#this was soooo fun to write omg

[johaerys-writes]

Re: revisiting the Thetis month(s?)- oooooh I cannot blame you. Heavy times. So fun stuff! What about the boys building that ill fated boaty boat when they were kids? What other projects did they get up to? ((Ps I’ve read Dawn, Revisited so many times now. So lovely and heartbreaking))

Ill fated (and ill advised) boaty boat adventure ye ask; that ye shall receive. Now up on AO3! :D

[thylacines-toybox]

Pencil

A small Mr. Fox plush by Scion Living. Bought at the local garden centre in March 2024. Extra pointy.

[oceans-beloved]

Meme dump yayyy🥳✨️

(off to make more now muhahaha >:3)

[usetheforce]

for your prompts—Obi-Wan and Anakin are same age padawans for Qui-Gon and either/or gets curious about the other’s body at like 16 (ofc they’ve explored their *own* bodies by this point) and then end up with some touches and some kissing. Maybe frottage?

Send me a nsfw prompt or headcanon and I’ll write a 5 sentence ficlet!

Obi-Wan stormed out of the training salles, letting the door slam behind him with a bang, unable to get the image of Anakin looming over him out of his head, pinning him to the mats flushed and panting with exertion.

"Obi-Wan, wait!" Anakin called, running after him, but Obi-Wan kept walking, head down, unwilling to acknowledge both him and the burgeoning swell of his cock in his pants.

Of course, Anakin caught up, and of course, he reached out to stop him with a firm grip on his shoulder, and frustrated, Obi-Wan whirled around at the touch to slam him into the nearest wall with a snarl.

Anakin blinked up at him, surprised, his perfect mouth parted slightly, and Obi-Wan couldn't take it anymore, he just couldn't, after so many hours of wrestling each other to the mats as they sparred under Qui-Gon's tutelage, the tension between them ratcheting up and up and up--he leaned in to roughly capture those tempting, lush lips with his own.

Anakin gasped into his mouth, a short, stuttering thing, and lolled out his tongue to swipe at Obi-Wan's, the contact electric, and Obi-Wan licked more firmly into his mouth with possessive ownership, crowding him against the wall until their hips met and he could grind his aching cock against Anakin's own.

[sheikahwarriork]

prompt for childhood enemies dimileth!!!

When Byleth was 6 years old, and Jeralt left her in the care of an inkeeper while he was doing merc jobs, a traveling caravan of rich people arrived to the inn, and she heard an ugly rich bowlcut blonde baby say his dad was the strongest and could beat anybody's dad and she choose violence.

Someone had to put the bowlcut in his place and make him understand Jeralt was the strongest.

Dimitri didn't want to fight back for his crest until Byleth called him a wussy... which is a word the mercs used around her and she didn't know what it meant.

(she fondly recalls this story as the first time she won a fight)

(dimitri still has bite scars from the incident and was very scared of girls for a long time)

(gustave was worried sick a commoner kid got the crown prince rabbies)

(they haven't connected the dots)

(This is the same anon who hates Dimitri's hair)

(hello dear dimitri's hair hater anon, i loved this prompt a lot! i changed some little points in the narration, but the main plotis the one you wrote. i really hope you'll like this :3)

wordcount: 1.2k

Byleth was extremely bored. Jeralt— no, he said to call him dad— Dad ­­went to do some cool mercenary stuff he said were 'too dangerous' for Byleth to attend. How silly! She was perfectly capable of taking care of enemies. She had the best teacher in the world, after all; the Blade Breaker’s abilities were well known along all Fodlan.

Of course, she was still only six, while her father was… How many years old was Jeralt again? She realised she didn’t know exactly. Probably the same age all dads were. Like three-hundred years old or something like that.

Byleth frowned. Did she need to wait three-hundred years to become as powerful as Jeralt? No, it was too far away from now! The little girl stood up. She needed to go training now.

She went out the little inn where Jeralt— Dad left her some days ago, heading for that nice spot she found out the day before to train with her new super powerful sword. (Well, wood sword. After the last time Byleth tried to train by herself, she almost chopped her own leg, so Jeralt took precautions by giving her a weapon that 'woudn’t hurt his precious little girl'. How melodramatic! But he chose it precisely for her. It was special. She wasn’t gonna break it!)

Her wandering gaze stopped when she noticed some people a few meters from her. She frowned. A tall guy with dark hair and a younger blonde boy with an ugly bowlcut were talking under a tree, the very tree of her perfect nice training spot.

She frowned again. As people said, Byleth wasn’t… the best at social interactions. She didn’t like talking to people, especially strangers. And she hated when she had to. Like this moment. She needed those two to get out of her new special training spot. She needed to train! To become more powerful! Like, right now!

The urge to train was bigger than her despise for talking to strangers, so she got closer to the tree, holding hard her sword. Byleth repeated in her mind Jeralt— Dad’s lessons about how ‘not to be too scary with other people’. She had to act nice.

“Hi. Get out of my training spot”.

A greeting! Super nice. ‘Good job, me’, she thought, pleased with herself.

The taller boy looked at her with surprise, but his expression quickly changed in a smile. “Hello, you fellow warrior”, he said in a condescending tone, winking.

Ugh. That was one of the thing Byleth hated the most: grown-ups treating her like she was just a little child!

“Get out, I said! I need to train”, she said, pointing at her sword.

Bowlcut boy frowned. “But you’re too young to train by your own!”

“What?!” Byleth exclaimed to him, annoyed.

“Yes! My dad says children shouldn’t fight until they grow up. And you look almost my age! So, you can’t train”, Bowlcut boy explained, nodding.

Byleth crossed her arms. “It doesn’t make sense! My dad helps me train since I was… younger than you!”

Bowlcut boy looked troubled. “Why does you dad train you?”

“Because I want to become strong, and he’s the strongest mercenary of all Fodlan!”, Byleth said with a hint of pride.

Now Bowlcut boy looked annoyed. “That’s not true! My dad is the strongest one! Glenn, tell her!” he added, looking at the taller annoying guy.

Tall-annoying guy was watching at them holding a hand over his mouth as if he wanted to hide it, slightly shaking. Then he proceeded to burst into laughter, hitting the ground with his fist, without saying a thing.

Byleth frowned. What a weird guy.

Bowlcut boy frowned too, but apparently he decided to let the matter drop, as he looked at Byleth again. “My dad is stronger! He has big muscles, and he’s the only one that can use a super uper big powerful spear!” Then he looked down at Tall-annoying guy, who was still on the floor. “Glenn! Tell her!”

The guy tried to stop laughing, but miserably failed. “So… sorry, Dimitri… you’ll have to… deal with her yourself… PUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

Byleth crossed her arms; then, she got an idea. “Let’s settle this with a fight. However wins, has the strongest dad!”

Bowlcut boy’s eyes widened. “N… no! I can’t! I’ll hurt you!”

Byleth was really annoyed now: how dared that little brat imply he could beat her?!

She lifted her sword, pointing at Bowlcut boy. “Prepare yourself!”

“Oh, fuck!” Tall-annoying guy stopped laughing and stood up between them. “Ok, party’s over. Let’s try to get along, shall we?”

Bowlcut boy sighed in relief. Byleth sticked her tongue out, looking at him. “Your dad’s just a… wussy!”

