#this is why my How Things Change and second chances Aus exist I need to give them a happy ending where none of the bad stuff happened

[multiversal-madness]

Thinking about the Bronev family again, I hope this is coherent-

(Cw non graphic mentions of child death, Azran Legacy spoilers ahead)

Leon Bronev, a man who was likely once a good ordinary man gets kidnapped along with his wife, leaving behind their two young children because he’d found something big about the Azran (did that make it his fault? Did he blame himself?). He loses his wife while there (I’m partial to the headcanon that it wasn’t just a normal sickness) and endures who knows what other hells while stuck in that cult for decades, ending up with nothing left but the Azran.

He turns down darker and darker paths going on some twisted version of a sunk cost fallacy (he’s gone this far already, why not go further?) until he either knowingly or unknowingly orders the murder of his granddaughter and daughter in law. Then he does it, he completes his goal, he solves the last puzzle of the Azran only for all of it to have been for nothing. Then he dies for it, but is revived with the rest and thus being unable to pay with his life. He’s arrested, likely too old at this point to hold out any hope of making amends or fixing what he’s done.

Hershel Bronev, still a young child when his parents are stolen from him and he’s left with caring for his younger brother. Then they get news that he’s going to be adopted alone, that he’d have to leave Theodore behind. Instead of that, he gives up this better life and his name, giving it all to his little brother who he wouldn’t see again for decades. He becomes Desmond Sycamore

He grows up devouring his father’s archeology books, to find a way to get some kind of revenge on the ones who stole his family from him. Instead he finds peace, he finds a new family, people who love him and people he loves the same. But it doesn’t last. Targent comes again to steal his family away, this time with his own Father at the head. Desmond Sycamore dies and he becomes Jean Descole.

But despite now loathing Targent, hating his father, he follows in their footsteps. Threatening loved ones, manipulating people, even attempting to kill a child (Luke was only 10 the first time Descole had tried to kill him), all so he could be the one to uncover the Azran. He becomes like his father in more than just appearance, but does he even realise this?

He’s put on many different faces before, but he pulls Desmond from his grave to use as a mask for what should be his final trick. He meets his brother again, but he’s the only one who knows it. Throughout their journey, he almost finds that peace again, but he knows it won’t last, he won’t be tricked again. He goes forth with his plan, revealing himself attempting to claim the sanctuary for himself.

But then he jumps in front of a laser for Luke, sacrificing himself for the boy he’d attempted to kill on more than one occasion (Maybe Desmond Sycamore still existed somewhere inside him…) On what would be his deathbed, he tells his rival of their connection, of them being blood. Then they leave to confront Bronev, he should have died but he couldn’t, not yet. He drags himself to final chamber, dying and being revived with the rest of them before disappearing, leaving loose ends untied. Now Descole has no reason to exist either. Who is he?

Then There’s Theodore Bronev, but that wasn’t his name anymore. He was given his brothers first name, given his new parents’ last name, he was Hershel Layton, he has been for most of his life.

He endures tragedy after tragedy, not even remembering the first, but he doesn’t let that change him. He loses his best friend (loses the rest of the Stansbury gang), his partner (then a month in a coma) and even when he remembers his lost family, he stays a good man, a true gentleman.

I don’t know how to end this, just wish I could add a section on Rachel but we know so little about her ugh

[muletia]

-`♡´- 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐮𝐬

orion pax x human!reader x d-16 and a sprinkle of platonic x elita <3 pocket spouse au

summary: finally, the time has come to meet your spouse! after joining the Pocket Spouse Program — an Earth-Cybertron friendship pact allowing humans to become partners to bots who wish to have their very own human to love, cherish, and treat as their soft, squishy spouses — you’ve been waiting for so long for your turn to come. and as it turns out, this long-awaited day is full of pleasant surprises <3

cw: fluff, canon divergence because tfo takes place bazilion years before humans, a little bit of jealousy and obsessive thoughts, possessiveness, implied polyamory, implied nsfw thoughts (nothing explicit thought)

word count: 3900

shot out to all the anons and non-anons who gave me a lot of great ideas for this au <3

Armed with a travel bag filled with the most useful items and a backpack stuffed with supplies, you stand before the capsule-shaped elevator. You take a deep breath, trying to steady yourself before stepping into the tight, enclosed space, and enter, sealing your fate. The doors close behind you, and without giving you even a second to prepare, the elevator descends rapidly, taking you towards your new life but not granting enough time to fully shake off the old one.

Not that there was much to shake off, considering you had willingly made the decision to join the Pocket Spouse program. Nothing was holding you on Earth, least of all luck, so you decided to seek it elsewhere. And as it happened, you chose to start your search on a planet inhabited by sentient, enormous, transforming robots who, apparently, had quite the fascination with humans. An extreme new beginning, but after hearing only good things about the living conditions and the way humans were treated with care, you figured — why not, if it meant living in luxury?

Of course, you had considered various scenarios in case the rumors turned out to be a sham. You could end up with anyone. A fetishist, a collector of exotic pets, a hoarder of toys. That was the unknown, stressful factor that the speed of the elevator gave you no chance to tame. The decision of which robotic spouse you would be assigned to also did not belong to you, so all you could do was hope for a stroke of luck that you’d end up with someone normal.

You don’t even have time to take another deep, reassuring breath when the capsule comes to a sharp stop, and almost immediately its sliding doors open.

You’re greeted by a metallic face with distinctly feminine features. Beautiful in its strange, alien way, but also serious. One look is enough to tell you that you’re dealing with a bot who is strict and has no tolerance for nonsense, but your first impression naturally shifts when your eyes and her optics meet. Her metal face softens almost instantly, easing your stress just enough for you to regain feeling in your legs. You step out toward the bot, onto a small platform designed specifically for a species of your size, and with each step, the bot seems to grow to an unsettlingly immense scale.

The room is small — or at least it seems that way as you try to translate its dimensions into the standards of the giants who inhabit this planet — and carelessly sterile in dark gray tones. There’s no doubt it was put together in a rush, without much thought, simply to exist and serve its function. Its barrenness is unsettling. So much for a luxurious life of doing nothing?

The bot straightens and pulls a datapad closer as she finally speaks. “[Name] [Last Name], I presume?” You still can’t get over how easily the metal of her face bends and flexes when needed, as if it were made of rubber.

“Exactly.”

She nods her helm. “My name is Elita One. I am the head of this mining sector, and I also hold responsibility for every pocket spouse assigned here. And unless there is a change in management, you answer to me, you listen to me, and you bring all future requests or orders to me.”

Oh. So you got assigned to the working class. Fine, you’ll adjust as soon as you get proper living conditions. “Alright.” The lack of warmth in her demeanor discourages you from wanting to engage in any future interactions, but if she’s your only lifeline to protection from potential mistreatment, you’ll treat her words as gospel. “Nice to meet you.” You smile and extend a hand toward her. She stares at you hesitantly for a moment before finally reaching out a single digit to complete the greeting.

“Likewise.”

Elita doesn’t withdraw her servo, though; instead, she straightens it and clasps her digits together, gesturing for you to climb onto her palm. “For safety.”

“Oh. Thanks.” You accept the invitation, though a red flag starts waving in your mind. You don’t remain on her servo for long, as Elita smoothly and carefully transfers you onto her shoulder.

“I advise you to be careful,” she warns. “Miners rarely interact with pocket spouses, so they might try to touch you or snatch you up in their servos. Do not try to stand, do not lean over, and above all, do not excite them. A simple wave of your hand is enough to send them into a frenzy. Understood?”

Alright, now the stress is back. You hadn’t expected such strong reactions towards humans, especially since this trend od getting pocket spouses was no longer new. “Wait. I thought pocket spouses were already a well-established concept on your planet.”

“Not in these parts,” she sighs. “On the surface, the sight of humans may not cause much of a stir, but things are different down here. For us miners, pocket spouses are a rarity. Only the best can afford them.”

Oh, so even among a highly advanced race of sentient robots, there was still a harmful caste system in place. “Oh, I’m sorry,” you stammer, because what else is there to say in this situation? When she shoots you a sour glance, you decide to change the subject, hoping to save your image from seeming callous and naïve. You clear your throat. “So, I assume you already have your own pocket spouse?”

She gives you a pointed side-eye. She saw right through your plan.

“Of course, I do. Do I need to repeat myself about being careful, or is everything clear?”

“Clear as day.” You don’t need to see her faceplate to know that this human phrase is unfamiliar to her. Feeling her impatient side-eye on you, you awkwardly correct yourself, “Yes.”

“Good. If you have anything else you’d like to know, now is the time to ask. I assure you, you won’t have time later.”

“My spouse. What are they like?”

“Spouses,” she corrects nonchalantly, not even looking up from her datapad, throwing you completely off.

“Spouses? Do I get one for free?”

Elita does not appreciate your attempt at humor. She sends you a sharp look.

“In a manner of speaking. Officially, a pocket spouse is assigned to a single bot, but there are cases of sharing. Or, if by some miracle, a human ends up with a conjunx. But I haven’t heard of such cases.”

Conjunx? That’s a new word, and it means absolutely nothing to you, but you decide to store it in your memory for later, too distracted by the fact that you’ve been assigned to a pair.

“Okay, I definitely wasn’t expecting that.”

“Does that make you uncomfortable?”

“No. I think? I don’t know yet, you caught me off guard.” You take a deep breath. You’ll manage. Somehow. “So, my spouses. What are they like?”

Elita’s expression darkens, and that, in turn, unsettles you. That couldn’t be a good sign.

“What is it? Did I get assigned to some creeps?”

“Worse,” she huffs. “D-16 is a decent mech and an exemplary miner, and officially, he is your spouse. But Orion —” she grips the datapad tighter as if restraining herself from an outburst “—Orion is the most foolish, irresponsible, and reckless bot on all of Cybertron. And if you think I’m exaggerating, you’re gravely mistaken. He attracts trouble like a magnet and throws himself into it because he is incorrigible. I almost pity you, really, because you couldn’t have gotten a worse match. Even Darkwing would have been a better spouse.”

But… as if fighting her own thoughts, she adds, “For all their recklessness… they worked very hard to have you, and I know they will treat you well. Perhaps clumsily at first, but well. That doesn’t change the fact that Orion has an empty canister instead of a processor, so if he does something idiotic, and he will, you are to report it to me immediately.”

Galncing at the datapad, she adds "Do you want to know anything else? We don't have much time for idle chatter."

"Just one thing. You mentioned that there's already a human in this sector. Can you arrange for us to meet sometime soon? It’d be nice to have occasional contact with someone like me."

"We'll see what can be done," she replies warily, clearly displeased with the idea. Her answer makes it obvious that there's a high chance you’ll be left hanging rather than meeting your fellow human, but you’re not giving up that easily.

"Thanks," you say. Out of politeness, feeling an even stronger urge to stay on her good side.

"Shall we begin?"

You take a deep breath. You’re doing this. You’re meeting your extraterrestrial partners, cementing your future on this planet. Your hesitation lasts only a moment — just a brief weighing of pros and cons, an instant of fighting the urge to turn around and run back to the elevator. Less than a second is all it takes for you to give your answer.

