#yet its usable thanks to me only

[guinevereslancelot]

being the youngest person at work is being the honorary IT specialist despite knowing basically nothing abt technology except how to use google

[kaszuma]

Bad Habits | Hoshina Soshiro

Part 6 of “Certainly Yours”

pairing: Hoshina Soshiro x fem!reader

summary: Soshiro wanted to set things right by you, so he planned a date that would've gone perfectly. Had a Kaiju not appeared in front of you.

warnings: Mentions of Blood, heavy detail on Injury and Pain. Breathlessness and lots of claustrophobia related to crowds, Angst, Hurt/No Comfort, Slight Kn8 Manga Spoilers

wc: 6,552

–

note: Please inform me if I missed any warnings, It has descriptive injuries so I don't want to trigger anyone who's willing to read this.

Part 7 will be a direct continuation of this. So that's why I dubbed it as a Hurt/No Comfort fic for now. The comfort will come in another part because things have been going too smoothly in the relationship. And I don't want that. Anyways, look forward to the next part. I will be adding a tags list. So if you want to be tagged. Please tell me.

Also, thank you for a hundred followers 🫶

–

Today was the day Soshiro had decided to finally make it up to you.

After weeks of moving between bases. Handling Number 10’s strange quirks in its new prototype suit. It had been an understatement to say that he had kept himself rather busy in the wake of his occupation. His attention often divided between the lousy paperwork stacked against him, as well as his individual training.

One that he had always upheld to keep his body sturdy and his reflexes sharp. Not once acting careless in his response to a Kaiju attack. Especially now where he was equipped with a powerful and sentient combat suit, bloodthirsty for war. Willing to pick a fight with anything remotely breathing in his direction.

By all means, Soshiro could not afford to slack off. And if there was a miniscule chance that he did, he'd be minced alive for sure.

Just when his hard work had started to pay off too.

Now that he had been recognized as a numbers wielder no less. He'd be one of the few melee specialists that Japan could rely on in the case of an emergency. The proof of his existence. That he wasn't just a reject of the Hoshina Family's line of descendants.

That he was more than capable to wield a blade that could slay Kaijus that came after him. And he had succeeded. He had fulfilled his place in the hierarchy. His place solidified beside Captain Ashiro who was an even stronger ally than he was.

But despite his successes. Despite the satisfaction he got from climbing to the top with only the swing of his blade.

That had not been enough for him.

It had not been enough to prove his existence to the world.

And although that had been a major goal of his. To surpass people's expectations of his limits. His boon to keep fighting. To keep swinging his sword despite the odds stacked against him, had also been the downfall of many past relationships that could not blossom because it had gotten in its way.

And you had been the first to stay.

The first to understand his sentiments.The first to clear a path for him when everyone else had all but given up.

And yet here he was. Being a stellar lover and prioritizing everything else above you.

It had been weeks. Practically an entire month since he's spent some quality time with you. Sharing the occasional kiss in the hallways where you'd start your day off. Or acknowledging each other briefly when he had been stuck in the confines of the training rooms.

Beating the lessons right into rookies' bodies when you'd pass by. Or better yet, the daily coffee you had somehow managed to squeeze in despite your equally tight schedule. His favorite blend had always been waiting for him. Ready at his office on the days he burned the very wicks of the midnight oil.

And what had he done in return?

Nothing.

Not since that incident with Kaiju no. 10 at least. That of which he worked so hard to erase any evidence left in its wake. The fake report had at least been a piece of cake to do. And they had to do over the entire prototype testing just to make sure Number 10 was usable in its current state.

And unfortunately for him, it proved to be a much more difficult task to complete. Day by day he had not once made progress in raising the Suit’s combat power. Leaving Kaiju no 10 to mock his defenses and other battle related tactics whenever it could. But that had been the least of his worries.

In all honesty, he had been feeling guilty since that day.

Although he'd be remiss to say he didn't enjoy the feeling. Soshiro had not been in the right sound of mind when he found himself getting closer to you. Drunken by your scent, he had practically seen images flash by his mind. Courtesy by the Kaiju that had seen through his desires. And one thing led straight to the next. He found himself in a troublesome situation that he had been afraid to know the consequences of.

He had desired her. Yes. That much was clear. But he wanted the relationship to evolve slowly. At your pace. One that made you most comfortable.

But he had breached that space. The inch you had given him had turned into a mile. And he was lucky he still held some sort of restraint before he did something stupid and regretted his past actions.

And somehow, you still forgave him.

You enjoyed yourself even. Welcoming him with open arms for the next time around when they had managed to squeeze in the time between work. Open to the idea of a more sensual intimacy. In the privacy of someplace else. And Soshiro had wanted that too.

He wanted to correct his haste. To properly love you right.

But not everything had been picture perfect in the way he had planned. His bad habits showed in the ways he'd prioritize everything but you. And just when he built up his courage–Built up the resolve to face you. To do right by you.

Of course, things just had to get in his way.

Things always got in his way before he could properly apologize and make it up to you. Or atleast, that was the excuse he'd find himself feeling guilty of.

And that is where he found himself outside the premises of the Tachikawa base. Strangely out of uniform and in his civvies that he had managed to find beneath the sweatpants in his closet. Dappered in a simple black turtleneck and a white overcoat. Befitting of the cooler weather Japan had been facing in recent times.

He had been waiting for you to show up with a picnic basket in hand. A few paperback novels that he thinks you might enjoy. Added with a few sweets that he hoped would lighten up your day perhaps.

The plan had been simple.

He’d already done the nerve-wracking part. Stopping you midway as you finished giving him the stack of blueprints for the Combat Suit you had worked on upgrading. His hand reached to touch the soft skin of your knuckles. An action that made you look back at him in turn.

“Is something wrong?” You had asked curiously. The softness in your voice remained. One that made Soshiro want to melt into a puddle.

He smiled. Somehow the words got stuck on his tongue. And he had to remind himself that you were his lover. Who of course would agree to a date. Should he suggest it, Right?

He gulps. Suddenly feeling a little irritated at the way his stomach had dropped and a plethora of nervous butterflies had resurfaced.

Normally he'd have no problem taking out hordes of Yoju that came his way. Boasting the highest individual kill count for slaying midsized Kaiju of his generation. Yet somehow, his reason had gona askew. And he found this situation a little more terrifying than he anticipated.

“Hey, I was thinking..”

“Uh oh- That's not a good sign.” Your comment makes him smile. His eyes rolling to give your shoulder a playful squeeze.

“-That you and I need to have a talk.”

“About what?” You had replied with a tilt on your head.

“I got a few paperbacks in the mail yesterday. I was hoping we could grab a bite to eat while we read through ‘em?” He smiled. His usual grin did not falter in the way he spoke to you. Though you could tell that he had an inkling of nervousness by the way he reached up to scratch the side of his cheek.

“Oh. And here I thought I was in trouble.” You chuckle. “So you're finally inviting me out on a date, Vice Captain?”

He had moved to stand much closer to you. Hand already at the shape of your hip, habitually writing his name on the waistband of uniform. “Is that a no I hear from ya’”

“Now when did I say that?” And it makes you smile knowing he had been trying despite the busy schedule he had.

You had long since understood his place in the hierarchy. Soshiro may have not realized it, but he was far too important of a person in the Defense Force to have been kept away from duty.

His life alone had been the cost of a thousand who'd live due to his sacrifices. And whether or not his insecurities had blocked his view of his own self-worth. You were able to see it clearly.

So despite the difficulties. Despite the yearning you felt for his proximity You did the usual and prioritized his work. Letting him handle things when command had already put so much weight into his daily responsibilities. Not that he seemed affected by it, no doubt already used to the pressure of a hectic battlefield. Much less a hectic work environment.

But of course, you wouldn't reject an offer out on a date with your lover. Not when he so sweetly asked.

And if he had the occasional free time to invite you out. Who were you to say no to his offer?

“Soshiro!” You had called out. Appearing just beside him who stood nearest the entrance of the underground metro station. And he smiled turning towards you with his usual cheeky and cat-like grin.

“You shoulda’ texted me. I would've picked you up by the train stations.” He had moved his free hand to pinch your cheeks. And it makes you chuckle. Revealing yourself completely to him.

Where his eyes had raked over the surface of the cute outfit you decided to purchase the day before. Hand already twirling a strand of your hair before tucking it behind your ear. Admiring your very soul. Your entirety in front of him.

“And miss your startled face? Fat chance I'd miss that opportunity.” You laughed.

Soshiro had rolled his eyes in turn. His heart pounding as his free hand immediately intertwined with yours.

“If it makes ya’ happy Sweetheart.” He didn't waste this opportunity to gently pull you close. Kissing your temple which had been nearest his lips. “You look pretty.”

His compliments had made you brighten. Your face visibly beamed when his eyes drank your figure. “Damn straight. I wasn't about to let you one up me in the looks department.”

“Alright, alright.” He found himself chuckling. “Let's get moving before the desserts I bought ya’ go bad.”

You had half a mind to drag your feet while he took you out of the metro line. Acting stubborn just to stall and ruffle his feathers for a bit. As payback for neglecting you all those days ago.

But you had decided against it, the crowded train station was far too busy in the early hours of the afternoon. And you would not risk losing each other and wasting the rare day Soshiro had all planned out for the both of you to do.

“Lead the way.” You had smiled, giddy at the mere thought of a time well spent together. And Soshiro had shared that very sentiment. Already leading you away from the busy horde where lines of people had been waiting for the next train stop.

Upon your words, he had gently walked forward. Leading you by the hand.

His grip on you was firm and you can see the way his back had engulfed and weaved through the crowd much more easily than you ever had. Broad in his strides as he tried not to go too fast. Matching your pace since he knew you weren't as built in stamina as he was.

You had admired the little details of his nape. The one mole peaking through the skin of his turtleneck, where his hair had shown every detail of his jugular. One that you had marveled at when he wasn't looking.

Just as you were about to offer your help. Reaching for the sling of the basket on his free hand.

A shiver ran down your spine. The hand that had tried to reach for the basket had paused in heavy response.

And you had suddenly flinched as a loud gust of wind had blown past you. Making the indoor lights of the metro begin to pop and flicker abnormally. An eerie buzz emitting from each light source as if the electricity had all short circuited, simultaneously.

