#I have to make a costume a of a man wrapped in bandages

[maybeamiles]

I hate sewing so much why did I decide to put myself through this

[jayteacups]

It's A Wrap!

Working on Attack on Titan as a makeup artist has irreversibly changed your life. As the end rapidly approaches, you find that letting go is harder than you’d thought. After years of harbouring feelings for Levi that you can’t divulge, his final day on set arrives. You know it’s time to say goodbye to him and part ways—but maybe you don’t have to. 

Pairing: Levi Ackerman x GN!Reader 

Tags & warnings: Actor!Levi, Makeup artist!Reader, fluff, confessions, friends/idiots to lovers, alcohol consumption, briefly implied sexual content, AOT finale spoilers

Word count: 6.9k words

A/N: I’m back, happy Levi month everyone! I wrote this over the last month to cope with the fact AOT was ending and also life stuff. This is incredibly self indulgent, also I would love to tell more stories and scenarios in this AU, so this probably won’t be the last one-shot I write for actor!Levi and MUA!Reader hehehe. Disclaimer that I don't work in film or TV or makeup, sorry if there are any inaccuracies. Also please forgive me for the uncreative title, lol. Hope you enjoy the fic!

Levi’s last day on set is bittersweet. 

For the final time, you lean against the wall and count down the seconds on your watch. The trailer door swings open to reveal the man of the hour. On par for the course, Levi arrives fifteen minutes on the dot before his scheduled arrival time. He’s holding his usual steaming flask of tea in one hand, with a nondescript rucksack (save for a Badtz-Maru keychain gifted to him from the Sanrio collaboration) slung over his shoulder. 

“Hey,” you greet him, pushing off from the wall, moving towards him like a moth to flame. He sets down his things in the sitting area and meets you halfway, letting you pull him into your arms. After years of working alongside each other, you’ve both grown accustomed to greeting each other like this in private, especially after the stress the two of you had put yourselves under during the Season 3 shoots. 

“How are you feeling? It’s your last day.” You ask him as the two of you part. To your dismay, you’re already missing the warmth of his embrace. 

“I’m fine. I’m not going to get all sappy about it.” His face is placid.

“That’s what Hange said when they filmed their death scene, and we saw how that ended,” you say lightheartedly. Hange had sworn to remain jovial and upbeat throughout their last day, but after seeing the several other actors cry at their phenomenal acting, they had promptly broken down. “And I bet you anything that Eren’s going to say that when he and Mikasa do the cabin scene next week, and we all know he’ll be the first to start crying and the last to stop.” 

Levi rolls his eyes before he enters the wardrobe area, but you know he’s not serious. “If you think I’m going to break down in tears like Hange and the kids did, you’re dead wrong,” he continues, out of sight. 

You smile. “Sure. It’s alright, you know, if you do end up crying. It’s an end of an era, we’re all going to get emotional.” 

A few moments later, Levi emerges in costume, sans the bandages. He sits down in front of the mirror at the vanity table. “Yes, but I’m satisfied with what I’ve done here, and I have no regrets,” he muses out loud, continuing on from before. “And it’s not like I’m done with the show. There’s the wrap party, then the press tour and all that. So don’t expect me to get all worked up today. I’m not saying goodbye to Attack on Titan just yet.” His voice softens towards the end. 

But it is goodbye for us, you wish to say. And I don’t want it to be. You haven’t been contracted for any of their press events. After you finish with Attack on Titan, you’ll have a handful of weeks before your upcoming contract for a new show begins. It’s a wonderful opportunity; the show is airing on a major streaming service and requires you to push your SFX skills to the limit. Sasha had been cast in one of the main roles and both Onyankopon and Nifa will make appearances too, so you’ll see some familiar faces on this new project. But selfishly, you aren’t ready to let go and move forward. Selfishly, you aren’t ready to part ways with Levi. 

Sure, the two of you will make an effort to talk every now and then. You know him far better than to assume he’ll stop talking to you the moment Attack on Titan is finished; despite him being standoffish at first, it’s clear Levi cares deeply about everybody he’s ever worked with, cast or crew alike. But the chances of your demanding schedules ever lining up again are close to zero, and sooner or later, your frequent messages will fizzle out into a conversation lost to the ages. You’ll drift, until the two of you are strangers once more. It’s inevitable; you’ve seen it happen before with your actor friends from old projects. No doubt it’ll happen again. 

You consider addressing the elephant in the room, wondering if it lingers on his mind, too. But instead, you hum in agreement and pass him a headband to hold his hair out of the way. He puts it on, clearly content to not bring it up just yet. 

Levi chews on the inside of his cheek as you sort out your equipment on the vanity table. Your eyes are immediately drawn to his lips, which are a little more chapped than usual. It’s clear there is something else that’s bothering him, but you decide to let it go for now. Sometimes Levi just needs to sit with his thoughts for a moment. You’ve learned that being pushed just makes him close himself off even more. A life in the limelight can be unforgiving. Kuchel Ackerman had been the brightest star of her generation, but behind the scenes, her personal life was far from glamorous. It doesn’t surprise you that her son keeps his heart and feelings well-guarded. 

As he sits and stews, you apply chapstick and some basic ‘barely-there’ makeup on his face, before creating the illusion of a hard-fought battle by adding a light layer of grime to his face. You’ll add more after the scar and bandages. As you work, Levi takes out a folder from his bag, which is embellished with a small cat sticker that Hange had stuck on years ago. From it, he takes his copy of the script, nary a crease in the sheets. Brow furrowed, he reads it over and over, mouthing his lines with the fervour of a prayer. 

Now, that is odd. 

“There is something on your mind, isn’t there?” You’ve also read the script for today’s scene. The director had decided to save Levi’s most poignant scene—where his character salutes the ghosts of his fallen comrades—for the very end of his shoot. (Levi’s epilogue scene had been shot a week prior.) This would be his most challenging scene yet, for it would be the first time he and his character will ever cry on screen. “You can tell me if you want. Anything you need to help you focus. There’s still time.” You give him a quick squeeze on his shoulder. 

Stormy eyes glance up at his reflection, than up at yours. He puts down the script and sighs, voice subdued. “I just want to do the Captain’s ending justice, and I don’t think I can.” 

“I think you can,” you murmur. You gesture for him to close his eyes, and pick up your finest brush. Willing your hand and heart into steadiness, you bring the brush up to his forehead, where the largest scar begins. You’ll never get used to how infuriatingly gorgeous he is. “No. I know you can. There is no doubting just how much you care about portraying him correctly.” 

He swallows. “Well, I’ve never cried on camera before.” He stops, giving you a moment to work. 

With the utmost care, you begin to draw the main line of the largest scar, the one that passes through his eye and lips. As the brush passes over his eyelid, it twitches ever so slightly, his long lashes tickling your hand. Smiling, you brush away a stray lash that had fallen onto his cheek. As you extend the line down his cheek, you try to reassure him. Levi’s usually so steadfast, but it makes sense that something like this would grow heavy on his mind. 

“You’ve been practicing it with your coach, though, right? I mean, I’ve had to cover up your swollen eyes a number of times this season.” 

“Yeah. Thanks for that, by the way.” 

“Don’t mention it.” 

The brush reaches his lips. He opens his eyes, looking up at you through lowered lashes. Your heart aflutter, you staunchly ignore any and all thoughts of kissing him. Doing so has become more and more difficult with every passing day. Especially when every now and then, you think you see him glancing down at your lips whenever you lean in close to examine a detail of your work. 

It’s more than likely that you’re imagining it, though. 

Finally, the brush reaches his chin, finishing the outline of the first scar. You lean back to admire your work. After many instances of painstakingly painting on the scars and agonising over continuity, you don’t have to look at your old reference pictures to know the exact shape and curve of them, down to the millimetre. But you do so anyway, and smile in satisfaction when you compare today’s line to the pictures from the first time you drew them on him for practice. A perfect match. 

“I know you’ve been working hard at it,” you continue assuring him, putting down the reference photos. “You’ve definitely come a long way.” 

“Yeah, but I’m shit at it, actually. All those times we joked about how Eren would take forever to conjure a single tear every time he needed to cry, and now here I am in the exact same position. He’s going to rub this in my face should he ever find out.” He chews the inside of his cheek again, looking down. “Damn it. Don’t know what’s wrong with me today. I’m not… I don’t get nervous. I don’t show up to work feeling unprepared. That isn’t me. But today, it is.” 

It’s unsettling, to see him so unsure of himself. His nerves are understandable, as he came into the show with more of a stuntman background and little actual acting experience. But anybody who’s worked alongside him could easily tell you just how dedicated he is to improving his craft, and that nobody else could play the Captain with the same quiet subtleties that Levi brings to the screen. 

You hope your smile is somewhat reassuring to him. “And that’s okay. You know, crying on command really isn’t easy. I’ve worked with countless actors and many also find it difficult.” In your experience, most actors need a while to work themselves up to cry. The most obvious exception is Armin, who has the unnerving ability to turn it on and off like a light switch. “For you, all you need to do is make one tear out of one eye. You’ve managed to do that before, right?” 

He nods, but the firm clench of his jaw and the crease between his brows don’t fade.

“So, it’s nothing that you haven’t practiced. And on the off chance that you can’t do it today, that’s perfectly fine. I have eyedrops in my bag.” 

“Yeah, but…” He shakes his head in frustration. “This is going to sound dumb, but it… I don’t know, that feels like cheating. I know you’re thinking I’m being an idiot, and I probably am. I know eyedrops are common practice. It’s just… This is my character’s last moment before the epilogue, and I want it to be real. I don’t want to take the easy way out.” 

“No, it’s not stupid. There’s no shame in needing to use eyedrops if you end up not being able to cry today, but it’s really admirable that you want to do it as authentically as possible. I think that since this is your final scene, and so many people are returning this morning, it’ll be easier than usual to muster up those tears.” Reaching for a set of different brushes and paint, you instruct him, “here’s what we’re going to do. I need you to just listen whilst I do the rest of your scars. I don’t want you to get trapped in your head about this, okay? Overthinking will just make it harder to get into character. Isn’t that what you said to Mikasa all those years back? It worked wonders for her. I often forget that this show was her first ever gig, with how good she’s become.” 

He scoffs. “Really? You’re using my own words against me?”

“Well, what use is your own advice if you can’t follow it yourself?” 

After a moment of hesitation, Levi sighs in defeat and closes his eyes again. “Shit, you’re relentless. Fine, then. I’ll trust you.” 

You get to work, drawing the outlines of the second scar parallel to the first, then the smaller ones on his other cheek. As you add in the details, such as the texture of the stitches, you remind Levi of another story that he himself told you. He’d never worked with horses before being cast in this show, and yet was one of the quickest learners. Unsurprisingly so, since he’s incredibly kinaesthetically intelligent. To this day, the cast insists he looks the most at ease atop a horse, only second to Erwin, who actually used to ride in his childhood. You remind him that every single time, his hard work has more than paid off.

Somewhere down the line, you go off topic. Levi makes no move to stop you. In fact, he seems content just to listen to you talk about anything, everything. As the wounds take shape on his face, you reminisce on anecdotes from set, on the time the two of you spent together. With fondness, you recall your first meeting. Back then, you were an lowly assistant on the SFX team, transforming an unassuming man into the wounded soldier who, in his dying moments, listened to the Captain’s vow to eradicate the titans and bring meaning to his sacrifice. You talk about how the two of you grew closer during the filming of the second season, when Levi had a lot more free time to talk. How difficult the third season had been to film due to both of you being spread thin by additional responsibilities.

You skim over that time Levi mentioned you in an interview when asked about a favourite memory on set, and how warm it made you feel. You don’t talk about how you’d genuinely teared up after watching the final cut of the scene where Hange discovers a half-dead Levi by the riverbank, despite knowing that his ‘injuries’ were nothing more than your own handiwork.

And, with your heart clenching painfully, you certainly don’t dare to bring up the almost-kiss at last year’s cast and crew Halloween party.

——— 

“Cut! Perfect! Aaand that’s a wrap for Levi!” 

The set erupts into thunderous applause. You clap heartily alongside the rest of the cast and crew. A deafening symphony of whoops and cheers fills the air, and if not for the growing lump in your throat, you’d join in too. 

A standing ovation. Levi deserves it and more. Just as you expected, every angle the director wanted to capture had needed one take each, not a single one more. No eyedrops needed. 

From your position, you can see Levi still sitting by the rock. Strangely, he makes no move to get up. Curious as to why, you peer past some crew members that had moved in the way, but you’re greeted with a sight that pulls at your heartstrings. Your eyes sting with new tears. 

Curled up by the rock, Levi has his face buried in his hands, his shoulders heaving with quiet sobs. 

Something in your chest aches. You knew that he would get emotional at the end—there was no way he wouldn’t, especially considering that his character cried too—but you didn’t expect him to feel so overwhelmed. 

On instinct, your feet propel you towards him, but you’re promptly cut off by a few other crew members moving around. Through your rapidly blurring vision, you can only watch as several of the returning cast members rush forward from the smoke. Hange reaches him first, and pulls him into a bone-crushing hug. Erwin is second, kneeling next to the duo and rubbing Levi’s back comfortingly. 

Sniffling, you quickly wipe away your tears, remembering suddenly that you still have something to do. Unnoticed, you slip away from set.

There is a tradition amongst the cast that whenever a character dies, the actor receives a bouquet of flowers from the cast and crew. (A size limit had to be enforced after a very emotional Gabi had presented Sasha with a bouquet so large it couldn’t fit through the trailer door.) For this final season, the tradition has expanded to gifting the actor a bouquet when they wrap, for the characters that survive all the way to the very end. 

The door to Connie’s trailer is unlocked when you arrive, just as he said it would be. Inside, you find a vase full of vibrantly coloured flowers on the kitchenette counter in the exact spot where you’d left it earlier this morning. Several weeks ago, the cast and crew had all nominated you to put in the order for the bouquet and present it to Levi on his final day, and Connie had offered to help you hide it from Levi until it was time. Careful to not drip water all over the floor, you pick up the flowers and jog back to set. 

