#THEY DO NOT APPEAR THAT BIG WHEN IN EDIT MODE

[kumeko]

Prompt: I like the war phase of 3 Houses so much for these 2. Something filled with yearning (or the crescendo of the yearning). I like the idea of them liking each other so much but not pursuing until "things are settled", or whatnot. Being scared of losing them. Best friends who pine. Anything like that.

A/N: For LucyGringe for the @claudelethgifts.  I love pining and ahh, these two just spending the war phase yearning is chef’s kiss, I can only hope I wrote it well. I feel like Claude would know it’s mutual, while Byleth would be a bit more in the dark (even to her own feelings). Does that make it harder? Easier?

It was a bit hard to figure out how to connect this until I went for a “five times he grabbed her hand and the one time she grabbed his” format.

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0

The ring weighed heavily in his pocket.

1

They were in the middle of a war, a simple fact that Claude had to remind himself of over and over again. He’d spent five years in this war, had fought and bled and killed as the months and years passed.

Despite that, it was all too easy to forget the calluses on his fingers as he walked in the forest. Around him, his former classmates chattered, dappled in shadow and light, and if he squinted, he could almost see their teenage selves. They could be returning from a class mission instead of a bloody battle.

It was all Byleth’s fault.

Claude peeked at the woman by his side. She didn’t look a day older than when she’d disappeared. Maybe he’d slipped back in time, turning back the clock to when the worst opponents he’d faced were bandits instead of former allies. When he could justify the blood that had stained his hands.

He wasn’t the only one feeling this way. A jovial mood filled the air as his friends reunited for the first time in years. Leoni led the pack, smirking as she taunted Hilda and Lorenz. “Your attacks were sloppy.”

“As though yours were refined.” Lorenz scrunched his nose. Despite the mud and blood streaking his robes, he still held a dignified aura about him.

“Ugh, you’re making me agree with him,” Hilda bit out, grumpy. She snapped at Leonie, “That’s really the first thing you say to me in months?”

Behind them, Ignatz rubbed his neck shyly as he glanced at Marianne. “It’s nice to see you again.”

Marianne flushed and gave a soft smile. “M-me too. I think so too.”

“I missed you guys!” Raphael shouted as he wrapped his arms around Ignatz and Lysithea, dragging them into his embrace. Somehow, he’d grown bigger, more muscular, a feat that Claude hadn’t thought possible.

And on the exact opposite end of the spectrum, Lysithea hadn’t even gained an inch. She hissed, “Get off me, you big oaf!”

Though he’d never admit it aloud, Claude had missed this banter. There wasn’t really any room for it when all of Fódlan was in flames. And he wasn’t the only one to think so—from the corner of his eye, Claude watched as Byleth’s lips twitched, her expression softening as she studied her former students. A far cry from the old days, when she’d been hard to read.

Or maybe he’d just gotten better at it.

“Whatcha thinking, Teach?” Claude asked, the old moniker slipping off his tongue out of habit. He hadn’t said her nickname in ages and yet, it was impossible to think of her without it.

“It’s really been five years,” Byleth replied, finally turning away from the group to him. Her eyes widened slightly, as though realizing something.

She’d left an easy opening, and he couldn’t resist. “I couldn’t tell looking at you.”

Byleth didn’t seem to hear him. “You’re taller.”

“That’s old news now, Teach,” Claude teased. Their growth spurts had come and gone, and he’d almost forgotten how short he’d used to be, how they’d used to be on the same eye level. “Is that all you noticed?”

“No…” Byleth studied him, overly serious for a throwaway comment. Whatever she saw, she frowned. “You know battle now.”

“You’ve seen me fight before.” Claude raised a brow, not quite following.

She pursed her lips, considering her words before replying, “You know of war.”

He wondered if it was that obvious. He wondered what signs he’d shown, that they’d all shown.

He wondered when she’d first learned the lessons he kept learning every day.

“In ways I wish I hadn’t,” Claude replied wryly. He glanced at his friends in front of him. Even the way they walked was different, their steps quieter, their bodies tense. They were always ready for a fight these days. “Maybe we can keep up with you now.”

“I liked it better when you couldn’t,” Byleth replied honestly, clenching her fist.

“Me too.” But if Claude had wanted easy and comfortable, he would have gone home to Almyra, leaving Fódlan to clean up its own messes. Or maybe he’d have never crossed those mountains in the first place. “But it’s our choice.”

Byleth’s frown deepened as she clenched her fists tighter. Despite her feelings, she didn’t say anything, just walking quietly next to him. Rocks and twigs crunched underfoot, the rest of his old classmates’ bickering fading into a soft murmur.

This wasn’t how he wanted Byleth’s first day back to go. There was plenty of bad to deal with as it was. If only for now, if only for this moment, he wanted her to be happy.

Reaching down, he wrapped his hand around her balled fist, squeezing lightly. “Glad you’re back, Teach.”

Byleth glanced down, then at him. Her eyes were as green as the forest and she offered a rare smile. “Me too.”

Something in him tightened at her expression.

Before he could say anything, he heard shouts in the distance.

“Another fight?” Hilda complained, readying her axe.

“That’s what war is,” Claude quipped as he reluctantly let go of Byleth’s hand. “You survive one fight just to get into another one.”

2

If the rest of Fódlan was still in the middle of a war, the monastery was stuck in the aftermath of one. Even now, years later, it was still a mess of rubble and scorched bricks, the academy no longer the same as it had been in his youth. The rebuilding had been slow, with only key structures needed to house their soldiers rebuilt. Wild flowers and grasses grew along familiar paths, nature reclaiming what had been abandoned.

If it was this hard for him to see, he could only imagine how much harder it was for her. Dismayed, Byleth trailed after him as he guided her to where the dorms used to be.

“We haven’t had time to clear this up,” Claude explained, a paltry excuse. Broken glass crunched underfoot and he winced. “Nor the resources.”

Byleth’s jaw tightened. “That’s war.”

“That’s war,” he agreed with a sigh.

As they passed by the pond, Byleth stopped by the dock. Kneeling, she reached over the side and skimmed her fingertips on the cold water. “It’s shallower.”

“It is?” Claude stared at the murky waters. He could just see their reflections. It had never been this quiet here before—even outside of the big fishing tournament, there had always been a few students hoping for a big catch. Flayn had almost drowned once, trying to use her hands instead of her rod, and Seteth had almost banned everyone from getting within a meter of the shoreline. “Good eye, Teach.”

“It’s not my eye.” Byleth stood, wiping her hands on her pants. “It was just yesterday for me.”

“Yesterday…” Part of Claude still couldn’t believe she’d slept through the past five years. Despite all he’d seen, it still felt too fantastical, too magical. But there had been nothing logical about how she’d disappeared and returned, about how her hair turned green or even how she always seemed to already know when an attack was coming.

More importantly, he couldn’t deny the truth in front of him. Byleth really hadn’t aged a day since he’d last seen her. Her knowledge of the present was abysmal and even hermits knew of the current state of affairs.

“Then maybe you can help with the rebuilding,” Claude suggested, keeping his voice carefully upbeat. He nodded in the direction of the main hall. “Lysithea hasn’t found the blueprints and it’s a little harder for the rest of us to remember where everything was.”

“I thought there weren’t enough resources?” she asked.

“This is headquarters now.” Claude gestured at the academy behind him. “And you’re Rhea’s heir apparent, or so the true believers say, so…might as well. It’ll help raise morale.”

“…Rhea.” Byleth bit her lip, glancing at the direction of the church. Despite Edelgard’s best efforts, it still stood strong, the towering walls peeking over the rest of the academy. “Is…my father…”

Claude knew what she meant. “He’s still there,” he answered gently.

“Ah.” Claude could guess what she meant. “He’s still there.”

“Good.” While she didn’t run, Byleth’s pace picked up as she headed toward the academy’s graveyard. Luckily, the battle had managed to avoid most of it, leaving Jeralt’s marker untouched by the forces of war or the tides of time.

Well, not entirely. Weeds grew around the gravestone. He’d have to make sure to clear this out later.

Not minding the overgrown grass or mud, Byleth knelt in front of the marker, her fingers gently brushing her father’s name. “It all happened so fast,” she murmured, her fingers tracing the a. Her eyes were dry. “Too fast.”

In more ways than one. Claude remembered losing Byleth once, remembered her returning, remembered the earth disappearing underneath his feet as she vanished once more. There had been little time when it had all gone down. Jeralt had died. Edelgard had betrayed them. Dimitri had gone mad.

He’d spent five years with regrets, his chest heavy with all the things he’d never said.

And now Byleth had survived and he still couldn’t say them.

“Now’s the time to go slow,” he said instead, kneeling next to her. Had he always been this much of a coward? He covered her hand with his. “I’m here, if you need me.”

3

Claude grinned as he sat down in his old seat in the Golden Deer classroom. The layout was different, but there were still tables and chairs, still a blackboard and a desk, and that was more than enough to feel like he was back in class. Out of all the repairs, he had looked forward to this one the most.

For almost a year, this classroom had been a home of sorts.

“It’s been ages since I sat here,” he said, sprawling across the table. It was still an uncomfortable spot for a nap, but if he turned his head just so, he could discretely watch Byleth as she examined the room.

She ran her fingers along the desks before approaching the blackboard. “What will this be used for now?”

“Nothing much,” Claude admitted. If he closed his eyes, he could smell chalk in the air, hear the chatter of his classmates. “Strategy meetings, I guess. Leonie and Raphael just couldn’t stand seeing it destroyed so they fixed it up whenever they had the free time.”

Byleth pressed her hand to the blackboard. She didn’t look at him as she asked, “And the other rooms?”

He had never spent too much time in the other classrooms, but he could still picture them now. The crimson red of the eagles, the vibrant blue of the lions—Dimitri’s flustered smile when he was teased, Edelgard’s sharp smirk whenever she had a comeback.

A better memory than Byleth’s sword, red from Edelgard’s blood, the tatters of Dimitri’s blue cape as he fought like a man possessed.

Regrets that he couldn’t think, let alone voice.

“They’re still in disrepair,” Claude finally replied, sitting up.

Byleth didn’t say anything but her shoulders slumped slightly. With a quiet sigh, she tapped the blackboard. “I never knew what to write when I was up here.”

Claude chuckled. “I could tell.” With how awkward her first few weeks as teacher, it was easy to tell how unprepared she was for it. “Why’d you accept the position?”

“I don’t know.” She turned around, her eyes meeting his. “I just felt…I had to. That something might change if I did. Why’d you ask me to come to your house?”

“Because I knew something might change if I did,” Claude echoed. Though, he had expected Fódlan or his house to change, not himself. Feeling mischievous, he grinned. “You know, we never finished our classes, Teach.”

“That…” She pondered, crossing her arms as she leaned against the board. “No, we didn’t.”

“And we didn’t really graduate,” Claude continued, walking over to her slowly.

She squinted at him, sensing a trap. “That’s true.”

“Then…” Claude smiled innocently. “Maybe you should give your last class. Just to wrap things up.”

Byleth shot him a dubious look. “…no one else is here.”

“It’s a private lesson,” he cajoled, ready to counter any objection. He grabbed her hand. “You wouldn’t leave a student in need, would you?”

“You don’t actually need it,” Byleth pointed out, but she couldn’t hide her own smile as she figured out his game. “You’re leading the army just fine.”

“For how long?” Claude wiped an imaginary tear. “What would my grandfather think about his uneducated heir? What about our men?”

“Fine.” It was faint, but he heard a laugh as she nodded. “Just one.”

4

It was strange to study again. Claude sat in the monastery’s library, a stack of books around him, the musty smell tickling his nose. Most of the library had survived the fire after the Adestrian Empire had attacked, from the books down to the literature, and he spotted more than a few doodles on the table from bored students decades past.

And in the book he was reading too. History made a good teacher for tactics, though someone hadn’t told the kid who’d drawn a stickman running on the bottom of the book. Repressing a sigh, he peeked over his book at his companion.

Next to him, Byleth hunched over the table, her brow furrowing as she examined the continent’s map. As a student, he’d never imagined learning with her. War and time had a funny way of making everyone equals. For all of her fighting expertise, Byleth had five years of geopolitical changes to catch up on before she could help spearhead any attacks.

Her knees knocked into his as she sat back to compare the map with an open book.

Claude grinned and tapped her shoulder. When she turned to him, blinking owlishly, he poked her forehead. “Don’t scowl too much. It’ll freeze like that.”

Her lips pursed as she considered his words. “How?”

Half a decade of sleep hadn’t made her any better with jokes. Claude shrugged and laughed. “I’m not sure, actually. It’s just something my mother used to say.”

“Oh.” She turned slightly, considering him. Her arm brushed his. Propping her chin on her hand, she asked idly, “Is that why you’re always smiling?”

“I wouldn’t say always,” he answered, mirroring her posture. It felt childish but when her lips quirked, he knew he’d made the right move. “But smiles work better than frowns. You can get more done.”

Byleth’s expression softened. “…Jeralt said something similar before.”

Claude winced. He hadn’t expected that landmine. “He did?”

“Yes.” Despite his fears, she didn’t appear down. Fondly, she recounted, “He used to say, ‘It’s easier to get clients and a bonus if you’re approachable.’”

Now that sounded like a mercenary’s advice. Claude laughed. “He wasn’t wrong.”

“He rarely was.” Byleth nodded. “I wasn’t very good at it.”

“You’re still not good at it,” he teased. “That’s what you have me for.”

She smiled. “Yeah, I do.”

He could only watch as she straightened and reached for her book once more. Byleth had always been blunt and straight to the point, but…this was something else. Something different. She smiled more. Talked longer. Sat closer. Even now, as she pulled her book closer, he could feel her proximity, the way her arms grazed his whenever she adjusted her position, the way her hand lingered when she handed him her map.

“Who has the Ordelia territory now?” she asked, looking at him with her bright green eyes. Even the way she looked at him had shifted to unfamiliar territory.

Claude had never thought of himself as a scholar, not in the way Lindhardt had been, but he knew Byleth well enough to write a paper.

And he knew this truth: She liked him.

Unfortunately, that led him to his second conclusion: he couldn’t push this any further. Not now, not with the weight of Rhea’s position on her shoulders, not with the fate of the war riding on their efforts.

“The empire, but it’s a little more tricky than that,” Claude replied, resisting the urge to grab her hand when she pulled back. “Never thought I’d be the one teaching you, Teach.”

He’d swallowed his words five years ago. He could do it again.

5

War killed; a fact that was all too real as Claude stared at the very injured Byleth. Lying on her cot in her tent, blood matting her hair to her face and staining her armour, she was barely conscious as Manuela took care of her. The older woman huffed as she chanted under her breath, her hands glowing as she healed the worst of Byleth’s wounds.

“You shouldn’t be in the vanguard like that,” Manuela barked, irritated as she inspected Byleth for further injuries. Despite her sharp tone, her hands were gentle as she poked and prodded.

“Someone has to be,” Byleth replied tiredly, raising a hand to cover her eyes. She groaned softly as Manuela touched a particularly tender spot.

“That someone isn’t you!” Manuela snapped, her touch turning rough from irritation as she finished checking Byleth. Claude had a feeling their wine inventory was about to miss a few bottles. “You’re too important to fight every mercenary that we cross. You’re our leader!”

“Claude is,” Byleth argued feebly.

Manuela snorted. “Please. Don’t try to wiggle your way out of this.”

Claude released a breath he didn’t know he was holding when Manuela straightened and stepped back. “All’s good?” he asked, somehow managing to keep his voice from cracking.

“For now.” Manuela crossed her arms and glared at Byleth. “If not for yourself, think of me! It’s tiring patching you up!”

