#(Will I get the Mike plushie.. perhaps..)

[chloesimaginationthings]

Vanny thinks the new FNAF plushies are cute,,

[angelofrainfrogs]

Going Back: Ch. 8

~Coauthored by @zeitghest~

Fandom(s): Five Nights At Freddy’s: Security Breach

Description: Things are looking up for Gregory. After putting the soul of a formerly-immortal killer to rest, he and his new family can finally begin their lives anew. Sure, Gregory might have been cursed with mysterious Remnant in exchange for being involved in this mess—not to mention his caretakers consist of sentient robots and ghosts… But there’s no doubt that the bond they share is unbreakable. They love him, and he in turn. 

All in all, life is finally starting to go right for once. 

…Unfortunately, true peace is a hard-won battle. There are other things to contend with besides William’s decrepit soul, and Gregory will learn that his role in the lives of the Aftons and Emilys is far greater than anyone could’ve imagined. 

Rating: T

Read on Ao3

The clown was sitting in a pile on the floor. It was hard to tell where the carpet covering their body began and the decorative plushies and pillows lining Sun and Moon's room ceased. Ennard had collected anything soft and with a colorful pattern for their new friend. Everything clashed and gave off colors in such high saturation it may terribly strain the eyes of a person to look at—still, Sun told Ennard it was wonderful and soon it became Ennard's safety spot, too...

Then again, they didn't have a problem resting inside the vents from time to time. Being cramped inside tight spaces felt like home.

Alone and calming down from the recent fright, one of the clown-faced animatronic's eyes shot to the boy peering in from the balcony. All Ennard knew of the child was that he was a relative of Circus Baby—Elizabeth, and Mike.

“HEL—LO?” asked the robot, wondering if the boy was lost or had become separated from his older brother somehow.

“Hi!” Evan replied, still in a low voice but now with a tiny smile added on. Ennard didn’t jump at him, didn’t move to attack, no sharp nightmare teeth anywhere to be seen… That didn’t necessarily mean Ennard didn’t have nightmare teeth, but as long as they weren’t bared in aggression towards him, Evan wouldn’t mind. He’d seen far worse over the years than a robotic jaw full of jagged metal. 

“Um… I’m Evan! I just wanted to say hi and thank you for helping the other night.” His eyes shone with the light of decades-old understanding. “Mike can be really mean sometimes, but I know he’s thinking the same thing. So’s Lizzie. But since they’re not gonna say it, I… I thought maybe I should.”

He paused, but only for a second, peering at the animatronic with a curious tilt of his head. He didn’t even give Ennard a chance to respond to the thank you before starting off on a tangent of childish wonder. “So… is it true that you’re like three robots mixed together? ‘Cause that’s kinda cool!”

Mike could be really mean. Deep down, Ennard knew they deserved it sometimes. Every once in a while, a more coherent thought made it through their scattered minds and they’d briefly come to the conclusion that everyone was frightened of them. Even Mike was, sometimes... That fear translated to anger, and Ennard would take it.

One day they’d make amends, but the road to forgiveness would be hard fought. Perhaps they could start by making friends with one of the little Michaels.

“THAT IS TRUE! WE WERE FOUR, ONCE... CIRCUS BABY WAS OUR LEADER...” Ennard explained, happy for the company but constantly looking behind the boy for fear of his big sister rearing her new, fresh face. “MICHAEL WILL NOT BE MAD FOR LONG. WE ARE MAKING AMENDS.”

Evan gave a bright nod, any tension that still lingered in his ghostly body relaxing as Ennard conversed with him. The robot was definitely weird and Evan could see why people thought they were creepy… But he could say the same thing about Sun, and he was nice, if a bit overzealous about hoisting kids into the air.

“Mikey will get over it,” Evan confirmed, then let out a small laugh. “Besides, even if he’s being a jerk, you’ve still got Puppet and Sun to hang out with! Puppet really likes you; so does Sun, from what I heard. Oh! And Gregory and Charlie do, too!”

While Evan was listing all the new companions Ennard had, Michael was desperately trying to avoid being captured by the Puppet in question. As she diligently crawled across the lattice of the safety netting, her shadow would overlook the bright neon tube. Atop the structure was where her long fingers scraped the sides, clinging to the hiding spot Michael hid beneath. If the Marionette was capable of speaking her mind, she would’ve asked the eldest Afton if he found this scenario nostalgic. Knowing exactly where he was, she created a tense scene before trailing off and away, her shadow climbing just out of sight again. After a moment, just when the warm illusion of protection fell back over, Mike would feel the Puppet's pointy fingers grasping for his sides.

As the familiar sound of Michael screaming reached the balcony, Ennard glanced behind Evan while they conversed.

“PUPPET FOUND MIKEY...” It was obvious from the shout.

Evan giggled, looking over his shoulder to see his brother scramble out of the tube, seeming rather frightened until he registered his attacker had been the very being he was hiding from. Only when Michael laughed did Evan turn back to Ennard, floating further into the room to perch on a neatly stacked pile of wooden crates and avoid the prying eyes of his brother.

“Yeah, he acts tough but Mike’s always been a scaredy-cat deep down,” Evan admitted, leaving out the fact that in the last few years of his life Michael had been the one doing all the scaring. Cupping a hand over his grinning mouth, Evan leaned towards the animatronic conspiratorially. “One time, Liz and I hid this huge fake spider under his sheets, and he—” The ghost paused to snicker at the memory. “—hee hee… Mike screamed so loud he woke up the neighbors. Our parents were so annoyed.”

Ennard, while laughing as quietly as physically possible for them, had begun to invest themselves into their conversation with Evan. While it was renowned to the whole of their strange little alliance that Michael was a bit on the sensitive side, Ennard never considered him a scaredy-cat by any means. For the sake of this very interaction, Ennard would agree.

“HE IS... A SOFTIE...,” they replied with a loving certainty.

Out in the playground, Puppet swung carefree along the structure. With no one else hiding inside of its confines, she joined Michael on the ground floor with anticipation of finding the rest.

In the ball pit below the balcony, Elizabeth laid paralyzed at the bottom. She felt as though she’d been laying there so long she may as well have become one with the floor. Though this was just a dramatic way of saying she'd become bored of sitting and waiting. Luckily, her wait was soon to be over as the Puppet and Michael trailed over to the plastic-lined pool of colors. Liz saw the shadows pass over her, but true to the game remained as stiff as a plank of wood, not even daring to flinch when the Puppet suddenly smacked the surface of the rainbow river. The plastic balls flew and clicked loudly upon collision with one another, and Puppet banked on that scaring one or more children into revealing their hiding spots.

“Hmm… I don’t trust it,” Michael said, gazing into the pit with narrowed eyes. Upon seeing nothing, he decided to take a more physical approach. Wading into the plastic pool, he began slowly walking towards the other side, making sure to take long strides and canvassing the bottom with his legs. It didn’t take long for his foot to collide with something hard, which he quickly determined to be Lizzie’s torso. With a satisfied grin Mike reached under the rainbow layer to hoist his sister up by the shoulders, holding her high into the air as he proclaimed his victory.  

“Gotcha!” he laughed at Lizzie’s pout, throwing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. A humiliating defeat.

“That's not faaaair...,” she protested. “You had to have been watching me hide! Admit it!”

Even if she had genuinely accused him, Lizzie was aware he'd ignore it like he always did. Puppet reached up and pinched her cheeks, eager to check out the next hiding spot. She’d been certain that the larger can structure wasn't anything Sun would make. His towers always stood in the same uniformed line, where as this one formed a pyramid. Gregory sure didn't know how to be conspicuous when he hid...

As they passed it by, she startled Gregory from his spot by removing one of the bottom cans on the stack. They fell over in a mighty pile over top of the boy, causing both her and Liz to laugh at his high-pitched scream.

“No way! How?! That was such a choice hiding spot!” Gregory complained. This caused Elizabeth to roll her eyes as she lay defeated and limp over Mike's shoulder.

“Mine was, too. Mike and Puppet are cheaters.” Which happened to be her excuse for every game she had ever lost to her older brother or their friends.

“YOU laid down in a pool of plastic balls! I created a structure!” Gregory countered, gesturing wildly to his broken fortress. The Puppet didn't have the heart or the voice box to tell him that she'd noticed his hiding spot the moment she saw it. Instead, she crawled past Gregory in search of her new best friend, the Sun.

Silently she shifted through the playground like a snake in search of field mice. It wasn't long before Puppet slipped quietly into the foam pit and come into contact with the harder exterior of the Daycare attendant. Light hardly escaped the pit after descending past the first layer of foam blocks, but it was the unmistakable and pointed shape of Sun's head that she could feel that gave them away.

“Oh! You found me!” Sun exclaimed, popping up like a jack in the box and scattering foam blocks every which way. He pulled Puppet into a brief hug, getting his overly-programmed affection out wherever he could.

“Now that was a good spot,” Michael conceded, now focused on finding their last player. “Okay, where is that little sneak?”

Evan was thoroughly distracted by the amalgamation of Funtime animatronics, though eventually the noise trickling in from the Daycare proper gave him pause. With a surprised gasp, he realized he could hear everyone talking… meaning he was the last one left.

“Uh-oh,” he murmured, looking to the doorway as he floated off the stack of boxes. “I should probably go down there…” He glanced back at Ennard with an apologetic smile, giving him a little wave. “Thanks for keeping me company! I’ll tell Mike and Liz not to be such jerks, but no promises.” 

Ennard had been sitting in front of the crate, their knees pulled up to their chest as they regaled Evan with fanciful stories of their short times as children entertainers. Though at the commotion outside, it was clear visiting time was over. Still, there was a clear sense of gratitude in Ennard's body language. They had made a new friend, which meant being stuck in Sun and Moon's room was worth it in the end.

“WE WILL SEE YOU LATER...” Ennard easily let go of the conversation, their fear of missing out slowly going away the more their friend group grew. Surely Puppet and Sun will fill them in later on the excitement down below. “TELL... MIKE... WE SAID 'HEY'.”

With a blink, Evan had gone completely invisible. He floated down towards the ball pit, settling himself just inside the tube slide that connected to the drop off area. When his body returned to its usual opaqueness, the bottom of his shoes could just be seen sticking out while he gripped the slick plastic in order not to fall all the way down into the ball pit.

“Wha—aw, no way!” Michael exclaimed as he caught sight of the shoes appearing out of the corner of his eye. He stomped over to the ball pit, swiftly yanking Evan out and holding him up by his ankle. “You cannot tell me you were in there the whole time!”

“I was just hiding!” Evan said innocently, then laughed louder when Michael shook him gently.

“A likely story, but I don’t buy it.” Michael walked Evan to where the others had gathered, still holding him upside-down. Looking around the group, he asked with a raised eyebrow: “Innocent or no? Don’t let the face fool you—Gregory has the same one, and he’s a terror.”