Byleth really liked the word ‘wussy’. The way it sounded was funny. She didn’t exactly know the meaning, but Jeralt’s mercenaries often used it when someone was arguing (usually when drinking that weird ‘grown-ups fruit juice’) with some other of the band, getting the latter very angry. And Byleth wanted to make Bowlcut boy angry.

And she succeded! Bowlcut boy’s eyes widened, and he proceeded to run towards her. Byleth was ready, and promptly dodged the boy. She grabbed his arm, and sinked her teeth in it.

The boy screamed in pain until Tall-annoying boy managed to pull him away. “Shit shit shit! What the hell is wrong with you two?!” he said in a high-pitched tone. Bowlcut boy started crying.

‘Pathetic’, Byleth thought.

“Okay, little girl, we’re leaving, but promise me you’ll stay away from Dimitri!” Tall-annoying guy said, while taking Bowlcut boy in his arms. “We’re leaving soon anyway, so forget about this and do not tell anyone!” he added, going inside the inn, without waiting for Byleth to respond. “Shit! I did tell Gustave I’m not a good babysitter…” she heard him muttering, while Bowlcut boy was still crying.

She looked at the now closed door for a few seconds more, then turned around. “Okay. Melee training for day: done. I should practice with my sword now…”

“You did what?!” Jeralt—Dad screamed in shock.

Byleth crossed her arms. “I bit him, I told you! He was saying some crap about you!”

Dad looked at her in disbelief, and then bursted into laughter.

‘Why is everyone laughing at me today?!’

“You… you bit him… you bit the… freaking… AHAHAHAHAHA!” Dad was laughing so hard he didn’t finish the phrase.

Byleth shrugged, deciding to let him be. ‘It’s not like I’m gonna ever see Bowlcut boy again…’

15 years later

Byleth didn’t know if she was getting better at reading people, or if Jeralt was acting strange more than usual. Since she told him she chose to lead the Blue Lion House, her father started to make a soft giggle everytime she mentioned the house-leader, Dimitri. It was getting annoying.

“Are you going to tell me why do you make that sound everytime I mention Dimitri, dad?!” she finally said one afternoon, while her and Jeralt were having tea in her room.

Jeralt smiled. “Ah! Never. But maybe, you’ll have your answer if you’ll ever see his arm… Summer is starting, after all…”

[huffle-dork]

Glitch into the Hufflverse Chapter 18: The In-Between

Read Swapboys | Read Crystal’s AUs

Read SITCV | Read SATCV | GITHV Masterpost

It’s a short fall- but confusing and filled with glitching that leaves the 5 of them breathless and dizzy as they collapse on the solid black mass that is the ground. But- it’s hard to actually tell that it’s the floor- everything around them is just… black. A void. With small balls of green light, popping around like fireflies. Alt collapses and then doesn’t move, his body jittering but also limp as the leftover magic crackles around him.

JJ gapes at the unusual surroundings for just a moment. Then Alt collapses and he instantly turns his attention to him, checking him over. Maybe--maybe if this is dark magic he can purify it again? But he's running out of magic.

"W-woah..." Jackie looks around. "Uh... Schneep? I think we're in that... that space you talked about..."

"Hah?" Schneep blinks.

"The dark place with balls of green light. We're there." Jackie frowns. "I, uh... don't think... we're supposed to be here."

Bro pushes himself up, wincing as he takes in all the cuts and wounds he got from trying to get to Glitch. He gasps as he sees the space and looks around in confusion. “This… is that in between space… the one with Sam! M-Maybe we can find them…!”

The hero then gasps again as he sees Alt and quickly scrambles over to kneel by him. “A-Alt?!”

Alt is pale and shaking a bit, his veins pulsing a bit with green and blue. He blearily opens his eyes and then smiles weakly at the others. “‘M okay… just- d-drained… t-that took a lot of p-power…”

It certainly looked like it did, JJ agrees, nodding. Perhaps we could rest a little? After all... I don't... see anything... He looks around.

"Y-yeah... it's just... blackness forever," Jackie mutters. "And that green light."

"I do not sense anything," Schneep says. "It is just us within my range... but then again, perhaps this Sam could appear suddenly?"

Idly, JJ reaches out to one of the smaller green orbs. As his fingertips brush against it, he feels a slight jolt of energy.

“Rest… y-yeah rest sounds good… don’t think this place is… d-dangerous…” Alt mumbles sleepily, his eyes threatening to shut again.

Bro’s stomach churns anxiously though, looking around them with a nervous gaze. It… certainly seems harmless. Did Anti ever try to warn them about this place? He can’t remember…

"Well... if you guys don't think it's dangerous, then... it's probably okay to rest for a while," Jackie says. "I just... don't like feeling exposed. It's like I might get jumped at any moment."

Think of it like this, JJ says. You'll probably see anything coming.

Jackie nods slowly.

"If this is the same place I ended up, then I only spent a few minutes here, certainly not enough to judge its safety," Schneep says. "But... I'm sure Jamie is right, we will see things coming."

As they say this- it seems like those glowing green lights have started to appear more and more- filling the void with its light. It’s almost calming-

Then, some of the lights begin to rotate- and reveal that they’re eyes. Hundreds of various sized eyes- honing in on the group.

Bro shudders and starts to back away towards the others, holding the delirious Alt close. “Ummmm t-that didn’t happen last time…???!”

Jackie stumbles back. "Whaaaat the fuuuuuck???"

JJ gasps. Eyes?!

"Eyes?!" Schneep repeats. "Please tell me that the translation spell is wearing off and Jameson did not just say 'eyes.'"

"Uhhh... nope, sorry." Jackie clutches his staff defensively.

"Well--then let's get out of here! Away from them!" Schneep tries to hide his panic. He can't sense anything! What's happening?!

‘Run’ whispers start to say, echoing in the air around them as the eyes float towards them. ‘Run. ɾմղ. яυи. ᖇᘎﬡ. ℝ.un ’ Different pitches and voices echo towards the boys before one even clearer whispers louder into each of their ears, almost directly in their minds. JJ shivers, going pale as the voices increase and the eyes just—stare at them. 

“R̶̓̄U̶̍̎Ñ̷͋” 

The closest eyeballs to them seem to spilt in half with a squelchy rip, goop falling off as it reveals rows of razor sharp teeth that immediately try to attack all the boys.

"Holy shit!" Jackie jumps out of the way. JJ shrieks and conjures up a shield that the eyeball bounces off. Schneep manages to dodge, going by the squelchy sounds it makes. "Yeah, fucking run! Chase, bring Alt!"

The three of them immediately break out into a run in a random direction.

Bro startles back with a yell and Alt wakes up enough to see the eyeball try to take a bite out of him. He screams and glitches both him and Chase away from them.

The eyes all turn in random directions- finding a target and swarming after them, some weird eyes just staring, some these teeth monstrosities.

Bro quickly slings Alt better into his arms and then runs. “T-Try to keep each other in sight!” Bro calls out.

"Yeah, stick together!" Jackie shouts. JJ puts on a bit of speed and grabs onto the back of Jackie's hoodie, eyes darting wildly around at these—these fucking—what are they?!