Byleth gave her a flat stare before nodding. “I will.”

“Just do it. Why are all of my patients masochists?” Manuela groaned, running a hand through her hair. “Make sure you don’t overexert yourself—I fixed most of the injuries but there’s a few that need to heal naturally.”

“… yes.” Byleth agreed.

“Are you just saying that? I heard the hesitation!” Manuela whirled to Claude, fire in her eyes. He took a step back defensively as she jabbed his chest. “You. Make sure she gets her rest.”

He’d have done it even if she hadn’t asked. Claude forced a grin. “Aww, you trust me now?”

“Not a bit, but you’re better than her.” Manuela picked up her staff and stalked past Claude. “I’ll leave the rest to you.”

Claude winced as she stomped out, no doubt heading toward the supply tent. Well, just this once, he’d overlook it. It had been a bad fight. Their healers had worked overtime to the point even Lysithea had admitted she was tired.

And Byleth hadn’t so much as lifted her head since they’d brought her to her tent.

Despite the healing, she was still covered in blood, her minor scratches and injuries left untended. Manuela claimed that it promoted natural healing. He’d long suspected she was just too tired to do it all. Quietly, he perched on the cot next to her, trying and failing to put words to his feelings.

His heart was heavy. Heavier than his unsaid words, heavier than the ring that had sat in his pocket for the last few weeks.

Byleth lowered her hand, staring back at him. Her mouth opened, as though to say something, before she closed it once more.

Those eyes had almost closed forever. “That was dangerous.”

“War is dangerous,” she stated.

He tightened his jaw. She was alive and she was here and part of him had feared that this might be their last time together, that he’d just be left with his regrets. “You don’t have to make it more dangerous. The idea is to come home alive.”

Byleth’s brow furrowed. “I did.”

“This was close.” His voice caught in his throat. Keeping his hands from shaking, he squeezed her hand. She always fought close combat, sword in hand. As accurate as his arrows were, he could only pick off so many enemies before they approached her. All it took was one wrong move, one slip up, and she’d be too far for any aid.

And even Byleth couldn’t come back from death.

But he could tell from how her jaw set that there was no use in telling her that. Byleth was stubborn, ever her father’s daughter, and it would take more than a few words to change that. “Just…be careful,” he pleaded.

Her expression softened and she forced herself to sit up with a groan. Before he could move, she covered his hand with her own, sandwiching it between her palms. “I am, always.”

Her hands were still cold. Claude smiled wryly, not quite believing. “You better be.”

6

Tomorrow, the war would be over.

It was a strange thought. The nightmare of half a decade would soon be over. No, it had been longer than that—their enemy had existed centuries, making their mark in the annals of history. And now, a final one.

Win or lose, the world as they knew it would change after tomorrow.

Maybe that was why he’d convinced Byleth to take one last walk with him through the monastery’s grounds. She’d kept quiet for most of the walk, as they passed by familiar haunts. The repairs had patched up most of the school’s grounds; even the greenhouse’s panes were all replaced.

Byleth stopped in front of the Goddess tower. In the late evening, most of it was hidden in shadow, the upper floors almost impossible to see. Her expression was distant, hard to read. “Do you still not believe in the Goddess?”

“Does it matter?” he asked, standing next to her.

“No…just…” Byleth closed her eyes. “I suppose she wasn’t entirely a Goddess.”

She. Byleth spoke as though she’d known the Goddess. Perhaps she had. Even now, even after all this time, Claude only had question after question for Byleth. There was so much he didn’t know, so much he wanted to know.

But for now, he’d just start with this: “Do you have one now?”

“One what?” Byleth asked, perplexed.

“An ambition.” Claude grinned. “You said you didn’t really have one, back then.”

“Oh…” Byleth turned back to the tower, staring up. The wind blew softly through her hair, making her already messy hair messier. She turned back to him and nodded. “I do.”

“And you’re not going to tell me.” He sighed, faking a pout. “Well, I guess I do believe in her a little then.” When Byleth raised a brow, he covered his mouth in mock-horror. “Teach, don’t tell me you forgot our wish?”

“Oh.” Byleth rubbed her chin thoughtfully before realization crossed her eyes. “Right.”

Now he actually felt a little hurt. “Seriously?”

“Do you want to make another wish?” she asked as a way of apology.

Well, he couldn’t say no to that. Claude sighed. “What to wish for…to win the battle?”

“No,” Byleth said decisively. “We’re going to do that anyways.”

How was he supposed to disagree with that? Claude laughed. “Well, if you’re that confident…”

“For a brighter dawn,” Byleth said, her eyes locked on his.

“That’s poetic.”

“You told me that once.” She stared at the tower. “We’re going to make a better Fódlan.”

Her hand was close and if he wanted to, he could reach across and intertwine their fingers. No, not want, that wasn’t the right word—there was nothing more that he wanted. The ring was still in his pocket, the words stuck in his throat.

But to a fault, Claude had always been pragmatic.  As was Byleth.

And now was not the time.

“To a brighter dawn,” Claude said instead. “And this time, it won’t take five years.”

“It won’t.” To his surprise, Byleth turned and took his hand. “We still have that other promise.”

For once, she’d struck him speechless. “Promise?”

“You told me to save you a dance,” she said, gently chiding him. “Now who’s forgetting?”

He burst into laughter. “That’s fair.” Still clasping her hand, Claude bowed deeply. “Will you honour me with a dance, milady?”

If there was one thing Claude had learned, it was that now wasn’t forever. The ring weighed heavily in his pocket, but only for now. His words were stuck in his throat, but only for now.

Tomorrow, come hell or high water, he’d finally take that last step to her side.

[villainoustrioau]

Okay, guys, here's the plot

Fanfic by Milkyr (thanks @peachyfnaf for editing <3)

Art by CreesA

Reunion

“Eclipse… Promise me one thing before I turn off and you're loaded into your own body..."

"Yes, of course! Anything for you, Sunny."

"No matter what happens… Don't lose yourself."

Gray fingers touched golden ones, and Eclipse looked at Sun. At his beaming smile and pale blue eyes filled with care and slight excitement.

"Whatever that means, I promise."

This was the last time Eclipse saw his Sun happy and alive.

***

Emerging from his own memories, Solar raised his head from the table. He fell asleep on the blueprints again. Grumbling softly to himself, the inventor got to his feet and stretched, hearing his iron joints creak. The animatronic soundlessly walked in soft slippers to the laboratories exit door. Focusing his hearing module on the space beyond the door, Solar listened to the sound of… nothing.

It was pretty quiet here.

Leaving the lab, Solar shoved his hands into the pockets of his lab coat.

"Ruin?"

He called softly, going first into the living room, then into the kitchen, then into one of the bedrooms.

"Eclipse?"

But he wasn't here either.

"Jack?"

It seems that he was completely alone in the bunker.

Solar went through all the rooms once more to make sure that no one was here, and then returned to his lab, blocking the front door and turning on the sound insulation in the room.

He pulled off the worn gray cloth from a capsule, which was located in the depths of the lab and was securely disguised as a "garbage can" so that no one would have the desire to ask questions about what was there. Pushing aside some wooden crates, the mechanic looked at the horizontal capsule with regret in his eyes. Inside, under the glass, laid Sun. But not Sun of whose dimension they now live.

It was his Sun. It was Sunny. The one who was always kind to Solar when he first woke up in someone else's body and didn't understand why he was no longer part of Moon. The one who sacrificed his life in order for Solar to get a chance at his own. The mechanic shook his head, pushing away the obsessive thoughts. His gaze was determined.

He's going to get Sunny back. He will get Sunny back. He's sacrificed too much not to. His fingers quickly tapped on the keyboard of the hidden device in the capsule, and the light inside it lit up. Solar frowned in concentration as he immersed himself in his calculations. He has been working on restoring Sun for several months now- it was very dangerous to work when someone else was in the bunker. His plans could be discovered, so he had to do everything slowly and carefully.

Suddenly, the computer let out an approving beep. The inventor opened his eyes in surprise, looking at the big green check mark on the screen. Did… Did he do it..? Did he really succeed..?

With trembling hands, Solar typed a couple of commands, and a progress bar was displayed on the monitor, gradually filling in black. The mechanic pressed his palms against the glass of the capsule, watching with hope in his eyes as the light inside grew brighter.

“Download complete. All systems stabilized. All external modules running properly. Turn designation: ‘Sunny’ on?”

Solar pressed the confirmation button on the keyboard, staring in fascination as the animatronic in the capsule began to make soft noises. At first it was the crackle of electricity, then the noise of the fans, which became quieter almost immediately as he switched to silent mode.

Sunny opened his eyes.

At first, his eyes were cloudy, he heard only isolated sounds- an incomprehensible buzzing- and felt a heaviness all over his body. He saw a dark blue spot above him.

"Moon..?”

His vision began to clear, and the dark blue spot turned into a dark orange. Who is that? Sunny could say with confidence that this was the first time he’d seen such an animatronic model, but his gaze caught on a couple of details in the appearance, and he gasped.

"Eclipse..?"

Sun spoke with hesitance, still unsure of his assumption.

"Yes."

Solar replied in a quiet, trembling voice, feeling tears running down his cheeks.

"What… What happened?" Sunny asked in surprise, noticing out of the corner of his eye that he was lying in some kind of capsule, a lot of wires were plugged in all over his body. "There must be some mistake here..."

"What do you mean? You're alive, and that's good!"

Solar replied in euphoric disbelief, opening the lid of the capsule. "...You probably didn't understand me," Sunny smiled awkwardly, "the separation should have killed me. I knew I was going to die, but… I wanted to give you the opportunity to live in your own body, live your own life!..

Or..." Sun's gaze suddenly became sad and hesitant. "Or… Or are we both dead and this is the afterlife? Oh no- I'm so sorry- I never meant for this to happe-..."

"-No, no, it's okay! I'm alive, and you're alive too," Solar grabbed Sunny's hand so that he could feel his touch, squeezing it like he would leave him again if he dared to let go, "And I promise I won't let anything happen to you. Never again."

"...Wait!" Sunny suddenly realized something. Attempting to sit up, he rapidly looked around, whipping his head from side-to-side. But Solar restrained him from his attempts, holding Sunny still as carefully disconnected the capsule's wiring so that nothing would be damaged. "W- Where are we? Where’s Moon?!"

"Be careful! Your systems are still very fragile after such a long period of inactivity," the inventor replied, "I'll... I'll explain everything, just let me make sure you can move safely, okay?"

"...Solar, you're making me a little nervous. Where is our brother?"

Sunny asked his question once more, feeling a familiar anxiety slowly creeping up on his mechanisms, making its way under his endoskeleton and stirring the very core of the animatronic. Finally, he was able to sit up and look around. What kind of place is this…

"...Yes. Yes, you did die that day." Solar began with bitterness in his voice, trying not to look into Sunny's eyes as he recounted the memory. "It shocked both Moon and I, and it broke us, and then… And then..." the inventor's voice went tight as a lump formed his throat, forcing him to sound on the verge of tears as he continued.

"...His killcode took over his body. I couldn't save him, Sunny. There was an… accident." He bitterly squeezed out the words. "I'm Sorry, Sun. I'm so, so sorry. Moon is no longer with us."

The final statement hit Sunny like the crack of a painful whip. The whole world trembled right in front of his eyes. Shaking hands clutched at the face plate, despair flooding his features.

"...N-No... nononono, NO! T-This can't… It can't be..." Sun's voice warbled out in despair, "Please, tell me you're lying! T-That this is all a bad joke! PLEASE!"

Before Sunny could lose himself anymore, he felt thin and trembling arms wrap around his back. It was Solar.

Sunny buried his face in Solar's shoulder, shaking and sobbing like a traumatized child. He was absolutely shattered by the news. Moon was his day-one. His other half. His brother. The animatronic he was closest to before they separated and Eclipse appeared.

Gradually, slowly, the sobs in the air began to subside. A numb, pulsating sadness took the place of despair. Sun slightly pulled away from Solar and sighed loudly, causing his fans to flare up for a moment.

"But... What happened then..? H-How are we here?" He asked hollowly, looking at the mechanic.

"I had to conspire with dangerous criminals to survive. Working with them, I at least had a chance to get you back." Solar lowered the tone of his voice, "As of now, my name is no longer Eclipse. My name is Solar."

"Oh my God…" Sunny gasped in fright, taking Solar's face in his hands and looking at his rays. It was only now that he noticed how dirty and broken they were. "D- Did they do this to you? The criminals?!"

"No, no, I'm fine. They won't touch me, we have an… agreement," the inventor shook his head slightly, "But they must not find out about you. We're currently in a bunker under the pizzaplex. This is my lab, and we're in another dimension. But I promise we'll escape from here. I'll find a way.”

"B-But how can they not find out about me if they literally live here?" Sunny shivered, feeling fear creep up his spine. Poor Solar, what kind of mess did he get into..?

"Don't worry, they won't come into my lab. This is my personal space, and no one can come here without my permission." Solar took Sunny's hands in his own once more and looked into his eyes.

"Their names are Ruin and Eclipse. They're both very dangerous- Ruin can infect you with a virus that makes you want to kill, and Eclipse is just out of control when he's not in the mood- and he's always not in the mood. Knowing him, he'll tear you apart as soon as he sees you! Swear to me that you will not leave the lab under any circumstances. Please."

"Solar, I..." Sunny spoke quietly, confused and terrified eyes gazing into the tired and sad ones of the mechanic. "...I trust you. I promise that I will do whatever you say, and help in any way I can."

"Thank you, Sunny. Thank you." Solar leaned forward to hug Sun again, "I'm glad you're back." "Yes..." Sunny hugged the animatronic in response, "I'm so glad to see you, too…"

[angel-of-the-moons]

Small Surprises

Moon Knight System (Marc/Jake/Steven) x Single Mother!Reader

TW/CW: Some mentions of past childhood abuse, cheating partner, mostly fluff

A/N: Like the Symbrock one I did, this one will be one whole fic with a few times skips here and there! This fic will also explore a bit more into the autistic side of Steven as a character, based off my own experiences with my autism, tics, habits etc! Also, once again, featuring snippets of the hobby headcanons done by @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction! (I love those headcanons so much they are canon as far as I'm concerned asdfghjkl)

Taglist: @chrishy973 @katitakenway @queerponcho

EDIT: Part 2 is out now!!! Read it here!

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Another droll day at the museum, the same disinterested customers and more nagging from Donna. Honestly, Steven was lucky he got his job back at the museum--though he only surmised it was due to the fact nobody else wanted to work for Donna--but he was grateful for the extra income.

And it definitely helped provide a distraction from Jake's night activities for Khonshu, as well as Marc's from time to time.

But of course, even though it provided a distraction, it wasn't much of one.

That is... until the day a poofy mop of curls bounced into the gift shop, eagerly looking at the wares within with big sparkling eyes. The child couldn't have been older than four--maybe five--as she happily looked at the myriad of items available.

Contrasting to most of the little girls he's seen come in (which, were admittedly few) she didn't immediately run over to the cheap horse figures with the chariots or even the cat plushies.

She went right for things like the plushie scarabs, the statues...

This of course had Donna proverbially chewing her nails as she watched the unaccompanied minor scamper about the gift shop.

"I'm going back to do inventory," She warned Steven. "If she breaks anything, it's coming out of your pay, Stevie."

Steven ground his teeth when she called him that, and waited for her to walk away before muttering. "What little you do pay me, you bloody old biddy."

Steven fixed his name tag and walked up to the little girl, crouching next to her as her chubby little face scrunched in what appeared to be distaste.

"Hey there, poppet. What's got you upset, eh?" He asked, his big brown eyes meeting hers as she crossed her arms with a huff.