With faux offense taken, Gregory would gasp and furrow his brows. “This is profiling, you know!”

Were the both of them mischievous? Maybe. Though Gregory wouldn't argue that was because they just so happened to look very close to one another... and has similar inclinations for trouble, even if Evan rarely showed his. Neither one could help it; the boys had even wondered out loud if they happened to be twins displaced by time at some point—though they’d both come to the agreement that such a notion was impossible at the end of the day.

“I believe him,” Gregory said firmly, even if he didn't really buy Evan's story.

This caused Liz to put her hands over her head, proclaiming. “You're right, Mikey! They're in cahoots!”

It was so clear now. At the accusation, Gregory took the chance at her distraction to push her off balance. With a surprised cry, Liz toppled over into the foam pit and into its depths while Gregory laughed at Elizabeth's very dramatic fall.

“Avenge me!” was all she could yell before pantomiming a drowning motion in past the lip of the pit. How was she going to survive with three brothers?

It was very quickly becoming clear that today, it was Gregory and Evan against Michael and Lizzie. After watching his sister unceremoniously thrown into the foamy sea, Mike let out an anguished cry. “Noooo! Arr, you’ll pay fer that!”

“WAH!” Evan shrieked as with a heave, he was sent flying into the middle of the pit.

The way Mike flung him had Gregory in stiches. The throw would’ve shaken a living kid to their core; if this foam pit was made of water, Gregory felt as though Evan would’ve skipped across the surface. As Michael turned, Gregory could feel the impending doom close in around him.

Suddenly it wasn't so funny—well, it was really funny. But if Gregory didn't want to be thrown into the pit too, he would have to run. It was hard not to let out of squeal of adrenaline, especially with Sun and Puppet cheering him on from the sidelines. Even Liz was laughing, trying to wade through the foam blocks to retrieve her younger brother.

“Hahaha—Evan, oh my god, you really ate it!” she laughed quietly, throwing the blocks around to try and get to him.

“Shut up, Liz!” Evan explained jovially, popping up and lobbing a block at her.

For now, Ennard would just be a quiet observer in their merrymaking. As long as they could see what was going on for the most part, they would rationalize that all of them were hanging out this way. Even if Liz and Michael didn't totally want to see them all the time. So hanging their retractable eye off the end of the balcony, they observed the fun and games and pretended that they too were chasing the group without fear or anxiety.

Gregory was faster than any normal kid his age, that was for certain. The stamina he possessed was out of place, though not unwelcomed in times like these. He huffed, jumping over the obstacles of his once proud fortress now laid scattered on the ground. Gregory would laugh, totally evading him Mike—

Until he landed directly on a can upon touchdown. The cylinder rolled and tossed Gregory forward, making the kid roll head over heels. Inertia had betrayed him and sent Gregory tumbling across the soft mat without much injury or worry. His hubris grew too big, and now Michael was upon him.

“Evan help! Do something!” Gregory shouted to his twin, the smile never wavering even when he tripped and nearly busted his neck in the tumble.

“Oh gosh, this is why we clean up!” Sun exclaimed worriedly, rushing over to help. He was able to perform a quick health scan as he approached Gregory, though when the boy appeared free of injury Sun opted to focus on stacking the cans to avoid another slip, which also allowed the others to continue their game.

Evan acted fast, practically warping to Gregory’s location just as Michael reached down to snatch the boy up. Michael’s fingers brushed the edge of Gregory’s shirt, his lips curled in a triumphant grin… when suddenly he felt two cold hands on his shoulders. He was yanked backwards, stumbling from the sudden attack and landing with a cushy thud on the mats.

“HA!” Evan cheered, throwing his fists in the air as he stood light as a feather on Michael’s chest. “Victory!”

Michael could only glare up at his traitor of a brother, the wind temporarily knocked out of him.

Gregory's deft hands brushed the dust from his new clothes. Laughing at Michael’s fall, Gregory came to his side and raised his hands in solidarity with Evan. After the short celebration, he nudged Mike with the toe of his sneaker.

It was never a good idea to let your guard down around Michael Afton—especially if you were his sibling. Before Evan could reply he was yanked down by a sharp tug of his shirt, landing flat against his big brother. Michael cinched an arm around Evan’s waist while simultaneously taking Gregory down using the same method, and soon he was rolling around with his brothers clutched in a death grip and cackling all the while.

Liz was content in watching the brothers wrestle each other at a distance. She'd learned long ago that wrestling Michael was an exercise in futility given how much bigger and more experienced with fighting he was than her. Watching how easily he took down Evan and Gregory reminded her of that fact. Instead she sat inside the pit with Puppet, juggling the foam blocks and throwing them at each other playfully instead of engaging. 

“You’re such a sore loser, dude!” Gregory laughed.

“Pot, kettle,” Mike snapped, tightening his squeeze like a boa constrictor until it was almost painful. Then he released his brothers and sat up, letting them roll to the floor and right themselves.

“Well, with that out of the way—” Michael continued with a grin, acting like this whole venture had been planned. “—we should do some more exploring; there’s a lot more Evan and Liz need to see!”

“Thanks so much for visiting!” Sun chimed in, moving to help Michael to his feet. This was simply a ruse however, for as soon as the man was upright Sun bent to squeeze him in a tight bear hug. “You’re welcome to come back and play games anytime!”

“Oof—thanks, Sun!” Michael chuckled after the initial surprise of the grab. He did his best to pat the Daycare attendant’s side until he was released, upon which Sun turned his attention to Gregory. The boy got a slightly different treatment, being picked up and held against Sun’s chest as he rocked him back and forth a few times.

Sun’s hug was calming in the way an old friend would be. Gregory rested his cheek against the robot's metal chest plate and shut his eyes. “We'll come back soon.”

Meanwhile, Puppet was having some problems separating from Liz in the foam pit.

“I'll tell Charlie you said hi! We’ve really got to go now, Puppet...,” Liz said, prying the doll off her person with many reservations. It wasn't as if they'd be strangers again; for the foreseeable future they’d all live here in the same complex.

The Puppet dithered at her words, sinking further into the pit but mutely waving to the group. She missed them already; things felt wrong without Charlie being around ever since their separation.

Once Sun put Gregory down he offered Evan a wave, which the boy returned enthusiastically. He already felt much more comfortable with the Daycare attendant—not to mention the shy amalgamation watching from afar. Evan glanced up to the stage jutting from the wall, giggling when he saw Ennard’s eye staring down at him. He waved at this, a gesture which Michael caught out of the corner of his eye.

“Who are you—oh no.” Without warning Evan was hoisted into his arms. “Nope, you’re not interacting with them anytime soon. Let’s go.”

“But Mike, maybe they’re not as bad as you think!” Evan insisted, allowing himself to be handled with a pout. They both knew he could simply phase away if he got too annoyed, but for now he opted to being carried.

“Ha! Yeah, right.” Michael rolled his eyes, making his way towards the exit. As he passed by the ball pit he flashed the Marionette a smile, calling to her: “Bye, Puppet! I’m sure Charlie will come visit you later tonight!” 

“Yeah—” Gregory agreed as Elizabeth caught up to the group. It seemed she overheard the conversation and came to put a stop to Ennard’s spying. She sent a jagged glare to the balcony and watched as the tethered robotic eye reeled itself in once it caught the sight of Elizabeth’s venomous stare. “—I think you’re forgetting how they totally saved our butts from Roxy, Mike.”

How could he forget that? Besides Monty actually getting his claws into Gregory’s back Roxy had been the closest to legitimately harming them. Were Ennard not waiting in the shadows, the wolf would have torn Gregory and Mike limb from limb. Ennard saved them without so much as a thank you needed.

Elizabeth on the other hand waved this off dismissively. She knew them—they were like her in many ways.

“That’s sweet, Gregory. Really,” she said, trying not to hurt his feelings as she actively disagreed with the boy. “But you don’t know them like we do. They’re a mess…” She wasn’t sure if she could even elaborate what that meant right then. “Look—I can’t hang around them. I was a bad person when I was with Ennard. I… Did things I don’t like thinking about. So it’s best if we just move on.”

Liz spared a look behind her. Ennard was standing in the archway of the balcony now, their stare fixated on the group as they headed for the exit. For a moment, Lizzie felt a twitch of empathy, though forced her sentimental limbs to keep herself moving. “Besides… They have friends here! They’re not alone.”

Gregory didn’t seem satisfied with this answer, judging by the way he twisted his mouth into a frown. Liz was a fairly closed-off person, and Gregory knew extracting more information about Ennard from either her or Mike would be like pulling teeth.

From over Mike’s shoulder, Evan performed a series of wild hand gestures that involved waving to get Gregory’s attention, pointing to himself, the little stage, and giving a thumbs-up. He was trying to let Gregory know that he knew some more things about Ennard that he could share, although whether this pantomime translated accurately he was unsure.

“Relax, will you?” Michael griped at all Evan’s shifting. Even so he released his brother when they reached the Daycare exit, allowing him to float over and take his place by Gregory’s side. “So… where to next? Gregory, you pick—you know what’s cool around here.” 

Gregory may have seemed confused at first as Evan rejoined, though deciphered his little game of charades pretty quickly. He had known for a while now that Ennard was benign. Whatever weird things they’d been up to in the past were left in the dust.

“We could bowl! Or, we could visit Monty in the golf course!” Gregory suggested, but figured the guests they had should make the final decision. Looking to Liz, he flashed her a smile. “The bowling alley’s the place with the pizza slushee I was telling you about.”

Liz's pupils dilated as if she could imagine its taste, the anticipation giving her an adrenaline rush.

“What are we waiting for? Show us the slushees, Gregory!” she commanded, hooking her hand around his and pulling him to walk faster at her side. “Did you have one yet? Are they as amazing as they sound?”

Squished into her shoulder, Gregory laughed at how aggressive she became at the thought of food. It seemed that they had that in common, but he answered her truthfully. “The texture is so weird! But I think you'll like it, Lizzie...”

“Bonnie Bowl it is,” Michael laughed, ruffling Evan’s hair as he floated into step next to him.

It was a quick walk to Bonnie Bowl at Gregory and Lizzie’s pace, and soon the quartet were entering the brightly-lit attraction. The others were still there, though they’d moved to sit in some relatively more comfortable chairs around one of the party tables.

“Oh! Hello, everyone!” Freddy greeted, the first to catch sight of the Afton crew. He smiled brightly, gesturing for them to come over. “How has your exploring been? I thought you were going to call me when you were finished!”

“We’re not yet—this is just a pit stop to get some more of those gnarly slushees,” Michael informed him, using “gnarly” with the utmost affection.

Popping up from the seat in front of Freddy, Bonnie deeply inhaled a gasp at the sight of the kids. Oh dear; he’d been so wrapped up in conversation, the bunny forgot his primary objective: greet the guests who come into Bonnie Bowl!

