#they do it for different reasons like i already said before but i want to write about it with a bit more detail

[softly-faye]

𝐃𝐨 𝐈 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰? ⋆ 𝜗𝜚 ⋆

(I do not condone cheating - this is fiction > JJ + Rafe fic)

It started with a lie.

A soft smile. Lip gloss and bloodred lies dripping off your tongue.

You told JJ you’d never done this before.

Voice all breathy and wide-eyed as you sat on his lap in the back of the Chateau, legs draped across his thighs like silk. His fingers hesitated under your shirt. You bit your lip and whispered, “Be gentle, okay?”

And fuck, he looked at you like you were something holy. Something fragile. Like breaking you would ruin him.

You told Rafe the same thing a week later.

Right before he bent you over the marble counter in his daddy’s kitchen and wrecked you while you moaned like you hadn’t just had JJ between your thighs forty-eight hours earlier.

You cried real tears for both of them. Just not for the reason they thought.

Your whole life had been a performance. It had to be.

Your mother disappeared when you were nine. Your father stuck around just long enough to teach you how to make a drink, throw a punch, and lie without flinching. He told you real girls don’t cry unless it’s for a purpose. Told you that pretty only gets you in the door, but sweet gets you the keys to the castle.

So you learned to be sweet. Learned to flutter your lashes just right. Learned how to make boys feel like kings while you slid the crown off their heads the second they weren’t looking.

You smoked Marlboro Reds out the window of your car and wore white lace like armor. You practiced your innocence in the mirror. Practiced the way your lip trembled when you told JJ, “You’re the first person I’ve ever trusted.”

You watched the way his chest puffed up like that meant something.

And then you slid your panties down and rode him until he said your name like a prayer.

JJ Maybank was the first to fall.

He didn’t stand a chance.

All sunshine and rage and puppy-dog loyalty wrapped up in a body that screamed trouble. You found him shirtless, drunk, and bleeding behind the Wreck after a fight with some Touron kid who looked at you too long.

“You okay?” you’d asked, kneeling down, pretending to care.

He looked up at you with blood in his mouth and stars in his eyes.

“You’re like… an angel or something.”

You giggled and handed him a napkin.

He never had a shot.

You kissed him that night.

Let him slide his hands up your thighs. Let him think he was exploring untouched territory. You told him you were nervous. You even faked a wince the first time he slid inside you, watched the panic flash in his eyes like he hurt you.

“You okay?” he breathed out, freezing. “Shit—did I hurt you?”

You whimpered just right.

“No… keep going. I want you, JJ.”

And he did.

Afterwards he cradled your head against his chest and whispered things like forever and only you.

You just smiled. Let him believe it. Let him trace your spine like you weren’t already planning to leave his bed and drive across the island for your midnight appointment with the devil himself.

Rafe fucking Cameron.

Now he was a different beast.

He didn’t care about sweet. Didn’t need gentle. Didn’t fall for the whole good girl act—but he liked it.

He liked pretending.

Liked hearing you call him sir with that voice full of sugar and sin.

You met him at a Kook party, shoved between two fake blondes with even faker tits. You stood out like a bruise. Cutoff shorts, Doc Martens, smoke curling out of your mouth like venom.

Rafe watched you all night. Eyes trailing every curve, every movement, like a predator waiting for the right moment to strike.

You found him on the balcony at 2am, lines of coke cut neatly on his phone, cigarette between his teeth.

He looked you up and down.

“You got a death wish or you just stupid?”

You leaned in, plucked the cig from his lips, took a drag.

“Maybe both.”

That’s when he knew he wanted you.

That’s when you knew you had him.

You told him the same story.

The virgin act. The breathless “I’ve never done this before” while he had your skirt bunched around your waist and his hands around your throat.

But Rafe was smarter than JJ. More suspicious.

He didn’t slow down. Just smirked, spit in your mouth, and said:

“Then you’re a fast fucking learner, sweetheart.”

He liked the idea of corrupting you.

You let him believe he was.

The next few weeks were chaos.

JJ picked you up in his beat-up van and told you he dreamed about marrying you. Rafe drove you around in his Range Rover and threatened to kill anyone who even looked at you. JJ played you guitar by the bonfire. Rafe blew smoke in your face and told you you were the only bitch who could handle him.

And through it all, you played your role.

Perfect little innocent. Daddy’s girl gone a little lost.

Smiling. Sweet. Manipulative as hell.

You told JJ your dad was a drunk who left you when you were young.

You told Rafe he died saving you in a fire.

You told JJ you were scared to lose him. That you’d never been loved before.

You told Rafe you didn’t believe in love. But if you did, it’d probably be with someone like him.

Every lie made you more real to them.

Every contradiction another thread in your web.

You cried into JJ’s shoulder about nightmares you never had.

You fucked Rafe so hard he carved his name into your thigh with his pocketknife.

You told JJ you’d never been high before. He gave you your first joint.

Rafe laughed in your face and offered you a line. You took it without flinching.

They didn’t talk.

Never crossed wires. Too busy wrapped around your finger.

JJ worshipped you. Rafe wanted to own you.

They were both addicted. You were the high.

You started keeping trophies.

JJ’s hoodie.

Rafe’s Rolex.

JJ’s guitar pick in your bag.

Rafe’s black card tucked in your bra.

You were collecting them like scars.

Then there was the night they almost overlapped.

JJ had just dropped you off. Said he’d be back in an hour. You didn’t even wait ten minutes before calling Rafe.

He showed up drunk. Furious. Saying he saw you talking to some Pogue.

You kissed him hard, dragged him inside, made him forget every question he was going to ask.

“Tell me you’re mine,” he growled, rutting into you with bruising force.

You arched your back and lied again.

“I’m yours. I’ve always been yours.”

JJ showed up an hour later.

You answered the door in a different shirt. Rafe’s cologne still clinging to your skin. JJ didn’t notice. Or maybe he did, but couldn’t bear the truth.

He just wrapped you in his arms and whispered, “I missed you.”

You bit your lip to keep from laughing.

You were sick, you knew that.

But you couldn’t stop.

The way JJ made you feel safe.

The way Rafe made you feel real.

Maybe you were broken.

Maybe the only way you felt powerful was when they looked at you like you hung the stars.

But it worked.

It always worked.

You gaslit them constantly.

JJ would catch a glimpse of a hickey that wasn’t his.

You’d pout, pull away, tears welling in your eyes.

“You really think I’d cheat on you? After everything? I trusted you, JJ.”

He’d crumble. Apologize. Beg for your forgiveness like he was the one who messed up.

Rafe once saw your phone light up with JJ’s name.

You laughed. “He’s obsessed with me. I don’t even answer.”

He believed you. Slapped your ass and said, “Good girl.”

You were the villain.

And you loved it.

You were fire in lace. A storm in lip gloss and thigh-highs.

And they were your casualties.

But God—what beautiful damage they made.

Sometimes, late at night, you’d lie in bed and stare at the ceiling. Wonder if they’d kill each other if they ever found out.

Wonder if you’d care.

You didn’t.

Not really.

Because they were just characters in your play. Puppets in your hands. Addicts to your chaos.

And you?

You were the smoke, the spark, the match.

You weren’t their girl.

You were their goddamn religion.

[rtv-puzzlevision-studios]

☆ THE RTV!PUZZLEVISION TOUR [Part 5]

Participants actions:

Lilith

Becky

Loyboo

Nicknack

Lucas

Creature

Harley

Grinnames

Aspen

The Scammer

Lari

Hairball

Marie

Orion

Rayas

Note: Wowza this is a looooong one and perfectly represent the fever dream that is the Tv dimension in my opinion lol Originally I wanted to take more movies in but god, it’s already way too long.

A special thanks to @scimagic and @irayasosy CHECK THE REBLOGS FOR PART 2 + NOTES!!

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

There was a tense silence in the Health Department as RTV was done with his rant.

The TV head was still irritated, but at least was calm enough by now to refrain from sending the nearest person flying against the wall like he did with the table just now.

Gripping hands behind his back he tried to regain some of his composure.

Deep breaths, focus on the task at hand, make sure nothing more goes out of hand.

Surely enough, some people seemed smart enough to not provoke him further.

Under the soulless stares of Swag and Chris and RTV’s glare, the participants now walked towards the screens, some giving him a worried or anxious glance back.

The TV head made a slight step to the side to give way to the one eyed Creature and a sobbing Becky walking past him and entering the dimension.

RTV was unsure when in his life he had started losing sympathy for others, but he knew it had been gone for a long time, as right now, he simply couldn’t bring himself to feel sorry.

Was it a bit insane to take his anger out on the people who couldn’t do anything against the people from beyond the 4th wall who made the actual choices?

Maybe.

Well, if the people in Health behaved then maybe he would be willing to cut them some slack.

As for Security…they messed up.

After the red colored Bunnybot entered through the screen as well, only a few people were left.

Among them was Nira, the one horned girl Lilith, that white and pink hairball and…

RTV’s eyes visibly narrowed as the insert of one the most irritating people he had the displeasure to talk with, now stepped towards him.

Really, the only reason he allowed Loyboo on the tour was because he was nice enough for the person to prove that they were different from the person behind them.

“What does it matter… " 

It was a mutter that RTV only caught because the boo was standing so close.

Nevertheless he didn’t expect him to bow down in the next second, dropping a single sketchbook page to the floor.

 "I'm worth nothing.", she said, before walking past RTV, through the screen and into the TV dimension.

The TV head gave Loyboo a slightly perplexed look, before huffing.

Alright, if his small outburst was already causing such reactions then he figured the majority would downright break when it was a big one.

His gaze now landed on the paper on the floor and he kneeled down to pick it up in a split second decision before it could be stepped on by Lilith who now walked through as well.

Putting the free hand in his hip, he now narrowed his eyes at the sketch that had been doodled on the piece of paper.

The outlines were still messy yet he was able to make out the picture as a whole.

A row of people following a TV headed being ordering them, no doubt representing him, a star shaped light present on his screen.

A visualization of RTV’s brainwash, showing how the people fell into his trap by following the shining, flawless persona that he was embodying.

The TV head frowned, his grip around the paper slightly tightening.

This drawing was hitting a bit too close to the truth.

In a way it was what happened on this tour right now.

A bunch of people followed him, a few even trusting him, only to figure out that he wasn’t what he pretended to be.

Well, until he forced them to see what he wanted them to see again.

Not an option with the majority of these people though.

They were too…aware.

With a sharp inhale, he folded the sketch, storing it in a pocket of his coat.

No time for sentimentalities.

Besides, right now these people didn’t even deserve his act of perfection, no, ironically they now got a more authentic version of him.

A very pissed off one.

“U-uhm, we still have two people resting, so I should probably go wake them up.”

RTV lowered his gaze on the white squirrel who was nervously grabbing her own hands.

“Do that.”

Following her slowly as she walked over to the next room, he watched how she pulled the curtains wide aside.

Revealing a small surprise.

Turns out the fox girl form before had a double now.

"...There's... two?", he slowly drawled, earning a quick nod from Nira.

Just how much did he miss?

He continued to observe how the double now woke up the other who appeared to have been sleeping, muttering apparent comforting swords to her.

Hah, ironic how other people got far better along with their other versions than he did.

Moving slowly aside as they now stood up, he noted a cable cord tail on them.

Had they owned those before?

Well, no matter.

At least they didn’t make any trouble and entered the TV dimension without further complaints.

Nira though…

RTV couldn’t help but admit how useful she was.

Her ability was a true win to this studio, no matter how this ended, he had to keep her by his side.

After that was done, RTV turned to Swag and Chris to give a few last orders, as he suddenly heard fast footsteps coming his way.

As he snapped around, he just saw a white and pink hairball lunging towards him until-

CRASH!

A few glass splinters fell to the ground together with Hairball who had bounced right off RTV’s screen.

A bottle of disinfect flew out of their hair, rolling right in front of the TV head’s shoes who was holding his now additionally broken screen.

Taking a second to recover from the failed attempt to enter the TV dimension, Hairball now shook their head, sitting up.

In the next second a tall shadow fell over them, followed by a harsh grip in their long hair as they were suddenly pulled back up.

“Owowowowowow-”

“Quiet.”

RTV’s expression had switched back to one of cold fury, drops of color from his mouth now dropping through the impact crack in his screen onto the floor boards.

His other hand then dove into the mess of hair, searching for more items that no doubt this menace had snatched along the way.

First thing he noted however was that his arm sunk in way deeper than it should be possible.

So no ordinary hair.

More like some sort of endless space.

Pocket dimension?

It turned out there were much more things hidden there than RTV expected.

Among the things he pulled out were a pack of gums, a whole pencil case, a half eaten sandwich and-

His eyes visibly narrowed at the now nervously smiling creature as his hand pulled out with his phone and a very familiar star bowtie.

Little shit.

“Don’t.”, he stopped Hairball before they could even dare utter another word, his grip in their hair now tightening as they started dragging them over to the screen. “You’re INCREDIBLY lucky I don’t approve of staining my gloves. Not on studio grounds that is.”

He gave Hairball a sharp smile, now flicking the bowtie back in their hands.

“You know what? KEEP it. One measly star is probably everything a petty THIEF like you will ever achieve in their pathetic life.”, RTV spoke in a hiss. “You’re welcome.”

With that, he shoved them through the screen and into the TV dimension, frowning at all the hair that now had gotten stuck to his clothing.

With every second, he felt the grip on his temper fading away.

No trace of self preservation with some of these people.

“You two.”, he now turned to Swag and Chris, voice missing his usual theatrical sliver. Why bother?

It’s not like they would care about him breaking character.

“Chris, get over to the Control Room and listen to the system’s orders. Swag, you stay here. Keep an eye.”

He now turned to Animsay who was the only other person left.

“Especially her.”

A simultaneous nod.

Brushing the hair off his sleeves, RTV took a deep breath before retracting into the TV head.

A few seconds later, the broken screen landed on the floor, displaying static before shutting off.

☆

Back in the Control Room, people were getting ready as well to enter the TV dimension.

Some looked just as put off by the mere idea as SMG4 felt.

That stupid dimension brought nothing but bad memories back and he was seriously considering whether taking on that weird version of Wren wasn't the better alternative.

The last time SMG4 ended up in there, the events happened that led to that maniac being in power.

Surely though, he at least wouldn’t broadcast all this to the world this time.

After the small... incident between Wr3n, Sci, and a certain bot's body, the Siren now moved past the crowd to get to the back of the room, ignoring any stares she may receive as she glared with bitterness at the floor. 

Her fins flicked with every sound, murmur or cry between the group, the sad thought of others caring for Michael as much as she cared for them crossing her mind before she shut it down.

No time for that. No time to dwell in pain. The odds weren't on her side and with each passing moment she spent in this room, the more doomed she is confronting a certain television head.

Which... speaking of the devil...

As RTV gave his announcement through the various screens in the control room, Sci glared at them, her back half-turned towards them as she listened with a sneer forming on her face. Once done, the Siren turned back around, fist shaking at her side as she tried to think of what to do.

How to survive...

How to live.

She knew she'd be terribly weak against the big man himself if she stepped through, but she'd dig herself an even bigger grave if she didn't. Looking around the room, she tried to find something, anything of use to her- only for her eye to catch a familiar face. Tired and scrappy maybe... But friendly, nonetheless.

She missed seeing her universe's version of him...

Sci shook her head lightly and frowned, god he's gonna be just as much if not more screwed than her. But she was desperate for options right now.

The Siren quietly stomped her way to SMG4, a tense and stern look on her face.

The meme guardian was still busy brooding over the impossible choice at hand, only now he noticed that he had been balling his fists the entire time, nails digging deep into skin.

Taking a deep breath, he opened his hands before brushing once over his face.

He had to calm down or he would get himself into even bigger trouble though right now...although that seemed almost impossible.

As he saw Sci walking towards him, the meme guardian immediately tensed up again.

“…hi.”

Both of Sci’s hands landed on the guardian's shoulders, a tense grip on them but nothing to hurt him. Staring intently into his eyes.

"Tell me... You didn't walk in here blindly without an escape plan— don't tell me what it is— just tell me if you do." The Siren hissed in a quiet tone, already way past introductions at this point. 

Some worry lingers in her voice.

SMG4 made a small step back as she suddenly grabbed him though halted at her question. 

Was she really asking him for a plan when it was so obvious that everything went wrong?

“No, not really…”, he now replied in a low tone. “I’m just as stuck as you here though…maybe the rest of my group can bail us out soon enough. It’s not exactly going after a plan though. You think I wanted to expose myself to this group?”