The temperature underground had strangely heightened. Unusual for the cool metro station during this time of day.

And the crowd that had busied themselves passing each other by, had all but stopped. With people's stares directed behind the both of you in a frozen and frightened state. You look around, almost confused. And Soshiro had gripped his hand harder against yours. As if he already knew the exact dread that overcame him.

The exact thing that had been staring right back at them.

And somehow you had that inkling too.

But denial had only been your first problem. And the rest of your body seemed to know the truth. Your very palms began sweating like bullets, and you had hesitantly looked behind you. To prove to yourself that it had not been what you think it was.

But Soshiro who had somehow read your mind. Had moved much quicker than you had.

Pulling you behind him, already pushing you to the exit when people had started panicking. Screams had been the accompaniment of hasty footsteps. With people of all different ages, running in the same direction. Away from the stairs leading down the metro line.

A mere glimpse is all it took for the hair on your skin to rise. And the face of a humanoid Kaiju had looked in your direction. Its skin peeled like oranges, unlike the gritty leathery texture that surrounded its cheeks. And although it had a terrifying grin on its face. It remained calm. Observant. It seemed ecstatic in the way it reveled in the attention it had gotten. Whilst Soshiro had pulled you from your trance.

“Run. Get going!”

Soshiro had strangely screamed. Already pushing you to evacuate, weary that the Kaiju could attack you at any given moment should it wish to. But the Kaiju had a strange way of showing its excitement. Gurgling at every noise it heard. And Soshiro's yell had all been reduced to a mere whisper against your ear. The sound of a panicked crowd was all too encompassing for you to actually make out his words.

Soshiro had kept a firm grip on your shoulders. Still trailing close behind you with his gaze fixated on the Humanoid Kaiju.

Its legs had hovered mere inches above the ground. Crinkled like an old vegetable that was left out in the freezer for too long. It had double the arms, one that resembled old branches with no leaves. And although it looked sickly and frail, he was sure the damn thing was capable of major damage given the right opportunity.

But instead of grabbing onto the nearest person like Soshiro had anticipated. It surveyed the area. Weary of its nearest surroundings.

It's molars and gums chattering against each other. Echoing throughout the underground halls of the metro station. It looked as if it was occupied with something. A far off look in its beady eyes. As if it were communicating with someone.

Perhaps it had something to do with Number 9? Shit.

If that's the case, Soshiro needed to get you out of here as soon as possible.

“I can't get through. They're all pushing..” You had gasped. Feeling yourself stumble back when another person pulled at your shoulder and leaped forward. Using you as leverage to get to the exit.

Soshiro, who had seen this, was quick to catch you before you could fall. Your back against his chest in a protective stance.

He couldn't move. Not yet at least.

More than anything he'd like to handle that thing as quickly as possible. But to leave you nearby in such close proximity too? There's no way in hell he was going to let that happen. So all he could do was fixate his eyes on that Kaiju.

This thing was clearly sentient. Soshiro had seen the way it lingered to read one of the signs nearest the exit. But I didn't seem interested in conversing, let alone leave if he had asked. And he wasn't about to take his chances.

He needed to get rid of that thing now.

“Hoshina here.” He had fished out the white earpiece that he hid on his overcoat's back pocket. Pressing the small item down to his ear to contact operations.

“There's a Daikaiju sighting in the Tachikawa-Kita Station. Requesting permission to use Number 10 to neutralize it.” He spoke seriously. Unlike the usual light hearted conversations you'd have with him. And it makes you stare up at him with raised eyebrows.

It had been weeks since you had worked on Number 10. It was still far too early to be used as a plausible weapon out in the field. And yet here he was, indirectly telling you that he had worn it out in public.

“You what?” You had gasped out. Eyes blown wide whilst his hand remained on the small of your back.

Much to your dismay, Soshiro had not answered you.

Simply moving you closer to the wall, to let other people get through. His hand still pressed against the intercoms whilst he waited for a reply from Operations.

Soshiro had been focused on shielding you for the most part. The crowd was pushing, but it seems they had still been making progress in evacuating the area. Save for a few rumbles that had happened when the Kaiju had suddenly implanted its branch-like fingers onto one of the pillars. Cracking the surface of the solid cement that held the pillar in place. And you couldn't help but worry at the close proximity you both had been.

Right in range of where the Kaiju was looking at.

“Permission granted.” Okonogi’s faint voice could be heard. Likely already booting up Number 10's system underneath Soshiro’s civvies. The bioweapon would slowly regain energy which kept it from its usual conscious state.

“Do you, or Do you not have Number 10 on?” You had asked incredulously. Prying his arms off of you to peel off his shirt. And his larger hand stops you before you could see the peak of red in the place of where his skin should be.

“As a precaution m'dear.” His reply was immediate.

And he suddenly grabbed you by the wrist. Ushering you forward along with the thinning crowd. The stairway had all been emptied now. Save for a few runaways that had tripped or were pushed earlier.

“Higher ups wanted me to get used to it. Releasing this thing’s combat power, I mean.” His voice had been an octave lower. His smile, although present, had not been enough to reassure you. And you had a feeling he was trying not to have you panic on him.

“That is stupid. Command shouldn't have let you wear it. Number 10 is still unstable. What if you go berserk and lose control?” You sighed, running your hand through your hair.

“You did try to argue with command right?”

…

“Right?”

Soshiro did not answer you. Already pacing to drag you out of here before things could escalate.

Meanwhile, you had all but looked at him once over. Now it made sense why he chose to wear an overcoat when the weather had only been a little chilly this afternoon. It had surprised you that he was able to hide its tail from emerging from his legs. But then again, he probably had his blades tucked away in that too.

“Soshiro..”

“Listen, I'll explain things later. Take this and get to the nearest shelter. I ain’t havin Number 10 going berserk. I'll be fine. Just let me handle the Kaiju first, okay-” His sentence was cut short by your scream.

A broken chunk of the large pillar had been thrown towards you. And it had startled you enough to drop the basket he handed you. Soshiro had been quick in his motion to shield you. Wrapping his arms around your shoulder to let his back hit the brunt of the pillar.

But before it could hit and crush the two of you to bits. The faint sound of number 10 chuckled inSoshiro's suit. And its weaponized tail lashed out to strike the pillar back. Destroying it before it could scratch you both from its debris.

The sharp end had all but ripped Soshiros overcoat to shreds. And he was quick to remove the unnecessary fabric on top of his combat suit. Revealing the distinct eye hollowed out in the middle of his chest.

“Lucky this bonehead woke up on time.” Soshiro had chuckled darkly. And it was followed by its immediate reply. Tail haphazardly swinging around from behind him.

“Stop with your meaningless trifles and get to fighting swordsman! My patience is thinning.” It sounded almost like a child. Though its voice had been a deep and rambunctious chatter like usual.

“You heard the darn thing.” He sighs, pushing you forward before another attack could come in.

And you shook your head, placing your firm hands against the suit of his chest. Just beside Number 10's glowing eye. Your gaze fixated on his usual smile, one that you had grown accustomed to hearing cheery laughs from. “Are you serious? This thing isn't ready for an actual fight.”

“Do not mock us Woman. By the time you have escaped our opponent would have been ripped to shreds by me.” It screamed.

Making you roll your eyes in turn. And Soshiro had all but chuckled. Already letting you get a head start as you stepped out of the underground Metro line. “Just go. I promise you I'll be jus’ fine.”

“I’ll come find you later.” He had spoken. Already turning his heel to grab the swords he had hidden on his back.

You knew this was his job. The unavoidable was bound to happen. And as much it pained you to leave him alone with a Daikaiju with only a misaligned prototype of a suit as an ally. There was bound to be trouble afoot. But what can you do other than run?

You weren't a fighter like he was.

Your use was only in the presence of a laboratory, as a technician. Paving the way to enhance his equipment. To heighten his chances of survival, even if it was a measly one percent of it.

That had been better than none after all.

So with a heavy heart. You nod. Glancing at his form for a second longer before you began running. Taking careful steps to the opposite direction where you knew the nearest shelter would be at. There was never a shortage of Defense Force Officers there. Maybe they'd be willing to let a few assist Soshiro before things could go awry.

Captain Ashiro had always made quick work of any Kaiju that appeared. The third had always been quick to respond to action. Not once arriving late when the Tokyo district needed them the most.

Soshiro would just have to hold out before then.

Deal with Number 10's strange habits and hopefully manage to unleash the suit's combat power which had proven to be a tricky feat for a while now. And if he were lucky, maybe he wouldn't need backup at all.

The optimistic side of you wished to see him make quick work of the Kaiju. Have him return to you, maybe with a couple or bruises to sport but nothing serious.

He'd smile at you. Holding peace signs with his fingertips out as a form of comfort. To tell you that he had been fine and the Kaiju had easily accepted defeat, ending the story in a clean neutralization.

You'd even be willing to hear Number 10's inflated boasting in the background. Telling you that they had sliced it to ribbons before you even had the chance to reach the shelter.

At least that's what you hoped to imagine.

Just as soon as you arrived at the familiar street. You passed by the multitude of shopping districts in the area. And you see the familiar crowd of people being ushered into the sturdy underground bunker of the shelter. Far away from the premises of the Metro Line where Soshiro’s battle had taken place.

You had immediately stepped up. Trying to fall in line with the rest of the crowded spaces that led up to the entrances of the bunker.

But somehow the temperature rose once more. And you feel the familiar rumble in your chest as a gust of wind had blown behind you. Your hair going in all sorts of directions before your eyes settled on the familiar looking Kaiju floating in the very back of the crowd. Nearing you inch by inch.

What was it doing here?

Everyone who had equally felt the same tension had been paralyzed from fear. Its beady gaze had been burning holes unto the crowd. And its neck cracked as it tried to tilt its head to the side.

This had been enough to get rid of the stupor on everyone's expressions. And another wave of panic ensued. Leaving you and a few others to be pushed around in the wake of everyone's panic.

“Report. Kaiju has been spotted here in Shelter 1121. Requesting permission to engage.”

You had heard one of the Defense Force Officers yell. The few that had been present were already aiming their firearms at the chattering Kaiju. It's head convulsing as it floated ever so closer towards the crowd. Its branch-like fingertips grazed the road. Eerily dragging its long limbs down the cement. Its pace is slow and tantalizing as if to tease your inevitable demise.