“Howdy, kids! Welcome to Bonnie Bowl!” the chipper lagomorph greeted with a cheerful wave. He loved seeing new faces; Bonnie's favorite pastime was companion-creating when he wasn't showing off his skills at the bowling lanes. “Y'all said you wanted slushees? No problem-o!”

With Charlie busy teaching Sammy how not to completely suck at bowling, Bonnie was happy to go fetch the drinks from behind the concession counters.

“Where are you guys hanging out next?” he asked, keeping it light and friendly as he juggled a few cups out of their stands before activating the swirling slushee machine behind him.

“We're thinking Gator Golf. With Monty feeling better—” Gregory begun to say, only being interrupted by the reasonably excitable rabbit.

“HOLY SMOKES! Montgomery Gator's back in town? Shucks, I need to drop on in and see if he'll jam out with us!” Bonnie whipped around, slushees overflowing and spilling over onto his hands. “Freddy! You feel like gettin' a little band practice in?”

Evan couldn’t help but giggle at Bonnie’s excitable nature. This model was certainly a far cry from the rotting golden suit oozing with corruption from William’s evil deeds. By contrast, the Glamrock’s personality seemed more like the original—the one before William completely went mad. While Bonnie turned his attention to Freddy, Evan and Mike worked in tandem to slip the drinks out of the rabbit’s hands and wipe off the excess slush before it created a sticky film that wouldn’t do any favors for the articulated finger joints.

“Ah, well…,” Freddy began, trying not to let his face betray his hesitation. It wasn’t his best friend he was worried about, since Bonnie clearly had no memory of anything going down that fateful night in the golf course. Monty was the focus of Freddy’s concern, for even if the gator didn’t remember the event either, he at least knew what he’d done.

During one of their conversations, Freddy had been able to give Monty a high-level run-down of what happened with William and Vanny… including the fact that he’d been forced to decommission Bonnie. Monty was understandably distraught—he’d heard the whispered rumors between staff ever since he took his place as the band’s official bassist, although he couldn’t believe they were true. Monty was loud, sure, but he wasn’t violent—especially not to a fellow animatronic! He and Bonnie were friends, and when Freddy confirmed that he was in fact physically responsible for the bunny’s downfall, Monty needed some time to process. He’d returned to his usual self by now, though none of them expected Bonnie would be back from the animatronic graveyard for a visit so soon, if ever.

It was times like these Freddy really wished he still had his connection to the internal Pizzaplex network… Then he could at least give Monty a heads-up. For now, all he could do was smile at Bonnie and Evan’s expectant faces and give them a nod.

“Yes, we can certainly visit Monty,” Freddy said, placing a hand on Bonnie’s arm. “Although, he may not be up for band practice tonight. However, I am sure he would appreciate the company for a round of golf.” 

Clenching his hands, Bonnie seemed to shake a little at the excitement of chilling with two of his best friends. Everyone else was stuck in the Parts & Services department. That was no fun, but Bonnie couldn't hang out with any of them until their maintenance was over.

Liz felt nostalgic when hearing the name Montgomery Gator—a guest character on the old Sunday morning cartoon her father and Henry used to act and write for. For some odd reason, William’s idea of an American accent was speaking in the richest southern twang he could muster. These voices accompanied by practiced banjo playing could be heard from the workshop whenever he and Henry were recording themselves and the instruments for the band. Monty wasn't a main character before, but Liz was happy that Sammy gave the old gator his time to shine.

“Evan—are you excited to play golf?” she asked, wanting to see if her brother was on the same level of hype as Bonnie and herself. With pizza slushee in hand, she was all pepped up and raring to go.

“Heck yeah!” Evan exclaimed, practically vibrating with excitement like the rabbit.

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” Michael said, ushering the group forward with a light push to Gregory and Liz’s shoulders.

Freddy fell into step with Bonnie at the back of the line, waving to Charlie and Sammy as they left with the promise to meet up later. He and Bonnie walked and talked, still catching up on life and things the rabbit had missed out on—only the good things for now. The closer they got to Monty’s attraction the more nervous Freddy became, though he did his best not to show it.

Everything would be fine; he had to learn to stop fretting so much.

The kids entered Monty Golf, some in search of the character, the others ecstatic to play golf for the first time in ages. Bonnie grasped onto Freddy's upper arm, grinning like mad. Monty's attraction only seemed to grow in popularity since he’d been away. The renovations were obvious even from the outside of the. Bonnie wondered if that was why it took them so long to fix him—were there other plans Sam had in mind first?

This would be a question for the old CEO later; Bonnie had something more pressing for Freddy now.

“Buddy... Amigo... What's with the jitters?” he asked gently. Bonnie hoped that he wasn't putting his friend on the spot, but he could see through Freddy's calm and collected exterior with ease. It was the tense way he carried his shoulders. Bonnie’s coding made him blessed as a people-person and could see hesitancy from a mile away. “You nervous about all of us hanging out again? I can understand that... But I swear it's gonna be just like old times!”

“Ah, yes, I… I am just thinking that it is still a bit strange to spend time with you all in this form,” Freddy replied with an easy smile, skirting around the truth and trying to put the focus on himself more so than Monty. Goodness knows the gator was about to get the shock of his life…

Speaking of which—

“Hey, squirt!” The bellow was sudden and loud, quickly followed by an equally raucous laugh as Monty hopped out from around a corner. He’d spotted Gregory first, instantly honing in on the boy from his voice. Hands on his hips, the gator flashed the little gaggle of kids a wide grin.

“I wasn’t expectin’ a visit so soon!” he continued cheerfully, his tail swaying as he took stock of Lizzie and Evan. “But any friends of Fred and his lil’ guy are always welcome! And hey—y’all didn’t tell me Gregory had a twin!”

“Uh… um…” Evan suddenly wasn’t able to speak, staring up into the star-shaped glasses perched atop Monty’s snout. He seemed nice, but damn was this guy big.

“He’s a little shy,” Michael explained, picking Evan up to set the boy on his shoulders. The added height certainly helped, for Evan apparently also forgot he could float. Now that they were a bit more level, Evan offered Monty the smallest of smiles.

“H-Hey…,” he said in a tiny voice, coupled with a hesitant wave.

���Hey!” Monty laughed, throwing his head back and accidentally making the poor ghost jump and grip onto Michael’s hair like a lifeline. While Mike tried to dislodge his brother, Monty turned his attention to Liz. Crouching down, he hummed as he fixed his gaze on Elizabeth. “Hmm… Lemme guess: secret lil’ sister? Naw, wait—definitely older than those two guppies, right?”

He was a lot different than the old Monty in the cartoons, but he’d kept his easygoing personality, just with an upgraded look. Liz glanced up to the gator, stars in her eyes. Where Evan was predictably frightened, Liz was curious.

“Older, yes,” she confirmed, a shy smile tugging the corners of Elizabeth's mouth. “But I am their sister! I'm Elizabeth, and that's Evan!”

Outside the attraction it took a little confidence boosting from Bonnie to get Freddy to even consider going inside. Little did he know it was much more than that, it was stalling to prepare for what could be an inevitable breakdown between the three longtime friends... Once inside, Bonnie saw that Monty was turned around and speaking to the little girl.

Ooooh, this was going to be the perfect opportunity to get the drop on his pal.

The bunny was quietly sneaking. To anyone who saw him, Bonnie placed a finger over his snout, asking for their silence in exchange for the scare he was about to give to one of his favorite bandmates. Bonnie's arm wrapped over the front of Monty's chest, the other fist gently nuzzling the side of the Gator's head as Bonnie's “headlock” felt more like a backwards hug.

“Old top! It's sure wild to see you again! How's my rockin' Gator friend?” Bonnie questioned enthusiastically.

Monty’s reaction was the complete opposite of what one would expect. Instead of bursting into surprised laughter and immediately tackling Bonnie to the ground in a good ol’ fashioned wrestling match, the gator simply… froze.

“Ah, Bonnie wait—!” Freddy was far too late, his human legs no match for the rabbit’s long strides. He made it to the pair just as Monty was embraced, and he could see the gator‘s entire body instantly tense.

“Hey guys, how about we go start a game?” Michael suggested, figuring the trio of old friends needed to be alone for a moment. With Evan still on his shoulders and hands on his other siblings’ backs, he quickly ushered Gregory and Liz towards the check-in area where they could grab neon golf balls and clubs. “We’ll catch up with the others later!”

Freddy couldn’t even flash him a thankful smile, his focus completely on Monty. The gator wasn’t even simulating breathing now, truly looking like he’d shut down on the spot with every joint locked in place.

Except for his eyes, that is. Even behind the dark shades it was clear to see those red irises slowly shift to where Bonnie’s face rested on his shoulder. In a soft, almost whispered voice, Monty managed to squeak out: “Bonnie, you…. You’re back?”

“A'course I came back! Always do, chum,” Bonnie answered, laughing nervously. There was a light squeeze before Bonnie gave up on the ambush embrace he planned for his pal. Where Freddy and Bonnie reconnected so instantaneously, this felt stilted. Awkward.

Bonnie waited, watching as the kids reluctantly waved goodbye to start their game with their eldest chaperone. When they were out of sight beyond the ticket booth, Bonnie let go to fidget nervously with his hands. After clearing his throat, Bonnie had asked in a subdued voice: “What's wrong, sour-carrot? You look like you've seen a ghost.”

Maybe that was the wrong euphemism. Evan and Liz were wonderful kids despite their recently deceased status.

Monty didn’t answer for a moment, simply staring at Bonnie with an indecipherable, wide-eyed expression. Inside, his thoughts were a jumbled mess. The last time he’d encountered his old friend had ended with Bonnie in a broken heap on the golf course green, soon to be carted off by Vanny and used for William’s evil purposes.

Of course, Monty remembered none of this. All his information was provided secondhand by his former ursine band leader. Even so, he swore he could feel the remnants of purple outer suit casings in his sharp claws.

“Monty?” Freddy prompted when the gator failed to respond. Reaching up, he clasped one of Monty’s hands in-between his own, squeezing tightly. “Bonnie was recommissioned by Michael and Sammy yesterday. Unfortunately, he has lost a bit of time due to when the last copy of his AI was saved. I have been filling him in with all the good things he missed.”

Red eyes rolled to meet Freddy’s, trying to comprehend what he was saying. Bonnie… didn’t remember either? Not only that, but judging by the greeting Monty just received, the rabbit didn’t even know what happened.

“Heh… ‘s that so, Bon?” Monty asked. The guilt inside was intense, but he did his best to push past it. He certainly didn’t want to be the one to tell Bonnie what happened the last time he set his paws in Gator Golf. Monty slipped his claw out of Freddy’s grasp to clap it on Bonnie’s shoulder with a chuckle. “You sure picked a heckuva time to take a nap! Glad you’re back, though—once the others are up and runnin’, we can all golf together again. Then I can have a real challenge!” 

