#And shay is well... Shay

[lunarmoves]

connected to this drabble!

"that's not sanitary, you know."

you paused, about to take a drink out of your cup of pink lemonade, and glanced up at sun. he watched you from the other side of the security desk, his arms bracing against its lip.

"what is?" you asked in confusion. you looked down at yourself, wondering if there was a stain or something on your uniform, but you were clean.

sun pointed to the cup in your hand, its straw sticking flimsily out of the top cover. "sharing drinks." there was a terseness to his smile despite it being stretched wide across his face in a vain attempt at casualness.

you only shrugged. he'd probably caught you letting the (relatively) new daycare security guard steal a few sips out of your drink before he clocked out for the night. "humans do it all the time, depending. besides, vincent's a friend. i didn't mind sharing with him. he was thirsty."

"that's not the point, friend!" sun exclaimed with a sudden loudness that had you jumping slightly. his pale, white eyes squinted slightly, but not in amusement. "exchanging saliva via straws or other utensils can lead to the transmission of germs and certain dise—"

"whoa, chill, dude! it's not that serious!" you cut off his rant abruptly, waving your free hand in the air. you made a motion to take the straw up in your mouth so you could prove your point, but before you could, sun snatched the cup right out of your hand. you let out an indignant hey! and tried to grab it back from him, but he leaned out of your reach.

"yes it is!" he said stubbornly, his fingers gripping onto the plastic of the cup. his head twitched slightly to the left, rays shifting minutely. "you could get sick! or worse!"

you huffed and crossed your arms over your chest. drama queen. you already knew you weren't getting that drink back. "it was only a few sips, man. besides, vincent doesn't have any diseases."

sun's gaze narrowed, his smile thinning. there was an edge to his words you didn't quite like. "you don't know that."

okay, well, he was right, but you weren't going to admit that. you swapped drinks with friends all the time, it was just something natural at that point in your relationship with them. "i don't know why you're getting so worked up over this," you told him irritably. "i'm sure you've seen kids eat each others' foods and drink each others' drinks all the time."

"that's different!" sun replied in a peevish manner.

you gave him a look that indicated you didn't quite believe him. "how is it different?"

at that, he seemed to pause and flounder for words. his arms moved about in the air in a manner that borderlined erratic. "it's— they're not—"

"i'm starting to think this is less about me and more about vincent," you said flatly as you raised an eyebrow at him.

sun recoiled, rays shrinking down slightly before he forced them back out to their normal size. "don't be silly!" he rushed out. "this isn't about—"

"then what is it about, hm?" you asked as gently as you could, which, in retrospect, wasn't all that. it was getting late and you didn't expect to have to deal with this tonight. "you know, i don't think you like vincent all too—"

"i said this isn't about him!" a burst of pink exploded out from sun's grasp, causing a waterfall to splash down on the desk and floor. you jumped at the abruptness of it, your eyes latching onto the tight grip sun had on your drink. his fingers had punctured holes in it, crushing the plastic until it was jagged and flat.

you stared at it for one moment, two moments, then snapped your gaze up to sun's face plate. he was staring directly at you, white pupils tiny and constricted in grey optics. his smile was wide and strained, his fingers twitching minutely at his side.

you swallowed heavily, and in a small, small voice, you said "...sun?"

the word seemed to breathe life back into him. he blinked and darted his gaze down to his hand. "oh!" he jumped slightly and loosened his grip just a tad. "silly me! sometimes i don't realize my own strength!" his body restarted that idle swaying motion it always seemed to have, and you distantly wondered when he had stopped it. "you stay right there friend! i'll get this all cleaned up in a jiffy!"

and then he skittered away, leaving you to stare blankly down at the waterlogged remains of your ruined drink.

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

+Bonus

[trollsbroppy]

Moderator: You know it's Poppy and Branch you know furthering their story their evolution but it's also furthering the story of Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick because they played these characters now for you know seven plus years so what was that collaboration for you?

Elizabeth: They're a couple that everyone ships like I think we're all like yes Poppy and Branch and we definitely talked a lot about where we start them and where we end them and

I think that we didn't take them so far and there were definitely versions of the script where you know maybe they ended a little farther than they actually ended up in this version

I love watching them together I love seeing them I love their small moments I love watching these two characters evolve over the movies you know where especially like poppy is a little smarter now. They're not like the arch characters that they were in that first one and I love their love and I think that they're a great couple.

[shayberri789]

Marsh: *spends all of HoA desperately wishing for death*

Marsh: *becomes the personification of death in Scadrian culture*

Sazed has a sense of humor

[justaz]

lance and hunk would so get married just for the fuck of it. like they so had a little vegas wedding with matt as the flower girl and stayed married for a few months then got divorced just for the dramatics

[starswallowingsea]

maybe in another life

The Gospel According to Jesus Christ, Jose Saramago / Obbligato, Ensemble Stars, translated by @hyenahunt / Hopscotch, Julio Cortazar / The Kiss of Judas, Ignazio Jacometti / Almost Heaven, Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon

[teecupangel]

so I have an idea what if Haytham Kenway is a yandere because of his desire of no longer wanting to lose things precious to him that started after being left by Ziio and goes full on platonic yandere for Ratohnhaké:tön,  when he learns he is his and Ziio’s son and we could also add adewale to the mix of someone he doesn’t want to lose because he is the only living connection left of his father

I feel like we would need a catalyst for this because if he was already a yandere before he met Kaniehtí:io then it wouldn’t make sense that he’ll let Kaniehtí:io go.

