorts with her socks and gloves still on. Her red headband replaced by a red scrunchie holding her hair up in a loose bun. 

Knuckles and Rouge turned in for some sleep— heading out earlier to search for the last two emeralds. Tails is still in the workshop fidgeting with the radio, but Shadow saw him nodding off before he left him be, so he imagines he’ll be turning in soon— if he hasn’t already fallen asleep at his workbench.

“Why wouldn’t it be??”

“Well,” she rubs the back of her neck, “Because he’s gone because he’s upset at his Shadow.. so maybe seeing you will make him emotional again?”

“He’s not upset at his Shadow, he’s upset because he acted foolishly, and I’m sure he realizes that. He’s likely embarrassed.”

“You’re probably right,” she sighs, “But this still isn’t your world.. I don’t think you should be running around alone out there—“

“I can take care of myself, Rose,” Shadow assures with a tiny hint of a smile her direction, Amy seeming to visibly relax at this reassurance, “If I’m not back before sunrise, you can wake the others and come looking. But I’ll be back before two hours, tops.”

She seems hesitant still. Unsure. But after giving it some thought, she gives in and nods with a little frown, “Okay.. but please be careful. And please go easy on him.”

“No promises,” he huffs, turning and walking out the door.

And he knows just where to look.

———

Crawling into the tree he had been to only a few days ago, Shadow can’t help but wonder what he’s about to stumble upon. He’s fairly confident the blue hedgehog will be here since this was introduced as one of his comfort spots, and despite how he may have acted earlier, he knows he’s missing his partner. He just wonders if he’ll find him angry. Or sad. Shadow rather him be angry, honestly. He could deal with angry. He didn’t know how to deal with Sonic being sad.. And frankly, neither did Sonic.

Ducking through the narrow passageway under the ground and through the siding of the mountain, he reaches the hole at the end in the roof of the cave. The vine used to climb up isn’t there, being lifted as a sign of not wanting to be bothered. 

Lucky for Shadow, he has air shoes.

Kicking them in hover-mode, he allows the fumes to slowly lift him off the ground and up through the hole. Peeking out, he finds Sonic there a few feet away sitting amongst the greenery with his knees hugged to his chest..

Shadow sighs through his nose, turning his air shoes off to land on the edge of the hole and slowly step towards him.

He doesn’t speak. Neither does Sonic.

Walking forward until he’s at the hedgehog’s side, he crouches down to sit; once again careful not to smoosh any flowers if he can help it. Sonic doesn’t react, only pulls his legs tighter against himself and buries his mouth into his knees.. Long nose peeking out over them. Shadow’s lips purse, crimson eyes watching the blue hedgehog that just stares ahead at nothing in particular. He can see how fast the hero’s mind is travelling. How despite his current stillness, his head hasn’t stopped moving. 

Shadow knows that feeling all too well.

He sighs from his nose, looking ahead as well to simply take in the moonlit view along with Sonic. Quiet.

They stay like this a long moment.

Shadow just being there with Sonic, so he doesn’t have to be alone..

But he promised Rose two hours. So they can’t stay here all night.

“...You’re an idiot, you know that, right?”

Sonic huffs, chuckling with a small headshake though there’s no amusement in the laugh. More of a scoff than anything.

“You’ve only reminded me of that every chance you’ve gotten since being here.” “Well, don’t do idiotic things, and I wouldn’t have a reason to remind you.”

“What do you want??”

Sonic’s tone is sharp. Trying to give off hostility, but Shadow sees right through it. He hears the ache.. The need for comfort.

“..I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Well, I’m fine. So you can go now.” “You have everyone worried.. Especially Rose.” “She’ll be fine. She knows I’ve been through way worse.” “Perhaps that’s why she’s so worried.” Sonic frowns at that, glancing at Shadow out of the corner of his eyes before moving to rest his chin on his knees rather than having it hidden behind his thighs.

“...Don’t act like you know anything any of us have been through.”

“I don’t claim to,” Shadow shakes his head, knowing this is just Sonic trying to avert from the real problem. Him. “But I know what worrying for a friend is like.. And it’s no picnic.”

“Yeah, well then maybe you should go back and let her know I’m fine.” “I don’t intend on returning without you.” Sonic huffs at that, seeming frustrated by Shadow’s persistence but not surprised by it.

“Can’t I just pout in peace?” “So you admit you’re pouting?” Shadow’s brow quirks, head turning to look at Sonic now with a small tilt.

“Yeah, well, I have plenty of reason to be upset,” Sonic remarks defensively, lifting his chin from his knees and turning to glare at Shadow.

“Oh please, Hedgehog, I think we both know you were being a bit dramatic. Your Shadow wouldn’t–” “As if you would know anything about our relationship- about any relationship,” Sonic snaps, brows furrowed and jaw locked.

Every instinct in Shadow screams to match his energy. Give him the same hostility he’s receiving. But he knows that won’t help anything.. So after a long moment of the two just glaring at one another in a challenging sort of way.. Shadow takes a deep breath in and exhales it out slowly.

“You’re right. I don’t know what your relationship consists of. Nor do I know your whole history together or what you’ve been through… But I know myself. And while I am quite different than your version of me, I would like to believe we’re alike enough that I can confidently say I would never even dream of hurting someone I love like that..”

Sonic frowns at this, his scold melting into something a bit more achy and pained.. Green eyes drift away as he looks down at his shoes in thought.

“..I have never been in a relationship. But this-.. It’s not because I don’t recognize what goes into them,” Shadow explains quietly, voice calm and gentle, “I know it takes hard work.. And understanding and communication.. And plenty of patience. I also know it takes loyalty. An undeniable and unquestioning amount of it.”

Sonic’s ears flatten against his head as he listens, arms tightening around his knees as if seeking comfort from them. Like he wants to curl up and hide away in a little ball.

“..I never considered a relationship not because I’m incapable of it.., but simply because I… I feel undeserving of one,” Shadow admits honestly, “I don’t want to drag anyone into my hellhole of a mess. Don’t want to have someone have to deal with my past and try to make a future out of it when I myself struggle to most of the time.” Sonic’s eyes lift to look at Shadow, greens becoming misty as if he wants to disagree and tell him that he shouldn’t think such things but simply doesn’t have the energy to do so right now.

Shadow continues before he can anyway, “So I know how serious relationships are.. I know those who can manage them are admirable.. And I know that if I ever found someone I trusted enough to let in and begin one with?? The thought of even looking anyone else’s way wouldn’t even cross my mind.”

Sonic lets out a shaky little whine at that, hand lifting to press the heel of his palm to his eye and rub there. Trying not to cry. 

He knew Shadow was right. They may not be the same, but both Shadows were certainly alike in many, many ways. There seems to be traits that simply carry through all worlds and dimensions. Shadow’s being his resilience and determination, his patience, his wisdom, his strength, his honesty… and certainly his loyalty.

Because loyal is one of the top words that come to mind when asked to describe Shadow the Hedgehog..

“Damnit..,” Sonic sniffles out, “I was so stupid..” “Yes,” Shadow nods agreeingly, “But I’m sure the other me won’t hold it against you. It’s not as if it’s your first time.” Sonic gives a breathy chuckle at that, dropping his hand from his face to roll his eyes and give Shadow a sad and teary smile. “Yeah, that’s true..” Shadow offers his own tiny smile in response, brows knitting slightly as he slowly reaches a palm out to pat Sonic’s back. It’s a bit awkward, but he’s trying.

“But why wouldn’t he tell your Sonic about us??” Sonic asks with a small sniffle, rubbing his gloved wrist across the underside of his nose. “Well, there’s a lot of possible answers to that,” Shadow sighs, leaning back on his own hands now as he looks up at the starry sky, “My Sonic is an idiot just like you, you see. So having a bombshell like ‘an alternate version of you and your rival are madly in love in another universe’ dropped on him would likely elicit some pretty extreme reactions.” Sonic hums at that, head tilting in thought as he ponders this a moment, “..So you’re saying the alternate me is probably giving him hell right now?” “Oh, absolutely.” “That makes me feel a little better,” Sonic chuckles again, wiping the last of his building tears from his eyes and sighing with a quiet groan, “I’m so embarrassed– He’s probably pissed at me for ruining our first talk since this whole mess started. I mean– how petty was that?? I haven’t heard from my boyfriend in over a week because he’s trapped in an alternate dimension. We’re all potentially gonna die. And instead of taking any time left given to talk to him, I throw a fit over the idea of him cheating on me. And with another version of me, at that!” Shadow hums a chuckle with a shrug, “Pretty petty.” “So petty,” Sonic groans and rubs his hands down his face in frustration with himself before throwing them into the air and falling backwards onto his back dramatically.