There was a pause. Bonnie tried to shake the feeling of Monty being condescending—because that wasn't really what was going on. No, Monty was happy to see the old bassist back from the workshop, looking brand new and fresh-faced. Batting his eyes in confusion, Bonnie looked to the firm hand on him shoulder and let out a singular, dry chuckle. His hand came up, affectionately resting over Monty's gloved palm. Everything seemed fine until Bonnie asked them:

“Y’all must take me for such a silly rabbit, don't you?” Hurt and confusion laced his tone more than anything. His voice shuddered, as if he was afraid to rock the boat of their social hierarchy. “You're keeping secrets. I can tell you're hiding something...”

The grip tightened over Monty's hand, nearly uncomfortably so. Bonnie's large and expressive pink eyes blinked at him before looking away. After all this time, did they seriously not trust him with the truth? What did he have to do to prove that he was just as capable as the other bandmates?

“I see what's really going on here...,” Bonnie said with a hurt scoff. For a moment, he didn't quite sound himself. Then, the look of hurt banished itself and Bonnie glanced up to Monty with a wryness in his grin. “You're both planning a party without me, aren't you?”

For one heart-dropping second, Freddy thought they’d failed. Somehow William was still in there, lurking in secret for the best time to strike—

But upon Bonnie’s pure suggestion of a secret party, Freddy’s artificial heart instantly began to relax. This was Bonnie, his old friend. His best friend. He wouldn’t hurt a fly, let alone a child.

“Oh, darn… you were always a good guesser, Bonnie,” Freddy replied with a laugh, a bright grin spreading across his face. Brush past the bad feelings and move onto the next good thing—that’s all they could do to go forward. He looked to Monty with a sigh. “It seems we still cannot keep anything from this silly old rabbit.”

“Sure can’t!” Monty agreed, just as eager as Freddy to move on. It’d take some time to get totally comfortable interacting with the former bassist again, but at least Monty now knew Bonnie didn’t hold anything against him. With a wide, sharp-toothed grin, he placed his hands on his hips and added: “But even if we were plannin’ somethin’, we can’t very well tell ya if it’s a surprise, can we?”

Bonnie’s hands flew up, touching his cheeks as he stared on with unbridled delight.

“A surprise party?!” he gasped, then quickly folded his hands over his mouth at the connotations. He’d have to be quiet if they didn’t want the kids to overhear. How exciting! Bonnie couldn’t remember the last time he’d thrown a surprise party! Why, it must have been ages… Turning to Monty, Bonnie raised and lowered his eyebrows in an attempt to be charismatic.

“So who’s getting the party? I think Freddy mentioned his little boy’s turning thirteen this month, right?” he replied in a whisper, nudging the gator softly with his elbow.

“Hmm… suppose we might as well let Bonnie in on the fun,” Freddy murmured with a sly grin, hooking an arm through his friend’s elbow. He repeated the amiable gesture with Monty, using the leverage of their arms to pull his friends into a conspiratorial huddle. “Yes, we are hosting a party for Gregory! It is in the very early planning stages, but we are going to throw him the best one he has ever had!”

It may be the only party Gregory’s ever gotten, for all Freddy knew. There would be many logistics to work out, and they’d definitely want to make sure his foster parents were off their backs before the event, but once all the animatronics were on board—not to mention any androids and ghosts they could rope in—it was sure to be a party like no other.

Monty seemed to echo most of these thoughts, his tail sweeping excitedly across the floor as he added in a low timbre: “Yeah, me an’ Fredbear are on the plannin’ committee! I can make an awesome party on my own, but with y’all helpin’ it’ll be the coolest one the Pizzaplex has ever seen!”

At the proclamation Monty slung an arm around Bonnie’s shoulders. The gesture was still hesitant, and clearly the gator wasn’t using his typical strength—he simply rested his arm around his friend, not daring to pull him close or even squeeze for fear of accidentally causing damage. Still, he was making progress already… slow and steady, but progress nonetheless. 

Bonnie on the other hand squeezed himself in close; he really missed the guy. Ever since Samuel made Monty, Bonnie thought of himself like a mentor to the younger animatronic. He'd nod to them as he listened to the incredibly loose plan. Though Bonnie clearly had gears turning in his head.

“Gotta wait for the others to be back in the saddle,” he remarked, referring to their friends currently still in the shop. “Chica's the best with party planning. Besides we couldn't do this without Roxy or music from the DJ...”

When the children weren't here, he'd have to start conscripting the help of all their companions. After all, Gregory was a special guest. Surely Sam wouldn't mind if they go all out for their newest friend.

“We should see how the game is going,” Freddy suggested. “Perhaps we can join in—or at the very least, root for a winner.”

Bonnie perked up at that. It might ease things better for himself and Monty. The gator could just be stressed from his own recent repairs; being out of commission was no joke.

Not to mention the inexplicable nightmares Bonnie remembered getting while he was out.

He wondered why exactly Sam had programmed them to dream. It was an odd choice, but maybe it was to keep them stimulated mentally for the next time they woke up? Or perhaps it was likely just a result of being offline for so long. Bonnie would ask about this later, after he's done hanging out with his pals. For now he followed the former Glamrock leader, finding the group of kids bickering at someone cheating.

“Evan used his ghost powers to move it up the incline!” Liz huffed, a scrunched look on her face as Gregory shook his head.

“Maaaaybe you'd know real skill if you had any, Lizzie,” Gregory brushed off, making Elizabeth gasp at the accusation with her hand over her chest in a look of over exaggerated offense.

“There is no way that ball went all the way up that incline when hit from that angle,” Michael pressed, one hand on his hip while the other held a golf club loosely dangling from his fingertips. When he caught sight of the animatronics he perked up, waving the huge gator over. “Perfect timing! Monty, we need a judgment call!”

“My spec-i-a-lity!” Monty replied with a grin, dragging the word out in his languid drawl. He moved around to stand at the beginning of the putting green, analyzing the situation. “Alright, what’s up? I heard somethin’ about cheatin’?”

“Lizzie and Mike think I can’t hit the ball from here up over the hill!” Evan said, an annoyed pout on his face as he pointed out areas of interest.

“Not without using your powers,” Michael clarified, sounding a bit haughty. He just knew he and Liz were right about this. “That’s the important bit.”

“Powers, huh?” Monty hummed, scratching his chin. “Well, I don’t know nothin’ about that, but it’d be pretty hard for a squirt like you to smack the ball outta the park from that angle…”

Evan let out a shocked gasp not unlike Lizzie had, while Michael cheered and gave his sister a high-five. The little ghost huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. Okay, so maybe he had nudged the ball just a tiiiny bit to make it crest the hill—but the others weren’t supposed to know that.

Gregory gave up a similar pout when Liz stuck her tongue out at the duo. Elizabeth was wise to Evan's tricks. Cassidy's own moral greyness rubbed off on him throughout the years, and Liz could see him being obvious when messing with their environment.

“There's no need for cheatin',” Bonnie reminded the group, laidback and casually leaning his elbow on Freddy's shoulder as he told the kids “As long as you have fun, the score doesn't matter!”

Which was easy for Bonnie to say. When he and the others got into bowling matches then it was a different story. It's about principal and having a reputation to uphold then...

“Fine. Call the score then!” Gregory said, replacing the flag back at the 8th hole. He casually held out the special glowing golf ball to Evan and keeping his own back in his palm.

Grumbling slightly, Evan took the ball from Gregory and placed it in the tee-off zone. Picking up his club from where it’d been discarded on the ground, he lined up his shot and smacked the ball as hard as he could. This time, it sailed right over the hill!

…And well past it, too. There was a collective groan from the twins as the ball plopped into the ball pit “river” with a light smack. Monty laughed heartily at this, going so far as to pat Evan on the back with enough force that he pitched forward slightly in mid-air.

“See?! Ya don’t need to cheat to hit the ball hard enough!” the gator pointed out with a grin. “You’ve just gotta get riled up! A kid after my own heart…”

He pressed a claw to his chest, and Evan chuckled at the gesture. Monty was definitely growing on him, that was clear to see. The gator’s tail swept the floor and playfully smacked Gregory’s ankles as he gestured for the boys to follow him over to the faux rainbow water. “C’mon—I’ll help ya look for your ball so you can beat those sore losers fair and square!”

With a short spin of her putter, Liz wacked her ball in hopes of sending it as true as Evan had previously. Her pure skill managed to send it just short of the hole.

“My money’s on the little pink spit-fire,” Bonnie whispered as not to discourage the other children as they played.

Freddy hummed, tracking the ball’s movement with an approving nod.

“I would default to Gregory as my top choice, although Liz certainly provides some fierce competition,” he added, leaning into Bonnie conspiratorially. “They have Michael beat for sure.”

“Hey! I can hear you, Freddy!” Mike snapped, although based on Freddy’s grin he was well aware of that fact.

“Michael—” spoke the rabbit with a thumbs up. “—I believe in ya, sport!”

He may not know the kid well, though there was a strange urge to give him encouragement more so than usual. It didn't exactly seem out of the ordinary at the time, which led Bonnie to lean into the idea. 

“Alright!” Monty exclaimed, walking back to the group with a huge grin and a twin clutched in each claw. They hung by their ankles, looking quite content and laughing as they swung to and fro. “I caught the missin’ ball and two lil’ squirts! Had to get ‘em outta my river ‘fore they get feisty and start goin’ after guests, y’know?”

“Montgomery, please put Gregory down…,” Freddy chided with fond exasperation, though his glare sharpened as Monty only lifted them higher in response.

“Heck naw! Look at ‘em—they’re havin’ the time off their lives! Right?!”

Evan could only manage a thumbs-up between gasping breaths and laughter, enjoying this predicament wholeheartedly. Now that the animatronics couldn’t hurt him, they were actually super fun—even the biggest, scariest ones.

Freddy sighed, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Monty loved to roughhouse, and coupled with Gregory’s new immortality the boy should be fine, but Freddy couldn’t help but worry.

“See, Bon? I can’t do nothin’ fun without Fredbear on my back!” Monty griped, then let out a dramatic sigh as he looked between the boys, obviously plotting his next move. 

“Shucks Monty, it's a good thing I got back when I did. Ol' Fredbear needs to wind down a bit,” Bonnie remarked, indicating that his friend was worrying far too much around the safest robots ever designed.

“Sure does—here, catch!” With an absolutely wicked grin, Monty chucked Gregory up and forward, sending the boy cartwheeling through the air to land right in Freddy’s waiting arms that reached up to frantically snag his son. Monty had no doubt Freddy would make the catch, his AI having calculated the perfect trajectory and his simple trust in the bear making up the rest.

“Montgomery Gator!” Freddy snapped in a tone that said, you’re lucky I’m not going to decommission you for that. Monty threw back his head in a raucous laugh, though before he could try the same with Evan the boy popped out of existence to plant himself atop Monty’s shoulders.

“Wha—yer fast, little guy!” the gator exclaimed, feeling the sudden lightweight of a child sitting on him, small hands gripping his mohawk to steady himself.

