#the longest night au

[witchysolfan]

Tags I’m gonna incorporate into my pin post of my stuff across fandoms

[ohsunnyboy]

living wine | song eunseok ˚₊‧⁺˖

song eunseok is good at maths, a vampire or an extreme lightweight. one of those is false, and it's not the one you think it is!

TAGS: college!au, vampire!eunseok, human!reader, gn!reader, vivid descriptions of blood, veins and feeding, kissing and caressing, gets suggestive by the end!!

A/N: eunseok has such vampire-esque visuals i couldn't help myself hehe self indulgent as per usual (idk why this turned out so long i just wanted to write some hot bloodsucking)

WORDS: ~2400

"How on earth did you get all of this wrong?" You stare at the question sheet and back at his laptop. The fang about, find out! sticker on it fraying and stained with takeout. "I thought communication studies was meant to be easy?"

"It's not wrong. There's no wrong in comm studies," he groans, still rolling about the floor of your dorm like a toddler. “I swore to Sungchan this would be the last time I change my major and he's going to tear me apart if I can't ace this."

"Oh boohoo, your mysterious campus vampire aura will be ruined. What will everyone do?" you intone, rolling your eyes.

Said mysterious vampire, Song Eunseok, buries his face into your plush cushions and groans some more. Imagine communications being the biggest of your worries in the world.

As a political science major, with a minor in vampire relations, it seemed natural when you stumbled into Eunseok's friend group at a You Can Fang event at the college. A vamp and human mixer to encourage integration due to well... reasons.

Because the thing is, vamps have only been about for 30 years.

Which is a lie. Or rather, a condensation of the fact that they've been generally acceptable for 30 years. It's only now do you find tick boxes for vampires on questionnaires, 24/7 blood banks and raw blood on the a la cartes to cater to the perpetually living.

Apart from that, it's been since the dawn of time they've been kicking about, seamlessly blending into society by acting like the rest of you. As evidenced by the one stretched out like flattened dough on your plush carpet. Eunseok physically exists at 18, has the vainness of a 15-year-old but has been kicking around for 22 whole years.

Which somehow doesn't qualify him from doing college level anything even half well.

"You still there?" Eunseok’s voice is muffled from where he's face down on the carpet, that or it's his fangs digging into his lip. He’s been limp and lethargic like this for far too long.

"Yeah, yeah just baffled at what you've written," you hum.

You shift the laptop from your lap to the floor next to you, choosing to study the moping princess. Eunseok’s brown hair is almost black in the dim of your room while also sticking up everywhere from running his hand through it constantly. Even his clothes look out of it, which is a feat for someone who always aims for college campus chic. Further, while it’s traditionally vampiric to be ghastly pale – Eunseok’s always had a tan from when he was bitten at 18 that just stuck around – his skin somehow looks even worse in the lamp light.

"What's wrong, Eunseok? You've been like this all week," you sigh.

Thump-thump. The clock ticks three times; it’s nearly midnight and the full moonlight peeks through the blinds. Thump— he shifts. “It’s nothing..." Curling further up into a ball. Like you believe that, he’s a professional whiner.

"Real convincing. How about you sit up and look me in the eyes when you say that,” you quip back. With some more prodding at his head with your foot, Eunseok sits up petulant.

You take your time to look at him properly now: Eunseok’s sunken eyes and dry mouth. It makes your own lips purse in concern. It’s a far cry to what your Eunseok usually looks like however it’s all signs of what you’ve been suspecting all this time. Idiot.

"I am completely fine,” he says it with the utmost uncertainty of any college student lying through their teeth about already having started a paper that is due the next day.

"Seok... you're paler than a sheet." When you say it, his face nearly brightens up. "That’s not a compliment!" And only then does he huff out a small laugh, eyes casting to the side.

“I’m fine, promise. Just…long night?” Eunseok mutters but it comes out like a question. You know he sleeps poor in general but that’s no excuse. You pay way too much attention to him, is what some voice says at the back of your mind, but never mind that.

Maybe it’s a reassurance when he snakes a hand around your ankle, but his cold embrace only reminds you of what he is. Maybe it’ll make whatever you plan to do just a bit easier. The question’s been dancing on the tip of your tongue since the start after all.

"...When's the last time you fed?" your eyes search for his as you ask, but he seems hellbent on avoiding your gaze.

"Why? are you offering?" Eunseok snorts and you can taste the sarcasm in his tone. He shakes his head again, before finally raising his gaze to yours apologetically. "...Look this week's been so bad. All the blood banks are low, my new TA is Satan incarnate and Sungchan chipped my tooth last time I tried feeding from him so I couldn't even feed properly then.” His finger’s drum across the skin of your ankle: pinching and smoothing.

"...and then everybody's also been busy with the new semester,” you conclude.

"Exactly.”

The silence consumes the room. You’d liken it to someone taking a fluffy blanket and smothering you in it. Dying in comfort and screaming in silence.

The sensation of Eunseok’s fingers on your skin is what grounds you. Pinch and soothe, thump-thump, pinch and smooth, thump-thump. Goosebumps have started to rise up your leg as you watch his movement. Thump-thump, pinch and smooth. You’ve grown used to his cold whenever you press against each other, even when he tries to stay away. Despite it, your heart races all the same.

Thump-thump, pinch and smooth.

The carpet bites when you crawl to him.

"Woah, woah hold on. You’re not doing what I think you’re doing.” Eunseok holds out his hand like that’s going to stop you. “You've never been fed on before,” he says it with such a painful sincerity that you think it’s meant to hurt, but right now, waiting in silence is hurting you more than he ever could.

"You need it, idiot. Besides, I trust you enough.”

"I've been a vamp for like 4 years! I don't trust me enough!"

"What happened to feeding from Sungchan a minute ago? You literally led the safe feeding talk at that You Can Fang thing last year!" You kneel back, saving yourself from your tone.  

Eunseok’s pinching and smoothing down the skin of his own hand. Nerves line him but you know he can hear your heart much better than you can your own. Thump-thump-thump—

"It was from his wrist, and it wasn’t term yet. I’ve – well, I’ve looked at yours, your veins are way too faint,” Eunseok mumbles. His beady eyes dipping towards your throat, while your own eyes track his tongue as he wets his lip. “You know I’d have to feed from your neck.” His voice trembles under the suggestion. Under this light, it should be impossible to tell if he’s blushing, but you swear he’s buzzing with heat.

You’re not stupid: you pay attention to your vampire education and etiquette classes. Enough people walked out of that feeding talk red faced and a little shifty eyed at anyone that had bite marks at the neck. The blush that sears across your face now probably mirrors theirs.

The thing is, you’ve made up your mind a long time ago.

“I’m offering, Eunseok. Don’t be more of an idiot than I think you already are.”

Thump-thump-thump—

Eunseok’s pupils swallow up the whites of his eyes, and in the next instant, you’re being lifted, straddling his thigh, his arms a crushing force wrapped around your back and cradling your head. Burying his face into the skin of your throat, he makes a high sigh of relief. Fire licks up across where you touch, eating you alive before he’s even sank a fang.