The fog machines are being carried out by the time you return. You immediately scan the set for Levi, but it seems he has been completely buried under a massive group hug with the veterans cast, no doubt Hange’s doing. You can’t help but smile at the sight. Most of the crew members appear to be taking a break before clean-up, as it is the end of the day. The air is filled with chatter, but a hush descends upon the crowd as you approach. 

The actors peel away from the hug one by one. A smiling Petra helps Levi get to his feet. The bandages on his face are halfway unravelled. With one hand, he yanks them off, leaving both of his eyes to gaze at you unobstructed, ablaze with an intense emotion you can’t quite place. With his other hand, he quickly wipes away the half-dried tears on his cheeks. 

“On behalf of the cast and crew,” you say hoarsely, “I give you these.” You step forward and present him the bouquet. “It’s been an honour. Thank you for everything, Levi.” 

His fingers gently graze yours as he takes the flowers from you. Tenderly, he holds them close to his chest. 

“I was wondering where you went just now,” he says. Of course he’d noticed. “Should’ve known you’d be the one to give me this…” His voice wavers towards the end. He scoffs and wipes at his eyes. “And to think I was done blubbering like a baby. Damn it. You were right.” 

He pulls you into a hug without a second thought. 

——— 

Somehow, you’ve been roped into taking photos for everyone. Levi unwraps the bandages around his hand before he begins. He first takes a photo with the director and producer, who both thanking him dearly. They part with a handshake. Almost immediately after, the cast members of the Alliance, along with Eren and Zeke, all swarm forward for a big group photo. They’d all come to watch in support, even if several of them weren’t scheduled to come in today. Connie confesses that he’d helped hide the bouquet by letting you into his trailer. Levi makes a light-hearted remark that he should’ve figured that out too, considering Connie also helped hide Hange’s bouquet—which Levi himself had been responsible for ordering and retrieving. 

The veteran actors come forward next. Fitting them all into the camera frame was a challenge, but you manage to do it after one of your makeup assistants finds you a stool. Somehow, Erwin manages to persuade Levi into doing the Scout salute with the rest of them. (“I just did it in the scene, though… Fine, I’ll indulge in your corniness for today, you dorks.”) When he presses his fist to his chest one last time, the veterans erupt into cheers. 

Hange and Erwin both stay back for a little longer. The trio pose for more photos, all grinning widely, though you decide to put a stop to the mini-photoshoot when Hange attempts to pick Levi up bridal-style and almost drops him. 

(“When I said ‘put me down’, I didn’t mean for you to drop me with no fucking warning!” 

“I didn’t mean to drop you. Besides, I caught you, didn’t I? You’re fine, see?”) 

After that fiasco, Levi asks to take one with the original Special Ops Squad, as it had been years since they’d managed to meet up. 

Zeke comes back for another photo, slipping one arm around Levi’s shoulders. As you meet the taller man’s eyes over the top of his phone, he winks mischievously, holding two fingers up in bunny ears above Levi’s unsuspecting head. Say nothing, he mouths to you. With a herculean effort, you suppress your laugh. Zeke has made it his personal mission to photobomb every main cast member from the finale. After months of shooting, Levi is the last one standing, and it’s incredibly entertaining how hard Zeke tries to finish his mission, even now. 

“Hand down, Zeke.” 

“Damn it, how did you know?” 

“You’re about as subtle as Reiner is when he pretends he hasn’t broken a prop.” 

Zeke laughs. “Nothing gets past you, Levi, does it?”

As the two continue to playfully bicker, more jokes than actual verbal barbs, you open the photo you’d managed to take split seconds before Levi called Zeke out. “Mission accomplished,” you say, and a delighted Zeke reaches over Levi’s head to high-five you. Looking mildly betrayed, Levi whips his head back around to face you. 

You grin sheepishly as you pass Zeke’s phone back to him, the photo on display. “Sorry. I had to help him.” 

“Why are you two like this?” Levi says, shaking his head, barely holding back a smile. He and Zeke part after a hug and a promise to get drinks soon.

Levi’s promptly joined by Falco and Gabi, and after their photo is taken, he ruffles their hair affectionately, which makes Gabi yelp. He really has stepped into the ‘cast dad’ role, a development that you find endlessly endearing. Soon after, their parents arrive to take them home— the kids have quite an early start tomorrow to film their scenes with Annie and Kiyomi on the boat. 

Jean and Connie take the chance to snatch a couple of selfies with him, before the latter asks if he could join them to film a TikTok for the show’s official account. To Levi’s utmost relief, it isn’t a dance challenge. Connie instead asks him a few questions about how he feels about the show ending, and what the show means to him—he’s putting together a montage of every cast member’s responses. 

On the sidelines, just out of view, you watch Levi give his answers. An ember of warmth kindles in your chest. 

Soon after, Levi’s approached by the stunt team, headed by an old friend of Levi’s from his stuntman days. She’d made a cameo in the third season as Kenny’s lieutenant. You happily take a group photo for them. 

After you hand Caven’s phone back to her, Hange taps you on the shoulder, having finished catching up with the other cast members. You smile as they hug you tight, swaying on the spot; today is the first time you’ve seen them since they filmed their death scene a few months back. 

“It’s so good to see you!” They say, linking arms with yours. “Sorry it took so long to come and find you.” 

“Don’t worry! It’s lovely having you back. How are you finding your return?” 

“It’s great! I’ve really been missing this, even though it hasn’t been that long.” They pout. 

“Oh, we’ve all missed you too, Hange,” you say, smiling. “Have you been up to much since you left?” 

“Well, I visited my dad for a bit, then I sent in an audition tape for this thriller movie that my agent thinks I’ll be a good pick for. I also got a few other offers, but I’m a little on the fence. I’ll consider those if I don’t get that thriller role, but who knows when I’ll hear back from them?” 

“I bet you’ll get it. Thrillers are right up your alley.” 

“You flatter me, dear,” They grin. “Anyways, I am here to say that you are the only one left who has not taken a picture with Levi. And that needs to change. The two of you need something to remember this day by!” You realise they’ve been guiding you towards the rock, where Levi, Mikasa, Armin and Eren are deep in conversation. The younger actors are laughing boisterously at something Levi had said, heads tilted back, sporting wide grins. Levi’s still cradling his bouquet carefully, a soft smile as he speaks, looking up at his younger cast mates with endearment. Your heart warms at the sight. 

The quartet look up as you approach. The younger actors wave goodbye, disappearing into the crowd. Hange quickly ushers you and Levi together, their phone already out of their pocket. “Alrighty, here we go!” They cheer. “Oi, look lively now, Levi. It’s the last photo!” 

“Was about time we did this,” you whisper to him as you come close. At first, you settle into your usual stance whenever you take a photo with a cast member, but Levi is not just any cast member. Not to you. Gnawing on your lip, you grapple with yourself for a fleeting moment. Your professional side barely puts up a resistance, and so you lean in to whisper a question. Briefly, you wonder what it would feel like to kiss the delicate shell of his ear. You banish the traitorous thought, best as you can. 

“Hey, can I put my arm around you for this?” As close as you and Levi have grown over the years, the two of you save your brief hugs for behind the scenes, in private. Physical affection is rare with him otherwise—whilst the cast tend to be very touchy with one another, Levi is usually seen on the sides, watching them with a quiet fondness in his eyes. That hug from earlier—it had to be a fluke, right? 

And yet, he sighs, and bridges the small gap between you. His free arm moves behind you, a warm, firm hand comes to rest at your back. “You don’t have to ask, you know,” he murmurs in return. “I hugged you earlier, didn't I? Quit worrying. Go ahead.” 

Warmth blooming inside you, you lean sideways towards him on impulse. You slide your own arm behind him, and Levi leans into your touch. “Just so you know,” he continues, “it was an honour working with you too.” 

Hange starts to count down from three. A wave of emotion hits you, almost sweeps you off your feet. This is it. Your last day of working with him.

Still so much left unsaid. 

Straining to keep your composure, you offer a wide, bright smile for the camera. 

——— 

The next few hours are spent tidying and cleaning up. Most of the actors have gone home, but Levi stays behind to help out the crew, as he always does without fail. With how emotionally taxing the day had been, it’s a wonder he didn’t go back to his trailer immediately to crash. As if you couldn’t admire him any more. 

Your eyelids are heavy by the time you finish up and arrive at Levi’s trailer. When you enter, he is slumped in a chair in front of the vanity mirror, already changed out of his costume. 

Neither of you say a single word as you carefully wipe away the scars and the grime. Your traitorous hands linger for a split second too long whenever they brush against his smooth skin. In his stormy eyes are that same intense look he’d given you when you first appeared with the bouquet. 

You wonder what it means. 

Sooner or later, one of you will have to break this fragile silence. Levi decides to take the matter into his own hands, catching you off guard. “I guess this is it.”

The sting in your eyes returns with a fierce vengeance. You turn away for a moment, rapidly blinking your oncoming tears away. An invisible vice clamps down, mercilessly clenching your chest. 

You choke on your words, but you get them out somehow. “I’ll miss you.” Not the three words you’ve been yearning to say for the last year, but it will have to do. “I’m going to miss you. So much. It’s been…” You wrack your brain, but there is no singular adjective you know of that could truly describe the past few years working on this show with him. “You know what I mean. Right?” 

“I know what you mean.” Levi stands, turning to face you properly. The troubled crease between his brows return. “Look, I… I have to tell you something. Hear me out?” 

Your heart thunders in your chest. You nod. “Yeah. Of course.”

His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows. “Remember this morning? I said I was satisfied with my work here. That I have no regrets.” 

Barely able to breathe, you can only manage to nod. 

“But that isn’t true. Not really. There is one thing I regret,” he says, slowly, cautiously. 

Voice barely a whisper, you ask. “What is it?” 

“That we never talked about what almost happened at Halloween last year.” 

The world comes to a halt. 

Dimmed lights. Bass reverberates through your bones. The aftertaste of a Bloody Mary lingers on your tongue. Levi is just centimetres away, his chest almost flush with yours. His eyes valiantly fight to stay focused on the intricate titan-shifter makeup on your cheeks, before he gives in and his line of sight drops to your lips. Unconsciously, he leans in slightly, seemingly gravitating towards you.

Devastating. That is the first word that comes to your mind. It is high time you realise that he will be the end of you; he could ask anything of you and you’d do it. Your heart beats for him. 

Caught in his orbit, your face tilts towards his.

A drunken crew member barges past, jostling your shoulder. You yelp, stumbling to the side, before Levi’s hands—warm, steady, safe—catch you. The spell broken, he lets go the moment you are upright, averting his eyes from yours. Levi takes a step backwards—a small one, because there is barely any space in the corner of the room the two of you are tucked into. But to you, he suddenly feels so distant, that he might as well be on the other side of the universe. 

“I need some air,” he says, stoic mask falling back into place. Before you can ask him what’s wrong, Levi turns on his heel and disappears into the crowd, taking all the warmth of the room with him. 

No. This is dangerous territory. Since that night, the two of you had constructed an unspoken agreement to pretend nothing had ever happened. Levi had never made any impression that it was anything other than a drunken lapse in professionalism. For a while, you wondered if he even remembered that moment, or if it had all been in your head, a result of you projecting your own desires onto him. 

Regardless, he had never brought it up. You’d been content to do the same. It was—and still is—impossible to fathom that Levi would ever want you. 

“Tell me,” he says hoarsely, “that I wasn’t imagining things that night, and every day since. Tell me I’m not imagining that you’ve been looking at me like…” 

Your breath hitches in your throat. “Like what?” 

“Like that!” He snaps. His hands tremble in a way you’ve never seen before as he gestures towards you, voice tinged with desperation. “Like how you’re looking at me right now. I-I don’t know how I didn’t see it sooner. Because if I had… maybe I would’ve…” 

The staggering realisation of what he’s trying to say sinks in. 

Choking back a sob of relief, you reach out for his hands, and he offers them to you with no resistance. A light blush sweeps across his face as he stares at your interlocking fingers with something akin to wonder. 

Breathlessly, you dare to ask. “Do you mean it? That if you had known how I felt, you… you would’ve kissed me?”

“Yes. I would’ve. I wanted to, more than anything.” With that, Levi finally looks up from your joined hands. The burning look he’s been giving you all throughout today—you recognise it, now, plain and simple. 

His earlier words ring in your mind. I don’t know how I didn’t see it sooner. 

“Oh, Levi,” you whisper. 

He continues on. “And if I had known how you felt, I wouldn’t have upped and left you like that. I was being a shitty coward, for running away and pretending it never happened, and never giving you an explanation when you deserved one. I was scared, I think, of ruining what we already had. You didn’t imagine anything on my part, it happened, and you didn’t do anything wrong that night… I’m sorry.”

Smiling, you squeeze his hands; warm, steady, safe. “You aren’t imagining things on my end either. I’m in love with you, and have been for a while now.” You don’t need him to say those precious words back for now—Levi’s endearingly clumsy attempt at confessing means more to you than he’ll ever know. “And I forgive you for running out on me that night. We both thought it didn’t mean anything to the other person. For so long, I thought that even if you did, things would never work out, that today would be goodbye, because I have a new contract on the other side of the country, and you’ll be going back to stunt work, a-and…” Your voice trembles, so you force yourself to stop, and breathe. 

“It will work. I swear it, I’m not saying goodbye to you. I don’t care what’s coming next, we can make it work.” He seems to muster his resolve, tugging you closer. “No more dancing around this like idiots. We have enough lost time to make up for.” 

Smiling so widely your cheeks ache, you playfully poke his cheek. “Well, you can always begin with the kiss you owe me, yeah?” 

“You smart-arse.” Levi chuckles, before gently cupping the back of your head with his hand. In a swift movement, he leans in and captures your lips with his.

It’s nothing short of divine. 

Levi kisses you with years worth of yearning behind it. His other hand moves to cradle your face, thumb brushing against the curve of your cheek, wiping away a stray tear of happiness. 

