#they'll come to a place where they both feel safe and comfortable with how things are

[starlightvld]

Bait & Switch, pt. 9

<< Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4 // Part 5 // Part 6 // Part 7 // Part 8 // Part 9 // Part 10 // Part 11

Based on "I wasn't in that tunnel."

Call of Duty, soapghost // CW: Hurt/Comfort, MWIII spoilers

---

Cool air flows through the dimly lit back of the supply truck, slivers of daylight seeping through the canvas sides as it trundles along toward the RV point. Soap takes a deep breath, thankful for the reprieve from the Mexican heat as he huddles in the darkness between weapon crates.

Laswell insisted on keeping Soap's involvement a secret, but Ghost is... well... Ghost. And he can still read Soap better than anyone: his facial expressions, his nervous ticks, and all the words he leaves unspoken in the wake of his trauma.

In a strange reversal, though, Ghost now speaks enough for both of them — words meant to reassure Soap even without an apparent need for reassurance.

Won't let owt happen to you, Johnny. No matter what.

The words were whispered in Soap's ear not four hours ago as Ghost, Price, Gaz, Rudy, Alejandro, and a host of Vaqueros left for their part of the mission in the wee hours before dawn — all of them once again sporting their anonymizing ghost masks. No one was supposed to know that Soap was heading out on his own mission, but somehow Ghost did.

The knowledge settles deep inside and blooms into hope that he'll succeed and make it out alive. Whatever happens, though, one thing is certain.

Makarov has to die.

The trouble is, they aren't sure they'll know if the person who shows up is actually Makarov — not when he has a serum that could make anyone look like him. And that's where Soap comes in.

The truck downshifts and slows. Three measured thumps vibrate through the wall and into his head as the truck begins to turn, letting him know they've arrived at the lowest switchback on the mountain that edges the sprawling Mexican city where Makarov has agreed to meet them. 

The trapdoor in the truck bed is light under Soap's fingers as he opens it and squirms through the narrow hole. His tac vest and the hard case attached to his back both catch on the sides, but he grabs the specially-placed bars along the bottom of the truck and pulls himself through. The hatch snaps closed behind him as he clings to the bars with his hands and feet, the ground still flying by fast enough to give him pause. He waits until the truck is about to straighten and accelerate down the slope to the city before letting go.

The engine roars as the driver accelerates, leaving him skidding along the road in a cloud of dust. As intended, the case takes the brunt of the damage, and using the dust as cover, he leans to the side and slides off the road into the underbrush. His helmet and armored suit take a beating from the thick brush that catches at his clothes and finally brings him to a halt.

He inhales to double check the filters. To his relief, clean air pours into his lungs, even as the dust billows around him. As the cloud dissipates, he clicks through on comms.

"Watcher-1, this is Snake."

"Snake, this is Watcher-1. Send traffic."

"Successful fall. On the move."

"Roger that. Stay out of sight. And good luck. Out."

Soap glances at his watch. Four hours to go.

He takes a deep breath, ignores the shadows flashing in the corners of his eyes, and begins moving toward the city below.

---

Four hours later, Soap is safely ensconced in his hiding place on top of a six-story building near the warehouse they'd chosen for the confrontation. The modified sniper rifle feels familiar in his hands, though it's strange to have the helmet visor between his eye and the scope. He should be shaking with nerves, but the calm that always comes over him in a sniper's nest is a welcome balm to his nerves, even if shadows still stalk the corners of his eyes.

Laswell asked him to be here as an ace up their sleeve, and he agreed. How could he stay behind when Makarov was involved? Still, he would've said no if not for the hours of target practice with Ghost over the past few days. The repetition took the edge off the latent brainwashing, allowing him to hold a gun without insidious thoughts overwhelming him — exposure therapy at its best. Or worst, depending on how he looks at it. But time spent with Ghost is never a waste in his opinion, even if Soap is fighting his inner demons at the time.

Maybe especially when he's fighting those demons.

And so, here he is. Waiting for someone who probably isn't Makarov to show up.

Sweats slides between his shoulder blades as the late-morning air heats up. He's in a shadowed alcove between ductwork and a massive air handler unit, relying on the contrast with the bright day to hide him from enemy eyes. Movement below catches his attention, and despite his calm, a chill runs down his spine a moment before the comm chatter starts.

"Price to Ghost. Sit rep."

"Ghost 'ere. Nearly in position."

Soap frowns. Ghost isn't supposed to be on overwatch. A Vaquero was tasked with that.

"Alright, everyone. Take positions and stay off comms. Price out."

Soap frantically scans the rooftops for any sign of Ghost, but his search is cut off when a row of armored vehicles pull up outside the warehouse. A small team of ghost operators open a loading bay door to bring out someone with Soap's height and build in a replica of his Agent Zero suit. In return, Makarov is supposed to be providing intel on the dirty Generals and the super soldier program, which they are well aware he won't actually provide.

It's all a little too obviously a trap for someone as clever and conniving as Makarov. Their saving grace is his obsessive personality — they're betting he'll show up in person on the off chance he can get Soap back and stick it to Price and the 141 at the same time. He'll have countermeasures in place, which is why Soap is here.

He's the counter to the countermeasures.

Or he's supposed to be.

Except that when the door to the middle SUV opens and a man exits the vehicle, Soap's entire body freezes.

Makarov.

The shaking he thought he'd avoided slams into him full force. He can't even touch the rifle without the scope shaking too badly to see anything. He curses and forces himself to breathe.

In. Out. In. Out.

The shaking stabilizes enough for him to correct for it, though darker figures dance in his peripheral vision. He inhales a shaking breath as Makarov's face fills the scope.

In. Out. In. Out.

He pulls the trigger.

Makarov slaps a hand to his neck and dives for the car. A gunfight breaks out, but the ghost team is ready for it. They take down the enemy soldiers with a speed that leaves Soap breathless, and Makarov is in their custody by the time he begins to shake from the effects of Soap's dart.

The screams reach Soap even from so far away. Even with ear protection.

And in the midst of the chaos, the shadows in his peripheral vision move in an abnormal way, surrounding him. His chest heaves with all the amped-up panic he's barely keeping at bay.

It's all in his head. The shadows might be deeper, more solid in the Mexican sun, but they're still just shadows. They aren't real. None of it is re—

"And here you are at last. I wondered if your Laswell would be stupid enough to bring you after all."

Soap goes perfectly still. The scene below plays out in silence, Price and Gaz securing the man who once looked like Makarov and now looks like he's melting. But it's all visual noise to Soap.

Because he knows that voice.

"No," he whispers through the clawing, choking panic. "Nononono. Not real. Just a hallucination."

But his hallucinations have never talked to him before. And never in that hated voice.

Hands grasp him. Too many hands. On his arms, his back, his head.

They pull him up from his sniper position and pull him away from the edge. He struggles, his breath coming in panicked gasps.

They try to take the rifle from his hands. 

He fights harder. 

Fights for his fucking life. And for Ghost.

As they turn him around, he elbows the person to his right, lifts the rifle, and shoots. The man with Makarov's face and voice grunts and slaps at his arm.

"Some toxin to counter the serum, I suppose?" 

Makarov's soldiers wrest the gun from his grasp and hold him, one on each side and a third behind him who is already attempting to remove his helmet. Soap's body is in overdrive, heart racing and breaths coming in short gasps as he continues to struggle against both the panic and those holding him. Makarov opens his arms wide and stares at Soap with that awful, smug look on his face.

"Fuck you," Soap yells, his voice guttural and harsh. "I won't go back!"

Makarov drops his hands and tilts his head to the side. "What a shame all that work with the previous serum has gone to waste." He clicks his tongue in a chiding way before his smug grin makes a reappearance. "Good thing I've got an upgraded version just for you. One dose and the results are gloriously permanent. Vitya?"

The soldier behind him tugs on Soap's helmet so hard his whole body bends backward.

A gunshot rings out.

A spray of blood coats Soap's helmet.

The hands on either side of him fall away as the soldiers fall to the ground in a heap — a single, clean shot through both their heads. Makarov and the soldier behind Soap scramble for cover, leaving him to fall backward between the dead bodies.

His back hits the ground, punching all the air from his lungs. Disoriented from the fall and on the verge of a full panic attack, Soap rolls to his hands and knees. 

A feminine voice warbles in his ear, but he can't think. Can't understand. 

He only knows he has to get away.

Away. Away. Away—

Everything stops, including his overwhelmed body and mind, when a gruff voice clicks through the comms.

"Go, Johnny! Get out of here! And stay low."

With his heart about to burst in his chest, Soap looks up and sees an achingly familiar specter leap from behind a row of ductwork to catch the fleeing Makarov. Using the worm's momentum against him, Ghost slams Makarov face first into the air handler. Before he can recover, Ghost grabs Makarov's upper arms and hauls him around to deflect the sudden barrage of bullets from the remaining soldier.

Somehow the bullets miss. Soap meets Makarov's gaze, and that smug smile sends chills down Soap's spine even as his blood boils with rage.

It was a distraction. A fucking distraction. Because Soap can see what Ghost can't with Makarov's back to him—

A syringe in hand.

Fire and ice pouring through abused veins.

Endless, searing, mind-killing pain — this time with no way out.

Permanent.

He won't go back. He won't. But he'll die before he lets Makarov take Ghost instead.

A desperate cry wrenches from Soap's lungs as he launches himself from the ground and into the rain of gunfire.

"Johnny, no!"

Soap ignores Ghost's desperate cry. He leaps just as Makarov lifts the needle to jab into Ghost's neck.

And the burn of all those impacts is worth it for the brief flash of terror in Makarov's eyes.

---

<< Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4 // Part 5 // Part 6 // Part 7 // Part 8 // Part 9 // Part 10 // Part 11

[c4p7ch4]

[convexicalcrow]

"Cub, please, go rescue the Allays, please, we can't let them stay there, they're so distressed!"

Scar's voice was also distressed, but Cub hadn't needed to hear him to understand. It had been a long time since Cub felt that deep Vex rage well up inside him, and it was both strange and also familiar. At least he knew why he felt that way.

"I'll get them, don't worry. He's not still there, is he? He's gone to do other things?"

"He's not there, no. Just, hurry. They're so scared! We gotta get them outta there!"

"Alright, leave it with me."

-

Jevin was easily distracted, it's fair to say, and in his Vex form, Cub was able to sneak into the place where he'd kept the allays with ease. He could feel their distress as he got close, and they flew to him once he broke in, clinging to him in fear.

"Don't worry, we'll get you out of here. You'll be safe with us. The Vex will avenge you," Cub murmured, giving as much comfort as he could.

There were small sad trilling sounds coming from the Allays. Cub could see the scars on their bodies where they'd caught Jevin's sword but had somehow survived. Cub wasted no more time in whisking them away to his base, hoping he could find a way to calm them down a little. He wouldn't defeat their trauma, of course, but that wasn't the point. At least he could give them sanctuary.

-

A lot of people assume Allays and Vex are enemies. That Vex corrupt Allays into Vexes. But this isn't true. Vexes are the rage Allays can't express. When Allays seek revenge, it is deep indeed, and handed over to the Vex, who can act in ways they simply cannot. And when the rage is over, the Vex are becalmed by the sweet song of the Allays, both comforted by their own presence. That is why Allays reside in mansions and pillager camps. Anywhere the Vex are, so too are the Allays.

-

"Cub, I've left a creeper in Jevin's house! That'll sort him out!" Scar said as he arrived at Cub's base later on. He wasn't surprised to see Cub still in his Vex form. "I named it CatDog! That'll teach him to kill Allays!"

"Very good, very good. It's certainly a start, that's for sure. I think we can find other ways to torment him, though, as the season progresses. These poor Allays, man, you gotta come see them. They've got scars, it's awful," Cub said.

Scar gasped. "Scars! Oh no! How dare he! Come on, show me where they are, I gotta look after them!"

-

Cub led him down into the basement of his house and flicked a switch. It opened a hidden door that led to a staircase going down.

"They're down here. They wanted to be far, far away, so I dug a hole at bedrock, and that seemed to suffice. They were sleeping last I checked," Cub said.

"Good, I'm glad they're resting. They'll be okay, won't they?" Scar said.

"I hope so, but you never know with traumatised Allays. Sometimes it's just too much. But I'm hoping we can give them enough of an outlet so they feel okay again."

-

It was, of course, a long way down. There was some soft conversation, but both Cub and Scar felt their anxiety and rage grow the closer they got. Part of it was empathetic; they were both feeling that way anyway, but part of it was coming from the Allays as well. Eventually, they arrived at a room, with a door closing it off. The soft sounds of Allays could be heard from within, their songs still very soft and mournful.

"Just be quiet and gentle, they're really on edge," Cub murmured as he opened the door as slowly and carefully as he could.

Scar nodded and followed him in. The room was small and confined, the two Allays sleeping under a blanket on a pillow in one corner. A soul lantern in one corner offered a little light, enough to see how much dimmer the Allays were. Cub sat down beside the Allays, watching over them.

"Just sit and be quiet. They like knowing we're here. I promised we'd get revenge for them. If you want to Vex yourself up a little, I'm sure they won't mind that either," Cub said, keeping his voice low.

