#this is purely because of my 3am curiosity

[sirenjose]

Your thoughts on the Identity Switch

Thanks to you…. I now really like Norton. I used to hate him because I have a vendetta against people taller than my 4’11 self but now I love him.

on another note, what are your thoughts on the Identity switch system? Looking more into Norton’s background specifically makes me wonder why Norton gets a hunter form. What does this represent? I know that there’s a lot of drugs involved but I always interpreted it as them unlocking a new personality or smth, one more attune to following the manor’s games and supervising it (hunter) and like the other just trying to leave (survivor). I’ve been so interested in Norton’s lore lately that now I’m in an existential rabbit hole in how survivors get hunter forms, why that is, and if it’s like some sort of curse or punishment. Why are these survivors getting hunter forms?

soooo many questions, IK. But like reading your theories and analysis at 3Am is my serotonin. As a new player purely interested in the game for its lore I am just excited to know more but can’t wrap my head around all these weird concepts cause, again, I’m new. Also if I spend the next hour reading more of your analysis I will not sleep so therefore I need to preface my curiosity with a timed endeavor. My question probably do3snt make sense but like uhhh yeaaaaa. You should totally make something on your thoughts on identity switch (especially for the survivors gone hunters) cause I am too far in deep into the Norton-Campbell-Fool’s-Gold-Alternate-personality rabbit hole.

I’ve never done the questioning thingy before so sorry if this is not how it works. G’day!

Ah, it makes me happy to think a nobody like me can turn your thinking around on someone. Especially Norton since he was 1 of the main reasons I got started with the lore at all. I'm someone who usually plays a game based on how interesting the story or characters are, so I was interested in learning about idv's lore soon after I joined (had to take quite awhile to figure out the basics of the game and what all the various buttons were, then take some more time to get used to it before I could even get started with the lore). Was the main reason why I went looking to join places like Discord or Reddit, just so I could find people talking about the story.

Started by just understanding what I could about what people said, but then I eventually moved on to trying to understand at least the basics of everyone's backstories (once again, took me awhile to do that ^_^; Especially as I joined before we were getting all that much story at all). While I was doin this, I heard a lot of people saying bad stuff about some character named Norton. Have to admit I didn't know who he was for quite awhile. Wasn't in my radar. Can't even say I cared much for him. But I eventually got to the point where I basically decided I wanted to see if I could determine if Norton really was that bad or not (maybe as a challenge to myself, maybe because I wanted to find out myself rather than just hearing other's opinions, or maybe because I failed to find anything really in-depth about him).

That analysis took a ridiculous amount of time. In part because I ask too many questions, because I'm a perfectionist and wanted to look at every bit of info on him and detail on him, but also somewhat because I ended up writing this like a persuasion piece, and felt the only way to do that was by going through everything to back up my conclusion (whatever my research turned up). Which was also why I analyzed every single essence he had a skin in, as well as any skins not in an essence, his accessories, emotes, etc... It was during that process I actually got attached to Norton. Probably because of how long I spent going through him (no one needs to know how long it took... only the immense joy and desire to collapse I had when I finally finished).

Since then, I've rewritten his analysis... 3 times now I think? Counting after hunter norton's release? Though I've taken down that 1st version due to issues, and haven't reposted my essence analyses as they're old (they were pretty much the 1st analyses I wrote, and I'd like to think I've improved since then) as well as because they're based on the 1st version of my norton analysis... and because they're probably a bit needlessly long and thus embarrassing... Maybe I'll repost them once I get around to rewriting them. I definitely will eventually at least for Soul Catcher's and Magic Item Keeper's essence because I have to say they took longer than almost any other part of that original (complete) norton analysis (i can never forget the trouble they caused me over how long it took to understand them).

ANYWAYS! Ignoring my stupid rambling because who cares about any of that.

I was going to include my answer to your question about Identity Switches but it’s starting to become a little silly in length ^_^; (seriously, for those who know me well enough, I have a bad habit of writing more than I initially intended to once I get started) so I’ll make that a separate post for you, and you can let me know if it answers your questions (once I post it). If not, feel free to ask any more of your questions.

Honestly, the lore is confusing even to those who aren’t new players, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you can’t wrap your head around a lot of this ^_^;

It’s hard for me to imagine my stuff is so good people are willing to read it, much less re-read it. Especially as I know people tend to prefer… shorter things, but I have tendency to be lengthy. I can’t help it though ;’) But thank you so much for the compliment.

And please, I’m still pretty new to Tumblr, so I’m still figuring all this out myself.

Anyways, don’t feel nervous talking to me or asking me any questions you have. I enjoy being helpful! So please, ask whatever you like. Or even if you don’t have a question, that’s ok too. I enjoy rambling about a subject I get started on, as long as the other person can bear with me ;’)

 It’s always nice to know people besides me, myself, and I are reading this stuff.

(Apologies for any errors or nonsense in this post, as I decided to write it without double checking it for errors cuz I felt like being lazy, and I'm still busy writing out my thoughts about Identity Switches for you)

[tiktowafel]

Don't think I've seen you post Fukidashi headcanons yet? I'm always curious too hear other people's thoughts on him as well.

ah yes, the funny speech bubble man, the walking 140cm tall fourth wall break! definitely one of my favorites, even if its a bit difficult to treat him seriously

made of pure unfiltered chaos

always talking, speaks really fast too

has 100 thoughts per second, if he's not careful enough, they appear written out on his face. it's kinda a funny thing to watch because it switches so quickly between "ooh Shiozaki's hair looks cool today i want to draw it", "if one of my classmates was secretly an alien spy, which one would it be??", and "lets heat up Tetsutetsu with a FLAMETHROWER and use him to FRY EGGS"

(this happens during class way too much)

he not only has the energy of a 5 year old, but also the curiosity of one. he sometimes just walks up to people and is like "oh hi Honenuki! do you have blood" and at this point everyone got used to it

he has this habit of repeating sounds he hears (i forgot how its called?), which may be tied to his onomatopoeia-based quirk

he does have (some) control over what appears his speech bubble face. he sometimes puts kaomoji on it when trying to be more expressive

canonically loves anime and manga. i like to think that hes like, REALLY into it and knows the oldest and most obscure series there are

goes to cons

probably simps for anime characters too

has a spectacular collection of manga, like a whole bookshelf

plus a lot of different kinds of merch

and fanart, usually drawn by him

because he also canonically likes drawing! and he's pretty damn good at it. he tried to draw a manga once but figured out he doesnt really have the patience to do that

his notebook margins are covered in doodles

has too many sketchbooks to count

always has one with him. sometimes when hes bored he draws random people he sees (no wonder he basically perfected drawing his classmates)

when the ua students moved to the dorms, he decided to make a huge drawing of the entire class so they could hang it in the common area. he actually managed finish it and everyone loved it :)

oh and also he can spin a pen really really fast. two pens even. it's honestly impressive.

he loves kids and is actually really good with them? you'd think letting him babysit a kid would end up with the house burning down but no, he somehow knows how to keep kids in check and entertain them with dinosaur drawing lessons or something

he's tiny, he knows it, and he jokes about it constantly. of course he'd like to be taller, but that's because it would just make life easier for him in general, not because people keep poking fun at him for being short. i mean, they do poke fun at him sometimes but he doesn't mind it and laughs about it too

...tbh he doesnt really care about what other people say or think about him in general, dude marches to the beat of his own drum ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

pretty much everyone in the class likes him though. he may be a weird chaotic gremlin but hes their weird chaotic gremlin. and he's also really damn funny

weeb friends with Pony! they host anime viewings in the dorms (canon), recommend anime and borrow manga volumes to each other (well its mostly Fukidashi recommending or borrowing stuff to Pony because he's the one who watched every anime in existence and has an entire bookshelf dedicated to manga, while Pony is more of a newbie), discuss new episodes, etc. Pony often has trouble understanding him because he speaks so fast, so he either tries his best to slow down a little or resorts to communicating via texts

also gets along really well with Tsuburaba. They have a somewhat similar sense of humor, so they often send each other weird memes at 3am, recreate vines, sneak into class 1-A's dorms to pull pranks on Bakugou, or do stupid shit like try to make the creme brulee sugar shell thingy by using Fukidashi's quirk to make fire sounds into actual fire & almost burn down the dorm kitchen in the process

he sometimes hangs out with the other common sense kings too

that's all i think! hope you enjoyed this :)

[tenthgrove]

LA SQUADRA SEPERATLY FINDING OUT THEY HAVE A YOUNGER SISTER HC?

La Squadra Discovering they have a Younger Sister

La Squadra x Reader, Platonic / Familial, SFW

Formaggio- Out of everyone in La Squadra, Formaggio has some of the closest contact with his birth family, so a secret sister he didn’t know about would be a huge surprise. The only way you could possibly exist is through an extramarital affair that got swept under the carpet, but Formaggio is still going to be thrilled to hear of you. He will want an in-person meet-up within days of learning you exist, or even sooner if you’re available. His goal from the get-go is to make up for lost time, in order to strive for as close a relationship as if you had been raised together. He’ll announce your existence to the squad and happily introduce you to them if you wish. He knows it’s dangerous to involve you with them, but he’s going to make damn sure himself that nobody will ever hurt you.

Illuso- Having lived through a sad, lonely childhood, Illuso’s initial outward reaction to finding out he has a sibling is apathy. Though he will seek you out, he will insist to anyone who asks that it’s out of pure curiosity. Things start to change after your first couple of interactions. His questions turn from frivolous curiosity to genuine concern. Was your childhood any better than his? Are you happy now? Once your relationship resembles a friendship, Illuso will meet with you regularly to catch up. He won’t say anything to the rest of the squad beyond the essentials and he won’t be seen with you in public, but with his stand, he doesn’t need to. Even if you are not a stand user yourself, he wants you to know about the mirror world. He wants you to be proud of what he’s capable of. 

Prosciutto and Pesci- (A/N: I will be using my personal hc of these two as biological brothers. I know that the canon evidence for this is questionable, but making them related just fits better with the way I view them.) To Prosciutto and Pesci, family has always been the most important thing, so there is no question that they will accept you as kin no matter where you are in life. Prosciutto in particular is not surprised to learn of you- he already knew his father was disloyal because Pesci exists. Another child in the mix is not a major shock. Building bonds with people who aren’t gangsters is not Prosciutto’s strong-point, but he will be happy to support you financially or offer you protection if you ever need it. Though he may not meet with you frequently, you’re welcome to call him if you are ever in need of advice or an ear to listen. Pesci’s reaction is a little different. He desperately wants to be close with you, but he fears being despised for what he’s made of his life. Prosciutto has to tell him to grow up and face you. Once things are less awkward, Pesci will do his best to stay in touch with you regularly, frequently meeting up. He will be a very sweet, supportive older brother, always offering encouragement and boosting your self-esteem. 

Melone- The chances are, he encountered you completely by accident. It began the day he first saw you, most likely either at a bar or online, and was struck by your similar features. He did some digging, got hold of your DNA, and the results confirmed his suspicions. You are Melone’s little sister. His first port of call is to contact you and explain himself. He makes no attempt to hide the bizarre life he lives (excluding the fact he regularly commits murder) and the way he found you, which is enough to make you call him for bullshit until you’re also forced to acknowledge the resemblence you share to him. With you convinced, Melone visits you in person to find out how you’re getting on, and to shed some light on your interests and personality so he can engage with you better in future conversations. He also wants to know about your relationships. Do you have a partner? Children? If so, he’ll definitely want to be involved in their lives, offering to take babysitting duties whenever you need. If you’re single and don’t want to be, he’ll be happy to help matchmake for you. Just don’t ask about his methods.

Ghiaccio- He’s very cautious about getting you mixed up with him because if you’re his sister and younger than he is, that makes you a kid. Some of the others say he’s a kid, but he wouldn’t go that far, thank you. However, he still wants to have contact with you out of an abundance of paranoia for his own shitty, shitty childhood. Who is taking care of you? Do they treat you well? If you’re being subjected to anything close to what your parents put him through, he’s going to be angry and there’s going to be blood. The last thing he wants is for you to be lonely, so he’ll suck up his reluctances and hang out with you from time to time, to see how you’re doing. But please, for the love of god, don’t try and follow him into Passione. He could never forgive himself if that happened. 

Risotto- Another one in the ‘not surprised’ category. Risotto’s parents ditched him at birth, so he’s always known there was a fair chance they would have had other children after him. The wounds of his parents’ abandonment are deeper than he’s willing to admit, but he won’t hold it against you. You are a reminder of the peaceful life he could have lived, and for that he wants to cherish you. In-person meetings are going to be rare. He can’t stand the thought of Passione learning of your existence and using you against him. However, he will still make time for you in texts and phone-calls, listening to you describe your day-to-day life and offering advice where you ask for it. Perhaps, if everything is calm within the gang, he will sneak away for a few days around your birthday or the holidays, to spend time with you in person.

Sorbet- Reluctant, but don’t take it personally. Sorbet’s entire childhood consisted of caring for his younger siblings while his mother was in no condition to do so herself. He’s not angry to find there was another sister he didn’t know about (most likely born after he ran away), but it is going to have some bad associations for him. Gelato will be the one to push him into meeting you, but despite his reservations Sorbet will treat you with absolute respect. His ongoing relations with you will be quite similar to Prosciutto’s, offering you support when you need it but otherwise keeping a distance. Perhaps once things are easier for him and Gelato, Sorbet will be able to become closer to you. He hopes you know that he wants things to be like that.