Eyes fluttering shut, you deepen the kiss. Tongues move in tandem, and it isn’t long before hands begin to roam, exploring the terrains of each other’s bodies with an almost innocent curiosity. Heat simmers underneath your skin, a carnal flame yearning to be stoked, to devour. 

For now, though, you’ll have to temper it. 

Coming up for air, you close your eyes, resting your forehead against his. As much as you desperately want him, you don’t want your first time having sex with Levi to be in a trailer on set, with multiple crew members still milling around outside and packing up for the day. You tell him as such, and he murmurs his agreement after kissing you once more. 

“Glad we’re on the same page about that, so…” Realising what you’re about to say next, you choke back a grin at your own cheesiness. “You wanna go back to your place or mine?” 

Levi rests his forehead on your shoulder and chokes back a laugh. “Fuck, that’s such a cliché line.” 

You roll your eyes good-naturedly. “Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want, but the question still stands.” 

He looks up at you, mirth dancing in his eyes. “Yours, then.” 

The time spent packing up and driving back to your home crawls by agonisingly slowly. The moment the two of you cross the threshold onto your home, he’s closing the gap between the two of you, kissing you breathless, thoughtless, until only your longing for him remains. So much so that you almost forget to stop and get a condom out from your drawer—in fact, Levi has to remind you. 

The rare few times you had allowed yourself to think about it, you’d pictured Levi as a tender lover, gentle despite his coarseness. He is all this and more. At his fingertips, you come alive. As he makes love to you, laughs and sweet nothings fill the air between the deep kisses you share. You should’ve expected just how generous he can be in bed, but it still takes you by surprise, the way he worships your body with a deep-rooted reverence, determined to pleasure you over and over. In turn, you reciprocate eagerly, honoured that Levi trusts you to take care of him in return, that he is so readily vulnerable with you. 

Once the two of you are finally, utterly spent, Levi nudges you awake before you can fully slip into a deep doze, cosy and comfortable in his embrace. “Hey. Gotta clean ourselves up, sleepyhead.” 

You chuckle drowsily, and miraculously muster up the strength to crawl out of his arms, out of the warm sheets. “The bathroom is just down the hall,” you yawn, trudging towards a cupboard not the other side of your room. “You can shower first whilst I change the sheets and find you a towel and some spare clothes, ‘kay?” 

“Or,” Levi says, voice hoarse with the same kind of contented exhaustion that makes you yearn to curl up beneath the sheets in his arms, “you could come with me.” He pulls you back in, peppering gentle kisses along your neck and shoulder, which tickle slightly. 

Euphoric, you close your eyes and laugh. “Okay.” 

Showering together is an incredibly sweet, domestic affair. Long after you’ve rinsed off all the lather, you’re both hesitant to leave the warmth of the running water, content to cling onto each other and relish in the feeling of skin against skin. 

After the two of you dry off and change the sheets, you climb into bed. Half awake and basking in each other’s presence, you pull him close, nestling your head on his chest. When was the last time you had felt so cherished, so happy? 

Sleep claims you swiftly, but not before Levi kisses the top of your head and tells you what you already know: 

“I’m in love with you, too.” 

——— 

Several weeks later

The wrap party is well underway by the time you and Levi arrive. 

The lights are dim, and the music reverberates through your bones. Levi’s hand finds a home in the curve of your waist as he guides you through the crowd of drunken cast and crew members. His touch anchors you, and you find yourself smiling giddily. 

After helping yourself to a cocktail, the hours fly by. Apparently, the entire cast plus half of the crew (including all of the makeup assistants under your command) had been rooting for you and Levi to get together. Tonight when you finally revealed you were in a relationship with him to your juniors, you were subjected to an intense barrage of questions. This, however, paled in comparison to Hange’s reaction when Levi held your hand in front of their very eyes—they’d launched an interrogation so brutal you wonder why they didn’t enter law enforcement instead.

Soon after escaping Hange’s interrogation, you two both get another drink. “Everybody seems far too invested in this development than they should be,” you sigh, still frazzled. “How long do you reckon they’ve been shipping us?” 

A look of exasperation flits across Levi’s face. “I don’t know, and I hate that I even know what ‘shipping’ means in this context. Also, I saw Zeke give Erwin money when Hange was drilling us. Fuckers had some kind of bet running on us. Don’t even wanna know how long that had gone on for.”

You tip your head back and laugh. “Colour me unsurprised. That sounds very on-brand for Zeke and Erwin. You know, I think I saw Armin and Connie do the same. Guess Armin’s not as angelic as he looks.” 

“That’s been known, sweetheart. The kid’s a menace in disguise.” He kisses your cheek. “Just like you, actually, now that I think about it.”

Playfully, you swat him away. “Hey, who are you calling a menace?” 

Eventually, the two of you find yourselves catching some air outside, needing a moment to sober up and recalibrate after a whirlwind of social interaction. Levi’s hand returns to your waist and tugs you closer to him, seeking out your warmth. Melting into his touch, you do you best to commit the feeling of his embrace to memory. Soon, you’ll move away for a few months for your next contract, but you no longer fear it. Levi had sworn to you that this would work out, and there is nobody’s word you trust more than his.

Your love for each other has endured for years in the past. A handful more months is nothing.

Levi shifts slightly to get a better look at you, and cups your cheek. Meeting his gaze, your heart stops; his eyes are a breathtaking silver in the moonlight. Easily the most expressive feature he has, you could get lost in them for hours. 

Caught in his orbit, your face tilts towards his. 

This time, Levi meets you halfway.

Do not repost, modify or claim as your own work.

Masterlist

[cocogrrrl]

bandages

when you find out that the sudden thumping by your fire exit is a masked vigilante in serious pain, you have no other choice than to help him.

mysterion!kenny mccormick x gn!reader cw: severe injuries wc: 2001

AN: I NEED TO PROOFREAD THIS HELP an part two: have not proofread this, but this fic now has a part two!

Tonight was a quiet night. You had nothing going on, to be honest. No friends over, no work to be done, nothing. For once, it left you relieved. For weeks, you’ve been wondering when would you actually have time for yourself. At the same time, the feeling of not being insanely occupied was new. Honestly, it was a little boring.

First, you were trying to relax in your living room, flicking through the movies and shows on the screen. None of them seemed appealing. After that, you decide you’d do a little art, bringing out some yarn as you tried to make something out of it. You were so out of it currently, though, so you didn’t have the energy to commit to a project.

Perhaps all you needed was sleep, though. I mean, it is 10:30 PM already, but this isn’t how you wanted to spend your free Friday night. You wanted to make the most of it. Be productive or entertain yourself.

Maybe it’s for the better, anyways. You got out o the sofa and tucked away your craft materials somewhere. You’ll probably revisit them in another two months.

All of a sudden, you hear several thumps by the fire exit.

Could it have been a criminal trying to sneak in? Honestly, trying to rob a person in a cheap studio complex was kinda low if it was indeed a robber. Could it have been a cat, though? It seems likely. Whatever it was, you decided to check it.

You entered the fire exit through your window. What greeted you was the sight of some dressed-up hero, all bloody and beaten up, lying on the concrete asphalt ground. To be honest, he looked kind of ridiculous—mostly because of the costume.

You wondered if anyone had spotted him yet. No time to think, though you had to help this poor guy. Thank god you lived on the second floor, you quickly shuffled down the footsteps of the fire escape and headed straight to the man.

“Are you okay?” You asked as you knelt beside him. He was breathing, which was good—obviously. Though his costume consisted of greys and blacks, you could see that there was blood seeping into his clothes. Definitely not good.

“Just leave me…” He choked out.

“What? No. You clearly look like you’ve broken a bone or two, and I’d be fucking insane to leave you in a state like this.” You replied, pulling your phone out of your pocket to dial an ambulance.

He was quick to pull the phone out of your hand with what little strength he had. “Don’t call for help… I’ll be caught.” Oh, so probably this guy’s an actual vigilante—not just some guy dressing up.

“You need help, though.”

“You can leave me here. It’s fine.”

“Are you insane? It’s not fine. I’m not leaving you out here to possibly die!” You sighed. “Here. I’ll bring you to my place. It’s just there on the second floor. Do you need help getting up?”

“I…” You could feel the hesitance in the man’s voice. It’s almost as if he didn’t want your help. “I can go there. I just need some help getting up.” He sighed.

A few minutes later, with some struggle, you found him lying on your couch. His wounds weren’t getting any better. They just kept on bleeding through his clothes. It was even more obvious now with the lights turned on.

You emerged out of your bathroom with a first aid kit in hand. The guy had cracked a few ribs and had cuts and bruises all over his body. He looked like hell. While you were grabbing your things, he was stripping down to his underwear and mask as you requested. You would’ve noted how hot he looked if it weren’t for the fact that he was dying right now. 

You started to wrap a bandage around his chest to support the ribs. You made it as tight as you can without trying to hurt the guy as well. Right after, you headed to your freezer, where you pulled out an ice pack and handed it to him.

“Hold it against where it hurts. I’m gonna clean your wounds up, okay?” You looked up at him as you got on your knees and brought out the wet cloth soaked in a bowl of water closer to you. He nodded and held it in place. “It’s gonna sting a little bit, if you didn’t already know.”

As you worked on what you could, you could feel him tense up and even hiss sometimes. In the corner of your eye, you could see his eyes tight shut as his jaw was clenched. You felt really bad for the guy.

After a bit, you set his costume aside as you searched through your wardrobe for cleaner clothes that fit him. You pulled out an old shirt and some basketball shorts you had lying around. “Do you need help putting clothes on?” 

He shook his head. “Alright. I’m gonna turn around—just tell me when you’re done, okay?” You said. Once more, he nodded his head. You turned on your heel, hearing some awkward shuffling and grunts as you waited.

“I’m okay now.” Those were the first actual words he said after entering your apartment. 

“You can stay the night here,” you sighed, turning back as you leaned on the wall looking at him. “God knows you need it.”

“Thank you…” He smiled at you for the first time tonight. It was now around 11 PM at this point, and you were a lot more groggier than you were earlier. Your brain was fried with the distress from earlier.

“You’re staying in my bed, by the way. You’re way too big for the couch. It could be uncomfortable for you.” You said, heading to your kitchen to grab some Diclofenac and water.

“You don’t have to. You’ve been a huge help to me already. I don’t think I could accept your hospitality.” You sat beside him, handing the pill and water to him.

“I insist. I don’t think I could handle seeing you in any more pain.” Your eyes scanned him up and down. He seemed much better compared to earlier, although he had bandages wrapped around him everywhere.

“I don’t want to cause you any discomfort, dear.” He immediately jumped at himself with that little name at the end, as you did as well. You two were clearly not expecting it. It’s not that you minded it, though.

“Come on. It’s just one night… guy.” You said, not knowing what else to call him.

“Mysterion.”

“Mysterion,” you continued. “Your health is a lot more important than wherever the hell I sleep right now. Besides, it’s not like I don’t already fall asleep on the couch on the regular.”

“Fine, fine,” he sighed. “I’m just not sure if I’m able to sleep tonight.”

“Why? Drank coffee before you fell off the rooftop?”

“Funny, but no.” However, when he said that, there was little to no reaction on his face whatsoever. “I just can’t sleep. I don’t feel tired.”

“I’ll accompany you, then.” You smiled, leaning back on the couch. It’s not like you didn’t have anything better to do.

“You don’t have to—”

“I want to, okay? Besides, I got nowhere to go to tomorrow.” You said, giving him a reassuring look. You’d squeeze his shoulder to further your intentions, but you might just end up crushing him to a pulp even further.

“I can’t thank you enough…” He trailed off, not knowing your name.

“YN.” You nodded.

“Thank you, YN.”

“Mhm,” you nodded, heading for your kitchen once more to pour yourself a drink as a reward and a pat on the back for tonight. “So, who were you fighting earlier, Mysterion?” You said mindlessly, trying to make conversation with the guy.

“Uh, the Coon,” he muttered. You hummed in reply, hearing him in the quiet of your apartment perfectly well. “I’m usually the one who beats him, but I guess today’s just an off-day for me. I’m gonna beat his ass when I see him tomorrow.”

“Who’s the Coon anyway?” You asked, plopping yourself beside him again as you swirled your drink around before taking a sip.

“Some guy. I’ve been fighting him for years now. Ever since we were kids, actually.”

“So he’s your arch nemesis?”

“No, ew. No way. I don’t have an ‘arch nemesis’ per se. I have too many people I’m fighting with to actually have a designated enemy.” He said, a prideful smirk on his face as he said that.

“I don’t think that’s something you’re supposed to be proud of.”

“It isn’t, but I find joy in it whenever I’m on the streets nowadays.” He sighed, lying on the couch.

“Really? Fighting your multitude of enemies is what brings you joy?” You raised a brow.

“And seeing cuties like you as well, but whatever.” He quickly mumbled.

“Hmm? You think I’m cute?” You smiled, bringing your face closer to his—even though he was so obviously dodging eye contact with you.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“Oh, but yes you did.” You chuckled, gently pinching his cheek as pulled it to have him look at you. “I heard exactly what you said.”

“So what did I say, then?” He mused your playfulness, raising his eyebrows.

“You said, and I quote, ‘And seeing cuties like you as well.’”

“Completely wrong,” he said with a pout, the visible skin because of his mask reddening faintly. “I said, ‘And California brew as well.’ Clearly, you’re just hearing things.”

“Uhuh,” you sarcastically replied, nodding. “And what exactly is a California brew? I’m assuming you meant the state drink of California, by the way.”

He paused, thinking to himself. “...Kombucha?”

“It’s wine, genius.” You rolled your eyes with a grin on your face, letting your hand go from his face.

“Well, it sounds like it could be their state drink!” 

“Mhm, keep trying to save yourself. We all know what you said, Mystie-boo.” You clicked your tongue, shaking your head.

“What’s a Mystie-boo?” He looked at you full of negative judgment, although it was definitely lightheartedly.

“Like, Pookie-pie!” His gaze which was full of judgment just became one of concern. “It’s what you call your friends! Like boo boo bear!”

“I don’t think anyone calls their friends that, YN.”