"Get! Away! From! Me!" Schneep shouts, grabbing his cane for the range and swiping at the eyes. Jackie, seeing this, does the same with his staff. Alt tries to blast some back but his magic fizzles. 

The eyes swarm past though, and Schneep cries out in surprise and pain as teeth sink into his shoulder. Jackie trips for a moment as these monsters bite his legs. JJ tries conjuring a shield but he doesn't cover all angles and a couple of the things manage to sneak through. He spins back around, sending out a spray of magic. But one goes past and bites Alt’s shoulder. Bro tries to punch at them but they just bite straight onto his hand. 

And soon enough, the sharp-toothed eyeballs close in. Once they’ve drawn blood… it’s like everything else has disappeared. The swarm- the lights, the others.

They’re all gone. Each one of them finds themselves completely alone. Schneep can’t sense anyone near- just… nothingness.

Alt falls to his knees without Bro’s support and shakily tries to push himself up. “C-Chase?! Guys?? W-Where are you?!”

"H-huh?" Jackie stops running. "Guys? Wh-where the fuck did you go?" He looks around, but--nothing. "Guys?! What happened?!"

JJ gasps and skids to a halt out of sheer confusion. It's all dark now. Did those creatures teleport him somewhere? He conjures up a bit of blue light, sending it into the distance. Maybe it'll light up the area? Or... maybe it could be a signal to the others?

Bro looks around wildly once he sees he’s alone, looping around back and forth. He cups his hands over his mouth and tries to yell, “Guys?! Hello?? C-Can you hear me?!”

"H-huh?" Schneep pauses, slowing down. "Hello? Where are the rest of you?" When there's no answer, he stops entirely. "Hello?! Did you all leave me?! That—that is fucking rude!" He turns his head wildly, trying to catch any sounds.

There’s no answer.

Alt shrinks in on himself, curling up as small as he can. “G-Guys…?”

Then the space around him flares completely into static. He yells as he covers his ears, squeezing his eyes shut. When he tries to open them- he gasps as one by one… the evil versions of him glitch and flicker onto the static around him, facing him like he’s looking in a mirror. He staggers back- but finds he’s in the center of a circle- all eyes staring at him. Always there… always watching. 

“No- nnonono-��� Alt whimpers as he slowly curls up into a ball and holds arms over his head, “G-Go away! I- I don’t want to think about all you anymore! L-Leave me alone! Just let us go home p-please!” 

=========

Jackie hears something shuffle around him, and when he turns around… he’s met with a version of himself. And not the multiverse versions of himself. This was him before…. Before Marvin.

The other Jackie looks up at Jackie with an empty gaze. He opens his mouth and doesn’t move it but his voice echoes out around him.

“…do you think we deserved it?”

"H-huh?" Jackie backs away, eyes wide. This... this can't be real. This can't be real. There's no reason why some—some other version of himself would be here. That's impossible. "I... G-get away!" He holds his staff defensively. "I-I don't know—wh-who or what you are, but—but y-you can't get to me!" And yet... that simple question pierces deep to his core.

Jackie’s other self doesn’t move, doesn’t even flinch as Jackie holds his staff out. He just barely tilts his head before droning out, “Do you think we deserved it? That year… the burning, the torture. Do you think it redeemed us?” 

Jackie's hands shake, causing his staff to tremble as he points it at his other self. "I..." he breathes. "Th-that's not... I-it wasn't... It's more... c-complicated than that. No one... deserved this." It feels like his scars are aching again. "No one deserves that." That's true, right? That's... what he thinks. Right?

Jackie’s copy doesn’t emote at all- just staring at him with that blank stare. Then, he lashes out and seems to sink something into Jackie’s stomach- a knife. Now his copy is covered in blood as it stoically stands and towers over him, blood dripping from his hair and hands and off his vigilante clothes. “Do you think our pain absolved us of our sins? Did it wipe the blood clean? How many oceans worth of blood have you spilled, Jackie Parker?” 

Jackie cries out, staggering backwards and falling to his knees. "I-I—I'm not the worst! And I—I'm t-trying to be better! I—I—" He closes his eyes for a moment, but then his eyelids shoot open again, unwilling to risk being snuck up on. "I—I know I've—d-done bad things, but..."

That was an understatement. He may not have personally killed as many people as others, but he's done so much damage indirectly. The people he handed over to Marvin, Jameson—and Schneep, especially Schneep. God, how could he put that blood on Schneep's hands? How could he have done that when he knew full well the problems Schneep suffered from? He should have helped him through that instead of enabling him.

"I..." Jackie shakes his head. "I-I'm trying... It's..." It's not enough, is it, though? "I'm... trying. I-I'm... trying."

“You’re not the worst but we were compliant.” Jackie’s clone says, his voice starting to echo around them like there’s a jury judging him for what he’s done. “Your actions took innocent lives. How can you think yourself a hero? Trying doesn’t undo the blood you have shed. The blood that was your doing.” 

Below Jackie- it’s like a water level is rising- but it’s not water. It’s thick and smells awful- blood. 

=========

The blue light at first doesn’t reveal anything to Jameson, but then… it reveals the shapes and sights of a moving crowd- a rush of sound assaulting his ears. They’re jeering at him, laughing, poking, prodding.

He hears the familiar sounds of his feet clicking on a stage- feels the sweltering heat of the stage lights on him. But all he can see in the mass of darkness that is the crowd, bathed in eerie blue.

“Dance for us!”

“Yes put on a show!”

“Don’t just stand there! Show us some magic!”

“Dance puppet boy dance!”

JJ gasps, stumbling back. A stage? How did he get on a stage?! And these voices—He didn't ask for this audience. He didn't ask for this audience! What do they want?! His head darts wildly around, looking for some way out. There—there has to be a backstage, right?! 

Strings whip out from every direction and catch onto every one of JJ’s limbs and turns him back towards the crowd. 

“Nice try, Jameson. But the show’s not over yet. In fact! It’s only just begun~!” 

JJ yelps, struggling against the strings. Where did these come from?! He tries to sign to let him go, but they prevent him from moving his arms in that way. God, no, don't panic. Don't panic! He's not going to dance for these strangers. He's not going to perform on cue! Don't panic! Don't panic! But his breathing starts to speed up, edging into hyperventilating. Tears threaten to spill over from the back of his eyes. 

Distorter’s laugh echoes around JJ like a reverb. “About to cry already? Aw poor Jackson~! Want to cry to your good friend, Marvin? Because believe me-” Distorter sounds like he’s right next to him now, right in his ear, “He’s next” 

Fear shoots through JJ's heart. His eyes dart around looking for Distorter, and he flinches as he gets closer. No! Shut up about Marvin! Stop talking about—about how—his friends need him. It's not his fault he got sucked into a rift! But still—what if it's true? What if Distorter really struck while he's been wandering other worlds?

Deep breaths. Deep breaths. He can't let this get to him. If he lets it get to him... then... then...

But it's hard to take deep breaths.

Distorter laughs, “Won’t it be great Jackson? Two puppets together- playing- having fun with me~! You won’t have a care in the world! And isn’t that gonna be such a relief for you- after everything that IRIS did to you.” As he says this Distorter’s grinning face is in front of his, his dead hand gripping JJ’s chin. “Really the least you can do is suffer with Marvin~ after you left him all alone… waiting for his best friend to return. Seems like you’re on the path to replacing him, huh?” he giggles. The crowd boos and jeers behind him. The strings feel taut and tight and cut into JJ’s skin. 