So in this case, the catalyst would be the aftermath of saving Jennifer. Not only did he lose one of the few people he actually trusted, Jim Holden. During the funeral, Jennifer hammered in the final coffin and told Haytham that they shouldn’t be stay close and that they were much too broken to become a family once more.

As well as…

“You became one of them, Haytham. The very people who ordered our father’s death and destroyed our family. No matter what kind of man you are underneath that cape of yours, you still choose to remain part of their Order. I cannot…” Jennifer stared at her younger brother…

No.

At the Grand Master of the Templar Order.

“I care for you as my brother but… I also wish I could strangle you…” She placed her hands on Haytham’s neck, “To snuff out the rot of the Kenway name.”

Haytham stayed still, lips curving into a small mirthless smile, as he asked, “Am I truly the rotten one, Jenny?”

“We both are, Haytham.” Jennifer said with a sad smile void of any hope. She dropped her hands and turned away as she said, “Our blood has rot beyond any hope of salvation. Stained by the corruption of the Order and the festering corpse of the Brotherhood.”

“If we truly wish to protect this world…” Jennifer began to walk away as she said, “We would let our blood end with us.”

.

And the tragedy of it is that Haytham actually believed that Jennifer was right.

The Kenway family was filled with tragedy. Even the happiness he must have had as a child felt like a dying dream.

But, at the same time, he also wanted his life to mean something.

His loyalty to the Order wasn’t because of Birch, it was because he truly did believe in the Order’s ideology.

And he would keep pushing forward…

Until it was time for him to die.

.

Shay was a tool that needed to be guided to be used effectively.

Or perhaps Haytham was simply pushing such thoughts to keep himself from remembering how the villages refused to let him come even near the forest. He had not seen Ziio at all, could not even ask any of the villagers to deliver his message or to give Ziio the letter he had penned.

Shay was a distraction…

The Colonial Brotherhood was a distraction.

But then…

Adéwalé stayed with them and protected them to the best of his ability.

How cruel his words had been.

“He would be ashamed to see what you have become.”

Yes.

His father would be ashamed of who he had become… probably.

But his father was dead.

And…

Adéwalé was a part of his father that was still alive.

It was hard to keep him alive. Adéwalé fought knowing it could be his last. Stubborness formed from desperation that left no other choice but to take him down until he was an inch away from death.

Shay had thought he had truly killed Adéwalé.

Haytham let him think that but he kept Adéwalé alive.

Charles didn’t say anything. He was foolishly loyal like that.

And so…

Once Adéwalé was stable, he had him shipped to Jennifer in London.

Jennifer would know what Haytham wanted even if he did not give her any letters at all.

.

The Colonial Brotherhood was destroyed.

And time marches on.

Haytham still tried.

He tried for so long.

Yet the village remained close to him.

So many times, Haytham had wanted to destroy the village just so it would open its gates.

But Ziio would not want that.

Then again…

Ziio didn’t want to see him at all.

She must hate him.

But Haytham was fine with that.

He was used to being hated.

All he wanted…

… was to have Ziio with him once more.

To hold her in his arms and to protect her.

If she hated him so much, he will build the most beautiful cage for her.

There she will be safe and protected.

And…

That’s when he saw him.

The boy with Achilles.

He looked…

He looked too similar to him to be a coincidence.

Too similar to Ziio.

It had to be…

Why.

Why wouldn’t Ziio tell him?

Why would Ziio hide him?

Stop.

There was no reason to be agitated.

There was no reason to lose all sense of calm.

“Charles.”

“Yes, Master Kenway?”

“Capture the child next to Achilles Davenport.” Haytham ordered without looking at their direction. Charles followed him and pretended not to see them, listening as Haytham continued.

“Alive and unharmed. Do I make myself clear, Charles?”

“Of course, Master Kenway.”

[episims]

Random Friday night Picrew featuring my young adults and soon-to-be young adults

[mirrortouchedsea]

(CW for Suicidal Ideation)

Hinata’s breath was heavy as he landed the final move of their act. The tinny music playing from their speakers went quiet and the audience clapped politely. It was always the same song and dance as the crowd moved on with their day. A few of them tossed some yen their way but otherwise it was time for them to regroup for their next performance. Yuta knelt down by the hat with some coins and bills sticking out of it, counting their earnings thus far. 

“Hey aniki! We might be able to eat well tonight! There’s like 3,000 yen in here!” Yuta exclaimed. The idea of a filling dinner made Hinata’s mouth water. Oh what he wouldn’t do for even warm noodles not from a cup. 

Hinata turned to grab the iPod from its place on the speaker, choosing the next song to play. He put the phone back and turned the volume up a little more to play over the evening rush. The music started and he and Yuta moved in unison around their little stage, taking in the crowd. There were some regulars that Hinata recognized, the businesswoman who was perpetually tired but always stopped for their performances and a few kids who looked up at them in awe as their parents were trying to usher them away. There were always new faces too, of course people traveled across the country all the time or took new trains or moved cities, but there was something different about the boy with the bright red hair at the back of the crowd. His sky blue eyes pierced straight through to Hinata’s heart and made him stumble when their gaze connected with his own. 

“Hey, aniki focus! We’re almost done, don't fail on me now!” Yuta whispered, carefully shielding Hinata from the crowd as he regained his footing. Yuta was always so quick thinking. Hinata got back to his position and finished up the routine, eyes looking for that boy he had spotted earlier. He half hoped the boy would come talk to them afterwards while they were packing up for the evening, but when he finally saw that shock of red hair, it was moving away with the rest of the crowd. 

Hinata sighed, disappointed. Maybe that boy would come back someday. There was something about him that drew Hinata in. 