Shadow smirks a bit, watching the blue hedgehog laying there beside him dealing with the dumb mistake he’s made..

“..Perhaps it’s more than the secrecy of your relationship in the other world that’s bothering you..” Sonic purses his lips at that, brows furrowing in thought as he looks back down to his shoes.

“..What if-.. What if he doesn’t like me as much as that other version?..”

Shadow sighs at this, opening his mouth to reiterate his alternate’s undying loyalty only for Sonic to stop him.

“No, no, just– hear me out.. He would never cheat on me, you’re right. He’s much too loyal for something like that. But he-.. He could develop feelings? Maybe your Sonic is a better match for him. Maybe he talks to me again and finds that he enjoys talking to your Sonic far more. Maybe he-..” Sonic’s voice cuts short, cracking as the blue hedgehog feels himself getting worked up again. He pauses to take a deep breath before sighing out, “Maybe he doesn’t want to come home..”

Shadow frowns at this, watching how Sonic’s glossy eyes stare at the stars in the sky above them.. the half blown up moon that’s shards still linger here and there. Littered in the black abyss of space.

He knows he’s wondering if the alternate Shadow is looking at that moon too.. 

After a moment, Shadow sighs and lays himself down beside Sonic. His hands crossed over his stomach as the flowers tower and loom around him. Framing the two of them in their spot. He knows he’s gonna be picking petals out of his quills for days after this— ugh.

His own eyes raise to the sky then.. looking at that moon..

And maybe-… maybe his Sonic is looking at it right now, too… or an alternate version of it, at least.

He finds himself wondering if Sonic thinks of him when he looks at the moon the way Shadow thinks of Sonic.. he wonders if he regrets that day during the ARK battle.. how he couldn’t save Shadow.

He wonders if it ever even crosses his Sonic’s mind the way it lingered so heavily on this one’s..

“I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” Shadow says simply after a long moment of silence, his voice almost sad. Melancholic. Longing..

Sonic’s head turns, Shadow can feel his gaze on his profile.

“How could you know that?..”

“Because my Sonic—“ Shadow sighs, catching himself as he shakes his head and corrects, “the Sonic from my world.. He doesn’t feel the way you do. About me.”

Sonic is quiet at that. His head turning back to the sky. Shadow sighs through his nose, finding himself really thinking about this fact for the first time ever. He never really allowed himself to before.. to wonder why Sonic didn’t look for him after the fall. To contemplate that Sonic may just have thought the world was simply better off without him.

While Shadow has the thoughts quite often about himself, for whatever reason the idea of Sonic having them felt… devastating.

Before all this mess, he simply believed that Sonic thought him dead and that was that. Never looked too much into it. But now?.. Now he wondered.. what made Sonic give up on him so quickly.

It was a selfish thing to think, he knows. And it was silly to care. But deep down despite his dismay for even being associated with the blue idiot at times, he always admired him. Respected him. Held him at a higher regard than anyone else. He truly did want Sonic’s approval, his nod of confirmation, his respect and positive attention. The times Shadow has managed to truly disappoint Sonic have been few but every single one have lingered for a long, long time. Never left him. Always haunted him.

Sonic was good.

He wanted to be good in Sonic’s eyes..

He’d never admit such a thing, he’d die before doing so..

But it was a secret truth he carried deep inside himself.

“My Shadow almost killed me.”

Shadow blinks at that, knocked from his train of thought as though he had been going a million miles an hour and suddenly was at zero. 

He certainly wasn’t expecting that.

“I-..”

“Sorry, that was-,“ Sonic sighs and rolls his eyes at himself, realizing his error, “That was a bit heavy and sudden, huh?? I meant that.. I know what you’re thinking. That you.. went too far. That you’re too bad. That your Sonic doesn’t look at you the way I look at my Shadow because you’re just too bad, right??..”

Shadow blinks, head turning to look at Sonic now and their eyes meeting again. He hesitates. Then nods slowly..

Sonic smirks slightly then looks back to the sky, “Yeah. Figures. My Shadow is always way too hard on himself, too.. But what I was sayin’ was.. From what you’ve told me, your life has honestly been kinda mellow compared to my Shadow’s in terms of bad choices.”

“‘Mellow’?” Shadow scoffs, rolling his eyes and looking back to the stars, “I’m afraid my bad choices are vast. You underestimate—“

“My Shadow teamed with Doom during the Black Arms Invasion,” Sonic interrupts again, once again rendering Shadow speechless for a long moment.

Shadow.. doesn’t know what to say to that. Or how to even comprehend it. How could-… how could a Shadow that was found and surrounded by so many people who loved and took care of him ever team with Doom?

“..What happened?”

“It’s.. a long story. A lot of shit happened in the details, and I’ll skip all that for the sake of.. I don’t know. Making it easier on me to talk about,” Sonic chuckles awkwardly, Shadow’s brows knitting at that.

“We don’t have to—“

“No, no. I-.. I want to,” the hero clarifies with a little shrug, his eyes staying on the sky since it’s too hard to look at Shadow in that moment.. 

“..So from what you’ve said, you pretty much sided with us through the Black Arms Invasion?” “More or less..” “Heh, well… my Shadow? He.. he did at first, of course. It wasn’t a few weeks after we found him like it was for you, though. I think we found him sooner after the ARK Battle than the Rouge in your world found your Shadow is why. I spent only a month searching for Shadow before I found him, and then we had four together before Metal Sonic started kicking up his trouble.. The Black Arms invasion came a few weeks after that.” This was certainly different to Shadow’s own timeline where he was awoken five months after the ARK Battle during the Metal Sonic fiasco. The Black Arms was two weeks after, and he wasn’t emotionally connected to anyone at that point. Just lost and confused.. Easily manipulated and searching desperately for his place in this world.

“Black Doom took to Shadow like a parasite. He had him in his head, manipulating and moving his memories around to his liking, making Shadow believe things that never happened and see things that hadn’t yet happened. He didn’t tell anyone. He hid it, not wanting any of us to worry or be scared of him while his own fear of himself just kept growing and growing.. I didn’t even know until it was too late..”

Shadow can hear the guilt in Sonic’s voice. How he blamed himself for not seeing it sooner, for not knowing what was happening before Black Doom’s claws had been so neatly fitted around his Shadow’s neck..

This seemed to be an ongoing trend for them: blaming themselves for the others’ misfortunes.

“And by then Black Doom had Shadow… exactly where he wanted him,” Sonic sighs quietly, his brows furrowing as he remembers it all.. Flashes of the large almost ethereal monster Shadow had become. Dark tentacles, looming wings, sharp and long teeth and claws, so many glowing red eyes staring him down with piercing yellow pupils. How he wasn’t at all himself. How he was lost to something more sinister. Possessed by a higher power.. An heir to an end.

Sonic feels the lump in his throat throb when he swallows, his eyes growing more and more misty again. And he doesn’t want to cry anymore, so he simply takes a deep breath and shuts them as he sighs it out.

“In the end, everything turned out okay. We got him back. That’s what’s important.” It’s obvious that Sonic isn’t going to go anymore into it. Not yet, anyway. Not right now. Shadow doesn’t push it..

Instead, he reaches a hand over slowly and lets the backs of his fingers ever so slightly brush against the blue hedgehog’s. Simply letting him know he’s there. That he’s not alone. Not back in whatever place this talk has taken him to.

The corner of Sonic’s lips curl upwards at that, sighing as his eyes open again to look back at Shadow. A bit teary, but not shedding anymore.

“So trust me when I say… My Shadow and I have quite literally been to hell and back, and I only love him more. Whatever your Sonic is thinking about you, it’s not that you’re not good. If anything, it’s that he’s not.”