“That’s because you don’t get it!” You pouted, crossing your arms as you took another sip from your drink.

The whole night you two chatted on your couch. Your teasing was relentless. You didn’t hold back one bit. Mysterion continued with his slip-of-the-tongue flirting, and you always took note of it. You didn’t mind, not one bit. You enjoyed yourself thoroughly with it. 

The early morning approached, and it was around 1 AM. You were surprised that you were still awake, considering how exhausted you were. Mysterion, however, was knocked out on the couch. You dragged his body over to your bed as efficiently as you could—which wasn’t much, but it’s the thought that counts! You draped your blanket over him, and you head out of your room, taking your sleep on the couch like you promised yourself.

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

You find yourself waking up at 10 AM. Honestly, for how tired out you were, that wasn’t too bad. You noticed you were back in your bed, though. Was the whole thing all a dream? You wouldn’t blame yourself if it was. I mean, maybe you were just desperate for a love life.

You sighed, rising from your bed as you reached over to your nightstand to grab your phone. To your dismay, it wasn’t there. Actually, a scribbled piece of paper was instead lying there. You shook your head, reaching to grab it.

Thanks for last night, cutie pookie pie. Is that right??

- Kenny, aka “Mysterion”

PS: youre the first person im running to if i get hurt badly again :]

You smiled, tucking the letter in your drawer. See you soon, Mysterion. 

[merakiui]

Kawjwjdhjdbdj…. Halloween Twst…

Any thoughts on the dorm’s costumes serving as plot inspirations? Like wandering spirit!Heartslabyul taking you as a live sacrifice but instead of killing you like you thought they take you as a breeding toy <3

OHHHH to be a breeding toy for spooky Heartslabyul lads..... orz if I remember correctly, they're something like gravediggers, yes? Can you imagine in a Victorian setting your lover dies young and while attending their burial you catch sight of strangely dressed men out of the corner of your eye!!! You see them each time you go to visit your lover's grave and leave a fresh bouquet because, for some odd reason, the flowers wither much too quickly. By the sixth visit, you're certain you're being stalked because you keep seeing them. First it's a pair with orange and navy hair. Then it's another much taller man with orange hair. Then a man with green hair. By the end of the week, you encounter a short man with red hair and he's the first of the lot to approach you. You're never seen or heard from again after that. :) (but it's okay because you're spending your afterlife getting railed all the time!!! Everyone wins!)

Or being the captive royal the Savanaclaw pirates have kidnapped from the kingdom in hopes of holding you for ransom. >:) but of course Jack gets too attached to you right away; he's just trying to help you and he promises that, as much as he doesn't agree with Leona's method of doing things, he himself won't hurt you. Jack's an honest pirate...who is now too attached to give you up when the kingdom's willing to pay the amount in order to have you back safe and sound. Ruggie's no different either. At first you were annoying and troublesome when you struggled and tried escaping, but he's grown to like you. Much like Jack, he isn't willing to give you up, not even for the ransom. Instead, he can make a pretty Madol selling the extravagant clothes you're wearing. :) Leona won't complain. You'd look much nicer in one of his shirts or in nothing at all. <3

Or Octavinelle being failed experiments of yours who you were trying to turn human after catching them in your fishing nets. Now they're something of an abomination who you've wrapped tight in plenty of bandages and harnesses to keep limbs and skin from rotting off. Though they once hated you for meddling with their natural biology, they've grown terribly affectionate in the time they've spent with you, obsessively so. In return, you have to allow them to try to turn you into a mer. It's only fair they get to mess with your anatomy after you've done the same to them.

Or maybe you're a beast hunter looking to claim the bounty on a certain werewolf's head! >:) Kalim isn't very elusive; it's Jamil who makes sure he keeps out of the eyes of humans and hunters alike. When you step into their territory, it's Jamil who swiftly captures you. For attempting to take Kalim's life, you'll pay for it with your own...or so Jamil tells you before Kalim laughs the threat away and tells him he ought to be kinder to the guest. Kalim grows to adore you even if you were originally here to kill him. And if you're capable of having pups, he might just have to knock you up to keep you here permanently. Jamil finds he quite likes the idea of forcing domesticity on you, and if you're so heavily pregnant with his pups you won't be able to escape. >:)

Or being trapped in a marriage with vampire king Vil!!!! Maybe you're a stubborn human who refuses to be turned into a vampire and so it's Rook who takes care in preparing your meals. You're served lots of meat-based dishes because Rook is a skilled hunter. If he's not hunting with his bare hands, he's raising his bow and piercing creatures with a precise arrow. Epel provides you with companionship when Vil becomes too frustrated to stand you. He tries convincing you to just let Vil turn you; it'll be much easier for everyone if you just submit to your fate. Of course Epel's still nowhere near as ancient as Vil or Rook, and so he can often be swept up in immature whims, especially when the scent of your blood is so very tempting to a hungry vampire like him...

Headless horseman Idia is still so babygirl... he's scary when he's chasing you on horseback, but then you take the pumpkin head off his suit of armor and you meet the babygirl within!!! <3 You're the first human who is daring enough to look him in the eyes (and also not run in fear from him after seeing his face), and he likes how warm and kind you are, even if he tries to insist that humans are so lame and he'd never want the companionship of one. But he's been lonely for too long and you were so willing to befriend him. Maybe he should just keep you for himself forever...

They say a frightening horned creature dwells deep within the mountains. In order to avoid incurring its wrath, the village offers you as the annual sacrifice. You prepare yourself for death, but it turns out that it isn't just one long. It's a group of them, all living together in a very big cave. Almost like a family... Malleus, Lilia, Sebek, and Silver all fall for you in their own ways. You're so precious and sweet, and eventually you realize they aren't the feared monsters the village portrayed them as. They're actually quite nice to you when they're slyly vilifying humans in order to get you to stay and trust them for all of eternity. :)

[thestarfishinjootsoffice]

I beg u plz more ghost face x child!reader (platonic of course!) like…Stu and billy just got back to their place and the reader runs up to them but they trip and hurt their knee and one of them is trying to calm down the reader while the other one goes to get bandages and stuff? I really like your ghost face stuff and take your time have a good day/night!

Ok ok ong it's literally during my exam but it's sunday so i have a day off and I've been itching to touch this dead account again ahaha. (Note I'll be back on i think Thursday or a week later)

A/n: this is literally crack

Ghostfaces x child! reader (pla)

Who would've thought to see two infamous haunting serial killers were fussing over a crying child.

Strangers on the street witnessing a man in a really recognizable ghostface costume, half yelling and half whispering at a child on the ground to stop crying and trying to bribe them with money while sounding on the verge of breaking down himself. While the other seemingly calm but power walks to who knows where urgently.

One of the strangers too close for comfort, try to quietly and cautiously dial 911.

"Uhm hello...? I think a child is being harassed and attacked by two grown men in a ghostface costume..."

"What?"

"are you calling the cops on us?"

The woman screamed and rushed to get away somewhere but got caught by ghostface's/stu's knife thanks to his quick movement.

"Hello ma'am? Hello? Are you there? Ma'a-"

Stu crushed the phone. He was already stressed enough by the little kid on the ground with a small, scratched and bleeding knee having tears over their face.

Internally screaming at Billy to hurry tf up because he doesn't know what to do. He lifts you up and runs to where Billy was headed.

"Why do kids have to be like this!?" The man cries out with a small infant in his arms who cries along with him.

Billy ran off to somebody's house to break in and steal nothing but all of their medkit. Goddamn he should've caught and noticed you were losing your balance when you came to greet them so lovingly.

He body slammed into a large window, somehow managed to get in and ran to find the bathroom, it took a couple of minutes but once he did he was absolutely violating the hell out of the bathroom mirror. Then his last straw came. The fucking light of a flashlight shoved up his face.

"Uhm excuse me. what the fuck are you doing in my house?"

"...."

He then proceeded yell out curses and body slam directly into the person's head which ended up in him losing more than half of the products in his hands but he didn't care. He just needed to gtfo.

Now the infamous ghostface was yet again spotted with a bundle of medicine and running around. I wonder what image this will have on the ghostface industry.

Now the two bumped into each other miraculously and now were currently working on making you stop because their adrenaline has run out completely.

"Billy what do we do!?"

"How the hell should i know."

*you softly still sobbing*

Which didn't even take long fortunately since the pain decreases overtime. Now they were also seen holding a sleeping kid with a bandage wrapped around their knee. Let's just hope word doesn't get around.

So sorry this didn't contain much reader 😭🙏🙏

[ofstarsandvibranium]

My You-niverse: Laurent LeClaire

Fandom: Oscar Isaac

Pairing: Laurent LeClaire x F!Reader

Summary: You and America get stuck portal jumping until you reach your universe again. In the meantime, you meet various versions of your husband.

Series Masterlist

The man, face similar to your husband's, thick, brown wavy locks, looks at you with concerned brown eyes.

You look down to see yourself now downing some...really old looking clothing. 19th century, perhaps? Since when did America's powers now come with a wardrobe change?

"Mademoiselle, are you alright?" he lends out a hand towards you.

You reach for his hand and wince. You look down to see a dark red stain on your sleeve.

America rushed to your side, also wearing a 19th century dress. She presses a hand to your arm and you wince. She then looks up at your husband's doppleganger, "She needs help!"

The man immediately rushes to help you stand, an arm wrapping around you to hold you up, "We must move, quickly."

You nod, trying to keep up with his hurried pace, "What are your names?"

"America," your young friend answers, "and this is Y/N."

"A beautiful name for a beautiful woman."

You can't help but scoff, "Are you this charming to every woman?"

"Only the ones that come falling out of nowhere from a strange light," he peers at you with a smirk.

America hurries her pace, "Yeah, we'd appreciate it if you actually don't tell anyone about that?"

"Are you witches of some sort? Devil worshippers?" he gives a scrutinizing gaze to America.

You grunt an answer, "No. We don't know what happened. One moment, some men were chasing us, the next we're here. We're just as confused as you are." you give a look to America, letting her know that that's the story you two are going with.

She nods, "That's right."

The man appears a bit unconvinced, but says, "Alright."

"You know our names, what's yours?" you ask and the man leads you to a village.

"Laurent. Laurent LeClaire."

"And what do you do Laurent?"

"I'm a painter." You can't help but scoff at his answer and he cocks a brow at you, "Something amusing?"

You shake your head, "You just remind me of someone."

"Your husband?" Laurent asks. You open your mouth to question him but he gestures to your hand, "Your wedding ring."

You don't say anything else. The three of you remain in silence until you're led into a small hospital. They allow America to go with you, but Laurent stays behind.

"Thank you for your help, Laurent."

He gives a silent nod to you and then America before you're ushered back to get your arm looked at.

______________

After a nurse cleans and wraps up your arm, you're left alone with America.

She's awkwardly rocking in the bed beside yours, "Soooo...do you think we're just going to keep running into Marc's dopplegangers?"

You snort, "I'm not the one with portal powers. Also, since when did your powers come with wardrobe changes?"

The young Avenger held up her hands, "Hey, I'm just as surprised as you are. That's never happened before." then she gasped, "Do you think I'll eventually be able do those badass costume like Thor?!"

You snort, "Guess you'll have to keep training and see."

The doctor, an old man, approached you two, "Alright, mademoiselle," he says looking at you, "as long as you keep your wound clean and change the bandages every few hours, you should be well on your way to complete health."

"Thank you, doctor," you say to the old man, standing and giving him a grateful smile. You then nod to America to follow you and you two are exiting the building.

"Y/N!" you hear a call of your name and see Laurent walking towards you.

You look at him with surprise, "Laurent! You're still here?"

He softly smiles and you see the look your husband would give you when it was just the two of you, "Yes, I just wanted to make sure everything went well."

"She'll recover," America intrudes, "She's strong so.."

"That's good to hear." he responds. The two of you continue to look at each other, leaving your young companion feeling a bit awkward.

"Sooooo I think we should go now, Y/N."

You take a step back from Laurent, "Of course. We need to find our way back home." You go to turn, but a hand catches your arm.

"It's getting dark," Laurent says, pointing to the sky, "Two ladies such as yourselves shouldn't be wandering. Who knows, you might run into the men who attacked you again. You need rest."

You shake your head, "We don't-"

"You can stay the night at my home." Laurent offers a solution with a smile, "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you two. The inns are dodgy and can be unsafe."

"I suppose we can rest for the night...?" you reply with also a questioning gaze to America. She gives you a look as if what you're saying is the most ridiculous thing in the world. The look you give back to her silently asks, 'What choice do we have?'. She sighs and then you look back to Laurent with a smile, "We'll take you up on that offer, Laurent, thank you."

"Wonderful," he holds out his arms to you and America, "Shall we?"

He leads you to his small home a short distance away from the main streets of the village.

At his home, Laurent treats you and America to a small meal. Nothing fancy, but just something to fill your bellies enough to be satisfied. He then led you and America to his bedroom where you two will be sharing a bed.

You look at him with concern, "Where will you sleep?"

"Don't worry about me. I will make do."

"Laurent-"

"Sssshhh," he presses a finger to your lips and your breathing stills. He's close. His skin touching yours. Your body suddenly feels on fire. You see your husband, your Marc. You see his eyes, the intensity and playfulness, the mischief, the...slimmer of darkness.

With a gulp, he steps back and nods to America and then you, "Goodnight, ladies." He promptly leaves the room and you don't take a breath until the door shuts.

America plops onto the mattress, "Not gonna lie, that was a little uncomfortable to watch."

You roll your eyes, "Let's just go to bed."

Eventually, you and America are laying beside each other. America is out like a light, but you...you're still awake. Your thoughts mull over the recent events. Marc, the whole Blue Jones thing, and now Laurent. You knew, from what America's told you, that various universes exist. This means there are different versions of you, America, and Marc.

As you and America try to get back home, would you be encountering a different version of Marc every time?

These thoughts plague you, the endless possibilities, the desire to see your husband, hoping to get back home soon.

You've become restless. You're tossing and turning in the bed that smells like Marc's doppleganger. His face, the way he looked at you, plagues your mind.