"Yes, I want to meet them."

"Be careful," she warns sharply, one last time. "I've worked too hard for this job to lose it now because of human irresponsibility."

Elita takes a step forward, and you have to grab onto her helm to keep your balance, but thankfully, an exaggerated optic-roll is her only reaction to the excess contact. The next steps aren’t as shocking; by the third, you’ve adjusted to the rhythm of the giant leading you to a set of sliding doors, which she opens with a button on the side.

Your pocket spouses certainly know how to make… an intriguing first impression.

Caught off guard by the sudden opening of the doors, they literally tumble into the room and land on the floor, shooting you a lightning-fast glance before scrambling to their pedes at record speed, straightening up as if nothing happened. Their excited grins grow quickly and they’re clearly contagious, because you feel your own lips curling into a smile.

They look masculine and young, as much as you can say that about beings whose tissues don’t age. What grabs your attention most is the bot with yellow optics. You haven’t seen such a unique color among their kind before. Maybe you haven’t met many bots yet, but you could swear most had blue optics. Interesting... You make a mental note to compliment those bright, captivating optics later.

Your gazes meet, and the mech with the unusual, beautiful optics parts his lips slightly. You get the feeling he wants to say something, but excitement completely paralyzes him.

"Well, that was a stunning performance. Was eavesdropping worth it?"

"Ahem, no... we weren't eavesdropping," Orion defends himself, though his gaze remains fixed on you.

"Forgive us, Elita, you just caught us off guard when you opened the door so suddenly," D-16 adds, having suddenly regained control over his body.

They step closer, as if hypnotized, drawn to minimizing the distance, but Elita halts them with an outstretched arm. They stop, but their lovestruck expressions make it clear that their minds are already revolving solely around you.

"Ugh, pull yourselves together," Elita scolds. "You won’t lay so much as a digit on your pocket spouse until you’ve listened to the protocol, so focus."

"Mhm, yeah, yeah."

"Now do you understand what I was talking about earlier?" she directs at you. "I wish you Primus' patience with these two airheads."

"Oh, come on, they’re quite charming," you remark — but it turns out to be unnecessary, as the eruption of joy at hearing your voice is nearly impossible for even Elita to suppress.

Both of them surge forward, their excited cheers and cooing echoing through the empty room, bombarding you with loud adoration.

"Didn’t I just say something about getting them worked up?!" Elita hisses at you, but the sharp tone doesn’t sit well with your partners, their expressions suddenly sober as they feel the instinct to stand in your defense.

"Elita, leave them alone," Orion intervenes. "They’ve done nothing wrong."

"I knew this would happen," Elita sighs. "Enough. Let me recite the protocol so we can all go our separate ways, because I don’t have time to babysit all of you."

She looks at the two mechs before her to make sure they’re listening, but it quickly becomes evident they have no intention of cooperating today.

"Primus, focus! Do you think I have time to waste? Unlike you, empty cans, I have a ton of work to do and I'd like to finish it before my shift starts."

Still seeing their dazed, absentminded expressions, Elita decides to escalate.

"Do I have to take your pocket spouse away for you to finally pay attention?"

Orion snaps out of his trance first, alarmed at the idea of you being taken away.

"What? No, no! We’re listening now, boss."

"Next time, there won’t be a verbal warning. I’ll smack you both on the helms, and that’ll be the end of your pocket spouse respecting you."

Of course, a reprimanding servo-to-helm contact was unavoidable when it became clear they were drifting off again. But after the protocol was recited, a datapad signed, and you were informed that regular supplies of human fuel and clothing would be delivered to you, the long-awaited moment of your "eviction" from Elita’s shoulder finally arrived.

She steps closer to the two bots, who extend their servos with interlaced small digits toward you so you can transfer safely. Grabbing your bag, you carefully step from her shoulder onto their servo, at last entering physical contact with your spouses.

"You have a few clicks of free time before your shift starts," Elita informs them. "And if you’re even a nanoklik late, I swear you’ll be pulling overtime."

She gives you one last soft, almost sympathetic look, so out of place with her previous authoritative tone before leaving, closing the door behind her.

Two pairs of optics focus on you.

You gaze into them, sinking into the moment, finally understanding what Elita meant about their fascination with humans. Because looking into their dazzling optics, brimming with excitement and adoration, you find yourself experiencing that same fascination with their alien race, even though you’ve met other bots before.

You can truly call yourself a pocket spouse now, completely leaving your past life behind. And you sincerely hope this one will be better. That Orion and D-16 will make it so, though you have no guarantee.

"Hello," you say warmly.

"Hi," they reply almost simultaneously.

D-16 can’t hold back any longer. He extends his servo toward you, eager to finally acquaint himself with the texture of your body, but he hesitates the moment he feels you shiver ever so slightly, struck by your fear.

"Ah, I’m sorry, don’t be afraid," he says.

A bad start. A very bad start. He worries he’s already tainted your budding relationship, that his reckless excitement has scared you enough that you won’t give him a chance to open up. But you quickly soothe his fears.

"It’s okay, really. You can touch me if you want."

Their youthful, boyish excitement returns, softening their handsome metal faces — and your heart along with them.

"Just be careful," you remind them. "Humans are quite prone to accidental squishing."

"We’ll remember," D-16 promises. "We’d never hurt you. Right, Orion?"

"Of course. You’ll be completely safe with us."

"Alright, I believe you." Not entirely. You want to believe them. But if what Elita said was true, then they would stay true to their word if they worked so hard to be assigned a human. Only fools would deliberately destroy the fruits of their labor. "So? Do you want to touch your pocket spouse?"

Your pocket spouse. Your. Theirs. Theirs and only theirs.

It’s a dangerous thought for a miner, because the concept of ownership had been limited to just a recharge station and the locker next to it. Everything else was shared. Shared washracks, shared habsuites, shared berths for resting. There was no room for theirs.

But you were theirs. Truly, undeniably, and tangibly theirs. Only theirs. And they wanted it to stay that way. Theirs to touch, theirs to give attention to, theirs to talk to and compliment. Not for Jazz, not for Wheeljack, not for Sideswipe, and no longer for Elita. Theirs. It was beautiful and terrifying at the same time because you were burdening them with responsibilities they had never known before. Theirs. They couldn’t rely on anyone else anymore.

They exchange a brief, knowing glance. Theirs. They cannot ruin this. They cannot make mistakes. You have to like them, just as they instantly fell in love with you, and see them as good spouse material. They will show you that they can take care of you. Their pocket spouse. Theirs. Only theirs.

"What’s wrong? You don’t want to?" you ask teasingly, snapping them out of the traps of their own thoughts.

"Oh, Primus, of course we do. Very much. You have no idea how much," Orion confesses.

They were both brave, but it’s Orion who makes the first move. His servo finds your back, pressing against it with a single digit. Soft. Oh, so soft.

Once, he asked Elita what her pocket spouse felt like, and that was the answer he got. He didn’t understand it then. What was softness? What kind of sensation was it? What could he compare it to? But now… now he knew that softness was you, and you were softness. And if he could, he would never let you go.

"Wow, incredible. D, this is incredible, unlike anything else. You’re… extraordinary!"

He gently strokes your back, and you allow yourself to wrap your hand around his massive metal finger, which Orion welcomes with a beaming, delighted smile. How was it possible that your servo was even softer? Or maybe somewhere else, you were even softer still. He’d heard that humans and Cybertronians were compatible, and though he knows it’s not exactly proper to let his mind drift into impure, carnal territories so early in the relationship, cannot stop himself from dreaming of drowning in your softness. Wants to be surrounded by it. Wants to be suffocated by it. Wants to feel it after every shift, wake up in it and recharge.

Impatient with his partner’s sluggishness and selfishness, D-16 clicks his glossa.

"Move your digit, Pax, it’s my turn now."

It takes Orion a few nanokliks to pull himself away from his indecent thoughts. He doesn’t want to let you go, doesn’t want to be more than a few centimeters away from you ever again, but he knows D will smack him on the still-fresh sore spot left by Elita on his helm if he doesn’t pull his servo back. So he does. And immediately, he is consumed by an overwhelming sense of loneliness and emptiness, as if his life has suddenly become incomplete. He already wants to come back to you.

D-16’s reaction is similar. Awe at the new but pleasant texture manifests in his slightly parted intake and quick strokes across your back, searching for and discovering softness. Where your hand meets his digit, an incomparable warmth spreads, giving him a sense of completeness. You, him, and Orion. Three puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly, finally reunited after years of separation.

"I’m glad you like me," you laugh. "That’s a good start, huh?"

"It was good the moment we saw you," Orion says. "Really, we couldn’t have imagined a better pocket spouse."

"You’re too kind," you reply. You know they’re speaking from excitement, their minds weaving intricate visions and fantasies about life with a pocket spouse — visions that might not be so rosy in reality — but you don’t want to ruin it for them. Especially since you want to find a good life here, too. You want to be happy, regardless of the expectations they unknowingly place upon you. If they want to play house, you’ll join them. If they have a human fetish, you’ll indulge them in that too. "I think we’ll be happy together, won’t we? I’d like that."

"We will, for sure!" Orion assures enthusiastically.

"We know we’re just lousy miners, and you won’t have any luxuries," D-16 adds, earning a sharp elbow to the side from Orion. "I wasn’t finished, Pax." He elbows him back. "But we’ll do our best to make sure you have a good life with us. We’ll do everything for you. We’ll get… almost anything, but if you need something from the city, just say the word! Orion or I will get you food, clothes, whatever you need."

"Thanks, you’re sweet," you say, touched by their words. "I know I can’t do much, but maybe I can repay you somehow?"

"Just having you here is enough for now," D-16 says, smiling softly, enchanted by your question.

"Will you touch us again?" Orion asks, only to immediately receive a frustrated elbow. "What? They asked first."

D-16 pinches the bridge of his nose, unable to believe his partner’s tactlessness. Orion’s talent for making things worse had to affect you, it just had to. Just like every fragging time, it would fall on his shoulders to get them out of trouble, and in this case, to make sure you saw them as normal and worthy of being your spouses. They cannot mess this up. At any cost.

Which is why D is surprised when he hears your soft laughter. He lifts his servo from his faceplate and looks at you hopefully. So their relationship wasn’t ruined by Orion’s loose vocalizer?

"Of course. Come closer," you say, encouraging them further by crooking a finger.

Two massive faceplates move toward you simultaneously until they finally touch. They’re so close that you can stroke their cheeks, and so you do, slowly running your fingers over warm, living metal, drowning in their proximity. Orion and D-16 press into your hands, leaning into the comforting, though foreign, softness — now only theirs. Not for perching on Elita’s shoulder anymore. For them. Theirs to be petted, theirs to be embraced.

They could spend a lifetime in this room if it meant constant cheek-stroking and being spoiled by you. Oh, how they couldn’t wait for your shared life. Waking up with you. Coming back to their recharge stations after a hard day’s work, knowing someone was waiting for them. Spending time together. Telling you about Megatronus and Sentinel, showing off their merch, sharing every detail of their lives, and begging you to tell them about yours. About your planet, your interests, your human life — so they could make your life here as good as possible, desperately vying for your affection.