Shadow frowns at that, brows furrowing in confusion at that response. Why would Sonic think he himself isn’t good?? That’s all that dumb hedgehog is is good.

Still, he doesn’t argue on this. Just stores this knowledge away for later to ponder and contemplate on.

Sonic’s hand reaches up then, plucking a tiny piece of petal from Shadow’s quills and smirking as he drops it between them. Shadow watches it flitter to the ground.

“...It sounds like we both are talking to the wrong alternate of each other..”

“Yeah,” Sonic huffs, his smile growing a bit tired and wary as his eyes lift back to Shadow’s, “I gotta agree with you on that one.”

[salty-croissants]

Hi!!!! Can I request pre relationship hc for bullfrog. Like when you first meet and stuff? (^^)

Thank you for the request !

I wanted to try and make a bit of a prequel to the events of the series with this one by imagining the reader meeting Bullfrog in the past to then eventually see him again in the Warden’s prison , it just sounded like a cool concept :)👍

Hope this turned out okay ! 

Details : use of gender neutral reader ; 

strangers to lovers ; 

presence of mature themes , including swearing , blood and an attempted assault ( reader gets saved in the end , dw !! )

It all begun during one very rainy night …

It was late , and due to the fact that it had been a very long day at work and that you didn’t have your umbrella with you to offer some shelter from the unforgiving weather you had ended up trying to head for a shortcut passing through a more repaired alleyway …

You’ve never liked that road , but at that point you were soaking wet , freezing and just longed for the warmth and comfort of your home … 

You just had to be fast and not draw attention and everything was going to be just fine like usual . 

… or at least , that’s what you thought . 

After some more walking you were starting to see the lights outside the alleyway , which meant you were very close to leave that unsettling darkness and get closer to your apartment , but right before you could let out a sigh of relief and think about how silly you were to always worry so much about things you heard them : 

heavy footsteps behind you … and they were rapidly approaching . 

< Well hello , beautiful … out late , ay ? > 

Your heart started pounding in your chest , as four ominous looking strangers surrounded you , blocking every chance of escape … 

It seemed like things had taken a very , very bad turn . 

  < Come on babe , there’s no need to be afraid … we aren’t gonna hurt you , are we boys ? > 

< Damn , they’re even more cute up close … > 

You found yourself completely frozen in place , as the four cornered you more and more , and immediately jolted back when one of them tried to touch your shoulder …

< G-get away from me !! > 

< Aw , don’t think you got much of a choice here , sweetheart … better make things easier for yourself and just go with it . 

Wouldn’t wanna get in trouble now , would you … ? > 

You could feel your body shake , both for the cold of the rain and your sheer , paralyzing fear … 

You could only close your eyes praying to whoever might be listening that someone was going to see what was happening and get you out of that horrible mess …

… that’s when you heard the man behind you let out a scream , followed by the sound of a blade slashing through his neck .

< What - what the fuck !? > 

< Dammit - I can’t see shit , where did that bastard g - > 

Another scream , followed by a thud told you that another one of those creeps had been dealt with … 

After taking a deep breath , you slowly opened your eyes to get a clue as to what the hell was actually happening , and what you saw made your eyes widen : the two remaining men were furiously fighting against a frog with a white hoodie , without being able to land a single hit on him …

< Stay still you little - > 

He moved so quickly , your brain barely even registered the moment when his blades landed the final hits , leaving a pool of blood mixing with the puddles on the ground .

When he turned around to look at you , you couldn’t help but take one step back , still shaken by everything that had happened …

< Everything is all right now , mon ami … I’m not going to hurt you . > 

His voice was very calm and reassuring , with a bit of a French accent . 

< I , uh … I’m very sorry you had to see all of this … if you wish I could accompany you home to make sure that nobody else tries to harm you .

… actually wait , that might sound like a creepy thing to say - je suis désolé , I — > 

< Pfft … it’s okay … I’d like that . > 

You couldn’t help but chuckle in front of just how unexpectedly kind and … honestly adorable that strange frog was …

As you slowly got up , you realized just how tired you were after the scare you just experienced , but before you could lose balance and fall back down he immediately rushed to support you .

< Attention - >

< Ah … thanks … sorry about that . > 

< No need to apologize … just take it easy , I got you . > 

The journey back home didn’t encounter any more complications , and the two of you had quite a nice time just talking to each other : 

you discovered that the name of your savior was Bullfrog , and that he was an assassin … he didn’t really tell you a lot about himself other than that , but frankly that was all you needed to know . 

< Well , thanks for walking me home Bullfrog … I really appreciate it . >

< Ne le mentionne pas y/n , it was my pleasure . Though I’m afraid I will need to get going soon … there is another important task I need to get done tonight . > 

You nodded in response , while taking out the keys to your apartment from your pocket . 

< Say … I hope this isn’t a bit too forward , but you know , if you ever need a safe place to stay you can always come here . It’s the least I could do , you saved me after all … > 

< Merci , I’ll keep that in mind . > 

Bullfrog smiled at you , before disappearing in the shadows of the night like he had never been there in the first place … 

As you finally entered inside your home , promising to yourself to never enter a dark alleyway late at night ever again , part of you was hoping that one day you would see him again … 

… who knows , maybe that was going to happen … possibly in some maximum security cell … 

[theexaltedbride]

Dead Island 2 Slayers X Reader Headcanons.

Amy:

-Always tries to make sure you eat right for a day of surviving the undead. Amy also likes to take the time to show you how to properly limber up and run so you don’t pull a muscle during an attack or a retreat from the undead.

-Amy isn’t afraid to let you touch her prosthetic leg, so long as you ask nicely and don’t tug on it.

-When things get tough, Amy has a thousand little pick-me-up phrases and feel good mottos she can give you that she’s said to herself many times.

-When fighting he undead Amy likes to hit and run, picking the zombies down one by one (Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee). But she will go all out if she spots you being cornered or pushed too hard by the swarm.

Bruno:

-Will always compliment your music choices even if he doesn’t actually like them, and is always the first one to suggest blaring music loudly when you find a working car and can drive around the zombies. His main choice seems to be some song called “Stay Alive’ which he was playing on his phone before the plane crash.

-Phone is now full of selfies with you, but only the ones that make you look good and got the right filters on, so everyone can see you as he sees you.

-Bruno is not the most gun savvy person and tends to shoot it gangsta style, if you can teach him the right way to use one (especially proper gun-safety) he will appreciate it, especially after the two of you start stacking Zeds left and right.

-Promises that once this is all over, you and him are gonna hit it big on the internet. He’s gonna make a song about you.

Carla:

-After swearing so much at the undead, or at dickish survivors, she decided to teach you Spanish, starting with every swear she knows and even some new ones. But when you are alone together, she will also teach you by whispering sweet (or even dirty) things in Spanish to you and telling you to translate it.

-Once punched out another survivor for getting too handsy with you, and afterwards will start teaching you how to properly fight with someone.

-Will always offer a comforting touch, even if she can be a little rough around the edges. Gives the best hugs out of the group, but don’t tell anyone.

-Is going to teach you to ride a motorcycle, so you can get the same rush as she does from her bike, but also so you can get away quickly if things go bad.

Dani:

-Will teach you how to drink like you mean it, but is willing to start with the weaksauce stuff if you are hesitant to drink during the apocalypse.

-Can play up her accent if you want, but it tends to happen when she gets very angry, to the point even she doesn’t know what she said.

-Is constantly trying to decide what kind of tattoos would look good on you, and promising you it doesn’t hurt.

-Promises you that if you both survive this, she’s gonna make you part of the Blood Faeries.

Jacob:

-Normally doesn’t like to put his cigars out for anyone, but will do so for you. If only because he wants to make a good impression.

-Loves clearing out, fancy, mansions in LA of zombies and turning them into a safehouse where you and him can have a great time together just eating the food, watching the movies and raiding anything there for some fun. Its important to keep a happy mindset during the apocalypse.

-When raiding for supplies, he will go out of his way to find things he knows you like and bring them back, which is slowly turning the both of you into loot goblins and packrats. You’re gonna need a bigger bag or storehouse for all the stuff you’ve picked up.

- Even when he’s feeling down, he forces himself to smile through it, but the smile becomes much more genuine when you are around.