Eventually, you're out of bed and stepping out of the room with a sheet wrapped around you.

You make your way to the living room where you see Laurent is still up. He's standing by the fire, painting on an easel.

He looks up and sees you, "You're still awake."

"So are you," you point out, holding the sheet tight against you for warmth.

"What ails you?" he asks as he continues to paint.

"It's been a very eventful day and I can't seem to ease my mind."

"We share the same ailments I see." he's concentrated on his task at hand. So much so that his brows are furrowed and you're reminded of Marc again. You sigh and begin to fiddle with your ring.

"Tell me about him," Laurent speaks again. When you look up, he clarifies, "Your husband. Tell me about him."

You set yourself on a cushion beside the fireplace. You stare at the dancing orange and yellow hues, "His name is Marc. He's...stubborn, a little selfish, but also brave and caring. He's brash, but also gentle. He's funny and annoying. When he upsets me, he always goes out and comes home with my favorite flowers and sweets. He's the love of my life." You then turn to look up at Laurent, "Do you have someone?"

He shakes his head, "No. Many say I'm married to my paintbrush though. I spend so much time with it."

You smile up at him, "I'm sure you'll find that person you're meant to be with."

He hums in response and you don't necessarily know if it's in agreement or not.

You move off the cushion you were sitting on, now using it to rest your head on as you lay on your side. You continue watching the fireplace until your eyes flutter close.

...

"Wake up, sweetheart."

You groan and your eyes open. Your vision still blurry but you see a figure standing over you.

"Wake up, honey, come on."

"Marc?" you rasp out and rub the sleep away from your eyes.

As your vision clears, you see another version of Marc standing there. However, he's bald and is donning glasses and a thick beard.

He cocks a brow at you, "Who the fuck is Marc?"

You sit up and realize you're sitting at a desk. A paper sticks to your cheek and you pull it away. You skim through it and see "Nathan Bateman" and "Blue Book".

"Nathan-"

"Listen, sweetheart, I don't pay you to sleep all day. You were supposed to transcribe these for me and because you fell asleep, it's setting me back by a day. Wake the fuck up."

You watch as Nathan waltzes out of the room and you're left shocked and jaw to the floor. This universe's version of your husband is a fucking dick!

[a-random-weeb]

I want Dazai dressing up as a mummy with all the bandages.

instead of a half wrapped mummy he is now an all wrapped mummy.

him and reader go trick or treating together

A little kid calls dazai a toilet paper cosplayer. Thanks roomie

TYSM FOR THIS HALLOWEEN RELATED REQUEST, IVE BEEN WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO DO SO

Also, @ginandginny, I know where you live... MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA

Dazai x reader

ꕀꕀꕀꕀꕀꕀꕀꕀꕀꕀꕀꕀꕀꕀꕀꕀꕀꕀꕀꕀꕀꕀꕀꕀꕀ

I believe Dazai has a whole closet dedicated to bandages, so it wasn't hard for him to dress up as a mummy. When you see his costume, you stare at him in shock

"Do... do you have any bandages left?"

"Bold of you to assume this even took a fraction out of the amount of bandages in that closet." You facepalm, done with his BS. He chuckles and pecks your lips "It's a good thing I have all these bandages, that way of you ever get hurt, I can patch you up." No human gas ever made you facepalm more then Dazai, because you just facepalmed for the second time in a row.

"... Idiot. What do you even need all these bandages?" The silence in the room is almost concerning. His mischievous laughter breaks said silence though as he runs off.

"HEY! DONT YOU DARE RUN WHEN CONFRONTED!" You throw a book at him as he runs off.

The both of you stroll down the streets, watching the little kids run around, their laughter precious to you. They run and play, jump scaring eachother and showing off their costumes. You share a similar excitement to then on Halloween, running to each house like a small child. Dazai takes ahold of your hand, leaning in for a kiss before this random boy interrupts your romantic moment.

"You couldn't come up with any better ideas than a toilet paper cosplayer? Oh wait, maybe your a toilet paper zombie?" The boy snarls like a little brat. This seems to trigger something within Dazai, because he scowls

"It's called a mummy you uncultured swine! God, did your mommy teach you anything?🥺" Dazai mocks. You facepalm for the 129th time that night. Dazai continues to mock the kid until he cries, you slap Dazai on the back of the head and lean over to comfort the kid.

"Hey, it's ok. That man is just a total butt hole." You pretend not to know Dazai out of embarrassment. Dazai is both astounded as pissed you took the side of the annoying child. Dazai lifts you by your waist, carrying you along with your bag of candy home. You two were done trick or treating anyway.

"Why would you take the side of the kid?!" He scoffs, obviously fake offended.

"You made the poor thing cry!" You defend.

"I bet I can make you cry if you come to the bed with me~" Dazai winks, ducking when you throw another book at him.

"We'll see about that..."

[pokeglitchden]

[A VIDEO IS UPLOADED DATED 10/31/23 AT 1:20PM

The video here is clearly taken from Glitch City, as the feed artifacts a bit here and there. Simon is dressed in all blue and covered head to toe in blue body paint. He is standing next to his Pokemon, Mimic, the ????? 00c who is currently a perfect replica of Simon all the way down to the deep blue color.

Simon: Hi Everyone! Just a quick update from Glitch City! It's �aver's birthday today, so we are celebrating both his 21st year AND Glitch City's first Halloween all in the same day.

The camera pans, clearly showing party preparations. �aver can be seen dressed in a 'Cult of the Wooloo' costume. He is wearing a black crown and a small stylized robe, and a plastic sword seems to have been placed all the way through his bandage wrapped middle.

Simon: We've got a lot of preparation to do so I might not be on much today. I er.. feel like I might be forgetting to respond to something. But I'm sure that can wait until the party is over!

Zzazz can be seen in the background of the shot sneaking up on Simon in a far more frightening costume. The front of a dark shirt is open to reveal fake ribs and a Void lurking within it. Her shirt and pants are torn and ragged, looking Zombie like, and she sports short hair and a beard. A very impressive mockup of the Hollow Man myth.

She grins just a little bit at the camera before tapping him very lightly on the shoulder. Simon makes a VERY high pitched sound before the camera cuts out

END OF VIDEO FEED]

[sucker-for-steven-with-v]

Spy diary

July 1, 20XX, 11:00 PM

Today is the beginning of another stupid work/mission, where I immerse myself in spying on another hero. As a secret agent for a highly classified organization, I must remain discreet about my identity. My objective? To spy on an individual who has no idea about his other identities.

July 3, 20XX, 11:00 AM

My surveillance target is a man who possesses extraordinary abilities like Avengers. By day, he works as a museum employee, blending seamlessly with the ordinary world. But by night, he becomes Moon Knight, who is quite brutal and aggressive.

July 4, 20XX, 2:30 PM

According to the intelligence gathered, Moon Knight's true name is Marc Spector. During the day, he becomes his other identity called Steven Grant, who has no idea that he is an alternate ego. He displays gentle manners and acts like a genuine British. However, once the sun sets and the moon takes its place, a transformation occurs. Moon Knight becomes a formidable force, ruthless and colder than the night itself.

July 3, 20XX, 5:45 AM

It is truly uncanny to witness someone with such distinct dual personalities. Steven's unsuspecting nature during the day contrasts starkly with the commanding presence of Moon Knight at night. I had to exercise caution while capturing photographs of Moon Knight in action, as his ferocity against gang members proved too brutal to preserve.

July 7, 20XX, 8:30 PM

Whenever Moon Knight puts on his superhero outfit, I feel both amazed and scared at the same time. I can't help but wonder about the fabric of his costume. Is it smooth like silk or more like tightly-wrapped bandages? I'm so curious that I find myself wanting to touch it. However, there's also a sense of fear. If Moon Knight were to discover my spying, I'd likely end up on the receiving end of a beating, just like the criminals he deals with (which is not pretty at all).

July 12, 20XX, 6:15 AM

Every morning, when the sun starts to rise, Steven checks his ankle cuffs and the sand around his bed. What he doesn't realize is that Marc Spector fixes it once it gets ruined. Marc works hard to keep their secret lives hidden, and it is obvious that he doesn't want Steven to know that he exists. It's impressive, but also seems really tiring.

July 14, 20XX, 10:00 PM

It's sad to see how much this double life is affecting Steven. He doesn't even realize that he's only getting around 2 hours of sleep each day, which explains the constant bags under his eyes. It's tough on him.

As I wrap up today's entry, Diary, I must admit that I don't enjoy spying on this poor guy. I'd much rather be on a mission to recover powerful artefacts like Loki's staff. Moon Knight is just a small fish in a small pond, and he doesn't possess god-like powers like Doctor Strange or Scarlet Witch. So, I fail to see the real danger of this anti-hero.

I have already reported this to my leader so I guess, I just need to wait for the response now.

July 21, 20XX, 10:00 AM

Diary,

I witnessed Steven getting extremely frustrated with Donna from his workplace once again. That woman is truly unpleasant and nasty. While she may not have committed any serious crimes, her mean-spirited behaviour makes her a kind of criminal in her own way. I felt sorry for Steven, so I bought something from his store, hoping it would lift his spirits. He's always so kind, even though he doesn't recognize me since I was inhabiting another person's body. I also suggested a fantastic sandwich place I discovered the other day. He'll probably grab a sandwich on his way home.

Another intriguing revelation came to light yesterday. It appears that Marc has yet another identity, going by the name Jake Lockley. From what I gathered, Jake is the most brutal of them all. It seems he is from Spain and has a penchant for dishing out beatings to criminals. The leader mentioned that he's worth keeping an eye on for at least a year, so perhaps there's more to this Jake character. Unlike Marc, who strikes a balance between using his fists and his weapon, a crescent-shaped boomerang, Jake relies solely on his own physical prowess and doesn't bother with the protective uniform. Strange choice, considering the benefits it could provide against attacks.

Oh, and Diary, I must confess that my neck and shoulders ache from the exhaustive report I had to write yesterday. There were numerous incidents involving Jake's confrontations with various individuals, and detailing them all took quite a toll on my body.

So we may see each other again a bit later.

[robinrites]

Family Isn't Always Blood

Whumptober Day 11!

Prompts: "911 what's your emergency?", Makeshift splint, sloppy bandages, self-done first aid

Summary: Jason has been brought back from the dead, but unfortunately can't remember his life before his resurrection, or even the fact that he died. When he gets into trouble and vigilantes come to save him, can he trust them? How do they know his name?

“911 what’s your emergency?” 

“Hello? It’s-It’s my brother, he’s hurt. He’s really badly hurt.” Jason curses under his breath as he tries his best to tie a scrap of fabric around the gash on Tim’s arm. 

“Okay, can you tell me your name?” 

“Jason.” He holds the phone up to his ear with his shoulder as he takes off his shirt to try to staunch the bleeding coming from Tim’s abdomen. 

“Okay Jason, and what’s your brother’s name?” 

“Tim, we’re, shit, I don’t know where we are. Can you track this call or something? Please!” 

“Can you take a deep breath for me Jason?” Jason growls, but does it anyway, feeling slightly better after he does so. “Okay, I’m tracking your location, can you stand on the line with me? Maybe you can tell me about what happened.” 

Jason grimaces as he looks back down at his brother who is lying unconscious on the floor. “It was another one of Joker’s attacks, or Riddler’s or one of the other fucking maniacs in this city. We were just trying to get home, and some goons jumped out at us and started attacking us for no reason.” Jason bites his lip as he tries to hold it together. “We tried to fight back but we’re not fighters. One of them had a crowbar and I- I froze.” 

Jason’s brows furrow as memories flood into his brain. He sees himself standing at an amusement park, wearing a costume. Where did I get that? A man stepped out at him, holding a crowbar, and hit him before he could even do anything. An image of himself waking up in a warehouse, tied up by a man who looks like a clown flashes into his mind next. The other version of Jason calls out for Batman, and he realizes this is the Joker he’s seeing in this memory. What did the Joker want with me? 

The voice of the 911 operator draws him back to the present, “Jason, honey are you still there?” 

“Yes ma’am.” Jason shakes his head to try to recenter himself in reality. “They um had a crowbar and I froze. Next thing I know, I’m running as fast as I can, carrying Tim. I looked back to see if they were still following us, but then I slipped on something and we ended up falling down a hill. I can’t see the way back up, all I can see is metal.” 

“Are you hurt at all or just your brother?” 

In spite of how dark it is where he and Tim are, Jason does his best to examine his body for any injuries. His eyes land on his ankle, which he instantly notices is purple and swollen. When did that happen? “I think I sprained my ankle or something…” 

“Can you describe what your ankle looks like?” 

“It’s a little dark here, but it’s purple and really swollen.” He touches his ankle experimentally and seethes, “And it hurts to touch.” 

“Okay, do you have any spare fabric you could use to wrap it? Maybe a t-shirt?” Jason’s eyes wander towards where his shirt is resting on Tim’s chest, soaked in his blood. 

“No ma’am, I uh, I’m using my shirt to try to stop the bleeding coming from my brother.” Jason forces himself to look away from Tim, but only makes it a moment before turning to look at him again, worried that if he takes his eyes off him he’ll disappear. 

“Can you tear off some of the fabric from your pants?” Jason nods, and begins to tear at the fabric of his jeans up to his knee. “Did you do it?” 

“Yes.” 

“Okay, now I want you to tightly wrap that around your ankle, preferably so it covers at least part of your ankle and part of your foot.” Jason dutifully follows orders, wincing at the pain touching his ankle causes. 

“Done.” Jason lets out the breath he had been holding in. 

“Perfect, we’ve almost found you okay, let’s just keep talking for a bit-” 

The line goes dead, Jason yanks his phone away from his ear and sees his phone battery is dead. He tosses his phone away with him with a groan of frustration. He glances over at Tim who is thankfully still breathing, even if it is shaky breaths. 