The fish opens her mouth to say something, only to close it again with a frown as she glances down.

Guess she should've thought about that. She wasn't in a position to judge how badly things were planned. She didn't even have a plan herself in case things went wrong! And they already had!

Sci breathed in and exhaled a sigh, the grip on Four's shoulders faltering as she patted his shoulder and nodded in resignation.

"Right... Sorry... Just wishful thinking."

Sci let go of his shoulders and looked to the side, continuing to mutter.

"Let's pray to the Godbox they find a way to do it then. Otherwise we're relying on sheer dumb luck and a miracle."

She glanced to the TV screens displaying Puzzles' dimension.

"... Or mercy.”

SMG4 let out a huff at that, putting hands back in the pockets of his hoodie. Well, he couldn’t exactly blame her. He also had hoped that there was a better plan, but alas…

“I’m not going to pray to that box of horrors.”, he sighed. “You can cross mercy out of the equation unless you got stuff to bargain with.”

He glanced over to the screens, seeing how some people were now contemplating.

“Let's hope they are still alive.”

Sci hummed as a response, drifting into thought as she considered the bargain part.

... Yeah, she's not selling away her powers for a second time. She doesn't have blackmail (not yet), no trump cards...

Just her fists and a necklace.

She sighed in exasperation, the more she thought about this situation the more dread and helplessness she got.

Ah well... If you go down, go down with style or something.

"They got a better chance than us right now, I suppose."

Sci stepped to walk away from SMG4, before pausing and looking back at him again.

"Uh... Good luck, I guess..."

”Mhm, they are capable so that’s something…”, the meme guardian simply replied, nodding at her last sentence to him. “Same to you.”

He then turned to glare at the screen again. If Puzzles wanted him to go in there, he would have to force him.

She nodded back and walked away without another word.

Al...right. Fighting it is.

Last time she tried this she failed miserably and got her shit rocked. No doubt it'll happen here too.

Don't fight in turf that isn't yours. But unfortunately, she didn't have a choice.

As she slowly walked back to the front of the room, she removed her black tie and the Puzzlevision necklace from her neck and began to wrap them around her right hand, the tie wrapped tightly right on top of the metal logo.

Make-shift brass knuckles!

It..... wouldn't do much at all. But she had the chance to do even a little bit of damage in her defense. It was better than nothing.

Sci looked up from her hand and spotted Lucian, still bleeding out on the floor and getting closer to the edge of the cliff.

With a guilty frown, the fish walked over and greeted the neon sign, kneeling down to his level once more.

"Hey... How are you holding up?"

[Hah…]

“Bad, to be blunt.”, he scoffed though there was no real malice behind it. He now nodded to the screen. “Ya going in?”

Holding his side, he grimaced as he tried to sit more upright. Sitting slumped against the panel like this…it made him feel even weaker. 

“Word of advice, since I’m pretty sure you’re going in either way: Don’t focus on defeating him, find a way out.”

"Yeah, I can see that..." The fish muttered as she took a glance at his wound before looking back up and listened to Lucian.

She hummed, eyebrows furrowing in thought as she considered his words. That's... a much better way to look at it. Maybe she'd have a chance then.

"Thanks... Hopefully I don't get a bigger target on my back for it."

Her hand went up to fidget with her necklace, pausing for a moment before she spoke again, her tone meek and full of worry.

"What's gonna happen to you after this?... If uh... they tend to you quick enough..."

“Your target is already as big as it can be.”, Lucian snorted. At her concern he simply shrugged. “Oh they will. If Puzzles wanted me replaced or gone, Wr3n would have aimed for a more lethal strike. Meaning…he still needs my services.”

The object head pointed a fingergun at Sci, before letting out a dry chuckle.

“Man, I need to get out of here…”

"Ahah..."

 "Goodie..."

She chuckled nervously, letting it falter into a worried one as the thought of possibly being a primary target in this whole mess crossed her mind.

She's won that ticket all by herself, alright...

God— she's regretting ever thinking she'd have fun in this mission.

But shaking those nerve-wracking thoughts away, she scoffed a sad laugh at Lucian. Understanding the feeling very well.

"Yeah... You'll get out eventually, man... I have hope for you."

Lucian could easily tell that his words didn’t exactly create more confidence, yet he also didn’t regret it. The more careful she was the better. He usually got people killed, he may as well inspire one to keep themself alive.

[Maybe…]

“Ah, your hope is appreciated. Maybe, just maybe I will. But I need someone else freed first before I follow.”

Sci nodded, smiling with hope down at Lucian.

"Keep fighting, it's the best chance they got." She holds her fist up for a 'see you later' bump, "thanks for everything, Lucian, truly."

The sign head seemed to look at the fist for a second, before letting his own bump against it.

"You're not bad, kid. Stay alive, yeah?"

In the next second, one of the screens switched to static, a gloved hand reaching through and grabbing one of the participants, by her ribbons, dragging her straight through the screen and into the dimension. RTV was done waiting.

The fish beamed with the slightest bit of happiness, a light blue spark in her dark blue eyes as she nodded. "I'll do my best."

As she pullled her hand away, Sci turned her head to see one of the participants getting dragged— Grinnames, actually— and she knew she'd probably be one of them if she didn't hurry.

Sci let out a small sigh and muttered, "guess that's my cue." And she stood up again with a huff.

She nodded at Lucian and waved a small goodbye before turning and walking over to the screens, staring them down with a bit of uncertainty until she shook her head with a determined look.

Here goes something.

The Siren stepped up to the control panel and entered RTV's head dimension. 

Lucian gave her a slight wave as well as Nicknack who now followed soon after, hand in hand with Harley.

A damn kid in the middle of all this.

He felt like hitting something.

Sure, going in without force would prevent Puzzles from being pissed off any further, that’s why Lucian even advised people to do it.

The alternative wasn’t any better.

Still, there was no guarantee they would be the same when they got out.

If they got out.

A fact that SMG4 seemed to be more than aware of as he was now the only one remaining in the control room safe for Lucian and, well, Michael’s remains.

“You should go.”, the object head now warned, sign changing into a fitting [Go.]

At that the meme guardian looked over to him, anxiety clear in his eyes.

“Easy for you to say!”, SMG4 laughed. “Do you know what happened the last time I entered?”

Lucian knew.

Well, not the details, he only saw the bits of pieces of the Puzzlevision movie that RTV wanted the public to see.

But he knew that SMG4 had been in there and it seemed to have ended just as bad as it ended for him everytime he got dragged in there for RTV’s “talks”.

“Do you think you can fix anything by staying out?”, he now replied, letting out a hoarse laugh. “You of all people here are probably the person Puzzles wants to see dead the most. At least when you are with the others they will be backing you up!”

“Rich words from someone who tried to kill me multiple times!”, SMG4 barked, crossing his arms.

“Trust me, if I were committed to this whole killing you thing, you would be fighting me right now.”, Lucian growled. “But unfortunately, you are one of the people out there who actually have a chance at doing something against this TV prick so how about at least trying to stay alive?!”

The meme guardian gave a glare, but actually considered the others words now.

“Fine…”, he then finally agreed, making a hesitant step towards the screens, giving them an unsure glance, before determination settled in his eyes. “I got this…”

Taking a deep breath, he then entered through the screen, stepping back into the same dimension that he had visited plenty of times in his nightmares before.

Left alone in the control room now, Lucian let his head bump back against the control panel.

The pain in his side had become worse than before, an unfortunate effect of the adrenaline from before wearing off.

They needed him, that’s what he told Sci, but to be honest, he wasn’t too sure anymore.

His gaze wandered over to the remains of Michael, one visible eye staring empty to the side, upper jaw connected to a gaping black and oily hole.

This had been a participant.

Sure, a participant with ulterior motives, but still.

As much as he loathed Wr3n, he was still an AI, his sentience had limits.

Everything he did was based on what RTV fed him.

The TV head had programmed this brutality into him.

Lucian liked to know he had the guy figured out, but the truth was he didn't even want to understand him.

Both of them were bad people, yet he didn’t want to know the feeling of understanding the other's thought process.

Lucian didn’t like to sympathize with people he planned to kill one day.

Unfortunately that also meant that he didn’t see anything of this level coming and that his predictions of Puzzles next move were often just lucky guesses.

Well, he wasn’t going anywhere.

No choice but to see how this played out.

Click!

The sound of the door unlocking.

In the next second, the door to the control room slid to the side giving sight onto yet another robot host of Wr3n -just how many did they make- and Chris next to him.

The unfocused stare and the never lowering gun in his colleague's hand was enough of a hint that he wasn’t himself right now and sure enough, as Chris stepped over to him Lucian could see the familiar static pupils.

A clear indicator of mind control.

Lucian knew it all too well from SMG3 and Colores.

Back then the color picker of her color wheel head was the thing that turned static.

A result of Lucian’s first attempts to get her out. Didn’t work out too well.

The sound of a gun safety being removed managed to snap Lucian back to the present.

[Well…] “Tired of me already?”

His question was towards Wr3n who stood behind Chris as he pointed his gun at Lucian’s chest.

“That’s not exactly what I would call it, but this tour has been enlightening. New rivals on the horizon…” Wr3n gestured to the side, now tilting his head.

“...loyalties revealed.”

Lucian simply snorted at that.

“Don’t tell me Puzzles ever thought I was loyal to him.”

“Nah, but we did think ya would be a bit smarter in your decisions. Ya could have just shot SMG4! Sure, a few traumatized people, but we could have easily painted it as the consequence of a vicious attack!”

Wr3n moved his hands to the side like visualizing a picture.

“Crazy ex-youtube legend returns to finish the job. Heroic security saves the day!”

“Yeah, not really interested to add to the lies.”

“So much is obvious, partner.”,

Wr3n sighed, pushing hat deeper in his face as he now nodded to Chris.

“Patch him up.”

[Huh?]

At Lucian’s surprise, Wr3n laughed.

“Aw, come on partner! We are not through with ya yet! Who else is gonna train the future security units? Be our personal scapegoat in case all those hits ever get uncovered?”

“Of course…”

“Ya still have your use. For now.”

A pat on Lucian’s shoulder.

He slapped it off, earning himself another chuckle as Wr3n now passed by him, kneeling down next to Michael.

“If I had known he still wanted ya, I would have done less damage.”,

Wr3n sighed, ruffling Michael’s hair, before picking up his ripped apart body, throwing it over his shoulder.

“Ah well, it was still fun.”

“What are you gonna do with him?”, Lucian asked, hissing at Chris now patched up his wound, not exactly being gentle.

“I’m afraid ya are no longer cleared for that information anymore.”,

Wr3n simply replied, giving them a two fingered salute.

"Chris will take you to Health or shoot you if ya try to make more trouble. See ya around, partner.”

☆

Back in the Health Department Animsay had meanwhile settled down on a free bed, unbeknownst to Swag, who was blankly standing next to her, glancing over to the screens.

So far she could still get through them, but not for much longer.

If she wanted to advance the plot for her sona, she would have to act now.

Hey, hey, HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!

Ignoring her character’s protests, Ani now jumped off, tapping Swag on the shoulder.

“Hey Swag?”

The mind controlled security member now turned around, before getting decked right in the face.

Using the moment where he was holding his now bleeding nose, Ani slid past him, making a beeline straight towards the screen and jumped.

She dove right through it as a second later a bullet hit the screen, breaking it apart.

Animsay landed on the other side, floating uncontrollably for a while.

Her screen suddenly shut off, shoulders slacking for a second until suddenly she let out a gasp, hands grabbing her shoulders, before sliding alongside the heavy TV on her head.

“W-what…”, she muttered to herself, not yet realizing that the TV dimension was outside Wr3n’s jurisdiction.

Meaning the program keeping her locked out of her own body was gone.

Now the only voice remaining in her head was the author of this text herself.

One who found it was a perfect moment to introduce the character Animsay to the audience.

“Why now?”, Animsay muttered, knowing that she was listening.

Or reading…or writing?

Because its perfect! Wr3n has no control and they need somebody who can lead them next to SMG4.

“Hah…of course. I know the way out just as much as most of the others here. Channel 999, no idea where it is. This is just you wanting to show off my existence to the audience, right? Make it a big shocker moment…”

“I will lead you, no worries and well, kinda.”

“Great.”, was C!Animsay’s exasperated sigh, as she now began tugging at her TV head. “Not like I have a choice but to find a way out anyway…but first I’m, getting this thing off.”

With herself having complete control again now, she could feel the heavyweight of the foreign object pressing down on her shoulders, hurting her spine which was never meant to carry such a weight.

“Animsay?”

She turned to see two fox girlsl next to her, flashing her a worried look.

For a second she was confused, having trouble recalling them, her memory was scrambled at times, a consequence of being forced into the backseat.

That’s Rayas, the one who played that card game with us.

C!Ani simply shook her head.

She now grabbed a nearby TV, using it as a platform to float deeper below, aware from most eyes and hiding there behind another of the objects.

Inhaling deeply, she then clicked open the panel at the back of the TV, reaching into the opening, dragging fingers along the cables.

She had to be careful. One wrong move and she could render herself braindead, paralyzed or worse.

All because of Puzzles, because of that stupid author.

She could have had a normal life but no, she had to take that job-

A brainwashed life. At least now your story is interesting. 

“My story is YOUR story. You’re literally using me as representation for yourself in this and YOUR world.”, C!Ani hissed, now tugging at a cable.

Her fingers were shaking.

You should ask someone for help.

“I- FINE!”, she hissed, letting go and now turning to the next best person available that wasn’t RTV or under mind control.

“HEY! You!”, she now turned the monochrome guy’s attention, Aspen, towards herself.

“Mind helping me out?”

A shit-eating grin was the response.

C!Ani had the immediate realization that she would not like them.

From what she observed while being a simple watcher during the previous tour, this one was a bit of a little shit.

“Hmmmmm, would you do OR give me something in return?”, Aspen now replied.

It was a good thing they couldn’t see her face because C!Ani was straight up snarling at them.

Ohk they wanted something?

She could gladly gift them a wonderful punch and a few loose teeth-

Lol

“What? Don’t got nothing? Well, I’ll just watch I guess.”, Aspen now grinned at her lack of an answer to which C!Ani let out a condescending scoff, turning away.

“Yeah, sounds about right given that’s the only thing you seem to be useful for.”, she spat, now floating away from them.

“....UGHHHH I want your TV head turned back on.”, she could hear them call after her.

C!Ani halted, feeling a sting at those words, followed by a flood of unbridled rage.

“Do ya?”, she spoke, her voice turning sickeningly sweet as she bawled her fists, ready to make good on her idea to knock loose some teeth.

Fortunately for Aspen they were saved from that fate as another person now floated close to them, giving them a curious smile on their digital screen.

A red colored bot in the shape of a bunny.

Bunnybot or at least another version of the one C!Ani knew.

“BB, help me out, will you?”, C!Ani used the nickname that she knew the author usually used for the guy, pointing at the back of the TV. “I need help removing these cables.”

“Oh? Yeah, sure!”, Bunnybot replied, interest now clear in his voice as he floated over to Animsay, taking a peek at the back of her head. “Wait, you have a head under there?”

“Yes.”, C!Animsay replied curtly, not resting on the topic any further. “I need you to carefully rotate the cables before pulling them out. Be careful, I don’t need to get braindamage.”

“Ah- alright then…”, Bunnybot hummed, carefully now following the orders, noticing a slight flinch whenever he managed to loosen a cable, letting it fall to the side. “Things are getting a bit heated by the way. I’m pretty sure I just saw a person getting thrown.”

“Sounds like RTV though usually it’s Lucian getting that treatment.”, was the dry reply. “Our way out is channel 999, but for that we need to enter the channels and travel through there. There is no way he will let us enter through here.”

“Channel 999 you say?”, she heard Aspen mutter.

“Alright, done!”, Bunybot announced a few minutes later, now moving away from Animsay. “So, why do you want the cables out?”

“None of your business.”, C!Ani scoffed, now turning away as she grabbed both sides at the TV, slowly pulling up.

“Man…I like the other better.”

She froze for a second at that, before harshly pulling the while TV off, tossing it in BB’s direction.

Some cables that were still connected to her neck, unable to be removed without surgical measures, hung alongside her abyss black neck, a pair of green eyes and a mouth with white fans sneering at him before disappearing under the makeshift hood of her scarf, her face seemingly melting into the shadows.

Only the eyes still glared at BB as she gave a bitter laugh.

“Well, she’s still there no worries, but now you’ve got to deal with me and I’m not HER. Deal with it.”