"They don't look right!" She complained.

"Oh? What doesn't look right?" Steven asked patiently, a warm smile on his face.

The child pointed to the small canvases and posters of the various Egyptian gods. Namely the ones of Bastet and Anubis, and in particular of the two, one of the canvases depicting Anubis surrounded by shrieking souls and flames.

He himself had raised a complaint with that depiction, as after his own time in the Egyptian afterlife (alongside Marc, and unbeknownst to them at the time, Jake) he knew the afterlife was not like that. While they hadn't met Anubis himself, they were guided and weighed by Taweret.

But he wholeheartedly agreed that the artwork of Anubis was entirely wrong, and frankly, offensive.

"'Nubis isn't like that." She said, stomping her little foot. "He's nice!"

Steven raised his eyebrows at her, tilting his head as some stray curls fell over his face. "Oh?" He asked. "Then tell me little one, how is Anubis?"

"He's--!" She scoffed, rolling her eyes in the typical fashion a child does when they feel like they're explaining something painfully obvious to an oblivious adult.

"He's a good dog-man." She says to him. "He doesn't mess with skulls n' stuffs! He's nice, he helps people who might get lost when they die."

'That's a hefty subject for a kid.' Marc's voice spoke.

"No kidding." Jake remarked. "Where are her parents?"

Steven meanwhile, was positively thrilled that one so young understood that Anubis, while being the god of death, was not evil. And... naturally this sent him into info-dump mode.

"Why, yes! Anubis is good." He held up a finger as the little girl looked at him, awe on her face that he understood what she was saying and was willing to actually talk about it.

"He guided souls once they left their earthly bodies." He explained, grabbing a small replica of an Egyptian temple front. "Once their hearts were weighed, if they were good, he would help guide them to the afterlife. If they were bad..."

"They got ate by the crocko-lion!" The girl finished with a gasp.

Steven suppressed the urge to laugh at how she described Ammit. Jake and Marc meanwhile, held no such compunction and were laughing their asses off.

"I like this kid." Jake said as his laughter died down.

"Yes! They did. But did you know they also had to be judged? Not just with the scales?" Steven grinned at her as she bounced on her heels, the palms of her hands rubbing on her coveralls as she listened.

"Now that subject is very lengthy...." Steven leaned over on the flats of his shoes and plucked a small book about the Egyptian afterlife and mythos and showed it to the little girl. The cover was emblazoned with raised gold print; with images of sarcophagi, and motifs scattered on the front and back.

"But it's always worth a good read." Steven continued. "Now, if you want to know someone else who sometimes assists those who've passed on?"

The little girl plucked the book out of Steven's arms, nodding, her eyes tracking the way his mouth and hair moved. Not once did she make eye contact, instead settling for staring at other features instead.

Steven could understand, sometimes looking into people's eyes was... oof. It was difficult and frankly sometimes it made him uncomfortable, made his palms itch and the hair on the back of his neck tickle.

He stood up, and walked to another shelf, the little girl trailing behind him, the book looking three sizes too large for her tiny body as her little light up sneakers squeaked on the waxed linoleum.

Steven reached down, then, and grabbed a plaster statuette of a familiar feminine shape sporting a hippo head and kneeled back down, showing it to her.

"This is Taweret." He beamed proudly.

"She's the nice hippo lady." The child peeped, staring at the statue with rapt attention.

"Yes! Yes, she is! Very nice." Steven chuckled. "But she's also the goddess of motherhood and children, did you know? She protects women when they have their babies, and helps them."

The little girl nodded, "Yeah, I read a thingy 'bout her! She's--"

"Victoria! Oh my god." A breathless voice called from the front of the shop.

The moment Steven lifted his gaze, he could feel his heart catch on his throat when he saw you. Even Marc and Jake went quiet as you approached.

You were wearing some faded-out jeans and a t-shirt with a faded band logo that hugged your figure very nicely. You had a backpack slung over your shoulders and the keychains dangling from it tinkled and clacked as you moved, rushing to scoop up your child.

Steven could easily see that Victoria got her looks from you, those gorgeous inquisitive eyes, her nose, hair texture...

Jake had to give him the mental equivalent of a slap to stop his gawking as he stood up awkwardly, wiping the hand not holding the statue on his jeans as he gave you what he hoped was a charming smile, but judging by your wariness, you obviously weren't thrilled at the sight of your daughter talking to a strange man.

Steven was about to speak up, but Victoria did so instead for him, not reading the tenseness in the situation.

"Steven's my friend!" She beamed, holding the book in her pudgy little fingers, showing you. "He knows about 'Gyptian stuff, too!"

Steven blinked, feeling a blush creep up on his cheeks as you looked at him, raised eyebrows. It took him a moment of awkward glancing away to realize Victoria knew his name because she read his name tag. He hadn't once said it to her. Hell, he only knew her name because you said it when you ran in!

"Ah... Yes. I work here, in the gift shop. Egyptology is a major... um." He struggled to find a word.

"Hyperfixation?" You sigh, the tension easing from your shoulders as you smile tiredly.

"Oh! Yes. I s'pose!" He said, blinking his big doe eyes at you.

"Yeah, Victoria is... well." You chuckle, propping the young child on your hip with practiced ease. "She's obsessed with the stuff! I swear, the stuff she can shove into her noggin with how much she knows of ancient Egypt, it feels like she was born in the wrong era, I'm telling you!"

Victoria smiled happily and snuggled into you, rubbing her cheek on the soft fabric of your shirt with a content hum, almost like a happy little cat.

You didn't pay any mind to her as she rubbed her face on you, instead conversing with the man in front of you.

"Ah... A little scholar to be, eh?" Steven laughed awkwardly.

"Hah, more like she already is one. With everything she knows, I swear she outpaces me in the IQ department." You sigh fondly, brushing a stray curl from your daughter's face.

Steven's eyes anxiously tracked your movements, how your fingers curled, the way your eyelashes brushed your cheeks when you blinked, the way your foot tapped on the floor...

"I'm surprised she talked to you. She's normally very introverted." You hum softly, raising those drop dead gorgeous eyes to lock with his before he awkwardly dropped his eyes to your lips whilst you spoke.

"But then again, if you started talking about this stuff with her, it's no surprise. I'm the only person she talks to about it because nobody else understands."

You noticed his Steven was looking anywhere but your eyes, and how he nervously licked at his lips, his fingers wrapped around the statuette in his hands tapping idly.

"Oh! She's a lovely little conversationalist. Rather well-knowledged as well!" Steven replied, looking at Victoria again, who grinned as she once again rubbed her face on your shirt.

"Honestly, she's more learned than half the adults who try to talk to me about Egypt." He huffed out a chuckle.

His eyes dropped to the picture of Anubis that initially offended the child. "We got into a little debate about how inaccurate those pieces of Anubis are."

"Oh, don't get her started on those inaccurate artworks... She despises them!" You laugh softly.

"Oh, I fully understand why! It's so offensive!" Steven gasped. "Especially to a culture! Anubis is not an evil god by any means!"

"Oh yeah, believe me... we watched a movie the other day and she had a meltdown because they made Anubis the bad guy. She was so distraught it took thirty minutes to calm her down." You smile with infinite patience at your little girl.

"Oh, poor little dear! But I can totally understand that." Steven smiled, finally locking eyes with you as he reached some level of professional comfort with you.

"Mommy, can I get em?" Victoria peeped, interrupting you before you could get another word out.

"Hm?" You hummed at her, raising an eyebrow.

"The book and hippo lady!" She replied, holding up the book.

"Hippo Lady?"

"Yeah!" She said, sounding a little exasperated, pointing to the statue Steven clutched in his hands. "Her! Tawar!"

"Taweret." Steven chuckled softly at her mispronunciation.

"Tawww--" Victoria frowned as she tried to get the word out. "Tawweret."

"Close 'nough. I'm sure she wouldn't mind." Steven smiled warmly, holding up the statuette.

"All right, all right." You laughed, following Steven to the counter so you could check out, having another nice chat about what he and Victoria discussed. He even tossed in a little keychain that held a preserved scarab beetle in epoxy, much to Victoria's delight!

What you didn't know as you left the shop, was how positively smitten he was with you already.

That was your first meeting with Steven Grant.

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A few weeks crawled by, and every other day you were at the museum, letting Victoria lead you by the hand as she animatedly discussed what every object or picture meant, and you struggled to keep up, making mental (and a few digital) notes on what she was talking about. Of course, she insisted that after every tour, you stopped to say hi to her new "bestest friend" Steven.

You were thrilled that you found someone who operated on the same wavelength as your daughter, knowing that it was hard for her to make connections with other children, let alone adults. But Steven and Victoria took to each other like ducks to water.

And hey, he seemed harmless enough. Cute, too, beneath that mop of curls. You even started researching more just to be able to tag into the conversations between your daughter and her unlikely friend.

Today, you were at the local grocer and Victoria decided that she wanted to walk with you instead of riding in the trolley on her tablet like she normally did. You were happy, but ensured she kept her noise cancelling headphones over her tiny ears to make sure she stayed comfortable.

You had picked up a pack of steaks to examine the cuts when Victoria slipped your hand free of hers and darted off, squealing, "Steven!"

You almost dropped the steaks when Victoria darted down the aisle and wrapped her arms around the legs of the man she ran towards.

One minute Marc was looking at a box of matzahs, the next, he had a child clinging to his legs.

His whole body froze as he looked down, immediately going rigid as the little girl looked up at him, babbling something he didn't quite understand because of how quickly she was speaking.

He did make out the name "Steven".

"Uh--" He said awkwardly.

"I'm so sorry!" You say, hastily bringing the trolley up to the two. "She just got excited to see you, and..."

Your brows furrowed as you looked at him. He looked like Steven Grant, but he didn't feel like Steven Grant. His normally messy curls were combed back neatly, his flannel hanging open with the sleeves rolled up and T-shirt untucked from his pants. His big brown eyes were wide, looking at you with a face that simply pleaded "Help me".

"Uh..."

"I'm... Marc." He said in an unmistakably American accent.

"Oh. Oh!" You lean down and scoop up Victoria, hastily plopping her in the trolley, willing yourself to ignore her little wobbling lip as you messily search up her favorite video to watch on her tablet to prevent the simmering meltdown you could see just beneath her surface.

"I'm... I'm sorry. You just look like someone we know from the museum, and..." You sigh, rubbing your hands together as you cringed.

"Steven, yeah..." Marc said, giving a stiff smile in return as he dropped the box of what looked like crackers into his basket looped over his elbow.

"You..."

'Play it cool, Marc...' Jake's voice softly warned.

"We're, uh, brothers. Triplets. All identical." He spat out with haste.

"Oh! Well... That's... That explains the looks, huh." You smile, hoping to ease the awkward tension. His explanation didn't sit well with you for some reason, as to why he suddenly blurted it all out. But you chocked it up to him trying to explain to avoid upsetting Victoria.

"But, yeah. Um... Your brother, Steven? He and Victoria are like, best friends now. She looks forward to seeing him whenever we're at the museum." You chuckle softly.

Marc's eyes soften as he smiles, giving Victoria a gentle look. "Yeah, uh, Steven's told me about her. She's a smart kid, huh?"

"Oh, yeah. A real genius." You smile at her as she starts tapping away at her tablet, selecting one of her drawing apps and beginning to scribble.

"Sometimes I can't keep up with her."

"Hey, that's good. She'll go places." Marc replied.

Your smile falters a bit. "Yeah, if people will give her a chance..." You mutter.

Marc was about to ask what she meant, but he kept his mouth shut, watching as Victoria was engrossed with her tablet, her little feet wiggling and tapping on the sides of the trolley as she moved her mouth silently, mouthing words to herself.

"She's... Eh." You rub the back of your neck. "She normally doesn't come to the store with me. She says she can hear the lights buzzing and it upsets her, which is why she has to wear her headphones. I mean I can't hear the lights or anything, but all I need to know is that she can..."

"Yeah, Steven is the same way sometimes. It makes him twitch so he has to wear headphones when we go shopping..." Marc said, frowning.

"Yeah. That's something I'm kind of amazed about. Victoria doesn't really have any friends outside of well, me... and your brother? Steven and her are just... man, they're like two peas in a pod!"

Marc stays quiet as you smile fondly at your child, and he notes the relief in your expression as you recount that your child was able to finally connect with someone. It warmed his heart to know that Steven was able to socialize with someone who shared the same mannerisms, even if she was just a kid.

His eyes flicked down to your hands as you put your hands on your hips, and noted the lack of wedding ring and a ring tan line.

'Focus, cabrón.' Jake snickered.

"She's autistic. It was a pain to get her diagnosed, but we managed. I could tell she was different. Namely how she would act with fabrics." You sigh.

Now that grabbed both Marc and Jake's attention. If Steven were aware and co-fronting, he was sure he would be rapt as well. Steven explained the fabric thing to hime a few times, but being in the same body it was still hard at times to understand that Marc or Jake could feel one thing but Steven could feel another.

"Uh... Fabrics? You'll have to forgive me, but..."

"Oh! It's a sensory thing." You explain, rolling your hand. "With her, it's fleece, or satin-like textures. They irritate her and make her fussy. As a baby I never understood why she flipped out when I would put her little socks on her until the doctor explained it when she was older. But for some people it's cotton, or microfiber... The way Victoria describes it is that it's, uh..."

"Scratchy." Marc murmurs.

"Exactly!" You snap your fingers.

"Yeah, Steven is the same way. Though he's not like that with satin, he usually prefers cotton--the super soft kind? Or silk." Marc nods, shoving one hand in his pocket.

"Yeah... It's thankfully easy to shop for her, she prefers cotton and soft microfiber. It's why she rubs her cheek on my shirts or pants. Some people mistake it for being affectionate--and don't get me wrong sometimes it is--but usually it's a grounding thing." You sigh softly. "It helps her calm down."

"Ah... Sounds hard. What about her dad? He know how to handle it?" Marc asked curiously.

He immediately felt bad when he saw how your expression fell, and you glared at the ground.

"He skipped out on us while I was pregnant. I caught him in our bed with someone I thought was my best friend the day I found out she was a girl." You spit, angry and full of venom.

Marc cringed. "God, your best friend? In your bed? That's a whole extra level of degeneracy..."

"I know! Ugh! I swear, if he wasn't stronger than me I would have stabbed him that day!" You groan.

Marc rocks his head back in shock at the admission. "You were gonna stab him?"

"When you're five months pregnant, hormonal, tired, and sore and walk in on your fiancee doing the deed in your own bed? Yeah, emotions get high." You run a hand through your hair, smirking as you looked back at him.

"Grabbed the knife right outta the block and lunged at him. Chased em both half naked out of my flat."

'Shit, I'd be in love. That sounds sexy as hell.' Marc could just imagine the grin that would be spread across Jake's face at that.

Marc laughed, unable to contain himself, both at the retelling of your story and Jake's remark.

'You got problems, Jake.' Marc shot back mentally.

'Pot, meet kettle...'

'Touché...'

"So it's safe to say, he's out of the picture, huh?" Marc says, his laughter dying down into a soft chuckle.

"Oh yeah. Had his parental rights severed, and kicked his sorry.... well. I tossed him out and told him that my "best friend" could deal with him and his lazy antics, considering I pay for the flat."

"Yikes. Sounds like a real dirt bag."

"Oh yeah, he was. I have no idea what I saw in him, to be honest... And knowing that Victoria isn't "normal" like other kids, I feel like he would treat her badly, or... hurt her." You say, shaking your head.

"Hey, if he shows up and does that just call me." Marc grunted. "I hate it when people do that crap to kids. I'll knock his teeth down his throat."