“Fuck!” He buries his face in his hands as he begins to cry. “Fuck, Tim I’m so sorry!” Jason hears a slight plink of water hitting water and his head darts up, “Water? Are we in the sewers?” Jason glances upward to see the cement roof slightly curved, in a way one would expect sewer tunnels to be. “Shit.” He scoops Tim off the ground and onto his lap, ignoring the whimpering noises coming from Tim as he does so. “Sorry Timmy, but you’ll get a nasty infection if we’re sitting in sewage until rescue comes.” He holds Tim to his chest, doing his best not to jump at every creak and groan from the metal pipes around them. 

Another memory flashes in Jason’s head, this time he’s the one chasing someone. He sees himself racing towards a large figure wearing all black. The man wears a mask over his face, similar to a cowl, with large pointy spikes coming out of the top. 

“B! Wait up!” He hears himself call, Do I know him? The man in black stops and turns, but where his face should be is only blank. Jason shakes his head, then looks again, only for the man’s face to still be devoid of any personal features. 

“What is it Jason?” The man in black asks. Who are you?

“I just wanted to say, the last one to the cave is a rotten egg!” Jason watches the other version of him stick out his tongue and then race ahead of the man in black. The man groans, but then smiles and races after Jason. 

The memory shifts to him waking up in the hospital. Nurses and doctors circle him anxiously, checking his vitals and his pupils and everything they can to make sure he’s okay. After the medical staff is satisfied, they let a boy come into the room, Tim. 

“Do you remember who I am, Jason?” Tim asks, pulling one of the chairs over so he can sit next to Jason’s bed. 

Jason furrows his brows as he tries to remember, “You’re my brother?” Tim smiles widely.

“Yes!” He nods, “What else do you remember?” 

Jason’s face drops, “Our parents-they’re, they’re dead aren’t they?” Jason looks at Tim, hoping for an answer, “They left us alone didn’t they?” 

“We’re not alone we have-” Tim pauses, as if someone told him to stop, “We have each other. You and me, partners in crime.” 

“What happened to me? Why can’t I remember anything?” 

“We were racing down the street on our bikes, you hit a turn way too quickly and flew off your bike and hit your head.” Tim says, as if reciting off a paper. “But the doctors said that aside from some memory loss you’ll be okay.” 

“I’ll be okay?” 

Tim grabs his hand and squeezes it tightly, “Plus you’ve got me, what more could you need?” 

A groan from Tim draws Jason back to the present, followed by Tim slightly shifting in Jason’s grasp. “Shhh, I’ve got you Tim.” Jason whispers in his ear as he brushes Tim’s hair. “You’re gonna be okay. The dispatcher said they almost had our location, which means they should be able to find us pretty easily. And then we’re gonna get you to the hospital.” 

Footsteps splash in the puddles of water as people race towards Jason and Tim. Jason squints and makes out four distinct shapes. He tightens his grip on Tim, hoping these people are rescuers, but preparing for them if they're not. A light flashes down the tunnel, allowing Jason to make out silhouettes. He sees pointed ears and immediately tries to stand up, tries to get away. He falls back to the ground, his hurt ankle unable to support his weight, let alone Tim’s. Jason’s heart begins to race as the people get closer, he does his best to scoot back but he can only go so fast. 

“Jason?! Tim?! Is that you?” The man in black calls at him, causing Jason to panic. His eyes dart around the tunnel, he wishes he had anything near him he could use for protection. The people stop a few feet away from where Jason and Tim are laying. Jason does his best to put on a brave face as he takes in his attackers. 

Leading the group is the man from his memory, or dream, or whatever the hell it was. Right behind him is a man in a blue costume, holding two blue sticks, with a giant logo on his chest that seems like it’s meant to be bird adjacent. Standing behind those two are two girls, one wearing all black, with a cowl matching the man in black’s, except it covers her whole face. The other wears a purple cloak and a mask over the lower half of her face. The purple girl shifts slightly, revealing a yellow version of the logo adorning the man in black and the girl in black’s uniforms. 

“I don’t know who the hell you are but the cops are on their way here right now!” Jason shouts at them, bluffing with all he’s got. “They’re gonna be here any minute, so I’d suggest you start running before they show up.” 

“Jason,” The man in black starts, reaching out cautiously. “I know you don’t remember me, but we’re the good guys. We just want to help you and Tim.” 

Jason pulls Tim closer to his chest, “How do you know our names?” 

“We were sent by GCPD to come find you guys.” He explains slowly, “We’re not here to hurt you.” 

“Then what’s with the masks?” 

The man in blue laughs, “Well he’s got us there B.” 

“Only bad guys hide behind masks.” Jason glares daggers. 

The man in black steps closer, reaching slowly towards what looks to be a utility belt, “Jason, we can get you guys medical care but you have to come with us okay.” 

“No!” Jason spits out, “Don’t come any closer.” 

Faster than Jason can blink, the man reaches into the utility belt and pulls out a vial. He throws the vial to the ground, releasing some kind of smoke. By the time Jason looks back up, all four of the strangers are wearing masks. 

“What, what wazzat.” Jason’s words begin to mix together as his eyelids begin to feel heavier and heavier. The man steps closer again, but before Jason can say anything to protest, he finds himself falling fast asleep. 

When Jason wakes up, he finds himself in a hospital bed again. A quick glance around and he can tell it’s not the same hospital as before. No nurses, or doctors, just a ginger in a wheelchair at his bedside. 

“Who are you?! Where is my brother?!” Jason demands the second he lays eyes on her. 

“Woah!” She throws her hands up in shock and to show that she’s harmless, “Tim’s okay, he’s just a couple rooms over. He hasn’t woken up yet, but he should be waking up within a couple hours.” She sticks her hand out, “Now, where are my manners, I’m Barbara, but everyone just calls me Babs.” Jason glares at her hand, as if he can psychically get her hand to go away. She nods, pulling her hand back so she can grab her phone. “I know you don’t remember me, and that’s okay, Leslie said it’s normal, especially after all the trauma you’ve been through-” She cuts herself off from saying anything more, instead holding up her phone to show Jason a picture of the two of them together. 

“Were we friends?” 

Barbara smiles and nods, “Yes! We were before the accident. I wanted to come check on you, but we all thought it’d be best to give you time to readjust first.” 

“I’m sorry I don’t remember.” 

“Eh, I wouldn’t worry about it,” Barbara forces a laugh, “Not the first time it’s happened and it probably won’t be the last.” Upon noticing Jason’s confused face she quickly elaborates, “Last time it wasn’t you who lost your memory, it was your brother, Dick.” 

“I have a second brother?” 

“You actually have 4, counting Tim of course. And several close friends who have all been very worried about you.” She glances at the door, where several faces are crammed into the tiny glass window. “If you’d like you can meet them now, or I can tell them to go away and come back later-” 

“Let them in, please. It’d be nice to connect the dots a little bit more about what I don’t remember.” 

Barbara laughs, “Okay, but if they get to be too much, just cough twice and I’ll kick them out okay?” She winks then rolls over to the door and opens it, “All right, try not to crowd him.” 

Even though Jason can’t remember anyone who enters the room, he can’t help but feel calm and safe as they crowd around his bed. Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.

[itfitsitshipsart]

Happy Halloween, Raven!! :D 🍬🕸️🥼

"And a Happy Halloween to you as well! I'm more of a treat kinda guy than a trick one, though I know a few tricks too~ First question!"

🍬 [SWEETS] ~ Are you the type to want to rush Halloween & start Christmas/Winter activities early? What about S/I?

"Let me tell ya, the only good things about winter and Christmas as a whole, are the hot mulled beverages, the snugglin' under a ton of blankets, and the mistletoe. Ya know... they should make kissing under the mistletoe a year round thing! Think about it! I could get kisses from all the cuties whenever I wanted!"

"...hah? What do you mean 'what about when a guy is under there?'..."

"... uh... Anyway, essentally, i say ya let Halloween and Fall have its time. And Ev feels the same. Next question."

🕸️ [SPIDER WEBS] ~ Tell us exactly what about S/I captivates you!

"I mean, what doesn't, amiright?"

"...to be more serious though, I'm stunned by just how dang caring she is. Ever since I met her, even when she was a meek and dainty thing, she took the time ta get to know me. I was just following orders, keeping her safe until sent on my next assignment, yet she talked with me. She picked up on my tastes and opinions and took them, and me, as important. And she became so easy to talk to... She's still the one person I feel like I can tell everything to..."

"...let's head onto the next question, shall we? The last ya want is this old man getting all sentimental on ya!"

🥼 [COSTUMES] ~ Show us a couple’s Halloween costume you would wanna do with S/I!

"Oh! How about I wrap myself up in a few bandages and get a sling, and Ev can be a sexy nurse and take care of me! Or how about I get some fluffy ears and a tail, and she puts on a cute red cape! She could be red riding hood, and I'll be her big bad wolf~"

"Those are good ideas, right? The others just don't get my sense of style..."

[ladyzee-oddityhunter]

Streams, Halloween 2023 Special: "Meet Orion the Dusknoir Man"

[Stream Beginning Soon…]

Lady Zee’s seasonal lobby splash screen features a noivern wrapped up in bandages like a mummy, and a sensu style oricorio draped in cloth like a ghost on the left and right sides of the text. At the top, a sliggoo is depicted wearing a pumpkin costume.

When the countdown ends and the lobby screen swipes away, Lady Zee appears. She’s dressed in a stylish noivern costume that shows off her toned midriff and shoulders. A noivern-eared headband sits atop her pink hair that’s been pulled mostly back over her shoulder. 

She’s seated on a plush couch behind a coffee table laden with assorted Halloween treats and a punch bowl. Smoke swishes around her ankles and across the floor. Beside her is a man with silver hair dressed in ghostly folds of cloth. There’s a pink pokemon resting on his lap, a hybrid between an absol and an audino named Strawberry, it seems.

The chat is immediately exploding with sparkling oricorio emotes, excited greetings, and warnings and expressions of terror at the sight of the person she’s sitting with. Variations of “She’s really doing it!” splatter across the conversations.

Zee does not outwardly acknowledge this unusual combination of energies. She’s donned her perfect smile, and she sweeps her right hand out to the side. Instead of her signature gold cape, she flashes the teal underside of her noivern wing.

“HeLLO my lovely skiddo kiddos! You’re here with me, Lady Zee! Happy Halloween my darlings! Today we have a very, VERY special guest, but before we get into the good stuff, I have something to share!”

She stands up, and the camera moves back to keep her fully in frame. In a fluid, rhythmic motion, she swings her hips and sweeps her hand toward the ceiling, moving in just the right way that her hair and wing cape catch the light and sparkle. 

“How do you like my costume? It’s adorable, right? And it’s SO comfy. I bet you’d never guess it’s actually athletic wear. Yes, that’s exactly right, my darlings! My fitness in fashion line VitaminZ has just stocked limited time noivern, zubat, and swoobat athletic attire. Can’t decide if you want to splurge on a cute and cozy costume for one holiday, OR get that new workout set you’ve been needing? You don’t have to choose anymore! I’m wearing this to the gym later myself.”

She poses again, balancing on tip toe and bending one knee while she makes a heart with her hands.

“The toughest choice will be which ones to get, but make up your mind quickly! They’ll only be available for a limited time!. To place your order, visit VitaminZ.com and use the code ZEE10 for ten percent off your first order! That’s VitaminZ.com, and ZEE10!”

She twirls, letting her pink hair swoosh playfully over her shoulder just before she sits back down and crosses her legs at the knees. 

“Now, I’m sure a lot of you know…”

She pauses dramatically to grin at him.

“Orion? Why don’t you introduce yourself?”

Orion cocks his head to the side ever so slightly, pupils dilating then contracting again as his gaze trains on her during her sponsorship speech. If one is observant enough, they'll notice he's watching her not unlike a predator does. Not unlike something about to pounce.

And yet he stays seated on the couch. Even as his fingers dig into a spot hidden by the table. 

He blinks as she directs the attention back to him, grinning and causing the pressure in the room to dissipate very suddenly.

He waves before going to fill his cup with some punch before introducing himself.

"Hello, hello! As Zee has already started, my name is Orion, and I am a fellow streamer as well! You can find me under the Horror tab on Twitch where I stream body horror."

The chat erupts at that as a few of his own fans decide to explain what exactly he does, which as expected gets them banned. He laughs at that.

"Settle, settle. I'm the guest on her stream, remember."

He then takes a sip and directs his attention to Zee.

"Now, you wanted to ask me some questions?”

Zee claps her hands once, her red fingered gloves muffling what would have been a sharp sound.

“I can see we have some BIG fans of Orion’s work in the chat! Do play nice, my darlings,” She chirps, strangely cheerful in relation to who she’s sitting beside and the comments that keep arising in the chat.

She turns to Orion, meeting his eyes. Her own golden brown eyes are hollow. Vacant of feeling. They merely sparkle just the right way to suit her bleached smile like a pretty doll in a box. 

“So Orion, you sweet thing, you told me you’re part dusknoir. That is *incredible*. And very unheard of! How did that occur? Were you born that way?”

"Well, actually, that's quite a long story in itself!” He replies good naturedly, “The short of it, however, is that I was dying, and one of my dear friends had to splice me with a Dusknoir to keep me alive! How odd is that?"

He laughs some, as if he himself can’t even believe that happened.

“Oh! Well, that’s a few things to unpack,” Zee exclaims, her smile ever bright and unfaltering, “Let’s start with… Hm, how does one splice a person with a pokemon? And why a dusknoir?”

She holds her index fingers up by the sides of her head, beside her noivern ear headband. 

“Why not a purrloin? You could have been a cute purple kitty boy.” Her practiced smile widens, and she giggles prettily. 

She tilts her head just the right way to look cutest from the camera’s angle, and she does her best impression of a purrloin’s purr.

Orion looks thoughtful for a moment, as if this is something new for him to consider. He then nods, seeming to agree with her.

"Why, I would make an amazing catboy~"

He grins, curling all six of his hands in front of himself in an imitation of cat paws.

"Nya~"

He laughs, shaking his head before dropping his hands.

"Ah, alas it wasn't meant to be. As for how to splice someone with a pokemon...well, I can't be giving away all the juicy secrets in just one stream, now can I?

"As for why Dusknoir...well, I already had my shroud of Duskull, so why shouldn't I pick something to match?"