=========

Bro pants out in panic and is about to burst into the air to try to look for everyone when he’s grabbed and dragged to the floor. Leather straps lash out and tie him down and Bro panics, trying to pull himself free. “W-What?! H-Hey! Let me go!”

Bro struggles more and then a couple familiar faces all crouch down over him: Overdose, Dr. Cornelius and… Demerci- his mother. He squeaks a bit in fear and tries to scramble away but he’s stuck, “N-No- what the hell?!”

“Now Chase, dear,” Demerci tuts, “You should know by now that struggling doesn’t help.”

“Does our little lab rat need more lessons?” Overdose giggles.

“Hold still now, Chase… this won’t hurt a bit.” Dr. Cornelius grins.

Bro screams as Overdose puts a gag in his mouth and he tries to fight as much as he can but whatever has him down is strong. Did they find out his weakness? He doesn’t want to be that- that mindless thing they turned him into! Dr. Cornelius is lowering down, turning his head to inject something into his spinal column- Bro is panicking, fearful tears falling down his face.

=========

Schneep can’t sense anything around. Then, there’s bone chilling laughter. It sounds familiar… it’s.. it’s his Anti. The one they got rid of when they saved Marvin and Jackie. 

His voice giggles so close to Schneep’s ear, “Well… isn’t this a sight? Oh oops- that’s rude of me. You can’t even see it.” He laughs cruelly and then Schneep feels sharp nails digging into his shoulders, the sound of their glitches sharp and distinct. “You’ve finally been abandoned by all your friends, huh, Henrik? Took too long if you ask me… so much time wasted, carrying your dead weight.”

Schneep yelps. He spins around, trying to yank himself free. "N-nei—no! Y-you are not real! We—we got rid of you!" He leaps away. He's not sure how far he leapt, but it feels like it's not far enough. He can still hear that static.

The voice of Anti doesn’t even skip a beat- now sounding like he’s in front of Schneep. “Did you, Henrik? Did you really? Because… I’m still here. In fact- can you ever be sure I really left at all~?” he giggles. 

"No!" Schneep slashes his scissors wildly. "You are gone! I did it myself! Then we—we threw the strings away! J-Jackie and Marvin are back!" But—what if this is true? What if he was making up everything? Their whole triumphant defeat—just a delusion?

He shakes his head. "Y-you are gone!" he shouts, voice cracking. "We are safe! Wh-whatever you are, you cannot trick me!"

Anti cackles and grips onto Schneep’s shoulders again, “This isn’t a trick, Schneep! I never left you~! How could I? When I’m the one that took your EYES!”

There’s a sound like the eyeballs ripping apart and Schneep is then pushed to the ground, a snarling maw full of dripping razor sharp teeth are lashing out to try to bite his face, fingers trying to dig around his eyes. 

Schneep screams. He squeezes his eyes shut, heart pounding, adrenaline spiking. No! He won't lie down and let this happen! Where did Anti go?! If he can take him out again—but he can't sense him anymore! He can't—

He... couldn't sense him at all during this encounter. Despite... being able to sense his strange soul in the past...

The monster laughs with Anti’s laugh- laughs with Schneep’s own insane laughter from when Anti controlled him. They overlap, making a horrible grating but somewhat coherent laugh. The teeth get closer, spittle dripping onto his face. It’s hot breath on him- whispers and voices of things he can’t understand mingling in his ears. The fingers near his eyes pull the skin around them taut. “Don't stop those lovely screams for me yet!! I want to make this last~ like you made my death last so agonizingly long.” 

Yet, he’s right- there’s no souls here he can sense. Even the thing that might be Anti- it has no soul. It’s as if he’s still completely alone. Why is that? 

=========

Alt heaves breath after ragged breath and then finally looks back at the reflections. And something catches his eye- something only a very trained illusionist can see. The faint splitting of colors and blurring of edges where the eye strains to look. “A-An illusion… this- this isn’t real-!” He breathes and then laughs and stands up taller.

He smirks at his reflections. “…there’s one thing that sets me apart from all of you! I’m Alt Brody, the illusionist!” He then closes his eyes and walks forward- even as things feel like they grab him and screech and claw at him he just keeps pushing forward, focusing his magic on breaking through this- then something snaps and he’s free- taking ragged deep breaths like he ran a marathon. White light fades from his eyes as he sees he’s back in the black void with the green lights. He clumsily stumbles forward, calling for the others- maybe he can help them break through the illusions. “Hen! Jay!! Jackie!! Chase!!” 

=========

Jackie looks down and immediately starts to panic. No! No, this is impossible! He scrambles to his feet again, not wanting to drown! Not in blood! How is this happening?!

"—ay!! Jackie!! Ch—”

...huh?

That was... Alt. Where is he? Where did his voice come from? Jackie spins around, looking for him, but he can't see him! Is he invisible?

Or... is it that... he can't see him?

Jackie looks down again at the blood. He looks at this other version of himself. He said it was impossible. And it is. "This... this isn't real," he breathes. "This isn't real at all, is it?" He grabs his staff again. "Y-you're not real! So—don't talk like you know me! I'm not a hero. But I'm trying!" He swings the staff down on his other self's head. "And that's enough!"

=========

JJ's vision starts to blur as tears fill his eyes and pour out. He shakes his head, trying to break Distorter's grip on him. He doesn't want to think about IRIS. He doesn't want to think about Marvin. He's not failing him! It's not his fault he got caught up in all this. The sound of the crowd drives into his ears. "L-leave... me... alone," he gasps out. "Please..."

But his pleas are for nothing. Distorter has no mercy, and neither does IRIS.

The panic filling his heart makes it hard for him to concentrate. The jeers—Distorter's laughter—it's all so loud.

But...

"—ay!"

Huh? What was that?

He tries to blink his tears away, looking for that voice. Who was that? That... was Alt, wasn't it?"

Alt...

He... needs to get to Alt. He needs to get to the others. They—they wouldn't want him to suffer like this. They would...they'd tell him to fight back.

He takes a shuddering breath, drawing his magic into himself—and then expels it in a sudden, blizzardly blast.

=========

Schneep struggles, throwing his head around, trying to push through the fear that the laughter inspires in him. He has to hold onto that! He's alone—it makes no sense that he's alone! Think through this!

"Hen! Jay!! Jackie!! Chase!!"

That's not Anti. That's—that's Alt.

And yet, he doesn't sense Alt anywhere nearby.

That settles it. Something unusual is going on here. "I will not... be taken... by fear again!" Schneep shouts, stabbing forward with his scissors. "And you will not hurt us anymore!"

=========

“It’s an illusion! You all can beat this!” Alt calls out- still hoping he can reach one of them. All he hears is his voice echoing back at him. Still… he believes in the others- he closes his eyes and sends out some magic- hoping it finds a way to them.

=========

Bro squeezes his eyes shut, trembling and bracing for that horrible liquid to go in a steal his mind again. …wait- again? This.. this already happened- he forgot he- 

“Chase!!” he hears a voice echo- Alt! He kicks and struggles more, head butting Dr. Cornelius and kicking Overdose in the face as he rolls himself away and starts to break out of his bonds. He yanks the gag from his mouth, his eyes burning blue. “I-I’m more than just a lab rat- I’m not your plaything! I’m Bro Fantastic!” 