Flipping him off, she then floated towards the edge of the TV they hid behind, giving the scene a glance.

Ready? “Give me a second…”

☆

Swag outside meanwhile remained still for a while as if considering what to do now, before speaking up.

“Sir, the Head of the Social Media Department entered through the screen.”

“Ah, no idea what she’s up to now, but don’t worry. She’s not getting out of there and if she does, she won’t get far.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Just keep an eye, partner. Now if you excuse me, I have to focus on some other things.”

Swag nodded, now turning away from the screen and continued his patrol past the rooms.

Ironically enough, a mind controlled Swag was more observant than his usual self as he actually completely focused on the task at hand which is why he didn’t overlook the small ink stains that seemed to lead over to the office of the head of the Health Department.

Drawing his gun again Swag followed the trail to the door, listening for a second before using the handle and stepping in.

A circular office room welcomed him, files scattered over the desk and a visible ink trail leading up behind it.

Letting go off the door, Swag now proceeded forward, finger on the safety.

Too late he noticed the small round figure now coming out from behind the door.

A second later there was a loud crashing noise as a heavy vase hit Swag at the back of his neck.

Stumbling forward, slightly stunned, he then collapsed against the desk before falling on the floor with a thump.

Knocked out.

“Quick!”

Mickey now came out from behind the desk, snatching the handcuffs from Swag’s belt and dragging him towards the desk, cuffing the man’s wrists to it.

“For once one of these people is useful…”, Mickey sighed, shoulder slumping as he grabbed the gun. “Did you find any more ink?”

“Ugh!”

Beeg moved to the side, grabbing a pen from the floor, taking out the small ink cartridge.

The cartoon sniffed at the measly side, but took it as he looked as another drops of colored ink seemed to run down his hands.

A clear sign he needed to regenerate before turning into a puddle.

Stupid AI had to fry the whole vent and Mickey took a pretty bad hit before he was pulled out by Beeg.

Said creature had slightly singed clothes but seemed to have gotten away far better.

Both then were led down a chase through half the studio before managing to escape the surveillance sight and sneaking into the Health Department when the group entered.

First hiding out in one of the patient rooms, they had a good look at Puzzles crashout and him forcing people into the TV dimension before they snuck over to the office to find ink for Mickey who had started melting a tad too much in the meantime.

Now, Mickey would have loved to take what they witnessed as an argument for Beeg to finally leave, but noooo of course the AI had to confirm that the blueberry was alive.

And now Beeg would never leave and if he didnt leave, Mickey would be dragged along.

“So what now?”, Mickey asked after drinking up the ink. “If he’s in that dimension we can’t do anything! Endgame!”

Beeg grumbled, before hopping on the chair now pointing towards the screen.

…wait.

“Golly, you’re right!”

Mickey jumped next to him before starting to type on the screen, a screen that was connected to a computer with access to the studio’s system.

However, their triumph quickly turned into a deep frown as they realized they needed login details.

Damn it, it was always something!

“We need someone to unlock this for us.”, Mickey realized, his gaze now landing on the knocked out Swag on the floor.

“Aeeeugh.”

“Yeah, you’re right, Under mind control he won’t do anything.”

Grabbing the gun again, Mickey now jumped down, before removing the grid of the vent leading to the room.

“Alright, part three of this. We need to get someone to get us into the system, someone who is allowed to access it. We hold them hostage, get the data-”

“Augh.”

“...I guess we could use it to force Puzzles into letting SMG4 go.”

The mouse showed a sly grin.

“All we need is a good exit strategy and then we can bail before he realizes we are not holding up our part of the deal!”

“Ugh!”

“Yeah, yeah, I'm going…”

☆

A few minutes prior, in the TV dimension, one of the bigger TVs now started to grow a body as RTV took control of it.

The crack in the screen was fixed again, but the pixel damages along the side of his face remained.

The TV head noticed it as he looked at his reflection in a turned off TV.

Something he would have to fix later.

Whatever that blue overalls messed up, it would take some more repairs.

Still irritated over the incident with Hairball, he now turned his focus on the people of whom nearly all had entered now.

He would have Wr3n and the security duo force them in should some refuse.

Now the question was: What to do?

There was that nagging voice in RTVs head suggesting to just take them all out here or stuff them so far into the channel that nobody ever found them again or they forgot who they were.

It would be possible.

The tour wasn’t registered as official with the invitation mainly having gone out beyond the 4th wall.

Others knew it as a VIP tour.

No employee would question the participants disappearing, assuming they got sent back home after the lockdown.

Most people here weren’t even from this world, nobody would miss them and the ones that did, the very few, could be dealt with.

But there was arisk.

The risk of it all…

Yet also the risk they were to his image.

“Why Hello my not-so-dear tour participants," he now said for a moment of a sneer before going to a tone of false calmness. "Glad to see you all here! Whether you came through willingly... and some," his voice lowers. "Who needed a push... to come through."

“Excuse me to interrupt you Mr.Puzzles, what if I told you I had something revolutionary,would you be interested in any chances traveling to unknown universes?”

RTV looked over to see that the blonde woman, The Scammer, now had floated up to him.

“Let me present to you my gizmos or stars.”

She now took out of her pocket a BLUE star.

 “I promise I’m not here to scam anyone, I do indeed know my ‘name’ may cause some suspicions. But it is just a direct translation of my family name ‘De La Escroquerie'.Actually my family were scammed by those filthy scammers but that's just an unimportant detail. ”

The sneer on his face should be enough of a sign that he couldn’t care less right now.

Honestly, the only reason he was entertaining this right now was because she seemed to want to strike a deal.

Fine, she may have her chance.

Scammer now placed the star flat in the void. 

A blue star shaped portal opens.

Through it one could see a Mr Puzzles figure where a star is placed in front of it and other figures at the back.

Hold on, was this back in the Art Department?

 The Scammer's hand now went through a portal grabbing the Mr Puzzles figure.

“As you can see the interdimensional portal has indeed worked. Huh, it looks just like you,what are the odds?”, the Scammer smiled. “Sadly I can’t sell you mine since you know, you  have to be linked to it and I forgot how to create them, but there are the instructions at my base on my computer,and the only possible way to go there at the moment is by my very own VESPA that is parked outside of your STUDIO.” 

She now took out a contract with a pen.

 “Do we have a deal?”

Out of mere curiosity, RTV took a glance at the contract, noting the many fineprint.

Was she seriously trying to convince someone who was in the marketing business to sign this?

“Cute.”, he now spoke with a snort though the amusement was clearly missing on his face. “But that’s a NO.”

With a flick of his hands he sent her flying to the side.

“Oh, and for your INFORMATION: I can already reach other universes just fine MYSELF. Maybe remember that before placing portals in MY studio...”

Now where was he…

His gaze landed on Nira not far away who had watched the whole thing with worry, yet also a tinge of fear.

If he wanted to keep her on his side, he had to act now.

Forcing a softer expression on his face he now leaned downther, floating slightly lower so he could look into her eyes.

“Is this…all really necessary?”, Nira asked, gesturing hesitantly over to the many worried and emotional people.

“Unfortunately.”, RTV sighed, now gently taking her small hands in his. “I can see it is bothering you. It’s bothering me as well.”

“This all feels like a bad dream…”

Ah-hah.

“We could make it that it just remains as one.”, RTV now continued slyly, now pointing at his screen. “All you have to do is look at me.”

He could see the hesitancy in her eyes as she considered, but Nira had never been one too hard to convince.

She was loyal, maybe a bit too much which is why she now raised her gaze, looking at his screen.

“Everything will be over soon.”

With that his screen flicked to static and he could feel Nira’s hands tensing before relaxing again as the static now moved over to her eyes, putting her effectively under mind control.

He hadn’t been lying.

After all this he would make sure it would just be another bad dream to her.

Straightening again, the soft tone now vanished from his voice.

“Move to the sidelines until further orders.”

With a nod Nira now turned around, before taking place on one of the TVs, observing.

The static had slightly resided, only small circles in the middle of her black eyes being an indicator that she wasn’t herself.

That was handled for now…

“Now, as I said, Nobody here is leaving. Not before we made some things CLEAR. Some of you chose to side with SMG4, complicated everything! And guess what happened. One tour-" RTV stopped for a moment at the crying and sniffing that could now be heard.

His eyes narrowed with slight confusion for a second as Grinnames pulled out a very familiar shaped cookie as some kind of tribute to the fallen.

Really?

A meme in the middle of all this?

He barely held himself back from rolling his eyes and pinching his screen as the sound of a cookie being eaten could now be heard throughout the dimension.

These people-

“YOUR GODBOX-FORSAKEN AI KILLED MY FRIEND, YOU A**HOLE!”

In the next moment a clawed hand hit his face, sending him staggering back.

“WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF, HUH?!”,Grinnames shouted at him, anger shining through her narrowed red eyes.

But this time the hit did less damage than it would have outside.

This was HIS dimension and he would be damned if he lost it in.

An unsympathetic grimace of a smile settled on his face as he suddenly dashed forward, way faster than usually, grabbing the enraged participant by the neck.

“Your friend killed HIMSELF by putting his nose in things that don’t concern him.”, he replied coldly, before using the lack of gravity to his advantage and pulling his arm back-

“You bastard-! YOU TAKE THAT BACK- “

Grinnames was suddenly tossed with full force back, flying far into the depths of the tunnel, arms flailing as she tried to regain balance.

It would take a while for her to get back.

"Anyone else?", RTV now asked, looking in the round ready to take on another challenger that would be stupid enough to try his limited patience.

His gaze landed for a second on a familiar blue meme guardian who was glaring at him with unfiltered cold hate.

Yet RTV also noticed the way he was floating.

Unsure, insecure.

He gave SMG4 a lopsided grin, noticing with satisfaction how his fists tightened, nails digging into skin.

While everyone else's fate was still up in the air this one’s had been long decided.

Nobody liked an overused irrelevant character.

His attention now turned back to the group, noticing that Grinnames had gotten back now, huddling together with a few others in a group hug.

This time he couldn’t help an eye roll.

How sweet.

“Tsk Tsk, Now?," spoke RTV, before clearing his throat. "As I was SAYING, because of the fault of some of you supporting SMG4, everyone will Pay. And I'll repeat, because of his intrusion, One tour participant less in the group from the original 57... Although...," RTV slowly came closer as he grew into a giant, and looked right at the double pair of Rayas.

He still hadn’t figured out what he missed when he was sent to dream land.

"Not sure what I missed while I was out, but I suppose that covers the 57th participant. Must've overlooked, but oh well."

He shrugged.

Though by now he could fill in the blanks that Michael was the one who Wr3n took out.

Truly a loss that would be mourned…

With a silent motion of his hands he sent a signal over the TV’s to the outside world where Wr3n would pick it up.

Retrieve what was left of Michael.

That bot may be useful.

It was then he noticed something floating behind the fox girl’s backs.

His eyes narrowed as he saw the two cable tails that he must have overlooked before.

“Curious...?”, RTV spoke slightly confused.

He leaned closer, his face looking from one of them to the other before looking back at the cable tails.

Usually he wouldn’t make such a fuss but, well, given the current situation he really didn’t need mode surprises.

."Hold on there. Did you have a tail before?", he now addressed Rayas.

No answer, just a nervous glance.

Hm.

RTV now floated a few yards back, turning his hack as mumbled to himself.

Things like these would have been nice to be informed about beforehand just in case they turned out to be important later.

He for once did not trust the current development of this pair at all.

Better finally get to the point before another crazy person shoved their first on his screen.

He now turned back to the group, letting his gaze wander.

His eyes briefly narrowed at SMG4 before halting at Animsay.

Without TV.

Hold on, when did she get here, didn’t he tell Swag-

Ugh, useless bunch.

No matter if SHE was in control now, it just meant she was more vulnerable.

He would shove that TV back on soon enough.

A change in SMG4’s posture made him flick his head back to him.

Don’t do it.

An arm was slowly pulled back.

Don’t.

Teeth were gritted.

Then suddenly the meme guardian lunged forward with the help of Animsay giving him an additional push.

“Tsk.”

RTV raised an arm, easily blocking the hit, before pushing SMG4 back, sending him flying back with a bloody nose where his speed was halted by Animsay grabbing him by his hoodie.

A measly attack but the spark had been given.

Now the other people lunged forward as well, weapons were drawn.

“Morons…”

Moving a gloved hand in front of his shield, he caught the bullets that the monochrome menace Aspen now shot at him, before sending the flying back, sending some of the participants to take cover.

He sized down again to avoid playing the big target, dodging to the side as a row of purple crystals suddenly flew towards him, though not in time.

Three crystal shaped holes were left in his coat.

His gaze went up to the white masked girl who had moved slightly away from the dragon who was making circles around them, waiting for the chance to attack.

There was something oddly familiar about this one.

It hit him when she dashed forward, Sci now joining her side for a united attack.

Diving under a fist with makeshift knuckles, he grabbed Sci by the collar, tossing her to the side, to quickly switch around to avoid a kick from the masked girl.

He frowned at the crystals now charging up behind her again, as his eyes narrowed at the familiar three dots on her mask.

Lari…

Well, obviously not the version he got to know, but how ironic.

“It looks like we are simply MEANT to cross paths.”, he now spoke out loudly, before snapping his fingers. “Allow me to get RID of that though.”

The crystals suddenly disappeared as he blocked her magic from usage in the dimension, making Lari’s hair stand up in alarm as she quickly slipped back into defense.

A clawed black and red hand.

Grinnames now joined in as well, taking Lari’s place, her two tentacles slashing towards RTV who quickly pushed himself back to avoid being hit.

Now there were too many.

Sizing back up again, he now shielded himself from the spikes that were aimed in his direction by the dragon shifter, the metal object getting stuck in the metal palm, before he used it to mow it down in the group that quickly scattered to avoid the hand.

Ganging up on him?

Only fair if he brought someone else in too.

“NIRA!”, he called out, prompting the squirrel who had watched from the sidelines to stand up again.

A few people turned their head towards her for a second, but quickly focused back on RTV who used the chance to snap his fingers again.

Slowly but surely, some of the TV’s on the walls started to grow bodies as well, static displaying for a second before changing to the standard Puzzles face.

Pushing away from the walls, they now turned their attention towards the participants, attacking each one in nearest sight.

In the meantime Nira now removed her gloves with a quick motion of her hands, leaving them to float in the dimension, before ducking and then jumping from the TV she stood on towards the group, hands stretched out.

“Wha-”

Seeing the squirrel coming from the corner of their eye, a few of the fighters among them Grinnames and Nia managed to quickly move to the side with the help of their tentacles and wings, but were instead hit by RTV whose hand sent them flying against the wall of the dimension.

Nira now instead landed with her feet on the TV heads other hand, ability ineffective on the non organic material and then launched towards the next best person that was unlucky enough to be in their vicinity.

In the next second Sci felt small black hands touching her face.

Another second later her body went slack, eyes rolling back as she lost consciousness and her previous movement turned into an uncontrolled spin, prompting her to hit Lari who had been standing next to her, sending her floating back.

Right in front of RTV’s loaded finger gun.

There was an electrical crackle and yelp, followed by a growl from the Razorwhip that had circled further down below.

Electrical burn marks ran over Lari’s neck and arm as she was quickly dragged by Marie by her now slightly singed clothes out of RTV’s sight.

Just in time the masked girl managed to raise an arm to avoid a hit to the chest.

Even in the TV dimension they didn’t grant him a hit, did they?

RTV scoffed, before turning his attention back to the others, Nira now landed back on his shoulder, careful to put hands on his metallic parts for stabilization.

Ready to send her to take out other participants with her help, he now raised an arm again, only to halt as a loud sneeze could be heard, the TVs around them switching image to that of Rayas, traveling along each screen to the infinite end of the dimension.

Almost immediately RTV realized what was happening.

That brat was hijacking HIS channels!

“Keep them busy.”

Letting Nira hop off his shoulder, he now sped downwards, coat floating behind him as he located the Rayas..

​​”YOU TWO!”

A dangerous look settled on his face as his eyes flickered between the doubles.

 "Never quite gave you much attention... but now you have it. YOU two peaked at my curiosity."

His sized up hands now seized them both, scooping them up.

Not minding the attempts at escape from one of them, he then gave the crowd a glance, they were still busy with his clones and Nira, before moving further away.

“Curious... Never thought to find some interesting people, I should have kept a close eye on.”

When he started this tour he had expected some oddities, sure but not of this scale.

He tilted his head slightly at the pair.