Gelato- His first reaction is caution. The rest of the family were absolute trash to him, and if you’re just going to look down on him and criticise his choices he doesn’t want to go near you. This goes double if you were actually raised by his estranged parents, as he’ll see you as some sort of replacement. That’s a thought that absolutely disgusts him. Rest assured he will come around eventually, once he sees you’re not the same as the rest of his family. He’ll invite you to hang out with him whenever you’re in town, and stay in touch via text whenever you aren’t. Sometimes you wake up at 3am to the most incomprehensible messages you’ve ever seen, frequently followed by an apology from Sorbet. Your brother is a real highlight of your life, always sure to make you laugh.

[lostinthewiind]

3AM in the City

Tetsurō Kuroo - Haikyuu

Synopsis: after high school, you don’t see Kuroo as much as you used to, and not nearly as much as you would like. The only exception is when he calls you up at 3AM to go for a drive—an offer you never turn down; and tonight’s events are exactly why you don’t. 

Rating: PG

Warnings: some kissing, nothing you haven’t seen in the movies before kids. A little angsty if you squint?

As far as you knew, it was just another Friday night you would be spending at home alone, which you didn’t mind in the slightest. As much as you enjoyed going out just as much as the next person, you still knew how to appreciate a quiet night in by yourself.

Scrolling through your phone, the bright, white light illuminating your face in the otherwise pitch black room, you glanced up at the corner of the small device in your hands and took noticed of the time. 3AM. 

Letting out a yawn, almost as if in response to realizing just how late it was, you shifted in bed a little, trying to decide if you should try to get some sleep or keep mindlessly prowling social media for a little while longer.

Before you could make up your mind, however, a notification for an incoming phone call took over your entire screen, startling you a little more than you would like to admit. A small smile toyed at the corners of your mouth as you read the caller ID and answered the call.

“Hello?” You pressed the phone to your ear and sighed, body ready to climb out of bed. You already knew why he was calling . . . it was the only reason he called anymore.

“Hey.” His voice was smooth and casual over the phone, indicating that he hadn’t just woken up, meaning he hadn’t slept at all yet; which wasn’t exactly uncharacteristic of Kuroo. “Did I wake you?”

You shook your head instinctively, even though he couldn’t see it. “No,” you answered. “Just lying in bed.”

There was a short pause before he spoke again. “Wanna go for a drive?”

You had already known before you answered the phone that you would be saying yes to his proposition, but instead of responding right away, you hummed softly, pretending to think about it—pretending you weren’t as eager to see him as you actually were.

“Sure.” You swung your legs over the side of your bed and started searching for some clothes in the dark, unwilling to turn on the bright overhead light and ruin the late-night trance that you enjoyed so much. 

“Meet you in ten,” he said before hanging up. 

“Yeah,” you sighed, even though he was no longer on the other line. Thankfully, you knew this was just the way that Kuroo was—he was just bad at talking over the phone—but you still wished he sounded even a little excited to see you after so long.

Pulling on the same outfit you had been wearing that day, purely because they were sitting at the end of your bed and had been easy to find, you tucked your phone into your pocket and fixed yourself up a little before heading out the door. 

Like always, you waited at the street corner for Kuroo to drive up and pick you up. When he arrived almost exactly ten minutes after he had ended the phone call, you jumped into the passenger’s seat of the incredibly expensive and lavish car he drove. That vehicle was his pride and joy and sometimes you were honestly surprised he even let you inside of it considering how little he seemed to care about you lately.

Before you could even get your seat belt on, he was speeding away from the curb and heading out of your neighbourhood. Glancing over at the man you used to consider your best friend, you noticed the creases between his brows and the way his lips stretched into a thin, tight line. Something was bothering him, but then again, he didn’t ask you to accompany him on mindless cruises at 3AM when all was well in his life.

Knowing that it would be a couple of minutes before he warmed up to your presence and wanted to talk, you turned up the radio and watched the scenery pass by out the window. In the distance, you could see the glowing lights of downtown Tokyo, the bustling hub of the city that you usually avoided due to how busy and crowded it was. 

The city in the middle of the night was a completely different story, however. Maybe it was the way the many colourful advertisements and store signs illuminated the dark night sky, or maybe it was the way the streets emptied out enough for the overwhelming aura to dissipate just enough, but driving through the streets at night brought you a sense of euphoric calm that simply couldn’t be obtained during daylight.

Looking back at Kuroo, you took note of how his face had relaxed, even if just a little. You watched his hands tense around the steering wheel, griping tight before relaxing and tapping his fingers against the leather. Feeling your eyes on him, he finally looked over at you and acknowledged your presence.

“How have you been?” he asked seemingly out of nowhere, as if he just realized he would have to make conversation with you eventually.

Your heart fluttered slightly, joy spreading through you at the thought that he genuinely cared about how you were doing. “Fine, thank you,” you told him. “And you?”

“Okay,” he lied. You knew it was a lie, because even though he had changed drastically since high school, he was still just as bad at bending the truth, especially when it came to you.

“That’s good.” You rested your head against the window and observed the passing buildings and how they grew taller and taller the further into the city Kuroo drove.

As silence consumed the inside of the car once more, you became keenly aware of the music playing in the background; so, when a certain song that brought back a lot of memories started playing, you noticed it before Kuroo. 

Your eyes widened a little as you looked from the radio to Kuroo, waiting to see if he remembered it as well—hoping he remembered it. 

Feeling your eyes on him once more, he cocked a dark brow in your direction. “What?”

“This song.” You gestured lazily to the speaker. “Do you remember it?”

Kuroo chewed on his bottom lip as he listened, and for a moment, you thought he had actually forgotten. Then, a wondrous smile spread across his dimly lit face and he nodded. “Yeah, course I remember.” His spirits seemed to have increased ten-fold. “You always insisted we play it, and every time we did, you would sing every single word. Without fail. Every. Single. Time.” 

A soft chuckle escaped your lips. “What can I say? It’s a good song.” You turned up the volume a couple more notches. 

This time, when the conversation ceased, the vehicle wasn’t filled to the brim with thick tension. Instead, you found yourself thinking back to your days in high school—those incredible three years that you would give anything in the world to return to. Back then, you and Kuroo had been nearly inseparable. Back then, you hadn’t had to fight for his attention.

Back then, you genuinely felt like he wanted to be around you.

Looking to your former-friend and now casual acquaintance, you watched him carefully as he drove, his eyes glued to the road in front of himself. You wondered what had happened. What had gone so wrong that he felt the need to distance himself from you? Had you done something to push him away . . . or was that just the way high school friendships played out?

The question as to what series of events had taken place to get you to where you were now was one that you were unable to answer. The only thing you knew for sure was that you missed Kuroo . . . more than you probably should, but you missed him nevertheless.

Feeling a sudden burst of confidence, either from the inspiring city lights or the nostalgic song, or maybe both, you shifted in your seat to face the man beside you and cleared your throat. 

“Are you going to tell me what’s been bothering you?” you asked matter-of-factly.

Kuroo glanced over at you for a split-second, blinking a few times in response. He was clearly taken aback by your sudden and direct inquiry, and you completely expected him to ignore you altogether or change the subject. What you didn’t expect was for him to turn into the nearest parking lot, park the car, and let out a long, exasperated sigh.

Worry and curiosity coursing through your veins, you sat silent and still, waiting for him to speak or move or do anything.

“I feel lost,” he finally said, his line of sight falling to his lap. There was a pause, and you were unsure if he was going to elaborate more or leave it at that. When you opened your mouth to respond, however, he continued. “Work takes up all of my time . . . so much so that I’m starting to realize I’ve cut ties with everyone I used to know without even noticing it; not until it was too late. And the worst part is, work isn’t even going well. This corporate ladder bullshit is way harder than I ever imagined. I feel stupid for throwing away everything I had for something I might not ever be able to obtain . . . for something I don’t even enjoy. It feels like it’s all for nothing.”

Your jaw dropped slightly. Kuroo had never been that open about his feelings with you before; not unless you had pried for days-on-end or he was plastered drunk. 

You were unsure how to respond at first, so you did what you usually did when people came to you with a problem; you tried to put yourself in their shoes and then give the advice you thought you would want to hear.

“Well, I’m sure it’s not all for nothing,” you told him. “You didn’t get into business because you hated it. Sure, maybe the spark is a little dimmer right now or you’re going through a really rough patch . . . but don’t doubt yourself over one little bump in the road.”

Slowly, Kuroo turned his head toward you, his dark eyes landing on you for more than a few seconds for the first time that night. “But how do I know if it’s worth throwing everything else away over?”

“It’s not,” you said simply. “No job is worth throwing everything else in your life away over. But the best part is, you don’t have to choose between a career and a social life, and anyone who says you do is just plain lazy or insanely bad at time management.”

Kuroo cracked a smile at that and a puff of air that could be interpreted as a soft laugh passed his lips. 

“So my advice is just try to do better from here on out.” You smiled back. “Everyone has a hard time every once in a while. If the people in your life truly care about you, they will understand.”

“Do you understand?” he asked.

This time, you didn’t hesitate at all. There was no need to play coy or pretend like you cared less than you really did. “I do.” You nodded. “I’ve missed you.”

Kuroo’s eyes softened and his small smile faltered for half a beat. “I’ve missed you too.” 

Before you knew what was happening, Kuroo’s large hand was caressing your cheek and his lips were pressed against yours. Even though it was the middle of the night, you swore your entire world lit up at that moment. You had known you had wanted your best friend back, but this was so much better. This was more than you could have ever hoped for.

“I’ve been horrible to you.” Kuroo whispered against your lips, his fingertips trailing down the side of your neck and sending shivers up your spine. “I know this is a lot to ask . . . but can you ever forgive me?”

“Just promise to call me more than once a month . . . and maybe during the day sometimes,” you chuckled. 

He laughed, his hot breath warming your face. “I can do that.”

“Then yes, I forgive you.”

[wedielikemen]

AFTG PAIRINGS AS DRINKS YOU’VE HAD.

This started out as purely Andreil, Kandrew and Kandreil and just kept growing lmao

Andreil is the cup of coffee that you’ve had a million times, maybe a little too much. Maybe a little too often, but it’s warm, familiar and comforting so who cares

Kandrew is that lemon beer your cool cousin introduced you to once that you keep sneaking out to the corner store to buy and you don’t always find it but my god when you do-

Kandreil is that fancy wine you’ve got to be mature enough to appreciate that will leave you drunk and crying at 3am but you wouldn’t have it any other way. (usually had after generous servings of Andreil and Kandrew both)

KevJean is that iced tea you’re not sure you want in the first place but you grab out of curiosity. It’s dark and sharp but surprisingly...sweet? You begrudgingly admit you like it.

Keremy is that same iced tea except served with a shot of whiskey, and boy! That whisky warms everything right up. It’s new and unusual but somehow it works. it’s also sort of addictive (might ruin that fancy wine for you if you’re not careful)

KevAaron is that weird flat soda at the back of the fridge you only drank because you’re out of everything else and you vow never ever to drink again

Rennison is the jamaican rum cream that you never expected but it is surprisingly sweet? And fluffy? and you. keep. taking. shots. Help.

Neil paired with Ichiru is sour beer. It makes you gag. You pour that one down the sink

Aaron and Kaitlyn are the sparkling water you thought would be boring but is surprisingly cool and refreshing. It’s not your favorite but you’ll have it now and again

Matt and Dan are the ginger beer you only have once in a while, usually when you’re out of everything else. It’s good, you like it. Why don’t you have this more often again?

Wymack and Neil is the curry vanilla smoothie you only glimpsed in a store window once. It was such a horrifyingly wrong mix that you threw up in your mouth on the spot. You’ve never tried it. It would make you spectacularly sick.

Riko with anyone. This drink is bright green on the very bottom shelf in a dusty corner. You think it might be poisonous

Kevin and Thea. the classic pina colada but with way too much alcohol. It made your head hurt. Could have been great if the bartender had paid attention while they were making it.

[leonardhoee]

My Theory About Purebloods (And The Solution to Leonardo’s Problem)

So this was inspired by a few things

- @incorrect-ikevamp-quotes your analysis rant posts about Leo are amazing please never stop writing them. I’d love to hear what you think about this too!

- The feeling of crippling dread that his ending gave me and how I refuse to accept that I’m just gonna die one day and leave him alone and in pain like that.

- Pure curiosity. I’d probably end up trying to do this research anyways. But its primarily for him.

Anyways y’all enjoy my 3am Leo brain vomit. I’m totally onto something here though even though its verging dangerously close to mad scientist Faust territory. Anyways Enjoy! Reblog and let me know what you think!

More under the cut

Background 

I think purebloods came into existence naturally, as any other species would, and just like humans, they have had their own evolution. Early humans were probably nothing more than just a food source for them, which is, most likely, the reason for their traditional belief that humans and other species are beneath them. Simply put, to Leo’s family, it probably seems like he fell in love with a Starbucks Double Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino.

As humans evolved and created a society, they also had to kind of adapt and evolve to fit in. I think the only reason Purebloods aren’t the dominant species on the planet is because they’re outnumbered by humans. (They’ve probably been around longer than humans too, and it’s entirely possible that they could’ve inspired some early religions bc of their superior physicality, but I digress)

Because Purebloods are like any other species, they also have DNA. And thats where I get into my theory.

Genetics + My Solution

Purebloods have DNA too, so logically there must be a specific gene that is responsible for immortality. The same way there’s genes inside other creatures that are responsible for their lifespan. 

What if there was a way to just turn off that gene...