Scar grabbed a spare pillow and sat down. He closed his eyes a little and let his Vex features come through a little bit. Vex magic always felt more powerful when he was in Vex form. "We'll avenge them alright, don't you worry about that, little Allays. I'm still so angry! Gods. I'm a zookeeper! How dare he just kill Allays like that!"

Cub shushed him. "There's a time and a place for anger, and right now isn't it." He reached down and gently touched the Allays, who opened their eyes and sat up a little. "The Vex are here, little ones. We'll protect you. We'll avenge you."

The two Allays made soft little cries before allowing Cub and Scar to hold them. Cub held his close to his chest, offering a little Vex magic to comfort the poor creature. Scar wrapped his in a blanket and cradled them in his arms. The rage was building, and for an Allay to feel rage, well, something very bad had definitely happened to cause it.

"This is just like the one I rescued last season. The one Zed got to kill him by holding thorns armour. Man, that Allay was messed up," Cub murmured.

"I did hear about that one. I hope they're okay now."

"It took a long time, but we got there. And these guys'll get there too. And if that means we get to have a little fun along the way, well. So be it."

"So be it. Long live the Vex."

"Long live the ConVex."

[luveline]

OMG need to see more of Steve drawing reader in the zombie au!!!

steve zombie au —steve draws you all the time. fem

Sometimes, you collapse under the weight of it all. A lot of bad things have happened to you, and the world in this state is overwhelming. You used to wake in a soft, warm bed, spend days surrounded by loved ones, eating and drinking when you needed to, when you wanted to, with no worrying about where your next tube of toothpaste or toilet paper was going to come from. 

These days, you wake, and it's into a world where you've seen agony, and inhumanity, and it's hard. You're his sweetheart and he doesn't care, he'll take care of you for the rest of his life, but there's only so much he can do. 

“Sure you don't need anything else?” he whispers, pulling the linen blankets up to your chin. 

“M'sure. Thanks, Steve.” 

He feels bad touching you when you're squirming. “Yeah, no problem. I'm just gonna sit outside and read, okay? I'll be right there.” 

“Okay,” you mumble, pressing your face into your pillow. 

Steve grabs his rucksack and drags himself outside of the tent. From here, the sea of tents, he can see the fire in the centre of camp leaching smoke into the air, and he can hear the unmistakable hum of hundreds of people in one place. He figures it to be almost like an army base, and the small amount of military personnel only cements that. 

Robin's off somewhere. He misses her more and more lately, not sure where she is, but you've been sick this week. He has to stay close to home. She'll be back tonight for sure to see you both. And Eddie, your new (and, to Steve's reluctance, good) friend, popped by to see you both an hour ago. You weren't in the mood to talk and so he mostly talked to Steve about the next run for supplies. 

You're loved, but you're lonely. You lost everyone you knew. 

You need time to mourn now you're somewhere safe enough to do it. 

Steve rummages through his rucksack for his novel, but he doesn't want to read it without you. Between that and his sketchbook, he has very little to do. Still, you'd brought him those nice pencils and a new skinny sketchbook full of smooth paper, and there are pages yet to fill. 

It's all you. Every inch of space. Your unknowing smile as Eddie showed you how to make an origami crane, or your stomach in the dark as your t-shirt rode up in sleep. Your hands clasped around one of his, squeezing, and the figure of your crouched by the river watching tiny fish swim by. You're in lilac, and sepia, and green, green-green-green, the darkest green pencil he has in want of a black detailing your pupils and the seam of your lips over and over. 

He looks in through the tent door and sketches the curve of your hip under the blanket. He could likely draw you head to toe and inch by inch without reference, or he likes to think it, having seen it all a hundred times, maybe more. You sigh in your dozing and curl inwards, and he starts again. 

He notices when you start to cry because he's focused on your shoulders as they tremble. Steve folds the pen between leaves of paper and shoves it all back into his bag. To comfort you or let you cry? Sometimes people just want to be left alone. 

“Steve?” you ask through a little sniffle. 

“Yeah, honey, I'm here.” 

“Will you come in here?” 

He must be doing something right if you're calling him in when you need him. Finally, something right. Steve crawls into the tent and presses your shoulders against the tent flooring, shaking his head at you. “It's okay,” he says, enthusing his voice with a light amount of loving ridicule. “What are you crying for, huh? You're okay.” 

“Yeah, I'm okay,” you agree, snuffling as he touches your cheek. 

“You are. You're okay. You're beautiful.” He goes sticky like syrup, praising. “I'd write you love letters if I had a pen.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Just talking about how pretty you are would take up ten pages. I keep trying to get it down, you know? So when I'm gone, they'll know someone as pretty as you was walking around loving on some loser,” —you laugh wetly and distract him— “right? So why are you crying?” 

“Just don't feel well.” 

“I don't blame you,” he says, nudging a tear off of your cheek with his thumb. 

“But,” you say, smiling at him weakly, “I have to keep my head up. Yes?” 

“Yeah, honey.” He swallows a funny lump. “God, you're fucking everything when you smile.”

It's not that he doesn't care, he wants to hear it, but you just don't know how to tell him. How do you verbalise a mountain of grief? So he rescues you instead, flirts and soothes the wound with a warm smile. You respond to it as he'd hoped and perk up with a couple of carefully pressed kisses. “Sorry,” he whispers. 

“Were you drawing me, before?” 

“How'd you guess that?” 

“You were really quiet. It's like you go somewhere else.” 

“Nah. Just with you.” He clears his throat. “Did you… wanna see?” 

“Really?” 

Steve would write an itemised list of all his worst secrets if it meant you'd smile. A few pages of shoddy pencil sketches is nothing. 

[jojojoy1]

Lando Norris Fluff Alphabet

Lando Norris x reader

A = Admiration (what do they absolutely adore about you?)

He adores how much you embrace racing and support him and his career. Even when he feels like giving up, you push him and give him the motivation he needs. He admires your constant positivity towards him.

B = Body (what is their favourite part of your body?)

Your hands. Lando feels more comfortable when you're touching him. In public, you always have your hand on him, mostly holdings hands. If your in a crowd of fans where Lando's signing stuff and he can't hold your hand you will try to hold onto his waist. When behind closed doors, Lando likes feeling your hands in his hair, scratching his scalp or playing with his curls.

C = Cuddling (how do they like to cuddle?)

If you're laying on the sofa together, he will lay on top of you with his head on your chest so that he can listen to your heart beat. When spooning, Lando's the little spoon, he likes to be held by you.

D = Dates (what does their ideal date with you look like?)

Cute and casual. A walk in the park with ice cream then drive around the city talking, find a nice, secluded place to lay and watch the stars while lying in each others arms.

E = Emotions (how do they express emotion around you?)

Lando is very emotional when he's with you. Not to the point where he's over emotional but he doesn't try to hide how he's feeling from you. If he's upset or sad about something you're the first person he goes to for comfort. He feels safe with you and knows you won't judge him and how he's feeling. He doesn't talk straight away, when he is upset, he just wants to be held while he cries and once he's calmed down a bit he talks about what's going on.

F = Family (do they want one? If they do, when?)

Lando does want a family. However, he doesn't want to have one anytime soon. You're both still young and there is so much to experience before settling down and having kids.

G = Gifts (how do they feel about gift giving? What are their habits when it comes to this?)

Whenever Lando goes away for a race without you he will always make sure to bring back a little souvenir for you. He loves to spoil you, so you can definitely expect him to come home randomly with a little box for you to open.

H = Holding Hands (when/how do they like to hold hands?)

He loves to hold hands whenever you're in public. He loves to be touching you all the time, but he's also not big on pda so you just hold hands, interlocking fingers as you walk.

I = Injury (how would they act if you got hurt?)

If you are cooking and slice your hand with a knife, he is there with a wet flannel and plasters. If it's more major, with you in the hospital, he worries so much he can't think straight. He's constantly asking the nurse for updates and would be sat at your bedside every hour possible.

J = Jokes (do they like to joke around with or prank you? how?)

Lando jokes around with everyone, so you're no different. Lando is always cracking a joke with you, your laugh and smile are his favourite things in the world. Lando never crosses a line, he knows when to make a joke and when it's not the ideal time. If you're upset he is making jokes to cheer you up (it always works).

K = Kisses (how do they like to kiss you?)

Lando kisses you every chance he gets. If he's got to leave quickly you get a soft peck on your forehead, cheek or lips. If you're making out on the sofa they'll be long, slow kisses to really grasp the moment, he wants to taste and feel you so he takes his time. If you've been out at an event or something, as soon as you get home he'll be all over you, sloppy, rushed kisses because he just can't get enough of you.

L = Love (how do they show you they love you?)

Lando's love language is physical touch. He is always touching you when he gets the chance. In quiet rooms, the prize-giving ceremony, Lando squeezes your hand three times to tell you he loves you without saying it.

M = Memory (favorite memory together?)

When he got his first podium. You were at the grand prix and watching him on the podium for the first time was emotional. You were stood with his team when he ran over spraying you and everyone else with champagne. You were so proud of him and couldn't stop crying for hours after the end of the race.

N = Nightmare (what is their worst fear?)

He is always worrying that you'll leave him. He thinks he's not good enough for you and that you deserve a partner who can be there for you and someone who isn't travelling all over the world and leaving you alone for half the year.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Lando wouldn't tell you everything about himself on your first meeting, but by the time you've known him for a year or so you know each other like the back of your hand.

P = Pet Names (what do they like to call you?)

Babe, Baby, Love, Darling and Sweetie(Only in private, though)

Q = Quality Time (how do they like to spend time with you?)

Lando loves to play video games and stream with you. You're both as bad as each other when it comes to video games so it makes you both feel better. You and Lando love streaming and the fans love watching. You constantly get asked questions and you find it so much fun to answer them, you feel more connected to Landos fans.

R = Rhythm (what song reminds you of them?)

S = Secrets (how open are they with you?)

The only time you don't tell each other something is when it's a surprise for the other person. You and Lando are very open with each other, you have no secrets whatsoever.

T = Time (how long did it take you to get together?)

Lando gives off a friends to lovers trope, so it definitely took a while. You knew each other for years, all your friends could see how good you would be together but you and Lando were oblivious. Until Max pointed it out to Lando and it was a light bulb moment making him finally ask you out.

U = Upset (how do they act when you’re upset?)

When you're upset, Lando's upset. He hates seeing you sad, your smile is his favourite thing to exist, so he always aims to get you smiling as soon as he can. He makes joke so that you smile and once you've calmed down he asks you to tell him what happened.

V = Vaunt (what are they proud of? Do they like to show you off?)

Lando doesn't brag about your relationship, he wants to keep it mostly private. He doesn't hide you, though. He is in shock every day that you ever agreed to date him, so are the fans, so he does feel a sense of pride when he sees fans on twitter discussing your beauty.

W = Warrior (how do they feel about you fighting? Would they fight for you, beside you, etc?)

Lando always stands up for you. You get a lot of hate from fans and Lando never fails to call out the haters in yours or his comments. You always have a few choice words for anyone who decides to insult Lando in anyway. If you and Lando are arguing it's mostly quiet. You don't shout at each other. Passive aggressive comments, glares and the silent treatment.

X = X-Ray (how well are they able to read you?)

If something is wrong with you Lando knows immediately. You can hide it very well from everyone else but not Lando. Once he notices, he doesn't stop asking you what's wrong so that he can help you.

Y = Yes (how would they propose to you?)

He'd be really nervous about it and worrying about it being perfect and about you saying no. He'd be planning the perfect proposal for months and then just blurt out "will you marry me?" when you're lying in bed and you're really taken aback and say "of course" with the brightest smile on your face and he'd let out the biggest sigh cause now he can stop worrying.

Z = Zen (what makes them feel calm?)

You. Whenever Lando's with you he is calmer. His job is very stressful but any time you're at a race he feels much better and more confident in himself.