"Hiding your talents, fox-thing...Robo-fox-girl...? Doesn't matter what you are. And no need to say your name, my dear... um... dears?,", he huffed.

What even were they?

There was a person behind the 4th wall with connection to them no doubt.

But these…were they more character like him or pretending to be?

Well, either way, they made a horrible mistake.

"Here... My head. My rules."

 RTV now  gestured to his head and then the area around.

Another scoff almost escaped him as they nodded.

So willing to go along and for what?

To hijack his TVs behind his back.

Sneaky and sly like the appearance they took.

“EXACTLY, Here, I can do everything as I see fit. You saw all that for sure, yes?" 

Another nod.

It was starting to piss him off.

His grip slightly tightened at their lack of response.

"Though... only I can do everything...", his voice lowered a little, smile getting a dangerous edge as he now turned back around to the chaos.

"ENOUGH!!!," 

With slight satisfaction he noted that the others were struggling several people fighting against the clones that held them, others circled.

SMG4 among them.

The meme guardian’s already stressed face turned to one of alarm as he noticed RTV’s grip around the girls.

"Now, ALL OF YOU!”, RTV continued, getting the remaining people’s attention before switching back to a faked calmer tone.. "You had all your fun here enough. CONGRATS! You and your abilities, resourcefulness, teamwork and... sneaky... unheard talents.”

A glare in Rayas direction, grip slightly tightening again for a second.

“I 'm impressed... well, half, Impressed."

"H-Hey, leave them all alone," SMG4 now spoke up, panic apparent in his voice. "It's me you want!"

Alone the look in his eyes told RTV that he knew exactly what he was about to do.

"Hm... perhaps a little too late, dear SMG4. The fault of one is the fault of all of them. Besides, THIS kind of behavior is exactly why I'm not letting you go."

Tense silence followed, he could see SMG4 searching for an argument only to realize that his words were mere entertainment to the TV head.

"Again... as for... you two," RTV directed back at the fox girls, "Do you think that little stunt was to show me up?" 

The anger had slipped back into his tone, a head shake was the response.

Did they not realize how far he was willing to go?

They could at least make the effort to defend their case.

Convince him as to why he shouldn’t break them apart right now.

"Hm... not much of a talker? And even after back at the Film Department? Now... people as high as I, have their secrets, and you two are the first in line to hear it.", he taunted, now moving them towards their audience. "Well... My secret?”

His screen turned completely dark, with only a bright white realistic toothy smile on it.

"Sometimes... QUIET PEOPLE PISS ME OFF!"

With that his grip tightened, noticing with sick satisfaction how they started to panic.

Though not for long as one of them suddenly started to grow in size, breaking free from his grip.

Really?

REALLY?

"W-What. Are. YOU???", he growled, his surprise giving the double the advantage to now grab the other Rayas out of his grip, starting to dash away.

In the corner of the eye he noticed the other participants now starting to free themselves again as well, but his focus was now on that one pair of troublemakers that just didn’t want to accept the role he had given them.

That of the fools that got themselves killed.

With a motion of his hand, he ordered some of the smiley clones to chase after them, watching with narrowed eyes how they glided just a little close to the wall.

“Idiots…”

With a sudden motion he retreated back into his TV head only to reappear right out of a TV the two Rayas now passed by.

With a fluid motion he tackled the pair, sending both in different directions, before loading his gun, zeroing in on the one right in front of him.

In contrast to Lari though, this one wouldn’t be able to shield in time.

A sudden motion from the side and the shot went right through the chest and back of the other Rayas that had suddenly moved in front of her double, shielding her and inevitably taking the full force of the shot.

Blood could be seen floating out of the wound, before she crashed right into the TV behind her with incredible force, breaking it into pieces.

Great, another thing to fix.

"No... 'REAL MEEEE'!!!!!!!”

Oh, so this was the real one?

Not that he could tell given the exact same moronic actions.

He now remained still for a moment, listening to others' cries, outrage, whatever for a person they’ve known since not even a day.

"56 now...,”, he now drawled, letting the terror sink in as he lowered his hand.

“I-It's been nice... meeting you all. T-thanks, for the tour....,", the apparently Real Rayas now managed to get out, holding her irreparable wound. "'O-Other... you,... You better return home in my place, yes?," 

She then went limp, finally letting go of that damn umbrella.

Crossing his arms, RTV counted the seconds for the soup opera to set in.

Shouldn’t take too long.

"'Real'... 'REAL'?!," 

He cringed.

'Real... No... Please... What am I going to do?"

The TV head held himself back from a sly reply,because he really had a lot of answers to that question, but hey why not let her spiral?

Grief worked better in his favor when it wasn’t immediately turning into rage.

"This feels wrong... Replacing the original? This... has to be a dream? It has to…”

He observed how she connected her tail to the other with no result.

A few more sad mutters.

Until, of course, her attention was turned back to her friend’s? Sister’s? Killer.

Hah, killer.

Like they didn’t bring this on themselves.

He gave the people behind the screen a chance and they messed up, but this. This foolish little plan.

That was all them.

A double disappointment.

“Do you realize... how she was enjoying the tour?”

Ah, the attempt to make him feel guilt.

If he did, he wouldn’t have gone through with this in the first place.

Why feel guilty for the consequences to stupid actions?

"Seeing her memories... So many good things... How....."

A sniffle.

More waterworks.

“How she learned to grow, how it took her a long time to adjust and make friends, despite being on the spectrum…” She now placed a blanket on her other, well now dead self, holding her close.

"She enjoyed all the departments... getting a compliment for how she looked... how she interacted with the SMG3 Gang... Oh. The last time she saw the latter,... was that they were a lot... happier than before she met them. Did... did  she do something more special?... Like the green drink, the peculiar game, or the anime she was given the honors to pick? Was she …like a second Axol, to them?" 

Who the hell was Axol?

More sobbing, some people getting closer, attempting comfort.

He was tempted to finally break this up when she spoke again.

“She... she...,", Rayas now looked back up at RTV. "She even cleaned your clothes when you were down..., and not even once, attacked you physically. She never had the intention to, b-because-"

If RTV had real teeth, he would have gritted them by now.

As if they didn’t just hijack his TVs in an attempt to no doubt overthrow him.

DEFEAT him.

"...S-she was just a visitor, wanting to enjoy it all. Have a good time. And she did... Now she's gone... all that is left is a carbon copy... Knowing her, do you know what she would say... after what happened? Since I'm her...,", she paused, sniffing one more time before sniffing. "Mr Puzzles, I forgive you."

To the ones that were not only focused in his face with a very barely restrained calm expression, could eventually notice him ball his fist.

Oh, forgive him?

Like HE was in the WRONG?

Like they weren’t the ones messing everything up?

He was being forgiven when THEY should be begging for forgiveness?

What a joke.

Yeah, no, he was about done.

“It was her great day... It was a great day…”

RTV wanted to laugh, he really did, but he couldn’t even force one right now with the rage boiling up inside him again.

​​“It was indeed a GREAT day…until someone had to mess it up. Shame.”, he now spoke instead, voice apathetic.

Time to put an end to this.

“ENOUGH OF THIS SOB STORY!”

RTV suddenly seized up, looming over all participants, hand grabbing TV’s on the side with such force that dents were left behind.

“You think you can BEAT me here? In MY world?!”

He now pointed a finger at the dead Rayas.

“THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU!”

He let out a cackle that slowly turned lower and lower until his screen switched to a cold sneer.

“You’re right. Why TALK it out when you can FIGHT it out?”

His gaze landed back on the second Rayas, unmoving.

Well, no turning back now.

He would have to take the risk and after that…

Everything would be fine.

It would be like nothing ever happened.

A perfect end to a tour that should never have happened.

A small smile now settled on his face, as he slightly bowed down, hand on his chest.

“Well, it appears you’ve made your decision and I’ve made MINE.”

He snapped his fingers, electricity lighting up at his fingertips.

“56 participants to go.”

His eyes narrowed.

“Sorry, but I’m not hiring for a movie sequel. This ends here and NOW.”

In the meantime the clones had used the chance to surround the group, now loading finger guns or tackling people.

Most managed to slip through but some were unfortunate enough to be caught or lightly hit, getting flung against the TVs.

The clones were acting much more brutal than before.

There no longer was anything holding them back.

“This isn’t working!”, C!Animsay hissed who had quickly taken cover behind a TV to avoid a clone turning her into mush.

Her eyes glanced over to the TV’s, before she shook her head.

Searching for Channel 999 was literal suicide right now with the new amount of chaos.

“We need to enter the channels, we are literally sitting ducks here!”, she now meant to SMG4 who was next to her, only to realise that he wasn’t even listening.

The blood was still slowly dripping out of his nose, as his eyes stared empty into space.

No doubt still stuck on Rayas death not a few minutes ago.

As horrible as it was, this was not the time.

Rolling back her sleeve, C!Animsay raised a hand-

-and gave SMG4 a hard slap to the face.

SMACK!

“Agh!”

The meme guardian held his cheek, before glaring at her.

“What was that for?!”

“Get it together, man! We need to get the people out of here and into the channels!”

“Into the- you think it’s better in there?!”

“Dude, look around!”

SMG4 gave the chaos a glance and his shoulders slumped.

“Yeah…okay, but I did this before. It didn’t work, he just caught us again at Channel 999.”

That’s true, they never won at that part.

C!Ani took a deep breath.

“Still, we have better chances there than here.”, she argued, putting a hand on SMG4’s shoulder. “You can’t save her, but you can still help save the others.”

“...you’re right I got them into this. I need to get them out.”

Not exactly what she meant to achieve, but good enough.

Nodding at one another, they then took out in separate directions, to make people aware of the next change in plan.

It turned out people didn’t need much convincing, Rayas and Michael’s deaths, in addition to the sheer new brutality at hand made it pretty clear that they needed to get out of there.

The people now started regrouping, one with Animsay, the other with SMG4 as they now moved towards a TV.

Only for RTV to show up right between the two groups.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

A hand snatched forward, grabbing SMG4 out of the air who immediately started fighting like his life depended on it.

Which it did because the grip became crushing in the next second.

“Running from consequences again, Four?”, RTV taunted. “Why don’t you just give up? Maybe it will finally stop people’s lives from getting ruined- AGH!-”

RTV quickly retreated his hand as a ray from an all too familiar EMP gun hit his hand, causing it to fall slack and releasing SMG4.

Almost immediately RTV snapped around, glaring at Astro who had pointed the gun at him, now aiming for the screen.

However, he quickly aimed it to the side as every single clone had now snapped it’s head around to them.

“Ah, f*ck.”

While Astro now got busy aiming the EMP at one clone after another, the two groups used the chance to quickly enter the TV they were the nearest to, disappearing in the channels that were just on.

Click.

Click.

Astro cursed as they realized that the EMP gun had to charge again, instead resorting to just hitting against the nearest clone that reached out for him.

There was a loud bonk and crack as said TV clone now flew back with a broken screen.

Astro grinned before noticing that the original had used the time to charge up his other still functional hand, pointing it at them now.

“55.”

Just as Astro saw the blue projectile coming towards them a hand latched through the screen behind them, quickly pulling them in.

Astro felt the familiar feeling of being pulled through the portal, stumbling as they suddenly landed on grass, falling on their back.

“Ugh…

The portal they just came to had disappeared, no trace of the hellish TV dimension left.

Instead, Astro now found themself looking into a blue sky…

Wait, was that an axe?

They sat up next to the rest of the group, among them SMG4, Marie, Lari, Loyboo, Nia and Lilith, Hairball, Creature and Orion and Aspen.

All of them surrounded by vikings.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

Part 2 Will be in reblogs soon once I finished editing it

Tag list:

@niranutcake @fenicearts420 @leirom71000 @entityarts @alelathedragon @mylifeisfakeenjoy @lari-the-dragon @lislelycan-i-am-dumb-lol @rat-n-atty @nia1sworld @untitled14360 @Irayasostripes @theclosetcreature @jovialoddity @purpdrawsthings @varian-the-alchemy-boi @beckycat19 @runrabitrunrunrun

[thequeenofthewinter]

Even in Death Flowers Bloom

Chapter 6: Tulip (Link)

This one is rated E, so be warned if you click the link. <3

"How long has this been going on?" As he feels her hands clench into his nightshirt, a stirring of both affection and something else swells within him. 

Not now, Emmrich. Please. It would be wildly inappropriate and especially not while she is crying in your arms. That would be taking a gross advantage. Do you not have a care?

He swallows, his fingers tentatively reaching up to run through her hair. Soft, it is so soft, just like her. Just like her skin which runs beneath his fingertips as he carefully tips her head back to look at him again. "How long?"

Watery eyes made greener in the light look up at him, tears trailing down her cheeks. Would that he could wipe them away. How he would love to--

No! She doesn't want that. Not here, not now, and most likely not ever. What has gotten into you tonight?

"Weeks. Since before the Lifts, prior to when I began teaching with you."

"And you did not think to come to me before?" His eyes do not leave hers as worry and something else unidentifiable to her flicks across his expression. "Iris, I had told you--"

"I know. I know, and I am sorry. I thought this would all resolve itself on its own. Clearly, I was wrong."

"Clearly, and now--"

Her voice comes out small, so different from the Rook he had known who had brought their team together, sorting out their problems and bringing Evanuris to their knees. No. This is Iris, the woman, stripped bare before him with worries, insecurities, and doubts just like anyone else. "Are you angry with me?"

"No, of course not. What ever would make you believe that?"

"I don't know. I just--" Her voice trails off as she realizes how warm his arms are wound around her, how wonderful he smells like leather-bound books and parchment--how close she is to him. She is practically sitting in his lap, and if she leaned forward just a little, she could--

It is the sweetest torture for her as Iris finds she wishes to cry for an entirely different reason altogether.

For a moment, they continue sit in silence, the spring of her words suddenly run as dry as her tears. Or perhaps, it is that they are all not enough, poignant emotion instead pulling them taut with invisible strings to say what cannot be said with words through action.

The air stills around them as Emmrich's eyes drift down to her lips before meeting her eyes, his hand trailing from her chin to cup her cheek as she takes in a shaky breath. Is this really going to happen? Will he--

Slowly, her eyes flutter closed, hope driving her forward, and she is unable to help herself as she leans forward until her lips finally find his.

At first, their kiss is soft, tentative, and perhaps a little uncertain as Emmrich's lips envelop hers as if he had nothing but time in the world for her. How she had craved this, dreamed of it, wanted him for so long that she cannot even remember when it started and now--now it feels like her suffering has finally ended as she falls into him, lips parting slightly to take in a breath before he steals it away from her.

And she would let him.

He could have anything he wanted of her, and she would give it freely to Emmrich as if it had already belonged to him. Perhaps that is why when she pulls back from him, and he sinks his fingers into the silken strands of her hair, she does not protest and even presses herself closer.

The softest moan, so quiet and so sweet, escapes him, so unexpectedly exquisite that she drinks from him deeper, lips fully parting without question when his tongue runs over the seam of her lips.

Divine. He is absolutely divine. She could die and be buried here right on the spot as his tongue brushes lazily against hers. The taste of salt mingles with their sweetness, turning their kiss ever more desperate with the remembrance of why she is here to begin with, and he drowns himself further. He will wipe away every trace of her fear and replace it with nothing but affection until he drags her down with him to the depths.

Art by the insanely skilled Svanha. (You may have seen this floating around as I posted it the other day. This is the snippet of writing which I commissioned this for.)

[softdrafts]

Ben and the masking experience

I was thinking about a thing I recently posted talking about Ben, where there is the phrase:

"getting too overloaded to mask properly"

And damm. If you are like me who like to headcanon him as ADHD/Autistic/AuDHD you will like this parallel:

During Camp Cretaceous S1, Ben is introduced as a shy, quiet kid. He is shown to the viewers as a fearful character in comparison with the other campers.

In Camp Cretaceous S2-S3 Ben seems to change kinda drastically. He starts to challenge his own fears, and you can suppose that he is finally doing the things he wanted to do this whole time, but that for some reason were before repressed inside him.

But the thing is, when we get into season 4, we realize he was still insecure. He was completely doubting his own capacities. He was still afraid.

Actually, let's be fair, this was already visible on the last episodes of S3. His fear of getting out of the Island bc, according to him, this could result in him coming back to be his S1-persona, was already showing us his insecurities.

Now talking about season 4, this subject gets attention again during the second episode. In that part of the show, we discover Ben was feeling like he was not enough, like he was incapable of protecting his friends. He also was confused about who he was, and had a constant fear of acting like his S1-persona used to act.