Even if he’s stone cold under your touch, the room feels like it’s been plunged into a broil, losing yourself in a steamy haze. He noses at your pulse, the tell-tale thump-thump-thump— of your own must be as loud as the fucking heavens crashing down on him. Amber and roses, the scent that’s haunted you everywhere since you got it for him, reminds you of all that he is.

(Yours.)

A breath, another, another, before Eunseok’s head tilts up from where you’ve locked your arms around him, and you come to stare at his impossibly dark eyes paired with his pearly peeking fangs. “…Are you sure?"

You close your eyes, seeking patience. “Take as much as you need, idiot.” And Eunseok exhales so hard his whole-body shakes. Your hand tightening itself at the mess of his hair. Come on, take it.

His eyes flutter, stupidly long eyelashes ticklish against your skin, his head ducks and you get a second before he presses his lips to your neck, drops his fangs and bites.

The pain is a pinch.

A sensation that will root itself into your guts and sear itself into your muscle memory. It crawls up your jaw and shatters across your head; it splits from your skull, and it streaks down your back; and then it sets aflame everything you thought was burning already. Distantly, he groans into your skin with the same neediness as before.

Where there is fire, his lips come to sooth. Eunseok lets out a soft, needful sound as he presses his lips over your skin – and maybe you do too. Every inch of you breaks into shivers. Thump-thump-thump-thump— an anthem backed by chorus. You can feel yourself losing grip in his hair, but Eunseok just pulls you impossibly closer into him, propped up in his arms as you give more onto him. Drinking you in and eating you whole.

“Thank you,” he starts mumbling into your skin, over and over. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Eunseok slurs it out like prayer. Blood drunk is the word you can find floating in the haze of your mind. You turn the thought of it over and over in your head with fascination. You have to bite back a whine.

Even without the blood, you could lose yourself to the feeling of his roaming hands. Always so close to edging under your sweatshirt but catching himself every time. His hands clench at your hips, taut in a way he’s never been before.   

"Please, Eunseok..." Amid your daze, you find the strength to nod, finding his hands and slipping them under and then up, and up. You reward him, pressing a kiss to his hair. He answers with a groan that shudders down your body. Tracing the line of your spine, ribs and collar. Leaving you gasping into your quiet dorm room. You’re half aware of your agape mouth, eyes rolling to the back of your head, every part of you singing as Eunseok takes.

Propped up in each other’s arms, you don't know which one of you has given more to the sensation. Far away, you think you could sit like this for hours. Wrapped up in everything Eunseok. Subject to a degree of sheer want that you’d never want him sharing with anyone. Yours, yours, yours. It’s the anthem of your heart when you’re pressed against each other in one hot line.

…It could be another age when you feel his fangs detract. 

All you hear is your heaving breaths against the tick of the clock. The hum of your blood has plastered itself to the walls of your mind, another fixture that you’ve somehow adjusted to. Just like the cold that meets your neck again, and again. A break in the ice after drowning for hours.

Eunseok laps at the puncture wounds at your neck with enthusiasm. His hands planted firmly on your hips, holding you in place. You want to squirm as he leaves a trail of kisses to chase after the blood that drips from the wounds. Savouring every drop of you.

You bring a hand up, to cradle his working jaw, marvelling at the flush on his skin, the utter mess of his hair, how he holds you so gently.

“You… you taste like living wine. You know that, right?” Eunseok croaks out, eyes closed, head down. Something in you is struck with awe, you’ve never seen him like this. “Taste so fucking good.” He punctuates it with a kiss at the base of your throat, searing with want, humming from satisfaction.

He continues to trail them up all the way to the corner of your mouth. Teasing at your lips with his red stained ones. “You’ve ruined this for me. Don’t want anyone else feeding from you,” he purrs.

Instead of sitting there limp, you capture his face and plant a quick kiss to his lips. “Don’t want you feeding from anyone else either.” You can taste your blood on your lips as you smile and look him dead in the eye. “You’re mine too.”

Thump-thump. Eyes wide open, he stares back at you with the same craze. Partnered with Eunseok’s own brand of a self-satisfied smirk that’s driven you insane since you met him – it's mix made for devastation.

“Feel better now?” you croak out.

“All thanks to you,” he hums.

Moonlight pierces into the room and you can see him clearer now. There’s some more colour to his skin, flush from exertion, with your blood a lip-stain. Even his dazed eyes are somehow more alert than before – in spite of being a notorious lightweight.

“Let me take care you.” Eunseok preens under your hands and moves.

You nearly go dizzy from the rush as Eunseok manhandles you. Lifting you from under the knees, plastering you to his front, legs bracketing his waist, before depositing you onto your bed. A laugh escapes you from the rush of Eunseok caging you in, while landing a glancing peck on your lips

“Oh?” And you quirk your brow. A cheeky grin on your face at his own amused look. "A round two?"

However, Eunseok just rolls his eyes and collapses beside you. “We both have class in the morning and it’s like 1am.” The cheeky bugger buries into your side and slings an obnoxious leg around your hip. “I’ll get you like a Gatorade in the morning for your electrolytes when we wake up, yah?”

To be honest with yourself, there’s not enough strength in you to protest or even roll your eyes back at him. Your heart’s too busy guiding you to sleep while a hand finds yours in the night.

Thump-thump… pinch and soothe.

(Needless to say, you had to wear a turtleneck to class tomorrow morning.)

pls lmk how this turned out bc this one was a learning experience for me! a like or reblog would be lovely if you enjoyed ty <3 ⭒ masterlist

[4d-teevee]

thank you for joining me on this journey

10 (finished)

masterpost

[honey-minded-hivemind]

After longest night Reader is on the run after everyone goes crazy overprotective, what if they met Demona for the first time?

They heard a little about Goliath's ex, and how much she hates humans. A little, defenseless, weak human child all on their own would be nothing to her. They know that they couldn't stand a chance against her, Demona could kill them in one hit.

So they run, wanting to avoid yet another terrible fate (seriously what is wrong with this city?) and they end up going down into a empty abandoned subway station. They don't really have a goal on where to go, just "away from here".

When they run run straight into someone stoney while Demona is hot on their heels, their night just goes from bad to terrible.

Reader: FOR F*CK'S SAKE, WHAT THE H*LL IS WRONG WITH NEW YORK?!?!

Demona: I've found you, human!

Macbeth: I've also found you, child!

Stranger???: It seems its a duel... for the tiny child...

Reader: I'm not tiny!!! You're all just really f*cking tall!! And who are you calling child?! I'm a teenager!

The three: turn to stare at Reader

Reader: You know what... go back to your fight

The three: start battling

Reader, running away: f*ck f*ck F*CK-!

[spotaus]

New Age AU (Age Line-up)

Hello guys, I decided that I would put the guys into a (loose) comprehensive list of ages. This is all relative to whenever Nightmare first became 13 again. This is set 7 years after the coronation and Dream's banishment. (More Explanations below the cut)

So I'll start in the order of when these goobers met Night.

Ccino! He met Nightmare when he was born, and is 7 years older than him when they were children. Now, thanks to the gap in time (in which Nightmare appeared somewhere between 20-30) they have 14 years apart in age. Ccino is 27 at the start of the main plot.