[loupy-mongoose]

PREVIOUS NEXT

ARC START | CHRONO

(Banished to the long dimension lol)

~~~~~~

The two felines teleported into the mountains northeast of Lavender Town.

Akoya looked around for a moment, before pointing happily. Ah! There! Smiling, Lav followed her mother as she floated over to a crevasse in the cliff wall.

She was startled to find the entry blocked by a green bubble.

As soon as she noticed it, however, it burst.

Sisiiiiiii!!!!

Suddenly she was charged by a tiny, peach-colored pompom.

In her astonishment, Lav did a backwards flip in the air, propelled by the unexpected force. Hahaha ha ha ha ha! Momo! Hey, Lil Sis! She ruffled the little Mew's head, sending them both into a giggling fit.

Sisiii!

Lav looked toward to cave entrance to see Midas crouched there, staying away from the edge but watching her longingly. Persim hovered protectively close, watching his little nephew carefully. Akoya approached the two and scooped Midas up. Lav felt a pang as she realized how big he had gotten. It's a good thing Momo can fly now.

The small collection of Mews gathered into the cave, which was barely big enough to fit their biggest member comfortably.

Before he could say anything, Lav managed to snatch her uncle up in a hug.

Hhgh!?

Sorry, Uncle Perzi. I know you're not really into hugs. But I'm so happy to see you!

I-It's fine! Just this once, for you, Lavvy. His voice was strained as he fought the urge to teleport away.

Soon Lav released him, and noticed Midas looking up at her with big, pleading eyes.

Instead of hugging him, she crouched down and wrapped her tail and arms around him. Hi, Midas. It's good to see you, too!

The little Mew gave her a lick on the cheek, startling Lav and melting her heart. She pulled him into a gentle squeeze, being careful to not overwhelm him.

Beside her, little Rosemary poked her face out of her daddy's pelt. Mee?

Hello, Rosie~! Lav carefully held her finger toward her. The little red Mew dabbed it with her nose before disappearing back into her orange shelter.

Persim flicked his fluff-tipped tail, a concerned frown on his face. Where's Randy?

Akoya settled into a crouch, tucking her arms under he chest. He went for a walk with our unexpected host. Something came up, and he's... having a rough time right now.

Oh...

We thought we'd come check in while he's gone.

We're doing alright. Aren't we, Kiddos?

Momo and Midas stared blankly at him.

...Okay, so the kits have been a bit bored.

Akoya looked at her two Mew children. Midas was contently loafing beside Lav's face, while Momo was pawing a pebble around on the floor.

Her ear flicked thoughtfully. Hmmmm....

What's up, Mom?

Akoya turned to Lav. Maybe we could bring them to Fuji's place?

Persim tilted his head. Fuji? Is that that "host" you mentioned? Is... is it a human?

Lav sat up, earning a protesting Mah! from her brother.

Yes. She ignored Persim's horrified glare. He feels like a good man to me, and we already showed him that we're Mews. So that's one hurdle out of the way.

He takes care of hurt and mistreated Pokemon. So I'm sure he'd have the twins' best interests at heart. He'd love them!

Seeing Perzi's still uncertain face, Akoya went on. I'll talk to Randy about it first, of course. If he doesn't think that's what's best, I'll listen. But I think they'll be safer there than here.

You don't have to come with us, if we do. But I trust Mr. Fuji. I trust we'll all be safe there.

Persim still looked uncertain, but didn't argue. Well, you've met him, and both seem to agree. So who am I to say otherwise? Just... be careful.

We will.

The Mews settled around the cave, just chilling and chatting, or attempting to curb Momo's excitement.

As Lav waggled her finger for the little puffball to to follow and catch, Akoya turned to her.

Lav, has Nico mentioned Mo to you?

Lav thought for a moment, caught off guard by the question. She jolted when Momo bit into her finger. Ouch, gentle mouth, Momo.

Sowwy, Sisi.

Lav smiled and gave Momo an accepting head ruffle before turning to her mom. No, he hasn't. He didn't get to know Mo. He's told me that he remembers seeing his parent Mew float away, and that's all he knows.

Ah. Okay.

Lav didn't say the continuation of her thought; that Nico seemed to feel his parent--Mo-- abandoned him.

She drifted into her own thoughts as Akoya and Persim engaged in their own conversation. Thinking about how her dad was doing. Thinking about how she should go about approaching him.

Thinking about how she should approach Nico.

Lavender?

Lav hopped onto her hands and feet, her eyes wide and pelt standing on end. She scanned the cave wildly.

Lav? You okay, Hon?

The pale Mewtwo shook herself, attempting to flatten her telltale fur. I-I'm fine. Just one of those... falling asleep nightmares, y'know? She turned toward the cave entrance. I'm gonna go get some air.

Lav ignored the doubtful look on her mom's face as she walked out. Once certain that she wasn't followed, she sat down and took a few stabilizing breaths.

When she was calmed down, she carefully reached out, keeping out of her family's mindfields.

Nico?

His response was immediate. Lavender!

Lav smiled. Nico! Jeez, you scared me! It sounded like you were right next to me!

Sorry!

...

You made it to Kanto, didn't you?

Lav struggled to not react to the statement, afraid that one of the Mews would notice.

How did you know?

...

Our connection is stronger...

Lav felt a strange thrill rush through her body.

So you must be closer to me.

Y... You're in Kanto?

Yes...

Lavender took a moment to control her feelings, and the energy they might be giving out.

...We could meet...

We could actually meet. In person.

If...

If my family would be okay with it...

Are they with you?

Yeah... They caught up really quickly... Impressively so, really.

Good.

Lav flicked an ear in annoyance. "Good"?

I'm glad they followed you. I told you from the beginning that coming on your own was risky.

Lav sighed quietly. Yeah, you did. Despite her best efforts, her ears fell back in guilt. And it ended up being for nothing anyway.

What do you mean?

I came alone to keep my family from getting hurt, but my dad's still the one suffering from this...

She stopped to consider how much she should tell him.

I... I don't want to tell you too much right now, okay? I already feel like I betrayed my dad's trust, and I don't want to do it any more. I want to talk some stuff out with him first.

I understand.

You're a sweet girl, Lav. Considering your family's needs.

Be patient, okay? I'm sure we'll meet someday, but I would rather have it be on good terms. With everyone involved.

Lavender smiled. ...Yeah... I agree...

We'll talk later, Nico. I hope we can meet soon...

I hope so too, Lav. Talk to you later.

Akoya floated over to her Mewtwo daughter in the cave entrance. She purred to make herself known, causing Lav to turn her way.

She nuzzled Lav's face before speaking quietly. You were talking to Nico, weren't you?

The 'two's tail flicked. H-How'd you know?

Akoya ignored the words of the question, and decided to focus on the feelings behind them.

You don't need to be shy about connecting with him, Hon. So far we really don't have any reason to say you shouldn't... She thought for a moment. Well, aside from you thinking what you know about him would make your dad more afraid than he already is.

Lavender's ears fell back as the words from her note were spoken to her.

Akoya's face grew serious. ...Lav, tell me the truth. Is there anything your dad and I should be afraid of about Nico?

Lav took a second to form the words. Once she was ready, she looked steadily into her mom's eyes.

As he is now, no. I don't think so.

But as he was...

Akoya raised an eyebrow at the hesitation, urging her to go on.

He was made to be a weapon... and... for a while, he lived it... He killed Pokemon and people...

But he changed. He's not like that anymore. Fuji helped him learn what kindness was, and Jovie helped him practice it.

He regrets what he did in the past.

The blue Mew kept her face even as Lavender spoke to her. Her thoughts tumbled in her mind as the little Mewtwo watched her expectantly.

After a while, Akoya sighed and shook her head lightly. I don't think your dad or I will ever have a clear picture of him until we talk to him ourselves.

All I can do for now is take your word for it, Lav. But if you start keeping vital information from us... We may have to put a stop to you connecting with him.

Lavender gave a solemn nod. I understand, Mom. I promise, I'll bring everything to you guys as soon as I can from now on. And I won't tell Nico anything until I get the okay!

Akoya smiled lightly, though her eyes were still thoughtful. She hovered over and gave Lav a kiss on the forehead.

We don't want to control you, though... We know you're your own person, and can make your own decisions... We just want to make sure you know how to make them safely...

I know, Mom. She gently butted her head against Akoya's with a warm smile of her own. I love you.

I love you too, Lav.

The blue Mew floated back from Lav a little bit.

I'm going to check on your dad. I'll be back soon~

Mom, wait.

She stopped and glanced back.

There's one more thing about Nico, that I just learned...

He's in Kanto.

~~~~~~

PREVIOUS NEXT

ARC START | CHRONO

I never had them talk about it on screen, but Lav did tell Nico that she was planning on coming by herself.

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

if the mc had issues with disassociation how would the m6 help keep them grounded?

The Arcana HCs: M6 helping MC with disassociation

~ ah, the perfect opportunity for some fluffy headcanons. learning to live inside your own body full-time can be tricky and overwhelming, so have some comfort my dears! - brainrot ~

Julian

He's the type of person to completely fixate on something to the point of tuning everything else out, so he just assumes you're zoning out too at first

Until he spends more time with you and starts to realize that there's more going on

He takes a doctor's approach, figuring out different ways to measure how you're doing and help you ground

One of the ways he tests how disassociated you are is telling you an extravagant story and watching how you react. How long does it take for you to either play into or call him on his BS?

Cycles through different approaches recommended in medical research to find what works best to ground you

He's very good at guiding you through one minute meditations, gently placing a cool hand over your eyes and telling you to focus on your face, your jaw, your shoulders, etc

If he notices you're completely out of it in public, he'll make your excuses for you and guide you somewhere more private to check in on you

Asra

Safe touch. So much touch

They're pretty clued in to you, but Faust picks up on your state faster than you do most of the time. She'll alert Asra if they haven't noticed yet, sliding across your shoulders for a squeeze

He takes a very subtle approach to grounding you unless you're both alone

It'll mostly be pushing at your heart's bond, helping you find and hold onto a mental tether for your body while they hold your hand

If you're home or alone, he'll use some simple spells to make your surroundings more engaging, maybe some colorful whorls to watch or a glowing light to hold

They also like using their own body to engage you, to the extent that you're comfortable with it. They'll hold you to their heartbeat and give you their hands to squeeze and play with

They love zoning out too, so if you're in a good mental space they'll pull you into a pillow pile and spend the afternoon staring at the ceiling with you

Nadia

Being as perceptive as she is, she gets her own understanding of what's going on before you describe it to her

The way she sees it, it's like your mind kicks itself into a detached, dreamlike state while your body is still awake

Which saddens her, because she thinks your body is fantastic and you deserve to enjoy your life without anything in the way

If it's in public, she'll keep a sharp eye on you and run her hand along your arm, waiting for a good moment to ground you without pulling too much attention to you

In more private settings, she's much freer

She'll call attention to different parts of your body, the way she's holding your hands, the carpet under your feet, the perfumed oils she's holding under your nose

She does struggle a bit with feeling rejected at first, when she's talking to you and she watches the way your eyes grow distant

But she understands where you're coming from, and is always ready to guide you back to her where you belong

Muriel

He noticed you regularly dissociating right off the bat. It takes one to know one

Though he didn't really think to try helping you ground yourself until he saw Inanna responding the same way she does for him

He immediately recognized her behavioral patterns, the way she kept poking her cold, wet nose into your hands and face and leaning all of her warm, furry weight into you

If it's nice out, he'll take you on a walk through the woods and hand you a few light, sensory things to hold for him, like a feather or patch of moss or smooth rock

If it's better to stay in he'll invite you to make something with him, maybe basket weaving or wrapping a new grip on one of his tools

Won't let you carve or do anything involving a knife, just to be safe

Very good at reading whether being out of touch is actually a safe thing for you right now, and follows through accordingly

If you're in public then he'll take your hand and leave with you (he didn't really want to be there either)

Portia

She's the quickest to notice when you're not listening anymore, though at first she assumed it was because she wasn't interesting enough

Once she knows what's going on, she's always prepared and knows exactly what to do to make things easier for you to ground yourself

As observant as she is, she's not very confident in her abilities to actually ground you, but she'll be present and encouraging the whole time

If you're in public, she'll cover for you until she can get you somewhere safer and quieter

She'll make you feel cozy and safe - fuzzy blankets, a hot or cold drink depending on the weather, a music box to listen to, whatever stimulates your senses without being overwhelming

Pepi is so helpful. She'll climb on your lap, knead whatever she can reach, and purr as loudly as she can

Lots of hugs and hand holding

Lucio

He assumes it's perfectly normal

Shell shock, that's what all the medics on the field called it. If you want to spend the day staring at the wall, he'll just entertain himself until you're back to reality

When you apologize for being out of it all day he's surprised, and even more so when you tell him it's not an ideal thing to do

Very ready to help you ground yourself, but he's still working on his patience and shaking your shoulders while he tells you "alright, it's safe, you can come back now" doesn't work that well

Until Mercedes and Melchior get involved. They'll lick your face, push their furry bodies against you, and yip and whine until you're feeling better

Since they do so well, Lucio figures he can leave you in their capable paws and focus on keeping you safe instead

You two will eventually discover that sparring is a very effective method of grounding, and you'll end up doing that together every afternoon

[gabessquishytum]

all the werewolf and mafia asks have inspired me. so! Werewolf Mafia-ish, idea #1

Werewolves (and other supernatural creatures?) are known. Some cities have bigger werewolf populations than others and the rules are... different, there. Most regular laws still apply but the wolves are dangerous and they have their own rules and laws that everyone living in a werewolf controlled city has to follow. Follow the rules, and you'll be fine. Probably.

Hob is living in one of those places. Not by necessarily by choice, mind- Eleanor was a werewolf and so is Robyn and Hob figures Robyn is better off in a mostly-wolf city than a mostly-human one.

So he pushes through it, teaching during the week and tending bar on the weekends to try and put himself through grad school so he can give Robyn a better life (they were young parents- poor Hob is only 25 and raising a 5 year old on his own).

And then Hob meets Dream. More accurately, Dream (Endless, leader of his pack and ruler of this town) catches his scent and hunts him down. Dream has made his claim on him and between the wolf laws and Dream being who he is, Hob has no choice but to accept, if only for Robyn's sake.

Unfortunately for Hob (and fortunately for Dream), Hob has never even kissed another man, let alone fuck (or been fucked by) one; he's certainly never been knotted.