There’s a pause as he seems to carefully consider Zee.

"What would you pick, if you really had to? Remember! Hypothetically. Would it be a Noivern?"

He teases her, gesturing to her costume. His lap pokemon seems to stiffen, tensing its muscles as if bracing for something and perking its ears toward Orion. Something in that question seems to have it on edge.

“Ohhh, so you already had the duskull? I see, you were keeping with a theme!”

Her smile never wavers, but she does fail to restrain the slight widening of her eyes as all six, SIX, of his hands move forward to pose. That is four more hands than she’d been expecting! 

“Which pokemon would I splice myself with?” She asks, sliding easily back into that flawless hostess smile. She’s quiet for a moment as she seems to think. 

Fans of Orion recognize the loaded question and helpfully share the names of assorted pokemon that might be interesting to be spliced with in chat. Zee does not seem to notice, or does a good pretending not to.

“Noivern *is* wonderful, but maybe I would want to be something else for some variety. Mismagius is SO pretty. And dangerous.” She tosses her hair and winks at the stream. “Like me, right Skiddos?”

Her followers seem to adore this, walling the chat for a few long moments with comments of agreement and sparkling oricorio emotes. 

“Buuut I don’t see myself wanting to be anything but myself! It’s all about that self love! And!” She gestures to Orion’s plethora of hands. “This. You didn’t tell me you have six hands! Six, no? Are you hiding more under there?” She leans to the side as if she might somehow see up Orion’s shirt from their positions on the couch.

“What’s this about?” She tilts her head, watching not his hands but his eyes. Her eyebrows lift just a little and she slightly parts her lips to model an eagerly curious expression.

He nods in agreement. "Self love is important, and there's no one I'd rather be than me after all."

He laughs at the gesturing to his hands.

"No, no I'm not hiding extra hands. This, however, is the result of a forced mega evolution. Yes, Dusknoir can mega evolve, but the process is so extreme that I don't recommend trying it at home. Or anywhere else for that matter."

He spreads out his arms, being careful not to hit anything.

"But they're pretty neat, aren't they?"

He drops them then grabs a brownie with a spiderweb pattern on it. The spiderweb seems to be made of marshmallows.

"Feel free to help yourself to the punch and snacks, by the way, I promise it's not poison."

Her smile never falters, but she raises one of her own two hands to politely decline. “I’m not hungry, but I appreciate the thought.”

“I’m going a bit off script,” She continues, “But I have to ask. Does that mean you’re constantly mega evolved? Is that healthy? Even full pokemon don’t *stay* mega evolved after battle.”

"Oh, I am indeed constantly mega evolved. The energy that courses through me is quite painful as well. Again, I would not recommend this method."

He shrugs.

"I have my reasons for this, though, so I'm not bothered by my current state."

“Ohh, that sounds horrible,” Zee moans with syrupy condolence, “You poor thing.” 

“So why do it then if it’s so painful?” She asks, leaning in slightly. “Are you stuck that way? Or do you just not know how to switch back? Was it even on purpose?”

"Because I want to protect what I care about."

Short, simple, to the point. No more elaboration than what's necessary. But there is something in his eyes, sadness? Anger? Pain? The slightest glimmers of all three can be seen.

His hands curl slightly, digging into the couch.

"When someone you care about gets slaughtered like a Grumpig by someone that everyone hails as a hero, you kind of want to make sure it Never. Happens. Again."

The words come out harshly, as if he wishes he could bite with them.

"That's rather understandable, isn't it?"

It isn’t a question, but moreso a dare to disagree. Go ahead and tell him it's not, that it's insane, that it's going too far. Go ahead. Do it. He dares you.

Zee’s perfect smile fades for a moment, and her brows furrow in thought. She looks toward the couch cushions, weighing her answer carefully in her mind.

“I understand completely!” She cheers at last, throwing her hands up toward the sky and flashing the teal of her wings. “I would do anything for my best friends. Wouldn’t anyone?”

She doesn’t wait for confirmation before she continues on.

“Slaughtered, you say?” She asks with a finger pressed to her cheek, “I’d really like to unpack that, but we do have an itinerary to get through first! SO! Next question!

Does being part dusknoir mean you have to do dusknoir responsibilities like ferry souls? I assume you have some awesome dusknoir super powers to help you with that.”

Orion immediately relaxes again, shifting back into his more lax state, simply refilling his cup of punch. Back away the emotions go, the revealing of anything but amusement. The heart back in the box and the steel lid snapped shut, secured once more.

"Oh, I do have to ferry souls. I have an old Dusknoir as a boss as well. He lives in the realm of souls and hasn't left in years from what I understand. I don't even know how old he is."

He leans back against the back of the couch, sipping from the cup before adding more information.

"Did you know he's harsh on hybrids? Tells me not to let my "human shit" get in the way of doing my job. Decent guy overall though."

“Oh! That’s not very nice of him!” Zee exclaims with her mouth agape and cheeks slightly reddened, “You poor thing, I bet you do your best. And I bet that takes a lot of time and effort, he can’t just say things like that to you.”

She huffs, lips pursed, and her chest and shoulders rising and fall sharply as if she’s truly very upset on Orion’s behalf. But again, she changes expressions and moves on.

“So,” She continues with a pretty smile, “If you ferry souls, how do you know which ones you’re bringing? Do you get a list? Is it beamed into your head FROM the spirit world? And! Most importantly! Have you ever taken someone who wasn’t supposed to die yet?”

"Ah, I don't blame him. It's a rough job. Gotta be ready to go at any time,” He laughs as Zee jumps to his defense. "He'll either call a meeting and give you your assignments for the week, or beam it straight into your head. Dusknoir antenna are mainly for communicating with each other. With hybrids it's more tricky. It's not like I have the antenna after all."

He taps his head for emphasis.

"But yes I can take your soul out if I so desire. I can also put it back in at will."

He grins and leans forward, positioning all his hands as if he is going to reach inside Zee.

"Wanna test it out?"

He wiggles his fingers in anticipation. His pink pokemon, Strawberry, perks up, prepared to intervene if needed.

Zee abruptly leans away when Orion raises his hands toward her, her eyes going a little wide. Her own hand clamps around the chimeco doll strapped to her hip. There’s fear for the first time in her eyes. But there’s also rage in the way her eyebrows press together and her eyes narrow, as if she’s wondering how dare he? How dare he try to touch her?

When he does not in fact move any closer, she mostly relaxes and straightens back up, though her hand remains on the little doll. 

There’s a long moment before she answers him. She spends it looking him over, looking at his hands, his face, his eyes, as if she can judge the honesty and safety of such an offer simply by observing him. 

No, it’s a terrible idea. She absolutely should not. She should end the stream and run, in fact.

But…

“What does the audience think?” She asks, her voice chipper with no tremble of fear to be heard as she looks toward the camera. And the chat. “Should I let him steal my soul? AND put it BACK, I hope?”

She glances at Orion for confirmation. She doesn’t need to read the scrolling chat to see the mixed reactions, most of which are in favor. 

He relished the reaction. The fear, the anger at his audacity. He is cracking the doll. Chipping away at her little facade. He noticed that she put her hand on the doll. Was it just for comfort? Safety? Reassurance? Or...did it contain something to ward him off? To get him away from her if he should go too far.

"I won't do it unless you want me to, but it would make for a unique experience. I will put your soul back, of course. We can't do the stream without you, now can we?"

Zee is quiet for a long, long moment as she looks Orion up and down. Her smile never wavers, but her spine stiffens. Then she looks toward the chat, seeming to tally the comments in favor versus the comments against.

“Well, I think our lovely audience knows what they want. And I’m just TOO curious to pass up the opportunity!”

She smiles brightly and makes a heart shape in front of her chest with her hands.

“Steal away, Mister Dusknoir.”

At the last possible moment, second thoughts ghost across her face as she suddenly opens her mouth, beginning to form the word “wait”. Too late.

Orion lunges forward in a second, a spectral hand slamming into her body roughly enough to jar it before pulling out, holding up her soul for the audience to see. Holding it like a trophy. Strawberry bristles in his lap, watching him carefully.

Zee’s vacant body slumps against the back of the couch, her noivern ear headband tumbling to the floor.

"And this is what a soul looks like! Interesting, isn't it?” Orion exclaims gleefully, “I expected Zee's soul to be bright pink, in all honesty! Wouldn't that have been interesting?"

The chat is going nuts, some praising and some concerned. After all, what is he going to do with her soul, with her body slumped on the couch?

He raises his shirt some, the maw on his torso opening up wide.

"Now, I'm gonna give Zee the experience of being held inside my body. She'll be able to remember this all once I put it back, but I'm giving her a few moments away. Like a mini vacation, you know?"

He laughs as he looks at the chat again, and he places Zee’s soul inside himself. The maw closes.

"Alright. There we go. Just a few moments and then she'll be back, alright? Don't worry, I'm not getting rid of her! She's too lovely for that, isn't she, chat?"

He hums, drinking punch, eating a brownie, and then getting a refill. After a few moments he opens his maw back up and retrieves her soul. He pushed it back into her body, causing her to 'wake' with a start.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Zee! So, how do you feel?"

Zee gasps, spasming once before throwing herself into an upright position as she abruptly finds herself whole again. The air filling her lungs burns. The light burns. She squints against the living room lights for a moment. Another moment. Then her eyes adjust and she looks toward Orion again.

With a hand pressed hard against her chest, scrunching her top under her fingers, she stares at Orion. No mask. Just blatant shock written across her parted lips and wide, golden eyes. Then she catches herself, and she falls back into her calm, pretty smile, like a prey pokemon hiding its wounds to avoid hunting by a predator.

“Well! That was… That was something! Thank you!” She swallows, glancing at the camera from the corner of her eye before fulling turning to face it. “How about a quick break? Deedee!”

The screen switches to a “We’ll Be Right Back!” splash screen.

[When the stream resumes, Zee asks Orion a few more questions, mostly about what it’s like having another mouth in his torso and whether or not he can use ghost pokemon moves as a hybrid. She also coaxes him to strip off his shirt to provide a better view of the dusknoir mouth and six arms. Throughout the last few minutes of the stream, Zee maintains a smile, but she seems slower in her movements. Fatigued. Shadows creep up under her eyes as the minutes tick by. She flinches once when Orion turns too abruptly, her hand flying toward the oddly square and heavy looking chimeco doll on her belt.

When she finishes her questions, there’s relief in her brilliant smile as she signs off]

“Remember skiddos, mommy loves you!”

[Thanks for Watching!]

[valentronic]

Waking the monster

Chapter 2 - "The dead don't die"

In which Henry attempts to solve all his problems by setting them on fire, and William wins the award for the world's normal-est man

Something had to be done, he knew that. Something was very wrong, and though Henry still didn’t know what, he knew he needed to do something about it. Keeping an eye on Elizabeth and Micheal was a welcome distraction, even if they asked too many questions, and bringing Charlie over to visit them was a good distraction for the kids too. He hadn’t been visiting Will as much in the hospital.. More accurately, he was almost afraid to. He’d been acting strangely, erratic. Even though Will was typically a little strange, a little erratic, this was too much, even for him. 

He’d be discharged from the hospital soon.

That meant it was Henry’s last chance. 

Fredbear’s diner had been closed for months, ever since.. Well, people just called it “the accident” now. No need to add any detail. No need to say what happened. Just an accident. With the restaurant closed, one might think there was no need to worry about a bloody room. Henry had been worrying about it nonstop. He didn’t want to go back there, everything in his most primal instincts wanted to prevent him from opening that door, but he did it anyway. 

It was a horrible sight. The floor streaked with blood, the pieces of William’s springlock suit scattered around. He nearly threw up in his mouth. 

Worst of all, there it was.  An empty suit Henry once wore. An empty suit that took the life of an innocent child. An empty suit that the child’s father is convinced still harbors his soul. The eyeholes followed Henry as he walked towards it. What if he was right? As impossible as it sounds.. What if he was right..?

“No..” He mumbled to himself in the empty room. “That’s not possible.” But, there was a thought in the back of his head, if there was a soul within that suit, he needed to be set free. 

Set him free. That’s what this is. 

He picks up the suit, much lighter without the endoskeleton inside, and carries it out into the alley behind Fredbear’s. He can clean up the workshop later.. This feels more important. He takes a lighter out of his pocket, and sets the suit ablaze. He watches the fire for what feels like hours, the slow crackling as the synthetic fur turns to ash. 

This didn’t do anything, it’s just fur and fabric, it isn’t alive. There wasn’t anyone in there, that little boy went to heaven. Maybe, just maybe, if nothing else, this ritual would help William let go… 

Or not. 

There’s no time to think about that. 

He puts out the fire, sweeping the ash away, before returning to the workshop, making a mental list of everything that needs to be done. The floors will need to be mopped, there’s blood on the table, he’ll have to do something with that springlock suit, bloody as it is.. He wishes he could just burn it too.. 

— 

“Daddy! You’re home! I knew it, I knew you’d be okay!” Elizabeth practically leapt at him, wrapping her arms around his leg in her typical greeting. 

Will winced at the pressure on his wounds, but didn’t draw attention to it, ruffling the small girl’s hair. “I trust Mr. Emily took good care of you two?” 

“Yes! I got to play with Charlie too!” 

“That’s wonderful! Go get Mikey for me, okay?” 

She let go of his leg, looking up at him, and immediately noticing the bandages around his arms and neck. “Daddy! You’re all wrapped up like a mummy!” 

“Heh, early halloween costume?” 

“Ohhhh! That’s so silly!” She dashed off to get Micheal out of his bedroom. 

Micheal walks out, clearly in no real hurry, Elizabeth following like a puppy. “Dad?” He eyes the bandages immediately. “Damn. Bet you look real gross under there huh? Like, splatter movie gross.” 

“Eww!” Elizabeth stuck out her tongue. 

Will chuckled a little at that reaction. “It’s not that bad! Just some stitches.” 

— 

The phone rings for a few agonizing seconds, before William picks up on the other end. “Hello?” 