“That’s it Chase!” Jackieboy’s voice grins, “Give em all a punch in the nose! No one keeps bro fantastic in a cage!” 

Another presence grabs Chase’s hand and starts to pull him away, “This way, Chase!” Alt’s voice says, “I got you this time-” 

=========

The Jackie clone doesn’t react- but when the staff is brought down on his head, it erupts into just- viscera and blood-joining the rising tide of blood around him. But he can hear Alt’s voice a bit clearer. And a new voice- one he’s been longing to hear, gentle and kind- feeling as if it’s holding his hand. “It’s enough. You’re enough, Jackie. Keep trying. Keep moving… come home.” Fredrick’s voice whispers. 

Jackie starts to tear up a little. "It's enough," he repeats. "Keep going." He walks forward, reaching out towards the voice. "I—I'm coming, angel. I-I'll get back to you guys."

Fredrick’s voice chuckles, “I know you will… me and Chase are waiting for you. You’ve fought so hard- just a bit more, Jackieboy. The presence takes his hand and interlocks their fingers, pulling him forward. They feel resistance- they feel like claws and hands and water is trying to drag them down- horrible screeching words and insults and things Jackie hates about himself trying to pull him back. But, Fredrick’s voice keeps him grounded, giving him strength. 

Jackie grits his teeth. "No more. No more. You can't pull me back down there!" He follows Frederick's voice, thinking about his Chase, thinking about Bro and Alt and Schneep and JJ—all the others he'd met on this way. And then—SNAP! 

=========

Distorter yells in surprise as the magic hits him and he falls flat on his back. He growls and barks out a cruel laugh that echoes with the crowd. “That touchy about your new friends, Jackson? How ya gonna break the news to Marvin that you replaced his crippled ass?” 

But, there’s a presence of comfort and warmth behind him, supporting him and helping it loosen the strings. “Dun’ listen ta him, Jems.” Marvin’s voice says gently, “Ya can throw his gray arse across tis void without blinkin’! Yer almost home, Jems- give ‘im a show he won’t forget!” 

JJ takes a deep breath. He nods slowly. This monster wants a show? He'll give him a show. And he feels the same power he felt back on the roof in the last world. The flurry around him grows and he breaks free.

The strings break easily and it feels as easy to use that magic here as it is to breathe. Distorter tries to yell- but he gets frozen solid. Marvin’s voice laughs breathlessly, “Wow Jems! Now- let’s get out of here! Mister is waitin’ to give ya some much needed cuddles!” He chuckles. The presence tugs on his arm and starts to lead him away. The illusion tries to grab JJ over and over- more strings, more laughter, more jeers and taunts and the feeling of hundreds of eyes on him. But, Marvin is here. And he feels other support with him too. 

“C’mon Jackson- tough it out. Don’t give that freaky bastard the satisfaction of being scared.” Anti smirks.

“You’re almost there, JJ.” Jackie’s gentle voice encourages. “We’ll make sure you get some proper rest. You look so tired…”

“But you are braving it all so well, my friend.” Volt says, clapping him on the back. “We all survived IRIS, you can brave this and return home.”

“We believe in ya, Jems.” Marvin‘s voice says as he leads him to break through.

JJ shakes his head, pushing back the strings and trying to shut out all the noise. The others are with him. The others are waiting for him. Thank you, he signs. He keeps walking, pushing against the edge of this world... until it breaks. 

=========

The monster shrieks in pain as it’s stabbed- Schneep can feel blood pelting his face from the wound. It scrambles back and shakes its head- monstrous growls crackling with loud static. 

Then, it feels like a force is helping him up- two pairs of hands, helping him up by each arm. “That’s supposed to be an impression of us? Terrible performance if you ask me.” Marvin’s voice says haltingly. 

Jackie’s voice laughs, “Honestly. Felt like we were spookier. This guy’s got nothin’ on you Schneep!” 

A hand grabs his, “We’ll guide you back, Henrik,” Jack’s voice says gently. 

“We’re right here,” Jameson’s voice says, he can hear it like before those awful strings were put in his mouth. 

“We don’t have to be scared anymore, Hen,” Chase’s voice says, “We’re here- all of us, and we’ll see you soon. We’re here- just as much as they claim to be.” 

And the gentle voices and warm bodies start to lead Schneep away from the awful static screams- their presence bright enough to keep the darkness away. 

Schneep nods. He leans for support on the others. On his friends, who he went through so much with. "I-I will be back soon, my friends," he whispers. "I will be back soon."

“We’ll be waiting, Schneep,” Jack says gently, “You’ve done amazing.” 

The static grows louder- trying to keep Schneep here. Gnashing teeth trying to tear at skin and clothes, noise so loud it make him want to curl up into a ball. But- his friend supporting him makes it easy. He can feel the end- he can break free. One final push.

"One final push," Schneep says out loud. He takes a deep breath and lunges for the wall of this fake world filled with fake sounds and sensations. 

=========

White light fades away and Jackie’s back in the place in between worlds. "H-hello?"

JJ gasps, blinking away the light too, and looks around.

Bro has been following after Alt’s voice- hearing his friends cheering him on. He rips through the pulls at his clothes, the jabs, the condescending laughter. He’s not gonna give up and take this! His friends need him!

Bro soon bursts through the darkness and stumbles into view with the others, white light fading completely from his eyes. 

And suddenly, Schneep can feel the others again! His friends from his world are gone—they were never there in the first place—but now the others are back. "M-my friends!"

Alt startles as the others all burst back into the space but then he grins wide, looking relieved. “You guys heard…! You’re okay!”

Bro blinks a bit in confusion and then turns to look behind him before pointing at Alt- “what? I… y-you were just in there? How are you here?!”

Alt blinks back in confusion. “…I tried to send out a spell to help you- but it was… desperate and random, chaos magic- I-I’m not sure what I cast exactly.”

Jackie laughs. "Y-yeah. Well I... heard your voice. So... that's what you did." He looks around. "Those freaky eye things are gone. That's good."

Thank you, Alt, JJ says, smiling. I probably would have been stuck in there for a while without someone reaching out to me.

"Were we all just... lying on the floor?" Schneep mutters. "Or did they take us into a different world? A world in the space between worlds?" He shakes his head. "Ah. Confusing. But thank you so much, Alt."

“Yeah I don’t get it either-“ Bro laughs.

Alt flushes and timidly ruffles his hair, “Y-You’re welcome… I-I’m just glad I had enough magic to help…!” He laughs a bit then looks around, “I… d-don’t know where we go from here… k-keep walking I guess? Sam’s pretty big so…”

“Give me a minute, man, I just experienced some trippy fucking… mental thing.” Jackie takes a deep breath, leaning on his staff.

“I-I get it,” Alt says quietly. “I-If you guys saw anything like what I saw then…”

I do agree though. JJ looks around uneasily. We don’t want those horrors to find us again. We shouldn’t wait around.

Bro shudders and holds his arms. “They’re right- c-c’mon…”

Jackie winces. “Good point… Okay, let’s keep going.”