The words slipped out before he could stop them, and the weight of them almost made them feel oppressive as glimpses of his abusive childhood shone through. The memories of his mother swinging her arm down, the crack of the leather belt, the red, bloody welts in his skin...

'Ay, hermano. Come back, don't think about that.' Jake's voice said gently, urging that door in his mind shut. 'That's not your life, anymore.'

Marc blinked and looked back up at you, his eyes locking with yours. And the concern on your face... he felt so undeserving of it. He wasn't sure why, but...

"Ah... I mean... Let's just say I have experience with that sort of thing. So I'm..." He struggled.

"No, no, I get it. My dad was a piece of shhh..." You cringed as the word almost slipped from you, casting a short glance to Victoria, making sure she couldn't hear you. "Er. He was bad. So yeah, I totally get you."

"Oh... Sorry, people get weirded out when I..." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Disassociate." You finish for him. "I used to do the same thing when it came to my dad. It gets easier once you're free of it, I promise."

The soft, sweet smile you give him was strong enough to make his heart jump into his throat.

'Wow...'

'Ask. Her. Out. Steven won't do it, so you do it!' Jake urged him.

Marc choked suddenly, coughing awkwardly to clear his throat at Jake's further commentary.

"You okay?" You ask him.

"Y-Yeah, I just... Uh..." He cringed again. "It's... allergies! I've been dealing with them since we dusted the flat, and... Yep. Allergies."

You chuckle softly at him as Victoria tugs on your sleeve and whispers in your ear.

"Oop, mama duty calls. It was nice meeting you, Marc." You grin, giving him a short handshake.

"Yeah... You too." Marc replied as you walked off, giving Victoria a wave as she peeked over your shoulder as you push the trolley away.

'Allergies? Smooth, Marc. Really smooth. How the hell did you ever bag Layla with romantic skills like that?' Jake sighed sarcastically.

'I swear Layla probably only married you for your dick, man. You're so BAD at romance.'

Marc knew Layla did love him, at one point but with all the drama of being Moon Knight, it quickly snuffed that relationship... They were still close of course, but they'd never open up to another intimate relationship again. Which was fine, none of them minded particularly.

Especially not now. Not now that there's a cute single mom with and adorably--scarily--smart little girl on her hip to occupy those thoughts.

And that... was your first time meeting Marc Spector.

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Now, meeting Jake was different. Completely different. You technically "met" Jake weeks after you met Marc and built a rapport with him.

One night, Jake was sitting in the window, munching on some saltines he'd spread with sunflower butter as he read some old knitting patterns in a book he'd picked up at a resale shop.

He thought he could knit something for both you and Victoria and have Steven give it to you, it would be a good way to start actually flirting, to hopefully open up that door for all of you.

But of course... well. He knew Steven was way too shy to ask you out on a date, and Marc was too chicken shit and awkward about the subject to bring it up himself.

And so, it fell upon Jake Lockley to find a way to get closer to you, two. He understood that many single mothers found it tricky to date, especially with a child like Victoria. It would require immense levels of trust to get past those walls you would have put up to protect both you and Victoria, especially after you'd told Marc about Victoria's biological father fucking your best friend the day of your ultrasound.

He could just imagine how your poor face fell when you closed your front door, hearing the ridiculously high-pitched, false moans and the squeaking of the mattress as that miserable excuse of a man was having his way with your supposed "best friend"...

All while your hands would have clutched the pictures of your unborn baby girl, tears bubbling up in your eyes as you screamed at them while they scrambled to cover their shame.

And then.... as you told Marc, you would have grabbed the knife and the rest was history; bidding goodbye to that cheating bastard and woman you once trusted.

You were strong, loving and oh so patient with your daughter and her needs. Jake found your whole being attractive, honestly. He hadn't seen you angry, but he just knew you were a badass if you wanted to be.

He chuckled as he picked up his knitting needles, and began to loop the soft, thick yarn through each line. He was sure to pick yarn that wouldn't upset Victoria and her sensory issues, so he picked the softest yarn he possibly could, selecting enough to make the both of you matching jumpers.

Victoria's would be a little big, to allow for comfort and her to grow into it as she wore it. He could just imagine how adorable she'd look with the sleeves hanging over her little hands, squirming and giggling as you two played together--

Jake's hands stopped knitting.

Shit. He had it down bad for you, too.

When he looked down, that's when he noticed the green laser pointed right at him...

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You were there, simply cleaning up the mess from dinner as Victoria happily colored on her dry erase board, drawing the shapes and hieroglyphs she saw in the book Steven selected for her.

She had been quiet and engrossed in her little art project for so long that you jumped and almost dropped a plate on the floor when she squealed loudly.

"Mommy, it's Steven! Or Mister Marc?"

"Huh? What?" You looked around your flat, for some reason your brain told you to look inside instead our our the window where her little finger tapped the glass excitedly.

"No, there!" She insisted. "Over there!"

You walk over to her and lean down, looking out the window.

And sure enough, across the street, in the building across from yours, an apartment had the curtains open with the lights on.

In one of the windows, at a desk, sat a man. The streets were close enough together that you could make out some details. The shadow of a mustache being the first thing you zeroed in on, and then the immaculately slicked-back hair.

He looked like he was... knitting? This man, who looked like Steven and Marc. Marc and Steven both mentioned on different occasions that they had a brother named Jake, maybe this was him?

And wow! So close by, too!

Victoria waved her arms, trying to get her attention, but the man was so absorbed in his task that he didn't notice her try to get his attention. When her little disappointed sniffles could be heard, you snap your fingers.

"I got an idea!" You say, dashing to the end table by the front door and rummaging through the various keychains you'd accumulated. It was a guilty habit of yours, you found.

But then you pluck up the laser toy and run back to the window. It takes shaking it once or twice for the green light to illuminate, but when it does, you shine it directly through the window and at the man's chest.

Then, he looked up.

You break out into a happy grin when he spots the two of you, and Victoria giggles with unabated glee as she waves some more, her whole tiny body moving with every shake of her overly excited hand.

You see the man smile back and he waves at the both of you.

"Hey, baby, why don't we use your board to say hi?" You suggest, rubbing her shoulders.

"Yeah!" She giggles, grabbing the board and erasing her painstakingly re-created drawings from the book, and messily scrawled the word:

Hi :)

The man laughed and looked around until he grabbed a notebook, scribbled something with a marker, and held it up for you two to see.

Hello

You chuckle as Victoria hands you the board, knowing that your writing is neater than hers is, and with how excited she is, she was bound to mess up.

You quickly and clearly write something down and turn the board to face the window.

Steven or Marc?

He smiled at you and scribbled back.

Jake

Marc n Steven told us about you. Hi!

They've told me a lot about you, too.

"That's Jake, honey. Remember what I said? How Steven and Mister Marc look alike? He's the same way." You explain to Victoria.

"Oh." She sighs. Poor little thing seemed dejected that once again, she misidentified someone as her "bestest friend".

You lift your eyes as Jake showed what he put on the notepad next. It was a badly drawn cat with a happy face on it.

You can't help but laugh and grin, nudging Victoria to look at what he drew for her.

"It's a kitty!" She gasps, snatching the board from your hands to draw pictures for him.

You spent much of the evening that night with Victoria and Jake drawing pictures back and forth, writing messages until he ran out of paper.

That's when you put down your phone number and told him to text, to make it easier on Victoria.

Victoria, upon realizing this, dropped her board and snatched your phone, starting a video call with Jake and chattering his ear off. He seemed to take it in stride, engaging with her. Not on the same level as Steven, but something about how he handled it gave you the impression he had experience with kids, or even worked with kids.

He didn't talk down or dumb anything down for her, he spoke to her calmly and clearly like he would anyone else, and the fact he was so sweet was endearing to you.

He was even teaching her little words in Spanish. For some reason, she liked to repeat the word "cat" because she liked how it sounded, and it was "funny".

That was how you met Jake Lockley.

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It was now half a year since you'd indirectly met all three "brothers" and quickly, the pressure was beginning to mount on them to reveal the truth to you as their crush developed more and more into full infatuation with you and your darling girl.

But they still hadn't asked you out, yet. They'd come close a few times, but it was never when Jake was in control so Marc and Steven backed down at the last possible moment. Every time Jake was in control it wasn't a "good moment" for them to propose a date with you. But now?

It was late in the year, the harvest festival being over with and the holidays around the corner with Christmas, as usual, dominating all others. Snow and ice encased everything. It came early this year, and Victoria couldn't be more thrilled. (She could build snowmen with her friends, Steven, Mister Marc and Mister Jake!)

You and Jake would text, and he gave in and told you that he, Marc, and Steven all actually lived together and he would "let" Steven or Marc use his phone so he could video chat with Victoria and you.

You didn't know the boys all shared the same phone regardless.

It was nice having a social life again, even if it was small. Outside work and ensuring a comfortable upbringing for your little girl, you'd forgotten how nice it was to have friends. Even if those friends consisted of three identical, quirky brothers who lived in the flat across the way.

The day was coming soon, for when they would have to confess to you about the true nature of their identities. And the three unanimously agreed that they would tell you about Moon Knight.

For your safety, and Victoria's. They didn't want you to agree to date them (if you ever would) only to find out they snuck out in the dead of night to do the bidding of some creepy ancient bird god who could frankly do with a wardrobe update...

They just didn't anticipate that day to be today. Of course, Steven would rather have broken the news to you over a nice dinner in the corner booth of a quiet restaurant. Or even on a nice walk through the park...

But no. No, it had to come out when you decided to pull out your phone and go through your texts or the day as Victoria sat in Steven's lap on the couch of your living room.

Jake had sent a meme earlier in the day, of a little cat wearing a sombrero and you chuckled. You sent a meme back in reply, of a snail holding some maracas on some drawn-on arms.

That's when Steven twitched when the phone in his back pocket vibrated and chimed with a silly little ringtone.

You blinked at him as he fished it out of his pocket, careful not to knock Victoria off balance as he checked it. He awkwardly cleared his throat and gave you a strained smile as he set it on the coffee table in front of you.

"You okay..." You say, eyeing the very familiar phone. They could just have the same model and case...

"Oh, yes, just an email alert, luv. Don't worry 'bout it!" Steven chirped, quickly shifting his attention back to Victoria as she practiced her reading from the book in her hands.

You squint at him suspiciously. Your finger hovered over the send button when you selected another silly little image...

But you decided to call instead.

That's when a song began to chime. One you recognized very well as Steven's favorite song...

♫"Lonely is a man,

Without looove~"♫

'God damn it, Steven! You forgot to put it on silent again!' Marc's panicked voice shouted inside their headspace.

'Ay, hermanito, not now!' Jake groaned.

Steven began to sweat profusely as Victoria handed the phone innocently to him, urging him to answer it, not making the correlation with the song, or your phone number...

Steven shakily held the phone to his ear and answered.

"H-Hello..."

"Steven." You deadpan, raising an eyebrow and tapping your finger on your arm.

'Shit shit shit shit.' Marc hissed.

'Busted.' Jake almost sang.

You look at Victoria, hesitant to interrupt her time with Steven, but you wanted answers. Why is it that none of the men ever agreed to all meet up in person to hang out? Why did you only ever see one at a time? Yes, work was a convenient excuse, but every single day?

And then there's the phone!

Yeah, you weren't letting Steven wiggle free from this talk, even as Victoria pouted and trudged back into her room to play with her toys.

You almost feel like a cop in a bad movie, the way you lean back with your arms crossed, almost like you were an interrogator in a police precinct.

Would this make you both the bad and good cop?

You felt so bad, knowing that this kind of behavior would only freak Steven out, so you relaxed your jaw and posture, leaning away from him and giving him breathing room as his sweaty hands began to pat nervously in the memorized tune of that specific song that was just playing.

"I'm not blind, and I'm not dumb... So start from the beginning." You sigh. "I don't want anything to come out and upset Victoria, but I have to know who I'm letting around my little girl."

Steven licked at his slightly chapped lips, taking his bottom lip between his teeth briefly.

"Okay..." He peeped.

'Just take it slow, Steven.' Marc urged him gently.

'I can take control, if you want.' Jake offered.

"No, that's too much right now." Steven muttered aloud, without thinking.

You tipped your head to the side. "What's too much?"

Steven jumped and covered his mouth, his big doe eyes wide as can be, like he's a little boy who was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out.

He despised awkward situations like this. He could never tell what to say to keep someone happy and to avoid them getting angry with him...

"Steven, I'm not mad. I'm honestly confused. Please... Just... Tell me everything, okay? I just wanna know some things." You say, leaning forward to put your hand on his knee, your ever so patient eyes sweet and understanding.

Yeah, those eyes were his undoing.

"Do you know what Dissociative Identity Disorder is?"

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Whatever you had originally expected to hear from Steven, finding out that he, Marc and Jake all shared the same body was a lot to absorb. Especially after Steven blurted out about their superhero alter ego that apparently did bidding for an Egyptian god?

Steven expected you to be mad, braced himself for it, but instead, he and his two headmates were knocked entirely off center when you made the remark that if Khonshu ever got to be too much for the boys, they should lock him in a room with Victoria and her never-ending questions.

That would shut him up for a little while, surely.

Another thing you weren't expecting was the date proposal from Steven (and of course Marc and Jake).

You hesitated, at first... But...

They were so kind and sweet. They already have shown so much care for you and your daughter... And you were honestly happy to realize that you weren't crushing on different guys, that your feelings were no longer awkward and conflicted.

Or wait, were you crushing on different men? Yes they were completely different identities, but they shared a body, and... oh, this was gonna take time to learn more about.

Your first date was for later that week. Steven informed you it would be Jake, taking you out, as he felt like a "bloody awkward fool" and was afraid of messing it up, and Marc was just as bad at those social situations.

But you agreed, and when the date rolled around, you and Victoria were bundled up, all ready to go to the charming little Italian restaurant somewhere in town where apparently Jake was friendly with the employees there.

Victoria skipped in the snow, struggling to match her pace with yours, making sure her footsteps were measured so her prints mirrored yours exactly as she walked on her little tippy toes.

As you approached where Jake had his car parked, he smiled, his mustache quirking up as he scooped Victoria in his large gloved hands, laughing when she dragged her fingers over his hairy upper lip, comparing the stache to a caterpillar.

You stifled a snort and covered your mouth as you watched Jake buckle Victoria into a booster seat in the back of his car.

"Where did you..." You blinked. You fully intended to run back to your flat and grab the booster seat you owned, but you were surprised to see Jake already had one. A rather expensive-looking one, at that.

"Ay, cariño, you didn't think I'd let the little chiquita ride unprotected, did you?" He smirked at you, his dark eyes glinting mischievously.

"But, I have one. You didn't have to..."

"Hey, if it makes it easier, I'll be happy to foot the bill." Jake hummed, leaning in to check Victoria's buckles as she played on her tablet, snow-caked shoes kicking lazily as she did.

Normally, Jake was insane about his car. He always made sure his fares cleaned their damn feet off before getting inside. But for you two he willingly made the exception.

"Now, c'mon mamacita." Jake grinned at you once more as he enabled the child lock and closed the door on Victoria's side. "We got lunch to get to, right?"

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You couldn't remember the last time you were on a date. Actually wait, you could. The night you got pregnant. One of the only times Victoria's sperm donor was ever romantic with you, and he proposed the next morning after.

Yeah, you knew how that story ended.

But now it looked like a whole new book was being written right in front of you, as cliché as it all sounded.

Jake had treated you both well, engaging happily and drawing with Victoria on the activity mat the restaurant provided as you sipped your glass of red wine, watching; your heart was fluttering in your chest as you watched how happy she was interacting with them.