You had groaned.

Feeling yourself be pushed down to the ground. Palms hitting the coarse texture of the cement roads. Knees scraping the rough surface as you stopped yourself from falling face flat onto the floor. Luckily the crowd had been mindful enough not to trample you. With most of the citizens already crowding the entrance as Soldiers had blocked the Kaiju's path from going any further.

But you saw the way it moved.

In a blink of an eye the Kaiju had made quick work of the Officers. Sweeping them off like insects thrown to the side. Their bodies hitting the nearest surface available in the area. And you had tried to back away. The itching pain that had surrounded your knees was like putting salt on an open wound. Still fresh from the poor landing you had from earlier.

But there was no time to focus on that. Its beady gaze already staring at you and his next target had been made clear.

Just as you had tried to get up, you saw the way a car had been thrown right above your head. And you had been a hair away from being hit by the force of its pitch. Landing on a few people who had crowded up against the entrance of the base.

Likely crushing a few people in the process.

Shit.

The dizzy unease you felt had all but dazed your mind's eye. And somehow through the fire and the panicked screams. A force had thrown you off the ground.

And suddenly your body had slumped against the nearest wall. Your back landing on the very glass of a fashion boutique. Your weight had shattered its surface upon impact when you were thrown against it.

A shockwave on the ground had likely thrown you a few feet back. And you whimpered. Feeling the shards of glass puncture your shoulder and arms. A few cutting your legs that had shamelessly bleeded against the floor.

You could feel a much larger injury on the small of your back. But as it stands, you couldn't really focus on a specific area. Not when it had hurt all over.

It had hurt to stand up. Let alone to crawl away.

You were not in the safety of the base. And Soshiro had not been here beside you. Even if it hurts like hell. You knew that you had to move. You had to get away and find some help before the situation got worse.

But somehow, it had only gotten much more difficult to breathe. Your eyes which had blurred from the blood flow on your head had suddenly cleared a little bit. Just enough for you to inspect your surroundings. And you noticed it had gotten significantly darker upon your landing. Everything, even within the confines of the boutique, had been covered in a thin layer of smoke that you could've sworn wasn't here before

The scent had been weird. Both earthy and a little rusty for your liking. But it had a distinct bitter smell, like something had gone rotten in the area.

And suddenly your throat lurched. Coughing at the sheer difficulty your lungs had inhaled. Like suddenly oxygen had all but ran out and you were left with a gas that had been invading your system entirely.

Your hand had shakily reached up your throat. Trying not to panic as the breaths you made had gotten shorter and shorter.

Was this poison?

Did the Kaiju have anything to do with this?

Where was Soshiro? Was he dead?

Only panicked thoughts plagued your mind. Not entirely aware that the pain had made you almost delirious as you try not to cry from all the overwhelming sensations you felt.

Your only thought had been to gather your bearings and find Soshiro. Damned the injuries that weighed your body. Damned the poison gas that made you want to throw up your lungs.

All you needed was Soshiro.

Yet somehow, you find yourself back on the ground. With your cheek pressed up against the shattered glass. Eyes slowly fluttering to a close from the sheer exhaustion alone. And your body, had never accepted sleep more than this moment had.

–

Who knows how long you've been laying there. A few gunshots sounded out from the distance before it ultimately quieted down. A roar rumbled to the far east of where you had rested. But the sounds had gone silent a few minutes after.

And here you were, dizzy from a concussion. Bleeding from your arms and legs. And your breaths barely audible from the amount of toxic gas you had inhaled.

You didn't know whether or not your lungs were barely functioning anymore. But with the slow rise and labored falls of your chest, you were sure you had still been okay. Though it's a miracle you were still half awake.

You could still make the odd gasps and silent plea for help. So you couldn't sleep. Not yet at least. Not when help could so easily arrive and your chances of actually surviving would lower.

The smoke had not cleared up from where you had laid. And for a moment, you see the shadow of a figure step hastily through the broken boutique. Staring down at you with gritted teeth.

“Found you..”

Your breath hitched. Suddenly the blinding numbness had been replaced with a fresh bout of soreness and burning pains. And Soshiro, who had stood above your half-conscious body, had stumbled a bit.

Not used to the way your body stood so still. Arched upward from the shard of glass punctured nearest the back of your waist. His breath was stolen away, as he could only imagine how the pain must’ve felt when you were thrown off balance to crash a building no less.

“Shit, shit, shit, shit, c'mere.” Soshiro's familiar voice was much clearer now that he had stepped much closer to you.

The clang of his blades had dropped beside you as his hands were already fumbling to remove the straps of his respiratory mask. Rushing to place it atop your mouth and nose. Hoping it would help you breathe properly.

“Someone get the medic. Get the medic.”

Soshiro screamed. Glancing behind him for a moment before his focus had been fixated on you. His other hand gingerly lifting your head from the ground to assess the injuries you sustained.

And his eyes. The wine color of his eyes…

You could've sworn it had darkened. Brimmed with the fear of losing you. A cacophony of unshed tears that would usually be closed and cat-like in its features.

“..Soshiro?” You croaked out. Voice a little raspy from whatever gas that Kaiju had decked out. And your lover immediately pulled you closer. Rocking your body to keep you awake.

His first instinct was to secure the straps of the respiratory mask on your face. Letting you take a few filtered breaths before you try to speak once more. Though he hushed you right after, in the case you’d drain the little energy you had left in you.

And from the deadweight he felt. He somehow feared the worst.

“Hey, hey, Shhhh. You're okay.” He spoke with a shaky voice. As if he were assuring himself more than he did you. “I'm here now. We're gonna fix ya’ up brand new. I promise.”

His words had been loud. Desperate even. But for some reason, it went in and out of your ears. Not entirely sure if he had been screaming at somebody else, or he had been talking to you in particular. His reassurances got softer and softer from the minute your ears began to ring.

The sound of his voice, which you would normally find comfort in. Had your head spinning around. Making you wince in turn.

You had wanted to reach out. To pull him close and check for his own injuries. But your arms and shoulders would twitch in pain anytime you had tried to move a muscle. The poison in your system had made it all the more heavier for your body to move. Chained to the ground as if restrained by your own powerlessness of the situation.

“You're done?” You had managed to groan out. Wondering if the Kaiju had been neutralized.

And his immediate response was to nod in your direction. Pulling you much closer so that his leg would be able to support your weight on the ground. Away from the edged shards of glass that had scattered about.

“I'm okay baby. Yer’ the one that needs the help here..” He lets out a dry chuckle. Not entirely convinced that his jokes were actually landing. His panic was more evident in his tone than it had usually been, and for some reason. That hurt more than the physical wounds you endured.

“I know.” You hissed. “Hurts all over..if you couldn't tell..”

“Shit. Medics are on their way. I'm gonna lift you up okay? You'll be fine. Just gonna meet em’ halfway..” He had started. With Soshiro gently hooking his arms underneath the knees of your legs. And just as soon as you were an inch off of the ground. You winced.

Your teeth gritted together as you tried not to cry from the pain you felt when your body had raised from the ground. His hands, although they had been careful, were far too firm against the cuts on your body.

And the pain on your back, where the glass shard had punctured your organs, had a burning sensation you wished would go away.

Soshiro who had seen the way you panicked. Stopped in his actions. Putting you back down on the ground where his leg had cushioned your bleeding head.

“I know, I know jus’ bear with me, alright? Keep your pretty eyes open.” The string of curses never left Soshiro's lips. And his hand which had gently held the cheek where the respiratory mask met the skin of your pale face. Hoping that your breaths would get steadier. The mask recording all the slow inhales you'd take.

In and out. Labored but at least it was still there.

“Breathe..jus’ breathe for me, okay?”

Your eyes had tried to blink rapidly to remove the fatigue you had felt. But somehow, you were fighting a losing battle. And you couldn't help but give into the darkness. The fatigue would feel much nicer since you didn't have to worry about the pain. And with your lover here. It was okay to relax now. No longer did you need to have your guard up to combat the fight or flight situation.

And Soshiro found himself panicking even more at the way your eyes grew distant. Screaming at his intercoms for a medic on-field. Likely already on their way to the location he had sent to Operations moments prior. Okonogi in particular was trying to reassure the Vice Captain, but to no avail.

Not when his focus had all but fixated on your wellbeing. Eyes already closed as you drifted to an unconscious state.

His hand had reached down to your cheek. Already running circles against the bags of your eyes. Running across the dried tears that brimmed your eyes. Denying that this moment had a possibility to be your last.

And without hesitation, he started lifting you up again. This time not a peep from your mouth.

He was gonna fucking take you to the neareat hospital himself if he had to.

Like hell he was going to let you die. Right?

Right?

“Shit. This ain’t funny. Wake–Wake up!”

He hears Okonogi speak on the other side. Something about how a few officers had already turned the corner nearest their location. And he found himself running to their direction, your head leaning against his shoulder leaving small blood stains on Number 10's plated armor.

Help was close. But Soshiro's mind wasn't eased by that fact. Not at all relieved.

Not when your head had still been bleeding and a shard of glass as large as his hand had been punctured just below the small of your back.

And as he ran, he had wondered what he could've done to avoid this.

Should he not have asked you to go out today?

No.

You had been far too eager for this moment. It had been his fault for neglecting you. For not prioritizing the wave of affections you gave him in turn.

He had promised himself that he was gonna cherish you. Dedicate entire days just for you.

And yet here he was. With his plans, ruined beyond repair. And he finds himself going back to the root of his bad habits.

His work, his ambition to be seen as someone capable. Someone who existed in the hands of the world who did not see his strength and dedication. It had held him by the collar, forcing him to face elsewhere. Trapped him from doing right by you.

And now?

His bad habits had now suffered the consequences of his actions. No longer did he have the chance to do everything once over.

And his apologies had fallen to deaf ears. Hoping for the chance you'd get to hear him again.

He had a bad habit of doing you wrong. And now, he hopes you'd be awake so he can set things right.