Killer! He met Nightmare one year into his rule, almost on the dot. He is 25 when the main plot begins. (They met when Killer was 19. Killer was the correct age to be put up for death, a legal adult, while his partner in crime was too young and therefore was still imprisoned.)

Dust! He met Nightmare during his second year of rule. He is 30 when the main plot begins. (Dust was about 25 when Nightmare released him from imprisonment to help him learn about the black market.) Dust is the oldest of the Knights. Yes he gets teased ruthlessly about it by the others.

Horror! He also met Nightmare during the second year of his rule (though later in the year than Dust). He is 28 when the main plot begins. (He met Night when he was about 23, almost old enough to take over his family's farm, but his brother could handle it, so he chose to accept Night's offer and teach him to improve farms across the kingdom.)

Cross! Cross met Nightmare 5 years into his rule, and is 20 when the main plot begins. (His home kingdom collapsed when he was 16, he spent 2 years wandering with Ink, then met Dream. Dream asked him to spy on Night, and he was caught, so he met Night when he was just 18 and spent 2 years with him.) He's young, and he always kinda felt out of place, but the others adopted him in really easily, and the bond between a family is something Cross won't risk losing, so he's ultra loyal.

Error! Error met Nightmare 6 years into his rule, and is 15 when the main plot begins. (He ran away when he was 14 when Geno left, and was almost immediately scooped up by Nightmare within the same year. Hence why Fresh couldn't find him.) Error has very little time to acclimate to Nightmare's adult habits before he's slammed with the Young Night information (therefore he didn't have as many weird apprehensions)

The others and their connections to the others start... here!

Dream! Dream has been aging normally, so he is now 20! (He left the kingdom harboring him at age 15 with Blue, and when he returns to finally face Nightmare he's about 21.)

Blue! Met Dream during his second year in exile, and is now 21. (He left with Dream when he was 16.)

Ink! He has a crazy backstory, but he met Dream when he was 17, and brought Cross w/ him and stayed when Dream was 18. Start of the plot? He's 24! (Ink my beloved, he's crazy, and might be lying about his age, but for the sake of this, he's generally 24.)

Fresh! Age 22 at the start of the story. (He's only 7 when Error is born, and 21 when Error runs away.)

Geno! Age 32 when the plot begins! He leaves when he's about 30 to move and work with Reaper. (I'm retconning some things here, to say that the news of Error disappearing took over a year or two to finally reach Geno's ears. There are a few years worth of conflict between Dream and Night that need to pad out before Geno enters the narrative, so we're gonna say Fresh took a LONG time searching for Error before he finally told Reno the truth.)

Reaper! He's actually so so old. Like. Dusty musty old guy who acts/looks young <3. No canon age for him because he's so outside the range :)

[salty-an-disco]

Decided the NITW AU floating around in my brain is also a Human AU now.

Both because nitw’s story and setting lends itself perfectly to a Human AU and because I want an excuse to design the voices as humans

Cold takes up Mae’s role as Cole Borowski

Contrarian gets to be Gregg as Carter Lee

Hero gets Angus’ role as Hero Delaney (thought of calling him Henry, but I like Hero just being his name)

And Paranoid actually shares some of Mae’s role with Cole (mainly Mae’s more, well, paranoid, actions/reactions), while being in Bea’s shoes as Patrícia Santello

Anyway, bonus doodles:

[fiveredlights]

Oh my GOD final chapter of old habits was just… *chef’s kiss* like it was SO incredible. The graphics??? The website??? The SECRET CODE?????? I am in awe, it’s SO GOOD!!!

thank you!! after i hit post last night i literally sat there like 😀😶🧍‍♀️… so what am i meant to do now… i’ve been working on this for the past 5 months and 20 days… i am empty inside… matthew and callan are done haunting me (but not really)… it’s like a love hate relationship because i loved working on it and how much i was able to push myself creatively but hated it because of how much it fried my brain after every chapter… but thank you for reading and supporting it i guarantee it wouldn’t have made it past the first chapter if it were not for everyone loving this little universe as well 🫶🫶

[gooeglop]

you all only get a CRUMP RIGHT NOW

but looky, vamp Eclipse

[texanmarcusdavenport]

assorted Funniest Moments from the 30k+ Marcus-centric AU fic I've been writing for three months:

[ohmytiredheart]

Fnaf x Magnus Archives au where William is an avatar of The Stranger and Circus Baby's Pizza World was an attempt at The Unknowing that failed because of Elizabeth's death

[witchysolfan]

I love how Vanny! Alison stole William's spotlight from being the top security breach threat in your AU! XD

my question: how did Vanny get the power of the ghost children (remnant?) and how did the animatronics become semi-organic??

Oh hey! Happy you enjoyed that au.

To answer your question, I was kind of going with occult inspirations and stories related to it in how reality warped and became unstable. Silent Hill being a major draw of inspiration for that. I was also combining it with that old fashioned 80’s fantasy movie logic like The Neverending Story and Labryinth where when magic is involved things do get strange and not everything is as it’s seems.

The animatronics became semi organic as a result of uncontrolled residual energies in the area. Here I was gonna incorporate some witchcraft practices and methods to explain this one. Some of it lights goes into my own research and practices in real life I do. You see, energies tend to build up and up and there can be a focal point the caster can focus on. That is where magic circles come in as the energy is contained and can build up for magic purposes. But when the circle is broken, the energies are unexpectedly released and can be unstable and chaotic depending on the intent of the individual.

Vanny dabbled into her own research in au story and decided to ritualistically place the children’s bodies in certain locations to make her own markers and draw energies from there. Then, in a fit of rage in the narrative where Vanessa confronts her sister, she broke the circle and cast out her will and let herself be engulfed in the chaos. And drag everything nearby with her in it.

“This is my will. So mote it be!”

[ruelin024]

I wanna have opinions so uh, what do you think of my SacredFell AU? (So far anyway haha)

Hello, my mutual compadre, @littleyukki5033 , I have traveled down to the depths of your blog and will now commence judgment.

Kehehehe. ψ(｀∇´)ψ

[Gonna be long, I like/wanted to try making my responses worthwhile and attentive, to show you I went in on your AU and posts.]

(And you can laugh at me or with me on this, but I may not be the best at giving opinions, 😖 I think. Just know I'm typing this with my miniscule overthinkin’ brain and hurt wrist.)

START!

Feb 4: Don’t be afraid to post your AU and talk about it, beautiful or not, unique or not, complicated or not, similar or not, cringe or not, demented or not, eh or not. 

Share your mind, you’ll find people who share it with you. And if you get hate, show them San’s ass or something. It tells others how nonexistent they are to you. (though I’ve seen someone draw Sans very beautifully thicc, we will keep in mind he is bones, which we indeed simp for). 

Observe Exhibit A:

(I found this silly image saved on my desktop, so I thought it'd be cool to share it with you.)

So never let a negative comment change your love and view of your au and undertale. 

Undertale is amazing, it’s good to ramble, even if others don’t talk about it, even if you’ll never get reciprocated. There’s other people there reading it, like me sometimes I read and forget to heart, or I don’t heart a post because I don’t wanna bombard their notifications and all that. 

Yes, post your art, even if you’ve got no idea what to post, doodle, ask for ideas, or even take a break. I think it’s beautiful to share your mind’s eye. Show no fear, you’ve got this!