Let me elaborate. My theory is that everyone already has that gene, human or not. Purebloods are born with that gene active because of their parents,and past family genetics. With humans, its simply just dormant. For lesser vampires there must be something in a pureblood’s bite that triggers it’s activation. (Like snake venom. I will talk about the turning process next). By that theory it should be possible to reverse engineer Pureblood venom into an injection that represses that gene, instead of activating it. Think of it as a reverse Comte de Saint Germain. There's actually already some existing theories  and research on possible ways to repress certain genes (they call it genetic regulation. Natural selection automatically represses certain genes over time so this is just being able to do that process in an instant.) A basic form of this concept is also used for “designer babies” where the parents choose certain traits they want their unborn child to have, and the pregnant mother receives an injection

Going even further, I think it’s entirely possible that there isn’t just 1 “Pureblood” gene. It could be a group of multiple genes where one is for immortality, one is for increased strength, hypnotic abilities, etc... So if Leo’s immortality gene is turned off, he could still retain his pureblood strength and speed. The only difference is that from that point on he’d just age normally like a human.

Turning Process

So you might be wondering, well how does the whole “dying” part of the turning process work if its just a gene?

Often in history when we hear about myths and fantastical feats it’s usually an act of science that was far beyond its time period. And most things can be easily explained if you look at that science from a logical perspective.

Like I said before, for humans, its a dormant gene. My guess is when a human is bitten, the venom temporarily stops their heart until the human, now lesser vampire, is resuscitated by the activation of their “vampiric” genes (aka the long lifespan and increased healing ability to name a couple). In the universe’s established Logic, two purebloods biting each other will have no effect on their genetic makeup. It only results in feelings of pleasure. Therefore we can conclude that the set of vampiric genes being activated have a resistance or antidote to the pureblood venom being injected into the body. Because of this it makes sense that the human is resuscitated by the activation of said genes.

As for the feeling of pleasure that is received from being bitten by a pureblood. There are several species of snakes that exist with venom that has properties of opioids and anaglesia (the inability to feel pain. Yes you can get high from snake venom). This is a developed trait over millions of years that heightens their ability to catch prey. Applying that logic, as unromantic as it sounds, the feeling of pleasure for pureblood bites is what acts as the “opiod” that ensures their “prey” does not escape until they have had their fill of blood.

I also wonder (since its said that lesser vampires will still die, they just have a longer lifespan) if the length of their lifespan has anything to do with how strong their Pureblood sire’s venom is? Do all lesser vampires have the same lifespan? And what are the factors that determine how strong someone’s venom is? 

In simple terms, there’s no other way to explain how a simple bite can “turn” someone. It must be some type of venom that can cause you pleasure, momentarily “kill” you, and activate those genes.

Would Leo Do It? Would I Do It? + Implications 

I think Leo would absolutely want to become mortal if he was given the chance. I think when he was doing his alchemy experiments, he had the right idea but he went about it the wrong way. He IS a genius though so I find it hard to believe that this idea hadn’t crossed his mind at some point. He probably didn’t look into it much because of the lack of modern scientific knowledge and possibly feeling like he didn’t deserve to search for a chance at happiness? (Now I just hurt my heart, thank you brain). 

However, if this fell into the wrong hands, it could be used as a deadly weapon against Purebloods. (Would that really be a bad thing though? I already have existential depression and a family similar to his, so I can’t even IMAGINE how bad it is for Leo. Besides considering that purebloods are apex predators it may not be bad to have an effective weapon against them.)

Now, I don’t know what Faust’s motivations are for his research but I’d love to work with him on this (partially so I could have access to Vlad to run a biological analysis on him.) I’d try to run experiments on Leo, Vlad, Comte, Faust, and whichever residents want to volunteer, so I could see if theres any differences in their venom and the people they sired. Also I think Faust would be really interested in this kind of thing (Ngl if Vlad is involved he might try to weaponize it but as long as he doesn't fw me or any of my boys I’ll be fine)

This could also solve certain societal issues especially with pureblood criminals. If criminals were offered up to be test subjects they can support our research and if the serum worked they will no longer pose a threat to anyone.

(Little bit off topic but, based on what I know so far, I think that Leo and Faust are very similar people. The only main difference is that Leo holds a lot more love, compassion, and mercy for others than Faust does. Under different circumstances I think they could've been really good friends and maybe could’ve had science father/son relationship. Faust probably reminds Leo of a younger version of himself. If anyone wants to go off this and scream about it I’d love to read it!)

Also another question: Would Leo’s age catch up to him if he became mortal?

I don’t think so. Immortality isn't as incomprehensible as we tend to think. It’s basically just keeping someone’s body in pristine condition for in indefinite amount of time. If he were to become mortal, he’d be whatever age he was when his body stopped aging, and then he would age like a normal human. {Though if he was still recovering from any wounds (like when he got shot in his route) that would go over badly if he became mortal for obvious reasons. Other than that it shouldn't pose any risks to him). As long as he was in good condition at the time he was turned (no fatal injuries or health issues) he will be given a human lifespan safely with no risk to him.

This is honestly just the surface of the questions that can be asked about pureblood biology but some of the other things I’m curious about…

What determines a pureblood’s biological ability and why does it manifest more strongly in some? (Vlad is shown to have an extremely powerful hypnotic ability whereas Leonardo’s seems to exist but be very weak in comparison)

If a pureblood is truly immortal with unparalleled healing abilities, what are the limits of their immortality? ( if they were thrown into a factory sized meat grinder or chopped up into tiny pieces would they still heal from that?)

Going off the previous question, if a pureblood were to be chopped up into pieces, which part of their body would they regenerate from? What is the limit of their regeneration before they are stuck with a chronic immortal wound?

How long can a pureblood survive without blood? We have seen that Purebloods have the same amount of bloodlust as the average vampire does. However what would begin to happen if you deprived them? (This is something that could easily be tested on one of the criminals)

Does drinking a pureblood’s blood, as a human or lesser vampire, have healing properties? Will you heal and regenerate your body faster if you drank their blood?

Conclusion 

Basically yes, there’s a way to turn Leo mortal even if it involves me messing with evolution or playing god. I’d do it over and over again because LOOK AT HIM. How do you NOT want to give him the whole world.

(Sidenote: Guys I just need you to know I deadass came up with this whole theory at 3am, got too excited to fall asleep so I did some research to fact check, wrote it all down, then fell asleep on the FLOOR the next day because I was so tired and almost got kicked by my sister because she didn’t see me. Insomnia gives me my most genius ideas. Leo would be proud)

Also stan my best boys

Bonus: Enjoy these edits I made of Leo in glasses because why not, he looks amazing 

[meursaulty]

saunters sauntuly in here... using that questionaire to learn more abt everybodies wizzies... here r my questions abt urs..

- does your wizard have a primary school? secondary school?

- does your wizard travel alone or with a group?

- what do they think about forbidden magics? should it be taught?

- how do they generally get along with most npcs? do they have favorites, or a best friend?

for all ur wizards!!

hiiiii so i technically have three wizards but i basically made the first a self insert because i did not think i would still be playing this game by now... so i will focus answers on my two actual characters. this is kinda long bc it's the first time im talking about them here so i gotta give context:

does your wizard have a primary school? secondary school?

- scarlet is my main death wiz. the story about her primary school is actually kinda funny, bc i made my current wiz acc in 2016 after my old one was banned (chargeback 😤). BUT i didn't use it until last year and thought she was a fire like my og character?? so then i logged in and it was like "welcome to the death school" after i named her scarlet and dressed her all in red 😀

- roslyn is a storm, and samuel is a life. nothing special behind those stories (at least not ones that wouldn't extend this answer by way too much)

- and i don't use secondary schools to characterize bc i am lazy..... but maybe i should

does your wizard travel alone or with a group?

- scarlet goes alone, bc i keep her story adherent to canon

- but roslyn and samuel. oh god. most annoying saviors ever. the deal with them is that ambrose sends them around the spiral as a team. the thing is... they are both wolf stormblades and just refuse to cooperate and only make it to dragonspyre through pure luck... in ds the gravity of the situation finally hits them, and they don't really talk again until celestia. but arc 1 and the time between dragonspyre/celestia gave them a lot of time to grow up. i could write a whole essay on this, but to keep it short, they are besties by end of arc 2 lol

what do they think about forbidden magics? should it be taught?

- i assume this refers to shadow magic? and tbh only scarlet has gotten that far in game, but roslyn and samuel are on the same page that it needs to be studied more, but that it can be seriously dangerous (reverie: the shadow in your heart twists your dreams) and not taught at places like ravenwood. maybe the history/theories, but not the spells. just enough to sate curiosity and avoid morganthe 2.0

- although roslyn is a less firm on this position. she's from marleybone (where there's no magic, according to wethersfield) and ravenwood is the best thing that could have happened to her (see next q), so she isn't sure how she feels being on the side for its containment

how do they generally get along with most npcs? do they have favorites, or a best friend?

- ok so i need to give some bkg on roslyn and samuel.

- roslyn is from the streets of marleybone. think victorian street urchin. part of a band of children with a strict code of honor. so she gets along fine with the npcs (if they don't to anything to change her mind...ahem giles in empyrea), but she would really get on with the hoods in mirage

- samuel is from a wealthy family in karamelle. think nepotism baby. set to take over his family's part of nana's when he's older. he's very aloof and haughty at first and doesn't really care about the npcs. but like i said in #2, both he and roslyn mellow out after realizing that they're part of something much larger than either of them

- but as for best friends... they are (eventually) each other's lol. this is actually great timing for this q bc i was up at like 3am last night drawing after seeing a vision of this meme in my minds eye

[kyoomiii]

♡ Late night kitchen raids [hcs]

- ✎ characters ❝ oikawa, bokuto, and tendou❞

- [ trigger warning(s): none ]

- ⚘ genre ❝ fluff, crack ❞

 ❝ i absolutely love and adore tendou’s chaotic energy ( ˘ ³˘)♥ ❞

-kyo  ♡

It’s fairly early into your relationship with Oikawa, however, the two of you have been friends for a long time alongside Iwaizumi, so over night study sessions aren’t uncommon (though it’s more of you and Iwaizumi studying and Oikawa tagging along because he doesn’t want to be lonely-)

ANYWAY, the night progression is slow with you and Iwaizumi actually trying to work and Oikawa constantly trying to get your attention by nuzzling against you or pouting until he gets what he wants.

“y/n-chan pay attention to me~ Studying with Iwa is useless because his brain is as big as a walnut”

“Shut up Trashykawa”

“Owie- Iwa-chan that hurt

It gets to the point where you fall asleep without even realizing it. Eventually waking up around 12am with a piece of paper stuck to your face and your hair a mess.

Iwaizumi is nowhere to be found and neither is Oikawa, and it’s quite odd because Oikawa is rarely quiet- unless he’s doing something he’s not supposed to… (kind of like a toddler)

So out of pure curiosity you go look for the two, because you want to cuddle Oikawa, and Iwaizumi always hides the good blankets since Oikawa ALWAYS hogs them without a doubt- it’s been like that since they were kids and it still pisses Iwaizumi off to this day (Oikawa doesn’t feel bad)

But it’s a little hard finding them seeing as there’s no real indication of where they might be as all the lights are still off.

As a result you settle on following whatever hunch you have, which in this case leads you to the kitchen.

However, you barely make it through the entrance when you freeze. A dark figure crouching in front of the pantry. 

You’re scared shitless because- WHAT THE EVERLOVING HELL IS THAT

Turning the lights on you heave a sigh of relief when you see Oikawa… But nonetheless with your body moving faster than your mind you end up throwing a slipper at him anyway because he looks like a little goblin

He whines, clutching his back with a pout on his face (he’s the cutest thing you’ve ever seen)

“y/nnn-chan that hurt”

“Oh my gosh Tooru you scared me.” 

“You’re so cruel y/n-chan… Anyway I should be the one scared you look like a mon- Owie”

Oikawa motions for you to come over to him and together the both of you raid Iwaizumi’s pantry because he’s not there to stop you (that is until he is- lmao good luck)

“y/n-chan come help me raid Iwa-chan’s snacks-”

“What the hell are you two doing!”

It’s not uncommon for you and Bokuto to have sleepovers at one another’s houses. In fact the both of you make it an effort to have one at least a couple of times a month seeing as schedules tend to get busy and you never know when they’ll get jammed.

This particular one happens to be your turn to host. And so now you and Bokuto find yourselves cuddled together on your bed, a movie playing in the background.

The night has been relatively quiet- surprisingly, even though everyone knows that Bokuto can get hella loud. But even loud people need a moment to recharge.

The sleepover proceeds as they usually do, sometimes Bokuto will say something stupid that’ll end in a fit of giggles, but it’s generally just a bunch of cuddles as you run your hands over his back muscles, which are sore from today’s practice.

“-And then he did a feint!”

“Kou weren’t you the one who taught him that?”

“That’s not the point- Our son betrayed us!”

“I haven’t even met Hinata before…”

“If he’s my son he’s your son”

And despite having had a gruesome practice just a couple of hours prior to your cuddle session, it’s you who falls asleep first while Bokuto admires you curled into his chest, trying his hardest not to screech outloud and scare you.

As 3am rolls around, Bokuto finds himself getting hungry. So he oh so carefully, untangles you from him and sneaks into your kitchen to raid your fridge. 

The scent of pancakes wafts through the vents, ultimately waking you up. However, as a result now you’re hungry too- and Bokuto is gone so you figure it must be him doing something.

 Tiredly slinking into the kitchen, you find Bokuto in the middle of the kitchen  floor shoveling Pancakes into his mouth at nearly 4am.

“Kou slow down you’re going to choke”

“No I won- *chokes anyway*”

He grins sheepishly, mouth full of food as you stare at him.

There are no words exchanged between you two as you communicate with merely your eyes, Bokuto immediately understands what you want as he beckons for you to join him.

So there you guys are, sitting on the floor in the middle of the night eating pancakes (even if they are a little burnt.