[wisteriaiswriting]

Hi! Could you write hcs for Percy,annabeth and grover with child of hephastus! Adoptive! Older sibling (basically a demigod who kinda adopts them and guides them thru demigodhood and their life, I imagine the reader is 19/20)

(Bonus points if the kids find the reader sneaking off from camp to like see a secret partner (i imagine its a crossover w the kane chronicles,aka the reader's partner is some magician from the house of life,but doing hcs for just some secret lover also work) and the kids using it for blackmail)

Thanks in advance

𝔸𝕕𝕠𝕡𝕥𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕆𝕝𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝕊𝕚𝕓𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 ℍ𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕠𝕟𝕤

Words: 502

This doesn't include the Kane chronicles part.

ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕪 𝕁𝕒𝕔𝕜𝕤𝕠𝕟:

This kid. He asks you about the weirdest things, mainly about items that hold no relevance to him. Rarely anything important, like the gods or battle.

For an only child he knows how to be the youngest. Especially the clingy type that openly looks up to you.

If he saw you sneaking off, there’s a chance he won’t know what you’re doing. But he will accidentally spill it to a few people. (Being Annabeth and Grover)

***

“So, what's that?”

Surprised by the voice you tighten your grip, almost throwing your project. Turning around to find Percy, leaning over your shoulder, right in your face.

“Okay 1, step back,” Using your hand you push him away, “2, you don’t know what a sword is?”

“I do! It’s just yours is–”

“Kinda weird? Yeah, it's not usable, at least yet.”

“Like a prototype?”

“Exactly.”

“Now, are you going to leave or help me?”

“I’m helping!” His first action of helping was to grab the nearest item, which wasn’t good.

“Percy!”

This kid definitely needs your help.

𝔸𝕟𝕟𝕒𝕓𝕖𝕥𝕙 ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕤𝕖:

Most times when she needs your help she won’t ask you, seeming as she is an Athena kid. But still knows when to relent, asking for your help, especially about weapons and machinery.

Out of the three she seems like the middle child, having learnt to care for herself. But it doesn’t stop her from admiring you.

She won’t actively blackmail, bringing it up when it’s convenient. Oh she has some chores? Wouldn’t it be a shame if suddenly Chiron knew about your little escapades?

***

It was the Athena Cabin’s turn for chores, which wouldn’t normally happen. Either way Annabeth wouldn’t do them, as she had a simple surprise in her sleeve.

“Y/N?”

“Annabeth,” It wasn’t an ideal time for disruptions, as you are currently building something. “What do you need?”

“As you know my cabin has to do chores, and I’m not.”

“Why wouldn’t you?” That had you paying attention, spinning to see her. “You're an Athena child, surely you're smarter than that.”

“Oh, I am, you sure aren’t.”

“Huh… You wouldn’t.”

That seemed like a threat but she knew better, waving you off as she left.

“They’ll need you pretty early tomorrow.”

𝔾𝕣𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕌𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕨𝕠𝕠𝕕:

Already smarter than the other two. Whether or not he needs help you’re the first choice within seconds.

Also younger sibling like, except this one tends to watch and listen, sometimes including his input.

If he saw you leave he’ll try not to say anything, eventually failing and soon the other Satyrs know. They’ll be the ones blackmailing you.

***

“You sure about this?”

“Yeah!”

“Alright then, grab me the wrench.”

You watched Grover look through your tools, reaching for a few before pulling away.

“All good?”

“Yep…” Even as he answered he looked unsure, “On second hand,”

There it is.

“Red handle,” Now he got it, reaching for the few red handled tools. Grabbing the right one before handing it over. “That one?”

“Yeah, now you want to help build?”

“Nah, I’m good…”

[hellionyura]

Jackunzel Animatic: Wherever You Are

Hi fellow Jackunzel shippers! I have something exciting to share!! I just made an animatic for Jackunzel. You can watch here: https://youtu.be/V8ey7SKI9_8

And a little preview:

Please give it a like and share if you could, it would really make my dreams come true to have more people watch my creations! <3

Anyways heavy texts below if you're interested to hear my ramblings thoughts while making this animatic: (Contains a little spoiler if you haven't watched the animatic yet so go watch it right now! Hehe)

This idea came to me in January 2023, when I heard the song 'Wherever You Are' by Kodaline. It was about finding each other and I related to how Jackunzel has two different appearances, and so I made them go through different lifetimes, and how they always find each other in each one. Also huge shoutout to @justinepush for inspiring me with this cute animatic.

1st life: Human Jack & Magic Hair Rapunzel

In their first lifetime, the story roughly follows the original Rapunzel's fairytale, where the witch found out that Rapunzel has been seeing the Prince secretly, and banished her from the tower, then threw the Prince out of the tower, landing on a bed of thorns below, thus blinding him. They managed to find each other years later, reunited with their twin children. In this animatic though, they both lost their lives to the thorns, and Gothel was shocked/surprised not because she was worried about Rapunzel, but because her treasured golden hair is no longer usable. So in this one, Jack was either a Noble from Corona Kingdom, or a Prince from a neighbouring kingdom?

2nd Life: Guardians Jack & Rapunzel

Rapunzel was chosen as a Guardian, with healing powers. I don't have much thought on her center, it was probably something along the lines of Guardian of Wish/Longing because of how Rapunzel's wish in Tangled was made true by herself (with the help of Flynn yeah but she was the one who initiated it).

I needed a simple design for her Guardian appearance so I whipped up something quickly:

3rd Life: High School students

They're both normal humans now, and meeting by coincidence, not confronting any dangers or whatever, so hopefully they can take it easy now and enjoy each other's company for a long time :)

I think it's interesting to note that they may not remember each other from their previous lives, but something does click when they meet each other. But I leave that interpretation up to you. They can also remember each other if you want ^3^

The only pairing I haven't touched is Guardian Jack and Brown-haired Rapunzel. I'll whip up something for those two in the future probs so look out!

This whole animatic took me a whole month, but of course the planning and conception was cut short because I wrote down the main plot back during its inception in January 2023. While drawing each picture, I would always lose confidence saying things like "yeah this isn't going to work out" or "aahhh this looks trash no one will like this" or "maybe i should just stop now because this didn't turn out as amazing as I thought it would be", and I had to take care of myself before burning out and quitting it altogether. I also lost confidence because my style is so anime-like, I thought people wouldn't like it since it's way different from the studio's artstyle, but anywayss...

This was my first animatic and deciding to draw 60 different coloured illustrations wasn't a good idea for a first-timer, but I kept going because even if people won't like it, I'll just do it for myself.

This was a long post, but whewww. I'll probably draw some fanarts of their High School AU. Thanks for reading! (If you actually reached here lol)

[green-hoedrogen]

Ok so in my fic Slip I vaguely based Hydra off of a DOT-114 tanker because i could find the specification really easily they're sometimes used for pressurised gasses, but GOOD NEWS! I was wrong and also stupid :)

I've been recreationally overthinking this all day, for funsies. The interesting thing is, in Europe we don't really have H2 on the rails in that way yet- DB cargo is doing a lot of work there, but not in any formats that match up with the green bean. We know he doesn't carry ammonia or methanol because his fuel is usable without pre-processing, and we know he's not any sort of MEGC. The only other option in europe is cryocontainers of LH2, but they're intermodal- you can put one on a ship, unload it onto a lorry or a flatbed or whatever, and go about your merry way. so not that neither.

(sidebar: I know he is a creation of andrew lloyd webber's twisted mind and also a twink on rollerskates, but shh. im playing touys.)

The likelier option, imo, is that he's carrying cryogenic liquid hydrogen. This would track with some sliiightly older technologies (and i really do mean slightly) like liquid natural gas, which has already been used in duel-fuel locomotives. At time of writing, the only thing I could scrounge up that's actually authorised for cryogenic hydrogen transport on US rails are DOT-113 tanker cars, which are usually designed for other cryogenic liquids but. Uh. Im sure its fine. Nowt in the UK yet, we've got all of it on the roads at the minute. He's some kind of freaky half-to-spec pilot project to me anyways, I just need to ballpark.

According to the Railway Association of Canada's Railway Emergncy guide, DOT-113A60W tankers have a working temperature of -423F, which is the temperature hydrogen becomes liquid at.

So! That means we're working with DOT-113A60W!Hydra, or at least something similar! :D He's got a tank-within-a-tank system, weather-shielded loading/unloading valves, and DO NOT HUMP OR CUT OFF WHILE IN MOTION stenciled somewhere easy to see. Thank you for coming to my ted talk!

[ganondoodle]

i might have talked about it before but i kinda wanna rant a lil how nonsensical both the "getting of the time reversal" and "giving zelda the mastersword" things are

bc ... to get the time reversal powers you touch a ... ghost of the enigma stone that used to be there .. and i GUESS it was the one zelda has now but used to be raurus and since its now linked to her we get .... link being astral projected into ghosty dimension similar to the other sages and we get zeldas sage power, but .. how does that even work, zelda, having supposedly long lost her soul to being a dragon is somehow still able to do the whole sage thing of taking you to fogland mclight dimension, just doesnt tell you the same stuff the other sages do word for word (thank GOD)

but how did that even manifest? even ignoring her soul being GONE how can she make that oath or whatever while shes not awake and just floating there, what business does the ghost engima stone have there and why dont the others have something similar to where they were once stored (in the forgotten temple backrooms tm bc we cant have the sonau NOT touch a thing in this world all of the sudden-)

is it bc they were like ... released of their holder from the old sages since they had long died and those go back to being big floaty stones (for whatever reason .. shouldnt have sonias stone done the same when gan took it then??)- also zeldas ability being put into the hand ability wheel while we gotta chase down the damn sages any time you want to use one of their abilities is so unfair .. you could have made the sages usable .. but no ..

its a relatively small complaint compared to the rest but it still bothers me bc it just ... feels so contrived, like it feels to be so clearly just some loose string to get you that power

the same with the weird ass time bubble to get the mastersword back in time to zelda just so she can have a flimsy reason to do what she does (we wouldnt want the character this series is named after be an actual CHARACTER instead of a pretty prize at the end now would we??) and its jsut so .......... why not have her grab the broken master sword as shes falling into the past (SOMEHOW) or it falling down with her bc really link shouldnt maybe not be able to hold it anymore- wait he reaches for her with that hurt hand .. so he did drop it .. and it somehow got back to him instead of being put into the past WITH zelda right then and there?? why??