Gregory was still laughing. Gone were the days of apprehension with Monty; the giant alligator had made a friend for life now.

“Sorry, Dad! I’m fine, though; seriously!” he reassured. It wasn't long before Gregory settled comfortably in Freddy's arms, the giggles from his sugar rush coming to a slow end as he admired the speed and mastery Evan was gaining over his ghostly powers.

He felt proud when watching him have fun. From what Evan told him, neither he nor Liz have had any fun for a really long time. Gregory was glad in that moment; all of the terrible things that'd happened to them led to this single, unpredictable and strange time to be in. For the first time he could remember, Gregory felt like he was in a big family without being completely forgotten about.

Despite how the gator could vex him, Freddy couldn’t stay mad at Monty for long. Within seconds his glare had softened to an affectionate smile, letting Gregory rest on his chest as he practically felt the boy’s energy leave his body.

“Perhaps we can postpone the rest of the game for today,” Freddy suggested gently, brushing Gregory’s bangs out of his face.

“Aww, leavin’ already?!” Monty lamented, looking upside-down at Evan who shrugged in response.

“Mm, yeah we should check in with Sam and Charlie,” Michael said, glancing at the time on his phone. They still had a few hours before dayshift, but there were some things they wanted to get done and discuss before leaving for the day.

“Alriiiight… well like I said, y’all are welcome anytime!” Monty reached up to pluck the little ghost off his shoulders with careful claws, setting him on the ground next to Liz. He crouched down, tail swiping lazily across the ground as he told Evan: “And next time, I’m definitely havin’ you and Gregory on my team!”

Sleepy and calm, Gregory held a single fist up in solidarity as he yawned out, “Dreeeam teeeam...,” before his sudden narcoleptic attack brought him to gently lower the fist back onto his chest.

Liz seemed sad that they couldn't finish their game—especially when she and Michael were clearly going to kick the butts of the twins.

“Right—” Liz said, pointing over at their newest animatronic friend. “—if you're ready to lose at your own game, so be it.”

This wasn't over, and she was hoping Monty would bring the same energy back to their new game when next they met. Though for now she was content to wiggle her hand into both of her brother’s palms and grasp onto them for safe keeping.

“Those are fightin’ words, little lady…,” Monty warned, his tail moving faster with the prospect of a challenge. As he stood to full height he offered her his most playful, sharp-toothed grin. “You’re on.”

“Don’t be so full of yourself, gator,” Michael said in Lizzie’s defense, gripping her palm tightly as he made an “I’m watching you” gesture with his free hand.

“Come on, let us go; if you keep making Monty pontificate, we will be here for hours,” Freddy said with a chuckle, holding a fist up for his animatronic friend to bump. “I will speak with you again soon.”

“I’m waitin’ with baited breath,” Monty replied, rolling his eyes but returning the first bump all the same. He then looked to Bonnie, his expression faltering back to one of poorly-hidden guilt. “I’ll see ya around, Bon. I missed ya—I really did.”

Bonnie seemed to beam at that. It helped eased the weird anxiousness he felt earlier when hanging around Monty. After opening his arms and dramatically pulling the gator in close, he'd tell him, “Dang, we'll have to hang out for a little bowling later! Just you an' me, ol' friend.”

Maybe he could find out what's got his friend so down in the dumps while they were at it. It seemed Monty was content to hang by himself now for the time being, and Bonnie felt it fine to give him the space. He let go as soon as he attacked Monty with the nearly crushing hug, and waved his friend goodbye. Away they went, leading out of the ambient themed lighting of Monty's world to that of the main atrium. Its neon haze did not disguise the fact that morning light was beginning to break through the scattered skylights throughout the Pizzaplex ceilings.

***

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[driftingvoid-155]

((// ruin spoilers & tales of the pizza plex spoilers//))

Okay this little theory/ thought process kind of went off the rails into AU territory but again, it was fun thinking about and that’s all I’m here for. I’ve also never read the tales of the pizza plex books (currently working on it) so everything I know about the mimic in the books is second hand but I’m jumping in on this anyways.

Okay so,,

So in my experience, people always relate the creator of the mimic in the books (Edwin) to Henry and the son that was killed to Charlie. The mimic is said to be created around the 80s but what if it what William who was making it and not Henry? And the facility it was being created in was sister location? Apparently in the books Edwin was supposed to be creating a new line of robots for Fazbears which kind of sound what like William was supposed to be doing with the funtimes. So while Will was also making those, he created the mimic as well. The reason being, what if Liz dies first due to Circus Baby. Will is devastated but Evan even more so bc he used to play with his sister a lot. So Will creates the mimic in a sort of stand in for Liz and as something for Evan to play with in replacement of his sister. (Could also explain why Evan started being so scared of robots. Perhaps the thing started acting weird / off and it freaked him out. Perhaps he started to think it was the thing that killed Liz in order to replace her).

However, after Evan then died, like Edwin after his son passes, William gets angry and ends up trying to destroy the mimic by attacking it bc he can’t stand the reminder of two of his children that he lost. He closes down Circus Baby’s, leaving the mimic there along with all the others and he himself also disappears.

Flash forward, like in the plex book after Edwin disappeared, Fazbears starts wondering where their new animatronic line is. So they send workers down there to try and look for them. Workers who in the book get killed by the mimic but in game, are the technicians who get killed on the stages by the funtimes.

Perhaps the mimic wasn’t involved with the funtimes escape, but being down there, did observe them do it. Watched its counter part of Baby lure someone in to come ‘rescue’ them and decided to do the same all these years later. Also, what do we see the mimic doing in the ‘scooping’ ending? Combine a bunch of costumes together, sort of like in an Ennard fashion, to chase after Cassie (even if it’s not the canon ending it is a possible ending).

I think the mimic being first built to be a stand in for Liz perhaps would explain a lot of the circus baby stuff we still see around the plex (like the entire room in ruin just full of circus baby plushies). But then it could also be trying to copy William since that’s the last person it saw/ who actually created it (hence in a alternate ending, it becoming burntrap).

Overall I know the mimic in regards to actual fnaf lore is probably a separate entity if it’s own but just as I love the thought of the physical locations of Freddy’s all being stacked on top of each other, I love entertaining the idea of a creature made of Aftons guilt and despair which mimics mostly all members of the Afton family living under it. Something based on Liz, learned emotions from William, has habits from Evan (like how he held his plushy) and took inspiration from Mike’s actions (like how to escape).

Again, I just sort of let my brain run so don’t take anything here too seriously if at all. I’m 100% sure there’s plenty of contradictions and reasons this wouldn’t work but it’s just something I let my mind chew on for a moment.

[fanmoose12]

Hi fanmoose! Got a prompt for you, if you're interested: Levi seeing the 104th and the vets preparing gifts for Hange's birthday, but he's wondering what to give them so he goes above and beyond... all the Scouts are taken by surprise.

Thanks, and good luck!

i changed a couple of things..... hope you still enjoy it! thanks for the prompt <3

Jean got a notebook. Armin made a new quill, using a feather from the owl he and Mikasa caught. Connie brought from his home village a whole basket of peers Hange loved so much. Sasha was responsible for baking a cake.

Nifa made her favorite brownies. Mike decided to gift Hange a new jacket, Nanaba bought a new pair of shoes, Erwin got her a new pair of glasses and a microscope she was whining about for so long. Moblit drew a fucking portrait of her.

Even Eren, as obtuse as he was, prepared a present for Hange.

“My mom was very good at sewing,” he shared with Levi, in the middle of his training, “she didn’t teach me how to do it,” at that, his voice lost some of its edge, tints of sadness appearing, “but Mikasa knows how to sew and she promised to help me with it!”

Levi could only arch an eyebrow. “And how is that related to a gift for Hange?”

Eren leaned closer with a hand next to his mouth, looking so serious, like he was going to tell the biggest secret in the world. “I’m going to sew a plushie for Squad Leader.”

“A plushie? A fucking toy with your titan’s face?”

There was a beat of silence. Then… “Damn it.” Eren took head in his hands, tugging at his hair with alarming desperation. “Damn it! I should have sewed the plushie of my Titan! Hange-san loves it!”

Yeah, as much as it annoyed Levi, there was certainly no way he could deny that.

“So… what did you sew instead?”

Peaking beneath his fingers, Eren mumbled. “A plushie of me holding a heart that says ‘I love you, Hange’.”

Fuck… as dense as Eren was, Levi had to admit… the gift was not bad at all. Especially for Eren. Especially comparing to his gift, which consisted of…

Nothing.

Just two days were left before Hange’s birthday, and he still no idea what to give her. Hange was probably expecting a present from him. Or, maybe, she was not. She was nice like that – always giving without asking for something in return. Hange was also kind, she thought he was her friend, and even more than that. Best friend, she once told him. And Levi had to admit. He felt it too. Hange was his friend. The first one he made in Survey Corps. The closest one he had.

Some friend he was, apparently. Not even preparing a gift for her.

Sensibly, he knew that he was making a problem out of nothing. He could give Hange something simple – a shampoo she obviously didn’t possess; a book she would probably like and squeal in his ear about; a new shirt or a bottle of good wine.

Hange would probably enjoy these kinds of gift. They were certainly useful. But were they meaningful? Would Hange remember them, ten years from now?

He wanted her to. Hange was his friend, perhaps, even something more. He wanted only the best for her. That’s why picking up a gift was such a problem.

With only two days left, Levi was getting desperate. He was thinking about seeking out help, but just before he gathered the strength…

The help came to him themselves.

“Good day, Levi,” with a good-natured smile, Erwin invaded his office, Mike and Nanaba trailing after him. “Are you busy?”

Levi pointedly looked at the mountain of paperwork on his desk. “Yes,” he drew, “All thanks to you, Erwin.”

“Well, you can take a break,” Erwin waved his hand dismissively, and took a seat on the opposite end of Levi’s desk. Nanaba and Mike occupied the sofa. “We came to discuss something very important,” the smile was gone, as Erwin clenched his jaw and knitted his eyebrows in a hard line. Looking at that expression, Levi felt his stomach sinking. What was this all about? If it was about their upcoming expedition, then where was… “A little birdie shared with us,” Erwin interrupted his heavy thoughts, “That you still have no present for Hange.”

What? Levi gawked at his guests, switching his confused gaze from one to the other.

“And what is the name of that birdie?” He would find that birdie and give them a piece of his mind, for sure. Who dared get poke his nose into his personal matters?

“Please, Levi,” Mike joined the conversation, “You couldn’t get more obvious. I can smell your desperation from miles away.”

Levi’s annoyance rose. Birdies, smelling desperation. Could they talk like normal people?

Seeing his increasing frustration, Nanaba decided to come to rescue. She smiled, tucking a lock of her hair behind an ear. “I overheard your conversation with Eren. You looked a bit distressed, honestly I thought you were going to kick his ass again… And since I doubt Hange is enamored with Eren in that way, I concluded that you…”

“Are angry not because the boy is a titan and spends too much time with Hange, but because he already has a gift prepared, when you do not.” Erwin finished.