[catonatrain]

lets build some memories today and tomorrow too

momoi & midorima | rated g | word count: 1776 | where momoi and midorima go on a shopping trip together

for @mason-ajar for the 2024 @knbexchange !! prompt: character a and character b pick out outfits for eachother

i was super excited to see that we've been paired up for the exchange !! i haven't been able to write in a long while, but seeing your prompts gave me the inspiration needed to to write about a friendship that is just so important... and so here they are!!

read on ao3!!

Momoi was lying on her bed, mindlessly reading a sports magazine until her phone rang. It was too early in the morning for Aomine to be calling her. Maybe it was Kise? 

“Hello?” She held her phone in between her head and shoulders.

“Momoi.” To her surprise, it was Midorima. “There is something I would like to talk to you about.”

“Midorin!” Momoi practically sang. She immediately sat up, abandoning the magazine. “You rarely call first! What is it? Oh, let me guess! Do you need a lucky item? Or are you having boy troubles?”

“No, I am not having, as you say, ‘boy troubles.’” There was a pause. Momoi figured it was Midorima pushing his glasses up. “I also have acquired my lucky item for the day. I need your assistance. Could you accompany me on a shopping trip?”

Momoi felt her already wide smile go even wider. “Of course, I’ll go with you!” She loved being invited to things– be it eating lunches at Maji Burger or coordinating streetball lessons for the local kids. Usually, she was the one doing the coordinating– which, for the record, wasn’t something she minded! But it was nice having the invitation go the other way every once in a while. Especially from Midorima! 

People may think he was someone who wanted to be uninvolved, but it was not true! When luck permitted, he always came to different events like the team’s after practice ice cream trips. Sometimes he needed just a bit of nudging, nowadays in the form of Takao, but regardless, he didn’t often initiate events with her. She’d noticed that lucky item shopping is usually his excuse to hang out with others, but he already got his lucky item of the day. 

She wondered if anyone else was coming. Takao or Kise maybe? She couldn’t help but ask. “Are we going with anyone else? Takao-kun? Or Ki-chan?”

“No, it would just be the two of us, if that would be alright with you.” There was a pause. “I understand that it may be… unusual for it to be just us, but you were the friend that I deemed would be able to help me best.”

“Aww Midorin, that’s so sweet of you!” She could imagine him blushing at the compliment. “Send me the details over email, and I’ll be there in an hour!”

Momoi saw Midorima standing on the outside of the clothing store. He wore a simple dark blue t-shirt and beige pants. He tightly held onto a giant penguin plush. When his eyes met with Momoi’s, his grip loosened. 

She ran up to him, stopped right before him, and started bouncing on her feet. “So? What’s the occasion? What are we shopping for?”

“I… would like your help in choosing an outfit.” He turned his head to avoid eye contact. Momoi knew what that meant.

“So you were having boy troubles!” After everything that’s happened in the past few months, it’s been getting easier and easier to read Midorima and this was no exception. She will admit, however, that she hadn’t quite figured out who’d captured Midorima’s affection. Most people would say it was Takao who held the title as “The Boy Midorima Likes,” but Momoi had a theory she had been brewing up. It was still a work in progress, but her “Kagami Taiga: The Boy Who Has Captured Everyone’s Heart” thesis had a lot of evidence. Momoi would simply have to take into account both possibilities today.

“That would… that would imply that I am struggling, which I assure you is not the case,” Midorima’s face flushed and his voice was louder than usual. Momoi couldn’t help but laugh.

“But you’re not denying that this is a boy-related problem!” She winked. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about Midorin! I understand completely! Whenever I’m with the person I like, I always want to look my best. I won’t ask who it is, but I’ll give it my all in helping you out!”

“I… appreciate it…” 

“You’ll definitely capture his heart, Midorin!” She began urging him into the clothes store. “Let’s go!”

“I think this outfit will be the one, Midorin!” Momoi held up a green sweater with an argyle pattern. “It’ll go great with your eyes!”

Midorima took the sweater to examine it. 

“Besides the color being the same as my eyes, is there anything else to take note of?”

Momoi giggled. Midorima’s questions reminded her of a time in middle school where Midorima asked about her notes and note taking strategies. He was always serious in his studies, and this was no exception. “You want to pick clothes that fit well and that you’re comfortable wearing! Make sure that colors and patterns don’t clash. Like two very bright colors! It can work, but I’m not too sure if that’s what you want to go with.” 

Throughout her speech, she could see Midorima nodding and paying very close attention to her words. “So for the pants, should I go with one of the darker ones?” 

“Yes! Let me choose…” Momoi looked around, surveying each pair of pants until she found one she thought to be suitable. “I think those black pants should work! Check to see if they fit!”

“Thank you.” He gently placed his giant penguin plush down and grabbed the pair from Momoi. “I truly do appreciate the time you’ve taken out of your day to help me with this.” The tips of his ears were red. She found it quite cute, but chose not to comment.

“Of course, Midorin!” Momoi beamed at him. “I’m honored you asked me to help you out with this! I’ll be cheering you on!”

His blush spread to his face. He managed to mutter a thank you before shuffling off to try on the outfit. She sat down to wait for Midorima. Would this be a one time thing? While it was the first time that it’s been just the two of them, Momoi found that she quite enjoyed the experience. With just the two of them, the energy wasn’t as face paced, which Momoi appreciated. Sometimes, she needed the break from the constant running around of her daily life. And not only that, but Midorima had definitely changed. It was easier to understand him now. 

When Midorima walked out, she saw some people began to sneak glances at her friend. Unfortunately for the interested party, his heart had been taken by someone else. She bounced on over and eye’d her friend at all sorts of angles. Midorima stiffened at the attention, not knowing what to do.

Momoi laughed. “It’s fine Midorin! You look great!” She gave him a thumbs up. 

At that, Midorima sighed, finally letting the tension escape. “That endeavor was just as difficult as I imagined it to be.” He pushed his glasses up. “Thank you Momoi for making this trip much easier. Your knowledge was crucial and your guidance saved me a lot of frustration. Is there any way to repay you?”

Momoi thought about it and couldn’t think of anything she needed at the moment. Just spending time with a friend was already a gift in itself. But she knew that he wouldn’t take that as an answer. She placed a finger on her chin as she thought of her options. 

“I want you to pick an outfit for me!”

“I beg your pardon?” Momoi could see the gears running in Midorima’s head. “Do you not already have suitable clothes?”

“I want to test what you’ve learned! Let’s see if you can make an outfit for me.”

“I’m not sure if–”

“C’mon Midorin! I know you can do it! You’re not one to back away from a challenge are you?” With that, Momoi knew she won. 

“Give me ten minutes.” Midorima rushed towards the center of the score, scanning all around to find an outfit that would look well on her. She couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that his penguin plush was tucked between Midorima’s arms. 

“A brown plaid skirt, a white blouse without any patterns, and a light brown sweater that clashes with neither of these colors.” Midorima used his penguin to hold onto the clothes, as its flippers served the clothes like how there’s a waiter serving food at a restaurant. “Is this a suitable outfit?”

“There’s only one way to find out!” It was her turn to try on something new. She came out with a little twirl, “Well, Midorin? I have my thoughts, but let’s check your sense of fashion. What do you think?”