You will like them. You must. Because they already adored you, unconditionally devoted to their beloved pocket spouse. Theirs.

Relaxed and overwhelmed with contentment, they let their engines hum louder.

"Oh? You like this that much?" you ask, totaly not planning to exploit the bots’ ability to purr purely for your own selfish pleasure.

"Very much," Orion rumbles.

"You’re the best," D-16 adds.

For a moment, they open their optics, their gaze focused on you. And the trust flickering within them, the fervor of emotions burning away reason convinces you that you chose well by deciding to become a pocket spouse.

[di-42]

Unfortunately once again I've only had time and mental energy for very short fictions that could fit in a commute or two this month. But, as it's always the case, there are a few wonderful gems among these! 

Please don't be fooled by the number of Kudos! Ao3 is not Amazon! 

As always I'll tag the writers whose tumblr usernames I know. If you're a writer and you want your story removed from this list please let me know.

And now, without further ado, let me tell you about the wonderful stories I've read this month, and the things I loved about them! ♥️

November’s Notable Fictions

WIPs:

Wavelengths & Frequencies, by @shadesofecclescakes and imposterssyndrome @maaikeatthefullmoon Rated E, chapters 15/?

This story is such a warm, cozy, comfort blanket. Enemies-to-lovers human AU where Aziraphale and Crowley work as DJ for the same media corporation. They have a history, but we don't know what it is at the beginning. Great story, great humour, great characterisation, great fuzzies, absolutely great banter! I look forward to every update and do a little joyful dance every time I get an update notification. This fiction is becoming one of my all time favourites.

You're The Bad Guys, by Nebz_AlphaCentauri @alphacentaurinebula Rated E, chapters 20/?

Cold war human AU in which Aziraphale is an MI6 agent and Crowley is a KGB agent. Each of them is assigned to a mission in Berlin, from opposite sides of course. Great characterisation, suspense and references to canon.

My own WIP, And I Did, rated E, chapters 14/15 (nearly there!)

In my not-a-summary I say that this is a story about faith, about love, and about choices. Which is true. But I have come to think of it also as my apology dance to Crowley. My headcanon about Aziraphale has always been clear, but at first I wasn't sure about what Crowley would do after the final 15. I didn't see Crowley drinking himself oblivious or taking a road of self destruction. But I didn't know what he would do. Then it hit me, and that was when I started writing And I Did. I knew what Crowley would do. Crowley would do what Crowley does. And what does Crowley do best? This is a story about faith, about love, and about choices. Aziraphale is Supreme Archangel, Crowley is Grand Duke Of Hell, and they have to bring about the Second Coming. And of course they're not talking.

Complete stories:

The Small Ad by ladydragona and SylWritesStuff, rated E, 32k.

To overcome boredom, Crowley offers his services as a hired partner. Aziraphale is need of someone to pretend to be his partner. The rest is history. This is a lovely, hot, and sweet fake relationship fiction. Very interestingly, the POV changes at every paragraph, and because the story has two authors it left me wondering whether one wrote Crowley and one wrote Aziraphale, but kind of in real time.

The Angel’s Gambit, by Augenblickglotte, @dragonfire42 , rated T, 9k.

Aziraphale has been playing chess with the angel of Death for over 1500 years. You'll have to read it to find out why. I loved the banter between Aziraphale and Azrael. 

Percy, by Jackie Thomas (Jakie_Thomas), not rated, 10k.

This is the story that touched me the most this month. It's set 100 years in the future. Aziraphale leads a quiet existence in a cottage. When Adam Young dies of very old age, Crowley picks up Aziraphale to go to his funeral. He doesn't stay after that, and you'll have to read it to find out why. The story does have a (kind of) happy ending. Or a hopeful one, at least. But it digs deep in some of my very real, very human fears. Fear for the planet, fear of growing old, fear of growing apart, fear of everything ending without us ever getting a second chance of fixing things. I really loved this story and will go back to it again. It also gets extra points for reversing the roles of how the fandom usually see Aziraphale and Crowley! Top marks! 

Caramel Delight, by AJ_Constantine, rated E, 16k.

Lovely neighbours to lovers human AU. Crowley is instantly attracted to the new neighbour and his -oh, lord- forearms (and, I mean, who wouldn't?). But he's determined not to make things awkward, they are just friendly neighbours. That's why Aziraphale keeps knocking on his door for more of that caramel sauce Crowley makes so well. One of the tags in this fiction is: Aziraphale is bad at flirting. I very much beg to differ.

One shots and short stories: 

Can I Have Your Number? by AppleSeeds, rated G, 1.8k.

Aaawww. Aziraphale goes to order drinks for him and Tracy, and writes down his number for bartender Crowley. Crowley asked for it, right? RIGHT?? All well that ends well, this story is brief and sweet. 

Angels Don't Blow Their Own Trumpets, by shaggydogstail, rated E, 8k.

This story had me cackle! Crowley poisons himself by accident (well, by trying to be cool, point is he didn't mean to) and there's only an antidote that can save him. Please DO READ the tags for this one. 

Anthony J. Crowley, Retired Demon And Airbnb Superhost, by TheOldAquarian, rated G, 3k.

A selection of reviews by guests who rented Crowley's flat on Airbnb. Very funny! 

Proving One’s Loyalty, by @indigovigilance , rated E, 4k.

Set towards the end of season 1, Aziraphale goes to heaven to speak with a higher authority only to find that Gabriel has taken Crowley prisoner. Aziraphale has to torture him in order to prove himself to heaven. Smut ensues. 

You Can't Un-See A Dog, by Dannye Chase (HolyCatsAndRabbits), HolyCatsAndRabbits @holycatsandrabbits rated T, 4k

This was one of the highlights of my month, fiction-wise! Crowley is summoned by two humans to be offered in sacrifice. Aziraphale knocks on their door within, like, 3 minutes. I just loved this story: The light banter and the interactions between Crowley and Aziraphale are chef's kiss; the adorable domesticity of their relationship shines through in a situation that really is not domestic at all; Aziraphale is being his incredibly brilliant self; AND there's a little mystery-solving thrown in for good measure! Top marks! 

Hold The Phone, by theRavenMuse, rated E, 1k.

Crowley listens in on Aziraphale having intimate moments by himself. But phones work two ways. Lovely and hot! 

Plausible Deniability, by GayDemonDisaster (scrapheapchallenge), rated E, 5k. 

This story was so, so lovely! Set before and after the first failed Armageddon and not season 2 complaint, but to me it really feels like it goes very well with my personal headcanon regarding season 2 in general and the final fifteen in particular: they do communicate and they don't need words. The story itself is about Aziraphale denying to himself that things are happening by pretending it's all a dream. The writer illustrates their deep connection and mutual understanding beautifully. 

The Co-Pilot, by beardo @e-rated-beardo rated E, 4k.

Incredibly hot human AU. Eh, I say human AU… incredibly hot AU. Tony is attracted to Az, but is afraid of acting on it because of what the author describes as an ‘overfamiliar demon’ who sometimes took the wheel for a minute. So he's content to just chat to Az at the pub. Yeah, like Az is ever going to shy away from an encounter with Crowley's inner demon.

Presque Vu, by NaroMoreau, rated E, 9k

Human AU. College student Aziraphale sees his ex Gabriel at a party he didn't want to go to to begin with, so of course he hides in the kitchen. Until his (and everybody's) impossible crush offers to pose as his boyfriend. This story is incredibly lovely and heartwarming!

Masturbation (Doesn't Count As Sex, Surely?), by Hellsgardener @hellsgardener01 (I think it's you?) rated E, 1.3k.

Very few fictions manage to convey such intense feelings of sweetness and hotness alike in such a short tale as this one! Aziraphale asks Crowley if he's ever had sex and reminisces about his own solo experiences.

To Bind Them, by LCwrites, rated E, 5k

Human AU with a lovely enchanted/supernatural/faerie element. Aziraphale is tipsy at Anathema’s Halloween party and when he overhears Crowley talking on the phone he wants to find out what he's up to. But that's not even the half of it.

Our Homeward Steps Were Just As Light, by On1OccasionFork, rated T, 7k.

I've seen this little gem recommended a lot recently, and with very good reason! Human AU where Pepper works in a nursing home. Anthony is a beloved guest prone to causing trouble, Aziraphale is a new guest. It's tender, deep, funny and original. Stirs things in you, a fiction like that. I loved it. Extra points for being in Pepper’s POV.

Hot Blood, Hot Thoughts, Hot Deeds, by Supergeek21, rated E, 3k.

This story was really up my street! Crowley is a vampire in search of a bride. Aziraphale should be scared, but he's too busy being aroused instead. Sweet, funny, and sexy.

A Newsworthy Affair, by @waitingtobebroken rated T, 1k.

A funny, adorable, fluffy fiction told through newspaper ads that the editors of the newspaper never authorised publishing. If you're in need of something to put a big smile on your face, this is it!

Merry Christmas, Hellspawn, by Libbyfay, rated G, 4k.

Beautiful Warlock’s POV fiction. It's the first Christmas since nanny and brother Francis left without a word, and Warlock feels lonely. He goes to what used to be brother Francis’ shed, goes through the box of Christmas decorations and reminisces about the past, until someone knocks on the door. I am quite partial to the few, precious Warlock’s POV stories, and the author does an excellent job at depicting the pain of an 11 year old and that casual, matter of fact way 11 year olds deal with great pain. This story is delicate, and beautiful and deeper than it might seem.

Series:

Wrong Number AU, by GaryOldman, rated T.

This was the loveliest, sweetest, fluffiest series. Best to read  the stories in order to fully enjoy it. In Text From An Unknown Number (12k) Aziraphale text Crowley’s number by mistake. They hit it off straight away, but of course things are never that simple. Most of the story is told via the texts they exchange (between themselves and with others) and it’s amazing how the author manages to convey excitement, feelings and a little angst in that way. I loved this fic, but I feel I have to give a little warning that the Harry Potter series is heavily used and referred to in this story. Sorry, Right Number (2.5k) is the super fluffy Christmassy continuation of TFAUN. Aaaaww, lovely! He's My Wrong Number, (1.6k) is possibly the fluffiest of the three and it's a real treat to read! A very happy ending to the series!

Poems:

DEATH Grinned-HE Didn't Have Much Choice, by @isiaiowin rated T.

Very evocative and powerful poem about Death.

Thinking Of Nanny, by @the-ineffable-dance

Another incredibly beautiful Warlock's POV fanwork to end this list. Warlock is all grown up and goes for a walk in St. James’s Park, where he sees someone familiar. The only complaint I have about this poem is that it was so difficult to read through the tears, really.

October's list here.

December's list here.