Someone bumped his shoulder, drawing him from his thoughts. “Hey, aniki, are you alright? You seem out of it today.” Yuta’s hand rested on his shoulder and Hinata couldn’t help but smile. Wasn’t it supposed to be the other way around, the older brother checking in on the younger one? 

“Hey hey everything’s fine Yuta-kun, don’t worry about me. I was just thinking about that delicious dinner you’re treating us too~” He playfully pushed back on Yuta, the red haired blue eyed boy all but forgotten now. 

“Hey! It’s technically our money so I’m not treating you to anything!” Yuta scowled but the smile in his voice was obvious to Hinata. 

“Hehe, then dinner’s on me! Say ‘thank you aniki!’” 

--- 

It was a week before Hinata saw the red headed boy in their audience again. He had all but slipped his mind, but those striking blue eyes were impossible to forget. Yuta was introducing their next performance which allowed Hinata to take a better look at the older boy who had made his way to the middle of the audience. He was tall and what Hinata could see of his outfit seemed ill-fitting at best, along with a headband holding his hair away from his eyes. 

Hinata scrambled to his position as the music queued up and let his instincts take over. Every so often he found himself glancing at the red haired boy, trying to see what he thought of their performance, but his face revealed nothing. 

Why was he so focused on this one boy? It’s not like they didn’t have strangers who watched them sometimes, and none of them had caught Hinata’s attention quite like this boy. He really couldn’t be much older than Hinata, maybe 17 at the oldest. Was he an older brother too? The boy’s eyes made contact with Hinata’s and it took everything in him to not look away. 

Once again however, Yuta snapped him out of whatever trance he had been in and everything was forgotten. 

“Are you really okay aniki? You’ve been out of it a lot recently…” Oh how it pained Hinata to see the concern on Yuta’s face. Nothing was even really wrong per se, but Hinata was distracted nonetheless. 

“I’m fine, Yuta-kun. Geez, can’t your older brother have some peace?” His mouth ran faster than his brain and he immediately regretted it. Yuta’s face flipped through several emotions; hurt, confusion, exhaustion. It wasn’t like him to hide things from his brother, so why was he doing it now? “Whatever, let’s get some dinner. My treat~” 

“It’s our money!” 

--- 

The boy continued to make appearances at the twins’ performances on the street, becoming something of a regular but disappearing before Hinata could flag him down. Hinata wasn’t even sure what compelled him to want to talk to the older boy, but he wanted to say something. He had even noticed that the boy seemed happier and his clothes fit a little better, not like they were just the first thing he grabbed out of a donation pile. 

Finally, after almost a month of trying to say something to the boy, Hinata saw him walk up to their hat on the ground and drop a few coins into it. 

“Thank you!” He said, walking up to the boy. “Hope you enjoyed the performance!” 

The boy froze as if he wasn’t expecting to be greeted like that. There was a slight flush to his face. “I-it’s nothing, don’t worry about it. You uh…you were great?” The boy seemed unsure of how to reply, though Hinata was happy with the compliment nonetheless. Maybe… 

“What brings you here? I mean--agh, sorry! I just mean…I noticed you don’t have a regular schedule?” The words were practically falling out of his mouth and Hinata wasn’t really sure what they were doing. “Like you show up a few days in a row but then go three weeks without stopping by at all!” He was just digging a bigger grave for himself! Great! 

“Ah uhm…I’m not from around here.” The boy scratched at the back of his neck. Maybe Hinata should back off. 

“O-oh, yeah of course. Duh. Are you visiting family or something?” 

“Not quite. I really should get going though. See you…later?” 

“Yeah, see you later.” 

“Hey Aniki, are you coming or not? The food’s gonna get cold!” 

“Coming!” 

---

It was almost a month before the boy appeared again. In the time between, Hinata had come up with a million different ideas for what his life was like. Was he a delinquent who skipped school to hang out on the street with gangs (how scary! But he looked strong enough to fit in)? Or was he a runaway from a city far away, somewhere Hinata only dreamed of visiting like Okinawa? Maybe he had a bad relationship with his dad and ran away, a thought that Hinata hated to admit had crossed his mind more than once. Or maybe he just passed through the city on the way to somewhere else. That seemed to be the most likely option, especially if he couldn’t come very often. 

When the boy did finally show up again, Hinata had to hold himself back from practically jumping him after the performance. Something looked…different about him though. His eyes seemed more tired? Like he hadn’t been sleeping well. Hinata thought of a fight he had with his dad a few weeks ago that made it hard for him to sleep and thought maybe this boy was the same as him in that regard. 

Hinata decided to wave him down after the performance, hat in hand (they had done pretty well! It felt heavier than normal and even without counting everything, they’d probably have enough for breakfast too). 

“Hey! You look tired, are you--did you want to get something to eat?” Please say yes please say yes please say yes--

The boy’s mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. Did Hinata mess up? Oh he overstepped and now there really wasn’t any chance of getting to know him. Why was he so interested in talking to the boy anyway? Hinata had been asking himself that for a while now and he still had no answer. 

“I…I can’t. I need to go.” The boy turned and ran off before Hinata could ask more. He just kept messing up, didn’t he? Maybe he really was just a burden to Yuta and their dad and the restaurant owner. He shouldn’t have been born and Yuta would’ve been better off--

“Aniki! Sheesh, get your head out of the clouds. How much did we make?” Yuta grabbed the hat out of Hinata’s hand and quickly counted out the coins and bills. “Woah! We could eat a whole five course meal with this…” 

“Think with your head a little Yuta-kun. We’ve got breakfast paid for if we don’t blow it all tonight!” 