Well… the conclusion was sound, at least. But that didn’t mean that Levi felt any less annoyed.

“So?” he raised an eyebrow, staring judgingly at his intruders. “What do you want from me?”

“We want to help, of course,” the smile was back at Erwin’s lips. “And we have some ideas.”

“Such as?”

Nanaba bounced from her seat, crossing the room to bang her palms against the surface of Levi’s desk. He jumped slightly, certainly not expecting it.

“You know what Hange really likes?”

“Books?” Levi tried. “Science? Titans? Books about titan’s science?”

“No, dummy,” Nanaba shook her head, “Hange likes you.”

It took him a long moment to comprehend. Even then, the only thing Levi could get out of his mouth was a very faint, “Eh?”

“We all know how much Hans makes you happy.” Mike said.

They did? How so?

“You spend a lot of time with Hange,” Erwin noted, answering his unasked question.

“And you allow her to do things that you deny everyone else,” Nanaba continued.

“And when she is with you, that constipated expression disappears from your face.” Mike finished.

He… didn’t have a constipated expression. And while Hange did make his days more pleasant and his survival that easier and more enjoyable… Levi was sure that no one knew about it, but him.

“Listen, we all know that you like Hange, and we’re telling you that Hange likes you. That’s why…” Erwin lifted his chin, his smile becoming nearly devilish. Were they still talking about a simple birthday gift? “I made a reservation in a restaurant in Sina. Take Hange there, eat good food, drink some wine, have a good night… Make Hange happy.”

Their suggestion was certainly better than Levi’s nothing. However…

“What you’re offering seems a lot like fraternization. Isn’t that illegal?” he narrowed his eyes at Erwin, skepticism oozing from him. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”

“Perish the thought!” not swayed by Levi’s scary expression, Erwin chuckled. “You’re correct, technically, two officers are not allowed to enter romantic relationship, but I think it’s a little too late for that.” Huh? Just how Levi was meant to interpret that? “Besides… think about humanity, Levi! If you and Hange were to conceive a child…” the expression on Erwin’s face was so dreamy, Levi felt chills at the base of his spine. “A child born from the union of humanity’s strongest and smartest… It could very well save our world!”

Levi stared at his Commander, at loss of words. Saying ‘you’re fucked up in the head, Erwin’ seemed a little too rude even for him, considering that Erwin was his superior officer. Still… he was fucked up in the head.

“Don’t listen to him,” Nanaba spoke, attracting Levi’s attention. “But think about our offer. An evening like that will really make Hange happy. You want that, don’t you?”

Did he want to make Hange happy? More than anything…

“Do it for Hange,” Nanaba urged.

“Do it for love,” Mike added.

“Do it for humanity!” Erwin passionately concluded.

Fucked up in the head, Levi thought. All of them were. Himself, included. But what was he going to lose? Besides, their offer was better than anything he could have come up with.

“Alright,” he surrendered, a sigh escaping him. “I’ll do it.”

Nanaba cheered. Mike nodded at him with a smile. Erwin looked like he was about to cry. Then, to Levi’s horror, he saluted.

“Get out of my office now,” he shooed them away, lowering his gaze back to the papers. “I need to work.”

“Just another quick thing,” Nanaba patted his shoulder with a cheerful smile. “Walk Hange to the door of her room after the dinner. And make sure that you return after nine o’clock.”

Ah. So they had an ulterior motive. Of course. Levi shouldn’t be surprised.

“You’re planning something for Hange, I take it?”

“A little party,” Mike confessed. “We’ll deal with food and drinks, but you’re in charge of getting Hange there in time.”

Levi didn’t remember agreeing to be in charge of Hange, but… he didn’t like the idea of anyone else doing it in his stead.

“Nine o’clock, four-eyes’ room, I got it. Now get out of my office.”

Nanaba, Erwin and Mike didn’t need to be told twice.

___

After finding a solution to his main dilemma, Levi was now met with another, no less important and challenging than the previous one.

Erwin and the others got him a reservation at the restaurant. But... now he needed to invite Hange there.

His first attempt, executed not long after Erwin, Nanaba and Mike left his office, failed spectacularly, despite his expectations. He naively thought that a simple note, carried to Hange via Moblit, would suffice. But, perhaps, the note didn’t reach its destination. Or Hange forgot to read it. Or she somehow misinterpreted the sentence ‘do you want to dine together?’. Or the fault laid in the absence of Levi’s signature.

Nevertheless, he needed to do better.

His next attempt was slightly more successful. At least, he got some kind of reaction. Still not reaction he had needed. Apparently, there were ways that one could misunderstand the simple phrase ‘hey, four-eyes, want to eat with me?’. Levi had expected a very enthusiastic ‘yes’. Instead he received ‘I’ll see you at the dinner’ and a door to his face.

Evidently, he had to do not only better, but also be a little clearer about his intentions.

After lots of pondering, Levi decided that nothing could be clearer than throwing a shiny new black jacket from Mike at Hange and barking, “Get dressed, Hange. We’re going out.”

That got him an intrigued ‘oooh’ and a promise to be ready in five minutes.

Levi smirked to himself. Finally, his plan had worked. Finally, he got through that brilliant and extremely dense head.

___

At first, the dinner was, for the lack of better word,extremely awkward.

Erwin failed to mention just how fancy the restaurant would be. Turned out, it was fancy. Very fancy. Fancier than anything Levi had seen in his life. Even Hange, despite not being a street rat from Underground, was feeling a little off.

“Everyone is staring at us,” she whispered to him, leaning over the table to do so.

Hange was right. Everyone was gawking at them. Perhaps, the reason for it was their clothes. Both of them were dressed in their best suits. Still, their best didn’t even begin to reach the best of the gathered crowd. Perhaps, other guests were weirded out by Hange’s loud cheer at the sight of meat in the menu.

Or, perhaps, their reputation preceded them, and everyone in here knew about humanity’s strongest soldier and crazy titan scientist, two of Erwin Smith’s loyal devils.

Whatever the case was, Levi didn’t like the obvious staring. They came here to eat and have a good time, not be observed like clowns in the circus.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered back to her. He really was. It was Erwin’s mistake, but it was Hange’s birthday and it was his fault for not checking the restaurant beforehand. He was a scout, for fuck’s sake. It was his job.

“Don’t even start,” Hange huffed, waving her hand dismissively. “Not the first time I receive that sort of treatment. Probably not the last one as well.”

Hange paused, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. “And if they want to look at us so much, let’s give them something to stare at.”

Levi’s lips twitched up. “And what do you suggest?”

“Let’s order the priciest meals they have, eat them like animals they think we are, and then run away and let Erwin deal with that.”

There were many reasons why Levi loved Hange. This was one of them.

___

True to Hange’s plan, they were at their worst behavior. They used spoons instead of forks, they drank straight from the bottle, Hange ate the dessert with her hands, smearing cake all over her mouth, cheeks, palms and shirt. Barely keeping himself from laughing out loud, Levi wiped it all with his cravat, as Hange cooed at his chivalry.

Two hours later, their stomachs were full, the crowd was scandalized, their hearts were merry and their eyes were shining with unbridled mischief.

“I think we’ve succeeded at making the worst impression possible,” Hange spoke, following it with a loud laughter. Several guest scoffed at the volume. Levi showed all of them his scariest scowl. The rich fuckers returned their attention to their plates in record time.

“It’s time we make our exit,” he agreed.

He looked at Hange more closely, thinking if he should take the risk. She had been touching him freely throughout the whole evening. She pressed their calves together under the table, she ran a hand through his arm, she let him touch her face and tilt her chin. She didn’t seem opposed to the idea, so… Levi took a deep sighed, searching for every bit of courage inside of him. Once all of it was gathered, he took Hange by the hand, helping her to stand up.

To his surprise and huge relief, she didn’t shake his hand off. On the contrary, she squeezed his palm and interlaced their fingers.

Hand in hand, they started towards walking out of the restaurant. On his way there, Levi discreetly pushed a plate of soup at some wealthy lady, staining her light creamy dress and receiving a indignant cry and a joyous giggle from Hange.

After that, they had to speed up a little. It was Hange’s birthday. Levi didn’t want to spend it in the prison cell.

Once they were outside and some distance away from the restaurant, Hange stopped.

“Shit, Levi! Had you seen her face? She was—”

She didn’t finish. Hange leaned against the wall and threw her head back, laughing without abandon. She doubled over, hugging her stomach, her mirth not ceasing. Finding her mood strangely infectious, Levi couldn’t help but chuckle too.

Still snickering to herself, Hange looked up to meet his gaze. Her whole body was shaking from the laughter, and tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. Disheveled, red-faced and laughing, she was the most beautiful sight Levi had ever seen. The moonlight and faint stars only accentuated her beauty.

Levi was lost in watching her.

Subconsciously, in a mindless attempt to get a better look at the wonder that was Hange Zoe, he leaned in.

Hange leaned in too, her hand finding place at his shoulder. She moved that hand slightly, closer to his neck. Her fingers ghosted around his hairline, making him shiver.

He was looking in her eyes. Hange was looking at his lips.

The world around the two of them faded, the sounds of a street at night, the singing from the nearby pub disappearing to the background.

Levi didn’t know, had failed to register who moved first. But a moment later, his hand was on her waist, and Hange buried her fingers in his hair. And then, they were kissing – sloppily, desperately, without skill but with lots of passion.

Levi felt like he was struck by lightning. Nothing he had ever done before felt even remotely as good as kissing Hange did.

As the kiss progressed, becoming deeper, Levi found himself pressed against the wall.

Hange was everywhere – her tongue was in his mouth, her palms on his cheeks, her knee was rising, resting against his crotch. It was almost too much. And yet, not enough.

“Hange, Hange,” with some difficulty, he separated himself from her hot mouth and soft lips. “Hange, if someone sees us—”

“Oh, right,” still pressed dangerously close to him, she giggled. “Erwin would have a heart attack if we get jailed for making out on the streets. He’d deem us a disappointment to humanity.”

“Back to barracks then?”

Hange licked her lips and winked. Levi felt another strong surge of desire. “We can continue there.”

After that kind of promise, Levi hurried to find where they left their horses. He all but raced there, and jumped on his loyal stallion, grasping the reins a little too tightly.

Hange followed his suit. “Who arrives at the barracks first, gets to be on top?” she challenged.

Without waiting for his reply, she started off. Cursing, Levi struggled to keep up.

That day, he learned one essential lesson. Riding a horse with a raging boner was a fucking torture.

___

Hange was the first one to reach the stumbles. Dismounting her horse, she ran up to Levi, pulling him off the saddle and instantly connecting their lips. Levi would have liked to complain, but… who was he kidding?

Without another word, he brought Hange closer, putting his hand on her hip.