Ryan:

-Genuinely afraid of all the undead overwhelming LA, but will put on a brave face so that you aren’t scared. Eventually he won’t have to fake it, and will genuinely be brave, especially with you around.

-You genuinely thought he was a real firefighter, until you noticed his helmet was a toy. He loves going over that story and sometimes sharing his craziest stories from his career as a male stripper.

-Wants to survive the apocalypse and show you off to his brother and boast about how badass you are for having survived alongside him.

-Will only pull out his old stripper dance moves when in a safezone, and only if he’s 110% sure no one will barge in.

All purpose Headcannons:

-They will love you regardless of if you are ‘Immune’/a ‘Numen’, or not. They care about you for who you are, not what you are. And if the other group of (evil?) Numen try to step between them and you, then those bastards have another thing coming.

-They tend to let you handle the radio calls when it involves civilians in danger, or them trying to sell their ‘Hero Services’ out to any survivors in LA.

-Movie Night back at Emma’s mansion is the highlight of the week now, with everyone voting over what movie to watch. There tends to be a trend of the longer movies being chosen, so that the group can forget about the chaos outside a little longer.

-The excitement you sometimes show when you nerd out over something is also a welcome distraction and has led to in depth nerdy debates even in the middle of fighting against swarms.

-The group is slowly turning Patton’s bunker into a second home/safehouse for survivors.

-None of them can decide on a group name for themselves.

-If the group encounters other survivors they feel are dangerous, they might start closing ranks around you subconciously to keep you safe.

-If you have loved ones outside of the Quarantine Zone, they will do their best to make sure they know you are okay and will be taking care of you.

-Someone is gonna make a scrapbook of all the selfies you’ve collectively taken around famous landmarks or memorable moments.

-They totally stopped to check in to see if your favorite actor/actress is still alive/safe.

-Sometimes you all just sit and watch the stars from the roof of Emma’s mansion, and its in these moments, together, safe, and united as a group, that you all truly feel alive.

[2309analysis]

What do you think would happen if Tails Sails Mangey and Nine all interacted with each other?

See, I was thinking about this all week. Mainly due to my theory, and just the pure nature of Tails’ the Fox. His character remotely resembles a child; in both psychological, and emotional aspects. While he is physically a child, his brain and maturity level is not. Its far exceeds the average intellect and ability to comprehend. Making Tails’ far more complex than most people realize. So, I’m basically going to explain how he would really only be on his wavelength. Literally all will but the communication will be tad different with each counterpart of Tails’.

Starting with Nine:

─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─

Tails’:

To me, he’ll be the easiest communication-wise. I think the two Foxes’ would be wary of each other; mainly due to Nine’s hard drive on not being compatible with Tails’s personality and his viewpoint of the world. Nine wouldn’t really want to get into Tails’s character, or really understand his tinkering. While, he has similar habits, and thought-process, I honestly think his openness and willingness/over-friendliness would honestly frighten Nine.

Moving onto the actual interaction between the two. I honestly think Tails’ just be nervous, Nine’s got a pretty judgmental attitude and defensive personality. Making it very hard to really understand his thoughts, which Tails’ usually doesn’t have problems with. ‘Cause everyone in his head is statutory, but himself? With another version of himself? Oh, boy, where does he even begin? He’d be the first initiator, due to anxiety eating him up. “Um… so, you’re supposed to be a counterpart of me? Heh, well, you do look a lot like me—“ “Just stop talking.” Nine would quickly shut him down at first. Mainly due, to the frustration of Sonic forcing them to do this.

“Err… do you at least want something to eat?” Nine just slowly turns his head, and looks Tails’ deadbeat in the eyes. “Nah, I’m good with this bark of wood. Thanks for asking.” I think Nine has a sarcastic defense mechanism around others’, (Sonic’s circumstances are diffrent) especially over people who try to know him. Which is hard for anime, it’s extremely out of his comfort zone; he doesn’t like interactions. Knowing this, he’s especially reluctant towards Tails’.

I think Tails’ will catch onto this extremely quickly; and back off. For a couple of weeks, it’s awkward, and very difficult to really know how the two feel about each other. Nine does soften up once he starts to catch Tails’ mind explore and invent endless amount of things in his meantime. I think this is where Nine is the first initiator. To Nine’s surprise, they get along well, especially when it comes to analyzing; making Sonic pretty relieved. 

─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─

Sails’:

Honestly, I would think they’d kinda ignore each other. Both well-aware and about how the other feels about each other, making it kinda hard for them to open up. Awkward, and tense when around each other. I’m talking about, a what if, this was all happening after the events of Prime. It’d still be this way, due to Nine’s lack of social awareness.

I still think Sails’ give Nine a chance. Like actively trying to hang out with him, ask him some small questions on how he invests or makes things. Small little interactions, at first, but I honestly don’t think they’ll become nearly as close as Nine and Tails’. Which isn’t much of a bummer, because Saul’s’ prefers other characters, like Amy, Tails’ himself, Sonic, and his captain, Dread.

They’d team up with each other, and fight alongside each other if they had to. They won’t be their first choice; but a reliable duo. They would trust each other with weapon-making, and temporary cooperations. Extra points, if they wink at each other to take initiatives, and smile about winning.

─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─

Mangey:

The poor Foxes would never have a coherent conversation. Genuinely would not know how to interact with each other. Mangey is too savage and nervous to ever really properly calm down and actually sit with Nine. Nine’s too way and paranoid something bad is going to happen if they tried forcing him. The two are too mentally unstable to be able to handle each other’s emotions.

It’s like asking a baby to walk without falling. It’s a lot of trail and error. It’d take at least a month or two or them to even be on the same emotional wavelength. Mangey’s broken English and bad sense of social order makes Nine extremely uncomfortable. They try not to get angry or overwhelmed by each other; because they both understand that the other is trying. (Keeping in mind about the after events)

“M-me like y-ou.” “Huh… you’re improving. That’s excellent.” They will warm up with each other over communicating and improving speeches. Nine would basically become Mangey’s language arts teacher. Teaching him all the basics about talking, writing, and reading. Sonic will help by holding up pictures of simple things.

Next is Sails’:

─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─

Tails’:

He’s by far, going to be the most mentally stable and simple out of the three counterparts. Easily, because he’s pretty much mostly like Tails’ himself. Making things communication-wise a whole lot less stressful for Tails’. The only downside is the pirate talk. Tails’ might hinder with the new communication system; making it slightly harder for him to properly respond. Which won’t be much a of a problem, as it quickly gets solved, because Tails’ easily adapts.

Also, I think Tails’ would find it super interesting and unique. Making them probably the fastest to become friends. They’re buddies, they’re improving each other’s inventions, making sure the other isn’t lost. They’re practically brothers. They’d both keep each other company and joke around a lot. Making Dread kinda annoyed, because most jokes are inside jokes about highly complex things.

They’d keep each other’s back covered, if they would ever get into a fight. They would never abandon each other, and make sure they’re both are safe. They’d boost each other up and uplift themselves. Alongside of double teaming with Sonic and Nine! They’re unbeatable. Tails’ would also dork out about his helper hand. Finding it effective and extremely cool. Tails’ now has one he can use! Occasionally, though.

─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─

Mangey:

Honestly, same way as Tails’. It’d basically be like having a kid brother. Sails’ already took care on Mangey in season 3, but more normalized. Sails’ keeps Mangey out of trouble, and calms down his nerves. I would feel like Sails’ honestly follows Mangey around out of curiosity about his behaviorism. Constantly noting it, and the improvements, habits, etc.

Tails’ would definitely join in. Not making a habit of it, like Sails, would, though. It’s merely out of keeping him protected and innocent. As in, he’s never, ever, stepping foot inside Eggman’s factory or laboratory. Not unless it was extremely important, and Mangey’s friends were in danger. Also, it’d feel like belittlement after a while, and if Mangey showed enough attention-improvement, he could be sent on special missions.

─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─

Nine:

I think he’d be pretty indifferent about Sails’. Like Tails’. Like I said, it’d take a large while for them to warm up with each other. It’s not they actually don’t like each other; but they’re a tad suspicious of each other. Both tensed, awkward socially distant foxes. Nice combo… but Sonic turned things around telling them both to just take it slow.