“Hey, Will.”

“Henry! Why don’t you come over sometime, I’d love to show you these new animatronics I’m sketching out.”

Henry shakes his head. “You’re.. Already designing more?”

“Of course, this time Fredbear and Bonnie will have some new friends too!” 

“This time? You want to reopen, after what happened?” 

“You should know better, Henry! I’m not giving up that easily.”

“...I was calling to ask how you’re doing, Will, you were acting strangely in the hospital..”

“I was just a bit delirious from blood loss, but it’s all a-okay now!” 

“Alright.. If you’re sure.. I cleaned up the workshop, and your suit..” 

“Ah, I hadn’t even considered that, thank you.” 

“Daddy? Who are you talking to?” There was Elizabeth’s squeaky voice on the line. 

“Just Mr. Emily, we’re planning out some new robots, okay?” 

“Oh! Can you make one of them a chicken? A pretty yellow one?” 

“We’ll think about it.” Will smiles, giving Liz a wink. She always was more interested in her father’s work than her brother, though she wished he would bring some of the robots home too. “Sorry about that, Henry.” 

“It’s alright, I’m glad she’s doing well. I can’t imagine it was easy for any of you.” 

“No.. It wasn’t..” 

“Let me know if there’s anything I can do, okay?” 

“That’s alright, and thank you again, Henry.” 

“Never scare me like that again.” 

“I won’t, I won’t.”

—

Even with the Fredbear suit gone for good, the nightmares just didn’t stop. Again and again. 

A man in a bunny suit leaps out of the ball pit at him, bloody holes where its eyes should be, red seeping from every seam, the sound of Will’s strangled breath as it approaches. 

It’s not him. It’s not real. Wake up, Henry. 

Black ink leaks out of the eyeholes, an empty stare. It reaches an arm out towards him, grabbing him by the neck. 

“H-enr..y…” Will’s voice. There’s no denying it. He sounds choked, strangled by the springlocks stabbing into his throat. 

“Get away, get away from me!” Henry tries to back up, clawing at the mechanical arm with his fingernails. It doesn’t do any good. 

“..The d..ead..don’t..d..ie…you…won’t die...” Spring Bonnie’s jaw unhinges, revealing rows and rows of impossible teeth. 

“Stop! Please! Will!” He struggles, managing to get one of the animatronic’s hands away from his neck. 

It isn’t fast enough. It’s an impossible battle. 

The last thing he sees are countless razor sharp teeth, on all sides. 

The last thing he hears? A sickening crunch. 

A noise he’s heard before. 

Henry wakes up in a cold sweat. 

—

“Hey dad? What are you working on?” 

Will looks over his shoulder at the young boy standing in the doorway. “Just some plans. What are you doing up, Micheal? It’s getting late.” 

“Can’t sleep.” His eyes drift to the exposed skin of Will’s arms, the strange pattern of lines and circles at each joint, the scars still raw and red. It made him think of Terminator movies, the robots ripping off synthetic flesh to reveal machinery underneath. “Woah-” He walks over to Will, just to get a closer look. “That’s sick.” 

“Not quite the phrase I’d use for it.” 

“Does it hurt?” 

“Only when I touch it, or get water on it, or- well you get the idea.” 

Completely distracted from his father’s blueprints, Mike looks closely at the scars, before spotting similar circular marks on Will’s neck. “Is that stuff all over you?” 

He absently runs a hand over his neck, not aware that the scarring was visible there. “Yes, except for my face, luckily.” 

“Gnarly. What’s that?” Mike pointed to a sketch of an animatronic fox. 

“One of the new animatronics, I know foxes are your favorite, but I feel like this one’s missing something… Oh, I could put him in a little pirate costume like what you used to run around in!” 

Micheal scoffs at the sketch, clearly more interested in Will’s scars. “So… What are springlocks?” 

He visibly flinches at the question. “I’ve told you about that already, you weren’t listening, were you?” 

“Well I didn’t think they were cool until now!” 

“I don’t think we’ll be using them anymore, not if Henry has his way.” 

“Lame.” 

“I know, I know, I’m hoping to get back to Fredbear’s to get those springlock suits back, maybe you’ll get to see them up close-! If Henry hasn’t changed the locks on me.” 

I left him there. 

I left him behind. 

All to maintain appearances. 

Just momentary irrationality. 

Nothing more. 

A rational explanation. 

That’s what he wanted. 

—

`I can’t shake the sinking feeling that something will go wrong. Maybe it already has. Maybe I’m too late to stop it. I can’t shake the sight of the black holes of Fredbear’s eyes. I’m glad I burned it. I really am. Will hasn’t mentioned it since I visited him in the hospital. It’s been weeks now. He wants me to visit, see what he’s working on, but I just haven’t. Maybe he doesn’t remember what he said, that’d make sense… I hope so.` Henry closes his journal with a sigh, hearing the door creak open, and smiling at the sight of Charlotte’s face in the doorway. 

“You’re up late. Bad dreams again?”

“Mhm..” She was carrying a doll in her arms, one meant to look like a mime. Most of the other kids found it creepy, but it was Charlie’s favorite. 

“Me too.” Henry holds out his arms, gesturing for Charlie to come give him a hug. “We can both stay up a little while tonight, how’s that sound?” 

She falls into his arms, giggling a little. 

Despite it all, it wasn’t so bad.

[lockpicnic]

[ PERFORMANCE ] This is a festival for street performers! Everywhere you go in Garreg Mach, you’re bound to find some sort of show - from puppet theater to firebreathing and tests of strength and skill. Stop to marvel at Fódlan’s talent, or maybe try showing off your own!

"Come one, come all, and witness before ye a wondrous magic trick!"

But he doesn't keep pace with the rest of the charlatans lining the street, alas. Their stalls are all flashy and loud and they're so energetic and, well,

he's wrapped up in bandages thanks to an uh, unfortunate accident having occurred prior this eve (he's in costume, he tells folks, not without wincing because ow), he's got no stall, no crowd, no anything. He sniffles.

And wow that attracts someone's attention, now doesn't it?

Or maybe it was the bit about the wondrous trick, who knows. He sure doesn't!

"Are you per chance interested, young miss? Would you indulge me and partake in my performance? It's really, really cool."

Does he have her attention? He hopes so. He offers a thin, pained smile. He's only half acting. He'd never lie - he's a holy man, after all.

"All I need from you, milady, is a single gold coin. Has to be gold, can't be bronze nor silver nor copper, they simply won't do. Well? Are you ready to be amazed?"

Coin, get! Cha ching!

He pretends to bite down on it. "Wow! A real, honest-to-gods gold coin! Thank you, miss. Now then! Are you prepared to see it vanish?"

He makes a few wild gestures. Oooo. Aaaaa. Woooow~

And then slides it into his vest, shows her his obviously empty hand "Wow isn't that amazing! Look, it's gone!" whirls on his heels, and takes off down the alley.

Patty knew better than to fall for all of the flashing lights and big fancy words. She prided herself in knowing a scam when she saw one, and she refused to fall for during the festival! No one was going to get her this time--

"Oh-- me? Sure thing! But it better be suuuper cool, or else I'm takin' my coin back!" His smile makes her feel a little bad, but in reality she just wants to see a cool trick.

There's a moment where she second guesses herself, holding out a single gold coin-- but there's no time to back out when Azama takes it out from her hands. She's entranced by his movements before--

...

"Huh?"

He's gone, and while she would normally run after him and take him down to get her precious coin back...maybe he was onto something.

"Hey-- old man!" Patty screams out to him, waving him off. "Thanks for the idea! Ya can keep the tip, 'kay!?"

[qu-film-history-to-1968]

The Mummy: the fear of the "other" (Franco Morgante)

“The Mummy and The Wolf Man, have themselves become indexical signifiers of monstrosity, foreignness and the ‘Other” (Smith). While this fear of the “other” can be applied to many different horror films, I believe The Mummy is a film that best exemplifies this idea. The Mummy is about a group of archeologists that find an ancient Egyptian scroll that brings to life a mummy. This mummy named Imhotep then attempts to use a woman to revive his long-lost love. A common theme in this film is the cost of using powers that you can’t understand. The archaeologists inadvertently awoke the mummy because they didn’t understand the power that scroll held. Which led to the deaths of two people. And Imhotep tried to use the scroll of Thoth to try and revive his lover, but he didn’t consider the consequences from both the Gods and the pharaoh. It shows how the lesson of the story could be described as don’t try and meddle with things you don’t understand. 

When compared to Frankenstein this film has higher production values than it. There are way more crafted sets and props that give this film a very distinct identity. With the highlights being the flashback scenes of Imhotep in Ancient Egypt. The costumes, set design, and props look much better than the previous universal films and it gives the film a greater set variety. Something that also makes this film distinct from Frankenstein is that this film has more music tracks during the film. Frankenstein did have music tracks but only in the opening and closing credits. While The Mummy still has a limited soundtrack, it still uses dramatic music to heighten intense moments, like when Imhotep kills people with his ancient powers. The costume designs of the film is also a step up from Frankenstein, all of the characters from the “current” era have very formal and fancy clothing and interestingly Imhotep is only wrapped in bandages at the beginning of the film. And for the rest of the film, he is in a robe and fez. I find this interesting as the posters always showed Imhotep wrapped in bandages, but that image was only in a small portion of the film. This film also had more special effects than Frankenstein as seen with Imhotep’s death, and when he uses the magic pool. This is probably due to the success of the previous Universal monster film, so this film probably got more money to produce more impressive effects. Overall, I would say that the production values of this film are a step up from Frankenstein.

Also, like Frankenstein, the main antagonist was portrayed by Universal’s Boris Karloff. And his performance is obviously different from his previous film. He portrays Imhotep as a lonely man who will do whatever he can to get back his lost love. It does give the character a sympathetic angle, but it is overshadowed when he starts to kill people. And especially when it is revealed that he stole the scroll of Thoth himself. Karlof’s makeup also makes him look like an undead man as his face looks very shriveled and dry. I’d say he probably looks more undead than he did in Frankenstein. However, I think I prefer his performance in Frankenstein as he had to convey all of his emotions physically which I think made his performance more compelling. Plus, I feel like the sympathetic angle of the monster is better in that film as it was clear that he didn’t understand the harm some of his actions caused. I think it's pretty telling how Karloff's version of Frankenstein’s Monster has become so iconic that it is seen as the default image of the character. Yet, Imhotep has had a wider range of interpretations and designs. Overall, I still think Boris Karloff did a good performance in this film, but I just prefer his performance in Frankenstein. To conclude, The Mummy is still a classic film that has reached legendary status amongst the horror genre and is still entertaining today.

  Source:

Smith, Andy W. Gothic Film: An Edinburgh Companion on JSTOR, 2020, www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctv10kmdxf.

[beautifulblooms]

A Long Night Paid Off-Shouta Aizawa x Male! Reader

Male! Reader, wanted to throw a fic together cause it’s been a while since I’ve done a full length fic, fluffy content, Aizawa being really sweet and gentle, kinda pulled a few ideas from the headcanons post bout Zawa

TW for mild gore description, wounds, blood, and wound cleaning

CIS Women and Female Aligned people, please DNI, this story and all of my others are for non-binary, masculine aligned and male readers!

The villain was supposed to be low level and borderline harmless, but of course things are never what they seem here. He had gotten more than a few good cuts in you by the time the fight was over. Now normally those wouldn’t be an issue, just get the costume patched up at your agency then do the same to your wounds. But herein lies the issue, one of the largest cuts was on your back, in a spot you couldn’t exactly reach.

“God damnit, I didn’t want to have him have to patch me up tonight.” Sighing as you made your way up the stairs to your apartment, finally the door number you had come to call home came into view. Pulling out your keys you unlocked the door trying to be quiet upon your entry, but you can never sneak around another Pro Hero, especially one like EraserHead.

“Sit down on the counter, I’ll get the med-kit.”

“Holy shit Sho, you scared the fuck out of me.”

“And you scared the shit out of me by coming home like that without cleaning any of those.” He had a point, he always does. Opening the medical box he began to pull out some alcohol wipes, a smaller bottle peroxide, bandages, gauze, and some antibacterial ointment.

“Come stand over the sink so I can pour this.” You obeyed his command and moved to the sink where he began to pour some of the peroxide over some of the wounds. “I thought we agreed that you would be more careful out there.”

“We did, and I tried, but when the villain has three sickles he’s swinging it makes it a little hard.”

“Turn around, I want to see that big one.” And you thought he hadn’t seen the one on your back quite yet. Turning around, Shouta carefully poured some of the peroxide over it, collecting whatever dropped down your back with a kitchen rag. This was the only one that you actually felt the sting of the peroxide on, but you knew the alcohol wipes would be worse when those got used. “I know it hurts, you’ve never gotten anything this bad back here, the nerves haven’t been damaged yet.”

Once he was done with the peroxide he helped you move back over to the counter, holding your hips to help you up onto the granite slab. Opening a couple of the alcohol wipes he gently swiped the wounds to clean them up from debris or excess blood that dripped from them. Finally after what felt like an eternity of stinging, he unrolled the bandage roll and unpacked the gauze. Carefully using the gauze to spread some of the antibacterial ointment onto the wounds he used his other hand to grab the wrap and begin covering the large one on your back.

“There, that should be it.” Shouta stepped back from the counter as you looked over everything he did to you.

“Thank you…sorry you had to be the one to patch me up, again.” Moving closer to you he put his hands on your waist and placed his forehead against yours.

“I would always prefer being the one to clean you up after a fight because then at least I know you’re getting patched up properly. Now, it’s late, and we’re both tired, let’s get to bed handsome.” Humming in agreement you tried to stand off the counter only for Shouta to grab your thighs and pick you up.

“I can walk just fine Sho, I don’t need you to carry me to bed.”

“But then I don’t get to do this.” Cutting off his sentence short he carefully moved one hand to squeeze your ass. The action only made you groan as the dark haired man only chuckled in response. Once he made it to the bedroom, he dropped you on the bed before climbing in with you.

“Goodnight Sho, I love you”

“I love you too (y/n)”