Luckily, Dream is a patient man. Or as patient as he can be- he wants Hob ready in a month so they can complete the claim under the full moon where it'll be at its strongest; a knot and a bite (not necessarily a turning, not if he doesn't want it) and Dream's own mark on him.

(Hob and Robyn move in with Dream when Dream promises they'll both be taken care of. Hob will get to focus on school and his son, and Robyn will get to be around other werewolves full time and get a brother in the form of 7 year old Orpheus.

At least Hob doesn't have to worry about him being unsupervised; now he can focus on his bi awakening in the form of Dream's touch and teachings <3)

OOO pack leader Dream AND claiming AND kinda arranged marriage!! I like it!!

Once Hob has moved into Dream’s place full time, he gets a full presentation with what to expect from mating a male werewolf. Dream brings in a Doctor to explain the biology, a were-sex and relationships coach to help Hob understand what it will really be like. It's going to be nothing like his life with Eleanor, and he's almost glad that he won't just be replacing his first love.

He's still nervous though. Dream has extremely high status, and Hob will have to contribute to pack life as his mate. He doesn't want to let Dream down. And Dream is also powerful physically. He tracked Hob down by scent alone, and he's stronger and faster than Hob is used to, even after Eleanor. Hob finds it so hard to relax, although he's accepted his new life. How can he be the mate that Dream obviously expects him to be?

Cue Dream trying to make Hob feel safe and comfortable in his new home and relationship. Hob comes home to find that Dream has made a nest for them the share, a big soft cocoon lined with soft things and comfort items. They awkwardly cuddle up and Hob realises that Dream’s scent is actually soothing him. He ends up falling asleep in Dream’s arms and wakes to find Robyn and Orpheus cuddled up too. At last, Hob feels a rush of love and warmth, like he doesn't want to be anywhere else in the world.

Of course there's the issue of... warming up to the mating. Its a major moment of self discovery for Hob. For the first time he practices penetration with a series of increasingly large toys, and... his body loves it. It's the most natural thing in the world. He stays up for hours in the night until he's cum dry and he's completely exhausted. It just feels too good to stop. Apparently, Dream is getting his own little knotslut as a mate. Lucky him.

The more he plays with himself and spends time with Dream, the more Hob wants. He practically begs Dream to fuck him but he won't, not until the appointed him. Hob has to make do with lots of kissing and touching and general shenanigans in the nest, but no knotting. Not yet.

He realises, by the time full moon comes around, that he's happy. Robyn is happy. Dream seems happy too, and doesn't seem to regret choosing Hob as a mate. Quite the opposite in fact. He can't keep his hands off Hob.

And when he howls Hob’s name out on their first knotting, the whole town will hear and know that their love is blossoming.

[every-aj-needs-an-angel]

Part 1 sorry this took so long, the heatwave melted my brain

It took far longer than either of them intended to make it to breakfast, mainly because once Eddie had finished making a mess of the both of them, he had insisted on washing Steve's hair for him, which honestly was the most blissful out-of-body thing that he'd ever experienced; but as the two of them walked down the boulevard together, brushing shoulders and for a lack of a better word, giggling, Steve couldn't remember feeling happier. 

Eddie had the most gorgeous smile and every time he directed it at Steve, god! he felt… lighter, like he could float away any second, but at the same time, just by that same smile, he knew without a doubt that Eddie had him tethered safely to the ground. 

And holy fuck if it wasn't just the best feeling! It wasn't something Steve had ever experienced before, because yeah, he's got Robin, but she's a steady kind of safety, he knows beyond doubt that they're two halves of a whole, she's his rock as much as he's hers and the day they met something just fell into place for both of them. And he has his little found family, he knows he can go home to them (or they'll come to him) any time, he knows he's safe in their embrace, like they're his shelter in a storm. 

But this is different, he barely knows Eddie, hasn't spent more than a few hours with him, but it's like Eddie has this protective bubble around them both, like they're floating along together in this impenetrable shield and the outside world means nothing when he's held in Eddie's gaze, and he just knows he's safe, he can feel it deep in his bones.

And jesus! when they kiss! He's never felt anything like it. It’s like he's filled with bubbles that not only pop but fizzle, like someone's dropped a bathbomb into his chest, letting it froth and effervesce, like it's rolling and twirling around churning up his insides in the most spectacular way, and he almost can't breathe because of it. 

It's fucking weird and glorious all at once. 

Too much and not enough and he never wants it to stop because he knows he's never felt this way about anyone before, hell he hadn't even known it could feel this way and it's kinda scaring the living shit out of him because what if the last few hours were all Eddie wanted, what if Eddie's here for a fun time and not a long time and Steve has to go back home and learn to live without feeling like this.

Eddie nudged him gently, snapping him out of his spiral into the abyss, his eyes landing on Eddie's warm affectionate grin, following his pointing arm to where Robin and Chris were in the cafe across the street, sitting in a booth by the window, leaning into one another across the table, deep in conversation and grinning brighter than the Nevada sun. 

Robin blushed deeply as Chris tucked a stray piece of her hair behind her ear, and Steve had seen that look before (usually aimed at him) but he'd never seen her look like that before, not with Jamie or Izzy and certainly not with Sammi ("Sammi with an 'i'", god he'd really hated her), because yeah she was blushing, that was nothing new, but she looked comfortable! She wasn't ducking her head, becoming all flustered and shy, no, she looked relaxed, confident even, like she'd known her forever. 

The pair were so engrossed in each other that neither of them even glanced up as the bell above the door jingled when he and Eddie entered. Robin completely missing the way Eddie’s hand fit so naturally into the small of his back as he guided him gently over to their table. Steve felt giddy from it, like he was floating on air! It was so incredibly intimate and a little bit possessive, like Eddie couldn't keep his hands off of him and Steve just knew it was going to be his main topic of conversation for at least the next century. 

Honestly, he couldn't even be that mad that she'd missed it, not when he saw how content and engrossed she was with Chris. He hadn't seen her smile that much since Vickie, which now that he thought about it was far too long ago for his liking. Normally on first dates she went for this cool, aloof thing, trying to push her real personality down for reasons Steve had never understood, but Robin was genuinely smiling, her real toothy, goofy grin as she chatted animatedly. 

And Chris seemed equally spellbound, eyes wide and nodding, giggly and captivated. Not that it was surprising to Steve, Robin had always had this otherworldly quality about her; his best friend was beautiful, anyone could see that, but if she was passionate enough about a topic, she seemed to glow and her voice alone became sort of mesmerising.

Like the one time they’d actually got to work early, during a particularly cold snap, and while they were waiting for Jeremy to open up, Robin had started to tell Steve all about Yetis and the difference between Bigfoot and the Abominable Snowman. Only what neither of them realised was that instead of having a ten-minute chat, they’d actually sat there for three hours. Unfortunately, they were already on their last warning for being late, so it had got them fired, but they weren't too bothered, the worst thing about it was trying to find a new job in below-freezing weather.

The girls only really looked away from one another when he and Eddie slid into the booth next to their respective best friends, both still dressed up to the nines, Robin's mascara all but gone, bits all down her cheeks from where she'd rubbed at it. But it was her beaming smile told Steve all he needed to know, she was elated, she'd had a brilliant night, she couldn't wait to relay every detail to him later, and oh my god, Evie, she's amazing, I think I'm in love!

That sent Steve's attention across the table, the two best friends seemed to be having a similarly telepathic conversation, their attention quickly turning away from each other back to Steve and Robin. But it was funny how Chris and Robin had almost precisely timed Steve and Eddie’s arrival because no sooner had Steve been reintroduced to Chrissy, "Eds' BFF, platonic soulmate and personal cheerleader!", the waitress arrived with food for the four of them.

Steve was kind of glad for the distraction of plates and cutlery and condiments because shaking Chrissy's hand had sent another vision into Steve's mind of meeting her and Eddie the night before and as far as he could remember he was being so embarrassingly obvious in his attraction to Eddie, that he'd barely taken his eyes off of him long enough to have the common decency to even glance in her direction. 

Being pathetically obsessed within the first five minutes, real smooth Steve!

They ate silently to begin with, happily just enjoying their meals; the food was delicious, and it had been far too long since any of them had had any proper nourishment. And Robin, his heavenly, wondrous Robin, had ordered his favourite dish, which with every mouthful was soothing the lingering aches of his hangover and given the blissed-out little moans slipping out of Eddie every now and again, he was clearly enjoying whatever meaty, eggy, goodness Chrissy had ordered for him.

Eventually though, sitting across from Eddie started to become just a tiny bit tortuous, especially when one particular groan, resonating from the back of his throat, brought forth a very clear vision of Eddie on his back in bed, making that very same sound as Steve kissed his way down his body. Fucking hell! 

Suddenly Steve wasn't all that embarrassed about whatever he'd done that'd attracted Eddie to him because he truly was a sight to behold, in bed or otherwise.

Steve's attention was snapped away from thoughts of naked-Eddie back to the cafe when Chrissy giggled, at what he wasn't sure, he could only assume it was an inside joke when Eddie elbowed her playfully, snorting and mumbling a whined "shut. up!" even though she hadn't said a word. His pretty dimples coming out as he shoved more food in his mouth, keeping his gaze on his meal and smiling reluctantly around his fork as she cackled beside him.

Robin nudged him under the table with her foot and gave him a look that said "this dork, really?" And Steve couldn't help but grin because yes this dork and his adorable cheerleader, if it were up to him they'd keep the pair of them forever because watching the two best friends tease each other was just too fucking cute! Almost like looking through a picture book filled with their rich history, their deep adoration etched into the smiles on every page.

Steve didn't know what it was about them, they just both had that something; Robin would call it an aura, but it just felt good to be around them. The happiness they shared together exuded, pulling you in rather than pushing you out and Steve just wanted to bask in it, like he was Yurtle and Eddie and Chrissy were the heat lamp.

Steve knew he hadn't always been the best judge of character, he'd been duped a time or two, but he trusted Robin's instincts, if she thought Chrissy was a good person, good enough to spend all night with, good enough to maybe be in love with, then Steve believed it unquestionably, because in all the time he'd known her she'd never been wrong about someone. 

She'd never liked Ashley and quite right too given the little rat was the one who'd been feeding HR all the reports that'd got them both fired. She'd hated Billy from the minute she met him, and well the less he thought about that the better. She’d felt the same abhorration for Carl, the electrician who as it turned out was wanted in several states for crimes he didn't like to think too closely about, given he'd left Robin alone with him. 

When, in a fit of desperation, Steve had joined a dating service and met Angel (or SheDevil as Robin liked to refer to her as) who as it turned out was one of his dads "business associates" who (for some sick reason neither of them could fathom) had wanted to sleep with Steve; Robin had gone berserk, they’d had a massive fight before he’d left for his date but even when he came back shaken and tempestuous, she never said I told you so, she just wrapped him up in a blanket, made him a hot chocolate and let him cry into her shoulder until he felt better. 

That was the day he decided he was always going to trust her gut unconditionally because it was clear she would always just know better than he did.

So Steve knew Eddie and Chrissy must be something truly special for Robin to be so comfortable around them, for her to let Steve get married because as much as she claimed she was powerless against his determination, they both knew that wasn't true. He was well and truly wrapped around her little finger and if she'd said no and meant it he would've trusted her intuition implicitly. She was his soulmate for a reason, not only because he wasn't entirely sure he could survive without her, but because she was the brains of the pairing; he still wasn't entirely sure how he’d managed to stay alive for the first two decades of his life without her.

He'd been so deep in thought that he started when Robin began chatting perpetually again; it was uncanny how she always did that, like she could almost sense that was thinking about her, so she’d just start talking, about anything and everything. He'd missed the white noise of her voice, like he always did when she was quiet, mainly because if her voice wasn't filling the space, his mind just had this tendency to run away with him, like a train on a track heading downhill. 

Although, he could’ve lived happily without the vicariously embarrassing blow-by-blow of the night before.

Apparently, the four of them had met each other in the third club Steve and Robin had been in, Steve had spotted Eddie across the room and immediately started his five-drink-Steve ritual of making it his mission to keep Eddie forever. 

No-one was more surprised than Robin when Steve's tactics had actually worked, her and Chrissy clicking over their mutual love and mortification they felt for their, platonic with a capital p, soulmates.

Apparently, nine-drink-Eddie had decided to ask twelve-drink-Steve to marry him, Steve, somewhat unsurprisingly, gave him a teary yes before he'd really had the chance to finish asking.

They were married by a man Robin was convinced was actually Elvis (nobody had the heart to correct her).

No-one could decide who should hold the bouquet, so they had one each, both girls caught Eddie's, whereas Steve, for all his sporting prowess, managed to hit the receptionist in the face with his, getting them promptly thrown out of the chapel.

Steve was already half naked before they'd even made it back to the hotel, it was undecided who'd undressed him. A mystery only Vegas knew the answer to. They’d made it across the hotel lobby by the grace of god and because Chrissy had played her "help the pretty blonde card" with the guy at the front desk as a distraction. 

Robin had no more details for their night, but Steve was pretty sure he could piece the rest of that together himself, he was just glad the lift had been empty after all. 