My point in all this is that, even with we knowing that Ben wanted to protect his friends because he care abt them, there is also a aspect we should consider: being the ultimate protector of his friends would validate his jungle boy persona, bc Ben's Jungle kid identity revolves all around courage, all around doing crazy brave things, all around freedom and not being repressed, and all around not being like S1 Ben was, since he sees his past self in a negative way.

And that's where my little ADHD/Autistic /AuDHD headcanon enters. Bc in my hc, I interpret that while aiming to distance himself from S1-Ben, he ended up contradictorily masking. It can be a little confuse bc he was in fact experimenting new things he was afraid to do before, but at the same time he was masking his errors and difficulties to "match" with his new jungle boy persona.

He needed to be brave and free, bc that was all that he thought he wasn't before S2. But he took this goal to another level, at the point he didn't know who he was anymore. In his mind, he needed to be a caricature of a brave & free person.

He was so afraid, so, so afraid of coming back to being his old S1 persona, that in S3 he preferred to stay alone on a crazy mortal dino Island than risking to come back to the continent and lose his "braveness" and "freedom". In my opinion, you need to be terrified to do that.

So, for me, he was masking everything that could look like difficulties. And interpreting like that, you can theorize he was afraid at least a little WHILE doing all his brave acts in seasons 2-3. We don't realize it bc He just masked really hard.

And masking really hard results in getting exhausted. Aaaand that takes us to what happened in S04E02. He was not getting to mask properly. His difficulties showed up. He freaked out. He thought he was not enough.

Why is this so ADHD/Autistic/AuDHD coded?

-

Oh and to finish this post I would like to mention that line Darius said in S04E02:

Maybe now, you're finally just Ben.

That's a important line, bc by saying it, Darius encourages Ben to look at himself in a different perspective.

So in conclusion, what I did here was kind of exploring a parallel between the experience of masking and Ben's character arc. I was kinda inspired by my own masking experience too. Let's hope that it all made some sense.

[pharawee]

People really let Kenta down. And by "people" I don't mean Tony (he doesn't get to be people) but his supposed "family" who appealed to him over and over in season 1, promising him that he too could have what they have and that he might even be included in their little found family, if only he turned his back on Tony and helped them.*

*Yes, ultimately they promised nothing but a path to redemption but please hear me out.

And then, when he did, in a way that no one but him could have done (and in a way that benefitted them most of all), they just... forgot about him. The narrative itself forgot about him. After he killed Tony, Kenta quite literally vanishes mid-scene like a ghost who's resolved his unfinished business.

And with Babe and Jeff and Charlie** it doesn't even hurt that much because to them I guess (and perhaps rightfully so) Kenta is part of their traumatic past, and his downfall adds to their resolution (then again, they later extend that promised forgiveness posthumously to Way who was also deeply entangled in that trauma but had the good fortune of already being a part of their family).

**I'm not blaming them at all. I like them a lot and what they do and why they do it makes a lot of sense.

But with Pete it's just the past repeating itself, only this time he doesn't leave Kenta for a cause (a cause that, yes, Kenta could have followed if only he wasn't so weighed down by his own demons) but for the ideal of someone who's not even there anymore (and who for all intents and purposes never existed at all except as a hopeful future in Pete's mind). In his grief for Way, Pete forgets about Kenta too. And I don't blame him. Obviously he's also held back by the ghost of maybes (as proven by the fact that he's, uh, not doing well at the start of season 2).

It's Kenta who remembers and seeks out Pete, and I believe him when he says that it's out of obligation. Because while no one else truly sees Kenta as part of the family, I believe that he himself now does. They planted that seed in him in season 1 (and then promptly forgot to nurture it).

There's obviously still feelings involved and it's obvious that both Kenta and Pete are aware of them (although it's way past the point where Pete could reciprocate... or where Kenta would even want him to) but at this point it's all just ghosts haunting ruins - unsettling and broken and there's nothing to be done about it. They're both stuck here.

So, as a PeteKenta truther for life, I'm glad that it's going to be Kim.

He, too, is a bit of an outsider (but for entirely different reasons), and that's exactly what Kenta needs right now. Kim isn't haunted by the ghosts of the past. He has no reason to do anything out of shared and ultimately fruitless obligation. And because he's so uncompromising in his ideals, it's going to mean something when he eventually chooses Kenta - because no one's ever done that for him before. Pete certainly never has.

That being said, I'm not even really all that disappointed that PeteKenta isn't endgame. With the acting pair industry being what it is there was never a chance of that happening anyway. Plus, I probably wouldn't be so drawn to PeteKenta in the first place if they weren't doomed by the narrative. Sometimes you just need a good ghost story, and there's value in the sad endings as well.

[matthewsbrowserhistory]

°。°。°。°。°。 。°。°。°。°。° 。°。°。°。°。 。°。°。°。

Envy The Leaves

Chapter 10

°。°。°。°。°。 。°。°。°。°。° 。°。°。°。°。 。°。°。°。

By the time we get done shopping it’s nearly 5pm. We get home and everyone is lounging on the couch. The triplets announce they have a party they have to go to for influencer purposes, but they said Madison and I could stay. Ethan has already secluded himself in his room. The triplets all get dressed. They all look so good. Matt just has on a solid black hoodie and jeans, but he stands out to me. I have got to stop thinking this way. In no world would he ever want me back. I’m just a random girl from New York who got the shit end of the stick. The only reason I’m in this situation in the first place is because I have the best friend in the world. 

They’re gone for about two hours. Then a loud knock comes from the front door. Madison and I both look at eachother. My problem solving skills start to come into play. If that were the triplets, they would just open the door, they have a key. I don’t know who else it could be. I go to the front door and open it ever so slightly. I see a package sitting on the doorstep. Relief fills me. I carry it upstairs and sit it on the kitchen table. 

As I’m walking back to the couch I hear Madison, “Mills..” She sounds alarmed. 

“What?”

“That package has your name on it.” She points behind me at the kitchen table where the package sits. She immediately gets up and walks over to the package. 

I’m frozen in my place. My feet refuse to move. It feels like I’m stuck in quicksand. All I can do is stare at my full name printed in sharpie on the side of the box. ‘Millie Marie Thorton’.

Very few people know my middle name, so this sends shivers down my spine. 

“It is starting to seem like you might have a stalker.” Madison points out. 

“What do I do?” I ask, not knowing how to proceed.

“There’s not really much you can do, just don’t ever be by yourself. The cops aren’t ever a good help with these types of situations. I’ve had a stalker before and they eventually just got tired of it because I didn’t give them the attention they wanted. It’s usually some crazed fan. Probably a fan of me or the triplets. It’ll die down, hopefully.” Madison gives some pointers. 

“That’s fucked up.” I say.

“Yeah, unfortunately being in the public eye isn’t always the best.” She sighs.

“Well, are you going to open the box?” She asks. 

“Hell no, you do it.” I say back to her. 

“I’ll do it.” She says, grabbing a box cutter from a table nearby. 

She puts the point on the box and starts to slide it down slowly. She pulled back the flaps of the cardboard box and brought out one thing at a time.

The first item she shows is a red balloon, deflated. Like it had never been blown up before. 

Then she pulls out a stuffed animal. My heart drops. It’s a pink bunny with white lace bows tied to each ear. This is an exact replica of my childhood bunny. 

“Holy fuck.” I say, “That’s Margo, my stuffed bunny from when I was a kid.” Madison has never looked so frightened in her life. 

“But, it’s different,” I walk closer and take a hold of it to get a better look. “It looks new. Mine is old and beat up.” 

Still speechless, she looks in the box, reaches for the last item. Her face has already gone pale. It must be something she recognizes. 

She pulls out a poster, one that Madison decorated my new room with. 

“What the fuck?” Is the only thing out of her mouth. 

My heart falls to the floor. “Have they been in our home?” I ask, expecting no answer. 

She looks at me, terrified. “Oh we are not staying there tonight. 

“What kind of sick fuck would do this?” I say, getting angry. Why does this shit have to follow me everywhere I go? I’m so tired. 

I’m throwing all of this away. I’m not gonna be sitting here thinking about what this could mean. I just need to forget about it. I can’t let it affect me. Madison said her stalker stopped because she didn’t give them the attention they wanted. I’ll do the same. 

I grab all of the items and shove them in the box. I’m just pissed off at this point. I put my shoes on to go towards the door. 

“Where are you going?” Madison asks. 

“I’m throwing this shit away. I’m not going to let some fucking stalker run all over me like this.” I say angrily. Not at her, but at the situation. 

I head out the door and go to the nearest garbage can I can find. Luckily the triplets have one right outside. 

Ever since I got here, things have been happening to me. I bet everyone is so annoyed. I know I would be. 

After I throw the items away, along with the box, Madison and I lounge around until the triplets come through the door. It’s now 9pm and we have no plans of leaving. I hope they aren't sick of us. 

After the triplets get settled in Madison asks, “Hey, do y’all care if we stayed over tonight? It’s already getting late and I don’t feel like driving.” She doesn’t bring up the box at all. I’m thankful, because I did not want to tell them about it. I’ve already had enough problems since arriving. 

“Sure, we don’t care. We have Chris’s bed, and the couch.” Nick says. 

“I’ll take the couch, since I had Chris’s bed last night.” I say quickly, not wanting to be a burden again. 

“Are you sure? I really don’t care to sleep on the couch.” Madison replies.

“No, no, no. You take the bed, promise I’m fine.” I say, trying to ease her worries. Plus, I want to be nowhere near the front door. It’s right by Chris’s room.

By the look on her face, I can tell I won.

©matthewsbrowerhistory

[nightravenxd]

Look, I am not into politics, but some things really trigger me abt it when it comes to Transformers

Transformers Prime, a show which we love

And I'm here to make a deep dive into its politics

We all heard Ratchet talk about Orion and Megatronus' past, but I'm gonna say that it's heavily biased.

Let's see Orion and Megatronus separately:

Orion grew up in Iacon, a place which is for the rich. He specifically worked under Alpha Trion as a clerk. In no way did he actually struggle in life -from the video of Emperor Kumquat- he got frustrated that he didn't go to an amusement park. Orion didn't know what was happening in the South.

He doesn't have to fight to survive, everything is basically served on a silver platter to him. Everyone in Iacon is ignorant about what is happening there.

Now, Megatronus/D-16 was different. He worked in the mines and couldn't do anything about it. Only when he joined the gladiatorial pits did he actually have some influence on people.

He had to learn how to survive, to fend for himself. He had to put his life at risk every time he fought, and all the time when he worked in the mines.

So now we have them, one naive and ignorant, the other having to fight for rights. Orion would never understand that, to have to fight every day just so that one word of his could be noticed, Orion didn't need that, he already had rights and freedom.

So after bots in Iacon started to hear Megatronus' words, Orion reached out to him. Megatronus befriended him and taught him about what he had to go through, but Orion could never fully grasp that since he never went through it.

Now here comes the part that I've always thought about. When -now named Megatron- came to the high council and spoke about his ideals, they weighed the pros and cons of his vision. They knew that they wouldn't be in power anymore, they wouldn't have any bots willing to do the labour.

But when Orion stepped in and said his vision, they liked it because it was "peaceful", it wouldn't bring harm to them. They saw how naive Orion was, so they could easily manipulate and use him to their will, but they couldn't do that to Megatron.

The high council was the sole reason for whatever was happening on Cybertron, they built it that way. So when they saw no harm in Orion's vision, they went with it, pronouncing him a Prime.

Megatron felt betrayed by that, by the council and Orion. He went through so much while Orion did nothing, so that's why he turned on him, wanting to make movement with or without the title of a Prime.

Megatron, seeing that politics did nothing, turned to something more material to send a message, war. The council would be left with no other option than to fight back and preserve what they built. Now that Orion has been named a Prime, he had to fight against Megatron.

After much war, resulting in Cybertron slowly dying, Orion went to its core. Ratchet's words: "The ailing Primus, sensed the innate nobility within Orion and bestowed the Matrix of Leadership"

No, I believe that Primus didn't sense it, Primus only gave the Matrix to Orion in the heat of the moment. Primus was dying, and if he died, he couldn't give the Matrix. So even if Megatron, Ratchet or even Jazz was there instead of Orion, Primus would still give the Matrix as a last resort.

I believe that Megatron didn't care if Orion -now named as Optimus Prime- had the Matrix, he only cared to fix the caste system on Cybertron.

But after Cybertron fell, he lost his path, now only caring to get one more bot out of his way to rule Cybertron, Optimus. Therefore, the war became what we know of; the battle between Optimus and Megatron.

There are so many more faults in the Cybertronian caste system, someone deciding what you are before even knowing who you were, no one caring for one valuable spark in the mines and etc.

And arguably, there was no "Golden Age" on Cybertron. It was only the Golden Age for those in the North, striving while the South slaved off to provide for them. Yes, at that time you could form a group to do something else other than just laboring your whole life. But did it really make a difference? You would still have to work, just in slightly better conditions, but even then your whole life would be thrown away, overlooked by your class.

This is probably all I'm gonna write for now, if you disagree or want to add something, feel free to ask.

[bubblyi3]

Between Us, Before Us Part 7 | KTH

"what you love will always pull you back. no matter how far you run."

pairing: taehung x female reader

genre: slice of life, angst, fluff

word count: 4.2k

content warning: angst, mild smut, trauma, cheating themes, pregnancy, heartbreak, toxic relationship, time jump here and there.

summary: between the past and future lies the aching space of now. with taehyung, you've journeyed through love, heartbreak, and growth. once strangers, then lovers, now something more complicated, your connection is shaped by time, mistakes, and second chances. this is the story of who you were when you first fell for him, who you became through the pain, and who you might still become if you dare to hope again. in the space between healing and longing, one thing remains: him.

author's note: no comment from me :) i'll just let this part of the series speak for itself.

© disclaimer: please do not copy, translate or reproduce any part of this work without my permission. thank you!

*fiction rooted in real emotions and experiences.

PART 1 || PART 2 || PART 3 || PART 4 || PART 5 || PART 6

Taehyung's POV:

The studio smelled of cold coffee and cables. Taehyung leaned back in his ergonomic chair, the monitors casting a soft glow on his face. Across from him, Jungkook sat with his legs stretched out, barely touching his beer. There was a beat of silence between them. The kind that only existed between two people who had seen each other through everything.

“You’ve been quiet lately.” Jungkook finally said. His voice low and careful.

“Like… different quiet.”

Taehyung didn’t answer immediately. His fingers danced over the mixing board, even though the track they were working on had stopped playing half an hour ago.

“I need to tell you something.” Taehyung said. Barely above a whisper.

Jungkook’s brows drew together, concern flickering before it hardened.

“What is it?”

There was a pause before Taehyung spoke again.

“I slept with Jisoo. Once... twice.”

The silence that followed was thick. Jungkook just stared at him. His expression didn’t twist into anger. It just fell, like something inside him gave way.

“You’re joking.” He said, though he already knew Taehyung wasn’t.

“I wish I was,” Taehyung said, shaking his head.

Jungkook looked away, biting the inside of his cheek. When he spoke again, his voice was low.

“I knew you two were close. But I didn’t think you’d actually do something like that.”

“She doesn’t know." Taehyung added quickly.

“And I’m not planning to tell her. There’s already so much… she doesn’t need another reason to hate me.”

Jungkook let out a short, humorless breath. “You really think she won’t find out?”

Taehyung stayed silent. Jungkook turned to look at him again, disappointment heavy in his eyes. “I expected more from you, Tae. Especially when it comes to her.”

He ran a hand through his hair, eyes tired. “I promised myself I’d just be there for her and the baby. That once the baby’s born, I’d leave. I told her that from the start.”

“But do you want to leave?” Jungkook asked, eyes sharp now.

And that’s where Taehyung faltered. The silence that followed was louder than anything he could’ve said.

“Every time I see her, I think maybe… I could stay. Be better. Fix it. And then I remember how badly I hurt her. I don’t deserve to be there. Not as her partner. Not as anything more than what I already am.”

Jungkook’s voice was quieter now. “But you still love her?”

Taehyung didn’t answer. He didn’t need to.

It was getting late, and the apartment was dim, only lit by the soft flicker of the TV. A show played quietly in the background, long past the part you'd been watching. You were curled up on the couch, a blanket draped over your legs, one hand resting on your round belly as you drifted in and out of sleep.

All sudden, the front door opened with a quiet click.

Taehyung stepped inside, the scent of sandalwood and cold rain trailing behind him. The moment his presence filled the room, the baby kicked. A firm, sudden nudge beneath your hand, like it recognised him. You stirred, eyes fluttering open just as he froze in the doorway.

