#what a depressing AU lol

[bandsandwristbands]

More sand sib punk band stuff! They're getting used to ✨Stage Presence✨

They're playing this song cuz I like the crescendo part 🤌 (but you can insert whatever you want 🤝)

Close ups below

[infernal-lamb]

Hey, I've seen your drawings from Neves. They are brilliant. I like her a lot, and are you writing fanfic about her?

Ahh thank you!!! That's really flattering fkljgfjf....It's always a pleasant surprise that people like Neves :'-) (and I love when I get an excuse to post my doodles of her and the Lamb lol)

I am in the works of trying to write a cotl fanfic abt this specific au (I call it The Apostate & The Martyr in my head lol), but writing doesn't come as easily as drawing to me SIGH. I've actually written quite a bit, but the problem is putting all these random excerpts together to make something coherent LOL. But yes, the fic is intended to be the story of The Lamb and Neves' friendship amidst the brutality and terror of the Lands of the Old Faith, how to deal with the consequences of their choices, and the mutual alienation they experience in their positions....as silly as that sounds lol. It's very self-indulgent! I just liked the concept of the "Outsider" POV, so to speak, being subjected to the sort of normalized violence that exists in cotl. Though, I might end up just making comics if I can't pan out this fanfic well enough!

[slimey-wallz]

Oh I'm sorry wally 😭

Just messing around with Wally!

And I may or may not make the other neighbors 💙

If this turns out to be an AU I'll call it depressed AU or something like that lol

[candyriku]

I unfortunately find myself unable to work on my current Soriku fic today due to my mental state, but I was able to make a bit of a teaser for the next big Soriku fanfiction that will be coming sometime after JTSYS is finished.

You can read it under the cut, but TW for blood, death, and uh, general misery. This has been cathartic for me to write but the whole idea of this fic is that things are impossibly doomed, so be warned - this is not the happy fun zone.

Blood. There was so much blood.

He had smelled it before even seeing it, the metallic scent thick in his nose before he had even rounded the corner. He had tried to convince himself that it was his own bleeding wound that he smelled, or maybe the blood of something else, someone else, but in his heart, he knew the truth. He picked up his pace, sprinting at top speed now, his sneakers splashing through shallow puddles on the wet pavement. 

When his eyes finally came to rest on the crumpled form at the end of the alley, the breath was knocked out of his chest as though someone had taken a baseball bat to his sternum. He knew, of course he knew, but he had hoped-

No. It didn’t matter what he hoped for. Hopes and wishes weren’t for people that walked his path. He had been denied the right to hope for anything ages ago. When he had signed that contract, signed away his soul, he forfeited all the cushy pleasures of a normal life. He had given up his chance of knowing peace.

But it had been worth it. If it was for Sora, anything was worth it.

Standing over Sora’s blood-soaked body, Riku tried to remind himself of that truth, the one thing that he had tethered his heart to all this time. It was worth it. Even if the chance of Sora making it out alive were next to none, there was still a chance. He could still fight.

One of these loops, Riku would get it right. He would figure out how to keep Sora safe, how to protect him from this accursed dimension where everything was designed to end his life. They would break out and live a normal life together, just the way they had always planned. 

There was a happy future waiting somewhere for the two of them. There had to be. Riku had gambled everything on it.

He crouched down, his shaking fingers gently brushing Sora’s tear-stained cheek. He could hardly stand to look at his face, but the sight of his broken, bleeding body was no better. The wounds were precise and lethal, and Riku was far too late.

No matter how many dozens of times he had watched Sora die, it never got easier. It never stopped feeling like his chest was a black hole caving in on itself, his heart squeezed until it was nothing more than dust. 

He couldn’t look. He couldn't look away.

Riku kneeled and placed both of Sora’s hands over his heart. He was about to speak and begin the incantation that would throw them both back to the starting point again, but Sora suddenly stirred, weakly reaching one hand up towards Riku’s face.

“Riku…” his voice was barely more than a whisper. 

“I’m here,” Riku said, the words catching in his throat. “Don’t speak. You can rest now. It’s okay.”

He hated to say it. He wanted to plead with Sora, wanted to beg him to stay. But if Riku had learned anything throughout the loops, it was that nothing came of begging. There was no one to answer his prayers; benevolent forces did not dwell here. At best, all it would accomplish would be making Sora sad in his final moments. At worst, future loops would be impacted by Riku’s words to Sora, twisting the knife further. He had seen it enough to know what to avoid now.