Everyone starts where you were once. 

Feb 12: Your Introduction of your own Underfell AU called SacredFell

I am interested. I am in fact one of many who are and will be interested for days to come, for as long as you build and love your AU, as it becomes whatever completion you dreamt of it to be, so on and so forth, even if one day you stop.

I’m finna be there bruh, late or on time.  

And imma let you know that right now as you reading this. You actually asked me first about your AU and lemme tell you, you beat me to it. I actually have fanart for you. AND was gonna find a time to ask you first.

(~(>_<。)＼ Usually I'm ready to send art cause I plan before hand, but someone used a wrist twist move on me for fun recently. ಥ_ಥ)

Anyway, moving forward.

Frisk and Chara of SacredFell: I enjoy teh designs. And me personally, I like Frisks design, the fact Frisk went through multiple design phases is nice to know. Would you ever show Frisk's previous designs?

Oof, you changed SacredFell Sans height from 5’2 to 6ft, damn what a stretch. And he part of the Royal Guard, whoa! 😆hotsome big skeleman.

Also, I love the art style of @/melikitinas, too. 💖

Feb 14: … ScaredFell Papyrus…. I-... 11ft height, yeah, we gonna need a height chart. I short, so they a fucking tree at this point, imagine Paps just bending at the waist towards a shorty like me, he’s gotta be prone on the ground or something. AND his fine ass a 2nd in Command Royal Guard, too. ○( ＾皿＾)っ AWWHEHESJDHWU ✨

Feb 21: LORE Ah, so the beginning is different, interesting. *reads through it with glasses* (I was recently working on my other OCs at the time as well :D.) 

Yukki sounds like a good character! And portaled? Oooooh, portaled, I wanna know backstory! 

Did Yukki not go through the ruins? She just collapsed in Snowdin? Was she unconscious the entire time she was taken to Asgore, up until Toriel saved her?

And usually humans, are strong, is Yukki weak due to something? (you don’t have to reveal too much lore unless you wanna) How much power does Yukki have? Why does it drain so quickly? 

Also, love Toriel, to save one instead of all, what a mother. Even if Yukki wasn’t her own, that was such a big sacrifice for the price of saving one child over freedom. I would love to see how you draw that part out.

And Toriel left Yukki behind the waterfalls, why not take Yukki with her? 

Why out of all the souls, Kindness was taken, would this serve as a significant plot point in the AU?

Would Yukki grow to harbor bad intent or negative emotions towards the monster or would she end up sacrificing herself after understanding the monster’s want for freedom, would she find another way, would she resort to genocide at some point(despite her being weak)? 

Would Toriel come in clutch next time Yukki is in grave danger? 

And what plans would Asgore have after he gets Toriel, I would’ve expected that he wanted Toriel dead, not with a bounty on her head to be returned ALIVE to his home. I'm probably just thinking to the extremes. 😂

I like this plot. I’d love to know how Frisk and Yukki will come together. And if within the one or two years, Yukki stayed with Sans and Papyrus, would the brothers falter when they need to get their jobs done for Asgore when the time comes? Would Sans and Papyrus eventually come to value Yukki as their own friend? Does Yukki know Sans and Papyrus are working to gain her trust to betray her in the end? 

Also is Toriel and Sans doing the knock knock joke through the gate in this AU too? What’s Toriel’s relationship with the characters so far? Within the time Yukki was living in the Underground, does she come to meet Toriel again?

Feb 23: YUKKI I agree Yukki is a main focal point in the beginning of this AU, I really like this. I can’t wait to see how you build this lore up. Would Toriel act again when Frisk comes? Would Toriel talk to Frisk about Yukki? How old is Yukki again? To me, Yukki looks like she has a strong presence, tongue sticking out, seems playful. ✨

Feb 27: Comic Heh. Middle school art is always nostalgic to look back on. I wish I still had some of mine. I threw most out due to the fact, I didn’t want physical evidence of my cringe art tying back to me, but looking back on it now. I was stupid and paranoid. 

Now cringe art is one of my favorite art pieces to discover, it brings a certain emotion outta you, am I right? Yeaahh.  

Anyway, I admire you for sharing your old art and comic. 

An AU, especially when a creator is lovingly dedicated to it, can become hectic and mentally crowded and out of order, or as you say “all over the place.” Good luck on that journey, creating comlex stories is hard! I was overwhelmed by my own ideas and burned out at some point and stopped entirely. You make me wanna go back to my little world.

And Yukki and SacredFell Sans look like they get along noicely. yukki hand on her hip, confidence and power ✨👌 makin' Sansy sweat.

Mar 7: Yay Toriel Character Sheet Me like tall woman. She taller than Sans, haha. I gotta learn how to draw a goat at some point. And she looks good in my opinion. Do SOUL Protectors gain power from the souls? Wouldn't they accidentally at some point absorb the soul? Has any of the protectors even thought of doing that? Doesn't the barrier need one monster soul and one human soul to break the barrier, or is that different in this AU?

Mar 11: Another comic redraw, SacredFell Asgore WIP

Aw SacredFell Sans and Yukki smiling together, your old drawing of them is cute. ANd that’s a jump, good to know they're out of the underground. Hope you eventually find the right design for Yukki, that you’re gonna be satisfied with. I’m excited to find out how they got out of the underground, too.

What's the key on Sans? And the heart necklace on Yukki?

And yes, I think Tumblr does something with the quality of an image when posted, because compared to my computer view, my phone view of some posts are different a bit.

Yass, show off the Goat man. 

ANd I also saw your Avatar DTIYS, looks awesome! I love the coloring, shading, and perspective! 

Mar 15: Update Eh, it didn’t take a while for me to gather info on your AU, it was spread out a little yes, but not so much, for me the pacing was alright. 

Ah and the ask blogs, yeah I dunno how I’m doing this tbh. 

And a webtoon would be great! But I hear it’s a lot of work to put into it, take small steps, so you won’t stress or burn yourself out. But I would definitely read teh webtoon if you were to make one. 

Mar 16: SacredFell Undyne WIP I love Undyne, I just dunno how to draw her yet. Love the art! She pretty. 

Mar 16: SacredFell Flowey Flowey in a bag, hahahahaha. I like how annoyed he looks in the drawing.  

Mar 17: SacredFell Monster Kid Another main character, you developing a lot of lore right now I bet. I wonder how MK will play out in your AU. 

Mar 18,22 : It’s UNDYNE >.< Fangirling. Another Tall strong woman. And missing parents during gaster’s disappearance, is this what I think it is, a lore hint?!?!   

Mar 23: Alphys Alphys is gonna be somewhat of a sly character in the plot huh, wow! And she fights, you gotta make art of that at some point! Alphys having bravery is interesting! 

Pfft, you spelled “Bavery” I didn’t even notice until you mentioned it. 

Mar 23: Gaster I love how you drew Sans and Papyrus in at Gaster’s “You’re in Trouble” expression.

And me like the tinted glasses as well.

Mar 24: Mettaton! He a Bravery SOUL Decoy! Was that Alphy’s idea to make him like that? Is he famous in the underground as well? He’s a looker. And he got four arms! Yuuusss! 