Yuta nodded before handing the hat back to Hinata. “So, my pick tonight?” 

--- 

Hinata signed the note, trying his best to keep the tears from dripping on it and smudging the ink. After his blunder with the red haired boy, he hadn’t shown up to their performances for over two months. Hinata was certain that he had messed up and was too forward. He didn’t even know the kid’s name! Why did he think the two of them could ever be friends? 

And on top of all of that, Yuta had become more and more distant from Hinata, as if Hinata just existing was dragging him back from his full potential. Yuta would have been better off as an only child and maybe Hinata deserved this life. Thirteen years living with their father, who had treated them as nothing but monsters, blaming them for their mother’s death and everything bad that had happened since, Hinata had resolved to run away. He’d make his way to the mountains and maybe he’d find someone willing to help him or maybe he’d slip into an endless sleep. 

Dear Yuta-kun, the letter had started. I’m sorry that I’m leaving like this, but I know that I’m just a burden to you. I’m sorry for that. I wish I had more to say but I just want you to be happy and maybe father will treat you better without me. I love you. 

The other letter, already folded and placed on the table, was much shorter, addressed to his father. 

Dear Father, I’m sorry I couldn’t be a better son. Please don’t take this out on Yuta-kun, it was my decision. 

The less words he spent on that man, the better. Hinata folded Yuta’s note and placed it on top before quietly exiting through the front door. 

---

Everything was cold. Hinata slumped against a tree, head between his knees in a last ditch effort to keep warm. Sleep should come soon and he could painlessly move on, at least that’s what he hoped. He barely registered someone approaching him, but didn’t look up. 

“Hey.” The voice was vaguely familiar, but where did he remember it from? A warm hand shook at Hinata’s shoulder. 

“‘M fine.” The words were barely a whisper. The other voice grunted before walking away. It was another minute before Hinata felt something drape around his shoulders and a cup shoved in his hand. Whatever was in it was steaming, warming his fingers. 

“Drink.” The voice said. And he did, the tea was very, very bitter. That voice… 

Hinata looked up, meeting a pair of bright, sky blue eyes. That’s where he recognized the voice from. Did he…live? In the mountains? The boy seemed to recognize him too. He was wearing a headband and what looked like very warm clothes that Hinata wished he had. Hinata finished the tea, trying not to focus on the flavor. It helped at least, in warming him up a bit. 

“Why are you here?” The boy finally spoke again. It sounded like he was unsure if he should be mad or concerned, or both, but he offered Hinata another cup of tea, which he accepted if only to warm his fingers up. He pulled the blanket closer around his body. 

“I…ran away.” Hinata looked downward, as if admitting this out loud was a cardinal sin. The boy gestured for him to continue. “I guess I just…I was dragging my brother down. I’m not really talented at anything like he is and I’m the reason our dad sees us as monsters. He shouldn’t have to deal with a brother like me.” Hinata wasn’t really sure why he was spilling this so easily. The boy was a good listener though, hanging on every word Hinata spoke. Was he shaking? He’d never admitted this out loud before and it felt oddly freeing to say it to someone. 

He waited for a response, anything to chase away the uncomfortable silence Hinata had created with his confession. He really fucked up, didn’t he. He should have just kept that to himself like he always did instead of burdening a stranger like this! 

“I…” The boy started, barely audible above Hinata’s racing heartbeat. “I’m glad you’re alive.” He sounded unsure of his words. Was he just trying to be nice? Of course he was, how else do you respond to a kid telling you something like this? 

“You don’t have to pretend.” 

“I’m not. When I saw you singing and dancing…I think I realized something--” The boy cut himself off, the suddenness of it making Hinata look up. A moment later he heard his brother calling out from the woods behind him. 

“Aniki! There you are!” Yuta tackled him to the ground, squeezing Hinata like he might just blow away in the wind if they weren’t careful. “You scared me! I can’t believe you’d do something like that!” 

Tears pricked at Hinata’s eyes again. “I’m sorry, Yuta-kun. I’m really sorry.” He buried his face in Yuta’s jacket. His nose started to run, from the cold or the tears he couldn’t tell. 

“You aren’t a burden to me. I don’t know what I’d do without you around Aniki!” Yuta pulled back, hands gripping Hinata’s shoulders. “Promise you won’t do something that stupid again.” 

Hinata wiped the tears from his eyes, sparing a glance where the boy had been. It was as if he had never been there at all and Hinata had just hallucinated the whole interaction. He looked back at his twin brother. “I promise.” 

“Now let's get you home and warmed up. Where’d you get this blanket anyway? It doesn’t look like one of ours.” 

“I…” The boy had been real, and he told Hinata he was glad he was alive (even if his explanation was cut short by Hinata’s brother rushing in). “I guess I just found it. There must be people living nearby or something.” 

--- 

The chatter of the night club died down for the night as everyone was getting ready to go home. Hinata’s feet were sore from running around, but it was satisfying to be back in a restaurant like this. It reminded him of his childhood working for the Chinese restaurant with Yuta. 

Rinne, the leader of Crazy:B who had wanted to get closer to Hinata, and by extension 2wink, slid a drink down the bar. It looked like a horrible mix of syrups and club soda, but one sip was all it took for Hinata to drink it all down. 

“Great job tonight Hina! You’re a real natural at this stuff.” Rinne was washing the other glasses behind the bar now as Hinata finished the rest of his soda. 

“Yuta-kun and I used to work in a restaurant so it comes pretty naturally to us!” 