“I don’t want…” There was a weighted pause. “...Don’t want to leave you.” The pool of blood continued to grow. Riku knew - though he wished that he didn’t - that Sora wouldn’t be able to maintain consciousness for much longer at this rate. He could hardly believe Sora was awake even now. 

“We’ll meet again.” he assured Sora softly, trying to keep his voice steady. “Don’t worry. It'll be okay.” 

“You…” This pause was longer, much longer, and Riku was all but sure that Sora would not speak again. Finally, with a wet cough, Sora continued. “You promise?”

“I promise.” Riku lied. He leaned forward and kissed Sora’s forehead, his lips lingering there for several long moments as he took steadying breaths. 

“Mm… ‘kay.” Sora managed. “Love you… so much.” 

“I love you too.” Riku said, clenching his teeth so hard his jaw popped. He wanted to scream. After taking a moment to compose himself, he sat up and offered his best imitation of a smile to Sora. Better for him to see that than to see how broken Riku really was. 

The all-too-familiar faraway look settled on Sora’s face as the last of his breath left his body. Riku collapsed over him, the tears finally coming, the weight hitting him all at once with the force of a tidal wave. Even knowing that he would see Sora alive and well again in mere moments did nothing to comfort him. 

It didn't matter how many times Riku had seen it. It never got any easier to watch Sora die.

[nalivaa]

i told @ckneal i'd do something for their royal au like,,, forever ago and i'm only now delivering aksjdhkja

anyway hi ck i'm sorry this took so long but here it is! finally! i had some,,, complications with it but it's all good now :]

if i never have to render anything again in my entire life it will still be too soon </3

[babacontainsmultitudes]

Just know the urge to rewatch the breakfast club is plaguing me and it’s entirely your fault what have you done to me /j lol

LOL DUDE I was literally just talking with one of my sisters about how I'm kind of itching to rewatch that movie now lmaooo you *should* you should actually!

[zippycarlos24]

there they are! a different version of my favorite crumbling family with a little berry twist :)

[science-lings]

I feel like Matt and Phoenix would be best friends

they both wake up and worry about how they're going to afford rent, go to court to defend someone who totally looks like they did it, have an insanely homosexual moment with their best friend, think about that one time that they hooked up with She-Hulk, not think about how their type is people that scare them a little, get the shit beat out of them and then come out kind of fine, find a big important corrupt guy to send to jail when everyone else is too afraid to touch him, and then they go to sleep alone because their martyr complex extends to avoiding romantic connections.

They also care less about the word of the law and are willing to break it for the sake of actual justice and push through injuries through sheer willpower.

[nny11writes]

nunny!! what are you really into writing at the moment

Honestly?

Having fun writing some seriously fucked up and deranged modern AUs at the moment. I don't plan to post them, I don't think most folks would get them or enjoy them, but I need a vent valve somewhere and Catra is the unfortunate blorbo suffering through it lol

[steddie-island]

Okay but like where’s the Steddie “Bly Manor” AU?

Where’s the Au Pair Steve and gardener Eddie spooky fic? Does it exist?

[meduseld]

Hm, now that I think about it. Hydes have been banned from Nevermore for 30 years. Which, given the time frame, is right around or BEFORE the elder Addams and Weems were students (Rave’n being in the late 90s so a little less than 30 years ago). Tyler’s mom, Françoise (also eyes emoji at the heritage implied by the name) was a student *with them*. So. What happened? 

[dunadaan]

I’ve had Créa for almost 10 years and I’m thinking about how I almost never let her live until like. 2020 LOL. I spent six years killing her off bc I couldn’t conceive a happy ending for her and now I’m like nah she gets to live and be happy

[grimmjowjaegerjaquez]

will also say that all my thinking about bleach and thus also my old bleach ocs, i am rethinking ways to combine two of the stories i had for them (lorcan's story, and alice's story. like they both originally involved a certain bat lmfao) and now i am like. i mean it started as me just thinking "well this would be a good way to consolidate everything" and now i am thinking about shipping them together and i am losing my mind. how do i keep doing this to myself.