They’re the slowest and subtler find than all of the other three. They just don’t notice each other, and it’s not a bad thing; but they have less appeal towards each other. They will work together, and share mostly the same opinions; and make sure that the other is okay, but that’s all.

Next is Mangey:

─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─

Tails’:

Tails’ would give him a lot of snacks. Plus, a bunch of stolen Chili Dogs from Sonic. The two would be usually spotted eating and going over simplistic ways to teach Mangey real communication with Nine. Both Nine and Tails’ would take turns with Mangey helping his improvement of social and personal development.

Sails’ helps with the emotional department, making sure he doesn’t get too overwhelmed. Tails’ acts like character for Mangey to see scenarios of conversations and situations. I feel like Mangey is a visual learner, so it’s ultimately easier for him to comprehend after seeing what happens. That also includes spying on others’, but mainly Sonic, and their friends.

─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─

Nine:

He would leave Mangey alone at first. Kinda steering clear, because he doesn’t really like unwanted attention or company. Knowing Mangey would give so much of that, he tries to keep off of his track, and kinda cower away. Not to be offensive; but because he’s not entirely used to having friends.

Not until he decided to give him the opportunity to grow. Once Mangey starts to show signs of large improvement of social skills, emotional maturity and development, Nine doesn’t entirely mind when he’s around. Since, by this point, Mangey sees Nine as a bigger brother.

─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─

Sails’:

He would voluntarily help Nine and Tails’ out making improvements with Mangey’s abilities and growth. Especially with the language and emotional support. Making sure that Mangey doesn’t get too overwhelmed by anything; he’ll also be the supplier of treats.

He would also help Nine come up with a series of quizzes for Mangey. Making sure all of the studying is actually sticking with him. Nine would create the question, Sails’ would make the answer. Tails’ help out giving small hints, and Mangey would get a treat if he doesn’t need any hints. He would get a whole snack, if he gets a 100 for the quiz.

Next is Tails’:

─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─

Nine:

The two would be awkward at first, but the more they found in common about each other’s habits, they became more comfortable around each other. I think Nine would be emotionally tired, and deprived of any sort of intimacy with love; and Tails’ deeply understood this. Instead of Sonic being Nine’s only friend and well, savior, Tails’ basically became his newest friend.

─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─

Mangey:

As I have said this over and over again, (lmao) Nine would advise, commit to Mangey’s growth. Finding some joy out of seeing his counterpart grow, and improving. It makes him feel like he means something more rather than something of nothing. Tails’ sorta feels the same way; and it makes them more comfortable and less anxious around Mangey. Mainly due to the wavy their shatter verses are; it’s hard for all four of them to collectively get along at the same time.

─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─

Sails’:

They would love each other. From intelligence to little quirks about certain things. Tails’ would indefinitely make little gadgets for all four; but mainly Sails’. They would have the most in common with each other. They’re little collaborations with each other to make each other’s lives in their own verses easier. Especially for Nine. Like, face-timing each other, occasionally, send each other a bunch of letters.

─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─

I’ll whiff up headcanons later over them. They’re such a cute couple of interactions; but I wouldn’t mind adding some angst to it next time. Those will most likely appear in a few headcanons. Thanks for this question; it was really fun writing this out, especially individually! (I love making myself suffer)

This is them.

[mags-writes]

Sunlight || Part VII

Summary: frank gets some insight

Series Warnings: canon typical violence, canon typical swearing, first time writing x reader, no use of y/n, no beta readers we die like ray nadeem

Pairing: frank castle x fem!reader

Authors Note: a short one so I can properly finish the last chapter

PROLOGUE/MASTERLIST || PART I || PART II || PART III || PART IV || PART V || PART VI || PART VII || PART VIII

You blankly stared out at the fatherly love pouring from John Pilgrim as he held his sons to him in a hug that you knew was the most comforting thing those boys would ever feel.

The phantom itch of your own father's arms wrapping around you made your skin crawl knowing that it wasn't real and that you'd never feel that again. And not because of the John Pilgrim that was hugging his children in front of you, but a different, more deranged John Pilgrim that was still running around back in your dimension. A man with the same face and same voice.

"She refused any pain meds that would actually get rid of the pain so she's got a little relief and she's a bit loose-lipped." You heard distantly.

Amy sat down in front of you, blocking your view of John and you smiled warmly at her.

"Hey, baby." You said.

"Hey. How are you feeling?" She asked.

"Better, now that I've got some more fluids in me." You look at the IV and blood bag sitting next to one another that was hooked up to you. "How about you? You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." You knew she was rattled but you also knew that she was a tough kid and that she needed a few night's sleep before she felt more at ease. "Frank's worried about you though. He's like a kicked puppy-"

"Hey." Frank interrupted, sitting down next to you and kicking Amy's legs. "It's rude to lie."

"Yeah, sure thing Pete." She retorted with a smirk.

She got up leaning down to give your arm a squeeze before walking away again.

"Are you saying you're not worried for me?" You teased, nudging him with your shoulder.

"As if you'd want me to be." He replied, nudging you back. "Can I ask you somethin'?"

"You saw me shove a knife into a man's throat, Frankie," You laugh, looking at him with that sweet smile. "You don't have to ask that anymore."

"Okay, fair enough." He chuckles before setting you with his own smile. "That thing you did. The Mississippi countin'. What was that?"

"Oh, that." You teeter back a little before settling with a small smile. "Jack Murdock, Matt's dad, taught me how to throw a proper punch when I was six when he saw what my older brothers were like. It wasn't his fault but it just encouraged me to get angry. Then when the accident with Matt happened, and I started having to look out for my younger brothers as well as my older brothers, I just got so goddamn angry." You paused, going to show him your right hand but forgetting about the bandages. "You can't see it but there's a small scar from where I knocked out the two front teeth of this kid that was picking on Matt. I was sick of being the one keeping my brothers safe for their sake and then getting in trouble, being told I should mind my own business."

"Yeah, that's bullshit." Frank said, bringing his arm to rest across your shoulders and bringing you into his side.

"Jack talked to my parents and convinced them to let him train me in boxing." You laid your head on his shoulder and closed your eyes.

"That's where those light feet come from." Frank joked, making you smile bashfully and turn your face into his neck briefly.

"Yeah. Before he died, he taught me to put a pin in my anger." You open your eyes again, looking down at the bandages on your hands. "Take as long as I need to count to three but I better have a lid on it by three Mississippi's or I'd get my head rung in."

"Was he ever wrong?"

"Nope."

"Hey." You jumped at Dinah sneaking up on you again. "Sorry."

"Nope, gotta get used to it." You said and she took the seat across from you that Amy had. "You good?"

"I should be asking you that." She replied, nodding down to your hands. "They say it's gonna be a few weeks before you can actually use your hands."

"Yeah, don't know how I'm gonna cook anything." You brought your bandaged hands up in front of your face, frowning at them and wincing when you tried to move them.

"Karen and I have been talking," She leaned forward on her elbows on her thighs, giving you a serious look. "We're all going to help you move in with me."

You drop your hands, eyes widening a fraction. "Dinah, no, you don't have to do that for me."

"You're not going to be able to take care of yourself during the day with Frank and Matt off at their jobs." She said, reaching out and taking a hold of your wrist.

"What, and you can?"

"I got a promotion recently so I can take some time and transfer it all to work from home and maybe have an odd office day." She squeezed your wrist slightly. "That way I can help you recover."

"Dinah, you don't know me."

"I know that those boys would still be in danger if it weren't for you." She said earnestly. "I'm not going to let you sleep on a couch while you're in recovery."

"But..." You stuttered, looking at Frank for a second before looking back at her. "I make them lunches. And Dinners."

Dinah pauses, giving you a look like she can't believe what just came out of your mouth.

"Why the hell are you making lunch and dinner for two grown men?"

"I'm Italian!" You whined, bringing your hands up. "It's what I do!"

"Hey," Frank squeezed you to his side and brought his mouth to your ear making you shiver. "Quit bein' so stubborn."

You sigh, finally relenting. "Fine."

"I'm also hiring you." She adds, standing up and smirking.

"Pardon?"

\\\\

Tagged: @danzer8705 (sorry for forgetting to tag you in the last chapter!)