After a while, he went back out to his car and returned with a sparkly red gift bag for the two of you and you immediately felt your heart lurch up from your chest and into your throat.

He knitted the two of you matching jumpers. A mama cat and her kitten, of course, he managed to do it in an Egyptian style, much to Victoria's glee as she ripped off her regular jumper in favor of the one Jake made, immediately rubbing her face on the sleeve with a happy giggle.

You couldn't help but smile warmly as Jake helped her pop her head through the top, and you decided to slip yours on, yourself.

God, it was almost surreal how Hallmark it all seemed. Not one, but three men interested in you, a lonely single mother. All three men who adored your daughter and treated you both with respect. All three men, who shared the same body and nighttime secret.

And you found yourself falling just as hard, and somewhere in the back of your mind wondered if--if--you had met them first... would they have been Victoria's father(s)? Would they have rejoiced in your pregnancy? Gone to your appointments, held your hand in the delivery room? Would they have helped the doctors weigh and print Victoria for the very first time?

Your mind was knocked out of the what-ifs when your phone jingled, catching Jake's attention.

"Oh, it's Victoria's pediatrician. I have to take this." You sigh sadly, not wanting to step away from the cozy atmosphere in your booth.

Jake smiled at you and winked, "Go ahead and take it. I got her handled."

You smiled back, hoping the flush to your face wasn't as obvious as you feared as you got up and answered the call.

Jake continued to play and draw with Victoria, letting her explain how some of her learning games worked, what apps were her favorite, and who her favorite cartoon characters were.

Honestly, if anyone thought Steven was great with Victoria thanks to their same autistic traits? Jake was good simply because he was a natural with kids. Marc was, too, but he was a bit stiff and nervous. He needed to be eased into it just a bit more.

"Hey.... Psst. Mister Jake." Victoria whispered to him, blinking her big, bright, gorgeous eyes up at him.

"Yeah? What is it, gatita?" Jake hummed at her, grinning.

She waved her hand, urging him closer as she whispered conspiratorially, cupping her hand over his ear, "Look where Mommy's standing."

Jake lifts his gaze to find you among the crowd of people, where you stood on your phone, talking to the doctor about Victoria's upcoming appointment. He tracked where Victoria was pointing, and that's when he saw it: the mistletoe.

He knew immediately what Victoria was hinting at.

"That means you gotta kiss my Mommy." She whispered to him again.

"Oh, I do, huh?" Jake teased, poking her in the side. "And what if I don't?"

"Then Imma make you!" She squeaked and giggled.

"Oh, dear, then in that case I definitely have to do it, eh?" He chuckled.

"C'mon." Jake said, scooping Victoria up and holding her on his hip. "Let's go give another present to your wonderful mamá."

As they got closer to you, he caught the tail-end of your conversation.

"...yeah. Next Wednesday at 3pm. See you, then, Doctor Wilson. ...Of course! Happy holidays." You say cheerily, ending the call.

When you turned around, you saw Jake holding Victoria against him as he walked closer to you.

The sight really shouldn't have taken your breath away the way that it did...

But if you thought your breath was taken before? It was entirely robbed from you as Jake leaned in, wrapping an arm around your waist as he tipped his head down to kiss you, his mustache tickling your nose and upper lip.

You were so taken aback that you didn't hear the whooping and laughing from the workers of the restaurant as the scene unfolded in front of them, congratulating Jake.

Victoria squirmed and squealed and laughed and laughed, rubbing her face on Jake's leather jacket as your lips finally parted and your jaw dropped.

"What's the matter, mamacita? Cat got your tongue?"

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God, dating those men was the best decision you ever made. Even with them being Moon Knight.

They were kind enough to always say goodnight to Victoria before they went about their business, giving you a soft kiss before whichever one was in control of the body departed.

You had only been dating a short while, it was now entering February and you were all spending more and more time together. Marc, Jake, and Steven had all spent the night once or twice in their own time.

Nothing sexual happened, but it was so nice to fall asleep with someone wrapping their arms around you. It was even better to wake up and see Victoria snuggled onto his chest, his arms caged around her protectively, flexing when she made any movements as his unconscious body ensured she wouldn't roll off of him and--god forbid--onto the floor.

It was a few days before Valentine's, and Marc had spent the day with you and Victoria. He had gotten much more comfortable around her, falling into a natural and gentle routine unique to them. Just like she had with Steven, and Jake. And above all, they handled her autism well.

Steven was exceptionally good at helping distract her during her meltdowns, whereas Jake could cradle her, singing little songs in Spanish as he rubbed her back. Marc would start by talking to her in a low, gentle tone, urging her to just breathe, and talk, explaining what was upsetting her and what would work best to help her calm down from it.

But right now, Victoria was in the midst of a battle against sleep.

"Don' wanna sleep." Victoria sniffled into Marc's jumper.

"I know, babydoll, but you'll feel loads better once you do, mkay?" He murmured quietly to her as he padded, barefoot into Victoria's almost obnoxiously canary-yellow bedroom.

"I can make some apple pancakes for you in the morning, hm? How's that sound?"

He dodged the minefield of toys scattered about and chuckled softly at the shelf where her little ancient Egypt memorabilia sat meticulously organized alongside her books and drawings on the subject. A half-finished paper sarcophagus lay on the desk in the corner, a project Steven had started with her two days ago that they intended to finish together.

Marc laid her down and she nodded, rubbing her eye. "Okay..." She mumbled in agreement.

Marc picked up the plushy scarab that Steven bought from the gift shop and handed it to her, tucking her in all nice and warm.

"There you go." He said softly to her, kneeling next to the bed. "Snug as a bug in... well. Blankets, right now, huh?"

He grinned when Victoria giggled groggily at his pun, squeezing the beetle plush she named "Digger" and snuggled under the blankets, her feather lashes brushed her cheeks as she began to drift off.

"See you in the morning, babydoll." Marc said softly, giving her a kiss to her forehead before standing.

His finger had just flipped the switch to turn off the lights in her room, so only the salt lamp dimly illuminated her bedside, when he heard her peep as she rolled over.

"G'night daddy."

He felt like his heart stopped beating as he shakily closed the door, dragging his suddenly very heavy feet through your flat as he made his way to your couch, the weight of that word landing on his shoulders.

He felt like Atlas, carrying the world on his back as he dropped down onto the chocolate brown cushions.

You walk over, having finished dishes from dinner, wiping your hands on a tea towel. Upon seeing his shell-shocked expression, you sit next to him in concern as he covered his face with his hands, his arms shaking and skin pale.

"Marc, sweetie, what's wrong?"

"I..." He said, his voice breaking.

You lean in, reaching out to brush a hand through his mop of curls, letting him take his time. Maybe Steven or Jake was trying to front? You've seen how taxing it could be on them when it happened so suddenly. One time Steven had seized control in the kitchen from Jake and he fell and cracked his head open on the counter! Poor Victoria cried when she saw how much he was bleeding, scared that he was dying.

It took a lot of hugs and kisses to convince her otherwise...

"She... God. Fuck." Marc swore softly, sniffing. "She--she called me daddy."

Your jaw dropped and you gawked at him. Was Victoria already so attached to him? To them? But then again, she's never had a father figure, before, either, and suddenly having not one, but technically three men in her life doing all the things a dad should do? You can understand why she would--hell, why you would...

He dropped his arms and you could see the beginnings of tears clump in his beautiful eyelashes, heavy weights of emotion settling deep in his chest.

He looked up at the ceiling, trying to blink the tears away. God, he didn't deserve all of this. He didn't deserve this... this domesticity. Guys like him just didn't get to have a life like that. Not with everything he's had to do as a soldier, a mercenary... in Khonshu's name.

He didn't deserve such a beautiful woman, or the idolized gaze of her sweet and innocent baby girl.

'You're too hard on yourself, Marc.' Steven said to him in their headspace.

'Yeah, hermano...' Jake murmured.

"Marc, honey..." You say, leaning in and adjusting your position, so your head lay on his chest. You spread your hand over his heart, feeling how it hammered in the muscle of his chest.

"I just... What the hell did I do to get this?" He asked softly, bringing his arms around you to bury his nose in your hair.

"Well, I think it all started the day a certain little girl wiggled free of me and ran into a gift shop..."

Marc chuckled, squeezing you tight.

"Would you want us to?" He whispered. "Would you want us to stay? Would you be okay with that? I know it's soon, and--and I'm not saying we move in or anything like that, but..."

"I think it would crush Victoria if I ever shoo'd you boys away, honey." You assured him, tipping your head up to give him a sweet kiss.

You feel the tension slowly bleed from his body and his expression softens into a heartbreakingly sweet smile, his dark eyes sparkling with a warmth that you haven't seen before as your lips parted.

"Then we'll stay. As long as you both will put up with us." He said to you, his voice so quiet you almost couldn't catch his words.

"How do Steven and Jake feel about her calling you daddy?" You smile slyly.

Marc grins and drops his head back with a laugh, listening to the bickering of his headmates as his anxiety ebbed away.

"Oh... They're arguing over who Vicky is gonna call daddy next."

"We need to think of nicknames for you guys so she doesn't confuse you." You laughed with him.

Your laughter was cut short when you heard Victoria's door click open, and out she waddled, blanket clutched in one arm, Digger firmly squeezed into the crook of her elbow and her thumb was in her mouth. She only sucked her thumb when she was frightened, or severely anxious.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Marc asked, shooting to his feet even before you could, at her side in a split second.

You joined him and put your hands on her shoulders, looking into her drowsy and not-entirely-awake eyes. "Did you have a bad dream?"

She shook her head, mumbling something around her thumb.

"What is it, kiddo?" Marc inquired next.

She pulled her thumb out of her mouth with a pop.

"There's a bird-man in my room."

[ranoutofficssoiwritemyown]

Haitani Rindou x Reader wc: 2k a/n: no idea. just rindou and reader barking at each other. Rindou is kinda asshole. bonten executive reader. haven't even edited (ofc)

“Wow, you look like a shit” are the words Rindou heard when he thought he was finally alone in his room. To make matters worse, they were coming from you. Why you’re in his room right now beats him and to be honest he doesn’t care, he just wants you out. He was lying on his bed, freshly showered, his hair still wet but he doesn’t really care right now, he just wants to rest. If only he could just rest.

“Go ahead, laugh” he says defeated causing you to sigh and take a sit on his bed where he lays on his back with his eyes closed. You noticed a bruise forming on his check along with his gashed lip.

“I don’t kick a man when he’s already down” that pulled a scoff out of him. You expected a retort, maybe a little salty but all you got was silence so you decided to speak up again “that bad?”

Rindou glances at you, his gaze is full of annoyance and it seems like he’s not in the mood of anything, let alone your questions. After a while he grunts out:

“Yeah, that bad. I had to jump out of the window to get out of there alive”

“You shouldn’t have gone alone”

Truth is Rindou is reckless. His confidence is not baseless but sometimes it gets him in trouble. Especially, when you are on a mission together. What makes everything worse is two of you are always at each other’s throats. You, personally, blame Rindou since he has hard time working with anyone but Ran or Kakuchou. That’s why Mikey doesn’t assign two of you on any mission. He couldn’t care less if you die because of your endless bickering but he wants his job done.

“I’ve done this before on my own” Rindou mutters with a hint of aggravation. He hates having to admit that he may need some help, especially from someone he doesn’t get along with. “What would you have done anyway if you came with me?”

You scoff

“I meant Ran, I prefer to work alone”

“You think Ran is any better?”

“When you’re together, yes. He goes into his big brother mode and makes sure you don’t die”

Rindou rolls his eyes, he can’t really argue there. Suddenly a question he thinks he should’ve asked before appears in his head.

“Why are you even here?”

“I was going to meet Ran here and then we’d go to the meeting. He ditched me though, saying he had to see someone first”

“What meeting?”

You look at him like he was the dumbest person you’ve ever met. To be fair, sometimes you really believe so.

“He wants to know why you had near death experience, RIndou. What, you think he missed us or something?”

He mutters “shut up” and gets up, taking out fresh clothes and starts too change causing you to look away quickly with your face flushed.

“You could at least wait for me to leave the room”

“You think I care? It’s nothing you haven’t seen before”

“Well, maybe you’re not great sight for everyone” It’s a lie. He is a great sight for everyone.

Once he’s done you get up to get the hair dryer and brush motioning Rindou to sit. He does so and looks at you confused.

“What are you doing?”

“Take a wild guess”

“Don’t tell me you’re going to style my hair”

“I can’t have you look ridiculous beside me” you mutter small “more than you already do” under your breath but, of course, he heard.

“Don’t even go there, love. You know how good I look”

“Not as good as your brother” words slip out before thinking and the smirk on his face quickly drops. He’s more than used to hear people fawn over Ran. He didn’t mind it before, Ran was always obsessed with his looks while Rindou didn’t care much. However, after a while, it got annoying, Ran this Ran that. He loves his brother but he hates it so much when people compare them. So, with that one sentence his expression shifts into a cold, almost annoyed look.

After being quiet for a brief moment, he just says:

“Just get on with brushing my hair already”

“Aw, are you mad at me now?” You cup his face with one of your hand not knowing how to act so you simply play it as you always do – getting on his nerves further. Rindou, on the other hand, looks like he’s about to bite your hand off. After a moment of consideration he harshly removes your hand and you just get on brushing his hair before he decides to shave yours in your sleep.

He closes his eyes as you start the process. Despite the annoyance and irritation that remains, he can’t deny that it feels kind of nice, especially after such a shitty day. He lets out a small sigh, trying to relax his body. After you’re done you mutter small “all done” and take a step back to look at your work.

“Thanks, I guess” he mutters monotone.

“Okay, let’s go, I’m driving” You tried to grab his keys on the bedside table but he beat me to it, scoffing before he turned around and left the room “asshole”

You follow him to his car, since Ran dropped you here and then left you, you have no other choice but to go with him. What surprised you is that he opened the door for you gaining “aren’t you a gentleman” from you and he gets into a driver’s seat, of course, not before rolling his eyes at you.

He takes off fairly fast, driving the same speed as usual, maybe slightly faster since he’s annoyed at you.

“Slow the fuck down” You almost yell at him “Wasn’t one death experience enough for you today?” It may sound funny to some, for example this horrible excuse of a human, being the executive in one of the most dangerous organization in Japan but scared of driving fast. Well, it’s not funny to you. It scares you to death and you don’t think you’ll ever get used to it. He doesn’t care though, it’s not like this is the first time you’ve had a similar argument. Rindou glances at you, not at all bothered.

“What’s the matter? Can’t handle a little reckless driving?”

“I don’t trust your driving skills”

He raises an eyebrow at her glare

“Oh I’m wounded, I really am”

“Slow down… please” You’re gripping your seat at this point, your voice coming out a little shaky. He doesn’t look at you as he laughs

“You sure seem scared, love. Aren’t you supposed to be some super badass gangster, miss I’m-not-scared-of-anything?”

“You’re a sadist” You glare at him, clear disgust in your tone.

“So what?” He shrugs not at all bothered by the statement “Can’t help if I get a kick out of pissing you off”

You don’t answer him, knowing it’s no use. Instead you stay quiet, hands still gripping the edge of your seat and pray he doesn’t crash his car somewhere. When you arrived at the headquarters, you quickly get out of the car without waiting for him and enter the building. All the executives are here already, except Mikey. God forbid, that guy be on time somewhere.

You enter the meeting room and take a seat beside Ran.

“Your brother is the worst asshole I’ve ever met”

Ran looks at you with raised eyebrow.

“You’re only realizing that now?” he looks at the vacant chair beside you “Where is he, by the way? You haven’t killed him by chance, have you?”