(also ..rauru just teleporting him to the sky island ... wasnt that arm the last bits of raurus physical body? was his ghost just chilling up there the whole time- ... can ghosts in totk control and teleport their physical, dead limbs to whereever their ghost is? why can a ghost even be so far apart from the rest of his remains .... or was that spiraling energy stuff just him slowly turning into a ghost there ... but my point about ghosts controlling their dead limbs still stands- WAIT he ALSO has to be able to ... SEE somehow bc he grabbed link before he fell too .... the way he talks when you find him chilling on the island tho is like hes seeing it all for the first time too .. so .. he wasnt a ghost yet and still knew where to go .. even tho the place is somehwere totally different to where it used to be and if he became a ghost right there why couldnt you see him when he grabbed link... if the hand that grabbed link wasnt actual the one that fell off gan why does it look like it then? bc gan hand was long and thin with long ass class and raurus actual ghost hands are barely different from typical human ones- .. i think im having more thoughts about this point thant nintendo had over the entirety of making the game .... also fuck rauru for doing the fake out "oooh noooo im fading awayyy" thing just so he doesnt have to answer any of your thousand questions i guess, only to return at the end going, "actually, i want my arm back and yours was fine anyway lol, and here sonia is here too for some reason! also check this out! zelda is back and you didnt have to do shit, isnt that cool?")

the weird time bubble makes me so angry when i remmeber it exists bc it just .. makes NO sense?? what even is it?? if it was a foreshadowing to zelda learning to use her new time powers and you find more over time in the game where she manifests mroe and more until she manages to return on her own like it was kinda teased with sonia tellign her shell find a way to use her new powers to go back since she (SOMEHOW) also got herself here and that point going nowhere like so many other points (hows it going impah, foudn a way to get zelda back yet? dont bother, turns out the solution was 'beat the bad guy' and it all solved itself) OK fine, that works

BUT ITS NOT a foreshadowing of anything, the time bubble thing is just THERE and it drives me nuts, it really only adds to this whole game feeling so weirdly held together by loose strings and it just gets worse the more you think

[princess-of-the-corner]

Thanks for the reblog and "OH!?" on the Chloe & Zoe snippet, lad you liked it. Probably not usable for your Civil War AU, as it relies on Zoe spending 'awhile' as the sole 'beneficiary' of what Andre calls parenting which may not fit your timeline, but still XD

Idle aside on the song that inspired it, I tend to associate Verse 1 with pre-snippet periods, with Zo'es burgeoning realizations and Chloe's cascading fall as she realizes how fucked up everything was.

Verse 1 is very much Zoe being subconciously aware something is wrong, and struggling against it but unable to identify the threat.

In the city of the dead I lay stuck inside my bed The house burns down around me

While the Pre-Chorus is more Chloe pre-snippet, "I don't need forgiveness, just for you to listen" she's still bargaining for 'something' but aware of how bad things we.

I know I'd only raise the suspicion of my cause My burns they throb to the beat of your heart

Then the first Chorus is more Zoe, as she's questioning her position, the reality of the situation and feeling unheard and like she can't speak & trying to convince herself she doesn't need to think about it.

Am I anything at all? Maybe a soul like me doesn't even need to know

Verse 2 is Chloe , "The burning home had cowed me. Tossed aside for making a scene, ETC" More or less reflecting her despair on the bad day, but also self awareness.

I thought that I was safe, now I'll never be the same Tossed aside for making a scene

The Pere-Chorus for the next section is closer to Zoe who keeps 'trying' to vocalize her unconscious realization something is wrong but it not registering with anyone.

Holler all you want, no one ever listens If only I had raised my suspicion of the cause

Then the second Chorus is more Chloe centric & where she is in the snippet. IE, well aware the sheer degree of how bad things were, and that those who did it were wrong, but also some self loathing. Hence why she doesn't really consider the idea helping Zoe would help her, its too late for her. She still has a very "I'm not a person" mentality.

Am I anything at all? Maybe a thing like me doesn't yet deserve to know

While the final Chorus is a duet, with them both singing about their ability to heal and grow and take agency in their lives.

Not robot nor a doll I'm not anything at all I'm just an entity finding out the way to go But these fingers and these palms Full of love despite the scars They show indisputably I have so much more to grow Oh, I can change, I can evolve I can get up when I fall I'll live contentedly, I don't need a reason why Standing tall and standing strong

oh hell yeah that song!

[the-rebel-archivist]

11, 16, and 18 for the da4 hype <3

Thank you so much for the ask <3

11. What's one think you'd really like to see in this next game?

Honestly, I feel like they looked at my wishlist and told me "Wish granted" with so many of the reveals we've gotten! I wanted Lucanis? There he is. I wanted mobile, snappy combat? It's there. I wanted to know what happened with the griffons and if Last Flight would have impact and we'll learn and it does! So many bits of lore that have been hinted at heavily seem like they'd come into play and we'll learn a lot about some of the more mysteriously shrounded parts of them (though I do hope they keep some secrets for themselves!). And of course there's the CC and its focus on not just functionality and creativity but inclusivity.

If I slightly rephrase to the thing I'm most looking forward to seeing, I think it's how all the companions will interact. They keep calling them their most engaging crew of companions yet and I can't wait to see how we're able to influence them. I'd like to know if there's any friction between them to solve and who gets closest to whom. I'm excited to handle difficult conversations and choices with them!

16. What's one crack theory you subscribe to (yours or someone else's)?

I've got a lot of theories but most are pretty well supported, here's one that I went down the rabbit hole with that has little to no connective tissue at all:

The ancient elves were particularly unkind to dwarves, we know this from Trespasser and the implication that they drove them underground. The dwarves allied with Tevinter. Though there was hostility between the elves and the dwarves, after the fall of Arlathan Cad-halash (later Cadash thaig) tried to take in the escaping elves only to be destroyed by the dwarves of Kal-Sharok, ostensibly to protect their alliance.

Paragon Fairel founded Kal Repartha, the surface thaig in the Hissing Wastes, as "A place where we may meet in peace" sometime at least 100 years before the First Blight (possibly much older, they never give an upper bound for age) after the weapons Fairel crafted were used by the dwarves to war against each other. The entrance to the Deep Roads was closed off; the dwarves mentioned to be either fleeing or preventing a war could never return.

Somehow, the dwarves managed to bind demons into the pillars of the Tomb of Fairel, creating the sort of corrupted stone they call "The Gangue" - "Stone waste" or "Impure spirit of the stone." Long before the Blight, the Stone was already corrupted and the dwarves were already working to cut it from the healthy body. Containing the Gangue is one of the primary goals of the Legion of the Dead, not killing darkspawn.

The demons in the pillars are released by the use of veilfire, an ancient art perfected by the elves and only usable by mages. Cole says that the demons were dwarves once and believe they still are. Note that because this is before the First Blight, golems also don't exist yet.

Theory: Fairel founded Kal Repartha after the destruction of Cad'halash and perhaps even housed some elves as well who set up the veilfire. But we aren't finished yet.

The Gangue. It's described like a blight on the stone long before it makes sense to be blighted. When you talk to Solas about the Blight, he knows more than he lets on but also less than he would like. "The fools who first unleashed the Blight upon this world thought they were unlocking ultimate power," he says, and it sounds like he means the magisters in the black city... but what if in fact he means the evanuris. Their experiments and tampering, especially those of Ghilan'nain, began the process of blighting the stone and only later led to the outward signs of darkspawn, red lyrium, and the rise of corrupted archdemons.

And for another crack theory, Lucanis isn't possessed because that's such a straightforward explanation, but maybe pacted in some way to a demon? If not that, has some form of relationship to one without losing his sense of self. This one is pure wish fulfillment.

18. Which aspect of fandom are you most looking forward to?

Seeing all the new characters people create! It's going to be so fun to see everyone's take on the same material and watch what parts of it they hone in on as touchpoints for their Rooks and existing characters. Sometimes completely innocuous lines can take on so much profound meaning based on how the character you're roleplaying interprets it and relates to it.

[thesilentlands]

Chapter 7+: Volts Upgrade

-dont worry, if he does anything bad to you let me know.

Volt could only reply with a simple "OK" before his message systems where blocked by the block chip. The chip also blocked his ability to move so hes completly imobile now only able to see and speak.

Volt then was placed on a harness and he waited for something.

-Hello? - he spoke out in a scared and confused static voice, then Frank came in to the room, wearing a diffrent shirt and a diffrent robotic arm.

-hello volt - Frank said in a calm voice, slowly aproching a table where verious mechanic tools where located

-why are you doing, this? To me? -

-listen buddy since you guys moved hire i wanne do a good thing by cheaking you out-

-but but you cant, youll wont like what youll find-

-bealive me, i find many bad things inside bots that where traveling for a long while-

-but um UM-

-you dont have to worry about anything Volt- he said, walking twards Volt with a mear chair

Frank then removed Volts forgead plate and pulled out his "brain", this was a pretty tipical thing to do, but Volt was nerwous.

-are you gonna kill me?- he asked

-why of course not, your not ready for salvage yet, hehe..-

-...-

-i think i know why your worried-

-whats that?-

-your from a bunker, arent you?-

-?!- Volt was shoked at what he heard -How you know???-

-well i know that your kind of model orginated from bunkers, plus your main chip is inscribe with bunker numerals-

-huh, so you knew from start?-

-yup, but i was kinda suprised when i first saw you walking on two legs-

-weard habit of mine-

-alright im gonna upgrade your system now, and maybe do some modification to improve you, your gonna black out-

-fine, alright, just do it-

As Volt said Frank did, Volt now couldnt see, hear or feel anything, he was completly surounded by darkness. Frank took some time wail reparing Volt, his systems where old and really out dated, he took 4 hours repeplacing, updating and modifing Volt. When frank was finished he removed the block chip and waited untill Volt woke up

Volt waited untill all his limbs where usable then he woke up, he looked around and saw Frank working at his desk, he then barked in a much better voice, he was suprised by this. Then Frank looked back at him and let him off his harness.

-soo, how do you feel?- Frank asked

-it feels odd, i can see everything better and my voice is better, im better-

-yeah bud, ive replaced your voice box with a new one, updated your system, and ive also removed your upper mouth plate where your lens was-

-wheres the plate now-

-dont worry, ive put it in on the top of the shelf, you know its risky-

-right, what else have you done to me?-

-alright, go to that mirror over there- he points at a mirror

Volt walks over to the mirror and looks at him self, he notised that at the bolts that hold his jaw there where a sturdey pieace of wire sticking out.