[evilwriter37]

first, i'm really happy to hear about your insurance!! im wishing you alllll the best!🫶

second, im nervous about the state of the world right now, so i'm bringing a little distraction in the form of a rtte time-travel au i've been thinking of👀

so, i don't know from what point Hiccup would travel back in time, i'm doubting between the end of rtte or from httyd 2, but something goes BIG wrong and he dies, and then wakes up back in his body at the start of rtte. he doesn't understand what happened until the twins bust in with Johann between them, who tells him Dagur escaped—the gods have basically given him a second chance! (and for my own joy, Toothless traveled with him<3).

he makes his inventions early, upgrades the tail to the newer model, and plans out his steps with the knowledge of the future he has. he struggles with it at first, seeing Dagur like his old self again instead of the friend he became, knowing of the war that comes. but he's older now, and even if he doesn't want to think about it, Viggo did teach him a lot, and he's using that to his favor. first of all: he makes sure Dagur never finds out about the Dragon Eye. he hides it in his saddlebag before they come out of the Reaper. it's a big part of why the hunters and the riders fought, after all, it's better if everyone thinks it's still gone (im torn between Hiccup keeping it a secret from his friends too, for extra angst, or if he, because he's older, knows they work best as a team).

also, speaking of Viggo, Hiccup would 100% take the chance to rile Viggo up, to cut into his operations, stalking hunter ships before they even know he exists. but he wants to do it differently, this time. he knows that Viggo can be changed, so he needs to build this relation carefully. he frees dragons, of course, but he tries to keep damage to a minimum, and, for the kicker: he leaves the maces and talons "dragon" piece in the empty cells after raiding them. gotta make sure Viggo knows he plays!

anyway, yeah, i have a ton of ideas but i just wanted to share them and see what you think! (i just love time travel aus hihi)

Oh my gosh, that’s such a cool idea!!! Do Hiccup’s friends ever find out about this?

And omg, just… waking up in his younger body must be a shock. There are probably scars that he had that are no longer there! (That would be so angsty.)

This whole concept is so awesome! I love the idea of him taunting Viggo while also wanting to try to make peace with him.

Hiccup has so much more knowledge of the world now and how things turn out, that I wonder if he ever feels overwhelmed, like he has to fix everything that went wrong in his eyes.

Love this! Thank you for sending! And yes, the insurance approval is a huge fucking relief, oh my god. (Also anxious and scared about the world right now. We gotta hang onto each other.)

[xoxo-ren-xoxo]

hello its me tordsgiantrobot i miss my wife (mumbo not in life series) would you like to tell em about mumbo in any of your writings or AUs. please. i miss him

hello tordsgiantrobot I also miss our wife (mumbo) of course I will tell you about Mumbo in any of my writings or aus.

As always i am still insane and unwell about my Watcher/Listener AU and I think I shall ramble a little about Mumbo in that... Particularly in relation to how I think he feels about his relationship with Grian.

Content: grief, major character death but it's also complicated, coming out/transness discussed

Note: some of the info in the lore post is outdated / stuff I have changed my mind on but most of it is still accurate. Mostly the mumbo stuff is different.

Anyway. He met Grian just before / during the start of Evo, but they were more acquaintances than friends. Still, Grian went to Mumbo one lonely day and exposed all his anxieties and sorrows to the poor guy.

Grian was... clearly experiencing feelings of discomfort and confusion that pointed towards him being maybe trans or gay or something, but Mumbo didn't feel like he knew Grian enough to say that, so he just listened and nodded. Grian felt weirdly comfortable spilling his guts to Mumbo about this because they barely knew each other and any judgement that came his way from Mumbo could be swept under the rug easily.

Then Grian went off to Evo, got chosen by Watchers, and died. A new Grian, a continuation, a second chance, takes his place, his memories, his existence, all in one... and crashes into Hermitcraft on a mission to ignore the beings screaming at him to obey.

Meeting Mumbo again was lovely. It was a nice reunion. They could become proper friends then, with no worries about Evo between them. And for a while, things were normal. Mumbo didn't have to know about what happened. And Grian didn't want to tell.

Scar has magic, though, and can sense magic, and soon the secret got out between the three of them. Grian explained himself as best he could to both Scar and Mumbo. Obviously, Scar never really cared. They hadn't known each other before. What's weird is that Mumbo didn't seem to care either.

This is the crucial thing about Mumbo. He chooses not to think about it. There are many things he chooses to think about, worries that take up his day, anxieties gnawing at his ribcage, ideas and fancies that threaten to break his mind in two until he concedes and commits to them. But this? This, he chooses not to think about.

He barely knew Grian. So it doesn't matter. This Grian is just as much as a person, just as much of a Grian as the one before. They don't even seem that different, aside from the usual differences one would notice over a few years of separation. And a bit of trauma.

It is not important to their relationship, is what Mumbo tells himself. This Grian is not a clone, a copy, a replacement. He is Grian. A little bit of death doesn't change the fact that they are becoming close friends... and maybe more.

Though if something were to happen... If something were to happen to remind Mumbo of the person who was there before... Remind him that there was, in fact, a person who he knew, who died, and they're not coming back, and this isn't him, this is a continuation of him but not him...

He would panic. He never grieved. Never mourned. Not properly. He just accepted it because he had to because Grian was standing right there, watching him, waiting for his response, back when he told them. He never looked back after that. He hadn't needed to. Even when Pearl found out. Even when everyone found out. Even during the funeral he didn't attend because he couldn't do that to himself.

How do you mourn someone you never really knew? Someone whose life was a ribbon cut short with sharp, precise scissors, and threaded onto an identical piece. Mumbo barely spoke to Grian before he was killed. So why does it matter so much? Why would it?

It isn't wasted potential. It isn't a grief of unfinished stories. He has Grian now. Grian is here with him and he isn't going anywhere.

She isn't going anywhere. Grian... finally comes out, and that's amazing. It feels like a loose end being tied up so neatly.

Still, it does leave a bittersweet taste on Mumbo's tongue. That is a 'what could've been', isn't it? In a way? If he had just told Grian - the original Grian - during that talk, 'I think you might be trans, mate' or something along those lines... would he have been happier in his final years?

Should he have done more? Is it enough to just be there for her now?

He doesn't know and he doesn't want to know. He doesn't want to think about it.

Thank god nothing is going to happen that will force him to think about it.

:)

[occasionalflicker]

*to delve into the language, culture, geography, traditions, cuisine, architecture, chronology, calendar, writing system, flora and fauna, names, and naming conventions for AU*

Me: *three pages explaining why battlefield flirting exists*

Reultuath - from Gaelic reul (star) and tuath (folk) (Yes, I’ve been thinking about this for a very long time...)

Mo soillse - Gaelic "my light"

(The whole post was originally supposed to be an explanation of why the absorption meter percentages increase, or why it fills up in some cases and not in others, at least on the Lightfolk's side, but now I'm starting to doubt this idea and, in general, I should stop searching for meanings and explanations for game mechanics, especially for an AU…)

Let's start with the nature of absorption in the AU. First of all, when Starfolks switch polarities, they become an entirely new personality and retain no memories from their previous state. However, these memories do not disappear completely. If Starfolks switch polarities again, they regain their old personality but forget their second personality (meaning they once again do not remember what it's like to be of the opposite polarity). Regardless of who and how they changed, they remain fully developed adult beings with the primary instinct to protect/absorb - but not entirely. In their new form, they know basic things like how to speak, use elements, and perform other everyday activities. The problem is that their skills are not honed

In the AU, there is no randomness regarding what they will transform into after changing polarity. Regardless of the opponent's type, Starfolks always change into their counterpart and into themselves in any case and with any opponent. Therefore, it is not necessary to hunt down the same thief to regain one's old personality, nor is there a fear of turning into someone else and ending up with three personalities

Now about how both factions view their transformed comrades. Lightfolks are not very happy to welcome such individuals. For them, it is the loss of a long-known sister, but they have no choice and are forced to accept the newcomer. Another reason for their reluctance toward their newly acquired sister is that she is completely unprepared, and her training takes a lot of time - time that is scarce during a war

On the Darkfolks' side, it's different. They gladly accept a new brother, but they are also not too eager to train him. Firstly laziness, Secondly - someone has appeared who was once a Lightfolk and will later want to regain their polarity, whereas it would be better if instead of him, Darkfolks who have never had this chance could transform. Nevertheless, they are more tolerant of the poor soul, feeling joy (and a bit of envy) for the brother who managed to undergo transformation

And now, the main question: how can you tell that someone new has appeared, that someone has been lost, and most importantly - who exactly? Oh, and how do Lightfolks know that their sister has encountered and successfully repelled an opponent's attack, while Darkfolks understand that their brother has suffered a crushing blow?

The Gift

The primary meaning of this ritual was lost; there is only a record from one of the past eras (about 27 eras before the present one), which states that it was implemented specifically to keep track of ranks. However, before this, the ritual was purely instinctive, without any particular meaning in society, although some believe it was once a distraction maneuver

Where does it all begin? With young Darkfolks. Upon reaching a certain age, they are given the opportunity to choose their first personal item. After that, a personal number and initials as requested by the Darkfolk are engraved on it, and the item and owner are recorded in the registry. They can have many such items, but they need to earn them

What are they for? Now, about how this happens. A Darkfolk must carry this item with them because when they encounter a Lightfolk, they must throw it to them before the confrontation begins

And now, why. The Darkfolk parts with their item because it will be useless to them if they successfully absorb and become a Lightfolk. However, if their attack is repelled, they return home empty-handed, showing that they have failed. This results in a drop in their ranking. Additionally, after this, they will not receive a new item for a long time unless they had a stock of such gifts in advance - but only a small portion of the population has this privilege

A Lightfolk who transforms into a Darkfolk keeps the gifted item, and upon entering the Darkfolk kingdom, it is registered that the item exists, but the owner is new, which confirms a successful absorption. The rank of this Darkfolk is then frozen, remaining in place until they return (if they ever return). In rare cases, the longer a Darkfolk remains absent in their new nature, the higher their rank may rise over time. If he does return, he will not get his item back; instead, he will simply be given a new one. The newly transformed Lightfolk-turned-Darkfolk, however, must climb the ranks from the very bottom

If a Lightfolk repels a Darkfolk's attack, they have proof in the form of the gifted item, which they then register with the Lightfolk registry. This confirms their victory and ranking increase - the more such achievements, the faster they rise in rank. If a Lightfolk disappears, it means they have lost, and the longer they remain absent, the faster their ranking will drop

However, this system is not perfect. There are several reasons for this

Darkfolks must carry their gift at all times because they never know when a confrontation will occur. There are frequent cases where they lose them, and new ones are not issued quickly. There are also thefts, when another Darkfolk takes a liking to someone else's item more than their own and also forgeries that Darkfolks use to hide their failures when the original is lost or to do the opposite - use a fake in battle instead of the original

Or confusion arises when a Darkfolk changes into a Lightfolk, but the newly transformed Lightfolk-turned-Darkfolk loses the gift. Now, it becomes a mess to figure out what to do because the new Darkfolk claims they remember nothing and must be a newly transformed Lightfolk. Or maybe they are an exile from another fief who decided to try their luck in a new place where no one knows them, hoping that here they will be believed when they say they had no gift but are definitely a new Darkfolk

On the Lightfolks' side, this also causes problems. Sometimes Darkfolks make mistakes or deliberately throw an unmarked gift (they often carry other small trinkets in their pockets). A Lightfolk repels an attack and proudly registers the item, hoping for a promotion, but it is rejected because there is no number or initials, making it impossible to prove victory. Losing the item immediately after battle is also common. There are also fakes that look like real marked gifts, which some Lightfolks use to climb the ranks without ever encountering an opponent