Mar 26?: Muffet Indeed a 5’7 lady spider is a cutie patootie, the arms are good, multiple is betta. Good design!  And she is also part of the Royal Guard, what will the fight be like? I’m curious! 

Mar 26?: That Sacredfell Mini Comic/Story was nicely put together! The end where SacredFell Sans responds with, “I don’t know.” I enjoyed reading this conversation! And Undyne in her royal armor MWUAH!  

So from all this, hopefully I did something good for you, most are just questions and comments, but I hope it served as an answer. *ahem*

A new character was added. [Yukki] = Will lead to more plot. *Check*

There’s a different backstory before the arrival of Frisk. *Check*

Toriel makes an act against Asgore before leaving, Asgore ordering Sans and papyrus to gain Yukki’s trust until the “time” comes = Complicated relationships *Check* 

I can fangirl, which means I can simp, which means, I’m invested. ✨ *CHECK CHECK CHECK*

The concept is really good! (The fact Asgore would entrust the souls to another and make them SOUL Protectors, and you still fight Alphys even in the pacifist route, and I sense "things" though not sure what, but it makes me look forward to your lore.) *ChecK* 

It’s a Fell type Universe. (I love Underfell) *CHECK* 

The art is noice!!!! *CHecK* 

I find interest in how characters will interact or encounter each other. *Check* 

I can see the work put into this AU! I see their dedication based from the dates you posted things about your AU. I really look forward to seeing how you continue to develop and make art for your SacredFell AU! With what you’ve shown at this time, I can happily tell you, for me this AU is interesting, there’s potential in many areas, character development, choice of dialogue, different relationship dynamics, personality, world building, plot changes, etc.

I wish I had more to say, I think most of my response here sounded... I think repetitive, maybe some questions were even answered already and I didn't catch it? Though hopefully I conveyed to you that I think you're doing well for what've you've shown thus far!

That's my grand opinion. 😁✨

Also, I found you through graphictale au. 💕💖👌✨

😙 Both ya'll wonderful.

[4d-teevee]

“i heard you missed your connection flight; to the blue ridge mountains, over near tennessee”

part 9

part 10

master post

[honey-minded-hivemind]

Can you explain the relationship between Reader and the Manhattan Gargoyles in the longest night au?

Goliath is dad shaped and I would really like to know how Reader fits into their weird family

Okay! Great question! (FINALLY! SOMEONE ASKS ABOUT THE LONGEST NIGHT AU!!!)

Okay, here's the gist:

Reader is a teen who knows Elisa Maza, survived a horrible crime (murder, an attack, attempted murder, etc.), and is with Elisa as her ward and for protection. Reader meets the Gargoyles through her, and is quick to see Goliath as dad-shaped, Hudson as a grandpa, Bronx is like a sweet, giant puppy, and the young gargoyles as kinda-brothers/kinda-friends. It's hard NOT to like them, plus they're so so SO cool (Reader loved gargoyles and dragons and snakes).

For Goliath, Reader is like a shared custody child between him and Elisa. He sees them as younger than they are, and wants what he thinks is best for them. They're a friend to his kids, they aren't scared of them, and they've been hurt before and need help and protection, so Reader is very adoptive child-shaped to him. (It doesn't help that gargoyles age half as fast as humans, so even if Reader was 20, he'd see them as like, 10). When the artifact or magic affects him, he becomes ten times more parental, is obsessed with all his kids being where he can see them and in the same place, and will do anything to keep them with him...

For Hudson, Reader is like one of the young gargoyles. They ask questions, they try to get him to do something with them, they like books and games and watch TV with him, so they're already like part of the clan. Of course, they're also a little more breakable than a gargoyle, so that means having to be extra careful when playfighting or wrestling or playing games. (He's seen human children, he knows a bit more than the others, but still not a lot). When the artifact/magic comes into play, he starts guarding the younger members of the clan, acts very protective, and keeps herding them to safety or curling around them if they're in a nest...

For Brooklyn, Reader is like a partner-in-crime. He does something, the also come along. He wants food, they seem to want some, too. He does something and gets hurt, they're there to aid him. They're already like a sibling, whether he'd ever admit it or not. When the artifact gets involved, it regressed the younger gargoyles a bit, moving them into a slightly younger, slightly more primal mindset, such as wanting to nest, preferring to have hatchmates around, and wanting Goliath and Hudson and Elisa to be there for comfort and warmth...

For Broadway, Reader is like a younger friend. They share interests, like reading and learning how to cook from Elisa, but they're also both kind. (When the artifact happens, it affects Broadway the same as the other two younger gargoyles)...

For Lexington, Reader is helpful, but someone to get to know. They're curious, and while not a gargoyle, they have some pretty neat tricks he tries to learn about, while they try to learn crafting and building from him. (When the artifact happens, it affects Lexington the same way it affects the other two younger gargoyles)...

Bronx likes that Reader feeds him treats. He doesn't mind licking them, following them, or sleeping near them. (Acts mostly the same after the artifact).

(And the artifact affects humans, too...)

(Thank you, @sugar-soda!)

[stormcloudsandshadows]

No one:

Me at 230 am: hm…… Nedzu.

[fissions-chips]

health check

(day 6: 'let me see'- bad karma AU pt. 3, tw for discussions of drug use and violence)

   “Alright- let me see.” 

   The bathroom light shone harsh and stark against the tile, Butler leaning against the marble counter as he waited for the other man to limp inside after him. The first aid box sat beside him, opened and waiting. 

   Jon’s eyes narrowed as he entered, squinting in the sudden brightness- taking note, Butler looked towards the light switch. “I’ll turn those down in a minute… How’s your head?” 

   Sinking down onto the edge of the tub, Jon stared down at the floor. He shielded his eyes with his hands for a moment, still bound at the wrists- he glanced at Butler from beneath the edge of his fingers. The look he gave the bodyguard was answer enough. 

   It had taken a while to coax the other man out of the corner he had wedged himself into- both he and Butler had come to the conclusion that waiting out the last of his high was better than trying to get anything done when Jon was still so jittery and panic-stricken. Slowly, minute by minute, the shivering had lessened, and Jon’s expression had shifted from one of miserable fright to that of exhaustion. When Butler had finally offered him a hand to pull him upright, his hands shook, but the man managed to make it onto his own two feet.

    “…Smaller than I expected.” Jon muttered, after a moment. Lowering his hands, he bowed his head and sighed, pointedly ignoring his reflection in the mirror opposite him- and refusing to meet Butler’s eye. “Woulda expected something fancier, for the Fowls.” His tone shifted on the last word, spoken through his teeth, but there was none of the expected bite behind it, and Butler’s hands loosened their hold against the edge of the countertop.

   “This isn’t the Fowls’ residence,” Butler sighed. Crossing his arms, he watched the other man cautiously, taking note of his posture, his expression- you could learn a lot about the state of someone from such things, Butler had learned. “It’s mine.”

   When Jon paused, lifting his gaze to meet the bodyguard’s own, Butler continued. “You’re in the Fowl dojo- the name is no longer accurate, as it’s under my possession.” He gestured to the rather plain surroundings around him. “I don’t spend much time here, so an excess of appearances isn’t necessary.” 