-did you broke me??-

-no no, just open your mouth and youll see-

Volt slowly opened his jaw and the wire was starting to split into many more and then a holo projection with a faint yellow color appered.

-wo!-

-yeah i had a spare part that did this, when you scream youll then flash band someone your faceing, so be carefull-

-ok! Anything else?-

-ive instaled some small solar panels on your back-

-nice, anything else-

-thats all volt, you can leave now if you what-

-Frank?-

-yeah?-

-would you like to know something, i can anwer it-

-uhh, let me think... To who did you give the lens? If there was a lens in the first plac--

-to mike, he found me in my weakest and helped me, so i repayed him-

-alright then, thanks for shareing that-

-you wont tell anyone?-

-i wont, i promise-

-alright, ill be leaving now-

-later bud, see you in the morning-

Then Volt left, he was suprised and kinda happy that people dont judge him nor mike, he then went up stairs, quietly to not disturb the other, he walked up to the door and he could her Micheal and Vanessa talk.

He chose to not disturb them, he returned down stairs and layed on the couth he then entered his sleeping mode and sleep the night away, happy that he didnt need to hide his orgins

[berenwrites]

Beyond the Battle - Chapter 1 - Stranger Things - Steddie

Beyond the Battle­: Action & Consequence

Click here for All Posted Chapters

Summary: Steve hits things with a bat or gets hit depending on who you ask. He definitely does not have anything to do with the psychic stuff. That is El’s domain. However, as Vecna is defeated, the rules change.

Pairing: steddie (Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson)

Other Relationships: Steve & Robin, Steve & Dustin, Eddie & Dustin

Rating: Teen

A/N: Multi-chapter story, updated regularly. Honestly not sure how many chapters it will have yet because it's still a bit hand wavy in the middle, but definitely more than 12. Thank you to my beta for find my mistakes and to all those who read/like/reblog.💖 Follow #st:beyond-the-battle for updates.

Also on AO3

Chapter 1: The Battle

Steve swung at yet another demodog, caving in its skull and sending blood and gore into the air. It splattered onto his already destroyed pants as he focused on his next target. There were just so many. The only thing keeping him going was the thought of El battling to save them all and the rest of the older group around her, fending off bats with spears and guns. They had to be protected.

They were in the middle of downtown, where Vecna had decided to make his breakout from the Upside Down. Thanks to El finally getting through to Max, they had known where, so they had prepared, and the usable gate was still smallish, so Vecna’s creatures were not all coming through at once. However, it was getting bigger. It was almost too much.

The kids had had a ring of fire going on that they were feeding, but the enemy had made a hole in it. Steve had leapt into the breech because he was not about to let the dangers through. Nothing mattered except keeping his mismatched family safe.

He heard El scream a battle cry behind him, but he didn’t dare take his eyes off the attackers. He swung again and again until the whole world froze. It felt as if everything simply stopped, like someone had paused the movie. He couldn’t blink, he couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t move a muscle, but for a second, he glimpsed infinity.

It was glorious!

Until it wasn’t as the universe once again hit play. He crumpled to his knees, bat falling from numb fingers, head screaming in pain as Vecna’s hoard collapsed in death throes around him. He knew, without a doubt, El had succeeded, but he didn’t have long to celebrate. As the pain in his head ramped up, his beleaguered mind and body gave up and turned out the lights.

Steve lurched back to consciousness gasping, with no gap between thought and action, sitting up and grasping for a bat that was no longer there.

“Hey, Steve, relax. It’s over, you,re safe, everyone’s safe.”

Robin’s voice made it through his panic as hands firmly gripped his shoulders, but it took a while before his brain caught up with his instincts. For a second, all he could see was demodogs and demogorgons melting into a hideous mess, before it finally faded away into a white walled room.

“Hi,” Robin said, giving him a smile as he managed to focus on her.

She was kneeling on what turned out to be a bed, over his knees and looking right into his face.

“You with me, Dingus?” she asked, searching his face.

He nodded, at which point he realised his head was pounding.

“Ow,” he said, putting his hand to his forehead. “Please tell me I didn’t get another concussion.”

“That I can do,” Robin told him, climbing off and almost getting him in the groin with one of her knees. “At least not a physical one. We all got caught in El’s psychic backlash. Most of us just got up again, but you, Will and El stayed down. You’ve been out about a day, but the brains said you were just sleeping. Will woke up an hour ago, but El’s still out.”

“Do we know why I did that?” he asked. “And please say you have some painkillers.”

“No and yes,” she replied, picking up a glass and a little cup from the bedside table. “Will had a headache from hell too.”

“I love you,” he said as he downed the pills, noticing the empty bed to the left.

“Of course you do,” she said with a big smile. “Now lie back down while the pills kick in. Will didn’t and ended up throwing up all over the place.”

Steve made a face and let Robin fluff his pillows before taking her advice.

“I’ve seen some weird shit, but that was the weirdest,” he admitted as he made himself comfortable. “I mean I’ve been up against monsters and into the Upside Down, but never any of the psychic stuff like Nance or Max or Will or El. It was trippy in the extreme.”

“I just blanked out for a second,” Robin told him. “Like suddenly going into a tunnel on a rollercoaster or something. What was it like for you?”

“Everything kind of stopped,” he revealed, trying to describe what he had felt, “and it was like I could see everything all at once. Then time started again, my head was screaming at me, and everything went black. Kind of like being hit by a Russian thug.”

Robin winced.

“Ouch,” she said and patted his arm.

“Can only imagine what it must have been like for El,” he said. “How’s Will doing now?”

“After he threw up, he said he felt much better,” Robin said. “Last time I saw him he was tucking into a plate of French Toast as big as his head.”

“Sounds like a recipe for being sick all over again,” Steve said with a grin, groaning quietly in relief as he felt the first beginnings of the pills kicking in. “I know I wasn’t their age very long ago, but where the hell do they put it all?”

“Second stomach, gotta be,” Robin replied, nudging him in the side until he moved over a bit. “Clearly as we grow, we evolve and lose it, it’s just no one has decided to study the science properly. I mean who could be bothered with studying teenagers?”

When she kicked off her shoes and climbed back onto the bed, snuggling into his side, Steve began to feel better immediately.

“Watch the elbows, Buckley,” he warmed, and just for that she jabbed him in the ribs, but very gently.

“You’ve been sleeping all of yesterday and the beginning of today,” she said, throwing an arm across his chest. “Some of us were worriedly sitting by your bedside waiting for their Dingus to wake up.”

“Then nap now,” he told her, wrapping his arm around her back so they were comfortably ensconced. “I am not going anywhere, and I promise to protect your honour.”

Robin snorted a laugh but snuggled down a little further.

“Glad you’re okay, Dingus,” she said.

“Me too, Robs, me too,” he said quietly as he felt her relax.

~*~

Robin clearly hadn’t been completely joking about her bedside vigil because she fell asleep pretty quickly. She was in the middle of telling Steve all about the final battle from her angle when she trailed off. It was cute how she tried to start up again at least twice, but eventually nodded off properly.

Steve closed his eyes and let his mind drift as he waited for the throbbing behind his eyes to peter out. It was peaceful just lying there, listening to Robin’s breathing, and he fell into something of a meditative state. He became focused on the warmth of his best friend down his side and all he could think of was how he wanted to keep her safe and protected.

That it was over, at least as far as Vecna was concerned, helped with his sense of calm and he floated in the moment, enjoying it. His thoughts drifted free, taking some weird tangents, but he didn’t care. For some reason his mind conjured up Robin as a gently burning fire that he was guarding and feeding and feeling her heat.

It would have been easy to fall asleep again, but he didn’t want to lose the sense of Robin, so he resisted. Unfortunately, for most of them sometimes sleep held nightmares, and he preferred the simple contentment rather than risk it. Time had little meaning until someone lightly tapped him on the arm.

He reluctantly opened his eyes to find Dustin leaning over him.

“Hey, Dustin,” he said.

“You’re bleeding, man,” was not the greeting he expected to get back.

Dustin pointed to his face, and he realised his nose felt wet.

“Dammit,” he said and was very grateful when Dustin handed him a Kleenex. “Must have hit my head after all,” he concluded.

“You’re sure you’re okay?” Dustin asked as Steve wiped his nose, trying not to jostle Robin.

“Yeah,” he replied. “This happened last time I got hit on the head. Random nosebleeds for over a week. It’ll be fine.”

“Sorry for waking you,” Dustin said, seemingly satisfied with that answer.

“Wasn’t asleep,” he assured his younger friend, “just letting Robin use me as a furnace. And thanks, this could have been messy.”

“No problem,” Dustin replied with a grin. “I really came to see if Robin and now you want some lunch.”

Steve’s traitorous stomach had the audacity to growl, which made Dustin’s grin even wider.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Dustin said.

Steve hadn’t really thought about it before, but now his head wasn’t hurting he was beginning to understand why Will had been eating like a horse.

“Food would be good,” he decided. “Where are we anyway?”

It only occurred to him then that he hadn’t asked Robin before.

“Hey, Robs,” he said, gently shaking her shoulder.

“Hawkins Labs,” Dustin explained as Robin opened her eyes and blinked blankly a couple of times. “It’s become kind of a base for everything. Apparently there has been some secret refurbishing going on. Can you believe the army wanted to arrest us? I mean we just saved the world! But then Dr Owens arrived with a whole bunch of other people in uniforms and suits, and it all got dealt with. The army is cleaning up before they let people back into town.”

Steve went through surprised, alarmed, and resigned as Dustin’s speech went on.

“What time is it?” Robin asked as she sat up and stretched.

“Lunch time, apparently,” Steve replied. “Is there anywhere I can get a shower first?” he asked as an afterthought.

Someone had removed his filthy clothes and cleaned him up somewhat, but he still felt a bit gross.

“Yeah, you have smelt better,” Robin helpfully let him know.

“Clothes would be great too,” he added.

“Yeah, I’ll show you,” Dustin said. “But don’t take too long, I’m hungry.”

“I have to make sure my hair is perfect before going out in public,” Steve shot back and it inspired the laugh he had been hoping for, so he was pleased with himself. “Wow,” Robin said, climbing off the bed, “I need to nap and steal your body heat more often. I feel great.”