[neaxsfiction]

Falling asleep next to Dabi (fluff)

Sitting next to Dabi in the LOV van has been a rather unique experience.

Man I'm so tired

Dabi and I were never close. Basically we barely even spoke. I mean yeah, we have interacted a bit but nothing more that could engage a friendship. I would sit on the van with Toga, but today Twice was sad and she wanted to comfort him.

My eyes slowly close and my vision goes black.

"Get up" a raspy voice says

I yawn a bit and stay on the uncomfortable pillow I seemed to have been resting my head on for quite some time now. My eyes slowly open and meet with the turquoise eyes of the cremation villain. He was very close.

"We have arrived" he says in a softer tone.

As the flashback of some moments earlier hits me, I realise what has happened and I feel extremely embarassed about it.

I quickly raise my head and apologize to him. I don't wanna make him think of me as an annoying person who crosses his boundaries. Plus I generally don't wanna mess with him. No matter how strong my quirk is.

"S' okay" he huffs and turns around to leave, avoiding amy type of eye contact.

The truth you don't know though, is that nobody has ever trusted him this much. He's used to people fearing him, which he didn't care about it at all, or calling him a monster. Deep inside though, he carved human interaction.

At the beginning of the ride, he was just staring at the window not caring about anything actually. He didn't try to interact with you as that ride would only last 30 minutes. At some point he felt a sharp pain on his shoulder.

When he was about to confront you about this, thinking you're trying to annoy him, he turns his head and realises the pain only came because of your head falling on his shoulder while you were asleep.

You trusted him enough to sleep next to him and rest your head on his shoulder. Maybe you were just too tired, but he doesn't know that. He was caught off guard with this. In his eyes you're a powerful villain and gives you a fair amount of respect when you two have to interact. He has no experience of trusting people or being trusted so he doesn't know what to do with this new feeling, that makes his ice surrounded heart melt when he realises he can be trusted.

He couldn't betray that trust. But he couldn't do anything else so he just stayed still. His mind was a mess. He was trying to comprehend what was happening thinking fast. What should he do? Should he cover you with his jacket while sleeping, like he's seen on TV? Nah that would make things weird between you two. In the end he just decided to do his best and not move. He just let you rest your head for as long you needed.

If it was only you two, and you were in deeper sleep, he'd even get brave enough to rest his head on yours for a bit. No person in the LOV has made his heart go soft like this.

When you arrived to your destination with the van, he couldn't do anything other than waking you up. He didnt want that ride to end, like at all. He whispered your name a few times until you started moving and opening your eyes.

His eyes locked with yours when you stared at him. He held on the eye contact until you broke it and started to apologize, in order to save this memory in his head, and never forget it. To be honest, he loved that expression you had, not only because he found cute how clueless you were after your little nap, but also he got a chance to stare at your beautiful eyes up close.

The look you gave him that day, only sent shivers down his spine. The look in your eyes was soft and, in his eyes, you looked vulnerable and in need of protection

Typically he never bothered to care about anybody else, other than himself. But man, that was about to change. His ice-cold heart melted right on spot, his usual glare became a soft look of appreciation and, trust me, he'd never be the same after that.

Only if you knew what you did to him that day

~

Dabi pic credits

Date uploaded; 03/07/2023

[pccyouthleader]

Hedgehog Hodgepodge: A Story of Espionage, Confusion, and an Evil Plan Gone Haywire

~Intermission~

Little by little, Aurora packed her things and slowly moved them to the apartment next door to Shadow’s. Sonic had begrudgingly agreed to the arrangement as long as the two promised to behave and stay in their separate “corners.” 

Aurora wanted to leave her room at home in much the same condition, as it was comforting to know that she could come and stay whenever she wanted. She decided to take her solar dancing figurines, bobble head collection, taco-themed joke book, and Kit-Cat clock, but decided to leave her posters. She could swoon over “Bran Baker and the Beefcakes” and “The Phantom of the Rock Opera” whenever she came to visit.

Much to Shadow’s frustration, the evidence trail from the trophy and orb had grown cold. Knuckles and Rouge couldn’t tell him anything more about the orb. And Tails was so preoccupied with prepping his old plane for the antique iron show that he had all but forgotten about the trophy. 

Everyone’s lives had pretty much returned to normal since the disappearance of the two items. However, some of Shadow’s contacts had started receiving strange communication signals. The contacts could neither pinpoint the location of the transmissions nor decipher them. 

Amy was overjoyed at the development of a small baby bump on her abdomen. After finding some cute maternity wear, she enjoyed standing in front of her full-length mirror admiring her new look. She still couldn’t believe she was experiencing the miracle of new life all over again!

The nursery - one side of Amy’s in-home office - was coming along nicely. Aurora had worked closely with her mother to pick the perfect light yellow paint and soft materials to suit a brand new baby hedgehog. Amy’s morning sickness was finally tapering off, and so the mother-daughter duo could often be found going through Amy’s design portfolios looking for ideas.

It wasn’t long before the whole village was abuzz with the news that Sonic and Amy were having a “surprise” bundle of joy. Soon their friends were happily showering them with all sorts of baby-related items.

“I am bushed!” Amy said as she walked in the door one day with a double armload of gift bags.

“Geez, Ames!” Sonic exclaimed, jumping off the sofa. He had been enjoying an afternoon siesta. “Let me get that stuff!” He took the armload of presents and ran them up the stairs. Amy had taken his place on the sofa when he came back down.

“There’re about five more loads where that came from,” she said when Sonic returned.

“From what?!” he asked. Had Amy hijacked a delivery truck?

“My coworkers gave me a surprise baby shower at work today. I forgot just how much stuff you need to take care of a baby.” She propped her aching feet on the coffee table. 

“Be right back,” came Sonic’s reply as he zipped out the door. He returned a few minutes later with a staggering load and a shocked expression on his face. “What are we gonna do with all this stuff?!” he asked when he came back downstairs.

“Worry about it later!” Amy said. She didn’t have the energy to deal with it right now. But she did stand up and move over to place a kiss on Sonic’s cheek. “Thank you for getting everything.”

“No problem, Babe,” he replied, pulling her into a much-needed embrace. Amy relaxed, almost melting into her happy place.

When he released her, Amy grimaced as she remembered an earlier conversation. “If one more person finds out about the baby and asks, ‘You know what causes that, right?’ I just might pound them in the ground with my hammer.”

A devilish grin played across Sonic’s lips. He just had to do it. Placing a hand gently on her ever-growing tummy, he gave her a sly look and said, “Hey Ames, you know what causes this, right?”

But instead of bashing him to bits, Amy got a romantic look in her eyes. She moved a little closer, put her arms around his neck, and raised a brow. “Hmm… actually I do know what causes this. Would you like me to demonstrate?”

“EWWW! MOM! GROSS!!” came a voice from the top of the stairs.

“Crap!” Sonic whispered. “I forgot Tiny was upstairs!” He and Amy dissolved into hushed laughter.

Meanwhile, Aurora had run back into her bedroom with her hands over her ears. Shadow, unbeknownst to the couple downstairs, was sitting in her windowsill, convinced he had just thrown up in his mouth.

[idiotwithanipad]

Humphrey and Robin headcanons with Amy:

⚔️🖤🌕

Humphrey

General HC's:

・Was the first ghost to meet Amy, being that his head was under her bed at the time of her death and had been there for the week she stayed at Button House

・Despite being a decapitated head, he scared her the least because of how sweet and laid back he was

・Their first moment of 'bonding' was when Amy sat alone on a staircase hiding from everyone, until a fully intact Humphrey stumbled across her and started talking to her about her shoes (he's never seen boots like her's before and how interesting they look)

・Whenever Humphrey's head fell from his body Amy always caught it before it hit the floor, he appreciated that a lot

・He grew attatched to her fast, especially when she started sitting around him more than the others and letting him ramble about anything

・She wasn't a big talker at first but soon started to really open up to him

・Amy sometimes places his head in the hood of her hoodie and carries him around in it; it's more comfortable to the both of them

・Humphrey's body has a sixth sense as to Amy's whereabouts, similar to how it can sometimes locate it's head without being prompted or guided towards it

・Humphrey gets very paternal over Amy for unknown reasons. While he's very greatful for her company and help, he likes to think it's more than that. Especially considering she CHOOSES to seek him out every day and talk to him about anything... And also because whenever another ghost would walk through a wall towards them, Amy, without thinking nor hesitating would jump behind Humphrey to hide

・His nickname for Amy is 'Poppet'

・If he doesn't see her every single day, he panics, thinking that she's moved on

Robin

General HC's:

・The second ghost to meet Amy after she died, but the first ghost to notice her when she was still alive and when she got the Button House

・Got easily fascinated by the fact her hoodie has stars on it

・Acts like an alarm clock and wakes Amy up at the crack of dawn... "MORNIES!"