   Jon hummed something unintelligible, visibly turning the information over in his mind. His hands fidgeted in his lap, fingers twisting together and apart again, a nervous habit. While Butler watched, he began to chew on the edge of one nail, eyes falling shut as he swayed slightly. “S’ understandable.” He muttered. 

   Pushing himself away from the counter, Butler crouched down in front of the other man, carrying the first aid kit with him. He was unsurprised when Jon leaned back, hands pulling up against his chest as he narrowed his eyes. “This building is surrounded by acres of open fields and several cameras,” the larger man explained. “So it’s in your best interest not to do anything impulsive, okay?” 

   Like have me shot in the fucking chest. 

   When Jon didn’t respond, lip curling slightly, Butler bit back a brief flash of frustration and reached for the other man’s hands. He anticipated the sudden flinch, Jon nearly tumbling into the empty tub as he slipped- a hand closed around his wrist and he was pulled back upright, Butler pulling out a pocketknife and flicking it open, his expression unreadable.

   “Don’t-“ Jon bit back a yelp at the click of the blade, panic seizing him as he tried to wrench himself out of the other man’s grip. It was a pointless effort- his hands curled into fists as suddenly, he found his wrists freed, Butler pocketing the knife almost as quickly as it had appeared as the rope fell away. For a moment, something softened in his features- then, they fell back into the same stoic air as before.

   The smaller man stared down at his hands, eyes wide with shock. 

   “Don’t do anything stupid,” Butler warned, turning Jon’s wrists over in his hand and running his thumb over the worn skin beneath. “I’m going to check you over now. The sooner this is over with, the sooner I’ll leave you alone, so it’s in your interest to cooperate. Answer my questions to the best of your ability- there’s no point hiding an injury I’m going to find anyways, and I’d like this to be as stress-free for both of us as possible.” 

   Noting the way Jon’s teeth had begun to bare slightly, he added. 

   “I know you don’t want me touching you- I don’t like it either, but this is standard for a health check, so if I’m about to do something that’s going to make you… I don’t know, bite me or otherwise lash out, just tell me. We can find a workaround.” 

   With that, he let go- Jon immediately pulled his hands to his chest, rubbing at one wrist for a moment. His eyes were narrowed in suspicion. 

   Butler ignored it, gesturing for Jon to bend forward. “I’m going to check your hair now.” he explained, surprised when Jon actually leaned into his touch. A thorough search revealed no open wounds, though the smaller man had a nasty bruise on one temple, and his hair had become gnarled and tacky with the wine that had been poured onto his head.

   He thought back to the other man’s disgust from before, staring down at his stained suit. A man of appearances, he thought, unsurprised at the unwelcome pang of sympathy that surfaced in the back of his mind. Butler knew how uncomfortable and upsetting it could be, to be forced into a state of dishevelment and disrepair- it was a popular torture tactic for a reason. 

   “After this, you can get cleaned up,” he muttered, nodding to the shower. “I doubt there’s any hope for your suit, though.” 

   Under his hands, he felt a slight bit of the tension dissolve from the other man’s frame- in relief, he realized. Pulling back for a moment, Butler wiped his hands against his trousers, Jon tiredly dragging his fingers through his hair to sweep it back. He winced. 

   That wince, however, turned to a full-fledged flinch as Butler then reached towards his face- the man tumbled backwards, letting out a shriek as he kicked out, the bodyguard knocked back an inch by the motion. Only a massive hand suddenly fisted in his shirt kept Jon’s head from clipping against the opposite edge of the tub, the smaller man dragged in a heap to the floor. 

   “The fuck-“ Butler was cut off by a furious snarl, Jon cringing away from his touch and bristling at the other man. 

   “Don’t fucking touch me!” Jon spat- he was shivering violently, leaning back as far as he could go. When Butler sank back into his knees, hands retreating for the moment, the businessman’s hands creeping up to cover his face as he muffled a strangled sound behind them. 

   “…Sorry,” Butler muttered, eyes wide with shock. “Sorry. I should have warned you.” 

   “Yeah, you fucking should have!” The other hissed through gritted teeth. Slowly, over several moments, some of the tension lowered from his shoulders, though his hands didn’t pull away. After a few moments more, the bodyguard heard him mutter. 

   “Just… gimme a minute.”

   His voice had stretched taunt, like a wire pulled too tightly- unwilling to risk a snap, Butler let his hands drop to his sides, shifting back to sit against the floor. Fair enough. 

   “How’s your head, then?” He offered. 

   Jon’s fingers parted, one dark eye glittering between them to glare at the other man- then, his expression softened somewhat, edges both sharpened and smoothed by exhaustion. The dark smudging beneath his eyes wasn't lost on Butler. Letting his head fall back against the side of the tub, Jon closed his eyes. 

   “It feels like…” His words trailed off, the man’s brow furrowing as he visibly tried to drum up an answer. “Like I’m sorta drifting away somewhere.” He opened his eyes, staring up at the ceiling for a moment before continuing. 

   “Like I’m only halfway here in my head- hurts like a bitch too. I feel like I’m gonna… slip out the side of my skull.” He lifted a hand to cover his eyes. 

   Hmm. Butler wracked his brain for a moment. 

   “That might just be exhaustion…” He muttered. “Then again- do you know what you had taken, yesterday?” 

   “Benzos.” 

   Butler’s brows lifted at the immediate answer he received, the first of the entire conversation. Jon tipped his head forward, resting it in the palm of one hand. 

   “Benzodiazapines, ‘n something else.” Jon explained, eyes narrowing once more as he mulled the question over. “Don’t know what it was, though… Val liked ‘em cause they made me ‘manageable��.” For a moment, his expression twisted into one of bitterness- then, it fell away, the man pulling his knees to his chest and resting his head on them.

   Drowsiness, disorientation, lack of coordination, memory loss… Butler ticked off symptoms in his mind. That would make sense. “I’m… assuming you didn’t take them willingly?” He asked, voice gentler than he intended. 

   Jon looked away. 

   “…No. Not this time.” 

   Filing that information away for later, Butler nodded. “That’s a sedative, as I recall- I don’t think you’re in any danger by this point, but try to stay awake for right now.”

   With his eyes half-lidded and dull with tiredness, it seemed like that was going to be a difficult prospect- Jon nodded, however, forcing himself upright, somewhat. 

   Once the other man had straightened himself up, Butler raised a hand. “I need to look at your face now. At least to get it cleaned up a bit.” He gestured to the space beneath his own nose for a moment, emphasizing his point- on Jon, the same spot was covered in old blood, the trail beneath his lip dry and cracking.

   Jon took in a deep breath, eyeing his hands warily- then, he sighed, nodding once. While Butler grabbed a cloth and ran it under some water, the man dragged his hand across his face, sniffing. The bodyguard sat back down after a few moments, holding out the damp cloth first. He lifted a brow in question. 

   “…Just get it over with.”

   Slowly, Butler began to scrub at the other man’s face, trying to touch him as little as possible, only doing so to turn him left or right so he could remove as much blood as he could, peering into the other’s eyes or at his teeth occasionally. As the blood was wiped away, the bodyguard found marbled bruising beneath, Jon’s bottom lip having split, and the bridge of his nose was painted a painful-looking shade of bluish black. The other man's eyes were screwed shut, his hands white-knuckles against the tile as he fought to keep himself from flinching again. 