“You’re still up?” he asked gently, surprise laced in his voice.

“Not really. Just… resting,” you murmured, voice thick with sleep.

He set his bag down carefully and walked over, his eyes sweeping across your face, the tissues on the table, the untouched water glass.

“You should’ve gone to bed.”

You shrugged weakly. “Couldn’t sleep.”

He crouched beside you, concern softening his features.

“Everything okay?”

You nodded at first, then paused. “I need to talk to you.”

Something flickered in his expression. A subtle shift, like he’d been bracing for this but he only nodded and sat on the edge of the couch. Leaving a space between you that felt heavier than silence.

You blinked at the screen, the noise suddenly too loud, and fumbled around the cushions for the remote. Your fingers finally brushed against it and you paused the show, the silence that followed landing heavier than expected.

You took a breath. “I need you to be honest with me.”

His expression flickered. “About what?”

“About what happens after the baby’s born.” The words hung there, fragile and heavy.

Taehyung dropped his gaze, staring at his hands like they held the answer.

“I meant what I said before.” He murmured.

“I’ll be there for you until the birth. Then… I think it’s better if I go.”

“Why?” You asked, eyes burning. “Why do you think you have to leave?”

He didn’t answer right away. Just swallowed hard.

“Because I already failed you once. More than once. I can’t promise I won’t mess up again.”

You looked at him, voice unsteady. “You’ve been here. Every single day. You’ve held me together when I couldn’t do it myself. So why now? Why are you pulling away?”

His eyes finally met yours, full of ache and longing and something else that looked like guilt.

“Because I’m scared that staying… will only hurt you more.” He continued. Taehyung closed his eyes, as if the pain of hearing that was physical.

He reached out, almost without thinking. His fingers brushed against yours. “If I stay, I’ll want everything. And I’m not sure I deserve that anymore.”

You felt the weight of everything between you, the ache, the fear, the fragile hope.

But instead of arguing, you simply whispered, “Okay.”

You didn’t pull your hand away.

You just sat there, heart fractured, the silence thick with what was left unsaid. Because deep down, you both knew this wasn’t just about walking away.

It was about love.

And whether something bruised and weathered could still be enough to stay.

The cap and gown still hung on the hook behind the door. Graduation had passed in a whirlwind. The applause, the flashing cameras, and dozens of eyes watching you with quiet awe. Strangers and friends alike, all caught in the moment of your achievement. Your Bachelor of Communications, now a neatly printed certificate tucked away, felt both real and surreal.

Your parents had been there, their pride shining through tears and warm embraces. Nari had brought flowers, her eyeliner already smudged from smiling too much, gripping your hand like she understood the journey it took to get here.

And Taehyung, he’d been in the crowd too. You spotted him right away, standing apart but never taking his eyes off you.

He looked proud, and sad.

And something else you couldn’t quite name.

You didn’t ask him to come, but he showed up anyway. He’d even taken some time off work to be there. You spotted him right away, standing apart but never taking his eyes off you.

The Final Stretch:

You were due any day now.

You caught Taehyung staring at you again across the kitchen that evening. Eyes dark and unreadable, fingers idly tracing the rim of his glass. He did that a lot lately. Watched you like you were something he didn’t quite know how to hold anymore.

“Stop looking at me like that.” You said softly. Not quite meeting his gaze.

“Like what?”

“Like you’re already saying goodbye.”

The silence that followed was deafening. He stood there, and then slowly came around the counter and crouched beside you. His hand went instinctively to your belly, his thumb brushing lightly over the fabric of your dress.

“You’ve carried so much,” he murmured.

You looked down at him, at the man who had broken your heart and still somehow managed to patch the pieces back together without realising it.

Neither of you said it aloud, but you both knew. When the baby comes, things will change, and he'll leave.

The silence between you was heavy, filled with all the words you didn’t say.

“I wish it could be different,” he finally whispered, forehead resting against your belly.

“Me too,” you said quietly, your voice cracking.

The air left your lungs because that was the thing. Taehyung still loved you, and deep down you still loved him too.

But love hadn’t been enough before, and now it felt too fragile to believe in again.

So you didn’t answer.

You just let him rest his forehead against your belly again, both of you sitting in that quiet ache of almost.

Taehyung's POV:

He had made a promise to himself. Don’t complicate things. Don’t ask her to forgive everything just because you finally got your shit together. Be there for the baby. Then go.

But it was getting harder.

He watched you move through the apartment like the air around you belonged to you now. Like she wasn’t the same girl he met at seventeen. Like she had grown, even when he hadn’t deserved to witness it.

And he hated that he might have to miss what came next.

He spent nights in the studio trying to distract himself. Working on tracks. Throwing himself into production. Pretending that if he just made enough music, it would drown out the ache of walking away from something he’d die to keep.

But then she’d laugh at something dumb. Or press his hand to her stomach when the baby rolled. Or just look at him like maybe she still saw him the way she used to.

And he’d crumble a little more inside. The due date was just around the corner, and he knew what he had to do.

But knowing didn’t make it any easier.

Your POV:

Taehyung’s parents had invited you both over for a quiet dinner. It had become a bit of a routine lately. Check-ins disguised as casual meals, where every conversation somehow circled back to the baby.

They asked how you were feeling, if you were sleeping okay, if you needed anything. There were smiles, light laughter, even moments of warmth. On the surface, it all looked supportive. But underneath, you could still feel it, the thin layer of distance that never quite dissolved.

They hadn’t taken the news well at first. It had taken time. More than you were willing to admit, for them to come around to the idea that you were keeping the baby. They never said it outright, but the hesitations were there. In the early phone calls. In the way his mother blinked too slowly when you first said the word “ours.”

Still, they supported Taehyung being there. His role in all of this was never questioned. If anything, they encouraged it. Made space for him to show up, to learn, to be present.

But deep down, you could see it. The way their eyes lingered on your belly when they thought you weren’t looking. The way his mother brought little things “just in case". A handmade blanket, tiny socks, books she swore were Taehyung’s favorite as a baby. Their words were cautious, but their actions whispered something louder:

They wanted to be a part of their grandchild’s life.

Even if they didn’t quite know how to be a part of yours yet.

Tonight was supposed to be a night of joy.

But everything changed in a heartbeat.

You’d tried to focus on the small talk around the dinner table. Taehyung was by your side, his hand gently resting on your round belly, giving you quiet assurances in between bites. You tried to focus on him, to block out the growing discomfort in your lower back, the subtle tightening of your stomach. It wasn’t anything you hadn’t felt before. A few Braxton Hicks contractions here and there but tonight, there was a difference, and it hits you.

The first real contraction.

It came out of nowhere. A sharp, cramping pain that made you gasp and clutch the edge of your chair.

“Are you okay?” Taehyung asked immediately. His voice low, his eyes flicking between you and his parents.

You nodded, but the discomfort only deepened. The pressure in your abdomen mounting, almost unbearable.

“I think it’s happening." You whispered, trying to keep calm, but panic was starting to rise in your chest. You could feel the tension building, the unmistakable rhythm of labor starting.

Taehyung’s parents, thankfully understood. They had been through this themselves. His mother was already up, grabbing your coat and your purse, ushering you towards the door.

“Don’t worry, honey." His mother said. Her voice gentle but firm.

“Everything will be okay.”

“Let’s go to your parents’ house." Taehyung said. His tone filled with urgency. His dad tossed him the keys and Taehyung's other hand quickly found yours, squeezing it tight as if grounding you in this moment.

The ride back to your parents’ house was a blur. You hardly remember getting into the car, only the contractions intensifying, each one longer and more frequent than the last.

Once at your parents’ house, you could hardly keep your composure. Your dad helped you get your hospital bag together while Taehyung hovered nearby, pacing with nervous energy. Hands twitching at his sides, not knowing quite what to do but wanting so desperately to be of help. Your mom was calm, though you could see the worry flickering behind her steady gaze. She kept telling you to breathe, to slow down, to stay calm but the pain was sharp, and the anticipation was crushing.

In the middle of the chaos, Taehyung suddenly stopped moving and pulled out his phone. “I’m calling the midwife,” he said, already dialling.

“Hi—yes, it’s us. She’s in labor. We’re heading to the hospital now.” His voice was tight but focused.

You could hear the midwife’s calm, reassuring tone on the other end, though the words blurred into the background behind the ache in your body and the pounding in your chest. Taehyung nodded along quickly, repeating bits of what she was saying, trying to remember everything.

“Okay. Yes. I’ll keep you updated. We’ll meet you there.”

He ended the call and turned to you, his eyes wide but steady.

“She’ll meet us at the hospital. She said to keep breathing and that everything’s going to be okay.”

You nodded, tears springing to your eyes. Not from fear, but from how hard he was trying to be what you needed in that moment.

Finally, you were in the car again, heading to the hospital.

And this time, it was really happening.

The hospital room was dimly lit, bathed in the soft glow of overhead lights and the steady rhythm of monitor beeps. The sterile scent of antiseptic hung in the air, sharp and clean, as if the whole room were holding its breath.

You were lying on the bed, a sheen of sweat gathering along your forehead, your gown sticking to your back. The IV in your arm tugged every time you shifted, and the monitors at your side tracked the baby’s heartbeat and the intensity of each contraction. Each getting louder, closer and stronger.

Grace, your midwife, stood on one side of the bed, calm and steady as ever. She had been with you since the moment you arrived. Her voice low, her hands sure, guiding you through the pain with a quiet strength.

“You’re doing well,” she said, checking the monitor and glancing at the growing pattern of contractions.

“The baby’s doing great, and you’re almost fully dilated.”

On the other side of the bed sat your mom, dabbing your face gently with a cool cloth. She’d been calm but there was tension in the way she held her breath every time you winced.

“Just breathe, sweetheart,” she whispered. “I’ve got you.”

Taehyung hovered close by, his fingers interlaced tightly with yours. He hadn’t let go since the ride to the hospital, but you could feel the tremble in his hand now, the way his knuckles turned white. He was pale, nervous, his other hand twitching at his side as if unsure what to do with himself. You’d never seen him like this.

Every few minutes, he glanced anxiously toward Grace, then the door, then to you.

Dr. Kim finally entered the room with quiet authority, clipboard in hand.

“Let’s check progress,” she said, snapping on gloves. “We’re getting close. Just a little more.”

You caught Taehyung looking at you, his mind clearly all over the place. In his eyes, you saw something real. Like you were both delicate and strong at the same time, breaking and growing all at once.

However, for you, it was agony. Sweat clinging to your temples, your breath ragged. But to him, you looked more beautiful than ever. He was completely and overwhelmingly in awe of you.

Taehyung's POV:

Beneath the awe and admiration Taehyung felt. There was a deeper ache that gnawed at him, it was the guilt and sadness tangled together inside his chest. He told himself it would be easier this way, that you deserved someone who could be there fully, without hesitation or regret. But none of it made the pain any less sharp.

Now, standing there watching you labor, hearing you cry out in pain while your mother gently wiped your forehead and Grace offered quiet encouragement, he wasn’t so sure anymore.

He felt like a coward.

Your fingers tightened around his as another contraction ripped through you, your body arching with the effort.

“I can’t,” you whispered, your voice raw and fragile.

“I can’t do this.”

“Yes, you can,” Taehyung said, dropping to his knees beside you, his own voice cracking.

“You’re… you’re so strong. I’ve never seen anything like this. You’re doing amazing.”

You turned your head, locking eyes with him for a brief moment, searching his face. Maybe for reassurance, maybe for connection, maybe for a future he wasn’t sure he could offer. He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

He hated himself for it.

Your mother noticed the shift, leaning in with a soft but firm tone.

“Taehyung. She needs you here. All of you.”

He nodded slowly, swallowing hard. “I’m here,” he said, though his chest was tight with doubt.

“I promise.”

Grace stepped forward, reading the monitor. “Okay. It’s time. On the next contraction, I need you to push.”

Dr. Kim moved to the foot of the bed, nodding to the team.

“We’re ready.”

You braced yourself. Months of change, uncertainty, love, loss, and hope all crashing into this single moment.

Taehyung held your hand with both of his, fingers trembling as he whispered, “You’ve got this. We’re so close.”

As you began to push, he felt you inside him in a way that went beyond the physical. Like you were part of him, breaking and building something new from within. His heart split in two. One part stayed with you, filled with awe and love, wanting desperately to be the man you deserved.

The other part was already slipping away, heavy with guilt and fear, knowing that once your baby arrived, his time with you would be ending.

He watched you give everything you had, fighting through the pain with fierce determination. He watched your mother support you, Grace and Dr. Kim move with focused and care.

Because this moment. The birth of his daughter. Your child was the beginning of everything for you, and quietly, the end for him.

The day had started just like any other, except it was anything but. The night prior and early morning had been filled with exhaustion, and a deep aching emptiness. The air around him felt too thick to breathe, his mind too clouded to think straight.

He hadn’t left the hospital the entire time. He stayed by your side, watching you. Watching the baby. His baby. The one he had been so terrified to hold, to care for.

But in the quiet moments, as he watched you hold her. Your exhaustion mingled with a quiet joy that only came from bringing new life into the world, something inside him shifted.

He couldn’t leave.

Not now.

Not after everything he’d seen in those hours. Not after feeling the weight of the love you had for him, despite everything. You had been through labor and childbirth alone.

When Taehyung returned from filling out the paperwork, the hospital hallways felt quieter than before. Muted by the weight of everything that had just happened.

He pushed open the door gently, careful not to wake you.

You were asleep, your face soft and serene, the exhaustion of labor finally giving way to rest. The sterile white light of the room was dimmed now, casting a peaceful hue across your features.

Your mum had left not long before he got back. Your dad had come to pick her up. He’d wanted to see the baby too, and the way his face lit up when he did was something Taehyung would never forget. Your mum had whispered to you while you dozed, pressing a kiss to your temple.

“I’ll be back soon, darling,” she said. “Just going home to make sure everything’s settled… and cook you something proper.”

Your hand rested instinctively around the small bundle on your chest.

There she was.

Wrapped snugly in a blanket, tiny fingers curled near her cheek—Nora.

Taehyung paused in the doorway, breath catching in his throat. You had mentioned the name once, months ago, almost offhandedly. It was your grandmother’s name. Someone you had spoken about fondly. He remembered the way your eyes lit up when you said it. The softness in your voice.

So when the nurse asked earlier, he didn’t hesitate.

“Nora,” he had written. And it felt right.

Now, standing at the edge of the bed, he swore the whole room felt heavier with meaning. The tiniest sounds from her. Those little breaths, the occasional sleepy sigh. It sounded like a quiet symphony to his ears. A new kind of music. One he wasn’t sure he deserved to hear, but couldn’t pull away from.

He moved closer, pulled a chair beside the bed, and sat down slowly, not wanting to disturb either of you. For a moment, he just watched you and her. This quiet moment suspended in time and for a moment, he didn’t think about what came next. He just let himself exist in the space between you both.

And there it was, the realisation that hit him harder than any of his previous doubts.

He was a father.

He wasn’t just the man who made a mistake and walked away. He wasn’t the one who had hurt you, who had left you when you needed him most. He was the one who had a chance to make things right, who could finally be the man you deserved.

He could be better.

His fingers brushed lightly against the back of your hand, the touch gentle. A small smile tugged at his lips as he watched you stir just a little, but you didn’t wake.

He had to make this right.

He had to stay.

He couldn’t stop looking at you, his mind racing with all the things he had wanted to say. Things he had kept inside, afraid that it was too late, afraid that you would never forgive him.

Nora cooed softly, her tiny fingers curling around the fabric of your gown. A delicate sound, one that made his heart swell. It was the sound of something new and pure.

With a deep breath, Taehyung finally spoke, his voice low and unsure.

“I’m here, Y/N. For you. For her. I’m not going anywhere.”

You shifted, blinking against the dim light, and your eyes met his. For a second, there was nothing but silence between you.

And then, your expression softened as you looked at him, almost as if you hadn’t expected to hear those words at all.

“What... what do you mean?” You asked quietly. Your voice still rough but your gaze was steady.

“I mean I’m staying. For you. For our daughter.” He swallowed, his throat dry.

You blinked again, like you weren’t sure if you were hearing him correctly.

“But... Taehyung... You don’t have to.”

“I know I don’t have to.” His voice cracked slightly.

"But I want to. I don’t care about anything else right now. Just you. Just her."

Taehyung watched as your eyes welled with tears, the weight of his words landing in the space between you like something sacred. He could see it in the way your shoulders relaxed, the way your breath caught just slightly. Like some part of you had finally let go, finally believed him.