Midorima wasted no time. “For the skirt and jacket, I was hesitant at first since you chose a sweater that specifically matched the colors of my eyes, but the neutral colors appear to coordinate well. I also ensured that the blouse had no patterns. I do believe that it fits the criteria.”

She saw a slight hint of a smile. Was he proud? She hoped so, as she truly did love the outfit that Midorima chose. “But do you think I look cute? Do you think I can capture the hearts of anyone I set my eyes on?”

“You… you asked me for my thoughts and I believe I answered appropriately. Was I incorrect in this assessment?”

“I’m just messing with you Midorin!” She saw the hint of exasperation on Midorima’s face and so she finally relented. “It’s such a cute outfit! I’m impressed!”

“Hmph.” He turned away and began walking towards the cash register. “In that case, let’s go.”

Momoi followed along happily.

Outside of the store, Midorima said, “Thank you again. I found myself enjoying our time together.” There was a pause as he ruminated on what to say next. “I hope we can do this again. I’ve been told it would be beneficial to be the one to reach out more, so I will try to do just that.”

Momoi felt a tinge of tears begin to form, but she willed them away. To think only a year ago, she was wishing for a time where everyone could smile together again. So much had changed, and she hoped  that it would continue to do so. 

“And thank you Midorin,” She gave her friend a very wide smile. “Let’s definitely do this again. But before you leave, you definitely have to tell me about who you like! Come on! Tell me! Tell me!”

Midorima’s cheeks reddened as he tried to back away, but he realized fairly quickly that this was a battle he would not win. “Fine. But let’s do it somewhere else.”

“Of course, Midorin,” she said as she walked with her friend towards their next destination.

notes:

i couldn't decide if i wanted to have hints of midotaka or hints of midokaga bc i like both ships a lot! i ended up just keeping it vague on both ends, so YOU, the reader, can decide who The Boy Midorima Likes is :)

outfits are based on some merchandise art and official art! midorima's outfit is this:

momoi's outfit is this:

[kikuism]

HII MISS MARIAM ^__^ 2 and 3 for kikou + nana and kaname for the ocs ask game?? 🤍

hiii miss falen!!!! i'm very excited to answer these!!!

2. how long have these characters known each other?

kikou: ermmmm this is so hard to say hgkshfjdj it's not a fixed time period in my mind, best i can say is a couple of years..... technically i have had them for 6 years But in the story world(s) it's more like....2 or 3.

kaname and nana: about a year i would say!

3. what were their first impressions of each other? how does that compare to their impressions of each other now?

kiku: he is mesmerized at first sight....when he hears of the blind healer coming into their service he is fully expecting some old man hobbling around with a silver heard so it's quite the pleasant surprise to instead see a beautiful boy with a conspiratorial smile and gentle eyes that remind him of the moon's reflection on the water. he's immediately besotted! there's immediate physical attraction, but also a lush, romantic one...he thinks him infinitely wise, with tales of the Outside, someone with much more lived experience than him. safe to say kiku holds him up on a pedestal at the start, revering him almost. over time when the intensity of his infatuation slowly mellows and his vision clears, he sees kou as just a boy, who, because of life circumstances, has had to present himself a certain way to get by, and comes to expect and even relish the 'uglier', more base emotions he keeps hidden. basically, he humanizes kou. with him he finds a space to just let go, to just be....he is calm and level headed, a pocket of peace and quiet in an otherwise strictly regimented life rife with expectations and responsibilities, and a terrible gossip.....he adores him very much and would like a future with him depicted in children's storybooks, catching raindrops in thimbles and picking dewy apples in the orchard.

kou: is amused by kiku at first, the way a cat is with a scurrying mouse. the meek little prince, a soft, spoiled thing. at the beginning it's all fun and games, how to goad a little laughter from him, make him smile. kou has a thing for proving himself extremely competent at whatever task he sets himself to, and he notices how this impresses kiku, so it’s more to inflate his ego than anything. but then....kiku makes continuous efforts to bridge the chasm. it takes many repeated interactions for him to notice kiku’s clumsy but earnest ways of communicating, of lowering himself from his lofty perch to spend time on the ground with him, making palace life more accommodating for him as best he could. this greatly endears him to kiku—his effort, his persistence, the little cracks in his voice. he sees him as someone very earnest and compassionate in his own quiet, thoughtful way, who might need a little extra push at times but which in no way makes him useless or inadequate, someone with a rich inner world behind lock and key. he understands his silences. kou, more than anyone, knows the importance of making an effort to accomodate, and learns his silences and gives him the space to communicate on his own terms. it's a joy to hear him when he's passionate about something and he cherishes every moment. he gives him the patience and grace to draw out the spark he keeps hidden in his chest.

kaname: 'who is this....sassy lost child?' kaname’s first impression of nana is Not charitable to say the least, she thinks for sure the only reason someone like her (fresh and clean and smiling, a freshly plucked flower) has rocked up to the abysmal part of the slums is to ask for a favor (meat), and when that doesn't happen she is flabbergasted as to why she would repeatedly seek out her company, and oh god where is your hanky stop wiping your sleeve on your nose, nana you dimwit—at the start, nana’s optimistic, rosy perspective on life really grates on her nerves. 'come on, let's try a smile!' 'nothing to smile about in my life'. she can't understand why nana would go through the effort of coming to see her everyday and spend hours with her; what is she getting out of it? fast forward: 'nana get behind me', 'she did Not ask for pickles', *takes damage in place of girl*, 'if you Look at her funny you've got another thing coming', *clumsily expresses affection by gifting a shiny trinket found on illegal jaunts outside the gate after curfew* nana challenges her viewpoint that someone has to be useful in order to be worthy of any kind of attention; nana is ill, and unable to contribute to the village. she isn't a working cog of the well oiled machine the shogun runs. still, it's not all rainbows and roses....i won't say more bc spoilers :')

nana: nana, on her frequent walks around the neighborhood, finds the slight girl manning the butcher block fascinating to say the least, it’s shapes and sizes that hold her interest at the start; short girl, big knife! all elbows and sharp angles, blood smeared on her cheek that just doesn't seem to come off, the peculiar grey eyes that remind her of simmering storm clouds hanging low over edo. she keeps coming back to watch her, how her cuts go from blunt and heavy-handed to swift and second-natured. she notices she doesn’t have anyone to go home to at the end of the day, and she wonders, who is providing her meals, who takes care of her? she feels a kinship with her...nana isn't alone, but she's lonely. so she takes it upon herself to be her friend, which kaname ofc sees as a huge unwelcome favor at the start. kaname's like a doll for her to feed and dress. the more time they spend the more she learns that kaname is brutally honest and efficient and ruthless in her ambitions...all qualities she admires...and envies. she also relentlessly pokes fun at her tsundere antics.