“I may have almost burnt down your kitchen”

“-What”

You had given Tendou a set of keys to your house in case of some sort of emergency. However you didn’t expect him to use them anytime soon seeing as Shiratorizawa is a boarding school. In fact you had completely forgotten that you gave him a set in the first place.

So when the holidays rolled around and you found yourself at home for about a week, you didn’t really expect to see Tendou show up- not that you didn’t want him to or anything, it was just something that you didn’t expect.

And so by the third day of vacation, having only communicated with Tendou via text, phone calls, and facetime you had grown to miss him and all of his shenanigans.

But, nothing would have prepared you for this…

It was 2am when you heard the loud crash that resonated throughout your home. Your parents would normally be asleep at this hour,though nonetheless curiosity consumes you as you rise from your bed

The hallway remains dark, as you tip-toe towards the kitchen.

However, there in the shadows sitting atop your counter is a figure, eating what seems to be a bag of chips.

Your heart races as confusion plagues your mind because who in the-

As you turn on the light, you immediately let out a sigh of relief, the red hair all too familiar, however, confusion still swirls through your mind- because how did he even get into your house?

Turning to you with the most relaxed grin you have ever seen despite the situation Tendou holds out the bag as if offering you some. Because he does not give two craps.

While you are in shock- you’re also a simp for food, so you accept his offering, joining him on the counter as the two of you stare silently at the fridge eating chips and enjoying each other’s presence. 

After a good 5 minutes you finally ask him how he got in and why he was here this late.

This prompts him to hold up the long forgotten house key, and claim that he was bored and missed you.

“Tori, how did you even get into my home and why are you here?”

“I was bored and I missed you”

“Okay but you could have at least come in pants…”

“Boxers are close to pants”

“I-No…”

[tagsecretsanta]

From @hedwigstalons

to @lenle-g

Secret Santa does not own this work, full credit to the author above!

“Merry Christmas, John.”

"Merry Christmas, Eos."

Eos’ camera unit tracked his progress through the gravity ring towards the small section that passed as a kitchen module.  He could tell just from the way her servos whirred that she wasn’t finished and the length of the pause gave a good indicator that she was puzzled.

"John?"

"Yes, Eos?"

"You sound...sad."

"I'm not sad, Eos, but I'm not really happy either."

"You sounded happy when you spoke to your family."

"That's good.  I don't want them worrying about me."

"Should they be worried about you?  You seem well.  All your vitals are registering in the normal range."

There was something touching about her gentle curiosity and John couldn't help but smile at how far she had come in terms of displaying sensitivity, but it was at times like these that the AI showed just how inhuman she was.  Much as he would like to brush it off and forget the whole situation he owed her an explanation, if only to further her education into the nuances of people.

"No, I'm fine, Eos.  But it would spoil their day if they thought I was missing them.  Just because I'm stuck up here doesn't mean they should hold back on the holiday spirit on my account."

"So you lied to them."

"I didn't lie, I just didn't tell the whole truth."

"This is one of those human things, isn't it."

"Yes, Eos, it's a human thing."

It had taken a lot of effort to plaster on a smile and give a convincing act that, yes, he really was fine about spending Christmas up on Thunderbird 5.  If everything had gone to plan he would have been in the thick of it.  Calls would have been diverted to the island and global rescue agencies reminded the International Rescue was first and foremost a family unit.  Of course they would still respond to a request for help but courtesy dictated that for this one day only the direst of calls got sent their way.

John might grumble about the paper crowns, claim tinsel made him itchy or threaten to head back to the office when the inevitable pillow fight broke out between Alan and Gordon but they were his family and he would much rather be spending Christmas surrounded by the noise and chaos than alone.  Unfortunately, this year, alone was exactly how he was going to spend the holiday season.

"Eos, give me another readout on the coronal mass ejecta and electromagnetic radiation levels."

"The solar flare is continuing.  It is still inadvisable to use the space elevator."

It hadn't answered his request but she had given him the information he needed.  Eos really was getting better at understanding people and reading the subtext, he couldn’t help but feel a little proud of her.

“Thank you, Eos.”  There was a whirr as she dipped her lens in a nod of understanding.  “Well, it looks like the emergency Christmas meal is going to come into play.”

By this point he had reached the kitchen module and he extracted from storage a small silver tray that looked just like all the other silver trays that provided the bulk of his nutrition up on the space station.  A small label proclaimed it to contain roast turkey and all the trimmings but he didn’t hold out much hope of it being any more appetizing than his usual bland fare, there was something about the preserving process along with the high levels of vitamin fortification in each meal that gave his food a unique, if not wholly pleasant, flavour.  The meals weren’t bad as such, but they weren’t good either.  Normally he appreciated being spared good ol’ home cookin’ with Grandma at the helm but you could guarantee that Christmas, along with Thanksgiving which he had also missed this year, was one of the occasions that everyone pulled together to make a meal worth eating.

Three minutes in the warmer and the meal was ready to eat.  He carried it through to his sleeping quarters and perched on the bunk before peeling off the lid that had so far kept all food smells sealed inside.  As soon as the seal was broken rich aromas filled the cabin.  If the smell was anything to go by then maybe it wouldn’t be too bad.  Unfortunately it still had the same greyish tinge and odd consistency as his usual staples but he’d survived on space rations for long enough to know that looks didn’t matter as long as it was edible.

Despite the tantalising smell it was with some trepidation that he picked up the first forkful.  Recreating the holiday meal was a challenge and one that Brains had only recently applied himself to.  If everything had gone to plan he wouldn’t even be having this meal now, he would be back on Earth with his brothers tucking in to the real thing and this, whatever it was, would have become just another food tray to grab when he fancied something different.

He gave the lump of grey a tentative nibble, paused to assess the flavour, then shoved the whole forkful in with enthusiasm.  It was delicious.  Okay, he would have preferred to be eating the real thing and to not have all the component flavors all jumbled together but if he concentrated he could tasted the turkey, the mashed potatoes, the gravy and all the other parts deemed essential to a Christmas roast.  Once again he was happy to declare that Brains was a genius.  He carried on eating until every single scrap had been scraped out of the tray, even going so far as to wipe a finger round the edges to get every last bit, before slotting the tray and lid into the disposal unit for recycling.

The rest of the afternoon was passed with an open comm link.  It was bittersweet being both there but not there as the family laughed and joked around his hologram but with calls still being set to extreme emergency only it wasn’t like he had much else to do, especially since Scott had commanded Eos to block any activities that might be construed as work.  Reports, inventories, maintenance, even reading for anything other than pure pleasure, of it was off limits.

Time ticked on and one by one the residents of Tracy Island drifted off to bed until only Scott was left having chivvied everyone along  with the reminder that they would all be back on standard duty in just a few short hours.  With that the guardian down on Earth flopped down on the couch for a few moments of quiet and turned to the guardian in the sky with a sigh.

“Well, we made it through the whole day.  Even that mudslide in Chile didn’t need our attention.”

“No.  Local rescue services managed it with zero fatalities.”

There was a shared look as though each dared the other to comment on their knowledge of the situation in Chile even though they technically weren’t meant to be working.  They both knew there would be no admonishment though, however much they might tell the others to step away from the day (and night) job, for the Commander and Space Monitor of International Rescue a ‘day off’ would always follow a different definition.

“That’s good to hear.  Are you sure you’re okay up there?”

“I’m absolutely fine Scott, the flare isn’t producing anything that would trouble Thunderbird Five.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”  Blue eyes held turquoise until, safe in the knowledge that this was just between the two of them, the lithe form in the hologram slumped a little.

“Of course I would have preferred to be there with you all.”

“I know, buddy,” there was a nod of understanding, “but we’ll get you down here as soon as we can.”

Both of them knew it wouldn’t quite be the same.  Neither of them realised quite how quickly they would get their wish to have John planetside.

***

It was around 3am Tracy Island time when John first realised something wasn’t quite right.  Scratch that, ‘wasn’t quite right’ did not do justice to the roiling, churning feeling in his stomach, the waves of nausea or the chilled sweat that had broken out all over him with accompanying shivers to round off the experience.

“Eos, increase the gravity to 1G,” he rasped out for as much as he he normally enjoyed keeping the living areas of Thunderbird Five at lower than Earth’s gravity, if his predictions of what the next few hours were going to entail proved true then low gravity was not the best environment to experience it in.  

There was a feeling of pressure as he settled slightly heavier against his bunk and the change did nothing to quell the feeling in this stomach.  A lurch and swoop inside him told him that the inevitable was about to happen.  Ordinarily John was the tidiest brother but he was incredibly glad that for once he hadn’t gotten around to stowing away the fresh uniforms that had been sent up on the last supply run.  It was the work of a moment to extract the box from under his bunk, unceremoniously tip the neatly folded stack of blue suits onto the floor and clutch the box to him.  He’d much rather deal with cleaning up the now rumpled pile of uniforms than his stomach contents.

Minutes ticked into hours and the feeling didn’t abate.  He huddled on his bunk, hunched over the box, his blankets pulled close over his shoulders.  Another spasm wracked his body and he added to the contents of the box.

“John, shall I alert your family?”

It was the third time Eos had asked that and for the third time John refused.  Alan had barely made it back in time for Christmas himself and while the young astronaut was technically cleared to fly again John would much rather his youngest brother racked up a few more hours of sleep.  Anyway, he wasn’t sure he could face a trip in Thunderbird Three just yet.

“Conditions are such that the space elevator is now operational.”

If such a thing were possible John could have kissed the AI at that moment but he settled for a weak nod instead.  There was a good reason why astronauts used to quarantine before every trip, illness in space was hard to deal with and while the advances in space travel meant that time and distance were no longer the barriers to medical aid that they used to be, a space station was still not a comfortable environment in which to ride out a sickness bug.

“In which case please tell them I’m on my way home.”

John left Eos to handle the necessary communications.  He really didn’t feel up to answering a stream of worried questions from his brothers, or worse, Grandma, and knew she would relay all the required information.  Instead he concentrated on hauling himself along to the space elevator, a journey that felt a thousand miles long to his weak and ravaged body.  The chills as he left the blankets behind made his body ache but he couldn’t manage both the blankets and the box and the box was still definitely needed.  Anyway, there was no way he could leave that up there to fester.

The space elevator posed it’s own challenges.  The reclined seat, normally so comfortable for dealing with the rapid transit back to Earth and designed for optimal safety, was not an appealing prospect for someone still prone to bouts of vomiting which, while abating, hadn’t finished completely.  He hoped he could make it through the journey unscathed but he kept a few bags in his hands just in case, knowing that the restraints would stop him from using his now well-loved box.

***

The docking clamps engaged with their usual reassuring thuds and John breathed out a slight sigh of relief, his stomach had behaved for the duration of the journey and for that he gave thanks to any deity that might be listening.  

Ordinarily he would be out of the seat the moment the harness disengaged but hauling himself upright felt too much effort.  He wasn't left in peace for long though before strong and comforting arms were scooping him up, one set on either side.

"Come on, let's get you to the infirmary and check you over."

He turned a weak smile on Virgil, for once agreeing that the infirmary was the best place for him.  

As he was led away by Scott and Virgil he vaguely registered Alan and Gordon hovering by the doors of the space elevator, mops and buckets at the ready, and he wondered quite how bad a picture Eos had painted of the situation.  That was a conversation for another day though, for now he just wanted bed, fluids and probably a clean box.

***

Four days he was stuck in infirmary.  Four long and tortuous days punctuated by rehydrating fluids that only tasted marginally better on the way down compared to their inevitable journey back up.  It was no comfort, when he was finally allowed out into the wider villa to continue his convalescence on the couch, that Virgil explained he had got away with a mild dose.  A mild dose of what, he wondered.

Salmonella, it turned out.  It was a very sheepish Brains who confessed that something in the new flavourings had compromised the preserving process and the tastiest space meal he had eaten in a long time was actually the case of all this trouble.

Despite now being able to keep down plain toast (as long as it wasn’t cremated by Grandma) he was still feeling as weak and washed out as a kitten.  He didn’t even put up a fight when Virgil said he was going to be kept Earth side until at least the new year.  He was quite happy to stay on the island even if life had returned to its usual frenetic whirl of rescues, there was something incredibly restorative about being in the midst of it all with his family around him and within a week of his return he was back running dispatch from his cocoon of blankets in the lounge.  It would be a little while before he would be fit to return to normal duties, salmonella poisoning had done a number on him despite the main physical symptoms passing in a matter of days, but he was getting there.

***

Over three weeks had passed since John’s rapid and unplanned reunion with his family and he was starting to feel the call of space.  John loved his family, he really did, but he’d just about reached his limit of unexpected noises, stolen snacks and impromptu hugs.  Unfortunately his plans to make an escape seemed to be thwarted at every turn.

“Look Virgil, I’m fine.”  There was a non-committal grunt as Virgil checked his temperature and heart rate for what felt like the 400th time.  “Take me out to Gran Rocha if you must and put me through my paces, there is nothing wrong with me now.”

Evidently the medical evidence was on John’s side because the engineer come medic stopped running tests and instead trotted out one of the many other excuses he’d heard more than once.  “We still need to restock Five.  There is a chance that other meals in that batch were contaminated and we cannot risk a repeat event.”

John was in full agreement on that one.  “I know and the new batch has been ready for at least the last three days,” Virgil opened his mouth as though he were about to interrupt, “I asked Brains.”  Virgil’s mouth closed again.  “I’ve also spoken to Alan and the next time he’s racked enough downtime he’s happy to take me and the food up in Three.  And if that doesn’t happen any time soon I’ll just take whatever I can fit in the elevator and you can send the rest on later.”

Virgil knew he was beaten.  Unless John had a fairly firm date for his return (barring rescues of course and there was no way he was going to stage a fake emergency to occupy Thunderbird Three) Virgil estimated they had maybe three days before John made good on his promise to just hop in the elevator with whatever food he could cram into a bag.