When you reached out and took his hand, your grip was gentle but sure. Like you were afraid it might still slip away, but brave enough to hold on anyway.

“I want that, Taehyung,” you whispered.

“I want you to stay.”

The words hit him hard, like warmth and ache colliding in his chest. For a second, he couldn't speak. He just looked at you, at everything you were. A woman that was strong and soft, scared and brave, still fighting to believe in something bigger than the past.

Slowly, he leaned forward and his hand finding your cheek, his thumb brushing lightly across your skin. It was such a small gesture, but it carried everything he couldn’t say yet. Then his gaze drifted down to the baby curled in your arms.

“She’s beautiful,” he said quietly, a breath catching in his throat. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, shaky but real.

“She’s ours,” you replied, voice thick with emotion.

And as he looked between the two of you. Your tired eyes and her perfect, sleeping face. Taehyung felt something shift inside him. He had spent so long doubting himself, terrified he would never be enough for either of you. But right here, right now, that fear didn’t hold the same power.

Because this was real. You were here. She was here.

And so was he.

Whatever came next, he wasn’t going anywhere.

Not anymore.

[ashfluffys]

Rant incoming cause I'm bored and wanna talk about things I can't draw outtttttt

I've said if I could rewrite the game I would change the ahit ending to that "collect all time pieces to see the final rift early and learn mu's story blahblahblah" thing, but I also wanna change mafia town, most of it doesn't matter at all and you can basically ignore all of it until you need to get either more timepieces for different areas to unlock or to get the final rift, which is stupid, so here's my thoughts:

Acts 1-2 will stay the same, they introduce an important character and establish a bond between her and hat kid, good yes excellent. Act 3 and on however will be slightly different; they are now failed attempts at mu and her rebellious plans to kick the mafia off the island, consisting of the existing level ideas such as scaring the mafia away (she came from outer space), winning a bet against the mafia (cheating the race), stealing valuables from the mafia (the golden vault, though I'm willing to change that one), and flooding the island with lava (burnin up mafia town, mu will actually find this plan works... and is also destroying her home, so she immediately regrets it and begs for help to turn off the fountains. Instead of a party from the mafia, mu will meet up at a high place to thank you, mention how stupid a plan that was, and give you a timepiece she found while turning the faucets off). When all of her plans fail, she comes up her final, end all be all plan, she calls it "down with the mafia", which will be the final act instead of the 4th act in order to make the player not only spend more time in mafia town but also spend that time with mu, forming a real bond both player and hat kid wise, so when the two argue and part ways you actually feel more emotions towards this split.

I will say I do wanna keep dead bird studio relatively early, so my idea of keeping it unlocked around 4-5 timepieces AND keeping mafia town longer is this; you can do any unlocked chapter when it's ready, but all boss battles and the finale will remain locked until you finish the story in chapter 1, as mu will now be appearing in dialogue filled cutscenes after the battles to not only check if hk already took the boss's timepiece (she did) and to also give a reason for the characters to actually not like her outside of just "being a random little girl in a castle ontop of lava" as I want her to have small conversations with some form of mocking, belittling, etc whoever she's talking to to boost her own ego and to poke fun at the fact grown men can't beat little girls like they claim

I would also like to add the following; the finale is not "chapter 5", it is simply "the finale." I want chapter 5 and 6 to be the dlc if you have it, because I don't mind the stories not being connected to other chapters (though i would change up the artic cruise a lil), most aren't, but taking place after time's end makes zero sense because hat kid would've left the planet by now, so none of it could happen. Ergo, if they are chapters 5 and 6 instead of 6 and 7, they could still be seen as before the finale and still fit into the story without being a weird timeline placement. Also please for the love of fuck can we swap the amount of timepieces they need to unlock, why does nyakuza open earlier than the artic cruise, WHICH IS THE 6TH CHAPTER WHILE THE METRO IS THE 7TH????? Stupid stuff I tell ya STUPID.

[luminecosmo]

Off the table (Xavier x MC)

just a short fiction that I thought of while listening to Off the table by Ariana Grande and The Weeknd

She doesn't believe in love.

She wants thrill, freedom and control.

Until Xavier.

"Stupid Jeremiah" you muttered under your breath as you listen to the soft classical music playing all around the venue, tired of half-listening to someone from finance ramble about stupid cryptos and stocks.

You were dying to leave.

You didn't want to be here in the first place.

You only came because Jeremiah insisted and you owe him. "Just come please, this is the last favour, I'll ever ask"

Of course, that was the only reason you said yes.

Until your eyes caught someone familiar, leaning against the edge of the balcony—without any care about the world. As if his silver, soft, slightly tousled hair and blue, clear eyes doesn't catch the attention of other attendees.

Xavier.

You hate how he easily stood out to you.

Jeremiah introduced him to you months ago at another party that he had hosted—"Xavier, this is (y/n), one of my favourite coworker, and this is Xavier my best friend since diapers..unfortunately"

There'd been a spark, since first meeting.

You felt it.

You knew he did too.

and yet...nothing happened.

You ran into him again at cafe. Then again at a gallery night. Then again at hospital. Every time, there were glances. Short greetings. Subtle touches.

But still.. Nothing happened.

Maybe it's the drinks..maybe it's how good he looks with his black polo shirt, and how it rolled up to his forearms..

before you knew it your heart acted before your brain did.

You made your way to Xavier, heels clicking softly against the floor. He noticed you coming— of course he did. That same unreadable gaze fell on you, then down to the glass of wine you're holding.

"Out of drinks already?" he said

"Maybe I just needed an excuse to talk to the only person here who doesn't seem interested in cryptos or teslas" you said, letting out a teasing smile.

He let out a soft laugh "I'm flattered."

You stood beside him, Close but not touching.

Silence settled.

You chugged the rest of the wine on your hand and slowly turned to him— "You don't find me attractive?" Xavier turned to look back at you, eyes narrowing slightly, unsure where the question was coming from or maybe he knew exactly.

You let out a exasperated breath, "Because I've been wondering..."

His brow lifted in curiosity. "are you serious?"

You shrugged, not caring how crazy and desperate you might be sounding right now. It didn't matter anymore. You had enough of this. "I mean, we've run into each other what..five times now? six, counting tonight.."

"You keeping count?"

You immediately look away "Don't flatter yourself. I just happen to have a good memory." She paused. "You remember them too though, don't you?"

Xavier didn't answer. He didn't have to.

"Why haven't you tried anything?"

His gaze fully shifted on you. Still unreadable, but sharper somehow.

"I mean—" you feel your heart pounding so hard inside your chest, hating how vulnerable you sound right now, you're not used to this, it's usually the other way, but with Xavier, it's different. "—we flirt, you look at me like you want to say something, but then you don't. You never do"

Xavier looked down at his drink for a long moment.

Then he spoke, his voice was lower. Steadier. "Because I can't do half-ass"

You blinked. Confused as to what he is trying to say. "What?"

"I don't do flings.." he said "I don't do just for one night. If I touch you, I'm not going to be okay with you touching anyone else. I want you to stop looking at anyone else. I want you to only look at me."

His eyes met yours like it belonged there— steady and calm, not asking for anything, not possessive, like he is trying to read something you haven't said out loud.

'He's making me choose.'

Your lips parted, but no words came.

You wanted to say 'that's asking too much'.

'I'm not built for that'.

You're being unfair right now.'

But all you can do was look at him.

and this time he looked away first.

You watched as the tip of his ears turned red.

How his jaw tightened.

and how he quietly braced himself for rejection.

Something about it made your chest ache in the strangest, softest way. Maybe commitment wouldn't be so bad..and scary.

Not if it was Xavier.

[pythi-the-drawing-writer]

Life long fighting game fan throwing their hat into the ring.

To the asker I find their comment on Balanced fighting games being antithetical to DB... Odd. When I'd personally argue that the appeal of Balanced FGs is basically Goku's entire philosophy, that with enough hard work and learning anyone can beat anyone, low tier high tier it matters not. And in general that getting good at fighting games is a lot of self discipline and improvement.

And as for conveying characters being more powerful than others, we've kinda already been doing that since SF2 with Ryu and Akuma. These two have nearly the exact same moveset and skills (minus teleport and raging demon) but Akuma takes Ryu's moves which are designed to be a jack of all trades set and converts them into a hyper mobile combo focused playstyle that rewards sheer aggression.

And let's even give a modern actual DB example too. Dragon Ball FighterZ and Base Goku vs Super Saiyan Blue Goku(from here on out referred to as Baseku and Blueku).

Baseku lacks a lot of the tools other Gokus in the game have. His Kamehameha is good but not as powerful, he doesn't have a safe gap closer and a few smaller things. But he has some more odd and interesting tools, a rushing grab, ki blasts that come out of the ground, a Genkidama that he can charge, and unique Kaioken Combos. He lacks the more well rounded kit of his future forms thus making him "weaker" and needing to use off key offense and tricky plays to make up for it(a fun representation of how he tended to fight during the time period he reps, Tenkaichi Budokai and Namek). But of course he's still very balanced and able to throw hands with the rest once you learn him.

Blueku meanwhile has very staple tools that give you a lot of what you could reasonably want and packages them into a lighting fast Rushdown character. A ridiculously projectile safe gap closer, am incredibly hard to predict grab, a reliable multi purpose dive kick, and teleport mix ups for fun too. He's such a clear evolution of what came before with "better" versions of tools used by the previous Gokus and turning them into a field dominating playstyle that just keeps going, making him feel notably "Stronger" than Baseku and Super Saiyan Goku.

But all that being said the game is generally very well balanced and good players can make both of these characters work very well. The conveying of power and character doesn't come from bumped up numbers and overwhelming advantage or Disadvantage. It comes from their collection of unique and shared tools, how they use them differently and thus how they Feel.

And that's how Fighting Games have been doing it for decades. I could go on a whole thing about how so many other games portray gaps in power without making characters unbalanced, things like Order Sol vs Sol, the evolution of Hazama, Terumi and Susano'o, the parallels and distinctions of the entire Heihachi family and more. But at the end of the day it all comes down to design, playstyle and feeling.

Also it's pretty fun seeing Yamcha mix the shit out of UI Goku

This may not be your wheelhouse, but you always have such good insights into the Dragonball universe.

How would you solve the problem of making a dbz fighting game roster? Every game inevitably runs into the problem of character imbalance, which is antithetical to fighting games.

Goku wins. That what he does, it's the point of the whole franchise. So yeah it might be cool to have Chaiotzu go up against Freeza, but canonically those match ups just don't work, because ~who wins~ has an objective answer. And at this point there are so many versions of the main characters that a roster gets weird real fast. Gohan? Which Gohan? Age 5, 10, 16? You get the idea.

It leaves the games with the problem of trying pretend Raditz can 1v1 Buu as is, or just inventing techniques and transformations whole cloth. Which isn't bad on its own, it's certainly fun to imagine early DB characters leveled up to parity, but then it's basically something entirely new.

Obviously a large question that cant be answered definitively, but I'm really curious to know how you might go about it

Unpopular opinion, but I'm actually pretty cool with Dragon Ball fighting games being unbalanced. But that's because I'm not really into PVP gameplay, so balance isn't super important for me. For how to make a really well balanced fighting game, I'd have to defer to @pushovermediacritic, who knows a lot more than I do about the technical aspects of fighters.

My favorite Dragon Ball fighter is Budokai Tenkaichi 3, and that game was unbalanced as fuck. It's a game in which a well-played Kid Gohan can defeat Omega Shenron, but Omega's statted so much higher than Gohan that you really have to know what you're doing.

I like to use fighting games as a sandbox full of action figures to clicky clack against each other while doing my own storytelling. So for my neurodivergent ass, when it comes to rosters, I'll take quantity over quality. I'd rather have 500 characters who have to share a lot of attacks and movesets between each other than 20 perfectly sculped, entirely unique, properly balanced characters whose attacks are all precisely honed to pixel-perfection.

(Also, Dragon Ball rosters suffer from the fact that female characters are scarce and often obscure in the Dragon Ball series. For a small roster game, you're likely to get like 25 male characters and Android 18. If they have space for two women then Videl. But it's only on the super-huge rosters that you might see inclusions like Chi-Chi, Zangya, Selipa, or Arale. There's just not a lot of fighting women to pick from.

Though Caulifla, Kale, and Kefla are now a thing and are a big enough deal to warrant inclusion in smaller rosters, so that's pretty cool.)

[witchspeka]

I dont think Mob is naive as much as he's socially unaware, like the reason why he trusts Reigen so blindly is a bit more complex than just him being naive

Cause Mob reached out to Reigen because he was desperate to find someone like him, someone who understood his psychic specific issues, someone that could truly know what he's feeling and going through and give him guidance and support

Post incident Mob's thinking process was something along the lines of my powers hurt people -> my powers are bad -> my powers (my emotions, my instincts, myself) cannot be trusted

So he lost all confidence and trust in his own actions, resigning to being as passive as possible to avoid any further damage to anyone else, thus he started doubting his own perception of reality too

He's a kid already struggling with being ostracised for being socially inept, who just got traumatised and all of his insecurity increased by the tenfold, he doesn't know how to process what he's going through. He needs help.

And here comes Reigen, seemingly reliable, a responsible adult in a child's eyes, someone who claims he can understand him

Even tho Reigen doesnt. But it doesn't matter, because Mob finds comfort in his words and takes them to heart

Even if Reigen doesn't fully get it, even if he doesn't see the bigger picture, even if his advice isn't always the best

Eventually, Mob grows up, realises Reigen isn't as honest as he seemed through his 11 year old perspective, but like most things, he refuses to acknowledge it on a deeper level

Mob knows, but never tells Reigen, never thinks about what all those lies mean to him (ofc until he forces himself to face those doubts regarding Reigen, to properly acknowledge both of their flaws and accept them as they are, I should scream into the void about Confession Arc more God)

Due to his lack of trust in himself, Mob has relied on Reigen for years now to shape his moral compass, his thoughts, his decisions

Because well, Reigen lies, sure, but he isnt a bad person. When he hurts Mob, it isn't intentional or with ill intent, he still wants the best for him, what's the issue?

Except that it stunts Mob's growth. He doesn't develop as a person, doesn't have goals or wishes or ambitions, can't make choices on his own, he doesn't even let himself acknowledge his own emotions, he refuses to let himself exist

But Mob realises in time that he wants more than that, he wants to become better and be independent and feel again

Still, he puts the acknowledgement of the lies on hold for as long as he can, unwilling to question the way things are

This can make him feel a little naive, he constantly relies on Reigen and trusts his decisions and raises questions rarely until separation arc when he finally puts his foot down

And I do think that moment is the most resounding proof we have that Mob knows and allows himself to be used by Reigen, not wanting to shake the status quo, until he gets fed up

I mentioned the social ineptitude at the beggining but idk if I should even elaborate on that, you've watched the show, you know what I mean

He's blunt and can't read social cues or tonality that well and can't speak in front of crowds and is overall pretty awkward and I do think some people conflate that with naivety

Mob is still a child, he doesnt fully understand how the world works at the ripe age of 14 years old, but some folks take that as him being inherently naive/innocent/whatever which I don't find true

[nyxypoo]

want to write about pussy inspections with endo but knowing me it'll end up the exact same as the takiishi one just with a different name :/

[arolesbianism]

Shakes and cries I wanna make Jackie parent hc designs but I can't because potentially one of them is a prevalent character now and her ass has not spoken a single line yet so I both know nothing and can't just start making shit up yet </3333

[telephoniii]

REALLY…HIM?