[irritablepoe]

ok i wrote a little over 1k words today, somebody tell me they're proud of me :')

[thosetwofirefighters]

find the word challenge

rules: share snippets of your work containing each of the words the previous poster selected for you (optional addition: if you can't find the word in your WIPs, or you simply don't have any WIPs, you can just write a sentence around the word)

thanks @the-likesofus for the tag!! very excited to see how many of these words I've used...

my words are: quiet, hold, cover, first, together, and small. unsurprisingly, my fake dating au (currently sitting at almost 30k words like it has been for the past few months...) has all of these words multiple times lol <3

quiet

Buck’s phone rings, and he pulls it out of his pocket, his hands shaking when he reads Bobby’s contact name. He answers before he can even register it. “Pops?” His voice is quiet and terrified.

hold

Hearing footsteps from his spot on the couch, Buck tenses as Nathan comes up the stairs. It’s been so long, but Buck can still recognize the man’s footfalls. He lets out a breath he’d been subconsciously holding when Nathan finally appears and moves towards one of the armchairs across from him instead of the couch.

cover

“Jurassic Park!” Chris yells, and Buck has to cover his ears against the sound, the kid’s excitement causing him to be louder than usual. “Please, Dad, I know it’s kind of scary, but they just put it back on Netflix, and I’ve seen it before! Plus, I’m ten now, I won’t have nightmares!”

first

“I don’t want you to get hurt again,” Eddie says, meeting Buck’s gaze. His eyes are soft and despite his words, they shine with support, and Buck thinks—not for the first time—how lucky he is to have a best friend like Eddie.

together

Nathan’s study abroad had been nearly over when Buck brought up the idea of him going to Los Angeles to fight fires and help people. Nate had just nodded before taking Buck’s hand and kissing him, saying he’d buy the plane tickets in the morning. Buck had assumed they’d be going back together to be together.

small

Eddie glares at Chim when he insists on playing with the station’s small Hildy gadget that they keep in the kitchen. They mostly use it to play music, but Chimney takes the opportunity to ask her a bunch of questions throughout the day and only stops when Eddie threatens to run her over with a fire truck after Chimney starts asking her questions about the 118 themselves.

words for people I tag: home, care, love, make, and dream

no pressure tagging @mooshkat @jacksadventuresinwriting @ty-in-bedlam @lilbuddie <3

[cerealmonster15]

ouguhhh people being nice to me online disease lol

[good-beanswrites]

Normal lunch break behavior: printing out the two drabbles, annotating them, and figuring out how to draw them

I'll need more than just a lunch break to process my thoughts, but (1) thank you for the treat! (2) I imagine that these drabbles coexist in the same AU. (3) "Can we be good together?" / They could be good together. (4) I'm this close to writing fanfic in this area myself.

I am normal about your normal lunch break behavior 👍

[66yfze]

writing a chara like melone is a small blessing n a huge curse at the same time

[keylovesstuff]

👀👻 for the ask game!

👻 Have you written holiday-themed fics? If yes, which is your fave? If not, what’s one holiday you’d want to write for, and which character(s) would the fic be for?

If you consider Easter a holiday... That is the only one I've done 🤭. I love reading and writing a more involved in family functions Vegeta, especially when it comes to his daughter 🥹... It's my fav by default, lmao!!

Hmmm, I would love to write something Christmas that's always a good one or in the spirit of spooky season Halloween 🤪.

I think I would want to write for Veggie and Bra as well, but like, there's some fun ones out there already 😆😆... I could never, but I also could 👀. That is the joy of fanfics.

But I also think it would be really fun to write holiday-centric for the marioverse. Just Mario and Luigi sharing everything the celebrated back in their world with Peach, and with the movieverse counterpart just her experiencing the festivities with them and just liking them so much, she incorporates them into her kingdom ( Oh gosh sidetrack... if my brain ever formulates something cool, I'd love to make up random holidays that the MK or other ones for that matter would celebrate... That would be fun 🤭)... Anyways, seeing that there's things for kids and adults alike and just the joy it brings people is enough. It could also be Peach's way of making the bros. feel more welcomed when they decide to permanently move there ☺️. Oh, but like imagine (probably more so the gameverse Ig) when they sorta become frenemies with Bowser or something and Jr. gets to join in with them, too...eeek!!

[mixtapedoh]

is it very funny to me that oneus put a song called "baila conmigo" on an album titled "la dolce vita" as though italian and spanish are the same language? yes. is the song still an absolute banger? yes.

i am simply a baila conmigo apologist. it's incurable, i fear.

[reel-fear]

🦴 Nightalon 👀?

OH GOSH,,, welp here we go down the rabbit hole bc Nightalon is actually one of the oldest ocs I have!

How old? Well here was their original design when they were a tfp/YB character who was a Megatron Soundwave baby, purely bc I liked their designs. This design? Is over 3+ years old.

They were actually Just based off their name at first, I liked the name and thought it'd make a cool oc, in this first iteration their character was basically big goof who had an incident where their nodes were fried so hard they never felt pain, but were NOT indestructable. So they would walk into the con base bleeding from the arc and with no idea what was going on.

After that they became a StarSound baby I believe? Though I still barely touched their character. However when it came to figuring giving Radio a girlfriend in TFA I realized that I hadn't touched Nightalon in forever and found an interesting alt mode for them to take and hey I liked Lugwing so why not make them a lugwing baby... thing is this nightalon changed designs but not much in terms of personality.

OOF, yea but hopefully now you can start to see the basis of the modern Nightalon I settled on. I loved the idea of the triangle pattern suggesting stars without being too direct about it. I liked the general concept too but it needed working. So another design came along

So a while after designing that, I had watched a ton of video essays going over crappy romance media, from fifty shades of grey to the kissing booth to other ones, I started really wanting to explore more of the idea of how those kind of stories can warp the minds of young teenagers and lead to more unhealthy ideas of romance and dedication for them.... Then? I grabbed Nightalon and realized I could do something with this... I also really wanted to explore some more themes surrounding being trans n such and that all combined made for a much more interesting version of Night... One that was also HEAVILY based off Rebecca from Crazy Ex Girlfriend.

That leads us to modern Nightalon! With a backstory that faces struggles with her peers and a resentment towards her family. She threw herself into the very media and fiction I just mentioned.

If you've read Just A Girl In Love [If you look up the song lyrics, you'll see why I chose that song to be the title of her debut fic, its just too fitting-] you'll knew where this headed, she sees Radio, falls in love and while I really want to elaborate more on this in the form of another fanfic from her perspective I might as well spell out more of the subtle parts of that fic.

Nightalon is entranced in the idea of finding someone who she percieves as "Broken" and "Fixing" them, but the fiction she consumes has not given her any healthy ideas on how to do that. As her and Radio grow closer, Nightalon feeds into Radio's worst traits, she wants Radio to embrace her emotional instability, because it plays into her fantasies. It's not malicious but it is unhealthy, Nightalon thinks that Radio is perfect, that she doesn't need to change but instead just needs to run away with her forever and embrace who she is. Night does not trust the adults around her to help Radio due to her own truama too, and therefore tells Radio not to as well. She's not intending to, but she's treating Radio, her relationship with her and the world generally as a big novel where she is the main character and has all the answers. Where her delicate female touch will cure Radio of her depression and her issues and the adults around them just need to catch up with that fact. She's stuck up, views most of her family as somewhat beneath her due to their brutish and dumb nature, and sees herself as the protagonist with all the right ideas.

But reality will hit her hard and what will she do when it does? She didn't mean to hurt anyone, so does she double down on her innocence, or come to terms with having hurt the delicate rose no, the Person she loved more than anything in the world?