End of Chapter 1

On to Chapter 2

[gildead]

CONTENT WARNING: THE FOLLOWING DRABBLE CONTAINS GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF GORE AND DISCUSSION OF ANIMAL/POKEMON ABUSE. READER DESCRIPTION IS ADVISED.

Part 1 Part 2 (you are here)! Part 3 (MASSIVE GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING. PLEASE SEE TAGS FOR DETAILS.) Part 4

It was worse. So much worse than he thought.

Gold's first instinct was to grab a Hyper Potion from his bag in order to address the Wigglytuff's injuries. He approached her as she sat down on the picnic blanket. Forever coiled his body around the Wigglytuff to help her sit up, his tail pressed to the ground. He nudged her to face Gold with his snout, gently so as to not hurt her. He remembered being in this position before as a Houndour.

If anybody could help her, surely it would be his trainer! Right?

"C-can you open your mouth?" Gold asked in a soft voice.

The Wigglypuff did so, and Gold immediately wished he never asked.

No wonder she was in so much pain, Gold realized as his stomach lurched horribly. What a lot of people didn't realize was that the Wigglytuff line had flexible, inflatable bodies for a good reason: to protect their fragile internal organs and skeletons. Legitimate Pokémon battles, even with Wild Pokémon, had been shaped through years of League regulations preventing the use of excessive force. Whatever the poor Wigglytuff went through had caused extreme internal injuries, leaving a bloody, gory mess inside her mouth.

She let out a pained wheeze -- far from the melodic tones Pokémon of her species were known for.

"She needs a Pokémon center," Please hissed to Gold. She reached her snout into his bag and slid over his damaged yet still usable PokéGear. "We need the help of the living."

Gold fumbled to the PokéGear, his sleeves scrolling down to find the one connection to his mortal life who knew of his undeath. As he did so, Please lowered herself to the Wigglytuff, her voice lowering. "Now, dear, what happened?" she asked, using the same tone she used when coaxing Hurry to bed, "We're here to help you."

The Wigglytuff moved to speak, only emitting another breathless wheeze from her mangled throat. She was cut off by a sharp cough from Away. "Foolish creature," Celebi scolded, "Do you truly seek to harm yourself further? We will get nowhere if you force yourself to speak."

"She's doing her best." Typhlosion glowered at Celebi.

Celebi sighed dramatically and fluttered over to the Wigglytuff. "I simply believe there is a more sufficient way. Let me read her mind."

Please still looked irritated, but she stepped aside. Celebi had a point; after all, its psychic abilities were how it learned of Gold's plight -- and without them, her beloved trainer would have been condemned to a fate of eternal nothingness. The Time Travel Pokémon reached its single arm out to take Wigglytuff's hand, eye shut in concentration--

And both screamed.

Celebi had barely touched the other Pokémon before it recoiled in horror, nearly falling backwards into Hurry. The tiny spectral Cyndaquil dodged out of the way and hid behind his mother, disturbed. Wigglytuff sunk against Forever again and whined. Gold, startled, dropped his PokéGear into the ground.

"It's okay, Celbi." Hurry waddled to the shaken Celebi. "Just us. No big scary Pokémon coming back to eat you."

"Thank you, young one, but... this was no mere Pokémon at work." Celebi's face darkened as its voice dropped. "But rather... human hands."

Everybody, even the Wigglytuff, went dead silent. So silent, in fact, that the only sound to permeate it... was tearing fabric and breaking bone.

They turned to Gold, whose sleeves had dropped and whose body was showing the wear and tear caused by the monster from long ago. As his pupils vanished, a horde of Unown came bursting out from the wholes of his sleeves, intermingling with one another as they floated above, where the Wigglytuff could read them.

He floated over Wigglytuff, his expression frozen in rage. As she looked up, the message from the Unown became crystal clear.

SHOW ME WHO DID THIS TO YOU.

[violetscanfly]

Tagged in by @baakeli thanks!

Are you named after anyone?

Not by first name, no, but one of my names is one that I got from my great grandma. A certain flower, can you guess which one?

When was the last time you cried?

Watching Suzume, the parts about wanting to live felt really powerful to me.

Do you have kids?

Nope.

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Sure.

What sports do you play/have you played?

I'm reeally not a sporty person, that said I started learning to skateboard last summer! I'm not good at it yet but it is really fun and I'll continue to learn this summer. In the past I've danced as a hobby, something I'd like to maybe try again someday.

What's the first thing you notice about other people?

Stealing answers here from the last taggers, sorry, but its vibes for me too.

Eye colour?

Blue.

Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings definitely, I'm a sappy bitch. I don't enjoy horror movies (there are exceptions but getting into it here would get way too long.) Contradicting the earlier, I do enjoy a good tragedy though!

Any special talents?

Art. Even if I'm not as good as I'd like to be, its something I will definitely keep at my whole life. An artist is never "ready" which is something I really love.

Where were you born?

Finland

What are your hobbies?

Drawing, reading, animation, comics, cosplay.

Do you have any pets?

Sadly, no. If I get a pet someday, it'll definitely be a cat.

How tall are you?

170cm or 5'5(?)

Fave subject in school?

Art, languages and history.

I have studied English, French, Spanish and Swedish (mandatory here in Finland,) although sadly English is the only one I'm any good at anymore, since keeping it up is kind of necessary and easy since I interact with it every day. Once you learn a language that is usable for everything the motivation for others kind of trickles out, though I'm trying to get back on track with a Spanish course this summer! Couldn't find a French one for my level :P but I'll get on that or maybe just start over entirely lmao.

Dream job?

There are so many things I'd like to try, mostly I'd like to be a freelancer so I could be more independent and lean more into my own interests without limitations, but in an industry setting I'm interested in being a story artist, a concept artist, a character designer or something like that. Also playing with the thought of starting my own comic but that probably would not be a full time job for a long time if ever.

tagging @epzart & @eeviart but no pressure + mutuals feel free to consider yourself tagged

[tumblebagel]

A dance of deduction (Abt Charmside worldbuilding)

Ahem, don't read on unless you've read Curse/Kiss/Cute Chapter 0. To that one mutual, I'm looking at you.

Curse/Kiss/Cute 0-8 is out now and holy fuck. Holy Fuck. HOLY FUCK. With 0-8, we've gotten what is probably one of the best series of interactions, and well written characterizations of our protagonist*, with the "This and That" scene (Halla, V. 2024, p2). The giddy ass smile as I read through that- fucking hell man. To me, as someone who's been consuming Valerie's art since I cracked, this one scene feels like the perfect example of their two core design philosophies "queer mundanity" and "erotic mundanity".

For some light LIGHT context, if its been a while, or you staunchly refused to heed my warning at the top, this scene is the first time we get any hard details on Aster's curse, including its somewhat volatile-nature. Part of what's revealed is that their... cosmetics, align to their mood on any given day. With the additional context that their AGAB isssssssssss

IRRELEVANT!

(thanks to Alexi for the gag idea). Aster has been panicking for seven straight pages now about passing as androgynous, and as the scene plays out, it becomes clear that they VERY much do because none of the other characters can figure it out. The slow realization into cheesy grin is just (chef's kiss).

And now the dance of deduction comes into play. To be clear: I'm NOT trying to figure out Aster's AGAB. That's kinda the entire point of the scene is that it's totally and utterly ambiguous. Valerie, the author themselves, has explicitly stated that even THEY don't know Aster's AGAB.

No my goal is loftier. That sweet succulent WORLDBUILDING. So I issue my correction... to myself. There is one sex-restricted activity that happened earlier on in the chapter (at least it's restricted by sex where I come from). 0-8 Starts in the bathroom. Not only does 0-8 start in the bathroom, the immediate next thing that happens is Sandy watching Aster leave the bathroom. Meaning, at the bare minimum, Sandy would have SOME hint as to what Aster's currently presenting. But no. By the time of the "this and that" scene, Sandy is still completely, utterly, and 100% lost. Aster leaving the bathroom seemed to have zero effect on his perception of Aster.

Fact #2: Accessibility in the Middlewood has got to be nightmare. And yet, monsters are constantly finding ways to make it work, like we see in 0-2 when we learn about the floor behind the counter. IT'S REALLY COOL!

Here's my point. To make one bathroom conceivably usable for any type of monster out in the Middlewood, it's got to be huge. Not just for larger monsters, but to make space for all the entirely unique accommodations. Stalls to account for all types of curses with unfortunate side effects.

If you're gonna spend THAT MUCH TIME and THAT MUCH FLOORSPACE on a s i n g l e bathroom... fuck it, I wouldn't build two of 'em. It's just way too much of a hassle. Between two curse-restrictive bathrooms for different genders, and one completely accessible bathroom for everybody, the latter just makes way more sense.

Conclusion:

CHARMSIDE HAS GENDER NEUTRAL PUBLIC RESTROOMS

I rest my case :3

[crystalelemental]

Updates on Silent Hope.  It's, uh.  I have some opinions.

I'm now on the fourth area.  And have suffered my first death.  Farmer (or rather, it's upgrade of Ranger) fell off a bit.  More on that later.  They attempted one of the challenge areas, and died in like fifteen seconds.  Just got annihilated, could barely hurt an opponent, it was a mess.  I thought it was incidental, but I brought Rogue into another one, and the only reason I escaped alive is because I ran the fuck away, and teleported through mobs, until I got to the chests at the end.  Which...thank god they didn't have an arena segment like they usually do.  Not that it matters, death only loses you some gathered runes and equipment.  Not a big loss.

The problem with Farmer was that their weapon no longer held up.  Weapons seem to fall off pretty fast between areas. A legendary weapon from area 3 is not as baseline powerful as a standard weapon from Area 4. This doesn't account for skills, which still allow the legendary weapons to far exceed that basic weapon, but Farmer was rocking an area 1 legendary weapon in area 3. Needless to say, this does not cut it. The numbers scale far too sharply.

Resource collection, as it turns out, is not really an issue. I have yet to not have the base resources to create something. No, instead the problem is the created materials. Getting wood in the dungeon becomes refining it into usable lumber, but you can only set three at a time per action slot in the home base, and it takes a while for materials to be ready. If you're like me, you probably don't want to wait. You can beat the entire area and move on by the time you get all that much in refined material. And unfortunately, equipment starts to cost a lot. Some of this is asking for 6-9 pieces of material in multiple categories. And it's getting more expensive over time. So I'm finding myself making less equipment. And that's just weapons. Armor is also getting costly.