“That so?” 

“Mhm!” Hinata slid the empty glass back to Rinne, who quickly dumped the ice and washed it before tossing the towel over his shoulder. The entire week they’d been working the club together, there had been something bugging Hinata at the back of his mind. “Hey, Rinne-senpai…did you ever watch our shows?” 

“Huh? ‘Course I have, vice prez wants us to work together so I’ve seen a few of ‘em.” 

“That’s not what I mean. I mean like…back when Yuta-kun and I did street performances.” 

Rinne paused for a moment. “Why’re you askin’?” 

“Oh, it’s nothing. You just reminded me of someone who used to watch them.” 

“Well I’m sure whoever it was is proud to see you singin’ and dancin’ on stage.” Rinne had come around the bar and stood next to Hinata, ruffling his hair. “Let’s get goin’ or I’m never gonna hear the end of it from Niki-kun.” 

[lunarmoves]

you were being followed.

you're not sure for how long. you only realized because you'd brought your phone out of your pocket to check the time and had noticed something behind you through its dark screen. you hadn't been able to get a good look—there was only a flash of blue before it had disappeared as you whirled around. desolate streets surrounded you. something thick had formed in your throat and stayed there.

you're starting to think that maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to go out for a walk in the evening—as the sun kissed the horizon in a burnt mandarin haze. but you'd wanted to. you'd wanted to walk past the remains of the pizzaplex—if only to see for yourself that it had truly been destroyed.

call you sentimental—maybe crazy was the right word—but something had just spurred you out of your house and down the road until you'd found yourself standing at the caution tape that blocked off the pizzaplex. the fire hadn't been too long ago. fazbear entertainment hadn't gotten the chance to clear anything out yet.

you stood there, hands in the pockets of your jacket, and stared at the dilapidated ruins before you. the signature 'fazbear' sign was a mess on the ground, spare electricity weakly running through it in a way that made the 'b' flicker somewhat sporadically.

good riddance, was your first thought, reminiscing about your stint at the pizzaplex before you were fired and replaced by one of those fucking s.t.a.f.f. bots. but then you sighed and kicked aimlessly at the ground. it had been a cool place, you had to admit. overpriced, yes, but the technological advancements made through the animatronics alone was something you'd thought was impressive.

and now they were nothing but melted scrap. a shame. you'd rather liked them.

you spent a few moments simply gazing at the charred brick and steel of the pizzaplex. then you sank further into your jacket and turned to slink back down the road. it wouldn't do well to linger. you sated your curiosity. time to go home.

only—you were starting to regret ever stepping out of your house.

a chill ran down your spine—from the air or the feeling of being watched, you would never know—and you found yourself pausing in your steady stroll to look around. you didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. the houses that lined the streets were aglow from within, trees swayed gently in the breeze, a car passed by leisurely along the road. and yet... you felt on edge.

maybe you had just imagined it, you thought. or maybe it was nothing—light reflecting off glass, perhaps. but something in your stomach prevented you from relaxing entirely in the face of your internal reassurances. something that seized your insides and refused to let go.

you continued on, trepidation lining your footsteps.

the streetlamps flicked on as you walked, the sky settling into a navy gradient as the sun finally disappeared beyond the horizon. you kept your eyes on the ground, watching as your shadow elongated and shrank as you passed underneath each light. you kept your ears strained for any footsteps other than your own. you clenched your phone tight in one hand and your keys in the other.

and faintly, so faintly that you could pass it off as a breeze, you heard the jingling of bells.

you whipped around as though you could catch whoever (or whatever) was following you in the act. but there was nothing behind you. nothing but a dark street lit up dimly by the lamp posts that dotted it. you clenched your jaw and turned back around.

immediately, you gasped and stumbled back, having not expected the thing standing right in front of you.

it was—a robot. one that was covered in soot and grime. the metal of its lithe body was cracked and broken, burnt black in some areas. it was wearing torn clothes that were a mismatch of red and yellow, and navy and gold. part of its endoskeleton was exposed on its lower right leg, the metal gleaming in the dim light from the streetlamp.

its face was the worst of it, you thought, as you stared at the bright yellow light that came from one eye and the blood red light from the other. triangular protrusions lined its head at the sides, and there was an absolutely filthy nightcap that rested at the top. you blinked and felt your fright sink deeper into horror.

you knew this robot.

"f-friend!" it warbled out through a voicebox coated in static. you swallowed thickly and stepped back as it loomed over you, permanent, disfigured smile stretching further at the edges. you did not like this at all—cowering in its shadow. "y-you're here! we— we've been l-looking e-e-everywhere for you!" then, like a switch had flipped, it started talking to you in a much deeper, raspier voice. "it's late. past your bed-bed-bedtime. c-come heeeere."

you took another step back as it stepped towards you, its clawed, metal hands coming up at its sides as though to grab you. bells jingled faintly with the motion. eyes wide, you did the only thing you could think of to distract it—talk to it.

"sun?" you nearly whispered out, then kicked yourself internally for the voice crack. "or... moon? is that... you?"

it didn't respond to either calls of their names, only stared down at you and tilted its head as a rattling whirr started up in its torso. but you knew this was the daycare attendant. maybe not sun nor moon, but a combination of the two, if its looks were any indication. had they followed you from the pizzaplex this whole time? goosebumps lined your skin under your jacket.

and before you could even think to lurch away, their hands suddenly clamped down on the sides of your arms. their face pressed in closer to you, smile widening in a way that made you bite at the inside of your cheek. their head rotated to the side in an inhuman way, the steady tick-tick-tick of the mechanisms behind it breaking through the quiet air. and not for the first time that night, you wished you'd never went on this stupid walk.