But the main problem lies in their very nature. For Darkfolks who missed their first chance and now have nothing for the next confrontation, absorption and instincts will not wait for bureaucratic procedures of Starfolks, and they will not be given time to deal with them. They will seize any opportunity without a gift, and if they succeed this time, it will cause an even bigger mess

Firstly, a Darkfolk showing up to a fight without a gift puts their defeated opponent in an awkward position, as they will have nothing to present upon arriving at their new home. Secondly, it will be unclear where they disappeared to, and worse - if their home acknowledges that an absorption occurred without a gift at the battle site, the Darkfolk will simply be removed from the ranking and will never return to it. So, if they ever regain their original state, an unpleasant surprise will be waiting for them at home

As for Lightfolks, their problem can be as simple as periodic re-evaluations in their fiefs, where many interesting and unpleasant truths may come to light. Items earned through honest effort may be stolen or replaced with fakes, which also results in being removed from the ranking

The system has a lot of blind spots because the gift ritual was never originally intended for this purpose. However, it still excellently regulates the population's ranking, and no better alternative has been devised yet. But the very existence of this phenomenon is further explained by another interesting fact about the behavior of Starfolks

To start, a bit of classification and the phenomenon of absorption. Darkfolks have a natural radar that covers a fairly wide range of territory and allows them to detect whether there are any Lightfolks nearby that they can absorb. Lightfolks have nothing of the sort; they cannot determine whether there are Darkfolks nearby until they see them up close. However, they are still unconsciously drawn toward them when they enter their radius—though they are unaware of this and do not question why their feet sometimes carry them in that direction. Darkfolks use this radar to determine the location, position, and type of opponent

Regarding the type, some Darkfolks do not care about the size or strength of their opponent - if there is a chance to absorb someone, they will take it. Others, however, are more selective, carefully studying their opponent from a distance to assess whether the fight is within their capability. As a result, they usually choose to fight Lightfolks who are their counterpart or close in strength, as this balances the odds. But this does not always happen, as most encounters occur between individuals who are not exact opposites. In such encounters, the battle outcome can be anything, depending on the determination, skills, and strength of each side. Simply put, their fights are nothing special - it’s just a brawl

As for those who encounter their counterpart… Well, for them, battlefield flirting is standard practice in the AU. Both sides try to eliminate this behavior because it is inefficient and distracts from the main task, considering it an unnecessary and meaningless action. They also do not understand the nature of this phenomenon, believing it to be some kind of side effect of stress triggered at the moment of confrontation

As long as Starfolks do not see the opposing side, they behave normally and rationally. But on the battlefield, one could say they become… well, I don’t even know how to explain it without sounding offensive, but in some ways, they lose their minds (especially when they find that one Starfolk). They struggle to control their movements and the words they say. A well-practiced attack pattern that was automatic at home becomes less useful in battle because both sides are now focused on something else. One could say they are no longer fighting but engaging in a sort of dance, where each side tries to gain the upper hand

Darkfolks tend to take the initiative in this by starting with a gift, followed by compliments. Sometimes, individuals wear colorful outfits or simply attach patches of bright fabric here and there to make a better impression. Others polish shiny materials (including armor), which they then wear, moving between strikes and pauses in a way that catches the light and makes the material gleam in a certain rhythm

Lightfolks also have a practice of enhancing their appearance, though it is less common, as it is generally undesirable for them to further encourage Darkfolks to absorb them

And now, the main point - something that sounds almost impossible: in most cases, a successful absorption depends on the decision of the Lightfolk. If the Darkfolk impresses or appeals to her enough, at some level, the thought might cross her mind: "He is trying hard enough that I might as well give in." However, they can also easily resist if the Darkfolk does not try hard enough, in which case the latter will accept a painful but voluntary defeat and allow themselves to be finished off

Lightfolks also flirt back, dancing to confuse the Darkfolks. But sometimes, this turns into a paired dance that leads to nothing, as neither side knows what to do, and in silent agreement, they simply part ways - or one of them decides to finish the encounter

The funniest part? They do all of this instinctively, without thinking about their actions. But once the battle is over, common sense returns, and both sides begin processing what just happened, with only one thought in their heads: "I'm an idiot"

[batrogers]

Thank you for that post on LU designs. Obviously making a unique design based on a pre-existing character is difficult, but the nerve of some artists really pisses me off. Some people really hate Linked Universe but really love taking practically everything from it.

I am sympathetic to people who find the ubiquity of Linked Universe (and some of its more overbearing fans) frustrating. That was me, too, not long ago.

It can be hard to escape within the Zelda fandom spaces and people mistaking things for Linked Universe when they aren't is not just disheartening -- its gotten people attacked for perceived "sins" a few too many times. I was extremely wary of joining the fandom myself for exactly that reason, and have stayed extremely cautious even now but that's a conversation for another space.

However this also means that I did, indeed, put in the effort to make my own Link's Meet characters distinctly different from LU. I make sure that when I post them, I forefront which AU they belong to obviously and in the text of the post itself so the chance of confusion is reduced.

Fandom spaces are shared spaces. Mistakes and misunderstandings happen, and it's important for both sides to do their best to be graceful about them... but after seeing this happen with a second Linked Universe character (it was not, in fact, the instance mentioned in the notes that pushed me to this) my grace has its limits. We do need to draw a line somewhere and you don't steal someone's whole design.

Besides, I don't see why you would. Creating your own things is so rewarding, and it's amazing to see what people come up with! I love how many people have started their own Link's Meet things, and all the different art styles, fashion choices, and game traits to forefront about each game that come of it!

Characters are built of hairstyle and body type and clothing and weapons and armour, skin tone and hair -- if you love part of an LU design you can still keep it as long as you remember to change everything else. @thatbrokenpromise Hateno (my BW/TK Link) has super long hair -- but he doesn't have face scars, he doesn't wear the blue tunic, and he's missing an arm.

I hope we can all put in the work to make this work out better for everyone, both in correctly identifying the AUs people DO put that work into, and in remembering to be respectful of the work Jojo's done as well.

[nythtak]

Thought it'd be fun to do a little drabble soooo-

Cattonquick Oxford Days - the first cigarette

(This is based in the Maneater AU - unless I change my mind on details later - but can be read as in canon universe)

The lighter fails to catch the first couple of times Felix tries it. But after a final, despairing shake of the crappy thing, the flame sputters to life.

“Thank fuck,” he mumbles around the ciggie, and hurriedly brings the lighter up. April’s swung in with far too much chill, because fuck England, right? No spring for them, nooope. Just horrible grey rainy days, where even brief lulls like this evening are tarnished by cold winds.

He’s regretting not grabbing a jacket when he had chance to, and he eyes Oliver’s long-sleeves jealously. They’re on their way back from the pub, and it’s still early enough that most streetlights feel unnecessary. After a of couple hours there Felix realised he just wasn’t feeling it tonight, that stickiness of going through the motions and not enjoying himself like usual, where even a few pints couldn’t soften it up.

So when Oliver gave him a nudge, mentioned he has an essay he really needs to work on, Felix leapt at the chance to head out. He has his own pile of coursework to dive into before the Easter holidays start. Maybe speed through a chunk of it tonight, get that late night focus on, and then he can decide how much is usable tomorrow.

He’s glad he decided to stick it out at Oxford over the coming break. Originally it was more about keeping his word on staying at university all year, rather than nipping home every holiday - or even every other weekend, like some silly sods do. He went as far as to swear off a trip abroad this school year, fully committed to the uni life, which means no fluttering off to sunnier skies.

He aims a glower up at the dark clouds far above them. Curse thy existence.

“Felix?”

Felix’s head snaps down, and down, and he has to grin. Oliver is so short. Like, okay, so he’s not actually super-duper short. A bit below average, perhaps, and around the height of most girls. But he’s a lot shorter than Felix, which is what really matters.

It means he’s the perfect height - practically made for it - for Felix to sling an arm around his shoulders and drag him into his side. Oliver runs a bit cool, but he’s still a damn sight warmer than the nippy evening air.

“Yeah, mate?” Felix takes a pull from the ciggie, careful not to blow it all in Oliver’s face. Would be awfully rude. But that does get him thinking about how Oliver doesn’t smoke, and he frowns at him. “You know, I don’t think you ever said why you don’t smoke.”

Could it be something to do with his family? Cigarettes are a huge leap from heroin and meth and whatever else, but traumas can be multi-layered, can’t they? A full-on aversion to anything even related. But Oliver is clearly battling through it, going to the pub and clubs where alcohol abounds, not even flinching at all the casual drug use their group gets up to.

“Just not keen.” Oliver shrugs slightly, and it’s interesting to feel the motion of it under his arm. Makes him want to squeeze Oliver a bit. His hand slides down to cup Oliver’s bicep rather than hanging loosely, but he holds off on the full grabby. For now.

“So you’ve tried one before?”

Oliver hesitates, but shakes his head. He’s looking ahead rather than at Felix, and while he does have lovely thick hair, that isn’t quite the view Felix wants currently.

So he brings them to a stop, Oliver stumbling into him a bit and looking up questioningly. There it is. Christ, Oliver’s eyes seem to get bluer every time Felix catches a glimpse. Like, with each additional second he knows Oliver, he’s able to see more of him. Another droplet of paint on the colour palette, swirled in with patient brush strokes.

“If you’ve never tried it…” Felix puts the ciggie between his lips, just so he can flip his hand and pluck it out again. Holding it filter-first toward Oliver with an inviting smile. “How can you know you won’t like it?”

Now, Felix would never pressure anyone into doing something they don’t want to. That would be terrible manners. All he’s doing here is giving Oliver the chance to expand his horizons. Indulge in a little fun, like he’s clearly not had chance to- well, probably in his whole life.

Felix has been making up for that. He’s fully embraced showing Oliver the highlights of uni life, and it’s been an absolute blast so far. Letting Oliver have a go at smoking is just another part of that.

“I dunno, mate.” The corner of Oliver’s mouth ticks up as he looks from the ciggie to Felix. “They’re not great for your health, right?”

The little right? at the end softens what might’ve been an annoying admonishment, to something that makes Felix smirk. “All part of the appeal. If we only did what was healthy, we’d be a proper dull lot.” He raises his eyebrows and tips the cigarette closer to Oliver’s lips, his pinky finger grazing Oliver’s chin. “You’re not dull, are you, Ollie?”

He knows most of his friends think Oliver is boring. That he outlived any novelty within the first week; Felix’s unlikely saviour from a tutorial scolding, the scholarship boy with the funny accent. Farleigh has certainly made his opinion clear, his pissy attitude the real bore around here.

They just don’t get Oliver. None of them.

Nah, Felix is the only one who gets the real Ollie, the one Oliver trusts and opens up to. They’re already best mates, fitting together like two puzzle pieces. And the way Oliver looks at him - yeah, it can get a bit much at times, but it’s all part of Oliver’s charm, really. He’s completely genuine and clearly thinks the world of Felix, so obviously he can’t filter that intensity down. Felix would never ask him to. He accepts Oliver exactly as he is.