What's happening is that I'm starting to blitz through with only one character now. I'll still swap a bit, but by and large...it's just Warrior. I just punch at this point. There's some time with Rogue, or maybe Fighter, but I'm not giving as much time to other characters because frankly, there's not much incentive to. You don't actually need them, and the resource drain is killer. But that yields its own problem, as weapons are specific, and you're kind of at the mercy of what drops. If you can't find the legendary punching weapon of that area, Warrior falls off for a while, and you need a backup. At this point, I'm thinking the focus is on two or three characters for a good rotation, and to avoid getting too heavily locked out.

I'm going to still do a ranking of the classes, but given the equipment situation, it's becoming clear that this is mostly a numbers-focused button masher, and while they technically play different, a lot of what determines success is how you move and dodge. And also how you rotate your skills. Some skills combo very effectively, others are a bit more awkward.

Also, there's promotion. Each character has a starting class, a promotion at 15, and a promotion upon beating, apparently, the sixth area. I have now unlocked all promotions, which means every character now has access to three new skills to try out. Some are great, some are...not as great. I also had all of them with the quest weapons that were, for a moment, the best they could acquire. So it's about as standardized as I could get to assess them on their skills. With that, the rankings:

Caster/Sage - Okay, this is perhaps a little unfair, but I really, really have not enjoyed Caster. His skillset isn't inherently terrible, but I feel like he has yet to find a skill that's particularly powerful. His explosion technique can stun, but it has such a large charge time and requires close range to hit, and dude is made of tissue paper. You can get away with the combo of invincibility into the explosion, leaving him with one other move. The third promotion skill is two spheres that rotate around the starting position and deal crap damage. So I mostly use the sphere that hits five times. It's a bit more reliable than the explosion. His problem is, even with this set, his damage is kind of middling, and it gives up a lot of his range that's supposed to be his signature effect. To compound his issues, his dodge is slower than the others, which results in this awkward feeling of being constantly off on your timing to keep out of the way. It's a deadly trait for someone so frail. I'm seriously underwhelmed by his set.

Wanderer/Adventurer - Still my least favorite just by design. He at least has the shield charge to stun, but his upgrade skills are just a shield toss that doesn't do that much, and the bigger frontal attack, but the boost to status resistance has yet to matter in the slightest. While he has a clear combo in his shield rush for stun into the big swing, his damage often fails to impress. I'm just not really able to love the guy, but for more boring reasons than the mage.

Fighter/Paladin - Fighter has some very strong traits upon promotion. A long spin with repeated hits, and if the last hit connects, it stuns. It draws enemies in, but then repels them as it lands hits, so it's kinda rough ensuring the stun lands. She's also got a spin attack that lasts a long while and deals fire damage, and you can move around while attacking, but it doesn't stun enemies and you can't dodge out of it, so you're stuck swinging for a while. Her third skill is a straight buff to attack damage. On the whole, excellent upgrades, but I'd be lying if I said I loved it. As you can probably guess, the main issue is she's stuck in place for a while on all attacks, and one of them can't stun enemies enough to stop their attacks from connecting. She takes a lot of hits just from stasis. Also the spin attack is questionable given the fire. Area 3 is ice, so it took a lot of damage on the whole from it, but area 4 is fire, and that's not going as well. The promotion was a huge improvement, but I don't actually think it changes her overall lot in life.

Archer/Bomber - Okay, Bomber is relatively fun. They have an explosion at range, and a set of six bombs that are thrown overhead that land in a circle a distance away. Slow moving, but when it hits, it deals pretty solid damage and stuns. My main hiccup with archer is that this overhead is slow and very hard to target with. It makes setting up his best damage rather difficult, making him a lot less consistent on the whole. There's nothing terrible about the guy, but there's nothing overly impressive about his skills to me either.

Farmer/Ranger - Ranger's skills are kinda middling. She throws her weapon now for range, and has a summon for three birds that will attack a target after a short delay. The last skill is an attack of repeated stabs in a sort of cone shape, but the cone really doesn't get range, so I tend to miss anything not dead center in front of her. To be blunt, I find the base Farmer skills more compelling. The charge has a stun effect, which combos well into the cone stab. Her buff is random, but with sufficient points, you tend to pull a couple good stats, and can even get regen effects to sustain through harder areas if you take hits. More importantly, the offense buff has resulted in the cone stab being a sure KO on many opponents. The main problem is that you only get three skills. Butterfly was absolutely excellent for crowd control in the challenge areas, but you can't reasonably fit that in without dropping one of the other three. The buff is too valuable, the cone is her only real damage effect, and the charge is a valuable stun that also serves as a form of crowd control, if less devastating. She just really struggles when there are a lot of enemies, and especially in the challenge areas.

Rogue/Trickster - Trickster's skills are...okay. The main selling point is the sneak attack, where she teleports behind an opponent and stabs twice for frankly bonkers damage. For a while, this was our sure-kill attack. Her other skills are...less significant. Turning your dodge into an attack sounds good, but dodge has a cooldown timer, and the skill is also on a timer, so you only get like two hits in max, and it's extremely unremarkable damage. The whirling blades around her are also really poor damage for an attack that can't stun or otherwise stagger an opponent. She relies a lot on previous skills, specifically the charge in, and the rapid stab. Both have respectable damage that can apply a lot of pressure. Rogue's main failing is lack of stun. If she could stun, there's a good chance she'd be #1, but without it, she leaves herself open to being hit by foes who can track her movements. Or if you mistime the rapid-fire attack, because you'll be there a while. There's a lot of teleporting and dashing to get around mobs, and she actually was the first to survive an Area 3 challenge zone, because she could teleport dodge through all the mobs. It makes her very hard to hit. But if they can hit, she's frail, so she's a definite consideration for your best defensive equipment.

Warrior/Battle Master - But nothing beats punch lady. Battle Master as a promotion is nothing special. The main appeal is the spinning punch, which deals frankly insane damage. There's a sort of "counter" skill, where if you perfectly time it to negate a foe's attack, they can be stunned sometimes into inaction. Doesn't always work, and the time frame is really short, but it can be fun. The third skill...I can't remember what it does. I remember being mostly underwhelmed. I just use rocket punch. It stuns and draws the enemy to you, so you can spin punch the shit out of them. It kills most targets, barring the more extreme HP sponges in challenge areas and bosses. But this ability to stun, draw foes out one by one, and deal explosive damage, has easily landed her at #1, because unlike the others, she doesn't take damage. I beat the area 3 miniboss without any damage. I took one (1) hit from the area 3 boss with her. All of her attacks are incredibly fast-acting, she has the shorter cooldown on her dodge, and she's able to obliterate anything she hits, and can turn any mob into 1v1s until there's nothing left. She's been stunning, I'm very satisfied with her overall performance.

[riot-control-camp]

WIP Wednesday!

finally starting these! tagged by the mutuals (and others) who put "you, the one reading this" in their tag lists /lh thank you i love you all

i have. SO MANY FUCKING WIPS IT'S NOT EVEN FUNNY but the main two i've been working on are as follows!

details under the cut!

1. "Hello My Old Heart"

this is a davey/angel canon-divergence where angel is a wedding planner recruited to assist in the organization of asher and babe's wedding! david did not know about this and he is Not Thrilled that his ex that he parted with under...complicated circumstances is now part of the wedding planning that he can Totally Handle On His Own, Thank You Very Much

Excerpt:

“We haven’t even touched the idea of planning anything yet, because you stubborn shits can’t focus for three fucking seconds,” David points out, smoothing his menu over the booth table. He’s starting to think this is another one of Ash’s half-baked schemes to get him out of the house; they’ve met up to start organizing twice in the past week with no results except a large tab.   “We haven’t done that because you can’t stop lookin’ around like everyone in this bar is planning a flash re-enactment of the Ides of fuckin’ March,” Milo says. “Stop bein’ an idiot.”   “That’s my best man, saving the day from...well, from my other best man,” Asher jokes. “But, I’m serious, buddy. The second we order, Babe’s fancy notebook is coming out to play, alright?”   David growls, because the waiter has come over asking if they’re ready to order at least three different times, only to get waved away without so much as an appetizer to show for it. At this rate, they’ll be here until the bar closes. “Keep lying to yourself, Ash. And you better tip well—we've been hogging the table for an hour and wasting their opportunity to get customers who actually know what they want.”   “We are going to tip excellently,” Asher concedes. “As a group. But until then, drink your drink and try to chill out.”  

2. "Never Love an Anchor" (which should tell you all you need to know about my music taste and how i title things /lh)

this is a magnus archives wip i've had cooking for a long time without a lot of time to dedicate to it, but the conceit is immortal jon and time traveler martin who's been searching for a cure for his mom.

Excerpt:

“You’re back again?” Jon says, like he’s bored of it. It’s one of the worse acts he’s put on, hiding his smile in the folds of his robes instead of keeping it off his face altogether.   “Yes,” says Martin.   “In that case, your books are in the corner, and I’ll get your pallet out from storage--though I expect it’s more mildew than anything else at this point. Still, you’re welcome to it.” Jon points to an unassuming crate in the corner, turned on its side as a bookshelf.   The spines of the books are all dusted. “You didn’t have to do that,” Martin says, flushing helplessly.   “I know,” Jon says as he climbs up to the eaves and pulls the second pallet and its accompanying dust cloud down from its nook.  “It just didn’t seem right to let them rot, and it only took a few moments a day to keep them in working order.”   Martin crosses the room and wraps his arms around Jon’s turned back. “You missed me.”   Jon tenses in surprise, then melts back into him, resting his head on Martin’s shoulder. “Yes,” he admits.  “More than you know.”   Martin nestles his chin on top of Jon’s head, humming contentedly. For a few minutes, they stand there, taking each other in and listening to the rustling of the trees outside.  Martin opens his eyes, not knowing when he closed them and spitting out a tiny bit of Jon’s hair. “So,” he starts a little too knowingly, “are we still pretending that this pallet is actually usable after spending at least a decade up in your attic?”  “I,” Jon says primly, “have no idea what you are implying.” 

that's all folks! sorry for any formatting chaos as i have Not Done This Before (/lh) take care and thanks for reading!