Just as the first one, the second kiss was amazing, enough to knock his breath out and make his knees buckle underneath him.

“If that’s my birthday gift,” Hange murmured, panting after they broke apart. “Then it’s the best one I ever had.”

And here Levi thought that there was nothing more enjoyable than kissing Hange. But as he saw her gentle smile, the adoring expression in her twinkling eyes, he was ready to melt in her arms.

However, he wouldn’t be himself if he passed an opportunity to use a sarcastic quip. “Is it better than Erwin’s microscope? Than Eren’s plushie?”

Hange put a finger to her chin, looking up with a thoughtful expression. “The microscope is really good, and that plushie is so adorable…” Levi’s good spirits vanished, as something ugly found its place inside his chest. Before it could manifest in a scowl, Hange caught his lips with hers once again.

“But nothing is better than you, shorty,” she confessed as they separated.

Hange likes you, Nanaba had said. She wasn’t wrong, it seemed.

“Your room or mine?” he asked, already tugging off Hange’s jacket.

“Mine. I was the one to win, after all,” she smirked, rapidly turning away and starting to run. Levi had no choice but to chase her.

___

He caught up with her near the entrance. Ceasing the moment, he wrapped arms around her waist, pressing her to him. Hange’s giggle turned into a moan. Levi delighted in that.

Exchanging messy kisses, they tumbled through the front door. Unable to break away from each other, they clumsily walked through the barracks, tripping and stumbling. And, despite the growing desire, they didn’t hurry as well. They stopped near the stairwell, so Hange could put a hickey on a spot above his collarbone. They paused at the middle of the hallway, so Levi could grind against her. Hange pressed him against the wall to whisper, “Fuck, Levi, this feels so good.”

When they reached the bedroom, Levi was ready to cheer. It was the longest walk through the barracks he had ever had. Was Hange’s room always that far away from the entrance?

With her hands shaking, she searched through her pockets for a key. She found it after a long minute that Levi spent kissing her neck. Once she fished it out, she put the key in the keyhole, and decided to celebrate that grand achievement with another breathtaking kiss.

Getting a little too eager, Levi pushed Hange forward. That was his mistake.

Apparently, the door to her room wasn’t closed. And, apparently,the room also wasn’t empty.

Unfortunately, Levi realized that and remembered the second part of Erwin’s plan a second too late. After he had heard the loud and cheerful ‘Happy birthday, Hange!’

With his arms still around Hange, he froze. Everyone else in the room froze too. The awkward silence settled over.

Levi’s thought frantically moved around his head, jumping from one corner to another. What should he do? Apologize? Let Hange go? Tell all of them to fuck off so he and Hange could finish what they had started?

However, he didn’t get to decide what to do with the unexpected audience. Hange chose for him.

“Guys!” she clasped her hands joyfully, her smile brighter than all the candles that stood around the room combined. “That’s so sweet! Thank you!”

She pulled away from Levi, sprinting to get to her friends. She gave a tight hug to Erwin, Mike, Nanaba, Moblit, Nifa, Eren, Armin, Mikasa, Sasha, Jean, Connie… Levi thought the string of people who wanted Hange’s attention would never end.

After hugs, came cake, and after cake was wine. He felt ignored, he felt utterly forgotten. He contemplated if he should go back to his room. He wanted Hange to kiss him again.

But instead he was sulking in the corner, munching on a cake Sasha had prepared. At least, the cake was good. But his frustration left a bitter taste in his mouth.

As his plate was emptied, Levi thought once again about leaving. But in that exact moment, seemingly out of nowhere, Hange appeared by his side.

“Planning to ditch the party early?” she wiggled her eyebrows, staring at him with unmasked mischief.

“It’s your birthday, not mine, four-eyes.”

“Exactly!” Hange threw an arm over his shoulders. “You’re my guest of honor!”

Ignoring the awakening of butterflies in his stomach and chalking them up to the effects of Sasha’s cake, Levi grunted, “Meaning?”

“Meaning I want you to stay!”

Levi rolled his eyes. He couldn’t really say no to Hange today, right? Although, he had troubles saying no to her any other day as well…

“And thank you for spending the whole evening with me,” Hange punctuated her gratitude with a kiss to his cheek. The butterflies were now flying freely, making Levi dizzy. It was hard to deny their origin anymore, with the trigger standing so close to him. “It was the best birthday I ever had.”

Well, that was all the gratitude Levi needed.

Before she left his side to receive more birthday wishes from their friends, Hange put her mouth above his ear, lowering her voice to a whisper, “Stay until the end, shorty. I’m not finished with you.”

She bounced off before he could give an answer. Perhaps, it was fairly obvious to her.

After all, how he could refuse Hange on the day of her birthday? How could he say no to receiving more of her attentions, and kisses?

With a satisfied hum, Levi settled against the wall, aiming his glare at all the guests. He couldn’t wait until all of them would leave. He couldn’t wait to have Hange all to himself.

[johannstutt413]

(requested by calligomiles; continuing from this)

Gummy tried smiling at her girlfriend as they rode towards the mission location, but her heart wasn’t quite in it. “It’s kinda poetic, don’t you think? We just come back from a vacation near your home, and our first mission together is going back to mine...hehe...”

“Rada, it’s just you, me, and the driver.” Skadi, strapped in her seat, was more than mildly annoyed that she couldn’t hug her right now, but she knew it wasn’t a good time for it. Still, that wouldn’t stop her from trying to help. “You don’t have to put on airs.”

“But what if I know the driver?...Yeah, you’re right. I just hope we don’t pass my house on the way; if we do, I’m gonna have to look for them.”

The Abyss Hunter nodded, not so much understanding but acknowledging the Ursus’ family ties. Not being willing to acknowledge one’s parents’ death was a serious danger in the wrong circumstances. “Then I’m glad for your sake they put up the window shields. You didn’t have to take this mission, darling - I was the one assigned, after all-”

“And if something happened to you, here, while I wasn’t there?” A gout of hellfire burned in her eyes for the briefest moment before disappearing again. “I’m not losing someone I love again. Not to Chernobog, not to Reunion, not to the Sarkaz, not to anyone, anything, or anywhere. Especially not my precious.”

“...Your ‘precious?’” Now when was the last time she’d heard that word used properly?

Apparently just before an ambush, as a sudden explosion from underneath the driver’s side tire of their vehicle sent it flying onto its side and skidding a short distance. They’d been on the main road, so it was impossible to know which side had planted the mines, but the sound of crossbow bolts and ricocheting Arts projectiles told those inside they weren’t dealing with friendlies right now. “Secure the area!” Their driver called from the front. “Once there’s an opening, Mike and I can try to get this ol’ girl back on her feet, but not while it’s raining bullets!”

“Understood.” Blue Poison and ShiraYuki came in from the other section of the car and moved towards the back, followed closely after by Gummy and Skadi. The Defender looked at each of them in turn. “Ready to go?”

“Just remember to keep out of my splash zone,” the mercenary replied as the doors opened and the melee fighters rolled out.

The chef immediately charged shield-first at a small group of crossbowmen, pan spinning in her offhand and steadily heating up. She’d never quite figured out how that worked, but work it did, and she wasn’t about to let the advantage go to waste as she smacked her first target upside the head, knocking them unconscious with a notable head wound as the other two shot bolts directly into a nigh-invincible vault door. The Abyss Hunter likewise threw herself into the fray, her combat-orca (not enough time to change) absolutely obliterating three men in one swing. As they cleared ground for their Snipers to backfill and provide firing support from, the Ursus found her girlfriend and watched as one of the metal-armored brutes stepped up to her, only to have their helmet caved into the rest of their suit after only a couple of direct blows from the mercenary. “Good job!”

“They don’t stop coming, do they?” That was certainly true, as a Caster came forward and started blasting at Skadi. She slipped forward to take them out, and did so in a single swing, but not before leaving an opening for a katana-wielding weirdo to lash out at her. “Gah! You son of a-”

“You’re already dead,” an Ursus whispered from behind said weirdo as she nearly decapitated them with her frying pan.

Skadi blinked. “Rada?”

“Another for the fire.” The eyes that looked back at her were Gummy’s, but also...not. “How many more?”

“At least a dozen.” The Abyss Hunter gestured off to the south.

The chef’s frying pan, still spattered in blood, flared red-hot for a moment before a plate of bacon and eggs was handed to the mercenary. “Eat. I will return.”

“Rada, are you-” But by that point, she was already gone, moving at impossible speed with impossible force. “Al...right...I thought you were strong before, but this is something else.”

“Miss Skadi? Are you going to help her?” Blue called from behind a debris pile.

She turned towards the pile and yelled back, “Only if she needs it...I think she needs to let off some steam-”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA” came an Ursan battle cry. “Ya ispekhu tvayi kosti v moem khlebe! (I’ll bake your bones into my bread!)”

“Yeah...Some steam.”

----------------------------

Once the surrounding area was safe, and the engineers set to work, the other four Operators huddled around a portable stove as Rada heated one of her homemade MREs. “Anyone want seconds?” She asked as the fourth meal was nearly ready to eat.

“That one’s yours, teddy bear,” her girlfriend replied, already finished with hers and busying herself brushing her plushie clean.

“Um, alright...” She glanced at the Abyss Hunter’s side. “You’re okay? That katana guy, he-”

Skadi craned her neck to kiss the Ursus’ forehead. “I’m fine, healing as usual. You, on the other hand...You look pale.”

“The girls always told me to rest after fights because if I try to eat too soon after, I’d throw up. Still a little queasy.”

“I know queasy when I see a greenhorn, darling.” The mercenary shook her head. “What you did out there today was a warrior’s work, no doubt about it.”

A shadow fell over the chef. “I...I hate this place. I hate what it does to me. Would my parents even want a mons-”

“No more of that,” Skadi muttered as she took the reins of the conversation by borrowing Gummy’s lips for a moment.

“...Thanks, precious.” Rada smiled at her, somewhat sadly, but better than nothing. “You said something earlier about not hearing that word for awhile?”

The Abyss Hunter sighed. “Beneath the waves, one’s ‘Precious’ is the person of greatest value to you; every breath, every waking moment, belongs to them. It’s what spouses call each other.”

“Oh! Well, then it’s exactly what I should be calling you, then.”

“You-” Her heart began beating three times as fast. “Oh, Rada...”

Blue and ShiraYuki decided this was as good a time as any to set their waste aside and give the couple some privacy. The Anura turned to her fellow Sniper as they did. “Even wearing our enemies’ blood, she finds ways to be adorable, doesn’t she?”

“Perhaps. Return to the car. I live near their apartment. It will muffle the noise.”

“Muffle the-” The noise sounded. “...Not how I expected to be reminded of home today. Maybe we can help with the repairs?”

[r6shippingdelivery]

For your shippping game, I would like to ask about... Mmm... BanditJackal. Someee ThermiteThatcher and some ThatcherLion!