And the girls had had a whale of a time after they'd ushered the newly-weds off to bed, they'd carried on to several venues, including a drag show, another wedding (one that was actually planned for longer than five minutes!) a concert, three more bars, and finally headed back to the hotel.

"And then Chrissy rang Nancy! Oh my god, Steve! It's such a small world, right, 'cause Eds and Chris are from Indy too. It's crazy we've never met, huh? But anyway, we were thinking how funny would it be if Eds' dickhead ex opened the paper this morning to find out he's already moved on, and not only that, moved on with the King of Hawkins High himself! 'Cause Eds' ex is from Hawkins, like you! I bet you knew him! But yeah, turns out Chris knows Nancy, you know, your Nancy and well..."

Robin was definitely still speaking, but Steve's ears had started to ring again, not because his head was hurting but because he was pretty sure he was about to throw up! Nancy had put their wedding announcement in the Indy Independent, the very paper everyone he'd ever known read, including his parents! Not that he cared what they thought, but going from fired to married in a little over a week was a twist even for him. And Hop and Claudia! They were going to go absolutely mental! And the kids! At least they’d probably find it a little funny, unlike Hop who’d blow his top for sure.

Well, that's one way for everyone to find out! And no doubt Nancy found it beyond hilarious.

He and Nancy hadn't parted on the best terms. They'd broken up during a massive argument two days before their first anniversary, apparently he'd wanted more than she could possibly give him because she "just couldn't imagine staying with the same guy forever", only for her then to start up with her photographer boyfriend a few weeks later and as far as Steve knew they were still together all these years later, so that was obviously utter bullshit. 

When Steve had continued babysitting the kids they'd tried to be friends, well given how little time they ever spent in the same room together, he supposed that classed as them trying to be civil, mainly for Will and Mike's sake, but Steve was grateful when Jon and Nancy had moved away after graduation.

And Steve didn't see them again for a long time, it was just sods fucking law that he happened to bump into them right after everything had imploded with Billy. 

Robin had finally convinced him to go with her to a club she knew, he hadn't really wanted to be there in the first place and seeing Nancy again was the last thing he needed, feeling far too sore for the pitying look she gave him, he'd kicked off big time, trying to get her to admit that the real reason she'd left him was because he was just unlovable.

It wasn't his best night, and given she'd left in tears, it probably wasn't hers either. So he's no doubt she found it laugh-out-loud pathetic that the only way he'd eventually got married was to a total stranger while off his tits on holiday.

Steve glanced over at Eddie to see he'd gone white as a sheet, he gently called his name a couple of times, but he seemed to be in a world all of his own. Steve wanted to reach for his hand, but he wasn't sure how Eddie would react to that, and he didn't want to freak him out more, so he left his hand palm up on the tabletop next to Eddie’s hoping it was enough, leaving him a clear indicator that his comfort was there if he wanted it.

Eddie stayed in his trance for a few more minutes before a car drove past the restaurant, bouncing light through the window, causing Steve's ring to glint in his vision. That seemed to snap him out of it, Eddie all but throwing his hand into Steve's, gripping it tightly.

"Dan knows?" Eddie's voice shook with what sounded like disbelief. Steve, worrying he might burst into tears any second, started rubbing his thumb soothingly along Eddie’s knuckles.

Steve thought back to all the Daniel's he'd known in high school, couldn't think of a single one of them good enough for Eddie, and although King Steve wasn't good enough for Eddie either, at least he'd made the effort to become a better person.

A person who could maybe be good enough for someone like Eddie, with his resplendent smile and his inspirational laugh, his wondrous voice and wicked tongue. But clearly Dan hadn't bothered to grow, he'd stayed the same small town jumped-up dickhead that thought he was too good for the remarkable man in front of him.

More fool him! 

Dan's loss and hopefully, if he played his cards right, Steve's gain.

Steve brought his other hand up to join the first, so he was cradling Eddie's hand in both of his, trying to be as comforting as he could from across the table, but then Eddie had started to laugh, deep and brilliant and merry, as though it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard.

"Oh, ho, ho! I wish I could've seen his face! I wonder if Jason took a picture? We could get it framed! OH! Album cover!" Eddie was practically vibrating in his seat, Chrissy joining in with his raucous laughter.

Steve looked at Robin, she looked equally baffled, oh good it's not just me! 

As much as Steve wished he had a clue, it was nice to see how easily Chrissy matched Eddie's energy, bouncing up and down next to him, waving her arm frantically, "Oh, no, no, no! Stage backdrop!" she managed between peels of laughter, making Eddie laugh so hard he started banging the table with his free hand, desperately trying to catch his breath.

Chrissy looked across the booth, quickly catching his and Robin's confusion, sucking in a deep breath and jumping right into regaling them with stories of Eddie's early music career. Of Corroded Coffins' humble beginnings, practising in Jeff's garage and playing to disinterested patrons of their local bar. How they'd caught a break getting a regular gig in Indy, how they'd been discovered by a scout who just happened to be passing through. How they'd been on the edge of stardom, only for Eddie to have his dreams squashed with the promise of forever that never came to fruition, no matter how much Eddie conformed to Dan's every demand.

Steve listened in awe, Chrissy was an excellent storyteller and Eddie turned a beautiful shade of crimson whenever his best friend praised him, but Eddie's demeanour changed as the story became heartbreaking and all Steve could do was squeeze Eddie’s hand tighter; he knew what it was like to live with a dream squasher, someone who wanted to mould you into what they wanted you to be, instead of loving you for who you are. Not that he could understand how anyone would want to try to change Eddie, or how anyone could want to take anything away from him; or how anyone could see how happy his dreams made him and not want to do everything in their power to make them come true.

He could tell Robin was equally fascinated, but Vegas was clearly catching up with her, she was desperately trying to fight sleep, nodding off and shifting, staying awake for a few minutes to keep listening to Chris' stories but nodding off again. When Robin nearly face-planted her empty plate, Chrissy interrupted herself to suggest they head back to the hotel. 

Not that Robin wanted to leave their company, she whined and protested, but quickly settled as soon as Eddie suggested they all meet up in the evening to go to a concert. Steve didn't quite catch the name of the artist, but from the way Robin bounced on the balls of her feet, he could tell she was excited about them. Steve didn't care if they were going to see the Queen of England's attempt at a comedy gig, Rick Astley repeat Never Gonna Give You Up for two hours straight or an elderly man give a talk about growing tomatoes, he was just happy to be spending more time with them.

It was hot out on The Strip, the sun high in the sky, bathing them in light and making Eddie look almost ethereal as he walked quietly by Steve's side. Eddie wasn't looking at him like he had been when they'd set off to the restaurant, he was glancing around at all the sights of Vegas, so Steve felt free to really look. Even looking at Eddie's profile knocked the breath out of Steve like a smack to the chest, he was just so beautiful, Steve felt more like he was looking at a piece of art than a human being. 

Eddie’s hair wasn't just brown, in the sunlight Steve could see it was a mix of every colour, blondes and reds and browns all intermingled in his little ringlets. Neither were his eyes, they were speckled with gold and amber flecks that shone and sparkled as the light reflected from them. His pale skin was slowly turning pink in the midday heat, making a multitude of tiny scars on his face and neck shimmer. Steve wanted to kiss every one, he wanted to know the stories behind each mark, wanted to heal the past hurts with gentle caresses. 

How could anyone ever want to hurt you?

With that thought, Steve's mind couldn't help but wander to Eddie and Dan's relationship, he just couldn't get over how endlessly unfair it was that Eddie had had to go through a relationship like that. Being in love with someone who didn't love you back was terrible enough, but being with someone willing to manipulate you into giving up your dreams, into becoming a whole other person out of desperation to be a good partner then to have the nerve to publicly blame you for the demise of the relationship, was just horrific. 

Eddie didn't deserve that, he deserved someone willing to hang the moon and the stars for him.

And as much as a sick part of Steve understood the desire to want to keep Eddie all to himself, to keep his voice all for himself because when he thought back to the way Eddie had drawn him in without even making a true effort, Steve knew that if Eddie sang with intent the whole world would want a piece. But he supposed the difference was, he understood how selfish it would be to do that, to stand in Eddie's way of making his dreams come true, to not actively help him to actualize those dreams, to stop him from sharing his gifts with the world! 

Eddie drew him out of his musings by bumping his shoulder into Steve's, a warm, playful smile on his face that Steve couldn't help but respond to, gesturing behind them with his eyes. Eddie seemed delighted when Steve snuck a glance over his shoulder at Chrissy and Robin; they were holding hands, Robin, getting more drowsy with every step they took in the intense heat, was practically being held up by Chrissy, not that it had any effect on the dopey smiles they were directing at each other. 

"Adorable" Eddie mouthed when Steve's gaze flicked back to him, he couldn't help but agree, even if he did feel that little twinge of jealousy that the two of them could be so freely wrapped up in one another. Apart from when he was dating a girl, Steve never felt confident being openly affectionate in public, he always felt like it needed a big conversation about what the other person was comfortable with, and then he was accused of overthinking everything and making it weird.

He knew it was down to the way Billy had treated him and the thing was it made sense back in Hawkins but when they'd moved to Indy they lived in a safe part of town, he saw couples just being themselves all the time but the one time he accidentally grabbed Billy's hand during a thriller at the cinema, he'd acted like it was the end of the world, like Steve had doomed them somehow and when something so small causes your partner to temporarily move out it's bound to make you self-conscious.

Steve was glad when they arrived back at the hotel, he was fine in the sunshine, other than the time when he was fifteen and he'd fallen asleep in one of his sun loungers for eight or so hours, he never burned, but Eddie's cheeks already had a permanent pinkening and Robin may as well be a vampire she burned so easily, Chrissy had rosy cheeks now too, but he wasn't sure whether that was down to the sun or Robin's affection. 

The lobby air conditioning had perked Robin up like a slap to the face, she was back to chattering easily with Eddie, telling elaborate stories of her marching band days, waving not only her own hands about but Chrissy's too where she hadn't realised she hadn't let go, not that Chris seemed to mind. Steve couldn't help but smile at them, they were too cute; even Vickie eventually became tired of Robin's rambling, she’d learned ways to discreetly quieten her, but Robin noticed, of course she did, it was the reason for the first time he'd ever seen Robin cry, but Chris just seemed enchanted, it made Steve's heart happy.

Steve was trying to keep track of their conversation, but his brain was blanking, now they were back in the midst of the hotel he was suddenly uneasy, every second that ticked by, every step they took was one closer to having to part, but they couldn’t linger, it was check-in time so reception was manic with pushing and shoving and people vying for attention. Steve was glad when the lift dinged so they could be away from the hubbub, the doors sliding open like a welcoming embrace. 

Seeming to sense his change in mood, Eddie snuck his hand into the small of his back to guide him into the lift, immediately calming Steve; Robin noticed, falling silent halfway through her sentence to poke Steve hard in the ribs, smirking and mouthing, "adorable" at him. 

Steve let out a breathy laugh and blushed deeply, melting further when the doors slid closed and Eddie snaked his arms around Steve's waist, propping his chin on Steve's shoulder. It warmed his heart to have him so close, to think that maybe he was equally anxious to be apart. Eddie snapping out of his contemplation by laughing heartily when Robin looked at the two of them with feigned disgust, but it didn't take long for her to turn into an adorably blushing mess as soon as Chrissy did the same thing to her.

With two floors separating them, the foursome found it incredibly difficult to part from one another, Chrissy wouldn’t let go of Robin’s hand and Steve was leaning against the doors forcing them to stay open for as long as possible while they checked and double-checked and triple-checked the arrangements for meeting up later in the evening. It was only when an elderly couple wanted to use the elevator that Steve reluctantly let it go, he and Robin staring forlornly at the closed doors for several moments before sighing heavily and turning to head to their room.

Robin headed straight to the bathroom for a shower, muttering under her breath about everything being wet. What could he say? They’d had fun! He knew she didn't really care about the state of the bathroom from the amount of times she'd showered with the door open in her apartment so they could continue their conversation, she was just filling the space to ease him.

Steve flopped down on his unmade bed, sucking in a relaxing breath, thinking about how brilliantly fucked up his life had become, and half listening to Robin's grumbling, letting it soothe him. Then when he felt brave enough, he put the phone on speaker and let the messages play.

Beep. "My Little Bobbin, you forgot to call! Give us a ring before your mother has an aneurysm! We love you!" Beep.

Steve could hear Robin creasing up in the bathroom, he felt guilty that he'd forgotten to remind her but her parents knew her too well, they’d only start to really worry if they didn't hear anything after a couple of days but they’d know from the fact that they could leave a message that they'd checked in and now she'd been reminded Robin would call them back when she was done in the shower.

Beep. "Steve, honey, Dustin’s driving me insane, will you please remember to bring him that book he wanted? I can't remember the name. Earthshaker! call him, will you? he misses you. Okay, love you, bye." Beep.

Beep. "Steven. Darrrling. Having fun in Vegas? Dad's got you a lawyer all set up, so don't worry! Call us back so we can start proceedings." Beep.