・Robin has successfully taught Amy how to play chess, Julian had to whisper the actual names of the pieces in her ear to clear up any confusion

・If Amy is emotional, she prefers to go to Robin for help; she loves Humphrey dearly but she feels like it's her duty to make sure Humphrey is happy rather than burden him even more with HER problems

・He once heard Fanny and The Captain rudely discussing the way Amy is dressed and Robin scowled them down for hours

・Robin sometimes gets possessive of Amy but quickly stops when he remembers a sacred rule from his tribe: person who find lost child first must raise lost child like blood... And technically he and Humphrey are split two ways evenly

・Robin's nickname for Amy is 'Stompy' because of her thick heeled boots

[angelmichelangelo]

LOL MORE SONIC SPOILERS STAY SO AWAY FROM THIS ‼️‼️‼️ i totally agree with knux and tails falling out of the spotlight in certain scenes, but the moments we got of them were sooooo good like. tails immediately jumping to save sonic, and kuckles jumping to save them both,, and when they land right after and knux has his arms around them both it squeezed my heart so tight like I LOVE THEM. something about a big red smashy dude giving his little blue brother shit for trying to be a hero alone and not listening to his team felt so ... familiar. hmmm. seems like maybe ive seen this somewhere before ... i think my biggest qualm was the emphasis on eggman and gerald cause like yes the relationship was interesting but some scenes felt dragged out and took away from the main plot a tad too much for my liking. then again jim carrey was wonderful and i totally understand whyd they wanna milk his scenes since he likely won't be returning. as a canadian it's my duty to appreciate all of jims work 🫡🫡 i think overall there was a great balance between children's media (aka tasteful violence, lessons in teamwork and grief), and content for older sonic fans (ie. lore & SA2 based scenes and references) which was just all so well done. PLUS THE POST CREDITS im so so excited to see my girl amy on the big screen, i am praying to every deity listening that they don't wash her down to a simple love interest and actually let her explore her own power & dynamics between all the characters

MORE SONIC SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT !!!!

YES YES YES i immediately thought of what you said before about something feeling very tmnt-y when they had that moment :( tails trying to comfort him and sonic not in the headspace for it and lashing out and knuckles stepping in :((( UGH THEYRE SO BROTHERS!!!! i love them so so much :( them in that cornfield with knuckles like holding them SO TIGHT was just. omg i could write essays about how much i adore them. im itching to get my google docs open but im so busy with advent fics atm so it may have to wait until after christmas lol

and yeah! i agree with the eggman scenes. jim carey steals the spotlight SO WELL like, he’s just so iconic in every sense of the word. he’s fantastic and the fourth wall break was amazing and UGH STONE ?! HELLO?? it was just so funny but there were parts were i was like. ok lets wrap it up folks we got two hedgehogs to watch duel it out lmao — but yes to what u said about it mostly being there because he’s likely not to return now, it makes sense they wanted to get the very best out of him whilst they had the chance, so i can allow it :’)

AND AMYYYYY OMGGGGG someone behind me in the theatre like. GASPED when she showed up like i was like yknow what same. AND METAL SONIC LIKE !! we are getting FED in the next movie. i want it so badly like. tomorrow. i NEED it lmfao

so far the sonic movie team has been good at fleshing these characters out so i have a fair amount of faith they’ll give amy the same amount of love. again, we had the knuckles spin off and we’re getting the shadow movie so like. when paramount wanna give me the deep emotional tails backstory movie/series, then im ready to drop all my money into it because ugh i just know they’ll do it so so well :( i love my yellow/orange babies of the family so clearly hahah

there’s just so much to look forward to with this franchise. we’re so lucky to have even gotten one good movie out of it (considering it’s. rather bumpy start lol) but yeah. i could just rewatch that movie a million times over it was so fun :D

[aaronstveit]

hello i would love to hear about i used to live alone before i knew ya and/or vampire au 🤲

hiiii okay i love talking so you can hear about both <33

vampire au (sigh) is more conceptual than anything at this point and only exists because SOMEBODY said "exr vampire au so you can use i'm alive lyrics" and i love vampires so naturally this invaded my brain like a parasite. i love the idea of a vampire enjolras who turns people that he finds dying bc he can't stand suffering and that's how les amis started, and then he makes the mistake of turning grantaire.... oh the arguments they would have about the ethics of turning people into vampires without consent, the responsibilities & obligations you have toward the person who saved you/the person you saved, etc.... my opening line is:

Fuck Grantaire’s life. Death. Afterlife? Undeath? He doesn’t know what to call it, but whatever it is, fuck it.

and i used to live alone before i knew ya!!! my roommates au <3 this one has absolutely no set plot, i'm just writing and seeing where it goes! despite the hallelujah lyric as the title it is supposed to be (mostly) silly. so far it has just been an excuse to explore grantaire as a character because i think it's easy to fall into the trap of him being a general drunk mess but i want to focus more on how he is actually generally good with people in brick canon (enjolras notwithstanding), so just for you here is a long passage that i'm actually really happy with <3

So they Uber. Their driver is an overly-friendly middle aged man who asks a lot of questions about where Grantaire is moving to and why he’s moving and where he works and if he likes his job. Grantaire is too polite to give single-syllable responses like Éponine, so he ends up answering all their driver’s questions and then some. He’s not moving too far, still on the same metro line. His old building had a partial collapse last month and was condemned, oh, you heard about that? Well, he’s been crashing on Éponine’s couch since then because she’s a saint, but now he’s found an apartment that is surprisingly within his budget and less likely to literally fall down around him while he eats his dinner, hopefully. He works in the design department of a greeting card company, which is not as cute as it sounds, it is actually endlessly soul-sucking but he can’t afford to quit and anyway the routine is, tragically, good for him. And in return he hears all about the driver’s life, how he used to drive a bus for the city but got laid off, how he works three jobs now and his wife works two just so they can pay the rent and keep their daughter in dance classes, how he does like driving for Uber because he gets to meet interesting people but he also would just like to get a full night’s sleep for once. And Grantaire, well, he’s never been accused of being a bleeding heart, but. There is something about working-class suffering that just. Gets to him. The specificity of it, the humiliation and the exploitation, the way everyone else looks away because it makes them uncomfortable to know that you are paying the price for their comfort. He thinks of this kind man and all the hours he is missing with his daughter the dancer. He thinks of his parents and all the hours they missed with Grantaire, just to put food on the table. So he tells their driver about an opening in the mailroom at the greeting card company, which Grantaire knows pays decently (well, livably, anyway) because he started out in there. They exchange contact information and Grantaire promises to put in a good word for the guy, and he actually means it, and then Éponine is hauling him out of the car and they’re trying to figure out how they’re going to get all of Grantaire’s stuff up the stairs in one trip when suddenly Enjolras is there, holding the door open for them.

also i want you to know i literally reread suckerpunch literally like an hour ago and i am still blown away by how good it is! the way that you wrote grantaire is everything to me. he IS talented and good with people in canon and you put it through so well! genuinely my favorite les mis fic i've read ♡

[thescrump]

Through It All: A Sonamy Story - Chapter 11: “First Date (Part 1)”

Sonic woke up early on the day of his date with Amy, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. Despite his countless adventures, this felt different, and he wanted everything to be perfect for Amy. He stood in front of his closet, carefully considering his outfit. He wanted to look good, but not too formal. After a few minutes of searching, he settled on a simple, yet stylish outfit. He put on a white button-up shirt, blue jacket, and his signature red sneakers. He looked in the mirror and smoothed out his quills, making sure they looked their best. He recited to himself one of the many lessons his family taught him all those years ago on Christmas Island. One of those lessons that lingered in his head for many years. “Never let a girl cry.” He felt it had never been more applicable to his life. He may never need that advice more in his life. “You got this, Sonic,” he whispered to his reflection, a determined glint in his eyes. “Today's the day to let her know.” Satisfied with his appearance and confident, he grabbed his phone and sent a message to Amy. "Hey, Ames! Ready for our date?" He put his phone away and headed out the door, ready to meet Amy and start their adventure together.