As soon as John had left the infirmary and Virgil was confident he was out of earshot he activated his comm, sending out an Island wide broadcast that excluded one grumpy astronaut.

“How are we doing guys?  John’s about ready to bust out of here.  Any chance of us being ready for tomorrow?”

“Well, we’re still missing some of the fresh stuff…” there was a note of concern in Scott’s voice.  He hated to admit it but a flurry of rescues meant they were behind schedule.

“I’m on it,” cut in Kayo, “just tell me what we need.  He won’t even notice I’m gone.”

Safe in the knowledge that the sneakiest Thunderbird would take care of the missing items the island residents each gave the affirmative that all other aspects were taken care of, or would be as long as John was kept out of certain areas.  A final itinerary was cobbled together and everyone kept their fingers crossed that the plan would be carried off without a hitch.

***

John woke a little later than usual, possibly due to the gaming session Alan had dragged him into that seemed to have lasted for hours.  He’d only ventured into his youngest brother’s bedroom to confirm his ride back to the office but by the time he got to leave, slightly stiff from being sat glued to a controller for so long, the only place he was going was back to his own bed.  He’d tried to escape a few times but every time he'd checked in with Eos she had just confirmed that all was quiet and there was no need to stop his game, prompting Alan to load another level.  He made a mental note to have a word to her about interpreting tone and teaching her the cues so she could distinguish a request for information from a plea for a cover story.

Barring the usual disclaimer that rescues would take priority, Alan was booked to take him back to Five the following day.  Now he knew where he stood he felt a lot better about the whole situation and wondered how best to use his last day on the island.  His plan was to grab a light breakfast, maybe recheck the supplies list of what he would be taking back up, then have a quick swim provided Gordon had vacated the pool and the risk of a ducking was ruled out.

His plans didn’t quite work out.

As soon as he entered the kitchen he was greeted with a maelstrom of sounds and smells.  Warm sugar and cinnamon competed with roasting turkey, Christmas carols assaulted his ears and he scratched futilely at his neck as it became adorned by a swathe of tinsel draped gleefully there by Gordon.  Everyone had clearly been waiting for his arrival and much as he might have objected to the idea had he known about it, it left him with a warm and fuzzy feeling knowing that his family were prepared to go to such lengths for him.

“Merry Christmas, John,” Scott greeted him, shoving a plate of warm cookies under his nose.  “Seeing as you got such a rough deal we decided to have a rerun.”

“With minimal risk of food poisoning,” Gordon chimed in before adding in a stage whisper, “it’s okay, we kept Grandma out of the kitchen.”

It looked like everything had been thought of to ensure he didn’t miss out on a proper Tracy family Christmas.  Once breakfast had been completed and the gathering had moved upstairs he found that even the lounge had been festooned in decorations that he knew had been put back into storage; evidently Eos did know how to provide a cover story after all.

It might seem slightly nuts to try and eat a full turkey roast in tropical heat, it was probably a misappropriation of International Rescue resources to take an unnecessary trip to Norway just to make sure John could have the real tree he’d always loved but hadn’t had for years, but to see the smile on John’s face it was definitely worth it.

[bumblebzz-911]

[whispers in a small voice because I’m always anxious and rarely speaks to anyone] Hear me out. ;; 

but also mute me because this is: long.

My brain spontaneously decided that 5am in the morning was a great time to have an au idea. Anyways, I was just thinking of an alternate universe where IQ has a baby and their babysitter decided to cancel last minute because something’s come up. And so... she asks the boys if they could watch the baby for just 1 day!  : ) I think it’d be both amusing and precious to watch the gsg9 boys with a baby!!

Blitz:

- The most protective one and holds the baby more than half the time (because he’s the one with the baby carrier and doesn’t really trust Bandit with the infant.  Jäger? Sure. Bandit? Not even one of the choices.) 

- Generally great with kids but when it comes to a 1-year old, this man has literally 10 Google search tabs open that start with “What is the best and safest way to” and etc., 

- Was the most excited to look after the baby but after literally 30 minutes of the baby being temperamental: “We just... stopped him from crying like 10 seconds ago.. and.. [actually begins to start crying, himself]” 

- Will actually taste test the baby food ( Only the strawberry n’ apple flavor puree passed with flying colors, he affirms.)

- When the baby finally naps in the crib, he probably falls asleep too lol 

Extra: Jäger: [walks out of the nursery room] 

Bandit: Hey, did the baby go to sleep yet?

Jäger: Which baby — 

-

Jäger:

- Also a baby and communicates with the infant better than the other two. The baby just simply babbles and Jäger pretends to nod like he understands, soon after the baby laughs in response. (And it’s so wholesome that my heart hUrts)

- Similar to ^^^ the baby speaks in gibberish but sometimes Jäger talks like they’re holding an actual conversation. For example, the baby can just blow a raspberry and go “anhbngf” and the German mechanic would start talking about quantum biology from a Ted talk video he clicked on the other day. 

- Surprisingly knows how to change a diaper (thank you, Youtube)

- Just loves LOVES it when they’re playing. If Bandit and Blitz aren’t covering their ears to the baby’s shrill crying.. then it’s Jäger and the baby both making “music” whilst banging on toy instruments. 

- Buys the baby some new toys and strangely... they all seem to follow the pattern of being a part of the toolbox..

Extra: Blitz: Marius, can you please slowly explain to me as to why the 1-year old is holding what seems to be a ‘screwdriver’ in one hand and a ‘handsaw’ in the other? [sees the old toys peeking out from the trash] What in the —

Jäger: So I read an article about how giving babies complex toys would actually help them during this early developmental stage and-

Blitz: Yes. But a.. toolbox??

-

Bandit:

- Actually extremely gentle with the baby. Despite the fact that when IQ asked him if he knew how to hold a baby, his response was “By the ankles, right?” (earning him a bunch of looks for that joke). Truthfully, he hasn’t held a baby since his brother’s kids were born so he was reluctant to carrying the infant at first. But then he got around to it and if we’re being honest... once he’s holding the baby they’re practically inseparable. :D

- ^^^ Blitz doesn’t let him carry the baby because “he doesn’t trust him” but in reality, they’re both lowkey competing about who’s holding the 1-year old because they’re so smitten with this baby.

- Feeds the baby some baby fruit puffs, but also snacks on it and eats half the bottle himself. lmao

- Always fascinated with how small the hands are in comparison to his. So every 5 minutes he has to tell (r e m i n d) everyone to look at the tiny hand wrapped around his pinky.  - The baby occasionally pulls (or TUGS) on Bandit’s beard out of curiosity and entertainment. He is in pain but he shall tolerate it because the baby’s giggling and it’s doing things to his heart. :) <3 - Is the type of person to pull goofy faces at the baby when there’s no one around or looking. Extra: Bandit: [making silly faces as the baby claps and smiles] Peek-a- Blitz: [opens the door] Hey Domini- Bandit: Blitz: Blitz: [closes the door slowly and looks at Jäger] I. I don’t know what I saw. Jäger: [amused smile]  Dude, let me TELL you what you saw. - At the end of the day, I think they’re all pretty exhausted because they actually take turns looking after the baby. Sort of like shifts? So each has their share of “God, they’re too adorable” to “the baby is crying and making a fuss, his diaper is not soiled, he threw his food on the floor.. so far, my mental condition is [voice starts breaking] f i n e.”  They’re pretty tired, and so is the baby too (until they start crying at 3am), and IQ finds all of them sleeping peacefully. :’)

s/n: She asks them what they did and how it went and if her baby behaved and wonders if they would babysit him again. Their answer? 101% absolutely. 

[heart-forge]

Alright, I'll bite.What are all the ros Wonka Crimes?(Also, I absolutely adore Siruud and his height thing. ALSO Valerian. Haha. I'd like to climb them like a tree!)

I’m gunna be honest I said that at like 3am yesterday and haven’t slept for a while so I didn’t have anything prepared. But I am not disappointed, and that’s something yall are always good for.

Violet Beauregard: Arrogance

Trigger, Gnarl, Abeni

Willy Wonka told them to stop and not eat the dangerous experimental candy, and these three ignored him and turned into blueberries. Maybe next time we think through the “no, I’m actually sure that I’m the only person capable of breaking the rules and surviving” attitude. I’m looking at you Trigger, who definitely did it just out of contrarian spite.

Augustus Gloop: Gluttony

Crave, Tahira

Just because everything is edible does not mean you have to eat everything, guys. Crave is mostly doing so absent mindedly, and will fall into the chocolate river on accident as well. He’s a good swimmer, though, so a chocolate river is as good as any other. Tahira, on the other hand, swan dives in. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, she needs candy to survive and in this factory she has found her garden of eden. She’s not going to win the contest, but she’ll be damned if she’s leaving.

Charlie Bucket: Curiosity

Valerian

I was originally going to say he was Veruca Salt but Veruca was enabled by her frazzled, bougie father. Kaede doesn’t coddle petulance in children, so he becomes Charlie: we were rooting for you, Valeri, we really were, but then you stole the fizzy lifting drink and thought you could get away with that. Does this make him the final survivor? No. He gets ate up by the fan or something.

Veruca Salt: Petulence

Siruud

Can’t believe I forgot my boy. He was originally up in Beauregard territory, but that implied there was some sort of point to his insistence upon breaking the rules. There isn’t. He just wants everything and is kind of an asshole about it, and the chute seems the fastest way to dispose of a man his size so hit it, geese.

Charlie Bucket: The Last Man Standing

Mantis

She gives the everlasting gobstopper back to Wonka, not out of the goodness of her heart but because she suspects he poisoned it and she doesn’t need his handouts. Since she also doesn’t eat anything during the tour for this exact reason, this makes her the last naughty child standing. This does not prove she’s pure of heart, but hey, sometimes draft one of your child candy gauntlet social experiment nets strange results.

[msilwrites]

(A 3AM Update) A True Gentleman, Chapter 18 - Realizations

A/N: Before anything else, I really am sorry that I'm only writing now. I guess the past few years of stress and overworking have finally taken their toll on me. I was recently diagnosed with ‘Hypothyroidism’ and I end up sleeping way too early than my supposed bedtime because I get tired real quick. Getting to the point, I think I've become like a Koala bear who only wakes up to eat. Nonetheless, I still like writing, and I am trying to get back into writing, so here I am writing another story. Chapter 18 is up! Reality bites Diana.

                                                    EIGHTEEN

                                                   Realizations

When Isaac and Diana arrived home, they heard voices coming from the kitchen as they entered from the back door. Isaac sighed and wanted to facepalm himself when he realized that his daughters weren’t done setting up the surprise meant for Diana.

The two women were still busy arguing about decorations that they did not notice their father, and their best friend enters the room. Diana chuckled and took the birthday trumpet and blew the horn, getting both their attention.

The two siblings snapped their heads in the sound’s direction, only to realize that their supposed surprise was no longer a surprise.

“Dad!” the siblings complained in unison. Allegra facepalmed herself whilst Olivia continued complaining. “ You had one job, Dad! One job!”

Isaac raises his hands in surrender and uttered a word of sorry.

“It’s alright...” Diana assured both of them, it was the effort that counts after all.

                                                      **********

That night after her birthday party, not wanting to be alone with Isaac, Diana quickly retreated back to her bedroom after his daughters left. She didn’t want to be disturbed or be reminded of the bet they had agreed on earlier. Moreover, the birthday party being thrown for her felt strange. It’s just not something she was used to.

She sits down at the sofa that was next to the window and lounges there for a while. She was tired of living as a ‘victim’, desperate for approval, and begging for affection and love that vowed to take charge of her life more actively from now on and stop depending on Isaac.

The first step would be finding a new apartment, as she needed to get away from him and let go of her feelings out of respect for her Allegra, and Olivia. Second, she needed to get herself in the right frame of mind and be more self-sufficient, emotionally and mentally. The third step is getting a job or create her own startup since she has a bit of money.

With a newfound purpose, she strengthened her resolve and promised to start the next day.

                                                       **********

Because she had promised to meet up with Alric for lunch, she needed to leave the house, which means she had to go out of her room and see Isaac. The thought of possibly meeting him downstairs dreaded her. So she thought of another way to get out of her room and leave the house without getting caught, and that was leaving through her bedroom window.

She was glad that her bedroom window was facing the back garden where the fence had a door for her to exit. Not only that, she also secretly placed a wooden ladder and disguised it as decoration, so it would be easier for her to climb down.

With a sigh and her bag and shoes in her other hand, she climbs down the ladder. It felt like she was a teenager running away from her guardian. When she reached the ground, she quickly put on her shoes and ran to the door of the fence.

She felt some sort of victory when she left without being caught and decided from now on to use the window, no matter how inconvenient it would be.

                                                   **********

“Happy Birthday, Diana!” Alric exclaimed, and gives her a warm hug, and hands her a gift bag, followed by an envelope.

“Thank you, Alric! but you really didn’t have to! celebrating it with me is enough!” she assured.

“What are you waiting for? Open it!” her bother encouraged.

She looks at the bag and the envelope curiously, before deciding on opening the envelope first. She smiles at her brother, expecting it to be a greeting card, with a touching message inside, but what she found was something else.

“ You registered me for JUDO classes?” she scratches her head, it was one of the most unique gifts she received.

“Yes” was his answer.

“But why?”

“ Because I’m worried about you, Diana... I don’t want you to be beaten and bruised again. I just want you to be able to be strong enough, stand up for yourself effectively, and feel safe “ he appealed to her, knowing that she might be hesitant about the class.