“No, but he tried to kill me” I smile at him sarcastically “You should’ve seen the speed he drove us here. Almost killed us both”

Ran chuckles but before he says anything else younger Haitani enters the room followed with Mikey. Rindou hits Ran’s head slightly, gaining glare from the latter, and takes the seat beside me. You don’t look at him, all of your attention is on Mikey causing purple haired male to cross his arms annoyed at your indifference as he leans against the backrest of the chair.

Once the meeting was done and everyone was leaving you try to find Kakuchou to drop you off at home for numerous reason : 1.You’re still mad at Rindou; 2.Your house is on Kaku’s way

Seeing this as the perfect opportunity, Rindou follows you, grabbing your arm and standing in front of you, blocking your way to Kakuchou.

“Let me go, Haitani” You hiss at him causing him to tighten his grip, scowling at you.

“You’re coming with me and that’s final. Don’t fight me on this”

“Why? So you can finish what you started and kill me in a car crash?

He scrunches his face, feeling his patience running thin.

“Oh, shut it. You’re making a big deal out of nothing. Besides, you know I am a good driver”

“Big dea- I was terrified, you asshole and you made fun of me”

“You kill people for living Y/N. Half of the country wants you dead and you’re scared of speed? Jesus, grow up.” He’s annoyed at you. You can’t believe it. He has the nerve of being annoyed at you.

“Yes, Rindou. I am scared of speed and that’s why I’m going with Kakuchou. At least, he’s nice enough to respect my boundaries”

“Really? He’s nice? You’re choosing him over me because he’s nice? Okay, I’m sorry for scaring you if that makes you happy. Am I nice enough for you to come with me now or do I have to start groveling?”

You look at him dumbfounded.

“Oh my god, you’re- god, you’re so-“ You can’t find words and you want to cry in frustration. Why the hell is it so hard for him to understand?

Rindou glares down at you, his lavender eyes boring into yours with an almost menacing look.

“So what, hm? I’m what, Y/N? Go on. Say it. You’re already saying bunch of bullshit, so why not just say what you really want to say”

His tone is cold and harsh as he stares at you, challenges you to say whatever you want without a filter. However, he would never expect it from you to pull him towards you by his tie and kiss him. Pulling all your frustration and rage, both towards him, in the kiss. Rindou’s eyes widen at the sudden action before he closes them, pressing his lips firmly against yours. Clearly, he’s just as frustrated as you are, pouring it all in the kiss as his wraps his arms around your waist and pull you against his body.

“I hate you so much” You say between the kiss.

“Why are you kissing me then?” He asks leaving trails of kisses on your neck before he returns to your lips.

“Why are you?”

“Because, even though you piss me off to no end, I still want you. Is that what you wanted to hear?” pecking yours lips

“It’ll do”

He scoffs at her response, pulling away from kiss. He rests his forehead against yours, catching his breath as he mutters:

“You’re one hell of a pain in the ass”

“You’re one to talk”

“You love every second of it though”

“so do you” you grin

“I do”

He answers after a moment with his eyes closed. You smile slightly, before looking around and realizing you’re still in public.

“Everyone left”

“What’d you expect? That they’d wait for us to finish our make-out session?” His tone is filled with mockery

“I was hoping Kaku would drive me”

He lets out a scoff

“Oh, hell no” Rindou looks at you with a glare “Get in the damn car or I will physically drag you”

You sigh, tired.

“Okay, just-“

“I’ll drive slower, I know” He cuts you off without looking at you and goes to the parking lot. Opening the doors for you you hesitate to get in.

“What now?” He sighs

“Just so you know…” I start, searching for his eyes “I don’t think Ran is better than you”

He takes a moment to look at me.

“Just get in, doll” He says and looks away with a visible blush on his face. I chuckle quietly and obey, knowing he would just get grumpy if I commented on it.

[syninplays]

So uhm... I did a thing...

✨Character Info Template✨

Been meaning to do this a long time ago (and actually started it but never finished it, lol) as a way to share some more information about my ocs without needing to use a custom page theme, but mostly because I haven't found any page theme that looks exactly as I want and allows this much customization.

There are two versions and both are almost exactly the same; but the example shown in the left has an 'appearance' section which is small and has few quick facts regarding the oc's appearance; while the example on the right has a 'moodboard' section instead which allows you to add more info about your oc.

You can change every section/title to fit your needs like I did in the examples below; I personally removed some categories as well and got rid of some connections as this oc doesn't have that many close friends/partners to fill the original template. However, I also included an extra separated 'connections' section in the download in case you want to add more people and more information.

I recommend you stick to square-shaped pictures so it's easier to fit them to each section. Also if and when you edit the information or section titles, please select only one line at a time to replace it so you don't lose the text format. (Titles shouldn't change because that's a single format/font within the same text box, but should it change you can always hit ctrl+z hehe) When you're done, I strongly recommend you save this as a .png instead of .jpg so it's the best possible quality!

Last but not least, this is a .psd file. So you'll need either Photoshop (I did this with Photoshop Portable, but it supports newer versions of PS and it *should* support older versions too) or Photopea to open and edit this file.

Credits: Adobe Photoshop, Inter font, Golften Vintage font

>DOWNLOAD< (patreon but free :p)

(note: I'm posting this with my gaming blog because I think my fellow gamers might be interested in this, but please consider giving credits to me if you use this template by tagging @synindoodles instead of this blog)

More info on how to use and edit this template below the cut!

Layers:

>Each layer is properly named and categorized. The general layers such as the background, the icon shape and background shapes are under the groups.

>If you don't want to see/don't need one of the connections' pictures and information, I recommend you find which one it is (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6) and click on the eye symbol next to the layer to hide it so that way if you ever need it, it won't be truly gone.

>To edit a text section, simply find the layer (such as General Information>Left Column) and double click on the 'T' symbol next to the layer. That way it will open edit mode and allow you to edit the text, just don't hit delete or enter while everything is selected or you'll erase it :p

>Main text sections aren't separated, they're blocks of text. I recommend you don't remove the amount (for example, if you downloaded the version with the 'appearance' section, which has 5 sections of information, don't remove the fifth line.) Either leave it empty or replace it with another data, otherwise it will look weird. The 'general information' section might look good even if you remove a few lines, just don't get rid of the whole block of text.

Pictures:

>To add a new picture, simply paste it over this document and move it using the Move Tool.

>To frame it (so it becomes a circle or fits over the shape you want), make sure the picture layer is over the layer you want, then while holding alt click between the two layers. [For example, if you want to add a new main oc picture: 1) paste the pic you want, 2) move it with the Move Tool so it's covering the big circle, 3) once you've fully covered the shape (if it isn't you can resize it by right clicking on it then on 'free transform', sometimes you might need to hold shift to proportionally resize it) make sure the newly pasted pic layer is over the layer named "picture goes here", 4) hold the alt key and hover your mouse cursor over the line between your pic layer and the circle layer until you see an arrow going down symbol, once you see it click it and tah dah! your picture should now have the same shape as the circle! - you can further move it if it doesn't fit the way you want with the Move Tool (;

Others:

>You can change every color, font and section to your liking, just don't change the general layout of the template.

>To hide/show the guides (those bright blue lines all over the document), click ctrl+,

>'Inter' is a free font and you can get it in the link above (linked with the credits), Golften Vintage is not, but you can get the demo version >here< (just scroll down and click the blue download button under license). I will not tell you how to install fonts as it might be different for everyone (for me it's C:/Windows/Fonts and I just drop the zipped files (except the .txt one) there), but google is your friend.

>I can't think of anything else that needs to be said here, but if you have any other question feel free to send me an ask or dm and I'll help you out!

>Last but not least, a like is appreciated if you plan to use this plus consider tagging @synindoodles if you use it <3

[cityzenshark]

If S2 doesn't improve the story focus...

Decepticon fan speaking here. I love them, I want to see them getting the limelight, but Earthspark isn't their show. It's about the Terrans and their relationship with the Malto family. There are over a dozen other media where your favourite classics get their spotlight but this show might not be one of them. We have to accept that.

However, EarthSpark's big problem is its disregard of its own main characters to the point the audience care more about the side characters.

Long ramble ahead.

.

From Season 1, Earthspark has the tendency to disregard their own main characters for the sake of already existing ones. Thrash, Robby, Jawbreaker, and the parents are big victims here.

Thrash, despite being the other first Terran, gets little to no development. He only had one focus episode that shifted his positive view of Cybertronians yet it didn't affect his characteristic or the family dynamic whatsoever. He could've been involve in other episodes focusing on the triplets, specifically with Nightshade, like Twitch with Hashtag, but he doesn't. In the end, his canvas is just like his paint job -- empty white.

Robby could've get 4 episodes about him only for 3 of them to be shifted to Twitch & Wheeljack, Starscream, Mo. Never mind the Wheeljack episode and "Prime Time" but "What Dwells Within" is the worst of them all. Now it appears Season 2 is heavily focusing him after S1 dismisses him multiple times.

Starscream, I'm sorry what you've been through, but that episode should never be about you. Robby is sick, the Terrans got rocky with other due to the lost link which triggered Hashtag's trauma of getting possessed, and then they lost their LIFE SOURCE WATER. Earthspark wanted the audience to side with Starscream so bad they put him in the pity light instead of laying out hints of his past in previous episodes and allow the viewers to decide for themselves. The dude's a millennium old soldier, not another Terran.

EDIT: The same case goes for Grimlock. As bad as the dude has gone through in "Home", he's also a millennium-old soldier. He knows he's going through PTSD but Jawbreaker doesn't. JB is a newborn. Instead of celebrating JB when he finally got his alt mode, the moment made viewers hate him because it focuses on Grimlock's point of view.

[IMPORTANT NOTE FOR JB FANS: DO NOT GO TO TRANSFORMEMES SUBREDDIT!! RECENTLY, A USER THERE CAUSED TERRAN HATERS TO POP UP AND WISHING J.B TO DIE A HORRIBLE DEATH BECAUSE HE ACTED LIKE AN OVEREXCITED KID]

The parents... Oh dear their potentials are wasted soooo much. Ignoring Dot's relationship with Megs, they've become mere placements to remind the audience that Robby & Mo aren't poor orphans.

Dot being a veteran is to make her relationship with Megs sound plausible, that's all. Meanwhile Alex's profession in Cybertronian history is only relevant in the pilot episode and he only told the most basic one in lore. They never fuss about the cybersleeves, they seem available all the time but not really, they're ignorant of their children's activities, completely fine with them becoming child soldiers. Dot could've been the one to beat Mandroid to pulp in Prime Time like the Mama Bear she's described to be but no - let the nine year old beat him with alien powers. Alex could've played a bigger role for the Terrans to know about Cybertronians in general; for Nightshade especially by being the one who enables their intelligence and tinkering skills - not just leading them to finding their alt mode.

The show should've made Mo the same age as Robby. You can't ignore that they act like twins more than Twitch & Thrash despite the 5 year age gap. For a nine year old, she has high emotional intelligence yet so inconsiderate and naive at the same time in certain episodes. Pick one personality, please.

Finally, why oh why didn't they fix her face and head size? It looks a lot worse now.

TLDR; don't be surprised by the sudden change in character of the Cons. Earthspark doesn't respect their own main characters except Twitch. So let us heed Season 2 with low expectations.

[dalekofchaos]

RE1 is getting remade for the 30th Anniversary and here's why I support it and what I'd love to see in the RE1RR.

Updated with the next gen graphics in the RE Engine

The plan is obviously to remake RE5, but we need to do Wesker's OTHER big appearances first. I believe we should get the following released in the specific order. 1, 0, then Code Veronica and finally RE5. Cause if you tease RE5 and have Wesker, you should have the three games that featured Wesker before his death in RE5.

The atmosphere and tension of the Spencer Mansion in the new age and basically RE1 meets Village. The visual aesthetic of Village’s Castle Dimitrescu for Spencer Mansion.

Better characterization. Flesh out all the characters. Improve the plot/story.

Chris and Jill’s campaigns to be separate and different, so by the time they meet at the end they’ve both had their own adventure, and you need to play through both to see both sides. Perhaps give Chris the mines and Jill the guard house. Expand the mansion, and when they separate at the start they pick up different keys and access different areas. That way they story would be canon regardless of what happens, and there would be some variety. Also have Rebecca and Richard as playable paths, similar to Sherry and Ada in RE2R.

A playable Wesker mode with him having to move about the mansion and into the lab under a certain amount of time.

Also would like them to keep the REmake music (especially the save room theme), though they could always release a Deluxe Edition like 2R with the OG music too?

Additions. I would be happy with an entire new floor in the Spencer Mansion. Or making the Residence 3x as long. Adding a forest section, either during the opening and/or later in the game. Extended playable sequences for Rebecca and Barry – different locations for each, like how the Orphanage was entirely new for Sherry in 2R. An abandoned greenhouse near the guardhouse with Plant-42 and similar experimentation , an extended cemetery with more tombs, a third floor in Spencer Mansion, more floors in guardhouse, etc.

Making S.T.A.R.S. matter. The game begins at the R.P.D. After picking between Chris and Jill, you make your way from the garage and up into the department proper, crossing paths with various characters referencing the recent cannibal killings and the fact that Alpha and Bravo have been assigned. The walk through the RPD could be intercut with news reports and police banter about what’s been happening. You can interact with the various characters as much or as little as you want en route to the briefing room. Chris and Forrest can talk some trash and reference their apparent contest for top shot. Enrico can be seen helping Rebecca organize her equipment and her nerve. Joseph can be given more personality than being puppy kibble. Marvin can be caught informing Rebecca that she won’t be the rookie in a couple more months. Chief Irons can greet the player with the mask of a competent professional because his mind was still intact. Hell, perhaps we can even catch a glimpse of whatever act Wesker put on for the two years that made these people trust him. Wesker and Enrico would then host the briefing that will send them into mountains, still treating this like they think the suspects are hill people or whatever, culminating in Bravo Team taking point while Alpha Team remains behind. There could be some more small talk or some kinda time lapse before Richard makes contact in a panic before communications break down. Alpha Team immediately preps and heads out, complete with changing clothes in the locker room and gearing up. The player will actually play the search through the woods, discover the crashed helicopter, and play through the mad chase to the mansion where the game as we know it begins.

Throw the players off by changing the keys and rooms

Zombies, Crimson Heads and every other BOW in the first game

Defense weapons and head stomping

Lisa Trevor(she could work like as a stalker enemy)

Same notes, but add in some new ones

All the puzzles, but mix it up

Just give us “One more second and you were ALMOST A JILL SANWICH” let Barry be the cheesy bastard that we know him to be

Stick with the REVIll face model for Chris, but younger and less steroids. Like how many faces can he wear?????

Stick with the RE3R face model for Jill, but don’t let it look like she just got out of being dipped in the sewer

Include Zero as DLC. My pitch of a RE0R. But the main requirement for RE1 is for Rebecca to NOT be cowering in the corner. Rebecca CANNOT be in the corner cowering from a Hunter when she is more than capable. A simple scream of surprise, but when we reach Rebecca, we see that she's perfectly fine

Bonus costumes For Chris:Made In Heaven outfit, BSAA outfit, CVX STARS outfit For Jill:RE3 original and Remake, BSAA, RE:Resistance, and RE5 Battle Suit.