"w-won't you st-st-stay, friend?" eclipse asked—voice thin like a blade. you didn't have the strength within you to pull away. their hands pulled you closer to them and tightened as though unwilling to let you escape. "it's been s-so lone-lonely without y-y-you. won't you f-follow us home?"

[rosemine24]

yay more oc stuff, obsessed with these album cover redraws 😋

(dont mind how bad the flowers look 💀)

og under cut ⬇️

[shaycormacaroni]

You know I had to do it to 'em

[sipsteainanxiety]

SHAY SHAY SHAY HELLO 🤭 CAN I GET SOME OF THEM RECS PLS I NEED MY DOSE OF BKG LMAO can never get enough of him fr

i hOPE U R HAVING A GUD DAY N GOOD LUCK ON THAT EXAM OML

HELLO HELLO MY DEAR i just went searching and there are some fic recs in this ask and this ask as well!! also since u r a die hard bkg stan like me i went searching in my likes!! some of these fics are fcking old - like from 2018/2020 - but they r the ones that i would recommend!! ALSO NOTE THE ONES THAT CONTAIN NSFW AND BE MINDFUL PLS!!!

pit stop by hollowedpurple

charade by ihatebnha (caitie hi) nd him being sweaty

i will always return by crikeygatormate (outlaw bkg!! multiple parts + has nsfw be careful!)

breath of a dragon by moonbelt (dragon king bkg!! also has nsfw!!) this fic changed my life

pumpkin spice & everything nice by petrichorium (hi lori ily)

your biggest fan by simplybakugou (hi mira) (thats a smau!!) and also shut up and kiss me, turn back time, off the deep end (mermaid reader!)

movement by unbreakableleeji (PIRATE BKG & MERMAID READER!!)

angel with a shotgun by gemstoneconstellations (multiple parts) ALSO RLY GOOD!! and this is a kiri fic but hero by another name is part of the same universe and is so. so good!!! (badass firefighter reader!!)

number neighbor by myherowritings (smau!, sof isnt active anymore but her bkg >>>) and alsoooo the language of flowers

ua's freaky friday by kaistarus and will you social distance with me? (THAT HIT ME SO HARD BC IT WAS PEAK COVID TIMES)

happier by iguessilovebakugou (multiple parts) THIS IS SOOO GOOD

and these are fics in my likes that i've saved but havent read yet that looked good!:

whispers of the heart by k-atsukidayo, and also wonder love, stained in gold, the biography of a heart

stare by nekokoafanfictions

you suck at cooking by cellotonin (cookie return to tumblr WHEN?!) and alsooo finding love (and finding you there)

strength comes in many forms by reddriot (fantasy au!!) HI MISS ZEE WHERES PT 2 ALREADY!!!

sunflowers don't grow in the city by eremikan (mind the warnings!!!)

god bkg and goddess reader by hanji-is-life

the dragon raid by dienamights (fantasy au!, multichap)

the forbidden flame by vampyrsm (fantasy au!! has smut!)

tall buildings blinking to airplanes in the snow by princematcha

reader wearing bkg's costume by professionally-unprofessional and selfless

sick by spicyness

kiss & tell by simpliheavenli (multichap!)

to save a dragon by strawberry-nugget (fantasu au!! mind the warnings)

it rains, so then you drown me by diesukitsuki

lunar captivity by ghoulraki (mermaid au)

reader w a mind reading quirk by katsushimaa

strawberry jam by smashboxgirl26 (cowboy bkg!!)

wrong number, asshole by not-me-simping-for-blasty (smau i think?? multiple parts)

prince bkg and maid reader by aikugo

excalibur blue by bluebellhairpin (pacific rim au!)

we should just kiss! by sems-diarie

the regent by azerlinsblog

i'd also go look thru my shay's treasure hoard tag since thats where i rb a lot of fics i like!!

[the-bae-spencer-shay]

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAY JERRY!🎂

[starswallowingsea]

of course you have purple hair and autism

[teecupangel]

Okay okay so.

Your thoughts on a Time Travel-ish fic where Desmond gets yeeted back to a little bit before Altaïr’s time and Bayek, Kassandra, Alexios, and f!Eivor become basically immortal bc of POE/Isu bullshit?

And then all the main characters after that become immortal bc of POE/Isu bullshit (including Desmond) so they’re just slowly gathering a bunch of immortal Assassin/some Templars and winging it til they hit the modern day era.

If you like to add a vampire spin to it, here’s the vampire idea a while back that does include a lot of main characters (but not all) getting turned into vampires.

Now, for this idea, let’s set up some things first.

Desmond is the primary immortal and nobody knows how it works.

They stop aging once they die and are revived for the first time.

There will always be a minute of death before their revival. (spawn rate)

Since we want to cover all main AC characters (although I love the fact that we didn’t include Basim in that list. Mirage isn’t out yet, Basim doesn’t count yet, I guess XD), I know you asked for Desmond being yeeted a little before Altaïr’s time so I’m hope you’re fine with Desmond being yeeted before or during Kassandra and Alexios’ time period. (I mean how 'little' is open for interpretations I say)

And how about we make this a little bit more interesting?

Desmond gets yeeted into the time of the Isus. To be more specific, he gets thrown into Minerva’s ‘temple’ during the final days before the Solar Flare.

He’s disoriented and maybe just ‘a bit’ traumatized because of the pain he felt when he activated the device so all he could do was try to understand what Minerva was saying.