[bobmckenzie]

every time I think about the backstory I made up for Danny and Becky's mom I have to laugh... the hoops I went through just so I could say they weren't in love with each other... 💀💀💀

[eyndr-stories]

To Be Alive (FNAF SB fanfic) C8 - The Star Protocol / Better To Have Loved And Lost Than Never Loved At All

In summary:

At long last, the thrilling continuation of 'To Be Human'! There are more shenanigans for Star and co to get up to, and new horrors to be subjected to! Not to mention, Eclipse is still at large and up to no good... As 'To Be Human' is a self contained stand-alone story, one could very well choose to leave the adventure as is! Considering there are some heavier themes in this one (biggest thing here being death, specifically) that's exactly what I would recommend you do if you like everything very much the way it ended in 'To Be Human'. This story is an exploration of a few ideas I wanted to work with left over from the first story, and a way to tie up some very minor loose ends, as well as a return to some characters and a world I had a lot of fun with.

Things To Know:

Reader insert! Y/N is not used and gender is not specified, though the reader does have a blorbo-appointed name (Star)

Non-specified relationships between reader and Sun & Moon, this can be read as pals, family, partners, whatever you like, totally up to your interpretation

Sun & Moon are separate bots and referred to with gender neutral pronouns

The reader and other characters are often in mortal peril! This world is full of Funky Creatures (other than you) and some of them attack and hurt several characters, including the reader character

Some blood and minor gore

Occasional swearing

Death

(as always, let me know if I should add anything!)

Ao3 link: Right here!

Start reading here: Chapter 1

Chapter 7 | Chapter 8

C8 - The Star Protocol / Better To Have Loved And Lost Than Never Loved At All

     When Star was conscious again, they were somewhere else. After blinking through a haze, the back room of the repair shop came into view around them. The room was packed; Sun and Moon were here, as well as Freddy and Bonnie and Monty and Foxy. Sun and Moon were tethered to the device in Star's chest again, which now had a multitude of differently colored parts in it, filling the hole Eclipse had torn out.

     Sun and Moon both breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone in the room seemed to relax as Star sat up slowly and gazed around. Sun and Moon, assisted by the others, had just spent the past hour feverishly racing to repair the device in Star's chest before it failed completely.

     "Are you okay?? In any pain? How are you feeling?" Sun asked.

     "I'm fine," Star answered simply. "No pain." Star studied Sun and Moon, assuring they were both unharmed. Sun’s rays had small dents in them around their bases, but that was all. "What happened?" Star asked. "Eclipse?"

     "The authorities have Eclipse in custody. Things are still a little hectic, but I wouldn't be surprised if they remain behind bars for a long time," Moon answered. "Are you sure you're alright??"

     "Fine," Star assured. They felt something like relief deep in their gut, or at least the absence of a worry that had been lingering for a long while.

     Foxy elaborated. "After you left and I got patched up and filled in on… some things, we decided to go straight to the authorities with a case of kidnapping, and suspected kidnapping. After a chat we pieced together that one of the only bots around who'd really benefit from kidnapping that scientist was Eclipse, who coincidentally, also had access to a bunch of prototype humans. Turns out we were spot on!"

     Moon nodded. "The authorities found the scientist in question not long after they found us. They're unharmed, thankfully. The authorities also found that human Eclipse figured out how to finish."

     "What happened to them? The other human?" Star asked.

     "Well, the authorities have them in custody right now as well, but last I heard they weren't really sure what to do with them," Sun said. "They're less in custody and more just… staying with the authorities in their institution."

     Bonnie spoke up. "Parden the interruption, but we've got some questions."

     "Sure, go ahead," Sun said. They stiffened slightly, having an idea of what Bonnie was wanting to talk about.

     "Star filled us in earlier on a little something you may have forgotten to mention to us," Bonnie started, folding his arms.

     "That's right. About how they died and you brought them back to life," Freddy finished.

     Everyone was looking at Sun and Moon now.

     "I'm sorry we didn't say anything sooner," Sun started. "I didn't mean to leave you all out of the loop. It's just been… complicated."

     Moon nodded. "Honestly, I was a little worried what you all would think."

     "That's all fine, we're just concerned for Star. Poor dear was all confused about who they even were," Bonnie said.

     "I'd have likely done the same, had I been in your shoes," Foxy said. "I can't even imagine how you managed it, bringing Star back from the dead."

     "Star is dead."

     All eyes turned to Star. They calmly explained everything they'd come to realize in Eclipse's base. "I know it's hard, and confusing coming from… me. But I'm not Star. Star died to the damage done by the toxins of the world. There was, and is, nothing anyone can do to bring them back. That's what this emptiness in me is. It's them. Everything they were and loved and thought and felt and did. It's all gone. And there's no getting it back. I'm sorry."