   The source of his discomfort revealed itself suddenly as Butler turned his head to the left, his fingers briefly running over a previously-unseen belt of reddened, raw flesh beneath Jon’s jaw. The man balked, his head snapping into the tub behind him as he hissed in pain- before he could flinch further, however, Butler caught him and held him still, peering at the wound. 

   “Where did this come from?” He asked- it looked like the kind of injury one might expect from manacles around a wrist. He couldn’t think of an explanation for it to rest beneath the other man’s jaw, however. The flesh appeared to have only just begun to heal, clearly picked at by nervous hands. 

   Stiffening, Jon froze for a moment- he mumbled something between clenched teeth, too quiet to make out. 

   “Where did this come from?” Butler repeated, his voice sharpening slightly. When Jon saw the look in his eye, he tore his head free from the other man’s grip, rubbing at the wound with the back of one hand. After a few moments, he looked away, muttering.

   “… A muzzle.”

   Butler blinked.

   “A muzzle? Like… for a-“ 

   “Yes!” Jon snarled, taking Butler aback- the bodyguard jerked away as if he’d been shocked, the smaller man curling in on himself against the tub’s side. His voice cracked sharply, and Jon swallowed thickly, spitting the words out like they tasted sick. “It was… it was his idea of a joke. Because of my ‘foul mouth’.”

   When Jon raised his head, he found the bodyguard watching him with wide, confused eyes. Butler’s brows furrowed, the man unable to keep a look of bewildered pity from his eyes. After a few moments, the other man seemed to collect himself. 

   “Jon-” Butler’s voice was firm, but horribly gentle. Jon looked away, humiliation glittering in his eyes, but the bodyguard persisted. “What happened to you?”

   “…At the party?” 

   “You know that’s not what I’m asking- what led to all of this? What did this ‘Val’ guy want?”

   Bristling, the smaller man looked for a moment as if he wouldn’t answer- then, his face slowly fell into one of resignation. Tucking his knees up to his chest, Jon dipped his head, pointedly ignoring the bodyguard’s gaze as he began to speak. 

   “Me and Valentine go… far back. Really far back. I’m not going to talk about that, because that’s personal shit, and I don’t feel like telling you personal shit right now.” He gave Butler a pointed look. “He’s the head of Phonetix- he was a big rock star, before that. I’m surprised you’ve never heard of him… then again, he’s not really from your circles. He’s ‘new money’, like me. A man of the modern age.” 

    Butler tried to recall the name in his mind. Valentine… the rock star. His face turned to one of horror. 

   I think Juliet has some of his albums. 

   The bodyguard was broken from his thoughts by Jon’s voice taking on a bitter note. “We used to work together a lot- we were close. But he had this idea of merging Fission’s Chips and Phonetix. Of course, I refused- like hell I was gonna do that, after all the work I put into that company. That’s when all the bad shit started… Our rivalry became ‘legendary’, Phonetix vs Fission’s Chips, the subject of so many fucking tabloids… but it wasn’t funny. I wasn’t laughing. We tried to kill each other a few times, worked together a few times, you know how the business is. It’s supposed to be no hard feelings, but…” His words trailed off.

   “The man is a bitch… Always has been. To me, anyways. That’s the weird thing.” Jon’s brow furrowed, the man tracing the tiles below him as he turned his gaze to the wall, eyes glittering with a look of sadness for a long moment. “He likes other people. He used to like me… God, maybe he never liked me. I don’t know anymore. Pissed him off one too many times, I guess.” 

   Suddenly, Jon slammed his fist down against the tile, Butler startling- the man hissed when he lifted his fingers, shaking them out. When the larger man reached out on instinct, Jon smacked him away, baring his teeth in a sudden show of fury. Bewildered, Butler blinked back at him as Jon sneered. 

   “That’s… that’s where your brat comes in. Phonetix, the break-in- I’m assuming he told you the little ‘trick’ he played? His disappearing act?” 

   “Don’t speak about my charge like that-“ 

   “He ruined everything!” Jon hissed. “He… he…” He paused, expression twisting for a moment as he struggled to sort his words out, eyes darting left and right. “He vanished, and he took that fucking Cube, and I was left holding the gun! The courts couldn’t find anything, everything just vanished like Artemis Fowl, and I was left holding the gun. When Val found out, he…” 

   Suddenly, Jon snapped his jaw shut. Falling silent completely, Butler watched as the man hunched in on himself for a moment, one hand reaching up to fist into his hair, nails digging into his scalp. Eyes screwed shut, the man visibly took a deep breath, let it out- and then repeated that process. The next time he spoke, his voice had steadied somewhat. 

   “God, he and the courts had a fucking field day. That’s the thing about liking people- people like you back, everyone’s always loved him, and he’s so damn persuasive… and to everyone else, he was right. I had snapped. Lost my mind. Gone completely fucking insane- he talked the judge out of jail time, but he talked me out of my job, everywhere except on paper. He talked every connection I had into turning heel, he talked my doctors into putting me back on fucking pills- and not the diet ones. Fucking benzos. Then, when everything else was gone, he tried to talk me into stepping down proper. And I told him to go fuck himself.”

   Butler tried his best to keep up with the other man’s rapid speech, unable to wrap his head completely around it. “How did that- where does the muzzle come in?” The bodyguard muttered. 

   Jon didn’t look at him. “When I told him that, something just snapped, I guess.” Lifting a hand, Jon held it up to the light, cigarette scars dotting the back of it. He blinked up at them ruefully. “He beat the shit outta me in my own damn office, dragged me out. Nobody did anything. When I woke up, I was in Silica- that’s where you went, for the party… and I’ve been Val’s plaything ever since. The muzzle, again, was his idea of a joke- I bit him, so he made me a dog. That’s how he is… that’s how he gets you.”

   Jon quieted after that, his eyes falling half-lidded and distant as he rested his head on his arms. Butler waited for him to keep talking, to explain further, something, but it seemed that was all the man had to say. Something warned the bodyguard not to question him further- the other man’s eyes were dampening in a way that threatened a repeat of Jon’s earlier breakdown back in the bedroom, and Butler wasn’t eager to repeat that (or the conflicting emotions that seeing the other man weep brought up within him). 

   Still, before he could bite the words back and curse himself for both ill timing and a lack of tact, he spoke. 

   “Jon… none of that is Artemis’s fault.” 

   The man didn’t stiffen or flinch, as he had before. For a moment, Butler wondered if the other had heard him at all, or if the exhaustion had finally sunken in enough to detach the other from reality completely- then, Jon looked at the floor, his voice quiet and thinned.

   “I know- Go, I know.” He whispered. “I just wish I didn’t have to lose my mind for it… Your lot got to walk away, unscathed. I didn’t.”

   Not all of us. 

   Butler’s mind filled with thoughts of Kevlar threads and his own beating heart- this time, however, he managed to hold his tongue. 