Send me a ship and I’ll tell you the first 5 things that come to mind when I think about it 

Oh boi, this is gonna take a while! I’ll put it under a read more cause it will be really, really long 😄

Bandit/Jackal

1) Jackal wasn’t truly trying to snatch Bandit’s potential dates from him, he was actually flirting with Bandit but nobody seemed to notice. Then, when he gave up and started to actively pursue random one night flings, Bandit would always appear by his side and ruin his chances, and while Jackal supposed it was payback (which he was adamant he didn’t deserve) it was also flattering to think Bandit was paying attention to him for once. Seeing as they were out of options, they started to joke about sleeping together… until it wasn’t a joke anymore.

2) Bandit has some ptsd from his time undercover, even if he’s unwilling to admit it, and Jackal has his insomnia and thirst for a decades old revenge. Somehow, they are actually a good influence on each other, calling out the bullshit and bluntly stating a few truths when one of them gets into one of their darker moods. Yes, it usually ends up in a fight, but then they’ll also eventually meet up in the roof with a few beers and quietly talking about what’s been bothering them (and admiting the other might have been right).

3) They both insist they aren’t a couple. Jackal will say they’re friends with benefits, Bandi insists they’re frenemies with benefits at most. If someone asks them about why they go on dates then, they’ll say it’s not a date, just a friendly outing and sometimes it’s convenient to have someone to drag with you into stuff because being by yourself gets tiresome. Mira and the rest of the GSG9 will roll their eyes when they hear that, because it’s not like these two have nobody else around nor other friends.

4) Lots of pranks targeting Jackal, but they’re usually aimed at getting a laugh out of him rather than making people laugh at him. On the other hand, Jackal occasionally retaliates by doing something mildly romantic in public, like giving Bandit flowers or a small gift, or even kissed his hand once like he was a damsel. Bandit, of course, would rebuff him with crude remarks, but Jackal knows he kept the flowers and the plushie/chocolates/whatever he got him.

5) Lots of impromptu traveling, just hopping on Bandit’s bike and going around to see what they find and explore Greece (well, the area around the new base, anything at half a day distance from there at most), trying to mingle around the locals despite sticking out like a sore thumb most of the time. Jackal keeps offering to drive, but Bandit refuses him to touch his bike unless he’s riding behind him, and he can consider himself fortunate enough because when Bandit heard a similar petition from Mozzie he banned the Australian from even being too close to the bike under any circumstances.

Thermite/Thatcher

1) At first Thatcher barely paid any attention to Thermite, dismissing him as another jokester, just less annoying than Smoke but equally harebrained. Then they started teaming up during training, and that somehow translated into spending time together outside work too, like going drinking together. And sooner than Thatcher could know, he was getting alarmingly attached to the loud Texan breacher.

2) Despite the age gap, and their wildly different characters, they somehow actually fit well together. Thatcher discovered that behind his laid back and goofy exterior, Jordan also had a keen mind and wasn’t nearly as reckless as he thought. In turn, Thermite greatly appreciated Mike’s directness and sarcasm, and despite his appearances of being and old-fashioned fool regarding technology, he knew more than he let on. And his occasional lapses of knowledge were quite endearing to Thermite, who relished the occasion to enlighten him and hear Thatcher disparage about technology in his unique and witty way.

3) Thatcher was reluctant to let their relationship progress, not because Thermite was a man, but because of their age difference. It would be selfish of him to saddle Thermite with someone who was nearing retirment already. Sooner rather than later, he’d be another person Jordan would be mourning, and Thatcher would rather shoot himself than make Thermite go through that. Unfortunately, rejecting him would also hurt Jordan, and Thatcher was now remembering why he’d sworn off relationships after his divorce, there’s no winning even when he tries to do the right thing.

4) After many failed attempts at talking about it, and a few arguments too, Thermite exasperetedly remined him it wasn’t something Thatcher could decide for him, much less when Thermite wanted to be with him and Thatcher apparently too, when he wasn’t being a foolish noble idiot. “I want to be with you, treasure our time together so when one of us is gone the other can have these wonderful memories.” After hearing that, Thatcher started heeding Doc’s advice about his health a bit more often, just to make sure they had as many years together as possible.

5) They both cook in the same way: greasy and fried. Fish and chips, nuggets, bacon and fried eggs, etc. Thermite got some burns over his old burns from splashing grease while cooking, and Thatcher will always frown and wait with aloe cream for his abused skin. Doesn’t matter if Thermite insists it doesn’t hurt much because he barely has any sensibility there unless it’s on the pad of his fingers, but he still will let Thatcher take care of it (because he loves having Thatcher touching him in any way, although it’s better when he’s allowed to touch back, iykwim)

Thatcher/Lion I started to lowkey ship them since Op. Leap of Faith and I blame you a little for it, jfyi :D

1) After the infamous argument that ended with a physical scuffle, both Thatcher and Lion were content to avoid or glare at each other from a distance. Ironically, it was Doc who sort of pushed them together, lecturing them and blaming their inability to act as adults for the tension between the SAS and GIGN since the incident. That and Thatcher’s guilt over the mess he caused, and the relentless and definitely mean pranks Smoke kept pulling on Lion, were what pushed him to go and apologize to Lion for hitting him. Even if Thatcher was convinced he’d do the same again if they went back in time.

2) They still argued constantly, Thatcher disdaining Lion’s gadget of choice, and Lion calling Thatcher an old fossil. Somehow, their constant exchange of barbs leaves them seeking each other again and again, and other ops have joked this is like foreplay to them. They aren’t totally wrong. Lion still doesn’t know why he keeps seeking Thatcher, wanting his approval and yet always searching to argue with him too. On the other hand, Thatcher swears the Frenchman is a pest and he’d rather not deal with him, yet he also rejoices everytime they’re part of the same team.

3) Bonding over having a complicated past regarding their love life? More likely than you think! As far as Thatcher can see, Lion’s situation doesn’t differ much from his own after getting a divorce. He’ll admit that Lion is at least making an effort to keep a relationship with his son, and Thatcher can respect and admire that. Lion might be a knob, but he tries damn hard to be better. And his face when Thatcher told him that was priceless.

4) An absurd amount of pining, yet neither of them would even recognize they were pining for each other. They were just coworkers who got along, work friends maybe. And yet they kept inviting the other out for dinner, but since it wasn’t to fancy places it didn’t count as a date, did it? Or the constant glances when they met each other around the base, which their respective teams immediately picked up (and teased them for it).

5) Even after getting together their relationship progresses at a slow pace, but after his reckless youth phase, Lion actually treasures this slow pace. To him, the first time they had sex, after months of dating and even more months of not-quite-dating, felt a thousand times more intimate and satisfying than all the mindless sex he had on the first dates during those dark years. Perhaps that’s a sign he changed, for the better Lion hopes. 

[oprez]

Black Lion Daily Herald was at an event where they had the chance to hang out and ask the devs some questions. Such as build templates, past events like Queen’s Jubilee and Dragon Bash, new races and more!

I copy pasted the whole thing so it’s easier to read, though be sure to click the source link to see their pictures at the event with the devs!

“I just came back from Guild Wars 2 Community Meet & Greet event in Cologne and had a great time while being there. The event was held in a restaurant called Haxenhaus which is one of the game industry's favorite places during Gamescom (believe me, I was there every day since Monday!). The whole ground floor was filled with fans of Tyria. The GuildMag crew was present and I think it was Deroir that was sitting at our table.

Event started with a short speech from Lead Game Designer Mike Zadorojny during which he thanked us all for being part of the GW2 community. Meals were served and we drank some beers and soon ArenaNet's devs started circling around the venue. This was a good opportunity to ask them some questions. I had a chance to speak to Mike, so let's get to the juicy part:

1. There will be no build templates at the launch of Path of Fire. This is something that they are aware the community wants and yeah, it's on the table. What's more, all features for the expansion have been revealed, so we shouldn't expect any other surprising reveals. This expansion is about the content which I really think is great.

2. I asked whether during the design of generation 1 elite specs they had plans to make Chronomancer the main tank for raiding. It turns out that it was never their intention, just like with Assassin in GW1. The players are too clever and are always finding new uses for classes and their mechanics.

3. I asked whether they have even considered adding a new race for PoF. Mike said that no and then added that new races in GW2 are "not impossible but very unlikely" to appear in the future. Implementing them would require a lot of resources that can be spent better on creating new content relevant for all players. While this might sound disappointing to a lot of Tengu fans like me, I totally get where he's coming from.

4. I know a lot of you miss Queen's Jubilee and Dragon Bash, so I asked what happened to them. It turns out that due to the changes in tech, both of those events need updating just like Super Adventure Box did and that's the reason why we haven't seen them lately. Queen's Jubilee also requires changes in the balance due to new elite specs coming in the expansion. Some of the bosses in the gauntlet could end up being too easy. Mike said that they want to bring back both events in the future.

5. With 4 weeks left to the launch of the expansion we shouldn't expect new "current events/side stories" right now.

6. With all the focus on Sunspears (who became Spellbreakers) I was interested to know what happened with the Dervishes that we remember from #GW1. We obviously know that they won't become a playable class so I kept digging and asked whether we'll meet any of them as NPCs. Mike smiled and replied "I will let you discover it". I don't want to speculate, but it sounded a bit like a "yes". Or perhaps I just wanted to hear "yes" ;).

7. I asked about balancing the elite specs for raids and whether they are checking the meta for example from qT to see which classes are omitted by the min-maxers. Mike said that they are in fact checking that, but balancing things is not that easy, cause players will always find class compositions and synergies of classes that are the most optimal and some classes will always simply end up being less represented. What's important though is that right now even though not every class is considered to be optimal (meta), it is possible to use any of them in a raiding environment and they are all viable. Mike himself raids using non meta classes.

8. After the beta weekend event I was surprised to see that the Renegade (Revenant's new elite spec) doesn't have underwater skills. Mike said that he's not 100% sure, but he thinks it's a bug.

9. I also asked about improvements to underwater combat, because at one point in time we will have to face Steve Bubbles (AKA water dragon). Mike was kind of dodgy here and only replied that things can always get better.

The last official part of the event was a raffle. There were multiple cool prizes like GW2 toasters, artbooks (including a new, small format PoF artbook), posters, plushies and Shatterer statues. Unfortunately yours truly doesn't have much luck with RNG both in game and real life ;).

During the whole event French Community Manager Stephane Lo Presti was busy filming volunteers who wanted to say a couple of words about why they are excited for the new expansion. All this footage will be mixed and probably released as some kind of a promo video. So if you hear someone saying that they're excited for Path of Fire because Charr need no gods and it's time to take down Balthazar as well, that could be me ;). #CharrMasterRace

It's really nice that ArenaNet is organizing fan events every year. It really shows how much they care about their community. I'm really grateful for the invitation and I'm proud to be a part of that warband.

Below you will find some pictures from the event. Enjoy!“

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