☆彡 in which professor trein judges your relationship with the NRC boys

NRC boys x Reader (minus Ortho)

Word Counter: 3K

Warnings: Reader is Prefect, Trein is your father figure, established relationship, possible OOC

A/N: life’s getting pretty hectic so i’m sorry if my upload schedule slows down. i hope you enjoy :>

ace trappola

Can’t say he’s surprised, just disappointed. It makes sense; he was one of your first friends. However, that doesn’t make him any less troublesome. Despite being a first-year, Ace is one of the biggest slackers and troublemakers on campus— much to Trein’s dismay. His main worry is that Ace will poorly influence you. He’s already seeing it with the two of you getting a crazy amount of detentions and scoldings for unthinkable reasons. You’ve got it rough already being from another world, you don’t need a devil on your shoulder convincing you to get into all kinds of trouble. It’s a real shame said devil is your boyfriend. He’ll allow the relationship and all will seem swell. Little do you know that he pulled Ace aside and had a long chat.

deuce spade

A fine pick; Trein is neither severely impressed nor disappointed. He doesn’t think Deuce is too bad, but he believes you could do better. Deuce will need to somehow prove himself to Trein. On the outside, Trein looks like he absolutely hates his guts. His eyes are always staring at Deuce with this sharp look and it gets the card soldier real nervous real fast. In reality, it’s just Trein keeping a closer eye on him + his RBF. He’s relatively neutral on the first year, yet Deuce is fully convinced that his professor wants to set him on fire.

cater diamond

Trein is very annoyed with your choice. He doesn’t like Cater’s social media addiction and would much rather have you hit the books than scrolling through Magicam. Not to mention, he feels as though something about Cater’s happy-go-lucky attitude is a facade, and doesn’t trust him around you. Cater finds Trein scary, but he’s not as intimidated as Deuce. As he does with Ace, Trein takes Cater to have a talk, and—surprisingly— his opinions on the third year improve. He doesn’t fully like him, but he’ll tolerate Cater more so than beforehand. Cater also offers to help Trein make a social media account; it’s cute yet chaotic all the same watching them bond.

trey clover

Before Trein can form a solid thought on Trey, the vice housewarden is subtly trying to win his favor. Trey knows how about his father-like connection to you and immediately shapes up. He gifts Trein different pastries and learns which ones he’s partial to. What really wins the professor over is when Trey starts volunteering to help clean his classroom after class. Trein won’t even know the two of you are already together and he’ll make comments around you like, “That Clover boy is real nice…” Needless to say, Trein approves of Trey long before he finds out you both are in a relationship.

riddle rosehearts

Trein immediately scowls when he hears the news of your relationship. You’d think he’d approve due to Riddle’s intellect and dutiful behavior. Admittedly, Trein does like that about Riddle. But he despises the boy’s bursts of anger, finding them childish and unfitting for a future mage. He’s seen the housewarden go berserk on one too many students and doesn’t trust he won’t do the same to you. Trein doesn’t want you walking on eggshells around your own partner. This is another one who’ll have to prove themselves to Trein. Riddle will be upset when he hears of Trein’s low opinion of him, but gets a surge of motivation to convince him otherwise. You’ll find Riddle working even harder on his studies than before you didn’t even think that was possible in hopes of gaining Trein’s favor. He’ll eventually get it. I imagine that Riddle does some small, heroic deed for you that really shows his love, and Trein just so happens to be passing by and sees it. Once your unofficial official father in Twisted Wonderland gets along with Riddle, expect to be nagged about missing assignments and homework a WHOLE LOT.

jack howl

Similar to Trey, he immediately knows about your bond with Trein. Instead of trying to win over the professor, Jack takes a more blunt approach. He goes straight to his desk after class and tells him about your relationship, being upfront about his feelings towards you. Trein respects it. He thinks that Jack has more guts than most on campus and trusts him to protect you. He’s quite supportive of the relationship, acting as a mentor for the both of you. You can catch him watching the two of you with a tiny smile, murmuring something along the lines of, “Young love.” The two of you remind him of his own marriage with his late wife. It makes him sentimental in a way.

ruggie bucchi

A BIG 180 FROM JACK. Trein thinks this guy is sleazy. Ruggie couldn’t care less in the beginning, finding it funny to practically hang off your shoulder while Trein stared daggers into him. Then it started to seep in that it may or may not be important to get Trein’s approval for a long-term relationship with you. That’s when he gets his act together and completely starts sucking up to Trein. He’ll help out with paperwork, errands, cleaning up, etc! All for free! much to his dismay All Ruggie asks for in return is Trein’s support for your relationship. He catches Trein by surprise with how well his work ethic is. The lengths the hyena goes to for you ends up leaving the professor impressed.

leona kingscholar

Professor Trein is both surprised and disappointed. Now how did this happen? He didn't think Kingscholar was capable of being nice to anyone, let alone get into a whole relationship. Well, he bugs you to tell your boyfriend to start showing up to class. He’s not exactly happy with you dating a huge slacker like him, but Trein knows that Leona is a smart boy. Brash and not his first pick, sure, but he wouldn’t play with your heart or rope you into anything stupid. He trusts Kingscholar to protect you. But if he starts seeing you begin to skip class— which is going to happen, Leona’s going to make you do it at least once— he’ll pull YOU aside and give you an earful. Tough love, unfortunately.

floyd leech

Hell no. All the red blaring flags. Now why would you go and do that? Really? Out of EVERYONE? You bet your bottoms Trein is actively speaking out against your relationship every single time he sees you. He doesn't even want to try to talk to Floyd. Trein is convinced you are addicted to getting in trouble and lets out the biggest old man sigh. Is there any way Floyd can win the professor’s favor? Probably not. And if there was a way, would Floyd even do it? Big fat no. Floyd thinks it is hilarious that Professor Trein disapproves, upping his affections around him with that toothy grin of his. And if you guys have a class together that Trein teaches? Chaos. Expect a lot of paper balls to be thrown at you.

jade leech

“Are you okay??” Is the first thing Trein asks when you tell him you and Jade are in a relationship. Doesn't exactly trust the boy, but Jade tends to behave around him. The professor has always seen him being picture-perfect whenever he’s around which is 100% suspicious, but Trein doesn't have any solid reasons to disapprove. Jade, like his brother, finds the whole situation very amusing. He’s always figuring out new ways to appear like the ‘ideal boyfriend’ to Trein. If he ever talks to the professor he’ll slip in a comment like, “I never disappoint, trust me” and it makes Trein distrust him even more.

azul ashengrotto

Now what bet did you lose for this to have happened? At least Ashengrotto is a star student, you need to hang out around more of those in his opinion. After confirming that, “No, no bet was lost,” and “No, he’s not paying for my love,” Trein was pretty alright with it. The Monstro Lounge is a student-ran organization, it's clear from that the young boy is capable and responsible. He just keeps a very, very close eye on you two. The last thing Trein wants is for Azul to take advantage of you since— knowing him— he seems like the type to do so. Expect frequent questions of “How’s your relationship going?” and “He’s treating you right, right?” Azul is going to get asked to stay after class to talk. Trein then proceeds to threaten lecture him on how to properly treat your lover. He just wants to make sure you don't get wrapped up in one of those contracts he’s heard about. Azul has quite the track record.

kalim al asim

Automatically assumes you’re dating him for the money and begins to ramble about how you should marry for love. Tells you about his late wife and how much he loved her— it is so sweet I'm actually crying. That's the kind of love he wants you to have. You’ve got to reassure him that, “Yes, my certified father figure, I do love him very much and I’m not just in it for the money.” After that talk, he finds the relationship sweet but kind of concerning. Kalim is a nice boy but severely naive and, frankly, incompetent. Trein starts to go a little harder on Kalim in class, not that he was going easy anyway. He scrutinizes the essays he turns in and chastises him for missing an assignment. As he watches you kiss Kalim on the cheek after getting an A, Trein can only sigh and think, “He’s lucky he’s rich.”

jamil viper

Trein’s pretty okay with him. He’s a level-headed guy with passable grades and the title of a vice housewarden. However, the professor did hear about his Overblot and does think that there's more beneath the surface. He doesn't judge him for his Overblot, no. But Trein does keep a closer eye on him to make sure he isn't scheming anything involving you. The professor also tries to push him to do better academically. He’s heard from you about how smart Jamil truly is and can see his potential, so he tries to get him to stop holding back. Jamil is a little appreciative of it and respects Trein as your father figure, but still isn't a fan of sticking out. Nor does he plan on giving into Trein’s attempts.

epel felmier

Is fine with the relationship at first. He was polite, soft-spoken, and a part of Pomfiore. Most students belonging to that dorm are pompous, but respectful nonetheless. Then Epel’s true nature comes out and Trein is constantly reprimanding him for horseplay. It's kinda funny how surprised Trein is by Epel’s country toughness. The professor definitely had his suspicions— nobody at NRC is innocent, he’s learned every student here has some sort of dark side— but he definitely wouldn't have expected this. A part of Trein actually prefers him like this. You are dating someone with a backbone who will defend you. He encourages Epel to be himself around him, promising a judgment-free area. They get along pretty well surprisingly, with Trein being a sort of mentor to him. Overall, very sweet and Trein approves.

rook hunt

In the most blunt way possible, Trein tells you, “Your boyfriend weirds me out.” He thinks Rook is an oddball for sure. No way around it. Is half convinced Rook is stalking him. Because he is. When you explained to your boyfriend about the bond you had with Professor Trein, he got way too intrigued and ended up ‘watching’ Trein like he does to Leona. It's not until the professor makes a passing comment about being paranoid that he’s being watched that you realized, “Oh shit my boyfriends stalking you.” You don't say that to him— you don't want Rook getting in trouble. So you settle on having a really long talk with Rook about it who reassures you he’d never disturb your father figure or the absolutely beautiful bond between the two of you. He still worries you sometimes when he goes missing and randomly reappears by walking out of Trein’s classroom.

vil schoenheit

Trein worries that Vil won’t make the time for you. He’s aware that Schoenheit is a busy boy as he’s missed his class plentiful in the past. He’ll make Vil stay after class for a little to talk to him about it, giving him a fatherly warning about being ready to fully commit to a relationship and the time it takes to manage one. Vil is, admittedly, insulted that Trein doubts his ability to wholeheartedly love you but takes it in stride. He sees this as a sign to up his game in the romance department and properly does so, dedicating more time to pampering you. The professor expresses his concerns to his coworker, Crewel, who talks his ear off about how much of a “good pup” Vil is and that he won't disappoint. Trein can’t help but agree when he spots you walking into class looking more freshened with slight makeup on and a new hair-do that Vil definitely did for you.

idia shroud

Once you break the news to Trein, he immediately asks to meet with Idia one-on-one. The blue-haired student rarely shows up to class! And that iPad isn't going to cut it forever! He needs to be able to size him up in person. Idia, naturally, is scared to death. At first, he immediately declines, insisting that they don't really need to meet up, the whole idea is stupid, and it’ll be fine if he stays right there in his room. Then you sit down with him and tell him how important Trein is to you and… sigh You landed a natural 20 on the dice of persuasion. Idia can’t believe he's doing this. You’re beside him the whole time as he stutters in front of Trein. Is Trein impressed? No, not at all. Yet your confidence in the Shroud and constant praise is reassuring. The professor’s going to make you force Idia into showing up in person in class. His attendance rivals Leona's.

sebek zigvolt

Doesn't really care for Sebek despite the first year's desperate attempts at trying to impress him. Sebek lost him after he started talking about Malleus when Trein asked about you. Ever since then, it’s just been him trying to win him back to no prevail. Kinda sad to watch. He’ll be the biggest gentleman ever: rushing to doors to open them for Trein, scrubbing his whole classroom for him from top to bottom, and yelling at other students to be quiet— though he was pretty much doing that before you two even got together. But every time Sebek gets close to winning the professor’s favor, he ends up going on a tangent about how amazing his liege is, and we're back at square one. You’ve got to rub him on the back and kiss him on the cheek while telling him, “Trein will come around one day!” Even if that day never comes.

silver

Not a fan. He’s witnessed Silver fall asleep in his class one too many times and thinks it's disrespectful. Once you tell Silver, he’s upset as it's not exactly something he can change, but will put in extra effort not only in Trein’s class but in all his classes. He studies with you beside him so you can prevent him from falling asleep when you see him get all drowsy-eyed. Trein immediately takes note of Silver’s hard work and grit as the boy passes his class with flying colors while asking if there’s anything he could do to help him after hours. It's only when he hears from his fellow teachers that Silver has been doing exceptionally well is he actually impressed. Afterwards, Trein will start being more understanding of Silver’s constant sleeping. He won't be any less strict, but he won’t lay into him for it as hard as before since learning it's out of Silver’s control. Trein thinks rather positively of your relationship, comparing it to the ones in the fairytales.

lilia vanrouge

A bit disturbed, to say the least. Lilia is older than him after all. Trein tried to keep a close eye on the two of you, but Lilia always caught him and pursued a staring match. Trein was always the first to look away. Lilia finds it entertaining. He tries to play tiny tricks on the professor, but you stop him at the very last minute. You sit down and try to explain that you deeply care about Trein and, by extension, what Trein thinks of him. Lilia proceeded to suggest that he brings Trein some cookies to win him over to which you immediately say no. Honestly, I don’t see Trein really ever warming up to Lilia. He just pretends the old bat doesn't exist and isn't your boyfriend. Lilia finds that incredibly funny while you're dying inside.

malleus draconia

The fact you were able to get close to the Draconia is an impressive feat to Trein. However, future ruler of Briar Valley or not, he intends to make sure that Malleus treats you right. Right when you tell Malleus that Trein is basically your father, the fae goes straight to the professor, confesses to him about your relationship, and swears to take good care of you with this ominous tone. Trein isn’t very fond of Malleus at first, struggling to decipher whether or not that introduction was genuine. It isn't until you go to him after class, gushing about the late-night walk you went on with Malleus yesterday and shoving cute little polaroid photos in his face does Trein begin to trust the fae. He makes sure to scold you for not being asleep at that time, yes, but he stares at one of the photographs for way too long, imagining you and Malleus as him and his late wife for a moment. A small smile appears on his face. However, he can’t help but think that the two of you are down a similar path; the happiest marriage ever, kids, and one lover outliving the other. A tragedy, but he’ll let you enjoy it while it lasts just like he did. As long as you’re happy.

[yukioos]

no one knew you and katsuki bakugo were in a relationship

katsuki was pissed off for no good reason. denki was asking stupid questions nonstop and eijiro unfortunately continued answering them, which sparked more questions in the electrokinetic. the blonde tried to hold in his anger and not express his annoyance, and he almost burst.

then he felt a familiar, soft hand on his back.

normally he would’ve pushed the hand off quickly, as he wasn’t too fond of physical touch from other people. but you? a whole different story. you could be all over him, cover him in lipstick and love bites, and he’d flaunt it like he was the luckiest man in the world.

he paused stabbing his fork, and looked at you, admiring the sweet smile you showed so often. he wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you down to the seat next to him, making your thighs touch. to anyone else, it would seem as if katsuki was possessed by someone. since when does he even lay a hand on someone in a nice way?

the blonde looked at you up and down, “come over to my dorm tonight.” he commanded with a smug expression. he was bold, always running straight into conversations.

you rolled your eyes and tried to move closer to your boyfriend, who stared down at you with a certain glint in them. you answered, “i was already planning to, kats, you don’t need to tell me.” you looked away from his face for a minute, “won’t we get in trouble if mister aizawa sees us in the same dorm?”

he scoffed, “you always worry about that. if it makes you feel better, i’ll come to your room instead, ‘kay?” his voice sounded a bit agitated, but you knew he thought it was amusing that you were always worried about getting caught in a boy’s dorm.

you nodded and placed a kiss on his lips, and which he did the same, not wanting to let go. the two of you completely forgot about denki and eijiro across from you, who stopped their conversation to stare at you with their jaws on the ground.

the two of you pulled away from one another, and his arm still lay comfortably on your side. you shyly smiled, flustered with the intimacy. he chuckled in response, loving seeing his sweet girl embarrassed but still wanting more. once he gained self-awareness again, he realized the two meatheads across him were silent.

katsuki glared at eijiro and denki, whose jaws were still dropped, and eyes were wide. he grunted, “what are you lookin’ at?”

the redhead immediately replied, “what the hell do you mean?! you two just kissed!” he pointed at the two of you.

denki continued, “yeah, so does that mean you two are dating?!” bolts started to fly from his hair and spring outwards due to the shock.

before your boyfriend could reply, the two said in sync, “you never told us!”

katsuki finally replied, with a bit of sass apparent, “you never asked. plus, we’re always together, you should’ve noticed already, damn meatheads.”

the table was silent for a minute besides the sounds of you and the blonde taking small portions of food from his tray. his warm hand rubbed your hip, and you smiled at the touch, leaning in closer to him.

not long after, mina came over and saw how close you and the hothead were. she stood a couple feet away from katsuki’s table, then she tilted her head and looked at eijiro, who stared at her back.

suddenly, denki exclaimed, “y/n and bakugo are dating!”

mina shouted, “what?!” with the crash of her metal tray falling, along with all her lunch.

hope this layout looks good! didn’t wanna put multiple images so i just chose a divider. also im gonna start taking katsuki and ochaco requests once im done with some in my inbox! hope you guys like this one, sorry i didn’t write for a while, i had bad writer’s block. trying to get back on schedule!

divider creds: @cafekitsune