   The rest of the health check proceeded in near-silent and awkward fashion, though Butler had a suspicion it was more the fault of exhaustion and spent feelings than any bitterness- any emotion in Jon had seemingly dried up, snatched away by tiredness and his own thoughts. The man hardly protested when Butler carefully grabbed his arm to check the movement of his shoulder, or once more checked the chafed wound on his throat. 

   He showed slightly more reluctance when Butler had to ask him to strip out of his suit, in order to check the rest of him. The shucked-away jacket and shirt revealed countless bruises marbling a sharply-starkened ribcage and the point of his hips. His collarbone was similarly marked as to the back of his hands, and Jon’s entire body seemed to be stiff and uncomfortable, though that was to be expected. Thankfully, there were few open wounds to be found, the exceptions being where a handful of bruises had split under the force of the blows, though Jon didn’t seem particularly concerned by them. He refused to strip further, and Butler allowed it after a thorough interrogation about any potential injury to his lower body. 

   With that out of the way, Jon’s focus immediately shifted to getting clean, the man insisting he could make use of the shower on his own- such insistence proved useless when, not a minute later, Butler heard a toppling sound and came running back to find Jon drenched in the foot of the shower and thoroughly miserable, though thankfully still only partially undressed. 

   One stool placed in the center of the shower later, and Butler found himself hunched over the other man, showerhead clutched in his hand as he carefully helped the former criminal wash his hair. Dragging his fingers through dust-colored locks, he scrubbed it clean, surprised once more when the other man leaned into the touch, his eyes closing. The sight stirred another burst of uncomfortable emotion in his chest. 

   “You’re kinda good at this.” 

   Butler startled slightly at the sudden rasp of Jon’s voice, nearly drowned out by the patter of the spray. Turning it from the both of them for a moment, Butler blinked down at the other. “What?” 

   “For someone with no hair, that is.” For just a moment, the hint of a wry smile flashed over Jon’s face. 

   Butler scoffed, biting back the temptation to spray the other man in the face. He was shocked at the unprofessional urge- then, he decided he would give himself a pass for such things, after the past day he had had. “It’s not the first time I’ve done this for someone.” He explained, feeling Jon’s head tilt beneath his hands, curious. Rolling his eyes, he leaned it back again, so he could clean the last of the wine from the man’s scalp. 

   “Really?” 

   “You’ve heard of the Fowl Star?” 

   Butler could remember clearly those first few months after Artemis Fowl the First, Tim, had returned home- for all the joy his presence in the Manor had brought with it, the scars from such an experience had followed him. One such wound had proven to be a reluctance to shower, something Tim had been terribly humiliated in admitting, when he had first asked Butler for help. Not only on account of his injury- the memory of the cold Arctic sea (and his kidnappers’ ‘care’, or lack thereof) had left its mark. 

   Tim’s hair is thicker, he found himself thinking. And he made more of a fuss about it. Jon, for all his earlier venom, had seemingly melted under his hands, too grateful for the opportunity to be clean once again to complain when the bodyguard’s fingers accidentally snagged on a tangle, or turned his head too roughly.

   When the water finally stopped, Butler snatching a towel from the rack to dry the other man’s hair with, Jon suddenly spoke again. 

   “I wouldn’t worry too much about your invitation.” 

   Butler blinked. “Hmm?” 

   “I wouldn’t worry about that invitation-“ Jon repeated, sighing quietly when the bodyguard first began to tousle at his hair. “The one Val sent you.” 

   Lifting a brow, the bodyguard continued his work, now paying significantly more attention. “Why not?“ 

   “Val has this thing,” Jon continued, voice wavering with exhaustion as he closed his eyes, seemingly only partially paying attention to his own words as he focused on the feeling of fingers dragging through his hair. “He’s a people lover, remember? He likes meeting new acquaintances- most likely, he just… heard your fake name pop up somewhere, and got curious, wanting to meet you. He’s like that.” 

   “He sounds like a person I was lucky to avoid.” Butler answered, after a few seconds of thought. “Are you sure that’s what happened?” 

   Jon opened one eye, fixing him with a sardonic look. 

   “No. Not entirely. It’s also possible that he knew who you were, realized you’re associated with that brat of yours, and wanted to invite you cause of that.” 

   Cold unease suddenly rose in the back of the bodyguard’s throat, so distracting that for a moment, he didn’t realize that Jon had insulted his charge once again in the same breath. “What?”

   “He thinks, like everyone else, that Artemis Fowl was ‘never there’-“ Jon emphasized his point with air quotes, though his hands fell back to his sides almost immediately, the man rapidly losing the battle to keep alert. “But he’s not sure. So he wanted to ask a few of you, as I recall… but he probably wouldn’t hurt you guys.”

   Forgive me if I have my doubts, Butler thought, looking down at the small, soaked man in front of him and the state he had been left in. “That’s… good to know.” 

   The other man offered him a shrug, closing his eyes- he began to list sideways on the chair, and Butler hurriedly clamped a hand on his shoulder to stabilize him. “Okay- up we go.” He muttered, pulling the other man upright- Jon followed without complaint as Butler tossed a towel around his shoulders and steered him into the bedroom, gesturing for him to sit on the bed. Once the other man had done so, sitting on the edge of the frame and stifling a yawn with the back of his hand, Butler began to rifle through his dresser to try to find something for the other man to wear. 

   Nothing’s going to fit him… Butler’s clothes wouldn’t fit most people- the idea of Jon in one of his shirts was almost comical, given the other man’s small frame, but it was the best he could do for the moment. Pulling out a pale sweater that one of the Fowls had bought him (one that he had never worn), he tossed it in the bed’s general direction, hearing an indignant yelp moments later. 

   “Here- put that on.” 

   He continued to rummage around for a few moments, finding some exercise shorts and a few blankets, both of which he dumped unceremoniously in the other man’s lap. Jon had Butler’s sweater in his hands, peering at it- the sudden deposit of other fabrics on top of him, however, startled him out of whatever deep thought he was in, and Butler leaned against the doorframe and waited for the smaller man to get dressed. 

   The end result was sweater sleeves that had to be rolled up several times, and shorts that hung off of Jon’s hips and nearly slipped off of him entirely when he moved, but he seemed to be content with that for the moment, so Butler let it be. Maybe Tim has a few clothes that would fit him better… The bodyguard found himself thinking, before he furiously pushed the thought from his mind. I’m not going to steal from the Fowls for this. 

   The image was comical, in a way, but also highlighted how thin and worn the smaller man was. He needed to eat. 

   There’s soup in the kitchen… I could fix some for him, and then leave for the night. Sort things out tomorrow-

   “C’n I sleep now?” 

   Jon’s voice slurred slightly in his mouth, Butler glancing up to find the former businessman fighting back another yawn, exhausted. One hand reached up to tiredly scratch at his hairline, the other curled around his middle as Jon fought to keep himself awake and upright, rapidly losing that battle. 

   Taking pity on him, Butler sighed. He held up two fingers. 

   “Two hours- then, I’m going to get some food and water into you. I’ll wake you up then.” 

   Without any hint of decorum or warning, Jon toppled backwards- Butler shot up from his position against the wall, brow furrowing, only to find the other man giving him a shaky nod, already burrowing down into the blankets beneath him. 

   “Y’got it, boss.”

   In moments, he had passed out, and Butler was left alone.