Beep. "Steve, it's Hop. *sigh* Is that Steve? No, he's not there. Call me, we love you." Beep.

Beep. "Steve, honey, we saw your announcement. I'm glad you're having fun but maybe give Hop a call? El says he's pacing! Don't forget my book! Dustin! Have fun with your husband! Send our love to Bobby, bye!" Beep.

If there were more messages Steve didn't hear them, between Robin chattering over the sound of the shower and listening to the messages from his family, Steve nodded off with a contented smile plastered to his face.

Part 3

----------

tag list @estrellami-1 @gregre369 @adhdsummer @newtstabber

[starryredpandawrites]

Halloween with the Siblinks

Hey fam, I've been working on the next update and I wanted to post it yesterday for Halloween BUT I'm not quite finished with it yet.

So, instead, have some headcannons of what what I think Halloween would be like for Audrey and Bendy (in both forms) and a rough draft/outline of a scene for their very first one.

Btw, I would love to hear anyone else's headcannons/ideas about what any of the siblinks' Halloweens would be like so feel free to respond/reblog this post with your ideas and/or tag me in any posts that you make yourself :)

For their first Halloween together, I think Audrey would play it safe and plan on the two of them staying home together. She explained the whole holiday to Bendy and he was intrigued (Ink Demon form) and very, very, very excited (toon form) about the whole thing. He wanted to go trick-or-treating but after a few arguments he settled for just giving candy out to people and letting them see him in "costume". Audrey would have been more comfortable just hiding away and setting a bowl of candy outside the door but he gave her puppy-dog eyes and she couldn't say no.

At first, she didn't want to decorate to deter people from coming but realized how out-of-place Bendy would look answering the door to a normal apartment, so she goes all-out with the decorations. Obviously, they carve pumpkins (with Bendy's cartoon as the theme).

During the days building up to the holiday, Audrey talks about Halloween and tells him stories of her experience with it. Joey was too old to take Audrey trick-or-treating (plus, he wanted to keep her existence on the down-low) but he bought her lots of candy each year and she would help him pass it out. At one point, she told a story about a group of teenagers that showed up and took almost all of the candy they had and they ended up running out of treats to pass out super early. Both her and Joey were upset by this and he would talk about it every year after that, so she made a promise to herself to always buy extra candy so they wouldn't run out. She says offhandedly about how she believes teenagers should leave the candy/trick-or-treating to the kids, forgetting once again how Bendy takes everything literally the first time he hears it.

Anyways, the day before Halloween, Audrey is super stressed and has everything prepared in advance (and has had it prepared for weeks). Bowl of candy is filled with backup bags stored in the kitchen, and her costume is nicely laid out so she can jump into it right after work (she dressed as Alice Angel or some cartoon character to fit the theme). She also sets a chair by the door as a plan B just in case she gets caught up at work so that he can just set the candy outside the door.

She goes over the plan/what trick-or-treating will look like to Bendy. She'll do the talking, he'll hold out the bowl, then they'll go back to watching a scary movie together.

However, she forgets to mention her plan B.

Halloween happens and Audrey gets caught up at work. She is really, really sad about it but knew it was a possibility. She's still working on setting healthy working boundaries with her boss/coworkers but at least she gets paid overtime now.

When she gets home, late, she finds the chair exactly where she left it before and all of the candy she bought is gone.

Bendy is in his Ink Demon form, sprawled out on the couch and watching a horror movie. There's a half-full pillowcase of something on the floor next to him and several empty bags scattered on the floor but Audrey doesn't notice them at first.

Audrey: "Bendy! Did you eat all the candy I bought? That was for the kids!"

Bendy, glances at Audrey once before looking back to the TV, clearly unbothered by her anger.

Audrey storms over to the TV and turns it off.

Bendy jumps up with a challenging hiss and goes to turn it back on but she blocks him. Insert tense moment where they're boths staring at eachother, neither backing down.

Finally, Bendy basically asks, WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?! but imagine it with spookier, more eloquent words.

Audrey: "You ate all the Halloween candy."

Bendy: I DID NOT!

Audrey: "Then where is it?!"

Our inky demon boy stomps over to the pillowcase, picks it up and, in true asshole fashion, dumps its contents over Audrey's head.

Candy spills out of it, and Audrey is now surrounded by a ring of assorted types of candy. To her growing horror and surprise, she notices a lot of the candy is definitely different from the type(s) she bought at the store.

Audrey, no longer angry, just scared: Where did you get this?

Bendy: FROM THOSE WHO SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN OUT TONIGHT.

With some interrogation, Audrey decodes the Ink Demon's cryptic yet blunt answers and confirms that he did not set the bowl outside the door. Instead, he answered the door himself, switching between his Ink Demon for and his toon form depending on who was outside the door.

At some point, he was running low on candy (he was passing it out in handfuls) and began to panic. However, the next group of people that came to their door was a group of rowdy teenagers and he overheard them making fun of their decorations.

Bendy is now pissed and remembers what Audrey told him about teenagers and how candy should go to kids instead.

So, when they open the door, he pulls a Grunkle Stan and jumpscares them. They all scream and run off, leaving their bags of candy behind.

He didn't expect that but isn't going to just leave free food/candy lying around, so he takes it inside.

When he runs out of Audrey's candy, he starts giving that candy out instead. Whenever he inevitably started running low on candy, he would wait for a group of teenagers to stop by and jumpscare/steal their candy to give out to the little kids. The idea of just giving less candy out to each group of kiddos never passed his mind.

Audrey is horrified (and a little impressed) and fully expects someone to report them and for the police or the Gent Corporation to show up and cart them away. She quickly takes down their decorations and starts preparing for a hasty getaway when someone inevitably shows up to investigate the appearance of the demon in her apartment.

Except, they don't.

A few days pass by and she still hasn't heard from either group. However, she has heard from her neighbors.

Everyone had something to say about her brother(s)* presentation. She gets mixed reviews (all the ones that got Toon Bendy loved it but some of the ones who got the Ink Demon thought they went a little overboard) but overall most people were very impressed.

She debates relaying this to Bendy because she doesn't want him to get too cocky but decides it would be wrong to keep it from him. Sure enough, Ink Demon Bendy is hyped and is now thinking of other ways to scare people next year and Toon Bendy is just excited to see more people. In both forms he is very disappointed to learn that Halloween only happens once a year/every 365 days.

*Everyone assumed Toon Bendy was her little brother but some people were arguing on whether the Ink Demon was her brother, friend, or even boyfriend. She VERY quickly shot down the third option. Now everyone assumes she has a little brother that lives with her full-time and an older brother that stops by every once in a while.

Disclaimer, personally, I have nothing against teenagers trick-or-treating and kept going out with my little sister until her senior year of High School. I just thought it would be funny if Bendy stole candy from kids/teenagers and figured this would be a good excuse for him to do so lol

[pomplalamoose]

Do u have any thoughts abt how make out sessions would go with luke? I know that he’s busy defeating the galactic empire and all but when they have hours of time when traveling in space things lead verkram places…

-💫

I totally do because I think about this a normal amount of time👀👀

• one of Luke's love languages is definitely physical touch 

• he likes to make sure you are standing/sitting/laying/walking right beside him at any given time 

• so if he has a chance to get you alone, you can be sure he will make good use of that time

• and what better chance is there while you're traveling through space together 

• if you are not already with him as soon as there is no need to constantly check the controls anymore, he will come looking for you

• if you're not in the mood for a make out session, he's the last one to make you feel bad about it 

• but when he finds you already waiting for him with an expectant look on your face, that man gets excited 

• often you try and manoeuver the both of you in a more comfortable position or to your room before he basically jumps you

• you are rarely successful

• to him it doesn't really matter where you are

• most often you'll find yourself sandwiched between him and a wall or with your legs wrapped around his waist and his hands on your ass

• for a Jedi, Luke has surprisingly little self restraint or patience when it comes to you 

• (unless he's teasing you; it drives you insane)

• so you can imagine how hard it is to eventually come to an end once he has started getting his fingers all over you 

• he could go on forever and probably would if there weren't galaxies to safe and evil Emperors to defeat 

• depending on how long he went without being able to kiss you (he's really dramatic about that sometimes), you won't be able to properly breathe for a few minutes with how wildly he is practically devouring you 

• you can't even pull away because of how tightly he is pressing you to his strong body 

• (he makes sure you're not fainting by checking in on you with the Force of course, he'd hate to make you uncomfortable)

• if you are of rather petite build your feet will be dangling in the air 

• if you're taller than him he'll climb you like a tree

• eventually, when both of you need to come up for air, he'll cover your face and neck, everything he's able to reach quickly, with kisses

• they range from chaste little pecks to wet licks 

• sometimes he gets so lost in the moment he bites you

• when you yelp he'll laugh and either do it again or kiss you to make it better; you can never stay upset with him 

• due to his enthusiasm I imagine his kisses to be very sloppy and open mouthed at the beginning 

• once he manages to get himself under control and concentrates on getting you all hot and bothered, you'll feel your knees weaken 

• you don't know how he does it, when he really puts his mind to it, he's a very good kisser

• he will loosen his iron grip and let his broad hands roam over your body, knowing exactly where you like to be touched 

• they'll quickly make a bee line towards your tits though 

• it doesn't matter what size they are (I'm mostly saying that to console myself tbh); to Luke all tits are good tits and yours he likes in particular

• Luke isn't shy to be loud

• even when you are just making out he can't swallow his moans

• you are never sure whether he really enjoys himself this immensely or if he simply likes the way his sounds make you blush 

• he is a tease after all and while he hasn't gotten you to admit it yet, he knows it turns you on 

• so much 

• "you like that, huh?"

• afterwards he likes to admire your swollen lips and how messy you always end up looking 

• he'll trail after you when you leave to fix your hair and clothes 

• to him it's very relaxing, nearly hypnotizing, to watch the way you brush out your hair and re apply parfume while he's resting on your bed

• however don't make the mistake of turning to him for a last kiss

• he'll seize the opportunity to destroy your efforts all over again

[contentloadingandstuff]

Childe, Scaramouche and Kazuha(separately) X Reader where they are somehow forced to kill them in a very uh... dark way which is basically to make it look like suicide, Cut open both their arms and let them bleed out.. and if you want how they would save you after(Like already bleeding but the people forcing them to do it are gone) or react to your death.

I know its fucked up but I just have a thing for angst I'm sorry

One whumpy-angsty fic, coming right up.

TW: Suicide, assisted suicide, swearing in Scara's part, blood, violence, strangulation, errors in writing (hopefully none, but I'm putting this here just to be sure).

A/N: Thank you for my first request. I hope it's to your liking, or at least satisfaction! :>

A/N v. 2: Heitai means 'soldiers' in Japanese. Kazuha's part is worse than the rest, as I don't really feel his character. Also, Childe may be a bit ooc.

Childe

There was no chaos, no state of high alert after Pantalone was found dead. Nothing, besides tense radio silence. 

Just hours after you finished your meeting with him the scene was discovered by one of the maids. No mess of documents, broken furniture, or any signs of struggle for that matter. He was found slumped against one of his bookshelves, bright blood soaking the exquisite floorboards. Only a single, precise slice at his throat was discovered, leading to the conclusion that he was assassinated. Yet no signs of forced entry were sighted. His killer must have entered through the front of the headquarters, unbothered by guards, and made their way up to the office itself. They had to leave the same way as well. Either the killer is a master of disguise, or someone from the inside. 

You know well who is the culprit. The HQ is aware just as much. If the trail of dead skirmishers and diplomats wasn't obvious enough, the stolen intel considering the Harbinger's current locations sure is. The Eleven know for sure, but making the figure of a lone, masked avenger public would stir up unrest among the common soldiers and citizens. 

You saw the soft knock at your door coming from a mile away. But what you didn't expect was your best friend's face in the doorway. 

You look up from your paperwork, a sad smile decorating your face. Childe returns the gesture, but it quickly turns back into a slight frown. Before he closes the door, you catch a glimpse of a Fatui agent in full gear behind him. 

You stare at each other for a while. The silence between you is somewhat comforting. 

"I know why you're here." You say, rising up from your armchair. 

He stays quiet, looking away from you. He seems pensive. "I'm sorry."

"It's none of your fault, Ajax." You place a hand on his shoulder. "Fate has decided."

He looks you in the eye. You can clearly see the conflict on his face. 

"What are my options?", you ask. 

He sighs. 

"They gave you two. One, you'll be officially tried for Pantalone's murder. Command will strip your honors, and hang you in a public display. Your family will be sent to a penal colony for assisting a criminal. Or the second choice." 

He stretches out his arm. In his open palm lies a transparent container, filled with a white substance. 

" What will happen to my family then?" You ask, taking it from his hand. He moves to take it back, but stops himself. You twirl the capsule in your hand, watching the potassium cyanide fly around. 

"They will be safe. You will also be buried with full military honors. Officially, they'll say you killed yourself."

You can't hold back a chuckle. The Illusion of choice. 

You sit down back at the desk. Breathe in, breathe out. So that's how it feels to be a scapegoat, huh? With one quick move you place the capsule in and bite down. As the foul, bitter taste hits your tongue, you cringe. You have to cover your mouth to keep yourself from throwing up. Childe looks on, unsure of what to do or say. As the poison starts to take effect, your breathing becomes erratic.