Oliver takes the cigarette, pinched between his thumb and forefinger as he eyes it like it might bite him. Or give him lung cancer.

Felix would give him a drumroll if he could. He settles for an encouraging shake and cheering, “Go oooooon, Oll-aaaaay!”

And Oliver does.

Not that there was ever any doubt. But it’s still satisfying in a warm, buzzy way to watch Oliver take a drag, lips pursed and the shadows on his cheeks deepening a little. Takes it like a pro, his Ollie, and it’s only once Oliver’s eyes close that Felix realises they’ve been locked in a staredown.

Then Oliver breathes out, and Felix is hit by a faceful of smoke.

The moment his coughing fit is done, he grabs a hastily apologising Oliver by the shoulder, snatches the ciggie back, and gets revenge.

[childrenofthefaceless]

HI!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE CHANCE TO RANT!!

[my rant is below the cut! click on read more!] Little doodle to start

edit: I DIDNT PROOFREAD THIS ITS 1 AM AND I JUST WENT OFF ALSO I DIDNT GO INTO MYCELIUM MUCH BUT I PROMISE I WILL IN THE FUTURE

Welcome to Gothalites big Operator Rant!

I too love mushrooms! Which is how the idea for this operator came to be! i cant say im the most knowledgeable in shrooms, I know more about the ocean than mushrooms but I am fascinated by them! If i had to think for a real life example that is the closest to the mushroom in my AU it would simply be like an airborne/lichen/mushroom mix of Cordyceps. Yes, yes i know all three of those can be fungi! But the reason I specify ALL three is because the OperatorFungus is ALL three of them.

Originally the Operator was JUST a mushroom and NOT sentient in any way. It sprouted out of the ground with some of the first mushrooms ever recorded, 715 - 810 million years ago. And it existed along them, the same as all. When the Operator Fungus first formed it had the cap shape of a Calocybe fallax with a sunken cap! Pictured below! [ image 1] While also containing the properties of a puffball mushroom! [ image 2], its ability being to 'blow out smoke'.

These two traits carried over the most with the operators change as an entity. His head shape mimics the Calocybe fallax sunken cap with the different parts of the fungus growing up around his head! [ Pictured below, image 1 ] The Puffballs ability to create smoke carried over as well, in the form of spores and the 'fog' that follows the operator. Unlike the Puffball the operator doesnt have to be inflicted with a strong force to create the fog, the flakes from the lichen as well as the spores are a constant natural byproduct!

In the second image blow you can see the operators back! Around his tentacles are very small [ drawn larger for easier viewing, image 2 ] openings, trough which the constant smoke / spores are dispersed in extremely small amounts! The only reason the fog is so visible around it at a lot of times is simply for visual representation in art! However the fog may become thick in areas where the operator dwells for longer times [ Example, its office]

NOW FOR THE LICHEN!!!

The lichen present on the operator wasnt always there and wasnt always needed. At first, as explained earlier it started out as any regular fungus in its size, just like any other mushroom it could fend for itself. However after changing in size and appearance the OperatorFungus needed more help to sustain itself. Usually Lichen appears on thing such as rocks or trees, [depicted above] not other mushrooms.

Lichen is important for nutrient cycling and many animals feed on it! Animals such as reindeer!! Now, raindeer arent the only animals to feed on lichen, however they are crucial to the reason why there is lichen around OperatorFugi!

The specific type of fungus which the Operator is thrives in DEAD MATTER. Meaning it best operates when surrounded by rotting things, atleast in its case. With the change in size the requirement for upkeep grew, and the lichen served as the perfect way to attract animals such as Raindeer.

While for a long time the Operator depended on this lichen, thanks to proxies, it no longer does. However the lichen is there to stay,

so keep an eye out when you see a lone mushroom surrounded by lichen and fog.

[ladydaybreaker]

Hey guys, just wanted to give a little heads up...uh, kinda going through a rough patch at the moment (no, not from political things I promise).

The chapter for iNtersubJeCtiVe requital is still being worked on but it's a little slow because it's...dealing with a lot of manipulation tactics and it's dredging up some sucky memories. It kinda needs to be done so that I can get to the fun stuff later. I'm just...not in a good head space right now and wanted to let you guys know that hey! I'm not dead! I've not forgotten you guys! I'm just...trying to wade through a subject with some awful memories.

And a lot of second guessing myself asking if I did the right thing.

But uh, as a treat I have a little snippet of Suns, Moons and Stars section I did the other night and I'll post that under the break. I want to give you guys something...even if all I've got to show are a fantasy human AU (chapter 2 which was posted last night) and a snippet of something that will probably get changed up in the future.

So uh, sorry for all that.

"…N…do you…want to have kids?"

He didn't look at her, his claws ticked against his knees and his tail coiled around his ankle in a self soothing notion. Uzi gave a sigh and put a hand on his wrist.

"Dude…look at me," she said.

He turned to her, but…she had the distinct feeling that his true eyes were roaming.

"All of them," she reiterated, giving a smile when she heard the soft whirr of the other five cameras looking back at her, "Ok. Dude, I'm not gonna be mad if you don't. To be honest…I…think I'd be a pretty shi-" she stopped as she saw his screen flicker, "Crappy Mom," she amended, "but…I think you'd be a great Dad. I think…I'm kinda the expert on bad dads. Even if mine's trying to fix things."

"You wouldn't be a crummy Mom, Uzi," his voice was soft, "I think I'd be the expert on that…"

"Yeah the Spazz's mom was just…yikes," Uzi winced, "So…why would you think you'd be a bad dad?"

"…Y'know how back at the mines…there was the collapse that separated us?" he started, "Um…well…I got…cornered. By the Solver. It um…It tried to make me betray you. By…showing me a future that It could make come true if I…helped It."

He swallowed and his hands trembled.

"…She looked like you," his voice cracked, "She looked…so much…like you. And I just…gave her up. An-And her brother…I-I gave him up too…he looked like me…he…he hugged me. Called me 'Daddy'…I…I-I just…" he took a long breath, "…I didn't want to leave…I-I know that makes me sound horrible but…I just…I-I…" he put his head in his hands, "I'm sorry…I-I killed the dream. I-I killed them…I-I had to get back to you! I had to keep you safe, to help you…an-and I…I killed them. I made sure…they wouldn't exist."

"First off…That stupid program can bite me for doing that to you," Uzi glared, "Second off…that doesn't mean you're a bad dad. You knew it wasn't real. They weren't real. And I highly doubt any kid would want to look like me. Not when they have a sick as hell Dad like you," she lightly socked him in the shoulder. "I…dunno if I'm really kinda…ready for kids yet. Dude, I'm 21. Just because we got married doesn't mean we have to have kids right away. Besides…I'm still kinda a mess myself. I want to…y'know…kinda live a little first? Mom didn't really have the chance to heal after the whole thing at the labs before I was born. And as much as I love, loved…" her voice cracked slightly as pain flickered over her screen, "my Mom? I…I don't want my kid, our kid…to go through what I did, y'know? Having them grow up hearing their Mom screaming in the night, having them grow up with people calling their Mom crazy? Because of ramblings she had a tendancy to do? I don't want that for them. I want them to grow up…normal, y'know? Well…not normal. Normal's lame. But you get what I mean."

He looked at her, a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips.

"I thought I was the one supposed to be 'emotional support incarnate'?" he gave a weak chuckle.

"Oh bite me N," Uzi glared.

"Mmmm later," he purred as he pulled her into a hug, resting her forehead against his collar strut, "But…I do know one thing, Universe,"

He pulled her back slightly before touching her forhead to his. A spark of blue-white electric static arced from between the screens.

"If we have kids…the only person I could ever dream of having them with is you,"

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Lost Boys

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam, Superfam

Summary: After Jonathan Lane Kent wipes himself from existence by canceling his own timeline, he finds himself stuck in the afterlife where he meets Jason Todd. He still wonders about the life un-lived on Earth, and how his parents would've felt about him.

Jason Todd, who is making the most of being dead, struggles with the reality of what he's left behind. He has one wish and one wish only: to send his family one final message.

Chapters: 6/?

Characters: Jonathan Lane Kent (Laney), Jason Todd, Catherine Todd, Boston Brand, Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, John Constantine, Raven, Talia al Ghul, Ra's al Ghul, Dick Grayson, Tim Drake

Relationships: Platonic JayLaney

Additional Tags: Angst, Platonic Relationships, Magical Jason Todd, Resurrected Jason Todd, Queerplatonic Relationships, Canon Divergent AU, POV Multiple

Chapter Six: Happy Trails (Jason's POV)

After my resurrection, I started seeing things and hearing voices, but they weren't talking to me. They were talking about me. After my dip in the pit, I knew I was stuck with them. Sometimes in the daytime, I would lie awake and listen to them talk. The spooky one would come and go, but the one in the weird Superman costume never left my side. Sometimes I felt like I knew him from somewhere. Sometimes he would sing songs to me when we were alone or talk as if he didn't know I could hear him. I wanted to give in and speak to him most times, but I was afraid that I'd lose my mind completely if I did.

I didn't realize how much I would need him until I found out about Tim Drake. "You all right?" Talia asked. Her voice was clear, calm, and tinted with a hint of concern.

"Sure. Why wouldn't I be all right?" I lied. Once she was gone, I could hear the faintest whisper from my imaginary friend. I started to cry as I continued to try to ignore him.

"Jason, I'm so sorry," he said loud enough for me to hear. I looked away from the wall and directly at him. "Jason? You can see me?"

"What do you want from me?" I asked in tears. I finally succumbed to it. It didn't matter to me anymore if I was losing it or not. I just wanted to talk to somebody.

"Jason, it's me. Have you been ignoring me this whole time?" he asked. I nodded.

"I don't know who you are or if you're real. I just—. Can you sit down?" I asked. He nodded and sat at the table. I pulled myself together and sat back down. "Who are you?"

"Jason, it's me," he pleaded with me, "It's Laney. We're best friends. Why don't you—? Jason, don't you remember me?"

I shook my head and laughed. "No... I don't know who you are because you aren't real. You're not. This is just my brain damage and emotional trauma manifesting itself," I rationalized. Laney frowned. I pushed a hand through my hair and took a few nauseated breaths.

"This isn't who you are, Jason. We used to talk about it all the time... You said you wanted to tell Bruce you loved him, that he was a father to you. I know you're hurt, but has that changed?" Laney asked. I didn't answer him. "You don't believe me, do you? How can I prove it to you?"

"Prove what to me? I don't even understand what you're—."

"I'm a ghost. We were friends in heaven or the afterlife or whatever it was... And you disappeared, but Boston and I—. We uh—. I don't exist anymore, but you can do everything that I can't. You have a second chance, and Catherine wanted that for you," Laney whispered, "Jason..."

I started feeling panicked when he mentioned Ma, but I pushed the feelings back and went to bed. He stayed with me even after our conversation. When I woke up, Laney was still there, and his friend was back. "I'm not leaving him... Boston, I promised myself I would never leave him. So you can give me the address of the nearest person who can see ghosts, or you can come with us and help me prove that we're not just hallucinations," Laney snapped. I lay still and listened.

"The closest person I know isn't the kind of guy you ask for help. He's more trouble than he's worth—."