Meanwhile, Amy couldn't believe she was actually on a date with Sonic. They had been friends for so long, but this was the first time they were out together in a romantic context. She couldn't believe it was really happening. They met up at a street corner near the small bookstore Amy frequently shopped at. As they walked through the bustling streets of Emerald City, Amy felt a sense of nervous excitement. Sonic, as always, was cool and collected, but Amy couldn't help but feel like her heart was about to burst out of her chest. Amy felt comfortable around Sonic, as she always did, but this time there was something different. It was as if they were seeing each other in a new light, and everything felt more significant. She tried to keep her cool and maintain her composure, but every time Sonic flashed her a smile, she felt a jolt of electricity run through her body.

As they walked, they passed by several shops and stores, each one with its own unique character. The lively sounds made everything feel magical. It was as if the city itself was celebrating their newfound connection. They chatted about everything and nothing as they walked. Sonic pointed towards a building. "I know what that is.", he said with a smile. "Star Light Tower!" Amy responded, her excitement showing through her words. "You know, I once went to the top of there. Of course, it was during a battle with Eggman." Sonic chuckled. "Typical Eggman." He looked at Amy with a playful glint in his eye. "But maybe we should go up there again sometime, without any robots chasing us." Amy blushed at the suggestion, feeling her heart race faster. "That sounds like fun." Amy's cheeks flushed as Sonic mentioned revisiting Star Light Tower. She playfully nudged him. “Only if you promise not to let Eggman crash the date and rope you into a battle.” Sonic grinned mischievously. “Deal, as long as you're up for the adventure.” The spark in their eyes ignited a shared sense of excitement and daring. They continued walking, admiring the sights and sounds of the city. "It's so beautiful whenever the day doesn't need to be saved." Sonic said in a more honest tone. "Maybe I should slow down more." "Whatever's best for you." Amy smiled at Sonic's words, appreciating his honesty. She knew how important it was for Sonic to keep his fast-paced lifestyle, but she also knew how exhausting it could be for him. They walked in silence for a moment, both lost in thought.

Eventually, they came across a small park, and Sonic suggested they sit down for a bit. They found a bench near a fountain, and Sonic went to buy some food while Amy sat and watched the people passing by. When Sonic returned with their lunch, they began talking about their interests and passions. "So, what do you do in your free time, Sonic?" "Go on a run. Listen to music. Mostly Crush 40. Hang out with Tails. Prepare for the inevitable next Eggman attack. Gets a bit dreary sometimes, always worrying about when it’ll happen." "That’s sad. But it's clear that you just drift around wherever your ambitions pull you." "I'm just living by my own feelings." "I know what song lyric that is!" Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Really? Which one?" Amy grinned. "It's from 'It Doesn't Matter', isn't it?" Sonic's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow, you really do know your stuff!" Amy giggled, feeling a sense of pride at impressing Sonic. They continued talking, and Amy shared her own interests with Sonic. "I love reading books, going on walks, practicing my hammer skills, and hanging out with my friends. And of course, I always make time for trying to be heroic." Sonic smiled. "You're heroic, Ames." Amy felt a warmth spread through her body at Sonic's words. It was as if he understood her in a different way than others, and it made her feel validated. “You’ve grown up a lot, and it’s nice to know Amy Rose now, not just Sonic’s fangirl.” They finished their lunch and Sonic stood up, stretching. Amy couldn't help but feel grateful for this moment. She was on a date with Sonic, the person she admired and cared for deeply. They were sharing their passions and dreams, and it felt like nothing else mattered in the world. She felt truly content. "So, wanna go on a run? I know a great spot." Sonic said with a smirk. "Of course." Amy said while smirking back.

[jinkieswouldyoulookatthis]

Southern Comfort (8x06)

Soooooo much to unpack in this episode. Settle in, this could be a long one...

Ok so the brothers have a brief but heated conversation about Benny that amounts to

Sam: He's a vampire, why is he still "alive"?

Dean: He's my friend, idk.

Sam: What about Amy? Remember MY friend that YOU killed?

Dean: Character growth? 🤷🏼‍♂️

Not a great conversation for resolving anything, but it dragged some things out into the light of day, so it's a start. And it showed that Dean is working on developing some layers to his worldview, slowly, painfully, but he is working at it.

And then there's Garth. Gotta love the scrawny little weirdo. In his fringed jacket, joyful enthusiasm seeing Sam & Dean, ridiculous ringtones, and doing his best to fill the gap in the hunter community left when Bobby died. But Garth is always a good touchstone for the brothers, oddly astute and more aware of them than they are, and he gives them something to align on, namely, their shared reaction to him. And even though Garth was getting all Bobby's idiosyncrasies wrong, he did make a damn good point...

Garth: Bobby belonged to all of us, Dean – not just you and Sam. 

Because while Bobby was second dad to Sam & Dean, they aren't actually the only people in the world, a fact that Dean frequently forgets. It's not Dean's fault that even in his mid-30's he still lacks emotional maturity, he had a shitty childhood that set him way behind the curve on developing that way. He's working on it.

Then an Amelia flashback scene that finally shows us something sympathetic about her character. Of course it's a parallel to Sam & Dean, because of course it is. Her husband went and joined the military, without consulting her first and then got shipped off and died. Oof, that sucks. So she was adrift, exactly like Sam was, and they just happened to drift across each other's paths. No wonder they gravitated towards one another, they were licking the same wounds. The difference was that Sam's lost loved one comes back. Oh and her husband was named Don, similar enough to Dean for ya?

Sidenote: I love all the digs at the confederacy bs, because, yeah, they lost the war. I do not care who is offended by my thoughts on this either. Unfollow me.

Garth: Hey, uh, Sam. If you ever need to talk, I just want to let you know that I'm here. About anything – you know, life, uh, Dean, you.

Sam: I'm okay. Thanks.

Garth: I mean, it just seems like you and Dean are talking but nobody's listening to each other.

Garth gets it, he sees it. Oh boy, 'nother Amelia flashback. Yep, matching sets of issues.

And now Dean is possessed. There is a whole lot in the conversation, so I'm just going to compile the highlights...

Dean: You should have looked for me when I was in Purgatory. You never even wanted this life. Always blamed me for pulling you back into it. Everything you've ever done since you climbed into my ride has been to deceive me. Drinking demon blood, check. Being in cahoots with Ruby. Not telling me that you lost your soul. Or how about running around with Samuel for a whole year, letting me think that you were dead while you're doing all kinds of crazy. Those aren't mistakes, Sam. Those are choices! I might have lied, but I never once betrayed you. I never once left you to die. And for what, a girl? You left me to die for a girl? Benny has been more of a brother to me this past year than you've ever been! That's right. Cas let me down. You let me down. The only person that hasn't let me down is Benny.

Sam actually didn't have much to say, he admitted that he's made mistakes, but he doesn't push back too hard against Dean. Two very good reasons for this.

Dean has a gun aimed at him and is currently possessed by a nasty spectre who is out for blood.

Sam actually feels guilty for exactly what Dean is upset with him for after all, to his credit, he doesn't argue about it that much. This is not to say that Sam doesn't have valid beef with Dean, but in this case, Sam's conscience agrees with Dean. Sam's just still processing all of it.

And then, of course, Garth saves the day by punching Dean (ballsy move for our scrappy little hunter) and he pinpoints precisely wtf is up between the brothers.

Garth: You can't change the past, amigo. Stop being a idjit! With Bobby dead, you and Sam are all each other has. And that's not so bad, man.

Ugh, another flashback. I always forget how many flashbacks there are in this season. Like, yes, a well-timed flashback is a great narrative tool, but they are way over used here. I love the show, but at a certain point I wish they'd just give us the whole story and move on. Whatever, that's a me problem.