Diana leaned back to her seat and smiled at her brother. She knew that he had been worried about her ever since he found out about the toxic relationship she had with her ex. “Thank You, Alric! I really like this gift... In fact, I’m already excited to join the classes!”

“And one more thing... I’d hate to ask you this... but I just need to confirm it, you wanted to move to a new place because of Isaac?” he asked hesitantly, but his curiosity got better of him. He was the first one to know as he was also the first and only one Diana had told.

“Yes...” was her answer.

“Did he do anything wrong?” his voice hardened.

“No!” was her quick reply. Not wanting Isaac to be wrongly accused of anything.

“Then? Why? You like Dr Skovgaard, shouldn’t you be happy that you’re living with your ‘crush’? But seriously, why? Women who fancy him would definitely envy your situation! ”

“Alric...” she chuckles, and then sighs. “ That is exactly why I need to get away from him. I’m in love with the man...”

Alric kept silent and didn’t know how to respond to his sister’s full admission of her feelings.

“ Yes... exactly? you’re in love with the man! why do you want to leave?” was his question after a few moments of silence.

“Look Alric, first of all, Isaac will never look my way and that hurts...”

“Don’t be like that! You’re-”

“Let me finish...” she said quickly cutting him off. “ The man definitely sees me as his niece or daughter. Knowing that we will be nothing more than that... it hurts like hell.” she pauses for a moment, taking a deep breath, feeling the tug in her heart.

“Second, even if it is an impossible scenario... that he has affections for me too... I will lose my friendship with Allegra and Olivia, and I can’t bear for that to happen. Me, pursuing their father, will be seen as a ‘betrayal of their trust'. In whatever angle you look at it, a best friend of yours suddenly dating your father does not look good,”

Alric sighed. Though he rooted for his sister and Isaac, everything she had just said was on point. It doesn’t matter if Isaac and she are consenting adults, it doesn’t matter if their intentions are pure. It would be his sister who would be on the losing end.

He reaches for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Alright, I’ll help you...”

A/N: I will do some soft editing because I probably have made some grammatical errors along the way.

Also, one more thing. I know you think this chapter is a little sad. But we needed to approach the reality of what will happen if she were to date, Isaac. But I would still love what you guys think, your input in approaching this will be a great help!

[nightglider124]

A Present For Dar - 2020 <3

Eyyyyy so in a way, time zones are like sorta working with me for once. Technically, in your zone, your day of birth has passed but in my zone, tis still going so... I’m counting it as on time ahsbsafadlg...

Anywho... HAPPY BIRTHDAY @dar-draws - ONE OF MY BESTEST PALS AND FAVOURITE LIL GREMLINS IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD! I hope you had a truly kickass day because you deserve it, you perfectly perfect gardening tool. I have been basically dead for a while now, I know. But I wanted to resurrect to ensure I gifted you with some wholesome famjam fluff from our favourite pair of disgusting individuals. 

I hope you like it and forgive me; it is not properly edited yet but ima do it. XD

I love you gurl and a very hip hop happy birthday <3 <3 <3

____________________________

Sunshine

The glass of the apartment windows rattled under the sheer force of wind that spiked outside, throwing all of its weight against the sides of the building, as if trying to break through. It squirmed and thrashed, almost like it was being restrained from wreaking the havoc and damage it was truly capable of. 

It howled and whined as it whistled between the clusters of charcoal clouds that still clung to the bleak night sky which formed the Earth’s backdrop, just until the break of dawn made itself known as it did with every new morning that came. 

Rain drops continued to splatter against the window panes, without a single sign of stopping any time soon. The heavens had well and truly opened as the downpour covered the sidewalks in water, rippling puddles lining the paths for those who dared to still be out in the storm that raged on through the night. 

The pitter-patter sound of the rain as it impacted the glass was deafening, a truly frightening level of volume as the city continued to endure one of the worst storms it had had in a long time. 

A clap of thunder had been faintly heard in the distance not so long ago and it was now a burning curiosity for anyone still awake at such a ghastly hour, to know just when the lightning would be accompanying its natural companion. 

And yet, despite the violent performance from Mother Nature, there was one particular man who had voluntarily gone out into it, just as he always did. It was his duty; a vow to the city he lived within, made many years ago that he would protect it, wherever possible.

Such a vow could not be broken, even when the wind and rain tried so desperately to hold him back from what he silently promised the citizens of Bludhaven. 

It made his job more difficult at times and of course, he was putting himself in harm’s way more. He knew that he could slip and fall from an outrageous height when the weather was like this; he knew he could be hurled into dangerous territory by the powerful winds but, he also knew that if he skipped a night of watching the city like a mysterious guardian, it could mean an innocent’s death at the hands of a criminal.

He decided that fact alone meant he would face obscene weather patterns, no matter the danger, each and every time if he had to. 

There was, however, an upside to the state of the elements when it worsened like it had. Criminals and levels of crime in general tended to decrease, especially when it finally reached 3am. 

Nightwing stifled a yawn as he swung through the gaps between tall buildings, being careful to maintain his grip on the handle of his grappling hook. He propelled himself forward, glimpsing at the few stars painted across the sky, ever so slightly hidden by the rain tinted veil beyond his mask. 

He aligned his arms to collect speed and momentum as he tumbled towards the empty streets below, his soaked ebony locks whipping around his face, only serving to get his skin wetter than before. 

The colors and lights of nearby structures passed his line of sight in a hazy blur as he hurtled towards the ground, smirking and opening his eyes just in time.

He shot his hook upwards, an audible zipping sound coming from the device as it locked onto the stone railing of a nearby pizza parlor. He swept over the ground, narrowly missing its touch by a single breath. 

Flying through the air, he felt alive; his heart buzzing and soaring like he was. He had felt flight in many ways and despite the love he had for his own way, he preferred another’s much more.

He envisioned her; the carefree way she spun and dove through the clouds, her scarlet hair coming to him in bright flashes and the way her emerald eyes sparkled as if basking in a secret shared that only the two of them knew about. 

He smiled and finally saw the location he desired; suddenly clamoring over rooftops and railings to reach it in haste. 

Once his final leap was complete and he was glued to the side of the building, he fiddled with the latch of one of the windows, attempting to ignore the way the rain beat down on him and trickled down the back of his neck and beneath his uniform. 

He clenched his jaw, unable to wait for the satisfying warmth that would soon cocoon him. 

When the window opened, he slid inside without delay and closed it again, locking it tight behind him. Nightwing released the breath he had been holding inside his chest and strolled towards one of the closest apartments in the hallway, disregarding all the other doors that lined the corridor of the floor he was on. 

There was only one that was on his mind and he felt his fluttering in his stomach beginning to stir at the thought of being inside. 

As he approached the dark stained entrance, he peered at the silver reflection of the door number before reaching into one of the back compartments of his belt and fishing out his keys. 

Slotting it into the groove of the lock, he gave it a few gentle twists as to not alert nor wake anyone within. Biting his lip, he grasped the handle and opened the door.

He pulled the key back and paused, noticing that the lights were all on from where he was stood, all the way into the lounge area. His dark brows furrowed in confusion but he avoided calling out any names, just in case. 

It was only after depositing his set of keys in the ceramic bowl that sat atop the oak console table, just to the right of the front door, did he hear it.

His interest and curiosity piqued with the faint sound of music, drifting from the living room and calling to him around the edge of the hallway. 

Slipping his mask from his face and stashing it on the table top, Dick silently crept along the border of the corridor, practically plastering himself to the wall as to not be detected.

He ran his gloved fingers against the peach stained walls, a warmth blossoming inside of him as he neared closer to the source of the upbeat music that filled his ears.

It was light and happy, a familiar tune that he heard often playing from the record player but it couldn’t be. She wouldn’t still be up at this hour, surely. 

Just as he drew close to the end of the hallway, more noises carried themselves through the air. 

Dick could hear the honey laced humming that was so akin to vocal ambrosia and so very familiar to his senses. It was such a relaxing sound that he melted against the wall for a long moment, simply becoming lost in the depth of her tone. 

He could hear gentle movement, back and forth and across the floor. Her feet were brushing against the carpet and what weight she owned shifted from floorboard to floorboard.

Dick’s grin only grew wider as he remained rooted to the spot, a hand pressed to the wall as he reveled in the homely sound of her voice. 

His brows hit his hairline when he heard a tiny giggle bubble up from another just beyond the bend of the wall. He knew that flourish of laughter as well; all too well. 

Unable to resist taking a peek, Dick moved a little more so that he could watch the scene before him. His heart constricted and he sucked in a breath, powerless to stop the serene smile that formed upon his lips. His cerulean gaze became a half lidded one as he soon started to lose himself in the trance of what stood before him.

Her long hair swayed around her hips like a waterfall of rubies, following the line of her body however she moved; a soft ribbon alive with the melodic tune that was coming from the turntable in the far corner of the living room. 

Her back was facing him before she spun and twirled around, her toes just about touching the floor as she danced to the music. Her golden skin was glowing in the dim light but her face was one of calm and peace, green eyes hidden for the time being as she enveloped herself in this moment, truly absorbing it like she would never have another.

She had yet to notice him but he could tell she was in her own little world as she continued to hum along to the song echoing and ricocheting off the walls. 

His smile grew at the little one in her arms; their first child of love and bundle of joy. Her disheveled locks of fluffy black hair framed her chubby face as she stared up at Kory with a glazed expression, her big jade orbs focused on nothing else besides her mother; almost as if nothing else even existed beside her beacon of light.

Her lips were upturned into an almost vacant smile; a few giggles escaping her whenever Kory leaned down and absently brushed her nose against her daughter’s button one. 

Dick leaned against the corner, his arms crossed over his chest as he simply watched them, his heart threatening to explode out of pure love and adoration for the woman and little girl in front of him. 

It was impossible to look away from them; his emotions catching in his throat at how at ease he felt, knowing this was his family. Despite the things he would see on patrol or the things he would have to fight out there, it was always a comfort to know this is what he would be coming back to.

When the day was over and the work was done, this little household was what held him together; no matter what kind of stress life threw in his direction. Everything was worth it because he had this. It was the only constant in his life and god, he wouldn’t swap it for anything else in the entire world. 

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine… you make me happy when skies are grey…” Kory whispered to her daughter, who was now pressing her tiny fingers to the soft skin of her mother’s cheek,

Dick felt his heart flip at how much love was injected into the quiet singing of his wife; a known fact that Mar’i was everything to her and to him, but it made him shiver to hear the way she sang to their child. He’d always known she would suit motherhood like no other on this Earth.

“You'll never know dear, how much I love you…” Kory paused and rested her forehead against her baby’s, “Please don’t take my sunshine away…”

Her tone was hushed and there was something so gentle in the air that Dick was petrified he would shatter by making his presence known.

“I love you, mama…” Mar’i whispered, her little arms gripping ever tighter around her mother’s neck. 

Kory smiled and exhaled quietly, pressing several kisses to her face, earning an uproar of laughter as she shifted her around in her arms, attacking her with affection whilst Mar’i continued to squeal with joy. 

Dick must have only moved a centimeter but it was enough to earn his wife’s attention. Her head turned towards his direction and her eyes snapped open, softening immensely when she saw who it was.

He smirked and gave her a muted wave in greeting.

Kory sighed in what appeared to be relief before she twisted Mar’i in her arms so she could also see who was home for the night, “Mar’i… look…”

His daughter’s reaction made his knees buckle a fraction and his heart melted from the thousand watt smile that lit up her entire face,

“Daddy!” She squealed, immediately squirming to get to him. 

Kory laughed and released her, watching as she padded across the space between in her purple, star covered pajamas, arms outstretched and desperate for cuddles from her father.

Dick was just as fast, scooping her straight up and lifting her high above his head before he pulled her close and cuddle her to his chest, pressing several kisses to her mess of dark hair. 

“Hi there, Starshine…” He murmured, stroking her back.

Mar’i pulled back with a frown, “Daddy is all wet!” 

He chuckled and leaned in, rubbing his damp cheek against hers, eliciting a loud bubble of laughter from the tiny toddler. She shook her head and wriggled away, all the while, a smile on her face.

“We can blame all the rain for that, honey.” 

Mar’i pouted and turned her nose upwards, “Bad rain!” 

Kory shook her head and drifted closer to the two of them, retrieving Mar’i back from him to ensure she didn’t get soaked through her warm pajamas, “Greetings, my love…”

Dick failed to stop the dopey grin that lit up his expression as he touched her waist and leaned close, “Hey…”

He captured her lips with his own, the frozen bite of his becoming soothed and rectified by the heat emanating from his beloved wife. Her skin was like fire; a calming heat amidst the treacherous weather outside. He always felt so much better within proximity of her, her surge of warmth lighting a room better than any kind of other device. 

She made a small sound at the back of her throat when he slipped his tongue against her bottom lip as he sought permission to deepen their gesture of love. Kory was about to oblige him before they were split apart by the dramatic retching sound of their 2 year old daughter.

When they pulled away, they both glanced at her as she pulled multiple expressions of disgust, 

“Blech!” She droned, grinning when they both issued her with a raised brow,

“I have a question for you, Starshine. What are you doing up? It’s way past your bedtime, isn’t it?”

Mar’i shrank a little against Kory’s shoulder, idly playing with the strands of her mother’s ember filled locks, 

“Mama said it was okay…” She mumbled, not wanting to get into trouble,

Dick blinked and turned his gaze to his wife who was passively staring back at him before she rubbed Mar’i’s back, “She couldn’t sleep… she was worried about daddy being out in the storm all alone.”

He visibly softened and smiled sympathetically at their child; a very deep thinker despite her youth, “So… I said we would wait up for you together.”