And finally getting what we never got in the original or the 2002 remake. The ending that has Chris, Jill, Rebecca and Barry in the chopper. So my big idea to make this happen is this. If we play as Jill, Chris makes it to the mansion with us. Jill and Barry go and investigate, while Chris and Wesker are outside. They vanish. Richard will mention that Rebecca Chambers left the mansion after hearing Brad’s radio and went to get help. We will later see Rebecca in the cell with Chris in Jill’s story. For Chris’ story, Barry makes it to the Mansion. Chris investigates the gunshot while Wesker will say they will split up and investigate the Mansion and everyone vanishes. Later in the game before we get to the lab, there would be a dropped Barry’s photograph. Later when we get to the cell, Barry will be in the cell with Jill. Barry apologizes to Chris for what he’s done and Chris understands why he did what he did and he can help make things right. Ultimately in both playthroughs, all 4 S.T.A.R.S. members work together to fight the Tyrant until ultimately Chris or Jill destroys the Tyrant with the rocket launcher. It ends with all 4 members escaping in the chopper as the Mansion explodes.

[quinnylouhughesx43]

“Happy birftday Dada!”

summary: Instagram Posts: Jack, Quinn, & Luke

warnings: pure cute, fluffy, family oriented posts

notes: i fumbled around with writing a full fic and a couple different blurbs for the idea @mommahughes19-23 and i had spitballed around the days before Luke’s birthday. i never ended up liking any of the options that i wrote so i present you three instagram edits in one…

◞ ྀི◟ ͜ ׁ ˙ ◞ ྀི◟ ͜ ◞ ྀི◟ ͜ ׁ ˙ ◞ ྀི◟ ͜ ◞ ྀི◟ ͜ ׁ ˙ ◞ ྀི◟ ͜ ◞ ྀི ◞

@jackhughes : i can’t say no when a tiny sweeter, much cuter version of my baby brother asks for help.

tagged : @lhughes_06 @_quinnhughes @rosey_yn

location : Emmy’s cellys Lukey

_quinnhughes : very little paint used on the “painting” but all that paint on her……and blanks…

lhughes_06 : Emersyn can’t wait to hang up her painting when we’re all back in Jersey.

nicohischier : My sweet little Hughes. What did they do?

dawson1417 : Very Jack of you to do.

edwards.73 : @lhughes_06 please hang it up in the living room. Everyone will be reminded you’re the best daddy ever first thing

jackhughes : @edwards.73 you would try to ruin this

rosey_yn : jack rowden. i will be holding a lecture on “how to say no” weekly until you grasp it once we’re back home.

elblue6 : How sweet! My sweetest baby made her daddy a gift with my other baby.

dylanduke25 : @_quinnhughes was blanks salvageable? is lil bit in meltdown mode?

_quinnhughes: @dylanduke25 pulled out the last one mom had saved. jack ruined the other

john.marino97 : bring that little shit to me in utah. I miss her cuddles.

curtislazar95 : chirp chirp chirp

holtz_10 : see ya in Vegas little buddy, you too jack

◞ ྀི◟ ͜ ׁ ˙ ◞ ྀི◟ ͜ ◞ ྀི◟ ͜ ׁ ˙ ◞ ྀི◟ ͜ ◞ ྀི◟ ͜ ׁ ˙ ◞ ྀི◟ ͜ ◞ ྀི ◞

_quinnhughes added to his story!

jackhughes replied: was the blanket picture before or after you fell asleep watching her😜?

rosey_yn replied: fyi those paint markers are NOT washable either…but at least you bathed her & you put her down for a nap…and Luke wasn’t too mad 🥲

lhughes_06 replied: thanks for the sweet gift. next time don’t fall asleep with paint pens in reach of a two year old who could wake up at any moment!! my poor hat😞

◞ ྀི◟ ͜ ׁ ˙ ◞ ྀི◟ ͜ ◞ ྀི◟ ͜ ׁ ˙ ◞ ྀི◟ ͜ ◞ ྀི◟ ͜ ׁ ˙ ◞ ྀི◟ ͜ ◞ ྀི ◞

lhughes_06: my girls are too sweet. some one fell asleep with their niece during nap time… my hat paid the price when Emersyn faked out her uncle Q.

tagged: rosey_yn, _quinnhughes

njdevils: emersyn for merchandising

canucks: what they said!

_quinnhughes: she didn’t fake me out she WAS asleep.

rosey_yn: I believe you huggy. luke needs his jack..I mean diva moment.. @ _quinnhughes

lhughes_06: my hat is ruined and you’re calling me a diva

rosey_yn: yes

_quinnhughes: yes

nicohischier: yes

dylanduke25: yes

curtislazar95: finally you all listen to me. My little bestie did a great job on the hat! I want one.

◞ ྀི◟ ͜ ׁ ˙ ◞ ྀི◟ ͜ ◞ ྀི◟ ͜ ׁ ˙ ◞ ྀི◟ ͜ ◞ ྀི◟ ͜ ׁ ˙ ◞ ྀི◟ ͜ ◞ ྀི ◞

editted to add: I want to give a BIG thank you to @mommahughes19-23 for helping me with the layout for instagram edit posts, and for her (her daughter’s) help with the toddler appropriate title. Without her help this installment may have never made an appearance in the series.

I strongly suggest you go check out her blog! Her insta edit posts are how I stumbled across her account and I L O V E them. her pinned post is a masterlist!

[sinner-sunflower]

P.2 HH Lucifer-centric AU 12/?

STORY 1, PART 1, PART 2, PART 3, PART 4, PART 5, PART 6, PART 7, PART 8, PART 9, PART 10, PART 11, PART 13, PART 14, PART 14.5, PART 15, PART 16, PART 17, PART 18, PART 19, PART 20, PART 21, PART 22, PART 23, PART 24, PART 25, PART 26

If you guys see any changes when re-reading a chapter, means that I'm just proofreading and editing it haha

I proofread after I post something. Anyone interested in being a beta reader/proofreader?

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

Lucifer is anxious.

After his no more than 10 minute nap was interrupted by the arrival of Belphegor, they were the only 2 in the room. The Sin of Sloth all but ordered that no one enters Lucifer's quarters until she is has looked him over and deemed fine and safe.

He didn't even get to see Charlie but Belphegor in doctor mode is someone he doesn't want to be difficult with.

He could hear the rest of the Sins beyond the door, probably pushing each other to try and sneak a peak or hear something. It reminds him of the time when the Sins first came into existence and acted like clingy children to him and Lilith.

With all the experience he had with them, he still managed to fuck up with Charlie.

Belphegor: -head?

Oh, Bel was talking.

Lucifer: Hmm?

She purses her lips at his inattentiveness and type something on her tablet. This can't be good.

Belphegor: I asked how is your head?

Lucifer: Still attached to me.

Bel gave him a deadpan look.

Belphegor: Very funny.

Lucifer: I am a clown.

Belphegor: Do not let Mammon hear you say that, he might include you as one of his trademark jesters.

Bel fired a few more standard questions and despite her doubts, he was honestly feeling fine. His body and mind is just craving sleep right now but he's in not any sort of pain. Plus, it's not like Bel can cure his problem no matter how good she and her meds are.

Belphegor: Charlie mentioned stuff came out of you? Like dark smoke?

Lucifer: You have to take her word for it because I have no idea what was happening. I was basically asleep the whole time. You should check on her too though. She looks worse than I did.

Belphegor: Yes. Maybe next time, inform one of us of your whereabouts so that the princess doesn't have a mental breakdown when she finds you near dead.

Lucifer: Yeah yeah. But I was only there for a nap. Honest! You know how these Heaven trips are always so tiring, Bel.

Belphegor: Which brings me to my next question, how long have you been coming and going into Heaven?

Lucifer: Uhhh I don't know what you're talking about.

Belphegor: Don't think I did not get that slip of tongue. You said trips.

Lucifer: Did I? I meant trip. Cos this is the first time I've come back there. Yep.

Belphegor: You are supposed to be the father of lies yet you cannot even make up a good enough excuse when the situation calls for it.

Lucifer: Ouch.

Belphegor: So, how long have you been making your secret Heavenly trips without us knowing…… Your Majesty.

Ahhh ever so respectful, even when she's scolding him.

Lucifer: It looks like you already had your suspicions even before I fucked it up.

Belphegor: Opening a portal to a place that is obviously not the entrance to Heaven, having a key to open said portal to a private quarters, not one message above for a permission. It's not rocket science.

Lucifer: Jeez. I didn't even know you were watching that intently.

Belphegor: What servant would I be if I did not keep an eye on my King.

Lucifer: Ain't a good servant supposed to follow their King with no questions asked? This is feeling a lot like an interrogation.

Belphegor: You are correct. And you have mine and the Sins' unyielding loyalty. But.. it does appear like you've forgotten a simple detail.

Lucifer: Oh yeah? And what's that?

Belphegor: You are our big brother. We value you as our family, not simply as royalty.

Lucifer doesn't know what to say to that. Instead he opts to steer the subject.

Lucifer: Do the others know?

Belphegor: I do not think so. And I have half a mind to let them loose on you but.. no. I have a very good inkling you don't want anyone to know of your endeavours.

Lucifer: Just don't tell them. Not yet.

He know Bel won't but he still wants to ask anyway.

Belphegor: Very well. But you are not answering my question. How. Long?

Lucifer can't help but gulp. There's really no getting out of this one. He's a bit glad it's Bel and not anyone else. If there's anyone of the Sins who knows how to keep something to themselves, it's the Sin of Sloth.

Thankfully, she's also too focused on the fact that he's having secret meetings in Heaven than what happened back at the palace.

Lucifer: ….More or less 5000 years ago. It was Michael who reached out first. No one else knows except my siblings up there.

Belphegor: Not even the head Seraphim?

Lucifer: As far as Sera is concerned, I am still banned from setting foot beyond the pearly gates.

Belphegor: Why would the Archangel Michael take that risk then? If found out, would that not affect his standing in Heaven?

Lucifer: At first it was just to stay up to date. He said that he didn't fully trust the council but I think that's just an excuse to have me alone with no one hovering. It's not frequent enough that anyone in Heaven will be able to sense me. But I stopped going when the extermination was proposed.

He took Bel's silence as a cue to continue.

Lucifer: Long before the Fall, Michael and I promised never to lie to each other. And during those secret meetings, I still thought that. I told him everything. But he never told me about the extermination so I guess it was just me upholding that promise. I'm such a fool.

He buries his face in his hands because the he really is a fool. Michael wasn't the only one pretending everything was okay; that anything barely changed. Lucifer hopes that Belphegor doesn't take his secrecy the wrong way.

He just wanted to be the little brother again.

Belphegor: You are a fool.

He can't help but shot Belphegor a pitying look but she puts up a hand before he could say something.

Belphegor: But so was I when I kept that secret that almost destroyed all of Hell. So was Satan for antagonizing the Son of God on Earth which consequently made them think it was you. So was Asmodeus for making his crystals and allowing illegal travels on the human world. So was Mammon when he tried to sue you for the first time and sent you to one of your self-isolation punishments. So was Leviathan for picking a fight with Lilith when you were already in distress. So was Beelzebub for almost letting you drink yourself to death. And so was Lilith for leaving.

The Sin of Sloth moves in front of him so their knees are touching. Bel had never been a touchy person. Much like Alastor, small gestures of touch are her way of shouting her love for you.

He'll forever be honored to be on the receiving end of those kinds of affection because he knows that those gifts given only to people who they think they deserve.

Belphegor: We're fools and we must learn from it. Was it not you who gave humanity the gift of knowledge? Who gave us life? Who gave us free will? So now you have the free will to choose if you'll remain one.

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

I don't know why but I love writing Belphegor so much. It's the way she talks that is just easy to keep writing.

Anyway, continuation of this is tomorrow!

I only wanted a Bel and Luci chapter again, you'll see the rest of the Sins and Charlie again tomorrow!

Likes, reblogs, and comments are always appreciated!

[breannasfluff]

Quick question, how do you write so much? I fight the words for an hour and have maybe 2 paragraphs of garbage but you pump out really nice work almost every day??? I have so many ideas but I can’t write them for love nor money

I write almost every day, or I take a break and switch it out for drawing. I generally can write a chapter in one go, so usually stock up some backlog to cover days I’m busy. Having multiple stories now means I don’t have that backlog of some, so updates are a bit slower.

As for writing tips:

1. Remove distractions. Shut discord, exit out of tumblr, mute your phone. When you are stuck, don’t go scroll social media. When writing, the only thing I touch the internet for is if I need to check a story item, like a character name, item history, etc. I cannot overstate how important this is. If you are talking to your friends, you won’t have a writing flow.

2. Do not edit as you write. Writing and editing are two different tasks. You switch between creative and critical thinking and it breaks flow. This is a scientific process and you can read more about it here.

Research electroencephalogram (EEG) suggests both heightened electrical brain wave activity and elevated dopamine levels during flow. In other words, your brain experiences both electrical and chemical changes when you’re “in the zone.”

But once you switch to self-editing mode, you move to the critical thinking side of your brain. You halt all of freewriting’s creative electrical impulses and pleasure-sensing dopamine levels. Your mind flips off one switch and turns on another.

3. Set a time, then be done. Give yourself 20 minutes and write as much as you can. Doesn’t matter if it’s garbage. You can edit garbage into something useful or you can chuck it in a bin. Just try to write, then take a break. Staring at a blank document for two hours isn’t going to make words appear and it just stressed out your brain.

4. Have an outline. Sometimes a magical idea just flows when you sit down to write, but generally not. Have an outline of what you want to have happen in your story or chapter. It doesn’t need to be in depth; for most of my oneshots I literally have a sentence or two at the top of the page. The story needs to have a goal. For example: Wild tries to teach Hyrule cooking. It doesn’t go well. Bouncing ideas off friends can be a big help! It’s why you’ve probably seen me post about prompts and suggestions, and sometimes stories are gifted to people. Talking through plot ideas can help you get a better outline or idea of action.

Misc notes:

Hate to say, but some of it is just practice. I’ve been actively writing for a little over a year with some breaks on and off. Making it a habit is a big thing for making it easy. It’s harder to restart after a break.

When I first started writing I tried to pick one aspect to improve for each story. Filter words, pacing, varying sentence starters, story arcs, etc. Fixing multiple things at once was too much work, but one item at a time was doable.

Filter words make such a huge difference in writing; I encourage you to look them up. It’s a PAIN to remove them in post, but it also taught me to cut them out. Now it’s unconscious and while some still show up, I tend to write them out automatically.

You can learn to write quickly, but if you don’t also work on quality you’ll just…write a lot. That said, it’s fanfic. Sometimes it’s just for fun and quality doesn’t matter. I’ve got plenty of stories that will never be posted because they are just for fun.

Some of it could be writing speed, too? I use a bot a lot of times for timing and tracking and generally average 30-35 words/min. Harder story topics are slower to write, like angst and emotional scenes.

I’m actually writing less this year than last, but I don’t put as much time into it. It also keeps it sustainable as a hobby, although I definitely hit periods of frustration. It can get overwhelming.

If you search my blog for the tag #writing advice or #writing tips, you should fine some other things as well.

This was rather frank, but hopefully helpful! Feel free to drop further questions and I’ll do my best to answer 💜

[deathbypufferfish]

How I Manage my Mods for Big Patch Updates!

Big updates can be overwhelming when you have a lot of mods, so I thought I would make a guide about how I keep track of things with google sheets!

As always, remember to back up your saves and take your mods folder out before you update! (taking the folder out is not necessary, but a good safeguard). Playing with unconfirmed and not updated mods after an update is at your own risk! If you want to wait until your mods are updated, turn off automatic updates and play in offline mode.

Even if you don't want to do a google sheet, it's still good to know where you can find your mod updates!

Resource List:

Deaderpool Discord Server (public server)

Google Sheets (you can use any excel-based program but this is what I use and it's free) I'll be giving some tips but this is not a google sheets tutorial.

Scarlet/Sims VIP Broken/Updated Mod List (edit: Scarlet changed it so the list is not on google sheets but displayed on her site. It's the same link and you can still search with ctrl + f so nothing has changed in this tutorial. I use the filtered views list).