You can't draw in a full breath, and that's when the realisation finally hits you. 

You are going to die. 

Tartaglia rushes to your side when you fail to get up, gasping for air like a fish removed from the water. Your hands fly around, looking for something to hold onto as you hyperventilate. 

You are going to die. You are going to die. You are going to die you are going to die you are goingtodieyouaregoingtodie-

"Hey hey hey, hey. Look at me. Please." Childe whispers as your fingers pry into his shoulders, hard enough to draw blood. "Just… J-just listen to my voice, alright?" 

You barely hear him. His face blurs in your teary eyes, becoming an unrecognizable mess of pink, red and orange. You manage to nod. 

"Tired." That's all you can force out. How pathetic. It's your last coherent thought. You don't fight back the heaviness of your eyelids, letting them close for the final time. 

With nothing to control your body, the grip on his shoulder grows weaker and weaker each second. The lungs slow down, soon leaving your chest completely still. In his arms holds you your dearest friend and murderer, Ajax. He feels how limp, how unmoving and just how dead your figure is. 

Childe would never cry - he despises weakness after all. But Ajax won't try to stop the tears from staining his cheeks. Nothing matters in his mind as he holds your ever colder body for minutes on end. 

His voice comes out shaky and hushed. 

"Sleep well, Y/N."

Scaramouche

"So how will it be, Kunikuzushi?" 

The Wanderer growls at the puppet in response, looking up at her with pure hatred in his eyes. The soldier presses his boot down on the captive's back, forcing him even lower to the ground. A spear's tip is placed at his throat. 

"It's either you both or only them." The Shogun points at you, face forced right against the dirt by another soldier's boot. Scaramouche gives no response, choosing to murder Ei with his hateful look instead. She hums, displeased, motioning to one of her men. He lifts his spear to his shoulder and strikes it down. 

"Wait! Wait! I… I'll do it. Just get your filthy hands away from them!" 

The spear halts a hair’s breadth from you.His struggles grow more intense and desperate. The mortal soldier fails to keep him down, and Scaramouche returns to kneeling. 

"A wise choice." She nods, and her underling moves away. Your throat is unharmed, at least for now. "However, since you dared to keep me waiting, the method is mine to choose." 

"YOU FUCKING BITCH!" He suddenly screams, losing his composure. He thrashes around, feeling the familiar, soul crushing type of anger he hasn't felt in years.

"SILENCE!" Ei's commanding tone strikes everything around her like lightning itself. Even her men flinch. In a swift movement, she retrieves the Musou no Hitotachi, and places it millimeters away from your neck. "May I remind you - I can always change my mind, filth."

Scaramouche feels the bindings on his wrists loosen. Two heitai force him to his feet. You too are lifted, but still bound with hands behind your back. Both of you are shoved forward. Your friend keeps his balance, but you land on the wet grass, face first. As you struggle to get back up, a piece of rope is thrown between you and him. 

“Proceed.” Ei crosses her arms, and looks on as Kunikuzushi eyes the object. He hesitates for a moment, looking at your bound and defenseless form. With a growl, he picks up the tool, and charges you. After tackling you to the ground, he wraps the rope around your neck and sits you up. Standing behind you, he pulls the rope into your throat.

It bites down into the sensitive skin, closing your airways. The sheer force of the movement makes you gasp in surprise. The pain is growing rapidly. You start kicking up your legs in a desperate attempt to escape his clutches. In response he pulls harder, knuckles becoming white with how hard he grips the hemp. Various moans, gasps and gurgles fall out of your lips, as more and more black spots appear in your vision. The lack of oxygen quickly gets to you, and after just a few seconds of strangulation your consciousness leaves you.

Scaramouche holds the rope down, tears appearing in his eyes. He can’t stand the gargles, the gasps. They make him feel sick. Sick with himself, sick with this entire scenario he got himself into. After a few agonising seconds, your kicking ceases, and your body falls limp on his leg. Kuni keeps strangling you for a while longer, until finally letting you go. Your frame plops down to the ground, still. 

Everything around him is quiet. Only Ei’s voice breaks the tension.

“Well done. Now, throw them off the edge.” She motions to a nearby steep bank. 

“Why?” is all the man can ask, too weak to bite back once more.

“Prove to me they are dead, my general.”

Without a word, he lifts you up in his arms. He carries you, bridal style, to the rocky edge. As he approaches the brink, he feels you move in his arms. Your chest rises up, and falls down again.

To say Scaramouche was happy would be the understatement of the century.

He stops dead in his tracks, whispering thanks to the gods above, forgetting his disdain for them in the moment. But soon his joy gives way to panic. What now? The Shogun is still watching him, he made a deal, is there a way out of here, what to do?

“What’s the problem, general? Are you having second thoughts about our agreement?” 

“N-no.” Scaramouche tries his best to sound as broken as possible. He quickly runs up to the edge, and throws you down.

He stumbles back theatrically, falling to his knees. He doesn’t look back at the soldiers.

“You have made a wise decision indeed, puppet.” Ei says, more to herself than to anybody around. “I demand to see you at the Tenshukaku by nightfall. You will begin your servitude right away.”

Ei turns around to address her followers. 

“If any of you are wondering, Y/N has taken their life. Anyone stating otherwise will not live to regret it. Understood?"

“Yes, your Magnificence.” They respond as one.

“Sufficient. Leave him be for now.”

With a flash of lightning, Ei withdraws to her Plane of Euthymia. Scaramouche doesn’t stand up for a good fifteen minutes, looking as heartbroken as he is able to. His head hands low, but a mocking smile is painted on his lips. Idiots.

After rising up to his feet, he makes sure everyone is gone. After confirming that he is alone, he runs back to the cliff. A gust of wind lifts your body up high enough for him to get a hold of you. He gently puts you down. Seeing you open your eyes, he erupts into laughter.

“Stupid whore. You would expect someone of this age and ego to be good at telling the dead from the living, am I right?” His tone is spiteful, as it usually is.

“... I’m fine, thank you for asking.” You reply, coughing. Your windpipe still hurts unforgivably. “You could have eased up on that rope though, Fandango man.”

“Oh you ungrateful little worm!” He turns away, a pout decorating his lips. You chuckle at the sight of his usual assholeness.”It was necessary to do so to fool her. That old crone is not that dumb.”

“Pfft. Sure, shortie.” You move to rise up, but your mind is still hazy from passing out. Scaramouche drops his grudge after seeing you struggle, helping you by slinging your arm around his neck.

“Are you alright now?” He asks, a rare hint of genuine worry in his tone.

“Yeah, I think I am. Oh. Wait.” A sudden hit of nausea leaves your head spinning. “I think I’m gonna puke-”

Scara yelps, quickly rushing behind you. He still holds you, but keeping a reasonable distance now.

“Eek! Just not on me!”

Kazuha

“Nah, that won’t happen, Kazuha.” You sigh, bumping your head against the cold, stone wall. “Do you think they would attempt a rescue mission in the middle of Inazuma City to recover the most well-guarded prisoner in this war?”

Kazuha is fiddling with his clothes, deep in thought. He rubs the uncleaned mud between his fingers, watching it crumple to the ground. “Kokomi has a plan for everything. She must be pre-”

“Listen!” You shout, even though you didn’t mean to. “Kokomi has a plan for everything, yes. But what guarantee do you have for my rescue being included in her scheme? She most likely will take on a new strategy and do a switch of personnel to reduce the impact of me spilling the beans.”

“Will you though?”

“Kazuha. They’re going to torture me until I either tell them what I know or die of my injuries.” You clench your fists. The stories you’ve heard from released captives did nothing to ease your worries. “And I don’t see myself enduring having my kneecaps removed while I’m conscious. Or pouring barrels upon barrels of filthy water down my throat.”

Your friend is silent. He is aware that this will most likely be the case.

“The intel I carry is vital. With it the Shogunate could easily send agents to kill the people I name. They would know what our plan for the next month is, where HQ members live…” You lower your arms to the floor, hands rubbing against the dust and grime of your cell. You absent-mindedly look for anything interesting. It was the third day of being here, and the boredom was getting unbearable.

Your fingers suddenly clutch something cold and hard. You lift it up to your eyes, and squint them to see what it was.

A sharp piece of rock. It must have fallen out of the wall recently. The feeling of your fingers on its sharp edge gives you an idea.

“Hey, look at this.” You show him the piece of debris, and handed it to your cell neighbor. He inspects it slowly, both with his fingers and eyes.

“Yes! We can use this against the guards. If I stab them correctly, that would create an opportunity to escape.” Kazuha smiles, and looks back at you. His expression darkens when he sees your head shake in disagreement.

“That’s not what I was thinking…” You suddenly regret telling him this in the first place.

“You’re joking, right?” He looks at you, practically begging for confirmation.

“No. As I said already, the knowledge in my hands could lose us this war. I can’t let them have it.” You say, taking the rock back by force. You’re lucky he stands right next to the bars separating you. “I have to.”

“No, you don’t, Don’t even try, alright?” His voice is clearly agitated.

He shudders as you put the edge to your wrist. You press down and try to drag it along, but the spiking pain makes you pull back. So you try again, deaf to Kazuha's pleas. After the fifth, you groan in frustration.

"Huh. Looks like I can't really bring myself to do it." You say to yourself, out loud. "I may need your help."

What. It's all Kazuha can think right now.

"Are you seriously asking me to slit your veins?" He asks with disbelief. His attempts at hiding his fear bear no fruit, as his voice comes out as hushed.

You approach the bars, and place your forehead against them.

"Kazuha, my brother. What I know can't get into their hands, else hundreds will suffer. There is no other way. Please."

"They will come for us, eventually. You just have to hold out-"

You sigh.

"Kazu, listen. Until then, if it ever happens, the purples will have the advantage. And I can't allow that. It lies in my duty to protect my people. Please, treat it as your final act of kindness."

He doesn't say anything as you place the makeshift blade in his hands. The white haired male swallows. You stretch your hands into his cell.

"F-fine." He says. "If that's your wish, I'll do it."

After placing the blade on your skin, he pauses.

"I w-will cut now. Be prepared."

And with a decisive movement, the blade splits you open. Bright red blood starts to come out of the wound. You shudder. The stinging is... annoying. Not very painful, but the sight of your own vitality seeping out is enough to make you cringe. Kazuha notices this. Seeing you hurt, especially by him, places tears in his eyes. The second cut earns him a whine from your lips.

You pull back, and so does he.

"Give... give me the rock." You huff out. It feels awkwardly... sleepy.

Kazuha returns it without question, but your arms refuse to clench around it. You back up against the wall you were originally propped up on, sliding down to a sitting position. You place your hands, now bloodied, on the freezing cobble. Your hands hurt to move. You choose to let your eyes close on their own, unwilling to extend the struggle.

"Kazu." You mumble.

"Yes?"

"Talk to me, please." You cough, and the wounds hurt more. You whince. "I don't want to die alone. Please."

"I... Sure. Of course." He pauses, trying to find the right words for small talk with a dying man. "So... what's your favorite... plant?"

He only stopped talking after your corpse fell over.

Only silence was left in the room.

Thank you for reading!