Kory tilted her head at him and waited for him to speak and when he did, it was nothing short of what she imagined him saying,

“Now that I’m home, Mar’i… how about I read you a bedtime story? Hm?” He murmured, tucking some of her black curls behind her ear,

Mar’i sat up straight and beamed at her father, “Story!” 

Dick chuckled and gave her cheek a kiss, “That’s right. Story with daddy and then sleepy byes, okay?”

She rapidly nodded, excited for the offer of a story before succumbing to slumber, as most children desired. 

Kory ran her fingers through her baby’s hair, marveling at the thickness of it all, “Do you want to pick out the story daddy reads to you?”

“Uh huh!” Mar’i approved, steeling herself as Kory lowered her to the floor. Mar’i shuffled along the carpet, her little legs carrying her as she scurried towards her bedroom, decorated with stars and splashes of violet and plum.

“Pick a good one, Mar’i and I’ll be there in a minute…” Dick called, already sensing his wife’s touch as her fingertips grazed his chest,

He turned back towards her, grinning at how close she was now, “Hello again, Kor…” 

She leaned towards him, barely whispering, “Hello…” before she pressed her cupid bow lips against his, her fingers sliding up from the front of his uniform to the line of his jaw, cupping his handsome face to hold him still as she snuck in some kisses.

Dick’s eyes closed on their own accord, falling deeper into the bliss that was his wonderful wife. He could feel the metal of her wedding ring against the skin of his cheek and he felt electric shoot through him; a reminder that she was his and he was hers, now and forever.

Sometimes, he found himself dwelling on just how lucky he’d been to have found her and how utterly thankful he was to have her in his life; to have her as his wife and to have her as the mother of his child. 

He could think of no better person to stand at his side for eternity and as he slipped his cold hands beneath the old t-shirt of his that clung to her torso, he smirked.

She gasped and pulled back, breathless, “That was not very nice.”

He brushed his nose against hers, his breath full of husk, “If I let you kiss me any longer, then we’d probably be on the floor and scarring Mar’i for life.”

Kory rolled her forest green eyes at him and gently smacked his arm, “You make it sound as if I have no self control around you.”

“Honey, I don’t think you do… that’s how we ended up with our little baby in there.” He replied, jerking his head in the direction of Mar’i’s room,

His Princess snorted and folded her arms over her chest, “Oh? I seem to forget… please… remind me who started talk about having a child?”

Dick chuckled and squeezed her hips, “Alright, ya got me…” 

Kory matched the serene smile that appeared on his face and ran her feathery touch along his chin, staring into his ocean eyes, “I am glad you are safe… I worry when you are patrolling in weather like this…”

His smile faltered a little, “I know… sorry I took longer… I ran into a drug deal going south and… I had to deal with it. They had someone hostage if this group didn’t deliver.”

Kory pecked the corner of his mouth, “I know… it is okay. All that matters is that you are home.” She paused, “Are you hungry?”

Dick grinned, “Famished…”

“Cereal or… leftover pizza?” 

“Hm… decisions, decisions.” 

She giggled and shook her head, opening her mouth to respond when they heard the rapidly approaching sound of tiny feet on wooden flooring,

“Daddy! Ready!” Mar’i squeaked, holding the picture book she wanted read to her, high above her head,

Dick glanced over his shoulder and lifted an eyebrow, “The Gruffalo, again?” 

Mar’i pouted, “It’s my favorite!”

He laughed and gently let go of his wife, “Alright, alright, c’mon. Get snuggled under the covers, then.”

Their daughter beamed at him before she spun and headed back into her room to do just that.

Dick smiled and looked back at Kory, “Duty calls… I’ll be back soon.” 

Kory sighed in content as he pressed a quick kiss to the palm of her hand before letting it go entirely. 

“Hurry… or I may just eat both of your snacking options.” She murmured, turning and wandering into the kitchen, winking at him over her shoulder.

Dick smirked and shook his head as he ambled towards Mar’i’s room, grateful to have all of this; always ready and always waiting for him after the longest of nights.

[billhaderlovebot]

to kiss the skin that crawls from you - barry berkman

this is an au in which the shade of the blood depends on what kind of person you are. the blood is black if you do bad things etc etc.

tagging @a-second-hand-sorrow ily

---

cuts and scrapes were normal in childhood, and the frost-white blood that flowed from them was equally as normal.

it was in childhood that the blood was the purest.

the purest white, like snow.

it didn't stay that way, though.

in adulthood, when thoughts and deeds were less than innocent, the shade of blood would change accordingly.

evil things would darken the blood, your mother had always said. evil things would make your veins run black. black like the soot in the hearth, black like the raven.

and you knew she was right.

because you'd seen it.

when the mumbling, shaking, erratic man who your mother had always kept you away from had sliced himself open in the street, blood like coal pouring from him, you had seen it.

as it ran down the asphalt and pooled in the gutter, you watched, in morbid curiosity, before your mother shut the drapes.

it wasn't until later, much later, that you had learned of the many bodies that man had buried.

your own blood, now, was still white, not as pure as it was when you were growing up, but that was to be expected.

you had nothing to fear when you fell and scraped your hands or cut yourself while cooking, because whatever you bled was acceptable and nowhere near dark enough to indicate you were dangerous.

you knew a startling amount of people, though, who were reluctant to do anything that could result in the breaking of the skin.

when they did happen to cut themselves in front of you, you chose never to judge the varying shades of grey they would bleed. blood tore whole families apart. everyone has a past. everyone makes mistakes.

everyone.

even him.

he had captured your full attention from the moment he had shuffled into your coffee shop, looking lost and apologising quietly every time he brushed shoulders with someone.

he was also very, very attractive, but that wasn't the point.

it was late, really late.

he leaned against the counter, pulling out his wallet, and uttered his first words to you.

"hi, uh... black."

"sorry?"

"no, shit, sorry. um, black. coffee. please. can i... get one?" the man exhaled loudly, frustrated with himself. he looked fucking exhausted.

his soft, red rimmed blue eyes met yours for a moment, and you almost melted into the floorboards.

you blinked.

"rough night?" you asked, breaking the tension as you turned around to the coffee machine, flicking the switch.

"y-yeah, i... yeah. working on a scene for, um, my acting class. had to go to a difficult place."

"oh yeah?" you pulled down one of your biggest cups from the shelf, remembering how tired he looked.

"uh huh. it's great, though. the class. my teacher, uh, gene cousineau, he's a little much, but he says i have potential, yknow?"

looking over your shoulder, your stomach fluttered at the sight of his soft smile.

"i'm sure you do." you said, and a comfortable quiet settled over the shop. the only sound being the whirring of the coffee machine, the late night chatter of the last people in there, and the interesting man pulling up a stool.

the man, who you later learned was called barry, finished the large coffee in four gulps, placing it back down on the counter with a resounding clink.

he didn't make a move to ask for another, nor did he get up from his seat. he just... sat.

made him another coffee, however, because you were a barista and it was late and he was gorgeous and very tired looking.

"fuck! you're bleeding." barry exclaimed. you had handed him the other coffee, not even noticing that you'd sliced your finger on the foil of the coffee-bean bag.

"oh." you examined the small cut, wiping on your apron the white blood that had slid down into your palm. it hadn't hurt any. "it's fine. it's only blood." you shrugged, furrowing your brow slightly at his wide eyes.

"yeah... yeah, sorry. you're right."

you fell more than a little bit in love with him that night. his soft blue eyes and the way he spoke like he was being careful of something. the way he walked around as if he felt it was his job to hold everything up.

you wanted to just... hold his hand. and tell him it was going to be okay. whatever it was.

you also wanted him to jump your fucking bones, but you pushed that down and asked him if he wanted anything else to drink.

he said no, but yet he didn't leave. he spoke to you instead. asking tentative questions about your life and your family. you noticed how he stiffened when you asked him about his own, so you chose not to pry any further.

instead, you got him to laugh. a real, genuine laugh.

and your heart might as well have fallen out of your throat and landed on the table. holy fucking fuck, what a sound, that laugh.

it was a silly anecdote from your college days that shouldn't have made him laugh as hard as it did, but, regardless, it was wonderful to hear.

for the next couple of hours, you mopped the place while barry messed around with the jukebox and shot not-so-encouraging remarks from where he was perched on a table.

"mop harder, you fucking goose." was an interesting one.

"can i get your number?" he asked, at the end of the night when he was helping you close up. it was 3am.

you grinned, popping open a sharpie you used to write names on to-go cups and holding out your hand for his arm to write on.

he seemed to stop working for a second, starting blankly at your open palm. then he got it, and slid his arm into your hand, wrist up. he was warm.

you scribbled your number on the soft skin of his forearm, and smiled up at him.

and then you leaned forward on your tip toes and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.

he blushed. hard.

"call me when you need a hug." you said. "because you look like you could do with one."

barry nodded, shooting you one of those small, barely-there smiles and heading out of the door.

not twenty-or-so seconds later, as you were hanging up your apron on the small metal hooks behind the counter, your phone buzzed in your pocket.

"hey. it's barry. from the coffee shop."

---

you'd been in love before, sure, but not like this. never like this.

"what're you doing, bear?" you mumbled in sleepy agitation, shifting as barry wrapped his arms around your waist, his chin coming to rest on your shoulder.

"m'just... i miss you."

"i'm right here, bear." you whispered, smiling despite yourself and leaning into his warmth.

"yeah but... i love you." barry kissed the nape of your neck lazily, holding you just a little tighter. not long after, his breathing evened out, and you knew he was asleep again.

much like the night in the cafe, you just about vomited your heart out.

it had been a while since then. almost six months.

six months of soft kisses and hard kisses and a lot of hand holding and 2am kitchen dances and lazy, sleepy early morning sex and barry being 110% interested in everything you had to say and running lines for his acting classes and you were in love with this man.

and that's why it was so hard for you to accept that there was something wrong.

because there was. but you loved him so much that it would've taken a gun to your head to get you to admit it.

it was around two in the morning, and you were dozing on your couch, a half empty beer bottle balancing precariously between your limp fingers. you couldn't quite remember what you were watching, but the dull crackle and mumble of the television and its meaningless, drawling voices alerted some deep, far away place in your head, not letting you completely fall away into sleep. it had been a long fucking day, right?

but something was off. even now, leaning back into the throw pillows, a blanket wrapped tightly around you, something was wrong. it wasn't only the tv that kept you from sleep. something sinister was afoot.

what it was, you didn't know, but you were about to find out.

when barry shuffled into your apartment, you almost didn't notice him. the only light in the apartment drifted slowly from the salt lamp on the shelf above the toaster, and his tall stature cast a looming shadow across the small apartment.

when you did notice him, it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. he did this a lot, coming over late to chat or run lines or have sex or watch tv, and you loved it. he had his own key.

what wasn't normal, however, was the blood.

the blood, unstaunched, grotesque upon his light grey sweater.

the blood that stained his trembling fingertips and came pouring from an open wound on his forehead.

and, suddenly, you were painfully awake.

the blood. sticky. hot.

black.

the blacker the soul, the blacker the blood, girl.

"barry..." it didn't sound like your voice. it was too small. like that of a child. "barry, what the fuck."

not him. not him. not him.

good god, please, not him.

but it was there, bleak as a bee.

tar-black and dripping, stark against the now sickly white kitchen tiles.

"baby, i-" his voice broke, no, his voice shattered. and then he was crying. he was fucking sobbing in your kitchen. such strangled sounds.

against your better judgement, against the poignant twisting in the pit of your stomach, you kicked off the blankets, stumbling over the couch and into the kitchen, where he stood, wrapping his arms around himself as if it would keep him together.

so you did it for him. you took him in your arms and held him so fucking tight. barely registering any of your actions and blinking away the tears that welled in your own eyes, stinging. biting.

"don't say a fucking word." you said, voice muffled by his blood-stained shirt. "don't."

---

when you kissed the tears from his cheeks, you tasted the blood.

barry hadn't needed stitches, thank god, but you had got him into the shower, cleaning the last traces of oil-black from his skin, pressing kisses along in your wake. barry was silent, allowing you to dry him and dress him and pull him into your bed, his head on your chest.

"not you." you said, allowing tears to fall. "i won't fucking lose you because of this."

"i'm... a bad person, baby."

"i don't fucking care."

"babe-"

"no. you're gonna go to sleep, 'kay? and tomorrow, you're going to tell me everything, and we'll deal with it then."

"why are you doing this for me?" he asked, his voice quivering.

"because i love you."

[yuijegnan]

3AM crazy talk

Hi all!

Do you guys remember me? It’s me! Yui Jegnan(I go by General Krukov now)! That one guy who used to work with a coder from Slovenia in an attempt to make video games! It’s been way more than a year since the last time I posted, but here we are. Let me fill you in on what happened during that time. 

Why haven’t you been posting?

The reason I haven’t been posting here for a while was because of the google analytics statistics I’ve looked at during my Victory Road greenlight campaign. While the campaign got greenlit in a mere few days with a very positive ratio, I was sort of shocked to find out that there was almost no conversion from the tumblr post at all despite having about 200+ reactions on the post itself. I greatly appreciate the support you guys have given me over the years, but I decided it’s better off spending time on the game development itself rather than posting stuff with no real purpose. The change in tumblr policy also made me stop visiting the site altogether, so that pretty much made me forget that this thing even existed.

What happened to Victory Road?

That’s what I’m here to talk about! The game is actually almost ready for release! As I was preparing for marketing strategies just now, I suddenly remembered about tumblr. I noticed a bunch of people asking me about the game in my inbox, so I felt obligated to at least talk about it. I know it’s 3AM, and I know it won’t really have much exposure. So this post is purely for you guys who’s followed me for years(I’m not sure how many people continued using this site after the policy change though). 