First off: I will always recommend sorting your mods into folders. At the very least, a separate folder for your mods away from your cc. Remember that script mods should only be at most, one folder deep. This is how I personally organize my mods. Note that they all start with "mods" so they all appear together alphabetically. I group big mods on their own and smaller mods into these categories.

2. The first thing to do is to create a template sheet. This will be a list of your mods formatted in sheets that you can duplicate when an update happens. If you have any new mods, add them here and not to your update sheets. I do not include every single mod. The mods I include are my script mods and large tuning mods that are updated by their creators. Some mods, like for example the no blu by luumia, are small enough to not worry about and do not receive compatibility confirmations so I leave them out.

3. This is how my template is formatted:

When an update happens, I will cross reference my sheet to the Scarlet's List and input whether it is broken, compatible or updated. Once a broken mod is updated, I will change the status accordingly.

The creator's name comes first so that way if you decide to sort the sheet A to Z they will be grouped by creator. (You'll see why later). Do this by left clicking on column A. If you sort by A to Z the column titles will be sorted too, so freeze that row.

Edit: I also recently added a column for the links to the mod pages! I suggest wrapping the text in that column to keep it neat.

4. The Scarlet/Sims VIP Broken/Updated Mod list is updated in real time by tons of contributors and modders. Additionally, you can look for updates regularly with Scarlet's weekly update and changes list (found through the same link above) or with the mod news channel in Deaderpool's Server, which also gives updates. For now we'll only be looking at the main patch list.

There's tons of mods on here, but don't be alarmed! You can simply search the mod list with Ctrl + F. I recommend searching by creator so there is no confusion on the mods' names.

When an update happens, I will go down the list on my new, duplicated sheet and search for the creators on the Scarlet's List. I then label it on my sheet whether it is listed as broken, compatible or updated. Once a broken mod is updated, I will change its status to "updated".

Mods are listed as "unknown" if their status hasn't been confirmed any which way. After some time, I'd say a small "unknown" mod is safe to go ahead with, but do that at your own risk. I mainly am looking out for the big script mods, many small tuning mods I am willing to give the go ahead if it is still unknown after my major mods are confirmed.

I recommend sitting down and reviewing your mods after a day or so has past after the patch, or you can keep up and regularly update it with Deaderpool's server. You can also use google sheets on your phone for convenience.

Optional:

I do some conditional formatting as well to keep things more clear on my mods sheet. This is optional, but I do recommend it! Do this all on your template sheet so you do not have to redo it later on.

First, I go to Format>Alternating colors to make the rows clear from one another.

Go to Format>Conditional Formatting and select "add another rule".

Click on the top left square as shown here to select the entire sheet. The data range popup will appear. The data range should be something like 1:1000 (or whatever number of rows you have). Click ok.

Choose "is equal to" for your format rules. Type in the one of the status names into "Value or Formula", I'm using "compatible". Select the color you wish the cell to highlight with. You can choose additional formatting styles as well.

Repeat for "updated" and "broken" using different colors for all. I use red for broken, green for compatible, and yellow for updated. I leave mods that are "unknown" blank. Now when you type one of the status names into its column, the cell will highlight the respective color!

[rohirric-hunter]

I made an @ellipsus-writes account yesterday and with one day under my belt here are my first impressions.

It's basically Google Docs, but without being associated with Google. You're able to edit documents from any device with a web browser, which is a lot more convenient than the WebDav server I'm currently using.

Things that are less than ideal:

There aren't a lot of customization options. You can switch between light and dark mode, but I would like to be able to set my document backgrounds to a color. Also it would be better if you could change your view layout. Right now it looks like this:

and I would prefer to have these documents in a list, rather than these big bubbles. The bubbles might be cool if you could change their color or add an image background to them, but as is they're just boring white and taking up a lot of space. I have only 12 documents in this folder and it's a bit silly that I can't see them all at once.

2. You might also notice that these documents appear to be in a completely random order. They're actually in the order I last edited them in. I prefer my documents to be in alphabetical order, and this is an option that exists, but a) when switching to this view it for some reason defaults to reverse alphabetical order and I then have to manually select regular alphabetical order, and b) this setting will not be remembered between sessions.

3. I can't seem to get rid of the, "Need help? Chat with us" popup at the bottom of the page. It takes up an annoying amount of space, and I wish it was collapsible.

Things that worry me:

Instead of having a password system, Ellipsus sends you an email link every time you go to log in. There's nothing wrong with doing it this way I guess, since you can access the link from the same device you're accessing the website from, but it kind of just smacks of being different for the sake of being different. Makes me worry about security. Not that I write anything worth stealing.

Instead of having a normal profile system, Ellipsus uses Gravatar, which is some "universal internet account" nonsense that I will absolutely not be using. This probably won't be a huge issue, though, as I don't really plan on using the collaboration tools, so I won't need to make a profile. I wish I could change my email address, though, as I accidentally used the wrong one to make the account. I might make a new account.

I don't understand how all this is being paid for. There are no ads, the account is free, but the hosting is all done by Ellipsus. While text does not take up a ton of space to host, it does take up some space, and that costs money. Are the creators doing it out of their own pockets? Do they have a donor? Will there be donation drives to support it later? Or will they adopt advertisements in the future or introduce a "premium" option where you can pay for additional features? The last one normally wouldn't worry me, but since it is currently so bare-bones I'm a bit antsy. What if you have to pay for the option to have your documents in alphabetical order by default?

Their advertising is. Vague. I put this off for a long time because looking around on their website there was a lot of talk about how you're a writer and super creative and also they'll never steal your data to train AIs, but it was really hard to find a place where it outright said what the product was. This concerns me because it makes me feel like the company has something to hide.

Good things:

It's a platform that does the same thing as Google Docs without actually being Google Docs. This is a powerful pro. I'll probably keep using it for now.

Oh yeah and they don't have an app. A few years ago this would have gone in the less-than-ideal section for me but these days with the way app stores are about user generated content it's probably best to avoid the whole thing. I followed their suggestion to set a link on my homescreen (through Firefox) and it works very well. I was worried it might be laggy (Tumblr was laggy when I used it through Firefox) but it's been very responsive. No server access if you're not connected to the internet, but if you have the document already open then you can keep typing into it and it will update when you reconnect. This is the same way I used Google Docs back in the day and perfectly serviceable in my opinion.

[equinox-dust]

Headcanons time- Empty Bempty Edition!

“Don't be confused; this isn't Flumpty Bumpty. This colorful little guy is Empty Bempty! He can go anywhere he likes, but he can’t do much else. You see, Empty is an Easter egg. He is not immune to the plot; the plot is immune to him!”

He is a very overlooked character, and I just felt like talking about him! So here are my headcanons:

Flumpty, being omniscient, knows about Empty's existence. Empty knows the guy and his gang, too. It all started when he just appeared out of random in the first game's building. Nothing big happened, really. Both parties are disinterested in each other, so they left each other alone.

Empty is pretty much Flumpty's polar opposite, since his description is the reverse of Flumpty's powers.

Unlike Flumpty, he is probably smaller. Maybe he is the size of your standard egg, maybe he is as tiny as a candy chocolate egg. (Speaking of chocolate, it is highly likely that he is either made out of chocolate or is simply an egg with a painted shell.) Flumpty, on the other hand, is USUALLY around door height (somewhere in the 6 fts), and whatever is inside him varies endlessly.

EMPTY HAS NO ARMS. OR LEGS. This part is actually canon design, I guess. So his only mode of transportation is teleportation, just like Flumpty.

Empty likes to visit many different worlds like his counterpart. The difference is that he's not a big prick about it. He mostly just stays wherever, and watches things happen, being a colorful little wallflower.

He doesn't have much care for socialization, preferring to be alone (He did not mind being abandoned by the gang). But! He doesn't mind company. I just don't see him as a particularly talkative being and just does his blank smile 24/7.

Empty is more neutral with his emotions. A lot milder mannered than Flumpty, who's insanely impulsive and cheerfully violent, but more expressive than someone like Blam.

Empty enjoys colors and can reappear with different colors and designs. But he really enjoys blue, yellow and green the most.

Empty also enjoys bringing mild interest and happiness to others who have managed to find him. Perhaps Empty's sole purpose of existence is to visit worlds just so that someone can find him. In a way, I guess you can say that he also enjoys hide and seek, just like Flumpty.

Empty cannot do anything with the exception of watching and teleporting. I don't think you can kill him either. Or maybe he can be killed, but always comes back whenever he feels like it, similar to Flumpty.

He is the sole survivor of Flumpty's genocide in the 3rd game. or maybe he died too, and just came back without Flumpty's reviving him.

Much like Flumpty, he's genderfluid too. I actually like to HC that Empty uses she/her sometimes-

He is also aware that he is a fictional character, but he doesn't mind it.

Empty has seen horrors.

[yorithesims]

Get to know you - Sims Style

@rstarsims3 <3 Thank you so much for the tag♡I was looking forward to writing this! Thank you for remembering me!

☆What’s your favorite Sims death? I don't know much about it because I'm avoiding the death of my simsXD ☆Alpha CC or Maxis Match? I like both! However, Alpha wins when it comes to hair😋 ☆Do you cheat your sims weight? In the pose test world, I ask my sims to lose weight because they are unknowingly gaining weight and freaking me out!

☆Do you move objects? moveobjects cheats are easy and the best♡ ☆Favorite Mod? “TS3 My Favorite Mod │ L-Sims” There are too many so I have collected them here！ ☆First Expansion/Game Pack/Stuff Pack? The Sims2: Double Deluxe ☆Do you pronounce live mode like aLIVE or LIVing? “aLIVE”

☆Who’s your favorite sim that you’ve made? Alien Girl☆Likasta Voyager

☆Have you made a simself? There are two Sim’s

☆Which is your favorite EA hair color? platinum blonde✨

☆Favorite EA hair? Pixie Hair💕

☆Favorite life stage? young adults + toddlers I'm enjoying childcare that I couldn't do in real life♪ ☆Are you a builder or are you in it for the gameplay? For gameplay! ☆Are you a CC creator? I'm a Pose-Maker.

☆Do you have any Simblr friends or a Sim Squad? I made some irreplaceable friends😸 ☆Do you have any sims merchandise? I love the necklace that reminds me of a plumbob.

☆How has your “Sims style” changed throughout your years of playing? Start playing with minimal CC to lighten the load on the game → Start using poses → You will be able to enjoy the appearance of female Sims that change in various ways with alpha hair → You will be able to create poses and belly-joint accessories It's a big change!

☆Who’s your favorite CC creator? There are too many to write about! As for Sims 3, a big hug to the creators who are still working on the CC to enjoy this old game!

☆How long have you had Simblr? It's been 6 years. ☆How do you edit your pictures? Fotor (premium) / Photoshop / Paint.NET

☆What expansion/ gamepack is your favorite? Generations,Showtime,Island Paradise,Supernatural

おしまい☆内容がTS3に偏ってもうたし、質問けっこう多めで楽しいからTS4も含めた日本語回答バージョンも投稿します♡

[magz]

hi magz! I was wondering if you have any resources for free aac programs for android devices? even just an apk download would be fine, but my speech has been getting worse and worse due to seizures/neurological activity and I feel the need to be prepared. thank you so much (for everything you do!)

would recommend have more than 1 of try in case.

Also check notice pattern what other aspect language n speak have issue, so can choose app good !

(example issue: relation words to each other. remember what words. assign words and pictures.)

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) apps available Android device, here ....

text-based aac:

Spoken AAC ("less" feature in free version.)

have multiple decent basic voice in-built and text prediction. option for dark mode + large text (only 2 setting tho) + only speak sentence when finish or speak while select. symbol next to word look minimal symbol. It need email for account, but that all really.

Look To Speak

Google app, where select pre-written phrase with eyesight detection, n it read it out. pre-select phrase can be edit n added.

-

Just "Text-to-speech" :

Both lil bit wonky n rely on phone TTS voice. Both very simple, which strength n weakness. Are on F-droid App.

eSpeak.

TTS-util.

symbol-based AAC:

Coughdrop AAC (2 month trial)

classic-style symbol AAC, but with cloud and open source. Design kinda outdated, but alas.

Leeloo AAC (free version basic feature. but 3 day for premium trial)

symbol AAC with category type, modern-style design n more settings. Is intend for kids n is noticeable, n there multiple feature behind pay wall. Is however, decent for presets use, when not have energy / ability make own full sentence spontaneous. It have bit issue with big font setting though (default magz phone setting for visual aid)

AAC Cboard (mainly base on free iirc)

more streamline classic-style symbol AAC. Require CBoard account.

Big Text Communication:

Large Text: Banner Creator (better than "Make it big" app that have so many ads n intrusive) - make big text so other people can see. (can also make into image

Deaf Note

- type out message n will appear upside down if person at other side. have text-to-speech feature (what you "say"), and speech-to-text feature (what other person "say")

Different quality n different use case. Hope work for you.

Am bit difficult communicate this n make list.

[quillpokebiology]

Hi! do you know any interesting facts about Lurantis?

I do! I really like them, and while it's not a lurantis, my friend has a fomantis named Snapdragon who I absolutely love.

Lurantis Facts

-The scientific name for Lurantis is "Montoludia sicula" which translates to "Sickle soothsayer-actress"

-When lurantis were first discovered, there was a lot of controversy on why they should be classified as a bug type. But further research shows that it isn’t bugs pretending to be plants; it’s plants pretending to be bugs

-Scientists theorize that the reason lurantis became predators was because they weren’t getting enough sunlight at some point in history

-As ambush predators, lurantis are able to sit in an area for days without the need of sunlight or food; waiting for their next prey

-The Alolan saying, “A plant in bug’s silk,” which refers to someone who is pretending to be nice only to betray you, came from lurantis

-Male lurantis are slightly smaller than female luranits

-Newer studies show that ancient lurantis were shown to be grass/poison types. There is still a large debate among that between researchers, though

-Because of the the protectors on its eyes, everything it sees has a red tint

(Art by Kantarou on Zerochan.net)

-A common misconception is that the lurantis line is related to the leavanny line. This isn't true at all. Its similarities to leavanny is just convergant evolution

-Lurantis have a "flower mode," which is a state they go into when sleeping or going into camaflouge

(From concept art)

-Female lurantis are more aggressive than male lurantis. It's also one of the few species where the female will fight and compete for males

-They developed the "goggles" on their eyes to protect them from pollen and dust

-They care a lot about their appearance and will spend a lot of time editing it and preening themselves

-Lurantis are good pest controls for unwanted bug types

-Lurantis in Alola tend to be more colorful than the lurantis in any other region because of the amount of sun (the ones in Galar tend to be the dullest)

Care Tips

(For the Anon that asked but I couldn't awnser)

Lurantis can be a big change from fomantis. They become bigger, require more work, and are more aggressive. But once you get the hang of it and get used to daily routines, it won't be difficult at all!

Lurantis require a lot of sunlight and become wilted and irritable if they don't get enough. Giving them a lot of time outside where they have open sunlight is highly recommended. A good space for them would be an open field with a small pond or fountain to play in and bathe themselves.

If your lurantis is female, it can be harder to train them since they're more stubborn and aggressive. Trying to bond with them in activities they like or trying to understand why they won't listen (like why they use Solar beam instead of sword dance as an example). They're smart, and will find a way to communicate these issues with you.

They enjoy more aggressive playtime. Toys like the feather toys in Galar or tug of war would be games and toys they really enjoy.

A thing to look out for would be their sharp toe tips and the sharp tips at the end of their leaves. They can be as dangerous as knives, and you can get hurt if you touch them. Plus, they can scratch your walls and furniture