[muffy-official]

Even though over time Gabby learns how to diffuse situations by just willingly offering acts of kindness, it'll leave her with mixed feelings as both expop and a reagent

For one she doesn't feel great doing it just so she and possibly others are safer for a while, she doesn't know if it even works at times, is scared it wont work at some point and with things like hugs there's a possibility they'll feel oddly comforting on both ends

Easterman probably mentally pulling his hair out since he can't seem to eliminate that trait of hers despite her being a overall wimp that listens to people when they scare her too much so she and others won't get hurt

she's more hesitant to do that with men than with women though

Sometimes when way too scared or severely hurt she's entering a state where she actually feels like a scared child again, just like back home in Colorado when she messed up or misbehaved in grandpas presence a year or two after her parents vanished. Kind of one thing that Phyllis found interesting in taking her for a few days as a reagent, joinking the young woman through a service door with her at the end of one of her trials. Later she does develop mixed feelings over Phyllis, wants to listen to her, feels oddly safe around her over time even though as a reagent she shouldn't and as expop shows more loyality towards her than the two guys

with Coyle she's forced to call him by Sergeant which he might like a bit too much while having to endure numerous hate filled comments and longass rambles like everyone else, with Franco it's just trying to not have her get dragged around like a toy again, occasionally used as a stuffed animal, diffusing situations by offering comfort etc even though she does find him intimidating like he is now and is still somewhat in denial this is the same person she met when they were kids, but having overall mixed feelings, because of how odd this all is to her due to the major personality change. As a reagent she also found it weird at first her full first name was yelled out, but she just wondered how this at the time to her random man knew her name until the memories slowly came back, making it all click into place once he started to single her out from the others for questioning and something like a interrogation which would happen further away from the rest of the team. Apparently the way her eyes looked at him scared. Her hair, freckles, the two beauty marks that always were prominently visible on her face alongside the scouts themed outfit she earned herself as a reagent besides some mannerisms is what gave it away aswell later once she got cornered

Sometimes she does think back how things were those 2 days in New Orleans, wondering if he saw her run into her dads arms and feeling quite jealous over the affection she recieved from her parent, wondering if he blames her father for disappearing on day 3 as someone who never judged him got simply ripped away abruptly, the memories she still manages to remember of spending time with her parents and the such. She started thinking quite a lot after memories did come back, sometimes overthinking way too much

[love-toxin]

How would the fruity four be with a reader who’s ace/scared of sex? They’d still love her the same, right?

of course they would! sex is so not a dealbreaker and honestly an angelface on the asexual spectrum would actually be a really good fit for the four <3

(cws: lots of intimacy/sexual intimacy talk, mentions of masturbation + mild trauma mentions, sex talk, no pronouns used. also im not on the ace spectrum so im not a spokesperson but consent is a special interest of mine so hope its alright <33)

obviously, for one, they really aren't gonna change their minds about loving you just because you don't like sex or are too scared to try it. they all have hookups and problems that they and the others have to deal with, so it's not like you're the only one or you're some kind of burden because you don't like the same kind of intimacy that they do--it just makes you different, not bad, and working around that particular trait of yours is a lot easier and can be more entertaining than you might think.

they'd designate your room as a sort of "safe room" to start off--if there's any room orientation in your living space that allows for one person to have a room to themselves, you're getting it. not only so you can have space to yourself and have a place to go where nobody will be doing anything sexual, but it also serves as a spot for your other partners to come to if they're not feeling in the mood for sex either. they know that if they enter your room even while you're gone, they don't have to fuss around with intimacy that the others might want when they need space and time to themselves. sometimes, if they're having an evening together in the master bedroom, one of the four--most often Eddie or Robin--will end up meandering into your bedroom to come hang out, either because they got bored or because they didn't want to keep going anymore and need a safe place to come cool down. occasionally you'll even have Steve coming in and feeling clingy with a desperate need for post-sex cuddles, or Nancy wanting to talk for a while about her feelings while you share a bit of chocolate she snagged.

but rest assured that you won't just be serving as an emotional crutch for them and that your "use" ends there--the four of them are endlessly curious about your desired methods of affection, about what you like and don't like and what's comfortable and not, because they want to know exactly how they can please you and how to communicate with each other better about their needs. and if you weren't completely transparent about your aversion to sex in the beginning, and either skirted around their advances or tried to have sex a couple times to appease them, they feel terrible about it and will forcibly have those conversations about boundaries with you so they never read your signs incorrectly ever again. they might be upset that you didn't tell them the truth (although they understand much better afterwards how hard it would be for you to admit it) but they would never get angry at you for "deceiving" them or for leading them on. if anything, they're more angry at themselves for not realizing that you were struggling--especially Steve, who feels like he should know the best about this kind of thing since he's one of the most experienced out of all of them. but it proves it to him that he still can be a little selfish at times, so he promises both you and the others that he'll be more aware from now on so you all feel safe.

and while they love you and think you're absolutely beautiful, and they would love having the sexual kind of intimacy with you as well as your preferred types of intimacy, they would never make you do something you didn't want to do. and they would never allow you to push yourself to do it just for them, either--no matter how much you try to convince yourself and them that you can do it, that you can even do it for special occasions to make them happy, they'll talk you through it long before you can manage to force yourself into it. if you have a fit of anxiety or panic because you're terrified they're getting bored or they're gonna leave you, and you offer yourself to one or all of them like a plea out of nowhere, it won't work. it doesn't matter how turned on they already are or how badly they want you; Nancy, Eddie, Steve and Robin would all stop you before you even got your clothes off, because they know you and they know you'll have to have a long conversation as a group before you try breaching those boundaries. yes, you're an adult, and you can make your own decisions at the end of the day--but they don't want you to think that they need to be pacified with sex just to love you. their love is something you have already, you don't need to earn it or feel like you have to do things out of your comfort zone to keep their attention. you're not their pet or plaything, and it's not the 50s anymore; you're as equal of a partner as anyone else.

speaking of which, the dynamic of having all four of them together lends itself quite well to being open-minded about intimacy, since they all have their own preferences as well. if you know your boundaries already they're more than willing to respect them, but if you don't, or you need to suss it out with them specifically, then they're eager to help you figure things out. maybe you're more comfortable being affectionate with the girls, or you would rather be naked in front of some of them and not all of them, or maybe you'd rather not show your body at all or see theirs without their clothes--that's okay, they're not gonna get offended because they know that you still love them equally, and because you've got particular ways of showing affection to each of them to show that. it's kinda nice in that way, to have their own brands of intimacy that are specific to them, and to have things you can share that you only do with each of them, it makes them feel special! cuddling, kissing, holding hands, sleeping next to each other, playing with each other's hair, doing each other's makeup or picking out clothes to wear together--there's a million ways you can be affectionate without being sexual, including all the quality time activities like just reading together or cooking or watching tv in the same room. plus, whether you're completely averse to nudity and sex or you're more comfortable with experiencing non-normative ways of sexual intimacy, they get to have that journey of figuring it all out with you and it really bonds you all together as lovers <3

if you're a little more exploratory with sexuality too, they're quite interested to see what you can experiment with together. working up to it may worry you that you're taking too long, but they actually enjoy the process of learning and they've done much harder things than reassuring you if you go a little too far, and need to step back. taking showers or baths together is a great way to get to know one another, especially doing it with one of them at a time--and they turn into such sweethearts when you're baring such sensitive parts of yourself, always asking for permission to touch certain areas or try things and doing their best to memorize what you like, while also easing you down with reassurance if you have to say no or ask them to stop. don't think you're gonna get away with saying "sorry" for doing so either--Nancy swears she's gonna work that word right out of your vocabulary, because she especially hates seeing you feel guilty about upholding your boundaries. she knows how hard it is to do herself, and how scary it can feel sometimes, so she's more sensitive to it than others and tries her best to help you get more used to saying "no", and not feeling like you're disappointing them whenever you do.

another topic that's prime for discussion is masturbation--something Eddie often smirks about and reassures you he's king of, so there's nothing you could say that would ever weird him out. if you'd rather keep it all to yourself, then it's no problem, sock on your doorknob and they won't barge in. but if you're interested in doing a little more with it, they're quite pleased to let you use them as a safe space to test things out. touching yourself for them to watch, doing it together so you can watch each other, or getting yourself off while you watch them have sex are all ways they love to experience you when and if you want to get involved. and if you have other ideas, please tell them--they want to get to know your body as well as you do, so no matter how specific you want to be or how strange you think your lines might be, they'll be so eager to make you feel comfortable with them that they're just happy you feel safe enough to explore at all. maybe you want to touch them back but don't want to have any sort of penetrative sex, or you're okay with them touching you so long as it's kept to certain areas, as long as you're comfortable and they're comfortable you can try whatever you please. and if you get drained or uncomfortable or have sensory overload or just want to stop? easy peasy. they'll stop and start as many times as you like, no matter the reason.

also, if your discomfort with sex does ever reach a point where you want to make an attempt at trying it, the four will be more than happy to help you ease into it, so long as it's for you and not something you're doing just to appease them. which includes the possibility that your aversion is born out of trauma or other bad experiences, and that you do have a want for sex, but you just don't feel ready to re-introduce it into your life. if that's the case, your partners will help you take things very slow and will go out of their way to show you that you're completely safe--you'll always have total control over the situation, and even if you have a meltdown right in the middle of one of your attempts because you're overwhelmed or scared, you'll have your clothes put right back on and have someone comforting you with whatever space between you that you need. Robin probably has something she calls "the safety blanket" she keeps under the bed for those exact scenarios, something soft with a texture you really like to pull around you for comfort, kind of like a safety item in a way that keeps you grounded. and if you end up finding enjoyment and fulfillment in having sex with them, that's great--and if you don't, and you decide that it's just not for you, then you can feel secure in your decision and move on with what you are comfortable with.

whatever level you fall on as far as intimacy goes, the only difference it makes is how you and your partners choose to deal with it--but aside from that, it doesn't at all diminish how much they adore you, and it would never make them stop loving and appreciating everything that you are.

[bronze-bell]

Frederick felt the shaking all too well, and knew far better than to mention such a thing. He knew he couldn't begin to fix whatever Victor was trying to handle, whatever made all those painful noises, so this was the least he could try to do.

Watching Victor's head snap up at the simple words he'd offered, the apology for what had just happened, Frederick felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders, like Atlas carrying the world on his back. If he broke that trust, even by accident, what would happen? Would Victor be able to recover, be able to reconcile? He... didn't know.

"...Understood." In a practiced motion, Frederick takes his cane before he walks out of Victor's room. Victor guides his other wrist, leading him in such a fashion he's not quite sure where the two are going until they stand at Aesop's door.

Sounds of shuffling, of clasps being shut come from the other side of the door, before Aesop makes himself visible. He definitely looked... better than the other two, but that wasn't much of a competition.

Frederick found himself blurting out the reason for the visit much faster than he would have liked, words tumbling over themselves. "Ah... Victor was thinking of doing the meeting between us in my room. As in... right now. If you're free, of course."

Aesop gave a quick nod, leading Frederick's muscles to relax. "I don't have anything in particular going on right now. It would be as good a time as any, we probably should." As the three left, Aesop put himself in a position behind Victor and Frederick where he could support them as needed, a hand behind both backs.

Victor is in a staring match with the door handle for the several gruelling seconds it takes for it to open, revealing Aesop. Perhaps an angel, perhaps a savior if this goes awry, or perhaps, he's on Frederick's side. How much does he know, if anything?

Victor is paralysed, not quite in control of anything as the scene plays out in front of him like a puppet show which he is in the starring role of. He needs to apologise to Aesop for being ruined after all the work he put in earlier, but the words seal his throat shut in panic as he stews over what could happen to him.

He wants so badly to be safe, to be able to hide in some corner of Frederick's room and be free from harm forever with the only two people who've ever cared about him, but on the other hand this feels like it could turn into his execution at any moment, the gun he knows is on Frederick's person being placed at his back as a cruel betrayal.

The hand on his shoulder to support him does somewhat ease the fear, even though it really shouldn't. Aesop could do anything with the hand not anchoring the postman to the world, striking where he can't see, and yet somehow the knowledge that Aesop is behind him brings him... Comfort.

He doesn't know if these people are friend or foe, but for now he relaxes himself into the touch just barely noticeably. If they're foe, he may be able to get some use out of the way he so badly wants connection as a way to fawn, a prayer that they'll like him enough to have mercy.

Oh, how he can dream sometimes. They're at their destination, whether he's prepared or not.

[terrifyingstories]

caleb has a hard time really settling into his room after he's taken in and later adopted by @lingeringscars bellamy. he's been given endless reassurance that this is permanent and has no reason anymore to believe that bellamy is going to suddenly decide to take it back, and he's gotten to a place by season 6 where he believes that; however, he finds himself struggling nonetheless.

how he (tried to) cope with ravenswood and everything that happened there in s5 caused a lot of pain to bellamy and his other family members, and when he comes out the other side of it, he's committed to holding onto his family with all he has and actively fighting to keep it rather than living in a constant state of fear that they'll give up on him or something will take it away. he's seen how that has caused him nothing but pain as well as hurt the people he loves most, and he doesn't want to live that way anymore. he can't control the future, but he is in a place where he trusts bellamy and tasha and that they won't leave him.

but it almost feels too late. he's about to graduate from high school, and while i don't think he expects to leave and never come back or that his family will suddenly wash their hands of him now that he's an 'adult,' there's this idea in society of turning 18 and graduating high school and going off to college and being independent that really hits him hard. he really finds himself in a state of mourning for the years he should have had growing up in a safe and permanent home with a family that loved him, with parents who should have cared for him. he has that now, and it's everything! it just hurts to think that even if his family won't love him any less, the time of being a kid living under his parents' roof with his family is more or less over, so soon after it finally began.

he waited almost his entire life for this, and he barely has any time at all to appreciate it. he spent so much time fearing that it was going to be taken from him that it almost feels like he never really had any time to just enjoy it at all. it's not true; there are so many memories he's managed to make and so many moments in bellamy's care where he's gotten to just be a normal teenage boy and feel love and support from those around him, but of course it's easy to get caught up on all that time he spent afraid and exhausted. everything with A amplifies things; he spends his last year at home either torn up about ravenswood and pushing his family away or lying to them about A, and both of those things weigh on him immensely.

that is to say, by the time caleb finally feels secure enough and comfortable enough to really settle into his room, it almost feels like there isn't a point. he's just going to have to leave it like he's left every other place he's been his entire life, and he doesn't know how to decorate anyway. all he's ever known is packing whatever meager belongings he has into a bag and going to the next destination and he wouldn't even really know how to nest if he wanted to. i think he does try with some encouragement from bellamy and tasha, does slowly accumulate random collections of items that end up scattered across the room, but there's no real theme or intention.

he's tried to paint a couple times but never settled on a color and never really felt motivated to follow through. him finally starting to collect things he likes and put them in his room is a really big and important start (as opposed to a very long period where the room was totally barren), but he still has a ways to go before he truly claims it as his and truly embraces that.