     Star watched as Moon's expression changed first. Moon had known for a while now, on some level. They had wanted to believe otherwise hard enough, and so they had. But now, hearing it all said aloud, the confirmation of it… The look in Moon's eye was enough for Star's relentlessly beating heart to ache horribly.

     Sun's expression changed much slower. They were hard set at first, staring at Star almost disbelievingly. They shook their head slowly. "I thought… I thought… I was so convinced that all we had to do was try hard enough, work hard enough, and you… and Star would be okay. But… It's not okay. I think… I think I knew. I just… didn't want to see what was right in front of me." Sun's tears finally started to fall. Their hard set expression caved and collapsed, and they started to sob.

     Moon wrapped Sun in a tight hug. Sun grabbed hold of Moon tightly. Seeing them like this… Even though Star was gone, the love they held for Sun and Moon was so deeply engrained in them, their body physically ached, seeing the two of them like this. They reached out and wrapped them both in a hug. Wordlessly, Sun and Moon hugged them back.

     Sun and Moon both cried until Sun's sobs finally quieted. Star could see the others were in a similar state. Freddy and Bonnie were hugging and crying quietly. Foxy had pulled their hat down low over their face, but their shoulders were shaking. Monty was looking away, arms folded tight over his chest. There were tears in his eyes.

     "If Star's gone…" Monty, who'd been very quiet this whole time, finally spoke up. "Then who are you?"

     "I've actually been thinking… since Star is gone and I'm… what's left behind. I thought it might be fitting to call me Nova. As in, supernova. Might as well keep with the theme, right?" Star- or rather, Nova- said. "I don't know who I am beyond that. Maybe an amalgamation of all the ghosts in my head. Probably just no one. Regardless, I'm still here. So… whatever. I might as well make the most of it, I guess."

     Monty nodded slowly. "Right," he said quietly.

     Entirely on impulse, Star reached out and poked Monty. It just felt like the right thing to do. "Star cared so much about all of you. So much so that the want for you all to be happy was engrained in them, in this brain. And so… I want you all to be happy too. You should know that you were each cared for by Star very much, and they would want you all to be happy."

     Monty nodded again. He was fully crying now. His jaw opened and closed like he was wanting to say something, but after a moment it snapped shut and stayed closed. He turned and left the room.

     Foxy stepped forwards and very carefully pat Nova's knee. "I'll be going after him. I'll keep an eye on him, keep him company." They tipped their hat to Nova, then turned and followed Monty outside.

     "Star was our friend," Freddy said quietly. He was looking at Nova, though they got the feeling he wasn't talking to just them. "We're going to miss them very much."

     Nova nodded.

     Moon spoke up. "I think we're going to head back to the lab. The machines we need to get… Nova… back in order are there, and we… need some time."

     "Take however long you need. And don't forget the rest of us are here for you both," Freddy said.

     "Our shop is always open to you two. Anytime," Bonnie added.

     "Thank you," Moon said quietly.

     Sun and Moon disconnected their cords from Nova. Together, the three of them made their way out of the shop, and out of the city, heading for home.

~~~

     True to their word, Sun and Moon patched Nova up. They weren't Star, but they were still Sun and Moon's creation, and their responsibility.

     Nova, once they were in proper working order, decided to leave. They had a talk with Sun and Moon first this time. They weren't sure if they'd be coming back. Not to stay, at least. They did want to visit.

     It was a strange departure, but a necessary one. Nova wanted to honor the parts of Star that were left behind in them, and try to put them to rest, so to speak. Part of that meant caring for Sun and Moon. And remaining here, walking around with Star's body while the two of them were grieving, didn't sit right with Nova. Sun and Moon attempted to talk them out of it, but their mind had been made up.

     Nova gave Star's notebook to Sun, and their ukulele to Moon. These things belonged with the two of them more than they did with Nova.

     "Where will you go?" Sun asked.

     Nova explained, simply as ever, that their plan was to just wander. They'd explore the world. They promised to visit, and they promised to be safe.

     After a kind farewell, Nova departed. They stopped by the city first, planning to say farewell to everyone at the repair shop, explain that they wouldn't be around much for a while except to visit, maybe have repairs done and get the renewable energy implants installed once the prototypes they'd heard about were finally completed. The repair shop gang, while they were still not great, were holding up alright, and Nova was pleased to leave them on a better note.

     Nova checked for themself to be sure Eclipse was in jail. It was the last thing on their list to do before finally leaving. Once they were assured Eclipse wouldn't be causing anyone problems any longer though, they ran into the human Eclipse had made. After some apologies, it seemed the human, who was calling themself Frank, wasn't sure what to do with themself anymore than the authorities knew what to do with them. So, Nova suggested they tag along, explore the world with them. Frank was having a rough time with their body, their identity. Nova could relate. Nova felt they could help Frank out, or at least try. At the very least they could keep an eye out for Frank while they figured things out.

     “Do I have to punch people?” Frank asked.

     Nova shrugged. “You can do whatever you like.”

     Frank’s eyes widened. They considered that for a long moment. “What if I want to be friends?”

     Star shrugged again. “That’d be fine with me, Frank.”

     Frank was giddy with excitement. “Friend. Friend friend. We’re friends. I want to be friends. I also would still like to punch things sometimes, too.”

     “Well, we’ll probably need to fend off some dangerous creatures, so you’d have plenty of opportunity for that. So are you coming?” Nova asked.

     Frank readily agreed, and the two set off together, leaving the city behind.