I’m going to release the game around early March on steam if things go as planned. There is no turning back this time. A lot of things happened in 2019, and I have to let you guys know, that @mattsuperdev​ was diagnosed with another brain tumor back in January 2019. In the past, he won the fight against his first one, but this time, things seemed a bit different. Matt was a very stoic and adamant guy. He was the type of guy who wouldn’t stop working on the game even if I told him to take a break, but with the diagnosis of the 2nd one, he stopped working on the game altogether. I fully understood and decided to get another guy on board.

The development has been pretty tough since then. As it took time for the new guy to get used to the engine and the mechanics itself. The fact that Matt never coded the game with consideration of having another coder working on it also made it difficult for him. As the new guy and I were suffering, Matt occasionally asked me when the game would come out. Out of curiosity, I asked him why he was asking. Matt said

“Because if I die from the tumor before this game comes out, I’m pretty much the biggest loser on this planet”

I was shocked to hear that, he never mentioned anything about whether things are getting worse for him or not even when I asked him, but this made me think that things may not end well for him. I’ve contacted him every few days since then to see how he is doing. In December 2019, I was told by Matt’s friend that he died at 5AM.

I couldn’t do anything for about a week. It’s not that I needed his help on the development anymore, he has been out of it long enough for me to adjust to it. I was constantly haunted by that one line he told me a few months ago about being the biggest loser on this planet. His fear came true, and it really pained me to imagine what he was thinking about right before his death. His death was totally undeserved. I know this already, but it all just felt like nothing is fair in this world. By this time, the new guy also had to leave the project due to life circumstances, so I was on my own with the basic amount of coding knowledge that he had taught me before leaving.

At first, I felt like pursuing something else instead, because it just felt like everything is over. Even if I finished this game alone, I wouldn’t really know if it would do well or not in the end, so why bother? However, I came to the conclusion that I want to see this game through, not just for me, but also as a tribute to Matt’s involvement in my gamedev life. He is not the biggest loser like he thinks he is, he was the other 50% of Victory Road. I’m sure someone out there will remember him for that after playing the game. 

Since then, I’ve been working hard at the game alone, and I’ve got it to a very stable state with almost no crashes or major bugs. It also seems like some people really enjoy the game to the extent that they play the games for hours and hours nonstop. It was by that time I was sure to start my Early access release procedure.

Sorry for the long post and nonsensical rambling. To be honest, the first thing I actually did after I logged on to tumblr just now, was to look at @mattsuperdev​‘s page. It was actually my first time ever reading his posts thoroughly, and I found this post. 

//////

//////

Matt, you bastard, and here I was thinking all these years that you never appreciated the things I did for you. I didn’t even know you thought of it that way. Hey, did you know that Seth came out in Street Fighter 5? I remember you used to play that character all the time in Street Fighter 4. It reminds me of you every time I encounter him in the game and I’m sure you would have really liked it. I miss you, man.

Your life was not in vain, my brother. I won’t make that happen. 

*picture is Matt from few years ago with a random slovenian girl. This is the only picture I have of him.

That’s it for today. I meant to write about the game, but instead, I ended up writing about Matt. Sorry about that. Please support our game by wishlisting it on steam page. 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1002430/Victory_Road/

[paoladamasco]

AU MEME 🔆OUR FLATS ARE OPPOSITE EACH OTHER AND YOUR KITCHEN WINDOW FACES MY KITCHEN SO WE ALWAYS SEE EACH OTHER MAKING COFFEE AT 3AM featuring @ofrosso; @benvoliosantodomingo; @romroses; @odessasvernon; @ofcastora

There’s a very specific reason Felipe wants her to move, and Paola is pretty sure it’s the hot neighbor right across from her.

“I like it here, Felipe,” Paola says as she sets breakfast down on the table. “It’s affordable, it’s a good neighborhood and I just figured out how to stuff all my books in here without looking like an abandoned library.”

“You could move in with me,” Felipe offers, stabbing a blueberry with his fork and popping it into his mouth with relish.

Paola laughs as she imagines it: both of them living in either of their cramped flats, with all their things overflowing so there’s no space to even sit on the floor. “It’s a little soon for that, don’t you think? Besides, neither of us can afford a place big enough. And I’m still not convinced I need to move out at all.”

Felipe shoots her a look that says he doesn’t believe her. “Your neighbors are questionable, for one.”

“There’s only been two deaths in the area.”

“Yes, but you hear three gunshots every night.”

Paola shrugs, sipping on her tea in between handfuls of grapes. “I don’t mind it.”

There is it: he can’t help but glance at her kitchen window. Looking for them, Paola knows. She heaves a great and tired sigh to recapture Felipe’s attention, raising her brows pointedly. “You know I’ve never even met them, right?”

“You could have mentioned you live across someone who looks like that when they’re shirtless,” he grumbles.

His frown, all boyish and charming, still wins her over, no matter the reason. Paola’s smile is genuine as she tells him, “They don’t even notice me. Now eat your breakfast, I want to go visit the new bookstore down the street.”

Before they leave, Paola sneaks a peek at the kitchen window. Just like she thought — they’re there. And they’re looking straight at her.

🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆

Marcelo watches the girl who lives across from them, and wonders if she knows she missed a spot while brushing her hair. There’s a hint of bedhead right in the back, still frizzy and bunched together.

They noticed her when she moved in, primarily because she moved in alone. With boxes in her arms, she trekked up the stairs tirelessly for hours with only a bandana holding her hair back. It did nothing to help the sweat; they know the feeling, the burn when it gets into your eyes. They remember grinning when they saw it happen to Paola, as she squeezed her eyes shut and began wiping furiously at her eyes.

They didn’t leave their apartment to offer their help, of course. It wasn’t their problem; it was just an interesting show, and they liked that she never seemed to tire. Every few hours, she stopped to eat a banana over the sink and take a long sip from a beer bottle. They liked that, too.

It’s pure curiosity that keeps them watching this tiny, waifish girl who single-handedly moves endless boxes — many of them books, the heaviest and the worst kind — into a tiny apartment. It’s been several months since she’s moved in, and they’ve learned quite a few things since.

She likes to make tea during the day, but she makes coffee at night. She seems to have books everywhere and even reads while cooking; it’s always a different volume in her hands. Sometimes, the two make eye contact and she always looks surprised to see them; she also always smiles.

She has a boyfriend. They didn’t know that until today. Apparently, the boyfriend never spends the night.

🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆

It’s 3 AM, and Felipe is long gone; but Paola is wide awake, devouring the book of philosophy she bought from the new bookstore. Or at least, she’s trying to be wide awake. Eyelids growing heavier and heavier, the solution is obvious. She needs at least two cups of coffee to get through this next chapter — and then maybe three more for the next.

She rises from the couch and heads to the kitchen. Instinctively, Paola looks out the window for the person she’s become used to seeing at this hour. Yep, as usual, they’re pouring a drink too.

Just after she’s noticed them, they lift their head. Their eyes meet.

They raise their brows at her as if they’re asking a question. Paola lifts a hand and smiles as if she’s giving an answer. And she can’t help herself — she ends up taking a quick peek at their shirtless torso, a sight she’s seen nearly every night and still can’t seem to get enough of.

Okay, she’s starting to see Felipe’s point.

Paola turns away quickly, focusing on her coffee and willing herself not to look back at them. She’s been dating Felipe for two months, and it’s been fun. Nearly effortless, with conversation as enjoyable as their silence is comfortable. It’s rare for Paola to find people she connects with so naturally. Since he first introduced himself, she’s blossomed beneath his attention.

She takes a sip from her cup and decides to get curtains for the kitchen window in the afternoon. It solves everything: Felipe will feel more comfortable, the dip in her stomach will stop and she won’t waste as much coffee looking for excuses to see them in the middle of the night.

Before she returns to her reading spot, Paola looks for one last sight of them. But they’re gone.

Why is she so disappointed?

🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆

As it turns out, curtains can be quite expensive. It also doesn’t come with the set-up she needs to get it ready, so Paola is quick to abandon her search. She doesn’t look too deep into how easily she abandons her project. It’s inconvenient, and out of her already-skim budget.

Over the next month, Felipe grows more distant — sometimes, when she goes to spend the night, his eyes are glazed over and never seems to be quite there. She has a feeling he’s using something, but he always vehemently denies it. Paola keeps an eye out for anything that gives him away every time she visits. Felipe is a recovering addict; she can try to save him, but she is only a helping hand. Ultimately, Felipe is the only one who can pull himself out of the abyss.

She still sees them intermittently during the day, and always every night. They’ve developed a routine: they hold up whatever liquor they’re drinking, and Paola shows them the book she’s reading. Sometimes, they’ll smile at the cover as if they recognize it. Whenever it happens, she’s overwhelmed with the temptation to go to their door and ask if they do.

But Paola is smarter than that, so she never does. Although, admittedly, she has gone to her door as if she’s about to make the first step outside.

🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆

They saw the boyfriend in person, once. Out for a drink with their friends, it’s a regular night for Marcelo. Bellamy is beside them and talking to the bartender, making friends as he always does wherever he goes.

Roman is flirting with everyone at the bar while keeping a close eye on Odessa, who’s dancing and pretending she doesn’t dance for his benefit. They roll their eyes and throw a shot to the back of their throat. Idiots.

Castora is fighting off every single person who dares make a pass at her. Next to her is Armand, who goes by his middle name — Ajax — and has been best friends with Castora since they were children. He’s also in love with her and it’s obvious to everyone but Castora. Marcelo flags the bartender down for another shot. It’s something of a game tonight: one shot for every idiot duo they see tonight.

They’re scanning the room for the rest of their friends when they spot him: the boyfriend. They straighten slightly as they search for the girlfriend. She’s reading a book that their dads used to love. Part of them wants to ask her for her favorite parts, as if it will give them a new piece of their dads to remember and lock into their memory.

She’s not with him. Damn. Whatever, it’s just a stupid book and they have plenty of their dads to remember anyways. The bartender finally arrives with their shot, and they take it without a beat.

The boyfriend is coming closer, and he’s loud. Marcelo can’t help but start listening in.

“It’s this new drug called faerie’s blood, and I’ve never had anything like it. You guys have to try it, I can ask my dealer to hook us up…”

They wonder if Paola dabbles in drugs, too. It’s not that they have a problem with that — but somehow, she doesn’t strike them as the type. But what do they know? They’re just neighbors who have this weird, hidden ritual that they look forward to every night, for some forsaken reason.

Marcelo orders another shot. They’re not sure which idiotic duo it’s for this time; they just know they need one, now.

🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆

Felipe is using again. She can’t say what drug is in the small plastic bag in his wallet, but Paola is positive it’s a drug. The two fight for hours. Felipe insists he’s being careful, and he’s sick of being watched like a hawk. Paola calls him weak, a liar who knows he’s ruining his life and choosing to do it, anyways.

The two are broken up by the end of the night, and Paola returns to her flat with her things. Hot, angry tears roll down her cheeks as she throws out whatever she finds that belongs to him: a few T-shirts he left behind, his toothbrush…

She’s pouring out the perfume he bought for her down the kitchen sink when they show up. They’re wearing a shirt, for once. Paola likes them in a shirt, even a simple gray T-shirt with their built chest filling it out nicely.

They hold up a bottle of scotch. Paola doesn’t have anything to hold up: no books, no coffee, nothing. She just stares at them blankly, until their expression becomes visibly bewildered and they shake the bottle in their hands as if to remind her of their ritual.

An idea dawns on her.

She holds up a finger for them to wait. Before they can respond in any way, Paola grabs the last book that made them smile — she’s kept it on her coffee table all this time — and runs out to find them.

🔆🔆🔆🔆🔆

Their door looks exactly like hers, but it feels entirely different. Paola takes a moment to stare at it, contemplating all that it means: seeing them up-close without glass between them, hearing their voice, learning their name… All of it is so simple, so necessary; yet they’ve found a way to communicate without it.

Is this stupid? Is this too rash, not even 24 hours having passed since she and Felipe broke up?

It doesn’t feel stupid; it feels right, it feels brave, it feels like an adventure. It doesn’t feel rash, either, with months and months of silent interactions and their nightly show-and-tells.

Paola doesn’t care; she’s going to do it.

She knocks on the door. When it opens, she’s struck by how tall they are. Paola blinks up at them and studies the small details she’s never been able to see across the distance. They have more facial hair than she realized. Their eyes are startling, not quite brown and not quite green.

They’re so tall. Paola isn’t sure why she’s so fixated on that, until — without her thinking it, without her questioning it — her hand is reaching up to cup the back of their neck and bring them down to where the small people like her live. Their lips crash together, uncomfortably at first; it takes only a short beat to find a rhythm, and when they do, they lean into it as if they’ve done it their whole lives. They seem to realize what’s happening a second after Paola does, hands gripping her waist and pulling her flush against their body.

She’s the first to pull away, breathing harder than usual. They don’t even seem to be affected — as if they expected this all along and it’s her who’s late to the party. There’s a smirk on their lips, the lips that she just kissed. Paola wants to kiss it again until they have to swallow their smirk, until all that’s left is the same smile she saw when she held up the right book title.

“Do you think kissing someone the night of your breakup is a bad thing to do?” Paola asks.

Surprise flashes across their face, but they look almost satisfied as they respond, “The better question is, do you care?”

She likes their voice. Better yet, she likes their answer. She smiles at them stupidly, having nothing else to say. It’s Marcelo who breaks the silence, stepping aside to make room as he says, “Want to come in?”

“I thought strangers weren’t to be trusted,” Paola points out, hoping the sincerity of her voice is understood as a joke.

It’s a relief when they laugh. They get it, she thinks, they get it. “I’m Marcelo.”

“I’m Paola.”

“Great, now we’re not strangers. Get the fuck in here already.”