"Who is he, and where is he? Boston," Laney pleaded angrily through his clenched teeth.

"If he can prove that you two are real, I'm game... Actually, matter-of-fact, if you two are real, I'll do whatever the hell you want me to," I replied. Laney floated above the ground in a seated position, biting his nails. "Scout's honor."

"Jason, you were never a scout," Laney replied, "If we can prove that we're real, I want you to do just as we planned. Talk to our families."

I nodded, and Boston shook his head. "Jason, kid, you don't wanna go on and learn the hard way. Why can't you just take our word for it?" Boston asked. "Jay..."

I looked at Laney, and he softened up. "Jason, if you can't remember me, then you can't believe what I mean when I say that I know you in ways that you don't even know yourself anymore... And you won't be able to see that I just want to help you."

I wondered if he loved me. The way he spoke to me was like nothing I'd ever heard. I sometimes thought my mind made him up for comfort. Maybe he was real, and he was trying to protect me. I knew one thing for sure, everything he said was what I wanted to hear. I think that's what scared me the most. If he wasn't real, all I was doing was second-guessing myself.

They continued to argue back and forth, and I took my shower and got dressed before cutting out. Laney followed closely behind me. "Two choices. San Francisco, but you run the risk of seeing your brother or Louisiana meet this Constantine guy, and I hear he's more trouble than he's worth," Laney offered. Both choices sounded terrible, but I think he knew I'd pick anything over the idea of running into Dick. "Jason, I know you don't wanna risk seeing Dick if he's in San Francisco, but—."

"But nothing. I'm not risking everything I have planned. What happens if you're just my mind's way of sabotaging me?" I asked. He looked over my shoulder and waited for me to make eye contact.

"I don't want to sabotage you... I'd never do that. Jason, I know you're scared of what he'll say or think or do... But, just try to think. If this Constantine guy is as unpredictable as Boston says, don't you think you'd be safer if—."

I stopped just as I realized how crazy I must've seemed, talking to thin air. "Listen, on the off chance that you're real. Cool, great, good. But, on the chances that you're just a pretty little kindhearted and nurturing hallucination, my mind made up to change me back into the sweet boy you're saying I used to be... I don't wanna take any chances on screwing this up," I mumbled.

"You weren't always sweet. You were just as stubborn dead as you are alive. Either way, I promised your mom I'd find you, and I did. You're alive. I can't take that away from you, but I can look out for you," Laney whispered, "You don't have to talk to me out here. I know what it looks like. Just know when you find out that I'm not a hallucination and that there is actually someone on this planet that would move heaven and hell for you... I won't rub it in."

Secretly, I kind of hoped he was telling the truth. I needed him. Like it or not, I didn't know how I'd be able to bear the loneliness without him. So that was it. I was on my way to Louisiana to see a man about a ghost.

[muletia]

manifests into existence when I hear Harpy Starscream) this idea already rocks, especially since everyone in the fandom refers to Starscream as a birdie cuz of his design 

Harpies were originally wind spirits, the destructive kind, and were called things like “swift robbers” or “snatchers”, said to steal food from their victims or carry away evildoers. Agents of punishment who abducted people and tortured them on their way to Tartarus. They were depicted as cruel, vicious and violent. Harboured were also typically depicted with the heads of maidens, so what if in this au harpies are also on the brink of extinction?

The harpries used to reside in one big clan but due to the threat of extinction they’ve scattered into smaller groups, and the majority of females have either been driven out by hunters, killed or simply passed on. Their numbers have dwindled so badly half the human population believe them to either be all extinct, or didn’t exist to begin with 

Que you, a simple human who is a non believer in harpies, going on an expedition despite the warnings you got from “crazed” locals about “winged devils in the mountains”, nonsense you say. Then as you’re walking along bam, harpy deception of choice wounded and stuck in netting (for this we’ll just stick with Starscream cuz hes pathetic and deserves some lime light) 

You are rightfully terrified of this giant bird man who at once shrieks into your petrified startled face- but you feel a pang of sympathy when that shrieked is followed up by a pained whine, noticing how the rope of the net is painfully tangled around one of Starscream wings. Through grit or stupidity, you somehow manage to dodge being bitten and swiped at before you manage to cut the ropes and free him. Starscream flies off the second he’s freed, but you later find him again unable to fly due to his wing and you two settle on a mutual, temporary friendship until you help get Starscream back up to his nest 

Of course Starscream warms up to you because imagine harpies, being depicted as evil doers by humans, have never truly experienced gentle affection. Starscream is all snappy because that’s what he’s needed to be to survive, now a tiny human is throwing themselves infront of him like some pathetic shield going “Stay behind me, I won’t let them hurt you!” when some mountain wolves growl in their direction 

It gives me a big HTTYD vibe, so it's automatically peak (one of my favorite movies fr fr).

Imagine that, just like in HTTYD, Starscream is stuck in a deep ravine and can’t get out, so he’s forced to interact with you. For the first few weeks, he regrets not killing you when he had the chance.

You’re annoying, you don’t leave him alone when that’s the only thing he wants, and you keep trying to touch his feathers. Starscream can handle things on his own. He doesn’t need anyone else, and he’ll make that very clear from the start. You’re unnecessary, useless. You’re a human, and he tasted human pain before.

But you bring him food. And your presence... isn’t as unpleasant as it was in the beginning. Before he even realizes it, he starts looking forward to your arrival through the only entrance and exit of the ravine. He looks forward to you changing his bandages and applying ointment to his wounds. To the point where now he gets grumpy if you’re even a second late.

And as it turns out, your touch doesn’t bring pain. It can actually be... pleasant. Especially when you help him clean his feathers. Or when you stroke his helm and comment on how beautiful he is. He can’t stop himself from fluffing up contentedly and smiling with that handsome faceplate of his.

But Starscream, being Starscream, will still self-sabotage. When his wing finally heals, he’ll leave without a single word of goodbye, convinced he doesn’t need you anymore. He’s always managed on his own. That hasn’t changed. So why does he miss you? Why does he crave your company?

He gives himself a few days to chew it all over in his processor, and once he comes to the conclusion that he does, in fact, need you to live, nothing will stop him from grabbing you in his claws, no matter what you’re doing or where you are, and carrying you off to his nest. Congratulations, you’ve earned the honor of becoming his mate <3

[goldenheart-supremacy]

More Twin!AU things

✧Ambrosius and Todd actually knew each other since Pre-K because they were enrolled to the same prestige school.

✧They weren't really friends, weren't really enemies. They just co-existed.

✧Todd did think it was pretty cool he shared the same birthday with the son of the School director.

✧Then, the owner of the school [Modern Queen Valerin] adopted two children; Ballister and Nimona.

✧Nimona was still very young, so she mostly stayed with her new mother in her office. Valerin basically goes: "Yes, I can do my work efficiently while looking after my baby all at the same time, who do I think I am?"

✧Most of the students didn't like Ballister, but Ambrosius didn't like seeing the new kid all alone so he played with him at the sand box.

✧At first, he was just being nice.

✧He ended up really liking Ballister more than any of the other kids. New best friend.

✧Todd made fun of Ballister once, and that was the end of neutrality.

✧Ballister had to be Ambrosius's impulse control from then on.

✧When Ambrosius would come over the Boldheart household for a play date, Nimona would throw her baby toys at Ambrosius every chance she got.

✧It took a year for her to grow into liking Ambrosius.

✧Flash forward to the future.

✧For a Junior high school moving up to High school trip [So this happens in Summer vacation], Ambrosius and Todd finds out they were twins.]

✧It was due to an accident that required Todd a blood transfusion, but his blood type is very rare. It was one of those things were it was usually only family or relatives who could share the blood type.

✧Rudy Sureblade didn't have it though nor did he have any living relatives anymore, and he really didn't want to contact his ex-wife to check if she had it. It was a last resort idea for him. He checked if they could find someone.

✧Amazingly enough, they found out Ambrosius had it.

✧He still didn't like him, but Ambrosius isn't a monster so he was willing to donate blood.

✧They checked first to see if it was safe to do so with some lab test then BAM "You two are actually brothers."

✧Considering they also had the same birthday based on the hospital records, they put two and two together that they were twins.

✧Ambrosius had to dumb down the explanation to Todd how there was such a thing as fraternal twins.

✧The Director of the School and Rudy Sureblade told the hospital to uphold their patient confidentiality policy and keep this hush-hush.

✧Neither Ambrosius and Todd wanted word to spread that they're related to.

✧Rudy and Todd's relationship had already been lukewarm, so nothing really changed after the revelation except that Todd is more distrustful of his father now.

✧As long as Todd did whatever a student should be doing, and kept out of legal trouble, he could live and let live.

✧While his relationship with his mother wasn't exactly a warm one, Ambrosius did have some amount of respect for his mother since she did raise him on his own... Sort of. If leaving a secretary or whoever every now and then to attend important school events when he was growing up, whenever she was too busy, counted as raising him on her own.

✧Although ever the dutiful child, Ambrosius did accept that her job was important.

✧After finding out she kept a secret as big as him having a twin from him, he started questioning things.

✧Some point in freshmen year, both Ambrosius and Todd kinda felt getting disowned was better than being around their mostly absent parents.

✧Todd would still poke fun at Ambrosius and Ballister, especially when they started dating in high school.

✧Then enters Aerin Shieldstone in the middle of Freshmen year, and Todd is half the word of 'homophobic.'

✧The first half of it.

✧So Todd kinda goes up to Ambrosius one day, and the conversation kinda goes...

That's all... For now.

Todd: Okay, I'm accepting you as my twin brother now because I really need a brother right now. Specifically, a gay brother.

Ambrosius:

Ambrosius: First, what the fuck. Second, why the fuck?

Todd: How do I ask a guy out?

Ambrosius:

Ballister: I'm guessing third is going back to 'what the fuck?'

Ambrosius: More like 'who the fuck is the unlucky guy?'

[deltaruinedcoco37]

SplatoonMG4 CHAPTER 5: GAYER Off The Hook

(Third person)

SMG3 had a lot of questions now that there was a way for him to communicate with Four. He still wasn't great at Sign Script, but it was the best he could do for now. He had a lot of questions about Inkopolis and the surface, because even if he had heard of it from some Octolings it wasn't much, to be honest.

"Um..." There was a bit of an awkward silence before SMG3 continued to speak. "I only know what the, uh... Splatland Octolings say... I've heard of 'Deep Cut' and some things, like Turf War... but not much else... what are those three all about?"

SMG3 didn't speak as fast or as well as Four, but the latter was just glad to hear that the Octoling wasn't completely clueless, as he explained Deep Cut. "Deep Cut? They're like our news anchors. They have some pretty cool music and a podcast- the Anarchy Splatcast- so they have a lot of fans. Inkopolis is different though... we have some other people do the map announcements." He smiled at the thought of the Square's comedic duo, Off the Hook...

"Who are they, then?" SMG3 asked once he processed what Four said. "The, uh, news people?"

SMG4 just took a second to glance at the time before looking back at SMG3 with a grin.

"Well... how about I just show you?" He clicked the TV on. "Thanks to the power of Plot Convenience Magic, which probably shouldn't exist in this AU, but whatever..."