About how she’s trying to save his life. That he must do what they all fail to do.

Find the true source of this anomaly, this singularity point that ensures a catastrophe hits Earth every few millennia regardless of what they do.

Because, and this is important, Desmond, even if you save the world from the Solar Flare, another catastrophe will happen. It is inevitable.

But you can find the reason why it has to be that way.

Desmond…

No matter what happens.

Never give up.

Keep looking.

I will do all I can to give you as much help as possible.

Good luck.

And Desmond falls asleep when Minerva pushes him into some kind of device that looked like a water bed.

When he wakes up, he finds himself staring at a confused-looking woman clad in armor.

The Layla Trilogy:

Desmond has no clue what this singularity point is meant to be but he assumes that he’s meant to find it now that he’s woken up… 2 millennia before his time, Jesus Christ.

Kassandra was just looking around the supposed ruins of Athena’s first temple. She believes he’s a demigod or a human turned demigod by Athena. She also thought he might even be Erichthonius but that idea was scrapped when Desmond showed her just how little he knows of the Ancient Greek world. He joins her because it’s not like he has any other clue and Kassandra traveling made it clear that he could cover more grounds if he stayed with her.

It’s because of Desmond’s intervention that Alexios (as Deimos) isn’t killed and the siblings’ relationship is rocky but Alexios stays with them in the Adrestria even if it usually comes down to Kassandra and Desmond making sure Alexios’ temper doesn’t get them into trouble. (Whether the other family members survive is your call).

In the end, it’s the whole Atlantis DLC that makes Kassandra and Alexios accidentally (or is it an accident, Minerva?) immortal. Desmond’s inclusion into the ‘vision’ screwed up the Isu tech and whatever is keeping Desmond immortal is copied into Kassandra and Alexios. They don’t realize it until later on when Alexios dies during a very fierce battle. Then a minute passed while Kassandra cradles her baby brother in her arms as she cries, Alexios opens his eyes and gasps loudly. Kassandra and Desmond would realize they’re immortal as well later on. No matter what they ask, Aletheia in the staff (Desmond doesn’t trust her one bit) doesn’t say anything at all. Desmond believes that their immortality might have been caused by one of the many POEs he had with him at the moment (he’s been hoarding every POE they find).

In this setup, Alexios would be Aya’s ancestor and it’d be more of a one-night stand that happened because Alexios was feeling a bit off that day and wanted some company. Whether they learn Aya is Alexios’ descendant is up to you. They meet Bayek during the Curse of the Pharaoh DLC while they were checking out the ‘curse’ and this is another case of Desmond’s immortality getting passed into Bayek while the POE is shrouding all of Thebes. Maybe even during the time they were in the Duat and Desmond is seeing people who haven’t even been born yet and that’s how he believed his desire to destroy the lies being shown to him caused Bayek to be infected by his immortality. They don’t know Bayek is immortal though but Bayek knows they’re immortal (maybe make one of them die in front of Bayek? They’ve become quite prone to risky actions because they know they can’t die) so when he realized he was immortal, he starts looking for them.

Eivor met them on the Isle of the Skye and Desmond’s immortality infects her during that time as well (maybe during the final confrontation with the POE?) but, as usual, they don’t know that yet. What happens is that Eivor returns to Ravensthorpe and the story continued until the end of AC Valhalla, maybe a few days later, Reda (who may or may not be an avatar of Minerva or her sage or something, the point is his immortality is not connected to Desmond’s… maaayybbee) introduces her to an old friend of his who is looking for someone who looks a lot like Randvi, a man going by the name Amun. At that point, Eivor already knows she’s immortal, Basim slicing her throat during their final confrontation was a dead giveaway, and Reda introduced them as ‘two people of similar circumstances’. They both realized that they’re immortals and Bayek (who Eivor knows as Amun) believes that the answer to their questions is with Desmond and the Spartan siblings (they’re not, they don’t even know they’ve been leaving immortals behind) so Eivor leaves Ravensthorpe to find Desmond and the other with Bayek, promising to come back once she has all the answers.

They finally catch up to Desmond and the others around late 1100s and Desmond doesn’t know how but he’s sure he’s the reason why they’re all immortals now. Without any other information, all they can do is be cautious and, later on, they decide that Desmond shouldn’t get too close to other people until they’re sure on how this entire immortality thing gets activated. Of course, that only means Desmond would feel bored (and maybe have bad reminders of his life on the Farm) so he was just walking a busy marketplace to take some time off his own spiraling thoughts, just looking around and that’s when he bumps into Altaïr.

Desmond’s Ancestors (Part 1):

Desmond didn’t even know Altaïr would be around these parts. Why would he? All he knew during this time was that Altaïr went with Maria to go travel, he didn’t know just how far the two had traveled during that time. Desmond desperately tries to get away because, fuck, there’s no way that he was going to mess up Altaïr’s life even if he desperately wants to because he has no idea what will happen to him if he messes Altaïr’s life so badly that Desmond Miles wouldn’t be born centuries from now. This only makes Altaïr interested in him and it ends with Desmond joining Altaïr and Maria in their travels, sorta forgetting to tell anybody else that he might have been half-kidnapped/half-went along with it?

So the current immortality gang is out looking for him while he’s making a life in Masyaf, becoming like an uncle to Altaïr’s children. Desmond keeps trying to tell Altaïr that Abbas is too dangerous to keep alive but Altaïr won’t listen, thinking that Abbas would not stoop as low as Desmond says, especially when the Apple doesn’t show him anything bad happening with Abbas. By this point, Desmond had told Altaïr everything so Altaïr know Desmond knows of a future but he insists that that future is no longer their future because they have changed things.