~~~

     Back in their lab in the woods, Sun and Moon kept their promise to Star. They looked after each other, took care of each other.

     Sun was sitting out in the garden one morning, not doing any work, but just sitting and watching the world. It was a lovely day, as far as days went. They held the ribboned bells loosely in their hands. They brushed a thumb against the bells every so often, just to hear the quiet light noise it made.

     Moon sat down next to Sun, leaning against them gently.

     "It's still hard to believe they're gone," Sun said.

     Moon nodded. "I know. It's hard… Every time I come out of rest mode, I look up, and for a moment I expect them to be there, in the other bunk. And then it catches up with me again, and its like loosing them all over again."

     Sun closed their eyes. They knew the feeling.

     "But… it's starting to get easier. It's still horrible. But… it's not as hard as it was. Progress, right?" Moon leaned a little heavier on Sun.

     They sat together for a long time. The sun rose high in the sky, beaming down on the new growth sprouting in the garden.

     "Do you regret it? Any of it? All of it?" Moon asked.

     Sun shook their head. "I don't. Despite the pain of everything, I think we'd be worse off if none of this had ever happened. It really would have been worse to have never known Star at all."

     "I feel the same," Moon agreed quietly. "It's not much of a way to live, I think. Avoiding the loss of something wonderful by never letting the wonderful occur in the first place. I don't think that's what Star would want, anyways."

     "They really were wonderful." Sun leaned their head against Moon. "Do you think Nova's doing okay?" they asked.

     "They are… resilient. I'm sure they're doing just fine," Moon said. "If I have my days right, they should be stopping by for another visit soon. Why don't we go back inside? We should plan for a trip into town."

     "Okay."

     Sun and Moon visited town often. Freddy and Bonnie were always happy to have them. It took a little more pressing from Sun, but Moon finally had a talk with Bonnie, finally apologized and said everything they'd been wanting to say. Sun was right, of course. Bonnie was happy to have an apology, no matter how late it might have been. Their friendship was slow to grow, but it did grow.

     Everyone was happy to see Roxy and Chica finally start dating. There were many good natured jokes about how it had taken the two of them long enough.

     After the long awaited release of renewable energy devices, Freddy and Bonnie were finally able to afford bringing Chica on as a business partner, no longer an understudy. The shop flourished, and doubled in size after some much needed renovations. Their shop wasn't the only one, either. The first wave of changes took the city by storm, all for the better.

     It took a long time. But time did pass, constant and steady, relentless. And things got easier. And then, eventually, things started to get better. When they felt low, Sun would sit and slowly flip through Star’s notebook. Moon would play their ukulele and sing softly. And they helped each other through.

     After publishing their findings on the cure for the toxin, Sun and Moon continued their research, learning about the world they'd inherited, the one they shared with the creatures they were learning to live in tandem with. They drafted and proposed a plan, a course of action to implement, should the humans who left ever decide to return to Earth. It was accepted, and named the 'Star Protocol', at Sun and Moon's request.

     Nova heard all about it, the next time they and Frank returned to visit the city with new stories to tell and artifacts to share. They were more than pleased to know the bots would be happy to welcome the humans, and tell the humans about the toxin and the cure, and everything else they could ever hope to learn about the world, this new world. Not quite what it was, as Sun and Moon had put it, but reborn into something new, something different. Dangerous, in some lights, but not without its beauty.

     Nova glanced skywards, feeling decidedly hopeful. They hoped they'd be here to see it, should the humans ever come home.

~THE END~