(Cue the news intro)

Swag: you sexy bitches know what time it is

Chris: It's Off the Hook, coming live from Inkopolis square... Swag... (Are you even allowed to say that?)

Swag: (of course i can. if you have enough fans you can do anything you want)

Chris: (First off, I was asking if that was part of the script... which I'm sure it's not... second off, that's what everyone thinks until they get canceled, you moron.)

Swag: anygays, moving on to the noob- i mean the normal battle stages. turf war.

(Moray Towers)(Starfish Mainstage)

Swag: my strategy here is to rush to the middle as fast as i can and look sexy ✨

Chris: (I need new friends...)

Swag: and now the stages for REAL battles. ranked battles. i meant to say "ranked battles"

(PIRANHA PIT)(CLAM BLITZ)

Swag: oh wow, look. my favorite: "50/50 chance to win or lose in the first minute like an idiot"

Chris: Finally, something we can both agree on...

Swag: well it's time for league battles... who even plays these anymore???

Chris: Swag, this is our job... can you please take it seriously today...

(And back to the gays in the apartment instead of the ones on the news)

"They seem, um..." SMG3 was trying to think of the word in Sign Script.

"Hilarious?" Four chuckled.

"...Dysfunctional." And... like maybe he'd seen one of them somewhere before? "But also familiar?"

Four thought for a second. "Hmm, maybe you heard of them from those Splatlandians? They are also popular in Splatsville, but they go by a different band name. That could be why you didn't recognize their name... But that's just a theory. An ink theory!"

SMG3 gave him a strange look. Oh, right.

"Uh... just forget I said anything. Haha..."

(Back to the news)

Swag: boss salmonids think i'm so sexy they don't even try attacking me 😎

Chris: (Or they're so appalled that they refuse to come within 10 feet of you...)

(Inkopolis News transition effect)

Swag: day 6969696969-

Chris: -That number's not even real-

Swag: -of saying we should've been called something fresher than "off the hook-"

Chris: Swag... we're almost out of time.

Swag: ugh fine. whatever. "don't get cooked..."

Chris: "...Stay off the hook-"

Swag: and don't forget to help me with my petition to change the name-

(Utter chaos then unfolded on screen for two seconds until the ads began to play.)

"Well, that was an... experience." SMG3 honestly didn't know what emotion he was supposed to feel after watching that news broadcast. "They're a comedian duo?"

Four was happy to share the silly duo with SMG3, and he was still snickering at the broadcast (because his sense of humor is broken). "Yeah, I guess so, but- wait! You wouldn't have heard any of their music before, right?"

"Well, uh... no... of course not, I haven't heard anything aside from the Octarian music, or this weird Salmonid band, so-"

"HGFGHWDNHBGVFCVGWBHJCHVGBHDCNJHVGEBH"

Well, that's what it sounded like to Three. Agent 4 was so excited he forgot to speak in Sign Script as he pulled out his phone and scrolled through his playlist, before clicking on one of his favorite songs: Shark Bytes by Off The Hook.

(Time for the author to make horrible inaccurate lyrics!)

WOAH

WHAT'S THIS ACTION?!

THROW THE SPLAT BOMB

THROUGH THE ROOOOOOOOOOF

~~~

Three was 90% sure that even though Chris was singing it, Swag had written the lyrics. But that wasn't what caught his attention.

"Four, this... this isn't in Square," he said. "I think it's in Runic..."

Agent 4 looked genuinely surprised. "Really? Actually? I thought it was something really obscure, and that's why I didn't know it."

SMG3 listened for a little longer before nodding. "Yeah, it's... Runic."

"Interesting."

There was now an awkward silence, because they didn't really know what to say next. (And definitely not because the author can't write)

"So..." Four said, turning off his phone. "You wanna see the city now, or wait first?"

"Hell yeah I wanna see this place!"

~~~

Previous (Ch. 4)

Next (Ch. 6)

[skylarmoon71]

Miguel O' Hara - AU Scientist (Across the Spider-Verse) - Chapter 6

“I don’t understand. I need you to explain it to me. Explain everything.” 

It’s not like you didn’t expect this from Miguel. There was just so much that you couldn’t control. It felt wrong to bring him into your world. 

It’s possible that’s a cover. 

The scary part is watching him walk away from you. 

Miguel is still standing at a distance. You aren’t sure if it’s out of fear or disappointment. 

Your shoulders drop defeatedly. 

“It’s not really easy to explain.” 

“Try.” 

A shaky breath escapes you, and when he sees the golden flicker of light once again return to your eyes, he swallows. You know he’s still trying to fully process the very short encounter with a doppelganger. So introducing your abilities will definitely be a breaking point. 

“I was born a mutant. I didn’t manifest my abilities until I lost my uncle ten years ago. That’s when I went into law enforcement. I was trying to do the right thing with my powers. But someone I cared about, Gavin Stacy, died and I..I couldn’t do it anymore. I left that part of my life behind.” 

You step closer, and Miguel doesn’t move.

“I’m what they refer to on other earths as Spiderwoman.” 

Flipping your wrist, Miguel flinches when a stream of web shoots out. It locks onto a glass nearby and you give it a tug. The second it’s within your grasp, you squeeze and the glass crumbles under your hold like dust. 

“I’m stronger, faster than the average human. That’s only half of it.” 

There’s no way you can hide this anymore. 

“This whole time we’ve been working on the project, you’ve known from the start. But you said nothing.” 

“I..I was scared.”

“Why? Why were you scared?”

“Because I’m..an anomaly. I shouldn’t have existed.” 

All those years ago you tried to do the right thing. You really did. You served justice both in the office as an agent, and at night. But it changed completely when you lost Gavin and found out about canon events. Just the memory is a bitter reminder. 

“I used to have a twin sister. In every universe there’s only supposed to be one. One hero, one spiderman or spider woman. I didn’t believe it at first. But the way she died when we were kids it just felt..wrong. When I found out the truth it was painful. I spent years hating myself for it. When I was finally able to get myself out of that hole I lost my uncle and then one of my best friends. It was like a curse had struck me. That’s when I realized that as a hero, I was destined for pain. Everyone regardless of the universe, all of us with these powers, these abilities, we always lose the people we care most about if we decide to become heroes. So I gave it up. I decided that there were other ways to help my universe without constantly suffering loss. I just..wanted to be happy..” 

It was selfish, but you couldn’t bring yourself to go back out there. Not after you’d failed to protect the ones you cared about. 

Over and over again. 

“I know this is a lot, it might not even make sense. I should have been honest the second that we got involved. If you believe nothing else, please just know how I feel about you, that’s real.” 

It’s unrealistic to expect him to just swallow it all and accept every part of you. 

The right choice right now is to leave. Miguel needs a chance to figure out if he really wants to be a part of this. 

“If you decided that you’d rather take your chances with someone else, I would understand. I wouldn’t blame you Miguel.” 

It hurts, but even if he broke this off, there wasn’t a part of you that couldn’t actually hate him for it. This is a life, his life. He knows what future dangers are ahead. That version of him also proposed that he would be back. Who knows with what kind of reinforcements. 

“What did you say to me, the first time I told you about my disability. What did you say?” 

Your brows knit. 

“I..I don’t understand I..” 

“I understand. I don’t expect anything from you.  It’s nothing to be ashamed of. You’re you. We can discover what we are in the future. That’s what you said to me. You didn’t look at me with pity, or like I was broken. You didn’t force me to change anything. You just smiled at me and told me that you were willing to endure whatever you could, as long as you were given a chance to care about me. To..love me..” 

It’s a bit impossible to look at him now, your gaze has gotten a bit swimmy. 

“The circumstances are very different, but I understand now how you felt at that moment. I want you to give me that chance.”

Is there a possibility that you’ve already been rejected and your mind has formed some kind of alternative?

Shaky hands move to the table for support. 

It must be.

You try to read something, anything from his gaze. He’s at your side in what feels like seconds. Miguel is holding your cheeks and you’re sobbing. 

“I know now that you’ve lost so much, no matter what, you’re not going to lose me. So you don’t have to be afraid. I’m not going anywhere.” 

“Y-You promise.” 

Miguel nods. 

“I promise.” 

He leans in, sealing it with a kiss and you hug him. 

You believe every word.

[gothalite]

HI!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE CHANCE TO RANT!!

[my rant is below the cut! click on read more!] Little doodle to start

edit: I DIDNT PROOFREAD THIS ITS 1 AM AND I JUST WENT OFF ALSO I DIDNT GO INTO MYCELIUM MUCH BUT I PROMISE I WILL IN THE FUTURE

Welcome to Gothalites big Operator Rant!

I too love mushrooms! Which is how the idea for this operator came to be! i cant say im the most knowledgeable in shrooms, I know more about the ocean than mushrooms but I am fascinated by them! If i had to think for a real life example that is the closest to the mushroom in my AU it would simply be like an airborne/lichen/mushroom mix of Cordyceps. Yes, yes i know all three of those can be fungi! But the reason I specify ALL three is because the OperatorFungus is ALL three of them.

Originally the Operator was JUST a mushroom and NOT sentient in any way. It sprouted out of the ground with some of the first mushrooms ever recorded, 715 - 810 million years ago. And it existed along them, the same as all. When the Operator Fungus first formed it had the cap shape of a Calocybe fallax with a sunken cap! Pictured below! [ image 1] While also containing the properties of a puffball mushroom! [ image 2], its ability being to 'blow out smoke'.

These two traits carried over the most with the operators change as an entity. His head shape mimics the Calocybe fallax sunken cap with the different parts of the fungus growing up around his head! [ Pictured below, image 1 ] The Puffballs ability to create smoke carried over as well, in the form of spores and the 'fog' that follows the operator. Unlike the Puffball the operator doesnt have to be inflicted with a strong force to create the fog, the flakes from the lichen as well as the spores are a constant natural byproduct!

In the second image blow you can see the operators back! Around his tentacles are very small [ drawn larger for easier viewing ] openings, trough which the constant smoke / spores are dispersed in extremely small amounts! The only reason the fog is so visible around it at a lot of times is simply for visual representation in art! However the fog may become thick in areas where the operator dwells for longer times [ Example, its office]

NOW FOR THE LICHEN!!!

The lichen present on the operator wasnt always there and wasnt always needed. At first, as explained earlier it started out as any regular fungus in its size, just like any other mushroom it could fend for itself. However after changing in size and appearance the OperatorFungus needed more help to sustain itself. Usually Lichen appears on thing such as rocks or trees, [depicted above] not other mushrooms.

Lichen is important for nutrient cycling and many animals feed on it! Animals such as reindeer!! Now, raindeer arent the only animals to feed on lichen, however they are crucial to the reason why there is lichen around OperatorFugi!

The specific type of fungus which the Operator is thrives in DEAD MATTER. Meaning it best operates when surrounded by rotting things, atleast in its case. With the change in size the requirement for upkeep grew, and the lichen served as the perfect way to attract animals such as Raindeer.

While for a long time the Operator depended on this lichen, thanks to proxies, it no longer does. However the lichen is there to stay,

so keep an eye out when you see a lone mushroom surrounded by lichen and fog.