Altaïr and Maria still go with Darim to assassinate Genghis Khan but Desmond stays behind to keep an eye on Abbas. Unfortunately, this gets him captured and it’s only because of Desmond’s warning that Malik survived, taking Sef’s wife and children out of Masyaf on Sef’s orders while Sef stays behind to save Desmond. It ends in tragedy as Sef dies in Desmond’s arms instead even though Desmond begs for whatever is keeping him immortal to save Sef, to make him immortal as well. Desmond is taken deeper into Masyaf and tested on to find the reason for his immortality instead.

Altaïr’s return is heralded by a civil war between those who sided with Abbas and the Assassins Malik rallied. In the battle, Maria dies in Altaïr’s arms as well and, if you really want to hammer in the pain, Malik falls as well. When they finally took Masyaf back, Altaïr finds Desmond in the deepest part of Masyaf alive but… well… it’s not a pretty sight. Just as he frees a catatonic Desmond, Abbas stabs him from behind and Desmond snaps out of it, screaming as Altaïr falls into his arms. Remembering how Sef dies in his arms the same way breaks Desmond. Altaïr dies in his arms and revives a minute later, much to Abbas’ surprise. In the end, Altaïr kills Abbas and takes Masyaf back.

After the funerals are done and Masyaf starts healing, Altaïr tells the new mentor (Malik if he’s still alive or Darim if Malik is already dead) that he and Desmond are leaving Masyaf. That this place is simply too painful for Desmond right now and the only way he can heal is to be away from this place. The mentor agrees because they both know how much Desmond blames himself for the death of the people he and Altaïr loved. That not even Altaïr telling him it’s not his fault could reach him.

So they leave and a few days later the immortality gang reaches Masyaf but everyone is tight-lipped about what happened and if they know anyone that looks like Desmond (there were rumors that the people of Masyaf were experimenting on how to achieve eternal life and such). So it took them a long time for the mentor to confide what had happened (that’s fine with them though because they trust Desmond can take care of himself (oh boy) and they’re immortals, they have all the time they need) and the mentor isn’t sure where Desmond and Altaïr could be.

They’re in Monteriggioni. Of course, they’re in Monteriggioni. Desmond talked and showed Monteriggioni to Altaïr and his sons so Altaïr knew how much Desmond loved the town. They stayed there because Altaïr was hoping Desmond could heal there and Altaïr accidentally sorta-maybe bought the place while it was just a little thing and started expanding and stuff. They’re always known as descendants of themselves and they’re rumored to be brothers or cousins or something, anyway, the point is the town’s connection with the Assassins is a very hush-hush affair and the Italian Brotherhood grows with Altaïr’s assistance while Desmond just… does whatever he wants.

Desmond meets Ezio as a child when the Auditore family visits the town to pay their respect and Altaïr sees how happy Desmond is to play with Ezio and his siblings. He suggests that they vacation in Florence once in a while to visit the Auditores and Desmond agrees.

The Auditore execution doesn’t happen because Altaïr’s presence makes the Italian Brotherhood be more incognito. Giovanni is still loyal to Lorenzo (an ongoing headache of Altaïr’s) and he’s the mentor of the Italian Brotherhood while Altaïr has more of an advisory role but his connection to the other Assassins was great enough that he was able to coordinate a rescue mission when Giovanni was arrested. Federico and Claudia (who learned enough to fight in secret thanks to her Tio Desmond) were in the house and they got the others out while Giovanni stayed behind so he was the only one arrested and the Auditore family is given asylum in Monteriggioni.

Of course, the whole rescue plan had been in the making for a while now as a ‘last resort’ since Desmond told Altaïr what would happen and this pushes Ezio, Federico, and Claudia to join the Brotherhood in hopes of avenging what has happened to them.

Same thing happened as canon. The actions of the Italian Brotherhood (really, Ezio and his siblings) catch the attention of the immortality gang who finally catches up but they accidentally thought Ezio was the immortal with Desmond named Altaïr and that’s how Ezio learns about the whole immortality thing.

Ezio finds out he’s immortal after Rodrigo stabs him and he dies but revives. He believes his other siblings aren’t immortal though because he saw Minerva’s message for Desmond and it’s already changed. She’s speaking to Ezio and she tells him to “keep Desmond in check”. To make sure he remembers his mission. Ezio believes it’s not Desmond who gives immortality to random people but Minerva. That this immortality thing is something Minerva prepared to keep Desmond ‘safe’ and ‘focused’.

Desmond would have easily said that Minerva is going by a list of people Desmond cared about but he didn’t even know about Kassandra, Alexios, Bayek and Eivor before his death so that idea gets thrown out before it even fully forms.

Anyway, it ends with the immortality gang going on a newly refitted and upgraded Adrestia to start looking for this singularity point with Altaïr giving Monteriggioni to Petruccio who had been taking care of the finances and the little details for a while now. They stop by Constantinople as well and Ezio falls in love with Sofia, maybe he stays with her for a while and have two children? Idk. Anyway, the Auditore line continues…

Into the Kenway line…

Yeah, see that part one? Yeah, it’s because this got too long and I only answer/reblog on tumblr on a specific time frame to make sure I get things done. Sorry XD

I’ll get back to the others tomorrow (if work wills it) but if anyone wants to take a stab at this, feel free :)

(ngl, I was debating if I should make Malik/Maria/Darim and Sef immortal. I’m still on the fence with Malik being immortal. It would be a good angst fodder “Why you but not them?!!” kind of deal)